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Posted on 09/06/2004 8:00:06 PM PDT by LaDivaLoca
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MINE
Hi, Star!
LOL!!
HEY!! Look what the cat dragged in! How's cubeville today?
Cubist, as always.
FM inbound...
Thank you, Fawnn!
A lawyer and a blonde woman are sitting next to each other on a long flight from L.A. to New York. The lawyer leans over to her and asks if she would like to play a fun game. The blonde is tired and just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists, saying that the game is really easy and a lot of fun. He explains how the game works: "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me, and visa-versa." Again, the blonde politely declines and tries to get some sleep. The lawyer figures that since his opponent is a blonde he will easily win the match, so he makes another offer.
"Okay, how about this, if you don't know the answer you pay me only $5, but if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500." This catches the blonde's attention and, figuring that there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, she agrees to play the game.
The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?" The blonde doesn't say a word, reaches into her purse, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.
Now, it's the blonde's turn. She asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four? "
The lawyer looks at her with a puzzled look. He takes out his laptop computer and searches all his references. He taps into the Air-phone with his modem and searches the Net and even the Library of Congress. Frustrated, he sends E-mails to all his coworkers and friends he knows. All to no avail. After over an hour of searching for the answer he finally gives up. He wakes the blonde and hands her $500. The blonde politely takes the $500 and turns away to get back to sleep.
The lawyer, who is more than a little frustrated, wakes the blonde and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?"
Again without a word, the blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5, and goes back to sleep.
Oh dear, this will please Tom, no doubt.
Maybe he'll put some clothes on then....
NOPE! Ms Feather said the magic word: BARE!
Tom, I said, "Cute bear", not bare.
Today's classic warship, USS Greenwich Bay (AVP-41)
Barnegat class small seaplane tender
Displacement 1,766 t.
Length 310'9"
Beam 41'1"
Draw 13'6"
Speed 18 k
Complement 315
Armament 1 5", 6 40mm
USS Greenwich Bay (AVP-41) was launched 17 March 1945 by the Lake Washington Shipyard, Haughton, Wash. sponsored by Mrs. Francis B. Johnson, wife of the Commander Fleet Air Wing 6, and commissioned 20 May 1945, Comdr. Peter F. Boyle in command.
Departing San Diego 26 August after an intensive shakedown, the new seaplane tender sailed for Taku China, 5 October via Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Okinawa. Greenwich Bay spent the rest of 1945 along the China coast, touching at Tsingtao and Shanghai as well as Taku, tending seaplanes of the 7th Fleet. She operated in Japanese waters during January 1946, and after a short stint in the Philippines, sailed for the States 1 May. Reaching Norfolk 1 July 1946 via Hong Kong, Singapore, Naples, Casablanca, and Gibraltar, Greenwich Bay continued on to New York for overhaul.
Greenwich Bay reported to the Potomac River Naval Command 19 February 1947 to serve as escort to Williamsburg, the Presidential Yacht. This assignment ended 21 June 1948 as she departed Norfolk for an around-the-world cruise. During her 4 month sailing, Greenwich Bay made good will visits to Gibraltar, Port Said, Muscat, Bahrein, Kuwait, Trineomalee (India), Fremantle, Pago Pago, Papeete (Tahiti), and Coco Solo before returning to Norfolk 14 October.
Greenwich Bay sailed 30 April 1949 to assume duties as flagship for Commander, U.S. Navy Middle East Force. Every year since, she repeated this duty, sailing through the Mediterranean to operate as flagship in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean for 4 to 6 months. In addition to operating with Allied naval units in these areas, Greenwich Bay did extensive work in the People-to-People program, particularly in carrying drugs and other medical supplies to the Arabian and African nations, and operated as an important tool of diplomacy, helping to maintain peace in this oil-rich land.
In 1950 the tender's crew distinguished itself in Bahrein Arabia, as Air France planes crashed there on 13 and 15 June while attempting to make early-morning landings on a fog-shrouded field. Greenwich Bay sent out a total of six search-and-rescue missions on the 2 tragic days. On 15 June one of her launches, containing both her captain and medical-officer, succeeded in rescuing nine survivors of the crash. For her heroic action Greenwich Bay received the special commendation and thanks of both the Arabian and French governments.
When the Suez Crisis flared up in 1956 and seemed to threaten war, Greenwich Bay extended her normal cruise in the Persian Gulf to be able to evacuate American dependents and civilians if necessary. As a result of the blocking of the canal, she had to return to the States around the Cape of Good Hope. In her Middle East duties, which were punctuated by local operations and exercises out of Norfolk, Greerwich Bay was visited by many outstanding figures, including King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, the Shah of Iran, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and the Shaikh of Kuwait.
Ports which she visited as part of her official duties as flagship include virtually every major Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Red Sea City as well as several African ones. Among them were Recife, Lisbon, Malta, Bombay, Istanbul, Athens, Beirut, Mombassa (Kenya), Cannes, Karachi, and Madras. Greenwich Bay made 15 Mediterranean deployments protecting American interests and helping to maintain peace in the Middle East. In a conversation with Admiral R. R. Carney and Captain (later Rear Admiral) E. M. Eller Commander Middle Eastern Force, the late King Iban Saud expressed the Navy's role in this historic region: "The Navy loves freedom. It is the Bedouin of the sea."
Greenwich Bay was struck from the Navy List 1 July 1966 and sold for scrapping to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, Md in May 1967.
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The various advantages of using machines, especially flying ones, are given elaborately. Special mention is made of their use at one’s will and pleasure, of their uninterrupted movements, of their strength and durability, in short of their capability to do in the air all that is done on earth. Three movements are usually ascribed to these machines, - ascending, cruising thousands of miles in different directions in the atmosphere and lastly descending. It is said that in an aerial car one can mount up to Suryamandala, ‘solar region’ and the Naksatra mandala (stellar region) and also travel throughout the regions of air above the sea and the earth. These cars are said to move so fast as to make a noise that could be heard faintly from the ground. The evidence in its favor is overwhelming. 
After the great victory of Rama over Lanka, Vibhisana presented him with the Puspaka vimana which was furnished with windows, apartments, and excellent seats. It was capable of accommodating all the vanaras besides Rama, Sita and Lakshman. Again in the Vikramaurvaisya, we are told that king Puraravas rode in an aerial car to rescue Urvasi in pursuit of the Danava who was carrying her away. Similarly in the Uttararamacarita in the flight between Lava and Candraketu (Act VI) a number of aerial cars are mentioned as bearing celestial spectators. There is a statement in the Harsacarita of Yavanas being acquainted with aerial machines. The Tamil work Jivakacintamani refers to Jivaka flying through the air.