Tuesday, September 30, 2003
National Ammo Day is coming! Go read about it here. This will be the second year of this effort by Kim and Mrs. DuToit to show in a simple way how much we as American appreciate our right to own firearms. The celebration will be a week long this year to give everyone that wants to a chance to participate. So bank away a few bucks and get ready! I should have my Kel-Tec paid for by then so I'll be buying two types of ammo this year!
Nate 1:56 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Its just not fair!
The difference between the big dogs and the barely-leaving-a-shadow-in-the-blogosphere types like this humble writer is never quite so obvious as this link. Just yesterday Kim begged for some funds to add another gun to his already bulging safe. And some kind reader came along and dropped enough cash on his doorstep to get the Winchester he was lusting for.
On the other hand, my puny blog and its simple request for funds to finish paying off my one and only concealed carry gun goes completely unheeded. Hmph!
I gotta find my niche here in the blogosphere and make this thing more interesting to people with money in their pockets! Generous people actually, with some cash to spare...
Yeah. Right. That will happen.
Nate 10:17 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Liquor law bites the hand that wrote it from the The Salt Lake Tribune
Legislators planning a national conference of state lawmakers from around the nation next year in Salt Lake City want to buck the reputation that it's impossible to get a drink in Utah.
But Monday, in contemplating the details of welcoming attendees with free wine and beer at social events, lawmakers discovered just how restrictive and confusing the very liquor laws they penned can be.
The head scratching began when Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, asked about serving mixed drinks at the 2004 annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Trouble is, the opening social will be held at the Utah Capitol, noted legislative attorneys who aren't sure whether wine, beer or hard liquor are allowed in state-owned buildings.
"We need to research that," said General Counsel John Fellows.
Surprisingly, no one on the bipartisan committee suggested going alcohol-free, though according to Rep. Ty McCartney, it took some teetotaling legislators time to warm to the idea of sponsoring the consumption of alcohol. Most state legislators are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which requires its members to abstain from alcohol consumption.
Tempers especially flared when behind-closed-doors, committee members contemplated shuttling tipsy attendees from the opening social at the Capitol to a planned performance of the Mormon Tabernacle choir, McCartney said. "They were concerned about having drunk people in the conference center or on the Temple grounds."
In time, everyone agreed "people drink at these functions," said McCartney, whose sole concern now is holding a world-class conference that will make visitors want to return to Utah.
"I hope we can pull off even a small magnitude of Olympic spirit," he said. "It will probably come down to how much money we can raise."
kstewart@sltrib.com
Isn't that always the case? It all comes down to how much money can be raised...
Realistically, getting a drink here in Utah is not impossible, in most places. The laws have been loosened up so that all the chain restaurants serve drinks with meals and most all the fancy places have decent wine lists (so I'm told). Nightclubs are easy to score a one-night membership if that suits you.
Its not all so easy though. North Ogden, the next town up from my city had to pass a special ordinance to allow a Wingers restaurant into their city limits. Wingers won't open a place unless they can sell beer, North Ogden wanted Winger's business. But the laws had to be fixed to allow beer sales with food and the city council and harried citizens had strong feelings both for and against the rules. Eventually, the tax dollars incentive won out and the Wingers is open and selling chicken parts and beer. To out-of-towners I suppose.
Nate 7:44 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, September 28, 2003
One more thing. I almost forgot to mention that I bought one of these. Its a Kel-Tec P3AT. Here is the Kel-Tec web page that will tell you more about this little pocket pistol. Its .380 caliber, weighs 9 ounces fully loaded and the picture you see is full sized... It is a very light, very small backup or concealed carry gun and from everything I have found to read this weekend, an effective and useful tool. I even found through A Human Right, first hand reporting of ownership results of the P3AT's predecessor the P32. The P32 is almost identical to the bigger bored brother so I think all the comments will apply.
So its on layaway right now and waiting for me to finish paying the remainder. It might take me a couple more paydays to have it free and clear but you folks that are concerned for my family's safety could help- by hitting my tip jar! So give if you can, my family will thank you!
Nate 7:51 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Homemade mortars!
I want to go play with this guy! What fun! Thanks to Kim for putting up the link where I could find it!
Nate 7:35 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Jensens still resist chemo for sonThe Salt Lake Tribune -- By Matt Canham
The family of Parker Jensen announced Saturday that they are not ready to follow the chemotherapy regimen recommended by their doctor and once again demanded the right to seek alternative cancer treatments.
"We are currently reviewing the latest findings and considering what treatment options we need to undertake," the family wrote in a statement released Saturday. "We ask for the right and the time to make these treatment decisions on our own, without the fear of immediate arrest or Parker's forced removal from our family."
The Sandy family's comments came in response to a four-page document issued Friday from the state Office of the Guardian ad Litem. That report stated that Boise, Idaho-based physician Martin Johnston believes Parker needs 11 months of chemotherapy to battle Ewing's sarcoma.
Still, the parents assert that no subsequent tests have shown any tumors in Parker's body.
(Of course they ignored the MRI results that shows abnormalities in Parker's mouth...)
...Those talks ended in a legal agreement giving the Jensens custody of Parker as long as they follow the medical recommendations of a pediatric-oncologist of their choosing.
The Jensens selected Johnston on the recommendation of a friend. He brought up chemotherapy as the most likely treatment before examining Parker, which upset the family from the beginning, Daren Jensen has said.
On Friday, Johnston told the state he would no longer be Parker's physician, and Daren and Barbara Jensen, Parker's parents, have refused to give Johnston permission to treat their son.
This story continues to make the evening news and it is so apparent that these parents are making a martyr of their little boy. These dumbasses are obnoxious, self-righteous and arrogant and they probably won't get knocked down a peg or two until Parker dies in a year or two. Their "made for tv" kids playing football in the yard scenes are so staged as to be ridiculous and its all being done to show how normal and healthy Parker is.
Friday night they essentially thumbed their noses at the state even though they chose not to make reference to the latest MRI that shows the boy has new growths in his mouth. They agreed to abide by the Doc's diagnosis, then they have backed out of that agreement because they didn't like the answer they received! They keep claiming to never getting their day in court to explain their side of the story but on 3 occasions they have ignored the hearings and didn't bother to attend!
You can't hardly blame the Doc for backing out of this situation, he gave them his diagnosis after a new battery of tests and the family spit in his face and picked and chose the test results they liked.
Unfortunately, the DCFS boss has backed that department into a corner by stating that he would not take Parker out of the family. He's tied some hands and limited some avenues now, and that's too bad. Because this is NOT just a parental rights issue. A little boy's life is on the line and he is a trapped as a pawn in this fight and its all his parent's fault.
I feel sad for Parker. I hope his parent's get their dumbasses thrown in jail.
Nate 7:28 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Hello! Hello? Is this thing on? Can anybody hear me?
Finally. I'm back. My brain was too tired and work too involved for me to be involved in blogging until this morning, and then blasted Blog Studio was busted and I couldn't fill you up with the wonderment I've seen over the past couple days. And my internet connection here at the house has been on the fritz for a number of days. There is something wrong with the Comcast cable, my connection keeps dropping off, repeatedly, and I have to either unplug the network adapter or the modem to get the signal back. Its been happening numerous times per hour and really getting on my nerves. So the Comcast guy is supposed to be out here Tuesday afternoon to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
Anyway, it has been a spectacular weekend here! The weather is crisp and the mountains are glorious in their autumn colors. BSU and I just returned from our annual fall color driving tour, as well as every other person with a drivers license in the state... There were many groups of motorcyclists, groups of hots rods, convertibles with the tops down, families in minivans, all reveling in a day that begged everyone to be outside and enjoying the scenery and weather that makes Utah special.
Yesterday I drug buddy Brian out of his house for a hiking trip up James Peak. The peak is part of the Powder Mountain Ski Resort but access is only by helicopter and so, I had never been there before. But yesterday was another glorious day and perfect for hiking. We started from the main parking lot and walked up the dirt road to the top of Sundowner Lift then turned right and followed the track up Lightening Ridge. From there we could cut across a saddle and up the face of James Peak. Not very far in miles, really but steep and rocky and a puny trail that went straight up the mountain.
Anyway, we made it to the top. Here's proof. The view from the top was breathtaking, but that might just have ben the altitude and poor physical conditioning... The marker did not have the elevation inscribed but according to this map its 9,422 feet above sea level! (Its a big picture so it takes a moment to download... James Peak is on the far right of the picture.)
Once on the top we found the tribute to Amy and a pvc pipe with a log book. Amy, we discovered was a Powder Mountain Ski Patroller who was killed by a falling tree in Ogden in 1997. Someone that loves her keeps this tribute varnished and painted and tidy and visits here 3 or 4 times each year. Also from the log book we discovered that James Peak is a very popular destination for folks, lots of them had left their words and thoughts in the logbook. Brian took a few minutes to write as well, I just staked my small claim to reaching the top with a few comments. And I took some pictures! This one is looking south to Pineview reservoir and the village of Eden, and this is Wolf Creek canyon. Both of those pictures are to the south, this one was taken facing north towards the little town of Mantua. The line of haze in the picture is smoke from the wildfire burning in American Fork, 6000 acres over 70 miles away! Other than the haze the view was absolutely spectacular and worth the effort to get to the top.
Just to prove that I did, in fact make the climb myself, here's a picture of me next to the Amy tribute.
Nate 6:32 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, September 25, 2003
Hemorrhoid TV Ads Axed During Meal Times from Yahoo! News
"Television and radio broadcasters' advertisements should respect the customs of the masses...and are not allowed to air commercials likely to disgust audiences, for example medicines for hemorrhoids and athlete's foot, sanitary napkins and other hygiene products," the Beijing Times said.
Good for the Chinese! This is such a huge step towards real civilization. I wish we could do the same thing here in America. Maybe these obnoxious commercials could be just stuck on their own network and cable channel, like channel 997 or something...
Nate 10:28 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Bare Bottoms Yank Magazine From BYU Paper from Yahoo news
PROVO, Utah - This week's insert of Sports Illustrated on Campus has been left out of the Brigham Young University student newspaper because it contained pictures of bare-bottomed runners.
BYU was among more than 70 college campuses selected by Sports Illustrated as test markets this fall for a new magazine aimed at college students.
When it contacted BYU, officials of the school owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made it clear there would be no beer, no tobacco and no "racy presentations," said Jim Kelly, general manager of NewsNet, the school's combined student newspaper, Web and television news organization.
Magazine representatives agreed and The Daily Universe began inserting the 28-page magazine into the 18,500 papers it distributes across campus each Thursday.
It ran the first week, but Universe staffers pulled the magazine last week because of a swimsuit ad and pulled it again this week after being told it would include an article about college students playing sports naked. The story was accompanied by a photograph of nine bared male and female rear ends.
NewsNet informed Sports Illustrated on Monday that it would not be inserting the magazine and copies of it were not sent to the university.
...The contract between the magazine and the school allows Sports Illustrated to terminate the deal if NewsNet drops three inserts during the year.
"We may have to cancel the thing if this is going to continue on a regular basis," said David Randall, managing editor of NewsNet. "If students can't count on the magazine every Thursday, we're really losing some of the benefit of having it."
Imagine! College student's precious, sacred minds being subjected to nasty photos of bare behinds! The horror! And swimsuit advertisements! Is there no level to which advertisers won't stoop to despoil the sanctity of the children?? The college children? Why, look at this picture, its disgusting how these girls are showing off their legs! Have they no shame? They probably can't get their picture in the school paper...
As a member of the Proboscis editorial staff, I suggest that Sports Illustrated might be better served by putting their special edition in the Weevil State school paper!
Nate 10:28 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Gordon Jump of 'WKRP', Maytag ads dies - Sep. 23, 2003 from CNN.com
Gordon Jump, who played a befuddled radio station manager on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" and made his mark in commercials as the lonely Maytag repairman, died Monday. He was 71
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Rest in peace, Mr. Carleson.
Nate 5:47 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, September 22, 2003
Apologies to all for the lack of blogging today. Another very busy day filled with the administrivia of hosting a 2 meeting for 75 people. Tonight there is several cases of soda, donuts, cookies and juice locked under the tonneau cover of my truck, waiting to be unloaded in the morning. Lots of other last minute changes to briefings and seating arrangements and seating cards to print and all the while trying to keep my bud Matt from screwing himself into the ceiling with his nervous energy.
So the hard part's done. Now its just staying awake in a semi-dark room and being alert enough to keep the coffee pot full and being chumy with all the guests. So no blogging at all during the day tomorrow unless I get a minute at lunch. But don't bet on it!
On a creepy note; this from my referral files. Somebody searched Google for "stepdaughter training naked step" and found their way to Wasted Electrons, even though it was the 90th listing for that search string! YUCK!
Look here Mr Perv, whoever you are, you need to stay the heck away from yours or anybody elses stepdaughters. You don't need to train aybody and you don't need to be trying to train them naked!
Nate 6:21 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, September 21, 2003
All the old comments are gone- both of them! I've jumped onboard the Haloscan comments train and so the few comments that were on my page have been lost. I was trying out the Blog Studio "Pro" version which enabled comments and a couple other features that I never could get to work properly. So I'm back to the freebie version and making the switch to the much better Haloscan comments feature.
So I hope the changes work well for you too.
Nate 11:49 AM - [Link] Say something...
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So there it is, another new link to a blog that's become a daily read for me; A little Aardvark Never Hurt Anybody. With a name like that its crying out for a button instead of a text link so I may have to see about making one for Little A.
And he and I are going to get together for brisquet brisket and beer next time I get to travel to his neck of the woods!
Nate 11:30 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Roaming rodent gets first-class return to Utah By Nancy Isles Nation, Marin Independent Journal reporter
An adventurous adult male chipmunk is being flown from Marin to Utah in a private plane today to rejoin rodents he left behind after he took a road trip to Terra Linda.
Its a a rodent for crying out loud! One of thousands! Not rare, not endangered, just a dang common chipmunk!
The chipmunk, known by staff at WildCare in San Rafael as "chipmunk 1344 from Utah," apparently didn't know he was hitching a ride when he hopped into Dixie Goldsby's Honda Insight while she camped in southeastern Utah a little more than a week ago.
Hitched in a Honda Insight ... that's a bad sign right away...
Goldsby didn't discover the stowaway until she returned home, and once she was able to catch him she wanted to do the best she could for the creature.
... Today, (Wednesday) the chipmunk is being flown from Gnoss Field in Novato more than 700 miles to the campsite where Goldsby picked him up. Marin pilot Ray Romano offered the use of his time and his Mooney aircraft and WildCare board member Jan Wild, who has experience in wildlife releases, will go along.
Goldsby also will join the entourage. The chipmunk - numbered but not given a name, per WildCare policy - will "have a story to tell," Goldsby joked.
Might as well make a party out of this hapless rodent's rescue!
"Most people would say if this was anywhere but Marin, people would just shoot him," she said.
Hardly worth a bullet for 1 chipmunk...
Unfortunately, that is too true and not quite true either. There are nutcases everywhere, even here in Utah. My next door neighbor who is a wildlife officer had to miss the last Raptors ball game to collect an injured pheasant some dingbat woman wanted to save.
The trip will require more than $300 for gas, along with food and overnight lodging for the humans. WildCare is hoping animal lovers will donate money to help pay for the mission...
Some could interpret the chipmunk's return to Utah as an extreme measure. But Karen Wilson, WildCare executive director, said it's better than the alternative, which would be to euthanize the animal.
"We are trying to make the point of how each animal that comes through our center, we do our best for," Wilson said. "Every animal is important and we try to do everything we can for them."
Aww, ain't that sweet... Could we move a family of badgers into this moonbat's basement? Please?
Goldsby, 53, said the saga began when she was nearing the end of a mountain biking trip and camped out at Canyonlands National Park for the night. She noticed that a couple of chipmunks at her campsite seemed aggressive in seeking out her organic snacks, and she saw one scamper out of her car when she left a door open.
On the trip back to Marin, Goldsby began to suspect that something came along for the ride after spending a night in Nevada and noticing a chocolate bar she had left in the car had been nibbled.
When she finally returned to her Terra Linda home, too tired to unpack the car, she discovered the next morning that a low-carb protein bar had been partially eaten.
Goldsby had a sense all along that the animal needed to be returned to its home. She called mountain bike stores to see if workers knew anyone who would be traveling to the area. Some poked fun at her and asked if she was into crystals.
No, she's not into crystals, she's just stupid!
"If we couldn't get him back he'd be euthanized, so I did have an investment in getting him back," said Goldsby, a clinical lab scientist.
The chipmunk could not be released in Marin legally or ethically because he is not native and because ecosystem balance is important, Piazza said.
Ya know, people that would expend this much effort on 1 rodent, really need to get a real life! It makes me crazy when I read stuff like this about supposedly educated, functioning people that have so little drama in their own lives that they feel the need to rescue 1 single, stupid chipmunk!
Go help build a Habitat for Humanity home, spend a few hours helping in your neighborhood soup kitchen, take a sack of groceries to someone you know that could use them. But kill the dang squirrel and get on with your lives!
Nate 9:37 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, September 19, 2003
I'm adding some new folks to my blogroll and also a link to the Proboscis, which is the new group blog for the Axis of Weevil. It may take me until tomorrow to get everything all hooked so be patient. And stop by often.
Nate 8:31 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Well this is exciting. Not only did I get enrolled in a prestigious university to earn my B.S. degree today but I've also been invited to be on the editorial staff of the school's official campus newspaper!
Of course the BS degree is BS and I'm majoring in Logistics and Ballistics! You've got to read the comments connected to the post to squeeze all the fun from one of Terry's very funny posts.
You also need to go to Billy Joe Bob's BBQ Emporium to read his thoughts about a group blog for the Axis of Weevil, of which he and I are privileged members. Not one hour before reading this post from BJB I had the exact same idea! I had not mentioned it to anyone, barely myself, but somehow we had the same idea almost at the same time hundreds of miles apart.
And that is how we got to the Weevil State University campus newspaper, the Proboscis! Today. This afternoon really. What fun!
Nate 8:08 PM - [Link] Say something...
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An excellent idea! from The Geek With A .45.
I like it!
The large numbers of people who are unwilling or unable to attend to their own defense not only contribute to the problem of crime, but necessitate expenditures of public funds to take up their slack, in the form of more and more police protection, the magnitude of which wouldn't be necessary if they took the propper steps to discourage their own victimization.
Nate 12:51 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Much more administrivia today in preparation for next week's meetings so blogging might be sporadic to non-existent until much later. We have a new Colonel in the front office and he is apparently a micro-manager from hell in regards to charts.
Every briefing being presented to anyone must now pass a 3 layer scrutiny before being deemed acceptable to the Colonel. And he has kicked back 3 sets of PowerPoint charts this morning for the most simple of errors. A closing paren on one line, one word not capitalized, one line of text one size too small, all were unacceptable to the boss! And each required Matt & I to make the changes and then reprint 25 copies of each of the pages that we have already printed!
Now I'm a littler smarter than the average bear when it comes to making charts and a grammar grinch of first order but I could have overlooked such minor errors if only for the sake of not killing more trees due to the reprinting. Anyway, we have fallen behind schedule badly due to the mandated reprinting of a number of the briefings. I've also been tasked to create a Customer Comment form today. Then there's more hole punching, collating, label making and other foolishness that either musst be done today or over the weekend...
But I did get the second pair of tires for my truck last night so it is freshly shod all 'round. Happy-Happy Joy-Joy!
Also, the new, experimental meds that BSU was recently prescribed WERE covered by insurance even though she was told that they would not be covered. Whoohoo! We were told that the meds would be $145 per month, instead it was the typical $9 copay! Major bonus! Now if they will just have the effect they are designed for life for her (and me) could be much better. Cross your fingers! Not to be too embarrassing here but BSU has been living on Immodium for an extended period of time and it does NOT work for her. This new med is supposed to be much better, IF it doesn't kill her... This stuff comes with major warnings and signed consent forms and all kinds of liability limiting exclusions. As long as it works...
Nate 10:32 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, September 18, 2003
Leaving shortly for the mandatory staff meeting and picnic in the park. What a drag! I'm trying to proofread my template text to figure out the errors and I have to stop doing that to go hang out with a bunch of folks I either barely know or don't like. Humph!
And a note to one of my visitors, Little a; Next time I get to Ft Worth, its lunch at the Railhead and beers after work down at the Flying Saucer! Unless you've got other choices that are better.
Nate 11:12 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Missionary Position from Meryl Yourish
Its not what you think but it is still a subject close to my heart.
Well said Meryl!
Nate 10:01 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Two days in a row now that BlogStudio has been tweaked. Its eaten two first of the morning posts. Grr! Maybe this one will get through.
I did build and add a button for my guest map over there on the left. Please use it liberally. I had one comment that suggested that maybe the blanks to fill in for the map were really PayPal donation instructions- which is a really great idea but that function is currently disabled.
Of course my template is dorked up and I haven't found the boo-boo that is causing some of the items to be centered and the rest off to the left. I will try to fix that presently, I promise.
My buddy Todd in Ohio is having surgery today, being turned into a sporting model- no more progeny less he picks one out from the shelter. I offered him the same medical prescription that I received years ago when I upgraded my world-wide readiness capability which was; "Don't pick up anything heavier than a 12 pack, stay on the couch all weekend. Put a cold one where it hurts and when it warms up drink it. Have your beloved bring you another cold one." It worked for me and it was the best medical prescription I ever received.
So Todd, I hope you're feeling better real soon!
XSU resides with her family in Maryland and so is looking into to receive a big portion of Isabele's fury. I'm certain that they are well prepared and securely battened down so they should be safe. I just hope nobody gets washed away back there.
There's also an Axis of Isabele going on right now for up to the minute blogging news of the storm. (Or at least until the laptop batteries and the internet connections die.)
Nate 9:48 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Something new and cool on Wasted Electrons! Its a guest map and there is a link over there on the left. No button right now till I make one, but the link is there just above the PayPal button. Check it out and fill it up! I like it and I found it thanks to Karen who is not only a Utah blogger but an Ogden blogger!
Nate 12:50 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Dangitall! Blogstudio just ate my homework! No, wait. It ate my last post in which I explained that I'll be busy today playing administrative assistant and spending most of the day trying to kill two printers and a copier. There's a Program Management Review next week, for which I have a tremendous amount of boring preparation to accomplish.
So today will be a day of copying, stapling, hole punching, collating and other menial tasks related to preparing handouts for next weeks meeting. Unfortunately a large number of our guests/customers/warfighters/and financiers are all stationed at Langley AFB in Virginia. And they have been sent home to batten down the hatches and head for higher ground. So their briefings are not here for me to copy and their attendance at all is in serious doubt thanks to Isabelle.
So I've got to get back to standing in front of the copier for now. And it is in the hallway, just inside the front door. Its just 41 degrees today so standing there is NOT optimal. Maybe I can get back here later.
Nate 9:45 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Tire size calculator Here's a very cool tool. It allows you to input different tire sizes and see the overall size change and speedometer error that your desired tires will have on your vehicle.
Interesting what people will design and put on the web, isn't it?
Nate 10:18 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Don't bogart that joint, dude! Lots of people commenting today about Canada's efforts to sell dope for medical purposes but the best one I've read so far is from one of my new favorite blogs, Snooze Button Dreams. Check out his take on growing dope in mine tunnels!
Nate 9:36 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Couple refuse to leave condemned home from the Salt Lake Tribune
By Michael N. Westley
As Salt Lake County officials threatened Monday to demolish the Magna home of 76-year-old Robert M. Starkweather for zoning violations, the man and his 78-year-old wife refused to leave the condemned structure. Sheriff's deputies eventually may be called to escort the couple away so heavy machinery can knock down the barn-shaped building at 2185 S. 7400 West.
But authorities insist there is no rush to evict the elderly couple.
Instead, they will concentrate on the mountains of junk that rise and fall for nearly 100 yards between the road and the building they call home.
The yard is littered with fallen trees, pallets, hunks of concrete, junk cars and old trailers. At one point, the Starkweathers had up to 300 goats and 13 dogs on the property, said Del Swensen, Associate Director of Planning and Development Services for Salt Lake County
County officials say they have tried for the past year to persuade Starkweather to correct zoning violations at his home and the 4 acres surrounding it.
Starkweather built the home in 1995 without proper permits, officials say. Exposed plywood on the outside of the home is deteriorating, and Starkweather began piping waste into a nearby ditch when his septic tank stopped functioning. Last month, the county obtained a court order allowing it to demolish the home and bring other parts of the property into compliance.
But Starkweather claims the property belongs to God. In 1993, Starkweather filed a quit-claim deed transferring the property to "Elohim, Jehovah, Michael." A tall hand-painted sign leaning against a tree at the head of the driveway proclaims in green paint that the property belongs to them.
"The county recorder's office rejected that and so the property rightfully belongs to Starkweather," said Swensen.
...In April 2003, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office filed a complaint in 3rd District Court alleging Starkweather's home was "a dangerous building." Judge J. Dennis Frederick issued a default judgment and order on Aug. 11.
"I gave the land to God so the city can't touch me... but I'm willing to dump my raw sewage on God's land and pile up 150 truckloads of refuse in his honor..." [/sarcasm]
More misguided religious zealots loose behind the Zion Curtain making headlines. And I suspect these folks are not members of the "prevailing faith" here in Utah, that's the surprising bit!
Nate 7:14 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, September 15, 2003
Apologies to all, (ok, both of you) that have stopped by looking for exciting news from behind the Zion Curtain. Its been a busy weekend, though no doubt Possum Dad will have me beaten hands down in the busy category, but its been busy for me. And work has kept me entertained this AM and will continue to gather my attention for the forseeable future. Which is goo because it spells continued employment...
But, a bit of this and a bit of that. Friday I located at Smith & Edwards the "just right" gate latch that I needed for my overhauled fence gate. Todd chastised me a few weeks back when he was here about the sagging, lift & kick & wiggle the latch gate that I had tolerated for the 4 years that we've been in our house. So I dug out the old hinge side post that was rotted through, replaced it with a new one, built a new frame for the gate itself, reused the fence boards, added a spring closer and located a new, automatic latch. My gate now swings easily, closes by itself to keep the dogs in and latches securely hands-free.
All that in one paragraph, makes it sound pretty easy but there was several hours of struggling and grunting involved, especially since the post that needed replacing was buried 2+ feet deep in a concrete hole. There wasn't just a clump of concrete buried under a few inches of dirt, it was a 4" square hole in the concrete... Grr! Lots of drilling with a long spade bit and digging with a pry bar to get a hole deep enough and clean enough to install the new post. But boy, did it go in nice and tight!
What else? A movie on Friday night! Once Upon a Time in Mexico, opening night of the new release! That does not happen for me too often but it did last weekend. Going to the afternoon matinee makes it possible, otherwise I don't venture out to the movies on Fridays. Anyway. Inspite of Johnny "I'm a dipstick" Depp's participation in the movie I still enjoyed it. It is weird and the story is disjointed but there is lots of dusty mexican streets, gunfights and Salma Hayek, so well worth the money if you're into that kind of stuff.
And leave your kids at home 'cause there's bad language, violence and some scary scenes that kids shouldn't be subjected to. Be smarter than the folks that brought their kids to the movies, sat behind us and wanted to talk out loud. They did pipe down after I asked them to and if there is any justice, their kids kept them up with nightmares later.
What else? Oh yeah, as mentioned before we will be in our house 4 years later this week. Sadly, one of the big features we really liked when we bought the house, the hot tub, is dead and I spent part of the weekend cutting it up to remove it. The tub had been installed back in 1991 and out of service for a year. The molded part of the tub had actually developed numerous cracks and delaminations so just applying bondo to the cracks wouldn't have fixed the problems. Plus there was a busted fitting that was obsolete and needed some kind of jury-rigging to get back into service. So we decided just to get rid of it and replace it another day- after lots of bills get paid off!
Son Noah is tasked to finish up the job of cutting everything up into manageable sized chunks this week. I think we can get it all into a couple trash cans and maybe avoid a trip to the landfill later on.
I did get to buy a reciprocating saw from Harbor Freight to aid in the cutting up effort and it works very well. Its a tool I've needed to add to my arsenal for a while, I've just always managed to work around the need. But now I have one and I can tell already that it will be a favorite.
Son Noah and I also made a trip to Salt Lake to look at a FiberFab Avenger that was for sale on EBAy. That turned out to be a fun trip and we got a number of fresh ideas to apply to our car when we get back to work on it. I also made a trip out to buddy Jim's shooting range for a little while Sunday to shoot my guns and I had a chance to look at the two choices I have in mind for my next gun purchase.
Lastly, (for now) I stayed up too late last night to watch Living With Tigers on the Discovery channel last night. I do like tigers and this was a fascinating story worth staying up past my bedtime. And Brian my blogson is alive and well and working lots of overtime and so is ignoring Mental Revolutions right now. He promises to get back on track real soon.
Nate 2:07 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Playboy comes knocking at Wal-Mart from CNN.com
Now this is really kind of scary...
Playboy.com announced Monday it is searching for the sexiest women at Wal-Mart Stores, the world's biggest retailer.
"Wal-Mart employees have a reputation for being cheerful and now Playboy.com is giving them a chance to smile for the camera," Playboy said in a press release. "Playboy.com wants Wal-Mart's sexiest assets to roll back their clothes and pose nude."
Playboy ran a similar-themed 'Women of Enron' last year and 'Women of Starbucks' photospreads in the magazine earlier this year. The Wal-Mart theme is the first for Playboy.com.
I would suggest that new employment be arranged before any employees start taking it off for Playboy, not the Wal-Mart would be heavy handed about their employees and corporate image or anything...
And I can't think of any Wal-Mart employees at my local store that I want to see with their clothes off...
Nate 1:29 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, September 12, 2003
I don't think Kim would call this a righteous goblin shooting since it was accomplished by a police officer as opposed to an unbadged citizen but fortunately for all of us another bad guy has been removed from the streets and the gene pool. Thanks Lt. Day and I hope you are healed up soon!
Thanks to Kevin for reporting it first.
Nate 9:32 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Busy today but not at work. This is one of those "work 9 days and get the 10th day free" days. So that means bill paying, another trip to the DMV, a trip to Smith & Edwards in search of the just-right latch for my gate and maybe lunch with the BSU someplace. And I would really like to make it to the gun range but that pleasure might have to be delayed until tomorrow.
So browse around, there's lots more blogs out there for you to read besides this one! (But come on back later because you just never know when something good will be posted.)
Nate 9:20 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, September 11, 2003
I have already written about my whereabouts 2 years ago. So go read Francescas's In Memorium. It is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.
Nate 3:18 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Never Forgive-Never Forget...
From Little Green Footballs, a audio file that you might want need to hear. Today.
And be sure afterwards, when you have removed the tears from your cheeks to read the comments and click the link Watch the Video in comment #4.
Nate 1:15 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Searching for a Kalishna Kitty T-shirt! Please assist!
Folks, a couple weeks ago I stumbled across a web page with a t-shirt for sale. It had the cutesy Hello Kitty character holding an AK-47 in one little paw and a logo that said "Kalishna Kitty."
But, of course, I failed to link to it or save the page anyplace that I could find it again and now I want to buy one of these t-shirts. Not for me, for son's girlfriend Lilly! Seems she is a Hello Kitty fan. And I want to get her a t-shirt as a Christmas gift.
I already asked Rachel Lucas if she was aware of this subversive shirt and the answer was negative. But she wants one if I find it... I've Googled until I ran out of spellings to try and just can't find the page I'm seeking.
But I know its out there, somewhere, in the world wide web, waiting to be rediscovered. So if you happen upon it during your jaunts through the internet will you send me an email with the link? Please?
Nate 12:44 PM - [Link] Say something...
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September 11, 2001
Standing in the Delta Airlines check-in line waiting to go to a business meeting. Every check-in clerk behind the counter, with a phone in their hand and held to their ear, listening- not talking. Every single one of them.
When they put down their handsets a supervisor appeared and announced that the president had grounded every flight in America- right then and indefinitely. We would not be traveling that day.
Nate 7:42 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, September 10, 2003
It was 52 degrees this morning when I left for work and its only up to 55 right now. It was 90 degrees over the weekend! I think this cold snap will be sending my hummingbirds south to Mexico for the winter. I'll bet my feeder goes undisturbed as of yesterday.
But I'll leave it up a few more days in case some late-leaving stragglers stop by on their way south.
Nate 11:25 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Barking moonbats loose in Zion! No doubt he's a regular Indymedia contributor too! I found this in the City Weekly and it was too crazy not to share. You do have to scroll down about 2/3 of the way to get to this particular letter.
..."After citing some more examples of the phenomenon, I concluded by pointing out that liberals always run government better than conservatives.
Now we have another demonstration that liberal government is the best government,the great blackout of 2003. First, conservatives caused it by deregulating electricity and allowing the utilities to cut corners to fatten their profits. Second, New York was the city that best coped with the problem. New York is way liberal compared to Salt Lake City, and has the highest taxes of any city in the nation. According to Utah's Republican propagandists, big tax, liberal New York City should have fizzled. Instead, it triumphed.
Third, the problem started in Ohio, the most conservative of the states involved.
Once again, conservatives did serious damage to the nation while liberals pulled their fat out of the fire. Liberals always run government better than conservatives."
Keith Baker, Heber City
Emphasis is mine- Nate
Hmm, so the blackout was caused by conservatives huh? Sounds like the actons of that vast Right-Wing Conspiracy! Let's turn the control over to the liberals!
Yikes!
Nate 7:22 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, September 09, 2003
This goes on my Christmas wish list! And this one too!
Nate 1:27 PM - [Link] Say something...
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For you folks with troublesome squirrels, I think you should try this treatment!
Heh heh heh!
Nate 12:06 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Slip 'N Slide makers sue 'Dickie Roberts' from CNN.com
-- The makers of the Slip 'N Slide filed a lawsuit Monday over a scene in the hit movie "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" that shows actor David Spade skidding to a painful halt on the summertime water toy.
The lawsuit, filed against Paramount Pictures and Happy Madison Productions, charges the filmmakers violated its trademark by using the product without permission.
Wham-O also claims the scene violates the product's safety guidelines, which limit the use of Slip 'N Slide to children between the ages of 5 and 12 weighing less than 110 pounds and under 5 feet tall.
Couldn't somebody just sue David Spade for his continued appearances in movies and television pretending to be funny? The guy creeps me out. And maybe send this movie to the video stores- this week?
Nate 9:37 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Strip clubs recruit student bodies from CNN.com
Now here's a tuition assistance program I could support!
Nate 7:47 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Well, the Raptor's season is over and Provo goes on to the championship games on Wednesday. Last night's game didn't go well at all for the Raptor's. They had an entirely new infield roster with one guy joining the team that day to replace Chin-lung Hu, another player pulled a hamstring and had to be replaced and Ogden's starting pitcher just couldn't get his pitches across the corners called strikes. The Raptor's bats never did warm up and so their season ended last night.
Thanks Raptors, I'll be looking for you in the spring!
Nate 7:05 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, September 08, 2003
Conversations sometimes get a little weird at my house, especially with two teenagers around. This past weekend they spent a couple hours watching television, totally enthralled with old reruns of Bob Ross painting "happy trees".
Somehow the conversation meandered around past what kinds of medications was he taking to be like he was to "Who would win a cage match between Bob and Fred Rogers?"
We decided maybe, (if both gentlemen weren't already expired) that we would pay to see that match on Pay-per-View!
Nate 10:43 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Make-a-Wish Foundation Apologizes for Lewd Madonna/Britney Kiss
Um, yeah. So they should...
Nate 9:56 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Provo Angels fill up on Ogden pitching from the Salt Lake Tribune, By Martin Renzhofer
This was ugly yesterday afternoon folks!
Ogden pitchers may not have served as many grand slams as Denny's Restaurant, but they were satisfying and filling all the same to Provo hitters.
The Angels pounded out 18 hits, including two grand slams in their dominating 20-5 Pioneer League divisional playoff victory over Ogden on Sunday at Lindquist Field. Provo, the best-hitting team in the league, added a three-run homer for good measure as the Angels tied the best-of-three series.
Provo inflicted enough damage for two games. The Angels may have got a break early when Raptor starter Mike McGrew, a left-hander who has struck out 99 hitters in 76 innings, couldn't get loose.
Shelved due to a tight elbow, Barbary turned to David Parker, who learned he was pitching 10 minutes before game time. And Parker started well, retiring the first two batters.
Seven hitters later, Provo led 5-0. The Angels scored six in the first, four in the sixth and seven in the eighth.
Brandon Wood connected for Provo's first grand slam in the first inning. Matt Brown tagged his in the fourth and added a three-run shot in the eighth for seven RBIs.
Chin-lung Hu provided one bright spot for Ogden by smacking a two-run homer in the ninth.
Yup, my beloved Raptors got waxed yesterday. I went to the game and had a wonderful afternoon but it sure hurt to see the Raptors take such a walloping. Loosing the intended starting pitcher and putting in a guy on short notice couldn't have done anything to improve their chances.
And on another related note, Chin-lung Hu played his last game last night with a 2 run homer to end his season. Seems he is due back in Taiwan before 12 September, he must either be enrolled in the university or start 2 years military service. So he is leaving today for Taiwan and will miss tonight's game and any possible championship games.
Thanks for your spirited play this season Hu!
Nate 7:29 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Saturday, September 06, 2003
UPDATE: The Raptors just won game one against the Angels, in Provo, 4-1! Way to go Raptors!
Raptors win in the 9th! Now this was exciting!
That was last night's final game of the regular season. I'm embarrassed to say that I turned off my radio when I came inside from a fence project when the score was still 8-0 Angels and had no expectation that the Raptors would win the game. I knew I should have gone to watch last night!
The Raptors are leading tonight, 3-1 in the first game of their playoff series which is also against the Provo Angels. So I am going to tomorrow afternoon's game to cheer on my team.
Nate 9:08 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, September 05, 2003
Shootout at Blackwater
Thanks to Kevin for finding this link to the Shootout at Blackwater. This is a very fascinating site with lots of noisy gunpowder burning videos to see and some very interesting reading about this get together for the purpose of displaying the latest and greatest in modern weaponry.
Of course, there's also this, available at my local gun store. Buddy Jim wants one and he's big enough to make it work as a concealed carry gun!
Nate 2:01 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Girls Gone Wild Filmed at Least 35 Minors from Tampa Bay Online
The "Girls Gone Wild" staff filmed at least 35 girls exposing themselves during spring break in the Panama City Beach area, prosecutors said.
State Attorney Jim Appleman also said during a hearing Wednesday that additional charges are possible against the producer of the videos, who was arrested in April on racketeering and drug charges after parents complained to police he told underage girls to say on camera that they were 18.
Francis' company, Mantra Films Inc., has disputed the charges, saying its crews always ask young women their age and film only those who say they are 18 or older. (emphasis mine)
The charges are based largely on about 175 hours of tapes Bay County sheriff's deputies seized during a raid at a condominium rented by the "Girls Gone Wild" staff.
A. You mean the girls might have lied about their age? and
B. How do I get invited to the next party?
Nate 10:39 AM - [Link] Say something...
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State may help pay Parker's bill from the Salt Lake Tribune, by Matt Canham
Utah officials are willing to help cover at least some of Parker Jensen's medical costs as part of a settlement agreed to Thursday by lawyers for the state and the family of the 12-year-old Sandy boy.
... Daren and Barbara Jensen, Parker's parents, have yet to sign off on the agreement, but if they do it will go before Utah Juvenile Court Judge Robert Yeates this afternoon.
... All sides are hopeful the agreement will end the standoff that has ignited a national debate on parental rights and the government's role in protecting children.
Parker was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer, in May after a small tumor was removed from under his tongue, according to Daren Jensen.
A doctor at Primary Children's Medical Center wanted Parker to start a 49-week regimen of chemotherapy, but the family questioned the diagnosis and wanted more tests done. They say Primary Children's thwarted efforts to get an unbiased opinion from other physicians, even though doctors at University of Washington Medical Center and the Los Angeles Children's Hospital told the court that they agree with the original diagnosis.
The Jensens defied court orders to get Parker chemotherapy and instead searched out alternative treatments with less severe side effects. They say Parker has shown no signs of illness since the medical and legal battle erupted.
The Jensens have selected a board-certified physician at a well-known out-of-state hospital to examine Parker and determine what type of treatment he needs, if any, McDonald said. The Jensens have promised to follow this doctor's suggested treatment, even if it is chemotherapy. The doctor, who has not been publicly identified, has yet to agree to take Parker as a patient, McDonald said.
Even if the agreement is approved today by Yeates, Daren and Barbara Jensen will have to face the kidnapping charges in Salt Lake County. Prosecutor Angela Micklos said she is not ready to drop the charges and instead would like to discuss a plea agreement with Parker's parents once they turn themselves in and the boy starts treatment.
More wheeling and dealing between the Jensen family and the state concerning the treatment of Parker's alleged cancer. It does sound like some agreements will be reached today and formalized by the judge this afternoon. And I am personally glad to hear that the family has agreed to abide by the evaluation by the new sawbones.
Most of the comments I have read in other blogs concerning this story are fully on the side of the parents and have decried the state's involvement. And while I sympathize, I also feel that as parents we do not have the unbridled right to rear our children as we choose without the oversight of the state or society in general.
For instance- Suppose you're a parent that believes in paddling as your choice of behavior modification for your children. Beloved Little Johnny gets in trouble at Sunshine Elementary School one day and is sent to the principal's office. So, Principal Feelgood decides that you, Dad should be called in for consultation concerning what to do with Little Johnny.
After the hasty and noisy review of Little Johnny's misdemeanors, you, now Angry Dad decide that Little Johhny has earned a good old-fashioned butt whipping and your trusty belt is right there in your pants loops. And you proceed to give Little Johnny the whipping that you believe he has earned, right there in Principal Feelgood's outer office.
Having dispensed the punishment you felt Little Johnny would remember and consider the next time he felt the need to misbehave, you, no-longer Angry Dad, return to work. And are promptly arrested for child abuse while Little Johnny and his sister Sweet Susie are on their way to foster care.
Is spanking appropriate? That's another whole post. Think this scenario is unrealistic? I doubt it. I think its completely feasible. Did the Dad in my story exercise his rights as a parent? Sure. Was his right to disipline Little Johnny in discord with society's and the state's rights to protect children? I think so.
So it is NOT "My child, my choice!" as one of the posters in the picture of the protesters claims. IMHO
Nate 10:23 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Well PossumDad Terry over at Possumblog was Instalanched last night. It will probably crash the Blogger servos for all of the Blogger faithful. But I am jealous and equally proud of my blogfather Terry.
Good on ya Terry! And get that new computer on your desk tweaked up soon!
Nate 9:52 AM - [Link] Say something...
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This showed up in my email today:
One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree above a river, his ax fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?" The woodcutter replied that his ax has fallen into water, and he needed the ax to make his living.
The Lord went down into the water and reappeared with a golden ax.
"Is this your ax?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord again went down and came up with a silver ax.
"Is this your ax?" the Lord asked.
Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord went down again and came up with an iron ax.
"Is this your ax?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the man's honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went home happy.
Some time later the woodcutter was walking with his wife along theriverbank, and his wife fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"
"Oh Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!"
The Lord went down into the water and came up with Jennifer Lopez.
"Is this your wife?" the Lord asked.
"Yes," cried the woodcutter.
The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"
The woodcutter replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to Jennifer Lopez, You would have come up with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then if I said 'no' to her, you would have come up with my wife. also Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I am a poor man, and am not able to take care of all three wives, so THAT'S why I said yes to Jennifer Lopez."
The moral of this story is: Whenever a man lies, it is for a good and honorable reason, and for the benefit of others.
That's our story, and we're sticking to it!
Nate 9:45 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, September 04, 2003
Tired tonight after two nights of staying up too late. And the Raptors are loosing to Provo again in the next to the last game of the regular season. One more game tomorrow night that I'm going to try to attend, then Saturday is Provo again, in Provo and Sunday the 2nd game of 3 possible, again with the Provo Angels. Ten games in a row against the strongest team in the league. I supect the Raptors season might be finished on Sunday. Dang.
But too tired to write anything of interest. Maybe I can get some blogging accomplished tomorrow from work. And I've got to get in touch with Brian from Mental Revolutions to see why his blog has gone so quiet. G'night.
Nate 9:03 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Geek question of the day-
Before you read this, go back to that Microsoft Office application that I know you have left open and save your work- so it won't be lost when your system crashes...
Did you click the "Save" icon? Ask yourself how long its been since you saved anything to the object the icon represents. How many of those items do you have in your desk right now? Being used? I'll bet not.
Note to younger readers: that's a 3.5" floppy disc picture on the "Save" button. It holds 1.44 MB of data. Not the 650 or 700 MB of a CD-R, 1.44 megabytes. Not enough storage space to hold a decent PowerPoint briefing...
So here's the real question: how long will that picture remain the icon for saving your work?
Nate 9:56 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, September 03, 2003
I got to do one of the most manly of all activities last night and it did not entail killing or gutting any animals! It did entail gutting my wallet though to the tune of $344!
I bought tires! For my F-250 Super Duty truck. Big manly, burly BFG All Terrain tires, sized LT285/75R16. Sam's Club fixed me right up, in and out in less than 30 minutes with barely enough time to completely fill my sinuses with the tantalyzing smell of fresh rubber tires.
But only 2 of them right now because the dang wallet's only so big and I have to keep the lights turned on so I can see my computer's keyboard and the water flowing through the taps and the gasoline flowing through the truck's fuel injectors too. That's $1.82 per gallon right now for 87 proof! The next 2 tires will have to come from the next payday while I continue to fight off the creditors and utility companies with the remainder of this week's paycheck.
The first set of tires, which are looking pretty sad and past their prime were Firestone Steeltex tires, which, to their credit went 70,990 miles before being replaced last night. With only 1 puncture and no treadwear indicator bars showing. Pretty remarkable mileage really for OEM tires and I have to give credit where its due even though I have a long-standing aversion to Firestone tires.
You of course realize that by my purchasing the first half of a $700 set of tires that my Atomic Sugar Daddy skis are in serious jeopardy...
Nate 11:58 AM - [Link] Say something...
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AF Museum sponsors Food for Life Day
Hill Aerospace Museum is sponsoring its annual Food for Life Day on Sept. 20, when visitors can peek inside several vintage historic aircraft for the admission price of one can of food for each person admitted.
Those who elect not to bring a nonperishable food item may make a small monetary donation to the museum instead.
Collected food will be donated to the Women's Crisis Center at Your Community Connection in Ogden.
Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The facility is located at Exit 341 on Interstate 15 in Roy. No gate pass from the base is required to visit the museum. For more information, call 801-777-6818 or visit http://www.hill.af.mil/museum.
Come on out and visit a really first class museum. The open house days like this are well supported and always assist a good cause. My retirement ceremony was held in the museum so it has a special place in my heart.
Nate 8:10 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Hubby punches out flirtatious salesman from the Salt Lake Tribune-- Ashley Broughton
A magazine salesman from Ohio who was looking to "have some fun" in Utah County probably will return home after receiving a beating at the hands of an angry husband, Orem police said Tuesday.
...Officers determined the salesman had been at a nearby home speaking with a woman who was not interested in buying magazines, he said. "When he realized he wasn't going to sell any magazines there, he told the young woman that he gets 500 bonus points for a hug," Edwards said.
The woman, who was caught off guard, gave him a "little hug." But the salesman turned his head and attempted to kiss her on the mouth. The woman pushed him away, slammed the door and called her husband, Edwards said.
The salesman freely admitted to police the incident had occurred, saying he likes to flirt and "have some fun" with women.
The woman's husband caught up with him as he was headed down the street "and was responsible for the condition the salesman was found in."
The salesman told police he probably deserved the beating, and declined to press charges against the woman's husband, Edwards said. "He thinks he'll go back to Ohio."
Seems like a good idea...
Nate 8:05 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, September 01, 2003
I can't resist sharing this link with you. Its called H2 and Stupid People...
UPDATE: The link is gone. Sorry.
Heh! "Women shouldn't drive vehicles taller than they are..."
Nate 10:06 AM - [Link] Say something...
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On a weekend note, the fence project that Noah was working on will be finished today, in just a couple more hours of work. He and I have worked hard on this project all weekend and have just a 21" gap to fill with new boards where we ran out of the old boards due to breakage and differences in board spacing. Yesterday I totaly overhauled the gate and now it works for the first time in 4 years. Needless to say, Vicky the homeowner is very pleased to have her fence and backyard nearly back in order.
And she's promised to repay me for the $70 in materials I have into this project!
UPDATE: The fence did get finished as promised and the yard is cleaned up and back to normal. Vicky is very happy to have the security and privacy of her yard restored and to have a gate that she can actually pass through without endangering her health. The gate at the front also received some attention as it was in danger of falling off its hinges and we decided to fix it up while all the tools were at hand and before the snow starts flying.
Nate 9:57 AM - [Link] Say something...
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I've had a slew of visitors this week come lookiing for more information about Parker Jensen and his family's efforts at keeping him away from the Utah authorities. If you don't know already, Parker is 12 and has been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma and has already had a tumor removed.
But his parents did not want him to undergo chemo treatments (this is what my troll was so upset about) and took off for Idaho to keep the state from intervening. So there's arrest warrants out there, a trip to Houston for alternative treatment that got waylaid and an entire days worth of press conferences and publicity by the family- after they had agreed to not go to the press until some other negotiations could be completed.
So, its a mess. The family is complaining loudly that Primary Children's Medical Center was blocking their access to a second opinion about their son's diagnosis. That's hard for me to believe but I suppose the docs could be pretty aggressive when it comes to getting treatments started. I still think that if the family honestly were seeking a second, legitimate diagnosis that they could have managed that by now. Instead they are traveling about looking for an alternative medicine treatment... You know, they want some herbs and bee pollen to rub on his back and take away his bone cancer...
Another fine mess!
Nate 9:49 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Cops Don't Follow the laws in Chicago... from Kevin over at the Smallest Minority is a story about the gun that was involved in last week's multiple murder in Chicago. I actually wrote a post of my own a couple days ago about this story but Blogstudio ate it and I was too mad to reaccomplish it.
But Kevin's got an even better story so go check it out. It explains why a legally registered firearm was sold illegally to a police officer, who sold it to a second police officer, neither of whom registered the gun and then, somehow it ended up in a criminal's hands. In spite of the strictest gun ownership laws in the country!
And more importantly, a homeless guy has been arrested and been placed in custody, with a $100,000 bond because he didn't keep a piece of paper for 10 years! The original, registered owner has been jailed for failing to keep any sales record of the gun for 10 years according to the statutes of that misguided city...
Its just another reason why living in the west seems like a good idea to me.
Nate 9:33 AM - [Link] Say something...
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