Spitfire decal mania

I have a keen interest in the markings of the aircraft on both sides of the air battle for Malta.  As such, this decal sheet by DK is right up my alley.  Wow.

 

Speaking of Spitfires.

Movie review: The Thin Man (1934)

Shot in only 16 or 18 days (depending on your source) The Thin Man was the first of 6 movies over a 13 year period starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles.  Adapted from a Dashiell Hammett novel, the movie was a surprise hit, mainly due to the chemistry of its stars.  Powell and Loy had an easy grace on screen and man, Myrna Loy was a looker.  Not a bombshell, but easy on the eyes in a wholly different way.  Over the years, the cultural idea of feminine beauty ebbs and flows between thinner and more curvy women.  At this point in the mid 30s, the thinner look was in an Myrna Loy embodied the look.  In fact, if you notice all the “good” women in the film are thinner and more petite while the “bad” girls are bigger and curvier.

The plot is that Nick Charles is a former detective (it is unclear from the movie if he was a private detective or a police detective) who married the rich socialite Nora and they now spend their time drinking and socializing.  Nick is clearly enjoying his new life of leisure.  Part of what seems to attract Nora to Nick is the sense of adventure he brings and she clearly loves being around all of the former lowlifes Nick knows from his former life.  She also encourages him to get involved in solving murders that happen in their social circle.  The plot is ok, but it is the wordplay and chemistry of the stars that makes the movie a pleasure to watch.

If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to watch it.

Fighting the good fight

This may seem like a small thing, but calling out government encroachments in small matters will make them more sensitive about their behavior in large ones.  It is akin to “broken windows” policing.

Control surface masks

I’ve never heard of this company before.  If anyone has used these things I’d love to know what you think.

USN pregnancy problem

An interesting article.

Good for them

If this becomes more common, crime will continue to fall.

Punch a socialist

When you read the stories coming out of Venezuela like this and this, you just want to punch the next idiot who says anything good about socialism. Don’t do it, but I understand the impulse.

Do-23

I’ve always liked the look of the Do-23, ever since I saw a picture of it in a book as a teenager.  Given its relative lack of historical aviation importance, I never thought I’d see a kit of it.  I was wrong apparently.

South China Sea

The Chinese are stepping up their military technology in the South China Sea region.  This will not end well.

 

As I’ve said before….

 

P-8A vs. P-1

Interesting article comparing the latest US and Japanese maritime patrol and ASW aircraft.