THE SANDBOX ~ Issue #46 ~ September 5, 1999
Dedicated to a Diversity of Opinion, Ideas
And What's Happening Today
Club 40 Event Reminder and
Update Included (Sep 10 -11)
Shilo Inn, Richland
The SANDBOX is
Published as Frequently
as YOUR Participation Permits.
~~~~~
Herodotus wrote "Very few things happen at the right
time and the rest do not happen at all."
-Sent in by Jim Russell (58)-
stjohns9@email.msn.com
~~~~~
Here's what we're talking about today:
1: WARNING: Is Your Toilet Paper Y2K compliant?
Received from: Maren Smyth (64)
With additional repartee
2: The Bomber Logo as a Symbol Of Peace?
Were We Playing God?
(An Online Conversation between
Norma Loescher Boswell (53)
Al Parker (53)
3: What About Tax Cuts? Marc Franco (66)
4. Devastated Area...?
Cecily Riccobuono-McClanahan (77)
5: Conservative Jokes John Allen (66)
6: Thou Art... Norma Loescher Boswell (53)
Express Your Anger Shakespeare Style
7: Senior Trees and Senior Citizens Ken Staley
8: Twas the Night Before Y2K Ruth Rawlins Hill (56)
9: Hey! What's this about Hanford Becoming
Portland's Garbage Site?
Em Dow (a.k.a. Marilyn DeVine) (52)
10: TEST YOUR COMPUTER FOR Y2K
11. CLUB 40 EVENT UPDATE (Sep 10 - 11)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING: Is Your Toilet Paper Y2K Compliant?
From: vegas68@cheerful.com (vegas68)
(You all know who she is!)
Please take time out of your busy lives to check your
toilet paper stockpile. Make sure it's Y2K compliant!!!
Word has it, if it isn't, come Jan 1, 2000, it will roll
back to 1900, then turn into a Sears Catalog!!!!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!
[O.K., Maren- Thanks for the tip. But the question
everyone still is asking is this... To be Y2K compliant,
must the paper role over the front, or over the back?
Also, I have just learned that in order to be Y2K
compliant, all toilet seats must be left in the upright
position throughout the next millennium or terrible
things will happen somewhere down the line.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!
- AP -
~~~
NEWS ITEM:
Dateline: 08/07/99
Museum Store Pulls A-Bomb Earrings
By CHRIS ROBERTS
The Associated Press
KIRKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AP) _
Souvenir earrings with tiny silver replicas of the
atomic bombs dropped on Japan will no longer
be sold at the National Atomic Museum.
Friday's decision to pull the earrings comes on
the 54th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.
The earrings _ shaped like ``Little Boy,'' which was
dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and ``Fat
Man,'' which was dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9,
1945 _ had drawn protests from Gensuikyo, an
anti-nuclear group in Japan.
``The foundation (that operates the museum) just
decided since it's a sensitive day and there's so much
concern, it just wasn't worth the bad feelings,''
museum director Jim Walther said Friday. Museum
store manager Tony Sparks said the earrings were the
most popular jewelry item sold in the store. He said
the earrings were sold out Friday morning. Walther
said there are no plans to restock the earrings,
although customer orders received before Friday's
decision will still be filled.
Gensuikyo spokeswoman Naomi Kishimoto said
Thursday: ``It's not the sort of thing you should be
hanging from your ears or using to decorate your
desk.'' She called the museum's earring sales
``unforgivable.''
The Japanese group had learned of the earrings on the
museum's Web site, which also was revised to remove
mention of the earrings.
Other items in the museum store include desk
ornaments commemorating the bombing runs and
diagrams of the bombs. Walther said the museum
doesn't advocate war or the use of nuclear weapons
and that the items are simply souvenirs of museum
displays.
~~~
[Moderator's Note: I sent the following comments out
to several other Bombers to see if a conversation might
develop about the National Atomic Museum decision.]
To: Several Bomber Alumni
From: Al Parker (53)
THE_SANDBOX@bigfoot.com
Hi, Fellow Bombers-
The above article, regarding what amounts to
banning the sale of ear rings depicting the bomb that
ended World War 2, left the following thoughts
"dangling" in my mind.
Perhaps a new item should be added to the alphabet
houses ornament list! Now who could possibly object
to hanging a peace symbol like that on a Christmas
tree? Yes, there is some tongue in cheek here but...
I can understand how that symbol must be offensive to
our Japanese friends today. It is ironic,
however, that many of these same descendants of
Japanese citizens who lived during World War II,
would themselves not even have been born had we not
dropped that bomb, rather than going in with a massive
"fight to the last man" land invasion.
We did what nations do when they need to win a war
and reestablish peace. We used the most powerful
weapon at our disposal to end that war in the quickest
way we possibly could.
,
So, to me, "That Bomb" and the city that built it have
always seemed to me as symbolic of ending a war, not
starting or prolonging one. "That Bomb," then, seems
kind of like a symbol of peace to me; the peace that
followed the war that was ended by that bomb. The
true shame that remains, though, is the fact that the
nature of man has not yet changed in such a way as to
bring all wars to an end, or to keep more wars from
happening. Wars will only end, some will say, when
we each trust God entirely to keep our enemies at bay.
In looking around the world, it doesn't seem like we,
as a people, as a nation, as a world, have yet reached
that level of trust in God, regardless of how any of us
might want to define (or redefine) that God.
~~~~
Now back to the alphabet theme:
It would also be cool to have ear rings, tie clips and
lapel pins depicting the alphabet houses we lived in,
"in those days." (In addition to the series of ornaments
already in the works.) It would be great fun to wear
these at Club 40 and other Class Reunion events.
Maybe some benefactor would like to fund a massive
"minting" of such a project. Then the jewelry could be
sold to benefit worthy Bomber causes through reunions,
local Bomber events, on the Internet, at Homecoming
Events, special Richland summer events, local fairs,
The Senior Center Gift Shop and at the Science Center.
Possibly a concise written history with each house
depicted would interest tourists as well.
And the *beat goes on....
(*The Richland Bomber pulse, that is.)
- Al Parker (53) -
Norma Loescher Boswell (53) responds:
From: Norma Loescher Boswell (53)
boswelln@oneworld.owt.com
Subj: Our Mascot The Bomb
At the impressionable age of eight I moved to Richland
with my family. We had air raid drills when a siren
wailed of impending doom, and children sheltered
beneath school desks. Booming squadrons of bombers
split the sky. Saturday newsreels at the Village
Theater showed bombs smashing London, British
children crouched in air raid shelters. When planes
thundered over Richland, I thought of the children. I
shivered, and my scalp prickled.
I knew the difference between allies and enemies. I
knew those raucous bombers in Richland skies were on
OUR side. But there was always a gut feeling that
what happened to kids and buildings overseas could
happen to me and my home, and I couldn't stop it. I
was intimidated by the sound of planes overhead. In
nightmares I huddled with the children who heard the
bitter rain of bombs.
When I got to Col-Hi, the war was over and we had
won. The bomb was praised proudly in our community
as the instrument of victory. At pep assemblies and
games our mascot was The Bomb, placed with
ceremony on court or field by the cheerleaders. The
Bomb was more powerful than any other symbol in our
league. Before I graduated, I wore a green bomb over
my heart on a gold Pep Club sweater. I was a
confirmed Bomber. The squeamishness of my
childhood was all but gone.
Then I read HIROSHIMA. Thus began the waking
nightmares where my heart raced and my head
exploded with savage images. The bomb that had
ended the war felt briefly, nightmarishly like it was
ending me. It developed a dual personality, both sweet
and sinister, like the cross of Christ--only this time WE
played God.
The bomb comes heavily freighted with memories.
Would I buy it as earrings or jewelry? Yes. When
would I wear it? When I want to set my feelings free.
When I'm ready to laugh and cheer. When I'm ready to
cry.
~ Norma Boswell Loescher (53) ~
P.S. I'd wear the alphabet houses anytime! Pray we find
a benefactor!
~~~
Subj: Tax Cuts
From: mfranco@uswest.net
Marc Franco (66)
Although I definitely have liberal tendencies, I do try to
be centrist and moderate where the political parties
are concerned, because I am extremely aware of the
flaws that can be found in both parties, as well as
virtues that can be found in both parties, and therefore,
it makes little sense- to me- to really advocate one
party over the other. However, sometimes I feel
despair over the activities of one party over the other. I
recently have felt this despair because of the
tremendous support that the Republican party gives to
the NRA, in exchange for the NRA's donations of
course, thwarting the desires of 70 % of the
population. However, this time I feel actual anger
because of what's going on now in (the other)
Washington. The Republicans are attempting to push
through a massive tax cut bill which would almost
completely wipe out the budget surplus for the
foreseeable future. The excuse given is that, if there is a
budget surplus, then taxes must be too high. Of course,
Republican attempts to initiate tax cuts began well
before the budget surpluses appeared. Perhaps some
of the strong conservative Republicans on this board
can explain this to me.
1. The economy is already so strong that the Fed is
threatening increased interest rates. Tax cuts in a
strong economy can do nothing but put money into
people's pockets, when the money is already there.
(We already have a strong economy, remember. If we
had a recession, that would be different.) Increased
money supply, plus an already overheating economy,
has ALWAYS spelled inflation- always, always,
always. Any sign of renewed inflation will surely be
met with higher interest rates. Higher interest
rates can often lead to recession. How are we
supposed to avoid this under the Republican plan?
2. Both sides, Republicans and Democrats, have
always fudged on their figures when it suited their
purposes. In this case, Republicans simply assume the
good times will roll for the next ten or fifteen years, so
let's cut taxes now. If the good times do not roll for ten
or fifteen more years, then- gee whiz, since the massive
tax cuts are already in place, then I guess we're
screwed. I think most of us are aware that, up until
right now, any budgetary surpluses were illusionary,
and we were even close, only because money was
stolen from Social Security. Both sides did this, and
both sides are guilty. If any normal corporation CEO
ever tried that with his company, he would go to jail.
But it seems extremely irresponsible of the
Republicans, now that we have the first genuine
surplus in thirty years, that they already want massive
tax cuts, even before seeing if the cuts are justified or
not. Of course, they have been trying this for six or
seven years now.
3. What the heck is wrong with paying off some of
the debt? Many people seem to have forgotten that this
country still owes one heck of a lot of money. Why do
Republicans object to paying off some of that debt? Do
they plan to begin payments when we have our next
recession? The $800 billion give back basically wipes
out most of the projected surplus for the next ten
years.
4. If this is such a good thing, why are the
Republicans arranging it so that most of it only kicks in
in five or six years? By that time, we will all have
forgotten whose fault it is, when the country really
starts needing the money. Why will we need the money
more in five or six, or in ten years? Because that's
when the baby boomers start to retire. The
Republicans want most of the effects of this tax cut to
come only later, when they won't be blamed for the
fact that all the money is gone, but they want the glory
now for giving tax cuts.
5. Has anybody noticed that there has been no
national demand for tax relief? Most people are on
record for wanting the debt paid down. The
Republicans have publicly stated that this tax cut bill
shows the differences between Republicans and
Democrats. This is correct. This tax cut bill is an
atrocity, and nobody wants it except the wealthy
Republicans who will benefit from it. Obviously, we all
can stand to save a little money in taxes. And there
ARE some good points in this tax bill- erasing the
marriage penalty, eliminating the inheritance taxes, and
so on. But this tax cut bill will save the wealthy a heck
of lot more money than it will save the middle
class or poor, and anybody who thinks differently
should read some history. Obviously, since the
wealthy HAVE more money, they will always benefit
more to a certain extent than will the other classes. But
sometimes it is just a travesty, and this tax bill is one of
those cases.
6. This tax bill is simply riddled with loopholes for
special interests. For example, 80 % of business
lunches are now tax- deductible, instead of the prior
50%. The National Restaurant Assn. had lobbied for
that for years but only for companies earning $5
million or less a year. The Republicans chose to apply
it to everybody. Maybe they just shouldn't tax
companies at all. That would REALLY help the
business climate in America. Of course, the
rest of us will have to pay the difference. The
Democrats have often, and rightly so, been criticized
for pandering to their special interests in some of their
budgetary bills. I look forward to hearing what some
of the arch conservatives say about THIS bill.
- Marc (66) -
~~~
Subj: Devastated Area....
From: Cecily Riccobuono-McClanahan (77)
mailto:CMccla7986@cs.com
I have so much fun reading the daily entries. [referring
in particular to Alumni Sandstorm] So many things
that I had forgotten. Some things that only a
true Richlander would know: green cans on the porch,
doors behind the sinks, prefabs, A & B frames. Some
things almost makes Richland seem like a "Stepford"
kind of place. My father, Phil Riccobuono, retired
from Hanford several years ago, but I remember so
well the green cans that would mysteriously show up
on the porch. I would ask my mother what they were
for, and she would always respond with the same,
"Just something for your father". I also remember the
badge he had to wear.
Behind it were all those weird looking squares. Some
were different colors. For years, I never really knew
exactly what my father's job was. Later I learned that
he was a Radiation Monitor, and I still really couldn't
tell you what he did. I know he got a lot of vacation
time!! Marjo Vinther talked about when Mr. McCluskey
got injured, and was taken to that "special"
place. He and my father were very good friends, and
my father was one of the monitors called to come
"clean up". I remember him telling me how eerie it
was being in there. He said that everyone was in
special gear that looked like something astronauts
would wear, and, in the middle of the room, was poor
Mr. McCluskey, lying on a special bed. He was
conscious, but not speaking. I remember mostly the
media blowing the whole thing way out of proportion.
Martha Brighton's dad was the acting Dr, and I
remember being at their house, and he was getting
calls from all the major networks to do interviews.
CBS wanted to fly over the devastated area. My
family got calls from relatives back east to see if we
were ok. I don't know if anyone recalls the article that
PEOPLE magazine did on the story. One when it
happened, then one when Mr. McCluskey died about
10 years after. He did die of cancer, not natural
causes, as some have thought.
On a happier subject. It's almost Fair time, and I'm
hoping to hear from more 77 alumni. It's my
understanding that Michael will be doing two shows.
Can anyone confirm this for me? Anyway, hope to see
ALL Bomber alumni there, and if all goes well, a class
of 77 get-together after the show, or the next day!!!!!
- Cecily Riccobuono McClanahan (77) -
~~~
Subj: More Conservative Humor
From: John M. ALLEN (66)
Reply-to miles2go@cheerful.com
For those of you who haven't seen these yet,
(even you libs) you should get a chuckle out
of them.
---John
TOP TEN CAMPAIGN SLOGANS FOR HILLARY
10. "Read My Lips - No New Interns"
9. "Reward Me For Putting Up With Bill's Crap For
So Long"
8. "Isn't It Time You Were Disappointed By A
Different Clinton?"
7. "Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You,
Ask How You Can Illegally Contribute To My
Campaign"
6. "Vote For Me Or My Husband Will Nail Your
Wife"
5. "You Give Me A Vote, I'll Get Vernon Jordan To
Give You A Job"
4. "Still Not Indicted As Of 1999!"
3. "From Perjury To Albany"
2. "Building A Bridge To The 21st Century, And
Pushing My Husband Off It"
And the NUMBER ONE Hillary Clinton Campaign
Slogan ...
1. "Oh Lord, Please Don't Make Me Go Back To
Arkansas"
~~~
Subj: Hey, What's This About Portland Sending
Their Garbage to Hanford?!!!
From: Em Dow (a.k.a. Marilyn DeVine) class of '52
emd@mtaonline.net
Hi---this is Em Dow (a.k.a. Marilyn DeVine) class of
'52. I didn't have time to read the WHOLE THING,
but I did find a few names I recognize!
Hey---what's this about Portland sending their
"garbage" to Hanford?!! I thought they "they" were
trying to clean the place up...? Oh well. "They" must
have gotten big bucks for taking it!
I was going to respond to a couple to questions/
remarks but can't remember what they were. DUH!!!
Oh, that's right: the memory is the 2nd thing to go...
Once in a while I get down to the Tri-Cities. Would
say just Richland, but brother Terry lives in
Kennewick. About the only thing I remember about
Kennewick is going to that cool night-spot. If I
thought about it long enough I'd probably even
remember the name! Oh well... Of my 5 kids and
(almost)13 grandis, 2 of the kids and 4 (5 next
month) grandis live in Richland and soon I'll have
grandis attending Col. Hi. Yeah, I know they
changed the name, but I can ignore that, can't I? My
kids live on Cottonwood---just 6 or 7 blocks from
where we lived in the 50's and 60's.
Special thanks to Luana (Ivers) Portch for telling me
about this site. And to Marilyn (Baird) for getting back
to it when I "lost" it!
More later. Regards, Em
~~~
Subj : Senior Trees vs. Senior Citizens
From: Ken Staley
kenstaley@hotmail.com
I see in the news that the old locust trees in Howard
Amon Park are 'diseased' and need to be removed.
Many of those trees are more than 60 years old. Pity.
I understand that the 'locust bore worm' has destroyed
many of the old trees. I've seen pictures of the 'rotted
and eaten' branches from those old trees, and
understand that the city does not want to be held liable
should one of those stately old souls collapse during
any sort of event.
Of course, and purely by coincidence I'm sure, the city
also wants the land that most of those old trees sit on
for a new senior center!
- Ken -
~~~
Subj: Thou Art
From: Norma Loescher Boswell (53)
Despite my feelings about civility, there are times when
one must "vent."
Why not do it Shakespeare style?
To construct a Shakespearean insult, combine one
word from each of the three columns below, and
preface it with "Thou":
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
-------- -------- --------
artless base-court apple-john
bawdy bat-fowling baggage
beslubbering beef-witted barnacle
bootless beetle-headed bladder
churlish boil-brained boar-pig
cockered clapper-clawed bugbear
clouted clay-brained bum-bailey
craven common-kissing canker-blossom
currish crook-pated clack-dish
dankish dismal-dreaming clotpole
dissembling dizzy-eyed coxcomb
droning doghearted codpiece
errant dread-bolted death-token
fawning earth-vexing dewberry
fobbing elf-skinned flap-dragon
froward fat-kidneyed flax-wench
frothy fen-sucked flirt-gill
gleeking lap-mouthed foot-licker
goatish fly-bitten fustilarian
gorbellied folly-fallen giglet
impertinent fool-born gudgeon
infectious full-gorged haggard
jarring guts-griping harpy
loggerheaded half-faced hedge-pig
lumpish hasty-witted horn-beast
mammering hedge-born hugger-mugger
mangled hell-hated joithead
mewling idle-headed lewdster
paunchy ill-breeding lout
pribbling ill-nurtured maggot-pie
puking knotty-pated malt-worm
puny milk-livered mammet
qualling motley-minded measle
rank onion-eyed minnow
reeky plume-plucked miscreant
roguish pottle-deep moldwarp
ruttish pox-marked mumble-news
saucy reeling-ripe nut-hook
spleeny rough-hewn pigeon-egg
spongy rude-growing pignut
surly rump-fed puttock
tottering shard-borne pumpion
unmuzzled sheep-biting ratsbane
vain spur-galled scut
venomed swag-bellied skainsmate
villainous tardy-gaited strumpet
warped tickle-brained varlet
wayward toad-spotted vassal
weedy unchin-snouted whey-face
yeasty weather-bitten wagtail
- Norma Loescher Boswell (53) -
~~~
Subj: Twas the Night Before Y2K
From: Ruth_Hill@juno.com
Ruth Rawlins Hill (56)
Twas The Night Before Y2K
'Twas the night before Y2K,
And all through the nation
We awaited The Bug,
The Millennium sensation.
The chips were replaced
In computers with care,
In hopes that ol' Bugsy
Wouldn't stop there.
While some folks could think
They were snug in their beds
Others had visions
Of dread in their heads.
And Ma with her PC,
And I with my Mac
Had just logged on the Net
And kicked back with a snack.
When over the server,
There arose such a clatter
I called Mister Gates
To see what was the matter.
But he was away,
So I flew like a flash
Off to my bank
To withdraw all my cash.
When what with my wandering eyes
Should I see?
My good old Mac
Looked sick to me.
The hack of all hackers
Was looking so smug,
I knew that it must be
The Y2K Bug!
His image downloaded
In no time at all,
He whistled and shouted,
Let all systems fall!
Go Intel! Go Gateway!
Now HP! Big Blue!
Everything Compaq,
And Pentium too!
All processors big,
All processors small,
Crash away! Crash away!
Crash away all!
All the controls
That planes need for their flights
All microwaves, trains
And all traffic lights.
As I drew in my breath
And was turning around,
Out through the modem,
He came with a bound.
He was covered with fur,
And slung on his back
Was a sackful of virus,
Set for attack.
His eyes-how they twinkled!
His dimples-how merry!
As midnight approached, though
Things soon became scary.
He had a broad little face
And a round little belly,
And his sack filled with virus
Quivered like jelly.
He was chubby and plump,
Perpetually grinning,
And I laughed when I saw him
Though my hard drive stopped spinning.
A wink of his eye,
And a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know
A new feeling of dread.
He spoke not a word,
But went straight to his work,
He changed all the clocks,
Then turned with a jerk.
With a twitch of his nose,
And a quick little wink,
All things electronic
Soon went on the blink.
He zoomed from my system,
To the next folks on line,
He caused such a disruption,
Could this be a sign?
Then I heard him exclaim,
With a loud, hearty shout,
Happy Y2K to you all,
This is a helluva night!
~~~
Subj: TEST YOUR COMPUTER FOR Y2K
From: THE SANDBOX
THE_SANDBOX@bigfoot.com
At CNET.com you can find:
These free apps to test your hardware for Y2K compliancy:
Y2K Test
BugFix Year 2000 Solution
Cloktest 2000
OnMark 2000 BIOS Test and Fix
Ontrack Y2K Advisor
Y2K RTC Diagnostic
More Y2K Downloads
~~~
LATEST Y2K HEADLINES:
Russia works to avoid nuke misfire on Y2K
Banks may limit emergency credit ahead of Y2K
Government on guard for possible Y2K violence
~~~
Subj: Club 40 Events - Sept 10 - 11
From: boswelln@oneworld.owt.com
Norma Loescher Boswell (53)
Here's the updated agenda for this weekend's Club
40 events.
Friday registration begins at 5 p.m. The home football
game for those who wish to attend is Col-Hi vs. Pasco.
The Sock Hop/food (hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas,
etc.) commences about 7:30 and continues all evening.
Dress theme is (men) levis, white T-shirts & loafers
(and women) pleated, plaid skirts or poodle skirts,
pony tails & saddle shoes with bobby socks. The 49'ers
set up the theme, and it may be fun for you to follow,
but it's okay to come casual/contemporary. Suit
yourself!
Saturday:
6 p.m. Social Hour (no-host bar)
7 p.m. Dinner
8 p.m. Program
9 p.m. Dance with Live Band (20 piece, I hear!)
Dress for Saturday ranges anywhere between casual
and slightly dressy. Once again, suit yourself!
Richlanders tend to do their own thing.
*** due to the passing of some time since the last
SANDBOX, issue #45, was published, some items
in this issue may be a bit past date. Don't let that
happen to your milk! (Apologies for that.)
Remember- the frequency of publication depends
largely on your own vested interest in sending stuff in!
So--- Get it off your chest... Talk to us!
Send your stuff to:
THE_SANDBOX@bigfoot.com
Wishing the very best for you and those
you care about,
For Today-
For Tomorrow-
And for all of your morrows to Come!
-ap-
-46-