A Life SO Ordinary
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2002
So Mel pissed in the tub. Shan and her had a "race" to the bathroom to go and take leak and Shan won. You can imagine Mel's dilemma on having to choose between the 2 other bathrooms in the house. You know what she does? She pees in the TUB. She decided that she would show Shan, and just dropped her drawers and leaned over the tub edge and let go... I was mad because i just cleaned the damned thing today and now she went and infested it with bacteria! I almost suceeded in pushing her into the tub, but she caught her balance... Grrrrr. So now Shan's in there taking a shower! She's nasty! I can't even begin to describe how gross they both are!Limbo of the Lost, Devil's Triangle and Bermuda Triangle are but three of the names that describe a three-sided segment of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by Bermuda, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Miami, Flordia.
For several centuries mariners were aware of the strangeness of this area. Christopher Columbus mentioned it in his journal but in his day it was called the Sargasso Sea.
The Bermuda Triangle legend really began on December 5, 1945 with the famed disappearance of Flight 19. Commanded by Lt. Charles Taylor, five Avenger Bombers vanished while on a routine training mission, as did a rescue plane sent to search for them.
The United States Coast Guard calls this an "imaginary area
located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States, which is noted for a high incidence of unexplained losses of ships, small boats, and aircraft."
The name "Bermuda Triangle" was coined by writer V. Gaddis in the 1964 issue of Argosy (Fiction Magazine). Various theories
have been offered to explain the disappearances. These include strange magnetic fields, time warps, Atlantis and alien abductions.
The Coast Guard is not impressed with supernatural explanations of disappearances at sea. It has been their experience that the combined forces of nature and unpredictability of mankind outdo even the most farfetched science fiction many times each year. The Coast Guard attributes most disappearance to human error saying "a large number of
pleasure boats travel the waters between Florida's Gold Coast and the Bahamas and all too often, crossings are attempted with too small a boat, insufficient knowledge of the area's hazards, and a
lack of good seamenship."
The Bermuda Triangle is one of two places on earth that a magnetic compass points towards true north. Normally, it points
toward magnetic north. The difference between the two is known as compass variation. The amount of variation changes by as much as 20 degrees as one circumnavigates the earth. If this compass variation or error is not compensated for, a navigator could find himself far off course and in deep trouble. The other area with the same magnetic characteristics is called the "Devil's Sea" by
Japanese and Filipino seamen, located off the east coast of Japan. It is also known for its mysterious disappearances.
If you happen to be passing through the triangle while reading this article, don't bother to station extra watches to keep a wary eye out for giant squids. Better to relax and mull over the
words of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
"Wouldst thou," so the helmsman answered,
"Know the secret of the sea?"
Only those who brave its dangers,
Comprehend its mystery.
Tonight I'm going to go and chaperone with Mel at the 6th grade confirmation class's fall party. Thursday Mel and I earned $10 by scooping out 25 pumpkins' guts. I got Tennis elbow and my knuckles still hurt! But it was for the greater good! At least that what I"m telling myself!
