Ha! Found an old GFT to go behind the blog title. I do like the header with the picture better, although as usual Blogger is way behind Wordpress and the slicker blogging platforms in terms of being flexible about altering the template.
And, speaking of templates, I fiddled with the "stretch blue denim" template for a while and didn't like the colors or the unrelieved whiteness of it. I greatly prefer the current style ("Son of Moto") with its green background and the narrow column in the center. Let me know if any of you have a strong feeling one way or the other, tho; in particular if you feel that the stretched full-page style is easier to read.
I'm going to try and have something substantive for Friday, but work may intervene. If any of you see an adorable Asian toddler in North Portland, hug her for me, it's probably my daughter. I haven't seen her in three days - she's probably learnt to ride a tricycle and/or date already. Sigh...
(Hey! Pity party at my place!)
check out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/K&ECollection/GraphicalFiring/K&E_GF_1.htm
Reminds me of the time when we first when to electronic calculators for the command post.
The army declared that the computers were primary and the TFTs were the backup. Therefore, all GFTs were now obsolete and they were to be collected and disposed.
Every Battery Sergeant Major I knew disposed of them by storing them in a hidden location in the back of the QM stores.
It turned out that that first generation of computers were flaky and subject to all sorts of problems in the field. It also turned out that TFTs are *slow* - ya, no surprise.
It didn't take long for a few batteries to sneak them back into service and to consistently report "ready" long before the folks using the books.
Of course, they denied that they were using the "banned" GFTs.
But as the rounds went where they were supposed to (probably more often than the folks using the books) and given that it went much faster, the Colonels cheerfully turned a blind eye to it.
Wish we were at least able to pour you a drink for that party, Chief, but the Goob and I lift one in your honor. Sláinte! As my Dad always says, "This, too, shall pass." Gawd, I hope so.
ReplyDeleteael: Funny - you know what all this has made me think of?
ReplyDeleteThe "BUCS" - old HP71B pocket calculator-cum-fire direction computer - we used to back up the BCS. You could say that the BUCS pioneered "flaky" and "subject to all sorts of problems". When it did work, tho, it worked...
The Amy sure has fielded some odd gadgets (see: M581 GAMA Goat...)
W&G: thanksferdat! And it will...just not as fast as Mojo would like it too...
ReplyDeleteOne of the worst weeks of my life happened back 2002 when I started clocking overtime on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteI worked 11 hours on Saturday, 10 hours on Sunday, 11 hours on Monday, and "only" 9 hours on Tuesday.
On Wednesday morning my work was reviewed and determined to be "substandard" (wonder why) and I was required to redo it by 5:00 Friday. Believe it or not, I made the date and it was accepted on the second try even though I was pretty sure my second try was worse than my first effort.
40 hours by Wednesday? If you're billing by the hour at a decent rate, Chief, the old cash register can really sing. Hope you're not undervaluing your services.
ReplyDeleteAbout ten years ago, while working as a consultant on a major highly classified R&D proposal—where my customer was going after serious government bucks—I made about 50K in November and December, at $100 per hour. It was a very merry XMas at my house, although I didn't enjoy it: all I did was work and sleep like three hours a night.
But I do look back fondly at that particular fat hog. Don't get any of them to cut anymore.
Oh, and we won.
Pluto: ouch! There's a boss that needs to spend some time pulling two-on-four-off guard shifts to understand the whole "I don't think so good when I'm burned to the socket" thing.
ReplyDeletePublius: Ah, for the wild and crazy life of the contractor. I'm afraid that I'm a wage slave - well paid wage slave, but the big money is going to my outfit, not to me.
I do get a break tomorrow to see the kids and my bride, but Saturday it's back to the salt mine...