June 2003 Archives

Monday, June 30, 2003

Whew! What a freakin hassle! I'm not in the palatial Wasted Electrons world headquarters and ski equipment closet, I'm out in the family room! And using AOHell... Simple and easy to use, so easy even your half-wit neighbor could use it... It took me more than an hour, 2 phone calls, extreme aggravation, using my regular computer and internet connection to find the new drivers for the modem and finally we had a connection!

So I'm computer set I guess and just need to put it away and finish packing for tomorrow's travel. I've not been on an airplane with the BSU in many years, so that might be interesting but overall I'm expecting a pleasant trip.

So blogging might be sporadic over the next few days but it should be fun too. There should be plenty of good material in Michigan!
Nate 9:47 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Hey! My comments are back in business! Good! I really wasn't anxious to go messing about with my templates to get some new comment provider working on my page before leaving. So fill them up. Don't be shy. And come back often.
Nate 8:41 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Happy Independence Day to all of you! Click this link and then move your mouse above the the buildings and click. Turn up your speakers too. (Stolen from Dave Barry's blog)
Nate 7:51 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, June 29, 2003
Get your registration fees paid early and be sure to attend the 3rd Annual Nigerian Email Conference!

I am Mr. Laurent Mpeti Kabila, a senior assistant leader of the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone.

I present to you an urgent and confidential request: I request your attendance at The 3rd Annual Nigerian EMail Conference. This is an excellent opportunity to meet your distinguished colleagues, learn new marketing techniques, and spend your hard-earned money. Attending this conference demands the highest trust, security and confidentiality between us.

Dates: November 7 - 9, 2003
Location: Abuja Sheraton Hotel & Casino
Registration Fee: $995 per person

Preliminary* List of Events
- Breakfast Kickoff Session:
Your choice: A hard boiled egg, or two slices of white bread and a cricket.

- Keynote Address:
Dr. Hamza Kalu's adds some historical perspective in his keynote address: "From Postal Scams To Email Scams: We Have Come a Long Way Infant Child."

- Debate:
Attend a lively debate between Lady Mariam Abacha and Mr. Godwin Oyathelem. Topic: "The effectiveness of using all UPPERCASE characters."

- Practical Discussion:
Mallam Mahmud Abacah answers the question, "Are 10 million emails a day too many?"

- Competition:
Other countries are now adapting our business. Is this a threat or an opportunity?

- Tech Session:
Mrs. M Sese-Seko reveals valuable secrets in her session titled, "Those Pesky Email Headers"

- Commerce:
Find out how banking systems throughout the world operate -- with special emphasis on money transfers.

- Linguistics:
Damn, spam, scam, sham. And more rhymes in the "sticks and stones" category.

- Telecommunications:
Soliciting via cell phone text messaging: Can it work?

- Accounting:
The taxman he's a comin': Keeping good and accurate records.

- Open Discussion:
We will resume last year's high-spirited discussion of unionization, including health benefits.

- Workshop:
Grammatical errors: What's the optimal number?

- For Newcomers:
View an entertaining PowerPoint presentation that describes how to get started in this lucrative business, with no initial investment!

- Hand-on Session:
Experts critique your emails, and offer valuable tips.



I'm making my travel plans now and hope to see you there! And I found the link here at MadKane.com


Nate 5:58 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Well then, its Sunday morning and I should already be outside doing yardwork and getting ready for next week's trip to Michigan. Instead I'm still here in the basement closet home of Wasted Electrons catching up on the blogs I normally read and following links to other that folks recommend. And my comments are closed for maintenance with a note to send money to help get them back on the airwaves again. Hmmph. Haloscan is back open for business of putting comments on blogs and it seemed to get picked up by most of the regular members of the AoW just last week, so I guess I could switch. If I just worked at it for a few minutes, which I probably won't do...

Let's see. Before leaving for my vacation there is software to load on a borrowed laptop, find out the screensaver password for said laptop, yardwork and a fence panel to fasten to keep Sandy in the yard. And I really want the Baja back on its wheels.

Raising the ride height on that silly thing turned into a real project. The brakes were gone through and new springs installed, the tube style bumper had new mounts fabricated, we replaced the stripped bolt that wasn't holding the motor in as designed and a couple significant rust holes were cleaned up and bondoed closed.

So today it is back on its wheels and all the tools put away until after vacation. I probably should order the new headlight buckets now and let them ship while we're gone.

I have company here in the palatial Wasted Electrons world headquarters and ski gear closet this morning, my cat Uintah. Its good duty if you can get it!

No further news on Noah's enttrance into the Coast Guard. He played phone tag with the recruiter all last week but only halfheartedly so he never got an answer either way. Now its a call on Monday, hopefully.

I just used my new digital cam to add that cat picture to this post and it was so remarkably easy that I still can't believe it. I snapped the picture on a whim, plugged the camera into the USB cable already attached to my PC, went to the web page where the pictures on this site reside, browsed to the camera's location on the PC as a removeable drive and uploaded it right to the web from the camera! No trips to Wal-Mart for processing, no moving the sleeping cat to access the scanner, no saving the picture to the hard drive, just click, upload and finish writing the post. Very cool.

So I'm off to do manual labor and get all sweaty and dirty for the remainder of the day. Later when I get back inside I'll get to work on the laptop customizations for my trip.

One last thing this morning. I am not a big computer game fan. Most of them require just too much time and brain power for me to bother with. I do like to play MahJong on computer and just this week I found what I think is the finest version I've ever played. Its called Moraff's More Jong and you can get the trial version of it here. I'll probably even pony up for a registered version of this game to keep me entertained.
Nate 11:12 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, June 27, 2003
I'm going digital! I'm such a geek really, just financially challenged with keeping up with all the latest gadgets, so I just today bought my first digital camera. Its an Olympus D-380. Two megapixels, 5X digital zoom, no optical zoom and heavily discounted at the BX at lunch time.

The camera I fell in love with was this one, the Casio Exilim 2.0. It is almost exactly the size and shape of a playing card deck. Polished metal, sleek but intuitive tiny buttons and a recharge/usb dock that stays with the computer. It was however, twice as much as my self-inflicted budget would allow.

We have been using single use throwaway cameras for a couple years now, ever since the 35mm camera I bought for the BSU got soaked during a rafting adventure on the Green River. I hate them really and especially the trip to Wal-Mart (or 2) to get them processed. They seemed to lay about the house for very long times and the significance of the picture in the first place was usually long lost. And of course I always had to fire up the scanner to convert snapshots into something you, my dedicated reader could enjoy.

Now its just snap, plug-in and download and there it is for your viewing pleasure. Yeah... Anyway, I'll be experimenting and you will be my hapless victims as I post the up on the world wide web!
Nate 2:52 PM - [Link] Say something...
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More fun with email -and mullet!
I asked Terry, (who is on hiatus, as we all know) this question this morning by email:

Subject: Are you an Access Mr. Know-it-all? Or just a PowerPoint droid? I've made some kind of error in my job security securing Access database that has created a circular reference that I can't find. And the help links aren't working!


And of course, Terry who is on hiatus writes me back in just a minute or two and replys:

Oooo--nope, I don't bother with Access. In fact, I
don't think I've ever even looked at it. Have you tried hitting it with a mullet?

Which is an obvious reference to his new improved Possumblog - now with comments!
And I had to write back:

Well, since hitting the pc with a mullet would require multiple hours hanging over a bridge railing holding a heavy, dripping net with the hope of catching a mullet, maybe the faster method would be to simply throw the 'puter over the rail and let the mullet work on it in their own environment...

And his final response on this subject:

Hmm, I see your point. And it is a more elegant solution.

Nate 9:38 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, June 26, 2003
I sent this link by email to a couple friends of mine this afternoon. The subject line of the email said: Subject: I did NOT send this to you!

Chris, who works at an Air Force office inside the Pentagon sends back this reply:
310 on the third try -- I can't believe I did this!!

Sorry, buddy, I SAVED the email -- you can't deny your reprobative influence
-- YOU WILL LOSE IN COURT - probably find yourself in jail with Chantay,
the windshield murderess....gotta go fling a cow!

I'm not SIGNING this so you can't implicate me!!!


Dooh! Actually Chris was a Reservist that was called back to active duty before Operation Kill Iraqi Bastards who has now been given a permanent active duty billet with the pay and retirement benefits of any active duty officer. Only bad thing is he's living alone in Viginia while the wifely person and children are still in the great midwest waiting for the house to sell.

Its your tax dollars at work folks!
Nate 3:09 PM - [Link] Say something...
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The Salt Lake Tribune -- Teachers get preliminary OK to carry weapons



The Jordan School Board gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a policy outlining the conditions under which district employees may carry a concealed weapon on school property with a valid permit.

Employees must keep the weapon concealed and employees who legally use a concealed weapon on school grounds do so in their individual capacities, not their scope of employment.

The Jordan board will formally vote on the policy at its July 16 meeting.


How about that? A little bit of common sense from behind the Zion Curtain. I like it!
Nate 10:46 AM - [Link] Say something...
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The Salt Lake Tribune -- Scanners reveal more than guns


To the eye, she is dressed in a skirt and blazer in dark, businesslike colors.

On the monitor, the director of the Transportation Security Administration's security laboratory is naked, except for a gun and a bomb that she hid under her outfit.The government is considering using the technology at airport security checkpoints because the magnetometers now in use cannot detect plastic weapons or substances used in explosives.

Hallowell is sacrificing her modesty to make a point: Air travelers are not going to like being technologically undressed by security screeners.

"It does basically make you look fat and naked -- but you see all this stuff," Hallowell said Wednesday during a demonstration of the technology.


Personally, since most of us are fat and naked under our clothes, I think that if we were required to travel naked with nothing more than a magazine or wallet we could save a lot of money on all this dang screening. Get to the airport, receive a clothing and personal effects bag with your boarding pass. Go into the (un)dressing room, get naked, put your stuff in the bag and give it to the baggage handler on the way out the door.

Everybody flies naked and that way there's no requirement for the metal detectors or other screening and nobody has a concealed weapon. Gather your bag of clothes getting off the plane, get dressed, gather your luggage from the carousel and your on your merry way.

Think it will work?

I would NOT want to be the guy who's job it would be to clean the airplanes between flights and overnight! Maybe slip-on paper seat covers would be a requirement...

Nate 10:02 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Mission Accomplished. I got through the briefing with no major stumbles, a little bit of instruction from the chairman and the approval I required.

Ok, I can breathe again. Now its a matter of getting the contracting people to do their part by generating the neccesary letters. And oh, by the way, the engineer just happened to have a technical issue related to getting possesion of the component drawings, receiving updates to drawings the AF doesn't own from a vendor that probably isn't either on contract or getting paid to provide; and the drawings are incorrect anyway!
At least he held his tongue until the briefing was over!

And the company is paying for lunch today... Whoopee. I haven't even received a coffee mug or ID neck string from the new company yet so I should be impressed with lunch at Lucky China? At least its their money paying for it!
Nate 9:10 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Stressed! As usual prior to giving the briefings on this current program I have been involved with for a year. I know my stuff and the audience and the goal so it shouldn't be so tough. But it is.

Leaving here in 10 minutes to go to the briefing room. The chairman of the meeting is in Ohio and I'm briefing via video teleconference technology. Its harder to get a feel for the tone or attitude of the audience when they are 2 times zones away and communicating over a scratchy phone connection...

So. More when I'm done and can relax.
Nate 7:45 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Gephardt Issues Order Making Himself President

2003-06-23) -- Just a day after announcing that he would use executive orders to overturn Supreme Court decisions, Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-MO, announced today that he has appointed himself President of the United States, effective immediately.

"I have duly sworn myself in as president," he said. "Instead of having the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court administer the oath of office, I just issued an executive order effective retroactively in advance."

President Gephardt has already issued an executive order making it illegal to "challenge the constitutionality of my reign as president."


Guess he's willing to declare himself just President instead of King... Its from Scrappleface, of course!
Nate 2:23 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Busy, busy, busy today. Charts, coordination of comments to the charts through 2 air force bases and an early briefing tomorrow. So the charts have got to be ready as do I.

I'm wearing the coolest shirt today, made just for me by BSU who is a wonderful seamstress when she gets fired up and going in her sewing room. This is a casual, hawaiian style shirt with colorful hot rod cars all over it. Its beautiful! And loud. But very handsome and stylish and I love it. There's also some green, tropical rainforest and toucans fabric waiting to be made into another shirt that will be equally as dashing.

So, why hawaiian shirts at work you might ask? Wearing wild shirts on Wednesday is a tradition in the hangars that the guys that fix the F16s have followed for years. Since many of the folks that I work with started their careers fixing jets before moving to program management, the tradition continues here, to show support for the guys in the hangar. And so, I get to wear bright shirts too.

So back to my charts for now. I'm interested in a digital camera for $150 or less that I can buy right now. I'm open to suggestions.
Nate 2:18 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, June 24, 2003
ANYWAY, and all that, by the great power vested in me by a small card I carry in my wallet, it is with great pride that I take leave of my hiatusness to bestow and endow Terry Matson of BamaBlog with all of the rights and benefits of membership within the Cotton State Cat Fanciers and Pistol Club, otherwise know throughout the universe as the Axis of Weevil.

Bummer. I just wandered over to Possum dad's lair to prowl his links as is my usual route over to Janis Gore's place and Sugarmomma's and Kudzu Acres when I discovered that there's a new member of the Axil of Weevil this afternoon.

Now its not the new member that's a bummer, its her den's location over at Angelfire. Our computer networks here at the Site of Renumeration Source blocks all attempts to access Angelfire. Heck I'm surprised they even tolerate my typing into this browser window...

So those of you NOT on a seriously watched network go on over to say hi to Terry at BamaBlog. (Obviously no link until I get home!)

Nate 2:13 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Possumblog off the air for two weeks? How the heck are we supposed to keep the Axis of Weevil (Axle of Weevil?) rotating smoothly without the Chairman and Chief Executing Officer out of the office? Who will Chet the email boy deliver the mail to? Think of the Post-It notes pile that will be stuck to the Head Possum's den entrance waiting for his return? Think of the overflowing inbox of strange and wonderful referrals from people around the world Googling the most perverse of requests.

How can he do this to us? Two weeks? Doesn't he own a laptop? Or couldn't he borrow one from the company's IT department to keep us all up to date on the wonders of Possumness?

The last email I received from Possum dad yesterday mentioned putting aside "That Which Is Nonremunerative" to accomplish those things that are presumably renumerative.

So its cold turkey for us possum fanciers for an extended time. Bummer. But I should mention to my two regular readers that this blog scribe will also be paroled from my cubicle next Monday for an entire week of leisure time, to be spent in the great state of Michigan.

Its family reunion time and there are a great number of nieces and nephews and cousins that this humble scribe has either never met or not seen in a number of years that might best be described as a decade or more... It should be fun and provide lots of blog fodder for your annoyance.

To that end, I think I'm going to try to borrow a laptop to take with me. And I'm going to buy a digital camera. And maybe, just maybe I'll be able to do a little live-blogging from Michigan, surrounded by family. To justify the trouble I think I'm going to try to produce photo CDs on scene as pictures come out of the camera to distribute without resorting to mailers after the fact...

Now to arrange the laptop!

Nate 1:56 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Utah-Colorado land swap?
Mon, June 23, 2003


SALT LAKE CITY - A Tennessee congressman is pushing a federal land swap in Utah and Colorado that would enable one of his constituents to consolidate his holdings.

The deal would trade 3,400 acres of public land in eastern Utah near the man"s new log cabin for his private land in Colorado.

Bureau of Land Management officials oppose the proposal, but Rep. John Duncan, R-Tenn., is sponsoring the trade legislation in behalf of Bill Rodgers, a sports motivational consultant and owner of a Knoxville car dealership, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Rodgers would trade 2,800 acres of ranch land he owns in Moffat County, Colo., for 3,400 acres of land on Diamond Mountain in Utah"s Daggett and Uintah counties near Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery, about 25 miles northeast of Vernal.

A similar bill died in the House Resources Committee last year after BLM officials opposed it.

Rodgers contends his Colorado property would appraise for higher value than the Utah land and has agreed to pay any difference if the Utah acreage is worth more than the Colorado property.

BLM officials do not want to lose the Utah public land, which is popular with off-roaders and hunters, and they do not want the Colorado land.

Hmm, I wonder why this seems like such a bad idea... Rich easterner buys land out west, then discovers he's unhappy with the property, so he asks his congressman to help him with his special personal hunting preserve...

Personal opinion... maybe you should have bought what you really wanted in the first place. Or you could just shut the hell up and be happy that you've made enough money to claim an oversized part of the planet to your own greedy self!



Nate 10:59 AM - [Link] Say something...
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75 years of concept cars
from cnn.com

More than 125 concept cars and trucks, with examples from all three U.S. automakers, were brought together on Sunday for the 16th annual Eyes on Design Automotive Exhibit at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich.


This would have been a really neat show to go see. There's a fine picture show at the link if you want to see the cars.
Nate 9:25 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Who said?

"When I'm president, we'll do executive orders to overcome any wrong thing the Supreme Court does tomorrow or any other day "

P.S. He's a Democrat...

Find out here and Kim has a little bit to say about this Dumbocrat's statement and his friends over at his Daily Rant.

Geez, he sounds just like I do when I get on my "When I get appointed king" soapbox...
Nate 8:37 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, June 23, 2003
What I saw over my weekend

Lots of details later about a very fun weekend but for now I'll just point you to pictures of the burrowing owl family that Noah & I observed while driving out north of the Great Salt Lake. We saw one adult and 4 juveniles, the adult was on top of the burrow, the young ones stood in a group near the edge.

At first, Noah, looking through the binoculars couldn't identify the brown lump next to the burrow but when I go my chance to see close up, there was 8 big yellow eyes looking at me from that clump! We watched them beside the road from just about 40 feet for a number of minutes. Very good fun!

On another subject entirely but related to fun and son Noah, on my way home I get to jerk a knot in the tail of a Coast Guard recruiter that has been jacking him around for a couple weeks. I've been practicing my "irate Master Sergeant" demeanor for an hour or so now and its almost quitting time!

I can be very cranky with people that don't or won't do their job and then lie about it...
Nate 12:54 PM - [Link] Say something...
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2005 Ford GT
MMMM! I want one! But since the donations to my tip jar have been so weak, I think I will be reduced to saving the pictures and making them my desktop images. You could too, so check it out if there's high octane in your blood.

Nate 11:37 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, June 20, 2003
Administrative Note: All of January's archives have been moved to Blog Studio. And May through June. More to follow when I get time.
Nate 3:17 PM - [Link] Say something...
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A great post from Sparkey over at Sgt Stryker's Daily Briefing. Its called The Burglary.

It comes with a liquid refreshment/keyboard monitor alert...
Nate 11:32 AM - [Link] Say something...
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This is cool. Sleek jet shoots for land-speed record from CNN.com


A team of more than a dozen men have been spending their weekends on a 39,000-horsepower dream: to shatter the world land-speed record of 763 miles per hour with a former jet plane on wheels.

Members of North American Eagle get together every Saturday or Sunday morning with tools, doughnuts and an ice-chest full of beer to work on the project. Team members include an ejection specialist who worked on NASA space missions, a jet engine mechanic, a computer technician, a former B-52 mechanic, an auto body specialist, a machinist and an engineer. All are volunteers. I wish I could go play with them!

The group says it still needs $500,000 to finish the vehicle and another $500,000 to hold the record-breaking session, which would require a camp for a 30-member crew for a month.

On its Web site, the team asks for potential sponsors to provide everything from on-board computers to portable toilets and toilet paper. Hey! I could afford to buy them some toilet paper!


Good luck guys!


Nate 10:52 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Orin Hatch uses unregistered software!
From the front page of today's Salt Lake Tribune paper and exposed by Simon over at Amish Tech Support...

Most everybody that's a blogger or blog reader saw this yesterday and today its front page news in the published press, so its another win for bloggers in the search for truth, justice and the American way... So good on ya Simon!

Simon also has a link to the Trib's page and a fisking of the comments from Senator Hatch's office that's worth reading here.

In an e-mail interview, Milonic's Andy Woolley said his $900 menu code is made available free for personal or nonprofit use -- the latter a category under which Hatch probably could qualify.

However, the senator's site clearly was "in breach of our terms and conditions" even in the latter case, he said.

Woolley said nonprofit use requires the Web site designers to include a link to his commercial Internet location (www.milonic.co.uk), and leave all imbedded copyright information unchanged. Finally, users are asked to inform Woolley of how they will use his menuing code.

None of those requirements was met before the site went up in August, he said, noting he had not had any contact with Hatch's office or his Web site developer, GSL Solutions of Tampa, Fla., over the matter until after Simon's revelation.

Hatch spokeswoman Margarita Tapia said the senator's office acted quickly to correct the problem.
"You have to put this into context," she said. "There was never a financial obligation.
"The company that programs our Web site used freeware to program the drop-down menus," she said. "We have relocated the copyright information in compliance with the licensing agreement."

By late Thursday, Hatch's Web site had been updated in answer to Milonic's copyright requirements. Further, Woolley confirmed he had been in contact with GSL regarding formal registration of his program.


Heh heh heh!

Nate 10:25 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, June 19, 2003
Whew! FInally. I've completed yet another set of charts for another briefing that I have to deliver, probably next week- if the bosses-that-are-in charge are available to chair the meeting and hear what I have to say. And this briefing has everything to do with money, so its rather time critical and important that I get it right. Its mostly legalese and formalities really but since I've never done this particular briefing before getting the charts right has been a major headache.

But the charts are out for review right now, so essentially that's done. I also finally rewarded myself by printing out Bill Whittle's last essay Magic and reading it through, undisturbed, during my lunch. If you haven't already read it, I strongly recommend that you do. I copy & paste his essays into MS Word and print them as they are lengthy and its easier for my addled mind to keep track of dead tree printed pages. Plus I staple it together and float it around my cubicle and office for others to see that might never find it in the blogosphere.

If you're not already a regular reader of Bill Whittle's essays I strongly suggest that you spend some time over at his blog and read his past work. He is one smart and interesting guy and I really like exploring what he has to say. He's promised a published book of his essays in the near future. When its available I'm buying a copy for each of my kids. I think they are some very practical intelligent thoughts on the real world and I want my boys to read what he has to say.

Now its time to get back to work for a couple more hours.
Nate 1:05 PM - [Link] Say something...
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[take the test] - [by krystaljungle.com]



Hmm, I've got a clock above desk inscribed with "grammar grinch" but "grammar whore?" That's kind of rude.
Nate 10:38 AM - [Link] Say something...
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UPDATE: I talked to Dad last night. Carol got through her surgery with no complications and was feeling well enough to eat a bit in the evening. She should be home by Friday.
Just a note early today and a small request from those of you that believe in the power of prayer; my dad's new bride of 5 weeks Carol is having mastectomy surgery today to fight the breast cancer that was recently diagnosed. Its been a trying time already for both of them and typically there's a lot of emotion and pain involved in the recovery period.

So my thoughts are with Carol and dad today and I'm praying for her, the doctors and all the folks that will be caring for her. I hope you will too.
Nate 6:51 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Orin Hatch is a dumbass...

Sure this guy's been in politics forever, and sure, it was the same Senator that came out of a classified intelligence briefing to announce to the world that the US was very good at intercepting Osam bin Laden's satelite phone conversations.

And now he wants the opportunity to blow up our computers, in our homes, to teach us a "copyright lesson."

The link will take you to every blogger in the sphere that has remarked about this dumbass much more eloquently than I possibly could, so go check them out.

And remember that this dipstick is a revered figure with his constituents here behind the Zion Curtain...
Nate 3:36 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Business Travel Hints from Mrs. du Toit

All good hints and relevant for anyone that travels, except for #4:
Never forget to pack shampoo AND conditioner because you might find yourself in a slimy place that doesn't supply it and washing your hair twice, because the conditioner is actually hand lotion, is a major time delay.
since some of us have no need for conditioner...

And the money quote: Now that the airlines are scanning all bags and closing them with plastic ties after they've been scanned, how in the hell are you supposed to get the plastic tie off the suitcase, when everything sharp you might use to remove it IS INSIDE THE DAMN SUITCASE!??!

Yup.
Nate 10:29 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Its time for Ogden Raptors baseball! Last night was the opening game of the season down in Provo against the Angels. Ans while the web site doesn't reflect it yet this morning, the Raptors won the opener 9-4.

First home game next Monday night. Guess where I'll be... Sure beats summer tv reruns!
Nate 7:36 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Crazy Don's SUV World
You know that Hummer's not enough for a real man! And, somehow we have to pay for that silly little war we just fought over there in Iraq.

So go get yourself a real SUV and ditch that puny Hummer...
Nate 7:27 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, June 16, 2003
Details and stories to go with the pictures to follow later. I just needed to get them published tonight from home.

UPDATE: There's a bit of story next to each of the photos today.
Nate 10:22 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Son Noah & Lily at Noah's graduation

I did write already about attending Noah's graduation. It was a wonderful evening if one ignored the squirming, wriggling children, the seats designed for 1930s sized butts and the lack of air conditioning. One of the speakers even mentioned that the school was built by the WPA and that the cost of construction was less than the current estimate to add air conditioning to the building.

It was a beautiful evening and I was really quite the proud dad.

Now if he would just go find a summer job and quit laying in bed all day...
Nate 10:18 PM - [Link] Say something...
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BSU, her two boys, a daughter-in-law and a a girlfriend

And, yes we do live close to the mountains! That's my driveway.

Two weekends ago I was in the carport working on the Baja when the phone rang and surprisingly it was my oldest son Kye. This is the one that just recently got married. (My regular readers might remember our surprise of receiving a wedding announcement 5 weeks after the fact). But Son 1 was in town and wanted to know if he and the new bride could come visit...

"Get your butt and hers over here now!"

So they came over and we had a very nice visit. I didn't even have to buy them dinner as they had already eaten. Son 2 and his girlfriend showed up later and I grabbed the camera and the opportunity to get everybody squeezed into one picture. Of course the sun was getting low and I insisted they face into the blazing orb, hence the squinting but I got a picture and no permanent damage occurred.

BSU of course doesn't like this picture, cause its got her in it, but I do like it, for the very same reason. It was really good to see her with her two "big" boys.
Nate 10:18 PM - [Link] Say something...
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The newlyweds

Move-in Day

I mentioned that when Son 1 and his new bride Sara came to visit that we had a very wonderful visit. And its new to say "daughter-in-law" but its nice too and I guess I'll get used to it.

One of the things they were excited about was their impending purchase of a new townhouse! The closing was just the next day and they were quite anxious to get the keys in their hands and to get moved out of their apartment. The townhouse is brand new, they got to pick countertop colors and the type of fridge and range and carpet colors, so they were really excited about having a place to call their very own.

"And could we help move on Saturday? Just the big stuff, with my truck, and its just across the street from the apartment, (which is true) and some other friends are going to help with all the heavy lifting."

"Of course son, glad you would ask. We'll be there Saturday morning." And we were there Saturday morning as promised, but the other help was a no-show, there had been a communication mixup and it was just us, my two boys, the two wives and me.

Fortunately Son 1 and bride had boxed and moved most of the items that would fit into boxes and her car during the week before we arrived. Our job was the washer & dryer, the bed, 2 dressers and three big living room pieces, a chair, love seat and couch.

Now their new digs are really nice but its three levels and nothing we were moving went on the main level! The overstuffed seating all went into the downstairs den, with stairs and a right turn in the middle; the washer & dryer and the dressers and the bed all went upstairs with a left hand turn on the landing...

We ran out and rented a dolly for the appliances and it helped the job to be possible. But we still had to play Homeowners Geometry to figure out how to get the machines in the house, around the corner at the base of the stairs, (open the closet door and swing the washer's corner into the closet), up the first 8 steps, take the strap off the appliance, dead lift the appliance straight up to clear removing the dolly and then move the dolly 90 degrees and replace it back under the appliance. Then it could be restrapped and pulled and lifted the final 10 steps to the top floor!

Repeat process for dryer... Woohah. Tiring.

The rest of the move went pretty smoothly really and they had just cleaning supplies and cats to move over when we left them that evening.

And Sara's mom is driving out from Illinois with more furniture, did I mention that? She was to arrive by Monday, unload her booty and then the 3 of them were headed back to Illinois for several days and then the newly weds will finally get a chance to unpack, plug in and settle into their new digs sometime next week.

And they have a double garage! How unfair is that? I'm mighty jealous of the garage and the entire place is actually very nice. Bigger than I would have guessed. There's a gas fireplace in the main floor living area, a fancy round tub in the master bath and a dishwasher, all things that I don't have... Hummph!

Anyway, as parents we're quite proud of the two of them and wish them all the best. It really seems that they are on a good track and acting like real adults and citizens. They've got a great new place to call their own and I think it will be good for them.

And the best news? The second bedroom is NOT being set up as a nursery! Still no grandchildren in my forseeable future!

I think I'm going to buy them a Lowes gift card to assist in their window covering purchases.
Nate 10:14 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Two teens killed in I-80 crash From the Ogden Standard-Examiner


SALT LAKE CITY - Two 17-year-old boys were killed when a sports utility vehicle drove into a concrete pillar of an underpass on Interstate 80.

Donny Tuitavuki and Michael Crofoot, both of Salt Lake City, died instantly in the crash around 3 a.m. Saturday, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Ted Tingey.

Tuitavuki was driving the Nissan Pathfinder westbound, Tingey said. For an unknown reason, the vehicle veered off the road to the right into gravel and traveled along the shoulder before striking the overpass pillar head-on.


This should have been titled "When good SUVs go Bad" if the story is to be believed. Its a damm shame that kids die in automobiles, its a pity that jounalists are so afraid of litigation that they are obligated by their editors to make the vehicle the evil killer.

That is the actual policy by the way; the article can not assign any possible blame to involved individuals due to possible liabilty lawsuits. So the vehicle becomes a killer and vehicles veer off the road for unknown reasons...

Geez, two 17 year olds, at 3 AM, on the interstate. You figure it out.

Nate 12:18 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Hill pilot's jet crashes in Iraq - F-16 airman ejects, rescued on ground
Fri, June 13, 2003


By LISA ROSKELLEY
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau


HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- An F-16 pilot from Hill Air Force Base"s 388th Fighter Wing ejected safely from his jet before it crashed in Iraq Thursday.

The pilot is a captain from the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron who had deployed to southwest Asia May 23 as part of a mission to support ground troops and protect the skies.

It is unclear what caused the airplane to crash, and the incident is under investigation.

"He was on a routine mission," said Lt. Col. Pete Davidson, commander of the 388th Operations Support Squadron. "We don"t want to speculate about what the cause was."

The pilot was rescued and taken to the Baghdad International Airport, where he was examined and declared in good condition. He was rescued by a combat search and rescue team about an hour after the 6:30 a.m. accident, which is equivalent to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday local time.

"Obviously, the good news is he was rescued quickly and safely," Davidson said.

The pilot"s wife has been notified, but his name is not being released by the wing. The crash will be thoroughly investigated over the next month, Davidson said. The status of the aircraft is unknown.

This is the first time during Operation Iraqi Freedom a pilot from Hill AFB has been involved in a crash with the $25 million F-16s, Davidson said.

He said an accident like this is not expected to have any sort of traumatizing effect on the rest of the 250 people from the 421st squadron stationed in southwest Asia.

"This is what we train for," he said.


Just glad for our local guy that he's ok. Last week was tough on the F-16 fleet, not only did the AF loose this one in Iraq, two additional aircraft were crashed from Luke AFB in Arizona during separate training missions. Both of those pilots also survived which is a tribute to the ACES II ejection seat capabilities and the guys that maintain that seat.
Nate 11:40 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Snoring Kids Do Worse in School, Says Study


Children who snore perform worse at school, according to a new study by German scientists.
"Our study clearly showed that snoring has a detrimental effect on children's performance in school," Christian Poets, head of a joint study by the University of Tuebingen and the Hanover Medical School, said on Friday.


Think how much the kid next to the snorers are affected! "Teacher, Hans is snoring again and I can't hear the Americans are destroying Europe lecture."

Nate 8:53 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, June 15, 2003
Its late Father's Day evening, I'm tired, and I over ate at dinner at the new Golden Corral down the road. There's still laundry to dry and fold and I'm just really too tired to write.

But I haven't died, even if I haven't written since Thursday and even if you were counting on it. I've got pictures to scan and that too shall have to wait. So, tomorrow. I promise to write a little something tomorrow.
Nate 9:12 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, June 12, 2003
Busy today but the archives are getting moved over to Blog Studio from Blogger. Almost all of May now resides here at Blog Studio. I still don't have the new Dano version of Blogger like Terry.

NOTE: I changed this post to reflect the complete name of my fine blogging host Blog Studio as it was pointed out to me that abbreviating to BS might just not work. Thanks Janis!
Nate 10:47 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, June 11, 2003
More weekend highlights!

How 'bout this, its Wednesday already and I still am trying to tell you about the weekend past. I'll try to keep it simple and just hit the highlights.

First, Number 1 son and his new bride came to visit! It was the first time we had heard from them in a number of weeks except for the wedding announcement we received in the mail a couple weeks ago. It was wonderful to see both of them and we had a very nice time. They even had already had their dinner so I got off the hook for feeding them!

The newlyweds are moving very soon into a brand new townhouse and they were quite excited about having their own place and getting out of their current digs. We were excited to hear that no nursery is planned for the foreseeable future!

Anyway, I did get some pictures of BSU with both sons and the women in their lives which I promise to post after they come back from the one hour counter at WalMart.


POSSIBLE MOVIE SPOILER ALERT- FINDING NEMO!

BSU and I did sneak off to see Finding Nemo and I was disappointed. There's no catchy tune to hum along with like Jungle Book , the story was way over the heads of the non-paying intended audience, (kids) and preachy in the "fish are friends, not food" mantra of the shark's Fish Eaters Anonymous group. I also thought the story line about Nemo's "small" fin being his "lucky" fin was lame (pun definitely not intended.) I suspect that even though the writers were trying to mainstream Nemo and show that characters with differences could overcome their physical disabilities, that no person with a deformed limb would care to call it their "lucky" limb.

Kids I suppose would find Nemo to be a pleasant diversion and story. I just saw it as a marketing opportunity to be exploited. Toy Story (both of them) were much more entertaining and I liked the characters much better.

We also saw The Italian Job last night and both of us really liked that one! But a review of that will have to wait until later.
Nate 3:52 PM - [Link] Say something...
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More terrorism in Israel today. Read this and this from LGF and then ask yourself this: If President Bush said in September 2001 that the United States is at war against terrorism, why the hell is the president trying to restrain Israel from stopping the bragging terrorists known as Hamas?

There can be no peace in the Mideast, no discussions with the Palestinan Authority until the PA forces the myriad terrorist groups to put down their explosives and to stop killing civilians. If the PA can't make the terrorists stop, Israel can and must make them stop and the US needs to support their right to exist.

Dangitall, this situation gets me riled up! Here's my rule. Don't negotiate with terrorists. Hunt terrorists. With vigor. And no bag limits!
Nate 12:50 PM - [Link] Say something...
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I found out this morning who it was that spent so much time here as I reported last night. Seems the person just got busy and forgot to turn off their browser... at work, and who's never had that problem before? So no stone throwing and anonymity was requested and so it shall be.

That same person was also looking at the references I had made to wanting an X10 camera for fun and excitement and home protection... So here's a link to the X10 homepage in case anybody's still interested.

And I still want one!
Nate 7:46 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Surfing through the referrer logs late tonight and I found this. Check out the amount of time somebody spent at my site today! Two hundred and two minutes? Wow! I sure hope they found what they were looking for...

I also noted that the site this person visits from is repeated quite often in this list... Do I have a stalker? Just a fan? Its fun to guess I suppose.

Write or leave a note in a comment somewhere whoever you are from ba-dsg.net!
Nate 10:44 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Weekend update, as promised.

Friday night was son Noah's graduation ceremony. So even though it was casual day with blue jeans and a golf shirt at work, it meant I had to put on slacks and a dress shirt and tie. On a Friday...sigh.

So off we went to Ogden High School, plenty early so there would be time for pictures and to get close-in parking and seats in the auditorium. While I can't find a picture of OHS right now, its enough for you to know that it was built by the WPA. Before air conditioning was a normal thing to install in a room that seats 3000.

And of course we got stuck in a row with squirming, obnoxious children in front and behind us. And obnoxious parents as well for not knowing when kids should be left with a babysitter. One of the adults directly in front of us looked like Meatloaf after too many weeks of touring... Ughh.

Anyway, graduates paraded, speeches were given and the school song sung and just 3 1/2 hours later we were again breathing fresh air. Noah had graduated!

He seemed to like the Craftsman toolbox, socket set and screwdriver set that was his graduation gift. If we're going to kick him out of the nest shortly its probably good to get him equipped with some real tools. I'll be continuing to add to the box contents throughout the summer so that he's reasonably able to perform most of the work he's likely to tackle.
Nate 11:09 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Look at this picture and answer this question:

Do you shoot the squirrel and save the bottle to recycle or do you shoot the bottle just to see if the bursting glass kills the squirrel?

Nate 9:15 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, June 09, 2003
Well then. Another day of work completed and not much time for blogging. Adjust.

I received a tough email message from my dad today, seems his bride of just a few weeks has had 2 lumps diagnosed as malignant just last week. She's had additional tests and a visit to the surgeon already since last Wednesday. It sounds scary for both of them.

Tomorrow is also the 1st anniversary of BSU's attempt on her own life. She has asked me to be home in the afternoon with her and you know I will be. I very nearly lost her last year to depression and suicide and it was just by the most meager of human interactions and complete divine intervention that she survived. Which at the time really pissed her off. She was in the hospital 5 weeks and eventually received 8 electro-shock treatments and she continues each day with medications, visits to a Dr. and a therapist.

She is less angry about being alive these days, even happy about it most of the time. But she still gets depressed about "what's better now?" and "what have I accomplished this year?" We talk about this often. All I can do is assure her of my love and the love of her family and the benefit she brings to our lives by being in our world. She doesn't always own that very well. Because she didn't intend to be here this year, many things have been left undone, family holiday traditions, the sewing and quilting and embroidery she used to enjoy and any interest in her home's appearance, all left undone.

Sometimes she does a little reading in self help books but her short term memory isn't good because of the ECT and so reading and comprehending are tough. She's left her flower beds unattended this year and taken little interest even in the annuals that have sprung up in spite of her. She sleeps many hours every day and usually only arises about time for me to get home from work. Nothing seems to matter to her and there's just no reason to get out of bed according to her.

I can't tell you how hard this is on me to see her this way. This woman that I love was once the most motivated, capable and assertive woman I had ever met. And beautiful too. Independent and funny and sexy all wrapped in one package. But the bipolar disorder was there too, all along and sometimes life has been pretty easy and sometimes not so easy.

We even got divorced back in 92 after being married for 10 years. Its too sordid a tale to tell tonight but her mental health played some large part of it and a few months later when her circumstances in Alaska weren't turning out how she envisioned them she came back to Louisiana and later we got remarried.

So why spill all this anyway? Honestly, I don't know except that often I do carry these burdens nearly alone with just one close friend to share with and he's two time zones away. And I miss the woman that my BSU was when she was healthy. I also want her to continue to get better and to be my companion for a long time to come.

I guess for you folks that keep regular prayer lists I'm asking if you could add my beloved to your lists. And my dad Roger and Carol also. Good night.
Nate 9:06 PM - [Link] Say something...
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In case you are wondering; this is what I want for Father's Day. I'm sick of trying to get cars jacked up far enough off the ground to do real work without using dangerous combinations of lumber chunks and a too small jack.

Just in case you were wondering. PayPal donations gladly accepted...
And I still need one of these!
Nate 10:43 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Well then, its Monday already dangitall and I'm back at work. Lots of interesting developments over the weekend and I'll try to detail those later today. Highlights include graduation night with no air conditioning, Son 1 and his bride drop in for a visit, wrench bending on the Baja and Searching for Nemo. And a nice email this AM from XSU about her trip to Ohio and sneaking up on the Reverend brother of mine.

So I'm going to do some real work for a bit and I'll get back here later today.
Nate 7:22 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, June 06, 2003
So, today hasn't been a total loss after all, even if I still did not blog about everything I intended. I did get my template fixed, I have looked into a very low cost offer to get set up with Moveable Type, (more to follow) and I did purchase airplane tickets for my vacation trip in July. I've also cunningly wrapped a special present for HCLL (that's a secret for now) and have it prepped to go to the Post office on the way home.

Tonight is Noah's graduation ceremony. BSU says we've made it, we got him through school. Truth is, except that he would only work just hard enough and wouldn't struggle any to get good grades for the sake of a GPA, it hasn't been too difficult to get him through. Much easier than Son 1's trip through public education.

So tonight's Noah's night. We went to dinner at Red Robin last night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. His graduation present is a 4 drawer Craftsman tool box and a starter set of tools. I will be adding some additional essentials through the summer so he's ably equipped to do his own maintenance later on.

Which reminds me. I've got to score an alternator for the Tracker today. Its dead. Noah's been driving on just the battery for a couple days now and charging it over night... So off to a see a friend that rebuilds Trackers to see what's in his cupboard.

Bye for now!
Nate 3:16 PM - [Link] Say something...
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I'm adding a new member to my blogroll today. I found it initially over at Kevin's Smallest Minority and I liked what I read and so I'm adding a link. Its called Publicola and while I haven't had time to read it all, Publicola is of course about our rights as Americans to own and carry firearms. He has a lot of good links to most of the organizations that support our 2nd Amendment rights

I did find this link mil-dot simulator training and what fun it is!

So go have a look around, there's lots of good stuff.
Nate 2:56 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Judge rejects driver's license veil request

Good for him.


Sultaana Freeman had testified that a state order requesting that she remove her veil -- a niqab, which covers all of her face except her eyes -- infringed on her religious freedom.

"It's totally changed my life and I really feel like a prisoner in my home," said Freeman in testimony before the court last week.


I can't help but think that its the "Religion of Peace" that has made her the prisoner. And from other things I've read, it sounds like a good muslim woman should not even be expectiong to drive, she's supposed to be in the house or accompanied by a male relative. There's actually a chart at the link of the rules in the major Muslim countries.


Judge Thorpe ruled that although Freeman held a sincere religious belief that she should wear the niqab in front of all strangers, she did not prove that "the photo requirement itself substantially burdens her right to free exercise of religion," or that the momentarily lifting the veil in a private room for a photo taken by a female officer would be such a burden.

On the other hand, the judge said in the ruling, the state did show that "having access to photo image identification is essential to promote" the state's "compelling interest in protecting the public."


Anyway, she's asking to drive in Florida and Florida rightly said she's got to uncover to have a drivers license. Well done.


Nate 2:41 PM - [Link] Say something...
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YES! YES! YES! Its Fixed!

With help from David over at Blogmatrix my template is corrected and you're no longer seeing weird stuff, (besides my writing I mean) on this page!

Thanks David and your PayPal account just got heavier as promised!
Nate 10:57 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monitor/Keyboard/Liquids Interference Alert!
Well then. As is my usual, frequent habit, I did some emailing yesterday with Possum King and Senior Executive Officer for the Axis of Weevil, Terry. We had a pretty good chat and I thought I would share it with my regular readers today.

The following is the email, transcribed into a normal reading method instead of making you start at the bottom and work up.

I wrote:
Yup. Breezed through the briefing that had been hindering my thought process and blogging this morning in less than 10 minutes with the approval I required. Yeah!

Now, already deeply into my database trying to extract info for an automated report that somehow magically figures out how crew chiefs get money to pay for parts. But the reports are wrong and the people in charge don't understand and the system's broken...

Tomorrow dang it all, I have to be at work, but blogging will improve...

Did I send you this?

CEOAoW wrote:
Oh, man, that's GREAT--I just put a link up as an update to that last post. You know, the thing that separates great art from everything else is its veracity.

ME: You stole my link while I was slaving away and too swamped to do it myself??? Oh the treachery! Ya bum...

CEOAoW wrote:
::glowing red face:: Well, it's too funny to not share as quickly as possible! I was "jump starting the process" and "empowering you" through "proactive delegation". I hope I didn't "steal your thunder"
because this was obviously "your ball to run with".

ME:
Well at least I got credit for finding it...

CEOAoW wrote:
Oh no, I didn't mean to "kill the puppy"! We might need to "reevaluate priorities" if this is "creating conflicting synergies"!

ME:
You're killing me here! ROTCFLOL (the C is for Cubicle for you non-Dilbert, non-cubicle caged folks)

So check out the link and see what started all this silliness!
Nate 8:39 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, June 05, 2003
No blogging but this until after lunch today. My briefing for which I have been diligently building charts is this morning. Since some of the affected parties had an important luncheon to attend, the meeting has been moved up 2 hours, meaning that my preparation time has been cut but that also my stress will be relieved earlier than anticipated.

So, more later and even a picture from last weeknd's camping trip.
Nate 8:45 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, June 04, 2003
I know you have all heard about this idiot that hoped to delay the airplane he was booked on by calling in a bomb threat. Is this guy the biggest idiot you've ever read about? What a dumbass...

How egotistical and narcisistic does one have to be to think that this plan was ok? And that the airplane would be waitiing patiently for him when he arrived late?

Can you imagine him explaining to his wife, (if he has one), "Honey, I won't be coming home tonight, or maybe any night for the next ten years because I was STUPID..." "Boss, about that meeting in Phoenix and the Wiggeldy Widget account...I'm in jail, because I'm stupid!" No "Employee of the Month" award for this dumbass!

Dammitall where do people go to have their ability to reason removed like this STUPID individual did?
Nate 12:39 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Kevin over at Small Minority has been busy and he has this to say today.

From the ACLU on the 2nd amendment...
There's this:
"We believe that the constitutional right to bear arms is primarily a collective one, intended mainly to protect the right of the states to maintain militias to assure their own freedom and security against the central government. In today's world, that idea is somewhat anachronistic and in any case would require weapons much more powerful than handguns or hunting rifles. The ACLU therefore believes that the Second Amendment does not confer an unlimited right upon individuals to own guns or other weapons nor does it prohibit reasonable regulation of gun ownership, such as licensing and registration."


and this, also from the ACLU on the 1st amendment:
"The principle is as simple as it is central to true freedom of speech: those who do wrong are responsible for what they do; those who speak about it are not. It is easy to defend freedom of speech when the message is something many people find at least reasonable. But the defense of freedom of speech is most critical when the message is one most people find repulsive."

Go read it all!
Nate 10:07 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Inexperienced Drivers and Cell Phones

See if you can figure out what's wrong with the NTSB's reasoning in this article...
Federal board recommends a cell phone ban for inexperienced drivers.


WASHINGTON (AP) -- All states should prohibit inexperienced drivers from using cell phones behind the wheel, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

New Jersey and Maine have passed laws prohibiting those with learner's permits from using cell phones or other wireless devices while driving. The NTSB said it wants the 48 other states to adopt similar laws, although it can't mandate the change.

...The recommendations were made after the board reviewed a February 2002 accident in which a 20-year-old Virginia driver with little experience flipped over her new sport utility vehicle and landed on a minivan in Maryland. She and four others were killed.

A federal investigation showed that the driver was speeding and talking on her cell phone when a wind gust hit the SUV. Investigators said the cell phone contributed to her loss of control, in addition to her inexperience and lack of familiarity with the vehicle.


Did you find the dumb-ass in this bit of proposed nanny-statism? I certainly did. First, the government wants to impose more laws on the public. And which public? Why its the inexperienced driver, the one with the learner's permit in their pocket and dreams of driving freedom in their heads. Its the public that everyone agrees is an inexperienced driver and needs more experience.

But guess what? These drivers can't vote! They're only 15 or 16 or 17 years old! These drivers are not represented by any elected official. The NHTSA knows that they would never be able to impose this change on adult drivers so they want to add more laws to an unrepresented group.

Next, the NHTSA report admits their research was driven by an accident caused by a 20 year old! Someone that conceivably could have had 4 or 5 years of daily driving experience. So they have measured a part of the poulation, gotten some results and now they want to inflict their rules on a different part of the population... Sounds like imposing new rules on electricity use in your home because your water utility bill is too high for comfort...

So 2 things come to mind here. First the government wants to legislate more rules but only against a group with no voice in government. Second, their decisions, based upon an incident where cell phone useage caused death and injury was not apparently caused by the target group. Nannyism, plain and simple.

Don't get me wrong though. I am opposed to all people chatting away on the roads that I share, one hand steering and the other clutching a cell phone to their ear while they compare last night's date results or whatever other conversation that can't possibly be delayed until they're stationary. I do think that teenaged drivers require much stricter training before being turned loose on the highways. And I think hands-free operation of phones is a good idea, if phone calls are absolutely essential and of a immediate nature.

Here's my solution and no new laws are required. Let the insurance companies make non-phone use or hands-free use part of their requirement to be insured. Each insurance user or purchaser signs an agreement that if they are in an accident while using their cell phone that the insurance company will not be obligated for any damages or injuries to anyone involved. Use a phone and cause injury, its your fault and you pay, not your insurance company...


Nate 7:18 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, June 03, 2003
It is already too late to start in about the camping trip from the weekend. Sorry. But not really sorry. When summer time hits I spend a lot of my time out doors. Tonight it was overseeing son & heir replacing battery cables on the Tracker and we just finished about 9:15.

Replacing battery cables is really a pretty unremarkable job so he did the work, I supervised. He insisted that the replacement cables should be the OE type with the skinny steel battery clamp instead of the normal lead ended cables. He even offered to pay the difference, (which I knew was a lie) and shut right up when we wandered into the Autozone and discovered that the cables he wanted were more than 3 times the price of the normal cables. Fourteen dollars instead of 4+ dollars just didn't make sense to this old dad and we went home for less than a ten spot.

And now the tracker's happy again. And I'm tired and need to go see the news with my beloved spouse. I did hear from my brother Mark tonight, he really has become a licensed minister for the Church of God. Good for him. My mother will be very happy to finally have one of us in the ministry which was I'm certain one of her life's dreams.

Going to see them all in Michigan in July and the anticipation is getting strong. But my blogging for the night is finished.

G'night ya'll.
Nate 10:21 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Excessively busy this AM with charts that still require further coordination that was just discovered this AM... And I will be out of the office this afternoon.

I still want to tell you about the weekend camping trip, the moose and deer and hummingbirds and snow and all but that will sadly have to wait. Additionally, I still have not resolved the code error I inflicted upon myself, so you are seeing some extraneous junk at the front of each post. I will get it fixed soonest. In the mean time it won't bite you and its not contagious.

As for news, the Amber Alert declared for the little girl abducted in California on Monday has resulted in her being found, safe and her abductor arrested here in Utah. So well done for the Amber Alert and glad to hear a happy ending for the little girl. You'll have to go find a link for yourself for now though. Maybe I can get one posted this evening.
Nate 11:04 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, June 02, 2003
Hmmm, it was working before I started playing with it and now something's wrong...

Workin it. Really.
Nate 9:41 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Adding a new name to my blogroll today...
Kevin's all about the RKBA, misuse of authority by the government and other interesting stuff. And since you know I'm in favor of being able to hit the X-ring, its only right that I add him to the my list.

Check him out.
Nate 10:14 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Good morning. Or hello, which ever's appropriate for your Monday state of mind. My mind is fine from a wonderful weekend of camping, thank you very much. But I do have lots of real, paying work to do today, so blogging will be delayed until later.

Its son & heir's last week of school and graduation is Friday night. It should be an interesting week.
Nate 7:33 AM - [Link] Say something...
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May 2003 Archives

Thursday, May 29, 2003

Well, this was a surprise!



It arrived in today's mail. As a parent, I really wish I might of heard about this event before, instead of 5 weeks later. It did come as a shock!

Maybe not too surprising really since they have been together for 4 years now, ever since he moved out of the house. In spite of some extended jail time they have managed and he only ever called me once locked out of the apartment, so that's something.

Additionally, Sara is actually a very nice young woman and she must see some value in Kye. It was inevitable I suppose that they marry, she's been married before and most women want that commitment sooner or later.

So, I'm still not a granddad like my younger brother Tim (twice) and I have a new daughter-in-law. Strange. BSU has been in shock ever since I handed the announcement to her when I opened the mail after work.

Still would have been nice to get an invite instead of just an announcement...
Nate 9:23 PM - [Link] Say something...
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That's it. Government work is through for the week. Its been miserable in here today, about 92 degrees. The swamp cooler cooling device while new is not wired and hence, not cooling. Yuck!

Anyway, its off to pick the BSU to comply with pre-camping trip grocery procurement. Then its packing and map tracing and getting the camper into traveling mode instead of the KOA-in-the-driveway mode.

Maybe I'll get to do a few minutes of blogging tonight before bed time...
Nate 3:43 PM - [Link] Say something...
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An Unveiled Felon

You know its from LGF. Here is more story about the woman in Florida that wants her picture on her drivers license to show her wearing her muslim facecovering. Turns out she is also a convicted child batterer and her hubby is no better.

Freeman apparently hides more than her face. Police reports show she covered the children's bruises with Muslim garb, refused more than once for child care workers to check the children for injuries and told the foster children to lie about the bruises and broken bone. She pleaded guilty and served 18-months probation.

Another fine example of the "religion of peace"...
Nate 2:25 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Heh heh heh. Comments are now installed and working!
Nate 11:06 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Busy this AM with stuff for my minders and even polishing a resume for a young woman who is interested in a job my company has open right now. The polishing started with about 80 grit, I'm down to the 400 grit now!

And today is the last work day for me, so much to accomplish. Weekend plans call for taking the camper and BSU to the mountains to escape the summer temps that have rolled in with a vengeance. That will mean zero blogging after this evening until Sunday night.

And this new site seems to be working quite well actually so I think I might just keep it. Now I need to get my orbiting electron up there on the top, the comments code added in and archives since January moved over. Easy. Nothing to it. And maybe upgrading to the Pro version. Or not.
Nate 10:56 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Blogging is getting better with this new site folks. I've figured out how to migrate my archives over from Blogger, 1 post at a time... So its slow. But the archive page and search functions are working very nicely.

Next I've got to figure out the "Post This" function operation which does not seem to be as effective as Blogger. But maybe I just don't understand yet...
Nate 7:16 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Archives are now working here at the new site. Comments about the new color scheme have also been positive. Cool!

The mirroring function seems to be spotty...

Nate 9:01 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Weird stuff for sale on EBay

Found through Dave Barry's blog but I couldn't resist sharing this one.

EBay is the most wonderful and weird place to browse in the entire world! And this item just proves it. I actually have a young woman in my cubicle who has never seen EBay and has no idea what wonders there are to behold there. My dad always tells me I spend to much time inside whenever I send him a link to something for sale on EBay.

This one was just really weird and I thought you might get a kick out of seeing it.
Nate 8:34 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Stuck at the checkout? DIY lane's open at Home Depot!

"The self-checkout has reduced length of lines by a third and the time spent in lines by a third," said John Simley, spokesperson for Home Depot. "We estimate that 30 percent of all sales are made through self checkout at stores equipped with them."

"They've been very well received with shoppers and people don't have problems with the new technology," added Simley. " We wanted to give customers a choice at the front end so that they could pay and leave quickly. The self checkout has also allowed us to move staff away from registers and improve service in other areas of the store."

I will be so glad if my local Home Depot installs a set of these. First of all, after my initial trepidation with the high-tech machines and worrying about how do I get my change back if the machine screws up and my disappointment at not having any personal interaction with the loveliest of the cashiers, I really like using self checkout. It took just one time for me to become a believer and I choose self checkout anywhere I go that has the machines. Secondly, it has always bothered me that Home Depot does not use an Express Lane for small purchases. Too often I run in there for one little thing I need to finish some project and I end up in line behind some guy buying all the lumber for an Olympic pool sized backyard deck. Its frustrating and it usually costs me more money because now I have time to dawdle over the impulse purchases hung there in view just for that reason.

So bring it on Home Depot, I'm ready!
Nate 1:30 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Mirroring. Does it work from here, the new blog to the original? Or does it work from the original to the new blog? Can't figure it out right now...
Nate 12:29 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Trying now to make the mirroring function come alive!
Nate 10:18 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Another test going on today...
Nate 6:56 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, May 27, 2003
USATODAY.com - 'Jackass' star arrested in Sweden

Aww. Too bad...

Dumbass.
Nate 6:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Car, bus collide Three critically injured; students all OK No link due to the Standard Examiner's stupid registration requirements!

By TIM GURRISTER
Standard-Examiner staff

OGDEN -- Three people suffered critical injuries when the older-model Mazda they were in collided Monday evening with a school bus full of students from the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

None of the 17 occupants of the bus suffered serious injuries.

The bus was northbound in the intersection of Harrison Boulevard and 12th Street when it was struck broadside at 6 p.m. by the eastbound Mazda.

"I didn"t see it, but I heard it happen," said Bill Wheeler, who was drawn to a window in his apartment about 100 yards northeast of the intersection. "It sounded like an explosion. "Then I looked out the window and saw the fire."

The Mazda"s front end erupted in flames briefly, witnesses said, after the collision that left its engine and front assembly crushed and scorched.

"At least" five people were in the Mazda, driven by a 16-year-old male, Ogden police Lt. Dave Tarran said at the scene. "We haven"t been able to talk to any of them yet."

All those from the Mazda were transported to local hospitals by ambulance, with three in critical condition, Tarran said. Names of those injured were not immediately available.

Bystanders helped pull them out of the car as medical personnel arrived, setting up makeshift triage areas at two different locations adjacent to the intersection. At least five ambulances were initially called to the crash site, along with three fire trucks and attendant medical personnel.

Several witnesses told police they saw the Mazda run a red light, but Tarran said it was too early in the investigation to confirm that.

Fourteen students were on the bus, ages 10 to 20, along with two school aides plus the driver. Injuries for those on the bus were limited to sprains and bruises, police and fire personnel said.

Everyone on board was wearing seat belts, according to those on hand, which included deaf and blind school Superintendent Lee Robinson. "It"s a miracle none of them were seriously hurt," Robinson said. A lot of the students have multiple handicaps, he said, and "something like this scares the liver out of them. "We"ll have counselors at the school tomorrow to talk them through it and help them realize how lucky they were."

"They were all in seat belts or we would have been swamped with injured," said one firefighter.

The group was being transported back to their dormitory rooms at the Ogden school in time for classes Tuesday after a Memorial Day weekend with their families at residences around the state. In addition to notifying parents, a big task for Robinson and other school officials was retrieving the satchels of medications from the bus for each student after they had been examined, treated and taken the final few blocks to the school at 742 Harrison Blvd.

The bus driver, Allen Wood of Ogden, was taken by private vehicle to a hospital complaining of back pain. Wood was among those who thought the Mazda ran the light.
"He was flying," Wood said of watching the car strike his bus. "Then we were just trying to hold on, teetering back and forth like a boat and everyone just trying to hang on."

"All I can say is we have a heck of a good bus driver," Robinson said.

Editorial comment: I was returning videos to the Hollywood Video store that is right on this corner last night. The intersection was packed with every emergency vehicle the city could get rolling and I watched a number of ambulances rolling out with passengers heading towards the ER. Very scary accident. The bus had both axles knocked out from under it due to the impact.

It was announced on the news last night that there were 7 teenagers in the Mazda that ran the red light! I wonder how they happened to miss the traffic lights...
Nate 5:15 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Google Search: potato cannon powerpoint
Fun with referrer logs... How interesting is it that someone in the world would type "potato cannon powerpoint" into Google? Can there possibly be a less likely word string to search for? And Wasted Electrons is the number one result for this string... I hope they found what they wanted...

I think I must also have a new, regular visitor here that hasn't learned how to set a favorite in their browser of choice because I continue to find this search in my referrer logs. Every day. And always from MSN.com. Whoever it is must be really disappointed if they are looking for a scholarly dissertation on electrons being expended by real scientists! So whoever you are, out there looking for the electrons, thanks for stopping by. And set a bookmark or favorite in your browser, its easier.

My second blog site over at BlogStudio, detailed below is up and working. It looks a lot like this one and the improvements are not readily apparent so it might be removed sometime in the future. Mostly, I can't seem to get my user ID corrected without totally re-signing and without some obvious value added, I might just wait until Blogger gets its new imrovements online and then choosing.
Nate 4:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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'Bruce' unloads mightily on 'Matrix' sequel
I am NOT a big Jim Carey fan. But the BSU and I took in Bruce Almighty over the weekend and it was fun. Jim's funny, Jennifer is b-e-a-utiful, and my favorite character in the movie was Sam. Bruce gets to drive a Saleen S-7! And Jennifer's bathroom scene, while not as funny as the When Harry Met Sally diner scene was terrific. Those powers I'd like to have!

We also rented Analyze That, the Billy Crystal and Robert DeNiro supposed-to-be a comedy movie. Not funny. Predictable. Much to dependent on the F word. This one gets a thumbs down from me.
Nate 3:30 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, May 25, 2003
Let's see if I got the name corrected...
Wasted_electrons 10:40 AM - [Link] Say something...
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A template change...
Wasted_electrons 10:28 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Testing, testing
testing
. Is this this on?

I finally figured out how to get logged in. Now just have to figure out how to make it work. There will be much manipulating of the template because right now its mighty boring...
Wasted_electrons 10:20 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Saturday, May 24, 2003
Do NOT tailgate this guy in traffic!
Nate 12:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, May 23, 2003
Actually, I am trying to do a little work for the government today, in spite of the lack of enthusiasm through out the building. I am looking at making some changes to this little bit of electronic jibberish; just for the sake of change. Which is not my usual method. I'm actually one of those "if it works, leave it alone" types but I still feel like playing around with it. And Its easier than moving furniture, which someone else is doing this weekend...

So. I'm going to have some lunch, read the news and consider plans for the weekend and get back to both of you later.
Nate 7:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Well then. Trying on this new freebie blog site to see if its better than that cranky old Blogger.

First I have to figure out what this looks like...
Wasted_electrons 1:09 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Test Post
System 1:06 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Brain Squeezings mmm, beer!
Hey, there's a new Axis of Weevil member today! And the lucky devil lives close enought to Possum Dad Terry to go have lunch and a hand shake now and then. Maybe Terry will take him over there to the Barber Motorsports Park for an introductory outing since Rich is new to Birmingham. And since Rich seems to be in a bit of a dating dilemma right now, what better place to meet girls could there be than the Park?

And since Terry will not be interested in Rich's beer brewing hobby results, let me just offer my own fridge as a gentle repository for any samples that require testing...

Welcome Rich!
Nate 7:00 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, May 22, 2003

Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who!


What Monty Python Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmm, I suppose so...
Nate 4:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Next for cell phones: nudity

...However, for those subscribers who only read Playboy for the articles, there will be no access to written content.

The horror! The carnage! The traffic tie-ups! People already can't focus on driving because they are talking on their cell phones, now they will be getting pictures of nekked women automatically sent to their fancy-schmancy color-LCD cell phones!
Nate 8:00 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Transterrestrial Musings
WARNING: Beverage/keyboard/monitor interference alert.
Nate 7:00 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Possumblog Guru Terry Posts About the American Idol Winner Reuben

What's important is the timestamp for this post... Terry's posting from home!

Fellow Axis of Weevil members- we may need to consider an intervention. Soon. With Barbequed pork and sweet tea afterwards!
Nate 6:30 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Very, very busy today with PowerPoint slides that I'm beginning to understand. So probably no blogging today. So there Todd! Last night did NOT find me working on potato cannon modifications but rather the 69 VW Baja. Son & heir is trying to get it on the road and one of the things it needed was the back end raised a few inches to keep it from dragging and to get the headlights pointed down on the road. It is a troublesome procedure that involves keeping a torsion bar spring and a large steel plate under control. My homemade tool proved inadequate for the job and now we're on hold for a real tool. Dang it.

Anyway, lots to do. Thanks for stopping by. Leave money in the tip jar. And if you are the troubled soul that has repeatedly typed "Wasted Electrons" into the MSN search engine over the past two days, sorry. You're probably researching a real science fair project or scholarly study of misplaced sub-atomic particles and you keep ending up here reading my ramblings. Stop by any time, just don't expect anything scholarly to be going on here!
Nate 7:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Nearly closing time today. Apologies to all for the light blogging today. The service of my masters has neccesarily taken priority. Building PowerPoint slides. Yeah... Slides that I barely understand most of the acronyms and there is lots of little-bitty boxes to be properly filled in and an understanding of what those boxes mean prepared before next week. Sorry.

Maybe a little more tonight after I come in from modifying my spud gun out in the workshop. I'm ridding it of the need for a battery, wires and switches and installing a manual ball valve instead. There's a number of things I've meant to tell you about over the past several days but real life intrudes... Again, sorry. But keep checking back, you never know when some bit of weirdness will show up here!
Nate 12:45 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Farr Better Ice Cream
I took the BSU last night to see the irises and other flowers in full bloom here and afterwards we went here for a treat. Farr's Ice Cream is an institution in Ogden and they really do have the most wonderful ice cream. I went there for a cheap treat in 1980 when I lived in Ogden and it was a nice stop last night too.

What I really found interesting was that Farr's store and dairy opened in 1929! This little family run business started the same year the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. What number of businesses that began operation in 1929 might still be operating in essentially the same way today in 2003? I'll bet its a really, really small number.

And for you architecture buffs out there, am I the only person that thinks our city building looks like the Daily Planet building? I can't find a link to a picture but everytime I go downtown the Muni building makes me think of Clark Kent, Lois and Jimmy.
( I had cherry chocolate chip in a sugar cone BTW)
Nate 12:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, May 19, 2003
Muslim propaganda and how it spreads- The Textbook League
from LGF.

I'm spending too many minutes a day over at LGF and what I read there scares the hell out of me. Go read this article and wonder just how many public school systems have bought into this scary bit of propaganda. And if not public school systems, private Muslim schools.

Its not just "a religion of peace" folks...
Nate 12:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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USDA Fire Ant Web Site
With thanks to Dave Barry for his indepth research...

I've written before about fire ants and my hatred for the nasty little critters and my solution for removing them from my lawn when I lived down south. Now, it appears that the US Dept of Agriculture has another method that while not as much fun and not requiring FIRE is probably less disruptive than my plans to rent herds of giant anteaters to lawnowners.

There's movies of fire ants being destroyed! Heh heh heh.
Nate 11:30 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, May 18, 2003
More about the cars... One of the most interesting developments for me since I started Wasted Electrons on a whim back in January has been the contact that has been re-established between this humble scribe and my ex-spousal unit. We have had almost no contact for years and years but she has become a regular visitor to WE headquarters and now she occasionally sends me interesting emails.

After my posting about the cars in my life she sent me a number or responses about several of the cars. It seems I kicked off a trip down her memory lane. With her permission (I'm nothing if not a gentleman) I am reprinting some of her comments.

This was about the 64 Pontiac Gran Prix: I asked the XSU "Which was your favorite?" Her response; "You can guess.... I lost my virginity in that car......need I say more.... I was very impressed with this car...that was my first impression of you....that was power everything car....it swept me off my 16 year old feet....whew....what memories...driving around half naked ...thinking Uncle N was after us....."In regards to the Fiat 850 and the Vega, we did use both of them for a number of trips around the midwest.

I really enjoyed all the things we did....back then...we "did" have some good times....Nelson's Ledges....Jim Getrost....trip to Michigan in the Fiat...the fresh bread we got from the man who got us out of the ditch...etc.... Jim was a guy who raced a Fiat 850 in SCCA events at Nelson Ledges. I met him and became his crew chief, the XSU was score and time keeper.

And actually there's a pretty good story about getting stuck in a ditch with the the Fiat. We were carrying my mother's homemade bread across Ohio on Christmas day to visit my grandparents. There was a large snowstorm and traveling was pretty treacherous but it wasn't until we got off the interstate and onto the county roads that the low slung sports car got into real trouble. We slid off the road when the road turned and the car wouldn't and ended up in a fairly deep ditch, well and truly stuck. I walked to the nearest farmhouse where the family was just sitting down to their Christmas dinner. The kindly farmer took pity on me and left the table to bring his tractor and a strap to get us back onto the road. He refused my attempts to give him any money for his efforts, but he did accept a loaf of mom's bread and our thanks.

I can''t believe you would forget our "Vega" cancer machine...we saw alot of Go Karting and remote control car racing & plane flying in that one..also H production racing and camping in the back...I think my fondest memories are from that car....don''t forget the fiat also ended up in the kitchen cupboards!!!

Well, about that "Fiat in the cupboards" thing... I failed to come clean about trailer living a couple of weeks ago when the rest of the Axis weighed in, but the fact is the XSU and I lived in a trailer after we got married. I managed to wreck the little Fiat on both front corners and stupidly enough I took the insurance money and bought the Vega. I somehow thought my 19 year old mechanic skills would be good enough to fix the Fiat on my own. So it sat. In the driveway on cinderblocks. In the trailer park. Eventually I decided that since I didn't have the body work skills, I could at least overhaul the motor... which I did, on the dining room table. I had all the engine in boxes in the cupboards in the kitchen.

And finally, "The Ambassador got us everywhere far away...from home....." As I mentioned, I bought that beast in Ohio, joined the AF, then drove the car from Ohio to Texas loaded with everything we could carry in a U Haul roof box and the big trunk. From Texas it was another trip to Utah in January and with a carb float that would stick and cause fuel to pump out everywhere. Which I fixed beside the highway with a piece of safety wire...
Nate 12:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Saturday, May 17, 2003
A Father's Day present for Terry
Now we all know how much time Terry spends shuttling his progeny to and from soccer games practices and tournaments and we know how much he yearns to have something more fun to drive than the Honda. And he doesn't live too far away from the Atlanta Motor Speedway. So maybe we should contact Miss Reba and see if there is room in the Possum Lair driveway to park this.

Instead of soccer matches the kids could learn the fine arts of tire pressure adjustments, carb float level adjustments and how to keep the windshield clean between races!

That's it Terry! Make crew chiefs out of the brood instead of ball kickers!


Can't you just see the Avis of Weevil logo painted on the back?
Nate 8:25 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, May 16, 2003
The Youngest Rookie at Indy
AUTOEXTREMIST.COM They are back in business, sort of, and updating most of their pages each Wednesday.

A.J. Foyt IV. Trying to become the youngest rookie ever to qualify for the Indy 500, A.J. Foyt IV got caught out by a wind gust in Turn 2 in his first attempt, spun, then saved the car from hitting the wall while guiding it backwards down the backstretch until it stopped. "A second run was definitely not what we were wanting and not the speed that we wanted, but we have to take it," Foyt said. "Definitely the wind was a factor, and (it was) very possible that it could have hit me and turned me around. There was a lot of luck involved with that, especially a spin. I looked on the computer and I was going 168 mph backward, so it was pretty much a wild ride, and I was surprised I didn't hit anything." Foyt, grandson of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, qualified later in the afternoon in his No. 14T car, earning the 23rd spot at 2:40.5872, 224.177 mph. Foyt, 18, thus became the youngest driver ever to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. He will turn 19 on Race Day. (Emphasis mine)

Young AJ goes 168 miles per hour backwards and says "there was a lot of luck involved." Do ya think! Yikes!
Nate 6:40 PM - [Link] Say something...
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A Father's Day present for Terry
Now we all know how much time Terry spends shuttling his progeny to and from soccer games practices and tournaments and we know how much he yearns to have something more fun to drive than the Honda. And he doesn't live too far away from the Atlanta Motor Speedway. So maybe we should contact Miss Reba and see if there is room in the Possum Lair driveway to park this.

Instead of soccer matches the kids could learn the fine arts of tire pressure adjustments, carb float level adjustments and how to keep the windshield clean between races!

That's it Terry! Make crew chiefs out of the brood instead of ball kickers!


Can't you just see the Avis of Weevil logo painted on the back?
Nate 10:40 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Its Friday and I'm not at work- again! Sooner or later I am going to have to work an entire 5 day week. But for the past few weeks it has been entirely optional. But today will be busy with bill paying, grocery buying, a haircut and maybe I'll even get the cracked windsshield in the truck replaced. And it is a beautiful day outside, so there!

I've had some interesting emails about my car list post from the other day, several from the ex spousal unit. If I get the go-ahead, I'm going to post some of her comments about the cars we owned when we were together. We'll see.

Anyway, no more blogging until at least after dark today. See ya!
Nate 10:16 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, May 15, 2003
Springtime lures wildlife from mountains
My buddy and coworker Todd was here this week for a day of meetings and we spent a couple of very pleasant hours relaxing in my carport watching a fine sunset and the recently arrived hummingbirds. I mentioned to him that my next door neighbor had been on 2 moose relocations this week and Todd was surprised to hear that Utah is haven to moose. So of course when I found this article in today's Standard Examiner I had to share it with Todd and the other one or two of you that sneak in here.Thr, May 15, 2003 By LORETTA PARK Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau

CENTERVILLE -- It was just another case of a mom forcing her son out into the world to make it on his own.

The yearling bull moose ended up getting chased by police officers from two agencies before the Division of Wildlife Resources sent him packing to higher ground Tuesday.

Centerville Police Lt. Paul Child said this time of year his city, as well as others on the east side of Interstate 15, get their share of yearlings because the cow moose kicks the youngsters out of the nest to make room for their new calves.

"It"s not that uncommon for young bulls to come down into the city," Child said.

But it does cause a bit of stir and concern. The moose was first spotted by Bountiful police, who chased it into Centerville.

"It was the second one in two days," Bountiful Police Lt. Steve Gray said.

Gray said when a calf is sent packing by its mom, it usually has two choices -- going to higher or lower ground. Moose are solitary and territorial animals. Most will take the easy route and end up dealing with humans, instead of their moms.

The animal that showed up Monday was chased back up the mountain by Bountiful police. But Tuesday"s large critter did not want to leave civilization.

It was finally cornered in a back yard at 605 E. Pages Lane, Child said. After it was tranquilized, some of the neighbors got to pet it before saying good-bye. State Division of Wildlife Resources officials transported the animal to the Lost Creek area and released it.

Moose usually do not cause a problem for humans, as long as humans leave them alone, Child said. The biggest concern police have is the problems moose cause with traffic.

Centerville sees between six and eight moose each year. Last year, two wandered close to the freeway, but the majority like to hang around the foothills, Child said.

Gray said the moose in his area prefer the golf courses, especially the water hazards.

The DWR is currently in the middle of conducting a moose census to count the number of the animals living in Utah. But Scott McFarlane, a DWR biologist, said there are about 540 moose living in the Ogden region area that covers Weber County and parts of the southeast Box Elder and southwest Cache counties. The numbers for Davis County have not been determined yet. (Emphasis mine)

Anyway, there's a story about moose. I still owe you a story about close encounters with a badger. I'm working on it so stay tuned.

Nate 5:54 PM - [Link] Say something...
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More fun with former coworkers and GIs that I have known.

I mentioned earlier the good news about my buddy Jerry who will be relocating with his family to Utah next year and I remain very excited to see him. I am going to send him some money and some pictures and measurements for a new jacket while he is in Korea. I've gotten a little bigger than the jacket I had made when I was there and I want another one, so I guess I better get busy with that effort.

I also learned from my boss just yesterday that he was looking to hire a new person for a new position involving Air Force technical orders. Tech orders are the instructions for maintaining and repairing everything that ever needs worked on. In this particular instance, we're talking about F16 aircraft and all the components that make up an F16. The books as you might imagine are very detailed, there's a large number of them and updates occur on a nearly daily basis. In addition to the regular maintenance books there are also modification manuals that are published whenever some improvement or upgrade is made to the aircraft. These upgrades almost always must be accomplished in a certain amount of time and the completions are rigorously tracked to ensure all the jets get fixed before the time runs out.

Now my boss has a new position to fill that I don't know the particulars about but I did learn what kind of skill set he was looking for and about what it might pay. The skill set is essentially exactly the skills a person in my old military career used every day. And so today I tracked down a young guy that worked directly for me while I was still in uniform who has since separated from the Air Force and is now unemployed.

He's interested! He emailed me his resume, (the one I helped him write a while back) and I made a couple small improvements and sent it up to my boss. With an endorsement that Ed, (that's his name) might be exactly right for this new job and that he is a good troop. So maybe I've done a good thing today. I hope Ed gets a chance to interview for this and I hope he gets the job. I think it would be right up his alley.

On another related note, I've forwarded a resume from a fellow offroad.com bulletin board enthusiast for an electrical engineer position that my company is currently seeking to fill. I'm hoping to hear that Rich gets called for an interview shortly also.
Nate 9:56 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Fantastic news today! Not only does my buddy Jerry sew on his Technical Sergeant stripes later on this month to implement his new promotion, but I learned today that he will be assigned here to Hill AFB when he gets back from Korea and finishes his crosstraining! Jerry has just a few more hot months at Osan AB in Korea and he comes home in August. He is leaving the Plans & Scheduling career and being trained to be a computer network maintenance expert.

I was Jerry's first supervisor when he came into the service and arrived at Barksdale AFB back about 1992. I not only had the responsibility to supervise Jerry but later when I was no longer his boss I got the privilege of continuing as his mentor and friend. We have stayed in fairly close contact ever since and I have enjoyed hearing about his impressive successes throughout his career.

Now, after New Years, Jerry and his family will be here in Utah and we can really start to have some fun together again. I am anxious for his arrival!
Nate 9:53 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, May 14, 2003
With compleat respect for my southern friends and fellow Axis of Weevil members, I've got to publish this!
REDNECK ENGINEERING EXAM

1. Calculate the smallest limb diameter on a persimmon tree that will support a 10-pound possum.

2. Which of the following cars will rust out the quickest when placed on blocks in your front yard? 66 Ford Fairlane, 69 Chevrolet Chevelle, 64 Pontiac GTO.

3. If your uncle builds a still that operates at a capacity of 20 gallons of moonshine per hour, how many car radiators are necessary to condense the product?

4. A woodcutter has a chain saw that operates at 2700 rpm. The density of the pine trees in a plot to be harvested is 470 per acre. The plot is 2.3 acres in size. The average tree diameter is 14 inches. How many Budweisers will it take to cut the trees?

5. If every old refrigerator in the state vented a charge of R-12 simultaneously, what would be the decrease in the ozone layer?

6. A front porch is constructed of 2x8 pine on 24-inch centers with a field rock foundation. The span is 8 feet and the porch length is 16 feet. The porch floor is 1-inch rough sawn pine. When the porch collapses, how many hound dogs will be killed?

7. A man owns a Tennessee house and 3.7 acres of land in a hollow with an average slope of 15%. The man has 5 children. Can each of the children place a mobile home on the man's land?

8. A 2-ton truck is overloaded and proceeding 900 yards down a steep grade on a secondary road at 45 mph. The brakes fail. Given the average traffic on secondary roads, what are the chances that it will strike a vehicle that has a muffler?

9. A coalmine operates a NFPA Class 1, Division 2 Hazardous Area. The mine employs 120 miners per shift. A gas warning is issued at the beginning of 3rd shift. How many cartons of unfiltered Camels will be smoked during the shift?

10. At a reduction in gene pool variability rate of 7.5% per generation, how long will it take a town that has been bypassed by the interstate to breed a country-western singer?
Nate 9:50 AM - [Link] Say something...
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KudzuAcres and more car lists!

Fellow Axis of Weevil cohort Larry Anderson over at Kudzu Acres has me beat! He put up a list of all the cars he has owned and his list is bigger than mine. There's some really pretty interesting cars in his list too, so swing on over and see what he has to say about the fine iron that has populated his driveways over the years.

Nice list Larry. You say you still have that Porsche 912 motor? It would fit straight into my FiberFab Avenger... Though I am considering a flat-6, 2.7 liter, OHC fuel injected motor right now; its a Subaru!
Nate 9:47 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Hi, I'm Nate and I'm a vehicoholic. Terry over at Possumblog got this started today and after the first email in which I admitted to having once owned a Pontiac Gran Prix, a Fiat 850 convertible and a Citroen; it was time to face the facts for myself. I like cars. And trucks. Racecars are really good. Hot rods make me stop traveling wherever I'm going to go back and see up close. I have traveled through multiple states to pick up cars that I purchased sight unseen.

Thought I might come clean by making a list.

1947 Pontiac 4 door sedan - bought before I had a license and never got a title. Did spend a summer working on it and listening to the tube powered AM radio in the evenings with my best friend.

1962 Oldsmobile F85, also a 4 door with bench seats. Not very cool in high school in 1972 but it did have a (little) V8 and the bench seats turned out to be pretty practical after all. (Think Meatloaf and that greatest rock and roll operetta, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights here.)

1964 Pontiac Gran Prix, black with red interior. Big V8 and a chrome console, power windows and AC, this was a cool car in 1974 and the 8 track player and 6X9 speakers in the back window just made it all the better.

1969 Opel Kadett, my first foray in foreign cars. Throttle linkage fell off every time you hit a big bump but otherwise a pretty reliable lump. I replaced my first heater core in that car. Added a homebuilt Plexiglas spoiler to the trunk lid and put 60's on the back and 70's on the front. This might have been where it got started...

1972 Fiat 850 convertible. My first car payments! 903cc of screaming power! Best thing about this car was driving it at full force all the time. Just going for donuts in the morning was a Gran Prix race, but the guy next to you never knew. Had intimate relations in this car a couple of times, with the top up!

HERE'S THE UPDATE: A Chevy Vega station wagon. I bought this after wrecking the Fiat and while trying to figure out how to get it fixed. It rusted away almost visibly day by day. The inner fender wells were held together just by the wiring harness clips by the time I got rid of it. And it burned oil like every Vega before GM began installing iron sleeves. But I liked the styling and it was a practical car for two people.

1972 Hornet hatchback. Another winner! Sixty series tires and shortened front springs gave this car attitude even if I did croak the motor trying to pull a much too heavy trailer. Don't remember when I got it but I towed it to Utah in 1979 after I joined the service.

1969 AMC Ambassador SST What a boat this thing was! I think it was a $300 boat into which I promptly installed a used replacement motor. But then I drove it from Ohio to Texas and then to Utah with all my earthly belongings in it, after changing the timing chain and the burned carburetor in the trailer park driveway in January.

AMC Pacer station wagon, don't remember the year. I'm seeing a bit of a pattern here. Spooky! Bought while married to the first wife and we had a brand new baby. Thought buying a station wagon was just the right thing to do. Immediately became divorced. Drove the car to my next duty station in Florida from Utah. Even had this car painted after the sun burnt off the original paint, it was silver and gun metal gray metallic. I actually really liked this car.

1980 Plymouth Fire Arrow. Came with the current BSU when we got serious. This was a brand new car when she was married to her first spouse. It went to Florida also.

Pontiac J2000. After the second baby and living in Florida, 4 doors and air conditioning seemed to be requirements. Took this one to England when we moved in 1985.

(NOTE: cars kind of came and went during the next several years so the order might get a little scrambled. But bear with me here...)

Austin Allegro. Who knows what year this beast was born. This was an oversized Mini, very similar to the Austin America that was sold over here in the US but rounder. Front wheel drive, very basic transportation. Bought it at the auction down the street. I wonder what happened to it.

Fiat 128 sedan. Bought from the garage owner across the street from me. Turned it upside down on my way to work one morning with my son in his car seat in the back. We came to a stop upside down in a fortunately nearly empty irrigation canal. Took two wreckers to get it out of the canal, for which I also paid Fred.

Citroen CX2200 What a weird critter this was! Hydraulic suspension, when you shut the car off it settled down on its wheels like a camel kneeling. Start it up and it rose like magic to the right height again. Move a lever to jack it way up and lock it to change a tire. Brake pedal didn't actually move it just actuated a pressure switch. Four wheel disc brakes, hydraulically boosted too but no power steering, ugh! Sold it to another GI, he tried to get me in trouble with the commander over it. Unsuccessfully.

Lancia Beta coupe. What a wreck this was! It should have gone directly to the wrecker's yard instead I bought it. It was completely illegal by British safety requirements. I finally got rid of it when 2 of the disc brakes wore down to the steel pads. And one of the McPherson struts was rotted through at the top and the strut would bang around inside the mount when going around corners... It did go to the wrecker's finally. Thankfully.

Toyota Celica hatchback, the one that looked like a 5/8 scale 69 Mustang. Bought it from another GI. Seems like I drove it pretty hard for a while. I did stuff it in a ditch on a country road one afternoon when the brakes failed. It was a ratty car but it went ok.

1974 Commer Caravan, our first RV. This thing was about the size and shape of a Volkswagen microbus, battleship gray and rust infected. The spouse was offended just having it sit in the driveway but we toured England with it and made full use of the stove, sink, fridge, pop-top and fold out bunks.

1984 Skoda Estelle 4 door. I bought this one with the engine already blown; I took a connecting rod out of the motor before even removing the air cleaner... This one was the finest Czecheslovakian car I ever owned! Twelve hundred cc motor, in the back. I fiddled with the motor for this thing for a number of weeks, the first one I couldn?t keep together and I finally bought a second from a wrecking yard in London.

Toyota Space Cruiser van. Another trip into car payments! This had 2 sunroofs and 3 rows of seats to keep the kids separated. It also had everything hidden under the floor so maintenance was a drag. Sold it when we came back to the US in 89 since it was right hand drive.

1988 Isuzu Trooper, our first SUV! What we wanted was a Chrysler minivan, but they wouldn't loan us money after being out of the country so long and GM would finance us. We purchased this on a Monday morning in Portland OR and on Wednesday we headed for a wedding in Ohio on Saturday!

Mitsubishi Cordia. Another 2nd car when we both went to work in Louisiana in 1990. Not a bad little hatchback but it had 2 shift levers, 4 speeds on the principal lever and the 2nd was a "power-economy" lever. Hailstorm damage paid that one off... Spousal unit sold it when we divorced.

1991 Mustang GT. This I bought after the divorce was in work. I didn't need the Trooper and couldn?t afford the payments. I couldn't afford the Mustang?s payments when I swapped either but I had a shiny fast car to cheer me up. I put a shift kit in the auto transmission and started to get my head together.

1981 Ford F150 truck, my first truck. When the divorce was done and the 2nd marriage was pending, the Mustang had to go. BSU did not appreciate its symbolism and it was no good for hauling home repair materials either. This truck was a banger with millions of miles on it but I was desperate and so it followed me home.

1991 Ford F150 truck, truck number two. This one was a really nice XLT extended cab that I really liked. I took it with me to Korea when I went in 1996, just so it wouldn?t be sitting in the driveway tempting my teenaged, wannabe driver. It came back the US with me in 1997 and took up residence in Utah.

Hyundai Excel 4 door. Bought this for the spouse when she came back to town after the divorce and she wanted to work things out. We drove the wheels off this little car for a couple of very dependable years and only ever replaced one CV joint. It was cheap but a reliable car and it earned my respect.

Pontiac TranSport minivan. Traded the Hyundai for this one. I put some shiny billet wheels and 70 series tires on it for a much-improved look over the originals. A pretty decent soccer shuttle and grocery hauler, we even took a road trip from Louisiana to Oregon and back in decent comfort for 4 people.

Ford Thunderbird, 1996. The BSU bought this one while I was home on leave from Korea. She wanted out of the minivan mom look and the metallic navy blue T-bird was the ticket. Too bad I rolled it on the Oregon interstate in coming back from her mother?s funeral. This time I had both kids in the car with me but nobody was hurt and we got a Greyhound ride home the next day.

Jeep Wagoneer.This was "Woodrow" because it had the wood grain trim on the side and the spouse thought "Woodie" was too informal. Big honking V8 under the hood but no power, no gas mileage and crowded inside. Woodrow had to go when every time I tried to leave town it broke down on the spouse and forced me to come home early.

Mitsubishi Montero A much more modern SUV to replace the Wagoneer. This was spousal unit's daily driver and the family car. It was sold when she went unemployed.

Ford F250 Crew Cab truck, 2000. This was the very first vehicle that I bought brand new from the dealer. Everything else on this list was used when I bought it. It is V10 powered, 4WD and has all the goodies inside. We bought this to keep a long time and to accommodate our recreational desires.

1987 Jeep Cherokee. This one came from the auction and was planned to be either for the spousal unit or for Noah's driver. He promptly exploded the motor and I spent all last summer overhauling, then replacing the motor. Once it had a good motor in it, I sold it with no regrets.

1989 Geo Tracker. This is another SUV, but a little 2 door convertible one. It also came from the auction, the same night as the Jeep. (I got in a little trouble for that...) Its been a really dependable little rig for the time I've owned it and taking off the top when the weather is nice is great fun. It is cheap and easy to work on and tolerant of a teenaged driver.

1969 VW Baja. I bought this for the elder son, who I thought was going to get his drivers license but didn't. Now Noah claims it and in a week or two we may have it through the licensing process and on the road.

70?s vintage Fiberfab Avenger. This is a kit car that I bought as a father-son project a couple years ago. It looks a little bit like a Ford GT-40 racecar from 1967. We have done quite a bit of work to it but restoration has been stalled due to lack of funds. It is VW powered and we have an entire replacement chassis in the backyard awaiting our time and money.

That?s it. That is the list of all the cars I have owned in my life. I think. Thirty-three cars and trucks. The number hardly seems big enough for the list, since 4 of the rigs are presently still in my driveway.
Nate 5:11 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Ok, its really 34 cars, I forgot one. The Vega's been added and I included a picture. Maybe another day I'll make a list of the cars that got away and I didn't own but wanted.
Nate 9:50 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, May 12, 2003
My name's Nate and I'm a vehicoholic too. I started working on a list tonight of all the cars I've owned in an effort to identify where the problem started but now its late and I'm only up to about 1991. So I'm saving the file and I'll finish tomorrow. Or sometime later anyway. Now I'm a grumpy badger, so leave me alone for a bit!

And later I promise to tell you a true to life badger story...
Nate 10:30 PM - [Link] Say something...
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DRUDGE REPORT FLASH- Restaurant Shut Down for Using Underpants as Dish Cloths
Eww!
Nate 6:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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The Spudgun Technology Center - Spudgun Components & Accessories

We were discussing spud guns (or potato cannons, same thing) at work last week and after I described these fun toys to my cubicle mates, I was asked if it were possible to have a rifled barrel. Well, I said I had considered it before but that technology was outside my skill level. Now I see that this guy has perfected rifled pvc pipe and I have a distinct urge to buy some...

If you've never played with a spud gun before you don't know how much fun you're missing. Start by checking out this site and then try googling "spud gun". Great, great fun.
Nate 4:00 PM - [Link] Say something...
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What Is Your Animal Personality?
brought to you by Quizilla
Hmm, Same critter as Acidman, are we really that much alike?

Probably...
Nate 9:46 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, May 09, 2003
I'm Baaack! First time in 15 years that this ROTC camping trip had to be shortened due to weather. It rained. It snowed. There was thunder and lightning and sleet and fog and 20 kids sleeping in on the ground in unsuitable tents without proper cold or wet weather gear. So we came back to town this morning. It was the right thing to do.

Yesterday was actually quite a nice day, overcast and cool but dry until nearly suppertime. First thing upon arrival at the Forestry Service Willow campground (which does not show up on the map BTW but its just 1 mile further up from Meadows campground) was to get tents up and gear stowed, then it was spring cleanup time. The deal is apparently that the ROTC gets exclusive use of one of the numerous campgrounds up South Fork, if they do the cleanup. That's trash, downed branches, leaf piles and sweeping each of the concrete picnic areas. So the kids spent a few hours cleaning up and cutting and stacking wood from a tree that was down and then went to work turning the logs into firewood for the weekend. This was a little scary, watching city kids whomping on an ax and a sledge and maul trying to split logs. They only destroyed 2 maul handles... There was also a water run that needed to be made and general hanging about until it was time for the ROPE BRIDGE!

This is actually a timed event for one competition these kids participate in, so the ones that have built it before are pretty competent at training the new kids. First they practised stringing their rope between two trees on land and once they thought they had it down, took their rope over to the creek! Now they actually strung their rope across the water and they took turns tieing rope harnesses through their legs and hanging from a carabiner while dragging themselves across the swirling and just-yesterday-was-snow- cold water. It was a fine team effort and everyone that wanted a chance got it. There was a couple kids that did get wet but no injuries and it seemed like great fun. Then it was time for the 6 mile to-the-dam-and-back run!

I of course, to avoid embarrassing any of these young, fit teens did not take part in the run. It could have scarred them for life if an old, fat guy like me showed them up, so I instead, after the group left walked just 1 mile up the road to the nearest payphone. I wanted to hear my BSU's lilting voice and to ensure that she was doing ok as she is still not 100% after Tuesday's surgical endeavors. (She's better today.)

By supper time which rolled around after the run and the post-run cooldown splashing in the creek, the weather was really starting to look ugly. Clouds were rolling in and thunder was rumbling in the hills and most of the kids cooked over the propane stove while their beanies and weanies got diluted with rain.

I on the other hand, retired to the camper and cranked up the furnace and made myself dinner and relaxed at the dinette. Right up until I felt this tiny little "tink" on my eyeglasses. Before I could form the "what the heck was that?" thought, my lens fell out and onto the floor! Oh, "that" was the tiny little screw falling out of the frame... Anyway I heard it hit the floor and after a number of minutes moving around with just one good eyeball to focus with on the dirtpile I swept up, I was able to find that little teeny tiny screw, rescue it and get it reinstalled performing its duty of holding lens into the frame. That could have been ugly...

I slept, (after a couple of beers) while the kids played capture the flag in the dark and all I heard for hours was the rain and then the sleet and later the snow coming down on the camper roof. Didn't even wake up when Noah came into the camper to sleep. He was supposed to be tenting it with the other kids but oh well.

Anyway, morning came and there was an inch of very wet snow on everything. I don't think there were any actual tent failures or fall downs but most had inadequate rain flys and waterproof floors which meant the rain came in and stayed inside the tent. Lots of wet sleeping bags, drowned duffle bags, soggy sneakers and boots. So the adult leadership made a command (and smart) decision to call off the remainder of the festivities. The forecast was for more of the same cold, rain and snow and coming back was the right choice. For Noah and a couple others, this was their last trip with the group and they were pretty disappointed but to the rest of the group they were miserable and staying longer would have just increased the misery.

So I'm home. Showered and everything's put away and I even made brunch for the BSU and myself from the fod I didn't use camping. Now its time to get down to Hollywood Video before the last copy of Catch Me if You Can is gone!
Nate 4:37 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Wednesday, May 07, 2003
OK, I'm going on the camping trip. I've packed everything but the food that needs to go into the cooler, warm clothes, extra socks, a spot light for finding kids as they try to sneak around during the escape & evasion play and a book to read when I tire of the kids. I wish I would have thought to call in a favor and borrowed a set of Night Vision goggles for tracking kids with. That would have been very cool.

I've closed out my timecard for the week as being on vacation so I don't need to go back to work. I may sneak into town to make certain the BSU is doing ok on her own, she's still a little rocky after yesterday's festivities. But I probably won't be blogging until Sunday, so go do something else till I get back.

BTW, thanks for all that stopped by today and tried out my new comments section. I did write today's bit in a hurry and so the grammatical errors were in there and thanks for noticing. I spent nearly 12 hours working on a MS Word document, just trying to correct all the formatting discrepancies, of which there were many since the dang thing was 30 pages long, assembled from a number of older documents that might not all have been MS products, had tables and image files all pasted into one mess. There was a header/footer problem that I could NOT correct and it defied the best of our local gurus until I gave up and sent it back to Todd with apologies.

So that's it. I'm tired, its late and I have an early wake up tomorrow.
Nate 11:36 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Well then. I missed an entire day of work yesterday while taking my BSU to the surgery center for 2 medical procedures. One was a liver biopsy and the other too embarrasing to name but it involved a rude, flexible chrome flashlight and prior consumption of vicious laxatives. So she was under the weather all afternoon, required medications from the pharmacy and general kindness and availability of yours truly. So, 1 day of work missed.

Son Noah's ROTC unit has an Escape & Evasion camping trip each spring. Months ago your humble scribe and Ford pickup were volunteered to provide logistical and managerial support to this camping trip. Which I thought was this Friday, Saturday & Sunday. NOT. Its Thursday, Friday & Saturday instead. Found out last night. That means missing more work this week and burning vacation hours that I was carefully stashing away for a couple trips in July. Humph! Now I have to get the camper prepared tonight including reinstalling the front storage door that I had removed to repair after the last trip, adding fresh water and getting the battery charge topped up. I've also got to figure out meals and warm and dry clothes because the weather's going to be cold, wet and not condusive to easy camping. Humph! Again.

Long story wrapped up now, I've got 3 days worth of work to get accomplished- today. Right now. So probably no more blogging today until maybe evening and not much in the next couple days either. But I'll keep notes and get back to you soonest.
Nate 12:25 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Roy Utah man, John Cole - World War II and Korean War veteran gets medals
Note: This article was located through Google News because my local paper the Ogden Standard-Examiner still wants you to register, which I think is ridiculous and its also why the Caspar Star-Tribune gets Google hits and the Standard-Examiner doesn't.
John Cole, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, has received the Purple Heart and other medals he earned a half century ago.

The medals were presented to Cole, a Marine Corps survivor of the Chosin Reservoir battle in Korea, by Sen. Orrin Hatch on Monday at the 16th annual Conference for Seniors in Salt Lake City.

The Roy, Utah, man received the Purple Heart for a gunshot wound to an arm during the battle at the frozen Chosin Reservoir in North Korea in 1950. [...] Cole also received the Presidential Unit Citation, the Presidential Unit Citation from South Korea, a South Korean medal, the American Defense Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the United Nations Medal and the United Nations Medal with a Bronze Star in Korea.

Cole, who had fought in World War II and then was reactivated and sent to Korea, returned to his job at Hill Air Force Base. He worked there for 40 years before retiring.

Cole said that as president of the Utah chapter of the Survivors of Chosin Reservoir, he often counseled others to make sure their records were up to date and they had their medals. In February, he realized he hadn't practiced what he preached, and he contacted Hatch's office, which arranged for him to get the medals.

There's more to the article so go read it but unfortunately there's no photo of Mr. Cole receiving his medals and that's too bad. He's a genuine war hero and I'm glad to see him get the recognition he deserves.

One final note; our previously disparaged paper somehow found it fitting to print a picture of the good Senator Hatch in their publishing of this story. No picture of the awards ceremony, or the two of them together, just a picture of the senator... I feel another letter to the editor coming on!

Nate 7:33 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Did I mention my dad just got remarried? Here's proof. His lovely bride is Carol and they are happy residents in Florida.


This picture includes my younger, though taller brother Tim, his girlfriend Rhonda and her daughter Rachel.


And finally for tonight, the newlyweds went off for a 7 day cruise for their honeymoon and I'm told they had a wonderful time. (I'm so overdue taking my Beloved Spousal Unit on a cruise!)


Nate 8:33 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Testing testing Testing...
UPDATE Folks, your opportunity to talk back to me has just been improved with a comments section here at Wasted Electron HQ. Its your chance to let me know when my spelin is lousy an my gramer is slipppin and my sentanc structuer is fallin apart. And you can tell me if (when) I'm stupid or way off base with my opinions or that I'm ugly if you like. Just be warned that your words will be out there for the other 2 people who occasionally stop by to read and comment on as well.

These new upgrades are of course brought to you by the kind folks at Blogger- NOT! They are actually provided, free of charge by these kind folks; the Klink Family! If you're a poor homeless, barely got an archive Blogger like me and you would like to add comments to your page like those paying folks with their own domain name and all the frills, why go see the Klink family and get fixed up. I think I'm going to send them a couple of dollars just to say thanks.
Nate 7:50 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Monday, May 05, 2003
San Francisco Hosts 'Masturbate-A-Thon'

Oh Good Grief! These folks must have missed the picture of the sign I posted a couple days ago... and I'll bet these parties aren't too popular in Alabama either, what with the State Police on the lookout for illicit vibrator possession!
Nate 11:04 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Climber Pinned by Boulder Cuts Off Arm to Live

Aron Ralston, 27, of Aspen, Colorado, used a pocketknife to cut off his arm below the elbow, then rappelled down a rock wall and hiked until he ran into some hikers who flagged down a rescue helicopter 60 miles south of Green River on Thursday. He had applied a tourniquet to his arm.

Vetere said Ralston would never have been spotted in the remote area where he was pinned by the boulder, which rescuers estimated at between 800 and 1,000 pounds.

Ralston was hiking into a canyon on Saturday when the boulder fell on him. Actually he was NOT hiking but rappeling in a slot canyon just 3 feet wide and 60 feet deep. He stuck his hand under the boulder looking for a hand hold and the rock shifted onto his hand. He ran out of water on Tuesday and by Thursday realized he had to take the drastic action.

This story has been headline news for several days now here in Utah and fortunately it appears that Aron will survive quite fine though he may have trouble making friends in middle eastern countries. The guy is actually very experienced in back country trekking, except that it seems he is careless about A) taking someone with you, (buddy system and all that) or B) telling someone exactly where you are going. Not only did he go off on this trip alone he and two others nearly died in an avalanche this past winter that could have been avoided so his judgement is suspect in my opinion.

No doubt we'll be subjected to his story on a CBS special sometime in the future...
Nate 11:01 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sunday, May 04, 2003
Flu bug is retreating-- slowly
Well what a boring weekend this one has been! Only got dressed for the first time since Thursday night this morning, I've been in my jammies for 2 complete days and except for reading my mail and a little bit of blogging I haven't been off the couch. The maximum strength night-time multi symptom gel caps have kept my symtoms at bay for the most part and made it possible for me to sleep and not be coughing all day and night. I did manage to cough hard enough to re-injure a floating rib and that's a problem that will take time to heal.

I did manage to scan a bunch of photos and put them on a CD today to send off to be added to a big scrapbook for my grandma Manning. There's going to be a family reunion this summer and one of my cousins is in charge of the photo scrapbook and she's been begging me for a few weeks now. So I scanned more pictures than she requested and I'll let her burn up her printer getting the pictures into the scrapbook. Sorry Stacie!

I also finally have obtained a scope for my Ruger 10/22 and I got it mounted this weekend. I wish I felt good enough to go get it bore sighted and to take it to the range but I don't. The scope's a BSA Deerhunter 3X9 power and although its not the short scope I wanted it fits and is bright and I can't wait to try it.

And now I'm going to load up on more meds and crash on the couch. Maybe I'll get back later this evening...
Nate 9:53 PM - [Link] Say something...
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Friday, May 02, 2003
I have no idea what this sign means...


But I'm pretty certain no Duracells are required!
Nate 9:50 PM - [Link] Say something...
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The Flu Big's got me...
I should have known from much earlier in the week when I was having some serious lower back pain, which for me is a usual sign of upcoming illness. But I blew it off as over exertion from the camping trip and paid it no more mind. But the flu rolled into me yesterday afternoon and it is kicking my butt today. when I got up at 5 AM I thought someone had attacked my throat with a propane torch! So I stayed home, went back to bed until 9:30 and am now heavily medicated and not too much inclined to blog.

So go check out the other fine bloggers on the left over there and I'll get back to his when I feel better...
Nate 12:42 PM - [Link] Say something...
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The Salt Lake Tribune -- Trib Editor Jay Shelledy Resigns Amid Controversy

Fighting back tears, he assured the staff, "We can take back everything we lost momentarily because of two chowderheads."

Remember I wrote about Mr Shelledy firing two reporters earlier this week, well its all gone downhill since then. Too bad too because I liked the guy.

On another related note; the Smart family is just all over the place with this story. Note their disappointment not to receive a personal apology from Mr Shelledy about his handling of his reporters. Additionally, their attorney just had a press conference, carried live by the local news stations about what he dug up during his investigation of the involvement of the National Enquirer.

Even the mayor has received a letter from the Smart family detailing their complaints about the way the police handled this investigation and now Rocky has tasked the police chief to answer back about the Smart family complaints. The whole thing stinks and I still believe there is a lot of scandal being covered up by the lawyers that may never see the light of day.
Nate 2:49 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Girl sues to be lone valedictorian
Hornstine, who said she plans to become a lawyer, is not the first student to sue over the right to be valedictorian of a high school class.

Hornstine, the 18-year-old daughter of a state Superior Court judge, (this explains a lot doesn't it?) has asked a federal judge to intervene, saying that being forced to share with students with lesser grades would detract from what she has accomplished.

She has also filed a notice saying she plans to sue the school district in state court claiming the dispute has humiliated her. She said she would be asking for $200,000 in compensatory damages and $2.5 million in punitive damages.


In the last year alone, judges have been asked to consider similar cases in Ohio, Washington and Michigan. In two of the cases, students who wanted to be included as co-valedictorians were allowed by judges to be included. The third case, in Michigan, involves a student who wanted an A changed to an A+ so he would be more likely to be valedictorian.

No, we're not a litigious society at all... These are the future leaders of America folks; give me what I want, my way, or I'll sue... Oh, and make me rich at the same time will you?

Nate 2:32 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Sex Toys Still Illegal in Alabama...

The 1998 bill's sponsor, Sen. Tom Butler, D-Madison, said it was not his intent to ban sex toys. The Madison County district attorney's office inserted the language, and he simply went along with it, Butler said. Ooh, is that a Freudian slip?

The law made it a misdemeanor to distribute "any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genitals."

So its ok to legislate to make blackberries the state fruit but its not ok to let the Energizer bunny dance on your nether parts...
Nate 1:47 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Thursday, May 01, 2003
The 419th FW Multimedia Presentation- A Show of Force

From the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper's website I found this media presentation from a visit to the 419 Fighter Wing, a Reserve unit assigned to Hill AFB. If you have never had the opportunity to visit a operational Air Force unit and see the inside of a maintenance hangar, here is an excellent online visit.

I've been privileged to visit on a couple of occasions the hangar that is on display in this presentation and one thing you should know about this hangar; it is as clean every day as it was when the pictures were taken. These guys have a first class working environment and they take very good care of it. So go check it out and remember, these guys are primarily civilians with jobs downtown or flying an airliner taking you on vacation. But right now they have been called up to active duty, they have been deployed into harm's way every time there is a call and they are defending our nation's interests with skill and dedication.
Nate 8:10 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Recharging batteries in a microwave oven
Australia's The Advertiser newspaper has reported that a Scarborough, Perth man was lucky to escape unharmed after he attempted to recharge his mobile phone - in a microwave phone.

The paper said that firefighters were called to the man's home in suburban Scarborough after the battery exploded inside the oven, causing smoke to pour out of the appliance.

NSW Fire Brigades Fire and Emergency Services district officer Alan Riley said the man was lucky not to have been injured in the incident, which caused about US$125 damage to the microwave.

"It's a timely reminder to people not to put things in the microwave other than food - and this includes phone batteries or using your microwave to dry your clothes," Mr Riley said. Do ya think? Now microwaves are going to have to come from the manufacturers with warning labels: NOTE, THIS IS NOT A CELL PHONE BATTERY CHARGER! Dang people can be stupid!

Nate 8:09 AM - [Link] Say something...
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The Fastest Man on Earth
Sled number one was ridden by Dr. John P. Stapp in 1954 to evaluate the effects on human tissue during the extremely rapid changes in deceleration. Traveling faster that a .45 caliber bullet, reaching a peak of 632 miles per hour, peak velocity, in 5 seconds, Dr. Stapp became known as the fastest man on earth. Deceleration changes equivalent to an open seat ejection from a cockpit at 1800 miles per hour at 36000 feet altitude were experienced. The space surgeon Stapp organized and founded the aeromedical facility, Edwards Air Force Base, California, and the aeromedical field laboratory, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and pioneered in research on the effects of mechanical forces on human tissue.

In follow-up to the story earlier today about the record setting sled tests at White Sands, I went and found the story of Col Stapp and his testing efforts back in the 1950s. Its a pretty interesting read if you like military history.
Nate 3:05 AM - [Link] Say something...
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Squadron helps renovate Clearfield home
ahem... try wasted_electrons and blogspot if you want to read the whole article...
Thur, May 1, 2003 By ANTONE CLARK Standard-Examiner Correspondent

CLEARFIELD -- From her vantage point, it was hard for Bonnie Thomas to conceal her glee.

Her Clearfield home, where she and her sister Ruby Briggs reside, was a buzz of activity. Every room had at least two volunteers, focused on fixing something or polishing or renovating a particular area. Thomas sat on a bench in the back yard, which had just been spruced up, taking it all in.

"It"s like coming home to a new house," Thomas said.

The home is not new, but it"s close. The 539 N. 200 West home features a new bathroom, new doors, new fixtures, new kitchen flooring, a newly refinished wood floor and fresh paint everywhere, among other things. All the time and materials were donated.

Men and women of the 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron from Hill Air Force Base took on renovation of the home as part of National Rebuilding Day, a day set aside by Rebuilding Together, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the homes of those who are elderly or disabled.

Normally the projects are limited to one day but Thomas" home was a special case. Squadron members descended on the home every day from Tuesday through Saturday to raze, rebuild, replace and polish different areas of the home. They also arranged special motel accommodation for the sisters until the project was completed.

The project was orchestrated by Staff Sgt. Jesse Bunck, who has been part of a rebuilding project for each of the past four years. All of the materials were either donated or purchased with money raised through fund-raising efforts.

Bunck got hooked on the benefits of the service project while stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and his enthusiasm has continued since then.

"There is satisfaction in seeing so many members of the squadron here," Bunck said.

He said the service gives him the chance to meet squadron members that he might not normally see. Bunck divided the renovation project into different tasks and assigned a supervisor over each. He said it was other volunteers who decided to take on a task that would last more than one day.

The service project seems especially appropriate, since the sisters are the daughters of the late Fay Briggs, a World War II veteran, who died in 1982. Briggs was a former commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Clearfield.

The former Briggs home was not the only home renovated as part of rebuilding day. Members of the 367th Training Support Squadron helped renovate a home in Layton at 962 Laverde.

Well done SSgt Bunck and all the members of the 84 RADES for your hard work and civic thoughtfulness. This was a good thing you did for these ladies. You have brought honor to your service and represent the finest attributes of our military family.

Folks, this kind of service project gets done by military service members all the time. They don't do it for the recognition or extra pay or medals. They do it because its the right thing to do and helping one's community feels good. We can all be proud that our military is full of people like SSgt Bunck and his coworkers.

Nate 1:40 AM - [Link] Say something...
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