In HONOR of GEO-guys

Gentlemen, you smoking room awaits. Brandy is on the bar and ice is in the keeper. If you need anything, just ring the bell.

*peeking in to see what the gentlemen are doing* (and if i can snag a scotch on the rocks)

Maguerita please.

Greetings all! (wanders in, orders an absinth, and sits by the chess board....)

Can you still buy absinth this side of N'awlins? Making mine tonic and lime. Okole Maluna, all. How lovely to have a lounge in which to let the proverbial hair down. Passing the springrolls and other lovely Hawaiian tropical snacks. You have to have something for all that fine strong drink to land on,

(Waiting to see who makes the first chess move....)

Thanks, Terry! *;)

wait, is this one of those "gentleman clubs" where we're not allowed unless we're the dancers?

LOL - good thing i just bought a Belly Dancing for Beginners DVD. :-) (~you think i'm kidding~)

I'm in big trouble. Seems I owe at least one Geo-guy a table dance. He reminds me every so often. Wolfie, we have a corner with a lovely view of your choice. Shall it be of space? A volcano? Stonehenge? Perhaps a magic window through which we can escape to the place of choice and have it change according to whim. I rather fancy that idea. I suspect some of the guys would also opt to come along wirh us! I'm in high hilarity picturing our illustrious EsBee doing belly Dances. Perhaps Lizzie is going to do one in that little carriage if she forgets the rubber hose? *;P

me too (about belly dancing)! and i love the virtual corner!

This cozy little corner of ours is catered. If we are dreaming this up, make it as perfect as we wish.

A little light entertainment: Subject: Burned A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars then insured them against fire among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued.... and won! In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The Judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be "unacceptable fire," and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000.00 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires." NOW FOR THE BEST PART. After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and he was sentenced to 24 months in jail and ordered to pay a $24,000 fine. I am told that this is a true story and was the 1st place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.

Hi all Canterbury Draught please *all the way from NZ*. Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me about the you-know-what, Marcia *grins*. Rob

WoooooooooHooooo The Fantastic Blond blue-eyed Kiwi has joined us. Rob, pull up a comfy chair or join Cosmo at the chess table. We're delighted to see you! Now, do you think we will corrupt Julie by telling her where we hang out after excursion into the field for rocks, astronomical or radio wave exploration? She is, after all, "of age" ... *;)

Got enough of that Canterbury's best to share? Do they sell it draft? Chill a keg and let's see what makes it so special. The water? I'll bet!

Hi all Just good beer, that's all. Canterbury Draught is not bitter or harsh. Unlike some beers I have tasted it is fairly gentle. Rob

Sounds positively palatable. Do we have to dress in Balck and Red to drink it? Or would something tasteful in black and silver suffice? One can get hungry and thirsty doing field work. Do you think we might need to establish our own microbrewery? Still?

Hi all Just deciding what opening I shall use.

Hi all Here is a computer science/AI philosophical question... artificial intelligence is used for computers to display humanistic characteristics - now, what about artificial stupidity? Which of these constructs would allow a computer to more closely reason in a humanistic sense? Also, which would be more complex in emulation - artificial intelligence or artificial stupidity? Anyway, something to mull over.

interesting point!

How about a Guinness Draught?

Mike, I forwarded your question via email to a few people who seldom have reason to come here but might have a plausable answer for you. Do we REALLY want the stpidity of the humans messing around in my computer? I have enough trouble undoing my own stupidity. I was taught most of what I learned externally by my son who kept reminding me that computers work logically. To get myself out of a jam, I had to think like the computer - and for the most part, it worked splendidly. If we put in the possibiity of irrationality and emotions I suspect we would need more than scandisk and defrag to undo the messes we would get into.

Make mine Shandy. Mike, have you ever partaken of Shandy whilst visiting the UK? Is it as appalling as it sounds? I suspect if they made it cold enough on a hot day it might be very refreshing. Has anyone had Sandy? It's beer mixed with what we call in the US, Lemonade and the Uk calls lemon squash.

Ok Mike, I got a rsponse to your "stupid" question: Firstly you need to define stupidity. If it's inability to reason then it would seem all ya need to do is reduce the computer's ability to procss data

The thought of adding artificial stupidity is so amazing I cannot stop thinking of it. Have you posed this question in the academic circles in which you revolve?

Hi all Mum and Dad probably have. They often have rum and diet coke (coke has 10 teaspoons of sugar so it wrecks your teeth). I have had midori and lemonade - NICE. For a green melon liquer you would never have known it is so potent. Rob

Hi all A 'shady thing' would be good - this is a concoction I have when I vist a particular restaurant in Austin. Re artificial stupidity... Yes - a definition of what is considered 'stupid' is required - thus a measure if intelligence must be defined - i.e. when hearing about the 'Darwin Awards' contenders - one would say: "Boy, that was dumb...." but was the person performing the act doing so as a indicator of their lack of intelligence or maybe not running all the scenarios to completion to determine that the chosen logical path would not reach the desired result. Plus, one reading about the hapless dolt is imposing their level of intelligence/reasoning as the measuring standard. Has that person been 'perfect' all their life - i.e. not doing anything 'dumb'. Using AI principles, computers can approximate human intelligence in a finite number of states/scenarios but has any system been able to successfuly complete the Turing test? There is still that bit of randomness that makes humans think the way they do. Side note - I had a funny thougth that computers could almost be considered idiot savants since they do one thing incredibly well but are inept at most other things. Creating a machine that displays artifical intelligence is an incredible feat but a machine with A.S. would take a greater degree of humanistic emulation (i.e. make the machine approach the characteristics of human thought and behavior by introducing that extra bit of 'randomness'. Anyway, just some random musings - A.S. was a funny term I thought of while doing some writing back in the mid 80's - imagine my suprise when I did a Google search and found many sites mentioning A.S. I guess that I should shoot this question to a philosophy doc that I know. Regarding being random, I originally was going to post a question about whether electromagnetic waves passing through dark matter would have any effect on the wave's velocity. Boy, now I do need a drink.... :) 73 de Mike aa9il r-c-i

Think I need some of Rob's potent but sneaky melon liqueur. Mike, I got some really weird answers from people whose intellgence I know is superior to mine. I have often thought of the "idiot savant" connection with computers. My son's comment: It certainly seems that stupid behavior requires less up-front processing, but requires more after the stupid actions occur. He should know. He is always the one who has to pluck me out of my cyber disasters, but they are far less frequent than they used to be. I'd love to hear what the philosophy PhD has to say - mine were to a Zoology PhD and to a few other scientists of lesser degree.

stupid intelligence: or give it a human brain *giggle*

Isn't "stupid intelligence" some form of oxymoron?! Or is that the affliction the bright eager new politician catches just after being elected?

I have heard military intelligence is an oxymoron

anyway.... this was just some goofy thought that pops to the top of the question queue every so often. One that could warrant lots o' philosophical discussion but I still need to determine my opening move for that chess game

I was waiting for your first move. The only other time I played chess on the internet was with a 15 year old girl. I was bad but she was worse. In fact so bad that I took pity on her and let her take a few of my pawns. Suddenly she swooped in and wiped me off the board. Aghast, I challenged her beginning innocence. It turns out she got her dad to play the second half of the game under her guise. It was fun and we all enjoyed meeting one another... but I have been forewarned. Are you gonna bring your dad is as your ace in the hole? The people not in Geo I asked about your question wanted to know what followed in the discussion. It IS an interesting question. Trouble is I do know too many people with REAL stupidity to even contemplate artifical stupidity. You have heard of military intelligence, too? plastic straws plastic glasses rubber corks jumbo shrimp

Midori and club soda used to be my summer drink order staple! I'm more likely to choose Long Island iced tea or lemonade/wild berry schnapps cooler.

*laugh* about military intelligence and the whole oxymoron thing!! it's awfully funny *GRIN*

Hi all I think we can corrupt Julie into spending a bit of time here. After all the chapesses are also readily visible in the work of art that Marcia created. It is not just the chaps. What would you say to that? Rob

Guys is a colloquial American term for any of your friends collectively - as in, "Hey, you guys!" You want everyone to pay attention! Julie fits, of course! I had hoped John might wander down here too, but I think his time is so precious that he limits himself to Geo where our true heart's home lies. I did try to get Julie to post here. I KNOW she has read some of these posts!

Rob, I posted something in the NZ topic in travel...help!

Hi all I know, because "HEY YOU GUYS!!!" is one way we try to get attention here, and "Hi Guys" is an informal Kiwi greeting. There is also "G'day mate". Rob

Excellent! I was trying to achieve infomality with that wording. I hope Julie feels "like one of the guys!" I do *;)

i've always said "hi guys" and it was totally gender neutral. i use it with the dogs, the kids, my friends, my co-workers, etc.

Species neutral too. I even talk to my plants that way. I guess we covered all animate and inanimate objects so Julie surely fits !

who is this mystery Julie??? we've never met, and i dont remember seeing seeing her post anywhere.

Sure you have. She's Cascadeclimber and is going to hike Mount St Helens and take digitals so we can hike vicariously with her! She has created her own topic on Geo for the Cascades! (She's adorable and young enough to make me feel very protective.)

LOL -am having a blond moment. :-) i even asked her a question re: MSH.... *shaking head* Julie, come join the fun!!! (sorry i didnt remember you... *welcome to screwed hug*)

y'know, at first i thought this place was for our geo dudes, not dudettes, but i'm glad to see all of us here!

This is where the rest of the world can see that we are just as weird and/or normal as the rest of the Spring. Nothing beats comfy chairs and good friends for pondering the infinte variety of things what enter our little idle minds. *;)

Hi all Julie is a bit busy since school clears up in a couple weeks for the summer break so I doubt you will see her immediately. Rob

Hmmmmmmm....You seem to be having an interesting conversation about me. *laughs* See? I know EVERYTHING that goes on, even if I am too busy to post. *laughs evily* Be careful, I'm watching you!! *laughs evily again and vanishes from sight*

Go hit the books, girl!

*humming* she sees you when your sleeping, she knows when your awake...

*giggle*

Julie, as your older twin sister, I am gonna have to sit on you till you get through the semester. This place is absolutely addictive!

Hi all Hitting the books? She tells me she just cannot wait to get out of school for the summer and go to Mount St Helens. But again why should I be surprised? Her room is decorated with volcano posters of every size and description, to the point her Mum said to her a few months ago that she thought the room looked at bit fearsome. But that is Julie for you, and love or hate the volcanoes, she is a very dear friend. Rob

Julie has her CEILING covered with posters too. Some of them are the exact same ones I have *;) I wonder why!

You guy's are halarious!!*laughs* Okay, so I bet you want to know how many volcano posters I have in my room. This is a shocking number so please don't pass out....60 and that includes 1 seismogram of Mt. St. Helens and a map of plate tectonics. Yes, I know, I am crazy, thats why my parents and some of my friends think my room looks scary. But I like it, it helps me go to bed at night! Hehe!

*LAUGH*

Julie, we BOTH nave awesome posters of Ruapehu on our walls. Plus some other choice goodies. *grin*

Hi all I have a Ruapehu poster identical to Marcia's on my wall, plus I have a Canterbury Regional Council earthquake hazards map, and a seismogram of the May 18, 1980 Mount St Helens eruption. Rob

feeling v. dull here. i have a tapestry on my wall...

I have a bunch of unique Mother's Day artwork--all handmade! LOL

Aaaa.... your's is sweet :-D

i have various mumbo-jumbo on my walls. (mostly my cross stitch endeavors, so don't feel bad EsBee)......

I also have geckos on my walls but only at night. They scamper up and down rather impressively only occasionally losing their footing and landing on a startled human sleeping below.

startling the gecko too, i imagine! *laugh*

I suppose that is true, but the cool clamminess (only in our minds and not in reality) one does not expect. It is a rare occurrance that they lose their grip but it is memorable when they do.

Hi all I have white tailed spiders running around on my wall from time to time, but they never last long. I trap them in a jar or knock them to the floor and use the face of my cricket bat to crush them. Sounds revolting but they are actually quite tough and often survive the first blow. Go below to see a white tail spider (NOT for the ARACHNOPHOBICS!!!) http://www.pharmacology.unimelb.edu.au/pharmwww/avruweb/wtspage.htm Rob

Hi all I have found a page with the main spiders of New Zealand. Although the White tail and Katipo (our variant of the Red Back and Black Widow)are the most commonly known types that have unpleasant bites several others can bite to varying degrees. http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/our_resources/Bugs/Spider_page/collection_spiders.html Rob

Well, between Rob's spiders and Marcia's geckos my skin is crawling. *shudder* thank you very much. :-P

Nothing in Hawaii is toxic. White tailed spiders are like the brown recluse spiders of the Southwest whose bite causes serious necrosis of the tissue. I'd squash them, too, but surely not with my willow bat! I only saw one back widow in my life - it reeled down out of my post box in West Virginia one day when I went out for the mail and that was the last time I stuck my hand into anything of that sort. *shudder*

Sorry I can't come in today, I'm suffering from 'Mundialitis' By Soteris Charalambous AN EPIDEMIC is about to hit Cyprus and it appears that nobody from the government is prepared to do anything about it. The condition is called 'Mundialitis', a particularly virulent and debilitating infection mainly affecting men. The last major outbreak was four years ago: the symptoms include stomach cramps, nervous tension and in the worst cases involuntary bouts of swearing. The new strain, which originates from the Far East, leaves the sufferer unable to concentrate on work. Attacks are most common during the morning and early part of the day. The condition lasts for approximately 30 days, worsening until the fever reaches its peak resulting in more and more time off being taken. Fortunately, most sufferers recover completely and can resume their normal lives once the infection has run its course. If you haven't realised already the common term for this condition is 'The World Cup'. Across Europe, governments and businesses have made special provisions for the inevitable outbreak of 'Mundialitis' because this World Cup is being staged in Japan and South Korea. Kick-off times start as early as 8.30am, with the latest games starting at 2.30pm. Many large organisations in Europe with employees wishing to follow the tournament are being provided televisions or radio and have been told they can watch or listen during normal working hours on the condition that they make up the time later in the day or the week. Given the response given by the government and businesses in Cyprus, it appears that either Cypriots have no interest in 'the beautiful game' or they expect every employee to carry on with their daily routine in a disciplined manner during the live transmissions. According to Government Spokesman, Michalis Papapetrou, "It is not possible to shift the working timetable around the scheduling of the World Cup. But I don't think it is going to be a problem." When presented with the solution being proposed around Europe Papapetrou dismissed it's relevance to Cyprus, suggesting the problem would only occur in countries whose national teams were taking part in the tournament. However, he conceded, "It might become an issue for Cypriots when it comes to the final or the semi-finals, but not now." Simon Kuper, author of the award-winning book _Football against the Enemy _offered his insight on what the sport means to people worldwide. "Football is more than just the most popular game in the world. It can start - or stop - wars, it can fuel revolutions or it can keep dictators in power." Given that the World Cup represents the very pinnacle of the game it might be suggested that the relevant authorities are taking the potential problem a little too lightly. When presented with the 'Mundialitus' scenario, a Laiki Bank spokesman said: "No special provisions are being made for the World Cup" but he did suspect that employees wishing to follow the tournament "would be slipping out of their offices to find the nearest television to keep up to date with what is going on." A spokesperson at Orphanides supermarket also said that there were no plans to provide televisions or radios for employees; however, she felt that it wouldn't be a problem. When the potential problem was suggested to Andreas Pavlitas, Head of Research and Studies for the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) trade union, he agreed that something needed to be done and that if their members wanted to watch games, their needs should be accommodated. However, he admitted that nothing had yet been discussed within PEO. Nicos Moyseos from the Cyprus Workers Confederation (SEK) was equally unprepared when presented with the potential problem and admitted that it hadn't been brought up in the recent congress. However, he believed the matter was worth considering and said he would be discussing it with the heads of his organisation over the next few days. Melios Georgiou, Head of the Retailers' Association, hadn't considered the issue either, but believed that the organisation would consider putting proposals to its members if the unions made representations. He also admitted that he could see the possibility of retailers bringing in televisions to accommodate workers. The CyBC plans to show every game of the tournament live and follow up its coverage with a daily highlights programme at 9pm every evening, showing extended highlights of the best match followed by goal highlights of any other games played on the day. Copyright Cyprus Mail 2002

Hi all Brilliance is... Being asked by your geography teacher to tutor students having trouble getting to grips with the subject. Now you might ask why the subject has been brought up here. Well it is really quite simple. One of our own, a 19 year from California with considerable talent for the subject, Julie has been asked by her teacher to tutor students who are having greater problems than she, in the subject. Now we can hardly complain about that sort of brilliance can we?? HUGS and CONGRATS JULIE. Rob

Well Done Julie! :-D

Julie is not only beautiful inside and out, she is also funny and wonderful to know. My little twin sister deserves our plaudits for her excellence. I think wiht her writing talents and gift for science she might just plan a career to use both abilities. Since I do that, and it is often done so poorly, I will aid her every step and help her when she requests it. I just can't figure why it took 19 years for me to find her!!! Hugs Julie

great job julie!!!

WoooooHooooo! Julie is in the field with the family digital to record their adventures. I can hardly wait to see what they come back with, other than bruises and scrapes.

Hi all Julie was on or probably close to Mount St Helens today, when on Mount Hood a Black Hawk helicopter crashed killing three and injuring several more. Mount Hood is a volcano in northern Oregon near Portland and is about 11000 feet high. Amazing how the weather can vary over 100km. Mount St Helens was evidently in sunshine today while conditions were so-so on Hood. Rob

I am sending Julie special volcano goddess protection for her travels.

Hi all Where is everyone?? Where are the geophiles?? Rob

don't worry rob, we're still here! *HUGS*

I'm here. I just forgot to look. I miss talking to you, Rob! Soon!!!

Hi all New Zealand is strangely quiet. No volcanism to speak of, and earthquake activity is steady, with nothing untoward happening. Is that good or bad? Hard to tell, though one notable thing to occur was a landslide near Turangi at the south end of Lake Taupo. No ordinary landslide, this one may have been a combination of the geothermal plumbing and the high water table getting the overlying soil and rock mobile. Has happened in the past. Rob

Hi Rob! Hawaii is still quiet. Wait till I get back home...!!! Most of the world is silent waiting for the onset of John's seismic Big Ones. Head for the hills. This is going to be a bumpy ride! Keep your finger in Lake Taupo's dike. That sounds really deadly!

Hi all Lol. Yeah right. Taupo seems to be managing on her own. 1800 years off inactivity have given the caldera a chance to let fresh water crayfish grow (a German submersible went to the bottom of the lake - some 520 odd feet down and took pictures of the lake bed). It picked up some sediment for scientists to examine and played video coverage of the exploration, shot by the submersible. Rob

How super that they let you see what they saw. I wonder if anything or anyone has checked the bottom of Lake Waiau - one of the highest lakes in the world - on the upper reaches of Mauna Kea at the 13,020 foot level. http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/waiau.html

That is really hostile territory for most life forms. I suspect it is pretty sterile on that lake bottom!

We're planning a trip to Costa Rica in Nov. Supposedly they have volcanoes one can explore there that we may check out (I don't think they're active).

Awesome! I would love to go to Costa Rica. Costa Rica has plenty of volcanoes. The most famous one being Arenal, but there is plenty of others. Orosi, Rincon De Vieja, Miravilles, Tenorio, Poco Sol, Platanar, Poas, Barba, Irazu, and Turrialba. All of them are quite active and have erupted recently in the past 50 years or so. Arenal erupts quite frequently but its last BIG eruption was on July 29, 1968. 4,000 people were evacuated and the areas between Tabocon and Pueblo were destroyed.

Sorry, I used the wrong word--forgot that you are all vulcanophiles! By active, I meant putting on a constant show like the ones in Hawaii. I'm sure there are specific terms, but I don't know them. All I know is we think it will be too cool to see Arenal, as well as rainforest and cloudforest.

Autumn, have I got a guy's websiite for you. He does the hiking and watching ertuptions for the Costa Rican government and he is also a vegetarian and quite handsome: Pictures and much more about Costa Rica: http://www.geocities.com/explorermathiew/l/index.html

That is Rodolfo Mathiew on the rim or Arenal Volcano. Yes they are currently erupting. I posted the Global Volcanism report on Geo 2.

what happened to the pic?

Hi all Please go to Robs Geo World for the first installment of the VOLCANOES OF NEW ZEALAND series which examines in depth the volcanoes of New Zealand and their geological past, and what we can expect in the future. http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/Geo/64 Rob

Thanks for the link, Marcia!!!

Enjoy the link. I have no idea where the photo went. Autumn, I'll post what is erupting in Costa Rica here so you don't have to brave the wilds of Geo. *;)

*wiping sweat off brow* Phew! That's a relief...those geophiles would chew me up and spit me out! ;-)

Nah!!! Geo is full of sweet and kind people who are fun and informative. If you just looked, you would see that it is all just bluffing! Warm and cuzy is more like it!

Hi all Geo is like a second home. Great family, cool place and some wicked subjects. What more can I say? Rob

...even graphics to make it easier on the eyes. And, GREAT people like Rob and the rest of the lurkers and regulars. Hugs Rob! Happy Birthday, Don!!! ( I suggested to him he might appreciate dead flowers better than a lei but he assured me he was mortal like the rest of us.)

Hi all GREAT NEWS!!!! The first ALPINE FAULT images have gone up in World Earthquakes - the old World Seismicity group and will be coming here in short order. I will post the pics online there first so the Group for which they were originally intended gets them, and then I will distribute image via e-mail to all interested. Rob

Please, Rob!! Me !! Pretty Please?! They sound fantastic. If you'd like I will put them on Spring's hard drive so you can post them on Geo!! I'll teach you just as I did Julie. Folks would love to see your photos. Not just the ones who come out of lurkdom!

Hi all Then check kilauea83@yahoo.com, for the first image. I cannot send stuff to marci@aloha.net without it screwing. Rob

OK going to Yahoo. I seldom check that email. BTW, beginning Sunday use only marci@aloha.net. I will not be using BluegrassHula@aol.com for a while and will not have access to it.

Hi all Be careful Marcia!! Rob

Hi all Where is everyone? Hope this place is still rocking. Rob

Still kickin' Rob. What's going on with you today?

Whazzup??

are we going to party in here?

Hi all For something that is the agony of American basketball fans, the pure joy of every New Zealander, and the hopes of the Yugoslavs, go here: http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/screwed/170 Rob

Bring on the party!!!

If you wait about a month, I will personally toss a party of liberation and joy for all. At the moment, with the help of a few very special people I am barely hanging onto my sanity. But this is one thing I REALLY want.

Hi all Marcia, one thing. Are you physically okay, or has WW3 started? Rob

*HUGS*

*more hugs*

Hi all *HUGS*. To all who love freedom and democracy, who promote cultural understanding, regardless of whether you are conservative, moderate, socialist, Green, Communist, Republican or Democrat, you are the people of the future upon which nations can be built. September 11 was a strike against humanity, against every human being on earth, in New York, in the US, in the West and everywhere whose people love democracy and freedom. The magnitude of the impact around the world should not be underestimated for in various ways it has changed most people. It has made me more aware of who I am, I never did take any day for granted and I sure don't now. I have become more outgoing and more appreciative of family and friends. It has changed the cultural face of New Zealand too I think. More people are more aware of the nation they are in and many appreciate that there are advantages to being small. Many before hand thought we were too small. Let me read out a list of nations that lost people aside from the United States and you will all get an idea just how much of a world disaster September 11 really was: Argentina Australia Bangladesh Belgium Brazil Canada Chile China Colombia Denmark Dominican Republic Egypt El Salvador Finland France Germany Great Britain India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Japan Lebanon Malaysia Mexico New Zealand Norway Pakistan Paraguay Peru Philippines Portugal Puerto Rico South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Zimbabwe People, whether we agree or not on how to deal with terrorism, and whether it is appropriate for the US to attack Iraq, lest anyone mistake anyone else, I think we are all in one boat. Some people, in particular Muslims might be getting discriminated against, but they are suffering just like us. It is a world thing. Take care. I love you all Rob

I agree with everything you said, Rob. September 11th was a world disaster.It effected everyone from every single country. I am up at 5:30am right now. I never get up at this time EVER. I just can't sleep. I keep thinking about September 11th. I admit that I am scared. Scared for my country, scared for other countries, scared for the world. Sure its not my job to worry about this, but the memeory of what happened last year is still fresh on my mind. Its fresh on everyone's mind. I hope this Sept.11th is just a day of memory for all of us and not a day of terror and fear. Stay safe everyone and take care. Love and hugs to all of you.

Thanks for the great tribute, Rob, I appreciate your sharing it with us. Love is what it's all about; it's what we're all here for. God bless on 9-11 and every day.

This is for all who care and love - every moment of life http://www.funstun.com/Think_It_Over.swfb

Will you take time today to post something in the Spring's news topic about the meaning and significance of September 11th? It's topic 43 in news which was started a year ago today.

OOps, I'm late and we had an all-conference topic into which I poured all my 9-11 stuff. Is it the same???????

It's the same.

Hi all Maybe in recognition of the Bali attacks, we should do something for it. Rob

The Bali attacks, the sniper, I hope this isn't crescendoing into something more frightful.

that and the port lockout--they had on the news that the latest video by what's his face threatened economic strikes.

The sniper has this whole area in total panic. Schools have ceased extracurricular activities, events are being canceled, etc. until this guy is caught.

I saw that on the news, people are running back to the safety of their cars while their gas pumps or they are crouching in fear while they pump gas. Sounds like they have some solid clues though.

autumn! are you in that vicinity (i've forgotten)?

Yes and no--about 1.5 hours east of where the action is (focused on 3 counties in MD and VA). We're not "living in fear", but you do think about it when you're coming and going at a public place. We'll all sleep better when this nut job is caught.

Hi all I do not think anyone here knows how serious the Bali attacks were. US media, and in particular, the newspapers, and television stations hardly covered the attacks, which killed over 100 Australians alone, numerous foreigners from other nations including at least 3 New Zealanders. I place the blame not on Americans, whom I am sure are horrified at what happened, but the inward self-interested values that some segments of the US media value more than good journalism. This I think is part of the reason why so many other people think Americans are arrogant. Because US media concentrates on America and Americans so much, they get the impression that there is no world beyond their borders, which the people of this board know could not be further from the truth. Thus one columnist I happened on said that Americans learn geography when there is a terrorist attack. Hollywood is to blame as well for feeding the "We are the world" myth that run rampant in the minds of some. Their movies, notably Armageddon which portrayed the US as the saviour of the world from a massive meteorite strike, also fuel that notion. Bali was a place of great popularity among the younger generation of New Zealanders, Australians and western people in general who frequented the nightclubs, took advantage of the first rate surf, which generated a healthy economy based on tourism. Many Bali businesses were Western owned and operated, but they employed Balinese locals to work for them, and the locals mingled with the tourists just as easily. The people of Bali are not to blame for the actions of the bomber and they demonstrated this by the manner in which they rushed to help the wounded, and authorities. The bombings were a strike at them as well as the West and were in a Hindu enclave. On this day October 20, 2002 Australians had a national day of mourning for the more than 100 dead and at least 100 still in hospital. Prime John Howard declared the day of mourning to occur on Tuesday when it became obvious that there was going to be a horrendously high death toll. I finish this message on the following note: ---- A nation in mourning October 20 2002 Thousands of people have been attending church and memorial services around the country to honour the the victims of last weekend's bombing in Bali. Australian singer John Farnham kicked off a ceremony in Sydney by singing Amazing Grace. People of all ages draped in Australian flags have gathered at The Domain to pay their respects to the more than 100 Australians killed and many more injured when a bomb ripped through the popular tourist strip in Kuta Beach. NSW Governor Marie Bashir welcomed the crowd, saying she did so with a heavy heart and great sadness. She said the cruel act and flagrant disregard for human life in Bali last weekend had left Australians with a sense of pain, rage and sorrow. Premier Bob Carr was attending a ceremony for the Coogee Dolphins which lost six of its rugby league players in Bali. "There is still grief and anger and a rage against the dark and random shattering of so many lives," Mr Carr told the crowd. "These are good people and this is a wonderful part of the world and we did not deserve to be so smashed of our hopes." Hundreds of people streamed into Coogee Oval today to pay tribute to the victims. As part of the national day of mourning, families bearing sprigs of wattle and green and gold ribbon laid flowers in the memory of those lost. A survivor of the blast, Eric Da Haart from the Coogee Dolphins Rugby League Club, gave an emotional and rousing address to the crowd. Mr Da Haart told how he and his teammates went to Bali for their end of year footy celebrations. "We went expecting a great time and we were having a great time and then hell happened," he said. In a video message, Prime Minister John Howard urged mourners at the Sydney service for victims of the Bali bombing to preserve Australia's open, tolerant and generous society. Mr Howard told the crowd at the Australians Together ceremony that victims of the Bali bomb attack would want that harmonious society maintained. Mr Howard vowed the government would hunt down those responsible for the Kuta blast which killed more than 180 people - more than 100 of them Australians - and injured hundreds more. "Let us remember the people for their love of life and what they gave to others and to their country," he told the service, one of many around Australia on a national day of mourning. "Let us resolve to find those who committed this foul deed and bring them to justice. "But let us also embrace not only each other but all the peoples of the world in peace. "Let us preserve the open, tolerant, harmonious, outward-looking generous Australian society for which Australia is so widely respected. "That is what they would wish and I know it is what all Australians would wish." Mr Howard was attending a service in Canberra today. At midday, the mourners paused for a minute's silence as the church bells from St Mary's Cathedral chimed in the background. A didgeridoo played as dignitaries including NSW Governor Marie Bashir lay native Australian flowers in a pond. "On October 12, that cruel act of flagrant disregard for innocent and joyful lives has created within us an overwhelming sense of pain, of rage and of a sorrow which does not abate," Mrs Bashir said. "We imagine those bright and beautiful Australians whose love of sun and surf and sporting prowess is renowned. "We have lost them in the full bloom of life, exuberant, open minded and accepting of others, loyal Australians, international ambassadors." Members of the crowd were later invited to place an orchid in the pond and to lay flowers in the forecourt of Parliament House. Many were draped in the Australian flag and wore native blooms in their lapel as a mark of respect. All were visibly moved as friends and family of the dead or missing read poems and paid tribute. Speaking at a packed mass at St Christopher's Cathedral in Canberra, Opposition Leader Simon Crean said Australians owed it to the victims of the Bali bomb blast to work towards ensuring such an act of terror could never happen again. "Today, as Australians, we mourn more victims of an insidious war of terror," he told the congregation. "But you know the great thing about those of us who have faith, the great thing about those of us who believe in community and the sanctity of human life is that we know that we can rise above this and resolve to do better things as a result of it. "Of course it's important to bring the perpetrators of this to justice, that is required. "But what we have to resolve as a nation, we've got to work together ... to ensure that what happened last weekend can't happen again. "We owe it to the victims, we owe it to the survivors, we owe it to their families and we owe it to ourselves." AAP

I sympathize with you, Rob, and am sorry for your loss. I would agree that the attacks received scant coverage here, and the story has dropped off the evening news altogether. Our complacency probably has a lot to do with our relative isolation from that part of the world, the minimal (2-3?) loss of American lives, and the fact that we live in a country rife with violent crime on a daily basis. I live near one of the larger US cities (in the top 15), and it averages two murders/day and God only knows how many lesser violent crimes are committed each day. It's all senseless.

not much on the news here either except that some surfer dude was killed....not that that was insignificant but unless it touches the southland (as they say here), they don't report much (unless it can be sensationalized)...

Hi all This came by e-mail. Rob ---- Dear Terrorist, You hurt us bombing Bali, but we can take the pain, But if you think you'll beat us, you can think a-bloody-gain We battled at Gallipoli and we fought the bloody hun Of all the arseholes we've had to face, you're just another one You won't get your hands dirty, you won't fire a gun Whenever danger threatens you just pack your gear and run You brainwash innocent children to do your evil deeds Careful not to let them know just where it really leads You teach them to believe all your bigotry and lying Until they cannot see that there's no glory in their dying Now we'd like to pose a question, answer if you can Where does your holy book tell you to kill your fellow man? Now listen hard and listen well, we're giving you the word You're never gonna beat us, you spineless bloody turd You'd never face us personally, you haven't got the guts You know that if you ever did we'd have your bloody nuts Our spirit is unbroken, and our heads are still unbowed We sure as hell aren't scared of you and your gutless crowd So get your act together -- you'll never win because What you're really up against is the spirit that is OZ WE WILL OVERCOME "Lest we forget"

There are some more items on this in the news conference 'sniper' topic.

Thanks Rob. Terrible things happening world wide and Al Quaeda is all too ready to claim the honor of being the cause. Thanks to them, I got singled out at the airport for several examinations since I look so dangerous.

EsBee, I did get your messages and your phone number. It was just about impossible to do anything about it, though. I'll be back!!! We simply must do lunch. Nut Tree airport has a lovely restaurant. How about there?

OK, get out the chess pieces and get moving. Cosmo is growing spider webs waiting for someone to make the first move. His absinthe is long gone. I'd better refresh it. Belly dancing DVD? Is that for Lizzie's benefit? EsBee, you are something else! *Hugs*

I just had to come back here and say 'Hi All!' for old time sake. Mike

Been doing things like that myself lately.

Me too. I wondered if I had died... Welcome all

Ok, Marcia is here, the room is back in session!

Aha !! There are pythons eating alligators in Geo these days. Is nothing sacred? See what happens when you actually bite off more than you can chew! Ewwwwwww ! Next it will be the brown tree snakes invading Hawaii. You all know how each state has a tree and flower and bird. What are the eyesores for your state. Indiana claims all those orange cones marking the eternal road building.

that was one hungry snake! *off to see geo*

State eyesores... In Illinois: road construction, town houses where there use to be farms. In Wisconsin: Illinois drivers more to come.....

In Bastrop, it's the homey little pecan stores GIANT LED SCROLLING SIGN that you can see for 10 miles aways. It's gross. It's huge, towering above Highway 71.

I LOVE THIS DISCUSSION !!! we're still sorting out the eyesores of KY. Hawaii's eyesores are two fold. Natural eyesore are once beautiful beaches now under 50 feet of lava. Man made are junked cars in front yards.

That is funny about the Illinios drivers being eyesores. I am guessing that is what Oregon thinks of California drivers.

some texas drivers are eyesores too! and we've got those stupid concrete barriers (because the cones weren't working) all over the place...... homesteads at the end of a runway....we should start a screwed eyesore topic!

Concrete barriers. Scary stuff.

Indiana has millions of them and they change postion from trip to trip. California uses them and they take root where they're put looking terrible all the while. We need a topic!

A topic for concrete barriers? Uh, ok, but do you think we might run out of things to talk about? relating to concrete barriers. I'd hate to run up against a brick wall.

Nope, world eyesores. Right now we are working on state eyesores to keep up wiht state songs, state birds, state flowers etc. Leave the topic here. It'll die on its own.

terry, how long did it take you to pun that one? *grin* i thought the new topic would be eyesores like marcia was just saying! you know we can NEVER stay on topic no matter WHERE we go so you know that there will be traffic in them if not on the subject matter *giggle* i would love one about pet peeves......

i've got one right now but i'd better go to inner to spill the beans...

following you !

It took about 5 seconds.

The Funeral Service The funeral was held way back in the country and the young minister got lost on the way. When he arrived an hour late, he saw a backhoe and crew, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. The workmen were eating lunch. The diligent pastor went to the open grave to find the vault lid in place.... but still he poured out his heart and preached an impassioned and lengthy service. Returning to his car, the young minister felt that he had done his duty and he would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of his tardiness. As he got into his car, he overheard one of the workers say, "You know George, I've been putting in septic tanks for 25 years, and I ain't never seen nothin' like that before. Thanks to Lucie. I loved this !!

Oh, that is too funny! Thanks, Marica.

Speaking of grave yards, we p[rowled the finest in Frankfort, KY yesterday. Daniel Boone and his wife, Rebecca are buried there on a high bluff overlooking the Kentucky River. The fall colors were just coming in. It was beautiful. We also had a quick tour thru a black cemetery which was the first in the state. It was created in the 1840s and contains Civil War dead.

What's the name of this locale?

It was all around Frankfort. That is the most amazing state capital. It is set in a mountain hollow surrounded by trees and wilderness. The town is just a few blocks wide and a few more long. The best part is the Capitol itself. It is every bit as grand as the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. Marble throughout it has grand staircases and formal plantings all around it. A golden dome completes the setting. Terry, if you know Frankfort I can tell you it was in the lesser parts of town on one side. We had to go thru a parking lot to get to the drivway into the cemetery. I can get better directions if you need them. The cemetery with Daniel and Rebecca Boone is on the heights overlooking the capitol building.

1.) Save the whales. Collect the whole set. 2.) A day without sunshine is like, night. 3.) On the other hand, you have different fingers. 4.) I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. 5.) 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. 6.) 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name. 7.) I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 8.) You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you. 9.) I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges. 10.) Honk if you love peace and quiet. 11.) Remember half the people you know are below average. 12.) Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains? 13.) Nothing is foolproof to a talented fool. 14.) Atheism is a non-prophet organization. 15.) He who laughs last thinks slowest. 16.) Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 17.) Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. 18.) The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. 19.) I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol. 20.) I intend to live forever -- so far so good. 21.) Borrow money from a pessimist -- they don't expect it back. 22.) If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends? 23.) My mind is like a steel trap -- rusty and illegal in 37 states. 24.) Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of. 25.) The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes. 26.) Support bacteria -- they're the only culture some people have. 27.) When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane and going the wrong way. 28.) If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. 29.) A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. 30.) Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. 31.) For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism. 32.) Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks. 33.) Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with. 34.) No one is listening until you make a mistake. 35.) Success always occurs in private and failure in full view. 36.) The colder the x-ray tables the more of your body is required on it. 37.) The hardness of butter is directly proportional to the softness of the bread. 38.) The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the ability to reach it. 39.) To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research. 40.) To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles. 41.) How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hand... 42.) You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive. 43.) Two wrongs are only the beginning. 44.) The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. 45.) The sooner you fall behind the more time you'll have to catch up. 46.) A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. 47.) Change is inevitable except from vending machines. 48.) If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments. 49.) Always try to be modest and be proud of it! 50.) Get a new car for your wife... It'll be a great trade! Thanks to DB for this

Look skyward even if you don't muchlike science and never read Geo. This meteor shower might be very nice, indeed. LEONID METEOR SHOWER Space Weather News for Nov. 13, 2005 http://spaceweather.com THE LEONIDS: The most famous of all meteor showers, the Leonids, peaks on Thursday, Nov. 17th. A few years ago, the Leonids were storming, filling the skies with bright meteors. But not this year. The 2005 Leonids are expected to be few (less than 20 per hour) and hard to see because of the glaring full Moon. Nevertheless, if you're an enthusiast, you might want to go outside before sunrise on Nov. 17th and look up. The sparkling stars of northern winter will be on full display, along with Saturn and the full Moon, and you might spot a few meteors, too. THE MOON & MARS: This is good: The Moon and Mars are getting together for a beautiful close encounter. You can see them rising in the east, side-by-side, at sundown on Monday, Nov. 14th. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps, pictures and more information.

For those of you who don't read Geo I thought you might like this: Ten top worst jobs in science 10. Orangutan-Pee Collector Their work is noninvasive—for the apes, that is . . . "Have I been pissed on? Yes," says anthropologist Cheryl Knott of Harvard University. Knott is a pioneer of "noninvasive monitoring of steroids through urine sampling." Translation: Look out below! For the past 11 years, Knott and her colleagues have trekked into Gunung Palung National Park in Borneo, Indonesia, in search of the endangered primates. Once a subject is spotted, they deploy plastic sheets like a firemen's rescue trampoline and wait for the tree-swinging apes to go see a man about a mule. For more pee-catching precision, they attach bags to poles and follow beneath the animals. "It's kind of gross when you get hit, but this is the best way to figure out what's going on in their bodies," Knott says. more plus the other nine ...http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/806ffb24a5f27010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html