Archive for June, 2010

School’s Out

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Well, school’s finished.  The nation’s young folk have nearly three months break from academia.  What are they going to do with themselves?  I notice from the local media generally the opportunities are huge.  There are summer camp for just about everything, from every type of sport to arts and crafts, music, drama, the list seems endless. 

School predominantly seems to be a time for learning the academic necessities but with the summer camp offerings the subjects are vast, all whilst the young people are having a great time.  Young folk often find it difficult to link the words “learning” and “having a great time” in the same sentence so the summer camp phenomena is a great experience with the take-away being learning can be fun. 
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Until the End of Time

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

In the United States each year, there are an estimated 250,000 pipe breaks.  The trends shown in recent ruptures lead to the implication that product specification has been based on short-term, low-cost solutions and less on the sustainability of our infrastructure and ultimately our country.  Whole lifecycle cost assessment is important for all products, and must be backed by evidence and science.  What we are seeing is continued use – and failure – of products that aren’t adequate.  Now we are finding that such pipe products for stormwater and wastewater management aren’t being properly tested and some are defective before being put in the ground.
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I Hate Everything

Monday, June 7th, 2010

So this weekend it hit 101 degrees in Dallas.  Everywhere I went people were complaining about it.  Amazing!!  It was only a short few weeks ago the temperature in Dallas was unseasonably low with dull grey skies and rain.  Guess what ~ everyone was complaining about it!!!! 

We are a nation of complainers.  No, that’s not being anti-American because it strikes me we are a world of complainers.  In just about every conversation you tune in to, somebody is complaining about something.  The weather appears to be in the number one slot.  It’s never right, is it?  We complain about the traffic when we’re driving to or home from work.  But, wait a minute, aren’t we the traffic too? 
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Respect

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

We live in a country where it is politically incorrect to publicly say, “Happy Christmas.”  Whether we agree with it or not, as good citizens, we abide by that doctrine.  We have just had Memorial Day Weekend and although I didn’t travel, choosing to have a relaxing weekend near to home, I was out and about at Starbucks, restaurants, etc.  On no fewer than six occasions I had to listen to somebody saying to me, “You have a great Memorial Day Weekend.” 

Did any of these folk stop and think what they were saying?  Let’s all have a great weekend because millions of people in our armed forces have died for us!!!  There has to be something wrong with this logic.  I’m all for holidays.  I’m all for the Memorial Day concept of respect and remembrance. 

But to link it together with let’s all have a great time is, in my view, the biggest insult to those who have died ITHOE. 

Someone please tell me I have got this wrong!!

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