Blackout

Port Adelaide, 'my' team in the national aussie-rules footy competition, has just fallen to a historic mamoth defeat against Geelong in the league's grand final. By something like 120 points, the victorious Cats stomped all over the Power in an awesome display of speed, skill and strength. Port didn't help their own cause much with what seemed a reactive strategy, but they were stunned as the cats came out of the blocks and never recovered from there.

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Geelong, they have been a band of valiant underdogs from industrial struggletown for my whole life. I have admired their persistence and resilience. Now, however, that it looks like they've started on a roll of domination (winning grand final, brownlow medal (league's best and fairest player), rising star award (best rookie in the league) and having almost half of the 'all australian' team of the year (a nominal team composed of the best players in the whole league of sixteen teams)), you could really look at this year as the Year of the Cats, and I'll have to re-evaluate my sympathy vote for them in future.

Flight Update & Cricket Celebration

In the last 10 days I've probably flown nearly 20 hours. Nil kills (though have had guns on target several times). I have crashed far more often than I've been shot down, probably averaging 3 to 5 sorties per session. I have been flying P40 Ms. Now that Norwegian has gone from the PF lobby in Hyperlobby, almost all of these online jousting sessions have been over Hawaii (though last night flew over the Marianas for the first time). I have noticed a bit more 'vulching' recently - when 'vulchers' prey on planes taking off and landing (ie when least powerful and most vulnerable).

I have put maybe 10 hours into learning a bit about the Full Mission Builder, using the site linked in the sidebar. I am building small missions over Milne Bay, losely basing them on the historical experience of RAAF squadrons 75 and 76, flying Kittyhawks against Zeros and Vals, lots of ground and naval attacks. Milne Bay was the first time the Japanese were comprehensively beaten on land in WWII. It tends to be a bit overshadowed by the Kokoda legend. But that's another tale...

Have had a go trying to use the game to play online direct with Wayne. Not any luck, the client computer in the setup keeps 'timing out' instead of connecting. The computers are recognising each other, however, so I have tweaked a couple settings and maybe we'll have a bit more luck when we (hopefully) try again over the weekend.

Oh yeah - while talking about games I should say YIPEE for the Aussies winning the World Cup cricket (for the third consecutive time). And this after taking a clean sweep of the ashes test series against England over summer (first time in 80 years)! That is one awesome team, and as they retire one by one (Langer, Warne, McGrath, and the guy that just walked out saying he'd had enough after the first test [Damien Martin]) one gets the feeling it is the end of an era. Well done lads!