No, moron. Possible evidence of volcanic activity on the moon does not have an effect on earth's climate change.
Faux News
We "are fucking idiots who pretend to" report - you decide.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Typical Staff Meeting
There hasn't been much to blog about lately.
So, to kill time and post an entry for the heck of it - here's a couple photos from yesterday's staff meeting.
Our staff meeting is held monthly. Usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour to catch up on items of general relevance to the whole office. Of course, different groups and teams meet as needed to discuss detailed items.
In the photos above, RS and I are discussing a consulting agreement for one of my projects.
I'm the Project Manager in charge of construction of the Western North Carolina Skilled Nursing Home for the NC Division of Veterans Affairs. For the VA Home we took some unused property from the Department of Corrections and (a small amount) from NC State University.
When we were selecting the site a couple years ago, we discovered what turned out to be a hazardous waste landfill. The hazardous waste landfill is not on the site we are building the VA Home. It's down the road a bit on other NCDOC property.
NCDOC was tasked with investigating (and potentially remediating) the haz site. But - NCDOC has been hit hard by budget cuts over the last 2 years and money for non-critical functions (like investigating 60 year old landfills) is scarce.
So - a couple months ago - we (the Department of Administration - State Construction Office) decided to step in.
We scrounged around and found some money. I'm hiring an Environmental Consultant / Geologist to investigate the site. We'll determine what's exactly in the landfill; how deep (quantity) is the waste; install background and downstream sampling and monitoring wells (checking for groundwater contamination / migration); and we'll come up with a game plan on how to remediate or clean up the site.
RS handles contracting for consultants. I picked out a consultant and had them prepare a services proposal and cost schedule. RS turns proposals into State contracts. Once RS and the consultant get the contract finalized - we'll turn loose the drill rigs.
The investigation and services contract will be a shade under $60,000. My boss is trying to find another 5 thousand +/- so I can add in some additional work that I think needs to be done.
The bottom line of course, is to determine what needs to be done with the waste and how much will it cost.
Based on my experience with sites like this and my "eye-balling" of how much material there is to deal with - I'm guessing a full clean up is going to run between $500K and $1.5M.
If I'm lucky and the environmental regulators (NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources) let me average / categorize the waste to non-hazardous levels - then I can take the waste to the local county landfill for the lower estimate. If testing reveals higher haz waste levels - then I'm looking at the much higher cost.
Either way - I want to get the investigation, report and recommendations done by November. That will give time for my various bosses to include the funding request in time for next winter's General Assembly short session (they convene in February - budget committees start meeting sooner).
A typical moment in a typical day at the office.
FYI
The 2 kids sitting behind us are summer engineering interns. These guys are really sharp and have been a great help this summer.
The one on the left (with the emo mop top hair) is a mechanical engineering student at NC State. He's going to cover for me at a monthly construction meeting this Friday. I have to go to Robeson County Friday to handle a sensitive issue that's flared up at the Lumbee Indian Cultural Center (there's a pun in there - I'll leave it up to you to google if you want to know what it is).
Normally I'd get a senior engineer / peer to go to the construction meeting in my place. But this student is so sharp, he can handle any issues that come up or can brief me if larger decisions are needed.
(Note to self - remember to bring in hair clippers - offer to lend to him - recommend No. 4 (1/2-inch) clipper guard)
The other guy is majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics at Elon University. He's been reviewing the past haz waste site investigations and reports and the current proposal. He's been a great help. I wish he were still going to be here when the final investigation gets underway - I'd turn the entire project over to him.
So, to kill time and post an entry for the heck of it - here's a couple photos from yesterday's staff meeting.
Our staff meeting is held monthly. Usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour to catch up on items of general relevance to the whole office. Of course, different groups and teams meet as needed to discuss detailed items.
In the photos above, RS and I are discussing a consulting agreement for one of my projects.
I'm the Project Manager in charge of construction of the Western North Carolina Skilled Nursing Home for the NC Division of Veterans Affairs. For the VA Home we took some unused property from the Department of Corrections and (a small amount) from NC State University.
When we were selecting the site a couple years ago, we discovered what turned out to be a hazardous waste landfill. The hazardous waste landfill is not on the site we are building the VA Home. It's down the road a bit on other NCDOC property.
NCDOC was tasked with investigating (and potentially remediating) the haz site. But - NCDOC has been hit hard by budget cuts over the last 2 years and money for non-critical functions (like investigating 60 year old landfills) is scarce.
So - a couple months ago - we (the Department of Administration - State Construction Office) decided to step in.
We scrounged around and found some money. I'm hiring an Environmental Consultant / Geologist to investigate the site. We'll determine what's exactly in the landfill; how deep (quantity) is the waste; install background and downstream sampling and monitoring wells (checking for groundwater contamination / migration); and we'll come up with a game plan on how to remediate or clean up the site.
RS handles contracting for consultants. I picked out a consultant and had them prepare a services proposal and cost schedule. RS turns proposals into State contracts. Once RS and the consultant get the contract finalized - we'll turn loose the drill rigs.
The investigation and services contract will be a shade under $60,000. My boss is trying to find another 5 thousand +/- so I can add in some additional work that I think needs to be done.
The bottom line of course, is to determine what needs to be done with the waste and how much will it cost.
Based on my experience with sites like this and my "eye-balling" of how much material there is to deal with - I'm guessing a full clean up is going to run between $500K and $1.5M.
If I'm lucky and the environmental regulators (NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources) let me average / categorize the waste to non-hazardous levels - then I can take the waste to the local county landfill for the lower estimate. If testing reveals higher haz waste levels - then I'm looking at the much higher cost.
Either way - I want to get the investigation, report and recommendations done by November. That will give time for my various bosses to include the funding request in time for next winter's General Assembly short session (they convene in February - budget committees start meeting sooner).
A typical moment in a typical day at the office.
FYI
The 2 kids sitting behind us are summer engineering interns. These guys are really sharp and have been a great help this summer.
The one on the left (with the emo mop top hair) is a mechanical engineering student at NC State. He's going to cover for me at a monthly construction meeting this Friday. I have to go to Robeson County Friday to handle a sensitive issue that's flared up at the Lumbee Indian Cultural Center (there's a pun in there - I'll leave it up to you to google if you want to know what it is).
Normally I'd get a senior engineer / peer to go to the construction meeting in my place. But this student is so sharp, he can handle any issues that come up or can brief me if larger decisions are needed.
(Note to self - remember to bring in hair clippers - offer to lend to him - recommend No. 4 (1/2-inch) clipper guard)
The other guy is majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics at Elon University. He's been reviewing the past haz waste site investigations and reports and the current proposal. He's been a great help. I wish he were still going to be here when the final investigation gets underway - I'd turn the entire project over to him.
Monday, July 04, 2011
2011 Fourth of July Weekend
Thought about going to the beach but decided to stick around the house.
Did pretty much nothing. Just the usual routine house chores.
Watched The French Connection on DVD.
Haven't seen it in years. What a great film. Everybody thinks of the train - car chase scene. But it's pretty much the great movie from the '70s classic crime drama era. Character driven; great script and cinematography. Fantastic acting.
The DVD has been remastered in THX Surround. Fortunately, they didn't try to 'clean up' the sound. It was left 'scratchy' like the original movie - just clearer. If that makes any sense.
Anyway - keeping the sound the same matches the gritty feel of the cinematography which captured the grimy look of New York City at that time.
Did pretty much nothing. Just the usual routine house chores.
Watched The French Connection on DVD.
Haven't seen it in years. What a great film. Everybody thinks of the train - car chase scene. But it's pretty much the great movie from the '70s classic crime drama era. Character driven; great script and cinematography. Fantastic acting.
The DVD has been remastered in THX Surround. Fortunately, they didn't try to 'clean up' the sound. It was left 'scratchy' like the original movie - just clearer. If that makes any sense.
Anyway - keeping the sound the same matches the gritty feel of the cinematography which captured the grimy look of New York City at that time.
Friday, June 24, 2011
A Note About The Previous Entry
I've received a couple of emails asking if that is my shop / out building in the photo of the previous entry.
No. It belongs to my neighbor Ken and Karen J.
K&K are great neighbors. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
When they built their shop, they sort of ignored some basics - like - getting a building permit and adhering to local regulations regarding building set backs from property lines.
They were of the opinion they didn't need a building permit since they built the shop themselves (not true). And, since they assumed they didn't have to get a building permit - they also assumed that development / building regulations didn't apply as well. In this case - the requirement that buildings / structures need to be a minimum of 10 feet back from a property line.
K&K are really sweet people. But to be honest, they're not the sharpest tacks in the box.
Their shop is about 18 inches from the property line. They sort of 'eye balled' where the lot line was and lucked out in that they didn't actually build it on my lot.
LOL
If you look at the photo - the tree is on my lot - and the lot line is between the tree and their shop.
They also built a pole barn / open shed to park their RV under in their front yard. Most definitely against sub-division regulations and county ordinances.
When K&K built the RV shed - other neighbors asked me to "speak" to K&K about it. Which I declined to do.
I don't care what K&K do. Even if they break the rules, it doesn't materially affect me.
Yes - the RV Shed does look out of place. Actually - kind of trailer park looking.
But - what the hell. I have more important things in my life to worry about other than if my next door neighbor builds a shed in their front yard or a shop too close to my lot line.
No. It belongs to my neighbor Ken and Karen J.
K&K are great neighbors. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
When they built their shop, they sort of ignored some basics - like - getting a building permit and adhering to local regulations regarding building set backs from property lines.
They were of the opinion they didn't need a building permit since they built the shop themselves (not true). And, since they assumed they didn't have to get a building permit - they also assumed that development / building regulations didn't apply as well. In this case - the requirement that buildings / structures need to be a minimum of 10 feet back from a property line.
K&K are really sweet people. But to be honest, they're not the sharpest tacks in the box.
Their shop is about 18 inches from the property line. They sort of 'eye balled' where the lot line was and lucked out in that they didn't actually build it on my lot.
LOL
If you look at the photo - the tree is on my lot - and the lot line is between the tree and their shop.
They also built a pole barn / open shed to park their RV under in their front yard. Most definitely against sub-division regulations and county ordinances.
When K&K built the RV shed - other neighbors asked me to "speak" to K&K about it. Which I declined to do.
I don't care what K&K do. Even if they break the rules, it doesn't materially affect me.
Yes - the RV Shed does look out of place. Actually - kind of trailer park looking.
But - what the hell. I have more important things in my life to worry about other than if my next door neighbor builds a shed in their front yard or a shop too close to my lot line.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Haze and Deer +Addendum
There is a large forest fire that's been burning in Dare and Hyde Counties since May 5th - about a month now. News reports have been describing the hazy conditions near the coast. Since the prevailing winds typically go from west to east, we haven't been affected here. Until today.
The winds have shifted and here's what it looks like in Raleigh today:
Keep in mind - Hyde / Dare Counties are about a 3+ hour drive east from Raleigh.
Deer
Yesterday I took this photo of the upper field to the side of my house:
Why?
Here's the cropped closeup:
There's a fifth deer you can't see because of the bushes / trees - but she's there.
I've mixed in a lot of clover with the fescue up there. Clover is a natural fertilizer which returns nitrogen back to the soil. And clover is the preferred salad of deer and rabbits.
Bambi and Thumper dine here all the time.
Critter Addendum
I also saw a Wild Turkey last Monday as I was pulling out of the driveway on the way to work. There's plenty of turkey around. But this was the first time I've seen one in the neighborhood itself.
Still have two raccoons and two possum that come up nightly for the dried cat food (and table leftovers) that I put out.
To keep the food from getting rained on and mushy, I put the bowl in the porch and leave the porch screen door propped open.
Every once in a while, when I pop out to the porch for a cancer stick, the possum will be there. She gets frightened and runs to the porch corner and hides under the outdoor fireplace (the one Charlsanne gave me for Christmas a while back).
This happened again last night. Poor thing - you can see her shivering when it happens. I always leave the porch and go stand on the deck so as to not scare her half to death.
The winds have shifted and here's what it looks like in Raleigh today:
Keep in mind - Hyde / Dare Counties are about a 3+ hour drive east from Raleigh.
Deer
Yesterday I took this photo of the upper field to the side of my house:
Why?
Here's the cropped closeup:
There's a fifth deer you can't see because of the bushes / trees - but she's there.
I've mixed in a lot of clover with the fescue up there. Clover is a natural fertilizer which returns nitrogen back to the soil. And clover is the preferred salad of deer and rabbits.
Bambi and Thumper dine here all the time.
Critter Addendum
I also saw a Wild Turkey last Monday as I was pulling out of the driveway on the way to work. There's plenty of turkey around. But this was the first time I've seen one in the neighborhood itself.
Still have two raccoons and two possum that come up nightly for the dried cat food (and table leftovers) that I put out.
To keep the food from getting rained on and mushy, I put the bowl in the porch and leave the porch screen door propped open.
Every once in a while, when I pop out to the porch for a cancer stick, the possum will be there. She gets frightened and runs to the porch corner and hides under the outdoor fireplace (the one Charlsanne gave me for Christmas a while back).
This happened again last night. Poor thing - you can see her shivering when it happens. I always leave the porch and go stand on the deck so as to not scare her half to death.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Weekend Update 6/11/2011
Not a thing worth posting lately.
Work is very busy. Long hours and a lot of travel. I have two buildings under construction (about $30M) and some additional minor projects / buildings (about $5M more). My projects are located in Kinston, Fayetteville, Raleigh and Asheville. I'm spread pretty thin right now.
Just finished watching True Grit. Excellent movie.
Might head out to see Super 8 at the theater this afternoon. Don't know if I'll go to the local theater in Sanford or drive all the way into Raleigh to see it at the IMAX.
Super 8 Addendum
Made the drive into Raleigh to see Super 8 at the IMAX.
Definitely a Spielberg film. While it won't become a classic like Close Encounters of the Third Kind - it is a roller coaster rip roaring fun time.
Think ET meets Cloverfield. In fact, it's the movie Cloverfield would have been if Spielberg had made it.
ET wants to go home. ET does not want to make friends. Do not get in ET's way. He is not, I repeat - NOT - warm and cuddly.
Plot and dialogue driven. So, don't spend the extra for the IMAX. Regular theater should be just fine.
And a head's up. Pay attention to the 'scenes' the kid's shoot. Their movie is played during the credits. Nice little 'film within a film' payoff at the end.
Oh, and a great late '70's pop soundtrack.
Work is very busy. Long hours and a lot of travel. I have two buildings under construction (about $30M) and some additional minor projects / buildings (about $5M more). My projects are located in Kinston, Fayetteville, Raleigh and Asheville. I'm spread pretty thin right now.
Just finished watching True Grit. Excellent movie.
Might head out to see Super 8 at the theater this afternoon. Don't know if I'll go to the local theater in Sanford or drive all the way into Raleigh to see it at the IMAX.
Super 8 Addendum
Made the drive into Raleigh to see Super 8 at the IMAX.
Definitely a Spielberg film. While it won't become a classic like Close Encounters of the Third Kind - it is a roller coaster rip roaring fun time.
Think ET meets Cloverfield. In fact, it's the movie Cloverfield would have been if Spielberg had made it.
ET wants to go home. ET does not want to make friends. Do not get in ET's way. He is not, I repeat - NOT - warm and cuddly.
Plot and dialogue driven. So, don't spend the extra for the IMAX. Regular theater should be just fine.
And a head's up. Pay attention to the 'scenes' the kid's shoot. Their movie is played during the credits. Nice little 'film within a film' payoff at the end.
Oh, and a great late '70's pop soundtrack.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)