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I couldn't pass this one up. Here you are ... From: Paul Daley <[log in to unmask]>, forwarded > to RM News by Kirk W Goodwin <[log in to unmask]> > > > I am absolutely not making this incident up; in fact I have > it all on videotape. The tape is from a local TV news show > in Oregon, which sent a reporter out to cover the removal of > a 45-foot, eight-ton dead whale that washed up on the beach. > The responsibility for getting rid of the carcass was placed > on the Oregon State Highway Division, apparently on the > theory that highways and whales are very similar in the > sense of being large objects. > > So anyway, the highway engineers hit upon the > plan--remember, I am not making this up--of blowing up the > whale with dynamite. The thinking is that the whale would > be blown into small pieces, which would be eaten by > seagulls, and that would be that. A textbook whale removal. > > So they moved the spectators back up the beach, put a > half-ton of dynamite next to the whale and set it off. I am > probably not guilty of understatement when I say that what > follows, on the videotape, is the most wonderful event in > the history of the universe. First you see the whale > carcass disappear in a huge blast of smoke and flame. Then > you hear the happy spectators shouting "Yayy!" and "Whee!" > Then, suddenly, the crowd's tone changes. You hear a new > sound like "splud." You hear a woman's voice shouting "Here > come pieces of ...MY GOD!" Something smears the camera lens. > > Later, the reporter explains: "The humor of the entire > situation suddenly gave way to a run for survival as huge > chunks of whale blubber fell everywhere." One piece caved > in the roof of a car parked more than a quarter of a mile > away. Remaining on the beach were several rotting whale > sectors the size of condominium units. There was no sign of > the seagulls who had no doubt permanently relocated to > Brazil. This is a very sobering videotape. Here at the > institute, we watch it often, especially at parties. > > But this is no time for gaiety. This is a time to get hold > of the folks at the Oregon State Highway Division and ask > them, when they get done cleaning up the beaches, to give us > an estimate on the US Capitol. ============================================= A little humor for the day thanks to Doug Holms in Boston.. Alan ([log in to unmask])