Years ago, when the U.S.S.R. suddenly disappeared, there was great celebration and proclamations of how things would be better. I wondered how anyone could come up with this opinions, since it was only a few months before that there were thousands of warheads pointed at the United States by these fine people and the constant reminder we weren't friends.
Now, since nobody ever really proved to me that the former Soviet Union was granted a membership in the "Good Guy Club", with the secret handshake and special decoder ring. I'm not surprised by this news report.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Cooked Numbers
"Official" unemployment rate was reported at 8.1% by the fine lying sacks of crap folks that proclaim such things. Sounds good, huh? It does, except those numbers don't reflect the people that are not in the labor force, which means they're not counted because it's not politically advantageous. This number rose by 522,000 in April, which is over a half a million people for those that are challenged by zeroes past one or two digits. Otherwise, if you're unemployed and not actively pursuing a job - which means you're probably living off my taxes - you're not counted so that the current administration can put a feather in their ass cap and pretend everything is looking better.
Personally, my thoughts on what to do with lying bureaucrats don't fit in with the current accepted methods of dealing with liars that exist because most people still allow confiscatory taxes without any recourse for the taxpayer. Maybe that's why everything is so out of hand.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Voice Mail
Voice mail is great, since it allows flexibility of schedules and locations. You can be just about anywhere, and unavailable, but still receive voice mail messages. This allows more productivity, without the loss of communication.....in theory.
After a personal experience, and a similar experience by my boss, I've come to the opinion that voice mail is the ultimate method for public sector workers to avoid the public. To add insult to injury, voice mail systems for many municipalities have reached the point there are no humans answering the phone. Otherwise, there's no real responsibility and these workers can go for days, or longer, without being accountable to the people they serve.
About two years ago, I had to contact a local municipality to verify the location of their underground utilities. The underground maps were incomplete, the plans didn't show any utilities, but the manholes and valve box covers proved the opposite. I called the appropriate departments, left voice messages and didn't receive a reply. I tried again, with the same result. I even called an engineer I know and, once again, left a voice message. Nobody ever called me back.
In Texas, the law states that if you disturb the ground, you're considered an excavator. Even if it's only to put a new fence post in your yard, you call, someone will either locate an underground utility, or tell you they have nothing there. They have 48 hours. This one call system is mandatory, except for municipalities. You call them and they come at their leisure - if at all.
Eventually, a city maintenance supervisor - that knew they would repair anything we broke - came to the job site out of curiosity. They knew about the project and wondered about the tight confines of the new structure. They made sure the underground utilities were marked and helped in every way they could.
So, the supposed effort to become more productive has a different outcome. My boss had a similar experience trying to determine code and permit requirements for another municipality. I guess complaints are in order. Please leave a message and then press pound.
After a personal experience, and a similar experience by my boss, I've come to the opinion that voice mail is the ultimate method for public sector workers to avoid the public. To add insult to injury, voice mail systems for many municipalities have reached the point there are no humans answering the phone. Otherwise, there's no real responsibility and these workers can go for days, or longer, without being accountable to the people they serve.
About two years ago, I had to contact a local municipality to verify the location of their underground utilities. The underground maps were incomplete, the plans didn't show any utilities, but the manholes and valve box covers proved the opposite. I called the appropriate departments, left voice messages and didn't receive a reply. I tried again, with the same result. I even called an engineer I know and, once again, left a voice message. Nobody ever called me back.
In Texas, the law states that if you disturb the ground, you're considered an excavator. Even if it's only to put a new fence post in your yard, you call, someone will either locate an underground utility, or tell you they have nothing there. They have 48 hours. This one call system is mandatory, except for municipalities. You call them and they come at their leisure - if at all.
Eventually, a city maintenance supervisor - that knew they would repair anything we broke - came to the job site out of curiosity. They knew about the project and wondered about the tight confines of the new structure. They made sure the underground utilities were marked and helped in every way they could.
So, the supposed effort to become more productive has a different outcome. My boss had a similar experience trying to determine code and permit requirements for another municipality. I guess complaints are in order. Please leave a message and then press pound.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Diners, Dives and......
...I'm hungry, although I just ate.
There's a show on The Food Channel that has the host (I can never remember his name; Guy something...I think) traveling all over the United States trying out different restaurants (diners, dives and drive-ins) and showcasing the specialties on the menu. After watching this show quite a few times, I realize that no matter what other shows they have, or how elaborate the item may be, this show is what makes me hungry.
It's not fast food, high end dining, or presumptious. It's mostly comfort food and fresh. In a perfect world, I'd have the resources to try these different restaurants. Since it's not a perfect world, I'll just drool and dream.
There's a show on The Food Channel that has the host (I can never remember his name; Guy something...I think) traveling all over the United States trying out different restaurants (diners, dives and drive-ins) and showcasing the specialties on the menu. After watching this show quite a few times, I realize that no matter what other shows they have, or how elaborate the item may be, this show is what makes me hungry.
It's not fast food, high end dining, or presumptious. It's mostly comfort food and fresh. In a perfect world, I'd have the resources to try these different restaurants. Since it's not a perfect world, I'll just drool and dream.
I Love New Toys
Not really a toy, but new. Less than 120 hours, which means it's only been in service for a few months.
The computer is new, so I had to spend a few minutes verifying the commands. It's more user friendly and has more information on the screen.
The cab, and rest of the instrumentation, is almost identical to those I've run before, but one noticeable thing is the instant fuel consumption. Average was around 2 gallons every hour. (Yeah, I know that doesn't sound like much, but that's over sixty bucks added to the rental cost for the day.)
We'll only have it for a few days, so the fun won't last.
The air conditioning sure feels good.
* - I need to add what type of machine this is. It's a Todano rough terrain crane, with a maximum lift capacity of 50 tons. While that sounds like a lot of weight, the crane can only lift that much weight within a few feet of the machine.
My extreme lift today was around 3000 pounds at 90 feet. The computer constantly beeped at me the enitire lift warning me that I was pushing the envelope and would shut down the crane if I tried to reach any further.
The computer is new, so I had to spend a few minutes verifying the commands. It's more user friendly and has more information on the screen.
The cab, and rest of the instrumentation, is almost identical to those I've run before, but one noticeable thing is the instant fuel consumption. Average was around 2 gallons every hour. (Yeah, I know that doesn't sound like much, but that's over sixty bucks added to the rental cost for the day.)
We'll only have it for a few days, so the fun won't last.
The air conditioning sure feels good.
* - I need to add what type of machine this is. It's a Todano rough terrain crane, with a maximum lift capacity of 50 tons. While that sounds like a lot of weight, the crane can only lift that much weight within a few feet of the machine.
My extreme lift today was around 3000 pounds at 90 feet. The computer constantly beeped at me the enitire lift warning me that I was pushing the envelope and would shut down the crane if I tried to reach any further.
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