If you've visited my blog lately (instead of viewing it through google reader), you may have noticed this super-attractive widget I have at the top under the title.
If you've been paying attention, you may have noticed that today's number is different from yesterday's.
It's about time.
I'm tracking the weight that I want to lose in August. All too soon, I'll be adding to it the weight I'm hoping to lose in September. Yeah... I don't know that that's how it will all pan out, but hopefully it'll average out to 30 LBS. GONE BY 10 NOVEMBER.
Wouldn't that be awesome?
It would.
84 days left.
No, I"m not counting.
My phone is.
Thank you 'days left' widget. (:
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
READ IT
I'm only partway through the second person's story, but ho. ly. cow.
Amazing.
One guy whose story is told was 19 (NINETEEN) for one more week when the war ended and was 'a decorated veteran air combat officer and a proven navigator' at that time. He had also earned the title 'lucky bastard*.'
NINETEEN!!!
I don't know if they make men like that anymore.
Find it here.
and 'click to look inside' for a preview.
Wow.
*i'm not swearing. it's a thing. and an incredible thing at that.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Guess Who
this man -
- was drafted
- said, 'The only lottery I ever came close to winning was the drawing for the first draft before Pearl Harbor.'
- was 10 lbs. underweight for his height-weight ratio and was denied after being drafted
- appealed the army's decision when denied
- said (with a slight grin) he had a friend operating the scales for the second weigh-in
- defied his boss and took every step possible to get into uniform
- was a movie star, academy award-winning actor, American folk hero, Princeton graduate, aviator, bachelor, and prime favorite with the Hollywood ladies - who entered the army as a private
- when giving his reason to enlist said, 'It may sound corny, but what's wrong with wanting to fight for your country. Why are people reluctant to use the word patriotism?'
- made a promise to himself that he wouldn't use his celebrity for any favors
- went from earning thousands a month to $21 a month
on purpose
- 'won his commission not by pulling a string in Washington nor on the strength of civilian prominence, but by the unspectacular method of meeting the official requirements'
- at the end of WWII was a full commander of a combat bomber wing of the 8th Air Force
- was the highest ranking of Hollywood stars and directors who went off to war
- was among the very few officers in American military history to rise from private to colonel in just over four years
- served in the reserves until the retirement age of 60, during which time he became a general- was in combat situations the whole time he was overseas performing demanding and exposed duties
- lead pilot, squadron operations officer, and at the end - wing commander
- flew 20 combat missions against the Germans
- when not flying with 'his boys' was waiting at the control tower for their return
- flew every mission with his team that he could, when told to limit himself to 1 out of every 5, chose the most dangerous to fly
- had said of him - 'he was a very good B-24 pilot; he had a steady hand and a natural feel for piloting the aircraft. His greatest strength, however, was in his ability as a combat leader. He led many dangerous and difficult missions to such places as Berlin and, in the heat of air battle, he always maintained a calm demeanor. His pilots had absolute faith in him and were willing to follow him wherever he led.'
- won the most respect from his colleagues after one mission on which he missed the target and refused to alibi about it, taking all the blame for the mistake
- said, 'fear is an insidious and deadly thing. it can warp judgment, freeze reflexes, breed mistakes. worse, it's contagious. i knew that my own fear, if not checked, could infect my crew members.'
- was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal
- after his death there was a award created in his name to recognize outstanding pilots
- was remembered as 'shy, intense, not much of a talker, and a very competent pilot'- when he was told, 'I am honored to meet you, but... ah, you are an actor of course. We, ah, do not cater to actors, you see.' by a hotel manager, responded with, 'zat so? Waal, lemme tell ya. For the next four weeks, I'm Brigadier General *name*, United States Air Force.'
(in Madrid, the hotel manager touched a nerve. he was in Spain, not as an actor, but as a ranking American military officer in the service of his country. he expected to be treated with respect and dignity, and he quietly demanded it.)
- served in Vietnam and took part in a bombing mission
- after calling his twin daughters in for a 'talk' before they left for college, as typical, he kept it short and to the point - 'be nice to people and they will be nice to you.'
any guesses?
the final (and giveaway) clue...
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- his first movie after returning home was 'It's a Wonderful Life'
(and he played the lead in case you were wondering)
i've always thought he was good-looking, but the uniform makes him even more so (:
- said, 'The only lottery I ever came close to winning was the drawing for the first draft before Pearl Harbor.'
- was 10 lbs. underweight for his height-weight ratio and was denied after being drafted
- appealed the army's decision when denied
- said (with a slight grin) he had a friend operating the scales for the second weigh-in
- defied his boss and took every step possible to get into uniform
- was a movie star, academy award-winning actor, American folk hero, Princeton graduate, aviator, bachelor, and prime favorite with the Hollywood ladies - who entered the army as a private
- when giving his reason to enlist said, 'It may sound corny, but what's wrong with wanting to fight for your country. Why are people reluctant to use the word patriotism?'
- made a promise to himself that he wouldn't use his celebrity for any favors
- went from earning thousands a month to $21 a month
on purpose
- 'won his commission not by pulling a string in Washington nor on the strength of civilian prominence, but by the unspectacular method of meeting the official requirements'
- at the end of WWII was a full commander of a combat bomber wing of the 8th Air Force
- was the highest ranking of Hollywood stars and directors who went off to war
- was among the very few officers in American military history to rise from private to colonel in just over four years
- served in the reserves until the retirement age of 60, during which time he became a general- was in combat situations the whole time he was overseas performing demanding and exposed duties
- lead pilot, squadron operations officer, and at the end - wing commander
- flew 20 combat missions against the Germans
- when not flying with 'his boys' was waiting at the control tower for their return
- flew every mission with his team that he could, when told to limit himself to 1 out of every 5, chose the most dangerous to fly
- had said of him - 'he was a very good B-24 pilot; he had a steady hand and a natural feel for piloting the aircraft. His greatest strength, however, was in his ability as a combat leader. He led many dangerous and difficult missions to such places as Berlin and, in the heat of air battle, he always maintained a calm demeanor. His pilots had absolute faith in him and were willing to follow him wherever he led.'
- won the most respect from his colleagues after one mission on which he missed the target and refused to alibi about it, taking all the blame for the mistake
- said, 'fear is an insidious and deadly thing. it can warp judgment, freeze reflexes, breed mistakes. worse, it's contagious. i knew that my own fear, if not checked, could infect my crew members.'
- was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal
- after his death there was a award created in his name to recognize outstanding pilots
- was remembered as 'shy, intense, not much of a talker, and a very competent pilot'- when he was told, 'I am honored to meet you, but... ah, you are an actor of course. We, ah, do not cater to actors, you see.' by a hotel manager, responded with, 'zat so? Waal, lemme tell ya. For the next four weeks, I'm Brigadier General *name*, United States Air Force.'
(in Madrid, the hotel manager touched a nerve. he was in Spain, not as an actor, but as a ranking American military officer in the service of his country. he expected to be treated with respect and dignity, and he quietly demanded it.)
- served in Vietnam and took part in a bombing mission
- after calling his twin daughters in for a 'talk' before they left for college, as typical, he kept it short and to the point - 'be nice to people and they will be nice to you.'
any guesses?
the final (and giveaway) clue...
*
*
*
scroll down
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
keep scrolling
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
a little more
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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- his first movie after returning home was 'It's a Wonderful Life'
(and he played the lead in case you were wondering)
i've always thought he was good-looking, but the uniform makes him even more so (:
I learned all of this (and more) by reading Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot by Starr Smith. Not the best-written book I've ever read, but interesting. I've always liked him as an actor, but have more respect and admiration for him now. (I loved reading about a Hollywood star who appreciated this country and recognized that it gave him wonderful opportunities he wouldn't have had elsewhere instead of the outspoken ingrates we have now (not all of them are outspoken ingrates, but too many of them are).)
My last endorsement for Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot: If you want an interesting/fun read, about a lovable, worthy-of-admiration-and-respect real (and 'reel' - as the book points out) hero - pick it up.
Did you guess who it was? Did you guess someone else?
Let me know. (:
My last endorsement for Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot: If you want an interesting/fun read, about a lovable, worthy-of-admiration-and-respect real (and 'reel' - as the book points out) hero - pick it up.
Did you guess who it was? Did you guess someone else?
Let me know. (:
Friday, August 5, 2011
Wyoming Sunset
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Ohio-Bound
In about 3 hours I'm driving away from my home and my bed and my dogs and my... etc... (: and heading to Ohio. I'm driving with my sister and her two boys (ages 2-yrs and 6-mo.) so they can meet my brother-in-law in their new state-of-residence.
24-hours in the car.
At least.
Woo-hoo.
Then I remembered this clip:
Watch from about 1:30 on-
(ignore the whole political-whatever for the video, it's the only clip of this scene that I could find)
And then I thought Ohio might not be all bad if there are Ohio-Amish like Harrison Ford. (:
Plus I'm flying back through Dallas.
I've never seen Texas before.
Here's to hopes for sanity through the next three days.
24-hours in the car.
At least.
Woo-hoo.
Then I remembered this clip:
Watch from about 1:30 on-
(ignore the whole political-whatever for the video, it's the only clip of this scene that I could find)
And then I thought Ohio might not be all bad if there are Ohio-Amish like Harrison Ford. (:
Plus I'm flying back through Dallas.
I've never seen Texas before.
Here's to hopes for sanity through the next three days.
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