light to non-existant posting soon

Our stadium lighting job just obtained "DO IT NOW!" status and we'll be working either 10's or until that days job is done- whichever is longer.

That's on top of all the buried conduit that we have to repair before Aug. 18 when the fans meet the new H.S. football team.

Before looks became a selling point

And not just in politics.

I'm not sure any of these could get in the door of a major record company by talent alone, any more.

George Thorogood


Janis Joplin


Meatloaf


Freddy Mercury?

So, oil profiteers aren't the problem?

That's what I keep hearing from their commercials and their apologists- that actually oil profiteering is 'good' for us all.

Because it helps your retirement portfolio.

Ok, has anyone told you just how much it's helping your retirement portfolio, or your mutual funds, or whatever it 'helping'?

I don't know, but I really don't see a lot of offset in 'boosting' a portfolio $5 a share when it costs double to fill your tank, buy anything made with corn, or just anything transported using petroleum- unless you own hundreds of shares (at least).

So will that $500 you made this year go to offset the $75+ to fill your tank?
or the extra cost of utilities you're on the hook for?
How can you split the future funds when they're the cause of you spending geometrically more to buy at retail what your portfolio (and the traders) are making on the profit end?

UPDATE (8:45 PM)

Sorry, but I forgot to mention that I place most of the blame on Congress, both Houses and BOTh parties.
It's not enough that We're paying for that Ethanol boondoggle four times, but just to prove how abysmally out of touch they are in D.C.- they're actually mulling that idiotic 55MPH sped limit again.

I wonder what it's like

Edited because I know whats not good to talk about.

This one's for Becky

Yes, I do have a problem with this.
Not just with the 19-yr old, but especially with the judge.


I wonder if he and Bill Clinton ever met at any frat parties?

A series of long days

Yesterday was 14 hours in the Texas sun because we had to get ahead since we were getting sent to another job for two weeks.

Pictures part dos

Here's what I came up with as a combination display case and range box to show off my Colt Navy.
Like It?

I tried to come up with a way to have everything needed to load it all in one box.
I'm not sure they even thought of something like this for such a utilitarian revolver back then, or if they had something- they'd use it for a more expensive pistol.


Displayed as a wall hanger.


Nothing can rattle around too much.


Everything you need to load, including the stand.


Everything withing easy reach.




Now, if I knew anyone who might be able to use something like this for customer or employee rewards or promotional use...

Pictures part 1

This is the Trapper case I was having trouble with.
First I cut the finger joints wrong, then I miscut the Plexiglas about a quarter inch too short to be able to make it work.
At all, no matter what.


Boy, you can really see that seam in the felt, can't you?



This is where I finally quit before I screwed up more oak pallets reclaimed seasoned oak boards.
I don't have any room in the loafing shed I tried to turn into a wood shop, so now it'll have to wait until I get out and ad another (at least) 12' x 12' section to the back.

And run some big enough wire to make it usable AND 220.
(We are stringing #4 service drops, and it IS about 100feet......hmmmm)

Finally

What an expensive week-end i'ts been.

Thing 2's computer(that we got on e-bay two years ago) had a huge hick-up and quit conneting to the internet. It has office 2000 on it and no rstore CDs, so after getting tired of f*cking with it, we all agreed to try Best-buy's Geek squad. While waiting in line I mentioned to Thing 2 that the ...girl in front of us looked like a hooked fish with her pierced bottom lip and chewing her cud gum looking exactly like a landed bass.
he saig: "Yeah, I was just thinking that, too."

Anyway, we get to the front and talked to Mr. Geek and explained what was (not) going on and how much it would cost to throw a Dell restore CD in to get it going again?
Almost $180!
UMMMmmm, ok- we'll forget that and look at new ones thankyouverymuch.
We ended up getting a Kodak digital cam to replace the Nikon that stopped working for 140; and today She got her early Christmas present in the form of a brand spanking new Acer laptop(which is copying to disc the factory restore settings as we speak).

Igot the oil and filters changed in both trucks in spite of that rotator cuff problem.
Tomorrow it's back to stringing secondary for portable classrooms.

Now it's my turn for a new hard drive.

So, how was your week-end?



UPDATE:
We got done creating restore discs -10 of them, and now we find out that it won't connect. I have either to get with Wildblue, DISHiternet of ACER to find out what to configure,

Okayyyy....will the driver be black?

Will the pit crew "look like America", or will they be the best they can get for the Obamessiah car?

Well, it fits his political leaning, doesn't it? Go straight and turn left.
He couldn't even get a good team, he had to look for the desperate ones to sponsor.
That opens up a whole world of politically tied questions, doesn't it?
Will the minority driver (i'm sure he won't be a white guy) be given preference points?
Will they get to start farther down the track to - you know "level the playing field"?
Will the girls (no matter what their sexual preferences are- just don't ask) get paid the same as the guys? (just wondering because the Obama '08 team doesn't pay parity)
Will they be using an environmentally friendly fuel?
What about the environmentally hazardous chemicals?
The used tires?

This could be fun if it ever catches on to the big blogs.

The great Salmonella outbreak of 2008

In the almost 300 million (legal) inhabitants of the U.S., we have a total of 1107 cases of Salmonella in this latest health kerfuffle.
And one death of a cancer sufferer.

If that's all we have to worry about, I think we have it pretty good here in America.

ohhh? Really?

Gee, I didn't know thirty years ago, that I was flashing 'oral sex gang signs'.
Apparently gangs are so sophisticated now, that in addition to marking your private property like dogs- they also have oral sex gang signs.
And one of their spokesbitches people is a Miss Oregon.
Here she is in all her glory. See if you can figure out which is the 'oral sex gang sign'.



So, does that mean I was gang signing before gang signing was cool?

What is Kurts least favorite color?

Red and blue flashing in my rear view mirror.

Just a quick PSA for all you readers in the San Antonio area.
Officer Obie told me that they had lots of complaints about HWY 90 between Gen. Hudnell and 1604 and they were going to be heavy in the area for the next two weeks.

He was nice enough to make arrangements so my 13 MPH over the limit won't go to the CDL people in Austin.
We're going to talk about it on July 24, and according to this yellow invite I got- it looks like about $171,,,,if it's not somehow enhanced because I have a CDL.




Oh,,, he was driving a black unmarked

One of them days

Except that it's Tuesday.

The job wasn't *that* bad except for the rain and thunder rolling around.
We need it, it hasn't rained in San Antonio in almost six months- but it kinda sucks playing with secondary wire that's tied into the grid in a thunderstorm.
It was getting bad enough that I was ready to call it quits and get my helper out of the bucket when it

Just

Stopped.

So we got to finish that schools' portable classrooms.
...And we ran out of the right size connectors we need, so we're using oversize kerneys* now, just to get thing working.

I finally got home (it's raining and people want to drive even f*cking slower) when I was met with a plant massacre of the potted pepper plant kind.
The green (and red and yellow) pepper plants that the dogs took
No. notice. of. whatsoever.
were strewn all over the porch (because they were so happy Thing 2 was back from England) because of the freaky weather.

I was going to make Sweet and Sour chicken tonight, but ran out of the S&S sauce, so I had to make some more wiht balsamic vinegar and sugar. It was tangy.

I tried taking pics of the gun display cases, but either the BRAND NEW EVERREADY
batteries I just bought are bad, or the $125+ Nikon is on it's last legs- because I get two pics before it says *batteries expired*.

Then I decided to watch some old west shootouts wiht Robt. Duval and Kevin Costner in AMCs Open Range...BUT,,,
I started watching a 90 minute movie well into it, and was still watching it two hours latter due to all the commercials.
No wonder hardly anyone with half a brain doesn't watch TV that much any more.
I'm going to cancel two TVs on my DirectTV account because the two bedrooms TVs are never on.
...and I can hook them up to the two working co-ax lines if need be, so they have cable to watch the *Gem Channel* if needed.

*No, I don't mean just a little bigger, it's like 1/0 split bolts for a #4 wire oversized.


AND I realized that I forgot to tell the wife that I was going to put a $20 into my nephews birthday card, so now I have to send *another* belated B-day card.

In remembering our birthday week-end

I was trying to find the Forerunners to Airplane nose art- in the form of Continental frigate's figureheads, but they're harder to find than an original Vargas nose art.
Instead, we'll have Continental flags and their evolution.


This was the first official Continental flag flown aboard naval vessels, also known as the Washington flag.

The first official Naval flag followed


Then the more common navel jack


The Grand Union flag was first unveils Jan, 1776 by General Washington in Cambridge, Mass.


And finally the Betsy Ross flag that we have adopted to our changing status as we grew into what we are now.


And as usual, a musical taste of subject:

Haul away Joe


An original version of "Yankee Doodle"

WARNING

Extremely disturbing picture below.







I mean it!





If you have the slightest sense of compassion, stop now.




OK, you asked for it:














UPDATE:
Becky, I was meaning to ask~
Why did you knit that sweater after one of the "Killer Klowns from Outerspace?

Don't you just hate it

When you're surfing the web and someone else is watching a made for the theater movie?
She has to have the volume up so she can hear the dialogue, and the sudden noise dramatic accents shake the walls.

Including the obnoxiously loud commercials.

Ahhhh, so it wasn't 'The DoKtoor*"

Those faceless people seen around England weren't products of the Beeb sucking their faces off to feed the *Wire*.




*and Yes- that's how they pronounce it.

also- "Dahhleckts" are spelled Daleks

Happy Birthday, America!

I just want to say:
Thank God I'm a citizen of the best country that's existed in the last 50 years.
We're the last super power that hasn't yet given in to the nanny state-ism or full fledged socialism that our allies are suffering from.

Lets buck-up and keep it strong.

Independence day week-end

We know it's a three day week-end because we have a marathon of the "twilight Zone" on the SciFi channel.



UPDATE
Elizabeth Montgomery was much more of a babe as a Russian soldier than she was aa Samantha.

I also compleetely F8cked-up a prototype display case for my muzzle loader.
I finished the display case/ range box for the Colt navy and it doesn't look bad. Pics when the camera gets back from England.

Hi.

Could some of you people out there do me a favor?

Please- it's not much.

Just-


GET THE F*CK OUT OF THE FAST LANE WHILE JACKING YOUR JAW ON THE TELEPHONE!!!!


We still don't know if we're workinf Fri. It depends on how much we get done this week.

Good thing I have no social life, huh?

More WWII artistic appreciation

Miss Boop is grown up on this plane








A Guam based B-29



And naturally the sounds of the war

This one has the tune of an old navy song I'd heard at the EM club from oooold salts who had been at Gitmo pre Castro*




Zig me baby with a gentile zag





* It went something like this
"We're scratching and sweating and waiting for orders
We're panting and paintng and waiting for orders
-(one more verse)
And we all pray for the day....we get the hell out of Guantonimo Bay


Guantonimo Bay- callit Gitmo for short, it's not much of a harbor and much less of a port,
Here you pay twenty cents for a bottle of beer- they call it patooie -it tastes mighty queer
There's an indian on the label to show- the indian sign makes you Go-Go-Go!
-(then we go into the ladies)

Joe Horn

Of Pasadena, Tx.
If you're not in Texas you may not have heard about his case, which was a very questionable use of the castle doctrine.

His story goes that on Nov. 16 2007 he saw two people breaking into his neighbors house and called 911.
Which was good.
In the course of the call, he told the dispatcher that he was going to confront the two because they were leaving in spite of the operators calls to stay put.

The results were two dead criminals.
With long arrest records- who happened to be illegals and members of a robbery ring in Houston.


Joe had his day in court today.

-- Did I mention they were shot in the back?

And the Grand Jury found Joe innocent of all charges.


I'm of mixed mind about this. Because the saying "he deserved killing" can be applied to some.
And since the two came onto his property, he was in fear of his life because he didn't know what to expect.
His adrenalin must have been pumping like a geyser, and he may have been in over his head when one started coming at him.
So I can see the not guilty verdict there.

BUT, they were shot in the back.
Right thinking people don't shoot someone in the back.
In Texas, the only people who shot someone in the back were dry-gulchers and cowards.
Ramos and Copmpean are in prison now for shooting a drug dealer almost in his @ss.

I know the Grand Jury heard more than we did out here, and made their decisions based on facts presented to them- so justice was served. There are two less criminals bothering the Houston community. Which is all well and good, but I still feel a vague unease about Joe just walking free after shooting two people in the back.

I mean...right's right and wrong is wrong.

Thanks Congress

I just got back from Wally-word and dropped $120 on mostly staples...because I couldn't afford more than the basics.

Hillary(D)
Barry(D)
John McCain (RINO)
John Cornyn (R)

I want to thank you for getting me to cook a little healthier, because with your B.S. Ethanol boondoggle to ADM, it's now cost efficient to substitute Virgin Olive oil for CORN OIL.

I don't suppose that with the loss of millions of bushels of corn and other foodstuffs, that you'd rethink shovelling my tax money to your Big Ag lobbyists, would you?
Even a 45LB bag of Old Roy dog food is getting on $20.


Gawd, I wish we had some Conservatives runnin this time.

BILLY MAYS!

I don't know if he's hard of hearing, orf it's just his schtik.

I also don't know who would buy anything from him.
But then angain, there's a reason that there are plenty of con men out there isn't there?

All the cr@p he's shilling can be bought at Wally-world at less cost.
...OR you could make your own cheaper than he wants.




In the work worl, I'm really getting tired of smelling like creosote.

In a word

I've seen this meme going around quite a few blogs, so I'll give credit to El Capitain- since it was his blog that I fist saw it.



1. Where is your cell phone? Charging

2. Your significant other? Working

3. Your hair? Grey

4. Your mother? Retired

5. Your father? Dead

6. Your favourite time of day? Quitting

7. Your dream last night? Lacking

8. Your favourite drink? Beer

9. Your dream goal? Comfort

10. The room you’re in? Living

11. Your ex? none

12. Your fear? Poverty

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Employed

14. What you are not? Slender

15. Your Favourite meal? Dinner

16. One of your wish list items? Henry

17. The last thing you did? Cook

18. Where you grew up? Navy

19. What are you wearing? Jeans

20. Your TV is? Off

21. Your pets? Dogs

22. Your computer? H/P

23. Your life? Boring

24. Your mood? Tired

25. Missing someone? Wifey

26. Your car? Dirty

27. Something you’re not wearing? Shirt

28. Favourite store? Gunshop

29. Your summer? Blazing

30. Your favourite colour? Blue

31. When is the last time you laughed? Today

32. When is the last time you cried? Dunno

33. Your health? Good

34. Your children? teens

35. Your future? Unseen

36. Your beliefs? Strong

37. Young or old? Old

38. Your image? Shopworn

39. Your appearance? Large

40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know? Yes

When I was in the Navy

I was a Seabee (oh wow, check-out the cool tee-shirt), a Construction Electrician who was mostly on the line crew.

hen I got out, I thought I was done setting forests of brand new creosote poles.
I was until we got a contract to upgrade most of a San Antonio school districts power supplies- including their temporary classrooms.
We've been at it all week, and with them not being used to setting so many poles )we average about two a month)- we're stress testing our equipment.
And finding it lacking.
So far, our best day has been five poles set before something broke.
Our helpers are electricians, apprentices and helpers. I've been showing them the ropes and the easy(er)way to do things and they're learning. The ones that want to learn are...

I was helping one get the sling around a pole while he had it pried up on the trailer when it slipped.
SAFETY NOTE: Do not get your hand between a 1700lb pole and a prybar in case it slips and your hand gets caught between two poles.
He got it pretty quick and there wasn't really any damage done- except the creosote forced into the back of my hand and wrist. It's been burning all. day. long. and worse when the south Texas sun was hitting it.

Hopefully everything that's going to break has already done so, so we can finish the boxcar load of poles we have at the shop.

Something to remember

There is some kind of bru-haha going on in the shooting world VS the gun-grabbers that I missed somewhere. I'm not sure as to *why* or *how* it happened that the two shooting disciplines(hunters and target shooters?) (long-guns against pistoleros?)are fighting against each other.
And it has to do- somehow with people who want to take away your right to own fire arms.

To paraphrase a poem:
First they came for the .22 pistol,
-but I didn't hunt paper.
Then they decided that a snubby was too inaccurate
-but I was a marksman.
Then they outlawed the Magnum, because it was too powerful for defensive use
-I only use rifle cartridges.
They decided that an autoloader put too many rounds in the air to fast-
-Bolt action and a scope, what's the problem?
They decide that the EBR ban needed to be renewed
-It's only plastic guns.
Then they looked at registrations
- never been in trouble, not my problem
Because of population growth, they took public game land off the table
-I have a lease
Then they decided that all hunter need a registered safety course
-I took it and filled the form
They then came to my house to confiscate my rifle because it was too powerful for my game.
-I started to claim my second Amendment rights, but they laughed and told me that I lost them when I didn't protest the first .22 ban.

Real(t)y????

If you've been looking at realty sites lately, you REALLY need to do a spyware scan.
I just got done blocking and deleting almost 30 tracking cookies from about five Lockhart, TX realtor sites.
I'd imagine that you'll get as many or more anywhere you go looking at land or homes.
I didn't get that many tracking cookies from car dealers.

Karen was looking at places that the 19 yr-old might look at over there, since her experiment in sharing work, housekeeping and unpaid nannyism (the friend's sister is an unwed mother)is working to her disadvantage.
Hey, you live and you learn.
At least she didn't get hurt (except maybe her feelings) this time.

A warbird weekend returns

Sorry about the hiatus, but,,,

Anyway, I guess the theme for this week is BOEING, since it's B-17's and a B-29 from Guam.











I know I did 'Bocks car' before, but it didn't look like this, so I'm thinking it's a replacement, or one from an airshow.

And your musical meander down melody lane compliments of

Albert Ammons and his 'Boogie-woogie Dream'



Ok, to make up last week, too~~
Swanee River Boogie