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Colt ....
This Racist should be fired from Clear Channel.
What is your specific basis for calling Rush a "Racist"?
they should fire his fat ass
What specifically motivated this ugly statement?
Justin
trkyhntr ...
to compete with today's crop of college students
If image counts for anything, I would have to lower my dress code several notches from my first time around in the early 1960s. A couple of years ago, I took a stroll across part of my old campus, and the students appeared to have adapted the attire and accessories of a hiker headed for the beach. No more starched button-down shirts, wheat jeans and loafers of my era for the guys.
you will have done twice as much as 90% of the students you are competing with
Based on my experience in taking a COBOL course at a community college in the mid-1980s, the 10% representing the real competition would be mostly Asian students with their very sharp minds and keen work ethic.
Justin
Ksquared ...
I've heard that it can be tough going back to college in our later years, but I never realized until now the degree of difficulty .... <g>
Justin, far from the campus crowd
Chore-laden Ksquared ...
Are you a little down right now?
After a few days of being out of my regular routine, I'm a little out of the loop more than anything. Monday morning should fix that. :) Actually, since I retired, Sunday morning is a favorite time of the week because I have some social activity with a singles group at the church I attend, but the remainder of the day can become a bit of a drag before Monday arrives.
My trip was just a periodic family visit with my 90-year-old mother and two brothers. I flew down and didn't take my camera equipment, so didn't get a shot of the birds. The parrots are pretty much a solid green.
I have 3" deck screws / .... if you can manage to get them in without stripping the threads
I generally use 1-5/8" screws for fastening 3/4" lumber and sometimes have to pre-drill a hole when the screw is a little stubborn, particularly going into treated pine. I can imagine that 3" screws could be a challenge.
As for the weather, I also hope that it clears up this week. Next weekend I'm going in the opposite direction, driving to the Fort Worth area for a family wedding. Another reminder that time is passing quickly and a child is suddenly an adult getting hitched.
Justin, time passing him by
Afternoon, Ksquared ...
We in the hills of nj lucked out by and large.
That's good news. Sounds like you got just a taste of tropical weather with wet & windy Fisabel.
I spent the last three days visiting my family in the southern tip of Texas, where we had nasty, rainy weather the whole time. After a night of steady rain, on Thursday morning I awoke to a terrific bird racket. Looked out and counted more than 60 wild parrots perched on a section of highlines and could see more in nearby trees. They were all squawking mightily. Resting quietly on the next section of highlines, with a utility pole separating them from the parrots, were 30 or so whitewing doves. If they were attempting to coo, it was drowned out by the neighboring parrots. For these two species, it was definitely a "birds of a feather perch together" policy, with absolutely no intermingling in their respective sections of highlines.
a vision in which I will replace the nails with screws.
I use screws more now in lieu of nails, especially with fence repairs. I've found that deck screws, with their wide-spaced threads, are the easiest to work with. Screws of course hold things together more strongly, and they also make for easier dismantling without damaging the wood if that should become necessary.
Have a good rest of the weekend.
Justin, singing Rainy Days And Sundays
Morning, Ksquared ...
Glad to see you back here among the writing. For a couple of days it appeared you had become the personification of the quiet before the Isabel. I trust you were out taking care of the hurricane checklist ... sheets of plywood from Home Depot strapped to the top of the LeSabre, drinking water cleared from the grocer's shelves, etc. The good news is that hills have a calming effect on hurricanes, so your location should bode well for you. Just watch out for those pesky flash floods.
Brokers. It's scary to think that someone would have control of my investment account. I rolled over my retirement and IRA stuff to a self-directed Fidelity account and haven't had any dealings with a broker since the initial account setup eight years ago.
Justin, enjoying good weather and modest investment success
Our love is purely plutonic...)
Plutonic? Would that be puppy love or an interplanetary affair? In either event, Plato would surely be amused at the variation of his concept of love. <g>
NLion ...
Actually, it was just a little touch-football with Mary Tyler Moore and other assorted players. No helmet for Elvis, but lots of hairspray, I'm sure. <g>
If you watch the Toyota Halftime Report on MNF tonight, you might hear an old Elvis song on a Toyota commercial. I think the song is older than MNF, which began in 1970.
Justin
NLion, I've noticed your postings over here but hadn't made a positive ID on you up until now.
I remember once addressing you as "Big Cat Breath" in one of our lighter moments at the other place, but understandably you didn't adopt it for your screen moniker. It was great fun in the early days there, and then it seemed to turn more serious and now has just about dried up.
Anyway, it's good to know that one of the old gang is over here.
Justin
PS: BTW, Did I ever mention the time Elvis played football in a movie? <g>
The bookmarking and message-scrolling features, especially for a particular member's posts, are the reasons I joined. I don't recall posting much, if any, at the outset -- still don't. I mostly enjoy nonpolitical general conversation, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of that going on here or on SI anymore.
NLion ...
we have met before, have we not? ;)
Could it have been in a music place on a different message board where you have a variation of your IHub screen name?
Yes, I have a vague recollection of Nixon's bypassing of Penn State in 1969. Must've been an Electoral College issue in there somewhere. <g>
Justin, on the politically correct side of the fence in '69
NLion ...
I've never been a huge C/W fan either. I followed it quite a bit for a few years beginning around the mid-to-late '80s in the heyday of Clint Black, Reba, George Strait, Garth, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Suzy Bogguss, Holly Dunn and others. George Strait is still going strong according to the charts.
I've never been to FanFare but have seen Reba, Garth, George Strait, and the Highwaymen in concert. I can imagine that seeing Sara Evans up close and personal made FanFare worth your long trip. <g>
When TNN abandoned country music and country radio became more like contemporary pop/rock, I tended to move away from it.
Justin, a Texan with no hat or boots
Ksquared ...
Sounds like a great memory you have
I wish. Unfortunately I remember only selective trivia such as I posted on the '69 game. The good news is that when my memory comes up short, there's always google.com to the rescue. <g>
Justin, thinking "Did I take my mid-day pill 10 minutes ago?"
NLion ...
Fortunately Mr. Nixon isn't still around to name Ark. the #1 team
But that state's favorite son, Mr. Clinton, is available ... <g>
I'm among those still living today who watched the Texas-Arkansas "Game of the Century" on TV in 1969. Along with President Nixon's presence, the game featured Billy Graham delivering the invocation and Glen Campbell singing the National Anthem. With Texas trailing at halftime, Nixon predicted to Chris Schenkel that both teams would score in the second half and that Texas would win. I saved the front page of the next day's Houston Chronicle with the headline "Texas Wins Dream Game, 15-14" and a photo of Nixon presenting Darrell Royal with a Presidential No. 1 plaque.
In Friday's Chronicle, columnist Mickey Herskowitz reflected on the 1969 game, ending with "The series ended in 1991 after Arkansas bolted for the Southeast Conference. This is no longer the rivalry that rallies an entire state ... But for 60 minutes, it is Texas and Arkansas, a blast from the past."
Justin, saying "The thrill was gone yesterday"
Congrats on your victory, Ksquared ...
I was out during the latter half of the afternoon so missed your game if it was on TV here.
Condolences on the Longhorn loss
Tough afternoon for the 'Horns, especially with a high ranking on the line. Turnovers were very costly, and taking a gamble by declining a penalty to give them another shot at a first down seemed unwise to me -- that sort of decision seems to backfire more often than not.
I've watched the Penn State - Nebraska game off and on this evening -- close game here at the beginning of the second half.
Justin, not seeing orange on the Tower tonight
Afternoon / Morning Central, Ksquared ....
I wonder how [the three Johnny Cash fans] are doing right now.
If I figure correctly, their listening sessions would've been around 1970 when Johnny was at the peak of his renewed career with Folsom Prison Blues and his TV show. As A&E pointed out, after his TV show went off the air in 1971, his new career sank as quickly as it had risen three years earlier. So it would be interesting to know if the three ladies continued their interest in him over the years, particularly with his more recent critically acclaimed CD releases. And what do you suppose happened with their "straight-laced" approach to living during the 1970s and beyond?
I enjoyed Johnny Cash's TV show back in the days when TV seemed to be more fun than it is now, even with the extra hundred or so channels. And I enjoyed seeing him with the Highwaymen group (with Waylon, Willie & Kris) at the Astrodome back around 1990. Great show.
Hope you're having a good weekend.
Justin
Ksquared ...
Wore a navy skirt, white top, and red jacket to work today.
A least one single, never-married lady about your age in Houston also wore that combo to work today. I was in the middle of working out when she came in this evening, and she indeed had a strikingly patriotic look. She's a German immigrant and very much on the conservative side of American politics and values. She would be pleased with the tribute you're showing with your flag and candle, as much as folks surely are here on this thread.
Justin
Colt ...
If Houston's traffic woes are an economic indicator, it's indeed a thriving city. With I-10 about to be rebuilt over a number of years, it will get worse before it gets better -- so you might want to try Dallas or El Paso as alternate cities <g>.
Except for the Memorial Drive / Buffalo Bayou area from Highway 6 to downtown and the Rice University area, I don't see a lot in the way of beauty here -- but I can imagine that a visitor might see it differently, with all the new buildings and so forth. I hear there are some interesting new things in the downtown area, but I tend to avoid it.
From what I've seen of West Texas, it's in no danger of over-population any time soon. As far as the Yacht idea goes, I think I can be comfortable matching Ksquared's donations to that cause <gg>.
Justin, the pensioner
Colt ...
San Antonio is the only city in Texas that could be described as charming, mostly because of its architecture. The other cities have selective areas that are interesting and maybe even charming, but none compare to SA.
I took a couple of architecture courses as electives in college 40 years ago. "Clean and simple" was stressed, with design being limited to modular rectangles, triangles and maybe an occasional arch. It's left a lot of boring structures on the landscape, but fortunately design thinking has been changing for the better in recent times.
It's good to see you back on the board. Ksquared did an admiral job while you were away, but I can imagine that she's happy to see you back as well.
Justin
Ksquared ...
Rough viewing choice... Lone Ranger/College Football.
With College Football winning out, you could always pay tribute to the Masked One with an occasional "Heigh-Ho Blue, away!"
Justin, thinking Orange
Ksquared ...
Going back to your story on Houston's lofts ...
... the Manhattan, a new building in [Houston's]high-end Galleria shopping district. Described by its creators as "reminiscent of the historic buildings that flanked New York City's Fifth and Park Avenues in the late 19th and early 20th centuries," it has 63 loft-style residences and 22 different floor plans."
This morning I finally spotted the Manhattan. It's located across the street from my former working quarters. To my eyes it's an attractive "old architecture" building, so I would have to disagree with the negative comments that the Rice architecture prof made about Houston's new loft buildings, at least as far as the Manhattan goes.
Justin, architecture reporter-at-large
Morning Ksquared ...
watch the drinking coworkers get sloppy...
I wasn't in attendance, but at one of our Company Christmas dances, one of our female programmers in a low-cut dress went beyond sloppy and fell down on the dance floor. In the process of getting up, her top fell out and she proceeded to keep dancing. Somehow she was able to stay on the payroll, though.
organized games are on the agenda to promote team building
That sort of thing was becoming popular when I retired in '95. It was another Human Resources gadget in its kingdom-building game -- go on a retreat to the woods and climb ropes and so forth, while the real problem of inept management by political creatures was ignored.
Then there was the annual United Way Day when we went out to the office building's large lawn and had a carnival-like event, with Company executives and employee committee folks participating in team races and other competitions involving eggs, towsacks, water balloons and so forth. The theory was that it would somehow encourage us to be generous in our donations to United Way, which would give the Company a favorable reputation. Lots of politics in what is probably a good cause with United Way.
Anyway, have fun with your games ...
Justin
Ksquared ...
The wild turkeys are here in droves!
Sounds as if you're having Labor Day and Turkey Day stuffed into one great extended weekend. And that doesn't include the kickoff of college football -- sis boom bah and all that.
Justin, awaiting reindeer and a sled
Ksquared ...
HAR!
Glad to see that exclamation in connection with what I had said about women's discernment, or lack thereof. I occurred to me later that you might take it as some sort of anti-female commentary and go on the warpath in behalf of your sisters. Wasn't looking forward to dodging a warpathing Ksquared. <g>
She has taught [her son] to do laundry and to cook...
Guess what sort of wife the little tyke will be seeking some day? Could it be one with "a servant's heart" so that he can be just like dear ol' Dad?
if it smells okay and looks okay
Memo to self: Tomorrow morning, take a good whiff of the remaining 36-hour-old pork chop before devouring.
Justin, preferring bacon and eggs and biscuits and ....
Morning Ksquared ...
Or should I say Very Good Morning, considering the telecommute day?
leaves three that will last in the refrigerator throughout the week
Someone told me that refrigerated cooked meat should be eaten within 24 hours, so I've always tried to follow that rule. But you seem to be living proof that I could stretch it out several days and have more variety, since on many days I have both lunch and dinner here at home. Yesterday I cooked four boneless pork chops (the package said "loin chops") on the George Foreman Grill, and thus far I had one last night and one this morning. So based on what you're saying, I could take a break from pork for lunch ... maybe cast health aside and make a trip to Whataburger for a burger and fries. <g>
[The husbands] are arrogant slobs
I always wonder why women, with all their female intuition, often don't detect during the courtship what others see as an obvious problem. The answer will usually have something to with the luuuuv thing. Or hormones overriding brain cells. Or her father was an arrogant slob and she's helplessly and hopelessly attracted to that type of man.
End of Psychology class for today. <g>
Justin, filling in for Freud and needing to get Outdoors on a nice Monday morning
Unfed Ksquared ...
They needed to be cooked... sale meat.
So apparently you freeze a large quantity of grilled meat in individual servings and defrost as needed? My 90-year-old mother, who is housebound and has always followed a healthy diet, has taken a late-life liking to pizza. Someone buys her a large pizza fully loaded and cooked, and she puts the individual slices in freezer bags. I'm glad that she's finding little pleasures like that where she can.
I think [the wives] were envious from the comments I was hearing...
In general, what seems to be the most common complaint that wives have about their husbands?
the car is on a lift...
Glad to hear you're avoiding the pit-falls of straying into the lair of underground mechanics. <g>
Have a good day off tomorrow if it works out that way.
Justin
Social Chameleon Ksquared,
Sounds like the party went well, particularly with your meeting new people. Even as much of a recluse as I am, I think life has more ease somehow with friends and occasional socializing, especially the kind that you experienced last evening. Apparently you didn't sense the wives' antennae going up when discovering that you're a single lady?
40° on the deck
That would be early winter here, and a little too chilly for me. 60° would be more to my liking. But it's certainly a sign that you have more distinct seasons there, which is good.
Your mechanics let you get under your car with them? I presume the car is on a lift or they're in a pit -- otherwise it could get pretty cozy. Hmmmm .. On second thought, maybe the mechanics don't use a lift or pit when you come around. <gg>
Justin, on a lazy Sunday with chores undone
Soireeing Ksquared,
I can imagine that you're knockin' em' dead in your pale blue dress. In high school, my brother and I had a '56 Chevy that was two-tone -- baby blue and white -- and a real looker. So I know how great you must look at your party <g>.
Justin, awaiting party tales
Yep, Ksquared ...
When I am with people I want the conversation to be the focus.
Recently a woman invited me over for dinner. Since it was my first time in her home, it gave me a chance to discover how she lives and so forth. It was a good meal, but she had The O'Reilly Factor playing on a TV in the next room. I was like you with the three simultaneous football games .. didn't really care for it.
Justin, a little picky sometimes
Creative Ksquared ...
Yes, 'tis nice to have the writing outlet on the 'net, particularly with the feedback from "out there". It's often more stimulating and interesting than e-mail exchanges I have with real-life friends.
Based on my experience with writing Easytrieve programs, designing spreadsheets and doing a little graphics work, there's a lot of opportunity for creativity there as well. Actually, the same goes for almost any job .. realizing that something could be done better and considering a variety of alternatives. Accounting was a particularly fertile area for creativity, since most accountants I worked with tended to be missing the creative gene .. very smart people but content to "do it like we've always done it" even though it was unnecessarily cumbersome and time-consuming.
modern toys hold very little interest for me
I've gotten that way as well. Haven't had an urge to go from film to digital photography, although I think it could be very interesting if I took the initiative and spent the money to do it. I don't watch a lot of TV so am content with my 27" whatever it is .. don't even know the brand. But I'll have to admit that when I'm in a home that has a wide-screen high-definition TV with surround sound and so forth, it's momentarily very appealing. I just don't watch enough TV to justify the expense at this point.
I did go to the Angelfire web-hosting site. It says "Welcome to Angelfire! So, you're ready to build your first Angelfire homepage. Don't be frightened! It's a simple process ..." And there's a 12-step Beginner's Guide .. Signing Up, Planning, Getting Started, etc. I managed to read all 12 of them without taking up drinking again and needing another 12-step program. <g> Maybe someday I'll do the Signing Up thing and give it a shot.
Justin
Ah yes, Ksquared ...
Now that you 'splained it, I do remember the "dotted" file names preceded by DSN=, although for the life of me, I can't remember the name of our general ledger file that I looked at thousands of times. I think it started with FIN., with the rest of it not being something meaningful like GENERAL.LEDGER. Some of our programmers, for supposedly being very logical, weren't when it came to being straightforward.
I relate more to what you said about your philosophy in another post .. keep it simple and easy-to-understand, that is, well-designed.
Being the modern guy that I am <not!>, I interpreted your signature syntax as being url-like, so I was in the ballpark .. just the wrong inning. <gg>
Justin, not on the cutting edge of any era
Mainframe Ksquared ...
Gee, it most be a slow Friday evening in the Garden State if your mind is wandering off to an old guy in Texas. I hope things pick up for you by sundown. <g>
The biggest thing that I remember about Easytrieve was the working storage area where data could be redefined for sorting purposes and additional descriptive data could be created. For producing special reports, it was a tremendous time saver over doing them manually or going thru a programmer. I remember that the programs had a dozen or so lines of Greek that the programmers referred to as JCL. The only thing I understood about it was the file name and printer number that were included. As for your signature syntax, I'm not savvy enough to "get it".
As you said, I've heard that mainframes won't be going away anytime soon and that young folks aren't interested in mainframe maintenance work. Nice to know you'll be in demand for a long while.
All is well here, and I trust it's the same there. I'm pleased that August is almost over, although it's been one of the more pleasant ones that I can remember, weatherwise. Lots of rain and only a day or so of 100+ heat. However ...
IF MONTH = AUGUST
FLUNK
Justin
Ksquared,
mainframe programmer
Would that be in the good ol' COBOL language? In my accounting job I learned a shortcut version of COBOL called Easytrieve, which I used to get special reports from the general ledger and other mainframe files. I also took a community-college COBOL course, but I found that it required too much detail coding to do the kind of quickie reports I needed.
IF NAME = JUSTIN
SUCCESS
Chef Ksquared ...
Oh, deer.
Wonder if they were waiting for an invitation?
They were probably working on a strategy that would get them a few nibbles of your salad and veggies without becoming your main course. <g>
Justin
Ksquared ...
Wild tom turkey strutting his stuff across the neighbor's back yard
Easy to see a tom strutting his stuff in Ms. Ksquared's Neighborhood ... fowl and human alike. <g> As for the tom turkey, can you imagine his fantasies upon hearing about Hen Island?
Justin
I'm trying to imagine the Times Square folks serenading Ksquared with Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" ... :)
Morning, Ksquared ...
the cicadas are singing
When we were kids in South Texas, we called them "locusts" for some reason. They were in large numbers and made quite a racket in the mesquite trees at dusk. One of our mischievous activities was to catch a cicada at night, tie a small firecracker to its back and turn it loose. It would fly away into the night for a short distance until it turned into a fireworks show. It was probably before my family got its first TV set in 1954, and thus we had to make up our own entertainment.
Justin, not a singer himself
Thanks Colt. He left quickly in a way that I would like to go. His wife found him resting on a bench in the back yard.
Justin
Ksquared, it's great to see that you escaped the blackout. Looks like a long evening for a lot of folks. Impressive how orderly and calm the NYC walking procession seemed to be.
Justin
Mower Ksquared ...
I had to tilt it back so it could clear itself
I had to do that a lot with my old mower. When the grass was really high, I would also run only half the mower over the tall grass, with the other half over what I'd just mowed ... more mileage required but less strain on the mower.
I haven't had the choking problem with the new mower, probably because of its extra horsepower .. 6.5 vs 4 for the old mower. But I haven't run it thru wet tall grass, which will be a real test.
Justin