Good Afternoon Shipwrights. It's Monday, February 18, 2008.
I hope that everyone had a good weekend. This weekend the entire Loup clan was in San Antonio, Texas for the 27th Model Fiesta. There were a lot of beautiful ships on display. A photo report is up coming.

MSW Vendor Profile ~ The Small Shop
Mark R. Smith (Gunny) starts a new feature for MSW, the MSW Vendor Profile. Kicking off this new series, we visit with Julie and Sam Lockwood, of The Small Shop, makers of fine, precision, photo-etch tooling products...
The Small Shop

Navy Tech ~ Virginia Class Attack Sub
Mark R. Smith (Gunny) is here with our next installment of "MSW Naval Technology", we look closer at the USN's, NSSN Virginia Class Attack Submarine.
Virginia Class Attack Sub

Review ~ Revell Models 1/72 Scale Gato
Frank (wildspear) gives us his thoughts and opinions of Revell Models 1/72 scale Gato Class Submarine, in this MSW inbox review.
Gato Review

MSW Naval Trivia Contest
Bruce Miller’s (grayghost666) MSW Naval Trivia Contest is still going strong. Rules are simple, be the first to answer the question and you get to ask the next one. Please surf on over and join the fun!
MSW Naval Trivia Contest.

"Navy Word of the Day”
In case you haven’t seen this, Jim Adams (goldenpony) has been sharing Navy lingo with his “Word of the Day” thread. This is a great and more times than not humorous look at the language of the US Navy.
"Navy Word of the Day”

Sports
NASCAR
For those of you not familiar with NASCAR, their premier event starts off the season as opposed to wrapping up the season. The event is the Daytona 500. In an exciting finish, Ryan Newman captures his first Great American Race win.
Results
1. Ryan Newman
2. Kurt Busch
3. Tony Stewart
4. Kyle Busch
5. Reed Sorenson
6. Elliott Sadler
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Robby Gordon
9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
10. Greg Biffle


Crewmate Sound Off
Now is the time in which you can share your news and views. Give us the poop on you latest builds and future projects. Share with us your weekend adventures. We all what to know what you did this weekend. So, sound off mates!

That's all for now from the news desk. Remember, if you can't get to your bench and build, at least you can talk about it.

Gator

Thanks to a new revised work schedule, I am now working 6 - 7 hour shifts....from 10PM until 5AM. I get to check all the locked gates along the perimeter. Needlless to say in what we call cold down here (windchill around 30 or so) I am a bit lethargic during the day. My day off is spent taking care of business and watching a bit of NASCAR. So bench tme is about an hour total a week. I am closing in on completing my little destroyer. PLan to lay 4 or 5 more brass pieces, do the underside then a touch up or two and a blast of dullcoat. I am close, but I am just so tired of beng cold all the time. It is suppossed to warm up later this week and I do have an interview with another company that would give me an increase in pay and most importantly 2 days in a row off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent my weekend doing research on battlewagons. Then I spent about 10 minutes looking at my Panzer I and then another 10 minutes looking at my D182 build. I set them down, looked at my new Etch Mate, put it down and never picked it back up.

Watched about ¾ of the race then missed the end. Glad to see Ryan win a big race.

Watched “They Were Expendable” again.

Took my wife shopping and did some work around our house.

Hi Guys,

Progress is in the thread. Had a good weeekend, very relaxed, nice walk in the park on Sunday and ate lots of great food.

Cheers

Al