Saving My Past

Between my wife and I, we must have over 300 vinyl records, LP's. We haven't had a decent turntable to play them on in about 10 years. I have now undertaken the task of trying to digitalize our musical past.

One of the major decisions I have to make on every recording, is do I keep those clicks and pops that were a feature of this medium. To me that was how I remember listening to these songs. Without that little pop at that certain point, sometimes it just doesn't seem the same.

The crystal clear sound of the CD makes sure that you always get the same sound every time you hear it, but after a needle has drug through the grooves of a LP a few hundred times, that particular album becomes part of your personal history and all it's little flaws actually become endearing.

Just Stupid

I'm still catching up from my being away, but this is amazing. Go watch and come back, I'll wait. From Hot Air.

The idea of stereotyping another ethic group, even if you are supporting them, while making fun of another guy for stereotyping an ethic group, even if he was trying to make a point (badly) about supporting them is just stupid. I wouldn't expect anything less from the likes of O'Donnell (I don't think that's an Italian surname) who, according to librul laws, may have the right to bring up "Potato Eaters" but not "macaca", except for that corollary of librul's cannot be held to the same rules as everyone else.

Minimum Wage...Again

I heard on the news the other day that 2% of the work force make minimum wage. A majority of these people making minimum wage were either students or retired people looking to supplement their income.

Every company that has a work force in the U.S. pays more that the Federally mandated rate, even above the California state mandated rate.

For many years now, I have thought that this was just a ploy by the Unions to drive up the wages of their members, but being Union employees make much, much, much more that this wage there had to be something else.

TAXES

In the society where all people are entitled to the same level of prosperity as everyone else, regardless of your contribution, you have to have a base line to delineate what is excessive. This is the level of income that can be taxed at an exorbitant rate (think 75%) because you don't deserve to earn that much more than your fellow man, you should be required to help the less fortunate, regardless of whether they are an addict or have had 5+ children without getting their HS diploma or bothering to marry one of the men who got them pregnant.

I am amazed, that in the United States, that the government would have the balls to tell me that I have worked to much and that that I don't deserve credit for the hours and commitment that I have put in to make my life better than the ones who just show up for their job and don't bother to take the responsibilities to advance in their job.

One thing that has always stuck with me was that one of the biggest spokespersons of my generation, for equal opportunity and reward for all people was John Lennon. Where did he decided to live? In the United States. Why? I wasn't that he loved the U.S. more than his home country, as he bitched constantly that we never did enough for the poor, but in that period Britain's tax rate was around 75%, and this hero of the common people didn't want the government to take his money. Basically he was doing what the leftards accuse big corporations of doing and putting his earnings into off-shore accounts to protect them from excessive taxation.

This taxation level will not be enacted in the next 2 years. It can't be done without controlling the President's office and having a larger majority in both houses, but enacting this feel good proposal is just the groundwork for the next step.

Time Flying By

I can't believe the amount of time since my last post. Life just got kinda busy and flew by.

At work we actually got the OK to start up the site this week, but because of a shortcut taken, wee had a big problem, so now we have a work-over rig back in the yard to fix what we wasn't checked for a week and a half ago.

My Raiders have reverted back to form and are again in the run to position themselves for next years draft. Walter was sacked 7 time in the first quarter, the Seattle defense were past the offensive line and in the backfield waiting for Walters to get there.

The GOP got it's butt kicked in the election, but in what could be considered a minor victory, the Dems that were elected ran mostly on a conservative platform, so now it's a wait and see if they really were advocating what they said, or where just lying till they got in office.

The worst part of the election is Pelosi becoming Chairman of the House. The word is that most Americans don't know who Pelosi is, man are they in for a shock. I live in California and have watched this woman's policies enacted around the San Francisco area and I don't believe her assertion of bi-partisanship. I remember when Bush put out his hand in bi-partisanship to Ted "the Swimmer" Kennedy on the "No Child Left Behind" program, and *hic* Kennedy *hic* had stabbed Bush in the back before he had made it to the corner liquor store for his daily restock.

Well, I got something down, now I have to work harder to get back in the habit of scribbling something more often.

On Their Way

Well, the Raiders ruined their perfect record and actually won a game. I'm cetain with the way my luck runs, that they are going to win just enough games that they'll screw up their position in the draft.

The Bears had a bye, so the games yesterday didn't mean to much, although the Giants-Cowboys game tonight should be fun with both teams at 3-2.

Silly

This is just silly, but it got me laughing...and don't think the German's (I believe this is German) don't have a sense of humor. This is a slow loader at the home site, so it may take a bit.

I Thought It Might Of Been Me

For most of the game last night, I was afraid that I was going to have the whole town of Chicago trying to hunt me down and kill me.

It almost seemed like I had brought a curse on the Bears by picking them as the team I will root for to bet the the Super Bowl. I know the Cardinals aren't as bad as their record, but I never would have dreamed that the game could have gone like it did. I was just about ready to shut the TV off and go to bed when the Bears had their rally.

Anyway, I feel safe for another two weeks, as Chicago has a bye next week, then have to play the 2-4 49ers at home.

Raiders Maintain Their Perfect Record

The only thing wrong is they've got the numbers on the wrong sides of the hyphen. 0-5. God, how things have changed in a few years. Ever since the playoff game against the Patriots in 2001. I felt then that that was going to be the last Super Bowl chance for a while for the Raiders, they were old and weren't likely to be able to hold it together for another year.

A rebuilding was due, but because of that loss, they tried to stick it out longer by bringing in more old players to fit into the system quckly. It didn't work and I'm paying for it now.

I'm resigned to one of those periods like the Packers went through from their glory days in the '60's till they aquired Farve and bult a team around him in the mid '90's.

Here's hoping I'm not going to be in my 80's when the Raiders field a winning team again.

Oh, and congrats to GuyK and his Bucs for winning one.

Military Capability

I've been hearing a lot over the weekend about the military capability of the United States. The consensus has been that we do not have enough to handle the problems that are facing us.

The fact that everyone overlooks is that we could handle all the problems, simultaneously, in any way we choose. We can pursue peace, or we could just make you not a problem.

The small detail that we could wipe out the entire planet and still have military capability left over seems to be dropped from the equation of what is going on.

If we really wanted Mid-east oil to fuel our military industrial complex and to keep the sheeple happy, we could take it today, and nobody could stop us.

However, the world would rather listen to the "dignitaries" from the NKPR or Iran about our country dreaming of an empire.

Our culture may be taking over the world, but that is a choice, but we have not added one square foot of territory to the United States by hook or crook, so you can just bite my ass about the "Imperilalistic American Agenda".

If I was you, I would pray we wanted your country, which we don't, cause, if we really did, you would be gone by now.

Floriduh!

I know, with where I live I shouldn't be besmirching other states...but, why does it seem that just about every nutso news story nowadays seem to be emanating from the Sunshine State? All the sensless murders, car chases and whatever has outpaced California and, if this keeps up, will make us look like a run of the mill state.

You know what, you guys are welcome to it. If we can just get rid of the 9th Curcuit (although that encompasses more than California), we could drop off the news altogether.

On Being republican in California

I registered Republican in '79. I have never received anything from the GOP in the mail outside of a few mailers from some of the local races.

My son just registered as Republican and has received nothing from the GOP.

My wife who is Democrat, and hadn't registered to vote until she was in her 40's (sorry, the ragging about her opinion didn't count cause she didn't vote backfired on me) gets at least 2 mailers or letters per day.

We can elect a Repub governor, but "my" party is so convinced that this state is a lost cause that they will not invest any money is trying to get their message out, even to those of us that could help them bring sanity to this state. They are so convinced that Feinstein and Boxer cannot be challenged on their respective dismal records, that there is no use in even trying to do battle with their socialist platforms.

I wonder why I even bother to vote for the Statewide positions. If the GOP has given up on California, why should I bother to fight for it?

I will continue the fight, but it sure would be nice tho have alittle backing of the party.

I Feel a Burst coming On

After a week of hell on my graveyard shift, I have a few things stored up. Get ready for some rapid fire posts that have been building up.

Switching Teams

Well, I've finally gotten over my depression regarding the Raiders season. It took me an extra day after I heard one of the after game analysts say that the Raiders had to be that worst team in sports, not just football, all sports, and I had to agree.

How they can come out a play a good game for the first half, then go in at half time, make adjustments and come out so inept in the second half is sickening.

I'll still watch any Raider game on TV and root for them, but this is another of those years where breaking .500 is a victory, and I'll be amazed if they make that.

So the team that I'm going to support for the Super Bowl is the Chicago Bears. What I've seen of them this year, they have the tools, a defense that won't let anything go unchallenged and an offense that can put lots of points on the board.

Another reason is I have two friends, one a Viking fan and the other a die-hard Packer fan and this will give me a good chance to needle them without mercy, being they'll each have to play Chicago twice.

PO'd

I haven't been here in a while because I was working days. My company was supposedly going to start production, but that's off. My job over the last week was to haul solidified chunks of rotarty mud out of the cellar (16 steps), I've got weak knees and multiple trips up and down these stairs are wearing. By the time I get on-line and visit my regular sites, I'm just to burned out to care about posting.

I've written before that the production site I work at has been down for quit a while now. We have gotten the okay to start up the site again, with some limits, once we get an injection well operating. I've still got all my vacation time and was told to use some of it before we started up, so I put in for weeks worth.

Turns out the time I put in for coincided with the go ahead date given us by the State. My vacation was cancelled, and due to not getting the work done on the well that we need to inject our production water, we haven't started up either. Now I can't take vacation because the foreman is taking his vacation, and probably won't be able to take mine because when he gets back, we are into the holiday season and off time is restricted.

On top of this, last night, when I got to work I was informed that I was to go to our other site (23ed) and work there. I was originally hired to operate that site and worked there for about four months, but because of some politics, I got sent to the site I work now (Broadway). I didn't really care outside of the first site had just been gone through and had all updated equipment and the site I ended up at had by-passed just about every piece of automated equipment.

In the three years since I last worked at 23ed, the guys working there have abused all the equipment and the place is a mess. Equipment is bypassed, tanks have been run over (and were running over when I showed up last night) and equipment and procedures have been changed.

At 9:30 PM, I'm getting a tour and rundown on what has to be done. It's dark and not incredibly well lit, so I'm trying to figure out how everything ties together without being able to trace the piping from one vessel to another. On top of this I'm being told that some alarms may go off, but if it's this or that, don't worry, it isn't important.

I'll be honest and state that retirement is my goal. I love to work, but I would rather do it on my schedule, what I want done, when I want to do it. On my last job, I didn't mind the 12 to 16 hour days, because I thought the owners were serious about trying to keep the company going, turns out I was wrong, but I loved the job and I was willing to put in the effort.

The company I work for now seems to have no plan. Work on a well, hit a problem, stop and go to another well, hit a problem, repeat. Nothing gets fixed and no long range planning. We've had 8 months to fix (from what I'm learning now) anywhere from 5 to 18 years of neglect, I don't expect it all to be done right now, but the owner seems to be thrashing about trying to find the easiest way to get back to production, and it ain't working. We are no closer to starting up now than we were five months ago.

I'm pissed and I'm tired. Usually going to a new site would invigorate me with a challege, but this time I'm just fed up.

DKos Sucks

This is just my opinion and I'll stand by it.

1078

I've Got To Say Something

This man is an ass. He seems to have no recollection of what really happened during his term as president. Now, he may have done no more, or no less than the ones on either side of him, but you cannot just say I did so-and-so and make it the truth. And the last thing you should do is tell people to go read a book to get the facts and then have the book say the opposite of what you just professed. Guess he never read the book, just figured the author would just parrot the points on the list handed out at the end of his term.

The other thing that has bothered me quit a bit about the video that follows, is that here is a past president just jumping into that space we all carry around with us that you just don't enter unless it's for physical reasons, either love or hate. We are not a touchy-feely society, so when someone gets within a foot of you and/or starts touching you, it's either a threat, or to be close with someone you trust. Being he was poking and speaking loudly. I would consider that a threat. I'll give Wallace credit, if someone had done that to me, they would be on their butt. Now Clinton is a big guy, 6' 1" and hefty enough to have to watch his weight, so if he was in my face talking loud (he die keep it below a shout) I would feel threatened.

Go here to watch the video: Clinton vs. Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” Update: Wallace asked Rumsfeld same question in ‘04

And if you think this is the first time Clinton has threatened the press, here he is letting that poor Canadian Peter Jennings know where he stands. Clinton points finger at Jennings, enraged at moral questioning (more video added).

I think that the message was clear, you don't question what I did with facts, because if my wife gets elected President, we've got another 4 to 8 years to make your life hell, and we will.

Louisiana and New Orleans have Seceded From the Union Again

How else do you explain this?

the City of New Orleans persisted in desperately clinging to its anti-gun agenda by contemptuously arguing just the opposite--that the Second Amendment does not apply to residents in the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans.

Seems to me that the only way you could argue that ANY part of the Constitution would not apply to you would be if you were no longer a part of the United States.

Youth

A few of us were sitting around the office BSing today as the site is still down and there wasn't anything to do. We started out with some of the stupid stuff we did as kids that really should have maimed us badly if it didn't kill us outright. We all said that our kids don't seem to go out and stir up trouble like we did.

One guy who's Dad was career Army said his family didn't get a TV till he was 11 and permanently stationed state side, so he would be out of the house as quick as he could. The rest of us all had TV's, but Saturdays, cartoons were over at 10:00 AM, so we'd scoot until it was dinner time.

We didn't have computers, cell phones, DVD players that seem to keep kids in the house most of the day. I lived in the mountains just north of Los Angeles, so we'd be up the canyon having BB gun wars and digging mines, or just wandering the hills.

When we got to the asinine things we did with cars, we all talked about that first POS that we bought and spent half the time repairing. The water pump, the brakes that were shot when we got it and we put another 5,000 miles on till the squeal got annoying because we didn't have the cash being we had to buy the damn water pump. A car that squealed, but ran, was better than as safe car that wouldn't run.

When we started to talk about how nowadays you can't work on cars due to all the computers, we realized that anyone we had hired that was born after the mid 70's does not seem to have any mechanical skills. Most kids you hire for working a job that involves repair work, you literally have to start at the beginning with what a tool is and how to use it properly.

There are no Shop classes in Middle School, no Auto Shop in High School. They don't offer trade clases, everything is geared towards college or the technical fields. It's good to design a new device that will catch a mouse more efficiently, but who is going to build the damn thing?

Ah, Sunday

I'm relatively sure the Raiders were able to get through this Sunday without losing. Next week is the big test, the fearsome Cleveland Browns. a loss next week and I can pretty much give up the season.

I'm leaning for going for the Seahawks, but their 4th quarter play today unsettled me a little. Leading 42-3 going into the 4th, they proceeded to give up 27 unanswered points to win 42-30. It may wake them up to the fact that no matter what your lead, don't let up till the game is over. I'm sure that Coach Mike Holmgren will explain this to the team.

My condolences to GuyK who's team lost their QB due to a ruptured spleen. A iffy year to begin with, I guess this will go down as a training year and a chance to get some high draft picks next year. Just don't take all the good offensive linemen. The Raiders could use about six.

One More Thing

I couldn't help it. I just had to sneak back out of bed to play with the new toy one more time.

I said in the previous post that Pink Floyd and bowie share the number one spot, so I just couldn't short-shift Pink Floyd. I picked the title track form MY favorite album of theirs. "Wish You Were Here".