Our building was shaking

I'll post a pic of it once I get home and get it uploaded from my camera phone (for some reason I still can't email myself pics).

There were three seismic testing trucks, aka thumper trucks, in front of my work building. They were easily making the building shake. At first I just thought it was a semi with a massive engine driving by, but then I could see a police car just outside my window and the noise wasn't subsiding, so I took a closer look and announced it was the seismic crew. Next thing you know, Tom, Paco, and I are giddily running for the front door to watch these machines in action.

One thing that we quickly noticed was that we could visually watch the hydraulic system actually shaking to create the frequencies, unlike the hidden system in that first video link up there. It instantly reminded me of the MythBusters Tesla's Earthquake Machine episode, which we had happened to re-watch just last week.

Something I Learned

( Un-Defensing )

This train of thought, by the way, gave me a great idea. My best friend Bonnie has been sending me info about child self-defense classes over the past year or so. I think it's an interesting idea, but I hadn't really given it a lot of thought. Now that the eldest nephew is back home, I started to realize that something like that would be absolutely perfect for him. He's a "sissy" type boy*, and I know that affects him with the other kids he plays with and goes to school with. He's also getting pretty damned defiant against "adults" already, something that I wasn't expecting until he hit his teens. Of course, the doctors recommend Prozac and more psychiatry for him - a notion that I loathe. I'd rather propose the self-defense classes and/or martial arts classes for him. He's been getting into sports, but I know his natural "sissiness" is only going to aggravate that social environment for him over time.

*I will always condone "sissy" or effeminate behaviors, but I also know the reality of being that kind of person in our society. It's not generally accepted, frowned upon, and makes the child (or adult) a target for others with macho self-esteem issues (read: bullies). I know that my nephew is already facing those kinds of little jerks in his classroom and a couple of the friends he plays with at home. I want him to be able to be himself without having to put up with those other little cocksuckers' shit. Oh, wait, did I just say that out loud?