Recognition finally for a warrior priest's heroics

US Army Chaplain Father Emil Kapaun stole, suffered and sacrificed his life for his fellow soldiers in a Korean prison camp. Six decades after his death, he is being considered for the Congressional Medal of Honor - and sainthood. Link
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German Firm Uses Aerial Photos to Find Bombs

A small German firm offers a unique service to the country’s construction industry: It uses historical British and American aerial photography from World War II air strikes to determine the location of unexploded bombs. Thousands of tons of bombs still lie in the soil and the duds are becoming more dangerous. Link
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Inside the US Army’s Secret Cold War Ice Base

Check out this article about a semi-secret, nuclear-powered U.S. Army base that was built under the Greenland ice cap only 800 miles from the North Pole. Link
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Panzer General - Remake

The old favourite 'Panzer General' has been remade and is available as a free download.  I've tried it very briefly myself and it seems to work fine. Just make sure to also download the InstallCCPack.msi in the addons folder as this contains all the battles and campaigns. Link
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Man v Angry Goose

To bring a smile to your face :)
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Tank Times - Feb Edition

The Bovington Tank Museum publishes an on-line magazine.  The Feb version is worth checking out. Link

Back on the move again after 70 years: A mighty Tiger 131 is put through its paces for anniversary challenge

With its huge cannon and almost impenetrable armour, the German Tiger tank struck fear into the hearts of Allied troops. Although more than 1,300 were produced during the Second World War, this is the only working example in existence. Tiger 131 has been restored to its original war time specification after a two-year restoration project costing £80,000.   Read more:  Link
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Irish Humour

Two men were sitting next to each other at a bar. After awhile, one guy looks at the other and says, 'I can't help but think, from listening to you, that you're from Ireland ...'

The other guy responds proudly, 'Yes, that I am!'

The first guy says, 'So am I! And where about from Ireland might you be'?

The other guy answers, 'I'm from Dublin , I am.'

The first guy responds, 'So am I!' 'Sure and begorra. And what street did you live on in Dublin ?

The other guy says, 'A lovely little area it was. I lived on McCleary Street in the old central part of town.' 

The first guy says, 'Faith and it's a small world. So did I! So did I! And to what school would you have been going'?

The other guy answers, 'Well now, I went to St. Mary's, of course.'

The first guy gets really excited and says, 'And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate'?

The other guy answers, 'Well, now, let's see. I graduated in 1964.'

The first guy exclaims, 'The Good Lord must be smiling down upon us! I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same bar tonight. Can you believe it? I graduated from St. Mary's in 1964 my own self!' 

About this time, Vicky walks into the bar, sits down and orders a beer. Brian , the bartender, walks over to Vicky, shaking his head and mutters, 'It's going to be a long night tonight.'

Vicky asks, 'Why do you say that, Brian '?

'The Murphy twins are pissed again.'

Visibility Sticks

As a modeller and gamer, over the years I have bought several vehicles that have had flimsy little sticks sticking up at the front of them, as seen on this Sdkfz251/7.
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For long enough I wondered what they were, and found that inevitably they get damaged/broken off unless real care is taken.  I have now acquired some of my own and fitted them to the truck, although in real life they are a lot more substantial being made of metal rod. Visibility sticks are used as driving aids to help you judge the size of the vehicle.  In my case especially useful because of the winch (90ft of cable) which extends the length of the front by about 20".  Sat behind the wheel you cannot see the end of the vehicle, but with the sticks I can see the white balls, and better judge clearances.
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The Falklands War: Key dates

As the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War is marked on 2 April, here are the key dates in the conflict. Link to BBC webs site. -
Comment: When I think back to the Falklands I still clearly remember the shock I felt when I heard HMS Sheffield had been hit and badly damaged.

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Stalwart Playing in Mud Shobdon

I'd like one of these Stalwarts, they look a lot of fun  :)
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Bundesarchive Photos 1933 - 1945..+ all fields of WWII

Found this site that has a simply amazing collection of WW2 photos from the Bundesarchive Photos 1933 - 1945.  The range of photos is astonishing. Definitely worth a browse.  Link
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Radio Kills: Rommel’s 621st Radio Intercept Company

There is a great article on the 621st Radio Intercept Company on the Armchair General site: Link
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Friday Humour - Thomas The Tank Engine

A mother was working in the kitchen, listening to her five-year-old son playing with his new electric train set in the living room. She heard the train stop and her son saying, 'All of You B*****ds who want off, get off now, 'cos we're in a hurry! And all of you B*****ds who are getting on, get on now, 'cos we're going down the tracks'.

The horrified mother went in and told her son, 'We don't use that kind of language in this house. Now I want you to go to your room and stay there for TWO HOURS. When you come out, you may play with your train, but I want you to use nice language.'

Two hours later, the son came out of the bedroom and resumed playing with his train. Soon the train stopped and the mother heard her son say, 'All passengers who are disembarking the train, please remember to take all of your belongings with you. We thank you for travelling with us today and hope your trip was a pleasant one.'

She hears the little boy continue, 'For those of you just boarding, we ask you to stow all of your hand luggage under your seat. Remember, there is no smoking on the train. We hope you will have a pleasant and relaxing journey with us today.'

As the mother began to smile, the child added.......... 'For those of you who are pissed off about the TWO HOUR delay, please see the fat controller in the kitchen'.
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Company Of Heroes - Modern Combat

A new mod for the Company of Heroes PC game has just been released. 'Modern Combat' is exactly that, modern USA forces pitted against Chinese. Tried it out this morning with little Vulture, and we are well impressed. The dedicated web site for the mod is here.
Here's the trailer for it on U-Tube:
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Anglo-Saxon Christian grave find near Cambridge 'extremely rare'

An Anglo-Saxon grave discovered near Cambridge could be one of the earliest examples of Christianity taking over from Paganism, archaeologists said. See BBC Link -

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Top Gear - Ariel Atom - BBC

An old but classic clip from Top Gear of the Ariel Atom. I really do want one of these :) - -

Alike but very different

A friend of mine from the local MVT club swung by last Sunday to say 'Hi' in his 1942 GMC.  For two trucks from the same stable, there were some big differences between his CCKW 353 and my CCKW 352b1. 

1.  The 353 is 20" longer for a start, and as it doesn't have spare wheels behind the cab, the cargo bed can extend right up to it, so the cargo bed itself is about 25% bigger.

2.  The 353 closed cab (unsurprisingly) has an entirely different feel inside to the open cab, and is considerably smaller inside both in width and and depth.  You can get three people in an open cab, but only two in a closed.

3.  Underneath the bonnet the regulator and fuse box are different, as are the horn, air filter, and brake servo breather.

4.  The suspension fixing points are different, as are all three axles, plus the transfer case was a different shape altogether.

5.  The 90ft winch on the front of the 352 changes the look considerably. 

All very interesting in a anoraky truck kind of way :)  LOL  

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Guinea Pig

A sad day here at the Vulture's Roost.  One of our guinea pigs 'Chocolate' was taken ill a few days ago, and in spite of some (expensive) meds and TLC he continued to decline, so a last trip to the vets was in order this afternoon :(
Must confess I'm slightly gutted, of the two we have (had) he was my favourite, he had such a great little personality.
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Wakefield firm restores WWII Sherman tank

A tank which fought in one of the biggest battles of the Second World War has been restored in Wakefield.  Link
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Why are adults still launching tabletop war?

Warhammer 40,000 - set in a science fantasy universe - has just turned 25. Why are grown men still launching tabletop war? Article by Samira Ahmed on the BBC Web site. Link
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Comment:  Worth a read I felt.  Touches on the thorny question with GW of value for money....   A topic I've written on in this blog before...

Humour - Men Are Just Happier People

Men Are Just Happier People

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman ..

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

M1 Abrams Tank - Stuck In the Mud

Came across this great little video of a US M1 Abrams tank stuck in the mud. The M1s gas-turbine engine certainly has a distinctive whine to it. - -

Wargaming.co

If you are into collecting Wargaming books, this is without doubt the place to visit. It supplies classic Wargaming and landmark sets of wargaming rules that have been key in the development of the hobby. Must confess I have most of the books already in my collection that I've built up over the years, but there are a couple I don't....yet.... :) Link
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MechWarrior Online Official Teaser Trailer

Hummmmmm, this game looks good :)
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Battlefront - Flames Of War

Battlefront the publishers of the well know 15mm WW2 rule set Flames of War (FoW), are about issue the latest version of the rules, Edition 3.  They have made the offer that anyone who bought a Hard copy of Edition 2 will be supplied with small A5 copy of Edition 3 if they contact them.  I took them up on this offer and E-Mail ed them a copy of me holding the last edition, and low and behold last Thursday the new little rulebook appeared in the post !  When I say little, at almost 300 pages, its actually quite chunky !  The mind boggles at how much it must be costing Battlefront to give all these books away.  Can you imagine Games Workshop doing anything like this ?  Maximum kudos to Battlefront is what I say !

MechWarrior Tactics

It's the year 3025. Hostile enemy lances are closing in all around you. As Commander of an elite mercenary company, it's up to you to ensure swift victory and make your enemies pay dearly. Your Mech Bay hosts a vast array of custom Mechs, each configured for a specific combat role. Choose wisely which Mechs to take into battle: your future as the leader of your lances depends on it.  Link
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PC Gamer has done a short review (Link) on this game which is due our sometime this year.  For Battletech enthusiasts (such as myself) this looks a much buy !  Can't wait !  :)
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Film - 'White Tiger'

This looks totally awesome ! Have no idea when its going to be released though. - -

The Scale Of The Universe

Zoom from the edge of the universe to the quantum foam of spacetime and learn the scale of things along the way! Learn the size of the Pillars of Creation and marvel at the minuscule scale of a neutrino! Link Comment: Nothing connected with the subject of this blog at all, but very interesting nonetheless.

Edwards AFB Show

Absolutely incredible photos from United States Edwards AFB with some sounds clips as well.  Certainly worth a look.  Link
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Near Miss In Russia

This is one close call for the occupants of (what I assume is) a police car in Russia...
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In pictures: Auschwitz-Birkenau, then and now

A new publication by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland shows photographs taken in the extermination camp during World War II alongside pictures of the same locations today. More than a million people - most of them Jewish - were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau during World War II. Link to BBC
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148th MVA Ordnance - WWII -

Historic home made film of the 148th Ordnance Motor Vehicle Assembly Company that was a part of in WWII. They assembled GMC trucks for the Redball Express. - -

First F-35C flight for the United Kingdom

Nice looking aircraft, no doubt about it. -

Darwin, 1942: Remembering Australia's 'Pearl Harbor'

It's 70 years since Japanese bombers swooped on Darwin, in northern Australia, sinking Allied ships in the harbour and killing hundreds of people. For years the attack was rarely mentioned, but now the story is finally being told. Link to BBC. - Comment: This is an event I had never read about before.

Michael Yon - Online Magazine

This is very thought provoking blog about Afghanistan written by an embedded journalist Michael Yon.  Well worth a look.  Link

Luckiest Cameraman In The History Of Time

You know those times when you see something which just leaves you open mouthed....
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Napoleon's failure: For the want of a winter horseshoe

Of all the challenges faced by generals through history, moving armies has been one of the greatest - and Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Russia 200 years ago illustrates just how badly things can go wrong when it is underestimated. Link to BBC.
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Townsend Griffiss, forgotten hero of World War II

It's 70 years this week since the first US air force officer was killed in Europe, following America's entry into World War II. By heading the list of 30,000 USAAF men to lose their lives in the European theatre, Lt Col Townsend Griffiss became a footnote in the history of the war. But who was he and how did he die?  BBC  Link
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Life on the front lines: Extremely rare colour photos of U.S. troops before and after D-Day show World War II in brand new light

Extremely rare and striking photos of the days leading up to and after the historic D-Day invasion have been put on display, nearly 70 years after World War II's dramatic turning point.

The full-colour images, taken by photographer Frank Scherschel, display anxious American soldiers as they prepared for Operation Overlord, the code name for the Battle of Normandy.

The photos also capture the celebratory tone upon the June 6 invasion’s success

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2100326/Stunning-rare-colour-images-World-War-II.html#ixzz1mLRjJWgr

Convair B-36

This was one massive aircraft !  So big it could carry the weight of a B17 !  Link
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Table Top Miniatures Games

Followed a link to Table Top Miniatures Games which is a site with 'Quick, Easy Miniatures Rules for Parents and other Busy People' to download.  Had a quick look round myself, and there are a couple of sets that look perfect for my 9 year old son :)

Classified Ads - Friday Humour Late

These are classified ads, which were actually placed in U.K. Newspapers:

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old,
Hateful little bastard.
Bites!

FREE PUPPIES
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.

FREE PUPPIES.
Mother is a Kennel Club registered German Shepherd.
Father is a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

COWS, CALVES: NEVER JOINED.
Also 1 gay bull for sale.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY!
Must sell washer and dryer £100.

WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE .
Worn once by mistake.
Call Stephanie.

**** And the WINNER is... ****

FOR SALE BY OWNER.
Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition, £200 or best offer. No longer needed, got married, wife knows everything.

German soldiers found entombed in a perfectly preserved World War One shelter

Twenty-one German soldiers entombed in a perfectly preserved World War One shelter have been discovered 94 years after they were killed. The men were part of a larger group of 34 who were buried alive when a huge Allied shell exploded above the tunnel, near the small town of Carspach in the Alsace region in France, in 1918 causing it to cave in.  (The Telegraph)  Link & Link
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Truck Update

A bit of snow at this end last weekend...
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Initially it got in the way of me sorting out my Thermostat issue (lack of) that I posted about on 22nd Jan.  In the end I dispensed with the paper gasket altogether and used a flexy-sealant instead.  It seemed to do the job and when the engine was fired up, the engine warmed up as it should, and there were no leaks.
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During the engine run I was amazed to see that ice had formed around around the base of the carb.  You can see it on this video (just behind the horn on the right side of the engine).
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RIP Joe Ekins

Gentlemen, can I refer you to one of my favourite Blogs (BLMA) that has an article about Joe Ekins, who has sadly passed away.  Link
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Journey of the Fellowship 2011

Its amazing what they build out of Lego !  Link

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HUMOUR and GOOD LINKS

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me today, and we all could probably use more calm in our lives.
Some doctor on television this morning said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.
So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Chardonnay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of wum, a pockage of Prunglies, tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke an a box a choclits.
Yu haf no idr how bludy guod I feel rite now.
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Police in Liverpool last night announced the discovery of an arms cache of 200 semi-automatic rifles with 25,000 rounds of ammunition, 20 tonnes of heroin, £5 million in forged UK banknotes and 25 trafficked Ukrainian prostitutes, all in a semi-detached house behind the Public Library in Toxteth.

Local residents were stunned and a community spokesman said:

"We're all shocked, we never knew we had a library."
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19 Pakistanis died in Bradford this morning

when a bunk bed collapsed.

Police are attributing blame to Al' IKEA.
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Speaking of which, I've heard that Apple have scrapped their plans for the new children’s' iPod after realising that iTouchKids is not a good product name.
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Also up north a man decided to wash his sports shirt. He opens the washing machine then stops, thinking for a minute.

He shouts to his missus,

"What setting do I use on the washing machine?"

"It depends," she replies. "What does it say on your shirt?"

He yells back, "Manchester United.”
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My small grandson got lost in the new Liverpool One shopping centre.

He approached a security guard and said, "I've lost my Granddad."

The guard asked, "What's his name?"

The child replied, "Granddad."

The guard smiled asked: "But what's he like?"

The little angel thought for a moment and then replied, "cans of lager and women with big tits."
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River Dance with Army Boots and Rifles  Link

They Walk Among Us...

One day I was walking down the beach with Some friends when someone shouted.....
'Look at that dead bird!'
Someone looked up at the sky and said...'where?'

They walk among us!

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While looking at a house, my brother asked the Estate agent which direction was north because he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning.
She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?'
My brother explained that the sun rises in the east and has for sometime.
She shook her head and said,'Oh, I don't keep up with all that stuff......'

They Walk Among Us!

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My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard an admin girl talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach.
She drove down in a convertible, but said she 'didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving'.

They Walk Among Us!

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My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car which is designed to cut through a seat belt
if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the  trunk

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I was going out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain.
My friend said, 'Ouch! The chain must rip out every time she turns her head!"
I had to explain that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned...

They Walk Among Us !

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I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area and went to the lost luggage office and reported the loss.
The woman there smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and said I was in good hands.
'Now,' she asked me, 'Has your plane arrived yet?'...
(I work with professionals like this.)

They Walk Among Us!

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While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6.
He thought about it for some time then said 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.

They Walk Among Us!

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TRUE STORY:

A noted psychiatrist was a guest speaker at an academic function where Rick Perry happened to appear. Gov. Perry took the opportunity to schmooze the good doctor a bit and asked him a question with which he was most at ease.

'Would you mind telling me, Doctor,' he asked, 'how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?'

'Nothing is easier,' he replied. 'You ask a simple question which anyone should answer with no trouble. If the person hesitates, that puts you on the track..'

'What sort of question?' asked Perry.

Well, you might ask, 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?''

Perry thought a moment, and then said with a nervous laugh, 'You wouldn't happen to have another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history.'

Sadly, they walk among us!
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Traffic Camera
A man was driving when he saw the flash of a trafficcamera. He figured that his picture had been taken for exceeding the limit, even though he knew that he was not speeding... Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. Now he began to think that this was quite funny, so he drove even slower as he passed the area again, but the traffic camera again flashed. He tried a fourth time with the same result. He did this a fifth time and was now laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past, this time at a snail's pace... Two weeks later, he got five tickets in the mail for driving without a seat belt..

You can't fix stupid.

WWII glider found in a Cumbrian field is to be restored

A World War II glider that lay undiscovered in a field in Cumbria is now being restored at the Regimental Museum in Carlisle Castle.

It is thought the Waco glider was used to carry Border Regiment troops into Sicily and was then crated up and shipped back to Britain.  Link
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