Month: October 2006

Weekly Mailbag

Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam & more spam.

In the last 2 weeks the spam filtering service we use for my work email address has only let through 7 non-work related messages while stopping 1085. Not bad, huh? I was averaging 67 pieces of spam for that period until the day before yesterday. Thursday morning when I got my report listing blocked mail the number was 104. Pretty high but I have been in that territory, the low 100’s before. But this morning’s report showed a big jump and a new record for a 24 hour period, 177. Lots of multiples of the same subject with different senders. Need some help? was the most sent with six. Simple way to enhance your sexual life. came in next with 5 emails. Then there were about a dozen with 4 and about that many with 3. My favorite subject was Grand message. You should to read. from verdnbs@altamar.com.ph. My favorite sender name was BuckNincompoop@steph.epipterygoid.com who asked Coke or Pepsi?

The Goonies

I guess because with me being 30 and it seemed like it was aimed at kids, when it first came out in 1985 I never saw it. Apparently it is some sort of cult hit if you happened to be an adolescent or pre-teen at the time. I think over the years I have seen bits of it on cable as I surf, but it has never held my interest. Maybe it won’t again, but I’m going to try. I added it to my Netflix rental queue today.

The reason I now feel compelled to try and see it is because a thirty something co-worker saw my northwest vacation photos and said of a Haystack Rock photo, “Hey, that was in The Goonies!”

The movie was partly filmed in Astoria, OR and the main house is still being visited to this day by fans of the movie. Haystack Rock and Ecola State park in Cannon Beach were also used as locations. Take the Location Tour from thegoonies.org.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 424

Mother Would Be So Proud

Daily, I am emailed a PowerPoint presentation with a chart on it that shows how as a plant we are doing towards our goal of shipping out product. Weekly, I get another PowerPoint presentation with 3 lines on it, manufacturing, assembly and total, tracking our service levels (on time delivery.) The reason I get these presentations is not because I need to be keeping abreast of this sort of stuff, but in my capacity as the Arts & Crafts Engineer at ASCO.

I print these charts out on in full technicolor on an 18 x 24 piece of paper and post them outside the cafeteria. These are placed there in the hopes that my fellow associates will be inspired to work harder towards our common goals, but mostly they are ignored by the troops as they file in and out during breaks and lunch.

For the first year or so I sprayed some artists adhesive to the backs of the charts and stuck them to a larger piece of cardboard supported by an easel. About six months ago management decide that the cardboard thing just wasn’t professional enough, so they commissioned a very nice set of wooden frames. The frames even have a, hinged at the top, second frame with a piece of Plexiglas in the middle to protect the charts from outside damage and keep them looking nice. These were hung on the same wall that the easel used to sit in front of with the tops of the frames about 6′ off the ground. Inside the frames I have some miracle of modern science mounting system, it is made of a sort of rubbery sheet that has the same low tack long lasting stickum that is on post-it notes.

My daily routine is to print out my chart and go out to the frame and lift the hinged cover and prop it open on top of my head while I peel the old chart off the sticky mount and carefully smooth out the new chart while balancing the lid up with my head. Because I do this usually at mid morning break for a lot of people, I get some weird looks and comments from folks on their way to the cafeteria for break. Every chance I get I tell them that my mother would be so proud because she was always saying to me, “I wish you would use your head for something besides a hat rack.”

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 424

Congratulations Lou

I was rooting for you to get the Yankee job back when rumor had it that Joe Torre was on his way out after they lost the divisions series against Detroit. Now you’ve taken the job as the manger of the Cubs and it’ll be great to get you back in the dugout…

…and OUT OF THE BROADCAST BOOTH ON FOX because you really sucked at that.

I’m Sorry…

…for last night’s post. It was not very well thought out and not researched properly.

I had a rant all worked up, but my wife quashed the idea by reminding me that certain people read my blog and they might have been offended by my making fun of a particular subject.

So I went with Plan B and I just grabbed a couple of thread titles from the Miata Forum that sounded kind of stupid and didn’t check inside. If I had, I would have found out that the reason I still read the forum every day is because a lot of people that contribute have sharp wits and are not afraid to use them. Some of the comments in the 0-60 times thread were LOL funny.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 423

I Heart The Miata Forum

I keep wondering why I still read the Miata.net Forum. I’ve been hanging out there for years and I’ve pretty much seen it all. In the begining it was all old farts like me and we shared similar experiences and asked simialr questions. Now that Miatas have been out for 17 years the early ones are cheap enough that they are being bought by youngsters and some of them are just clueless. Here is a smattering of current running threads:
are these $32 stainless roll bars any good? – Do you really have to ask?
tastefully illuminated shift knobs? – Same question…
FWD Miata? – Don’t tell me, he used to work at the local Mazda dealer.
0-60mph times!!! – Oh, please!

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 423

It’s All Greek To Me

SteeplesNearly perfect fall weekend. Low 40’s in the mornings and mid 70’s in the afternoon with nary a cloud in the sky.

Saturday morning the lawn got mowed for possibly the last time this year and the driveway was blown off of leaves for the first of many times this year. Lunch was at the Greek Festival in Augusta. Gyros with baklava covered ice cream for desert and sipping an Athenian beer while listening to a group called “One Night in Athens” playing music.

For Sunday, we tossed the hike in the woods and a bike ride to breakfast into the blender and ended up walking a mile and a half to Atlanta Bread Company for bagels. Donna made some of her famous chocolate chip cookies to give to a co-worker (not before I ate a half dozen of them, of which 4 were still hot and gooey from the oven.) After lunch instead of the planned afternoon nap, Donna suggested a car drive, ever the dutiful husband, I agreed. She needed some of those candy sticks she loves, that we can only seem to find at Cracker Barrel, so we had a destination. A hundred and ten miles later we had her candy.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 421