Smartest States ranking for 2006 - 2007

For those of you that wonder where your state ranks...

2006-2007 Smartest State Award
	RANK	STATE	SMART RATING	2005-2006 RANK	CHANGE
1	Vermont	18.57	1	0
2	Massachusetts	16.09	3	1
3	Connecticut	14.46	2	-1
4	New Jersey	14.35	4	0
5	Maine	10.79	5	0
6	Virginia	10.07	7	1
7	Montana	9.55	9	2
8	Wisconsin	9.04	8	0
9	Iowa	8.82	14	5
10	Pennsylvania	8.69	11	1
11	Nebraska	6.40	12	1
12	New Hampshire	5.90	15	3
13	Minnesota	5.33	6	-7
14	Rhode Island	4.31	16	2
15	Kansas	4.27	13	-2
16	New York	3.66	10	-6
17	South Dakota	3.25	18	1
18	Maryland	2.27	19	1
19	Wyoming	1.35	17	-2
20	Idaho	1.29	28	8
21	North Dakota	0.95	20	-1
22	Missouri	0.94	21	-1
23	North Carolina	0.84	22	-1
24	Indiana	0.06	26	2
25	Texas	-0.11	24	-1
26	South Carolina	-1.19	29	3
27	Colorado	-1.32	23	-4
28	Delaware	-2.47	25	-3
29	Florida	-2.90	36	7
30	Tennessee	-3.01	41	11
31	Kentucky	-3.24	35	4
32	Arkansas	-3.44	37	5
33	Washington	-3.85	30	-3
34	Ohio	-4.00	31	-3
35	Illinois	-4.32	32	-3
36	Oklahoma	-5.81	39	3
37	West Virginia	-5.82	34	-3
38	Utah	-6.30	33	-5
39	Michigan	-6.43	27	-12
40	Oregon	-6.87	38	-2
41	Georgia	-6.92	40	-1
42	Hawaii	-9.31	42	0
43	New Mexico	-10.60	48	5
44	Louisiana	-10.95	45	1
45	Alabama	-11.00	43	-2
46	Alaska	-11.91	44	-2
47	California	-13.10	46	-1
48	Mississippi	-14.78	49	1
49	Nevada	-15.81	47	-2
50	Arizona	-17.61	50	0
For more details about methodology, visit Morgan Quitno Press online.

--
RMSTringer
+++++++++++++++

This week...

It has been a hectic week for me. I worked at Qimonda Monday and Tuesday night and then went to Culpepper Virginia on Wednesday and worked with Sun Controll Systems for that evening and the next day. Then I came home and I am now at work in the FAB for the next 3 nights on my regular work schedule. The weather is crappy with lots of rain and people here in Richmond do not know how to drive in ANY kind of weather!!! Oh well, more l8terz.

The EU has some energy trouble as well...

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.
Im not saying that we are not as wasteful, but this is very interesting!! At lest we know that we are not the only ones that are wasteful!!

A poll of 5,000 Europeans by the Energy Saving Trust found the average Briton admitted to 32 bad habits such as leaving lights on in empty rooms, more than twice as many as the most energy conscious nation.
In interviews last month released for the start of Energy Efficiency Week today, Germans admitted to having 14 energy wasting habits, the Spanish 16, the French 19 and the Italians 25.
Britain's bad habits
* 71 per cent leave appliances on standby
* 67 per cent boil more water than needed in kettles
* 65 per cent leave chargers plugged in
* 63 per cent don't turn off lights in empty rooms
* 48 per cent use the car for short journeys
* 44 per cent wash clothes at 60F
* 32 per cent leave the engine running while the car is stationary
* 32 per cent use the tumble dryer when the washing line could be used
* 28 per cent have the central heating on in an empty house
* 22 per cent turn up the thermostat instead of reaching for a jumper

Estimations of what would happen if humans just vanished from the earth

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

Television: The Hidden Picture

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

This is a VERY interesting article...


Rixon Stewart

The old line about British television being the best in the world is a debateable one. What is beyond dispute though is the fact that Britons are a nation of TV addicts and with the advent of cable and satellite TV that trend is likely to continue. Whether or not that is a good thing is another matter entirely. For its influence could literally be described as deadening, as a growing amount of scientific evidence would seem to indicate. But don’t expect to hear that from the mainstream media, particularly television; there is simply too much at stake here, politically and economically, for what follows to become more widely known. According to Daniel Reid, writing in the Tao of Health Sex and Longevity, the rays from a TV flicker erratically, causing uneven and irregular stimulation of the retina. “This choppy stimulus is transferred directly into the brain via the optic nerve, which in turn irritates the hypothalamus.
In scientific experiments conducted in the US but ignored by both the government and the television industry, rats exposed to colour TV for six hours a day became hyperactive and extremely aggressive for about a week. Thereafter they suddenly became totally lethargic and stopped breeding entirely.” In effect their endocrine systems had been ‘burnt out;’ equally significant was the fact that during the experiment the TV screens were kept covered in thick black paper so that only the invisible rays came through. Thus the damage was done, not by the visible rays, but by the invisible radiation.
These findings were echoed by Dr H.D. Youmans of the U.S. Bureau of Radiological Health, quoted by Associated Press in 1970: “We found rays escaping from the vacuum tubes to be harder and of higher average energy than we expected. They penetrated the first few inches of the body as deeply as 100-kilowatt diagnostic X-rays. You get a uniform dose to the eyes, testes and bone marrow.” The same year Dr Robert Elder, director of the BRH, testified before Congress that even very minute doses of radiation, which fall below the legal limit cause damage and that the damage is cumulative.
In fact the evidence is beginning to mount to the point where it can no longer be ignored, unless you happen to watch a lot of TV, in which case you may not have noticed the results of a study by Sally Ward. One of Britain’s leading authority’s on children’s speech development, she completed a ten year study which showed that the background noise in the average two year olds day can delay his or her acquisition of a language by up to a year. Almost invariably the background noise came from television. Amongst other things she found that: · Children learn to speak from their parents and parents don’t play or talk enough with their children when the TV is on. ·
Background noise from TV or radio, confuses infants. In response they learn to ignore all noise and then they ignore speech. · Children of two years or older should not be exposed to more than two hours of TV a day. · Children of one year old or younger should not be exposed to television at all.. Sally Ward is currently preparing to focus on television and the way it affects our attention. In particular she will be looking at Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). “. . . a lot of people think it’s chemical,” she says, but in her view . . . “it’s very peculiar that at the onset of children’s television it got a lot more prevalent, and at the onset of children’s video’s it got a lot more prevalent.”
Her concern is being reiterated in America where child psychologist John Rosemond has stirred some controversy by suggesting that ADHD is environmentally created; a suggestion that is completely at odds with the pharmaceutical industry, which maintains that the disorder is genetically inherited and makes considerable profit as a result. “Ritalin may work, temporarily,” says Rosemond, “But pharmaceutical intervention won’t change behavioural and motivational problems.” And these he blames on television – “the endlessly changing images, flickering like the attention spans of ADHD children.”
Interestingly, Rosemond began questioning the role of TV after his own son began displaying symptoms of ADHD. In response he got rid of his television and within six weeks the boy’s behaviour was transformed. Today he is a commercial airline pilot, a job which requires some concentration. Still, there may well be a place for television in modern society: in our prisons. No seriously. At a time when its budget is being cut by over 15% you may ask why the prisons service is spending an estimated £5 million on television sets for a third of its inmates? Why? Well, according to David Roddan, general secretary of the prison governors association: “It’s the best control mechanism you can think of.”

Sodoku...

A fellow coworker showed me this interesting game tonight at work. Sodoku live is the main website. i thought that some of you might like it, So, i placed a game at the end of the BLOG for everyone to try.
Enjoy!!!

Winter...

Well it seams that we are going to get our first real blast of cold air this weekend. It is going to be into the upper 30s on Saturday morning and only in the 60s during the weekend. I cant wait because, cold means snow skiing this season. Wintergreen here I come!!!

 

RMStringer

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You have no conscience and it seems you never will - Cyberaktif

 

 

Virginia State Fair.

Well, we got to go today after a failed attempt yesterday due to weather.  We had over 5.5 inches of rain since Thursday night!!!  My yard is looking GOOD!!!  The fair was good, but I did not think that it was as good as the South Texas State Fair in Beaumont or the Star of Texas Fair/Rodeo in Austin. I figured for a state fair, it should have been better and bigger. I start back on shift tomorrow night…

 

More l8ter.

 

RMStringer

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You have no conscience and it seems you never will - Cyberaktif

 

 

The Constitution of the United States 2.0

I just saw this on a web article. I thought that some of yall might enjoy this...


The Constitution of the United States 2.0
By Devilstower 09/30/2006 10:06:13 PM EST

As there have lately been so many changes to the basic functioning of the United States -- a shift of powers here, a whittling away of rights there, it seems a good time to issue a revised version of the basic operating document. This is the real Republican Contract with America.
We the Republicans of the United States, in Order to prevent any challenge to our continued Supremacy, free ourselves from the Confines of Justice, placate the Tranquil masses, degrade the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of War Profiteering for ourselves and our Friends, do ordain and establish Constitution 2.0 for the United States of America.

ARTICLE ISection 1
All legislative Powers are hereby ceded to the Executive branch, though the Congress will still make a Grand Noise and wave their arms as if they give a Damn.

Section 2
The House of Representatives will consist of those best able to Lick the Boots of the Lobbyists and Corporations lining their pockets.
No one can be a Representative unless Fox News says that he is a Patriotic American,
Representation shall be apportioned based on numbers of people willing to Pay for the Privilege. The actual Enumeration shall be made whenever it is of benefit to Republicans.
Representatives will choose a Speaker and other Officers by how willing these Officers are to turn a blind eye to the Crimes of Republicans and how Loudly they will Declare the Daily Talking Points.

Section 3
The Senate shall... oh hell, just see Section 1.
The Vice President shall be President of the Senate and can use any Four Letter Word he wants in talking to Senators, so F-You, Leahy.

Section 4
Elections will be held whenever Diebold is prepared to provide the Right Results.

Section 5
Each House shall make a mockery of policing itself and shall be free to throw out all the Democrats they want, but Republicans who engage in Pederasty shall be protected.

Section 6
Republican Senators and Representatives will enjoy a Revolving Door of organizations who pay for votes, and give them jobs any time they are taking a break.

Section 7
The House and Senate shall apply a large Rubber Stamp to every suggestion issued by the President.

Section 8
The House shall raise all the taxes they want on the poor and middle-class so long as they leave the Rich alone.
The Congress will dodge all responsibility for decisions on War.

Section 9
The rules of Immigration shall be set in a way that protects Republican majorities.

Section 2
The President can wear any uniform he wants and pretend to fly planes.

Section 3
The President and the Congress should split some beers now and then, but he doesn't have to invite any Democrats.

Section 4
Having sex is a good Reason to get rid of a President. Lying, being Incompetent, Wasting Billions, and getting Thousands of Americans Killed, is fine.

ARTICLE III
This Article was full of that Judge stuff, so we just took it out.

ARTICLE IV
We can declare any place we want part of the United States so they can call their stuff "Made in the USA," but don't go thinking they get representation.

ARTICLE V
Amendments to the Constitution will only be for Really Important Stuff, like how scared we are of Homos and Foreign People.

ARTICLE VI
You can ignore any part of this Constitution if it gets in the way of Profit or something that gets Republicans elected.

ARTICLE VII
People are supposed to be afraid all the Time, otherwise they do too damn much Thinking.

..."On the night shift..."

Well my friends, I have come to the conclusion that I like working nights. it is less busy and you can do your work and not have to worry about all the political crap that is associated with the day shift. Although, my fate as it is seems to be undecided, on which shift I will ultimately end up on is not concluded; I can only hope that it will be for the best of me and the company. More later as details are disclosed.

Good night and good luck - Edward R. Murrow
RMStringer

Yard Work...

Well, it started over 2 weeks ago. I lowered my lawn mower and cut the crass very low to get it ready for the aerator that myself and 2 other neighbors were renting. Last weekend, we went and got the machine and I proceeded to aerator my lawn, WHAT A TASK in the front. The hill from hell was very tough!! On the flipside, the back and side yards were nothing. After I was through using the machine, my back was killing me!! I did not drop the seed and lime on the yard that day because of the chance of strong storms. I did not want the rain to wash all of my seeds off the lawn. I waited until today and proceeded to do it this morning, by afternoon, we had a cool front come through and it rained like crazy!! I hope that all my seeds did not was down the hill to the road. I will have to see if it happened...

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

 

RMStringer

********************

"To open the eternal worlds, to

open the immortal eyes Of man

Inwards, into the worlds of thought, into Eternity". ITN

 

 

 

Disney or Dusmney?

I flip through the TV channels that we have on our TV and I stop sometimes and just wonder about the number of show that are directed at tweens and young teens. There are any number of them and in my opinion; they are very dumming and demeaning to me and everyone’s intelligence. I watched cartoons as a child and I sneak in one every so often, but I think that they were more straight forward about their content. Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows are very child like and have no substance, only fodder for kids to stay inside and be dummed by their talking down to and ridiculous content. I’ll admit that some have a few redeeming qualities, but most in my opinion, aren’t suitable for a 3 year old much less a 13-14 year old young person. They play 24-7 on those two channels. I personally take offense to they way that they portray young adults and tweens to the millions of viewers. My daughter loves to watch them and it bothers me that she is so wrapped up in them. What to do? Am I just too old to enjoy a tween show such as She’s So Raven with my daughter or am I on to something?

RMStringer

________________________________

For all of you office people out there...

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

THE "LARK" PROGRAM

---

A Lady liberal wrote a lot of letters to the White House complaining about the treatment of a captive insurgent (terrorist) being held in Guantanamo Bay. She received back the following reply: The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20016 Dear Concerned Citizen, Thank you for your recent letter roundly criticizing our treatment of the Taliban and Al Quada detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Our administration takes these matters seriously and your opinion was heard loud and clear here in Washington. You'll be pleased to learn that, thanks to the concerns of citizens like yourself, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist Retraining Program, to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers" program, or LARK for short. In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to place one terrorist under your personal care. Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday. Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personal ly demanded in your letter of complaint. It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly recommended in your letter. Although Ahmed is a sociopath and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem" will help him overcome these character flaws. Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. We understand that you plan to offer counseling and home schooling. Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We advise that you do not ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group. He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him. Ahmed will not wish to interact with you or your daughters (except sexually), since he views females as a subhuman form of property. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him and he has been known to show violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the new dress code that he will recommend as more appropriate attire. I'm sure you will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the burka -- over time. Just remember that it is all part of "respecting his culture and his religious beliefs" -- wasn't that how you put it? Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks like you keep us informed of the proper way to do our job. You take good care of Ahmed - and remember. we'll be watching. Good luck! Cordially, your friend, Don Rumsfeld

Stuff i work on.

All of these products are made by Muratech.
The first picture is a Stocker, the second picture is a LEM and the third picture is an OHT. we have to keep these systems up and running to keep the products going to the FAB tools. Time is money!! If our systems go down, we hold up production and when that happens, people get UPSET!! Well, I started overtime at lunch today and I will be on it all day tomorrow as well. I go on shift next week. I am excited about it as I will have days off during the week and also on the weekend. I really enjoy my job as I am learning lots of new stuff!

More l8terz...

Shift Work

Well, I start shift work next week. They are placing me on Nights 1 and I will be training with a very good tech. I am going to like the shift work here as I will work Monday on days, then have Tuesday off and go to work on Wednesday night and Thursday night and have Friday thru Sunday off. Not a bad week.

I really enjoy my job so far and I will keep people up to date as things happen.

RMStringer

********************

"To open the eternal worlds, to

open the immortal eyes Of man

Inwards, into the worlds of thought, into Eternity". ITN

Clean Rooms, FABS, and ME...

Well, I have worked 3 days at Qimonda. When I first walked into the FAB, I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!! I did not know what really to expect, but it was amazing. All of the chip making tools like Applied Materials, ASML, DNSE, just to name a few. The robots are all Murata as well as the LEM and OHT. The OHT takes wafers to the tools and the LEM only moves wafers from storage to storage. . IT is about 250,000 sq/ft of space. Very large. It is a 300mm chip wafer that comes out in inches, that is 12 inches; they also have a 200mm FAB that is 8 inches. It is said, that there are planes to build a 450mm FAB at that site, time will tell. I am getting to work on robots ad keep them running. I am learning their systems and procedures. I have to dress fully in a clean room suit. From head to toe. It is a class 10 facility and we can have no hair or skin showing. I have a picture of me in my suit that I am posting on the Blog as well. I am working only days now, but will go to shift work around the end of October. Or that is the plane at the moment. Well, more later.

A split-second - rigor-mortis!!! Nuff Said!!!!

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

For all the Club Heads that look at my BLOG, This one is for you. Thsi song was one of the 1st discs that purchased. A Split Second - Rigor Mortis

Lots of new stuff...

I have been updating my BLOG over the last 3 days and i have added LOTS of new content to it. New banners and videos. So, go through the whole BLOG and look at stuff. It might just bring back some old memories from the 1980s! I will keep adding content as i get time to do so. I hope to have a proper website up soon as i need to purchase server space somewhere and get our family site back up. i will keep everyone posted.

 

Enjoy the BLOG!!!

 

PLEASE post, i like to hear what people have to say!!!

 

RMStringer

################################

 

Opus - Life Is Life

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

I used to LOVE THIS SONG!!!! 1 hit wonder...

Martika - Toy Soldier's

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.
Remember this song...

Frida - I Know There's Something Going On

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.
I never saw this video...

Simply Red - Holding Back The Years

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

Video...Linear - Sending All My Love

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

Rain out all weekend...

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

Forigner!! and we all will become Juke Box Heros... well, we did not make it to the show. I has rained here since Monday night and we are under a Flash Flood watch till tomorrow night. Better luck next year.

Industrial Dance Music List

If any are interested in seeing this new list, please email me personally.

 

RMStringer

************************

LAST FM

BLOG - BOB's Thoughts

 

Updates

I just updated my Blog look and style with some new links and stuff!!

 

RMStringer

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You have no conscience and it seems you never will - Cyberaktif

 

Qimonda Semiconductors

I start to work next week with Qimonda as a tech. We will be working shift work with the schedule of 3 on, 4 off-4 on, 3 off. Not a bad deal as ever 2 weeks, you get 4 days off. The machinery i will be will be Muratech. I found this job through ColonialWebb contractors who have the maintenance contract for the next 4 years. I am going to learn so much from this company and I am very excited to have the opportunity to embark on this new career. I thought about trying to get in the industry way back in 1994 for Motorola when I lived in Arizona. It did not work out, but with luck and prayers, this will work out very well for me.

I will keep everyone in the loop as things unfold...

Partners...

How do we know that we person that we are with is the correct person? Is it a feeling? I have been with my wife for 6+ years. I know that I am not the easiest person to live with and that we have had some hard times, but through it all, she has been at my side. Are we put with someone by God? or is is purely by chance? I have known Sondra for nearly 20 years. We both went to Jasper High School but we did not hang out or associate with eachother. IT wasn't until about the year 2000 that we ran into eachother back in Jasper that we started talking. Was it fate that we "found" eachother at that time in our lives?

I think that it has so far been a great saga, one of rebirth and healing, that is still unfolding as we speak. We have been all over the counrty together and through it all, raising a beautiful daughter/stepdaughter together. We have had some adventures and some sorrowful times as well, the loss of her Dad and the loss of my Stepfather. But, through it all, we have made it! I am at present, embarking on the most important job interview with Qimonda Semiconductors this morning, It is my make/break interview for this position. Wish me luck!!

I know that divorce happens in this life, that couples grow apart, but I do not want this to happen and I will try my best to make it not. I love her and my daughter with all my heart, but is love always enough? Compatibility is a major factor within any marriage or perhaps incompatibility is a major factor in divorce...

I a person is able to know love, even for a little while, it is a good thing. Like a live from a DR. Strange when his lover leaves and goes back to her world, "It is better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all"

Have a good day and God Bless!!

Charlie Daniels Band @ Innsbrook After Hours

WELL, we saw him tonight at Innsbrook After Hours and WHAT A SHOW!!!! He played all of his greatest hits like Devil Went Down To Georgia, Trudy, Simple Man, and In America just to name a few! Charlie Daniels played for just under 2 hours and for $10, you cant beat that!!! I was realy impressed with his guitar play and his fiddle playing!!! He truly is a musical icon...Next week we go and see Forigner!! and we all will become Juke Box Heros...

Interview Today with Qimonda Semiconductors...

I had one of my most hard interviews that I have ever had today. There were a total of 4 people in the room. @were on conference call and 2 were live in the room. They asked me lots of questions about Electrical and Electronics. I answered them to my fullest knowledge. Some answers were hard to remember because my electronically training was over 10 years ago!!  I remember lots though, I am very optimistic about the interview. I will let everyone know.

 

RMStringer

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The significant problems we face

cannot be solved at the same level

of thinking we were at when

we created them: Albert Einstein

 

My Brother...

My brother, Clifton, who is in seminary at Duke University is from Austin Texas. He emailed me the other day and told me of his My Space Account and about some songs that they recorded over the summer. He has always been into music and I just listened to his tracks....WOW PUNK to the CORE!!! Here is the url: http://www.myspace.com/someorsomething

The name of their band is Some or Some Thing!!!! Check them out!!!

More St. Thomas Pics...

More To Come...

Two Arab mothers ...

Very Good!!!!! LMAO!!!

RMStringer

#################

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,

anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Author Unknown

---

Two Arab mothers are sitting in the cafe strip chatting over a pint of
>goat's milk. The older of the mothers pulls her bag out and starts
>skipping
>through photos, and they start reminiscing. "This is my oldest son
>Mohammed. He's 24 years old now"
>
>"Yes, I remember him as a baby" says the other mother cheerfully.
>
>"He's a martyr now though" mom confides.
>
>"Oh, so sad dear" says the other.
>
>"And this is my second son Kalid. He's 21"
>
>"Oh, I remember him," says the other happily, "he had such curly hair when
>he was born".
>
>"He's a martyr, too" says mom quietly.
>
>"Oh gracious me ...." says the other.
>
>"And this is my third son. My baby. My beautiful Ahmed. He's 18 she
>whispers.
>
>"Yes" says the friend enthusiastically, "I remember when he first started
>school".
>
>"He's a martyr also," says mum, with tears in her eyes.
>
>After a pause and a deep sigh, the second Muslim mother looks wistfully at
>the photographs and says...
>
>"They blow up so fast, don't they?"

Neat Pic!!!

I thought that yall might like this.

http://www.teamronin.com/book/

Gas, What a crock of Shit...

I welcome Comments to my BLOG.

Amaco BP...LOOSERS!! WTF?? This is ridiculous. 15 years of no fixing the pipeline? I have worked in Chemical plants and construction facilities for many years and ALL do maintenance on their equipment. Just another ploy to make us pay out the ass for gas. They should be fined to HELL and BACK!!!

Now, back to your regular scheduled program and more pics to follow.

St. Thomas USVI Pics... Part 1

Here are some of them.

Vacation...

We got back in from St Thomas last night. We were there for 7 wonderful days and i have lots to talk about and lots of pics to put up so stay tuned!!! It sucked to come home...

This week and today...

Well, I have worked for the last 11 days straight and today was the last day of the high work as seen in the last Blog entry.  I just have to go to the JPJ arena for several days and finish up some loose ends on the electrical.  I hope to finish up by Thursday and be off Friday  to get a few things done in preparation for St Thomas on Saturday!!!  I cant wait and I will have some great pics of the Blog when we get back!!  Today was my daughters Birthday Party.  She was born on July 8, 1993 but chose to have her party today for all her friend to be able to come over. She asked me to grill shrimp as she and all of her friends like my cooking, so I did and I cooked 3 pounds!!  IT is all gone! We all kept eating it…Yum Yum. Well more l8ter.

 

Ciao…

 

RMStringer

________________________________

What have I done

What lies I have told

I've played games with the ones that

rescued my soul

Oh, have I come to the point where I'm losing the grip

Or is it still time to get into

The swing of things  - A - Ha   1986

 

WORK @ UVA JPJ Arena this week...

These are pictures of me working nearly 100 feet above the ground at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA Where i have been working for the last 2 months. I was pulling wire for the window treatments on the upper tier of the arena. The picture does not do justice to the lenght of the span of windows. it is over 100 feet long across them. I was tied off to a life-line and crawling around on a 4 foot wide window ledge made of sheetrock!! The photo of me and the other person is my boss that i work with. I was just glad that it was cloudy weather as it would be hotter than all get out on those East facing windows. We are just about through with this job and i will be working in Culpepper Virginia for the next several weeks. I am tired and need to get some sleep tonight as i am working all weekend.

CAIO...

July 3, 2006...

Well, it was my 35th birthday yesterday. We had some friends over from the neighborhood and several other people. I think that we made soem new friends with a couple as their daughter and ours are good friends and the girls father is a big music freak. So, we hit it off very well. Today, there is going to be a Block Party here at our neighborhood and lots of people are going to cook and drink and have fun then walk over to the lake and watch for fireworks tonight!!!

I hope that everyone has a Great 4th and rest fo the week.

Caio...

Family Visiting Vacation...

Well, my Mother and Grandmother came out from Texas to visit us for 8 days. They got here on the 15th of June and stayed till the 22nd of June. I came home from Culpeper on Friday the 16th.

That Saturday, we got up and went to Virginia Beach. We had a wonderful time. we got there around 10am and left near 4pm. It was very nice and sunny with dolphins and crabs everywhere. A lady told me that there are over 800 dolphins that live in the waters off Virginia Beach!!! I got to see a few of them jump out fo the water!!!


There were also SOOO many Ghost Crabs living on that beach! I have NEVER seen so many in one place. I got some good shots of them:

They were VERY FAST. I chased then along the shores and they could keep up with me running. It was very funny.





On Sunday, we got up and went to Mt Vernon, George Washington's Home. It was Incredible. We toured his estate and it was awe inspiring!! We were so close to DC, that we had to take them to see some of the sights. My grandmother had been and we have been there 3 times. We will go back again as you cannot due it justice in a few hours.



Just a note people, IF you see text that is a different color, click it, it is a hyperlink to more information about the stuff that I am babbling about.





On Monday, I went to work in Charlottesville and that afternoon, I met them and we went to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's house.
He was an incredible man and was our 3rd President as well as an inventor.
He had many modifications to his house.
From his house, you can see the college, UVA, which he helped start and design.






I took Wednesday off and we went to Brown's Island in Richmond. It was a Fort during the civil war and it is not a park with a music venue on it.

They left on Thursday morning to return to Texas...

We all had a good time and miss them.

The Devil's Highway...

About 4 miles out of Culpeper Virginia and running through the East end of the town is Route 666. Nuff said!! It reminds me of the Movie Natural Brone Killers...

Culpeper Va....

Well kiddies, i was supposed to be in Culpeper this whole week, but my working partner got hurt and was not able to go on Monday. We will be there from Wednesday till Friday. On Wednesday, my Mother and Grandmother start their drive out here to visit us for a week!!! I cant wait to see them and we are going to the beach and do some sight seeing. More l8ter...

Faith Hill & Tim McGraw

We saw them last night at the Richmond Coliseum on their Soul to Soul 2006 Tour.  IT was a good show. I really did not know what to expect! They played for over 3 hours and had very good musicianship. Faith came on 1^st and Then Tim closed the show down.  I enjoyed the show. IT seems that they are the only Star couple that can stay together…Time will tell.

 

RMStringer

+++++++++++++++++++

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Max Ehrmann, "Desiderata"

 

Kayle Garkut's Blog - Why not? - Everyone else is!: Scenemusic Podcast #6

Kayle Garkut's Blog - Why not? - Everyone else is!: Scenemusic Podcast #6

Very interesting....I likes.