One Last "Colortini"...

"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."

For over 30 years, this was the mantra of a man who left an indelible impression upon the media landscape: Tom Snyder.

As I'm sure you may have heard by now, he passed away Sunday night, following a two-year battle with leukemia. Rather than regurgitate everything you've already heard, I'll just tell you what I know.

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My first recollection of him was as an anchor at KNBC News many years ago. When he left to take on "Tomorrow" (which followed "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson"), Paul Moyer stepped into the anchor seat (and by the way, he is still there!).

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I was a little too young to watch "Tomorrow" (after all, I had a bedtime through most of his NBC stint), but I do remember him on the weekend NBC Nightly News. He had a delivery that was both rough and sincere, and occasionally, he would say something slightly off-the-cuff. It made him unique. It made him endearing. It also made him the butt of jokes, but he took it in stride.

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Dan Aykroyd lampooned him on "Saturday Night Live". I distinctly remember a "Stars-on-45" parody on the Dr. Demento Show, in which a lady exclaimed "I'm watching Tom Snyder, and I don't feel any pain!" Ah, memories...

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Fast-forward to the 1990s. After David Letterman landed at CBS, he persuaded Tom Snyder to return to the air. Soon after, "The Late Late Show" was born, with Tom interviewing an eclectic repertoire of guests, ranging from authors to political figures to comedians to rock stars, just like he did on NBC. Everything was as familiar in the 90s as they were in the 70s: the two chairs (Tom in one, the guest in the other), the intimate set, the informal banter between himself and the crew on the studio floor.

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And who could forget his insight and his laugh? That laugh of his meant only one thing: Here was a man who truly enjoyed what he did for a living! I watched his CBS show as often as I could. When he left CBS, I thought he was retiring, but by the time I learned he had moved to CNBC, my work hours prevented me from watching him. It's a shame, too, because I thought this man made for riveting television.

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As a tribute, I bring you this report from NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. I don't think I could've done it any better.

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So, here's to you, Tom. I lift my glass and toast a colortini in your honor.

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(Photo from AP/CBS News)

Another 2-Part Video Treat!

I think my trip to Desert Center had something to do with this, as I have another two-part VOTW to show, this time on Gen. George S. Patton.

I didn't get a chance to go inside the Patton Museum out there in the desert, but Patton is one of my heroes, and the movie Patton is my favorite film, bar none, mainly for its brilliant performance by the great George C. Scott.

Now, far be it for me to get political in this venue, but I heard a portion of this on the radio the other day. Basically, it's a re-imagination of the famous opening sequence of Patton, only the twist is that it's done as if he was alive today. The editing is a little shaky, but the vocal talent, performed by a gentleman named Mike Kaminski, is dead-on!

Next week, I promise you far less controversial clip. Trust me. :)

Road Trip!

Yesterday, I had to deliver some stuff to a crew we have at a remote location... Emphasis on the word "remote".

I had to check out a van, drive down to Murrieta (near Temecula -- Gee, I'm getting really familiar with that area!), pick up some equipment, then deliver it to Desert Center. There, I was met by the crew's supervisor (a guy named Al), who then delivered the equipment to Copper Basin.

I still don't know where Copper Basin is (stay tuned, I'm sure I will know sooner than I think), but I can show you Desert Center.

As you can see by this Google Earth image, Desert Center is one of the most remote towns (and I use that word loosely) in the country; Indio is 46 miles to the west, and Blythe is 47 miles to the east. Indio comprises the easternmost portion of the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area, while Blythe sits on the Colorado River, with Arizona just beyond. The big dark spot in this image is the Salton Sea.

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If you've traveled eastbound on I-10 through the California desert, you have encountered the Chiriaco Incline. It's that 10-mile long uphill climb, preceded by posted warnings that you turn off your car's AC so that you don't overheat, complete with no less than ten pull-offs with radiator water! It's located east of Indio, making it one of more challenging stretches of roadway anywhere in the country.

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About eight more miles after the incline is Chiriaco Summit, home of one of the oldest surviving desert cafés in the country (opened 1933), as well as the George S. Patton Museum (Wouldn't you know it? Now I actually have a place that I want to go to in the middle of the desert! Perhaps, one day, I will make it out there). Drive another 20 miles, and you reach Desert Center, the very definition of "wide spot in the road".

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Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you downtown Desert Center, California, population: 125. And yes, that gas price was $3.99/gallon! Suffice it to say that I garnered a little overtime yesterday; I didn't get back to the Lake until well after 6:30pm. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to go to work...

The Lighter Side of a Daily Ritual

This week's video takes a humorous look at something men do every day: shaving. To most guys, it's a necessary evil, having to scrap their necks with a small, multi-bladed knife every morning. I am somewhat blessed, because I don't need to shave every day, but I still don't look forward to it. This guy seems to have a novel approach to it; just watch the video and you'll see!

Sleeping Like a Baby!

Last week, I bought myself a bed for the first time. I know that sounds strange, from more than one point of view. But in my entire life, I had never bought a bed. Every bed that I had was either a hand-me-down, a freebie, or something acquired after the end of a relationship. The closest I had come to owning a bed was purchasing a waterbed mattress from Wal-Mart. 'Nuff said.

As (I believe) I have posted before, I am planning a move next month to Riverside, and dammit, I want a real bed! Well, I finally did it. Last week, my mother found a mattress retailer going out of business, so I went. If you live in SoCal, I would recommend this place. The owner is retiring and he's still got some quality stuff in stock.

I know I'm going to sound like a commercial, but I got a queen-sized double-pillowtop mattress, with foundation and frame, for $446! And it was worth every penny, because it is one comfortable bed! So, if you live in SoCal, and you need a bed, check 'em out. They don't have a website, but here are the address/phone info and a map. If you go, tell 'em I sent you, then post your experience here.

Luck Be a Lady (But I Didn't See Her)

Just got back from Pechanga, and I am pleased to report that I outlasted nearly 90% of the field (over 330 entries, and I placed 37th), but I didn't win anything (The tourney paid Top-20). Unfortunately, I had very few hands to play, and more than once I was facing elimination due to having a short stack. In the end, I had 8-8 and entered a race situation against K-Q. The flop came out Q-9-7, and I got sent to the rail.

Still, I had a good time, and I ran into a guy I used to work with at All Counties Courier. His name is Adam, and he told that since he lives in Corona, and I'm going to move to Riverside, I should come over to his place some Saturday night for a home tourney he hosts. So, we exchanged numbers and, who knows? I just might check it out one weekend.

Tomorrow, my mother and Tom are taking me to my favorite restaurant for my birthday: El Cholo. I'd better bring my appetite!

The Most Shocking Video Ever!

Okay, I know that sounds like hype, but in a literal sense, it's quite true. I came across this video clip at work earlier this week (It's been going around in the e-mails there), and now I show it to you. It's very short, but very impressive!

In a nutshell, this is a 500kV substation in Nevada that had an obviously malfunctioning piece of equipment. The work crew shot this to demonstrate to their superiors exactly what was wrong with it. For the full details, I suggest you click the link above, then clicking "more" in the box to the wright of the clip. It's long and little dry, but it's also informative.

On another note, today is my birthday, and I am going to spend it the way any man should: I'm off to Pechanga Casino to play poker! I'll come back later to tell how I did. C'ya!

Come On In! The Water's Fine!

Okay, I have been busy this week. Truth be told, I've been looking for a place to live in Riverside. Living in Riverside doesn't appeal to me, but rents are cheaper, and I'd be closer to work.

Speaking of work, let me direct you to the map at the top of this post. At the center is Lake Mathews, where I work. As reference, the city of Riverside is located north of the lake, and the intersection of the 91 Freeway and Interstate 15 is to the northwest, in Corona.

Let me close in now on what I've been working on this week. In this picture, you can see a closeup of a portion of the Construction Services Unit, north of the dyke. I have highlighted my shop, the hydroelectric plant, and the forebay. Now, here's how it works:

Water enters the lake from the Colorado River Aqueduct. From there, it drains into a feeder tower at the western end of the lake and runs through a hydroelectric generator, which provides power for us and for sale to Southern California Edison. As it leaves the hydro plant, it enters the forebay. On the north side of the forebay is another tower, under which are two pipelines known as "feeders". The North Feeder directs water to our La Verne facility, and the South Feeder goes to our Diemer (Yorba Linda) facility.

Okay, enough education.

All this week (and next week), I am assisting a team from Mills Plant (elsewhere in Riverside) in their five-year maintenance of the Hydro plant here at the lake. Really glamorous stuff, like hitting the ceramic insulators with Windex, and polishing the silver-plated contacts on fuses. Hey, there is a good reason for this. Without this maintenance, there is a risk of arcing due to dirt deposits, or of reduction of power because the contacts were too tarnished.

Now, it's time for the cool stuff. In this maintenance, the water entering the hydro plant is cut off. But there's also a bypass line that feeds from the lake directly into the forebay. As a result, the forebay's water level drops because the water entering it has been cut by 50%. When the forebay is full, it's hard to see just how fast that water comes out of these lines.

The other day, the water level dropped enough to give an impressive display of just how much water pressure there is here. I should point out that as impressive as this looks, it's only about half as much as it usually is!

Oh, and yes, there are signs posted that read "DANGER! No swimming! Turbulent water!"

There are two reasons why you don't want to swim in this pool. The first, let's just say these pictures tell that half of the story. The other reason is those feeder lines I mentioned earlier. They take in water at about the same rate that the hydro lines give it, and they have grates within them that would turn you into hamburger if you got sucked into them. Graphic, yes. But for good reason!

Holy Nakatomi, Batman!

Sorry about the title. Couldn't be helped. :)

I went to see Live Free or Die Hard on Wednesday. It wasn't the best in the series, but it held its own pretty well. Anyhow, I still seem to have Die Hard on the brain, as this week's video is an updated spoof of a key scene in the first Die Hard movie. Enjoy!

It's the Heat -- Really!

Before I start this post, let me preface it by saying that it's been hot out here lately. Today, the high was only 92 degrees!

So, my mother and Tom went to church on Sunday morning. While they were gone, the light from the morning sun took its usual trek across the dining room table. Now, they've lived in this home in Anaheim Hills for over two years, and they have never seen anything like this!

They were gone about two hours, and in that time, one of the candles on the table, um... melted?... a little.

Now, the appearance of the candle, and the fact that it's blue, and how its companion remained unscathed by the heat, all ring of endless phallic jokes. To me, it kind of resembles a "before-and-after" Viagra picture. The rest, I leave to your collective imagination! Feel free to post your joke here!

On a side note, it is Independence Day today. So, please be careful out there. This is a day of celebration, not for death, destruction and mayhem. Thank you.

To SATA or Not to SATA, That Is the Question

Okay, I'm back, and it's about time, too!

I'll be honest here: I had two major problems when switching out my hard drive. First, I had to track down all the software I had installed. You're probably thinking "Why didn't you just migrate it?" Simple. My old drive was congested, full of bugs, and programs kept crashing on it. All the maintenance I could do eventually became worthless, necessitating this project. If I simply migrated from one disk to another, I'd have the same old problems on a new disk.

Speaking of the new disk, that was where I had my second problem. It seems the hard drive I bought was a SATA II drive. Now, in case you're not computer-savvy, there are three types of hard drives:

• IDE (also called PATA, Ultra ATA, and ATA) - This is the standard which has been around since the 1980s. The connection looks like a wide grey ribbon, with a red stripe on one side.
• SATA (also called SATA I)- Introduced a few years ago, SATA drives run faster and read data at a slightly higher rata than IDE. The connection is a relatively thin red cord.
• SATA II - This looks, acts and smells like a SATA, only it's supposed to read twice as fast.

Anyway, long story short, no matter what I tried, my PC would not install this SATA II drive as the new boot disk. Apparently, the copy of Windows XP I have doesn't like SATA II (which is strange, because XP is supposed to be adaptable to newly-installed stuff). So, I took my PC over to Tom (He and my mother have been an item for... a while, and he's more tech-savvy than I am), and he had the same problem!

So, we re-packaged the SATA II (which I will return), and Tom gave me a 200GB SATA I, which works fine! By the way, the SATA II drive was only 160GB. Thanks, Tom! You are a god!