Ace-Garageguy

Well, read the Prez's proclamation. It states it's commemorating the 50th anniversary of the war. It has now been only 41 years. If the Prez hisself can't even get the math right, well... If you count from the first 'official' mission on Jan 12, '62, you're at 50+ years...but why make the end of the war day (41 years ago) the "50 year anniversary" when it's really Jan. 12?

Vietnam Vets were often treated pretty poorly. They were spat on. They were called baby killers. Unlike any of the veterans of the other conflicts you mentioned, many Vietnam vets had no idea of why we were even there; nor did most of the American public. Singling out a day for this particular conflict is just part of an attempt to undo some of the wrongs done to a group of people who took duty seriously, and were in return shunned by the very people whose ideals they thought they were fighting and dying for.

But really, how do you expect a bunch of over-the-hill guys who killed and were killed in defense of the ideal of freedom to compete with something as overwhelmingly important as March Madness?

And the media just don't think it's worth reporting. The geezers who were over there are all past it, old, not relevant, not part of the target demographic.

So, the logical answer is that nobody in the news outlets you read or scan thought it was worth commenting on. Point made. https://www.google.com/search?q=vietnam&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q=vietnam+veterans+day&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

Because, frankly, entertainment, sports and consumerism are much more important to the vast majority of Americans. Like Jim said, you won't see articles in the paper or on the news. Nobody cares. Past history, unimportant, doesn't effect my life today. Stop random people in the mall and ask them where Vietnam is and when we were deployed over there.

I just meant the bulbs themselves are pricey compared to CFLs, which have plummeted in price since their introduction. Home Depot and other outlets have LED bulbs that will fit in just about every socket imaginable (including my existing work lamps) and they're dimmable, which most CFLs are not. But they are still considerably more expensive. When my CFL bulbs go out, I'll be replacing them with LEDs.

Presidential Proclamation -- Vietnam Veterans Day VIETNAM VETERANS DAY BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION On January 12, 1962, United States Army pilots lifted more than 1,000 South Vietnamese service members over jungle and underbrush to capture a National Liberation Front stronghold near Saigon. Operation Chopper marked America's first combat mission against the Viet Cong, and the beginning of one of our longest and most challenging wars. Through more than a decade of conflict that tested the fabric of our Nation, the service of our men and women in uniform stood true. Fifty years after that fateful mission, we honor the more than 3 million Americans who served, we pay tribute to those we have laid to rest, and we reaffirm our dedication to showing a generation of veterans the respect and support of a grateful Nation. The Vietnam War is a story of service members of different backgrounds, colors, and creeds who came together to complete a daunting mission. It is a story of Americans from every corner of our Nation who left the warmth of family to serve the country they loved. It is a story of patriots who braved the line of fire, who cast themselves into harm's way to save a friend, who fought hour after hour, day after day to preserve the liberties we hold dear. From Ia Drang to Hue, they won every major battle of the war and upheld the highest traditions of our Armed Forces. Eleven years of combat left their imprint on a generation. Thousands returned home bearing shrapnel and scars; still more were burdened by the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress, of Agent Orange, of memories that would never fade. More than 58,000 laid down their lives in service to our Nation. Now and forever, their names are etched into two faces of black granite, a lasting memorial to those who bore conflict's greatest cost. Our veterans answered our country's call and served with honor, and on March 29, 1973, the last of our troops left Vietnam. Yet, in one of the war's most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected -- to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example. We must never let this happen again. Today, we reaffirm one of our most fundamental obligations: to show all who have worn the uniform of the United States the respect and dignity they deserve, and to honor their sacrifice by serving them as well as they served us. Half a century after those helicopters swept off the ground and into the annals of history, we pay tribute to the fallen, the missing, the wounded, the millions who served, and the millions more who awaited their return. Our Nation stands stronger for their service, and on Vietnam Veterans Day, we honor their proud legacy with our deepest gratitude. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 29, 2012, as Vietnam Veterans Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the Vietnam War. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth. BARACK OBAMA

My old OS streams video seamlessly just fine, thanks. The only thing that slows it down is when I have multiple apps running (so I limit open programs to what the poor old thing can handle) or when all the video "content" advertising BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH is running onscreen whenever I'm surfing. Being forced to buy a new machine to run new software just so I can be more efficiently deluged with intrusive marketing BS is...BS. I'd happily PAY Tinylimp $50 a year to keep supporting the old XP, and I Imagine hundreds of thousands of other old fossils would too. A solution to the problem, eh?

Harry's right about the lighting, but the LED units are still expensive. Remember though, that they will last just about forever, so you only buy them once. If the LED price is still too high for you, compact florescents no longer buzz, are incredibly cheap now, and are available in several color temperatures now too, so getting a "daylight" balance is entirely possible. I personally prefer a cabinet-grade plywood work surface, as it lets me pin, jig, fixture and clamp things to it easily.

All true, but apparently about 30% of computers connected to the web are still running XP. Some comments from another board... ronin7752 22 days ago You (and M$) are viewing the XP "problem" from a techno-centric perspective. What you don't get is that well over 90% of end-users are NOT techno-centric. For them, a PC is just a tool -- like their dishwasher or telephone, and should be subject to the same consumer expectations. "Dumping" XP as M$ is doing makes absolutely no sense to the average end-user. You buy a new car because it physically wears out. From their perspective, software does not "wear out". For them, a new OS doesn't do anything significantly better than their old XP does -- and in many cases, is actually more trouble to use. Why should they be forced to spend money on something they don't perceive a need for? ...Not to mention the cost and hassle of buying and spending a lot of time and annoyance getting used to a new computer. That's why so many technophiles expected Win 8 to be a smashing success, instead of smashing into a wall of consumer dislike. d 18 days ago Thank you, ronin7752. This is my position exactly. XP perfectly meets my needs, I know how to use it, and I deeply resent being threatened with losing my Internet access if I fail to go with the times. My XP computer works fine. I don't WANT to relearn how to interact with a computer (I did try windows 8 and detested it)! I want to simply log on and do my computer business, not go back to computer school. I don't have time or patience for that! I have a Windows 7 PC in the wings for when XP craps out, but I LIKE XP! And apparently tens of millions of users still do. I don't understand why MS can't or won't find some way to accommodate its still-huge XP user market. I am very disappointed in this company and will not buy another MS-based computer once my Windows 7 Dell bites the dust. Apple is looking better and better. If I am to be forced to relearn the human-computer interface, I will not stay with a company that is pulling a rug out from under me today.

Coker tires are very nice, and certainly not cheap. And though the market for period-correct tires is miniscule in the overall scheme of things, apparently the big tire manufactures are not charging crippling licensing fees, possibly in the enlightened understanding that real car guys kinda pay attention to the brand of rubber that's on a vehicle, and that "Firestone" (or whatever) logo on the sidewall is good advertising. Pity the same philosophy doesn't extend across the model car industry as well.

And for those who didn't come home, how about a moment of silence. Painting: "Reflections" by Lee Teter

Am I the last one to hear this? I just got a message today from Tinylimp saying they're pulling the plug on supporting the old operating system that still works just fine. Hmmmm. What with Tinylimp's clever built-in vulnerability to attacks, and the need for frequent "security updates" I wonder how long it will be before XP is hopelessly compromised, and I'll HAVE to buy a new OS.

Read post 3. If all you have is 91%, you can do the math and reduce it with clean water to 70%. 91% could very possibly take the paint right off.

That's good advice from GeeBee. The products he's referring to are specifically formulated to remove wax, grease and other contaminants before painting. One such product available over here is DuPont PrepSol. http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/visitor/common/pdfs/b/product/dr/ChromaSystemLV/H-19397_3919S.pdf PPG lists several similar products. http://master.ppgrefinish.com/en/products/collision/preparation/ HOWEVER...These products can be pretty strong and MAY damage your rattle-can paint. Personally, I'd try 70% (NOT 91%) isopropyl alcohol (available at grocery and drug stores, CHEAP !!!) before trying the hotter body-shop panel cleaners on a recently painted surface. We started using isopropyl INSTEAD of the commercially available pre-paint cleaners, even on full size airplanes...because it works better. If all that's on your paint is polish and not WAX, you won't have too much contamination to remove anyway, and the alcohol will do an excellent job. As always, TEST FIRST (whatever you use) on an inconspicuous place on the painted model to make sure your cleaner won't hurt your fresh paint.

And the old AMT XR6 / '27 T touring car double kit has a slant-6 with triple Weber side-draft carbs.

Stunning indeed. Gorgeous crisp photos, beautiful cars. The automobile as kinetic sculpture.

Cool. Thanks.

Bernard Kron said it all for me, very well. I still watch the start of the race sometimes, hoping to get back some of the feeling I got in the glory-days at the end of the big roadsters and the beginning of the ascendance of the mid-engined cars, but it just never works. I guess you really never can go home again.

I saw these two, and they were so nice I just had to leave them as-is... Radiused wheel openings, perfect stance: REALLY perfect stance: ...But this one needed a little work... ...to begin to evolve into this...

There's one more point I'd like to reinforce. There's so much valuable information available, for free, on this forum, that anyone whose definition of "fun" with modeling includes improving their skills can find something relevant to their work. The forum also allows us to post large (hopefully in-focus) images of our work, and flaws that may have gone un-noticed on the bench really jump out. I tend to put up a photo of a Chevelle model I did a few years back (when rattle-can questions come up) as an example of what can be achieved with rattle-cans. I'm entirely satisfied with the paint, but after seeing Marcos Cruz's panel-line tutorial, I almost cringe when I look at the photos of my Chevelle model now. It could have been SO much better with that little improvement. I also noticed, on the forum shots, that the roll-cage doesn't fit inside the cabin as well as I thought I'd been building it. Oops. The point I'm making is that if we want to improve, and "master" any particular skill, we need to be completely, brutally and objectively critical of our OWN work, and this forum is a perfect place to learn and grow as modelers.

It's also possible to offer helping suggestions without it immediately coming across as criticism, constructive or otherwise. Praise something that IS well done, or that really stands out on a model, like "I really like what you did with such and such", or "the way you handled so and so looks great", and then mention, kindly, that some little thing that was possibly overlooked could make the model "even better". Children often respond to gentle coaxing to improve their skills, and it's not usually productive to single out a flaw and bash on it (as seems to happen here occasionally). Another sometimes effective way to offer constructive criticism, if you really want to help and aren't just being a dork, is to PM the member and approach the matter privately, without the entire forum watching. I've learned a few things about current drag-racing, for instance, when I made a technical error and someone with real knowledge was kind enough the take the time to point out my mistake...privately. But don't be surprised if someone you're honestly trying to help to improve their building takes offense at the most well-intentioned, most kindly stated negative commentary. As stated above, some folks just can't handle the truth.

I'm 98% certain that any aluminum flashing you'll encounter is already clear anodized. Bare aluminum would oxidize almost immediately otherwise, so the recommendations for prepping bare alloy do not apply here. Here's an excerpt from a knowledgeable source... "Anodizing is the best possible surface for paint adhesion. No special primers or anything like that normally associated with painting aluminum is required. Bare aluminum is highly reactive with air. It doesn't matter what you do to get the surface bare, chemically or mechanically, because it immediately begins to reform oxide to protect itself. An anodized surface is non-reactive, or inert, in atmospheric exposure. That's why its appearance stays substantially the same over time. Because it is inert there's no need to apply any chemical or primer whose purpose is to convert the surface from reactive to inert. Also, the method of "growth" of the anodized surface leaves it somewhat porous on a microscopic basis, so it has ideal properties for letting the paint "grip" the surface. As an example of how well anodized aluminum holds paint, all pre-painted architectural sheet aluminum is first anodized and then painted with no primer of any kind between the surface and the topcoat. You can typically take a piece of this painted sheet, bend it in a brake, and fold it flat on itself like a hemmed edge, and the paint will remain intact. Try a piece and see for yourself. The same paint that will almost peel off bare aluminum in sheets will have to be blasted or sanded off an anodized surface." FULL THREAD HERE: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/paint-adhesion-anodized-aluminum-157007/ Remember, WHEN IN DOUBT, TEST FIRST.

Funny how times change. The rest of the world used to say Americans were "the most resourceful people in the world", and coined phrases like "American ingenuity" and "American know-how" because we, as a people, seemed to be able to do just about anything. Hoover Dam, Moon shots, etc. Now we mostly whine. There weren't any Ace Hardwares or Home Depots here either, until some American resourcefulness thought it might be a good idea to build them. Apparently, stores like that haven't yet interested the Russians. It's not rocket science.