Feingold,

Here is my senator on This Week.

New Hires,

They hired two new guys today. One guy quit after break when they took him to get a drug test. Classic. Some of the guys were saying that now that drug test are mandatory in our union that people are dropping out. Don't know if I believe it, but if it is true more work for me.

First sentence,

I just finished listening to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This technically isn't part of my, reading the books of movies I really like idea. It is more of just a coincidence. I did like the movie and thought Johnny Depp was really good in it, but not being part of the drug culture I didn't get into it as some do. However I think it has one of the best first sentences in a book

"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold"

I rank this third as my favorite first sentence. It probably would rank higher, but once again not being on drugs, especially drugs that "take hold" puts this a little lower.

The second greatest first sentence in a book in my opinion is from the book Post Office

It began as a mistake.

How simple and brilliant and something that is very easy to relate to.

Finally for the best first sentence I will go to the best book ever written The Great Gatsby,

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.

"In my younger and more vulnerable years," how brilliant is that. That line often goes through my head. What better way to describe youth.

I have been searching for a good first sentence to start my book with. Really that is the most important part. If you love the first sentence you will be put in a favorable mood for the rest of the book and more likely to enjoy it. I am still struggling to find my first sentence.

This week,

My great senator will be on This Week tomorrow morning. Plus Natalie Portman will be on, talking about microfinancing (?). Now that is worth shaking the hangover off for.

Buying the war,

Bill Moyers did a show about the media and the war. I had it on, but was in the kitchen packaging meat. So I didn't get to watch it. You can (and I need to) watch it here. I guess O'Reilly is all worked up about this

Today,

I went for my first walk this year today. It was good to get outside and walk around. Green is starting to make it's presence known. I was reminded of my youth on those first nice days when you go outside to play in the fresh grass and make plans for all the games you want to play during the summer, only to have them put on hold by the next cold snap.

I listened to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (more on that soon) as I walked around downtown Waukesha. It was kind of weird to listen to crazy drug stories while walking through my little city.

I need to break my new hiking boots in and get in shape for my late summer backpacking trip. I am hoping to make my walks bi-weekly. During the week around my house and on the weekend in the Kettle Moraine. Hopefully I will stick to it. When I did a lot of walking in the past few years I didn't have a job so it was easy to do. Now it might be hard to find the motivation and time.

When I walked in my unemployed state, I always thought it would be nice to stop at one of the sandwich shops and get something for lunch towards the end of my walk. However financial discipline ruled the idea out. Today I got a burrito on my way home.

Yesterday,

The kid is talking again. He is telling the story about going home with one of his ex's sisters from the bar. This seems to be a big feat for him since this is the second time he has told me, although he is also talking to the new guy so he might not be reliving the subject solely for my benefit. I didn't care, wasn't impressed and found the story somewhat suspect the first time he told me it, this time wasn't much different.

"You know why you go to their house instead of bringing them home?" He asked.

I already know his answer from the first time he told the story. It's so he can leave when he is done. Although I had a better answer for him;

"Because you live with your mom and dad."

He then repeated his answer he gave me the week before, then complimented my jab. Then I tripped on a piece of plywood that was suppose to protect me from falling through a three inch hole, while looking at ceiling wire hanging in a parking garage. Who puts a false ceiling in a parking garage? Now I looked foolish.

Mistakes,

When I first started at my new company, I was concerned I was making too many mistakes. I think I made two in my first week. Today they put a new journeyman with me and this guy made four mistakes in his first day. It seemed like all day I was telling this guy he did something wrong and this guy finished his apprenticeship the year before I was born. I guess I didn't do so bad my first week.

Some time last week,

The kid I am working with tries to give me the break down of gangs in America. I understand that he wishes he wasn't born in Caledonia and he really thinks he is telling me something, but I already know what he is telling me. The information he is giving me is 101 from any Discovery Channel show about gangs. It is nothing new or insightful. It is just a twenty two year old kid pretending he is something he is not. And not very good I might add.

To bring the conversation up to my level, I tell him how I am listening to a book on tape on my way to work called "A long way gone," the memoir of a child soldier Ishmael Beah. A twelve year old kid they gave brown brown, and an AK to. And how this combination is so deadly villagers flee their village from a rumor that a group of kids are coming, because in Sierra Leone in the early ninety's leaving your village because a gang of kids are coming is the most sensible thing to do.

My coworker just stares at me with his trademark deer-in-the-head-lights-look that I have come to learn is more than just an appearance of stupidity. I realize that this look is not from the information I have added to the conversation, but the fact that I have reveled I listen to books on tape on my way to work instead of a local Heckle and Jeckle two bit pseudo comedy show that is more typical of my proletariat comrades. He further lets me know he doesn't care about what I am say by adding something like, "Yeah those guys out west are... I don't know..."

He didn't even listen. I am working alone now not by choice, but loving every minute.

Some stuff,

I found this Bill Maher clip very scary. Because of my illness this is about a week old.

I thought the show "Thank God You Are Here," seemed like a good idea, but it would probably just show how unfunny the comedians are. Mostly I was right. There is some funny stuff, but I think it would be better if they had no idea what they were getting into before hand. And for the life of me I don't know why they need to pick a winner.

It really sucks coming back to work after a four day weekend, when you went somewhere or had a lot of fun. It sucks a lot worse coming back from a four day weekend, when you did nothing but lay in bed sick the whole time.

Weirdos,

I work with some weird dudes. This winter I worked with a guy and overheard him talking about a really tall apprentice that he worked with at the last company he was at. "That guy was weird," he said. I didn't think too much of it because I didn't think that guy had a high tolerance for weird. Now at my new company I have run into this guy and he was right he is weird. I told this to an preapprentice I was working with and he told me this story how he had worked with him at a different company and the guy would bring in a gallon of milk to drink during the day. Some days I guess he would mix it up with a half gallon of regular and a half gallon of chocolate.

The guy who told me this story also told me he thinks George Bush is going to become the president of Iraq once his term over here is up. He was being serious. He's a weirdo too.

RIP,

In high school I almost exclusively read Kurt Vonnegut. He died last week. Slaughter House Five is probably his most famous book, but my favorites are Mother Night and Player Piano. It has been close to ten years since I have read one of his books, the thought has occurred to me in recent months I should revisit him. I will be sure to do it now.

Ass Kicking,

I just got my ass kicked by one of the worse flu type things I have ever had. The highlights were sleeping for twenty three hours straight, fever over 102 Thursday and Friday, Saturday it went down to 100, not eating and calling in sick on a Friday my third week at the new job. Waking up at three this morning soaked in sweat kind of sucked too. But I am on the mend now and for the first time in three days I can say, I feel a little better.

My favorite movies,

I had this great idea that I should read the books for my favorite movies; Trainspotting, Brothers of the Head, The Dancer Upstairs. But first I started with Fight Club and lets just say it was a less then stellar start. The thought behind this idea was that I would get much more story and since I liked the movies so much I should like the book that much more. We have all heard or said, "It wasn't as good as the book." However the problem with Fight Club was reading the book was almost like reading the screen play. The book was basically the same as the movie. There was a couple minor differences and the ending was a little different, but basically it was the movie. I don't want to sound down on the book, it is a great story. It's just after watching the movie umpteen times, I was hoping for more. I think I will try Dancer Upstairs next, but I have a lot of other books to read before I get to that and I have to order it because I couldn't find it at any of the book stores I went to.

After Fight Club I started reading Walden, but think I will put that aside and wait for a layoff or peck away at it during the weekend. It isn't a good book for the weeknight when I am already a little bit sleepy and worn out.

Geraldo vs. O'Reilly,

There is nothing better than seeing two people I hate go at each others throats.