From here to...well...it SEEMS like an eternity

[Cap Mandrake]

I am stuck here trying to keep a bunch of teens from doing what I am conspiring to do myself. This is causing some cognitive dissonance. I have therefore combined a bitter chemical that kills malaria parasites, the nectar of juniper berries and slices of a sour citrus fruit that no sane person would eat by itself. By some incredible cosmic fluke, it is quite tasty and is beginning to relieve my dissonance too.


Here is the situation in Burma. The Burma road is cut. Myitkyina is looking like it might hold. I am hammering Lashio to deny his LRCAP over Myitkinia which is murdering my medium bombers in the ground support role over the town. The Japs have apparently given up attacking Myitkyina by air due to their heavy losses to the RAF. The 24th FG is converting to P40E's at Imphal and is nearing full strenght. The 2nd UK and 7th Armoured are heading down from Imphal with a hundred planes providing supply by airdrop. Only a small Japarmoured unit guards the junction with the Mandalay/Myitkyina rail line (for now). It coudl be interesting.

[Cap Mandrake]

<makes groaning sound> 3 incredible 20-something blondes in micro-minis (my son's friends) just walked by SEAC HQ and said "Hi, Mr. Mandrake!" I was trying to take screenshots and I messed up completely. They wanted lemons and salt. I gave them limes and salt. <makes groaing sound again>

I know I shouldn't think like that but they are only 8 or 9 years younger than stalker girl. And they souldn't take a guy's limes like that, either. Oh, well, beats getting pulled over by the Highway Patrol.

[Cap Mandrake]

Plane losses to date sorted by number lost

[Cap Mandrake]

*********No. 605 Sdrn. Ready Room, Myitkyina, Burma, Sept 25, 1942********


Sdrn Leader Edge: And you, Flt. Lt., where is your family from?

Flt. Lt. Usher: East Peckham, sir. It's the center of the hops industry.

Sdrn Leader Edge: How very pleasant. Both sides, then?

Flt. Lt. Usher: Well, it's rather a small place sir. It doesn't really have sides.

Sdrn Leader Edge: Oh..no..I meant your family. Both sides of your family.

Flt. Lt. Usher: Oh. I see sir. Sorry, sir. The family, sir. I'm not sure I really have two sides.

Sdrn Leader Edge: Well, surely you have a mother?

Flt. Lt. Usher: Oh, yes sir.

Sdrn Leader Edge: And a father?

Flt. Lt. Usher: Oh yes sir.

Sdrn Leader Edge: Well then. We are getting somewhere now.

Flt. Lt. Usher: We are sir? I scarcely felt any movement.

Sdrn Leader Edge: No, Flt. Lt. We aren't moving in the physical sense. It is just an expression.

Flt. Lt. Usher: Ah. That is quite a relief, sir.

Sdrn Leader Edge: Superb. Now back to the point. Your father's family had to come from somewhere and your mother's family
had to come from somewhere.

Flt. Lt. Usher: Yes sir. They came from the same place, sir, East Peckham. They knew each other since childhood, sir.

Sdrn Leader Edge: My, isn't that romantic.

Flt. Lt. Usher: No, not really, sir.

Sdrn Leader Edge: Whyever not?

Flt. Lt. Usher: They were cousins, sir. Can you imagine that, sir?

Sdrn Leader Edge: Yes, Flt. Lt......I can imagine that. In fact, I am scarcely surprised.

[bradfordkay]

It is rather unlikely that such a household shall remain standing for long...

[BrucePowers]

I don't have my Ordnance Survey out. Is there such a place as East Peckham?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

It is rather unlikely that such a household shall remain standing for long...

Young Bradford either refers to SEAC HQ, which does suffer from lack of direction at times....or......he has cleverly found the literature reference on the Usher theme.

Splendid work!

[Cap Mandrake]

Hmmm....a blond in bare feet, pajama bottoms (and a T-shirt, sadly) and bed hair just left SEAC HQ at 07:44. The security around here is terrible.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: BrucePowers

I don't have my Ordnance Survey out. Is there such a place as East Peckham?

Yes. It seems to be the Kent equivalent of Gilroy (minus the artichokes).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/panor ... _360.shtml


The House of Usher is the big brownstone across the street from the Man of Kent Pub. The house has had extensive renovation of course.

[DuckofTindalos]

And still it teeters on the brink of a fall...

[Cap Mandrake]

Observe:



So here is my question. The dangerously consanguineous Flt. Lt. Usher has 50 missions but doesn't have the air combat sense of the barely post-pubescent Lt. De Groot (you know the Dutch kid) after only a few missions.

Also contrast him to Flight Officer Singleton (605 Sqdrn) who seems to be a quick study as he is a capable vet after one mission.


Also note. The RAF ought to publish its exercise program as these chaps are all under 11% body fat and young Cheshire is an improbable 0%

[VSWG]

[:D][:D][:D]

You've got an amazing eye for details...

Your son brought three blonde friends home at the same time?! Must be his father's wit, and his mother's good looks... [;)]

[BrucePowers]

All I have to say is, "thank heavens I am married.!"[:D]

Oh, yeah both kids are basically out of the house.[:D]

[bobogoboom]

So they just come by when they need money?

[DuckofTindalos]

And/or need laundry done. That's what "basically out of the house" means, I think...

[BrucePowers]

Well, one 2 hours away. The other one is 4 hours away. (However for money, that's what ATM cards are for[:D])

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: VSWG

Your son brought three blonde friends home at the same time?! Must be his father's wit, and his mother's good looks... [;)]

Well..not exactly. There were two other guys too. My 15 year old daughter came up to me last night and said, "Dad, I don't like those girls". I nodded sympathetically, gave her a hug and added lamely, "Yeah..they took my limes."

Last Haloween some 20-something came to the door in fox ears, fox "paws", a net top and some completely impractical skirt with a fox tail and matter-of-factly announced "Hi Mr. Mandrake, is Jake here?"

After controlling the cross-species drool, I was able to mumble and point in the general direction.

The good news is I suspect the neighbors are accustomed to women with bed hair sneaking out of the house at 07:30.

When stalker girl was here I walked out to the front steps with her on Saturday or Sunday morning (can't remember which day) and as she was getting into her rental car my neighbor with the $10,000 mailbox was out getting his "too conservative" LA Times. He looked at her and then at me. I had to say something. "OK..thanks for bringing those carpet samples by....I'll let you know when I decide". It was the best I could do.

[bradfordkay]

Yes, but did the carpet match the drapes?

[bobogoboom]

I'm gonna say over the line[:D]

[DuckofTindalos]

That's quite the swinging household you have there, Mandrake...[:D]