Okay, So I'm Not Feeling Particularly American These Days

( Toho War Movie Trailer #1 )

( Toho War Movie Trailer #2 )

( At Least The Jets Are American, If Not The Air Force )

Explanations: Toho Movie #1 is Taiheiyo no Tsubasa/Wings of the Pacific, also known as Attack Squadron and marketed on home video as Kamikaze, which is a misnomer. It's the true story of a Japanese squadron whose commander refused to allow himself or his pilots to be used in suicide missions. One of the actual planes of this same squadron survived the War and is in the collection of the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL.

Toho Movie #2 is Ozora No Samurai/Samurai of the Blue Sky about the pilot Saburo Sakai, who became an ace against the Allies during the Guadalcanal campaign but then was wounded in the eye and forced to make an epic flight back to base alone and in horrible pain. While the fight that caused his wound isn't faithfully depicted here, it was the subject of an episode of PBS' Secrets of the Dead last year.

Rounding out the triptych is a video tribute to the F-5E Tiger II in the service of the Taiwanese (Republic of China) Air Force.

Medium-Large Bends Some Air

I feel bad even though it's not my own childhood. And for the record:

Speed Racer--already remade. (Still haven't seen it.)

Battle of the Planets/Gatchaman--in the works, I hear.

Star Blazers/Space Cruiser Yamato, Captain Harlock--impending, with Trailers on the 'Net.

Gaiking/Shogun Warriors, Robotech--in Development Hell, or at least Development Purgatory.

Hot Wheels (the 1960s concept)--Nobody remembers, so nobody is going to care to do it.

(Promises to return here with linkage.)

Moonshine's Lap 'Round The White Lightning Trail: Stage Ⅱ

Today we pick up the trail where we left off: 25E at White Pine's Main Street. North on 25E, past the Expo Center, over the overpass for I-81, (now into Hamblen County) over the Airport loop overpass, past Walters State College and College Square Mall, then cross Cherokee Lake out of Morristown and Hamblen County into Bean Station and Grainger County. Going Northwest, it merges with Highway 11W (which goes east to Rogersville) and then splits off of it again (11W going west to Rutledge). Bringing us to the Clinch Mountain Hill Climb. Cross the Clinch River after that...the highway here is still under construction but will likely be finished by Autumn by the look of it...when it happens it will be four lanes from Hamblen County to the State Line.

After the construction zone we're in Claibourne County and going through Tazewell. I wanted to stop at the Tazewell Flea Market, but today it was too busy and there was no parking anywhere. So I continued on to Harrogate and made a flypast of Lincoln Memorial University.

Since we're practically on the Kentucky State Line, I'd thought about crossing the line and visiting Middlesboro, but decided that the weather was too good to waste the opportunity to haul the backstretch of the Trail lap. So from Harrogate, we took Steiner Highway West through Speedwell, La Follette, and Jacksboro. This is pretty country and an okay road; it's likely even better in the Autumn with the leaves changing color because of the good visibility.

I wanted to stop in La Follette or Jacksboro for a photo opportunity but there didn't seem to be a good place handy. Just after Jacksboro, the Trail merges with I-75 South and that takes us to US 441 South at Lake City...the road through Norris Dam Park.

The View From Above Norris Dam:


( More Views Behind THIS )

Moonshine takes a well-deserved breather:


From Norris Dam, the Trail passes the Museum of Appalacia when it connects with State Road 61. I decided to refuel here (because of the proximity of I-75 and its various facilities) and take the "spur" to Clinton, where I made an official "break" in the lap. Distance: 112.5 Miles. Total Distance So Far: 147.5 miles.

The Comics store in Clinton:


It needs a "tidy" desperately but has a multi-million-dollar inventory!

Haven't decided when Stage Ⅲ will happen. This week, and possibly next, may be too busy for another maraud. Watch This Space.
FP