OT--Is it just me...

[steamboateng]

Away back when I was just a lad at maritime school, I had a prof who described history as his-story. No more no less. He cautioned us all to see history as just that, no matter the source. (He was a WW2 B-17 pilot shot-up on a raid, crash landed in Dover - killing several cows and his trapped belly gunner in the process - and spent most of the remainder of the war in hospitals - quite a character, actually.) Anyone not sceptical of the press, tv, Nancy Pelosi and George W. aught to take 2 weeks hiatus and reconsider their future. While perusing with my Google goggles, a ran across an article that suggested a 'guns for rubber' conspiracy with Brazil. Seems that NASA funding for astronaut training was reduced to the point where they would exchange old AK-47's for natural rubber and old Toyota pick-ups. Jeez!! Now who's gonna believe a story like that.

[witpqs]

Tragically, all of those channels seem to migrate toward the psychic/ghost hunter/UFO channel model.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Yank

History Channel - Monster Quest

I've seen a few of those episodes, and they did good stuff - using a scientific approach to monster stories.

"There's a horrible creature shaped vaguely like a dog that's killing livestock! Here's a dead one!" becomes "DNA testing on the body showed it was 100% dog."

"There's a huge panther-like big cat prowling the neighborhood and killing family dogs! Here are photographs of one!" becomes "Field measurements plus trigonometry shows the animal was the size of a house cat."

[:D]

And they do it without making fun of the people - they just use their brains and show people a better way to approach such stories than hiding under their beds and believing every rumor you hear. I think they're doing a service.

[steamboateng]

Hi witpqs'
Your not missing much of a Spring up here. Cloudy, rainy, cool. Want to get some tomatoes and lettuce in the ground, but weather not conducive to green thumbin'.
PS: thanks for info on Tracker. I'm taking notes.
Regards

(Apologise for the quick thread heist........continue gentlemen.)

[witpqs]

We had snow here last week! Latest in 22 years.

[usersatch]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Tragically, all of those channels seem to migrate toward the psychic/ghost hunter/UFO channel model.

Hey! You have to admit that Bill Byrnes from UFO Hunters is a cool character! PLUS, he wears a bomber jacket (along with those big, goofy glasses) with a VF(N) squadron patch on it. I guess that's kind of military. [:)]

[steamboateng]

Bull Halsey bio is tonight. (rerun)
You can catch the late matanee in two hours or so.