A beautiful woman. A voice few can equal. Dead at 48.
My favorite song is "I Will Always Love You". I also loved her when she did the National Anthem during half time at the 2007 Super Bowl.
I am getting very tired of the various "news" stories on TV. Everytime I walk through the living room, Bob has another show on to tell us "new information" about her death , some family member or her Ex. Yesterday I heard somebody had taken a secret picture of her in her casket and sold it to the National Inquirer.
What is more shocking? The fact that somebody did this or that the gossip sheet published it?
More often than not, the term "untimely death" is used. Really? I don't care how old or young a person is when they die, how can anybody insinuate a death is timely?
Why and what did she die from? All topics that are none of our bussiness and and certainly should not be in our "need to know" list. This information should only be for family members.
Isn't it about time to let her go and rest in peace?
Feb 23, 2012
Feb 14, 2012
QUALITY ASSURANCE
I came across a story that still has me laughing.
As you know I worked for a well known manufacturing company for years. Though the company in the following story isn't the one I worked for, the management could have been.
Enjoy.
A toothpaste factory had a problem - they sometimes shipped empty boxes, without the toothpaste tubes inside. This was due to the way the production line had originally been built and installed. Rather than completely redoing the production line, they decided to find a way to detect and stop empty boxes from getting through. So, they hired a top-notch consulting firm to do the job.
The consulting firm flew in several of their best production line engineers. Physical measurements were taken and video cameras were setup to monitor the line during normal production. Data collected was then taken back to the consulting firms headquarters for analysis. The recommendation of the engineers and designers was to build and install a custom inline scale, using strain gauges, connected to a computer that will weigh each box coming down the production line. If the box is empty, the computer will stop the line, display a warning message on a screen, sound an alarm, and turn on flashing lights to alert workers to the fact that an empty box needs to be removed from the line. One press of a large pushbutton will restart the assembly line.
Unfortunately, the consulting firms in-house prototype shop was booked about six weeks out. So, it was then decided to put the custom electronic production line scale out for bid. Plans and specifications were sent out, along with request for proposals (RFP’s), to several engineering specialty firms, to build the custom electronic scale. Bids were received, evaluated, and the primary contractor selected. Six months and $5,000,000 later, the custom scale is delivered to the toothpaste manufacturer. Now, when the scale detects an empty box, it stops the assembly line, so a worker can remove it. Pushing a button restarts the assembly line. Included with the scale and new computer is a statistics program that shows how well the scale is doing its job.
A month later the president of the company comes by and decides to check on the new scale to see if it is stopping empty boxes from being shipped. While looking at the computer screen he is amazed to find out that NO empty boxes were shipped out of the factory after the custom electronic scale was installed. Also, complaints about empty boxes have stopped. He says to himself, “The scale cost a lot, but it looks like it was worth it.” However, looking closer at the statistics, he is shocked to see that the number of empty boxes picked-up by the scale was zero, after three weeks of production.
Puzzled, the president goes down to the factory floor, and walks up to the part of the line where the new electronic scale was installed. After looking at the scale, he notices a portable electric fan blowing across the conveyor belt just before the scale, which suddenly blows an empty box off the line – without stopping the line. He turns to one of the nearby workers and asks, “who put that fan there?” “I did, sir. I got tired of having to stop what I was doing, go remove the empty box on the scale, and then restart the line. Stopping and starting the line was hurting our overall production. Now, thanks to that little $20 fan, no more empty boxes. Good idea, huh?” “Yeah, good idea....”
As you know I worked for a well known manufacturing company for years. Though the company in the following story isn't the one I worked for, the management could have been.
Enjoy.
A toothpaste factory had a problem - they sometimes shipped empty boxes, without the toothpaste tubes inside. This was due to the way the production line had originally been built and installed. Rather than completely redoing the production line, they decided to find a way to detect and stop empty boxes from getting through. So, they hired a top-notch consulting firm to do the job.
The consulting firm flew in several of their best production line engineers. Physical measurements were taken and video cameras were setup to monitor the line during normal production. Data collected was then taken back to the consulting firms headquarters for analysis. The recommendation of the engineers and designers was to build and install a custom inline scale, using strain gauges, connected to a computer that will weigh each box coming down the production line. If the box is empty, the computer will stop the line, display a warning message on a screen, sound an alarm, and turn on flashing lights to alert workers to the fact that an empty box needs to be removed from the line. One press of a large pushbutton will restart the assembly line.
Unfortunately, the consulting firms in-house prototype shop was booked about six weeks out. So, it was then decided to put the custom electronic production line scale out for bid. Plans and specifications were sent out, along with request for proposals (RFP’s), to several engineering specialty firms, to build the custom electronic scale. Bids were received, evaluated, and the primary contractor selected. Six months and $5,000,000 later, the custom scale is delivered to the toothpaste manufacturer. Now, when the scale detects an empty box, it stops the assembly line, so a worker can remove it. Pushing a button restarts the assembly line. Included with the scale and new computer is a statistics program that shows how well the scale is doing its job.
A month later the president of the company comes by and decides to check on the new scale to see if it is stopping empty boxes from being shipped. While looking at the computer screen he is amazed to find out that NO empty boxes were shipped out of the factory after the custom electronic scale was installed. Also, complaints about empty boxes have stopped. He says to himself, “The scale cost a lot, but it looks like it was worth it.” However, looking closer at the statistics, he is shocked to see that the number of empty boxes picked-up by the scale was zero, after three weeks of production.
Puzzled, the president goes down to the factory floor, and walks up to the part of the line where the new electronic scale was installed. After looking at the scale, he notices a portable electric fan blowing across the conveyor belt just before the scale, which suddenly blows an empty box off the line – without stopping the line. He turns to one of the nearby workers and asks, “who put that fan there?” “I did, sir. I got tired of having to stop what I was doing, go remove the empty box on the scale, and then restart the line. Stopping and starting the line was hurting our overall production. Now, thanks to that little $20 fan, no more empty boxes. Good idea, huh?” “Yeah, good idea....”
Feb 11, 2012
SIBLINGS
Arvid & Sherry stopped Thursday on their way home. They had been to San Antonio for a few days and stayed at Shannon's. She showed them some of the sights and got Arvid onto the Air Force base which is probably what he most wanted to see. He was stationed there once when he was in the service. (Don't know what it is about guys but some love to revist those places).
From there they went to Apache Junction to Bills for two weeks. Bill took them to Las Vegas for a couple of days during that time. (I am sooooo jealous!!)
On their way home they stopped here. They were only here overnight, as they had to be back home the next day.
Somehow we got to talking about when we were kids. Our memories of events are so different. I wonder if other siblings are like this.
From there they went to Apache Junction to Bills for two weeks. Bill took them to Las Vegas for a couple of days during that time. (I am sooooo jealous!!)
On their way home they stopped here. They were only here overnight, as they had to be back home the next day.
Somehow we got to talking about when we were kids. Our memories of events are so different. I wonder if other siblings are like this.
Feb 8, 2012
WINTER IN NEBRASKA
We have really had a good winter as far as winters go. In fact you could say it has been great. Just two or three small snows and a lot of days at or above freezing.
The came the weekend of February 4TH.
We got winter all in one day. I have to say we had 12 to 14 inches easy. This was no fine powdery snow. It was was the heavy wet kind. The back breaking kind.
It started sometime late Friday nigh or early Saturday morning. It was pretty much over by Saturday afternoon.
Bob never ran the snow blower dry to empty the gas tank last spring (I doubt we had gas for it anyway) and I have no idea where he put the cord, so it was pretty much a shovel it or wait for summer to melt it.
I went out about noon, and gave Bob instructions to keep the coffee coming. I knew eventually Casey would be out to help me and there was plenty of snow for both of us. I almost gave up when I opened the garage door. I couldn't believe how deep it was.
After about half an hour my neighbor showed up with his snow blower and ordered me into the house. I told him he didn't need to do my driveway and Casey was going to help me but he wouldn't listen.
He started in and Casey came out at the same time. It took a while but they got it done. Then I cleaned off the truck good enough so I could drive it if we needed to get out. Casey dug his car out and got it in the driveway. The snowplows tend to bury vehicles left on the street.
I wish pictures could do the snow justice. It was one of those really pretty snows.
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