Humor
Lost without GPS
The paper map industry has suffered the same fate as the fabled buggy whip industry. Technology has moved on and we no longer have a glove compartment full of maps in our cars as a record of our travels. Hmmmm… I don’t think I’ve ever in my life time seen a pair of gloves in a car’s “glove compartment”, so how does that continue to be the common reference? (I may have AADD. I should never have found out that was a thing.)
I’ve noticed that in the past few years since the advent of GPS mapping, I can’t give directions to anyone anymore. Even places I’ve been to several times, I’m unsure of myself without plugging it into a mapping app. Now that most of them factor in traffic and accidents, I’m often “punished” by trying to head out on my own on a route I know. As I sit in stuck traffic, the alternate route it suggested mocks me.
While I did think GPS was making me stupid, I wouldn’t have thought it was affecting me physically as the Dr. Oz article to the right suggests. I don’t need any brain shrinkage!
I seriously can’t imagine people blindly following it off the road as suggested here. It’s not that accurate with the “Turn here” advice, though it is improving.. (It better get perfected quickly though if those self-driving cars are going to rely on it.)
We had two cars with GPS Navigation built-in. On the plus side, it’s a bigger screen, turns down the radio when it speaks and includes heads-up display. On the downside, it is generally less than 6 months before it’s outdated and the last I checked, the subscription update cost more than a Garmon. But why even buy a Garmon when Google Maps is constantly updated and comes as free app for your phone? The last car we bought, we skipped that option. A $15 phone holder took the place of the $1,000 GPS option.
We still have a few maps and sometimes I find it interesting to pull them out and see where I am on a larger scale. The zoom out feature on the mapping software just doesn’t give you the same effect. On the other hand, my wife would be fine if she never had to look at a paper road map again! She’s directionally challenged and if the map is right-side up in front of her, then we’re always going north…
Construction Jargon Glossary
For those new to the construction industry or just listening in, here are a few construction terms you should know. Many of these are what you would here from the old-timers like Dave…
200 mile per hour tape: Duct tape
Arnworker: An Iron Worker
Blue Flue: Hangover
Blue Room: or green, depending on the color of the portable toilet on the job site.
Woodpecker: A Carpenter
Come Along: Tool used to assist in alignments, adjustments and assisting different structural members into their proper place. Sometimes referred to as a 20 lb sledgehammer.
Dirt Jockey: A Heavy Equipment Operator
Greaser: Oiler or Helper on heavy equipment (usually cranes)
Grease Pole: Hydraulic Crane Operator
Greenhorn: Someone new to the industry, trade or craft. (The old term for Newby or Noob.)
Hammerfore: This is what you tell the Greenhorn to go and get from your truck. After an unsuccessful search, they will come back and ask, “What’s a Hammerfore?” This is where they are told they may want to look for another career if they don’t know what a hammer is for…
Headache!: Look up, cover your head, something is about to fall on your head.
Hiccup: Something that has been done, but has to be redone, because it wasn’t done right in the first place.
Hot Wrench: Use a torch when a wrench won’t work… Burn it off!
IBEW: I Block Every Walkway
Ginnie Hopper: Apprentice Grade Checker
Grunt: An Unskilled Laborer generally used for heavy work.
Lead Pusher: Architects, Engineers and Designers
Modify: To alter, usually by accident, i.e. “Boss, I just modified your fender with my dozer.”
Mucker: A person that uses a shovel, rake or come-along to move fresh poured concrete.
Mud: Wet concrete. Alternate use: Drywall Joint Compound
Nail Bender: A Carpenter
Narrowback: An inside electrician as opposed to an electrical lineman.
Roper: An electrician whose main projects are residences using Romex.
Shovel Jockey: Laborer
Sparky: Welder or Electrician
Patrick Young: Weather Quote
“The problem with weather forecasting is that it’s right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.”
Gambrinous
Ran across a word I didn’t know today, but one I look forward to using over the Holidays. Gambrinous – Per the Urban Dictionary: To be content and happy due to a stomach full of beer.
Found it elsewhere as just “Full of Beer”, but I like the Urban Dictionary definition above better!
Trump’s Twitter
Image of Martin Lomasney from Wikipedia
One of yesterday’s Sunday morning talking heads referenced a Martin Lomasney quote. It was interesting enough that it prompted me to look it up. Mr. Lomasney was what would now be called a political operative in Boston around the turn of the 20th century. He apparently once told a young follower, “Don’t write when you can talk; don’t talk when you can nod your head.” Sage advice! In the age of Hillary Clinton and Elliot Spitzer, “write” could have been updated to “email” and now in the era of President Trump, maybe “write” should be updated to “Tweet”…
Quote referenced through Wikipedia and Pioneer Institute
