March 29, 2007 by Brian.

Dan and I share an interest in aircraft and space vehicles, so we made a stop at the Pima Air and Space Museum. This one will be a little photo heavy, but there were a lot of neat aircraft there, so we took quite a few pictures (will take at least ten minutes to load). The first is my favorite.

Luckily, Dan-o is not yet thirty-five, so this scenario is not possible. Lord help us. Can you imagine a crazy, chew-spitting, carousing president? If not, just take a look above. Even scarier, he would have a huge arsenal at his disposal.

He probably wouldn’t be in Iraq though. He would just have them drop some bombs in the desert, while he and his “cabinet” sat around drinking beers and watching the fireworks. The world would be a lot more peaceful.

The photo above shows my favorite airplane, the F4U Corsair. It flew off of aircraft carriers and from land bases in WWII. It has 2,000 horsepower and can fly over 400 miles per hour, though control can be tough to master due to its long snout. It could also carry 2,500 .50 caliber rounds, which gave its six guns one full minute of continuous fire. That’s a lot of lead for this small plane. The japanese called it the “whistling death” from the noise made by the air cooling coils. Though I have always wanted to fly one, it’s $2,000,000 price tage means I won’t be flying one anytime soon.

“Revin’ up your engine, listenin’ to her howlin’ roar, metal under tension, beggin’ you to touch and go. Highway to the danger zone. Ride into the danger zone.” -From “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, featured in every F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot’s favorite movie, “Top Gun.” This airplane was just recently retired. The F-18 Hornet now flies off of the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers. Sorry Maverick.

“This is a daylight raid, gentlemen. Air Force, Marines, Navy, everything we got. They’ve had three years to get ready for us. The most formidable air defenses in the history of warfare. Our job, the task of the Intruder, is to kill SAMs. Make no mistake about it, gentlemen, SAMs are where your ordnance goes. Otherwise, those B-52’s will be dead meat. We can expect a forest of SAMs and flak you can lay down on. We’ve got to cut a path through for the Air Force. We’ll be going in broad daylight with nothing to hide behind. We’ll be easy targets up there, gentlemen, but they’re counting on us. Lean into it. Let’s go downtown!” -From “Flight of the Inrtuder”

I forgot to write down what the name of this airplane was, but I thought it was neat because it gave a shout out to the best city in the world. Maybe someone out there knows what kind of airplane this is, since I neglected to write it down. 

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March 28, 2007 by Brian.

Hidden beneath the ground and out of sight, the Titan Missle System provided a healthy dose of deterence to a nuclear strike from the old U.S.S.R. At the height of the Cold War, these missles were at ready night and day, prepared to do the unthinkable. The silos themselves were completely isolated underground living and working areas for the U.S. Air Force crews. The systems of security and checks are fascinating, and the missle itself is a thought-provoking spectacle to gaze upon. Though I grew up with the idea of imminent nuclear war, it is still an insane thought that this and other nuclear systems were ready to wreak apocalyptic damage on our enemies from right beneath our very feet.

The tour provided by the volunteers at the Titan Missle Musuem were informative and captivating. I was impressed with their attention to detail and ability to answer our questions. I am speculating, but I am guessing that their enthusiasm is derived from the intensity and importance of their subject, the mighty Titan Missle, whose destructive power was unrivalled.

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December 29, 2006 by Brian.

       The air is heavy with the humidity of melted snow, and the temperature is eerily warm for this time of year in Minnesota. Normally, this would make for a restful night of sleep, as worries dissipated into the comfort of a warm blanket.

       Baby Jesus, however, has gotten not a wink, given the auspicious nature of his group of guests. Perhaps, too, he is a little nervous about the squawk of the the pheasant astrut. A little concerning also, is the antagonism between Barnabas, the badger and Winston, a willful, wild wolverine. Behind him, he feels the sultry gaze of the rooster, ogling the hen’s juicy breasts. His lust is frustrated though, by the longing gaze of the hen upon the colorful plummage of the ringneck. And the incessant crunching from the raccoon on that corn cob could keep sleepy dwarf awake.

They travelled from the far corners of the Midwest, beast and fowl alike. The fawn is uplifted to gaze on the babe in all his glory, and he almost forgets the tragedy of losing his mother to a Buick Century. The normally emotionally armored armadillo is a little choked up to gaze on our Lord’s ruddy countenance. The poor squirrel, due in large part to his slight build, strains to get a better look. To their mother’s dismay, the ducklings have wandered away to take part in this communion. Even the timid rabbit and chipmunk have cast off their social anxiety. Such is the scene at Westcott Station Antiques on West 7th tonight.

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December 22, 2006 by Brian.

Hello all,

I am up and running. The site still needs a lot of work, but it is here and will be constantly improved, as I have time. Please come back to see my photos and some stories from my travels and add a comment or two of your own. I look forward to communicating in this modern form.

 Until Then,

Brian M. Smith

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