Pink Floyd Div (tea party subsection)

This morning's WaPo had this picture  (they changed it for the on-line edition - how convenient):

 Nuf said ???

New Heights Div (mountaineering subsection)

Hard to believe that it's been sixty years since Hillary and Norgay reached Everest's summit for the first time.  Though it's become more commonplace, It's still quite an accomplishment.

Day of Disaster !!!! div (aftermath transportation subsection)

Well, interesting day of Driving 4$$. I love my 'lil job  - -  every day is an adventure.

Start off with a call from dispatch to be on the lookout for a couple going to Northern Virginia - "not on your manifest." Turns out they were on the the Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas, that had sailed from Baltimore, and had luckily been safe from the fire.
When I was a travel agent, I used to get beat up for stuff like this !!!

Next up is a couple heading from National Airport to the area in Baltimore affected by the derailment of a CSX freight train.

Something about the report of "a train has derailed and exploded," on the traffic reports just kinda makes you feel that things won't bode well. Work-around was available and things went well.

Like I said, love my 'lil job !!!

Geography Div

Here's a state that's been in the news lately  ............

Hope they recover sufficiently to provide us with some more humor.
The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don't let it get the best of you.
Will Rogers 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Eat My Dust (E.M.D) By the Bluegrass All-Stars

David Grisman - Mandolin, Tony Rice - Guitar, Alison Krause - Fiddle, J.D. Crowe - Banjo and Mark Schatz - Bass

Geography Div (N. African subsection)

To me, Libya will always be associated with the acronym displayed just outside the gate of RAF Lakenheath - home of the 48th TFW - on the morning of 16 April 1986: LIBYA = Lakenheath Is Bombing Your Ass.

Go on, test your skill. See if you can find Benghazi on the map provided below.

It's amazing that so many who had an opinion on the "scandal" surrounding the deaths there don't even know where it is !!  The link has the results of the full survey. Maybe one of these week's we'll try Teapot Dome ???
"One interesting thing about the voters who think Benghazi is the biggest political scandal in American history is that 39% of them don't actually know where it is. 10% think it's in Egypt, 9% in Iran, 6% in Cuba, 5% in Syria, 4% in Iraq, and 1% each in North Korea and Liberia with 4% not willing to venture a guess."

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

NewGrass Revival, another group that brought traditional bluegrass forward into the mainstream here doing their arrangement of Townes Van Zandt's White Freightliner Blues.



Younger versions of Sam Bush - mandolin, Bela Fleck - banjo, Pat Flynn - guitar  & John Cowan - bass

"WE'RE GONNA WIN A PRIZE !!!" Div (Broadcast media subsection)

Arrogance and Ignorance give themselves a pat on the back.

Oh, the humility !!!

Geography Div (East coast subsection)

Gov Christie and his health have been in the news lately ....... here's someone's take on his domain:

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

The Seldom Scene was probably one of the most influential bluegrass (or NewGrass) groups that have come along in a long time.
This is from 1984 and is the second line-up of the original group (Rosenthal replacing John Starling on guitar).
Herb Pederson wrote the song.
Informal leader John Duffey introduces everyone at the end of the number ..... enjoy.

Workin' For a Livin' Div (do you really want fries subsection)

Well, it's finally starting ........  the end of the world as we know it. The nerve of these people to demand a living wage AND deny the public access to expensive, unhealthy food-like consumables.

McDonald's recently actually paid some high powered consultant to study and recommend how they can improve their customer service; it's a real beaut !!

"Reward and Recognize Great Service:"
Just imagine the impact nominating a fellow worker for the "hot pie recommendation award pin;" how it will put a smile on your face and keep you up late at night worrying that you won't be given yours.
The military learned this long ago in the passing out of "gongs" (pieces of carved metal suspended on bits of coloured cloth). Of course many of the "customers" serviced directly by the military performing it's primary mission don't get to critique the service (they do however get a life-changing experience) - the gongs are for each other.
It's amazing that nowhere in the consultant's report did he mention the payment of a living wage.

"Keep simplifying work processes and rules:"
Pretty simple, eh ? If they order a Big Mac, give them one (oh yeah, and ask about the fries).
I remember when McDonalds sold burgers, fries, milk shakes and coke. Period, Stop. No McMeals, No extra-large, just Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry (Oh yeah, there were cheeseburgers too)
The late Jack Palance pretty much sums up this point:



"Invest more in tools and training:"
well, duh ???  Companies today don't spend nearly enough on training and it's the first expense to be cut when times are tough (right after laying people off).

I certainly hope the workers make an impact on the industry.
Like I've said before, a single-payer, universal health-care system would do wonders for the empowerment of the working population.
Maybe withholding their labor will make us all healthier.

Keep Your Hands to Yourself Div (Military Subsection)

I guess that the number of female type persons in the military has increased over the past 25 years since I retired. That isn't to say that they weren't around back in the days. I even remember some of the first female aircrew members  (and the associated male attitudes and comments). Needless to say, the ladies were really up to the task and probably felt that they had to be twice as good as any guy just to measure up and be accepted - - - talk about threatening !!.

When I was single, I dated female service members, though never enlisted and never any woman that worked with or for me.

I found the gals (no slur intended) that worked for me to be competent, motivated and above reproach. I also knew guys that made fools of themselves around female contemporaries (and subordinates) ... and a couple that made complete shambles of their marriages and/or careers by letting the "one-eyed worm" dictate their actions.

The current (and seemingly endless) chronicle of the Air Force's problem (and the military's in general) is troubling. I could never imagine that the CIC would have to put out the word that it was unacceptable.

The histories surrounding the stalled/failed careers of two Air Force flag officers make me shake my head in wonder. The arrest of a Pentagon staffer (ironically in charge of the program to prevent sexual harassment) is the frosting on the cake.

Geography Div ...... (driving directions subsection)

Many times, getting from Point A to Point B simply requires a good set of directions and the right equipment ............

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Live recording of the Kentucky Colonels doing Sally Goodin. Probably recorded on the West Coast during the mid-sixties (they were California based and stopped performing together in 1965).
Unfortunately, the old fiddle tune has no fiddle break.



Clarence White - Guitar; Roland White - Mandolin; Billy Ray Latham - Banjo;  I suspect Roger Bush on Bass (Roger also played Banjo)
Additional band members (not on this cut) were Bobby Sloane - Fiddle & Bass and LeRoy Mack - Dobro.

Computer Div ... (frustration and ignorance subsection)

This computer stuff can really be exasperating. When I expect something to happen and it doesn't, you don't know if the machine is screwing up or if it's me. (As it sez in my mini-profile below, I'm a computer neophyte.
Lately, Safari (yeah, I'm a Mac person) has been freezing any yielding the whirling pinwheel of whatever. Sometimes it simply shuts down ........ sometimes not. Usually, shutting down the machine and re-booting fixes it (for a while anyway).
Been to the "Genius Bar" four times in the past two weeks. Replaced both sticks of RAM and reloaded the OS.
Been acting up again !!! Tomorrow will probably erase the thing and reload from scratch !!!
Guess I'll preposition some stuff for Idle Hands.