On 9/11/2001 I was at Work at The WREX Plastics Factory when a co-worker drove up and said: "They Bombed the Pentagon"... and I said... "Good" ---> Read More:

In my opinion the Pentagon has done a great deal of EVIL in my lifetime and so... if someone has bombed it, GREAT!

We went to work and the quality control guy came around my station once an hour with updates about the World Trade Center and Airplanes... My co-workers liked to listen to the radio playing rock music as we worked and none of them was interested enough in the news to change the station...

I really enjoyed working at the factory in Chico. It was simple mindless work that I excelled at. Since I was willing to put a tiny amount of effort into making great parts I was dramatically better at the job than the vast majority of the other workers... The boss was glad to have me... We made a lot of plastic parts for a COKE vending machine. To this day, whenever I see a machine I remember making every part with fondness. We also made brake shoes for a wheelchair and I kept one of those on my keychain as a reminder of why I didn't want to work at the Factory all my life...

I was promoted to part time office manager and had to learn how to use the computer system that tracked production. I guess that's what made me become interested in learning computer science and lead to my attending Humboldt State University in Arcata.

Chico has a very hot climate in the summer and Arcata is cool and rainy... My wife challenged me to find some way to escape the heat and I took Student loans from the Department of Education... and we moved.

Read more of my autobiography at: http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/03/growing-up-in-los-gatos-california-in.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20150716201810/http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=3845

Secretary Rumsfeld Interview with Parade Magazine

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
October 12, 2001

(Interview with Lyric Wallwork Winik, Parade Magazine)

"Here we're talking about plastic knives and using an American Airlines flight filed with our citizens, and the missile to damage this building and similar (inaudible) that damaged the World Trade Center. The only way to deal with this problem is by taking the battle to the terrorists, wherever they are, and dealing with them." 

The Interview Took Place In Rumsfeld's Office... at the Pentagon... So that's the Building he is referring to... 

Originally Published on DEFENSE.GOV

I spent 6 Years working for the US Government Designing Computers That BLOCKED RADIO WAVES FROM ESCAPING from the Equipment. Project TEMPEST. The Goal was to Prevent The Russians from Eavesdropping on Our Military Computers and reading secret messages. The Basic Idea was to make the BOX that thee Computer Circuit Cards were housed in out of Metal... with small holes for LEDs and Switches on the front panel. This is Specialized Knowledge that I ASSUMED everyone knew because I Knew... OOPS...

TEMPEST (Telecommunications Electronics Materials Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions)[1] is a U.S. National Security Agency specification and a NATO certification[2][3] referring to spying on information systems through leaking emanations, including unintentional radio or electrical signals, sounds, and vibrations.[4][5] TEMPEST covers both methods to spy upon others and how to shield equipment against such spying. The protection efforts are also known as emission security (EMSEC), which is a subset of communications security (COMSEC).[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(codename)

Dancing in the Park in Chico on Summer Friday Nights - Working at WREX Plastics Factory - Part of My Autobiography - Gregory Vanderlaan

The concerts in the Park were my highlight of Summers in Chico. In general there are more guitar players per square mile there and the best play in the town square. People from AA and WREX plastics went every week and we had a good time dancing. Chico is famous for being a party town and every great party needs a "Keggar" Band. My favorite was the Jeff Pershing Band. He plays Positive Worldbeat Music.

The Train Station in Chico, California
I Dined at Food Not Bombs in Train Depot Park
on the Left Hand Side of this Picture

I was working at a plastics factory and that was a great job for me to do while I was getting sober. My boss was a member of AA also. The work was simple. They trained you how to make a plastic part in about 10 minutes and then you had 8 hours to relax and do your work. My favorite part was the wheelchair wheels for a "Smarty" brand named wheelchair. This was satisfying work because people all over the world used our products... Those wheelchairs were loved by those who rode in them. 

I was eating at the Jesus Center while I was a homeless person but the lady that ran the place told me that since I had started a JOB and could buy my own food, it was no longer Right for me to accept charity. Makes sense... 

Years Later I visited Chico after I Had Moved to Eureka and they had replaced the Central Park Lawn and Trees with Concrete and a Fountain... The Music was still wonderful and The Children Loved Splashing in the Fountain... I guess they had to remove the trees because they were in Danger of Falling Down. 

Bear Hole in Upper Bidwell Park
Black Lava Basalt Rock from Mount Lassen.

I wrote a song about my experiences called "Simple Treasures". My time Dancing in the Mud at RFK Stadium at a Grateful Dead Concert... We had a torrential rainstorm with thunder and lightning... Here is a Link to my Music Video singing the Song and Playing my Guitar... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLWIRyF0YnQ

Thank God for simple treasures
Thank God for rock and roll
An arena full of singing people...
a blessed time to ease my soul
Chorus:
Dancing in the MUD
in a stadium
when I hear the drums
I know that I belong
the hammer on the gong
and the momentum
will reveal the truth
hidden for so long

Thank God for simple treasures
Thank God for my guitar
it has a magic healing power
PARA VIVIR, YO CANTAR
(in order to live, I sing)
Chorus:
Dancing in the MUD
in a stadium
when I hear the drums
I know that I belong
the hammer on the gong
and the momentum
will reveal the truth
hidden for so long

Thank God for simple treasures
Thank God for my machine
I make another 30 wheels then,
take a rag and wipe it clean
Chorus:
In the factory
working all night long
making plastic wheels
until the break of dawn
.......................
"God bless this wheel
and all who ride upon it"

JUST ANOTHER MIRACLE

This lyric is about my time working at the WREX plastic factory in Chico. We made wheels for wheelchairs. One day after work I was extremely stressed out about the miserable conditions I was working in and a wise lady suggested that I have Jesus bless each wheel and all that ride. I was handling hot plastic and working extremely quickly to fit tiny nuts into the wheel before the plastic cooled and the wheel shrank in size to be too small to fit the nuts. This basically meant that I was frantically rushing to fit 9 nuts into a wheel that was burning my fingers. She suggested the blessing as a stress reliever for me. Fortunately, my boss came to the realization that I was the wrong person for this particular product and never made me make that type of wheel again. I did become THE wheel maker of another type. I did continue to bless the wheels. I am an atheist but... WHY NOT BLESS THE WHEEL... Eventually I made thousands of wheels. A useful way to spend my time... *

Fountain that I Loved to Soak my Feet in
Right Across from Central Plaza Where the Bands Play.
I walked a Lot in Chico and Had Many Blisters
The WATER in this Fountain has a LOT of Chlorine...
Good for Healing, NOT for Drinking.

Dancing in Central Park in Chico to live music. and Murals

Sounded like the Grateful Dead

Chico is Famous for Beautiful Women

On the Street during Friday Night in the Park Concert

Mural Downtown

Another Mural

Read more of my Autobiography at: http://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/03/growing-up-in-los-gatos-california-in.html