The other day I was in a park enjoying my lunch when someone less fortunate came up and asked me for some money. Most folks just automatically discount these lost human lives as bums or any of the myriad names I have heard assigned to them. NOT ME!! I have no idea what this man’s story was or what set of circumstances lead him to me on that day in a park and you know what, why should I care and who am I to judge? Like always, I try to give something. I had a couple bucks in cash, left over from the ten I broke for lunch so I gave him that. The very first person I told about this encounter said, “he is just going to go and buy beer or liquor with your money” I immediately said, how do you know that? “That is what they all do” was the response. I let it go because no amount of talking to this person, who I have known and respected for a number of years, is going to change their perspective, it did however change my perspective of them.
What a sad commentary that really is about us. For those who do not live in the city where folks sometimes live on the street you may have no experience with it but here in Jacksonville I think it is a bigger problem than we want to admit. I say bigger problem and some may immediately agree but wait before thinking that. I see it as a problem, a problem that our society has thrown these people away, living human beings, without even asking themselves, what happened to this less fortunate person that brought them to where they are when we run into them. I do not see it as a problem in that they may inconvenience some or make some feel uncomfortable at all, they do not make me feel that way. So why aren’t we looking at the problem from that direction? When I see someone on the street I wonder, what unfortunate situation in their life has placed them here? Was it the schools that failed them, was it their parents that failed them, if yes what happened to the parents, was it an abusive spouse – what could it have been.
Back to my friend’s response, ya know what - maybe that man needed a beer to drown away whatever sorrow was weighing on his heart. Have we not gotten home and decided we needed a glass of wine or a couple of beers or that neat scotch to sooth our souls from the day? Would we like someone judging us for that? I think not. Ya know what, if that man needed a beer to get through his day and to sooth his soul, why should I care and why should I judge? Still I may have helped him out, not in way our traditional society may approve us, drinking and smoking have been so demonized that we hardly approve of the practices for ourselves anymore. Anything in moderation is the tenant my Mom beat into our heads as children. I always give, if I have cash on me, to anyone less fortunate and I do so without judging and wondering what they are going to do with the money. If one were to try to put oneself in their shoes, which with the economy the way it is many have, imagine how hard that would be for you. Imagine the pressures of the day, imagine having to ask strangers for money. I say a silent prayer for each and every person who is on the street.
On the radio this morning I was listening to a country music station, OK I listen to country so what. Anyway, they got to going on about their opinions about giving some less fortunate person on the street money. I do not remember the exact words but it sank in all day and that it what caused me to ponder this nationwide problem and to write this blog in the first place. Are there some who are nothing but drunks and wino’s, sure but if I have to give to a million of them to get to that one person who really needs it – it was worth every penny I would have given.
I remember once I was going into a Little Champ, kind of like a 7 eleven or other convenience stores, and a woman who appeared to be homeless was standing by the newspaper box counting change. As I got out of my truck I could hear her muttering about something. I asked if she was OK, and she gave me the best answer I have received when asking that question. “I do not have enough for a 40, and I really need one and maybe two”. I was taken back by her response, that is not the kind of brutal honesty that I was accustomed to. I asked her what her poison was and she indicated Schlitz Malt liquor. I went on into the store and got my Mt. Dew and thought, I am going to help that woman out. Even though she did not ask me I bought her two 40’s of the bull and when I went outside, she was still counting change, I handed her the bag and said “on me”. She thanked me and on my way I went, feeling better about myself and with a renewed optimism about being able to effectively communicate the simple truth. I need a 40, how much more honest an answer can there be. I wish we, in our society, could just tell the simple truth more, without all the political correctness and without the shade that our jaded eyes provide.
So, I ask that the next time someone asks you for change or you see someone with the sign “will work for food” give them some change and leave your prejudices aside for a while and smile knowing that you helped someone out, in whatever they needed, not what you think they needed.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Love and Marriage – with a lifetime into it.
So there I was the other morning having breakfast on Saturday morning with my friend Robert, a nearly 20 year tradition. When we arrived, an older couple are sitting by the window having breakfast. I have seen them here before at Nicklyn’s Café, not every Saturday but enough that I remember them. Him, with his Florida Seminoles hat and her, with those odd looking glasses. I say odd, they are not really that odd but that is what comes to my mind when I see her, odd glasses. Anyway, he always holds the door open for her, but I wonder if it is rote or is it still that he loves her and he wants to hold that door? They order and he always pays, seems a pretty traditional couple, seemingly still in love with each other. Seemingly you say??? Why say that, well that is what initiated this blog, which coupled with watching the movie “It’s Complicated” last night with Bride got me to pondering love and marriage.
When I first met Bride she was still married, it appeared happily. We were stationed at the same little base in Annapolis Maryland, me fixing broken electronic gadgets and her working for the base commander. It was not long before she was moving into the barracks, by herself. It was a very small base and just like in very small towns everyone know everything that is going on. I remember her first trip into the barracks I held the door open for her, the first of many of those. Well this lead to that, she was legally separated and then finally divorced. There was not much to do on that base so a group of us became good friends along the way. Well after a awhile she was actively pursuing me for a date, OK it could have been me groveling at her feet for a date, I can’t remember which it was exactly but we did finally start dating and that was 22 years ago. Anyway, about the dating, I remember us being out to eat and people watching, we could tell who was on a date, who was married and who was married a long time.
We talked about how some folks who were married could, somehow, make it through a whole meal without talking to each other. We were both amazed that such a thing could happen, why stay married if you can’t muster a few nice words over a good meal, hell any words really. We made a commitment then to never let that happen to us, and it seems that, at least so far, we have not let that happen. We still have things to talk about with each other and we still enjoy each other’s company. We have fallen into what most would call a traditional marriage, she does the traditional wife chores and I do the traditional husband work. There are some exceptions but for the most part it is pretty normal, whatever normal means. We still want, and do things for the other one, not because it is rote and expected but because we still are crazy in love with each other. She does not have to put gas in her car, I always hated seeing a woman pumping gas. I do not have to do laundry or clean bathrooms. I open doors, including her car door when we go out. It just seems right to me and I hate seeing a couple at the gas station where the guy is the passenger and he doesn’t move as his female companion opens the doors, pays for and pumps the gas and then runs in to get a treat for Mr. Lazy, inconsiderate ass.
So back to this couple in Nicklyn’s café, so there they sit enjoying scrambled eggs and bacon, it appeared they both had ordered the same items from the menu. Anyway, the whole time I was watching I saw them say maybe a dozen words to each other. None of those words touched on the subject of the nearly whole egg that was stuck to his cheek with the cheese that came on the eggs. So that got me to wondering, was she messing with him but not telling him or had their marriage deteriorated to the point that his Bride would not even tell him he was having breakfast with half of it on his face. I was sad watching it and tried to put Bride and I in that situation, I could not imagine it. She might do something like that for the amusement value but I do not suspect that she would let it go on for the whole meal. Even though we came in after them we finished first and were sitting outside when they completed their breakfast. He did hold the door for her, in what appeared a kindly way. But on the way to the car it became obvious that it door holding was an automatic and had become rote for him. How you might ask did I deduce that, well he did not even open her door or assist her into the car. Nope he walked right over and got in, she had some issues getting in that took her I bet an additional minute to get into the car, he just started the car and stared forward. Wow is all I could come up with in my mind.
So then last night we watch the movie, It’s Complicated. If you have not seen it the story is about a divorced couple who one of which is married to the woman he was cheating with to initiate the divorce. Anyway, she and her ex get together and start having an affair, he is now still married to the mistress he left her for. It’s complicated should have been called “I am a cheating dog and can not keep my %*%& in my pants so I am incapable of having an honest and truthful relationship”. It was an amusing movie but it was still about a cheating dog of a man, portrayed by Alec Baldwin. Being a child of divorce, I had decided in my younger days that I would NEVER stay in a relationship that was not what it once was. Life is WAY too short to stay with someone who is not as committed to you as you are to them.
So, I still hold the doors and all the rest, not because I have to but because I want to. And Bride still does the myriad things that she does for me, and I am not the easiest man to tolerate either so I know she loves me. So we are committed (and you have to be committed) to never letting our relationship slowly deteriorate into anything other than the two of us loving each other like crazy, I love her like crazy! So friends it seems there is a simple formula, keep on loving your spouse and treating them just like you did when you were just dating!
When I first met Bride she was still married, it appeared happily. We were stationed at the same little base in Annapolis Maryland, me fixing broken electronic gadgets and her working for the base commander. It was not long before she was moving into the barracks, by herself. It was a very small base and just like in very small towns everyone know everything that is going on. I remember her first trip into the barracks I held the door open for her, the first of many of those. Well this lead to that, she was legally separated and then finally divorced. There was not much to do on that base so a group of us became good friends along the way. Well after a awhile she was actively pursuing me for a date, OK it could have been me groveling at her feet for a date, I can’t remember which it was exactly but we did finally start dating and that was 22 years ago. Anyway, about the dating, I remember us being out to eat and people watching, we could tell who was on a date, who was married and who was married a long time.
We talked about how some folks who were married could, somehow, make it through a whole meal without talking to each other. We were both amazed that such a thing could happen, why stay married if you can’t muster a few nice words over a good meal, hell any words really. We made a commitment then to never let that happen to us, and it seems that, at least so far, we have not let that happen. We still have things to talk about with each other and we still enjoy each other’s company. We have fallen into what most would call a traditional marriage, she does the traditional wife chores and I do the traditional husband work. There are some exceptions but for the most part it is pretty normal, whatever normal means. We still want, and do things for the other one, not because it is rote and expected but because we still are crazy in love with each other. She does not have to put gas in her car, I always hated seeing a woman pumping gas. I do not have to do laundry or clean bathrooms. I open doors, including her car door when we go out. It just seems right to me and I hate seeing a couple at the gas station where the guy is the passenger and he doesn’t move as his female companion opens the doors, pays for and pumps the gas and then runs in to get a treat for Mr. Lazy, inconsiderate ass.
So back to this couple in Nicklyn’s café, so there they sit enjoying scrambled eggs and bacon, it appeared they both had ordered the same items from the menu. Anyway, the whole time I was watching I saw them say maybe a dozen words to each other. None of those words touched on the subject of the nearly whole egg that was stuck to his cheek with the cheese that came on the eggs. So that got me to wondering, was she messing with him but not telling him or had their marriage deteriorated to the point that his Bride would not even tell him he was having breakfast with half of it on his face. I was sad watching it and tried to put Bride and I in that situation, I could not imagine it. She might do something like that for the amusement value but I do not suspect that she would let it go on for the whole meal. Even though we came in after them we finished first and were sitting outside when they completed their breakfast. He did hold the door for her, in what appeared a kindly way. But on the way to the car it became obvious that it door holding was an automatic and had become rote for him. How you might ask did I deduce that, well he did not even open her door or assist her into the car. Nope he walked right over and got in, she had some issues getting in that took her I bet an additional minute to get into the car, he just started the car and stared forward. Wow is all I could come up with in my mind.
So then last night we watch the movie, It’s Complicated. If you have not seen it the story is about a divorced couple who one of which is married to the woman he was cheating with to initiate the divorce. Anyway, she and her ex get together and start having an affair, he is now still married to the mistress he left her for. It’s complicated should have been called “I am a cheating dog and can not keep my %*%& in my pants so I am incapable of having an honest and truthful relationship”. It was an amusing movie but it was still about a cheating dog of a man, portrayed by Alec Baldwin. Being a child of divorce, I had decided in my younger days that I would NEVER stay in a relationship that was not what it once was. Life is WAY too short to stay with someone who is not as committed to you as you are to them.
So, I still hold the doors and all the rest, not because I have to but because I want to. And Bride still does the myriad things that she does for me, and I am not the easiest man to tolerate either so I know she loves me. So we are committed (and you have to be committed) to never letting our relationship slowly deteriorate into anything other than the two of us loving each other like crazy, I love her like crazy! So friends it seems there is a simple formula, keep on loving your spouse and treating them just like you did when you were just dating!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
An analog man living, and working, in a digital world that is OUT of control
So for those who know me, you know that I work in a technology based business, one that includes delivering content to users. It is an impossible task to keep up with the myriad new digital interface gadgets that arrive daily. That makes my job challenging at best and at worse possibly a fool errand. I find, that for my personal life, I am more and more NOT wanting to be connected, plugged in or whatever the latest term is. I am an analog man living in a digital hell and I ponder sometimes what is driving this mad dash to “be connected” via broadband or via 3 or 4g mobile networks. It all leaves me asking – WHY. Why do I need 18megabits of download speed from my cable internet provider? Why do I need a portable gadget that tethers me to work and the rest of the world? Why do we feel the need to have the, most often, superficial relationships via the social media thing? WHY, WHY and WHY? Let me make no bones, I have all these crazy things but I still have to ask, WHY?
I know and recognize the advantages of being connected, I really do. BUT, I am just not sure I want to be that connected. It forces us to deal with the “noise” of everyone else’s life all the time, where is the “me time”? I think it is important to have “me time”, that time we spend without being connected and just being at one with our thoughts, our dreams, our ambitions and all the rest of ourselves. Self evaluation is one of the most important life tools I have to keep myself grounded. I have a hard time keeping all that straight when I have a tweet here or an update there or a text here or even a call there. I know we hear a lot about multi-tasking, at work and in our personal lives. Well let me tell ya friends, it is bullshit, let me say that again, multi-tasking is BULLSHIT! There have even been studies using new and improved brain mapping technology that proves that our evolutionary capabilities have not caught up, two things max and each suffer when there are only two tasks trying to be done at the same time. When we start adding more and it all falls apart completely, a superficial attempt to trick ourselves into getting it all done.
I would rather do one thing at a time, and do it well than do 8 things poorly all at the same time. I have several hobbies, woodworking and jalopy fixing among others. Now trust me when I am running a stick of Bolivian Rosewood through the 5 hp table saw (that is enough to rip my body to shreds) the last thing I am going to want to care about is what in the hell someone’s happiness percentage is on FaceBook. That work requires a singular focus, not only for the safety concerns but to create master pieces in wood you have to be one with the lumber. That is a plain and simple fact. To truly be good at something there are some ingredients that must be present. First and foremost there is a love of the task, whatever it is – work or personal. Second there are some skills needed, usually developed over years of instruction and practice. Third is focus, focus while completing the tasks necessary to complete the work. We do not think about step 8 until we have completed step 7, not step 1. Think about it, are you worried about the paint job on the jalopy while you are rebuilding the motor, NOPE. You are, or should be, worried about the bearing clearances, torque specs and whether the proper lubricant are being used in the proper area. None of which has anything to do with paint.
I drive a 52 year car for many reasons but mostly because I can work on it, and do. I enjoy working on it, I like being on my back slid under working on whatever might need some attention. I do not give a damn who is on the phone if my hands are greasy and I am in the middle of getting the transmission cross member bolts back in without cross threading them. I am not sliding out to get that call, and if you let it ring through to voicemail and then, immediately call me AGAIN – give it up I ain’t even calling your ass back! I also like driving a 52 year old car because I see it as analogous to my life, an old jalopy with ZERO electronics (and zero interest in having any fancy gadgetry) living in a world where some cars can park themselves or keep themselves from flipping over. Cars that park themselves – really, we need that? WHY? A better question really is how much extra did that cost and how much will it cost to repair and why did your lazy ass not skip on that option and donate that money to a charity of your choosing. It is a car for petes sake.
I do not suppose I will ever make it but I have a life goal to never send a text message, I can not even find on my cellular gadget where to read them if you send them to me. Not because I CAN not figure it out, but because I DO not want to figure it out. I am computer savvy, I started repairing them in 1985 and I enjoy what they offer to me, I just will not allow them to take over my life. Our society has been slowly brainwashing us to believe that we must have the latest and greatest gadgets. I understand it and I know that Moore’s law is driving the bus, from hardware development to software development, all looking for the killer app. Do not get me wrong, I recognize the advantages we have now over 25 years ago but at some point we have to look at our selves and our lives and make the call. Addiction is a terrible thing, whether it be to drugs or alcohol or to the damn gadgets that have taken over our world. I saw a piece on the news the other day where they deprived college kids of their connections to the world and the results were catastrophic, they crumbled. That my friends, is SCARY.
So I ask that you put your gadgets away and turn off your computer and go out side and play and when you get tired find a big old tree and sit under and stare at the clouds and just think, quietly, about your life and the things that are truly important to you. I bet you find that your gadgets and your connections are not on the list.
I know and recognize the advantages of being connected, I really do. BUT, I am just not sure I want to be that connected. It forces us to deal with the “noise” of everyone else’s life all the time, where is the “me time”? I think it is important to have “me time”, that time we spend without being connected and just being at one with our thoughts, our dreams, our ambitions and all the rest of ourselves. Self evaluation is one of the most important life tools I have to keep myself grounded. I have a hard time keeping all that straight when I have a tweet here or an update there or a text here or even a call there. I know we hear a lot about multi-tasking, at work and in our personal lives. Well let me tell ya friends, it is bullshit, let me say that again, multi-tasking is BULLSHIT! There have even been studies using new and improved brain mapping technology that proves that our evolutionary capabilities have not caught up, two things max and each suffer when there are only two tasks trying to be done at the same time. When we start adding more and it all falls apart completely, a superficial attempt to trick ourselves into getting it all done.
I would rather do one thing at a time, and do it well than do 8 things poorly all at the same time. I have several hobbies, woodworking and jalopy fixing among others. Now trust me when I am running a stick of Bolivian Rosewood through the 5 hp table saw (that is enough to rip my body to shreds) the last thing I am going to want to care about is what in the hell someone’s happiness percentage is on FaceBook. That work requires a singular focus, not only for the safety concerns but to create master pieces in wood you have to be one with the lumber. That is a plain and simple fact. To truly be good at something there are some ingredients that must be present. First and foremost there is a love of the task, whatever it is – work or personal. Second there are some skills needed, usually developed over years of instruction and practice. Third is focus, focus while completing the tasks necessary to complete the work. We do not think about step 8 until we have completed step 7, not step 1. Think about it, are you worried about the paint job on the jalopy while you are rebuilding the motor, NOPE. You are, or should be, worried about the bearing clearances, torque specs and whether the proper lubricant are being used in the proper area. None of which has anything to do with paint.
I drive a 52 year car for many reasons but mostly because I can work on it, and do. I enjoy working on it, I like being on my back slid under working on whatever might need some attention. I do not give a damn who is on the phone if my hands are greasy and I am in the middle of getting the transmission cross member bolts back in without cross threading them. I am not sliding out to get that call, and if you let it ring through to voicemail and then, immediately call me AGAIN – give it up I ain’t even calling your ass back! I also like driving a 52 year old car because I see it as analogous to my life, an old jalopy with ZERO electronics (and zero interest in having any fancy gadgetry) living in a world where some cars can park themselves or keep themselves from flipping over. Cars that park themselves – really, we need that? WHY? A better question really is how much extra did that cost and how much will it cost to repair and why did your lazy ass not skip on that option and donate that money to a charity of your choosing. It is a car for petes sake.
I do not suppose I will ever make it but I have a life goal to never send a text message, I can not even find on my cellular gadget where to read them if you send them to me. Not because I CAN not figure it out, but because I DO not want to figure it out. I am computer savvy, I started repairing them in 1985 and I enjoy what they offer to me, I just will not allow them to take over my life. Our society has been slowly brainwashing us to believe that we must have the latest and greatest gadgets. I understand it and I know that Moore’s law is driving the bus, from hardware development to software development, all looking for the killer app. Do not get me wrong, I recognize the advantages we have now over 25 years ago but at some point we have to look at our selves and our lives and make the call. Addiction is a terrible thing, whether it be to drugs or alcohol or to the damn gadgets that have taken over our world. I saw a piece on the news the other day where they deprived college kids of their connections to the world and the results were catastrophic, they crumbled. That my friends, is SCARY.
So I ask that you put your gadgets away and turn off your computer and go out side and play and when you get tired find a big old tree and sit under and stare at the clouds and just think, quietly, about your life and the things that are truly important to you. I bet you find that your gadgets and your connections are not on the list.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Bacon chicken (alleged) sandwiches and cars that park themselves – WTF is going on it our world?
So there I am the other day watching the Boob Tube and I see a commercial for a sandwich from KFC that is a bacon sandwich that uses 2 chicken breasts instead of bread. What genius dreamed this damn thing up? We wonder why we (as a nation) are so fat well let me tell ya friends bacon sandwiches that use fried chicken breasts might just maybe have something to do with it. It is called the “Double Down Sandwich” and it is new. I just can not get my head around this sandwich, I guess people didn’t like the taste of the “unfried side of KFC” or maybe the folks who are trying to eat healthy are NOT at any of the chain food shops. Seriously, look at this damn thing!
Come on though, who really dreamed this freaking thing up? No offense but I bet it was a big assed fat guy who eats these little gems like a normal person might eat White Castles. You have to agree that this the most insane “sandwich” you have ever seen and I use the word Sandwich very loosely. In my world a sandwich contains something in the middle, bacon and chicken perhaps and that is surrounded by bread. A fried chicken patty, 2 slices of cheese, 2 slices of bacon, and another fried chicken patty does not a sandwich make. My mind is boggled, I am perplexed and do not understand at all, this Double Down Sandwich. The funniest part, to me anyway, is that I could find this sandwich as part of the “Unthink KFC” menu, which was previously understood to be for the somewhat healthier - grilled chicken meals.
I also read where nutritionists are horrified, dare they say it, Horrified, by the launch of the fat bomb in a country where two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese. KFC insists that the sandwich contains, get this, only 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium for the fried version. The grilled version is A LOT better at 460 calories, 23 grams of fat and 1,430 milligrams of sodium. That is more fat and sodium than I consume in a normal day and suspect I may immediately go into anaphylactic shock just by opening the container that this oddity comes in. I truly did not believe my eyes when I saw the commercial, I thought for sure I was watching a spoof of something else, nope this freaking thing is for real.
KFC my ass! I remember when they changed the name from Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC, in what I thought was an attempt to steer away from so openly presenting fried chicken. There must be new management at corporate in what used to be the Colonel’s chicken place. There is NO WAY IN HELL that a sandwich like this would have made the menu when Harlan Sanders was alive. Funny inside story that is kind of related. My Mom used to work for a company that did testing of food products and the fast food places were amongst their biggest customers. Within a week of Mr. Sanders dying KFC, as it is now called, stopped all testing that was performed at the company where my Mom worked, sighting cost as the main factor in stopping the testing. That was the last time I have ever eaten at a Kentucky Fried Chicken shop and now with this asinine fat bomb on the menu it has reaffirmed that decision I made all those years ago. And that is all I have to say about that!
And again, here I was watching the Boob Tube and saw yet another commercial for something else I just can not get my head around. A car that will parallel park, all by itself! I need to turn that damn thing off and pretend to live in a cave because I think I would be better off not knowing what our world has come to and how it is shown to us on TV. Has it come to the point we are so freaking fat from the crazy assed food we eat that we can not crane our necks around to park our cars? This falls into the category of just because we CAN do a thing (have a car park itself) it does not mean that we have to do that thing. Evidently Parallel parking is such an ordeal for so many drivers that we are UNABLE to get into a parking space cities we live, we are forced, forced mind ya to squeeze our cars into tiny spaces, they say it is a vital skill. Evidently not for us, hell we will program our car to do it for our lazy asses!
I read that Automakers are starting to market self-parking cars because they sense a consumer demand. They say that parallel parking is often the most feared part of the driver's test, and it's something almost everyone has to do at some point. Folks who live in the cities may have to do it every day and they feel that to remove the difficulty, stress and uncertainty of this chore is very appealing to consumers. Studies have shown that self-parking cars can also help to solve some of the parking and traffic problems in dense urban areas. They say that parking a car in a space is restricted by the driver's skill at parallel parking, makes me say…… hummmm wasn’t it Darwin who said something about survival of fittest? Don’t know how to park, drive around the block and look for an easy place to park. Evidently a self-parking car can fit into smaller spaces than most drivers can manage on their own. Hummm does that maybe say something about the gas guzzling leviathans we tool around in, if you can not park it you should not own it – maybe, right?
While the self parking cares available today are not completely autonomous they will be soon, trust me. Just what we need, no more back seat drivers but a car that will just take over operations when it thinks you are beyond your capabilities – GREAT. This is another reason I drive a 50+ year old jalopy, nothing going to take control of that car, except me. Being a gadget head I know there has to be some sensors on these cars to allow them to perform this modern miracle. Also being a gadget head I know that sensors go bad, not always in a way that they quit completely. What happens when your car is parking and a sensor fails and it stomps the gas because it thinks, for whatever reason, that you have plenty of room and you smash headlong into the Ferrari sitting in front of you? I am not sure what technologies this self parking car uses but I assume there is more than one magic trick in play here. I would imagine there is come optical recognition coupled with range finding lasers or some other means but think about that, this is your car not your PC. If you computer crashes you may loose an important email or document you have been working on. If the computer on your car crashes what happens to the woman pushing her stroller through the same spot your car is trying to park in? What then?
I want to bypass this simpleton crap about cars parking themselves and move directly, without passing go and without collecting 200 dollars, to George Freaking Jetson’s car. Hell the cars they were flying around in carried old George, his wife Jane and that damn geek Elroy and slut Judy as well as that crazy dog Astro around in unimaginable safety. That is the car I want damn it, and I do not want to go through the evolutionary process to get there – someone please make me THAT damn car now! Look at this thing, parking itself goes without saying!
Well that is all I have to say about that as well. Come on folks, what has happened to us as a country that we can be eating a fat bomb sandwich, with both hands, while our freaking car parks itself?
Come on though, who really dreamed this freaking thing up? No offense but I bet it was a big assed fat guy who eats these little gems like a normal person might eat White Castles. You have to agree that this the most insane “sandwich” you have ever seen and I use the word Sandwich very loosely. In my world a sandwich contains something in the middle, bacon and chicken perhaps and that is surrounded by bread. A fried chicken patty, 2 slices of cheese, 2 slices of bacon, and another fried chicken patty does not a sandwich make. My mind is boggled, I am perplexed and do not understand at all, this Double Down Sandwich. The funniest part, to me anyway, is that I could find this sandwich as part of the “Unthink KFC” menu, which was previously understood to be for the somewhat healthier - grilled chicken meals.
I also read where nutritionists are horrified, dare they say it, Horrified, by the launch of the fat bomb in a country where two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese. KFC insists that the sandwich contains, get this, only 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium for the fried version. The grilled version is A LOT better at 460 calories, 23 grams of fat and 1,430 milligrams of sodium. That is more fat and sodium than I consume in a normal day and suspect I may immediately go into anaphylactic shock just by opening the container that this oddity comes in. I truly did not believe my eyes when I saw the commercial, I thought for sure I was watching a spoof of something else, nope this freaking thing is for real.
KFC my ass! I remember when they changed the name from Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC, in what I thought was an attempt to steer away from so openly presenting fried chicken. There must be new management at corporate in what used to be the Colonel’s chicken place. There is NO WAY IN HELL that a sandwich like this would have made the menu when Harlan Sanders was alive. Funny inside story that is kind of related. My Mom used to work for a company that did testing of food products and the fast food places were amongst their biggest customers. Within a week of Mr. Sanders dying KFC, as it is now called, stopped all testing that was performed at the company where my Mom worked, sighting cost as the main factor in stopping the testing. That was the last time I have ever eaten at a Kentucky Fried Chicken shop and now with this asinine fat bomb on the menu it has reaffirmed that decision I made all those years ago. And that is all I have to say about that!
And again, here I was watching the Boob Tube and saw yet another commercial for something else I just can not get my head around. A car that will parallel park, all by itself! I need to turn that damn thing off and pretend to live in a cave because I think I would be better off not knowing what our world has come to and how it is shown to us on TV. Has it come to the point we are so freaking fat from the crazy assed food we eat that we can not crane our necks around to park our cars? This falls into the category of just because we CAN do a thing (have a car park itself) it does not mean that we have to do that thing. Evidently Parallel parking is such an ordeal for so many drivers that we are UNABLE to get into a parking space cities we live, we are forced, forced mind ya to squeeze our cars into tiny spaces, they say it is a vital skill. Evidently not for us, hell we will program our car to do it for our lazy asses!
I read that Automakers are starting to market self-parking cars because they sense a consumer demand. They say that parallel parking is often the most feared part of the driver's test, and it's something almost everyone has to do at some point. Folks who live in the cities may have to do it every day and they feel that to remove the difficulty, stress and uncertainty of this chore is very appealing to consumers. Studies have shown that self-parking cars can also help to solve some of the parking and traffic problems in dense urban areas. They say that parking a car in a space is restricted by the driver's skill at parallel parking, makes me say…… hummmm wasn’t it Darwin who said something about survival of fittest? Don’t know how to park, drive around the block and look for an easy place to park. Evidently a self-parking car can fit into smaller spaces than most drivers can manage on their own. Hummm does that maybe say something about the gas guzzling leviathans we tool around in, if you can not park it you should not own it – maybe, right?
While the self parking cares available today are not completely autonomous they will be soon, trust me. Just what we need, no more back seat drivers but a car that will just take over operations when it thinks you are beyond your capabilities – GREAT. This is another reason I drive a 50+ year old jalopy, nothing going to take control of that car, except me. Being a gadget head I know there has to be some sensors on these cars to allow them to perform this modern miracle. Also being a gadget head I know that sensors go bad, not always in a way that they quit completely. What happens when your car is parking and a sensor fails and it stomps the gas because it thinks, for whatever reason, that you have plenty of room and you smash headlong into the Ferrari sitting in front of you? I am not sure what technologies this self parking car uses but I assume there is more than one magic trick in play here. I would imagine there is come optical recognition coupled with range finding lasers or some other means but think about that, this is your car not your PC. If you computer crashes you may loose an important email or document you have been working on. If the computer on your car crashes what happens to the woman pushing her stroller through the same spot your car is trying to park in? What then?
I want to bypass this simpleton crap about cars parking themselves and move directly, without passing go and without collecting 200 dollars, to George Freaking Jetson’s car. Hell the cars they were flying around in carried old George, his wife Jane and that damn geek Elroy and slut Judy as well as that crazy dog Astro around in unimaginable safety. That is the car I want damn it, and I do not want to go through the evolutionary process to get there – someone please make me THAT damn car now! Look at this thing, parking itself goes without saying!
Well that is all I have to say about that as well. Come on folks, what has happened to us as a country that we can be eating a fat bomb sandwich, with both hands, while our freaking car parks itself?
Saturday, May 15, 2010
On the Radio again
So I was on the radio again yesterday, I am not sure why that makes me so nervous I was talking about my Parks project again. Melissa Ross, the host of First Coast Connect has had me on twice to talk about my quest to visit all the parks in the Jacksonville, which is the largest urban park system in the country. I have no idea why being on the radio makes me nervous, I work in radio and television. I was so nervous in fact I almost welcomed her and evidently I have Sisters, I actually only have one. I am a behind the scenes guy though and am not normally, what we call “talent”, they are very talented those "on air" folks.
The park thing is going well, I am REALLY enjoying it so far.
Here are my 3 minutes of fame
,
The park thing is going well, I am REALLY enjoying it so far.
Here are my 3 minutes of fame
,
Monday, May 10, 2010
My 1958 jalopy needs some work!
I have a 52 year old car, I was driving it every day it was not broken, until recently. When a car reaches that age there are parts that are just flat worn out. There are parts that in the normal life of a car just do not normally need replaced, unless you keep it going for 52 years. Recently I decided it was time to do some updating to the old jalopy. The steering was a little loose and when I go around the corners the car leans a bit, the tires do not track tightly and the four wheel drum brakes are nothing but problematic. It was time for some serious updating work. Where to start was the first question and the secondly, and more importantly, where to stop. When the car is 52 years old a person could keep going until he was broke and with more invested in the car than it is worth, I did not want to wind up there.
I love my old jalopy for many reasons, one of which is that it has no payments. With no payment plan, it affords one the opportunity to equate repair funds to the number of car payments it might be if I bought a new car. If I could get all the parts for less than 6 months of car payments I figured it was worth it. I have not had a car payment for a long time so I based it on what my last car payment was, about 500 bucks a month. That gave me a budget of three grand to get this work completed, luckily I can perform the work myself, at least most of it so I am hopeful I can stay on budget. Back to where to start, a tougher question than I thought and it made me realize I needed to know where I wanted to go before I could answer it.
First order of business was to run through the rear suspension and start replacing worn items. It did not take long to see that most all the parts there were in need of some updating and replacement. Front and rear leaf spring bushings and the anti-squeak buttons. There were the shocks and shackles, there were the wheel cylinders and U bolt washers. I also had to completely rebuild the rear brakes, new wheel cylinders, new brakes shoes, new springs and new emergency brakes cables. I was amazed how much dirt, grease and other debris builds up over the years. I laid down plastic sheeting on the garage floor to catch all that mess instead of then having to clean up the garage floor. I will be using the same technique when I get to the front suspension and steering components.
Next, I knew I wanted to install disc brakes to improve the stopping capabilities, simple sounding enough right – WRONG! Disc brakes will not fit inside of a 14” rim, like the ones installed on this jalopy from the factory. I would need to change the rims from the stock 14” to at least 15”. This turned out to be a MUCH bigger deal than I had anticipated. It would have been easy except for one thing, I wanted to keep my original ’58 hubcaps. I could have easily just spent some money and gotten a nice set of rims, pimp Daddy it right up – I did not want that. So, how to get 52 year old 14 inch hubcaps to fit on a 2010 15 inch rim? I pondered this question quite a bit and finally with the assistance of Bride came up with an idea that would float the hubcap in the center of the rim and then powder coat what is visible the same color as the red on the car. It was her idea but I am attempting to take credit. Sounds easy right – wrong again. It was going to require some fabrication work and I am a woodworker by hobby so I do not have a fully equipped metal fabrication shop in my garage. After talking to several fabricators I was getting nowhere, no one wanted to do it. I think it was mainly because I stressed the importance of the wheel being balanced when they were done.
I was on my way to visit a park on the west side and passed a place called Edwards Ornamental Iron and thought, why not stop and ask. It was there I met with Mike and this was not a job he was going to shy away from. To the contrary, he made suggestions that were better than my (Bride’s) original ideas. Finally, we agreed on materials, costs and timelines and I dropped off 4 brand new steel rims I had purchased from Jeg’s Performance Auto Parts up in Ohio. A few days later, he called and said they are ready to go. I stopped by on my lunch hour to pick them up and they were perfect. The fabrication work was smooth and clean and the job was perfect. I was somewhat concerned with the balance but he explained they made a jig to ensure the hubcap ring was exactly centered. Later, I had tires mounted and they were perfectly balanced. No matter the project, you ought to give Edwards Ornamental Iron a chance to look at it, (904) 354-4282 and ask for Mike
So once I had the metal work completed I needed to get them painted or powder coated to match the red on the jalopy. I found East Coast Powder Coating, off Beach blvd. He was apprehensive about what I wanted to do. I only wanted the area that would be seen powder coated, I was trying to save a dime. They went on to explain to me that they normally prefer to powder coat the whole rim. Finally I was able to convince him that only the lip needed to be coated and the job turned out fantastic. If you ever have the choice to paint something using traditional methods or have it powder coated – have it powder coated and use East Coast Powder Coating, (904) 645-5476.
The rims now completed I needed some rubber on them. The rims I selected were 15” instead of the 14” in height that came on the car and they were quite a bit wider as well. From a bit over 4 inches wide to a full 8” for the rears and 7” on the front. That small change alone was going to dramatically change to stance of the jalopy as well as greatly improve the handling characteristics. I decided on Cooper Cobra’s and I used Arlington Tire. I have used them for years and recommend them to anyone, (904) 743-6294 and ask for Dave. We worked through several sizes before I settled on 245/60-15’s for back and 215/70-15’s for the front, I am still thinking about those front ones though. Before I could change the rims on the rear I had to rebuild the rear brakes from the ground up, all new bits. With that work complete, I purchased the rear tires and installed them and they look GREAT, in my humble opinion.
I have ordered the first round of bits for the front end, I should say the first 682 bucks worth. It was funny, the box those parts came in was about 5 inches by 5 inches and about 15 inches long, not sure why but I was thinking the box of parts would be bigger for nearly 700 bucks. That gets me most of the parts, still need springs, sway bars and the disc brake conversion kit and probably a couple of more little bits. As I started to examine the front end and read the original Ford shop manual I realize that there is 52 years of grease, dirt and God only knows what else coating those parts. I will probably need to invest in a company that manufactures degreaser because I think I am going to need a lot of that product. Most of my friends and even Bride wonder why I am doing all this and not just buying something that is new and that does not require so much work. To all the critics I say this, I love doing the work, I love driving the car and I love not having car payments so there ya go. This story is going to continue but here are before and after pictures of the rear rims and tires.
I love my old jalopy for many reasons, one of which is that it has no payments. With no payment plan, it affords one the opportunity to equate repair funds to the number of car payments it might be if I bought a new car. If I could get all the parts for less than 6 months of car payments I figured it was worth it. I have not had a car payment for a long time so I based it on what my last car payment was, about 500 bucks a month. That gave me a budget of three grand to get this work completed, luckily I can perform the work myself, at least most of it so I am hopeful I can stay on budget. Back to where to start, a tougher question than I thought and it made me realize I needed to know where I wanted to go before I could answer it.
First order of business was to run through the rear suspension and start replacing worn items. It did not take long to see that most all the parts there were in need of some updating and replacement. Front and rear leaf spring bushings and the anti-squeak buttons. There were the shocks and shackles, there were the wheel cylinders and U bolt washers. I also had to completely rebuild the rear brakes, new wheel cylinders, new brakes shoes, new springs and new emergency brakes cables. I was amazed how much dirt, grease and other debris builds up over the years. I laid down plastic sheeting on the garage floor to catch all that mess instead of then having to clean up the garage floor. I will be using the same technique when I get to the front suspension and steering components.
Next, I knew I wanted to install disc brakes to improve the stopping capabilities, simple sounding enough right – WRONG! Disc brakes will not fit inside of a 14” rim, like the ones installed on this jalopy from the factory. I would need to change the rims from the stock 14” to at least 15”. This turned out to be a MUCH bigger deal than I had anticipated. It would have been easy except for one thing, I wanted to keep my original ’58 hubcaps. I could have easily just spent some money and gotten a nice set of rims, pimp Daddy it right up – I did not want that. So, how to get 52 year old 14 inch hubcaps to fit on a 2010 15 inch rim? I pondered this question quite a bit and finally with the assistance of Bride came up with an idea that would float the hubcap in the center of the rim and then powder coat what is visible the same color as the red on the car. It was her idea but I am attempting to take credit. Sounds easy right – wrong again. It was going to require some fabrication work and I am a woodworker by hobby so I do not have a fully equipped metal fabrication shop in my garage. After talking to several fabricators I was getting nowhere, no one wanted to do it. I think it was mainly because I stressed the importance of the wheel being balanced when they were done.
I was on my way to visit a park on the west side and passed a place called Edwards Ornamental Iron and thought, why not stop and ask. It was there I met with Mike and this was not a job he was going to shy away from. To the contrary, he made suggestions that were better than my (Bride’s) original ideas. Finally, we agreed on materials, costs and timelines and I dropped off 4 brand new steel rims I had purchased from Jeg’s Performance Auto Parts up in Ohio. A few days later, he called and said they are ready to go. I stopped by on my lunch hour to pick them up and they were perfect. The fabrication work was smooth and clean and the job was perfect. I was somewhat concerned with the balance but he explained they made a jig to ensure the hubcap ring was exactly centered. Later, I had tires mounted and they were perfectly balanced. No matter the project, you ought to give Edwards Ornamental Iron a chance to look at it, (904) 354-4282 and ask for Mike
So once I had the metal work completed I needed to get them painted or powder coated to match the red on the jalopy. I found East Coast Powder Coating, off Beach blvd. He was apprehensive about what I wanted to do. I only wanted the area that would be seen powder coated, I was trying to save a dime. They went on to explain to me that they normally prefer to powder coat the whole rim. Finally I was able to convince him that only the lip needed to be coated and the job turned out fantastic. If you ever have the choice to paint something using traditional methods or have it powder coated – have it powder coated and use East Coast Powder Coating, (904) 645-5476.
The rims now completed I needed some rubber on them. The rims I selected were 15” instead of the 14” in height that came on the car and they were quite a bit wider as well. From a bit over 4 inches wide to a full 8” for the rears and 7” on the front. That small change alone was going to dramatically change to stance of the jalopy as well as greatly improve the handling characteristics. I decided on Cooper Cobra’s and I used Arlington Tire. I have used them for years and recommend them to anyone, (904) 743-6294 and ask for Dave. We worked through several sizes before I settled on 245/60-15’s for back and 215/70-15’s for the front, I am still thinking about those front ones though. Before I could change the rims on the rear I had to rebuild the rear brakes from the ground up, all new bits. With that work complete, I purchased the rear tires and installed them and they look GREAT, in my humble opinion.
I have ordered the first round of bits for the front end, I should say the first 682 bucks worth. It was funny, the box those parts came in was about 5 inches by 5 inches and about 15 inches long, not sure why but I was thinking the box of parts would be bigger for nearly 700 bucks. That gets me most of the parts, still need springs, sway bars and the disc brake conversion kit and probably a couple of more little bits. As I started to examine the front end and read the original Ford shop manual I realize that there is 52 years of grease, dirt and God only knows what else coating those parts. I will probably need to invest in a company that manufactures degreaser because I think I am going to need a lot of that product. Most of my friends and even Bride wonder why I am doing all this and not just buying something that is new and that does not require so much work. To all the critics I say this, I love doing the work, I love driving the car and I love not having car payments so there ya go. This story is going to continue but here are before and after pictures of the rear rims and tires.
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