From the Mouths of Babes

We were watching "The Big Bang Theory" using Joost yesterday. It's a behind the times comedy/sitcom about ubernerds who work R&D at a local university. They're inept in the social skills department and always trying to include the hot neighbor girl in nerdy group activities. Of course theres plenty of sexual tension between main character ubernerd and hot neighbor girl, which makes for lots of laughs... right?

A show comprised of one liners and serious over use of a laugh track, "The Big Bang Theory" somehow makes you feel like the sitcom hasn't died yet. Watchable but not loveable. With the huge introduction of geek media into the mainstream this fall with great shows like Chuck, Journeyman and The Bionic Woman, I find it hard to dedicate a free moment to the show. But for those rare occasions where I can't get involved in a story line and just need a few laughs "The Big Bang Theory" hits the spot.

Speaking of laugh track...

While watching an episode last night, one of the main characters sat down and tried to get comfortable in his chair and was turning his head a few different directions. Laugh track ensued and with perfect timing Ainsley asks, "Is he looking for the people who are laughing?" That cracked Ken and I up, much to Ainsley's confusion. She really was wondering where the laughing was coming from.

Hanford Tour

**cameras were not allowed on the tour these pictures come from the http://www.b-reactor.org/tour_photos/60th_anniv_tour/60th_anniv_photos.htm. We went to these exact same places and even the same people led the tours**

Ken and I went on the Hanford public tour today. Ya, I know it was a miracle that we were able to sign up for it. It WAS our second attempt. We tried during the summer to get on the list but 4 minutes after it opened it was all full up. Luckily, this time, I was logged in and signing up right as enrollment began and was able to get us in.

The tour started off with a trip around the HAMMER training facility which was quite interesting. Got to see all the props and buildings they have out there to train people to handle many different public and environmental crises. Next was a long trip on an old stretch of
road through what was once Hanford and White Bluffs. Unfortunately it was foggy out and the tour consisted mostly of the white fog line on the side of the road. Eventually we ended up at the B reactor which is the shining star on the tour so we all got out and into the first reactor to go critical in the world. I had a great time. They've got it set up very museum like with video presentations and models and posters. But I guess nothing compares to the actual reactor face right there in front of you and the cooling tanks behind it. So ya, I'd say it was a pretty cool experience.

We saw several more reactors most cocooned one working one at Energy Northwest... lots of aging buildings, shacks, tubes, tanks, industrial stuff in the middle of the desert :)

We toured the construction site of the vitrification plant which was really neat. A very knowledgeable inspector led the tour and informed us of activities that were happening at the site now and what the buildings would be responsible for in the future.

The tour started at 7:30, we had to be out there at 7:10. So we had a super early morning. Thanks to all the people that helped us get kids off to school. It was a privilege to go on the tour and we couldn't of gone on it without their help.

In Shock

So Kenny and I graduated from Kennewick High in 1997. While we attended we had the fortunate opportunity to know Mr. Pickerel a long time teacher of the Kennewick School District. He was an old eccentric fart that somehow knew how to motivate even the worst behaved students. He took no crap and let kids know it at the beginning of the year by informing kids that he was the star in his classroom. Anyone that disagreed was welcome to leave. He had map drawing contests, penmanship contests (and he was a social studies/history teacher)field trips. He attended a huge number of sporting events and all pep rallies. This was a famous teacher in Kennewick, beloved by all. They even named a building after him after he retired.

Anyway he's now a 72 yr old substitute teacher and I am shocked to see him plastered all over local news after he was arrested this week under 2 counts of sexual misconduct with a minor! At first I was in total denial, this must be the act of some mean misguided student or something. Pickerel would never hurt a student, but with mouth agape I read this morning that he confessed to performing oral sex on a minor in his home. My poor heart is in shock. I feel ill. I just don't know what to think. God if he can be a sexual predator... you just can't trust anyone.

New Vet

Well, Malcolm's incessant gnawing on himself finally got to me and we went to a new veterinary center on Sandifur parkway to see if we'd be interested in going. We walk in the door of the pet supply side and Malcolm takes a few steps in and then decides he better lay a dookie there in the middle of the store. Admittedly I was embarrassed but the staff cleaned up after him and assured me that a dookie was standard greeting for a new location especially a veterinary center and not to be embarrassed. We walked around for a bit. Malcolm was frantic because there were other dogs in his presence that he wanted to play with. Getting Malcolm to sit was quite a challenge.

We went ahead an scheduled a check up with the vet tomorrow, possible vaccinations and a look at Malcolm's obvious skin condition.

I'll have to be sure to walk him really good and see if I can't prevent another load of bricks from being dropped in the clinic.

Joost

Erin gives Joost 5 stars!

I watch DLTV and Cranky Geeks off my tivo download regularly. When a new great thing called Joost was brought up on DLTV Ken and I just had to check it out.

What's Joost?

It's video – more than 15,000 shows, with more added daily.
It's online – all you need is a broadband internet connection.
And it's free. So what are you waiting for?

The best mix of internet and television, Joost provides good quality, full screen viewing of television programs and movies. Shows are provided by media so that it's nice and legal and best of all FREE. I knew it was a good thing when we were able to watch the original transformers cartoons full screen on my 42" tv in the living room!

I think this is the next big thing to come to media viewing. Download what you want when you want it and not have to worry about some copyright police coming down on you for watching a pirated copy of CSI.

So check out Joost, watch some Ren and Stimpy and enjoy!

**Watch out it is kinda a P2P thing for speed reasons. So no work systems should be involved.