July 31, 2021

A Guy Hid a Real WWII Panther Tank in His Basement. Now, There Are Consequences.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a37147381/ww2-panther-tank-hidden-in-basement/



A court in Germany is determining the best way to dispose of one of the rarest pieces of military history in the world. German authorities seized the Panther medium tank in 2015 from a pensioner who bought the vehicle as scrap and hid it in his basement. The tank, one of just 12 left in the world, is almost certainly worth millions of dollars.

Now, authorities are trying to untangle what is actually a fairly complex legal case, according to the BBC. At some point in the past, the unnamed German citizen allegedly purchased the 45-ton tank, along with a towed 88-millimeter anti-tank/anti-aircraft gun and a torpedo, and stored it away.

The German Army Panzerkampfwagen V “Panther” medium tank was one of the most technologically advanced tanks of World War II. The Panther was armed with one 75-millimeter Kw.K.42 L/70 main gun and two 7.92-millimeter machine guns. The tank used sloped steel armor, which gave it a sleek appearance, and interleaved road wheels.

While the Panther was a fantastic tank on technical grounds, in reality, its performance was severely hampered by engine breakdowns, mechanical issues, and low-quality steel armor in wartime.

July 27, 2021

My apartment building caught fire yesterday.

I was taking a nap when a neighbor pounded on my door, yelling “Fire! Get out!”. I rushed outside.

Thankfully no one was hurt (although my cat was quite vexed), but there’s now a rather sizable hole in the ceiling of the living room (I’m on the top floor). Between the smoke damage and the water pouring in, I suspect the place is pretty much a total loss. So much for the book collection.

Still, silver linings: I have renter’s insurance, and as some here may know, I also have a rather substantial gun collection. They were in multiple safes, and not harmed in the slightest. I would have lost tens of thousands had they been destroyed. The police didn’t want them in the building under the circumstances, though, so asked if they could take them down to my SUV for me to secure somewhere else. That took a couple of hours, since I couldn’t help and they ran the serial number on every one of them.

I’m crashing at my sister’s for the night. It could have been far worse. It was just stuff.

July 24, 2021

The Gun That Killed Billy The Kid Is Going Up For Auction. Starting Bid: $2 Million

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/22/1019391848/gun-killed-billy-the-kid-auction-2-million



A revolver that killed one of the most famous wanted men in the Wild West 140 years ago is slated to be offered for millions of dollars next month.

Prior to his killing, a judge is said to have sentenced famed outlaw Billy the Kid to hang until "you are dead, dead, dead." Billy was rumored to respond, "And you can go to hell, hell, hell."

Legends like these — some facts and others fiction — chronicling the Kid's life have persisted more than 100 years after his death. And they've kept history buffs captivated by Billy the Kid's tale. They have also driven interest in pieces of Wild West history, for which collectors are prepared to pay hefty prices. In 2008, for instance, Bonham sold Billy's gun for $64,350.

Billy the Kid, a gunslinger often said to have killed eight men, had been on the run for three months when Sheriff Pat Garrett hid in a dark bedroom and shot him in the chest on July 14, 1881, in Fort Sumner, N.M., according to Garrett's account. The single action revolver Garrett used will be offered at Bonhams auction house, which estimates it could go for $2 million to $3 million. Garrett had taken the gun from another member of the Kid's gang, Billy Wilson, after he arrested him.

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Out of my price range, sadly.

July 24, 2021

Benny Goodman: Sing Sing Sing (1938 Carnegie Hall concert: 13 minutes long!)

Best. Swing. Ever.

July 24, 2021

NASA is giving SpaceX $178 million to launch its mission to Europa, which could harbor alien life.

NASA has chosen SpaceX to launch its next alien-hunting mission to a Jupiter moon.

The mission, called Europa Clipper, is designed to fly past Jupiter's moon Europa 45 times, getting as close as 16 miles above its surface. Scientists believe the moon conceals a global ocean beneath its icy crust, and alien life could thrive deep within it.

NASA announced Friday that it set a date for the mission and awarded the $178 million launch contract to SpaceX. Now Europa Clipper is scheduled to blast off aboard the company's Falcon Heavy rocket in October 2024.

Europa Clipper's main objective is to determine whether Europa could host life at all. It aims to take high-resolution images of the moon's surface, chart the composition and thickness of its icy crust, look for lakes below the surface, and measure the depth and saltiness of the ocean below.

July 23, 2021

He doesn't hold the record for most people killed. But the Holocaust....um, yeah.

July 23, 2021

With the goal of making the world a better place, prevent one person from having been born.

You have all of history to choose from. Who do you pick? If the answer is the obvious one (Trump), I would ask that you indicate your second choice.

July 23, 2021

A Baltimore County widow put her mansion on the market. Then sovereign citizens moved in.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-prem-md-co-sovereign-citizens-falls-road-20210722-voivdsl2yfexbea2lep3bcuuk4-story.html

Valued at $1.5 million, the Falls Road home has it all.

Hidden among trees on 2 acres with an elegant outdoor terrace overlooking lush green forest, the 2 1/2-story mansion boasts a stone fireplace and vaulted wood-beam ceilings, six bedrooms and five bathrooms, a deluxe butler’s pantry and indoor pizza oven and large windows across the walls of the 10,000-square-foot space. There’s even a treehouse with a wraparound porch.

It was the dream house designed and built by a prominent commercial real estate broker and his wife in 2005, two years after the pair married. When he died early last year, his widow hired a real estate agent, put her abode on the market and moved.

The phone calls from worried neighbors began in June: There was a chain locked across her driveway entrance. Warnings against trespassers appeared along the property perimeter. A group was spotted unloading furniture and other items from a moving truck.

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July 23, 2021

This Airline Was Just Voted Best in the World for 2021

https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/best-airlines-2021-qatar-airways



Qatar Airways was voted the best airline in the world for 2021, according to AirlineRatings.com.

The Doha-based airline was awarded the top spot based on a host of criteria, including the age of its fleet, passenger reviews, and product offerings, as well as its "commitment to keeping the world's critical long-haul air routes open during COVID-19," according to the site.

In addition to the No. 1 ranking, Qatar Airways also took the top spots for best business class (the airline is known for its Qsuites) and best catering.

"Over the past 16 months, the aviation industry has witnessed some of its darkest days, but Qatar Airways has continued to operate and stand by our passengers despite many other airlines halting operations due the pandemic," Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said in a statement. "Qatar Airways continues to reach new heights and set industry standards that deliver unrivaled passenger experience because it is in our DNA to do everything with excellence. Our commitment is to provide the highest possible level of health and safety standards both on the ground and in the air, with 5-star service at the core of our business."

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I'll be flying Qatar Airlines in a Qsuite in a week and a half to get to Thailand. Looking forward to it!

July 22, 2021

Stage musicals: What are the most obscure ones that you really enjoy?

I'll start off with some of mine:

Bat Boy the Musical (based on a June 23, 1992 Weekly World News story about a half-boy, half-bat, dubbed "Bat Boy", who grew up living in a cave.)

Blondel the Rock Opera (The title character is a musician trying to score big with Richard the Lionheart, who goes off on one of the Crusades. He struggles to follow him, as does an assassin and a group of monks who sing all of their dialogue in the form of Gregorian chants. Hilarity ensues.)

Eating Raoul the Musical (A couple of "squares", in the late 1960s, want to raise money to open a restaurant. They decide to kill swingers for profit by hitting them on the head with a frying pan. They become involved with a partner, Raoul, their swarthy, sexy janitor, who helps them to dispose of the bodies. However, they soon feel trapped by Raoul and dispatch him too; he becomes the main course. Based upon the film.)