Hugh Laurie, of “House” fame, does such a wonderful job that it’s easy to forget that he is very, very British. He appeared with Stephen Fry in A Bit Of Fry And Laurie on the BBC in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Here they are with a cheeky version of that old Christmas chestnut It’s a Wonderful Life. Instead of George Bailey, Rupert Murdoch of modern media infamy gets to see what the world would be like without him. (Caution, the language is a little spicy for delicate North American ears)
Found over at Jeff Hoard’s excellent site.
EyeNo Uncategorized
A collection of comments from the annual ZAGAT airline survey .
“They think nothing is too good for you, and that’s what they provide.”
“The only thing you can hope for is a short flight”
“Their planes make Larry King look young”
“Sitting any closer might constitute marriage in some states”
“I’d rather be a package on FedEx”
“If they could have pay toilets, they would”
“Makes standing in line at the DMV seem like fun”
“They fired the last employee found smiling”
“Only thing worse than flying them is the delay to fly them”
“Equipment must have been used by Lindbergh”
“When asked what kind of chicken they had, she replied ‘the dead kind’”
“I thought the Geneva Convention prevented this kind of thing”
“Only good thing about first class these days is that you leave the plane first”
“Flight schedules are for customers’ amusement”
“Gets you from point a to point b – except if you fly through Philly.”
“Livestock travels under better conditions”
“If a butterfly sneezes, everything gets delayed”
“They lose your luggage between Boston and Buffalo and give you someone in Manila to talk to about it”
“Don’t enter the toilet without a hazmat suit”
“Website is slower than my 100 year-old grandmother”
“The legroom is great if you’re a yard gnome”
“First they make you need a drink, then charge you for it.”
EyeNo Uncategorized airline, Travel
From a 1978 performance in Germany, Weather Report’s classic “Birdland”. Weather Report was one of the earliest and best jazz fusion bands and this video shows them at their most talented.
Josef Zawinul on keyboards, Wayne Shorter on horn and Jaco Pastorius on bass.
Classic!
EyeNo Uncategorized weather
Ok, the gloves are off. The turkey’s been devoured and Black Friday has come and gone. Toronto’s had the first snow of the season and every ad now has that red and green theme. It’s straight downhill to Christmas now.
Time to put my Grinch cap back on and start exploring all that makes December the crazy month we all love to hate. As usual, I’m looking for the world’s worst Xmas albums. You know the ones. You don’t even need to listen to them to know they’re absolute crap. And nothing says crap like music from the double-wide.
EyeNo Uncategorized Toronto
The other day, I wrote a post about the Etihad Airlines Airbus A340 that had a bad accident while undergoing engine testing. A number of people were hurt but these pictures show how amazing it is that no one was killed.
More pictures available over at Flightblogger
EyeNo Uncategorized airline
(click pic to make big)
A friend passed on this easy to remember guideline to obtaining the perfect golf swing. I’ll study this all winter and I’ll be good to go when the spring comes!
EyeNo Uncategorized
Cpl. Nicholas Beauchamp (pictured) and Pte. Michel Levesque were killed today and three other Canadian soldiers were injuried as a result of roadside bomb near Kandahar city in Afghanistan. The soldiers were involved in a “targeted security mission” when their lightly armoured vehicle drove over the IED which was probably planted by the Taliban who have been increasing the explosive power of their devices.
The deaths bring the total to 74 Canadians (73 soldiers and 1 diplomat) killed since 2002. In a few days, their bodies will arrive in Trenton and make the solemn journey to Toronto along the section of Highway 401 named “The Highway Of Heroes”. Only fitting, for heroes they are.
EyeNo Uncategorized Toronto
Etihad Airlines is now short one airplane. Last night, engineers were testing the engines of their newest Airbus A340-600 when the plane suddenly jumped the chocks and crashed into a jet blast barrier. The tests were being conducted at the Airbus factory in Toulouse France before delivery to the airline.
10 people were on board and 5 sustained minor injuries. The aircraft, however, looks like it might be a write-off.
AP Photo
EyeNo Uncategorized airline, airplane
The city of Brampton is finally talking about getting rid of the old bandshell at nearby Chinguacousy Park. This is so overdue that I can’t believe it might actually be torn down.
I took this picture July 1, 2006 during the Canada Day celebrations. Of course, we’re looking at the back of the bandshell but the flag was bright and the building didn’t actually look half bad from this angle. The actual stage was a mass of pigeon shit and graffiti. Contrast it with this shot taken last week after the Remembrance Day ceremony.
Yeah, there’s a structure worth saving. I won’t hold my breath waiting for City Council to actually come up with a timeline but at least they’re talking.
Story in the Brampton Guardian.
EyeNo Uncategorized Canada
We celebrate all those who went to war. Especially those who did not return or have passed on from illness or old age.
I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony in the park by the house this morning. The participants get younger every year. From Vimy Ridge all the way to Afghanistan, we gather to thank all those who fought and still fight under the Canadian flag.
A grandfather plays with his grandson waiting for the ceremony to begin. It is vitally important that the old teach the young why we come together once a year in memory and celebration of the contribution that so many men and women have made.
Canada has such a proud military history that we need to cherish. The thousands that died in the First and Second War reach out from their graves to welcome those who are still dying today in the defense of freedom.
I guess my work at the Toronto Aerospace Museum is responsible for how different I feel about Remembrance Day than in years gone past. Being surrounded by reminders of how fragile the aircraft were has made me realize just how brave these men and women were. The tail gunner’s turret from the old Lancaster bomber sits at the entrance to the restoration room. I wouldn’t be able to fit in it and a brave young man sat in it for hours on end – cold, cramped and alone. He could see the fighters diving at him, he could feel the flak bursting all around him. To think that he not only did this once but day after day is amazing.
So, we gather and we remember. We bring our children out in the cold and ask them to stand quietly. They stare at the young cadets who form the honour guard with their ancient rifles barrel down. They listen to the chaplain read the prayers. They sing the National Anthem. What is going through their young minds? What questions do they ask their parents and what answers do they have to give?
They shall not grow old
As we that are left, grow old
Age shall not weary them
Nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember them
More pictures are available here
EyeNo Uncategorized Canada, Space, Toronto, toronto aerospace museum
