Ayn, Neal and the world around me...

[TheLiamSturgess]

I reckon so...

[dover]

Do you think that is the first time that Lucy pulled the football away from C.B.?

 

That is the only time in this book, so it is highly likely the first time. Funny, I did not even think about the significance. I scanned that page at my daughter's request.

[dover]

 

This weekend is the biggest day in racing all year. Each of the big three racing series has was it arguably their most important event of the year. The exception would be NASCAR, not its biggest but its longest event, held in the area where 98% of the teams reside. We locals to Charlotte do not venture out this weekend due to the traffic. I have to think Indianapolis is much the same.

 

If I had my choice, I could envision sitting on a yacht in the harbor in Monaco, watching the little F1 cars go by, drinking a nice wine, enjoying the environment of the F1 circus.

 

 

F1 has the : Monaco Grand Prix

 

Circuit length - 3.340 km (2.075 mi)

 

Race length - 260.520 km (161 mi)

 

First held - 1929

 

Most wins (drivers) - Ayrton Senna (6)

 

Most wins (constructors) - McLaren (15)

 

 

 

The Monaco Grand Prix (French: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world, alongside the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (informally known as the Triple Crown of Motorsport). The circuit has been called "an exceptional location of glamour and prestige."[1]

 

The race is held on a narrow course laid out in the streets of Monaco, with many elevation changes and tight corners as well as a tunnel, making it one of the most demanding tracks in Formula One. In spite of the relatively low average speeds, it is a dangerous place to race.

 

The first race in 1929, was organised by Anthony Noghès under the auspices of the "Automobile Club de Monaco", and was won by William Grover-Williams driving a Bugatti. The event was part of the pre-Second World War European Championship and was included in the first Formula One World Championship in 1950. It was designated the European Grand Prix two times, 1955 and 1963, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one grand prix race in Europe. Graham Hill was known as "Mr Monaco"[2] due to his five Monaco wins in the 1960s. Brazil's Ayrton Senna has won the race more times than any other driver, with six victories, winning five races consecutively between 1989 and 1993.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the INDY car series holds the Indianapolis 500, the "Brickyard" named because at one time the surface was bricks. A small strip even remains at the start / finish line. Winning this race makes one immortal in the racing world.

 

 

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May (specifically over the Memorial Day weekend) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The event lends its name to the IndyCar class, or formula, of open-wheel race cars that have competed in it.

 

The event, billed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is considered one of the three most significant motorsports events in the world. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is more than 257,000 people, and infield seating raises capacity to an approximate 400,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And those good ole boys from the moon shine south run the Charlote 600 in the NASCAR series.

 

 

The Coca-Cola 600 (formerly the World 600), and also known as the "Coke 600" and "600" and "NASCAR's Longest Night" is a 600 miles (965.6 km) in length stock car race held annually at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend. It is the longest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and, in fact, is the longest regularly scheduled automobile race conducted on an oval track anywhere in the world.

 

 

 

 

There will be much beer and burgers consumed in the land of NASCAR.

 

Enjoy your Sunday for on Monday we reserve our place to find time to honor those that gave for our Liberty.

 

 

[dover]

 

 

There is a myth about the origin of Taps that is circulating about the Internet. The true story is that in July 1862, after the Seven Days battles at Harrison's Landing (near Richmond), Virginia, the wounded Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, General Daniel Butterfield reworked, with his bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton, another bugle call, "Scott Tattoo," to create Taps. He thought that the regular call for Lights Out was too formal. Taps was adopted throughout the Army of the Potomac and finally confirmed by orders. Soon other Union units began using Taps, and even a few Confederate units began using it as well. After the war, Taps became an official bugle call. Col. James A. Moss, in his Officer's Manual first published in 1911, gives an account of the initial use of Taps at a military funeral:

 

"During the Peninsular Campaign in 1862, a soldier of Tidball's Battery A of the 2nd Artillery was buried at a time when the battery occupied an advanced position concealed in the woods. It was unsafe to fire the customary three volleys over the grave, on account of the proximity of the enemy, and it occurred to Capt. Tidball that the sounding of Taps would be the most appropriate ceremony that could be substituted."

 

Words to Taps

(Note: there are no "official" words to Taps below are the most popular.)

 

Day is done,

gone the sun,

From the hills,

from the lake,

From the skies.

All is well,

safely rest,

God is nigh.

Go to sleep,

peaceful sleep,

May the soldier

or sailor,

God keep.

On the land

or the deep,

Safe in sleep.

 

Love, good night,

Must thou go,

When the day,

And the night

Need thee so?

All is well.

Speedeth all

To their rest.

 

Fades the light;

And afar

Goeth day,

And the stars

Shineth bright,

Fare thee well;

Day has gone,

Night is on.

 

Thanks and praise,

For our days,

'Neath the sun,

Neath the stars,

'Neath the sky,

As we go,

This we know,

God is nigh.

[dover]

 

"...gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime....let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan."

 

--General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

 

 

The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:

 

 

by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.

 

by visiting memorials.

 

by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.

 

by flying the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).

 

by participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance": at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.

 

by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our falled dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

 

[dover]

 

I talked at dinner with my children about what this day means. It is hard to convey to a 7 and 8 year old what it is about. You can try your best to let them know what it means but it is hard. You can do a better job to teach them what it means to you. They know it is important to me, they know it is important for reasons they can't quite understand. My son knows it is to honor our fallen soldiers but he can't understand what that comes down to.

 

In order to acknowledge this day, the sacrafices that were and are made, the cost, the life, the strength that was put forth; to acknowledge this one must first understand what it is that we have gained as a result. In order to pursue Life, Liberty and Happiness one must be free to do so. To be free, Liberty must be protected from within and from without. When the law, the local police and the negotiations of peace fail people, men and women must take up arms and stand between the system which tries to deny freedom and those in desire of it. Freedom is not free, freedom must be protected whether it be from a big stick, strong defense or eventually a potent offense. All things must be put into place to enable a group of people with a common cause to go forth and embrace Liberty without restriction from afar.

 

From the moment we stood and decalred our independence from the King, we have called upong the citizen to pay a levy of life to secure our freedom. We must always be mindful, respectful and well recieved of gratitude and humbleness so that those that fought for our lives by giving of theirs will never be left to question their choice and payment.

 

Thank you to those that serve, those that served their last duty by saving this our Blessed country. Thank you from my children that know not what you did, but enjoy every sample of its result. Thank you.

[dover]

Day is done,

gone the sun,

 

 

 

[dover]

the Summer of 1787....

 

 

On July 14th, 1787 another important and historic step forward was taken by the Confederation Congress. Since the beginning of conquest, Rome for one, republics had grown by conquering the land around them, expanding and absorbing. Most often this new land would not be given the status of equality to the sovereign state, becoming wards of the state rather than part of the land. One could see how this would restrict the growth in the citizen of the new land to be ruled with trust by the republic that engulfed them.

 

But in another step forward, taken by our Founding Fathers, it came to pass that new states would be granted the same rights and equality that were afforded the first 13. It did not come without a fight, without long drawn out argument and thought, but this one little step helped grow this country as no republic had done before.

 

Elbridge Gerry put forth a solution that all new states would be welcomed but not given the same voting power as the first 13. This was at a time when the land west of the Appalachians was being divided and sectioned for attachment to our growing country. His plan was that the original 13 would always have more representatives than the all other new states combined. He furthered the measure would "secure the liberties of the states already confederated."

 

His motion failed to pass by one vote: four in favor, 5 opposed and one divided. The defeat of this motion brought to bear that all states would be equal. The people that would live in these new states, stake their claim of land had to be buoyed by this great defeat and new attitude. George Washington had warned that this new land and its people could be turned against the 13 colonies with a "feathers touch" and all caution should be taken to bring them into the fold. The British were to the North, the Spanish to the South and the outcome would not be determined with force and conquest of old

 

---------

 

Fascinating insight into how this country was formed and grown into the greatest known to date.

 

[dover]

 

One of the really great events or new avenues of this hobby is the ability to get sketches and commisions done. I have been bitten by the bug and hope to get more. Here is one I got done from Matt Haley. He got it perfect for what I requested.

 

I hope to pick up some more tomorrow at Heroes!!

 

[TeddieMercede]

Dear Dover,

 

Please take many pictures from the Heroes Con including one of you with Neil and post them.

 

Signed,

 

Neil Fanboy #2731

[dover]

Dear Fanboy,

 

I took many pictures of developing art by the artists I got sketches from. I will be doing several reports on various subjects including:

 

Skectches at cons

 

Neal: scientist, artist, creator

 

Collecting

 

The divergent paths of Wrightson and Adams

 

and my meeting with Greggy

 

 

as a teaser I will say that I bit the bullet and got an Adams sketch:

 

 

 

 

Please do not drool.

 

Dover

[TeddieMercede]

Wow !!

 

Need updates please.

 

Signed,

 

Neil Fanboy.

[scooter99]

Dear Fanboy,

 

I took many pictures of developing art by the artists I got sketches from. I will be doing several reports on varuious subjects including:

 

Skectches at cons

 

Neal: scientist, artist, creator

 

Collecting

 

The divergent paths of Wrightson and Adams

 

and my meeting with Greggy

 

 

as a teaser I will say that I bit the bullet and got an Adams sketch:

 

 

 

 

Please do not drool.

 

Dover

 

Outstanding!

[dover]

The following week will be about my day at Heroes Con. Hopefully it will be fun, informative and just like you were almost close to being there.

 

The beginning -

 

I did not have a cooler, there were some people with carts as well, serious buyers.

 

 

random artists everywhere doing their trade

 

the line for Neil; at this point I had no plan on entering (Joey actually made it happen for me).

 

 

Jim Starlin - Planned on talking to him but after the morning, I never saw him again

 

 

 

One whole wall of the show had a comic strip / OA gallery

 

 

cont....

[dover]

 

Heroes means artists / inkers / creators / writers - you name it!!

 

 

 

Got a sketch from this guy, just a student at art school I belive

 

 

 

 

This is guy is well known (but not by me). I could not believe how he used that pen / brush. He did not touch the paper with his hand, it was in the air. I shake like addict on withdrawls and it amazed me.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeremy Bastian - sketching in somones book. This guy is incredible. The detail, the lines, the beauty is a sight to see, how coulod I not watch for awhile.

[dover]

 

This guy was painting his trade.

 

 

 

 

Another thing I learned, there are artists that do nothing but these little cards. I talked for awhile about it and how they got into it.

 

 

I took these to prove to my son that the first line is not the final line.

 

 

 

Here is a print that I liked, I did not buy it but now wish I did. If anyone knows who did this, give me a PM. Our kids (and us too) love the Miyazaki films and this would have been great fun in the house. My daughter was really upset that I did not get it.

 

 

and.......

 

 

I met Greggy. This was at Harley's booth. I had been alerted that Greggy wanted to meet me and I was summoned by currier to go to Harley's for an audience. It was a great time. I can tell you he is the board ambassador for a reason. I think he studies us all, knows our strengths and weaknesses and is ready at all times. I watched him go through books looking for future posting material.

 

Me, I used Joeypost there in the middle to grade books that I wanted to buy. He found things I did not and I ended up only buying one book that we all though was pretty nice; Superboy....Adams cover of course. I avoided buying 4 other books thanks to him.

 

[Ajl007]

Dear Fanboy,

 

I took many pictures of developing art by the artists I got sketches from. I will be doing several reports on varuious subjects including:

 

Skectches at cons

 

Neal: scientist, artist, creator

 

Collecting

 

The divergent paths of Wrightson and Adams

 

and my meeting with Greggy

 

 

as a teaser I will say that I bit the bullet and got an Adams sketch:

 

 

 

 

Please do not drool.

 

Dover

 

Outstanding!

 

Neal

[greggy]

Have I changed your life for the better?

[dover]

Have I changed your life for the better?

 

I felt better for having met you in person.

 

I understand more about you and your board habits from talking with you.

 

I would have liked to have dinner with you and Rocker (aka no show).

 

You did convince me to "raw dive" which netted a potential list item of Neils; and that is always a positive addition to my life.

[greggy]