Rev' Father Peter Basil (Parish Priest)
St. Catherine's Catholic Parish
4 Lewens Lane,Wimbome
DORSET BH21 ILF London, UK
Dear Beloved,
On behalf of the trustees and executor of the estate of Late Sir.
William
Smith, I wish to notify you that late Sir. Williams Smith, made you a
beneficiary to his Will. He left the sum of Two Million Five Hundred
and
fifty thousand Pounds Sterling (£2,550.000.00 BPS) to you in the
Codicil and
last testament to his Will.
This may sound strange and unbelievable to you, but it is real and
true.
Being a widely traveled man, he must have been in contact with you in
the
past or simply you were nominated to him by one of his numerous friends
abroad that wished you good. Sir. Williams Smith passed away peacefully
in
the Lister Hospital London, after a short illness at the age of 88
years.
He was born May 10th 1915, died June 26th 2003, and his Will is now
ready
for execution. Sir. Williams Smith, until his death was a very
dedicated
Christian who loved to give out.
Sir. Williams Smith was a kind and generous-hearted man, a real
gentleman
who had many friends here and abroad. According to him this money is to
support your activities and to help the poor and the needy in your
Country.
Please If I reach you as I am hopeful; endeavor to get back to me as
Soon as
possible, to enable the solicitor executing the Will to conclude his
job.
You should forward along your telephone and fax Numbers, including your
present mailing address. Please response to via e-mail address for
security
reason ( fatherpeterbasil3@excite.com )
I'm looking forward for your urgent response.
Yours in His service,
Rev' Fr. Peter Basil (Parish Priest)
Monday, November 27, 2006
My assistant and I chart out the maps for Pacific Peak.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Sorry, had some trouble with blogger yesterday...
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Sorry friends, I'm going to be too busy with editing/laying out of my maps for my book to write in the blog (I know, you're all heartbroken). Thus, I declare this week FUNNY CAT PICTURE WEEK with a new cat picture each day. Enjoy!
Friday, November 17, 2006
During my 10-15 minute escape outdoors, I've been watching guys working on the road outside my apartment. Hard-hatted moles duck down into manholes and disappear; it brings to mind the whole elaborate world that may be beneath our feet. Granted, in Boulder you aren't going to see much more than sewers. In many very old cities, there are whole layers of catacombs, tunnels, mazes, and chambers. Even the relatively modern New York City has a whole culture of "nesters" who live underground in abandoned subway tunnels and defunct transit stations. Paris, Rome, Jerusalem, Mexico City, and many more have entire marketplaces and palaces below the buildings that touch the sky today.
Sometimes I get a yearning to search for buried treasure, to explore new domains, to uncover history. I can only imagine how incredible Howard Carter must have felt excavating Tutankhamun's tomb. In his memoirs, Carter notes how vividly he remembers the scented air, the dust of history. I got to experience something akin to this when a 40,000-60,000 year old chunk of glacier broke off when I was in Greenland. The liberated air smelled organic and fresh, like a garden. When it was sealed into the icy confines, it was rife with the scent of now-extinct Arctic forests and meadows. I too, vividly remember it.
P.S.- No, I haven't been reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics lately, thank you very much!
Even non-baseball fans will enjoy this list! I present to you the most bizarre injuries in baseball!
(This from a guy who once broke a toe celebrating a perfect execution of the "Widow Maker" move in Ping Pong).
Sometimes I get a yearning to search for buried treasure, to explore new domains, to uncover history. I can only imagine how incredible Howard Carter must have felt excavating Tutankhamun's tomb. In his memoirs, Carter notes how vividly he remembers the scented air, the dust of history. I got to experience something akin to this when a 40,000-60,000 year old chunk of glacier broke off when I was in Greenland. The liberated air smelled organic and fresh, like a garden. When it was sealed into the icy confines, it was rife with the scent of now-extinct Arctic forests and meadows. I too, vividly remember it.
P.S.- No, I haven't been reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics lately, thank you very much!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Even non-baseball fans will enjoy this list! I present to you the most bizarre injuries in baseball!
(This from a guy who once broke a toe celebrating a perfect execution of the "Widow Maker" move in Ping Pong).
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Ugh, my second check for my Mexican hotel project is now 10 days over due. I currently have $3.32 in my account plus a 7 dollar rebate check I haven't cashed yet (and I may have lost within the course of the day). That makes my total networth (debt notwithstanding) a whopping $10.32! Hopefully my days of being a tenyinaire will be over soon (in the positive direction--I'd hate to become centyinaire).
In other news, next Sunday is the annual fall Frisbee tournament, which I would love to play in snow! After that, I have no actual plans for the foreseeable future--even good ol' Turkey Day is up in the air. I was thinking of hosting it here and inviting over friends, but I know many will be busy. This may work well, as I could end up trying to eat a whole giant turkey by myself. Takeru Kobayashi, look out!
In other news, next Sunday is the annual fall Frisbee tournament, which I would love to play in snow! After that, I have no actual plans for the foreseeable future--even good ol' Turkey Day is up in the air. I was thinking of hosting it here and inviting over friends, but I know many will be busy. This may work well, as I could end up trying to eat a whole giant turkey by myself. Takeru Kobayashi, look out!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Ok see if you can follow:
1: My computer explodes; I get new computer along with big, new monitor to work on maps and compute whatever my heart desires.
2: The one main program I need to work, my National Geographic Mapping software, fails to open for some bizarre reason. I figure there must be a driver or registry conflict. In other words, its over my head so I have to wait all weekend to contact customer service.
3: Today I get the rare useful email from Nat. Geo. telling me what the problem is (an OpenGL conflict with older Nvidia drivers). I am advised to update my Nvidia drivers and then install a patch for the mapping program. Ok, good...
4: Install updates and patch, mapping software works great but uh-oh, for some reason the display drivers have completely deleted my ethernet drivers, IE what you need to get on the Internet.
5: After a "Kevin's Advice" flashback, I try to reinstall the old display drivers with the hope there would be a network/ethernet driver to reinstall (oddly, rolling back the driver didn't work-- it said no driver ever existed!)
6: FINALLY, reinstall the old network drivers and voila, all SEEMS to be working (and I assume I have the new display driver and the old ethernet driver).
Quite the pain, and mostly the problem with the Nat Geo software. Though it's a good thing I'm not using a Mac because the software is completely incompatibly with Apple's driver system once it gets updated (oops!)
So I'm back to square 1 with my maps after all that. Time to get rollin'
A big wahoooo to John and Megan Ragozzine! They are expecting their first baby on May 29, 2007--a day after my Dad's birthday! Since they may have trouble coming up with names, I decided to consult the best source for these things: video games and MST3K! Here's the top ten I came up with:
1. Megaweapon Ragozzine (From Warrior of the Lost World MST3K)
2. Biff Ragozzine (From the NES game Legacy of the Wizard)
3. King Hippo Ragozzine (From the NES game Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!)
4. Crow T. Ragozzine (MST3K)
5. Tanooki Ragozzine (From the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3)
6. Torgo Ragozzine (From Manos: The Hands of Fate MST3K)
7. Chewbacca Ragozzine (Star Wars, but also in several video games)
8. Barn Ragozzine (From the NES game Baseball Simulator 1.000)
9. The Jacquio Ragozzine (From the NES game Ninja Gaiden)
10. Katamari Ragozzine (From the PS2 game Katamari Damacy)
1: My computer explodes; I get new computer along with big, new monitor to work on maps and compute whatever my heart desires.
2: The one main program I need to work, my National Geographic Mapping software, fails to open for some bizarre reason. I figure there must be a driver or registry conflict. In other words, its over my head so I have to wait all weekend to contact customer service.
3: Today I get the rare useful email from Nat. Geo. telling me what the problem is (an OpenGL conflict with older Nvidia drivers). I am advised to update my Nvidia drivers and then install a patch for the mapping program. Ok, good...
4: Install updates and patch, mapping software works great but uh-oh, for some reason the display drivers have completely deleted my ethernet drivers, IE what you need to get on the Internet.
5: After a "Kevin's Advice" flashback, I try to reinstall the old display drivers with the hope there would be a network/ethernet driver to reinstall (oddly, rolling back the driver didn't work-- it said no driver ever existed!)
6: FINALLY, reinstall the old network drivers and voila, all SEEMS to be working (and I assume I have the new display driver and the old ethernet driver).
Quite the pain, and mostly the problem with the Nat Geo software. Though it's a good thing I'm not using a Mac because the software is completely incompatibly with Apple's driver system once it gets updated (oops!)
So I'm back to square 1 with my maps after all that. Time to get rollin'
Friday, November 10, 2006
A big wahoooo to John and Megan Ragozzine! They are expecting their first baby on May 29, 2007--a day after my Dad's birthday! Since they may have trouble coming up with names, I decided to consult the best source for these things: video games and MST3K! Here's the top ten I came up with:1. Megaweapon Ragozzine (From Warrior of the Lost World MST3K)
2. Biff Ragozzine (From the NES game Legacy of the Wizard)
3. King Hippo Ragozzine (From the NES game Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!)
4. Crow T. Ragozzine (MST3K)
5. Tanooki Ragozzine (From the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3)
6. Torgo Ragozzine (From Manos: The Hands of Fate MST3K)
7. Chewbacca Ragozzine (Star Wars, but also in several video games)
8. Barn Ragozzine (From the NES game Baseball Simulator 1.000)
9. The Jacquio Ragozzine (From the NES game Ninja Gaiden)
10. Katamari Ragozzine (From the PS2 game Katamari Damacy)
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Amongst my family, there is a rather funny trend--a certain type of smile known as "the camera face". Namely, my cousins Marc and David are guilty of this pseudo-grin that involves pursing the lips into a rather odd looking expression. You can see it on their school photos from grade 1 to college (and pretty much any other picture they are in).
Well, as I was looking through my photos for my book, I came across this shot of me hiding in the bushes (for the third time) while trying to ascend Treasury Peak in Crested Butte. Could it be?! Am I guilty of the camera face? I'll let you decide!
Well, as I was looking through my photos for my book, I came across this shot of me hiding in the bushes (for the third time) while trying to ascend Treasury Peak in Crested Butte. Could it be?! Am I guilty of the camera face? I'll let you decide!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
A quick note on elections: much to my surprise, several of the gay rights bills have been shot down. Experts on NPR and such said the main reason was not just your run-on-the-mill fear mongering right wingers, but the Hispanic and Black communities as well, which are generally liberal. Oh well...Remember, there was a time when men without land couldn't vote, when black people couldn't vote, and women couldn't vote. Eventually, in some way, we'll catch up to common sense down the road.
And now, beyond the ugly world of politics, I'd like to report a sad passing. My alarm clock, which I won (yes, WON!) in my incredibly brief tenure as a cub scout, has pooped out. I was a cub scout for roughly 6 months in 1984, of which I actually was interested in the 'scout way for maybe 45 minutes. The one fund raiser I had, I rocked out. Not only did I earn this fancy alarm clock, I also got a Zebco fishing pole (which I also still have).
Out of scouting, all I wanted was to camp out, hike in the woods, swim, canoe, etc. Instead I had to go to church, sing to old people, and tie lots of boring knots. With the church thing--no kids like going to church, especially on a hard-earned day off from school. As for singing to old people, I can't sing...and I think I just made them more sad. As for knots...well, this one is a bit more practical in my climbing pursuits, though at the time it was crushingly dull.
Anyhow...this is the same clock radio I on which listened to baseball games when I lived in Waterbury in 3rd grade, with a young kitten named KC by my side. It made the move to Wolcott and served me through middle and high school. Then it was off to college, where it survived several drenchings of Simply Soda. Then out here to Colorado, where it performed admirably into its 22nd year of service until the "Time Set" button fizzled out. I actually tried to repair it, but because it was such a cheap product (made by Taiwanese electronics juggernaut "Artist") there was no way to get at the broken sensor without splitting the circuit board apart.
So I bid my faithful clock a timely adieu and welcome a new, Emerson clock to my life. I actually bought a cool looking blue LED clock first, but the blue lights were way too bright so I went back to conventional red. Think of it this way: if this clock lasts 22 more years, I'll be 52 when I buy my next one!
And now, beyond the ugly world of politics, I'd like to report a sad passing. My alarm clock, which I won (yes, WON!) in my incredibly brief tenure as a cub scout, has pooped out. I was a cub scout for roughly 6 months in 1984, of which I actually was interested in the 'scout way for maybe 45 minutes. The one fund raiser I had, I rocked out. Not only did I earn this fancy alarm clock, I also got a Zebco fishing pole (which I also still have).
Out of scouting, all I wanted was to camp out, hike in the woods, swim, canoe, etc. Instead I had to go to church, sing to old people, and tie lots of boring knots. With the church thing--no kids like going to church, especially on a hard-earned day off from school. As for singing to old people, I can't sing...and I think I just made them more sad. As for knots...well, this one is a bit more practical in my climbing pursuits, though at the time it was crushingly dull.
Anyhow...this is the same clock radio I on which listened to baseball games when I lived in Waterbury in 3rd grade, with a young kitten named KC by my side. It made the move to Wolcott and served me through middle and high school. Then it was off to college, where it survived several drenchings of Simply Soda. Then out here to Colorado, where it performed admirably into its 22nd year of service until the "Time Set" button fizzled out. I actually tried to repair it, but because it was such a cheap product (made by Taiwanese electronics juggernaut "Artist") there was no way to get at the broken sensor without splitting the circuit board apart.
So I bid my faithful clock a timely adieu and welcome a new, Emerson clock to my life. I actually bought a cool looking blue LED clock first, but the blue lights were way too bright so I went back to conventional red. Think of it this way: if this clock lasts 22 more years, I'll be 52 when I buy my next one!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Well, that's what I get for writing about politics! Last night I went to use my cell phone, only to find I couldn't make outgoing calls. OK....weird. THEN I couldn't check my messages = weirder. Ultimately, I borrowed my room mates phone to find out what in tarnation was going on with T-Mobile.
It turns out I had over 120 (!) messages left on my phone via an automated service calling to endorse a particular candidate for..something (remember, I never got to check my messages). What they think happened was my phone picked up and shut off after a certain amount of memory filled up for messages...and then the number got stuck and kept calling back, trying to leave the whole thing. The worst part is, I don't even know who the fink was! I have to go to T Mobile tomorrow and get my phone reset.
*Sigh* Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!
It turns out I had over 120 (!) messages left on my phone via an automated service calling to endorse a particular candidate for..something (remember, I never got to check my messages). What they think happened was my phone picked up and shut off after a certain amount of memory filled up for messages...and then the number got stuck and kept calling back, trying to leave the whole thing. The worst part is, I don't even know who the fink was! I have to go to T Mobile tomorrow and get my phone reset.
*Sigh* Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!
Tomorrow, I will do my civic duty and vote. Like most of us, I'm sick of the negative campaigns, lame candidates, and polarizing debates. Colorado has some interesting issues on the ballot this year, none as much in the limelight as Amendment 43, the constitutional change to make gay marriage illegal. It seems astonishing to me that any thinking, informed, and educated person would want to promote anything that restricts freedom, but there's a good chance this bill will pass. For those people opposed to gay marriage, I want to say "Get over yourselves! Give gay people the same chance to screw up their marriages as over 60% of straight people do!" No matter what some silly piece of paper says, if two people love each other, then no document is going to change that. Restricting their legal freedoms or worse, bringing up that "sanctity of marriage" garbage is all rhetoric: being married goes beyond the ring and the paper work. Marriage is the ultimate friendship, a true commitment not to a church or to your parents or your friends, but to that one person in life you love so much, you give yourself to them wholly, body and soul. It is perhaps the ultimate challenge of being human; to truly love another more than yourself...and to fill that void with their love for you.
People who treat each other well deserve every bonus they can get, both karmically and legally. It may shock people, but gay relationships are every bit as trying and rewarding as straight relationships. If people would just get their heads out of the dark ages and into the 21st century, perhaps debates like this would finally yield to the common sense of the heart and we could move onto more pressing and important issues, like sending more robots to Mars!
Of course, the other big issue making waves in Denver (though not here in Boulder county) is the legalizing of small amounts of marijuana, not so much for public safety but to ease the burden of minor offenses on our criminal system. This whole issue is another can of worms, thanks to implications beyond the issue. The supporters of the proposed law keep arguing marijuana is safer than smoking cigarettes--but then again, sticking your fingers in an electrical socket two times a day is safer than smoking cigarettes--so that's not a great argument for their case. The problem with marijuana is that people are not responsible enough to safely use it--the towering number of drunk driving fatalities has proven mind-altering substances are not the best idea in a country with miles of open roads. It's medicinal value is spotty at best; it may actually aid in some cases but, beyond the desired side-effect, it also does a number on your brain cells and other organs, not to mention the awful side effect of making you think that Kansas was a pretty good band.
And that is at the core of any mind altering drug debate; you give up control of your actions, yet are every bit accountable for anything you may do while in an altered state. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am and always have been drug free--what other people choose to do, as long as they are not seriously endangering others, is up to them and not for me to say, unless they are a close part of my life. In some ways I'm glad I'm not voting on this issue, because I would probably vote against it--not because I think marijuana is pure evil, but because people just aren't responsible enough to use it safely. (Though, in defense of supporters of casual smoking, "getting high on life" by doing things like rock climbing and riding dirt bikes probably aren't much safer). Of course, when the cashiers at Wild Oats (who I would see smoking up 5 minutes before opening, when I worked at Planetoutdoors) gave me 25$ in change when I gave them a 5 bucks for a 2.99 bottle of juice, I just kept the money-- so maybe I should vote yes for it.
Anyhow, these are very small snippets of my personal opinions on things. I'll spare anyone my deeper thoughts, unless of course they ask :) Now, let me just get on my flame-retardant suit here and I'll finish this post...
People who treat each other well deserve every bonus they can get, both karmically and legally. It may shock people, but gay relationships are every bit as trying and rewarding as straight relationships. If people would just get their heads out of the dark ages and into the 21st century, perhaps debates like this would finally yield to the common sense of the heart and we could move onto more pressing and important issues, like sending more robots to Mars!
Of course, the other big issue making waves in Denver (though not here in Boulder county) is the legalizing of small amounts of marijuana, not so much for public safety but to ease the burden of minor offenses on our criminal system. This whole issue is another can of worms, thanks to implications beyond the issue. The supporters of the proposed law keep arguing marijuana is safer than smoking cigarettes--but then again, sticking your fingers in an electrical socket two times a day is safer than smoking cigarettes--so that's not a great argument for their case. The problem with marijuana is that people are not responsible enough to safely use it--the towering number of drunk driving fatalities has proven mind-altering substances are not the best idea in a country with miles of open roads. It's medicinal value is spotty at best; it may actually aid in some cases but, beyond the desired side-effect, it also does a number on your brain cells and other organs, not to mention the awful side effect of making you think that Kansas was a pretty good band.
And that is at the core of any mind altering drug debate; you give up control of your actions, yet are every bit accountable for anything you may do while in an altered state. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am and always have been drug free--what other people choose to do, as long as they are not seriously endangering others, is up to them and not for me to say, unless they are a close part of my life. In some ways I'm glad I'm not voting on this issue, because I would probably vote against it--not because I think marijuana is pure evil, but because people just aren't responsible enough to use it safely. (Though, in defense of supporters of casual smoking, "getting high on life" by doing things like rock climbing and riding dirt bikes probably aren't much safer). Of course, when the cashiers at Wild Oats (who I would see smoking up 5 minutes before opening, when I worked at Planetoutdoors) gave me 25$ in change when I gave them a 5 bucks for a 2.99 bottle of juice, I just kept the money-- so maybe I should vote yes for it.
Anyhow, these are very small snippets of my personal opinions on things. I'll spare anyone my deeper thoughts, unless of course they ask :) Now, let me just get on my flame-retardant suit here and I'll finish this post...
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Attention all! I am compiling a list of inspirational quotes for my book! If you know of any good quotes relating to the outdoors, send 'em over. While they can be "classic quotes" such as Walden, Frost, etc. they certainly don't have to be. In fact, I'm looking to compile more modern quotes if I can: I've already quoted The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy 7, Rush, Bad Religion, Spongebob, myself, and several MST3K episodes. They can be funny, deep, but keep them positive. "I'd rather stab my eyes with dull butter knives than climb that mountain" is not a good quote. Also "Sure it's a good mountain to climb, if you're a tree-hugging, granola munching, bed-wetting, liberal, communist, nazi" probably won't make the book unless you can put a positive spin on it.
You can post quote here or email me directly if you're shy.
You can post quote here or email me directly if you're shy.
