Okay, open Forum, off-topic, or whatever (grab a cup and sit)

[CandCRR]

Tim,

Hi, The balance thing comes and goes. When tired is worse, but isn't that way for all of us?

We had a beatiful weekend. Sunny hi 60's to low 70's. Snow is all gone!!! We will probably have your drizzle in a couple of days. Was able to get out, level most of the track and run some trains.

When and how do you start getting the stars?

[TurboOne]

Good evening all, did a lot of training this weekend and today. Met up with a local train guy I met on the forum, yes there are great guys here. He had a whole lot of brass that used to belong to his father, it looked fantastic.

Cleaned off the dept 56 buildings and made the layout bare again. Getting ready to add more benchwork tomorrow. Ran the trains, and looked at some additional passenger cars, an 11 car set of Santa Fe cars. Looked pretty cool with that many cars.

We didn't get the drizzle today, but clouds and it wasn't 85 today. Grass is cut, weeds mostly gone, so maybe summer is close.

I'm going to a train club tomorrow night, all gauges. Should be way cool. No rivet counters, just train people. New store in town, and they actually greeted me as I went in. Almost thought I was in heaven. I didn't think train store people ever had people skills. They even offered me something to drink, and some homemade cookies. And they don't sell retail. Rail Baron Hobby in Poway, CA. G, O, HO, and N gauge.

Gotta go watch some wrestling tonight, and relax.

Take care all.

Tim

[tangerine-jack]

Hey all! Just a quick check in for me. Now that the weather is very nice I am spending most of my time outside on the trains and swimming pool. We had a big wind storm last week that blew the pool cover off, and dumped all the crap that was on the cover into the pool. [sigh] Just part of life I guess.

The plants are turning green now, the Canis and Iris are growing very happily and I should see some blossoms here soon. Tonight I have to do a yard clean up (hate pine trees!!!!!) and get ready to go out of town this weekend. Should be a fun trip, with any luck I will be able to stop by and see Bennys RR on my way up to PA.

Take care all!!

[oX)]

[ghelman]

Hey all, I am new to this thread. I am guessing that this is what someone referred to as the coffee shop. Tim (Turbo) I noticed you are from San Diego. I lived ther many years ago, 1973 - 1976 in a new development called Mira Mesa North. I have heard it has grown some since then. Sounds like that train shop in Poway is pretty nice. I am not as fortunate. Only one hobby store about 50 miles from my home that carrys G scale. Most of what they carry is LGB with occassional Aristo. Our weather here is nice this time of year. In the 80s today. We do have to contend with what we affectionately call flying teeth. Small nats that bite. Between that and the mosquito in the evenings, running trains outside can almost be hazardous to your health. But, the nice weather beckons and as I have mentioned elsewhere in this forum I am enlarging my layout. Good forum. Take Care.

[RhB_HJ]

Hi all,

Haven't updated you guys on the local weather in a while. Anyway here goes:

Brilliant sunshine -- 13ºC (in the shade) --- 33ºC (where the sun shines on the second t-meter).
Didn't take a picture today, but this is what it looked like yesterday





[:)][:)][:)][:)]

Hey, that forum software sure does a number on pictures, gotta click on the pic to get the real thing. [;)][:)][:)]

[grandpopswalt]

HJ,

If you have a spare bedroom in your house with that view, can I rent it?

Walt

[Anonymous]

tangerine jack, stopped at my house today here in penna. , and saw my garden RAIL ROAD, AND MY INSIDE track. He was here for about 1 1/2 hrs. thanks for stopping ,come back and visit again . He was in the area , NOW I CAN PUT A FACE TO THE PERSON ON THE FORUM. BEN[:D]

[Anonymous]

Ben, very cool[8D] Glad you had a good time, I'll make it someday.

[Anonymous]

matt
let me know if you get near where i live ,here near HERSHEY PA. AND we will try and hook up. ben

[Anonymous]

Will do Ben, look out snow headed your way today. Where did Spring, Summer and Fall go? Were already back to winter[:(!][xx(]

[vsmith]

More rain predicted for here today, old man winter wants to go down kicking !

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Chilly damp NE'ly wind with scatterred showers today in Slower Lower Delaware!

Guess today's the day I clean up the mess in the porch from kit building, etc. and get it ready for summer & train watching!

[tangerine-jack]

Visiting Ben was a lot of fun. I'm sorry the face behind my posts isn't more pleasing [(-D] You've done good work, Ben, and you should be proud. See my post "visiting Bennys RR" for some photos. I do wish I had more time to spend, but I am glad I had the time I did. Thanks again, Ben!

Ok, now I just spent 8 hours on the road and I'd love to type on about my weekend, but work awaits me at O' dark thirty in the morning.
[oX)][zzz]

[vsmith]

What happened to Tim?

[tangerine-jack]

You know, I was wondering that myself. He hasn't responded to my emails. I hope everything is OK.

On another subject, I was just looking over at the MR forum, the coffee shop thread there has 400+ pages. Interesting, very interesting.

If everything goes to plan, I will be visiting Capt Bob's RR this weekend in DE. I'll be sure to post pics when I get back. Does anybody know of one of us that lives in ME? I'll be there in July.


[oX)]

[Anonymous]

I was wondering the same on Tim, Did anyone catch the post by someone on the CTT forum stopping by here looking for him?


Vic, So have you seen The Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy yet?

[tangerine-jack]

I saw THHGTTG and it was OK. I am a big fan of the original, and in my opinion the original is the best. The movie lost a lot of the charm and story line thread. It had a few good parts, but they totaly ruined Marvin and tried to add a love story between Arthur and Trillian. I say save your money and see it on video, then throw it away and watch the original BBC production.

[oX)]

[vsmith]

Matt

i sent this to someone else who asked me what i though might as well reprint it here........

.....Wow, thoughts on the movie? very mixed.

Some stuff I liked and some I thought fell flat.

I was most dissapointed by the fact that they cut out some of the best parts of scenes, likely for time sake. Example, Deep Thought telling the protesting philosophers how to get rich while he computes the Answer, or many of the books descriptions being either left out or cut short, like the description of the Infinite Improbabilty Drives inventor being lynched by a rampaging mob of respectable physicists.

Liked: Marvin as voiced by Alan Rickman worked particularly well, I liked the way the Athur/Trillian relationship took a turn, although well have to see how that gets resolved with the Fenchurch issue the later book. The trip to Vogsphere and the Vogans not doing anything without the proper paperwork was very funny. I was also glad that Arthur was far less passive than the TV version.

Dislikes: Zaphod was only half as good as i thought he could have been, I really thought his second head treatment was a real cop-out, they could have done the side by side head which could have been far better used for comic effect (each head trading off comments). I didnt like the way Magrathea was resolved, the second Earth being replaced so exactidly, really got away from the particularlty sarcastic version of Adams original take that we are all descended from telephone sanitizers.

There were tons of things that were great inside jokes that only the readers of the book would get, my farovites being the Vogan scuttle crabs and the Vogantelope as the captains chair. Did you see the Original Marvin robot in line in the Vogsphere que scene (I'm British! I know how to Que)They left this one hanging storywise at the end (Zaphods head), hopefully Disney wont drop the ball and will make the next installment.

Overall I had fun, will by the DVD, hopefull a much expanded version will be made available for the fans.....



Jack

I had the same feeling that core fans would be very dissapointed with the story turns, but the screenplay was written by Adams, so he obviously wanted to try something new, also remember, Adams changed the story everytime he changed media. The radio series is different from the books, which is different from the TV series, which now is different from the Movie, so I just took the changes in stride as i excepted Adams to change things this time as well.

As for Marvin, I thought the robot suit LOOKED awfull, but Rickmann was very good as the voice of Marvin. Where i thought they really blew it, was with Deep Thought, the voice didnt fit the character niether did the model, the TV/Radio version (same voice on both, like Marvin) was way better.

I do tend to tell people to rent the DVD of the TV version if they want the closer to the book storyline, just to be ready for the qwerky BBC special effects department special effects (dont look too hard at Zaphod's second head, and it works OK). But I wouldnt hesitate to tell someone to go see the movie, it has its own charms and rewards. Its just different! and besides I take the Guide in any format or story, because its still a lot more fun than almost anything out there.

Zaphod's evil twin signing off, Vic[8D]

[tangerine-jack]

True, the movie had it's good points. I did notice the Vogon commanders chair and the cameo of the original Marvin. I enjoyed the Point of View Gun, glad there is no such thing in real life! You are right about Deep Thought, the story is critical to that computer and it's relationship to Earth/ Magrathea and was not done very well at all in the movie.

It would have been nice to see some Silastic Armor Fiends or a few Cricket warriors. I liked the acting style of Zaphod in the movie, but you are right about the second head-what a cop out. True that Adams changed the story line, but he never changed the core meaning or character relationships. I just thought the movie didn't capture the "guide" very well. In the BBC version, the "book" cut in a lot more places to explain background, that was almost totaly lacking in the movie.

What's up with the ping-pong ball head on Marvin? Hope the designer got fired for that one. I'd have like to see some Galactic Cops instead of the Vogons, there was a certain charm about cops that write poetry and go around "blasting people all day then agonizing about it at night to my girlfriend".

Alright, enough rambling, I really feel I need to pop in the DVD and go for a low budget BBC special effect ride.........................

[oX)]

[Anonymous]

I E-MAILED TIM TO NO RESPONCE FROM HIM , HOPE NOTHING IS WRONG WITH HIM. BEN

[tangerine-jack]

One piece of good news about Tim, his name isn't in the obits anywhere for the last two months. I wonder what could have happened. He hasn't posted in a month.

[oX)]

[Anonymous]

HELLO TANGERINE JACK
HOW is you train project going,???? , I was away for a few days , with my motor home , lost my brakes , got it home by using the hand brake to stop , was 50 miles from home , i put new master cyclinder in ,not done yet, must bleed the brakes and test run yet. [censored] #%&*@* ben

[Buckeye Riveter]

One of the guys on the CTT forum has spoken to Tim. Everything is okay.

[Anonymous]

Buckeye
thanks for the information on TIM , thought something was wrong with him. ben

[vsmith]

Wonder if Tim just decided to focus on one scale. CCT I guess means O guage .

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

Wonder if Tim just decided to focus on one scale. CCT I guess means O guage .

I doubt it, Tim likes them all! Must be something else to it.[?]

[vsmith]

Lets see if we can beat this thread back to life..[:I]

I'm surprised that no one has here (or at the MR forum, or the Trains forum) has posted anything about being over the moon that the newest offering from George Lucas has finally arrived.

STAR WARS, Revenge of the Zits opens today,[:p]

No I didnt get the name wrong, I saw all the nerdoids in line for the last month and a half and I think my name sticks better[;)]

I havent seen it yet and I'll be dammed if I'm gonna spend more than 15 minutes in any line to see it. I know a local theater where I can guarentee seeing it without a big wait (its the one near the newest stadium seating theater) . I really had to laugh at the poor shleps who camped near Gruamann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood for a week to be first in line, only to have an employee tell them its not playing there, it wil be at the Cinerama Dome nearby..thats called planning!

From all accounts this one is the best since "The Empire Strikes Back" and is far superior to the inferior "The Phantom Plotline" and Attack of the Clowns"

So...Anyone seen it yet? How long did you stand in line....[?]

I only want to know one thing, does Jar Jar finally meet the business end of a lightsaber[:0][?]

[tangerine-jack]

Star Wars was never intended, by Sir Lucas, to be anything more than a really cool Saturday Morning Serial in the 1930's style of adventure. The plot is thin- let's see- good guy=wears white/bad guy=wears black. Never was suposed to be more. I like the movies because they are fun, not because of any redeeming social commentary.

I will go see it at the theater because the effects are cool on the big screen. But I will wait until next week or so and catch the matinee. I won't wait in line either, not for a movie or for a restaurant.

I just bought "classics from outer space" on DVD. Ok, people, 10 movies, 14 hours of cheezy sci fi for $9- what could be better! I mention this because one of the movies is "Flash Gordon: Rocket Ship". Watch this one and you will see where Star Wars attempts to imitate.

Now, for REAL sci-fi, you have to go across the pond and get some Dr. Who. Now that is a show! Ok, bad effects, but great writing and wonderful adventure! Pick up a DVD of the Doctor and you will be hooked.


[oX)]

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

STAR WARS, Revenge of the Zits opens today,[:p]

No I didnt get the name wrong, I saw all the nerdoids in line for the last month and a half and I think my name sticks better[;)]

OK gang,

I have a confession to make: I have never seen a StarWars movie!

BTW Vic...... "Revenge of the Twits" would be just as fitting. [}:)][:p][:D]

[Capt Bob Johnson]

RhB_HJ, You aren't alone! Don't think I've been to a movie in 25 years, maybe more!
If it's good and I feel like seeing it, it'll be out for free on the boob tube soon enough.

Last good movie I saw was taking my boys to see Song of the South back in 198?.