A couple of years ago in another or former life, I started a blog under the name Red Bridge Rancher which paralled our farm website - redbridgeranch.com
Two problems - after months of trial and error I realized I was not a website designer and more importantly last summer we sold all our sheep. So right now we aren't much in the way of ranchers or farmers. Still have dogs, three horses, a cat and two steers but that hardly qualifies us for much.
The old blog name didn't mean much without the ranch part so ... I found a new name for my blog, which I will continue with the usual fits and starts and I got the name crunksblog.blogspot.com which comes a lot closer to being what it should be. I never intended to be anonymous but the old name probably didn't click with most people right away.
So in a sense I'm moving and I really have no idea what that means in terms of google's blogspot but if you go to redbridgerancher.blogspot.com hopefully it can re-direct you to crunksblog.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Studebakers and Canasta
Waiting for a turn signal this morning and noticed an old car coming toward me. Distinctive fins and overall a look so ugly but somehow nostalgic. A mid-1950s Studebaker.
As it passed I noticed the driver was a senior citizen of some vintage.
This mentally took me back to the mid-50s and a neighbor.
Two doors up from us lived the Milfords; CW and his wife (who's name I can't recall.) By the time I got to know them, they were retired and at least in their 60s if not older.
My parents played cards and dominoes with them almost weekly. Often they let me play Canasta (a really fun game played with so many decks of cards I couldn't handle them all), Cribbage (funny little game with pegs) and dominoes (84 being the name of the game.) No wonder I learned to count early and was always good at math until I hit calculus!
This couple was traditional, quiet and occasionally a little rough on kids. I don't recall ever hearing them talk of any of their own and never remember anyone coming by to visit.
Several memories: their house was my favorite on Halloween because she always made what she called carrot cookies. Can't really describe but sweet and fruit and cake-like all at once.
Bermuda grass is prolific in Texas - I guess the runner-type of grass does well in the high dry heat. But the Milford's yard was a thick dark green grass called St. Augustine. It was great for football because it was so soft, it didn't really hurt when you fell. You could also roll in it without getting itchy. Except this is where Mrs. Milford would get rough. Funny if I was over with my parents and went out to play, I could just about do what I wanted to but if I was with other neighborhood kids, she'd yell and shoo us away.
CW collected Avantis - those weird or really cool looking Studebaker sports cars. He drove regular Studebakers for his work car but always had an Avanti or two in some phase of restoration.
My last memory and one that really dates or ages me and looking back, seems rather silly perhaps but our peak time of friendship was the late 50s. Those around back then recall duck-and-cover drills, fall-out shelters etc. CW built what he said was a nuclear fall-out proof room inside his house. Today it might qualify as a safe-room or perhaps a tornado shelter. He build super thick, heavily insulated walls around a room in the middle of his house, stocked it with water and non-perishable foods like Y2K was coming and the doors would probably work in a bank vault. And of course when the Russians dropped the big one, we were invited to come and sit out the post-nuclear whatever.
One last little memory, CW always called his wife "lover". He'd say, "Lover, can I have another cup of coffee?" or something like that but he always prefaced with that pet name. Don't know that I've ever heard anyone else do that in my life.
They both passed away by the time I was in college and even though I only lived two houses away, I really had lost touch with them by then. Wish I had kept up contact. Also wish I could remember how to play Canasta!
As it passed I noticed the driver was a senior citizen of some vintage.
This mentally took me back to the mid-50s and a neighbor.
Two doors up from us lived the Milfords; CW and his wife (who's name I can't recall.) By the time I got to know them, they were retired and at least in their 60s if not older.
My parents played cards and dominoes with them almost weekly. Often they let me play Canasta (a really fun game played with so many decks of cards I couldn't handle them all), Cribbage (funny little game with pegs) and dominoes (84 being the name of the game.) No wonder I learned to count early and was always good at math until I hit calculus!
This couple was traditional, quiet and occasionally a little rough on kids. I don't recall ever hearing them talk of any of their own and never remember anyone coming by to visit.
Several memories: their house was my favorite on Halloween because she always made what she called carrot cookies. Can't really describe but sweet and fruit and cake-like all at once.
Bermuda grass is prolific in Texas - I guess the runner-type of grass does well in the high dry heat. But the Milford's yard was a thick dark green grass called St. Augustine. It was great for football because it was so soft, it didn't really hurt when you fell. You could also roll in it without getting itchy. Except this is where Mrs. Milford would get rough. Funny if I was over with my parents and went out to play, I could just about do what I wanted to but if I was with other neighborhood kids, she'd yell and shoo us away.
CW collected Avantis - those weird or really cool looking Studebaker sports cars. He drove regular Studebakers for his work car but always had an Avanti or two in some phase of restoration.
My last memory and one that really dates or ages me and looking back, seems rather silly perhaps but our peak time of friendship was the late 50s. Those around back then recall duck-and-cover drills, fall-out shelters etc. CW built what he said was a nuclear fall-out proof room inside his house. Today it might qualify as a safe-room or perhaps a tornado shelter. He build super thick, heavily insulated walls around a room in the middle of his house, stocked it with water and non-perishable foods like Y2K was coming and the doors would probably work in a bank vault. And of course when the Russians dropped the big one, we were invited to come and sit out the post-nuclear whatever.
One last little memory, CW always called his wife "lover". He'd say, "Lover, can I have another cup of coffee?" or something like that but he always prefaced with that pet name. Don't know that I've ever heard anyone else do that in my life.
They both passed away by the time I was in college and even though I only lived two houses away, I really had lost touch with them by then. Wish I had kept up contact. Also wish I could remember how to play Canasta!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The first cut is the deepest
Today our little Willie is well ... he had the better part of his horse-ly manhood removed. So he moved from the status of Stallion to that of Gelding. I got a lesson in horse anatomy from our very nice vet. He showed them to me, where he cut, what he cut out etc. We'll just have to see if that makes any difference in how he behaves. Gentle now but spunky. Hopefully Annie (daughter #3 who purchased said Stallion from her mother) can work with him and get him ready to ride.
I was a temporary horse hoof trimmer while Willie was unconscious. His hooves hadn't acquired Howard Hughes status yet but they needed some work. Standing over a horse with my back bent at a 90 degree angle in 90 PLUS degree heat was exhausting. I was sweating up a storm and the vet never broke a sweat!
I learned what a squeeler is today too in terms of anatomy. Sometime I'll have to relate that but for some citified folk - it might rank up there with a prior posting on Butt Baths and my two little steers. Who by the way are no longer bulls but steers (see Stallion to Gelding above) thanks to a device and a couple of rubber bands. This one bears more explaining also but - another time, another place.
I was a temporary horse hoof trimmer while Willie was unconscious. His hooves hadn't acquired Howard Hughes status yet but they needed some work. Standing over a horse with my back bent at a 90 degree angle in 90 PLUS degree heat was exhausting. I was sweating up a storm and the vet never broke a sweat!
I learned what a squeeler is today too in terms of anatomy. Sometime I'll have to relate that but for some citified folk - it might rank up there with a prior posting on Butt Baths and my two little steers. Who by the way are no longer bulls but steers (see Stallion to Gelding above) thanks to a device and a couple of rubber bands. This one bears more explaining also but - another time, another place.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Extended stays
Driving by our local mega-health care facility yesterday and noticed something in their parking lot - several RVs and 5th wheel travel trailers. My first thought was construction offices but their latest project is long since done.
Then it hit me what they probably represent - families of people who are in the hospital for long periods of time.
We have a Ronald McDonald house already for parents of ill children.
But I've never thought about where people stayed when their spouse, child or loved one was hospitalized - until yesterday. What I usually see are people sacked out on couches, recliners in rooms or the occasional friendly nurse who allows an empty bed to be used - but what hospital has any empty bed these days?
My second thought is why doesn't every hospital set up an area for RVs and trailers and such? All that is needed is a little electricity, some way to dispose of waster water and a flat paved spot. Two of those three should be a piece of cake.
Another local hospital actually has a hotel inside but that involves considerable personal expense unless it is just for a day or two.
We'll see how many health care places run with my idea. Maybe some already have.
Then it hit me what they probably represent - families of people who are in the hospital for long periods of time.
We have a Ronald McDonald house already for parents of ill children.
But I've never thought about where people stayed when their spouse, child or loved one was hospitalized - until yesterday. What I usually see are people sacked out on couches, recliners in rooms or the occasional friendly nurse who allows an empty bed to be used - but what hospital has any empty bed these days?
My second thought is why doesn't every hospital set up an area for RVs and trailers and such? All that is needed is a little electricity, some way to dispose of waster water and a flat paved spot. Two of those three should be a piece of cake.
Another local hospital actually has a hotel inside but that involves considerable personal expense unless it is just for a day or two.
We'll see how many health care places run with my idea. Maybe some already have.
Monday, June 1, 2009
getting it
I got a magazine last week at work for an organization I belong to (but not for long – but that is another story).
RTNDA – the Radio Television News Directors Association – I’ve been a member for several years and they have a respected national reputation. They stand up for all sorts of First Amendment things, Shield Laws and offer all sorts of training and educational opportunities.
They also publish the aforementioned magazine – the Communicator. It is probably painfully obvious that an organization of people involved in Radio and TV news, doesn’t fit together like hand-in-glove with a magazine. I guess a carry-over from a different era.
Well it appears that leadership finally recognized this and decided to suspend the print version of the magazine. Probably not a bad idea. But in the same sort of “re-arranging deck chairs on the …” they decided to change their name.
The old RTNDA now becomes the RTDNA. Huh? Can’t tell the difference? Neither could I right away then I read further and realized they changed their name to – Radio Television Digital News Association.
So in trying to keep up with all the changes brought on by user generated content, web 2.0 and myriad social media et al, some rocket-scientist decided that this subtle change of adding the word “digital” into the name and scrambling the acronym will make them relevant and cutting-edge.
RTNDA has been around since 1946. No doubt it has been through several sea-changes in those 63 years. They are probably late to the party on this one. But to throw away a well-known acronym just to get the word digital in their name seems worse than 'throwing the baby out …’
One step forward (stopping publication of a paper magazine) and two steps back (name change).
But what do you expect from the folks who think bloggers only work in their PJs and somehow represent a threat to the accurate and objective truth that only real journalists and publications can offer.
RTNDA – the Radio Television News Directors Association – I’ve been a member for several years and they have a respected national reputation. They stand up for all sorts of First Amendment things, Shield Laws and offer all sorts of training and educational opportunities.
They also publish the aforementioned magazine – the Communicator. It is probably painfully obvious that an organization of people involved in Radio and TV news, doesn’t fit together like hand-in-glove with a magazine. I guess a carry-over from a different era.
Well it appears that leadership finally recognized this and decided to suspend the print version of the magazine. Probably not a bad idea. But in the same sort of “re-arranging deck chairs on the …” they decided to change their name.
The old RTNDA now becomes the RTDNA. Huh? Can’t tell the difference? Neither could I right away then I read further and realized they changed their name to – Radio Television Digital News Association.
So in trying to keep up with all the changes brought on by user generated content, web 2.0 and myriad social media et al, some rocket-scientist decided that this subtle change of adding the word “digital” into the name and scrambling the acronym will make them relevant and cutting-edge.
RTNDA has been around since 1946. No doubt it has been through several sea-changes in those 63 years. They are probably late to the party on this one. But to throw away a well-known acronym just to get the word digital in their name seems worse than 'throwing the baby out …’
One step forward (stopping publication of a paper magazine) and two steps back (name change).
But what do you expect from the folks who think bloggers only work in their PJs and somehow represent a threat to the accurate and objective truth that only real journalists and publications can offer.
Graphic Design
Far be it from me to question top-notch world-class graphic designers but has anyone picked up and read a Newsweek magazine lately?
I don’t subscribe so I guess have no right to complain but they remind me of an old magazine. They changed fonts but more importantly, I can’t tell all the articles from the ads. They’d probably think that is a good thing so they can tell advertisers that more people are reading the ads but in my case, it already takes a lot to get me to read an ad in a magazine. If I’m having trouble telling whether something is an ad or an honest-to-goodness article, then I’ll move on.
I’m not stupid or blind and on many pages there are no ads so it isn’t always that hard. But even on these, the layout and fonts don’t draw me in – they make me flip the page. Hardly the response the designers were likely after.
Between Time and Newsweek, I’ve always liked Newsweek better – until now. But not having seen a Time in months, maybe they’ve already had a makeover too.
I don’t subscribe so I guess have no right to complain but they remind me of an old magazine. They changed fonts but more importantly, I can’t tell all the articles from the ads. They’d probably think that is a good thing so they can tell advertisers that more people are reading the ads but in my case, it already takes a lot to get me to read an ad in a magazine. If I’m having trouble telling whether something is an ad or an honest-to-goodness article, then I’ll move on.
I’m not stupid or blind and on many pages there are no ads so it isn’t always that hard. But even on these, the layout and fonts don’t draw me in – they make me flip the page. Hardly the response the designers were likely after.
Between Time and Newsweek, I’ve always liked Newsweek better – until now. But not having seen a Time in months, maybe they’ve already had a makeover too.
furious
OK the title is not complete but maybe it got your attention.
I'm about halfway through the furious longing of God.
If you've heard of the Ragamuffin Gospel then you know all about brennan manning (don't know if this is an e.e. cumming's thing but he doesn't use a lot of capitals)
I won't even try to critique the book - I'm sure he is not for everybody but ... I ran across this in today's early morning read. I took a break from reading the Psalms in the Message to peruse more of furious.
I always enjoy links or connections and I guess that's what appealed to me here.
Manning has just spoken of the last words of Jesus on the cross; the all-too-familiar "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
Manning notes that a French Biblical scholar named Pierre Benoit, posited what he thought God might have spoken back to Jesus at that moment. Here is Benoit's suggestion from the New Jerusalem Bible:
"Come now, my love. My lovely one, come.
For you, the winter has passed,
the snows are over and gone,
the flowers appear in the land,
the season of joyful songs has come."
This comes from the Song of Solomon (see Chap. 2:10-14 for the full passage). This is a plausible and most certainly beautiful way of imagining what God might have said as Jesus hung there waiting. Waiting to die.
We can only imagine further that these words "Into Your hands I commit my spirit." were Jesus' response to the words attributed to Solomon.
I'm less than halfway through this short book but am really enjoying it. It comes in short little chunks that can be easily read at one sitting and give the brain and spirit something to think about for the rest of the day.
I'm about halfway through the furious longing of God.
If you've heard of the Ragamuffin Gospel then you know all about brennan manning (don't know if this is an e.e. cumming's thing but he doesn't use a lot of capitals)
I won't even try to critique the book - I'm sure he is not for everybody but ... I ran across this in today's early morning read. I took a break from reading the Psalms in the Message to peruse more of furious.
I always enjoy links or connections and I guess that's what appealed to me here.
Manning has just spoken of the last words of Jesus on the cross; the all-too-familiar "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
Manning notes that a French Biblical scholar named Pierre Benoit, posited what he thought God might have spoken back to Jesus at that moment. Here is Benoit's suggestion from the New Jerusalem Bible:
"Come now, my love. My lovely one, come.
For you, the winter has passed,
the snows are over and gone,
the flowers appear in the land,
the season of joyful songs has come."
This comes from the Song of Solomon (see Chap. 2:10-14 for the full passage). This is a plausible and most certainly beautiful way of imagining what God might have said as Jesus hung there waiting. Waiting to die.
We can only imagine further that these words "Into Your hands I commit my spirit." were Jesus' response to the words attributed to Solomon.
I'm less than halfway through this short book but am really enjoying it. It comes in short little chunks that can be easily read at one sitting and give the brain and spirit something to think about for the rest of the day.
Monday, May 18, 2009
To Eldon
In honor of the Preakness, my wife and I spent Saturday taking care of one of our horses. Actually it was not in honor of anything but it needed to be done.
I can't do anything with a horse without thinking of Eldon, our first farrier.
When we moved to Missouri in the early 90s and knew less than nothing about animals and the country and all that, he came and trimmed hooves, put on horseshoes, gave us valuable lessons about horses and country life and occasionally would sit down and play guitar.
He was a small wiry sort of man who looked older that he should have. He died much younger than he needed to.
Eldon traveled around in a beat up old pick-up with all his farrier tools and would spend hours sometimes at our place and when time came to write up a bill, it often seemed like it wouldn’t even cover his gas (and this back when $1.50 seemed high!) My wife got in the habit of paying him more than he charged. Bet you never say that about your mechanic or hair-stylist!
Working on horses is similar to shearing sheep: you spend a great deal of time bent over in unnatural positions hoping an animal won’t step on you, kick you or take a crap in your face!
We managed to avoid two out of the three Saturday.
After spending only a couple of hours on this; on the next day and the day after that, my quads (those muscles on the front of your thighs) are still sore. I guess I overcompensated to protect my back (a good thing) and ended up bending my legs a lot more. I will definitely take sore legs over a sore back any day. My back only hurt Saturday evening and a little on Sunday.
At one point my wife complimented my work (which was OK, nothing to write home about) and I said ‘Eldon is up there laughing at us,’ as we gamely tried to get it done.
So Eldon, if you are reading blogs up there, thanks for the memories.
I can't do anything with a horse without thinking of Eldon, our first farrier.
When we moved to Missouri in the early 90s and knew less than nothing about animals and the country and all that, he came and trimmed hooves, put on horseshoes, gave us valuable lessons about horses and country life and occasionally would sit down and play guitar.
He was a small wiry sort of man who looked older that he should have. He died much younger than he needed to.
Eldon traveled around in a beat up old pick-up with all his farrier tools and would spend hours sometimes at our place and when time came to write up a bill, it often seemed like it wouldn’t even cover his gas (and this back when $1.50 seemed high!) My wife got in the habit of paying him more than he charged. Bet you never say that about your mechanic or hair-stylist!
Working on horses is similar to shearing sheep: you spend a great deal of time bent over in unnatural positions hoping an animal won’t step on you, kick you or take a crap in your face!
We managed to avoid two out of the three Saturday.
After spending only a couple of hours on this; on the next day and the day after that, my quads (those muscles on the front of your thighs) are still sore. I guess I overcompensated to protect my back (a good thing) and ended up bending my legs a lot more. I will definitely take sore legs over a sore back any day. My back only hurt Saturday evening and a little on Sunday.
At one point my wife complimented my work (which was OK, nothing to write home about) and I said ‘Eldon is up there laughing at us,’ as we gamely tried to get it done.
So Eldon, if you are reading blogs up there, thanks for the memories.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Top heavy
We’ve all seen the old men wearing Hawaiian shirts, Khaki shorts with a belt, socks and sandals. (I promise, Gill, I will NEVER dress like that!) From underneath their shorts, spindly little bird legs appear. They often wear floppy hats. Apart from being gross violations just begging for the style police to show up, they also usually look top heavy. Wouldn’t take much to humpty-dumpty them right down.
Today I saw a big truck. A jet-black long-bed quad-cab thing. It had custom wheels – those silvery kind where you can see through the spokes. Also the tires were low profile – big 17 or 18 inchers but that can’t be more than an inch thick. I can’t imagine how rough the ride must be.
But the observation here is that the top didn’t match the bottom. This truck under normal circumstances with large tires, normal wheels etc. would have been a pretty nice looking ride. But with what I can only call “wheels of bling”, it looked like it was about to fall over.
Why would anybody – even someone with obvious money to burn – take a perfectly good truck and “goober it up” like that? This younger generation!
Today I saw a big truck. A jet-black long-bed quad-cab thing. It had custom wheels – those silvery kind where you can see through the spokes. Also the tires were low profile – big 17 or 18 inchers but that can’t be more than an inch thick. I can’t imagine how rough the ride must be.
But the observation here is that the top didn’t match the bottom. This truck under normal circumstances with large tires, normal wheels etc. would have been a pretty nice looking ride. But with what I can only call “wheels of bling”, it looked like it was about to fall over.
Why would anybody – even someone with obvious money to burn – take a perfectly good truck and “goober it up” like that? This younger generation!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
It's My Party and I'll Switch if I want to
Just a quick thought about Sen. Specter's party-switch.
I think people should follow their convictions BUT ... if someone voted for Mr. Specter when he ran as a Republican, were they voting for the man, the party or a combination of both? It is likely all three in many cases. But is it fair for someone to switch in mid-stream after making certain promises, pledges etc.?
I guess my question is this: Should there be an election for Mr. Specter to run again for the same office? Give people another chance to vote for (or against) him as a Democrat rather than a Republican? What about those in the Democratic party in his state who have been working and planning for the next election? Does this have their blessing too?
The whole idea of switching parties at that level seems odd. Like OK to do but then why should you get to keep everything you won or got elected to if you have changed?
I think people should follow their convictions BUT ... if someone voted for Mr. Specter when he ran as a Republican, were they voting for the man, the party or a combination of both? It is likely all three in many cases. But is it fair for someone to switch in mid-stream after making certain promises, pledges etc.?
I guess my question is this: Should there be an election for Mr. Specter to run again for the same office? Give people another chance to vote for (or against) him as a Democrat rather than a Republican? What about those in the Democratic party in his state who have been working and planning for the next election? Does this have their blessing too?
The whole idea of switching parties at that level seems odd. Like OK to do but then why should you get to keep everything you won or got elected to if you have changed?
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Brill Building
Years ago in another life and another job (as noted in a previous blog) I got to go to New York City frequently for work. Usually a day or two at a time and then back home again. I always enjoyed the trips but would come home exhausted. The NYC pace was always a lot faster than wherever home was at the time.
In the mid 80s, we rented and outfitted a recording studio in the Brill Building, which if you follow music history at all – was and still may be an iconic place.
Many, many years ago the halls would have been filled with famous songwriters and musicians. The halls even in the 80s were one wooden and glass door after another with obscure sounding names of publishing companies. In the olden days of the music business, people wrote songs first. Then they sold them and then somebody else played and sang them. But things started in places like the Brill Building. Walking down the halls you could still hear music of all sorts emanating from the various rooms.
Denizens of the Brill Building included: Carole king, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka and hundreds of others over decades dating back to the 1930s.
The Brill is on Broadway not too far from Times Square. Back when I was going there, Times Square had not yet been “Disney-fied” and cleaned up. We were always careful walking out late at night. And we had to walk by some places that were interesting.
There used to be a TV series (Exec. Produced by Spielberg) called Amazing Stories. I had an idea back then for an episode that would have a budding musician walking the halls trying to sell his music. At each door he’d walk in and in one office might be the big band-types of the 40s banging out a demo of their latest tune. Or at another door, Bobby Darin trying out ‘Mack the Knife.’ A few doors later Carole King playing on a piano in her cubicle in the 60s before her own career took off.
Each door would take our time-travelling musician to another decade. I have no idea how to end it and where he would be but the concept always intrigued me. the movie "Corrine, Corrina" with Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta reminded me of the Brill.
I have no idea what the Brill Building is like today but I always felt like I was stepping back in time whenever I went inside.
In the mid 80s, we rented and outfitted a recording studio in the Brill Building, which if you follow music history at all – was and still may be an iconic place.
Many, many years ago the halls would have been filled with famous songwriters and musicians. The halls even in the 80s were one wooden and glass door after another with obscure sounding names of publishing companies. In the olden days of the music business, people wrote songs first. Then they sold them and then somebody else played and sang them. But things started in places like the Brill Building. Walking down the halls you could still hear music of all sorts emanating from the various rooms.
Denizens of the Brill Building included: Carole king, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka and hundreds of others over decades dating back to the 1930s.
The Brill is on Broadway not too far from Times Square. Back when I was going there, Times Square had not yet been “Disney-fied” and cleaned up. We were always careful walking out late at night. And we had to walk by some places that were interesting.
There used to be a TV series (Exec. Produced by Spielberg) called Amazing Stories. I had an idea back then for an episode that would have a budding musician walking the halls trying to sell his music. At each door he’d walk in and in one office might be the big band-types of the 40s banging out a demo of their latest tune. Or at another door, Bobby Darin trying out ‘Mack the Knife.’ A few doors later Carole King playing on a piano in her cubicle in the 60s before her own career took off.
Each door would take our time-travelling musician to another decade. I have no idea how to end it and where he would be but the concept always intrigued me. the movie "Corrine, Corrina" with Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta reminded me of the Brill.
I have no idea what the Brill Building is like today but I always felt like I was stepping back in time whenever I went inside.
An ode to Cesar
They say smell is a great rememberer. You smell something and are taken back to wherever, whenever something associated with that smell took place. I agree but today it was something I saw that took me back to the late 70s and early 80s.
At that time my job had me going to New York City about once a month to supervise the re-recording of a television program into foreign languages. We hired or rather contracted a gentleman in NYC by the name of Cesar Yazigi. If I could, I’d be putting little accent marks all over his name.
Cesar was many things. Wealthy for one – he lived on Beekman Place – not street and possibly in the same building as Leonard Bernstein and other wealthy NYers. His monthly maintenance he paid to his building owner (which for some reason he told me once) was way more than any mortgage I’ve ever had – and this was just for cleaning common areas, paying the doorman, security etc.
Cesar also hailed from Brazil and was in some way connected with the language school that came under the name Yazigi which if I recall, was to Brazil what we used to think of as Berlitz in the U.S. His primary day job, although I never once saw him go to the United Nations building, was to hire and train translators for the UN. Hence my association with him since we needed translators and people who could speak a variety of languages.
What did I see that reminded me of him? A canvas tote bag. I saw it and wondered if I could use one. What I remember about Cesar and tote bags was he never carried a briefcase. He always used paper supermarket bags to carry his stuff to and from the office.
Cesar had money to buy any type of briefcase he wanted but he chose to carry a paper bag. Cesar apparently never spent real money on clothes either. He was paunchy and seemed to always be in some state of dishevelment with a button undone, a wrinkled shirt, loose tie. Think Henry Kissinger with a Portuguese/Brazilian accent.
Cesar once told me never to take the time to stop and pick up coins on the street because you’d lose more money in your own time than you gain by whatever small amount you got stopping and bending over.
I never knew how old Cesar was. He always seemed a lot older but that could be because I was in my 20s. He was married to a pretty Armenian woman named Anik.
I lost touch with Cesar in the 80s and later heard he passed away. I wish I had kept in touch. Another thing he was, was extremely smart. And he knew plenty of good restaurants in the City. I ate lots of good food and likely never in the same place twice and he never let me pay for my food.
So here’s to you, Cesar. I miss you.
At that time my job had me going to New York City about once a month to supervise the re-recording of a television program into foreign languages. We hired or rather contracted a gentleman in NYC by the name of Cesar Yazigi. If I could, I’d be putting little accent marks all over his name.
Cesar was many things. Wealthy for one – he lived on Beekman Place – not street and possibly in the same building as Leonard Bernstein and other wealthy NYers. His monthly maintenance he paid to his building owner (which for some reason he told me once) was way more than any mortgage I’ve ever had – and this was just for cleaning common areas, paying the doorman, security etc.
Cesar also hailed from Brazil and was in some way connected with the language school that came under the name Yazigi which if I recall, was to Brazil what we used to think of as Berlitz in the U.S. His primary day job, although I never once saw him go to the United Nations building, was to hire and train translators for the UN. Hence my association with him since we needed translators and people who could speak a variety of languages.
What did I see that reminded me of him? A canvas tote bag. I saw it and wondered if I could use one. What I remember about Cesar and tote bags was he never carried a briefcase. He always used paper supermarket bags to carry his stuff to and from the office.
Cesar had money to buy any type of briefcase he wanted but he chose to carry a paper bag. Cesar apparently never spent real money on clothes either. He was paunchy and seemed to always be in some state of dishevelment with a button undone, a wrinkled shirt, loose tie. Think Henry Kissinger with a Portuguese/Brazilian accent.
Cesar once told me never to take the time to stop and pick up coins on the street because you’d lose more money in your own time than you gain by whatever small amount you got stopping and bending over.
I never knew how old Cesar was. He always seemed a lot older but that could be because I was in my 20s. He was married to a pretty Armenian woman named Anik.
I lost touch with Cesar in the 80s and later heard he passed away. I wish I had kept in touch. Another thing he was, was extremely smart. And he knew plenty of good restaurants in the City. I ate lots of good food and likely never in the same place twice and he never let me pay for my food.
So here’s to you, Cesar. I miss you.
Friday, April 17, 2009
For want of a penny
I went to buy dog food today and when the total rang up, I grabbed my bills and my pocket change (normally I don’t have any but today I did) and I came up one penny short. I joked and said ‘have you guys got a penny?’ as nine-times-out-of-ten almost anyplace has a little “give a penny – take a penny” holder and often the clerk will simply reach in a grab what is needed.
Both ladies behind the counter looked at me as if I was asking them to pay my bill. “We don’t have any,” was the response. One lady opened up another cash register drawer and stated “None over here.” Now I have no idea how that would have helped anyway, pulling a penny from one place to another; sort of a “borrowing from Peter to pay Paul” kind of thing.
Anyway they decided I could go without paying the penny. Please note, I had a dollar in my wallet and they knew that, it just didn’t make sense to break a dollar for me to get 99 cents in change.
I walked out to my truck dropped in the dog food and remembered I had picked up a penny off the floorboard earlier in the day. I grabbed it and went back inside. I was smiling as I went because I couldn’t believe I was doing this.
When I got back to the counter, the two ladies were still rummaging through drawers trying to find a penny.
Both ladies behind the counter looked at me as if I was asking them to pay my bill. “We don’t have any,” was the response. One lady opened up another cash register drawer and stated “None over here.” Now I have no idea how that would have helped anyway, pulling a penny from one place to another; sort of a “borrowing from Peter to pay Paul” kind of thing.
Anyway they decided I could go without paying the penny. Please note, I had a dollar in my wallet and they knew that, it just didn’t make sense to break a dollar for me to get 99 cents in change.
I walked out to my truck dropped in the dog food and remembered I had picked up a penny off the floorboard earlier in the day. I grabbed it and went back inside. I was smiling as I went because I couldn’t believe I was doing this.
When I got back to the counter, the two ladies were still rummaging through drawers trying to find a penny.
White House dot gov
An observation today. Heard that the White House has prettied-up their website so I checked it out.
All-in-all not bad I guess. But I found one interesting tidbit.
Either click on the Administration tab at the top or scroll down to see who’s who.
I know First Ladies and wives of Veeps (Second Lady?) are important people. They can play a useful role in the government. But unless I am mistaken, neither Michelle Obama's nor Dr. Jill Biden’s names were on any ballots I saw. Likewise I haven’t heard that they have been appointed or hired for any specific jobs but …
Both names are in the official list of the Administration. In fact both are listed above the Cabinet. I know enough about movie making and credits to know that placement and order of names is a big deal. So not only are they listed someplace that doesn’t make official sense to me but they are also listed above a lot of other people in the pecking order.
But I’m a little out of touch with what’s going on in DC right now; what with a family to feed and a mortgage to pay etc. so maybe I’ve missed something.
All-in-all not bad I guess. But I found one interesting tidbit.
Either click on the Administration tab at the top or scroll down to see who’s who.
I know First Ladies and wives of Veeps (Second Lady?) are important people. They can play a useful role in the government. But unless I am mistaken, neither Michelle Obama's nor Dr. Jill Biden’s names were on any ballots I saw. Likewise I haven’t heard that they have been appointed or hired for any specific jobs but …
Both names are in the official list of the Administration. In fact both are listed above the Cabinet. I know enough about movie making and credits to know that placement and order of names is a big deal. So not only are they listed someplace that doesn’t make official sense to me but they are also listed above a lot of other people in the pecking order.
But I’m a little out of touch with what’s going on in DC right now; what with a family to feed and a mortgage to pay etc. so maybe I’ve missed something.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Gross
Not like my last post, but gross as in versus net.
My daughter and I were eating at Cracker Barrel last night. Always great food but the gravy was rather tasteless. But let me tell you - put a pack of Splenda into a small bowl of grits, very yummy!
We were seated so that I faced the kitchen door and could see partly inside where everything was prepped. On a small whiteboard were written daily goals. These were dollar amounts for each meal and I can only assume that they represented the amount of food they hoped to sell. Since what I saw might be considered proprietary information; suffice it to say, I think Cracker Barrel must be doing very well in this sluggish economy. Add to those numbers what I'm sure they glean from their nifty retail operation, multiply that by the hundreds of franchises lining the interstates of America and I doubt Mr. Cracker and Mrs. Barrel are waiting for their bail out or stimulus checks. And we of course contributed our small part to their ongoing success.
My daughter and I were eating at Cracker Barrel last night. Always great food but the gravy was rather tasteless. But let me tell you - put a pack of Splenda into a small bowl of grits, very yummy!
We were seated so that I faced the kitchen door and could see partly inside where everything was prepped. On a small whiteboard were written daily goals. These were dollar amounts for each meal and I can only assume that they represented the amount of food they hoped to sell. Since what I saw might be considered proprietary information; suffice it to say, I think Cracker Barrel must be doing very well in this sluggish economy. Add to those numbers what I'm sure they glean from their nifty retail operation, multiply that by the hundreds of franchises lining the interstates of America and I doubt Mr. Cracker and Mrs. Barrel are waiting for their bail out or stimulus checks. And we of course contributed our small part to their ongoing success.
Butt Baths
We have two little "bucket" calves - so called because most dairy farmers put them on a bucket for their milk soon after they are born so the mamas can get back in the milking rotation. We bought a couple a few weeks ago to raise for ... uh, spoiler alert ... just think about where your latest hamburger came from as I move on.
One common problem for these little guys is called "scours" which is the cow form of diarrhea as they try to get used to different milk etc. Both of ours have had their share of this little problem. If you can imagine life without toilet paper ... sorry.
Anyway they needed to be cleaned up. So Annie, my daughter, got to hold the front end of each little guy while I went to work on the back end with some warm soapy water, a soft brush and a curry comb. 20 minutes or so later; clean as a whistle. Them, not us. Both of us started to smell slightly like, well, cow's behinds.
"Well life on the farm is kind of laid back, ain't much an ole country boy like me can't hack."
One common problem for these little guys is called "scours" which is the cow form of diarrhea as they try to get used to different milk etc. Both of ours have had their share of this little problem. If you can imagine life without toilet paper ... sorry.
Anyway they needed to be cleaned up. So Annie, my daughter, got to hold the front end of each little guy while I went to work on the back end with some warm soapy water, a soft brush and a curry comb. 20 minutes or so later; clean as a whistle. Them, not us. Both of us started to smell slightly like, well, cow's behinds.
"Well life on the farm is kind of laid back, ain't much an ole country boy like me can't hack."
Friday, April 10, 2009
Jose can you play?
In most books, Jose Feliciano will go down as a stereotype of the singer of a couple of well known songs - Feliz Navidad and his version of the Doors' Light My Fire. Some may remember him as a reasonably good guitarist but if you ever hear his version of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee... For you non-classical people, it's a speed song. But I don't think the Russian wrote it for guitar. On XM today I heard it by Jose and while I don't particularly like the song played anyway, anyhow - you have to hear it to see how fast Mr. F. could play it. Hendrix was good and Eddie Van Halen was pretty quick and of course there are many others but I'd put this one up there in the pure speed category. If there is by some chance a video of it somewhere it would be amazing to watch.
TV series idea
I have a new idea for a TV series – a mockumentary featuring Russian immigrant criminals.
With the advent of NBC’s/Amy Poehler’s Parks and Recreation program in the style of the Office and with two programs this weeks featuring Russian immigrant criminals (Without a Trace and Life) I think we need to combine the two ideas/techniques.
I read a caution to screenwriters a year or two ago about avoiding having your characters crawl through heating and air conditioning ducts. Somehow you were losing your creativity if you had to resort to that. (I like 24 but Jack Bauer has to get in a ceiling or crawl thru ductwork at least once a year!)
Now it seems that the writer/producers think that Russians make good villains so they keep popping up all over the place. And it was only a matter of time before somebody simply moved the Office to another town. Again. After all it started in England.
Since I work for a govt. entity, I thought some of the lines in last night's premiere of Parks and Recreation were funny. Lots of potential here but the show needs something. Maybe because I don't know any of the people who play besides Amy Pohler. But I hope they don't think copying the style of the Office will make it work.
With the advent of NBC’s/Amy Poehler’s Parks and Recreation program in the style of the Office and with two programs this weeks featuring Russian immigrant criminals (Without a Trace and Life) I think we need to combine the two ideas/techniques.
I read a caution to screenwriters a year or two ago about avoiding having your characters crawl through heating and air conditioning ducts. Somehow you were losing your creativity if you had to resort to that. (I like 24 but Jack Bauer has to get in a ceiling or crawl thru ductwork at least once a year!)
Now it seems that the writer/producers think that Russians make good villains so they keep popping up all over the place. And it was only a matter of time before somebody simply moved the Office to another town. Again. After all it started in England.
Since I work for a govt. entity, I thought some of the lines in last night's premiere of Parks and Recreation were funny. Lots of potential here but the show needs something. Maybe because I don't know any of the people who play besides Amy Pohler. But I hope they don't think copying the style of the Office will make it work.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Nothing better to do.
I am amazed that most (can't possibly read it all) of the coverage of Obama's trip to London et al was about such things as touching the Queen, the grand exit from Air Force One, meeting with Sarkozy and his lovely wife etc. Hopefully something of substance was accomplished on this trip and the media either already reported on it or will get to it as soon as they are done fawning over the style rather than the substance.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Money makes the world go 'round
I don't have enough time or smarts to propose any fixes or solutions to the world-wide money crisis but a few things just jump out at me.
Toxic assets. Why should the government be buying these up to save the companies that created or bought them or invested in them? If it was a little old grandmother who was cheated out of her life savings by a swindler and invested in something bad; OK. I can accept some exceptions where someone should step in and help. But why if a big smart company - let's pick any bank - if they somehow acquired a "toxic" asset, why should the govt. or me or anybody step in and take that off their hands? Now if they want to get rid of their bad investment so badly, then why don't sell it off for some % of the original value, take the write off and move on. But for the Feds to step in and say essentially "OK, we know you were stupid and invested badly but we are here to help so we'll take it of your hands so you can clean up your balance sheet." I don't get it. If I invested in say any stock, which reminds me, how about all my losses in my 457 plan (basically a 401K) where for years I invested in big name mutual funds managed by smart people but when the stocks turned downward, they got their commissions and I took the losses. Where was the Govt. to take those "toxic" mutual funds assets out of my retirement fund?
#2 peeve for the day: I guess GM is too big to leave alone but in too bad shape to fix itself. I understand that hundreds of thousands of jobs are tied to this behemoth. But when and where does the Federal Govt. get off suggesting that the CEO resign? I think he probably should have gotten out of Dodge a long time ago and that the shareholders would have been thinking about a 'tarrin' and featherin' long before the Feds started deciding who should run what company. I know Democrats like bigger government and more involvement but I never expected them to condone deciding who runs what company.
I guess this trickles down to the bonus issue recently. No way should any of those people have gotten rewarded for their bad decisions. But for the Govt' to start deciding how much people should be paid etc. Once again this seems like a slippery slope.
I realize that the money is either a loan or some sort of thing and for that the loaner should have some input but the key is making sure of a guarantee of getting the money back or a return on investment. Not being able to tell the company how to run their business. My mortgage company tells me I have to have certain kinds of insurance on my house in order to get my loan but they don't get involved in telling me where I should work or where and how I spend my money and I can hang pictures on my wall anywhere I please.
If this is where our govt. is headed, I'm not happy and slightly worried.
Toxic assets. Why should the government be buying these up to save the companies that created or bought them or invested in them? If it was a little old grandmother who was cheated out of her life savings by a swindler and invested in something bad; OK. I can accept some exceptions where someone should step in and help. But why if a big smart company - let's pick any bank - if they somehow acquired a "toxic" asset, why should the govt. or me or anybody step in and take that off their hands? Now if they want to get rid of their bad investment so badly, then why don't sell it off for some % of the original value, take the write off and move on. But for the Feds to step in and say essentially "OK, we know you were stupid and invested badly but we are here to help so we'll take it of your hands so you can clean up your balance sheet." I don't get it. If I invested in say any stock, which reminds me, how about all my losses in my 457 plan (basically a 401K) where for years I invested in big name mutual funds managed by smart people but when the stocks turned downward, they got their commissions and I took the losses. Where was the Govt. to take those "toxic" mutual funds assets out of my retirement fund?
#2 peeve for the day: I guess GM is too big to leave alone but in too bad shape to fix itself. I understand that hundreds of thousands of jobs are tied to this behemoth. But when and where does the Federal Govt. get off suggesting that the CEO resign? I think he probably should have gotten out of Dodge a long time ago and that the shareholders would have been thinking about a 'tarrin' and featherin' long before the Feds started deciding who should run what company. I know Democrats like bigger government and more involvement but I never expected them to condone deciding who runs what company.
I guess this trickles down to the bonus issue recently. No way should any of those people have gotten rewarded for their bad decisions. But for the Govt' to start deciding how much people should be paid etc. Once again this seems like a slippery slope.
I realize that the money is either a loan or some sort of thing and for that the loaner should have some input but the key is making sure of a guarantee of getting the money back or a return on investment. Not being able to tell the company how to run their business. My mortgage company tells me I have to have certain kinds of insurance on my house in order to get my loan but they don't get involved in telling me where I should work or where and how I spend my money and I can hang pictures on my wall anywhere I please.
If this is where our govt. is headed, I'm not happy and slightly worried.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Quintessential American Songwriters
My daughter and I were just thinking out loud while listening to Jackson Browne when we came up with a poll - pick the quintessential American Songwriter. We thought about Singer/Songwriter but that skews things in a different direction - although many of these are singers too. Comment, vote - whatever but let us know what you think.
Pick one of these (or nominate your someone) who has created a lasting body of work that captures the essence of American life, whose work has endured and crossed genres, time periods, not necessarily the best or most popular songwriter or the most prolific. These are in alpha order. These are 20 we came up with quickly and we likely have left out some very good ones so - vote early, vote often!
the un-scientific Quintessential American Songwriter poll
Irving Berlin
Jackson Browne
Hoagy Carmichael
Johnny Cash
Bob Dylan
Stephen Foster
George and Ira Gershwin
Woody Guthrie
Billy Joel
Don McLean
John Mellencamp
Bill Monroe
Willie Nelson
Cole Porter
Rogers and Hammerstein
Pete Seeger
Paul Simon
Bruce Springsteen
James Taylor
Jimmy Webb
Pick one of these (or nominate your someone) who has created a lasting body of work that captures the essence of American life, whose work has endured and crossed genres, time periods, not necessarily the best or most popular songwriter or the most prolific. These are in alpha order. These are 20 we came up with quickly and we likely have left out some very good ones so - vote early, vote often!
the un-scientific Quintessential American Songwriter poll
Irving Berlin
Jackson Browne
Hoagy Carmichael
Johnny Cash
Bob Dylan
Stephen Foster
George and Ira Gershwin
Woody Guthrie
Billy Joel
Don McLean
John Mellencamp
Bill Monroe
Willie Nelson
Cole Porter
Rogers and Hammerstein
Pete Seeger
Paul Simon
Bruce Springsteen
James Taylor
Jimmy Webb
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Short story idea - Do Over
Walking my two frisky border collies this windy morning and thinking about decisions I've made during my life. We all regret many of them and wish we could have some "do-overs" but life doesn't work that way.
This idea hit me for a story but I have no idea how to flesh it out.
Let's say you got some do-overs but with conditions. The condition being you could go back and pick a point in your life where you wanted to have a do over but the on-going catch is you can't just change that one thing. From that point on, future decisions have to be different as well. Example - you decide to go back at the point of taking some stupid job and change that. Fine, but from that point on, other life choices have to be different. For instance - if you go back to your do-over point and it was BEFORE you got married, then that future choice would have to be different. When your life moved forward to that time in your "re-doing" your life, you'd have to make a different choice, in this case either to marry somebody else OR not get married.
So the point you pick for your do-over is critical because it changes everything AFTER that point. Family decisions, job decisions etc. I haven't decided how deep they need to go.
I have no idea where to go with this idea other than it was intriguing. Some smart soul will no doubt tell me it has been done and provide the name of the movie or book. If so, please do then I can see how they worked it out.
This idea hit me for a story but I have no idea how to flesh it out.
Let's say you got some do-overs but with conditions. The condition being you could go back and pick a point in your life where you wanted to have a do over but the on-going catch is you can't just change that one thing. From that point on, future decisions have to be different as well. Example - you decide to go back at the point of taking some stupid job and change that. Fine, but from that point on, other life choices have to be different. For instance - if you go back to your do-over point and it was BEFORE you got married, then that future choice would have to be different. When your life moved forward to that time in your "re-doing" your life, you'd have to make a different choice, in this case either to marry somebody else OR not get married.
So the point you pick for your do-over is critical because it changes everything AFTER that point. Family decisions, job decisions etc. I haven't decided how deep they need to go.
I have no idea where to go with this idea other than it was intriguing. Some smart soul will no doubt tell me it has been done and provide the name of the movie or book. If so, please do then I can see how they worked it out.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
It is a big deal.
Like many of my like-minded friends, I was disappointed with the outcome of last November’s election. But that was so last year.
Like it or not, today is a huge day in American history for obvious reasons.
But racism is not over. The United States has not (perhaps) fully paid its debt for allowing slavery to ever come to our shores in the first place. Decades of discrimination and Jim Crow laws cannot be wiped away with a few pieces of well-crafted legislation. And electing our first African-American President will not completely wipe away the damage done. It is a start.
But today – and maybe just for today – millions of African-Americans can have hope again. The same kind of hope they felt in 1963 when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech.
None of us should take that hope away from those who have waited so long for this day to take place. I’m sure millions never dreamed this day could ever even happen.
Today is hugely symbolic. Tomorrow Pres. Barack Obama, our 44th President, must get down to the nitty gritty of figuring out how to restore confidence in our economy, how to continue to protect our people from terrorist attacks, and dive into the quagmire we call the Middle East – just to name a few priorities.
And when he does, it won’t matter anymore whether he is black or white or how unusual his last name may be. Will he make choices I don’t like or agree with? Sure, but so did our previous President and the one before him and the one …
I admonished a friend on Facebook yesterday for some disrespectful comments he made about the Inauguration. I was not trying to be holier-than-thou when I reminded him of the 2nd chapter of 1st Timothy. Ironically (or maybe by design), today I was reading in Acts 23, verse 5 where Paul said “Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people,” which has its origins in Exodus 22:28.
I won’t promise to pray for our President every day. Maybe I should. But I’m not faithful enough to always pray for everything important every single day.
But what I can commit to, is to not speak badly of him. I can criticize his decisions, disagree with his policies and even hope he is not re-elected in 2012, but bottom line, he is our President right now which makes him my President and therefore deserving of at least my respect and when possible, my prayers.
Like it or not, today is a huge day in American history for obvious reasons.
But racism is not over. The United States has not (perhaps) fully paid its debt for allowing slavery to ever come to our shores in the first place. Decades of discrimination and Jim Crow laws cannot be wiped away with a few pieces of well-crafted legislation. And electing our first African-American President will not completely wipe away the damage done. It is a start.
But today – and maybe just for today – millions of African-Americans can have hope again. The same kind of hope they felt in 1963 when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech.
None of us should take that hope away from those who have waited so long for this day to take place. I’m sure millions never dreamed this day could ever even happen.
Today is hugely symbolic. Tomorrow Pres. Barack Obama, our 44th President, must get down to the nitty gritty of figuring out how to restore confidence in our economy, how to continue to protect our people from terrorist attacks, and dive into the quagmire we call the Middle East – just to name a few priorities.
And when he does, it won’t matter anymore whether he is black or white or how unusual his last name may be. Will he make choices I don’t like or agree with? Sure, but so did our previous President and the one before him and the one …
I admonished a friend on Facebook yesterday for some disrespectful comments he made about the Inauguration. I was not trying to be holier-than-thou when I reminded him of the 2nd chapter of 1st Timothy. Ironically (or maybe by design), today I was reading in Acts 23, verse 5 where Paul said “Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people,” which has its origins in Exodus 22:28.
I won’t promise to pray for our President every day. Maybe I should. But I’m not faithful enough to always pray for everything important every single day.
But what I can commit to, is to not speak badly of him. I can criticize his decisions, disagree with his policies and even hope he is not re-elected in 2012, but bottom line, he is our President right now which makes him my President and therefore deserving of at least my respect and when possible, my prayers.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Communication Breakdown
Talking with a co-worker the other day and somewhat stating the obvious how the internet has changed everything. Further re-stating the obvious to say how it has becomes so many things that were once something else: shopping malls, town squares, encyclopedias and libraries and bookstores, party-lines (more on this later) - this list could go on ad infinitum.
But I thought about how much had changed in my own experience in terms of communications. Postcards have been replaced by Twitters or emailed pictures ("Wish You Were Here!") When I was young, postcards were a big deal. Does anybody send postcards anymore - beside your dentist to remind that it's time for a cleaning?
Party-lines? Not sure exactly what replaced them but has anyone ever been on one or even remember what they were? As a kid I recall my mother being relieved when we finally got our own private line. We no longer had to pick up the phone and hope somebody wasn't already on the line or that while speaking, someone else wouldn't cut in. Hard to imagine a time when the technology could barely carry one conversation down the copper wires. This was 50 years ago mind you but ... when we moved to Missouri in 1991 we had to have a party-line. Funny thing was at first we were the only party on it. Then we moved and in the next house we had to share a line with the people who bought our first house. Fortunately this didn't last long but for a time we had to listen for a certain ring which meant the call was for us.
Fax machines. These have almost (if not already) been made obsolete by email and attachments etc. But I remember my first fax machine. My job required me to communicate with offices in several countries overseas in vastly different time zones. One day my boss's boss, who was a technology geek, came in with something called a QWIP. Odd thing is, I think it was made by Exxon. It was as big as a laser printer is now and had a drum. You put either blank paper (to receive) on one sheet at a time or if sending you put the page face out on the drum. Secured it in place, picked up the handset, dialed a number, waited for some weird tone and then put the handset in a cradle. After a bit the drum would start to spin. It took between 3 & 6 minutes for one page. Nobody would wait that long for anything today but in 1976, this was a miracle. Didn't matter what time it was overseas, I could send my document (one page at a time of course) whenever I wanted and the next day it would be in Sydney or Manila or wherever.
Telegrams. The last one I remember getting personally was on my wedding day from a close friend in CA (Hi and thanks Roy!) But at work we had two machines: a telex and a TWX. Eventually I learned how to use both of them. They were these big clunky machines we kept in our art department - where photoshop hadn't yet been invented and their primary tools were talent, exacto knives and something by Pantone. I think TWX was faster than a Telex. But both of them printed things out on thin yellow-ish paper. Sending meant manually typing in every word. One of them was in real-time which meant there was no benefit to being a fast typist. The machine could only go so fast. If you went too fast (never was my problem!) it either spit our gibberish on the other end or went into freeze mode.
For some reason on the way to work this morning I guess I was feeling nostalgic for all this old technology. At least I could keep up with it.
But I thought about how much had changed in my own experience in terms of communications. Postcards have been replaced by Twitters or emailed pictures ("Wish You Were Here!") When I was young, postcards were a big deal. Does anybody send postcards anymore - beside your dentist to remind that it's time for a cleaning?
Party-lines? Not sure exactly what replaced them but has anyone ever been on one or even remember what they were? As a kid I recall my mother being relieved when we finally got our own private line. We no longer had to pick up the phone and hope somebody wasn't already on the line or that while speaking, someone else wouldn't cut in. Hard to imagine a time when the technology could barely carry one conversation down the copper wires. This was 50 years ago mind you but ... when we moved to Missouri in 1991 we had to have a party-line. Funny thing was at first we were the only party on it. Then we moved and in the next house we had to share a line with the people who bought our first house. Fortunately this didn't last long but for a time we had to listen for a certain ring which meant the call was for us.
Fax machines. These have almost (if not already) been made obsolete by email and attachments etc. But I remember my first fax machine. My job required me to communicate with offices in several countries overseas in vastly different time zones. One day my boss's boss, who was a technology geek, came in with something called a QWIP. Odd thing is, I think it was made by Exxon. It was as big as a laser printer is now and had a drum. You put either blank paper (to receive) on one sheet at a time or if sending you put the page face out on the drum. Secured it in place, picked up the handset, dialed a number, waited for some weird tone and then put the handset in a cradle. After a bit the drum would start to spin. It took between 3 & 6 minutes for one page. Nobody would wait that long for anything today but in 1976, this was a miracle. Didn't matter what time it was overseas, I could send my document (one page at a time of course) whenever I wanted and the next day it would be in Sydney or Manila or wherever.
Telegrams. The last one I remember getting personally was on my wedding day from a close friend in CA (Hi and thanks Roy!) But at work we had two machines: a telex and a TWX. Eventually I learned how to use both of them. They were these big clunky machines we kept in our art department - where photoshop hadn't yet been invented and their primary tools were talent, exacto knives and something by Pantone. I think TWX was faster than a Telex. But both of them printed things out on thin yellow-ish paper. Sending meant manually typing in every word. One of them was in real-time which meant there was no benefit to being a fast typist. The machine could only go so fast. If you went too fast (never was my problem!) it either spit our gibberish on the other end or went into freeze mode.
For some reason on the way to work this morning I guess I was feeling nostalgic for all this old technology. At least I could keep up with it.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
No more Indy please!
Sorry to say this but I tried to watch the latest installment of Indiana Jones - something about a Crystal Skull and aliens. Somethings just can't be improved upon. In its time Raiders was great. Admittedly I don't think it holds up over time but way back when ...
#2 was too gruesome, dark, etc. #3 was ok mostly because I really like Sean Connery but I confess I don't recall much else about it.
I spent about an hour late one recent Sat evening watching trying to wade thru #4. At about just a few minutes in I almost quit but decided to get some milk and cookies and give it another try. Around 45 minutes I got up but something sat me back down for a few more minutes. But I guess (SPOILER WARNING!) when Shia Lebouf used a big snake to get them out of the sand pit thing - cute that someone remembered Indy's fear and loathing of snakes, but I couldn't go on. The only other thing I think was reasonably clever was making Indy have a son he didn't know about.
I come up with all sorts of ideas and while this one (Indy and son) was not mine, I did write down one for James Bond a few years ago. The premise is that in all Bond's encounters, somewhere he has a son. Eventually they will cross paths. But when they do, his son is going to be on the wrong side of things and this presents Bond Sr. with a dilemma. Save the world or save his son. Probably not new and since I only started watching with Daniel Craig as Bond, there is a lot of Bond history I don't know. So if he already has been there and done this - pardon me. I really didn't know. Otherwise when this storyline makes its way into a movie, remember you heard it from me first or second or third ...
#2 was too gruesome, dark, etc. #3 was ok mostly because I really like Sean Connery but I confess I don't recall much else about it.
I spent about an hour late one recent Sat evening watching trying to wade thru #4. At about just a few minutes in I almost quit but decided to get some milk and cookies and give it another try. Around 45 minutes I got up but something sat me back down for a few more minutes. But I guess (SPOILER WARNING!) when Shia Lebouf used a big snake to get them out of the sand pit thing - cute that someone remembered Indy's fear and loathing of snakes, but I couldn't go on. The only other thing I think was reasonably clever was making Indy have a son he didn't know about.
I come up with all sorts of ideas and while this one (Indy and son) was not mine, I did write down one for James Bond a few years ago. The premise is that in all Bond's encounters, somewhere he has a son. Eventually they will cross paths. But when they do, his son is going to be on the wrong side of things and this presents Bond Sr. with a dilemma. Save the world or save his son. Probably not new and since I only started watching with Daniel Craig as Bond, there is a lot of Bond history I don't know. So if he already has been there and done this - pardon me. I really didn't know. Otherwise when this storyline makes its way into a movie, remember you heard it from me first or second or third ...
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