People From Nigeria Want YOU!

So, I am forever getting e-mails from some African government official (Often Nigerian) requesting my help. They always get my e-mail from a close friend, or have "researched" me and find me "trustworthy." Can I please help? The story usually goes like this:

Dear Beloved, My (insert relative, boss, or friend) died and left $(insert number of preference),000,000.00 in US Dollars, but it is being held in an account. You are the only one who can help me! [I feel so special] Just send me your name [how do you know I am trustworthy if you don't know my name? You sure don't do very good research. I'll make sure I don't ask you to write my next history paper.] and your e-mail address [ok, Genius, how did you e-mail me if you don't know my e-mail address?], your phone number, your mailing address...oh, and your bank account number. You will get 10% of this money for being a good Samaritan! May God Bless you!

I am relatively sure it is all the Nigerians' faults. I have noticed Nigerians getting a lot of bad press recently. The Christmas Plane Bomber was apparently Nigerian. The bad guys in the movie "District 9" are Nigerians. I'm pretty sure that some Somali pirates are Nigerian, too. So, it would appear that now we not only have to worry about angry Taliban people, but also Nigerians. Oh, for the good old days when it was us against the Soviets...It was so black and white. Who do you want to win the most medals in the Olympics, Soviets or USA? EASY! USA!

Now, it isn't so easy. I am also partial to the UK, Australia, Canada, Russia, and Romania (I don't really know why I like them...). And I like Japan and China.

If the Taliban entered a team in the Olympics I would loudly BOOOOO whenever they took the field. Also, there is the fair chance that their team members would explode at various times. I can't see that helping them win any gold medals, but it might be good for a laugh:

Announcer Bill: Alright, Tom, this is the Taliban entry for the Ski-Jump. He is aiming to beat 205 meters to qualify. His name is Al Bi Ablasta, he has been skiing since--(shuffle, shuffle)...Ummm, January 3rd.

Announcer Tom: Ahh, really, THIS January Bill?

Announcer Bill: Tom, I can't make this sh-(beep)- up.

Announcer Tom: Well, there he goes, he's stepping onto the ramp, he's waiting for the signal. --(Whisper)Seriously? THIS January?-- Ahh, Bill, he seems to have a strange choice of head gear and clothing on for the ski-jump, doesn't he?

Announcer Bill: Yes, most jumpers go for a streamlined look...Mr. Ablasta seems to have chosen a towel...fairly lumpy, actually...

Announcer Tom: There is the signal, he's pushing off--

Announcer Bill: Almost looks like he has dynamite strapped to him...he---

* BOOM*

-Silence-

Announcer Tom: I don't think he is going to qualify, see, Bill, the point of the Ski-jump is for the ENTIRE body to go as far as possible, I don't think the judges will accept a finger or just a foot...

Announcer Bill: Do you suppose he was spooked by the cow bells?

Announcer Tom: I wonder what the rule books say about the legality of skiing on red snow...

Announcer Bill: Still, you have to admit that no one can quite liquify themselves in mid-air like the Taliban team. Remember their Pole-vaulter from two years ago? Or their bobsled team...

Announcer Tom: And the Zamboni operators were livid about the stains on the ice!

Hmmm...makes for an interesting story, but I hope the Olympics this coming year are safe for all involved. It seems terrorists make everything just a little harder for all of us.

OK, moving on. We had snow here this morning. I took the wife to work and then took the car in to get the snow tires put on...I'd planned to do it today anyway, before it snowed...though it made me look like a last minute tire changer. I suggested it to Cora back in November, but neither of us has had much time since...

I am feeling a little better, but this demonic cold thing continues to hold on and try to squeeze the life from me...I'll make it, though.

Bock's Car Bomb

Three days after Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima, Fat Man, the plutonium Bomb as dropped on Nagasaki by a B-29 called Bock's Car. Plutonium was a little more stable than U-235 and partly because of that and the brilliant idea that criticality could be brought about by compression, it was decided the best way to explode it was to place explosives all around it. Ignited simultaneously, the explosive charges would compress the plutonium core enough to bring the atoms within such close proximity that one of them would shed a neutron and start the fission reaction. As it turned out the plutonium was from Hanford. It was also a differently shaped bomb. Because of the need to surround the core, which was the size of a grapefruit, with explosives, it was roundish. Little Boy was a long and narrow cylinder, about 10 feet long nd 29 inches in diameter. Fat Man was 10 feetlong and about 5 feet in diameter (see below). Both were about 10,000 lbs. The explosion was actually more powerful than the Little Boy bomb, but because of the way the geography of the city differed from Hiroshima and the position of ground zero in relation to it, the casualties and damage was not much different. It has been 63 years. I believe it is important to remember both the vanquished and the victors. It was a hard war, but, at least we knew who to hate and why. The Cold War was not so black and white.

Here are some pictures of a "practice shape" of the MkIII Fat Man bomb and a B-29, similar to the ones that dropped the bombs.

On a lighter note, the first day of the Olympics saw competitions in rowing, soccer, VOLLEY BALL, and swimming. I enjoy watching volley ball, or had you noticed? Appart from the clothing, specifically WOMEN'S BEACH VOLLEY BALL, I enjoy watching the intensity of the competition. I might also note that I am NOT a big sports fan, so for me to enjoy sports for any reason..well, it must be good.

I did take a little while out to go hide a geocache for my dad to find. I left a trail of 4. The last one required him to use his metal detector. I also made sure he needed a little special knowledge to find it. Specifically, my instruction told him to go North the length of a Big Boy steam engine. He is a train nut, so that little bit of knowledge should have come natural to him. I also hid one of the clues in a cemetary and his mail box. He called me later to tell me my mom beat him to the car. Sounds like they enjoyed it! They are already working on another geocache for me.

Lucky Eights!!

So, today is the first day (our time) of the Olympics. Apparently we did well in a soccer game (futball) against Japan. They had the opening ceremonies while I was sleeping and the networks won't show them till tonight.

Here is a little trivia. The Chinese think of the number 8 as a lucky number because it sound like the word for prosperity, and since today is the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth year of this century, it should be a pretty good Olympics. To say they have pulled out all the stops would appear to be an understatement. What other country can mobile thousands of people to pull algae out of the ocean...we have two fish tanks and sometimes the algae there seems overwhelming. What other country can tell their citizens to stay in to keep congestion down...and expect it to happen? What other country tells its citizens to walk to work instead of drive because it wants to have clean air for the competitors to breathe...mind you, I am not syaing Chinese clean air is the same you would find in Mt. Rainier National Park...I think it is a matter of comparison for them.

Today is FRIDAY!!! If the 8s don't do it, the fact that this is the end of the work week certainly qualifies this as an auspicious occasion. I hope to get my computer today, the guy said he had not quite used an hour on it yesterday and it was not quite up to speed. Apparently the little applications such as scanning a drive and such takes time which they don't charge for since the technician has to wait for it anyway. I just can't wait to get my computer back. I had no idea it would be so long...I miss my little Toshiba Satellite...Now i want to play that Dave Matthew's song...Sat-el-lite...

Well, I will eventually get some video on here...Cora had the computer last night. I was lucky to have the chance to check my mail...she was IM-ing some weirdo in AZ and setting up an Etsy store for her blankets instead of letting me surf the net!

The Chili went over VERY WELL. Not sure what to have tonight...maybe Ki Ki's again...if the computer is done.

I will leave you with a view of Seattle traffic...I wonder how it compares with Beijing's...