Brad Smith - airplane geek

Okay, you all know that I'm a geek. I revel in it. There are so many neat things out there to geek out about...comics, books, cars, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.

One of my oldest obsessions has to do with airplanes. I think I got my first model airplane around the time I was nine or ten, and I'm more in love with airplanes now than I've ever been. This is fairly incomprehensible to most people, as the public tends to think "If you've seen one airshow/museum/flight sim, you've seen them all". Even Becky gets exasperated with me sometimes, but mostly she tolerates my affliction.

Not surprisingly, I tend to gravitate towards people and events that feed this nonsense. There are (believe it or not) people out there whose obsessions are far deeper than mine. Here are a few:

John Altmann decided that someone should record the sounds of airplanes. So he did. He has used top-notch recording equipment to capture the sounds of some of the most captivating airplanes in existence. His website is here complete with lots of samples (turn up the volume!), and his blog is here.

For those of you who like video, youtube is okay, but the best stuff I've found is at Air Show Buzz
and ClipWings.com.

Why I love the works of J.R.R. Tolkien

You all know that I am a big fan of The Lord of the Rings. Many of you can't figure out why. Follow the link to get a really good (and in the best Brad-like traditions, long-winded) explanation.

Omnivoracious: There and Back Again
P.S. Don't bother to read the comments on China's site, just read the article.

The Guys Manual

Yes, I know it's a thinly-veiled advertisement for Grape Nuts, but the videos are hilarious. (There are several in each of the six areas to the lower left.)

http://theguysmanual.msn.com/

Brad? A Technophobe?

Not really.

But there are certain things I don't like about our current technology-enabled society. Like kids who won't answer their phones, but will text you immediately no matter what they are doing. (None of my kids do this). Or drivers whose most important task is not keeping their vehicles on the road, but talking to who-knows-whom about who-knows-what (Again, none of my kids do this - I've threatened revocation of privileges often enough that they are afraid of the consequences). Or punk kids that mock those that wear wristwatches to tell the time (Duh! Your cellphone keeps time, and it's more accurate!)

I resist being connected to the world in this manner. Yes, I know I'm writing this on a blog. More about that later. I love my watch. Or rather, watches. I have five functioning watches that I cycle through: a quartz Mickey Mouse, two Fossil chronographs, a Swiss Army quartz and a Stauer Automatic. I have four additional non-functional watches that I hope to repair someday: The Seiko I got for graduating from High School, a cheap dotOne watch that I keep like a psychological Purple Heart, a Timex Indiglo Alarm and a Lorus Mickey Mouse. I aspire to own more watches. My next target is a Christopher Ward C8 Automatic. It is much easier not to buy a watch on impulse, so Becky likes this new collection since I am not filling the basement with "collectibles" (junk). I like the thought of having a small piece of non-electronic machinery on my person that keeps time. I enjoy the thought of the craftsmanship necessary to create such a piece of machinery.. And even though I can't keep a database on it, nor play games, nor text people nor play mp3s, I love my watches. They say something about me.

I realize that cellphones are very useful. But I will resist owning one for as long as possible. Becky and the girls each have one, so I can borrow theirs if I really need one. You can reach me at home or at work on the phone, and I will pick up, unless I'm not home. Then you can leave a message. Archaic, I know, but it's me.

Now to the blog. I really like posting stuff on my blog periodically. And I love reading your blogs. But don't be surprised if you get an actual snail-mail letter from me sometime in the near future. My writing is execrable, of course, but after reading "John Adams" by David McCullough, I was struck by the fact that letters were the ONLY way to keep in touch with others outside your town. I was digging around in some of my junk downstairs, and found a bunch of letters that Becky wrote me while I was in Basic Training in 1987. Email doesn't have that kind of longevity. And I prefer perfume and stamps to smileys, when all is said and done.

Please don't feel that I'm being judgmental about the tech habits of others. One does what one feels one must. This stuff just isn't for me. But I will keep blogging. I just hope you can read my writing.

Heh heh, good one, dad!

I know I'm not very original. I tend to quote things other people have said in cartoons, TV shows and movies. However...

This morning I made a joke. Nathaniel said "What's that from?". Not "Hah hah" or "Good one, Dad". I said "It's from my own little shriveled up brain." He said "Oh," like he was disappointed.

He did that to me twice more before I dropped him off for school.

Tough crowd.

(Thank you, I'll be here all week. Try the Veal!)

What a weird dog

Sparky is our dog. We started out thinking he was a cocker spaniel, but now we are pretty sure he has some Labrador Retriever in him. (We know this because he retrieved a labrador for us.)

He is an entertaining dog. He likes to go outside, but doesn't feel the NEED to GO outside. He LIKES to go upstairs. In the bathroom. Next to the toilet. I am not kidding. If we could only get him to lift up the lid...

His favorite thing in the world is eating (we hardly have to sweep). And chewing. But we got lucky with the chewing thing. He never chews on shoes or boots or toys or furniture. He chews on kleenex. (Sorry Michelle!) I don't mind. It's cheaper than the alternatives.

He loves to go on walks and rides. Walks are self-explanatory, but he seems to love to go on rides so that he can get air under his jowls. I'm not kidding; at about 30mph, his cheeks go airborne. He's a fast runner, but it's just not the same. I'm not sure, but I think he views the interior of the minivan as HIS TERRITORY. Whenever we drive near a person, he barks his "my turf" bark.

He views any acknowledgment of his presence to be an invitation to jump up on the bed or couch with you.

And he stretches like a cat, though he won't tolerate them in HIS yard.

He's an odd dog, but he fits right in at our house.

Spring is here, almost.

Alyson has created a song:

"Spring is here, Spring is here,
Spring is here, Spring is here.
Spring is here at last."

A little premature, perhaps, but it speaks to me. I hope for spring. I am going to start going to the gym (again!) next week, but I anticipate being able to run outside. I like green landscapes and moderate temperatures. Here's hoping. Especially since it snowed again last night.

Alyson looked out the window, sighed deeply and said "Maybe I should write a Winter song."