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September 3, 2008
The Republicans might have got it finally
Finally the Republican Party got it right with the nomination of Sarah Palin. She gives the presidential
ticket something that John McCain didn't, some conservative guts. I personally think the Republican primary
was a farce. I think the Democrats elected McCain because I haven't met a person who voted for him. With
McCain as the presidential nominee it made it very hard for me, or any of my acquaintances to vote this year.
We all felt we only had a choice between a tax and spend liberal Democrat with absolutely no idea of what he
is doing and a tax and spend liberal Republican that seems to do everything he can to as far left as he can. McCain
is a terrible choice but fortunately Palin came to the rescue to pull the conservative people together and has
given us hope and some one to vote for.
The liberals, and their PR branch, the main stream media, are doing their best to demonize Palin. But like with
their anti McCain ads, they point out the character "faults" that I, and most of my acquaintances are looking for. She's a hunter,
big deal. Although I do not hunt and I don't really like others to do so, it's their right. She has a pregnant unwed teenage daughter.
What family doesn't have at least one unwed pregnant teenage member in their extended family. She used her office
as governor of Alaska to have an abusive state trooper fired. Big deal, the governor of my state, Wisconsin, will
do anything the trial lawyers, local Indian tribes and school teacher's union wants him to do. All they have to do is
write a check. Palin is for drilling for oil. Alright! We need oil and if that means drilling in a 200 acre piece of land in
3 million acre "Nature Preserve" that is as barin as the moon and a place no one ever will go to, I say go for it! The best "flaw" that is pointed
out is she doesn't have experience, and Obama does?! He has a lot less experience than Palin and the Democrats have him running for the number
one position! It amazes me that anyone is foolish enough to vote for this empty suit. Maybe it's time to have some one in office who isn't an inside
politician. By the way, what does Obama have to offer besides "Change"? What is he talking about, "Change"? No one does, he hasn't offered any idea
of what the heck he's going to "Change". I personally don't want change if it means higher taxes and more give always. Where do you think he's going
to get the money for his "Change". Please, stop telling me that President Bush has ruined the economy. I run my own small business. I don't
make over $100,000, far from it but the last eight years have been good for me and the people I employ. We've been very busy. We'll be moving into a new building this
year thanks to the "horrible" economy that President has given us with his tax cuts for the rich. The same rich people who
who own the business' that give my small business, and my employees work.
I am very optimistic that Mrs. Palin will win the election and I hope she will prove herself and become our first
woman president.
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October 4, 2007
~~Spoiled Brats~~
The other day a friend of mine sent me an email with the following column, titled "Made in the USA: Spoiled brats
", by Craig Smith of the World Daily Net, www.worldnetdaily.com.
At first I thought it might be another cyberspace hoax column everyone gets on a regular basis so I did a search of the author and article to verify it's truthfulness. I was able to verify it
and decided to post it here because everything Mr. Craig said I agree with:
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Posted: November 20, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The same magazine that employs Michael (Qurans in the toilets at Gitmo) Isikoff. Here I promised myself this week I would be nice and I start off in this way. Oh what a mean man I am.
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking,
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home, you may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of having a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes; an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells. Just ask why they are going to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book and do a TV special about how he didn't kill his wife but if he did … insane!
Stop buying the negative venom you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.
I close with one of my favorite quotes from B.C. Forbes in 1953:
''What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States, 'the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.' Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs.''
I suggest this Thanksgiving we sit back and count our blessings for all we have. If we don't, what we have will be taken away. Then we will have to explain to future generations why we squandered such blessing and abundance. If we are not careful this generation will be known as the ''greediest and most ungrateful generation.'' A far cry from the proud Americans of the ''greatest generation'' who left us an untarnished legacy.
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April 3, 2007
~~Is there a new version of Metallurgy?~~
I know, it's been a long time between posts but I've been busy.
Anyways, I am trying to figure out if there was a revision in the science of Metallrygy. The reason I am questioning this is because of research I have done in the old car hobby. It seems a lot of people are mistaking rust for gold. The more rust there is on a vehicle the
more it seems people think it's worth. They also like to add the phrases,
"It's rare" or "You can't find a better one." Yeah, rust is rust and if the part or car is 90% rust it's still useless. I had two recent experiences of this phenomenon last weekend. I answered two ads on Craigslist that had old trucks listed for sale. I went to look at both trucks to see what was being offered. Even though I have my small fleet of Bonus Build trucks that my wife thinks is excessive, I still like to check what's out there and, hopefully, find some parts trucks I can use parts off of.
The first truck I went to see had nothing left to it. The bottom ten inches of the cab were rusted away and just barely sitting on the frame. There was no box, the doors were as bad as the cab and there was nothing else on it that was of any value except for the hood. Although the hood was still useable, it had a couple of coats of scaly paint and surface rust on it. After looking the truck over and deciding there was nothing left I started talking to the guy who was selling it. I asked what he wanted for the hood, just to see what he would say. His reply was,"I'll take a $150 for it." Yeah, right.
The second truck I looked was stored in a pole building, up about fifteen feet on a pallet rack shelf. This truck was in a little better shape than the first but, was still a total rot bucket. The doors might have been useful but I didn't want to my life to crawl up a rickety ladder to check it out ( I don't like heights). I asked the guy how much he was looking to get for it, he replied, "I'll take $750". Again, I said, " Ah, no thanks". I was thinking possibly $100, $150 at most.
I have run into the above situations many times over the last few years. I just find it amazing that people think just because a vehicle is old it's worth a small fortune. After looking at these two trucks, and other parts I have inquired about, I came back to my shop and started to assess my parts stockpile,("junk", as my wife calls it, I prefer to call it my "good stuff") and thought it must be worth at least $25,000 to $30,000, if I guage the value by the junk I saw over the weekend.
For now, I will just sit back and watch my retirement fund grow in value.
Bob
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March 17,2003
~~Colin Powell's United States of America~~
I love this country. Although I might not always agree with the
people running it, I believe this is the best country that has
ever existed in the entire history of the world. I really despise
it when people from other countries try to knock us down. It even
makes me more upset to hear our fellow countrymen deride our
country, but that is the main reason this country is so great — they
have the right to do it.
The following response from Secretary of State Colin Powell pretty
much sums up what I feel is the ultimate response when someone
tries to cast our country as world dominators out for our own
advancement.
The following is from the Friday, February 15, 2002, issue of the
Media Research Center’s online CyberAlert.
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During a MTV program titled “Be Heard: A
Global Discussion with Colin Powell,” a woman from
Norway, asked "Hi, hello Mr. Secretary. I’m
wondering, when I talk to my friends about the U.S., we
think about how do you feel about representing a
country commonly perceived as the Satan of contemporary
politics."
Powell delivered his best response of the night:
"Well I reject the characterization. Quite the
contrary. I think the American people, the United
States of America, presents a values system to the rest
of the world that is based on democracy, based on
economic freedom, based on the individual rights of men
and women. That’s what has fueled this country of
ours for the last 225 years. I think that’s what
makes us such a draw for nations around the world.
People come to the United States, they come to be
educated, they come to become Americans. We are a
country of countries and we touch every country and
every country in the world touches us. So far from
being the Great Satan I would say that we are the great
protector. We have sent men and women from the armed
forces of the United States to other parts of the world
throughout the last century to put down oppression. We
defeated fascism, we defeated communism, we saved
Europe in World War One and World War Two..."
Powell proceeded to note that the U.S. did not stay
and conquer Japan or German. Instead we built them up
and gave them democratic systems. Powell added:
"Did we ask for any land? No, the only land we
ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead.
That’s the kind of nation we are."
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The last paragraph really struck me — I feel it pretty much
put the woman, and the rest of the world, in their place. I
think this quote should become one of the most famous quotes in
our history — if it doesn't I think we will have lost
something very valuable.
Bob
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November 7, 2002
Saved by the Fat-Fendered
Well, I didn't get the "Old Girl" stored as I
planned, and it was a good thing. My new modern designed 1996 Dodge
4X4 decided it didn't like the new fuel pump transplant it got
fourteen month ago (two months out of warranty)and decided to
reject it. Fortunately, I didn't have the Ford in storage yet
and am now using it while the Dodge is going under the wrench.
I know the newer vehicles are a lot nicer when it comes to scheduled
maintenance, but when they decide to break down, there is not much
you can do. Other than opening the hood and hoping there is
something very obviously wrong — like a disconnected wire or a hose
spewing something — there is not much the shade-tree mechanic can
do. After seeing that there is nothing you can do, you have to call
the tow truck.
Last night the Dodge decided to have pump failure
fifty miles from home at 6:00 at night. After finding a towing
service, in a unfamiliar area and hoping I wasn’t going to be
taken for a bundle, I got it home and had to call the Ford into
duty. Hey, the bright side is I get a good reason to drive the
truck a little longer, I suppose that’s the golden lining in
my otherwise cloudy day.
Bob
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October 14, 2002
~~One More Weekend~~
It happens every autumn — I get depressed. It is time up here in
the “Rust Belt” to store my truck. I despise this time
of year. I always wait until the last minute before succumbing to
the realization that the old girl has to go for her winter nap. I
store the truck in a shed in the back forty of the farm. Every fall
we have to pack it away like a sardine between the farm machinery.
I always wait until the last minute and the coldest day to do the
dirty deed, because I always think “just one more
weekend”. I get my old clothes on, grab a sweat shirt to put
under my winter work jacket, slip on my gloves, dump some gas stabilizer in
the tank, and check the condition of the coolant. I then drive her
down in back to the shed. After rearranging the other machinery, we
tuck her into her little corner.
It’s usually so cold that
you don’t notice you smashed an appendage until a few minutes
after it happens. I fog the engine with oil, place the mice poison
under the seat, and stuff fabric softener sheets throughout the
interior. I finally throw the old sheets over it and say good-bye
for the season.
Once in a while, if I’m down there for some
reason, I will go into the shed and say "Hi" (we all talk
to our trucks, admit it) and dream about the wonderful day next
spring when life comes back and the old girl starts, after a little
gas pedal pumping, and smokes for a few minutes and I can feel my
infusion of “Old truck” for the year.
Bob
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July 31, 2002
~~The Miners~~
he rescue of the nine trapped miners in Pennsylvania is enough to
make everything else seem insignificant. An event like this — one
that starts out with what seems like a very slim chance of
having a good outcome and finishes with such a happy ending — can
lift a person to new heights. I personally felt a extreme sense of
relief and joy when I found out they were all safe. It made for a
very happy weekend.
Maybe this is a start of better things to come.
Bob
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July 20, 2002
~~Better Things~~
I know I stated above that I will try to concentrate on light-hearted
matters, so here I go. In the last month I have attended two events
that have made me feel good about the world around me.
The first was the Arthritis Foundation show in Dublin,Ohio, on July
6, 2002. I have been emailing back and forth with Jack Brown for
the last three years or so. Finally I decided, after being asked by
Jack quite a few times, to go to the show. It turned out to be
great a show. The variety of cars and trucks was amazing. There were
modified and vintage and everything between. I met many nice people
and talked a lot of "car" with them. At night there were
great musical acts. The weather was beautiful.
The only thing I
regretted was that I wasn't able to bring my F-2 to park next
to Jack's. I was a twelve-hour drive in my '96 Dodge at
70 mph with air and cruise, I don't want to think what the trip
would have been like in the F-2 with a flat six and four speed. Thanks
again, Jack.
The second event was this last week, July 14 through 20. My two
sons are in scouting, Germantown troop 151. My oldest son, Charlie,
attended Boy Scout camp this week. All of the boys at the camp,
from many different troops, showed the true spirit of scouting
through cooperation and friendship. I spent two separate days and
nights as an adult supervisor. I found all of the boys to be very
polite and well behaved. When someone accomplished a requirement,
all of the boys complimented each other, and when someone had a
problem, the other boys provided encouragement and suggestions so
the boy could achieve his requirement.
The world still has a lot of good.
Bob
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July 11, 2002
~~Old Car Suicide~~
I have been working on cars and trucks for nearly thirty years. I
started working with my dad at his service station in the early
1970s. I pumped gas, checked oil, and cleaned windows when I was ten
years old. I am now 39, soon to be 40. I have always gotten my hands
dirty working on cars. Although I am no longer involved in the auto repair
industry and I run my own business — an industrial control panel
shop — I still like to work on my own trucks, doing the mechanical
and body repairs.
I have been lucky in the past with finding parts for my trucks. I
have done a lot of horse dealing to get parts. Sometimes I have
paid too much for things; other times, I have gotten extremely good
deals. Recently I was able to get my hands on a truck that was
rotting away in farmyard. I hoped I could use it for parts for my
latest project truck, the '48 F-1 panel. Unfortunately, the one
main part of the truck that I wanted to use for the panel, the
floor, proved to be in worse shape than I thought. Fortunately, I
was able to sell some parts that I didn’t need and make a
little money to put toward the panel. I am still going to use the
running boards and radiator for the panel.
I feel I sold the parts at a reasonable price, first trying
through this web site and then on eBay. I did not want to gouge
anyone on prices, and I hope the people that bought the parts from
me feel they got a good and honest deal.
This brings me to the
point of this “Thought”: I feel the old car hobby may
be a dying one. Lately, when I attend car shows, most of the cars
and trucks are being slammed and modified and painted pastel
colors. I know whatever the owner wants to do with his or her car
is up to them, but I sure hope there are young people interested in
preserving stock versions of the vehicles, too. Our hobby is under
constant attack by the “Tree Huggers” and others who
pass crush laws and attack the old wrecking yards where our
vanishing supply of parts lay.
I also feel our hobby is being
attacked from the inside. When I go to swap meets and on my regular
rounds on the Internet web sites, I am constantly amazed at the
prices some people are asking for parts. At the swap meets, I am
able to see firsthand some of the junk people think is worth a
fortune. On the web sites, you can’t really tell the condition
of the items, but a lot of it, no matter the condition, is not
worth what the person is asking.
A lot of the people I see at the
swap meets, I see every year with the same overpriced parts. I know
something is worth only what you can get for it, but be real! How
is a young person suppose to get into this hobby if the prices for
parts are too high? Also, how many times have you seen an old
rusted-out car or truck on the side of the road, and when you stop
to inquire to the price, the owner tells you $3,000 or $4,000? The
vehicle in prime, restored shape would only be worth about $8,000 at
the most.
You all know what it takes to get a fair-condition runner
restored, not to think what a rust bucket would cost. How is a young
person, or any person with modest means (I being one of the latter)
supposed to afford to restore a car or truck? It is a lot easier to
fabricate a nonstock part or use nonstock items from more modern
cars than it is to find useable, reasonably priced stock parts.
I suppose I should face the real world and realize that there is no
fairness rule in life. I feel everyone should work for what they
have, but I don’t believe people should try to screw each
other, either. I feel that, by trying to get every last cent for a part, we
are killing our hobby. We don't have to do this — we already
have a government, and others, that are more than willing to do it
for us.
Just my opinion.
Bob
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July 11, 2002
~~The Pledge~~
I have revised my site to include a link to the Pledge of
Allegiance, as recited by Red Skelton. With the recent ruling of a
Circuit Court, I think this recitation is very pertinent
and a good reminder that we are slowly losing some of our freedoms.
Being involved in the old car hobby, I see many instances of
our rights and freedoms being legislated away by our elected
officials. It is very upsetting to have every aspect of our lives
being controlled by people thousands of miles away, and the most
shocking thing is when the state and federal Supreme Courts, who
are there to interpret the laws, contort their own ideas to make
new laws. I try to do my part by voting every election and
contacting my elected officials whenever an item comes up that I
feel strongly about.
Bob
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