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September 27, 2007
Chewbacca Sound Effect
Out of all of those Chewbacca Sound Effect's on You Tube, this one has to be the best I have seen so far:
I want it. That has got to be how the sound effect guy off Star Wars did it. It's so damned close.
Posted by Markiss at 5:49 PM | Comments (0)
WWII Trophy tank
As many of you will know I am a bit of a World War II buff. I collect all things WWII if I can get my hands on it.
So I was a little jealous when I came across this story. Basically a few people got together and pulled a WWII tank out of a pond and it is in mint condition. It happened 7 years ago. Wonder what it looks like now they have done it up?
Anyway here is the story:
14 September 2000, a Komatsu D375A-2 pulled an abandoned tank from its archival tomb under the bottom of a lake near Johvi, Estonia. The Soviet-built T34/76A tank had been resting at the bottom of the lake for 56 years. According to its specifications, it’s a 27-tonne machine with a top speed of 53km/h.
From February to September 1944, heavy battles were fought in the narrow, 50 km-wide, Narva front in the north-eastern part of Estonia. Over 100,000 men were killed and 300,000 men were wounded there. During battles in the summer of 1944, the tank was captured from the Soviet army and used by the German army. (This is the reason that there are German markings painted on the tank’s exterior.) On 19 September 1944, German troops began an organised retreat along the Narva front. It is suspected that the tank was then purposefully driven into the lake, abandoning it when its captors left the area.
At that time, a local boy walking by the lake Kurtna Matasjarv noticed tank tracks leading into the lake, but not coming out anywhere. For two months he saw air bubbles emerging from the lake. This gave him reason to believe that there must be an armoured vehicle at the lake’s bottom. A few years ago, he told the story to the leader of the local war history club “Otsing”. Together with other club members, Mr Igor Shedunov initiated diving expeditions to the bottom of the lake about a year ago. At the depth of 7 metres they discovered the tank resting under a 3-metre layer of peat.
Enthusiasts from the club, under Mr Shedunov’s leadership, decided to pull the tank out. In September 2000 they turned to Mr Aleksander Borovkovthe, manager of the Narva open pit of the stock company AS Eesti Polevkivi, to rent the company’s Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer. Currently used at the pit, the Komatsu dozer was manufactured in 1995, and has 19,000 operating hours without major repairs.
The pulling operation began at 09:00 and was concluded at 15:00, with several technical breaks. The weight of the tank, combined with the travel incline, made a pulling operation that required significant muscle. The D375A-2 handled the operation with power and style. The weight of the fully armed tank was around 30 tons, so the tractive force required to retrieve it was similar. A main requirement for the 68-tonne dozer was to have enough weight to prevent shoe-slip while moving up the hill.
After the tank surfaced, it turned out to be a ‘trophy’ tank, that had been captured by the German army in the course of the battle at Sinimaed (Blue Hills) about six weeks before it was sunk in the lake. Altogether, 116 shells were found on board. Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with no rust, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition.
This is a very rare machine, especially considering that it fought both on the Russian and the German sides. Plans are under way to fully restore the tank. It will be displayed at a war history museum, that will be founded at the Gorodenko village on the left bank of the River Narva.
Looking at the two tracked machines, the modern yellow Komatsu dozer is a reminder of how machine technologies have advanced, and the region’s prospects of peace and prosperity have brightened.
There are photo's and 3 video's of it being recovered in the extended entry:
Preparing to pull it out.
People from the nearby village come to look how it would be done.
Komatsu D375A-2 is ready to go.
In mint condition.
Apparently, after a small repair and service they were able to start it’s diesel engine.
Here is the video footage of the event:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Posted by Markiss at 2:09 PM | Comments (1)
September 21, 2007
Let's get rich
The big draw is happening tonight. I am in two syndicates, so fingers crossed.
This is Jersey - News - 21/09/07 - Who wants to be a millionaire?
Who wants to be a millionaire?
SOMEBODY could become a millionaire tonight in the biggest lottery ever staged in the Island.
The Jersey Hospice Million Pound Lottery will be drawn at the Grand Jersey at around 6.20 pm and broadcast live during Channel Report.
The tickets cost ｣300 and just 5,000 were printed, and they sold out within 12 days of going on sale.
Many of them went to syndicates, so the odds are high that the ｣1 million first prize will go to a group of family, friends or work colleagues.
The four digits comprising the winning number will be chosen from four separate containers by four celebrities - singer Nerina Pallot, Mr Battle Kyran Bracken, his fellow Dancing on Ice star Clare Buckfield and TV presenter Gloria Hunniford.
Representatives from Gambling Control will monitor the draw to ensure that it is done fairly.
Posted by Markiss at 6:43 PM | Comments (3)
September 20, 2007
Normandy 2007
If you've wondered where I have been, I've been on my Holidays. Took some time out with some friends of ours, Ian and Ness.
We had a week off in Jersey before going over to France to see the Normandy landing beaches. What a good time I had. Even staying in Jersey was good fun. Went all round the coast, almost needed our passports when we got to Gorey. You're as good as in France there.
Took a load of photo's so you can see what we all got up to. I think on the whole we were all well behaved but I'm sure you can judge that for yourselves when you see the pictures.
Posted by Markiss at 2:36 PM | Comments (0)
September 7, 2007
Endangered species essay
Seems we aren't teaching our kids very much about conservation these days.
This essay was written by an 8th grader in Pittsburgh in the spring of 2004. The assignment was to pick an endangered species, and explain why it's important to save it. The typos and formatting are preserved from the original.
Richard XXXXXXXX Draft 2
I shouldn't do shit. I don't care about them they all
could die and it won't affect my life. I know a lot about them
but I don't need to think about them. They're just a waste of
time koalas are stupid they don't help me with shit so why
should I help them. If they all die there will be more room for
the panthers and all the other hard animals. Koalas are weak a
pit will get rid of their whole fucking family. That's why I
don't like koalas.
Koalas have sharp claws but they are weak. They all small
and fat and they be climing trees. I hope a storm just come
while theyjust chilling up in the tree thinking they is hard and
they're will all just fall off. They just break they neck and
shit. When they fall they claws are going to fall off and they
going to be crying like some little bitches.
Koalas aren't hard they some little bitches. They start
climbing up the tree soon as they see a deer from like 50feet
away. They stupid as hell they should put their brain in their
pouch and put the kid in they ten they're be able to think
better. They try to be in the fucking kangaroo family. They weak
as hell, talking bout they got a pouch a kangaroo so they their
cousins and shit. Kangaroo's have some big ass legs and whot do
a koala got? Some little ass legs, they tails is little and weak
as fuck kangaroo's got a big ass long tail that can kill a
fucking koala.
If a koala goes in the water it won't be able to breathe
with its little short ass. It'd fucking drown soon aas it take
one step into the water. While they at the river trying to get
something to drink a bear could just come to him and snatch its
ass up. It doesn't know protection because they don't have
protection. What they little ass going to do? It can't scratch
him. The bear will beat his fucking ass.
The important think about koalas is that just don't care
about tem and let them die by all the other animals in
Australia. They're not important just let nature do what it do
and kill them. Koalas do not have a place in this world there's
not enough room for all the bitches in this world. So let all
the koalas that's in the zoos and shit. Let them go and put them
back with their family. If you let them all go they won't
nothing except for that's what they was put in this world for.
Now you know why koalas aren't important. They have
nothing to do except for sitting around in the trees. It's like
they just was like they was sent have to die. Koalas don't do
nothing to help anybody. Thre would be just one more relative of
the kangaroo that will be six feet under. Now you know why
koalas are not important because there are dumb.
Thanks to textfiles.com
Posted by Markiss at 5:01 PM | Comments (1)
September 4, 2007
Anthem for Jersey
For those of you who haven't seen or heard the following:
And here are some more songs for you:
Roadworks
Let's Take Sark
Jersey, Mon Vie!
Breda Through a Straw ***
Honorary On My Trail
Back in Jersey, Ay ***
Take That Grouville! ***
Use the Dunes
*** My favourites
If you want a bit more Jersey stuff from Hedley Le Maistre then you can see more at Hedley Le Maistre's website
Posted by Markiss at 3:10 PM | Comments (4)
