I keep promising to post regularly, and what happens? Every time I think I got life under control, reality jumps up and smacks me a good one.
After 14 months of non-production at work (I work for an oil company, so non-production refers to barrels of oil produced, not necessarily what we're doing), we are finally starting to get things moving again. Of course we're two men short for even a minimum staff, and gee, the equipment that didn't work to well before...still doesn't work to well.
Lots of O.T., but I'm just so fricken tired, I can't even enjoy the extra income before my family spends it.
Of the five employed here, there is myself (who truly knows all and makes no mistakes), the foreman, and two new guys. One who thinks he knows how everything in the universe works (with no experience in the oil field) and will argue every procedure, and one guy who has experience, but seems to have major A.D.D., and the last guy, who broke his foot a month ago falling off a ladder and won't be back for another three weeks (thanks Workman's Comp..."how many pain killers do you want and come back next week").
I'm stressed and I'm strained and for the time being, no more promises of regular posts. I'm going to try, because I really do enjoy this cathartic exercise, but at this moment, it's just one to many things.
I see a light at the end of the tunnel....Ohh crap, it's a train.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
I Normally Don't Do Endorsements
Long ago, when I first started reading blogs, I was going down the "Imperial Council" list at The Rott to see who the Emperor relied on for hearing the truth. Some of the links had been idle for some time, but then I ran into "Imperial Minister of Truth: Bill Whittle."
It is a series of essays on the American condition that were so dead on and written so well I was shamed to be even attempting to write my opinions on the same internet.
Shortly after I found "Eject! Eject! Eject!", Bill went on hiatus and deprived me of his concise view of what is right and wrong with our country.
Well he's back and writing as good as ever. He has a Two parter called "Sanctuary" (this is Part I of II), and another called "Tribes". Go and read them, they are worth your time.
The Endorsement:
If you like these I would suggest you buy his book "Silent America: The Second Edition" which has his past essays plus these latest essays.
It is a series of essays on the American condition that were so dead on and written so well I was shamed to be even attempting to write my opinions on the same internet.
Shortly after I found "Eject! Eject! Eject!", Bill went on hiatus and deprived me of his concise view of what is right and wrong with our country.
Well he's back and writing as good as ever. He has a Two parter called "Sanctuary" (this is Part I of II), and another called "Tribes". Go and read them, they are worth your time.
The Endorsement:
If you like these I would suggest you buy his book "Silent America: The Second Edition" which has his past essays plus these latest essays.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Music - Live
A blog I drop by regularly listed all the concerts he had gone to and that got me trying to remember who I've seen back in the days when I could tolerate the hassle of going.
First Concert: Hollywood Bowl - 1967
John Mayall, Lee Michaels, Iron Butterfly
All 3 for $5.50...first time I smelled marijuana (wanted to know who was burning watermelons?) An aside: I just saw Iron Butterfly at a local "Street Fair" a couple of years ago....Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby.
The Rest:
Led Zepplin twice
Lee Michaels again
Emerson, Lake and Palmer twice, once with god-awful Quad sound that was useless unless you were dead center in the arena. My girlfriend at the time was 5 feet tall and unless she was on my shoulders, couldn't see...a long concert.
David Bowie four times
Deep Purple (with Ian Gillian lead singer)
The ASU/Phoenix years:
Pink Floyd - "Animals/Wish You Were Here"
Blue Oyster Cult outside of 5 screaming lead guitars at the end, for some reason I don't remember much. (Mheh)
Dave Mason - small theater in the round with a rotating stage.
Pat Benatar - I just love her voice.
Al Stewart - "Year of the Cat", again at that small theater in the round.
Kiss - one of my frat bothers wanted to go, it was within walking distance on campus and why not. Turned out to be fun.
Frank Zappa - twice. Once in L.A.(with the Mothers of Invention) and once at ASU.
Queen - just one hell of a show. Freddie Mercury was a showman.
Since I've become a cranky old fart that hates crowds:
David Bowie - this concert is counted above, but he said it was the last time he was going to focus on all his old classics. It was at Dodger Stadium and I got tickets on the field about 20 rows back- center stage. The pisser was that a friend of mine, who could take or leave Bowie, got tickets for free 12 rows closer.
Bruce Springsteen - 3 times. My wife is a BIG Springsteen fan. Once at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum - Free tickets from a guy I think was trying to hit on my wife (sucker), we were so far from the stage we needed binoculars to see the "big screens", and twice in one month, once at the Pond in Anaheim, then 2 weeks later at Staples Center (my first and only time in a limo, paid for as a bonus by my wifes boss. If you've got a couple hundred extra to blow, that's the way to go).
I'm sure I've forgotten a couple either because I went with someone who wanted to go at the last minute and I was free, or something else could have fogged my memory. The ones I wish I had gone to and missed the chance:
The Who
Stones - No I won't go now
Beatles - There never really was the opportunity, I just missed.
Jimi Hendrix - no...really?
Biggest Regret:
The Doors: In 1968, I was in Jr. High and they played at my (soon-to-be) High School. I heard a really great band was going to play there, but fear of "the big kids" made me skip it.
First Concert: Hollywood Bowl - 1967
John Mayall, Lee Michaels, Iron Butterfly
All 3 for $5.50...first time I smelled marijuana (wanted to know who was burning watermelons?) An aside: I just saw Iron Butterfly at a local "Street Fair" a couple of years ago....Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby.
The Rest:
Led Zepplin twice
Lee Michaels again
Emerson, Lake and Palmer twice, once with god-awful Quad sound that was useless unless you were dead center in the arena. My girlfriend at the time was 5 feet tall and unless she was on my shoulders, couldn't see...a long concert.
David Bowie four times
Deep Purple (with Ian Gillian lead singer)
The ASU/Phoenix years:
Pink Floyd - "Animals/Wish You Were Here"
Blue Oyster Cult outside of 5 screaming lead guitars at the end, for some reason I don't remember much. (Mheh)
Dave Mason - small theater in the round with a rotating stage.
Pat Benatar - I just love her voice.
Al Stewart - "Year of the Cat", again at that small theater in the round.
Kiss - one of my frat bothers wanted to go, it was within walking distance on campus and why not. Turned out to be fun.
Frank Zappa - twice. Once in L.A.(with the Mothers of Invention) and once at ASU.
Queen - just one hell of a show. Freddie Mercury was a showman.
Since I've become a cranky old fart that hates crowds:
David Bowie - this concert is counted above, but he said it was the last time he was going to focus on all his old classics. It was at Dodger Stadium and I got tickets on the field about 20 rows back- center stage. The pisser was that a friend of mine, who could take or leave Bowie, got tickets for free 12 rows closer.
Bruce Springsteen - 3 times. My wife is a BIG Springsteen fan. Once at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum - Free tickets from a guy I think was trying to hit on my wife (sucker), we were so far from the stage we needed binoculars to see the "big screens", and twice in one month, once at the Pond in Anaheim, then 2 weeks later at Staples Center (my first and only time in a limo, paid for as a bonus by my wifes boss. If you've got a couple hundred extra to blow, that's the way to go).
I'm sure I've forgotten a couple either because I went with someone who wanted to go at the last minute and I was free, or something else could have fogged my memory. The ones I wish I had gone to and missed the chance:
The Who
Stones - No I won't go now
Beatles - There never really was the opportunity, I just missed.
Jimi Hendrix - no...really?
Biggest Regret:
The Doors: In 1968, I was in Jr. High and they played at my (soon-to-be) High School. I heard a really great band was going to play there, but fear of "the big kids" made me skip it.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
May Day - An Actual Follow Up
I've often promised to do a follow up on a post and got sidetracked to where it wasn't pertinent anymore and dropped it. Not this time.
Picking up my paperwork for the drug test at the other site worked well, they said there were people everywhere in the morning. The staging area was bout two blocks north of my work site. I'm sure I passed the test as I made sure the have used only my finest drug, so they should be impressed with the high quality of my sample.
After depositing my sample with the clinic and starting into work, I heard on the radio that the parade was just starting, so by the time I got to work, most of the marchers had moved north. (I wonder why that direction was picked? Maybe it's a genetic thing and that's just the direction they have to move.)
What I did see was lots of street vendors selling American flags and those God-awful 3 foot plastic horns that they sell to the guy behind you at at sports arenas. All-in-all I wasn't affected by it to much, but one of the guys I work with went into the Jewelry District which was right in the middle of the whole thing to buy something for his new girlfriend, and all the stores had decided to close for the day. He says he may take that as a sign that maybe he should slow down with her a bit.
The bad side of this demonstration seems to have come at the after party get together. A couple thousand gathered at MacArthur Park and after a couple cervesas, decided to toss the empties at the cops. The news this morning said they hit a motorcycle officer in the head while he was riding by. This got the cops a tad PO'd and they decided the party had gone long enough. The order to disperse was given and they started herding the crowd towards the exits. The crowd didn't move and the police used rubber bullets and pushing to get them to comply. The reason for the crowd not complying, is being put forth, that the order was not given in a language they could understand. Number one, I would be willing to bet that the cops did give the order in both English and Spanish
, and what difference would it make if they didn't?
Today I read that the trouble makers weren't part of the community, that they were anarchists. Well hell, if you're going to associate yourself with these asshats, you are going to be rolled up with them when they do their thing. Look at who sponsored your little parade.
Picking up my paperwork for the drug test at the other site worked well, they said there were people everywhere in the morning. The staging area was bout two blocks north of my work site. I'm sure I passed the test as I made sure the have used only my finest drug, so they should be impressed with the high quality of my sample.
After depositing my sample with the clinic and starting into work, I heard on the radio that the parade was just starting, so by the time I got to work, most of the marchers had moved north. (I wonder why that direction was picked? Maybe it's a genetic thing and that's just the direction they have to move.)
What I did see was lots of street vendors selling American flags and those God-awful 3 foot plastic horns that they sell to the guy behind you at at sports arenas. All-in-all I wasn't affected by it to much, but one of the guys I work with went into the Jewelry District which was right in the middle of the whole thing to buy something for his new girlfriend, and all the stores had decided to close for the day. He says he may take that as a sign that maybe he should slow down with her a bit.
The bad side of this demonstration seems to have come at the after party get together. A couple thousand gathered at MacArthur Park and after a couple cervesas, decided to toss the empties at the cops. The news this morning said they hit a motorcycle officer in the head while he was riding by. This got the cops a tad PO'd and they decided the party had gone long enough. The order to disperse was given and they started herding the crowd towards the exits. The crowd didn't move and the police used rubber bullets and pushing to get them to comply. The reason for the crowd not complying, is being put forth, that the order was not given in a language they could understand. Number one, I would be willing to bet that the cops did give the order in both English and Spanish
, and what difference would it make if they didn't?
Today I read that the trouble makers weren't part of the community, that they were anarchists. Well hell, if you're going to associate yourself with these asshats, you are going to be rolled up with them when they do their thing. Look at who sponsored your little parade.
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