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Mark F. Barnes

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Everything posted by Mark F. Barnes

  1. This should be a sticky, hello mods, to keep it up top until this storm is gone or not a possible threat. Western Montgomery County, Staying put, no worries.
  2. When I was a Teen you had three choices. Sears and Roebuck, F. W. Woolworth's, and the Feed Store. You could send off to a JC Penny's in Houston and get a pair of jeans. You could mail order Levis from Sears and Roebuck, F. W. Woolworth's wasn't much more than a five and dime, with a soda fountain, but they had some Wrangler Jeans. The feed store carried Lee bibs and Lee dungarees. Weren't any malls around back then.
  3. Griff's had the greatest Burgers, man I miss that place.
  4. Dave I spent the majority of my career working internationally. Me personally, I liked it, it's somewhat different traveling these days with all the security now, but if you are prepared and have you act together it can be rather painless traveling through the bigger hubs. I really have no complaints. I met my wife while traveling abroad, she's Lebanese, and that was the best thing to happen to me in life, had a few touch and go run-ins in Venezuela I'd rather not repeat. Was actually wounded in Nicaragua in 1979 when there were some local issues going on with the Sandinistas. Things are different there today I'm sure. I'd stay away from the Western Africa area, stability is an ongoing thing around there. Brazil is not too bad, but not much of a place to move the family if they travel with you, IMHO. I lived in Macae for a couple of years, the family was ready to go home as soon as the new wore off. Definitely a different culture, and my wife is very conservative and overly protective of the kids, she was never really happy to be there. If we were not parents at the time it could have been different. Rio can be like Las Vegas on Steroids and Carnival make Mardi Gras look like a church picnic. Majority of the expats live in Macae just north of Rio. Going there on a two week vacation is one thing but living there is another. Dubai is the greatest, as long as you can deal with the climate. If heat and humidity is an issue, stay home. One of the best places, and most interesting was Madagascar. We had some offshore exploration projects going on there, however restrictions and other issues made it not really worth the trouble, at least back then, but the country was really neat. They've eased up some and a few projects still go on there. But environmental impact awareness is huge there. Been all over the US currently in West Virginia on a project. The patch has been good to me, would change it for the world.
  5. I live closer to campus than I do down town. I commuted from BCS to Downtown for 7 years, (talk about getting old quick) before I built my home in Montgomery. It was a happy medium for me. It cut my commute in half and was still close to home. My family homestead is just outside of Bryan off of Dilly Shaw Tap near Kurten, technically Wixon Valley. I still have a home on 575 acres in Brazos County, but my primary home is on 83 acres in Montgomery County. I prefer not to live in the city by choice, the commute can be a pain, but we love our space, and horses are hard to raise in Bellaire or Memorial. Taxes are less out here, and we like our privacy. Just not a city kinda dude I reckon.
  6. Actually most of the bigger companies have a continuing education program, built into their promptional standards. They also almost always pickup the tab if you continue on with them. Texaco repaid nearly all of my educational expenses, with my career with them. Shell assisted me with my DEng, and I was just a long-term contract engineer with them. Them sending Geos back to school is not unusual at all.
  7. Rockhound jobs in the petroleum field are mostly going to key on actual exploration experience. Coming from a coal background doesn't crossover much, unless you hookup with a group chasing coal-bed methane. One thing you may try is a placement or consulting firm, there are numerous in Houston, that can help you make the transition, because some of the better ones have support staff to lean on. El Paso could be a good place to hit up, the head rockhound there is Rene Decou, he's as nice a fella as you ever meet, known him over 30 years, and he's as good as the come. He does all the hiring and firing in the geology dept for EP. You might try www.rigzone.com and search the jobs in the geosciences there, a lot of recruiters work that pretty hard. You can start out contract through a firm, and wind up on full time after you prove your worth. Don't know how familiar you are with a lot of the new software that out now, but that is a big key now, you'll definitely be behind the curve if you aren't, but that is fixable. I've spent the last 40 years in the drilling end, and it's workable, you are just going to have to hustle, pick up quickly and sell yourself. If I were giving my best guess for you to make the move as easy as possible, I'd say slip resumes to Cheryl Collarini, Susan Hughart, or Subsurface Consultants & Associates. All of these are always looking to staff people to fill your wishes.
  8. It's wasn't the "Huddle House" was it. Seems like I remember it as the "Huddle House". maybe Alzheimer's on my part.
  9. I tell you, it's always someone else's fault when things go wrong. TXDOT started painting huge (8 feet across) emblems of the destination of each particular lane several years ago, "59" "610" etc etc. If someone just pays attention, they start warning you what lane you are in 1.5 miles in advance. They are more than well lit at night. The paint used to make these emblems is illuminating traffic paint, and it reflects light. Huge green traffic signs, with lights start warning you of the interchange 3 miles in advance. If a person just plans ahead a little, pays attention to what they are doing, it's not a problem whatsoever. But last minute lane changes, or not paying attention, or being drowsy from a three hour set on stage, followed by a few beers to chill out afterward, if not something a little stronger, 5 am in the morning, you can't tell me he you aren't worn out. The odds caught up. I can't see any blame being laid on the intersection or TXDOT. Texas has some of the motorist friendly interchanges in the world. Go try another state or city that is forever exiting left to go right, or the signs are so confusing you do not know what to do, until you are 100 ft from the point of exit. Emilio's accident is tragic and hopefully he survives the entire ordeal with as little if not any long term issues. But don't put the blame on anyone other than the operator of the bus. Bar a second vehicle being involved and leaving the scene, (which I think has been ruled out by the survivors), or a catastrophic mechanical failure of the bus, there is nothing more to say it's a tragic accident nothing else.
  10. I'm sure Darcie appreciates that! Her neck didn't look that long too me.......
  11. Thanks Spark, I knew I wasn't crazy, they broke ground on the dome on January 3rd 1962. And I was certain it wasn't there when the first game was played April 9th, 1965. I was there and it's would have been right there by the main entrance going in if were still there, there's kno way you could miss it. The entire park was gone before 1967 for sure. I wish I could find a better aerial of that area from '65. According to the Smithsonian that picture was taken in May of '43 Here's a photo that came from Archie Lacy's grandkids, with a picture of Ed Hamblen, on the left, with Billy Wade in the Archie Lacy Special. That's Archie on the far right. I think that's Joseph Meyer in the middle. I don't know who the other two are, however it's got a good view of the coaster in the background. I'd have to guess early '50's if I had too. T-Bird may be able to shed more light on the date of this photo, I think he may have communicated directly with the Lacy family.
  12. WHoever is selling these prints is full of it. Go back and look at post #143 http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...st&p=102266 This photo came from the Smithsonian, Dated May 1943. Looks like the same photo they are running prints off of and sell on eBay. Something is fishy. I am not buying it's 1967, I went to the Dome too many times back then and it would stick out. It was down before Colt 45 Stadium went in, I am almost positive. Playland was where Murworth intersects Main st. You couldn't miss it.
  13. Only thing T-Bird, it had to be gone before 67, the Dome was open by then, And I am pretty sure it was dismantled before the ground breaking on Colt 45 stadium, and the broke ground there in'61. Here's an aerial photo of the Domw in '65, and I think that's just about the correct direction to be looking right at the coaster if it were still there. Maybe I am turned around. It could possibly be just left of the photo but I don't remember it being there opening day in April of '65
  14. The park was definitely gone by Carla, because Colt 45 Stadium had broke ground. Not sure how much total damage Audrey did, but sparky said the coaster fell over causing a lot of damage, not sure to the extent of destroyed. I am sure Sparky could come up with a year. Audrey @ landfall Not sure what other it could be, unless it was the Cat 1 that hit Houston in 1943.
  15. TBird now that you point it out that does look like a 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible, It's confusing me now, if you also notice, in the background there is no Roller Coaster wasn't it built by 1955? Not positive on that. I know it was there in '58 for sure. Maybe that race is the 1954 Fall race. The ran the Gold Cup Classic in like September or October. I missed that parade car, good catch. Sparky can you shed any light on when the Roller Coaster went up? But you are correct, they all (cars) look the same now, however I have my deposit down on the new Camaro, Donny Buckalew was allotted two of them on the first release, he's getting one and I'm getting the other one, I just can't wait. 2010 Camaro can't get here quick enough.
  16. Almost anything is better than United.
  17. And all this got started with "Jack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant" in NYC. Was there for 40 years. Maybe they should take lessons from the Manassa Mauler on how to run a place.
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