Following your passion

[systemoverblow'd]

Why the fuck are you posting all this self help shit?

Only on TGR are you bashed for posting something worthwhile and not poop and dick jokes or calling each other fags...

[mtngirl79]

Get a government job? )

[The Suit]

Only on TGR are you bashed for posting something worthwhile and not poop and dick jokes or calling each other fags...

I know, right?

[Tippster]

Meh - posting while drinking and getting pissed at the Redskins was probably a bad idea. Looking back at my drivel it certainly seems that my reading comprehension is that of a 10yo.

Creaky: Do you know Jimmy Martin? I went to HS with him.

[creaky fossil]

I don't know that name, don't know the person either. Did he work at Ski Center? I was there 1979-1987.

[GeezerSteve]

Not to state the obvious Steve, but you called Rowe's comments self-help gobbledygook and then paraphrased his exact point.

No bro, I was responding to sysoblowjob's post. Rowe got it right. Oh, and BTW, my semiretirement/low expectation is working in out so far

[DBdude]

lol... you ask a question, you get an answer. Maybe next time someone tells you to go wait in the car, you'll listen.

like I said fuck off - i wasn't that far off dick head

[Art Shirk]

No bro, I was responding to sysoblowjob's post. Rowe got it right. Oh, and BTW, my semiretirement/low expectation is working in out so far

Just tossing some shit

Whisky on me one of these days

[GeezerSteve]

Yeah, so I figured. You're on re the whiskey, will advise after hunting season

[::: :::]

I don't know that name, don't know the person either. Did he work at Ski Center? I was there 1979-1987.

grew up in DC during those years
many visits to Ski Center
bought my winterstick there as well as lange pink panthers, atomic arcs & blizzard v10s and the much coveted cb sports shell two-tone pullover
unfortunately, my ski days were usually local too -- no western trips back then

[Tippster]

I don't know that name, don't know the person either. Did he work at Ski Center? I was there 1979-1987.

He started there in 1983 I think (we graduated from Whitman in '84) and is still there - he's the hardgoods buyer now. Spanish guy with a BIG nose - you'd probably recognize him.

grew up in DC during those years
many visits to Ski Center
bought my winterstick there as well as lange pink panthers, atomic arcs & blizzard v10s and the much coveted cb sports shell two-tone pullover
unfortunately, my ski days were usually local too -- no western trips back then

Bought Rossi ROC Comps there in '78 with money I made from my paper route and have probably spent more $$$$ there than in any other non-grocery store in the 36 years since. Still go for seasonal rentals for the kids, wife's ski boots, and occasional mounts/tunes. Love that place.

[Adolf Allerbush]

The good hands are always working regardless of union status, economy or whatever. The bad/lazy ones don't work. Projects are always going forward regardless of the economy, and the mega projects can often end up spanning an entire economic drop (i.e. SF Bay Bridge).

Uhhhh, you're talking about iron workers and the Bay Bridge Project? Are you referring to the Chinese iron workers: http://www.sacbee.com/static/sinclai...ery/baybridge/

Your point is a decent one though...but with more of these types of labor being outsourced to China and other cheaper alternatives, your point does lose some gusto.

[::: :::]

Love that place.

yeah, i tried other shops thru the years and always came back there
hmm, need to go check it out next time i'm visiting my folks

[creaky fossil]

To this day, Adam Kahane's business model -- especially how to treat customers -- remains my standard for how to run a small business. I enjoyed working there more than any other job I've had. Great man to work for.

re Jimmy Martin / Whitman 84 -- The only Whitman grad I remember working with was Rich Moskovitz. Several B-CC grads, a couple from other MoCo schools too. I was in college/grad school 1981-1987 and those years I worked only on Xmas break. Some employees during those years, I may have met but don't remember. I worked full time 79-80 and 80-81, and also worked on the interior remodel for 2 summers in the early 80s. Hardgoods buyer when I was there was The Eard (Brian Eardley, great bootfitter).

[stfu&gbtw]

like I said fuck off - i wasn't that far off dick head

The whole way ≠ not that far. Shouldn't you be busy writing some insert statements or something?

[snoqpass]

Uhhhh, you're talking about iron workers and the Bay Bridge Project? Are you referring to the Chinese iron workers: http://www.sacbee.com/static/sinclai...ery/baybridge/

Your point is a decent one though...but with more of these types of labor being outsourced to China and other cheaper alternatives, your point does lose some gusto.

Ironworkers are the ones in the field erecting these things not a welder in a shop in China

[Rodneyyee]

Get a government job? )

That sounds like the lamest fucking existence.

[Rodneyyee]

Meh - posting while drinking and getting pissed at the Redskins was probably a bad idea. Looking back at my drivel it certainly seems that my reading comprehension is that of a 10yo.

Creaky: Do you know Jimmy Martin? I went to HS with him.

Remind me what makes you a good candidate for parenting?

[wooley12]

That sounds like the lamest fucking existence.

says the lamest post Ive seen this week.

[Adolf Allerbush]

Ironworkers are the ones in the field erecting these things not a welder in a shop in China

Read this, then post: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/bu...anted=all&_r=0

The assembly work in California, and the pouring of the concrete road surface, will be done by Americans. But construction of the bridge decks and the materials that went into them are a Made in China affair. California officials say the state saved hundreds of millions of dollars by turning to China.

The assembly work in California, and the pouring of the concrete road surface, will be done by Americans. But construction of the bridge decks and the materials that went into them are a Made in China affair. California officials say the state saved hundreds of millions of dollars by turning to China.

“They’ve produced a pretty impressive bridge for us,” Tony Anziano, a program manager at the California Department of Transportation, said a few weeks ago. He was touring the 1.2-square-mile manufacturing site that the Chinese company created to do the bridge work. “Four years ago, there were just steel plates here and lots of orange groves.”

On the reputation of showcase projects like Beijing’s Olympic-size airport terminal and the mammoth hydroelectric Three Gorges Dam, Chinese companies have been hired to build copper mines in the Congo, high-speed rail lines in Brazil and huge apartment complexes in Saudi Arabia.

In New York City alone, Chinese companies have won contracts to help renovate the subway system, refurbish the Alexander Hamilton Bridge over the Harlem River and build a new Metro-North train platform near Yankee Stadium. As with the Bay Bridge, American union labor would carry out most of the work done on United States soil.

American steelworker unions have disparaged the Bay Bridge contract by accusing the state of California of sending good jobs overseas and settling for what they deride as poor-quality Chinese steel. Industry groups in the United States and other countries have raised questions about the safety and quality of Chinese workmanship on such projects. Indeed, China has had quality control problems ranging from tainted milk to poorly built schools.

Sure, there were/are some workers assembling the components that were manufactured and sent over from China, but much of the traditional ironwork was completed in China. It wouldn't matter in this instance if there were more trained US ironworkers, unless it somehow drove the costs down so much that they were literally making minimum wage or less to construct the bridge, at which point we're back to square one in this whole discussion. Hence my point. IMO that's why we need to really define what "made in the USA" requirements are for these types of infrastructure projects...or not, I can see the logic behind outsourcing it too.

[creaky fossil]

Read this, then post: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/bu...anted=all&_r=0



Sure, there are some workers assembling the components that were manufactured and sent over from China, but much of the traditional ironwork was completed in China. It wouldn't matter in this instance if there were more trained US ironworkers, unless it somehow drove the costs down so much that they were literally making minimum wage or less to construct the bridge, at which point we're back to square one in this whole discussion. Hence my point. IMO that's why we need to really define what "made in the USA" requirements are for these types of infrastructure projects...or not, I can see the logic behind outsourcing it too.

what's most important? jingoism (Made in the USA) or quality work?

outsourced to China, with transatlantic shipping of the metalwork done in China tacked onto the cost, remains cheaper than American metalwork? sounds like a problem with budgeting, squandered money elsewhere leads to cheaping out on infrastructure needs now, cheaper from China covers up whatever spendthrift behavior exists otherwise on the accounts.

[Hugh Conway]

it's caltrans, a bunch of fucking idiots. somehow they managed to blame some lowly engineer for the bolt fiasco and the tards of the state of california accept that.

[Adolf Allerbush]

what's most important? jingoism (Made in the USA) or quality work?

outsourced to China, with transatlantic shipping of the metalwork done in China tacked onto the cost, remains cheaper than American metalwork? sounds like a problem with budgeting, squandered money elsewhere leads to cheaping out on infrastructure needs now, cheaper from China covers up whatever spendthrift behavior exists otherwise on the accounts.

My take is that Caltrans approach was bullshit...but my take means exactly zero. I don't really care about the made in the USA thing other than if part of the point of these major infrastructure projects paid for by tax payers and/or using tolls is to create jobs, then yeah, I think we should do as much in the US as possible for obvious reasons. Also, there is a theory that Chinese steel isn't quality stuff, isn't as good as made in the US.

Agreed though, bad project management coupled with stupid budgeting and probably lots of politicians being paid off.

[creaky fossil]

it's caltrans

in that case, transpacific shipping

transportation engineers are some narrow-minded folks, their only solution to any problem is MORE CAPACITY and when there's no apparent need for that, then it's time for Modernizing the Facilities. never seen a bunch of engineers more concerned with appearance/status, and less able to solve problems, than the transportation variety. you can't expect much from a gang whose patron saints are Jane Jacobs and Abraham Levitt/Levitt & Sons, though, so I just shrug and say, "there goes another billion wasted."

[DJSapp]

transportation engineers are some narrow-minded folks, their only solution to any problem is MORE CAPACITY and when there's no apparent need for that, then it's time for Modernizing the Facilities.

You're right. Let's start the euthanasia program instead! Let's put the DEATH in Death panel! Population grows, infrastructure must keep pace or quality of life drops (traffic, water supply, goddamn bridges falling down, etc). We look at a 30-50 year timeline, so needs aren't immediately apparent.

Modernizing the facilities, generally a good idea. The construction boom from the 50's and 60's is falling apart now.

Embarcadero Freeway


SF Bay Bridge


CA-14 after Northridge


I-35 in Minneapolis


San Bruno pipeline explosion


UCLA water line break (just a small 30" line, 93 years old)


I-5 Skagit River


A lot of other stuff is falling apart, but being identified before catastrophic failure. Everything in CO that was washed out is being replaced in kind, as the federal disaster funds cannot be used for 'improvements' and the roads must be replaced in kind. That means it's going to happen again...