Memoirs of a Geisha - Peter Goulden

T's Rates IT: T T T T T

The Final Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

T's Rates IT: T T

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire

T's Rates IT: T T T T T

Belwether - Connie Willis

T's Rates IT: T T T T T

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Failure To Launch

T's Rates IT: T T t

Mission Impossible 3

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X-Men III

T's Rates IT: T T T T T

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Name:
Location: Houston, Texas, United States

It ain't the years, It's the mileage. I was raised a military brat, and wanderlust still comes over me every 3 or 4 years. Still love to travel.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Merry Christmas to all

And to all a good night!

from Texas T's

Monday, December 19, 2005

This Just In: Downsizing Reaches the North Pole

The recent announcement that Donner and Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced, and about other restructuring decisions at the North Pole.

Streamlining was appropriate in view of the reality that the North Pole no longer dominates the season's gift distribution business. Home shopping channels and mail order catalogues have diminished Santa's market share and he could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of the profit picture.


The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip. Improved productivity from Dasher and Dancer, who summered at the Harvard Business School, is anticipated and should take up the slack with no discernible loss of service. Reduction in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emissions for which the North Pole has been cited and received unfavourable press.


I am pleased to inform you and yours that Rudolph's role will not be disturbed. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole. Management denies, in the strongest possible language, the earlier leak that Rudolph's nose got that way not from the cold, but from substance abuse. Calling Rudolph "a lush who was into the sauce and never did pull his share of the load" was an unfortunate comment, made by one of Santa's helpers and taken out of context at a time of year when he is known to be under executive stress.


As a further restructuring, today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps.


Effective immediately, the following economy measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" subsidiary:

The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted. It will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance.

The two turtle doves represent a redundancy that is simply not cost effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are therefore eliminated.

The three French hens will remain intact. [After all, everyone loves the French]

The [four calling birds] were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked.

The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order.

The six geese-a-laying constitutes a luxury which can no longer be afforded. It has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity. Three geese will be let go, and an upgrading in the selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it gets will be a good one.

The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. The function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes and therefore enhance their outplacement.

As you know, the eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. The more militant maids consider this a dead-end job with no upward mobility. Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring or a-mulching.

Nine ladies dancing has always been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.

Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work congressmen. While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant because we expect an oversupply of unemployed congressmen this year.

Eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big. A substitution with a string quartet, a cutback on new music and no uniforms will produce savings which will drop right down to the bottom line.

We can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved.

Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession ("thirteen lawyers-a- suing") action is pending.

Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the right number.
Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 16, 2005

An Old Familiar Feeling...

Was in the garage earlier this week before I went to work. Wanted to take a couple of progress shots of my test track. See one of my other Blogs for infoon that.

Anyway...I was sitting at my workbench after getting the shots I wanted. I knocked something off the bench. A paintbrush...A screwdriver...I dunno...and I bent over while still seated to pick it up....And...(I know better)

Who-o-o-o-o-sh!!

...Before I realized what was happening, the dang chair flew out from under my (you know whatsis!) and I found myself sitting suddenly and somewhat painfully on the floor.

This chair actually sits about barstool height so it was just enough distance to hurt really good.

I pushed the chair caster out of my crack and lay back on the floor.The feeling in my lower back was...familiar somehow.

Oh yeah! Now I remember...Dammit!

Several years ago after a stupid stunt. I had cracked my sacrum. It took literally years before if felt good to sit, lay or even walk, comfortably, really.

As I lay there on the floor, hoping against hope that I had just bruised that pointy little piece of bone, I realized I still had to get my ass up and go to work...

Not a fun way to start your day...

Shit!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

You Ain't From Around Here are Ya, Boy?

In this month's issue of Texas Monthly, Evan Smith, the editor of that fine magazine, touched on a point that never ceases to light a fire under me, in his column.

The Question of One's Texanness

Mr. Smith, I feel your pain. I for one, am pretty sick and tired of those self righteous, "I was born here, You weren't...So go Home!" types like Mr. Dick Reavis, who is cited in the editorial. This kind of attitude never fails to get my rankles up. I dunno why, all these types are showing is their foolishness. But I can't help it. I've been dealing with these dudes for almost thirty years now, and that crap still gets under my skin.

Mr. Smith, I know this because I ran into one of these guys a few weeks ago during a visit on the annual Holiday Model Railroading tour in Houston. "Wish all you folks would go back to where ever the Hell you came from!" Made my blood boil it did. If I hadn't been standing in his train room at the time, having a conversation with another transplanted Texan, who was doing this dude's scenery on his layout, a shouting match probably would have ensued. Instead I bit my tongue and muttered under my breath, "I've been here 30 years and I ain't goin' anywhere!" Scenery guy looked me in the eye and winked. I could tell I was flushed.

No, I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could.

I was born in North Chicago. Not as bad as New York (according to some of these dudes). How I ended up in Texas is probably a story in itself, but for the sake of I've got other stuff to do today, I'll be (relatively) brief.

My dad was military, so we moved every two to three years. So I've got high mileage. Our last station was at NAS JAX in Jacksonville, FLA. Dad had the good sense to die while still on active duty there, leaving my Mom to raise me and my two little sisters by herself.

Never one to avoid trouble I managed to get in some. Trouble was not hard to find in Northeast Florida in the 1970's. So I was able to find some. Well, alot of trouble actually.

Suffice it to say I was a real handful. Not my Mom's fault...She did her best. I was a rotten spoiled kid.

I managed to graduate from NB Forrest High School (on the west side of Jacksonville) in June 1976 in spite of myself. I wasn't stupid, just the opposite in fact. I was so smart in fact, the great state of Florida asked me to leave.

They didn't care where I went, JUST GO! NOW!

I had been in contact with a friend that had graduated a year or so before me. He, like me had been a troubled adolescent and after a stint in the military, ended up on Houston's East End.

I jumped off the bus at the Greyhound station in Houston, one muggy night in late 1976 or early 1977. And I've been here ever since. I met the Queen, also not a native, in Texas. Our three kids were all born here.

I've made a life for myself (and others) here. If I had stayed where I was, I'd most likely be dead at this point. Long ago.

Instead I came here, to the land of opportunity and carved out a productive life. One that my forebears would be (mostly) proud of...

I'm with you, Evan! Texan by choice!