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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

By far the most ambitious, unflinchingly graphic and stylistically influential western ever mounted, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an engrossing actioner shot through with a volatile mix of myth and realism. Clint Eastwood returns as the "Man With No Name," this time teaming with two gunslingers (Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef) to pursue a cache of $200,000and letting no one, not even warring factions in a civil war, stand in their way. From sun-drenched panoramas to bold,hard close-ups, exceptional camera work captures the beauty and cruelty of the barren landscape andthe hardened characters who stride unwaveringly through it. Forging a vibrant and yet detached style of action that had not been seen before, and has never been matched since, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly shatters the western mold in true Clint Eastwood style.

Clint Eastwood (the Man with No Name) is good, Lee Van Cleef (Angel Eyes Sentenza) is bad, and Eli Wallach (Tuco Benedito Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez) is ugly in the final chapter of Sergio Leone's trilogy of spaghetti westerns (the first two were A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More). In this sweeping film, the characters form treacherous alliances in a ruthless quest for Confederate gold. Leone is sometimes underrated as a director, but the excellent resolution on this digital video disc should enhance appreciation of his considerable photographic talent and gorgeous widescreen compositions. Ennio Morricone's jokey score is justifiably famous.

Not my photos.
Posted for my family set. I thought this should be archived.
1978? Stearman PT-17--- # 33 ---- Art and Sherry Valdez, #70 Keith Nelson, #94

An e-mail from my brother inspired me to create this post for my family set. Click on "all sizes" above any photo to view the original size.
"February 23, 2009
Rebecca. I re-shot and re-copied a lot of these pictures ( sharper images) that you have seen before. This glider that I built in the winter of 1968. is absolutely one of the 1st Hang gliders built in the "modern-era".
I wrote this after you sent me the last Rupel story. Please send it to Dr. Gillum, he might appreciate it? I really liked his B-29 story.

Starlin, you wanted more storys. Should I continue this stuff? I got straih=ght D's in English, I can't write, but does it matter? Rebecca, Steve Starlin likes my stories-- sent this a month ago?


Rebecca, here is another early pilot.
I know some of you have seen these pictures, sorry. but this is the "rest of the story."

Tory, Jim..., do you remember this event? It was the winter of 1969, at the Oxford, Michigan gravel-pit.
I had seen a picture of a "Rogallo wing" in the EAA flying magazine, which inspired me to built 3 scale models with a scale-pilot made out of solder-wire-lead. I could bend the lead-pilot around, to get the craft in " trim". Amazingly the 4 foot scale glider flew quite well.
Next I went to the surplus store on Six Mile, and bought a bunch of 26 ft. long tubing, that [felt-strong] ? With Pop-rivets, 6-mil-?, plastic drop-cloth, double-faced tape, and an "Easy Rider" paint scheme tinted on the see-through plastic..., the first and second versions were built.
Off to the Oxford gravel-pit, north of Detroit---- hardly Kitty Hawk, but the highest hill I knew of------ I was going to fly? (First time failed, not enough "billow") This was pioneer stuff?
Next, after re- surfacing the 1st version, with more ''Billow,"I made many more attempts at "controlled-flight." But, with the lack of control, each flight became more terrifying than the last.
Pete Brock, who became a good friend, always called me, "a pioneer," as in 1969, there were only a few people experimenting with hand-made kites, most, as I now know, were made of Bamboo! Many of these very young, early pioneers were paralyzed or killed. Later in California, flying in my early 70's kites, I knew some of them. It was hard to explain to my wife, how someone you looked up-to, maybe the best pilot you knew---- was paralyzed, or dead. One good friend, Jack Schroeder, the "1st world champion," was paralyzed from waist-down, from his crash into the rocky cliffs at Point Fermin. In the next few years, as we flew "Point Fermin," Jack would occasionally be there, watching from his wheelchair. Next .., Peter Brock lost his 11 year old wonderful son Hall. Hall broke his neck, while attempting a "360 turn" while flying at Telluride. It was devastating. Hall, whom I really liked being around, once told me.., that he could see thermals? I still don't know if this amazing young man, was kidding me? Pete never recovered--- was never the same as long as I was around him. Imagine, Pete went home, and had to tell his wife---that Hall was dead? Shortly after, they were divorced.
"360 degree turns" were a very big deal back then. "If you thought you could do only one "360 turn".., don't do any." "If you thought you could do two turns, only do one!" I hit the hill in a "360" attempt only once--- I was lucky, but it was a real hit!! Wind speed 15, kite speed 15.., down wind into the hill equals 30 mph. Down wind landings? Same thing, you can't run at 30 mph.
Another time most of my Dragonfly was cut and ripped to pieces in a downwind landing? Not knowing the wind had changed 180 degrees at the landing site, and with no possibility of changing direction, landed at about 25-30 mph! This is normally really bad, but this time I landed on a barbwire fence, that was going the same direction, sawing off my left wing, the barbwire, luckily not touching me! Back to the Brock factory where everyone pitched-in, and by mid night I had a new kite. Good friends.
In 1974 I was one of the really old guys, being 35, most pilots being somewhere around 20. This was a new kind of flying, there was much to learn, there were no schools at this time, we---
a small handful of very brave youngsters, were truly pioneering a new way to fly. With a 50 pound pile of tubing, sailcloth, wire and dozen wing-nuts, we were jumping off cliffs! Looking back on it at this time, I wonder at the amazing self confidence we had in ourselves. Bonded by a mutual respect for each other, while waiting for the correct wind, we would stand on the flying si

Emergency supplies are loaded at UNHCR's central emergency stockpile in Dubai ahead of being airlifted to Uzbekistan.
UNHCR / 15 June 2010

GENEVA, June 15 (UNHCR) – An Ilyushin-76 cargo plane, carrying 40 tonnes of UNHCR relief supplies for refugees fleeing violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, is scheduled to take off from Dubai on Wednesday for Andijan in Uzbekistan.

A further five Ilyushin flights are planned as UNHCR's aid operation gets under way. The Uzbek authorities on Monday accepted a UN refugee agency offer to help them deal with urgent needs of the tens of thousands of displaced civilians from across the border. "UNHCR appreciates Uzbekistan's decision to receive and assist these desperate people," spokesman Andrej Mahecic told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.

The first UNHCR-chartered flight will be loaded with 800 lightweight tents to meet the rapidly growing shelter needs of the more than 75,000 refugees whom the government says has arrived in Uzbekistan since last Friday. An estimated 200,000 people have been displaced within the country.

The subsequent five flights will be loaded with blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets and plastic sheeting for emergency shelters. "In total, we plan to deliver some 240 tonnes of humanitarian assistance from our central emergency stockpile in Dubai. Upon arrival in Uzbekistan the supplies will be loaded onto trucks and taken immediately to various sites hosting refugees in close coordination with the government," Mahecic explained.

Part of the UNHCR emergency team is travelling today in advance of these flights. The team includes field officers as well as experts on operations, site planning and logistics. The refugee agency is also preparing a separate airlift and deployment of an emergency team to Kyrgyzstan.

UNHCR is alarmed by the rapid escalation of violence since last Thursday in southern Kyrgyzstan which has left scores of people dead. The situation in the towns of Osh and Jalalabad remains difficult with sporadic fighting and attacks on civilians, including women and children, continuing on Monday.

"We fear that unless peace and order is restored swiftly, more people could be displaced as they flee to the countryside or try to cross the border to Uzbekistan," UNHCR's Mahecic said, adding that the refugee agency, as part of the UN country team in Kyrgyzstan, urged a halt to the violence.

The UN refugee agency is also concerned that the poor security situation in Osh, Jalalabad and other areas is impeding needs assessment missions as well as aid deliveries. UNHCR has been coordinating the humanitarian response within the UN country team and is stepping up humanitarian assistance operations for displaced people. As part of the inter-agency response, UNHCR's operational focus will be on shelter and protection needs of the internally displaced.

"Urgent needs include food, medicine and shelter and we need better security to ensure the safety of humanitarian staff and goods. Some food and health aid is being delivered already, but not enough aid is getting through. There are reports that displaced people near the border may be short of water and that those made homeless by violence may be without shelter," Mahecic said.

Kyrgyzstan has requested substantive international support to address the humanitarian crisis that is evolving in its southern regions.