What I Did (or Saw Happen or Heard About Happening) with Colored Smoke Balls : )

When you're 10 years old, you like to make people laugh, and the local grocer, candy store, news stand, joke shop, and convenient store all sell these to anyone with a buck, you tend to find fun, interesting, mischievous, unique, often questionable, hopefully legal, and sometimes embarrassing (looking back: maybe even shameful) ways to utilize them.

So I’m kinda sorry to admit that my friends and I took the colored smoke ball from being a pretty visual aid to being a pretty off-colored gag which aided our pranks. Without getting into too much detail I remember this one time when some random kid came walking down the street where we hung out. He was carrying a Nerf football which somehow ended up in the hands of one of my friends. Anyway, someone stuffed a Colored Smoke Ball into a crevice in the FB (those old Nerfs tended to crack), lit the sucker, and then threw it back to the lad. The poor kid freaked out because he thought it was an actual bomb or something, and he ran away.

Another time someone may have opened the door to a local Apt/Condo complex and rolled a lit Smokey Ball down the hall. I can’t really remember. And there may have been a time when someone threw one in the Kindergarten bathroom through an opened window, and all the kids may have been temporarily evacuated. But who keeps track of those things? I may have just heard about that one.

~~ David Misbehavid

P.S. Do Not Try This At Home or Anywhere

Took time to recoup...

Yo, Was that a Yodel that Hit my Door?!?

Ahhhh, the good ol' days: hangin' out with friends, sittin' on the front steps shootin' the breeze (and maybe a raccoon or two with the Gotcha Paintball gun),











playin' flashlight tag (at night of course), eatin' Yodels, and then taking a Yodel and hucking it at your neighbor's front screen door.

At least that's what one of my friends did one night, as we were walking up the hill, and it made such a loud clang that we knew it must have stirred the inhabitants, so we all just instinctively ran. We scattered: Nick ran up the hill; Jason ran down the hill; and I ran across the street and hid alongside a rock wall. Sure enough old man Stethington (changed name to protect the innocent) came blasting out of the house - flashlight in hand. He beamed that sucker right in my direction, but he never saw me. Then he proceeded to patrol the sidewalks, skulking up and down, but he never found for what he was looking - for we were too covert to be discovered.

I'm not sure if he ever figured out who threw that Yodel, but I'm sure he had his suspicions.

~~ David Misbehavid

Time Keeps on Tickin'

The Doorbell

A man is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. Since the boy is very small the doorbell is too high for him to reach.

After watching the boy's efforts for some time, the man moves closer to the boy's position. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child's shoulder, leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring.

Crouching down to the child’s level, the man smiles benevolently and asks, "And now what, my little man?"

The boy replies, "Now we run!"

I remember playing that game; those were the days.

~~ Ring and Run DSC

What I Would Like to Do, Eventually

Often I put off things until a later date – I guess you could call these the things that I would like to do. Others may call them the things on which I had procrastinated. (What if I was waiting for a rainy day?)

















I consider my brother-in-law Jeff to be a non-procrastinator; he wanted to get the lizard out of the house, so he grabbed some tongs and removed it.



He’s also the one who used to help us put up and take down the Christmas decorations. If we would have done it my way, then we never would have needed to put them up and take them down because they would have been there all year long.



OUR OLD NEW HOUSE IN OKLAHOMA



That's Jeff ^^^^







It has been written and said that we should not procrastinate the day of our repentance. That’s great advice, especially if we keep messing up (and we all mess up - I have yet to meet a perfect person.)



I do know some perfectionists who probably don’t put off things. I bet the kids in this incredible band don’t put off their practice.

















Now Valentine’s Day is already here and almost gone. I wonder how many people are still out buying flowers and a card or some such. It’s the thought that counts, right?



In addition to all of the obvious benefits from not procrastinating, I like to consider (but don’t always live by) this great proverb: Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today, because if you like it today you can do it again tomorrow!

~~ Rainy Day Dave

A Far Volley From Pong: Tennis Anyone?

Table Tennis Tournament Amazingly realistic table tennis game!

Play this free game now!!

Remember Pong? As part of my journey to Nostalgiaria, I conducted a web search in search of the classic game so that I could post it. Instead of dots of dots and bars of dots I found this gem which is sure to become a new classic.

I’m excited to see how it works out, and I’m looking forward to some competition; any challengers? For your sake I hope that you, your computers, and your connections are up to speed. Oh yeah! Bring the pain. C’mon. Are you tough enough? What, too afraid? I’m gonna eat your fear for breakfast, and then I’m gonna have a light lunch, and then eat your paddle finger for dinner, with a side of whine, and then for dessert I’m gonna drink your sweat. Then I’m gonna break your will and make you crumble. Oh it hurts, it hurts so good. That’s right, I’m gonna make mincemeat out of you. I’m gonna crush your face. Wait, come back, I was just kidding. Really, I'm a nice person; I just get carried away sometimes. Please don’t be sore with me, don’t leave. Please, stay and play my game. That’s right, shhhh, shh, shh it's OK, shhhhh. Ok, Ok, that’s it. Now, let’s enjoy some quiet Table Tennis Tournament. (softly)

~~ Milosh

P.S. Post your results if you dare, wait, I mean if you would kindly care to. Thanks.

Time to Reflect

The Focus had a black and red interior. This is for the Black and Red Stallion - I miss you ol' buddy. I hope those 16"s are still brightly machined.

~~ D Racer

P.S. Picture the background in black as is on the website.

Why the Giants Won - nudge, nudge

Two Giants fans were standing at a bar. The one fan said to the other, "You know, the Patriots might have won the Super Bowl, but the refs acted like blind politicians."

A man walked up to them and with a mad look on his face said, "I find that statement offensive!"

One of the Giants fans replied, "Oh, you must be a referee."

"No," the man said, "I'm a Democrat!"

~~ Conservative D

On My Honor I Will Do My Best to Do My Duty to God and My Country...

Though I memorized the Scout Oath over twenty years ago, and I have recited it countless times since, only now have the words impressed me in such a way that they actually have given me comfort (if ever there were a time when I needed comfort and serenity, now would be one of them - not just because the Patriots blew a Perfect season, but also because I have progressed so much over the past few years that I cannot allow some needless guilt to impede, hinder, or negate such progress or any future progress.) To be quite open, recently I had been punishing myself with needless guilt over a false concern that I had not been offering enough service or that I had been unable to more serve others.

The comfort, however, first came after I read the First Presidency's message in the January issue of the Ensign. As part of his inspired message President Monson quoted Elder Richard L. Evans (1906–71) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “We can’t do everything for everyone everywhere, but we can do something for someone somewhere.”

I knew right away that these words were meant for me, or that I was meant to read them. The Spirit of comfort was so strong that I nearly cried; finally the burden had been lifted as I realized that indeed I had been doing enough, if not more than enough.

Then I felt comfort from the Oath. After I sat pondering my new realization, the very familiar promises of the Scout Oath, which I had made over and over yet too often had forgotten, came blazing through my mind like the bright red words of an electronic LED display: On my Honor I will do my do best to do my duty to God and my Country and to obey the Scout Law. In no part of this Oath did I ever promise to always do everything; I simply promised to do my best, and if doing my best does not include everything, then at least I am doing something.

~~ Eagle Scout Dave

Wood-frame Ninjas (Chronicle Two): Blockbuster Busted

For Devon the Calling came on a cold November’s day, a day which began without incident or apprehension. On this fateful morning Devon simply wished to rent a video, The Hunted (1995), and watch it, peacefully. Yet as fate would have it Devon’s plans would be interrupted.

After transacting the transaction, Devon practically skipped to his F-250 (for sheer excitement at the prospect of watching his video.) As images of Christopher Lambert in action darted through Devon’s head, other images – violent images - obscured his psyche. Distracted and disturbed, Devon fumbled for his keys, but still was able to board the diesel nonetheless.

Helplessly unable to control his thoughts, Devon persisted, and began to depart. Before pulling out onto Salem St, Devon paused, still troubled, when Flash, his eyes were blinded, instantly, momentarily. (Was this real or imagined?) Suddenly three personages appeared before his truck. Three dark figures, whom he had neither before seen nor noticed, now surrounded him: one to the front, and two to the sides.

Devon cracked his window and asked what was wanted. The stranger to the left inquired about which video had Devon rented. Devon abruptly replied that he would never tell. All of a sudden the power door looks snapped open and the right door nearly flew off its hinges. In a burst the starboard Gate Crasher entered the vehicle, Ashikos first, and proceeded to thromp with his heel on Devon’s head, side-kick after side-kick.

At first Devon could only raise his arms in defense, blare the horn, and shout for assistance. But Devon knew that no one else would or could answer his call, and at that very moment Shadow reached across the midsection console and grabbed the enemy by his throat. Crushing with all his might, Shadow wrenched his moistened fist to the left, to the right, and with a jerk he dragged the flopping corpse through the vehicle and smashed its head through the driver’s side window pummeling the second attacker port.

From the front, the Kama wielding henchman sprang to Shadow’s side. But before this rookie could lunge, Shadow had thrust open his door and knocked the third attacker to the earth.

Without forethought Shadow leaped into the air; then salting, he positioned his knee such that it had viscerally crashed down on “throatman” absolutely terminating his assignment.

Victimized by a backward leg sweep, the second Gate Crasher instantly faced the ground, again. And like a cloud, Shadow rolled, and with his elbow wailed on the Crasher’s flailing body until he and his assignment too were cancelled!

Dripping and on one knee, Shadow glared into the sky trying to make sense of what had just transpired. Finally, feebly the third sendee stood, dropped his Kamas, and fled into nowhere.

Predestination to be revealed…

~~ Chops

This Guy Scares the Crap Out of Me

CREEEEEPY

I can’t put it any more plainly or simply than that. This guy is creepy and he scares the crap out of me – so much so that I often experience night terrors and nightmares in which he is chasing me. Typically during these sleep induced hallucinations I run in slow motion and Michael can always find me, no matter where I hide. If I have a gun, I can’t shoot him. If I try to shoot him, the bullets plop out in slow motion, like some horrible Matrix reenactment, except in these situations I desperately desire that the projectiles hurl toward him at 1200 fps.

Why then therefore do I continue to watch Halloween? I don’t anymore. I stopped watching those flicks after H2O, and the Zombie one doesn’t whet my bloody vessels.

~~ Chopped