Friday, October 31, 2003
Minister aims to put anti-gay monument in Idaho
from the Idaho Statesman;
A minister known for his fiery rhetoric against homosexuals and who unsuccessfully fought to erect an anti-gay monument in Casper, Wyo., is now turning to the tiny town of Rupert.
The Rev. Fred Phelps asked Minidoka County Commissioners this week to buy a small section of the courthouse lawn for the same monument rejected by Casper?s city leaders on Tuesday.
He got the idea after learning that Rupert?s local American Legion post was seeking to buy the land for a Ten Commandments monument. American Legion members hoped that by purchasing the land, they could display the biblical message without violating the separation of church and state.
...Phelps, 73, of Topeka, Kan., said he was unconcerned that his anti-gay message could prevent the Ten Commandments from being displayed in Rupert, a community of 5,645 people about 165 miles southeast of Boise.
"My message is infinitely more important than the Ten Commandments, because nobody is delivering it," Phelps said. (emphasis mine)
Another very scary, very spooky story for Halloween. And I for one would not want to be standing next to this assclown when he repeats his thought about being more important than the Ten Commandments. Lightning can cause collateral damage and this hateful sumbitch is the most deserving candidate for a dose that I know right now!
Oh this gets my dander up!
Nate 8:09 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Polygamist pleads guilty to incest from the Salt Lake Tribune, by Stephen Hunt
Here's a scary Halloween story...
Asked by the judge to state the facts supporting his plea, Kingston said: "I had a relationship, a sexual relationship, with LuAnn for about four years. That relationship ended about four years ago."
He added that LuAnn Kingston is "my mom's sister's daughter, so she is a first cousin."
After the hearing, LuAnn Kingston, now 23, said it was "kind of a shock to hear him actually admit to it. He's never admitted to anything like that before."
Jeremy Kingston was arrested three months ago at the Kingston clan's annual Pioneer Day celebration in Bountiful, where about 800 family members had gathered.
The estimated 1,200 Kingston family members who make up the Latter Day Church of Christ quietly run numerous businesses -- with an estimated worth of $150 million -- along the Wasatch Front and elsewhere in Utah.
Ya can't make stuff up that's stranger than the truth folks.
Nate 9:51 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, October 30, 2003
The Camel-Toe Report
All my prayers answered
A shrine to the puffy pelt
Camel Toe dot Org
Ahem. Soft drink/coffee/monitor/keyboard interference alert, if you're not too prudish.
Nate 8:26 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Punkin Chunkin Champ to Defend Title
HOWELL, Mich. - Most people prefer them baked in pies or decoratively carved. But for Bruce Bradford, the preferred method of serving up pumpkin is to have it shot out of an air cannon. That is, after all, how he became the world champion of Punkin Chunkin ? a sport where winning is a matter of distance, not taste.
This Halloween, Bradford will defend his title at the Punkin Chunkin World Championship in Delaware's Sussex County. His team triumphed in the air cannon division last year after the pumpkin they shot out of their cannon sailed 4,594 feet. (emphasis mine)
Ya know, some day I am going to take some vacation days to go see this fun. I've seen it on tv, heard about it on the radio, even talked to one of the competitors on the telephone. And of course punkin chunkin is well documented on the web. But I really want to go see thses guys playing live.
And I'd love to be able to play with them too but the BSU says I can't have an 18,000 pound, 100 foot barreled cannon in my driveway. Which is why I have to satisfy urge to blast food using my potato cannon. And I promise to get a picture of my current spud gun for the one of you that asked about it.
Nate 10:17 AM - [Link] Say something...
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ITS SNOWING!
And not just up in the mountains, just outside the window that I can see through if I turn left leaving my cell! Er, cubicle...
Nate 10:02 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Apologies to both (all seems presumptious) for the lack of posting yesterday. I got busy and there were multiple meetings and then some lunch and later bs sessions in the cubical and pretty soon the whole day got away from me. And I didn't even turn on my 'puter at home last night at home, which is very unusual but again, I just got busy with real life and overlooked blogging.
And I've got nothing interesting to say right now either. I am formulating my scary story for the 2nd Annual Axis of Weevil Story Telling Festival, which is a true story BTW and I'll try to write it today in a way to make it interesting to all. One of my readers here will be able to vouch for the factuality of the story once its published, if they choose.
So I'll be getting back to work and I'll try to find something interesting to share later today.
Nate 8:11 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, October 28, 2003
By the way, in preparation for the Halloween Trick or Treaters that come around my humble abode, I thought aloud that maybe I could use my potato cannon to launch the little packets of Sweet Tarts to the urchins in the street. Its always my job to sit there, upstairs, away from the television set and hand out the candy. But think how much more fun it would be if I just launched handfuls of candy packets out over the yard and into the waiting hands of the goblins and ghosties and cowboys and Square Bob Sponge Pants characters passing by in the street.
BSU says I can't use the potato cannon but instead have to hand out candy the traditional way... Rats!
Nate 2:33 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Busy today with meeting preparations and charts and conference calls and trying to get a dozen people from 4 organizations and 5 countries all seated at one conference table at the same time. Very much the proverbial "herding cats" exercise. Hardest part is actually arranging a room as they are at a premium. Oh, and I have another meeting, for a different program, at 6 AM tomorrow! Yikes that's early!
And the parts, the parts that the supply system promised back in 2001 would be plentiful by 2003, are not plentiful. They lied. The parts are not on the shelf, not backordered and not on anybody's radar to get ordered! And there are F16s sitting, unflyable for a want of a light lens. Can't fight or go to war or train because somebody in the supply chain didn't get the lights on contract with the only vendor that makes them in time to prevent the airplanes from being grounded.
I've been working on that situation today too.
Surprisingly, I have had no fallout from my little email response from yesterday.
I've also noticed a dropoff in the number of comments being left on my blog. Even when I leave you pretty pictures to look and and remark upon. I think that means that I'm getting fewer return visitors and friends stopping by and more folks googling in for arcane reasons like AMC Pacer wiring diagrams. Don't be shy. Take a minute to say hi. I'll feel better for it.
Nate 1:49 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, October 27, 2003
This email could be problematic...
FROM THE F16 NETWORK SUPPORT DESK: As of today YP Internet traffic is going to being monitored 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Every web-site that you visit is going to be logged and stored. The base is running a spy-ware tool (Pest-Patrol) on all of our systems. (They will continue to do this indefinitely) This is to prevent some illegal software from being installed. It helps prevent against some types of viruses. It also helps prevent the wrong people from getting information about you and your computer. (I.E. credit card numbers, Bank Account numbers, files from your system, etc....)
Arrh! I guess I'll see what's possible and what's not. But if they get serious about counting hits to pages, I'm gonna have to knock it off...
Dang computer geeks anyway!
Nate 3:22 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Gadget may wreak traffic havoc
Tired of sitting at endless red lights? Frustrated by lights that turn from green to red too quickly, trapping you in traffic?
Now anyone can breeze through congested intersections just like the police, thanks to a $300 dashboard device that changes traffic lights from red to green, making nasty commutes a thing of the past and leaving other drivers open-mouthed at your ability to manipulate traffic.
Ya know, I've got a Palm PDA with software that lets me change the channel on essentially any television set I can see. I'll bet if I just upgraded the 3 volt system with 12 volts, and installed a higher power LED in the front I might just be able to replicate this machine!
Still not as good as my idea for a handheld directional electromagnetic pulse device though...
Nate 3:08 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Well I've done it this time! I've kicked an anthill just to see what happens! Through the AF email system I received an email that went out to 400 people in the basewide organization, one of those "Security Awareness- Everyone Must Know This Right Now!" type panicy rumors that too frequently are NOT true, get passed around the internet and make it into corporate policy. Here's some of the email:
This is right from Security Forces, and the source who stated the information.
N
Hello All,
Regarding magnetically encoded hotel room key cards...
I telephoned Pasadena Police Department this morning. Because this is a huge OPSEC issue for everyone, not just the Air Force, mine was not the first telephone call regarding it. I said no more than my name and that I worked OPSEC, and the person I talked to asked if I was calling about hotel keys. I was told that the initial report is accurate. I was also told that they have revisited the issue and discovered that it is no longer being done. Pasadena PD's claim is that the report originated from a training session. During this session, at least one person from Pasadena PD saw firsthand what type and how to collect information from a magnetically encoded hotel room key card. Pasadena PD did not disclose to me how long ago or by whom the training was provided.
The closest thing to official policy I have seen on this matter is roughly, "Take it for what it's worth, make your own decision."
KARL AXXXXX
Security Specialist
Well I couldn't let this bit of junk gain any more credibility and it took me less than a minute to find this link and this one discrediting this rumor.
And I sent the email back to the person that sent it to me by clicking the "reply to all" button...
Nate 11:20 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, October 26, 2003
This report from Little Green Footballs makes my blood boil!
I know this world is not a friendly place. I know that there will always be disagreements, disparities and turmoil. But this level of hatred is hard for me to accept. It makes my stomach hurt.
Nate 8:31 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Just for the record, here's a picture of my front yard right now. I didn't make this yard art, we bought them a number of years ago.
I think they may have earned a repainting after this year.
Nate 8:11 PM - [Link] Say something...
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My Pilgrim Children are done! At least the first set is ready for display. What do you think of them? I have found a suitable turkey, courtesy of Google and with a little help from Kinko's have it blown up to a large enough size. Though BSU disagrees, she wants it BIGGER! But the size I have fit on the scraps of the plywood from the pilgrims! Making the turkey means buying more plywood and I just didn't feel like it today.
Just back from the movies; we saw Secondhand Lions. Enjoyable but no Academy nominee. At least not from me. BSU liked it better.
So tell me what you think of my Pilgrim Kids.
Nate 8:04 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Saturday, October 25, 2003
`Gilligan's Island: The Musical' opens as real Mary Ann watches
Birmingham theater patrons had a chance to see "Gilligan's Island: The Musical" on opening night in the company of the Mary Ann they remember with such fondness from the television series in the 1960s. Watching the CenterStage production at the Virginia Samford Theatre was actress Dawn Wells, best known for her portrayal of Mary Ann, the sweet Kansas farm girl shipwrecked on Gilligan's Island.
I sure hope Terry didn't miss a chance to take Miz Reba out for a fancy dress night!
Nate 9:10 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, October 24, 2003
Warren Miller's Journey
In spite of the fact that we went to the theater last night in shirtsleeves, ski season MUST be near because it was Warren Miller movie night last night! It was son Noah, buddy Brian and your humble scribe out again as a group and getting antsy for the snow to start piling up.
The movie was excellent and a great time though not quite as overwhelming as other years. A definite wild ride though and worth the cost of admission. This year we went to the 6PM show instead of the late show as is our usual and I won't make that mistake again. Early shows means family's with kids, the late show is filled up with rowdies chanting for powder and is a bunch more fun for it.
So its just one month away from a potential ski season beginning and the forecast actually looks kinda bleak. It better snow dangit!
Nate 1:37 PM - [Link] Say something...
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I know this is going to make me sound like even more of a dork than usual, but I need your help. I want a yard art pattern of a turkey. A Thanksgiving gobbler, somewhat cartoonish in appearance and still standing on his feet, not plucked, golden brown and with his drumsticks tied up behind.
I'm working on a piece of yard art right now, (there will be two of these when I'm finished), a pilgrim boy and girl holding a "Happy Thanksgiving" sign. I would like a turkey to go in the yard with them.
But I can't find a turkey pattern. Not in my local craft stores and not online. Pumkins, scarecrows, reindeer and candy canes, I can find those. But I can't find a turkey.
So if you know where I can find one, leave me a comment or send me a link or something. And my yard will be cute for Thanksgiving.
Nate 10:04 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Paul Harvey speaks at the Landon Lecture Series, Sept. 19, 2003
Self-government requires self-discipline. Years before 9-11 traditional American freedoms had been abridged. Back then you were not free to go out and get on an airliner without submitting yourself to search and your luggage, and if indicated, your underwear. Why? Because there's some dictator in Washington determined to dictate? No, that's not why, it's simply because we had a handful or airheads running around a long time before Saddam Hussein. We had a handful of loony birds with guns and knives and homemade bombs long before New York's tragedy of 9-11. We've had American sickies hiding razors in apples so that whole states had to outlaw Halloween. And they've taken away our fireworks. They've threatened to take away our guns because some misuse theirs, and it's not because there's tyranny in government, it's because -- no, it's not because of the Taliban -- it's because there is anarchy in the unbuttoned brains of a handful of looney birds who don't deserve to be free so the rest of us can't be, and it's down that road that whole nations go from regulation to regimentation to tyranny.[emphasis mine]
There's more good stuff in the whole thing.
Nate 8:10 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, October 23, 2003
Busy today. And not much to say as well. Seems to be a boring day in the news except for the "300 Wal-Mart employees arrested" headlines, which is a lie really because they are employed by a contractor. So its a non-story as far as I'm concerned.
My brain is tired and I just don't have much to say or to comment on. Maybe tomorrow after I go see the Warren Miller ski movie tonight. And my Kel-Tec pocket pistol is nearly paid for, I'm getting anxious for that.
So don't give up hope for new stuff here just yet. Hell, send me some inspiration!
Nate 12:56 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Woman peels apple on airline flight from Musings of The GeekWithA.45
"Until every commercial cargo and passenger plane takes off with a trustworthy armed American on board, domestic anti terror initiatives are bullshit, posturing and pretense."
Yup.
Nate 9:16 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, October 21, 2003
My other computer is a Macintosh from Snooze Button Dreams. Go see what Jim found today!
And on a weird note, my computer at work will not refresh SBD! It either shows the Poopie haiku or the Dreaded Post, both from back on the 16th! So I have to come home to read all the good stuff I've been missing.
Nate 5:21 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Its been a very busy day today and the fun continues throughout this week. I actually prefer work to keep me mentally and actively involved even if it does detract from my blog reading and posting. There's good stuff afoot here though even though it is mundane and intricate. So maybe there will be a little relief in the number of electrons sentenced to the purgatory of keeping this bit of gibberish alive on the web. Or, I'll goof off, surf for hours and dump on you the ephemeral effluvia that I find interesting!
Guess you'll have to keep coming back to see what happens!
Nate 3:55 PM - [Link] Say something...
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'You are not to reference the Constitution ... '
There's a lot more to this story and I can tell that I don't agree with everything that Rick Stanley promotes. But this story rings some disturbing bells in my head... Read it all...
Protesting a Denver ordinance against bearing arms, business owner and Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Rick Stanley late last year strapped on a hip holster bearing a .380 Beretta (fellow protester Duncan Philp chose a shoulder rig) during a Dec. 15 rally celebrating the 210th anniversary of the Bill of Rights.
He'd advertised what he was going to do and invited Denver police to come get him. They did. He was peacefully arrested by 18 officers, and brought to trial on May 15 in the municipal court of Judge Robert L. Patterson.
It was defense attorney Paul Grant's voir dire questioning of a potential juror who was also a police officer that gave the first indication of the way things were going to go in Judge Patterson's courtroom.
"I asked her when you became a police officer didn't you take an oath to protect and defend the constitutions of the United States and the state of Colorado. She said, 'I guess I did; I can't remember.' I asked her were you ever instructed in those constitutional rights, and she said no.
Stanley describes "pandemonium" erupting in the Denver courtroom halfway through his attorney's question, the city attorney leaping to his feet to object as the judge banged his gavel...
...The defendant and his attorney report that the judge said, "Then I'll explain it again. You are not to reference the Constitution in these proceedings. You will not address it in voir dire, you will not address it in your opening remarks, you will not ask any questions about the Constitution when you summon your witnesses, and you will not talk about the Constitution when you give your closing arguments. Do you understand my instructions?"
...But Judge Patterson rejected that defense argument along with all others, replying (according to Grant, Stanley and another witness) that precedents of the Colorado Supreme Court and even the Constitution of Colorado are not applicable in Denver, because Denver is a home-rule city.
..."As I understand it," Bryant recalls saying to Puckett, "Judge Patterson just said that because I live in Denver, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of Colorado do not protect any of my rights from the government of Denver. Is that your understanding? Is the city government free to deny all the rights secured to me by the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of Colorado, so long as they only do it here, in Denver?"
"Yes," Bryant claims he was told by Puckett. "The Constitution has no force or effect in Denver, because this is a home rule city." ...
As I said, there's more to this story. You can catch up if you're inclined over at Publicola.
Nate 10:52 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sister of Boy Killed Speaks Out About Gun Violence KSL News:
A family still grieves after a South Jordan boy was accidentally shot and killed by his best friend last month. Now the little boy's sister is taking a stand against gun violence and telling people about the impact the shooting had on her family. She warns all gun owners it is their responsibility to make sure guns are safely out of reach of children.
...Melissa Owens lost her 12-year old brother Jake early last month. Today she helped plant 1000 daffodils at the Peace Gardens to honor those killed or injured by guns.
Jake and his 14-year old best friend were cleaning out a neighbor's garage in early September. The older boy found a loaded gun and moments later, while handling it, the gun went off; a bullet hit Jake in the head.
...Three times this year, and twice in September, Utah teens died in accidental shootings. More people were killed by firearms than in car crashes in 1998. Nationwide nearly 80 people die every day in firearm related incidents.
...GVPC aims to reduce gun violence in the state by addressing firearm suicide, access of firearms to children, and the toll gun violence takes on families and communities. Melissa Owens never thought much about gun violence until her brother was killed.
...Owens thinks her brother's death could have been avoided if gun ownership had been taken more responsibly, but the owner of the gun faced no charges. Now her family and the family of the boy who handled the gun will always feel the grief.
First, I have to say that is a sad thing when anyone's life is taken at such a young age. My heart goes out to this young man's family.
But. I got fired up last night when this story was told on KSL because they focused on the violence part of the story instead of the misuse and mishandling of the gun that killed Jake. It wasn't an act of violence that killed him, it was lack of respect for other people's property and a lack of common sense in gun handling.
Long story short- the two boys found the gun, loaded, under the front seat of a neighbor's car, while it was parked in his garage. The boys had permission to be around, they did chores and yardwork for this neighbor. But in an unattended moment they found his gun and began handling something dangerous and deadly, without proper instruction.
Jake, tragically, died.
We teach kids "stop, drop and roll" in grade school don't we?
Nate 7:48 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, October 20, 2003
Unbelievable
BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - A French judge was placed under official investigation for "sexual exposure" in a courtroom, prosecutors said on Friday, after a newspaper reported the judge masturbated while a lawyer pleaded her case.
YUCK!
Reason #6,341 to love the French...
Nate 12:15 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Changes afoot at Kim's house Well if you haven't already read it, Kim is making radical changes to his blog. Its not going to be updated daily and the Gratuitous Gun Pics will be a thing of the past. THat's the bad news.
The good news is that Kim has a number of novels in work and the first one is due out shortly. I'll be watching for it because I will buy it and will be expecting a great read.
Check it out.
Nate 10:08 AM - [Link] Say something...
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SPEED STREET INDOOR RACEWAY Boy oh Boy! What fun this was!
Son Noah, Buddy Brian and your humble scribe headed out yesterday afternoon for a bit of new fun that recently arrived in our neighborhood. I found out about Speed Street through a Val-Pak coupon that arrived in the mail a couple weeks ago. I stopped in to check it out when I was down in the neighborhood last week and then KSL news did a 3 minute feature on these guys on the news, at 6 and 10 PM! So their business is booming and we decided we needed to jump in and play too.
Racing at Speed Street was a great time! We signed up as members and that got us a 10 minute race. Finishing that one we did a second 10 minutes after a soda and bench racing break. The kind proprieter of Speed Street even comped us for the second race because the computer that records lap times had failed during the first race. Whoo Hoo! A freebie, how great is that?
And he agreed to set up a real race with everyone starting from a waved flag after 3 warmup laps to determine starting position. This worked out well as I started from 3rd, passed into 2nd upon the flag drop and chased Son Noah for most of the race. It wasn't until a yellow flag came out allowing the field to bunch up that I was able to finally get past him when racing resumed. He was napping a bit and not watching that flagman close enough so I got the jump on him and beat him into the first turn. Another lap in I was passed by a young gal with a fierce driving style and an 80 pound weight advantage over me.
Noah did end up with faster lap times than me; (there's that weight advantage again), I think he had a 24.42 best, mine was 24.52.
But guess what... We'll be going back! And I'm going to try to organize an evening of racing for the Hill Ski Club gang.
Nate 8:01 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, October 19, 2003
Weird day in desert, Quirky race draws horde of riders The Salt Lake Tribune -- Janet Rae Brooks
They were dressed like princesses in tiaras and tutus, but Team Barbie planned to kick butt at this weekend's 24 Hours of Moab.
"Girls can have muscles and get dirty, as well as be pretty," said Kate Chapman, 17, who rode the first 14.9-mile lap for the Colorado team. Twelve-year-old Jozy Gessner, who took over from Chapman, was the race's youngest female competitor.
Promptly at noon Saturday, to the strains of Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man," a stampede of hundreds of bikers bolted from the start line in the desert about 12 miles south of Moab. Wearing bike helmets and dust masks, they sprinted about 100 yards, then turned and ran back to their waiting bikes to begin the country's toughest 24-hour bike race.
The LeMans-style start is designed to space out the field, which this year attracted a record 488 teams. Sixty-one men and nine women are racing the entire 24 hours solo. Nearly 1,800 riders are competing in teams of two, four or five.
The instant city that began springing up two weeks ago was filled with another 3,000 residents and visitors, including support crew and cheerleaders. Tents, teepees, trailers and RVs covered the red dirt plain, where cattle normally graze. The night before, the crowds had almost stripped Moab supermarkets bare of Gatorade and bottled water.
The gathering, held under sunny, cloudless skies, had all the verve and color of a European street fair, and boasted more lycra shorts per square foot than anyplace else on earth.
As team names went, Victory 2 Vagina was almost run-of-the-mill. There were also the Blazing Saddle Sores, the Weapons of Ass Destruction, and Nocturnal Mission. A men's masters team called themselves Too Young to Golf. Then there were Four Sausages and a Doughnut, Uno Testicali Tres Grande and Beer Eye for the Bike Guys. One team, unafraid to admit its weaknesses, chose Weak, Fragile, Inept and Scared.
The race, which is run by Granny Gear Productions, even had its own Granny. "Usually Granny would be racing, but we left my bicycle back in Virginia because we wanted to make it fair for everyone, and Granny is the best," said "Granny," who wore a prim black dress with white lace collar and cuffs. She also carried a parasol and had a sunflower stuck in her bike helmet.
Years past I have been down to this fantastic, fun event. Son Noah and I have even worked the timekeeping tables where the riders check in and out which is really the best volunteer duty to pull. It IS dusty under the big tent but exciting to be right in the thick of the adrenaline charged riders continually racing in to handoff to their waiting teammates.
The real madmen (and women) are the ones that do the entire 24 hours by themselves! And some of them do it on single-speed bikes! Yowsa! Way more capable than I ever will be. I have ridden the course before, after the race and it is a very strenuous mountain bike ride. It can put a whuppin on you, that's certain.
Anyway, obviously this year we did not go to Moab for the 24 Hours. Too many other things going on I suppose. Maybe next year.
Nate 9:39 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, October 17, 2003
Well its been a busy week even though the actual number of hours I've been here, in my chair producing charts and forms and such for the government have been fewer than normally required. Makeup time will be next week. I promise.
Especially since I have to be out this afternoon to run the BSU to another doctors appointment, this time in Salt Lake City. So blogging will be short and sweet today as later tonight is the Hill Ski Club's annual membership drive meeting. I'll be there, and Brian and the rest of the regulars and the folks that come to check out the club. Tonight's meeting will be at the Prairie Schooner restaurant, so there will be drinks and snacks and lots of schwag given away. Last year I won new goggles and matching beanie and a pair of skis! The skis actually turned into a new snowboard for son Noah but it was still a really nice freebie.
This weekend is also BSU's birthday and our 21st anniversary. So there will be some dining out and festivities related to those events. (Which if you are a new reader are on the same day.) We divorced back in 92 for a 6 month break, when we remarried, we did it on her birthday, simplifying my gift and date remembering immensely.
There is something else, still developing, related to one of my bloglist folks, Karen. You might remember that she is also from Ogden, the town I call home. Well come to find out there is lots more that we have in common. I'll try to write a little bit more about that in the near future.
Nate 11:54 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, October 16, 2003
I want one of these. Its a Stevens Favorite 22 caliber single shot rifle. I am going to buy one sometime soon and not one of the new Savage replicas but an original.
I especially want one particular rifle. It was last seen in Ohio many years ago. I suspect it is unique because the entire action was nickel plated and the stock was cut short for a boy. I'll pay a premium price for that gun because it was once my own, my first gun, given to me by my dad as a birthday present when I turned 12. The action was nickel plated by my Grandpa Harry after he machined a new firing pin when the original broke. The plating's not reflective like chrome, it was never polished out, just left silver colored.
I sold it years before I joined the USAF for gas money and some groceries to get me through until the next payday. And the XSU was very afraid of it being in the house so one weekend it had to go. Now I want it back.
So if you live in Ohio, probably in the northwest part of the state, and you find a Stevens Favorite that has been wrecked for collectors value, call me. Email me, send smoke signals, something! And if I don't find that gun in particular, I'm going to buy one anyhow.
Nate 10:21 PM - [Link] Say something...
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China reveals space station plan That's so 1962...
His flight makes China only the third country on Earth to have launched a man into space, some four decades after the former Soviet Union and the United States pioneered the feat.
Next- China produces the car of the future, the Corvair!
Nate 8:02 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Dammitall! Stupid Blog Studio just ate my first post in two days! And it included the words "bear poop formerly known as Timothy Treadwell." Rats!
I've been either busy with Real Life of apathetic about writing for a couple days now and finally, when I sit down with no other task at hand but to fill you in on my boring life, Blog Studio eats it. And now my time is short as I have to take BSU to a Dr's appointment and some ugly tests involving glow-in-the-dark barium and repeated x-rays. She's not happy thinkiing about it and she won't be happy either getting the tests or the suffering through the after affects.
Son Noah is still not enrolled in Job Corp. The recruiter/admissions person is a unorganized dolt with no apparent filing system or method of operation except to keep the folders from sliding off her desk. Noah needs to learn the importance of the squeaking wheel getting greased first when it comes to getting ahead in life. I've been sticking my nose in as much as I dare but he needs to get a bit more assertive about his own future.
Oh yeah. I sold the Baja yesterday. Its no longer blocking my carport. Bought three years ago as a father-sons project it almost worked, then fell off the interest table and became an unloved lump. So it has a new owner and I'll pay off a bill or two this week. Good!
So, I've got to run to get BSU to her tests. I'll be back later no doubt.
Nate 8:14 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, October 13, 2003
From the "letters we would like to see" department...
LARK Program
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20016
Dear Concerned Citizen:
Thank you for your recent letter criticizing our treatment of the Taliban and Al Qaeda detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
My administration takes these matters seriously, and your opinion was heard loud and clear here in Washington.
You'll be pleased to learn that, thanks to the concerns of citizens like you, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist Retraining Program, to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers" program, or LARK for short. In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to place one terrorist under your personal care.
Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday.
Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of admonishment. It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly recommended in your letter.
Ahmed's meal requirements are simple, but we strongly suggest serving meals that do not require utensils, particularly knives and forks. Also, these should be "one-handed" foods; Ahmed will not eat with his left hand since he uses it to wipe himself after purging his bowels (which he will do in your yard) - but look on the bright side... no increase in the toilet paper bill.
He generally bathes quarterly with the change of seasons, assuming that it rains, and he washes his clothes simultaneously. This should help with your water bill. Also, your new friend has a really bad case of body lice that hasn't been completely remedied.
Please heed the large orange notice attached to your detainee's cage: "Does not play well with others." Although Ahmed is sociopathic and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem" will help him overcome these character flaws.
Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. He will bite you, given the chance, but his rabies test came back negative, so not to worry.
We understand that you plan to offer counseling and home schooling. Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We do not suggest that you ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group. He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him.
Ahmed will not wish to interact with your wife or daughters (except sexually) since he views females as a subhuman form of property. However, he will be eager to assist with the education of your sons; have available for their use several copies of the Q'uran. Oh - and rest assured he absolutely loves animals, especially cats and dogs. He prefers them roasted, but raw is fine, too, if they aren't more than 2 or 3 days dead.
Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks like you, who know so much, keep us informed of the proper way to do our job. We think this watching over each other's shoulder is such a good way for people to interact that we will be sending a team of federal officials with expertise in your line of work to your place of business soon, just to help you do your job better. Don't be concerned that they have the power to close your business, seize your property, and arrest you for any violation of the 4,850,206 laws, codes, regulations and rules that apply to your profession. They're really there just to make sure you're doing everything the proper way. That is what you wanted, right?
Well, thank you for this opportunity to interact with such a valued member of the citizenry. You take good care of Ahmed - and remember...we'll be watching.
Cordially...Your Buddy,
Don Rumsfeld
Nate 11:09 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Parents praise abducted son's smarts from the Salt Lake Tribune
Here's a scary story that turned out well, and with a bad guy in custody.
Dan and Amy Bladh choked back emotion as they expressed their gratitude to the police and the community for their support in finding their 5-year-old son who was abducted Thursday afternoon.
The boy, whose name is being withheld at the request of the family, was returned just hours later and is doing well, his parents said at a news conference in Mapleton on Sunday evening.
Investigators allege the boy, the second youngest of the five Bladh children, was kidnapped by 20-year-old Robert Allen Kartchner while walking home from school.
Authorities said Kartchner picked up the boy and drove 15 miles to the Diamond Fork campground, where he bound the boy's arms and legs with tape. The boy told authorities that Kartchner used a knife to cut his arms, neck and thigh, then choked him with his own shirt and left him in the woods. Two men working on a fence nearby spotted the boy hiding alongside a road around 7 p.m. The boy had managed to break free from the tape around his legs but his hands were still bound, police said.
Kartchner returned around 1 a.m. to the campground, where deputies recognized his truck from the description the boy gave to police. Investigators said that, during questioning, Kartchner confessed to kidnapping the boy.
"They knew who to look for from the information a 5-year-old gave them," said Amy Bladh, impressed that her son had the mental acuity to stay present, focused and alert throughout the ordeal. "Our son's a strong little boy. We think it is his faith that made a big difference," said Dan Bladh.
The boy told family members that he made it through the ordeal with prayer. "It's a positive story. It's a celebration. It's a good story with a happy ending," his mother said.
Dan Bladh said their routine would not change much at home, and that he would continue to reinforce the rules and values they have always taught their children. "To live in the world you've got to be conscious, but you can't live in fear," he said.
Police expect kidnapping and assault charges to be filed Friday. Kartchner is being held on $250,000 cash bail in the Utah County jail.
A toy drive has been established through Toys "R" Us stores by neighbor Amy Conners. Those wishing to donate toys to the boy can take items to any store through the weekend.
Well, as I said, its a good news story. The only thing I don't understand is the neighbor's toy drive for the little boy. I doubt he was wanting for toys and I don't see how a new truckload from Toys 'R' Us will ease the trauma of being kidnapped. Maybe a collection for a few weeks with a therapist would be a better idea...
Nate 9:31 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, October 12, 2003
Blogging here a has been light- ok, nonexistent yesterday. Sorry. Not feeling good and I spent almost all day on the couch. Not even going to the gun show today, though I could, but there's nothing I need until I get that new Kel-Tec paid for. Lucky for me there was a fine baseball game of the tv to entertain me when I wasn't snoozing. (Apologies to all that had a run-all-over-the-county type Saturday.)
Anyway, I need to go move the Baja out from under the carport and get a For Sale sign in its windshield. I've added a new link to my blog list today. Jim's a hoot to read and his SBD has become a daily stop for me. You might enjoy his writings too. Check it out.
Nate 11:20 AM - [Link] Say something...
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America's Fascination With Firearms by DAVID B. KOPEL
A very readable essay about America's gun-ownership history and the differences between "citizens" and "subjects."
Such preparations for civil defense are appalling to American gun-prohibition advocates and their international allies. At both the personal and the national level, Americans tend to expect to protect themselves by force, and Europeans tend to expect a superior entity to do it for them. The cultural differences between America and Europe are in some ways just as profound in the early twenty-first century as they were in the late eighteenth.
Share it with all your gun hating/fearing friends.
Nate 10:12 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, October 09, 2003
That's it! Closing time for me today. My apathy levels have peaked and I can't stay here another minute. Blogging will be from the spacious WE world headquarters in my basement for the next four days!
Too poor to take off and go camping this weekend unfortunately. And deer hunting season is in full swing so any campgrounds still open are crowded with camo-clad types and the BSU wouldn't get the experience she prefers. But Jim's home rifle range is open tomorrow morning and he has invited me back out for some friendly shooting. So there's that to look forward to. And I've got to find an excuse to fire up the air compressor!
Later.
Nate 3:23 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Woman shoots alleged abductor
Gary woman says she believed she was going to be killed.
MERRILLVILLE -- A 28-year-old Gary woman said she knew what it meant Tuesday when she noticed the man holding a gun to her head was wearing gloves.
She figured she was going to die.
"I've called police on him before. He's tried to threaten me and my entire family. ... He was going to kill me," she said. "He's a friend who wanted to be more than a friend, and it's not possible."
But, the outcome of the incident took a turn when the woman pulled out her own 9 mm pistol and shot her abductor in the mouth, police said.
The woman, ...said she hoped the three-hour ordeal would be the end of seven months of harassment.
...But once the security guard went back inside the building, the men allegedly blocked her vehicle again and forced her into their car at gunpoint.
She said they then drove to an isolated wooded area in Gary and parked, with one of the men continuing to point a gun at her head.
She said while her abductor rolled down the car window and was momentarily distracted, she pulled out a handgun she had on her hip.
"I shot him and took his gun," the woman said.
"I keep my gun on my hip, and I had it where I could ease it. It paid off. I had one in the chamber so I was able to get one round off," she said.
The woman said she started carrying the gun because of the harassment involving her abductor during the past seven months. She said she believes the man was wearing gloves because he intended to kill her and didn't want to leave fingerprints behind.
First; good for her! This woman to her own security seriously. She protected herself, kept her fear under control and acted forcefully at the correct time. She is alive and well and will have the chance to continue to be successful.
Secondly; Gary Indiana. Isn't that just right next to that handgun hating city of Chicago Illinois? You know it is. And while in this article there is no mention of the circumstances of this woman's purchase and possesion of a handgun, you have to consider the differences between the outcome in this story and this one. (With apologies as I cannot find an archived article to the actual news reporting of the story right now. The Chicago Tribune seems to not keep things beyond one month.)
So legal or not, (since we don't know), this woman armed herself because of a perceived threat. And she is alive today because she did. GOOD FOR HER!
As a side note, my Kel-Tec should be paid for in just another few weeks. I may have to name it Johnson as I intend to keep it just that close to hand...
Nate 2:37 PM - [Link] Say something...
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"If Quincy had eaten me, good, 'cause he's a nice bear."
from CNN.com
I told you he was a dumbass...
The remains of Treadwell, 46, and Huguenard, 37, both of Malibu, California, were found Monday at Katmai National Park and Preserve on the Alaska Peninsula. Treadwell was known for approaching, even touching, bears in the wild.
An air taxi pilot who arrived to pick up the couple contacted the National Park Service and troopers to report a brown bear was apparently sitting on top of human remains in the camp.
A ranger shot and killed a large brown bear when the animal charged at them through the dense brush. Troopers and rangers later killed a smaller bear apparently stalking them.
Troopers recovered video and still photography equipment as well as three hours of earlier video footage from the site, across Shelikof Strait from Kodiak Island.
Much of the footage is close-up shots of bears. Some scenes show bears no more than a few feet from Treadwell, co-author of "Among Grizzlies: Living With Wild Bears in Alaska." Others show a more timid Huguenard leaning away as bears come close to her on the bank of a river.
...Treadwell's family was in shock over the death. Why? Seems to me they should have been expecting it.
If I seem a little callous, I suppose I am. I don't tolerate idiots well.
Nate 12:37 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Teton Gravity Research - High Life
Last night was the official kickoff to ski season with a showing of TGR's latest ski movie High Life. Every year there is at least a Warren Miller movie to go see with friends, this year WSU's outdoor adventure club sponsored another movie. (That's Weber State BTW, not Weevil State.)
What a fun movie! If you are a skier you owe it to yourself to find a chance to see it. Huge drops, avalanches, steeps that look like building sides, powder so deep that people disappear, its all there on DVD.
Leave the kiddies home if you go to see this. Unlike Warren's movies, this one tends to highlight some apres-ski behavior you may not want them to emmulate. Like every ski film, the music is LOUD and some of it (most) is modern grunge noise and in a coouple cases inappropriate for younger kids.
But go see it yourself and get jazzed up for winter!
Nate 11:49 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Police get bonus arrest when resident protests from the Salt Lake Tribune
Its a stupid criminal story!
Officers knocked on the door of a residence near 500 North and 900 West around 5:30 p.m. with a warrant for a 38-year-old man. An 18-year-old man answered the door, confirmed that the wanted man lived there and allowed the officers to enter the home and have a look around, according to Lt. Doug Edwards of the Orem Police Department.
Once the officers found the man they were looking for, the teen protested, asking them what right they had to come into their home and arrest the wanted man. The officers reminded him that he had given them permission to enter and that the warrant serves as a reason to search the house.
Upon hearing this, the teen asked the officers why they were not there to arrest him, pointing out that he had two warrants outstanding as well, police said.
Officers confirmed the 18-year-old's story and took both men into custody...
Its all about me! Me! Arrest me too!
Nate 6:48 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, October 08, 2003
I checked, the comments section of this twisted smoking pile of crushed electrons is working...
Feel free to jump in there with your own well thought out and thoroughly reasoned opinions.
Nate 2:25 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Bridge Over Troubled Water from Sgt Hook. And no, I don't know why I never made it over to visit his blog before today. I will NOT make that mistake again. Check it out.
Pictures to put a lump in your throat and make you proud.
Nate 12:05 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Bear Mauling Kills Grizzly Advocate, Friend from Yahoo and thanks for the pointer from Snooze Button Dreams
Oh the irony in this story. Another dumbass, (actually two of them) have been removed from the gene pool for being STUPID!
An advocate of grizzly bear protection and his camping companion were mauled to death by one or more bears in a remote part of Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve, officials said Tuesday.
Killed were Timothy Treadwell, 46, and Amie Huguenard, 37, both of Malibu, California, said the National Park Service and the Alaska State Troopers.
Treadwell was the founder of Grizzly People, an organization devoted to the protection of grizzly bears and their habitat. According to the group's Web site, Treadwell's practice was to travel to bear country without weapons.
The service had cautioned Treadwell for several years about his bear-safety practices, spokesman John Quinley said.
Treadwell made a practice of getting within inches of the animals, but the Park Service recommends a 50-yard distance, he said.
For the week, that's wild animals: 3, humans: zip.
Nate 8:16 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, October 07, 2003
A Googlewhack! with my apologies to the whacker for not having a picture of Francesca's house.
I just discovered today that my picture folder is full over there at Comcast where I post the pictures I link to here. That shortage will need to be resolved and perhaps then I can post for you the picture of that wonderful old farmhouse you were seeking.
Nate 1:53 PM - [Link] Say something...
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How to launch your personal watercraft Sometimes things just don't go as planned...
Nate 12:29 PM - [Link] Say something...
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For the ladies - Why we are the way we are from Snooze Button Dreams...
You see, men have an ingrained love of destruction, specifically fire. All of the problems with how we men view y'all started when we were around 4 years old at the family campsite. Dad started the camp fire and then went off to set up the tents leaving you to watch us while unpacking enough supplies to bivouac a brigade of marines for a fortnight. Your professed goal was to unload and set up said gear but we know the truth. Your true desire was to stop us from fulfilling our all encompassing desire to play with that camp fire.
Yup.
Nate 11:15 AM - [Link] Say something...
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One Bloogle of Separation A remarkable story. Read it all. Your day will be better for it.
Nate 11:07 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, October 06, 2003
Kids say the darndest things I've been remiss in not sharing with everyone. I've hung a copy of it in our cubicle, you might too if you're boss will tolerate it...
And BTW, I know that no 6 year old wrote the words since kids don't use contractions. And I know that this one is incorrect. I'll overlook it for the sake of the message.
Nate 11:03 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Good Food! Most of you know that I have pretty simple tastes. This is not the same as being simple, which I am routinely accused of, and last night I wanted one of my favorite suppers, a meatloaf sandwich from Marie Callender's.
This is a fantastic sandwich and if you've not tried it, you need to soon. THREE slices of meatloaf on toasted bread, lettuce, mayo and tomato. Three slices is almost too much meat. Really.
BSU and I had an excellent dinner in there last night even though the service was not good. There seemed to be a lack of adult supervision.
Your results may vary.
And pies. Did I mention they serve pies? We took home an entire pecan pie for dessert last night. Not Southern but good enough for us Yankees that can't get a pecan fix locally like some.
Nate 10:44 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Whew! Finally! I've been unable to post almost all weekend, BlogStudio seems to have taken on all of the "old" Blogger bugs and has been off the air most of the weekend. I haven't spent all the time waiting on it either but its been mighty frustrating no to be able to post when I wanted to.
This installation took up most of my weekend. Saturday's task was to remove the controls from on top of the compressor tank and relocate them on the wall in easy reach. On Sunday I fixed the one leaky fitting I had and then built the table top over the compressor.
So that's what kept me busy this weekend. I've also been pondering the accusations of 15 women towards candidate Arnold out there in California. None of them saw fit to charge him with criminal activity due to his unwanted sexual advances and gropings? Or saw an opportunity to grab a cash settlement from a civil lawsuit? They just sat on their paddled bottoms waiting for Arnold to run for governor to come forward?
Seems hinky to me...
And I wonder if there were high fives in the tiger locker room in Las Vegas after Friday night's show at the Mirage?
Nate 7:38 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, October 03, 2003
How to get the attention of the audience when making a body scrub through a demo speech
WTF? From my referral logs today. And WE was the 13th return for this string and the visitor made it all the way down to me!
Nate 12:51 PM - [Link] Say something...
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49,000 homes go dark, Blackout snarls Weber traffic from the Standard-Examiner, which still requires you to register... remember its "wasted_electrons" & "blogspot". But don't tell!
By JOSEPH DOUGHERTY and CHARLES TRENTELMAN
A power blackout hit the Ogden area just as the Thursday rush hour was getting under way, snarling intersections and forcing businesses to close early.
...The El Monte substation adjacent to the Pioneer power generation station at the mouth of Ogden Canyon lost four lightning arresters, or large fuses, when a surge of some sort, possibly lightning, hit it.
Ogden police reported numerous small accidents during the outage, as motorists quickly got used to treating dead intersections as four-way stops. There were no major accidents.
That would have been during my drive home... while trying to get to the ATM for cash, and to the Flying J for gas for the truck, (11.9 mpg right now, don't ya know), Home Depot for electrical parts and finally to the Wasted Electrons world headquarters, commisary and dormitory otherwise know as "home".
I can almost see the El Monte substation if I walk across the street and look down the hill!
Nate 9:27 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Hogle's lion king will roar no morefrom The Salt Lake Tribune- Greg Lavine
Flip, Hogle Zoo's lone male African lion, died Wednesday after battling an unknown illness for several weeks.
The 16-year-old lion, one of the oldest in the country, managed to hide his illness from keepers until last week. Over the past week, veterinarians offered supportive care for the ailing cat, which came to the Salt Lake City zoo in 1989, said Stacey Phillips, a Hogle spokeswoman.
"He is definitely going to be missed," Phillips said. "He lived a long, wonderful life."
Hogle Zoo has one African lion left, a 17-year-old female named Abby. Phillips said the zoo plans to discuss whether to replace Flip.
Sorry to see you go Flip. Roam easy now.
Nate 9:15 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Salon therapist beats world bikini waxing record from Ananova
Sarah Percival, from Middlesbrough, completed 140 waxes in four hours on air.
The 20-year-old, who is the show's senior beauty therapist, said: "I'm absolutely over the moon to have beaten this world record.
"It's a great achievement for me, especially at this stage in my career and I look forward to seeing my name in lights in the Guinness Book of Records."
Her successful record attempt was shown live on E4.
Lets see what is weird here: She is 20 and a senior beauty therapist, she thinks mass bikini waxing is a career and she thinks she will see her name in lights in a book!
And off the record, I met a number of British women when I lived there. Most of them needed first to learn to shave their legs before worrying about a bikini wax!
Nate 7:48 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, October 02, 2003
Almost closing time and I'm excited to get home tonight to get my compressor hooked up. First a trip to the credit union for cash then Home Depot for electrical parts and some wire and then it will be wired up before dark. (I've got to turn the power off to keep myself from being lit up, so I have to get it done before the sun goes down...)
And another exciting day of government support tomorrow!
Nate 3:42 PM - [Link] Say something...
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My compressor is famous already! And I'm tellin ya Chief, I got a receipt! Its all legal an everything.
Besides, what color was that truck spotted by that unidentified witness?
Nate 12:35 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Jensens' self-righteousness is no cure for son's cancer The Salt Lake Tribune -- Holly Mullen
More on the Parker Jensen story. Read the entire thing, its worth it...
Mollie McDonald is on the telephone, trying to keep a conversation going as her voice quivers and breaks. She is sleep-deprived, overworked, scrambling to finish the details of her wedding two weeks away.
McDonald is the young attorney, a guardian ad litem, appointed to represent 12-year-old Parker in the endless wrangling to get him chemotherapy for Ewing's sarcoma, an aggressive cancer that has now been diagnosed by five specialists -- including one of the Jensens' own choosing.
...Busily fighting the vast conspiracy they see in medical and child welfare efforts to save their son, the Jensens have won.
Meanwhile, doctors say the cancer is still there.
Medical statistics regarding untreated Ewing's sarcoma point to a bad end. Parker may be presenting no tumors now, as his parents claim. But research (outlined in the Jensen-case court documents) shows a 90-percent chance that without chemo, the cancer will spread.
This case is a shame.
...Parents -- especially those who keep their children clean and fed, and who know how to pander to TV cameras -- may thwart the law, renege on their own agreement to try to resolve a tough case and actively engage in medical neglect of their child.
They keep talking about methods to boost Parker's immune system. But even those who practice alternative therapies -- including the Houston practitioner the Jensens want to visit -- have said Ewing's has not responded well to such treatments.
...Every official from Gov. Mike Leavitt on down is defeated. No, they will not admit it. The spin we get is this: Parker, with the able assistance of his parents, believes chemotherapy will kill him.
..."I'm still asking, what good can we do for Parker? That is my job, and I won't quit asking."
Meanwhile, the cancer is still there.
hmullen@sltrib.com
Ya'll already know my feelings about this story, particularly those dumbass parents. Its not just a parental rights issue folks.
Nate 9:02 AM - [Link] Say something...
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YAHOO! I got an air compressor, I got an air compressor, I got an air compressor! This is big news folks! I've been lusting for an air pump for my workshop for a couple of years now but just never seemed to be able to prioritize the $400 price for the 7 horsepower, 60 gallon machine that I had decided I needed.
I even, two summers ago added an extension to my workshop for the express purpose of housing the compressor of my dreams. And that add-on quickly became ladder, garden hose and Christmas nativity scene storage before I could get an air compressor moved in to its rightful place.
I've got airtools already, many of which I requested and received as Christmas gifts, almost all of them unused. I've got a 100 foot hose that will reach out to my carport where much of my work is done. And now, finally I have a compressor to drive the tools!
Just for no good reason except that I'm often looking for a bargain I stopped into a local pawn shop on my way home from work last night. And there it was, a Craftsman 5hp, 33 gallon, 12.9 scfm @ 40 psi, 10 scfm at 90 psi belt drive compressor. With a $199.95 price tag hanging on it...
But I didn't buy it. Not just yet. I drove home thinking about how to finance this machine, payday was just the next day. Should I put it on layaway? How much could I afford to put down? What kind of a price cut could I get if I bought it outright? How could I convince BSU that this would be saving me $200? Hmmm. Finally, before arriving home I realized that it was the first of the month- my AF retirement check was in my account! More than enough money in there to pay for the object of my desire.
Talked it over with BSU when I arrived home and offered her a deal. I would take her to her two favorite restaurants, Red Lobster and Outback Steakhouse, this month- without complaining if I could buy yhe air compressor. (Since it is both her birthday and our anniversary this month I figured that was a done deal anyway...) And she said yes!
So there it sits in the corner of my workshop, just inside the door. Tonight I have to get the double circuit breaker and an outlet to wire it up and I'm going to mount the pressure regulator and hose connections up on the wall above the machine. So that will be at least, a trip to Home Depot and a stop at Harbor Freight. I did have to take down one small bench to make it fit in the corner but I think maybe I'll build a cabinet around it to quiet the noise and for tool storage.
Oh, yeah. I paid just $170 for my new tool when I went back with cash in my pocket! There was enough left over for take out brisket sandwiches from a new place in town on the way home! Very good eats as it turned out, we'll go there again.
I'm so happy!
Blogging note: I can't find a picture of the model in the Craftsman web page. I'll just have to snap a couple pics for your viewing pleasure.
Nate 7:43 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Christian Soldier, Muslim Soldier from Little Green Footballs and originated by Michelle Malkin
This is really sad. And sickening to me.
Six months ago, Jack Moody tried to send his son, Daniel, a care package containing a Bible study and other Christian religious materials. Daniel is a 21-year-old Army National Guardsman serving in the Middle East. He had written home requesting spiritual support while he risked his life abroad. ...But when Daniel's dad approached the post office in the family's hometown of Lenoir, North Carolina, he was told he would not be allowed to send the items.
According to U.S.P.S. postal bulletin 22097, section E2, Moody was forbidden from sending "any matter containing religious materials contrary to Islamic faith or depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic or sexual items, or non-authorized political materials." The postal clerk informed Moody that the Christian contents of the package might be considered offensive to some Muslims overseas. The policy was initiated during the first Gulf War.
... Contrast Daniel Moody's treatment with that of Capt. James Yee. The Muslim convert, who studied in terror-sponsoring Syria and attended an Islamic cultural center run by the terror-friendly Saudi government, was given free rein by the U.S. Army to administer to the souls of al Qaeda and Taliban enemies at Guantanamo Bay.
Yee brought the detainees prayer beads and religious books, facilitated prayer services, and assisted them with Muslim food preparation. And he received lavish, fawning profiles in the "diversity-" and "tolerance-" obsessed mainstream press. Now, he has been charged with sedition, aiding the enemy, spying, espionage and failure to obey a general order. Treason charges may be added...
This dangerous deference to radical Islam -- rooted in a cowardly fear of offending -- is not only a threat to our soldiers' constitutionally protected rights, but to our national security.
Grr! Three arrested or held right now for assisting the prisoners being held at Gitmo and investigations continue. I wonder how many more terror assisting folks will be found wearing U.S. uniforms before the investigation is over.
My buddy Jim says the difference that these Muslim servicemen and support people have shown is this: Most of us served in the military (or government service) for God and Country. These guys have changed that to God or Country. Its a significant change. I hope they all rot!
Nate 12:44 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Citizen Smash - The Indepundit Lt. Smash is back to work in his civilian position after returning from Kuwait. And his real identity has been revealed, he's the Indepundit!
Which is the name of his blog from before he deployed and one that I was sadly unaware of until now. So check him out.
Nate 11:06 AM - [Link] Say something...
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