I find the proudly worn N.O.T.W. tattoo rather contradictory.

Why Bother?

I've never been to a NFL football game, but in my youth I went to more Dodgers and Angels games than I care to count.
It started out easy enough. The Dodgers were the local team, and ticket prices, even after adjusted for inflation, were not near as bad as they are today. The whole family, five of us, would go pretty regular, once a month or more.
After a set of free tix found us at Angel Stadium, a little further away, we became Angels fans due to a more enjoyable family experience: the staff kept an eye on the rowdies and drunks, and didn't let things get out of control, unlike at the Dodger games. Add to that, the 70's Angels sucked, were never overly crowded , and priced accordingly.

After I'd outgrown the folks, I was a Dodger regular again... for the same reasons the family left for Anaheim: I wanted the rowdiness. After the last beer was thrown from the upper deck, it was exciting knowing that maybe we weren't going to make it back to the car without seeing something violent break out between drunken Mexicans or rival Blacks.
And still, back then, it was a cheap night by comparison. Even cheaper when you brought your own pocket bottle to spice up the $2 beers.

What it came down to, in reality, was not the game. It was atmosphere. Everybody cheering and cursing in unison. Dodging beer. Watching girls. Dropping peanut shells. The Wave. Swallows chasing insects at dusk. Another Wave! All the stuff you didn't do at home in front of the T.V., where you could have seen the action better anyway, along with instant replay.

All of this is why I just don't get the concept of luxury or VIP boxes, where the uppity can view the game in peace and comfort.

Last Sunday, I'm sitting here watching the Super Bowl, while the camera focuses on Jerry Jones, W Bush and all the big shot, super rich football fans, safely tucked away in their hidey-hole VIP boxes, separated from the full experience of a major public sporting event... I'm left wondering what it is they are doing there that they can't be doing at home.

Lookin Like A Fool With Your Pants On The Ground

Long Beach Tells Teens To Pick Up Saggy Pants

City leaders want young people in Long Beach to do two things this February: pick ‘em up and keep ‘em up.

Bishop William Ervin along with Carson City Councilman Mike Gipson are calling on black children and teens to “pull up their pants on their waist” as a sign of respect during Black History Month.

But why stop there? A few suggestions I'd like to add...

Asians could be asked to drive like normal people during the Lunar New Year celebration. A good start would be to refrain from cruising the expressway at 25mph, or not signaling a right turn six blocks in advance.

Irish could refrain from drunken, loutish behavior in public every St. Patrick's Day.

Mexicans can turn down the cemetery boom boxes for Dia de los Muertos, and limit portable bar-b-cues to one per family.

Rednecks can put that rebel flag away on July 4th, and quit trying to run others down with their oversize truck.

And Darkness Fell Upon The Land

Well, that ruins my week.

The White Stripes have announced they have split up, saying they will "make no further new recordings or perform live".

The Detroit duo of Jack and Meg White thanked fans for their support in a statement on their website.

They added that they were calling it a day for a "myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band."

No, Jack and Meg. It is I, who thanks you. Music had never been this good before, and never will be again.

Working From Home

Today, I awoke at 5am, got dressed (old t-shirt, worn jeans with boot socks), poured a large mug, dropped my lunch in a box (smoked oysters/crackers, bottled water, two bananas, a pack of instant rice noodles), and sat near the phone.
And sat some more...
As I've done every day this week, while waiting for that phone to ring, ready at a moment's notice to get out the door and head to work.
I kill much of the time receiving, and responding to, trash texts from my co-workers.
It's now Friday, and I have yet to get that call...

We have a drug screen policy at work. Anytime one sustains an injury, he gets sent for a drug screen (the piss in a cup, kind.) Anytime a supervisor suspects behavior under the influence, a drug screen is ordered. Anytime somebody is off work for a 30 days, a screen must be passed prior to returning.

It's 'Their' money that pays for it, and ridding the mill of inebriated/stoned/tweeked laborers is a smart thing that I tend to agree with. Once was a time when the paper industry was notorious for drug use among it's labor force.
Drugs were rampant. I mean, the shit was everywhere. It got to be old news when I could walk the department floor and kick a small pocket-pipe, or sweep up two or three roaches at a time during my shift clean up. Beer cans stuffed behind an I-beam was a common site. The Marlboro pack sitting atop the machine might be a drop.
Yeah, notorious and everywhere.
My brother once stated that I worked in a pharmacy with a corrugator in the middle of it.

About 15yrs ago, The Powers decided to clean the industry up. A lot of folks lost their jobs, and arbitrators gained new ones, as managements instituted new policies, bargaining agreements were violated, grieved, restored, renegotiated... etc.
A lot of push back and eventual understanding on both sides has brought us to where we are now:
With me reporting to work Monday for the first time since my surgery December 20th; barred from the production floor while being sent to the clinic to pee in a cup; sent home to await the results/phone call from my boss ordering me to work... at which point I am expected to report promptly to my scheduled shift.
All of this is on the clock.

My schedule is Days, 6am-2p. After about noonish, I figure I'm done for the day, but I'm still expected to answer that phone during my shift, should they call.
I just received the call, finally, five days later at 11:30am.
"Gino!"
Yeah, Mando.
"You're good buddy, see ya Monday."


A week.
Boring and wasted.
But at least I got paid for it.

Now I Know...

... what two feet of snow looks like.

And The Truck They Rode In On...

According to reports, things must be getting really rough in Egypt now that government thugs are riding around with camels.

How intimidating.