Same View...Different Day

This Crap Sucks !!!

Knock...Knock...Knockin' on My Back Door

...I woke up on Monday Morning and found a "Lake" knocking on my back door, maybe I should start thinking of building a pier...my basement is filling up with water too...maybe that will drive out the "Little Looters"...I've lived here most of my life, and have never seen it come this close...anyone interested in "Lake Property" ???

Death Toll Update # 5

Springy Neckbreakers missed their Marks...
...Crushed their Little Skulls...
Will have to rename them...

...Angled Adominal Annihilator...Artful A Actuater
...Bendable Brain Basher...
...Cocked Cerebral Contusioner... ...Cranked Cranium Crusher...
... Dodgey Deadly DeCapitater
...E
...Foxy
...Guileful G Gripper
...H
...Inclined I Incident
...Jointed Jugular Juicer
... Knavish K Krimper
...Levered Lobotomy Lumper...Lively Larynx
...M
...N Neck Nooser
...O
...P Paralizer
...Q
...R
...Springy Skull Strikers...
...Triggered Trachea Tuber
...U
...V
...Wily Windpipe Walloper
...X
...Y
...Z
Help me fill in the blanks...I'll edit the post with your suggestions.

Death Toll UpDate # 4

BixBloc.....6 (2-Average-Size)
Little Looters.....0
No other evidence of their existence,
either optically nor telltale brown cylinders.
Springy neckbreakers remain positioned
with triggers activated.

Chopper #2

...this is my second edition Chopper...it is similar to Chopper #1, but has added features: ...Like real mirrors on the handlebars, that you can see in the second picture, and a crystal bezel for the headlight. The exhaust pipe is made of copper tubing flared out at the end, and the seat was finished with a paint that "wrinkles" while it dries. The gas tank was made with polymer clay...you form it into the shape you want then "cook" it in the oven to harden it. I then carved the groove and filled with it yellow clay and "cooked" it again, then you sand it like crazy to get it as smooth as glass, it's the first time I tried this, and it came out nicely.
I especially like the way the rear fender and wheel came out...After completion I presented it to my friend and co-worker: Brent Mitchell,
who I'm told displays it proudly on his mantle shelf at home.

(Double-Click the Picture to get a Close-up view)

Death Toll Update # 3

BixBloc.....4 (2-average size)
Little Looters.....0

Still no sign of "Mighty" Mouse...must still be recovering in rodent hospital.

Uninvited Guest

...it was a perfect Tuesday night, late September, 68 degrees warm, with a tinge of fall in the breeze. Perfect for baseball...thats where I was, watching the Brewers beating the Reds. I love going during the week...small crowds...and where I sit, I'm almost always off to myself, the closest people about (5) sections away..."PEACEFUL"...That night I went alone, as I do most of the time...you see I'm pretty much a loner, sometimes I bring along "Lor", but not tonight. I'm enjoying myself...letting myself relax after work, and getting out of the house...and away from those invading mauraders in my basement. It was about the 6th Inning...slouched down in my seat...feet propped up against the bottom of the railing...when out of the corner of my eye something scurries from under my feet and off to the left...about the size of a mouse and the same color too!!!

Scared the crap out of me!!!

Could it be...are they stalking me...have they been watching me ever since I wounded their "Mighty" Mouse leader... I've only noticed them in the basement... Are they watching me where ever I go? Are they there at work, waiting for the best time to exact their revenge. They couldn't have followed me to the ball park, could they? ... but...

No!!! This was "UGLIER"...This thing must of come from Outer Space...with it's long spindly legs...all (6) of them...the front (2) looking like a giant pincer, ready to strike. It was "Huge", the biggest bug I've seen "UP" here, must be about 4 or 5 inches long... the fear subsided quickly... you see, "I like bugs"... I actually take pictures of "Bugs".
...so, what was I to do, let this magnificent specimen get away... not on your life!!!
I dumped my soda and ice...helped the little monster into his temporary clear plastic prison and we decided to become buddies...we had to be buddies...you only go to the ball game with your buddies...Right? Well, we watched the rest of the game together...he asked me for a lift...so, I said sure...is my yard, OK? When we got home, I released him to my backdoor screen... took a ton of pictures... and left him in peace... he must of liked it there, he stayed for over an hour, and it was time for me to recharge, so I bid him farewell and went to bed, he was gone in the morning... I was informed that he was probably a "Cicada", so maybe we'll see him again in (17) years.


...UPDATE...OCTOBER 14, 2005...UPDATE...

Stratu, my learned colleague from "down-under" informed me that my "bug buddie" was probably not a
"Cicada"...so I did a little research...well, I found a guy who did the research...his name is :

David R Maddison...Professor and Curator...Department of Entomology...University of Arizona

and he wrote:
Jim,
What you have is not a Cicada, but a Giant Water Bug, of the genus: Lethocerus
of the family: Belastomatidae. They have piercing mouthparts, that can give one, quite
a nasty poke, and which hurts alot.

So, Thank You...Stratu and David for participating in "Bug Class" today

Death Toll UpDate # 2

BixBloc ... 2 (a rather small one)

Little Looters ... 0

"Mighty Mouse"

...well, after (3) days, I finally found the missing trap, with NO animal attached.
I located the trap on the concrete floor...so this is what went down...
...(Mighty) mouse tripped the neckbreaker bar and inflicted a bloody wound upon itself in the process...it then flopped around trying to get loose and splattered blood all over,
(see previous post), flip/flopped approx.
(3) feet to the north, then...fell (6) feet down to the concrete floor ... traveled (1) foot south and around the side of a 2x4 where I found the bloody trap ... empty ... no mouse,
no blood trail, nothing.
Now, I'm even more afraid to live here...with a wounded animal on the loose!

The first casualty was of average size and not "Mighty Mouse" as I found no visible wounds.
A day after the trap incident, I did see another rather large and bold mouse at the back of my computer desk lamp, travel up the 45 degree metal rod from the lamp base to the metal lamp shade...stand on it's hind legs...look around...and sniff...then turn around and travel back down the lamp and disappear...I couldn't believe it. He wasn't "Mighty Mouse" either...
he moved to gracefully...but I'll get him too.

Death Toll UpDate # 1

BixBloc ... 1 (average size)

Little Looters ... 0

Premeditated Murder

...as I was spreading peanut butter on the trigger...I was contemplating the act of
..."Murder"...

...now I'm not a violent person, but sometimes I do think "Murder" is appropriate...
(2) days earlier, as I decended the basement stairs, there it was, laying there at the bottom of the incline, a diamond shaped piece of cracker, about 1 1/2" in size, and upon further investigation, I determined it to be of the "Graham" variety ... and while that might not be "odd" in your house, especially if you have kids, ... I do not, ... and since I have not eaten graham crackers in at least (3) months, how could it have gotten there ... I slipped into my CSI, (crime scene investigation), outfit and headed towards the pantry...spotted the Graham cracker box on the top shelf, and tipped it slowly towards me to peer inside...I found an empty cellophane wrapper and some dark tubular shaped objects laying inside the wrapper...thats when my investigative skills kicked in, and I determined it was a (mus musculus), and we all know what that means...OK, I realise not all of you have the same superior detective skills as I, ...so, I will share my findings...they were mouse turds !!!

...as I stated earlier...I was spreading peanut butter on the trigger, then I pulled back the spring-loaded neck breaker and lodged it to the gooey vibration trigger, and I was thinking
..."Murder"... ..."Murder"... ..."Murder"... yes!!! yes!!! yes!!!

...I set the trap on the top shelf, next to some soup mugs and turned a cereal box sideways, so the little looters would have plenty of room to feast ... and,
... "DIE" ... ..."DIE" ... ..."DIE"... yes !!! yes !!! yes !!!

The next morning, anxious to see my revenge enacted, I crept to the pantry, turned the box of cereal as if it were a door, and was struck by the horror that must of happened in the night...there must be gangs of the little looters...and I must have placed the booty on the border line of their respective turfs...they must have come upon the booty and claimed it as their own, while the rival gang said "No Way, It's Ours !!!"...and the knife fight ensued...
how else to explain all that "BLOOD" all over the place...and the winning gang even carted the trap back to their "Crib", where ever that is...I searched for it for over an hour and could not find it...and even saw some things moved on a shelf below...it must of been an epic battle.

I'm a little afraid to live here now, because if those two gangs find out it was me that interfered in their "Homey" boundaries...they might become one, and unite against me.
...but not if I get them first...

I've read for every (1) mouse you "see" there are (10) more in your house. I'll keep you updated on the death totals...
...If I don't post again in over (1) month...that means "they" got me first...

Magazine Cover

...Hey !!!!!... I've just been "published"...
I've copied the magazine cover, so all of you ,
my faithful readers, can "pickup" a copy for yourselves.
I even took the picture of the crane on the cover.
I think you'll be proud of me, because... I've managed to "sneak" in a plug for all of you.
You can ride my coattails,

I don't mind... Check It Out !!!!!!!
(if it's too small to read...double-click on cover to enlarge)

Dead Birds

...as I was walking between the "Main"
hospital and the "POB", (Professional Office Building), the enclosed walkway, known as the "Skywalk",
is 3 Stories up, and has a glass wall facing to the east. It is a long walk,probably 3 blocks long...
...out of the corner of my eye, I see something
rocket downward, so close to the glass and the side of the building, it couldn't have been anything other than a bird...
So, I'm Thinking... How come you don't see birds falling from the sky...do birds have
Heart-Attacks? You would think so, isn't flying strenuous? There are billions of birds and
none of them die while flying? The only ones I see that fall from the sky are the ones shot
by hunters. Does a bird know when it's going to die, so it doesn't fly? Do you think they
are that smart? ...Come to think of it...shouldn't we see alot more traffic accidents caused
by Heart-Attacks, I can't say I've ever heard of that, as a cause of an accident, maybe I'm
wrong. ...See I told you it was a Long Walk...

TailGating ???

...I just don't understand it...What is the fun, in TailGating. When I go to "Brewers" games or give extra tickets to friends they all ask if I'm going to tailgate...I Quip back "NO"!!! Maybe I'm missing something because there are a lot of people doing it, so, this is the way I see "TailGating" then please let me know what is "Fun" about it. First of all, you packup your grill and charcoal and lighter fluid...then your hamburgers and hot dogs and bratwurst...and your potato salad and chips and dips and your condiments, catsup and mustard and relish and pickles and onions, then your buns, and of course beer and soda...do I have it all...I don't know since I don't do this...Now that you have it all in your car...you drive to the stadium...then you "unpack" everything...set everything up...cook your chosen "goodies"...then you know what happens next...that's right...you have to "pack" it all up again and load it into your car again...and still your not done with this "Fun" activity...you go to the game...eat and drink some more inside the stadium...while watching the game...then guess what??? After the game you drive home and "unpack" all that "crap" for the 4th time.
FUN TIMES INDEED !!! I'll take a concession stand any day !!!

...as promised...

...here is the first example of something I have made from wood...I chose this first because my friend "Lor" has just completed her training and has passed her tests to legally operate an internal combustion single track vehicle that she had purchased on E-Bay and had shipped from Oregon...yes it's a motorcycle...and it's a Harley too! ...Even though I am worried about her safety, I hope she has fun with it.

...it is made from mostly Basswood, the handlebars were made with a copper grounding wire, I started out handcarving it with carving knifes, but ended up carving my hands also, so I switched to power carving and found myself more proficient that way. I did not come up with the pattern on my own...so I have to thank...Cleve Taylor, and his book "Carving Motorcycle Riders". This was so much fun that I altered the plans and came up with a second version in which I will post at a later date. This "Chopper" now resides in the home of my friend, Marv Zarate, alias (pumpkin head), hope he enjoys it as much as I did building it.

Explanations.......

Since I don't have much of a profile listed, I thought I'd share with you the reasoning behind the name of my Blog Title..."Splintered Crossconnects"...second part first,
...Crossconnects...
I work in the Telecommunications Department at a large hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin... and a smaller hospital in Cudahy, Wisconsin...and to get the dial tone from the "phone switch" to the "phone user"...there are a series of wire connections that enable the dial tone to reach the phone...these are called "crossconnects"...so that's pretty simple, and the devices that we "connect" these wires to are called "Bix Blocks"...so now you know where I got my profile name (BixBloc) from...on to the first part ...
...Splintered...
I don't know why, but I've always liked this word...maybe it's a little like I think, broken thoughts off in all directions, that's reason # 1. I thought it was a natural for the name of a blog, because these are often short random thoughts, that's reason # 2. The main reason is I love to work with wood...I used to be a carpenter, roughing in houses at one time, and partnered with a friend to start our own Remodeling Company...and in my spare time making "things" out of wood, in which I plan to share with you in Future Posts.
" So now you know the rest of the story"
...sorry Paul...

...and speaking of birds...

...as in my last post, I came across this peculiar bird, trying to find a picture of the
"Burger King" king...you know that "creepy" guy with the plastic head that seems to
appear from no-where with breakfast in hand...he even startles a guy when he wakes
up and finds the "king" in bed with him. This ad campaign drips with creepiness.

...So, anyway back to the bird, He's called...The Subservient Chicken...also sponsored
by "Burger King", (who's in charge there by the way), and when you go to the web site of this bird,
you type in a command for him to do, and as his name implies he will do it, within limits...
but I find it almost as "creepy" as the "king"...try it out...you decide!!!
Here's a picture of the "creepy" bird:

Endangered Whooping Cranes

...Now I'm not much for charities and causes but, this one "Screamed" at me for some reason.
I learned about these magnificent birds from an "Orvis" catalog that I received and decided
to make it a cause of mine and maybe a few of you can help too.

First of all...these Endangered Whooping Cranes were on the verge of extinction and by
1944 there were only twenty-one birds left. These elegant birds stand nearly five feet tall
and have a wingspan of eight feet. They hatch the eggs in Wisconsin, and when they are
old enough to migrate for the first time, an Ultralight shows them the way to Florida.
Of the 53 cranes that have already made the southward trip from 2001 to 2004, forty-five (45) remain. They range in age from 4 years to less than 1 year and continue to act as wild Whooping cranes.


International Crane Foundation

Orvis, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and the Wolf Creek Charitable Foundation will match contributions made to the project dollar-for-dollar. This makes your $100 contribution a $400 contribution to the 2005 Whooping Crane Migration project. Please send a tax-deductible contribution to:
ICF Whooping Crane Migration Project
Orvis Dept. IN
PO Box 798
Manchester, VT 05254

"Section 306, Row 1, Seats 4 and 5"

Miller Park...Home of the Milwaukee Brewers

Even though it is snowing outside as I write this...I have "Spring Fever"...and what goes with spring?...BASEBALL, of course. I am a season ticket holder with the Milwaukee Brewers...Club Level (Section 306, Row 1, Seats 4 and 5), and "I LOVE BASEBALL"

This is my 6th year as a season ticket holder...Last year, I went to every home game...all (81) of them, and even (3) on the road, (2) in Pittsburgh and (1) in Cinncinnati.

You may have seen me...all alone out "there" in the 3rd level, right field corner...except when those "Obnoxious" Cubs fans infest our park. People ask me, how can you pay all that money to see the "Brewers" play...they even say that it's not even baseball...some people are very stupid !!! When they go to see their kids struggling to hit a ball off of a "Tee" in "T" Ball...do they tell their kids...thats OK, it's not really baseball...or when the kid is in the outfield and gets distracted by a Bee hovering from flower to flower, and doesn't see the "fly" ball heading his way, do they say he was playing "botany"...of course not!!!
It's called "Baseball"...no matter how "good" you are at it, it's a love, for the game, inside of you, that happens to "blossom" in the springtime, and "bloom" all summer long. Mine are just "sprouting" and I'm sure it will be a glorious bouquet when it is through this fall !!!

What Time does " GOOD MORNING " end?

I work at (2) different hospitals, and when I start early in the morning, around 6:00am,
as I walk the corridors...I say "Good Morning" to almost everyone...and that continues past
7:00 and even 8:00...but there is a certain time, in which I can't pin down, that everyone
just stops greeting other people, and pass silently by each other...seems "ODD" to me.
Why "greet" people only in the morning...are we not yet corrupted by our daily problems,
to still think of others...I almost never "see" anyone saying "Good Afternoon", or "Good Evening",for the matter. When 2nd Shift comes in to work, they don't usually greet other people, the way early morning people do, like they should if it's the start of their day.
Are these early morning people different somehow,or is it just a time thing.

What Time does " Good Morning " end for you ?

" So...Lor "

I guess I am blessed, because I have some great friends, and I actually have more than one
"Best Friend"...and "yes" Lor, you are in that category. What words are there to describe
"all" that you do for others, without anything expected in return. How can I tell you I
appreciate all that you have done for me...and my family. How do you put up with me when
I "dis" you, demean you, and cut you down...I know why...because "you" are the most
compassionate person I know, and I wish I could be more like you.

"So...Lor"

All I can say is, Thank You, for being my "Best Friend" !!!

" First Thoughts "

Well...

I have been reading other people's "Blogs" for about 2 years now, and have enjoyed them immensely...almost like reading a book, one paragraph a day...only these are "Real People"...
even though we will never meet, it's almost like you know them...like the imaginary friends
you had as a child. I find it amazing these people can pour out their feelings onto the page...
and telling their life's little secrets...something I've had trouble with all my life.


So... I Thought I'd Try !!!


I also have a second reason for starting this...My Friend, Jose (probably my Best Friend),
I wrote that small so he won't see it, is being Deployed soon, and I will miss him greatly.
Hopefully, I can get him to start his own "Blog" ... so I can "See" how he is doing "OverThere".

People say I look at the world a little differently...So, I thought I would share the way I
view it, "here"...and who knows, maybe I'll make a new friend here or there along the way !!!