[For more laffs and enlightenment, visit Boom's Big Chem, Mighty Physics page].
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Boomeria, "King" (PQ le Boom), proprietor, is nestled in the coastal Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco, California.
You see, it all began when the Boom, like Peter Pan, refused to grow up (after all, if he grew up, he'd have to like 
!). Having been thoroughly indoctrinated into the world of 
through reading and rereading the 40 books as a child, he had a pretty good idea of what the real world SHOULD be like. And when he could do what he wanted without Mommy saying "NO!", there was no stopping him...
Le Boom, some of his students, and his two sons Alex and Laurence have built a monument to anachronistic fun. Several Decades of benign dementia and a mysterious ability to extract hard labor from other people's teenagers has allowed P Q LeBoom to construct an amazing fantasy world. While this inner world remains unmappable, the physical manifestation of it is called Boomeria (map can be printed in landscape mode).
The kingdom is a mere 100 meters square, but holds many delightful and amazing things. Of course the Boom's Motto has challenged many of his students to attempt conquering the Kingdom, requiring stringent and elaborate defense techniques! The Challenge of the Field Marshall.
The sentry for the entrance to Boomeria is Tower 1, armed with the twin 44mm Aqueous machine guns. Tower 1 also holds a Lever of the Second Class which controls the Aqua Goose. It blasts a heavy column of water 20 meters into the air, right out of the middle of the road! That cools down and stops the engines of attacking enemy water enemy Water Battle Tanks!
Next you see the Main Aqueous Ammunition Bunker, cleverly disguised as a "Swimming Pool". It is 4 meters deep and stores 200,000 litres of high concentration (55.5M) polar molecules of ammunition (Big Chem in action)!
Further along, you see on your right the Chapel Royal, which houses the Great Pipe Organ, a baroque-style tracker-action organ containing 40 ranks of pipes, numbering about 2,500. The Boom, with much volunteer labor, has been working on the organ since high school days, and it has come a long way from the 2 ranks and vacuum cleaner blower in the pergola of the Grandparents. It is used for Concerts, Weddings, initiations, and for the inspiration of the troops preparing for Water Battles, and the Victory celebrations, thereafter.
After the Organ Demo, we head down to the Main Engine Room. Please be careful to not step in the Duck doo-doo. Here, the Duty Officers and Engineers use Mighty Physics to power the water cannons, to protect the Kingdom from attackers who dispute the Motto of the Boom. Atop the Main Engine Room, you see Tower 2, in turn crowned by the Mighty 88 mm Aqua Cannon. The 88 has a range of 50 meters and effectively stops all enemy attack groups with their water balloon catapults.
Here are the Engine Orders and Battle Conditions. The Engine Room Manual (pdf). Valves of Boomeria (pdf).
Continuing on, you see on your left the Entrance to the Dungeons. There are 120 meters of echoing terror in the Great Tunnel and Catacombs which connect the Dungeons, Castle, Engine Room, Control Room and the Battle Towers.
It took the kids 8 years to dig them with pick and shovel, carrying the dirt out in buckets. The favored form of lighting Down There is candles. Beware, lest some fiend blows out your candle and leaves you stranded in absolute darkness. Especially if you are in The Bones Grotto.
The Great War of '66 has been immortalized in this magnificent painting by the late Charles Ward.
On our way to the Control Room, we pass through The Laboratory and Chemicals to the Research & Development Department. And notice that much of the equipment came from the Boom's lab of 1948.
Come along this way, now. We're entering The CIC Room (that's Navy for Combat Information Center). CIC controls all of the battle stations, machinery spaces, and patrols. The Great Communicator allows the Duty Officer to listen in to numerous locations throughout the Kingdom. Orders may be dispatched likewise.
The Windlass raises and lowers the Portcullis which separates the Great Tunnel from the Catacombs. Here is the machinery for the Portcullises, Battle Shutters, and Dungeon Doors. There is also a mechanical Engine Order Telegraph which relays commands to the Engineer on duty in the Main Engine Room.
The Baron of Boomeria gives them The Blast!
The "Sneak Alarm" alerts the CIC operator to the presence of clandestine insurgents. The prowlers are thinking that they are pretty clever until the silent night is rent by an amazing assortment of Bells, Whistles, Horns, Loud Hailers and Sirens, both electronic and mechanical, which the omniscient operator commands at the touch of some buttons. And of course, The Cannon!!! Hear some of these sounds. Many thanks to The Locator, Richard Conger, for seeking these delightful noisemakers out at shipyards, junk shops and flea markets, to the torment of so Many!
The Sound which the neighbors fear most is known as "Weapon Beulah". She is a foghorn from a Navy ship, which can be heard for more than 10 Kilometers.
Every good Kingdom needs a Castle. Let's head up the hill and check this out. The most impressive of the battle structures is the four story Castle with secret passageways, battlements and a Dungeon. Here we are on the Second Level.
Next to the Castle is the Full-sized Guillotine. This was recently used for the Woodrow Wilson Chemistry Institute to take care of Antoine Lavoisier and 27 other chemists of the French Revolution. A recent fund-raiser for the Santa Cruz Chamber Players featured the Guillotine and music written for Anne Boleyn and Marie Antoinette. On Bastille Day, 1996, while Bill Visscher performed a stirring rendition of "La Marseillaise" on the pipe organ, the Guillotine quickly apportioned the Watermelon for the waiting merrymakers.
The Boom's wife, Sara, has worked on and contributed to Boomeria since 1964.
Thank you for touring Cyber-Boomeria.
(We are a private residence. The events shown above involved the Boom's students, friends, and neighbors. Sorry, but we are not able to accommodate such activities for the general public).
Natural Philosophers Home Page
Return to boomeria.com Main Menu
Other Sites of Interest:
Bill Gervasi's Tour of Boomeria
Audaci Favet Fortuna, Alex Boomer's Wit Prevails
San Lorenzo Valley High School
Boomeria Softworks - Shareware for Teachers
[For more laffs and enlightenment, visit Boom's Big Chem, Mighty Physics page].
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