E-mails I get...

You might be in the aerospace industry if...

1. You sat at the same desk for 4 years and worked for 8 different managers. Or have moved 10 times in two years and have never known who your boss was.
2. Your resume is on a jumpdrive in your pocket.
3. Someone asks you what you do for a living and you lie.
4. You get really excited about a 2% pay increase.
5. Your biggest loss from a system crash, is that you lose your best jokes.
6. You sit in a cubicle smaller than your bedroom closet.
7. Its dark on your drive to and from work.
8. Fun is when "projects" are assigned to someone else.
9. Communication is something your "group" is having problems with.
10. You see a good-looking person and know it's a visitor.
11. Free food left over from a meeting is your main staple.
12. All art involves a white board.
13. All real work is done prior to 8:00am and after 4:30pm.
14. You're already late on the assignment you just received.
15. Dilbert is your favorite cartoon.
16. Your boss's favorite lines are ...
"When you get a few minutes ..."
"I have an opportunity for you ..."
"Cross-charging is forbidden."
"...the directional truth in a white water world ..."
"We have a new culture that will enable us to ..."
"We have a new engineering vice-president."
"This reorganization will allow us to streamline our way of doing
business, becoming more competitive."
17. 99% of the people in your company do not know what you do.
18. 99% of the people in your company do not care what you do.
19. Vacation is something you rollover to next year, every January.
20. Change is the norm.
21. Nepotism is strongly encouraged.
22. Your company announces no pay increase because it is investing money in a new EZ Go electric cart for management.
23. Your company announces no pay increase because the airline industry is in a downturn. And your boss gets voted "man of the year in aerospace"
24. Your fear to fly is becoming even worse.
25. Everyone at the company says that without his work there would be no aircraft.
26. An ordinary secretary has more power than an engineer.
27. You read this entire list and understand it.
28. Not allowing firearms on company property is seen strictly as a suicide prevention measure.
29. The only people you forward this to are in aerospace too because no one else would understand!

Say it ain't so Sarah!

This from an old friend, deep thinker and regular e-mail pen pal regarding Sarah Palin's campaigning for McCain in face of J.D. Hayworth's primary challenge.

"...supporting McCain imo is worse than supporting the Louisiana Purchase Senator or the Nebraska deal Senator's re-elections.

My unconsidered response and first thoughts:

Yeah. McCain, the enemy within...

However, we don't know when this agreement was made with Palin.

She may be honoring a 2008 campaign commitment when a McCain Senate re-election looked like a fait accompli.

I'm willing to allow for some quid pro quo considering Palin would be a non-player w/out McCain having "invested" in her in 2008.

Consider the alternative. What if she came out hard core for Hayworth immediately on McCain's turf? How would that play for her longterm? Esp, if word got out about her welching on a standing agreement?

I'm a' gonna watch and see if (hope) she damns him by faint praise and minimal level of commitment/onsite participation.

The first to plead his case seems right,
Until another comes and examines him. Prov 18:17

There's got to be a morning after

one week later, still dealing with the shock...

AAR

After Action Report for the major wind storm with the rain here this week. A fair bit of water collected in tarps protecting dug (but not yet poured) retaining wall footings down on the lot below. I jury rigged the pool cover pump to drain those unintentional sumps and moved it down the line a few times to clear the puddles. A couple more to go...

Just about the blew door to our utilty room and my reloading room off it's hinges. It's toast. Split the door up the long way on the hinge side and pulled the bottom hinge loose. No can close or secure it. Beyond repairing or jury rigging. Unsat.

This being Saturday and a getting nice break in the weather, I went out to tackle the damaged/jury rigged door today.

Took a closer look thinking it would be a straight forward job. Well, to quote the famous philosopher Pooh, "Bother."

Nothing's standard about this house. Everything is custom circa '62, even the door heights (i knew that) and the door casings (I didn't fully appreciate the import of that till today).

The deep eaves on this house are great in our hot weather but they reduce the outside door heights. In this case to 6' 6". Simple enough to get an exterior door and cut in down you say? Hah. 95% of the exteriors doors in stock at my other toy store (HD) are steel or fiberglass. So much for cutting a section off the bottom cleanly. That really narrows the field of available doors in stock.

Further complicating matters is this exterior door being 1 3/8" thick instead of now standard exterior thickness of 1 3/4".

No problem you say? Just pop off the trim stop boards and fit new stops to a thicker door!

Nazzo fast Guido. That trim stop? It's a milled part of the solid casing. The door casings are solid 2" + thick fir mud boards inset into the exterior stucco. So much for popping stops. Oy...

Thinking, thinking, thinking... Wandering aimlessly in Home Depot aisles. Home for another bit of measuring to test feasibility of a couple ideas. Bah. Start over. Back to HD. Scrap another plan...

Voila! Think I've got a plan.

I bought a solid core 1 3/8" slab door (boring but it'll work and I can always cut a window in later if the Spousal unit wishes). The guts of these slab doors only allow a cut of 1" per side without messing up the structural integtrity. to quote a favorite Jr High girl around the house, "Whatev-ah."

The plan is to cut the necessary 2" off at the bottom, prime that cut and cap with aluminum "U" to hold it together at the bottom edge of the veneers. Then the door width will need reduced to make this plan work. I need rip a total of 1 3/16" off. That means cutting twice down the long sides to get the total width reduction (to respect the 1" structural constraint/keepout).

Why for all this cutting say ye? I'm planning to mount it in the existing minor dimension (31") of the existing 32" door opening's solid trim stop. The casing is milled from a solid chunk of tight grain Doug Fir like you can't buy anymore (remember circa '62?).

I'll mount the door on the existing trim stop and reverse the door swing so it opens inward. Opening inward is a wee bit tight in that utility space but it'll be more secure and won't get slammed out against hinges by wind (which what got me in this mess).

I'll fit a new trim stop in the old door's opening. I think I can mill a casing from 2x stock that will nest inside the stucco'd opening. I'll rabbet it to overlap the old casing and butt it up on the new door to act as the stop. That bit of homebrew millwork should be good and stout so I can also screw (lag) it to the door framing and old old casing to add some more structural integrity.

As a follow on idea which I haven't measured for yet, I hope to size that new external bit of casing to afford a place for mounting a steel security screen door to the outside. That would be a very good thing since my reloading equip and most auto tools are in this space.

Pix to follow as the project unfolds.

2nd Amendment Saturday

"...to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them..."
anti-Federalist Richard Henry Lee (writing under the pseudonym "The Federal Farmer")

Pork in the Treetops

Brown wins in MA.

Henry II: The day those stout hearts band together is the day that pigs get wings.

Eleanor: There'll be pork in the treetops come morning.

-The Lion in Winter


Malkin on the Meltdown

On this day...

From today's Human Events:

Military Milestones from Golden Hill to Desert Storm
by W. Thomas Smith Jr.

01/19/2010

Jan. 19-20, 1770: The little-known but historically significant Battle of Golden Hill erupts in New York City between a group of angry Manhattan patriots and a contingent of British soldiers.

The clash begins when members of the patriot organization “Sons of Liberty” snatch a few of the King’s men, who are cutting down wooden “liberty poles” (symbols of resistance against British rule) which had been erected by the “Sons.” The redcoats also were reportedly posting bills condemning the Sons of Liberty as “the real enemies of society.” A struggle ensues. Redcoats from the nearby barracks respond, and a bayonet charge is ordered. Several are wounded on both sides, and one civilian is killed.

Less than seven weeks before the Boston Massacre, the Battle of Golden Hill is considered by some historians as the first armed clash of the American Revolution.

...more

WWMLKD?

What would Martin Luther King do or teach today?

What would he have to say about the unremitting anger against "da' man" and perpetual calls to make right the injustices of the past?

Would he still say "Forgiveness is God's command"?

Would he be cast aside as not being an "authentic" black man for saying that today?

Would he be tarred with the same brush as Bill Cosby, Walter Williams and Clarence Thomas?

Seems like no amount of reparations, apologies, or affirmative action will ever suffice in the absence of forgiveness.

How to eat an elephant?

A: One bite at a time.

How do you win in Afghanistan?

This Major argues one tribe at a time.

I first read Major John Gant's 45 page paper circulating last fall. Looks like it's got some attention high up the chain. It's a long read but worth it.

h/t Lex for bringing it back into view.

Letters from the Boot

The Son&Heir is finishing his 2nd week of Marine Boot camp. He was about as well prepared for the adventure as is possible without being "prior service."

His first letter home arrived today. Brings back memories and emotions...

"I'm not sure what the date is, but I just got your letter and it's T2 (training day 2)...

Getting your letter today though has been the happy (sic) moment in my short time here. I did not think they would, but the drill instructors really do break you down to make you think like they want you to. The mental aspect has been very difficult. But definitely NOT impossible. I'm getting by just fine taking it one meal at a time...

One thing that sucks about our barracks is we can see the parade deck and see the Marines graduating every Friday and are reminded how far away from graduation we are."

Mentioned it to Uncle Tommy who's a WWII tin can sailor. He had this sea story to offer in return about his boot camp experience,

"yes, those DI's are tough like the ex marine that I had in Newport, RI. he found out about a smelly, dirty unwashed boot. Had us all out on the drill field. Called the guy out and ordered him to go get his sea bag and hammock. The man thought that he was to be transferred. Instead he was ordered to spread all his gear on the dirt field. Now this was in December and cold. We were all ordered "Attension " and forward march over his belongins. Back and forth a few times. He was ordered to go wash his gear and be ready for inspection when we all were finished with our drill. The guy kept his gear clean the rest of our time there.

"

Waking up in 2010...

Been light blogging. Thoughts, emotions and responsibilities have kept me busy elsewhere. Got the duty on short notice last week (Weds) to take sermon on Sunday. Had to stay unplugged and get that done. Spoke on Ezra 7. Seemed like a good tie in for a New Years message.

Listening back to it critically I hear a couple spots where I misspoke. I could blame lack of adequate rehearsal time or the new format I was looking at/juggling on my laptop Powerpoint display as I spoke (yeah, place blame but never take responsibility. /heh yeah, that's it ;^) ).

When I first started blogging I thought it'd be a good place to work out thoughts and maybe vent a bit in journal format. It hasn't worked out that way. Instead it's become more like a collage of random life happenings, humor and political current events. All in all blogging has stayed on a more superficial level than I'd originally envisioned. Turns out, much of what percolates in my head is church/pastoring related and I realize is too sensitive to put out in public.

The past week has seen the Son&Heir off to Marine Corp Recruit Depot. That's been a bit of melancholoy for me and my trophy bride. He's off to get his man card. I hope and pray for his success. I envy him a bit. My time for a young man's adventure and risk taking is past. It's his turn now.

Got his address card yesterday and immediately shot him a quick note to let him know we received it. Hopefully give him a wee bit of encouragement.

Speaking of Marines, this video was linked to me today and it jarred me back to the blogosphere...

New Year resolution: Get regular exercise

“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks."

— Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 1785

Goreball Warming

courtesy of the founder of the Weather Channel,John Coleman, and KUSI TV in San Diego.

Back in the saddle

Back to work today. First work day in January for me. Of course that means it's time for the ritual annual washing of the coffee cup.



Here's to a new year and fresh starts.

Non-Progress Pat

How's this to start off the New Year?

“Congress by the power of taxation, by that of raising an army, and by the control over the militia, have the sword in one hand, and the purse in the other. Shall we be safe without either? Congress have an unlimited power over both: they are entirely given up by us. Let him candidly tell me, where and when did freedom exist, when the sword and purse were given up from the people? Unless a miracle in human affairs interposed, no nation ever retained its liberty after the loss of the sword and the purse.”

– Patrick Henry -