A Classic Tribute to the 4th of July!

In honor of the upcoming Independence Day holiday, this week's video is a classic Popeye cartoon called "Patriotic Popeye", in which he tries to instill the dangers of fireworks on his nephews (something we should be careful about anyway). Enjoy!

Some Technical Issues...

Well, my PC has been acting up lately. As a result, I think it's time I overhaul it.

Nothing too elaborate. I will either erase my hard drive and then reload it, or just replace it altogether. I still haven't decided.

I have already backed up my personal files. Now, I just need to inventory my software so I know where it came from. This will take a few days, so you won't hear much from me for a bit (I will still post a new Video of the Week on Saturday).

So, bear with me; I'll be back.

Something I Found Today!

Okay, it's no secret: I am a huge Star Trek fan! Have been since my father introduced me to the TOS reruns back in the early-1970s. Don't ask me which series is my favorite, because each one has its own unique quality to it:

• TOS was the first. Can't take that away.
• TNG had strong character development.
• DS9 had the best writing.
• VOY had Jeri Ryan. :)
• ENT had stunning visuals (and Season 3 kicked ass, if you ask me).

Anyway, I stumbled on this website today that made me laugh out loud! Repeatedly!

If you have been inside just about any office in North America, I'm sure you have seen those beautifully-framed "inspirational posters" all over the place. You know what I'm talking about. The ones that extoll the virtues of "TEAMWORK", or "INTEGRITY", or even "ACHIEVEMENT".

Well, it seems that someone took this idea and gave it a Star Trek theme. I have a sample here. Feel free to check out the rest of them! Funny!

Some Mashed Pulp for Breakfast!

It's Saturday! Time to unveil a new video!

Sometimes, you search and search until the right one comes along. And sometimes, they just fall into your lap. In this case, it was the latter. This is a hilarous mash-up of the "Pulp Fiction" trailer, Muppet-style! Enjoy!

Y'know, Some People Are Funny...

I just got word this morning that an old high-school friend of mine is moving back to Southern California this fall. From Mississippi.

Okay, so her husband got a new job out here. That's fine. But just a couple of weeks ago, when gas in L.A. was knocking on the $4.00/gallon mark (and it was in some places), she expressed her incredulousness of how expensive gas was in her town (around $3.13).

Well, at that time, the AVERAGE price of SoCal gas was about $3.42/gallon. Now, it's about $3.19, with some places venturing back under the $3 mark (Thank God!). My friend, whose name is Winnifred, swore she would never come back to L.A.

Well, guess what? Hubby got a new job. Guess you're coming back, girl! :)

Now, for a simple lesson in petroleum economics:

Gas is more expensive here than anywhere else in the country. As of this writing, California, then the whole West Coast, lead with a 1-2 punch of an average of $3.236 and $3.188, respectively. The Rockies come next at $3.181, and the Gulf Coast rings in at the cheapest, with $2.903.

Why? Distance from refineries, for one. It costs a lot of money to ship fuel from the refineries, many of which are where? That's right, places like Houston, New Orleans, and Mobile, and other Gulf Coast towns. But the real difference is that California (and Colorado) have very aggressive environmental policies when it comes to fuel emissions. As a result, gas in these (and other) areas is refined a different and more costly way. And guess who has to pay for this relatively clean gas? We do. Though it's a couple of years old, this article on the Department of Energy Website explains it very well.

(Gee, I was talking about Winnie coming back, and I ended up explaining the price of gas! Boy, do I digress, or not!).

With that in mind, Winnie, you are welcome to come home! Just don't expect to see gas prices come down in your honor (unless, of course, your husband owns Shell Oil). :)

My Own Space Again (Temporarily)

For the last two weeks, I've been staying at my mother's house because the house she and her boyfriend recently bought had to have paint and carpet put in. Now, I'm back in the new house, and they are once again enjoying a few private nights together.

I gotta hand it to Tom. This man will go to bat for you until either you success or you become a lost cause in his book. With my recent hiring at Metropolitan, it seems that I will fall into the former category. One thing's for sure: In the unlikely event I get drummed out of the District, at least I still have the pizza gig to fall back on. I may even return to being a courier (only for a different company than before). So, either way, I'll survive.

Now, before any of you paint a "LOSER" label on me, let me make one thing clear: I was forced back under my mother's roof. It's a long story, so let just say that the guy from whom I had been renting a room has been in jail for two months now, and he gets his day in court on Tuesday. I just wish I could be there, just to watch him squirm.

To my knowledge, he has been (or should be) charged with the following crimes:

1. Unauthorized alteration of rental property (including the addition of two bedrooms, one in the garage).
2. Subletting property without owner's consent.
3. False claim of property ownership.
4. Theft by deception (multiple counts here).
5. Failure to pay rent.
6. Illegal possession of personal information.
7. Overuse of a karaoke machine.

Okay, that last one isn't a crime, but it should be! But this (How should I put it without offending anyone? Ah! Got it!) asshole left several of us in a lurch, and I hope the judge throws the book at him! I'm not one to make threats. If you ask anyone who knows me, they'll tell you I'm a teddy bear. But if I ever see this... gentleman again, I will put him through a wall! Yes, this is on the record. And from what I've heard, the Garden Grove PD would all but condone such a response! That's how much of a weasel this guy is. More, it seems this guy (or one like him) got the attention of the California Association of Realtors. My mother is a member, and at their convention in Sacramento earlier this month, she heard about a case nearly identical to mine from Orange County.

I'm sure you've noticed that I have intentionally left his identity secret. The case is still pending, and I will not stoop so low as to divulge the suspect's name in this forum. Hey, I do have some morals. :)

New Video - A Classic!

Time to unleash a new YouTube clip, and this time I present one of my favorite cartoons of all time!

This is a 1984 short called "Jumping", a brilliantly done animation tour-de-force! I say this because in this short, there are NO static backgrounds!

As always, if you have problems watching the clip, you can see it here.

Zero-Tolerance Is Bunk!

Okay, time for me to step on a soapbox here...

This is something that I only do when I hear something on the news that sounds so absurd, I just gotta say something about it.

It seems that an elementary school in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, came under fire during a school tradition: Graduating 5th-Graders decorating their mortarboards, some of them with toy soldiers.

According to this news story, students were told by their principal to cut off the weapons held by miniature toy soldiers, as it violated the school's "zero-tolerance policy" on weapons!

Look at this picture of a typical toy soldier. Does this look like it could render harm to a child like a real weapon could. No! Granted, we live in a society in which unpredictable things can happen to anyone at any time, but give me a friggin' break here! Because of tragic events like Columbine and Virginia Tech, schools across the country have jerked their collective knees and instituted so-called "zero-tolerance policies" for the safety of the students, not only for weapons, but for drugs, too.

Now, I will be the first to speak up and say that schools need to be safe, but "zero-tolerance" ain't the way to go, people. All they do is cause more problems than they solve.

I'm sure that equally ridiculous stories have fallen your way in the past. Like the Kindergartener who got suspended for bringing a plastic picnic knife so he could cut cookies. Or the boy who got kicked out because he shared a some cold pills with a fellow student, who just happened to be his cousin and on the same prescription. Any way you look at it, I can sum it up in one word: overkill. Take these hypothetical situations:

Fighting -- An honor student has a flawless record, until he gets involved in one fight halfway through his senior year; as a result, he is forced to sit out the rest of the year. Like it or not, most students will get into at least one fight (and I mean an "old school" fight, with fists) before they get their diplomas. It takes two to tango, we all know that, but the honor student wouldn't be the kind to start it, right? He (or she) who starts it should receive the stronger punishment, especially if that student has a history of fighting!

Drugs -- A high-school girl gets expelled because a teacher saw her pull an over-the-counter menstrual cramp medicine from her locker, on the grounds that she is in possession of a drug. Now, what kind of society do we have to live in, in which a young lady needs to ask to be excused to the Nurse's Office so she could have her Pamprin ADMINISTERED to her?!

Weapons -- The story I reference is a strong case for this, but there are many publicized examples. Believe it or not, this is almost the worst of these policies. If you think about it, nearly anything can be a weapon! You can put an eye out with a spork. You can strangle someone with a shoelace or a belt. Those rulers with the metal edge can cut somebody. And I have been stabbed by a sharpened pencil before (Okay, it was accidentally self-inflicted, but I think you get my point here). For this to work, students might as well be naked and forced to do their assignments using only white-board markers and crayons!

Cell Phones -- This is the most ridiculous policy of all! There are schools who have this rule, and it is basically unenforceable! See what I mean in this story out of Norfolk, Virginia!

A water pistol is not a firearm. A plastic knife is not a switchblade. Aspirin is not a narcotic. Cell phones are not the only way to disrupt a class, cheat on tests, take surreptitious pictures, etc. If you are involved with the public school system in any way (employee, parent, or student), you need to open your eyes and do something about these policies, before a six-year-old gets arrested because she throws a tantrum. What? Damn, too late. It's happened already.

Kuo for It!

Okay, so I'm watching the Dodgers game last night, and they collected a win against the Mets 4-1, at the Stadium. But what grabbed my attention were three dingers on three pitches by the Dodgers, taking them to a 3-1 lead in the third inning.

But it was the pitcher, Hong-chih Kuo, who hit the third of those homers, who really made me jump from my seat. On his first pitch, he knocked a no-doubter into the right-field seats.

Was it because three jacks in a row? No.

Was it because Kuo was the first Taiwanese player to hit a homer? No.

Was it because it was Kuo's second career base bit? No.

It was the fact that he flippeed his bat the way Barry Bonds would, as if he'd done this a hundred times before!

Well done, Kuo. Just keep up the good work!

Just a Quick Note...

Today, I drove several of our crew back out to Lake Skinner so they could pick up their vehicles. One guy in the van, Brian, had to get his truck at Site 2 (I got to drive because I was finally eligible -- and I didn't have a vehicle on site).

Anyway, I just wanted to show you what Site 2 looks like. This is the site in a neighborhood, and I feel bad the people who live out there because, not only were we out there digging a big hole in the ground, but there was another work crew laying concrete to patch up at least a dozen sections of sidewalk!

Gotta get ready for work now...

More Temecula (Part 2)

Today being Sunday, I usually might skip this day, or say that I did something frivolous (like the fact that I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End today), but I still have more to tell about the shutdown in Temecula. So, without any further ado, let's get started.

When I arrived Friday morning, the first of the concrete forms was nearly completed. These forms, placed at both ends of the repair, were filled with reinforced concrete on Saturday morning, then cured to a rating of 1000 psi (of what, I am not sure -- I am still new at this!). In the first picture, the final side of the first form is lowered into place and then secured. Later, in the afternoon, the same procedure began on the other end of the repair, but not before something had to be done first.

If you check out the Part 1 post, look closely at the second photograph. On the near end of the pipe, next to the ladder, you will notice a scraggly edge to the original pipe where it meets with the replacement section. Well, that stuff, consisting of old mortar and a fabric bonding material (known as a "diaper" among the crew), had to be removed before the forms could go up. This already had been done on the first end, and I was asked to finish the other end. With a jackhammer.

Yes, you read that right. A jackhammer.

I'm not talking your typical New-York-City-construction-zone jackhammer; this was a smaller, more compact handheld unit. It was still heavy and it still made a helluva racket, but it is designed for more "surgical" jobs than simply ripping holes into concrete. Well, I had never operated a jackhammer before, so I got a crash course on how to use it. Suffice it to say that I think I earned my entire week's pay on Friday morning! While on break, I grabbed a self-portrait. Note the mask at my chin; without it, I'd have been literally eating concrete chunks for breakfast.

Anyway, I managed to finish the job by lunchtime (I should note here that lunchtime for me was shift change for everyone else, and vice versa. Remember, my schedule was dictated by the fact that I had training in L.A. on Wednesday; otherwise, I would have been on the 12a-12p shift). After lunch, I attended the noon safety meeting, and Susan told me that this would be my last shift at the site. I spent the afternoon as "top man" once again, this time for a cement crew who had to seal the welds from the inside. It was during this part of my shift that I began learning hand signals for guiding a crane's payload to its destination, in this case several 25-pound bags of concrete mix lowered into the pipe's manhole, five at a time.

In the final picture I took at the site, you can see the nearly-completed form, ready for the concrete to go in. Several layers of rebar form the reinforcement grid, while fiberglass rods stretch from one side to the next to keep the form from collapsing. As I left, the second form had just been getting started. As I write this, I imagine that the hole is nearly covered back up by now. Soon, we will go back out to the site to retrieve our equipment and bring it back to Lake Mathews. One think I cannot deny about this project: This was, without a doubt, a learning experience!

Well, Friday night found me with opportunity to check out the town and spend another night before leaving (besides, I didn't know I was done until after 12 noon, which is check-out time -- I was committed to another night). So, I found an On the Border restaurant and went in. When I lived in Nebraska, I regularly bought the salsa they marketed, and I wanted to sample their cuisine. The food was quite good, but that's not what made it a good night.

This young lady sat next to me. When we introduced ourselves, she said her name was Tirza (It's Old Testament. I looked it up; it's the name of one of Zelophehad's five daughters, whatever that means. Hey, I don't read the Bible, but I can say it's mentioned in Numbers). Anyhow, we ended up having a stimulating conversation that nearly closed the restaurant! Too bad she had a boyfriend; I found her to be a very interesting woman! Oh, well. At least I am slowly dipping my toes back into the social waters again. It's about damn time, too!

New Video, and It's Worthy!

Okay, time to take a break from talking about industrial construction projects!

Here is my Video of the Week. It's footage taken from a tourist's video camera of a safari at South Africa's Kruger National Park. In it, a water buffalo calf becomes the rope in a tug-of-war between lionesses and crocodiles, with some surprising twists along the way!

It's a bit on the long side (8-1/2 minutes), but worth every second!

More Temecula (Part 1)

Well, I got back to Temecula on Wednesday night, and I checked into the Motel 6. I know, luxury accomodations, right? :)

Anyway, when I arrived on Thursday morning, it was quite obvious that we were running ahead of schedule. In the first picture, the first piece of the replacement section was already in place, and the second piece was nearly there. After the two pieces were laid in, a "butt strap" joined them together, as shown in the second picture.

As the day progressed, temporary platforms and walkways were put up for safe access into and out of the trench, and the ladders (at least most of them) were lashed to those platforms to secure them in place. Another ladder went into the manhole at the top of the replacement section, so that welders could go in and seal the seams from the inside.

I also had an important, if not labor-intensive, duty on Thursday: I was designated "top man", which means I was responsible for the accountability of those who entered the pipe. Basically, all I did was stand at the manhole and make people sign in and out on a clipboard as they entered and exited. Susan, the Site One supervisor, would later tell me that people were known to have been accidently sealed inside a pipe, and then subsequently killed by the reintroduction of water within it. Though I wasn't surprised to hear that, I didn't let it bother me because I am pretty sure that sort of thing hasn't happened in a long time.

The entire day was pretty much devoted to welding the pipe together, both inside and out. In this third shot, a welder named Gerardo tackles the installed joint on the outside. Note that the intensity of the torch is so bright, its center appears as a black dot in the picture! Now you know why you can't look directly at a welding torch in action without protection!

Oh, and I want to send a "thank you" to the people who manufacture those sunscreen wipes we use. I broke one out for the first time on Thursday, and I didn't get burned! You'd better believe I'll have plenty of those on hand in the future.

Up next, Friday, and I did something for the very first time!

A Day in L.A., then Back I Go!

Well, I slept in today (Trust me, with my line of work, 4:30am is sleeping in!).

I hopped the Metrolink to Union Station for "Day 2 Orientation" at MWD Headquarters. On tap was defensive driving, a brief MWD history lesson (and lunch), health and safety, and the day closed with ethics. Pretty routine stuff, overall. But I caution you now: If you are an MWD employee and you are registered for the defensive driving course, get there early; otherwise, you will be locked out!

Anyway, I'm back at my mother's place, waiting for some laundry to finish, then it's back to Temecula I go. I will be down there for the duration of the shutdown, so I don't expect to return here until I get back. In the meantime, I will grab some more pics while I'm there. I promise a good show. Until then, be good.

Temecula - Day One

Today, I experienced working a construction site for the first time. My personal contribution was minor, but I was out there all day, and I have the sunburned arms and neck to prove it!

I took these pictures with my cell phone camera to show what went on today. Both of them are of the trench we dug out to expose a section of damaged pipe near Lake Skinner (northeast of Temecula), which serves San Diego County.

Around midnight last night, this pipeline was shut down for repairs here and at a site about two miles due south. That site is in a residential area, so if you live out there, bear with us; we'll be out in about a week! :)

Anyway, the first picture shows the excavator digging out the pipeline. If you look carefully, you can see a seam in the pipeline on the lower-left corner. Another seam is visible near the far end of the exposed pipe. This section is in need of replacement, and that's why we are there.

The second shot shows the excavator from a more dramatic angle -- inside the trench itself! I was standing on the pipe when I took this picture. As I left, the crew had positioned the crane, a platform, and some ladders for more detailed work around the pipe before cutting it open. We are working around the clock to complete this job as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see what this site will look like tomorrow, because I have to be at MWD Headquarters in Los Angeles for further training. Then, on Thursday, I will be back in Temecula until the job is finished.

It's times like this I wish I had a notebook, but I am still tethered to the Internet via desktop units. Who knows? I might get lucky and find the library! But I wouldn't count on it.

Big Week Ahead!

Well, this is going to be one busy week for me.

This morning, I rode out to Temecula to help set up some lighting rigs that will be used in a repair operation that we're going to start about three hours after I finish writing this post.

The shifts are 12a-12p, but I will be running 6a-6p. Why?

To be honest, I'm still a newbie with the MWD. They need me to go to Los Angeles for further orientation training on Wednesday. Otherwise, I'd be just like everyone else.

If you're confused, don't worry; I've known about the shutdown since I got to Lake Mathews, and I just got my schedule finalized last Thursday.

Anyway, I need to go to sleep right now, because I need to be out the door by 4:15am. I'll report back tomorrow night on my first true day at a shutdown site then.

Good night, all.

New Week, New Video

Okay, it's a new week. Time to unveil a new YouTube clip! As promised, here is the second Star Wars-themed video. This time, it's a segment from Cartoon Network's Adult Swim program "Robot Chicken". Here, Palpatine is in his office on Coruscant, when Vader calls him with the news that the Death Star has been destroyed.

To view the clip, click the thumbnail above, or see it here.

No Rest for the Wicked

My brother called me today.

He asked me what I was doing, and I said I was working. "What, the pizza thing?" he asked. I said yes, and he exclaimed "Jeez, don't you ever take a day off?"

Now, Scott, I know you will find your way here sooner or later, so please don't take this the wrong way. When you are gainfully employed, and it doesn't matter as what (as long as it's legal), you can ask me that question. But until then, don't say a damn thing.

I work two jobs for one reason and one reason only: to save up money for my own place. In April, I found myself on the short end of the proverbial stick when I discovered that the guy from whom I had been renting a room was a con artist (I will talk about that later). Currently, I am "house-sitting" at a place my mother and her fiance just purchased, until I have enough to once again leave the nest. I'm about 1/4 of the way there now (I hope). The pizza job allows me to have some pocket money during the week, while the MWD job is for the bills and for saving for a new place. See? I told you I have this thing figured out!

Scott, on the other hand, tends to fly by the seat of his pants. Nothing personal, bro, but you haven't been able to hold a job for more than a few months. You are impulsive, temperamental, and unfocused, and you continually have issues with nearly every kind of authority figure, especially in the workplace. I bet that as you're reading this, you're thinking I am a jerk for "speaking out against you". But the truth is, dude, right now you're a wannabe drama queen and you need to get a grip.

You're trying to make it big in Hollywood. That's great. I hope you do make it. But in the meantime, I think IMDb needs to erase nearly every single "credit" you posted on your profile. If they paid attention to every bit player who had walk-on and background roles in every movie and TV-show ever produced, they'd need to upgrade their systems every week just to keep up! Is it untrue that you worked on Adam Sandler's "The Longest Yard"? No. But just because you were No. 96 on the guards' team, it doesn't entitle you to a listing on IMDb! Once you get a speaking role, IMDb will put it on for you, because THEN you're name WILL BE LISTED in the CREDITS. See how it works now? Besides, half of your entries are misspelled, anyway... :)

And while I'm at it, let me settle a couple of recent date arguments once and for all:

1. Disneyland opened its doors on July 17, 1955.
2. And about that restaurant in Fullerton that used to be Pizza Hut, the one you claimed hadn't been a Pizza Hut in over 30 years? I'm telling you, for the record, I first noticed it was no longer a Pizza Hut in 1990. Besides, I worked there before joining the army in 1985. I think I know what I'm talking about here.

To everyone else, I'm sorry to vent like this, but sometimes my younger brother drives me up the wall (He'll tell you it's in his contract -- He has to).

There is more, believe me. But I have things to do right now. Hey, no rest for the wicked... :)

A Kind Word and a Smile...

Okay, so I moonlight on weekends by delivering pizza in Anaheim. Hey, the tips are good, and it gives me some pocket money to get me through the week (paychecks are for the bills). Anyway, toward the end of my shift, I noticed one of my tires was really low (12.4 psi -- Trust me, that's bad!). So, when I finished, I went to a well-known tire place to fix the flat. This wasn't a mom-and-pop garage; it was a Garden Grove location of a world-famous tire company. Sorry, I won't say which one, for obvious reasons.

Anyway, when I got there, a guy named Matt came out, took off my tire and, sure enough, I had run over a nail. Well, he rolled the tire into the shop and about 10 minutes later, it was good as new. After all was said and done, I asked Matt "What's the damage?" After all, patching a tire runs at least $20 these days, right?

Well, Matt ran inside to check with his manager. A moment later, he came back out and said "My boss said to tell you 'Have a nice day.'" Well, that came as a very pleasant surprise! So, let me take this opportunity to thank Matt and the rest of the staff at this world-famous tire company store for their time. You guys have just got yourselves a new customer. When it comes time for me to get new tires, I will go to you guys first!

And who says no one does favors like this in Southern California anymore?