Conference back40::soapbox

    Theft of my wrist rester pad for my keyboard.

    Electricity!

    
    
    sticking a knife into an electrical outlet when i was about 3...
    
    
    (never did that again...)
    
    

    
        Nothing shocks me......   But there is something that really
    burns my butt....
    
    
    
    
    
    
      
    
    
    
    
    
          A grass fire!

 I am still shocked, not by the occurance necessarily, but the increasingly
 heinous nature of some violent crime, and the seemingly decreasing ages
 of the (alleged) perpeatrators.


 Other than that, there is not much else that shocks me anymore.



 Jim

    Being one of three fireman to pull a body out of the Passic River after
    being there all winter. We had to wait for the spring thaw for the body
    to surface. If the fish didn`t get the flesh would just fall off in our
    hands. Had to wrap a net around the remains and pull it to shore.

    That sounds tasty.

    i lived in Fiji when i was a youth (sexual morals are a bit different
    there - oops sorry wrong topic). we used to go collect crown of thorns
    starfish from the reef for 10c a starfish - they were killing the reef.
    most of  the lagoon-side starfish had been collected so one day we went
    ocean-side where nasty things like sharks swim. i watched as my friend
    got eaten by one.
    
    some fishermen caught it a few days later and cut it open ....
    
    ric

    .10
    
    yikes !! don't think you'd like it - you'd find it all highly immoral
    
    ric
    :-)

    Finding my daughter and ex wife gone one day from my house with no
    forwarding address, phone number.... and having to go find them.....

    
    yes, that's shocking, RAUH.
    
    .11 ric,
    
    i have it in my mind that fiji is spectacularly beautiful in a tropical
    sort of way. 
    
    jeff

  My brother and I were working on our electric train. In my right hand I was
holding one of those converters that you plug into a socket then screw a light
bulb into the other end. I had that in one hand with my thumb in the light bulb
opening. I had a live extension court in the other hand. I was gesturing
wildly as my brother and I debated the track layout. 

  Suddenly as my hands came together ***** bzzzzzzzaappp *****

  Now THAT was shocking,
  George

    When I was doing the electrical wiring for my BIL's house, I only
    "rough wired" the second floor, as it wasn't going to be used for
    a while. This left open "junction boxes" (for light switches).
    
    Some of the wiring had to be turned on because it was part of
    other circuits that were being used on the first floor (bathroom
    ceiling fans and the like).
    
    Anyway, in the spring when I returned to finish the wiring, I
    looked into one of the junction boxes where a switch was to be
    installed, and found a bat... a major fried bat.
    
    It apparently thought the junction box would make a fine home.
    It made a final resting place instead... bzzzzzzzt!!!!
    
    -b

    How bout.... out drinking with the lads when your not quite legal
    enough.... and pee'ing on an electric fence that was covered with some
    growth.. not noticing till it was shockingly tooo late....:)

I guess I should have used different wording for the title of .0.

Another experience that left a lasting impression on me: when my Navy
ship visited Martinique, and the our mess cooks carrying garbage cans
down the gangway couldn't make it to the big containers on the pier. Men,
women, and children would intercept them, scooping food out by the
handfull, filling purses, bags, buckets...

I saw this in the late '50s, and the image is still vivid.

Art

    
    jumping naked into a cactus

    
    
    Watching a pile of garbage... roughly 15 or so feet high... covered
    with black plastic...
    
    
    
    
      Undulating constantly because of an untold number of rats (big
    ones!) underneath!
    

    Finding that (seemingly) millions of ants had made a summer home
    out of my "pool pillow". When you winterize an above-ground pool,
    you place a large inflatable pillow in the middle which helps with
    the ice, in that instead of pushing outward on the pool walls, it
    pushes inward on the pillow.
    
    Anyway, one summer, we were finding a lot of ants in the house,
    and also a lot of ants going between the tool shed and the house.
    When fall came and it was time to close up the pool, I went into
    the shed and picked up the pillow and was shocked to find the
    "inside" surfaces of the folded pillow absolutely swarming with
    ants. I can't even being to guess at the numbers... just a black
    sea of writhing ants.
    
    -b (aka Michael Ellis who wants to see the manager but doesn't
        need a toupee... and if you get this reference you _are_
        truly warped)

    
    Brian
    
    That reminds me of when I bought a car off of my dad.
    I guess he munches a lot when driving cause one day at a stop light
    an untold number of ants came to life and poured outa the drivers seat.
    
    I must have looked like a loon jumping all over the car.
    
    								Hank

    Note 299 and the acceptance of the subject matter by some of the
    noters.
    
    That shocks and scares me.
    

	"acceptance of the subject matter"?  what, pray tell, does
	that mean?
    

    
    jelly fish

 smelly dish

    re Note 304.18 by POBOX::BATTIS

    Mark, you're probably going to deny this but I say you've actually
    jumped naked into a cactus on more than one occasion.

    Glenn

    Actually, isn't it the "Portuguese Man of War" that's the "shocker",
    and not your run-of-the-mill jelly fish (which only produces a mild
    skin irritant)?
    
    -b

    
    -b 
    
    You are correct, the Portuguese Man o War can actually kill you if
    the sting is around your heart. Jelly fish can cause more than just
    a little skin irritant.
    
    NNTTM
    
    Mark

Boston Aquarium has a big sea jelly exhibition going on.

Some 70 different species of jellies are harmful to man.

There are a few hundred species.

/john

    Crab apple jelly is not harmful.

    
    just cranky

    must spanky

    
    hide his hanky

    
    re. 18
    
    About 25 years ago, there was a group of people skinny dipping at 
    hot springs a night. The place was closed and out of business.
    So everybody was trespassing. Sheriffs patroling snuck up on everybody
    and starting shining flashlights. Everybody, men and women starting
    running.
    
    Three guys dove over some bushes and landed in catis patch.
    
    We escaped, but they had to call in an ambulance for the three guys.
    
    Dave

    
    <-------- BWHAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

re: .11, ric

>    yikes !! don't think you'd like it - you'd find it all highly immoral

Not a problem. Benson wants to go there as a missionary.

    
    once, when i was abou 12 or so, i was frolicking in the gulf of mexico
    near galveston texas, when all of a sudden my legs felt like they were
    on fire...i was jumping and screaming...my step-father (at the time)
    near had a heartattack not knowing what was wrong with me...but when i
    eventually got out of the water, it was obvious that i invaded a jelly
    fish's path and in retalliation, it wrapped its tenticles around both
    my legs...i had red marks and scabs on my legs for months...
    
    

    I just remembered a couple of "shocking" incidents:
    
    The first was when I was only 6 or 7. I was riding with my father
    through Clinton Mass (I think), when an accident occurred in front
    of us. This was before the "helmet laws", and a car pulled out in
    front of the motorcycle that was about 50 yards ahead. The biker
    lost control and went over the back of the bike, hitting his head
    on the ground at 45 or 50 MPH. Instant road pizza. I remember my
    father trying to cover my eyes so I wouldn't see anything, but
    by the time it occurred to him to do that, it was pretty much
    all over anyway. The sight was similar to what happens when you
    shoot a watermelon with a high-power rifle. It's the main reason
    why if I ever owned a motorcycle (which I don't, but that's
    beside the point), I would _definitely_ wear a helmet.
    
    The second happened a few weeks after I was married in 1981. I
    felt I had to "get out" for a while, so I drove from our apartment
    in Worcester, out to West Boylston, and parked my car on the
    bypass between RT 12 and RT 140 (so that the burned-out church
    was on my right, for those familiar with West Boylston geography).
    I was sitting in the car, with the engine off, when a car came
    screeming south bound on RT 12, going (I would guess) 60 in a
    25 MPH zone. The front right tire of the car hit the curb, and
    the whole car just took off into the air, going sideways, with
    the bottom of the car facing my direction. It sheered two
    telephone poles in half, at least 75 feet apart, and came to
    rest on its roof. I thought the person inside was toast, so
    I didn't even bother to look (someone else was stopping anyway),
    I started the car and immediately bolted to the West Boylston
    police station about a mile away. It turns out that the person
    driving the car survived, but needed a lot of reconstructive
    surgery... the insurance company that interviewed me later
    said she had run up in excess of $200,000 in medical bills
    and wasn't done yet. She worked for Data General in Westboro,
    but that's all I ever found out (they would not tell me her
    name).
    
    What a terrifying sight seeing the sparks flying from those
    dangling telephone poles and that car lying on its roof
    all mushed to hell...
    
    -b

    
    seeing badly rent mortal humyn remains on the two way range. 

    Spring of 81-82,  A family ( he-man type father) decided to hike
    a few peaks behind Crested Butte Colo.;  the family was wearing
    typical spring clothing, shorts, t-shirts ..real lite stuff;
    anyway, on the way up the family met to Rangers, whoi advised them
    that the poopoo was getting ready to hit the fan.  
    
    He-man stated it was HIS family and he knew what was good for them.
    
    Well, to make a long story short, the Monarch Mnt search and Rescue
    was notified of lost persons approx. 3 day later...
    
    We went in, and found the entire family froze to death.. the girl
    was inbetween her mothers thighs, with "moms" body wrapped around the
    girl...and the same for "he-man" and son...
    
    I considered his actions murder.. and always will
    
    What really BUGGED me OUT was when we had to go in and find/get
    a small planes' victims out.  The plain was trying to get over the 
    Collegiate Peaks in "heavy weather" ..Well it didn't make it and flew
    directly into the mountains.  It hit at such an angle that on impact
    it went up the mountain before slidding back down about 400 yrds.
    Area was real steep....
    
    Anyway, all on board were dead;  On extracation of bodies  ( very 
    CHARRED ) there were parts that feel off to the grasping touch.
    We had to wrap b-bags around the victims,  it was like stuffing
    brittle mashed potatoes into a sandwich bag...
    
    Theres more...But....NaaaaaaHH
    
    It's enough!
    
    
    Sin-te-da
       
    

    Re.-1
    
    The family...I forgot one minute piece...It snowed 3 feet...
    It was June!
    
    
    Sin-te-da

 Knew a guy years ago who worked search and rescue in Colorado..had to retrieve
 the remains of a man who chose to exit this world by leaping off of the 
 Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado..that's a long drop, folks..and he hit the
 rocks below.



 Jim

    Sheesh, folks...  should this be renamed the "Faces of Death" topic?
    

    
    
    My visit to my nine year old, Matthew's teacher on Friday morning
    was a real shocker!  Seems the song he picked to analize for a school
    project, Cheeseburger in Paradise, was put aside for another song,
    without my knowledge, when he listened to the whole J.B. CD, and 
    decided he'd rather do 'Why Don't we Get Drunk & Screw'.  The teacher
    was *not* ammused.  Neither was I.....at first. :*)
    
    I guess it's partially my fault for not checking his project before
    he had a chance to turn it in.  A lesson learned for all involved.
    
    At least he didn't know what 'screw' meant.  He thought it meant
    'to leave fast'. :*)
    
    Terrie
    

    .44> "Seems the song he picked to analize"...
    
    Yer lucky he didn't pick "Why don't we get analized in the road!!?"
    
    Ya know, sometymes wymyn would do wyll to add the occasionyl Y to yer
    spyllyng...  It might result in a correctly-spelled wyrd!!
    
    |-{:-)
    

    								------->

    		8^ppPpPPPPpPppPppPPppPPPppPPppPpPpPpPPPppP

    <---- That shocked me.

    
    I'm shocked that you forgot the obligatory (tm).

    Mine has an extra `p'.

    Not me but.....
    
    A friend of mine was SCUBA diving off the Barrier Reef. They were all
    sitting on the ocean floor as the instructor went through the standard
    checks. Then a lovely big shark decided to make it's way right through
    the middle of them...... Needless to say, he's not too fond of SCUBA
    diving anymore.

    Knowing that a law passed on the defacing of religious structures 
    (or what ever you call them) in India, will now see a boy get 
    hanged because he and his father carried out such an act. The boy
    was eleven years old at the time, and is now fourteen.
    
    <r.o> <r.o> <r.o>
    
     

Last night a Methodist church in Atlanta was broken into and trashed
and desecrated.  Windows smashed, furniture and equipment destroyed,
and pentagrams and "Satan" painted on practically every surface.

It will probably be unusable for several weeks, and repairs are going
to cost several thousands (tens of thousands) of dollars.

But I wouldn't favor capital punishment for the people who carried it
out.  They should turn from their wickedness and live.

And they'll either straighten themselves out or burn with their idol.

/john

    John,
    
    This isn't the first church in metro Atlanta that's been desecrated
    in recent months, looks like this one sustained the most damage,
    though.
    
    A gentleman whose grandfather was one of the church's founders said
    if/when the culprits are caught, in addition to having them make
    restitution he would like to see it mandated that they apologize
    to the congregation.
    
    The way the stories were reported, it appears everyone is assuming
    this is the work of kids.
    
    

William I Loathe The Military Clinton attending the Iwo Jima 50th
Anniversay this past weekend.

Art

    -1 really? don't take much, do it?
    
       Chip

    
    
       I was shocked and humbled after reading a synopsis in The
       Boston Sunday Globe on the 50th anniversary of Iwo Jima.
    
    
       Iwo Jima,.....eight square miles,....bombarded by air and
       naval craft for 72 days prior to invasion. US deploys over
       70,000 troops. Almost 7,000 killed and over 21,000 wounded.
       Japanese toll,...20,000 killed and 1,000 captured.
    
       EIGHT SQUARE MILES! Were we trying to make a "statement" here,
       ...or something? Volcanic island,.....700 miles south of Japan,
       ....stategic??? Precursor to invasion of Japanese mainland??
    
    
      Ed
    

    Yes we were.  The emporer of Japan stated that no foreign bomb would
    hit Japanese soil.  This along with the Doolittle brigade totally
    decimated the morale of the nation of Japan...prolly the best method
    of victory other than Hiroshima.
    
    -Jack

Iwo Jima was of major strategic importance as a base for airstrikes against
the Japanese mainland.

/john

    
    
    
     I don't believe that any Mainland strikes originated from Iwo Jima.
     According to the article there were two airfields on the island,..
     .....short runways. To accomodate "heavy bombers" with the necessary
     cargo planes would have required a big expansion of the runways.
     Remember,....this place was just one big rock. Construction would
     have been lenghty. The dropping of "the bomb" was imminent.
    
     It's easy for me to be an "armchair historian",....I just can't see
     the military significance for taking that island,...so late in the
     war.
    
    
    Ed
    

    i believe its strategic value was explained as a landing site
    for aircraft "in trouble" upon returning from mainland strikes.
    
     Chip

    
    pure guess ...
    
    the heavy bombers would have a long range ... however their escort
    fighters would have a much shorter range. Maybe IJ was needed for support
    craft (and emergancy as previosly mentioned)?
    
    Greg
    

I am shocked at the obvious lack of knowledge of history displayed in the last 
couple of notes.
Read your history folks or you are doomed to repeat it.
Iwo was a vital battle and location for several reasons. go read about it!
Amos    

    
    
     re.304.63
    
    
     The "bomb" was dropped five months later,.....that's all I'm sayin'.
    
     Ed
    

    yo, Amos... i don't have any argument with its importance. it was
    worth taking.
    
    Chip

    Another "shock" anectdote:
    
    If any of you are familiar with the city of Worcester Mass, you
    may rememver that route 290 used to end at the "Brosnihan Square"
    exit, near Millbury Street. In the late 60s (I think), 290
    was extended into Auburn.
    
    I was driving under the college square section of 290 the other
    day, and had to stop briefly under the bridge as a car pulled
    out from the left (near Rotman's). Stopping under that bridge
    made me very nervous, and then I remembered why:
    
    When that part of 290 was under construction, that section of
    bridge collapsed, killing (if I remember correctly) 4 people.
    I was shopping in Worcester with my mother at the time, and
    on the way home, we heard about the bridge collapse. We
    were heading down Cambridge Street and stopped at the corner
    of Southbridge street. Traffic was tied up and we ended up
    parking the car and staying there a while.
    
    I remember the way the girders on the bridge looked, fallen
    and twisted... twisted in ways hard imagine many tons of
    steel could twist. I remember watching the rescue team trying
    to get the people free from the cars.
    
    It was more surreal than shocking. It was strange to feel
    myself cringe when I stopped under that bridge.
    
    -b

    And then you woke up in a cold sweat?

    Nope, no wake up... that incident with the bridge is real... anyone
    living near Worcester at the time will probably remember it. In
    fact, I believe the story even made the national papers and news.
    
    -b

    My friend,who was the most appalling racist fiend you could ever meet,
    going to Nigeria to work and ending up getting married to a native
    Nigerian. 
    
    Er,is that ironic?
    
    

    	Re: Iwo Jima
    
    	Yes, the bomb was dropped shortly after that.
    
    	Had the bomb failed (or had it failed to convince the Japanese
    	to surrender) then Iwo Jima would have become of major importance.

    
    Re: Iwo Jima
    
    1. Thousands of airmen's lives were saved by diverting their damaged
    aircraft to the landing strips at Iwo on the return from raids on
    Japan. Aircraft with wounded aboard but flyable also diverted there to
    get the fastest medical attention. In addition, damaged aircraft that
    might not make it back to their original base survived, were repaired
    and returned to service.  
    
    2. The existance of the bomb was a closely guarded secret. At the point
    the decision to take Iwo was made there was no certainty that the
    device would even work, hence we had to be prepared for a lenghty
    conventional bombing campaign. With the limited number of bombs
    available, had the Japanese still refused to surrender the conventional
    bomb campaign would have to continue anyway.
    
    3. Even if the president had ordered a cessation of attacks in
    anticipation of the bomb it would have allowed the Japanes industires
    to recover and increase the resistance we were facing as we drew closer
    to the Japanes mainland. The president would have had a tough time
    convincing the public, the congress and the military of that course of
    action after Pearl Harbor, Batann, etc.
    
    4. The dead/wounded on both sides was a pretty good indicator of the
    level of combat that could be expected if we had to land an invasion
    force on the Japanese homeland - the best reason for using the bomb to
    end the war. Best for both sides.
    
    JB

    re: the A-bomb. Just be glad we beat the Germans to it. Anyone
    seriously believe for a minute that the Japanese would have hesitated
    in using it against us if they had a few from the Germans? After the
    atrocities they committed in China, against U.S. and Aussie troops,
    against the civilians of China, Burma, the Phillippines? I would
    venture to guess that is today's critics, obsessed with political-
    correctness, self-loathing and shame in their country, were suddenly
    transported in time to being one of the military people facing the 
    reality of invading Japan, they would be on their knees thanking God
    that someone had the foresight to drop the bomb. Haven't notice too
    many criticisms or self-flagellation from those countries who were 
    invaded and suffered countless atrocities under the Japanese troops.
    You want to feel bad about something? Feel sympathy for those who were
    killed/tortured under the German and Japanese conquerors. They started
    it, we finished it. Just be thankful we won. 

    amen.

    and don't forget the Italians who ran up against those "ahead of their
    time - high tech" Ethopian warriors. this was discussed heavily in the
    previous 'box. how many people would want to wading onto shore onto
    the Japanese mainland. anyone who thinks an invasion would've been
    a cake-walk is nuts.
    
    certainly, the Germans, Italians, and Japanese would have exploited
    atomic weaponry to its fullest. and the Germans did have a delivery
    system to get one to the U.S...
    
    Chip

Knowing it was quite a shock to me that a third A-bomb was being prepared 
to drop on a city on a fine weather day after Aug. 17 or 18.  
(it was written on memorandum from L. R. Groves, Major General, dated on
 Aug. 10)

BTW, weather was the key factor to choose which city be bombed, due to 
visual flights.  Targets at that time were among four cities - Hiroshima, 
Kokura, Niigata, and Nagasaki.  Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chosen on each 
day. 


re: iwo jima (sulfur island in Japanese)

In war, having command of the air is crucial, I think.  Iwo Jima was the base 
for it, the closer to Japan, the more.   Iwo Jima is ~700 miles to Tokyo.

_Tak

>                                     and the Germans did have a delivery
>    system to get one to the U.S...

Just out of curiousity.
Do you mean V-1 and V-2?  If so, how far did they range?

_Tak

    -1 No... the Junker industry had developed a light bomber capable
       of reaching North America.
    
       Chup

    
    re, .77 - I am very interested in how the current controversies
       surrounding Truman's decision to use this weapon appear to the
       current population in Japan.  Of course, both of our countries
       have changed quite a bit since then !  Here, when the Smithsonian
       in DC attempted to have an exhibit of the Enola Gay, the director
       had to step in and cancel the exhibit because American opinion is
       so deeply divided over our role.
    
         I wonder if soul-searching 50 years after a war serves a purpose.
       What do Japanese think about this ?
    
         bb

Re: .80 - Americans are _not_ deeply divided over this issue. Some
misguided individual academics at the Smithsonian attempted to rewrite
history and make it APPEAR as though we were divided and apologetic.

When Americans learned of this "creativity" they strongly objected, and
effectively blocked the miscarriage of information before it happened.

Art 

    .80 Americans were not divided at the time becuase they did not know
    about it.
    
    the Enola Gay (per se) was not the problem but the emphasis on the
    nuclear weapon it carried. the aircraft itself has great historical
    value and importance. the morale question attached is wherein the
    controversy lies. i don't believe the exhibit is cancelled. i believe
    the theme has been shifted. 

    Two A bomb things:
    
    The two Nukes allow Japan to portray itself as the victims.  Nuclear
    war was done to them.  This leaves Japan failing to live upto its
    history and the terrible atrocities commited during it colonial
    expansion.
    
    The A bombs were Truman acting tough at Stalin,  dead Japanese were of
    no concern as the world headed for the cold war.
    
    The invasion would have been operation olympic and concidering the huge
    force that could have been brought to bare was certainly very winnable
    but I am sure would have involved a greater loss of life than the A
    bomb strikes cost.
    
    What shocks me?  -  How little history people know, even the big events
    like what year did WW1 (the great war) start?
    
    
    American's claiming to have won Vietnam on points.
    
    Capital punishment
    
    The taste of American beer.
    
      R. Michael.

    .84
    
    codswallop.

Codswallop's an ale, not a beer.

Methought 'twere an instrument of piscine sado-masochism, but who am I to say..?
                                                                                

    I didn't care for the Sam Adams ale much...though they have a few other
    decent brews, IMO.

re: .79 (a light bomber)

Thanks for the info.


re: japan's perception regarding the A-bombs

From what I gathered, there seem to be a certain (perception) gap between the
US and Japan in that each country tries to position the A-bombs.

I believe that _most_ of the Japanese have not been requesting "apologies", 
but have been appealing to the US and the world to face and understand real 
impacts that nuclear weapons bring over, based upon our experience.  I went 
to see the museum in Hiroshima some years ago that was a first time in my life.
Some of you might have heard of such phrase, comming out from the people of 
the two cities, as "no more Hiroshima" or "no more Nagasaki"?   The visit 
helped me understand the message it carries.

In turn, the US seems to try to position the A-bombs per se within the context
of justification of the bombing, by making comparison to what Japan did in the 
past.  


re: smithonian 

Japan's news media has been catching up with the Smithonian issue. The museum's
decision brought to us an impression of "Smithonian shrinked, and the US missed
a good opportunity of understanding the impacts".  Sorry folks, you have your 
opinions, but this is Japan's typical response to the museum issue.(me included)
 

re: history 

Regardless to say, it's always been my views and opinions from what I've
learned, and will learn as time goes by.  Others may have different ones from 
mine.  The 50th, this year, makes me feel that I'll go refresh my vague 
understanding of history of Japan.   (I was born after the war)  This should 
start with late 19th century, the time Japan begun to see interests in outer 
worlds, Korea and China for example.  The 100-year span may give me better 
understanding of WWII and now. -- this is my home work this year.  not sure 
if I can make it, though.. 

By the same token, I bought a book, very thick, two months ago, on the 
Manhattan Plan (sp?) that assembles memorandums and letters on the plan from 
the day one to the end (the bombing) sorted by time and that of course include 
such topic as the A-bomb trial, the presidential change, the Yalta, and the 
selection of the cities be bombed.  Interestingly enough, the city of Kyoto 
(yes, the good old city) was on the list in the first place and removed later
by orders from someone.   I don't go further, since the book is for my
homework only and may beyond the scope of the soapbox.

_Tak

    .84, thats shocking.  Has this person tasted every English beer?  Has
    this person sat down at a English bikers rally with a pint of Old
    Scrotums gravitational ale?  -  Life is but a shadow without.
    
    According to the Bass book of words, ales are brewed without hops,
    don't think there are any true ales left in commercial production (if
    I'm wrong tell me!)  This definition maybe archaic, but I saw it on 
    a wall at the bass museum so I believe it.
    
    R. Michael.

    ... as I recall, was credited to Edwin Reischauer, who was then some
    sort of Foriegn Service or intelligence officer.  Realizing the central
    place of Kyoto in the cultural and artistic history of Japan, and
    pressing its relative lack of any military relevance, he successfully
    removed Kyoto from the list of potential targets.  This, it is said,
    greatly endeared him (as far as any American with a role in WWII could
    be) to the Japanese people.  When he later served as U.S. ambassador to
    Japan, his was a fairly popular personality.
    

   My kid brother turning 40 today...

    -1 you have a goat named brother?

    
    
    
    Mankinds highs and lows always shock me and how far apart
    they are. 
    
    What the best achieve and the worst can do.

Re: .94 --

        There are Deceivers
        And Believers
        And In-Betweeners
        
                                Willie Nelson

    The senseless murder of school children and other innocents regardless
    of their location.
    
    Brian

    truly

    what shocks me?
    
    this disgusting notes conference...
    
    except my witty ripartee (of course)...

    
    >don't the screen door hit you
    
    
    	Sometimes, when the wind catches it just right.
    

    
    	Too slow, Phil.
    

        >don't the screen door hit you
    
    
        >    Sometimes, when the wind catches it just right.
    
    especially on a submarine!
        

    
    	Eesh, speaking of "too slow" ... Phil AND Bob deleted their rep-
    	lies by the time I entered that.
    
    	8^)
    

    don't let the screen door hit you

      > Eesh, speaking of "too slow" ... Phil AND Bob deleted their rep-
    >        lies by the time I entered that.
    
    snooze ya lose...     

Shocking,  ain't it?

    My head's still spinning.

    
    	And Doc corrected his "missing word" error, but I cast it in
    	stone for posterity.