Now thats depressing

The hurricane tracks that are on record for my area. Kind makes me want to duck, dodge or hide.

Nuclear Xylophone

Nuclear Operations earns the old description of "long periods of debilitating boredom sprinkled with short periods of intense panic".

Thankfully the boredom is almost pervasive. However, today in one of those boring times the creative have conceived of a project! One of the senior Reactor Operators was tapping on switch module covers, places where the switch has been removed and a blank put in its place, and discovered they all had different tones. We thought about it for a bit and decided we could get several Reactor Operators to take pencils and practice until they could play a tune, like bell ringers.

Then we could video tape it,

and put it on YouTube,

and watch it from federal prison,

where we will be sent when the NRC sees it!

So much for that idea.

Sky writings

Please check out Sky writings. This lady puts emotions into words better than most. The feelings are almost hypnotic. Keep tissue handy, the need may come quickly, as will the laughter.

She must be from the south.

Written by a housewife from New Jersey

'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we?

Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?

Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?

...Well, I don't. I don't care at all. I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia .

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave Marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college- hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.'

Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care !!

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior

By way of Rough Diamond

Sometimes when you least expect it.....

The Love of my Life just told me in one of those conversations that goes in odd directions, that her girls are looking for a man that treats them like I treat her.

Good luck girls, you'll need it. I come from another place and another time. The pop culture in this area is your worst enemy. The guys here are just looking for another sand slut, until they are ready to marry, then they want a girl who has never slept with their friends, or made a spectacle of them selves. My girls are both beautiful, and would be queens elsewhere, here they look like everyone around them.

I have told them before, go someplace away from here, where value is placed on womanhood and you will never be the same.

I was extremely flattered and proud. It feels good when someone sees what you try to do and be.

If they are the tricycle motors...

.

Then why am I so tired?

We had all four of the grand babies today, the Love of My Life planned a trip to Pirate Days at Old Baldy. The function is to support the lighthouse built in 1817, on Bald Head Island. There was a pirate reinactment group in camp, a Jack Sparrow look-a-like, a mock pirate trial, and various games and a theives market.

I thought I was hearding cats.

The little ones (5) would lag behind until you stopped and then when you turn around, just walk away. Then there is poke and prod until someone is crying. Then various fun and games between times. I have the advantage of being a little scary and gruff. I bark and they jump, not much but they do mind me better than most.

I was superised to find that we were allowed to climb to the top of the lighthouse. I think it may be a hundred feet tall. There is a long spiral staircase that take you to the top. The entrance to the top chamber will barely admit someone of my size.

Barely, but it will.

We had a look at the beautiful view and took a few pictures. Then to make room for the next group, and to get out of the heat, we started down. The bride went first, and then the two older girls, the trash talking boy was next. He balked and started with the "I can't" stuff. This is the kid that was later hanging over the side of the dock and will run down the curb of the of the walkways with a drop off on the side. There were people waiting, and he wasn't about about to go.

So I stuffed him in the hole like putting a cat in a sack. He star fished on me. Arms and legs spread as far as they would go, screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs. Lucky for me I out weigh him by about 220lbs, otherwise we might still be wrestling around the top of that place. I wrapped him up, folded the appendages in like the blades on a pocket knife, and handed him down to the bride.

About thirty seconds later he's trash talking again, go figure.

We had a picnic lunch, and a ferry ride back to the car. A long day for us all.

The oldest Step Daughter invited herself and her boyfriend to dinner. I had some sea bass that I wanted to cook on the new grill, add to that some chicken, mack and cheese, Chinese eggplant, okra, along with rolls and chocolate cake for dessert.

A fair meal, and well recieved.

We get to do it all again tomorrow.

Oh! Wait! Now I remember, I've only had nine hours shuteye since 3pm Thirsday.

Goody....

Spicoli strikes again

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Sean Penn for his critical stance against the war in Iraq, saying the two chatted by phone and soon plan to meet in person.

Chavez said Penn traveled to Venezuela this week wanting to learn more about the situation in the country and walked around some of Caracas' poor barrios on his own.

"Welcome to Venezuela, Mr. Penn. What drives him is consciousness, the search for new paths," Chavez said Wednesday in a televised speech. "He's one of the greatest opponents of the Iraq invasion."

Chavez read aloud from a recent open letter by Penn to President Bush in which the actor condemned the Iraq war and called for Bush to be impeached, saying the president along with Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are "villainously and criminally obscene people."

The socialist president, who shares those views, said he and Penn talked by phone—"with my bad English but we understood each other more or less."

They say there is no bad publicity, that may be, but this is as close as you can get. Spicoli cuddling up to a dictator that jails his opponents, shuts down dissenting papers and verbally attacks the Nation that tolerates hollywierd fruitcakes and their opinion. I wonder what Sean would think if he were kidnapped for ransom the way so many there are, and had to be hospitalized in the socialist paradise medical system? Little different perspective I expect. Walking around in the barrios does not generally give you a feel for a country, particularly when the Govt. probably has you covered with minders.