Steven L. Smith's Blog

I have been working this weekend on some potentially new study guides and test revisions that we could use at Bellingham Technical College to prepare students to learn the basics and to work in the field of home inspection.

This is associated with the state approved fundamentals of home inspection training program that is offered through Bellingham Technical College several times a year. I thought that some of the Active Rain people might like to give this sample question a try.

 

This deadbolt lock, interior view, is on a door that provides egress at a private residence. Of the choices below, which is the best statement about this lock?

A. it provides good security

B. these keyed deadbolts are mandatory per code

C. it is a safety hazard

D. the lock is easy to pick, so a security risk

 

Which answer will you go for? Inspectors might do us a favor and pass on answering this one, as it is pretty basic.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

During my recent visit to Oaxaca, Mexico, it was impossible not to notice the major work going on to improve the infrastructure. The initial impression was that they were improving the roads and sidewalks because all of the streets were torn up. 

In fact, they had to tear the streets and sidewalks up to make it possible to get to and replace the old sewer lines. And, in so doing, they were also upgrading water lines into some of the buildings that were located by the streets and sidewalks.

The most obvious difference to construction methods as seen in the USA, was the amount of work that was being done by hand. I would count up to 40 workmen at a time working with picks and shovels.

These workmen work seven days a week from about 8am till 9pm. They brought their lunches and, typically, wives or girlfriends came by with dinner and they dined together on the street. These guys were working hard. There was no "lazy" going on here and I only ever, once, saw a foreman with a clipboard and no other tools. Near the end of a project, once the masonry streets and sidewalks were removed and the new pipes were in place, they did bring in a road grader and a steam roller.

Often people look down their noses at this kind of "old-fashioned" work project, but I am not so sure they should. As would be the case in the USA, where you tend to have a zillion heavy machines and lots of flaggers and a handful of workers, I thought this project was moving along with amazing and similar speed. I really think that the workers were getting the job done just as fast, or faster, than it would have been done here. And, in so doing, the city employed a ton of people and cut down on lots of diesel exhaust.

I know that such work will never be that way here, probably for any number of good reasons, but I do not think that we should automatically frown and look down our noses at these societies that depend more on human power and less on heavy machinery. From what I can see, human workers can get the job done and, by doing the work that way, it keeps lots of people working in a downtrodden Mexican economy.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

My wife and I have an amusing time communicating in Mexico. We go to Oaxaca, not nearly as touristy as some of the Mexico destinations, so some of the locals speak good English, others very little. Back in high school, forty years ago, I took two years of Spanish. I learned many words and pronunciations at the time, but many of the words have flown the coup.

My wife speaks reasonably good Italian. She has been studying it now for about five years at a local college and with a private tutor. Italian is, in many ways, similar to Spanish. For example, days of the week are not quite alike, but they have many similarities. There are other ways in which the languages veer in opposite directions from one another. It can be hard to guess just when that might occur.

Case in point:  We were in a nice restaurant

And we wanted some butter for the bread (Pane in Italian, Pan in Spanish)

I, for the life of me, could not remember the Spanish word for butter, if I ever learned it. So, in this case, figuring that a basic product like butter might be said much the same or "close" in both Spanish and Italian, my wife asked for butter in Italian.

Oops. You can click on the photo of the butter dish below to see what it is that she actually ordered when the Italian word was translated back into Spanish.

That is the long and the short of it. We ordered a burro brought to the table. The Italian word for butter is burro. Unfortunately, the Spanish word for butter is not even close -- "mantequilla".

Oh well, you win some and lose some but who cares if you have a good time. By the way, the burro we ended up with was very stubborn but fun and we got to ride him around the block twice.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

 

You have got to love some of the strange sights, at least based on what we are used to around here, that you see in Mexico. They worry less about litigation I think. In Huatulca, which is an ocean front community, they have one of the more unusual tourist attractions that I have ever witnessed.

If you go into La Crucecita, the city center, at night you will find the famous Disco Bus. This bus is colorful, decked-out with bright paint, and it is a double-decker with the roof cut out up above at the top deck. It takes a "party on wheels" from one night spot to another.

Now, to be honest, I never got on the bus, nor did my wife. But we got a kick out of it when it went by. It was a common topic of conversation among us tourists. We tourists wondered just how safe it is for the dancers if the bus makes any quick stops.

 

The bus has loud music, flashing lights and a crowd of people dancing and rocking-out as the vehicle toodles down the road from one spot to another. It stops at some of the scenic outlook points and it, also, even takes revelers to some other bars and nightspots, such as the renowned and beloved "Tipsy Blowfish" bar.

It just so happens that a reveler, very enamored with the disco bus, shot a video of the action inside the bus as the party was going on. You might not want to watch the whole video, but you will get a kick out of watching part of it. So strange.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

I have not written a music related blog post in some time. I have been too busy or otherwise preoccupied. I had an enquiry asking if I would write a post about the tragic events that transpired on this date 51 years ago.

This day is referred to in popular lore and music as "The Day the Music Died." Three young, shining talents in the field of rock n' roll, which was emerging as a major force in those early years of the genre, perished in an airplane crash in the early morning hours of February 3, 1959.

The performers were part of a three week tour across the Midwest -- The Winter Dance Party. Below, I have selected what I consider to be interesting historical videos of the three performers whose lives were snuffed-out in that plane crash.

First, and foremost, we have Buddy Holly. You cannot fail but to be amused by the introduction that he receives from the hostess as he performs on the Arthur Murray Dance Party. 

Next, we have Ritchie Valens. Ritchie was one of the first of the Tex-Mex stars. He is best know for La Bamba and Donna, but this is the only video I could find that actually shows him in action. It is quite amusing even if it is not one of his signature songs. 

And, last of all, the world of entertainment lost J.P. Richardson, best known as The Big Bopper. He was a former deejay and, to a large degree, talked his way through his hits. The best known of his tunes is Chantilly Lace.

And, for those of you who have no memories of this event, since it occurred so many years ago, it was immortalized in this 1970's song by Don McLean. American Pie may be almost as famous as the event itself.

For more "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #207