Well, now that Lon is traversing the Country and may not be able to keep up with things as well, I thought we could have this thread as a kind of LOG of different stuff. This way, when he comes back, he’ll be able to see some of the things that have happened in his abstinence ;-)

All FRLians, please feel free to add in your own things you feel would interest him. This should make a kind of nice surprise for him when he returns too.

Ok, guess I’ll start it off.

====================

6/8/04 – Tuesday Just as Lon is beginning his transit of some western States, something else is also making a transit, but not on Earth.

Something that no living person has ever seen---

Something that hasn’t happened in over 100 years---

Something that is moving silently across the cold void of space--- Venus is transiting the Sun, appearing in front of the lower half of the Sun as a black dot. At its entry and exit point, it appears teardrop-shaped instead of round. Scientists still do not yet understand this and are hopeful to get more insight from this transit.

But this is not the only thing that is of interest in the sky right now. Other things, sightings of UFO’s, have also been on the rise.

Very recently, on the northwest Coast of United States, there have been some very strange unidentifiable objects in the sky, accompanied by very loud and violent noises (explosions, actually). No explanation of these occurrences have been forthcoming---only things that can be ruled out.

And in Portugal last night, it happened again. More UFO’s, in both the South and North part of the Country; at least one of which showed up on Radar. Lots of eyewitness accounts of the strange object, but no explanations.

What’s happening? People who know are starting to ask.

Only there are no answers.

=====================================================

-- (sonofdust@lon.log), June 08, 2004

Answers

Wednesday, June 9th

The main story today remains the passing of former President Reagan. Legislation is being planned to have Reagan’s face on the $10 bill. The Germans plan to honor the former president by naming a street in Berlin “Reagan Street.” There has even been talk of putting Reagan on Mt. Rushmore. (Did you mention going by there too, Lon?) You had once asked if I had ever been to the White House, and I told you I had. The first time was during President Reagan’s presidency.

BTW, if you’re back by June 25th, you’ll be able to call former president Clinton on Infinity stations. He’ll be taking calls to publicize his new book. I’m sure many people have some things they’d like to say to him.

Also of interest---There is a new multinational effort to contain swarms of locusts that are threatening to devastate crops in Africa and spread north through Morocco and even to Europe. This is being headed by Spain who sent seven planes there for a spraying campaign south of the Atlas Mountains. There is the potential for a plague of proportions not seen for about 20 years. The locusts are mostly driven by the prevailing winds and can be very hard to stop or contain.

And last, a Taco Bell customer in Iowa did not get the right order. He evidently wanted a taco but got a chalupa instead. So he went back into the restaurant to tell the employee, who asked for his receipt. At this, he got pissed off and threw his chalupa at her, hitting her in the eye. He left the place, but an employee got his plate and the police were called. The police tracked him down and he was issued a criminal citation and will have to appear in court.

-- (sonofdust@keepingLon.abrest), June 09, 2004.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Well, it’s been announced that Country Music Television has listed its version of the 100 greatest love songs. And the number one song is. . .

(drum roll-------)

Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" from 1974. Whitney Houston did a version 18 years later that became number one on the Pop charts. The song was also featured in the movie "The Bodyguard."

Speaking of songs, police in the capital of Malaysia shut down a karaoke bar for allegedly keeping thousands of unlicensed songs in its computer system. This is the latest news in the crackdown on software piracy in Malaysia.

And now, something I know will be of some interest to you, Lon: the crocodile in Hong Kong that evaded capture all this time has finally been caught!

This croc was something special. Nobody could catch it! Expert hunters from around the world came to try but none succeeded. It got away from them all; evading darts, guns, harpoons, and snares. . . that is, until today.

The croc actually gained a cult following and was the talk of the city. It finally wandered into a trap. Delighted officials from the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department were shown on LIVE TV in a small boat, moving the croc from the creek it was caught to a government vet.

Well, that’s it for now. You can count on me, Lon, to keep you informed of these earth-shatteringly important events whilst you’re away so as to keep you from missing something really vital. I was hoping some other FRLians would chime in too, but nobody seems to be around at all the last few days.

-- (sonofdust@keeping.Lonabrest), June 10, 2004.

I've been around, Rob, just not long enough to add anything to your marvelous updates. Besides, they seem to be complete enough as it is.

.

Yesterday's blue skies

Are now dull and cloudy grey

Still we need more rain.

.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.ent), June 10, 2004.

Hi Tricia. Thanks for the Haiku ;-)

I saw your reply/request about a story (on an old thread) and will probably end up writing another sequel when I get a decent idea for one. For now, I've decided to try and post something here daily until Lon returns.

-- (sonofdust@hi.tricia), June 10, 2004.

Friday, June 11, 2004

Hong Kong's now-famous croc (named Gucci) has refused to eat anything since it was captured. Concern is growing. It took them 7 months to capture Gucci and now this: a hunger strike!

Now, Lon, I don’t wanna scare ya, but please be careful when you’re driving,ok? In Corpus Christi some poor guy’s truck was swallowed by a sinkhole! He noticed a puddle in the road and slowed down to go through it, but then the road collapsed right from under his tires. The truck sank down to its windshield by the time the police got there. So be extra careful!

If you feel like you need a break from driving, just get the old bikes out. But be careful on them too and follow the rules. You see, this one man was just charged with Drunk Driving after the police saw him riding his bicycle in the middle of the road, and with a headlight too. His bike wasn’t lit but he evidently was. He was weaving around badly and so they gave him a test to measure the alcohol in him and it was way over the intoxication level. The charge was something like operating a non-motor vehicle while under the influence and not having lights for the bike.

I’m not exactly sure where you are now, or where you’re going, but there’s been another BigFoot report so you may want to check it out if you’re passing by Alaska. These two men were going along the Alaska Highway when they noticed a person just standing on the side of the road. They passed the person but then turned around thinking the person might need a lift. When they got close though, they saw that the figure was covered in hair. It was standing upright this whole time too. It was about 7 feet tall, hunched over, and both men knew it was Not a person. They left the area and as they did the hairy figure crossed the highway in only 2 or 3 steps.

-- (sonofdust@June.11), June 11, 2004.

I don't think Lon has room in the camper for a log ...

-- helpful helen (keep@logging.rob), June 11, 2004.

Saturday, June 12 2004

Harrods needed to apologize to some of its customers. It seems they were selling undies and swimwear that had pictures of Hindu Godesses. The apology happened after protests by a Hindu Human Rights group, who felt the garments insulted their religion. The summer items had been on sale for a while. The problems began when an Indian executive was shocked by mannequins decked out with the brightly colored deity-deocrated bikinis. Evidently, last year a different department store also had to say they were sorry; they were selling toilet seats with the image of a Hindu Deity.

The $3.3 billion, 5,284 pound spacecraft Cassini has made it to Saturn after leaving Earth 7 years ago. It is there to explore the Rings and orbiting Moons of the planet. Reportedly, it just had its first contact with the Saturn System yesterday, when it came within 1,240 miles of Phoebe, the outermost, tiny moon. The plutonium- powered Cassini is also carrying a special probe made by the Euro Space Agency that will explore the moon Titan. It is expected that Cassini will be about 500,000 pictures.

========

On a serious note----

In a final "Hail to the Chief", the nation grudingly said a lingering last farewell to President Ronald Reagan yesterday. There was an elaborate ceremony held at the National Cathedral in Washington, attended by the Living Presidents, many Heads of State, dignitaries, and others.

The president of France decided he didn’t want to bother coming, even though he had been nearby (in Georgia). On the other hand, Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of England, came to show her respects, despite being told by her doctors not to due to her own health problems. Guess she deserves the nick name "Iron Lady". And what a tribute and speech she gave!

Anyway, it was a very moving and beautiful ceremony. Afterwards, the family flew back to the Reagan Library in the Simi Valley of California for the final tribute.

Lon, it was one of the most emotional and moving things I’ve ever seen---Nancy Reagan bending over the casket, whispering her last words to him, tears on her face, while gently caressing the Flag that covered the casket in a final demonstration of undying love and admiration. We all had tears in our eyes just watching it on the TV. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to actually be there. The children will remember this all their lives, as any who saw it will also.

-- (sonofdust@June.11), June 12, 2004.

June 13, 2004

I start with a story that our Sweet Princess may find interesting:

In Japan, there is a general boom in sleep-related products; including special pillows, new-age music, aromatherapy, and computerized dream-inducers. This is because sleep disorders are a serious and growing problem there.

As a result, a Japanese company has developed a sleep machine system that includes a special bed, wide-screen TV and sound-absorbent walls called a “Sleep Room.” A "sleep counselor" meets with clients and runs a specialized software program designed to identify any sleep problems. The result is what they call your "sleep profile."

Here’s some of what it’s like: The sleep room has a control panel in the wall. You start out upright in bed (like in a recliner). A giant TV screen is perfectly in your line of vision, showing pastoral scenes of a river bubbling through a forest. Soft guitar and piano music plays along with the sounds of trickling water and birds singing.

After a few minutes, the sleep machine kicks in: lights slowly dim, the TV and music dies down. Then the bed lowers into regular sleeping position. Then you get a mechanical massage where the mattress vibrates and bulges strategically under your upper and lower back. After a while, the lights turn off completely, the massage stops and your body is ready for Dreamland.

Sounds good, right? The good news is the ‘system’ will be on sale by July probably, and for a mere $30,000.

poopie.

=====

In Newport Beach California, a man attacked his pet macaw, named “Johnny”, breaking its beak and leg. He has been convicted of felony animal cruelty, sentenced to 4 months in jail, and will have to attend anger management classes. He is also expected to do 120 days of community service. Besides all that, he must pay $3,577.26 in restitution for surgery and care of the bird and cannot have any pets or drink alcohol for the 3 years he’ll be on probation.

The attack happened outside a Boating Lodge, where the bird was a mascot. The man said the whole thing was a mistake, testifying that the bird, which was his for 11 years, was injured after it bit him on the arm, causing him to fall down. He stated that witnesses outside the lodge misunderstood what they saw.

Johnny survived and was adopted by an animal care agency.

-- (sonofdust@JUNE.13), June 13, 2004.

Monday, June 14, 2004

Well, Lon, besides watching out for them there sinkholies, you might wanna also keep an eye towards the sky---

A 1.3kg meteorite went through the roof of an Auckland, New Zealand house yesterday. The odds of this are billions-to-one. Worldwide, such strikes happen only once every 4 years or so. The family's insurance company will pay for the hole in the roof and couch it hit and also the holes in the ceiling.

Oddly, it landed only a few kilometers from the Auckland Space Observatory. The meteorite itself, a chunk of an asteroid, might have been basketball-sized when it impacted Earth's atmosphere.

Some locals feel that it is a national treasure and should stay in the country. A family member said that if the rock was worth a lot they would sell it; otherwise it would be donated to a museum.

People worldwide have already shown interest in bidding on the grapefruit-sized rock. It could be worth more than $10,000 too, since coming through a roof adds a lot to its value.

Experts have told the family to keep the rock in the oven at 100C to dry it out. They plan on taking it to the local University.

========== Happy Flag Day!

-- (sonofdust@June.14), June 14, 2004.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

The city of Helena, Montana has a weed problem. Their solution is to lease 850 goats that’ll eat the Dalmatian toadflax, Leafy spurge and Spotted knapweed which are all choking Mount Helena.

A similar plan was tried several years ago with about 50 goats. The animals escaped a number of times, but this new plan will include having two herders and three dogs to watch that the goats stay on the job. So if you’re out that way during your trip and you see them, now you know why!

= = = = = =

Well, Lon, it’s finally here; what you’ve been waiting all this time for: Orange cauliflower. Yep, that’s right, orange! This cauliflower hybrid is now being sold in garden catalogs right here in the U.S.

The restaurant chefs seem to like it because of its superior appearance, plus it is something different. It’s got about 25 times more vitamin A than its paler brother too.

It all started with some seeds from a mutant plant, first found in a marsh north of Toronto in 1970.

Now I just know you’ll think it was worth the wait.

-- (sonofdust@june.15), June 15, 2004.

Soooo, where are they getting the goats? And do the goats prefer orange cauliflower too?

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanetr.net), June 15, 2004.

LOL, Tricia. The article didn't specify where they're getting the goats; only that they were being 'leased', which I think is pretty amusing just by itself.

Maybe there's a job opportunity here somewhere. Hmmm... "Robby RedSox's Leasable Goats. Inc.," or maybe "Sweet Princess Goats for Hire; Demand the Royal Treatment".

Maybe I should've gone into marketing.

Nah, nevermind.

poopie.

===============================================

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Lon, you’ve probably heard of New York's Coney Island hot dog eating contest, and the famous New Orleans oyster eating contest is practically in your own back yard. But now Maine is starting something new: Lobster-eating contests.

They plan on having about 5 of them across the state this summer. I guess this is gonna be a bit more expensive than the other contests, as a single lobster goes for at least 7 bucks!

Contestants are given instructions on the proper way to crack open and eat a lobster, and will have to devour the tail, claws, knuckles and at least two legs for it to count.

I know you’re not expecting to make it out to the East Coast this trip, Lon, but thought you’d like to know about this for planning any future trips.

= = =

A New York City councilor is proposing a bill to force public venues to provide twice as much toilet space for women as they do for men. The bill would place new requirements on various public venues, including stadiums, bars, cinemas and theatres.

It is being called the restroom equality bill, and it is meeting some resistance. One lawyer told a city council hearing that it might cost tens of millions of dollars to enact.

But the sponsors of the bill noted that when you're standing in a line, there's nothing more serious at that moment than answering nature’s call. They see this as being about fairness as well as the general welfare of people.

Studies by some universities show that women take more time than men in the bathroom: 45 seconds on average for men, compared with 79 for women. The extra time was mostly spent removing and replacing clothing, accompanying children, and washing hands.

Well, that's it for today, Lon.

-- (sonofdust@leased.goats), June 16, 2004.

Wow Rob. Lon's gonna love this. What a thoughtful soul you are.

Further to your meteorite item. The lady in whose house it landed remarked that her first thought was "what has my husband broken now?". A couple of radio announcers over here invited men to ring in and tell what other things they have been unjustly blamed for. One man said he was a shift worker and when he questioned his wife about the several affairs she had been having, she told him it was his fault because he was never home.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), June 16, 2004.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

An Iowa couple has just celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary! They were married in June of 1924. The husband was a chiropractor for 68 years, working out of the family's home. His wife helped with bookkeeping, but was mainly a homemaker. The couple liked to travel, and have been to Europe on the Queen Mary, and also went to Japan, China and Russia. They moved to a Care Center after the wife had a heart attack last year. He is 101, and she is 96. Hows 'bout that!

= = = =

Lincoln, Nebraska city officials don’t want cats roaming the streets freely. Local attorneys are drafting a cat-at-large law aimed at eliminating strays. All cats will be required to be on leashes when not on their owners' property. Officials have said this is due to both health and annoyance concerns.

The president of The Cat House, a licensed organization which cares for abandoned cats, said the issue is a very emotional one. Similar laws were considered and discarded in 1985, because of budget and enforcement concerns. Another attempt failed two years later.

So there are still cats-at-large and they are still making poopies. Lon, if you’re out that way and you happened to have a cat along on this trip, be careful and make sure it’s on a leash!

-- (sonofdust@june.17), June 17, 2004.

Rob, your log about the elderly couple celebrating their 80th anniversary reminds me of the song "Where've You Been". I'm not too big on most Country singers, but that one is by Kathy Mattea and is wonderful (I get tears in my eyes almost every time). Hurrah for music that moves me :-)

-- Tricia the Cnauck (Jayles@telusplanet.net), June 17, 2004.

As Jefe's updates are running some long, and Redneck says that Lon may try to read it and drive at the same time, I figure I'll try to summarize for our dearly departed in the interest of safety:

SUMMARY 1) Jefe thinks they won't have newspapers where Lon is going, so...what's that? No, Redneck, not because they burn so easily but because...aw...Don't distract me. You're always doing that. Now where was I. Oh, yeah, so he'd put a log online for Lon...Huh? What? No, you idiot, not like the frat guys used to put on the Dean's doorstep at Bayou Tech, another kind of log entirely. This one's a verb, like "log onto a computer," or maybe a daily diary, like "ship's log." Look it up, and let me finish.

2) You didn't miss anything with that Venus-transverse-of-the-sun thing. Redneck checked and said it just looked like the bottom of your average rain cloud to him.

3) You're headed into a hotbed of UFO sightings. Since you're in the NW anyway, keep an eye out for Bigfoot, too. Redneck sends regards to the hairy one and says it's been a long time, so maybe he's forgot about us setting you up with his sister that time.

4)Former Pres. Reagan died, and the next ten days or so of media was devoted to flattering rememberances of his life and accomplishments. 5)For immediate contrast, former Pres. Clinton's book is coming out, and by all accounts in recent interviews as well as in the book he nearly freely admits he was probably grievously wrong to have maybe done something with that woman, but he was totally right to have been outraged and fought tooth-and-nail to prevent anything from resulting in accountability at the hands of that vindictive, low-life prosecutor who kept trying to uncover something he archaically referred to as "the truth."

6) Aside from the signs in the heavens already mentioned, we have a plague of locusts wreaking havoc in N Africa and possibly elsewhere. Sounds downright apocalyptic. But don't let it spoil your vacation. Some think the "tribulation" will only fall on the world as it was known in ancient times. Bad news for the Middle East. Good news for the Bayou (if it's a proper interpretation).

7)Gucci, the Hong Kong croc, has been corraled. He's going to a local vet's to help him out with euthanizing mean dogs. Studies have shown it's quicker and cheaper than other methods, and, hey, a guy's gotta eat, you know.

8) A NY action seeks a law to provide twice as much bathroom space for women than for men at public venues. Apparently a problem with additional clothing items equates to additional time in the stall (stalling?). Redneck thinks it has to do with anatomy. Anybody with those tiny waists can't have too much bladder capacity. I pointed out that Katie (Elbows) O'Meara used to drink him under the table regularly without having to excuse herself, but he says she was just a freak of nature along with her being able to beat him at arm wrestling and knife throwing and all that other stuff too. I'm thankful the subject came up. Redneck got to crying and left the room. I think he was sweet on Katie.

9)A grapefruit-sized meteorite hit a house in Aukland. This is apparently more notable than the grapefruit-sized hailstones that came through the roof of a cousin's house in NW Houston years ago. A few big ones came through the roof and ceiling and landed on the upstairs beds. Either way, it must be a fearsome thing. As for the Aukland wife thinking to blame some mishap on her husband before she found out what had happened and Jefe's wanting examples of other times poor husbands were wrongly blamed--time and space do not allow. 10) Helena, MT has decided to lease a goodly number of goats to control the dalmatian toadflax, leafy spurge and spotted knapweed that are choking Mt Helena. They'll have a couple of goatherds and 3 dogs to keep the goats from wandering too far. Does this not have all the ingredients for a classical Greek drama? In the end, the weeds will win out and the constricted Mt Helena will blow like Mt St Helens (the flawed king's former paramour, now banished to Washington, coincidentally sister to his current Mt). But the herders and dogs and goats escape to lusher pastures just in time, and the foul, virtually indigestible creeping vines are consumed in the ultimate feiry downfall depicted in the final scene. By the way, I've noticed that folks with sheep and goats in Texas park a donkey in the same pasture for protection against coyotes. Cheaper to feed and less maintenance than a dog, and they do the job. Noble beasts, though the little burros usually pressed into such service down here are nothing compared to a real mule, Helena. 11) The specially outfitted Japanese "sleep rooms" wouldn't be of interest to Lon. Redneck went over there to raid his refrigerator as soon as Lon left and says it sounds just like Lon's den in the new place. Redneck himself swears by having little Oriental women walk on his back, but my wife won't let me go with him to see if it works. I wonder if T the C would like to check out the multiplication of sleep disorders in Japan and speculate on the causes.

12) Someone has invented a yellow-colored cauliflower. This may not have been done at Texas A&M as cauliflower are already white, and they would have tried, if any other color were required, to crank out a maroon (moron?--Sorry Kooks, couldn't resist!) variety. You can be sure they wouldn't do anything to make it anywhere near orange in color. However, if it becomes commercial this new yellow cauliflower should allow Boston Market to serve something else besides their macaroni and cheese that looks like it has lots of cheese on it but tastes like it doesn't. 13) And, finally, Rob says The Cat House in Lincoln, Nebraska is an organization that cares for abandoned cats.

-- J&R (j&r@condensedversion.com), June 18, 2004.

Ok Ok Ok I can take a hint. I'll stop now. No more logging.

poopie.

-- (sonofdust@completely.summarized), June 18, 2004.

Come clean, Jefe. Looks to me like you just now used us fer a excuse to dodge the responsibility of the daily postin. I guess its OK, since it uz a self-imposin responsibility in thuh first place. But ifn you run acrost any other interestin stuff dont feel any more obliged to keep it to yerself than you was to post it. We kinda like to wonder at thuh strangeness you notice in thuh world. I espeshully like it cause I dont read so good as J an shy away from newspapers some. Unless I need a transfer case fer thuh truck or somethin. Want ads is the greatest invention since shade aint it.

-- Redneck (redneck@keepumcom.in), June 18, 2004.

Go ahead, twist my arm. See if I'll change my mind. Go ahead. . .

Well, ok, that's 'nuff twistin'. I'll continue posting but I expect another good summary from you, ya here?!

= = = = = =

Friday, June 18, 2004

A St. Paul woman became scared when her boyfriend squeezed her too tightly as they kissed. She bit off part of his tongue. "I guess I bit down too hard," the woman told police. The 43 year-old woman was arrested for assault, investigators said. The bitten 46 year-old man is also from St. Paul. He was taken to a local Hospital, treated, and released. Authorities went to the woman's home to look for the tongue. However, they couldn't find it. The woman had been drinking with her boyfriend. She told them she does not recall what happened to the end of his tongue. Police estimate that it measured about 1.5 inches.

==== =====

Hey Lon, here’s another thing you’ll need to watch out for if you’re in Iowa -----

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, traffic on Interstate 380 virtually stopped as piglets starting falling out of a northbound semi-trailer! The pigs fell off the truck during a stretch of a little more than three miles, police said. The driver pulled over after seeing that his back gate was open, police said. He told the officers that he didn’t know the pigs were falling out. Luckily, the falling piglets didn't cause any accidents. Also, no people were injured. But 5 of the pigs had to be euthanized.

== == == ==

Oh, and one other thing, Lon. I don’t know if you’re going to be around Oregon or not, but just in case you are, check this out:

The town of Ashland Oregon has passed an Anti-Nudity Ordinance, prohibiting genital exposure downtown and in public parks. The Mayor of the town said he was 'wholeheartedly in favor' of the ban. "I have had many citizens say they cannot believe that someone can run through town with no clothes on," he said. The new ordinance will enable local police to ask a nude person to cover themselves up. If they refuse, they could get a $250 fine. So if you’re in that town, Lon, keep your clothes on!

-- (sonofdust@June.18), June 18, 2004.

Saturday, June 19, 2004

An Alabama bird named Matilda has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living chicken. Matilda, a little gray bird, is 14 years old, and is thought to be an Old English Red Pyle hen. She works as a Magician’s Assistant. Her role in the show is to magically appear in a pan that just earlier seemed to only have a fresh egg yolk and a few drops of hot sauce.

======= = =

Ok, Lon, now for something closer to where you may be at the moment: In Blackfoot, Idaho a buffalo brought for butchering cleared a slaughterhouse's 8-foot fence and ran away to safety. The owner of the slaughterhouse said the 1,200-pound bison jumped the corral fence just after it was unloaded. The buffalo didn't make it that far though. Bingham County Sheriff's deputies shot and killed the animal as it neared the Snake River and more populated areas. So Lon, if you happened to see something large and dark and pissed off jumping over a fence during your travels, well, now you know what it was!

==== = = =

-- (sonofdust@june.19), June 19, 2004.

LOL Rob. This "little gray bird" is thoroughly enjoying Lon's log.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), June 19, 2004.

This morning, after a quick breakfast, the family went crabbing down at the seashore and we got a bunch of blueclaw crabs. I cleaned them all and Marie cooked them up with bay seasoning and garlic. We sat outside on a picture-perfect day here and ate them on spread-out newspaper and paper plates, followed by some sweet watermelon. What a lunch!

Several hours later, the family took me out for a nice dinner to top things off. It's been a wonderful Fathers Day for me. So here's wishing a very special Happy Fathers Day to all my fellow Fatherly FRLians!

-- (sonofdust@June.20), June 20, 2004.

Well, I know I'm late because it's after midnight, but I want to wish all the fathers here a wonderful father's day, too.

-- Tricia the Cnauck (jayles@teluspalnet.ent), June 21, 2004.

Monday, June 21, 2004

The headline for this one says “Bank Robber Forgets Getaway Car.” In the town of Beaverton, Oregon (no, Lon, I did not make the name up!) a man stuck up the local bank. He got away with $188,655, a hefty amount for a single haul, police said.

The bank robber brought his loaded gun, a bag to carry his loot off with, and a bandana to cover his face. Unfortunately for the robber, he forgot a crucial piece of any heist: having a nearby getaway car. The robber’s own car was several blocks away, according to reports.

After the stick-up and realizing his mistake, here’s what happened:

The bank robber walked back into the bank and demanded car keys from a bank customer. Then he took the keys, all the while being very polite. He went outside right to the car, but the robber couldn’t figure out which particular key opened up the car, so he went back into the bank to ask!

Well, he finally got the car open and drove right passed a Beaverton police Officer, who was getting signals from the tracking device planted in the stolen cash. As a result the police tracked him down within minutes.

The thief told Police it was his first robbery.

= = =

-- (sonofdust@@june.21), June 21, 2004.

Oops sorry Rob, I had no idea it was Father's Day over there. Our Aussie menfolk have to wait until September for theirs. I'm glad you had such a nice day with your family and hope that all the other FRL Dads had a good day too.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), June 21, 2004.

I'll bet it's his last bank robbery, too!

.

Brilliant orange

Flaming sun settles to ground

Clouds bright gold lining.

.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.ent), June 21, 2004.

Wow, tricia, thatwas gooooood!

========================

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

I’m not sure where Robert Moses state park is Lon (I think it might be by Niagra somewhere) but just in case you’re by it, here’s something to just keep in mind:

A basking shark about 6 feet long scared the crap out of bathers at Robert Moses State Park beach yesterday. Officials closed the beach to swimmers for a brief time. The shark’s fins were seen about 25 yards off shore at lunchtime.

Everyone left the water. The police and U.S. Coast Guard were able to determine it was a harmless basking shark. At that point, swimming was allowed again.

Basking sharks can grow to 25 to 30 feet long. They have small mouths and teeth and feed mostly on vegetation plus some other small marine life.

= = = =

The great city of Buffalo is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Buffalo Wings! City Mayor Anthony Masiello, Erie County Executive Joel Giambra and the region's tourism chief, Richard Geiger, all gathered to celebrate the event.

The now-famous buffalo wing was invented at Buffalo's Anchor Bar in 1964. Each year, a chicken wing festival is held on Labor Day weekend. There is even an eating competition. Last year’s winner ate 134 wings in 12 minutes!

In addition to the festival, you can take a tour also. I have no idea exactly what you’d tour but they have one that stops in Pittsburgh and Erie, Pa., plus Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.

Well, Lon, I don’t know about you, but we really like Buffalo wings ‘round these parts.

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Lon, you’ve probably been wondering if anything has been going on closer to home. Take a look at this:

Officials at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans are hoping a Gorilla sex video will inspire one of their gorillas into action. Casey the Gorilla, 21, came to the zoo two years ago with the hope that he would impregnate one or all of the three existing female gorillas at the zoo. But so far, it’s been nothing doing.

Casey gets along just fine with the 3 females, but he hasn't produced any offspring yet. So the zoo folks got a tape of copulating gorillas and are playing it in the indoor cage where Casey spends his nights. They are hopeful this will inspire him.

-- (sonofdust@june.22), June 22, 2004.

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

For anyone interested, I'll be doing one more day of these logs. If I remember right, Lon said he'd be back earlier than first planned, by around 25 days or so, and tomorrow will be the 24th day I've been doing this. Anyone else who wants to add something just go ahead.

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A 67 year old man from Vietnam is trying for the Guinness Record for having the longest hair. He reportedly hasn't been to a barber in 31 years. It’s been measured at 20 feet long, and is usually tied up and covered by a scarf. The current record is at 16 feet, 11 inches.

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And now something a bit closer to home. . .

A motorist in Tennessee pulled over a deputy for speeding! This apparently happened right across from the local jail. I’m not exactly sure what happened after that, but it turned out that the man was taken into custody and charged with being disorderly as well as resisting and evading arrest. Some family members went to see what had happened and try and help him but they all ended up in jail too!

-- (sonofdust@June.23), June 23, 2004.

Has anyone actually heard from Lon and crew?

-- helen (the@mule.wants.to.know), June 23, 2004.

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Here’s a story from my State:

A four-bedroom house was being moved from one location to another in the town of Chatham, N.J. when the truck’s axle broke. The house is now stuck on the broken truck and blocking the road. It will continue to do so for while more, but the police said that efforts to move the house would resume soon.

The house became stuck this past Tuesday. Also, neighbors of the house’s owner are pissed off at him for cutting down some trees so he could move the house from its location to another site up the road. The owner insists he had permits for doing it.

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And last but not least, I think you said that you were not going by California this time out, but just in case you decide to, here’s a little something you may want to know about:

In Berkely, California, city residents will have a chance to vote in November on if they think prostitution should be a crime or not. An advocacy group says it got around 3,200 signatures; that’s about 1,000 more than needed to put it on the ballot.

The measure would really not mean much though, since laws against prostitution would still be on the books. Besides this, the ballot would also include wording that would require police to give enforcing anti-prostitution laws a very low priority.

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Well, Lon, that's it for this Log. I expect and hope that there will be another 'summarization' for you, plus other FRLians may decide to post some things of interest too.

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Uh, Helen, no word that I know of. Guess we'll hear soon though.

-- (sonofdust@June.24), June 23, 2004.

Ahhhhh, summer's arrived. Today is warm, clear-skied and fabulous. So I'm working tonight...

It's also election day in Canada today. Most pundits are predicting a minority government because of a big scandal that our leading party had that came out just after their leadership changed. The Bloc Quebecois, which is a separatist party in Quebec, is expected to form the allegiance with whichever of the other parties becomes government. Logical, non? ;-D

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), June 28, 2004.

Blue skies Tricia, what a lovely thought. Our forecast for tomorrow is: rain, strong winds, hail and possible thunder. At least we've had decent rains this year, I just hope the wind doesn't wreck my orchids which are just putting out their flower spikes. Hope you enjoy your day to the max, I shall think of you while I am dodging showers to bring in the firewood.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), June 29, 2004.

Oookay, for a final summary of Rob's postings, seeing as Lon's back but too tuckered to hold his head up and read much. Just the hightlights:

14) A in St Paul accidentally bit off an inch-and-a-half of her boyfriends tongue when he squeezed her too tightly. She guessed she bit down too hard, which indicates a measure of either desperation (he's going to kill me!), panic (See the new movie coming out in the fall--43 and never been squeezed), over-the-top competetiveness (I can bite harder than you can squeeze), meanness (aren't there easier ways to break up with the guy?), or the one that gets my vote in absence of full information, vindictiveness (you're hurting me, I'll show you!) That she was charged with assault mitigates for the latter. Her no-doubt ex-boyfriend, one Mr Whipple, only says, "Thee alwayth hab a ming threak."Moral--some squeezes are charmin', and some some aren't (or--beware the dangerth of ruff drunken forepray).

15)Ashland, Ore now has an ordinance allowing police to ask people exposing themselves not to do so. (Was this why you went to Seattle via Oregon but came back by another route?)

16) Redneck says thuh 1,200-pound buffalo that was fixin to be slaughtered in Idaho that jumped that 8-foot fence was only committin suicide by police, an its its only fittin that its escape attempt was so close to the 40th anniversary of thuh invention of Buffalo wings. (By the way, I never heard of a Buffalo wing until 15 or 20 years after their supposed invention in 1964.)

17)Everybody left a beach at Moses State Park, which the Robster thinks is near Niagara (which is near Buffalo)when a six foot basking shark showed up. If this happened in Texas, the ACLU would throw a fit. Seems a shark is only allowed to bask on certain beaches in NY.

18)Casey the uninterested gorilla at a New Orleans zoo is bieng shown sex videos of mating gorillas in hopes of arousing his interest in one or more of the three available feemales. Hey, it seems to have worked for panda's by all reports. But maybe the three girl gorillas are ugly. Only time will tell, I guess, whether Casey will respond.

19)People in Berkley, Cal are petitioning to vote on whether to legalize marijuana. No, wait, I mean ban the cutting of weeds as they are living things. No, I mean forcing the adoption of at least one wild animal into every home (the mountain lions are only allowed to eat one child per home, though, or they'll be tranquillized and banished to Nevada). No, I mean to legalize prostitution (LIKE Nevada). Yeah, that's it. I knew it was one of those.

-- J&R (J&R@clear&con.cise), June 30, 2004.