The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[JGittes]

Another great WW1 aerial combat film, initially shot as a silent but rewritten into a talkie after the success of 'The Jazz Singer,' was 'Hell's Angels' directed by Howard Hughes (dialogue direction by James Whale of Frankenstein 1931 fame). It has some early technicolor shots of Jean Harlow.

 

[YmaOHyd]

To: HR <hr-at-opm-dot-gov>

Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL] What did you do last week?

Below are five bullet points of accomplishment from the last week. I have not CCed my manager as this is a meme format and not an actual email.

• Completed three projects of mild importance at work
• Tried a new variation on my black bean sofrito recipe; wife liked it so much she's asked me to make it again
• Celebrated my bestie's 40th
• Dove back into Elmore Leonard's Fire in the Hole and Other Stories for language inspiration
• Published my first standalone story here; published the first chapter of an ongoing story; got my first comment, follower, favorite; wrote two more short pieces and the second chapter of the ongoing, all of which are pending; made hella progress on chapter three

 

[yowser]

• Tried a new variation on my black bean sofrito recipe; wife liked it so much she's asked me to make it again

Do us a great favor and post it on Russ' fabulous food-list.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Just been prescribed HRT, in the hope it'll at least send me batshit in a more convenient way, while not too inconvenient (as my character Laura mentions, being prescribed progesterone for fertility can cause suddenly wanting to shag 95% of people on a tube train, needing to sit on her hands to stop herself groping any, followed by the pain of refraining from leaping on a policeman in black jodhpurs mounting his horse...)

And the American Embassy is suffering staff shortages again - no appointments for nearly a month. Then I have to point out that they screwed up over 50 years ago, missing a name off my birth cert when issuing a passport. It's always cost too much to fix (would require a US lawyer...) but now the UK won't issue passports if you have another passport in a different name - unless the other country confirms they aren't changing what they think you're called. I think other countries passed the same law. Modern efficiency, not.

 

[YmaOHyd]

Do us a great favor and post it on Russ' fabulous food-list.

Here ya go!

 

[MrPixel]

Just been prescribed HRT,

You know my experience there. I deeply hope you do better with it than C did.

 

[MillieDynamite]

So, hows trick today with all of y'all?

 

[NotWise]

I got a call from the boss' widow this morning. It's official. I'm closing down this office, but we will bill out the last projects.

I started hauling file boxes to the dumpster as time allowed last week. I could empty the file cabinets and maybe the desk by the end of the day. I down-sized two years ago, otherwise this would be a much bigger problem.

What they do with the office in Santa Fe will be interesting, but I probably won't be watching when it happens. It's a converted house a short walk off the plaza in Santa Fe. It was a restaurant before it became our office. I think they valued it at around $million twenty years ago. The building next door was similar, and used as the Nature Conservancy's state office. It was remodeled and converted to a private residence.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Just been prescribed HRT, in the hope it'll at least send me batshit in a more convenient way, while not too inconvenient (as my character Laura mentions, being prescribed progesterone for fertility can cause suddenly wanting to shag 95% of people on a tube train, needing to sit on her hands to stop herself groping any, followed by the pain of refraining from leaping on a policeman in black jodhpurs mounting his horse...)

My wife has been on HRT (estrogen and testosterone) pellets every three months for over three years and she loves that affect! I even wrote my story "Raging Hormones" based on her experiences!

 

[KittyOfSteele]

It's Day 69 out of 365 for my Writing the Same Thing for a Year challenge, and I know exactly what to write, but I'm procrastinating a little. I might really need coffee because I've been sleepy the entire day... but I have to wake up early tomorrow and taking caffeine so late doesn't allow me to sleep.

We have two new shelves at the library, but lack the books to fill them up. I'm still doing inventory and it is exhausting, especially when people keep borrowing them. They suddenly remember there was a library recently, and my boss is pressuring a lot to finish the inventory. Still, I love my job: I have first dibs on reading a book that I'm interested shall it arrive, and I also get to write, though I miss the webcam a little.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

My wife has been on HRT (estrogen and testosterone) pellets every three months for over three years and she loves that affect! I even wrote my story "Raging Hormones" based on her experiences!

Just read - I love that! That's roughly where we have been, luckily with the extra partner already, so let's see where we end up. No guns waving, at least.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Just popping in to make sure there's coffee for the night shift here and the morning shift for Oz. Resupplied the donuts so have fun.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thanks Candy. Hope your writing is moving on.

Oh, and I see your looking after HP's dragon. He must be pining for HP.

 

[dmallord]

Coffee sounds good. I need something to get this BP up. 89/60 a few minutes ago and I was going to take the evening meds. That's not happening.

It's the end of February and I've broken a committment to write a story a month; one I made as a New's Yearks Resolution. What to do? My Feb story is in Kenji's queue box with ten to twelve day wait.

So, I broke another committment not to write another 750 word story. Broke one to keep the other. Some kind of term must exist for that.

Anyway, I did 750 story and sent it to post yesterday. Now the question is does Lit have quick enough time to post it? My last one only took two days frm submission t post, maybe crossing fingers it gets out there.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You might want to watch "Wings"--the late silent movie that won the first Oscar for best picture. It's a little long. You can view it on Amazon.

The movie follows three home-town types to France to do the romantic thing. The director flew in WWI, though the actual record of that is sketchy. The dog-fight sequences are remarkable. It also has an unclothed Clara Bow and the first speaking role for Gary Cooper. It's one scene, his character dies immediately after the scene, and the home-town boys eat his chocolate.

It was filmed in San Antonio (Kelley Air Force Base, I think) and went way over schedule and budget. Cast and crew were all housed in one hotel. Clara Bow (who was recently married) laid Gary Cooper, and most of the women on the hotel staff got pregnant.

At least, that's how the legend goes.

It was directed by Howard Hughes, the pioneer aviator who later became one of the first billionaires, after he sold TWA. Later, a famous recluse.

He designed Jane Russell's bra for The Outlaw, built the Spruce Goose, was one of the first round the world flyers, and broke a swag of speed records.

Leonardo DiCaprio played him in The Aviator.

Edit: oops, I'm on about a different movie, Hell's Angels.

 

[NotWise]

It was directed by Howard Hughes, the pioneer aviator who later became one of the first billionaires, after he sold TWA. Later, a famous recluse.

He designed Jane Russell's bra for The Outlaw, built the Spruce Goose, was one of the first round the world flyers, and broke a swag of speed records.

Leonardo DiCaprio played him in The Aviator.

"Hell's Angels" was directed by Howard Hughes (as @JGittes said). "Wings" was directed by William Wellman.

 

[Belegon]

Those are good easy research... I started it today and have already had to find a street map of Paris circa 1915 and find out the original members of Escadrille Americain... (which would shortly become the Lafayette Escadrille, in response to German questions about why the French had a squadron from a supposedly neutral nation. {the Lafayette Flying Corps was formed in 1916, U.S. didn't enter the war for another year and a half.}

Also looked up "american slang circa 1916." Surprised how 'current' some of it still is....

 

[LexxRuthless]

Fresh coffee for anyone who needs a refill.
https://media.tenor.co/images/f3fa8ba83771a95802012b9f22f572f2/raw

Hope everyone's okay.

 

[ElectricBlue]

"Hell's Angels" was directed by Howard Hughes (as @JGittes said). "Wings" was directed by William Wellman.

Quite right, I stand corrected. Hells Angel's was the one I immediately thought about.

 

[NotWise]

Those are good easy research... I started it today and have already had to find a street map of Paris circa 1915 and find out the original members of Escadrille Americain... (which would shortly become the Lafayette Escadrille, in response to German questions about why the French had a squadron from a supposedly neutral nation. {the Lafayette Flying Corps was formed in 1916, U.S. didn't enter the war for another year and a half.}

Also looked up "american slang circa 1916." Surprised how 'current' some of it still is....

I was pretty immersed in the culture and slang of the 1920s when I wrote "Love is Enough" It's fun to do.

 

[Belegon]

I was pretty immersed in the culture and slang of the 1920s when I wrote "Love is Enough" It's fun to do.

I love history, and especially military history, anyway so it's not hard for me to read. But I need to make sure I actually write something, so I have to jump back into the present on occasion. The really deep dives are going to happen when it comes time to write some dogfights... cause I'm gonna want to know how each model of plane performed and what its advantages/disadvantages were. If I find something that plays right. I can have an easy explanation for why this rookie survived against a Fokker d2 albatross when he's flying what should be an inferior airplane and is less experienced. not so easy to bring a plane down in WW1, appparently. I always figured with cloth over wood meaning no armor around the pilot... but the range and accuracy was not very good for any of the guns and the lack of vulnerable areas except for the pilot and the engine meant that guys would get back to their airfield still alive and flying and mechanics would count dozens and dozens of bullet holes in the plane. One example I found, the flyer had 120 bullet holes in a single mission, and was never harmed. Wow!

 

[JGittes]

Those are good easy research... I started it today and have already had to find a street map of Paris circa 1915 and find out the original members of Escadrille Americain... (which would shortly become the Lafayette Escadrille, in response to German questions about why the French had a squadron from a supposedly neutral nation. {the Lafayette Flying Corps was formed in 1916, U.S. didn't enter the war for another year and a half.}

Also looked up "american slang circa 1916." Surprised how 'current' some of it still is....

You'll get to know Eddie Rickenbacker, then. He's every bit as interesting a guy as Howard Hughes but doesn't have a Scorsese film about him.

I had a history teacher in junior high school (mid-1960s) who sponsored an informal club of students interested in historical photographs. Obviously, in before-the-internet times, one had to write away to distant locations to find copies of historical photos and he knew everywhere to find them and helped direct our interests. The US Civil War just had its centenary, and we wrote to the National Archives to get Brady's photos, for example.

Another hot topic was WW1 flying machines. Back then, famous people weren't so concerned about security, and when I found out about Eddie Rickenbacker's flying exploits, I wrote to him in Manhattan, telling him about my soloing a glider on my 14th birthday and asking for a photo.

Imagine my shock when, a few weeks later, I received a package from New York. Captain Eddie graciously wrote that he thought I might appreciate his enclosed inscribed books rather than a mere photo. He sent 'Fighting the Flying Circus,' 'Seven Came Through,' and even a copy of his just-published autobiography. I still have them.

Very different times those were.

 

[NotWise]

I love history, and especially military history, anyway so it's not hard for me to read. But I need to make sure I actually write something, so I have to jump back into the present on occasion. The really deep dives are going to happen when it comes time to write some dogfights... cause I'm gonna want to know how each model of plane performed and what its advantages/disadvantages were. If I find something that plays right. I can have an easy explanation for why this rookie survived against a Fokker d2 albatross when he's flying what should be an inferior airplane and is less experienced. not so easy to bring a plane down in WW1, appparently. I always figured with cloth over wood meaning no armor around the pilot... but the range and accuracy was not very good for any of the guns and the lack of vulnerable areas except for the pilot and the engine meant that guys would get back to their airfield still alive and flying and mechanics would count dozens and dozens of bullet holes in the plane. One example I found, the flyer had 120 bullet holes in a single mission, and was never harmed. Wow!

Those old biplanes would also fly with a dead pilot.

My father-in-law owned and flew a DeHavilland Tiger Moth. It's a post-WWI open-cockpit biplane. My wife loved riding in it. Like the WWI planes, they weren't fast, but it was easy to keep them in the air.

Didn't last all that long, because my father-in-law flew a borrowed stunt plane into the ground at an air show about six years before I met my wife. They say there are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots. All but one of his flying buddies died within the span of a few years, all flying. The one that lived stopped flying.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Another morning and another fresh pot of coffee for you heathens that drink that stuff. The teapot is hot and I'm enjoying a cup of Earl Grey. There are some petit fours on the counter for those who need a sugar boost.

@Rustyoznail - I'm not sure HP's dragon likes the bituminous coal I'm feeding him. He seems especially grumpy so I'm going to switch to anthracite for a bit to see if that helps. Unfortunately, I haven't got any writing done for a few days and with company coming today to stay for a week, I doubt I'll get anything written until after they leave.

 

[NotWise]

My new story ("Meaningless Sex", Romance) went up this morning to a resounding yawn. I didn't know what to expect from it, so I'm not surprised.

The story was pending when I went to bed last night and it was published this morning. By timestamps it went up right after I went to bed. I wasn't at all ready for it and it has somehow screwed up the program I used to monitor votes, and I just don't have time for this shit right now.