ACTUAL CONVERSATION WITH THE BOSS

Setup: we are a roofing company, we use 1-ton pickups for most tool and personel transport, but we have 10-ton drop-box diesels with cranes for booming materials to the roof, and for removing waste. These big trucks are usually only used to get a job set up, then they are moved to the next job.

We were working on a 3-day job (a rarity, rather complex roof, extra man-hours) with the 10-ton crane truck (called "the 250" due to the rating on the crane) blocking the owner's lane. I was doing end-of-day cleanup.

ME: Is the 250 going back to the shop tonight?
BOSS: He's driving you in the White Pickup. (points in a random direction)
ME: OK, but is the 250 leaving or staying?
BOSS: You're getting a ride in the White Truck with Greg.
ME: I give up.

So the point was to finish trash removal and such under where the big truck WAS if it was leaving. I finally asked a lead hand, and found out it was staying. This was a rare thing, but it meant that the area around the 250 was not needing to be cleared, which was the point of the original question.

I think my boss is mentally incapacitated.

I am having a birthday soon.

A landmark age, apparently. I didn't think it would be, I have always razzed my sisters about getting all emotional over whatever decade they were entering. I have never quite acted, or felt, my proper age.

However.

This new element in my life carries with it a stigma of "grow the hell up," and I find myself taking stock of my personal world. This new age bracket seems to provide a leaping-off point for the difference between grown up and screwed up. I find myself more than just a tad introspective - I am mentally cataloging past relationships and regrettably noting women I should have started a family with, at the same time wondering if I am now falling into the categorization of "too old" to begin a family. All the while, my semi-conscious is inventorying the elements I would like to find in the woman to settle down with.

I find myself looking upon the past with a longing to return and choose a different path, I find myself looking upon today and wondering when the hell the last decade went. Then I add up the adventures that make up my life thus far and realize where.

I have lived, loved, laughed, lost, built, destroyed, raced, fought, went to college, chased my dreams, run my own business, seen much of the world, gotten lost, and gotten found again.

I really have lived an adventurous life, though for the first two decades that was because I truly believed I would be dead by my 25th birthday. So that was the way I lived. There was no tomorrow, there was no retirement, no point to investing or saving, no point to building to a future, only today and the first-hand experiences to be had in adventuring. This had an effect on all aspects of my life, relationships - friend, foe, family, and familiar, all burned bright and fast like forcite. What was the point to spawning a child I wouldn't live to nurture and support? What was the point to much of anything?

I became unintentionally self destructive - punk music, punk life. Fistfights, street racing, quasi-criminal mindset.

Then one day I nearly died.

I was just motoring downtown on my little Yamaha 350 when a car slid out from a side street, and KERWHAM! It was two months before my 24th birthday. I woke up alive, getting told I wouldn't be able to walk, or walk properly. I wound up broke and broken. The emotional implications of the physical and financial damage were rather catastrophic. I behaved, over the next 5 years or so, as though it was my place in life to have no cash and no future - my self esteem was at an all-time low, my circle of friends dwindled to the astonishing few that still remain the best of.

Somewhere along the line, I woke up.

I realized there was a future, and I was meant to see it.

Now the future is here, and I find myself in this particular peculiar position, psychologically, due to the 'year of broken dreams - 2007.' I lost much during 2007, including much of my recently-renewed sense of self and direction. A 30-something guy with a business and building a home life with a pretty woman and her young child, looking forward to a career in SuperMoto racing. With the loss of all of these things, along with most of my personal possessions (collateral on the business loan, including my race bike) added to the cerebrally crushing effects of hard drug use in one's significant other, I turned inward for months.

Now I look at myself, entering an age bracket where one is, sociologically speaking, expected to 'have it together,' and I fail to see the shining light. I live, alone, in an inexpensive apartment populated by the scraps of my failed business, cluttered with the dribbles of my former collections, and decorated with the memorabilia of dreams chased or pending. I wonder if my dreams are still dreams, or just vapid fantasy. I wonder if my body will give up, or my mind first. I have realized that I am carrying too much of my past with me, and have been, in the words of Eminem, "Cleanin' out my closet" so to speak.

The trouble lies in the subliminal sentiment that men in their 40's are either grown up, or screwed up. And with no family, no car (worth mentioning,) no career... I must fall into screwed up. While this may or may not be a Truth, it is something that infringes on my mental serenity on a daily basis. I look at my little piece of our modern, troubled world - through the eyes of a stranger - and I do not see much promise. Positively, I could see a survivor, one who has faced adversity and is still looking for opportunity to grow. Negatively I see a long history of failures, probably leading to more in the future.

I design to renovate the self, to clear the clutter, change my image - to this end, I am successful. Donations and landfills, gained weight and lost 'luggage.' Much happiness is to be had by allowing oneself to look in the mirror and being satisfied with what you see. I have always thought that the perfect woman for me would accept my faults and failings as my friends do, but then I realize that I filter "attractive" through my own perception of "got it together."

As much as I have always disliked others forming improper conclusions about my self through skewed perception of my surroundings and possessions - I find that I do this exact thing when I look at others. To that end I reach this landmark age with a poor outlook on my immediate attractiveness to employers, prospective dates, and others, while renovating, re-inventing, my personal style and upgrading my surroundings.

I *do* like me, I just need to learn how to show that to the outside world.

Music in the below is eBm, not eDm

EDM is Electron Discharge Machining... not very musical if you've ever tried it LMAO!

Let's get that Spaceport built man!!!
NGC 7293

THE EYE of GOD!!! I want, no, NEED (!!) to charge people ludicrous sums of cash for a trip to this, just so I can finance my own dream of flying through it!!! But I suppose I'll accept getting to Mars soon as a step forward... off this mudball.

I mean, seriously, if we build a real space station, we can build real space vehicles, and start doing greater distances, when over half the fuel isn't used for take-off and landing!!!!

Yeah, I'm a dreamer, but if I was rich I'd already be walking on Mars, or dye trying!

Oh - and I found "Basa" fish in the local market... found out it's a type of Asian catfish! It's not bad, but anyone got ideas for cookin' catfish? :)

I am so frikken impressed. But I suppose a poorly set-up router, century home with God-only-knows how old of copper lines, and IIRC, an analog neighbourhood should all contribute.

Suppose maybe I might get someone to assist me in uncorking the router, but it's still a mite slow for what I'm paying.

Not that it's really all that slow overall! Online gaming experience is good, with very little chop (most common during busy user times, so I believe it's on the server end) and I can usually test the limits of most servers. Just not more than 2 or so at a time. Regular downloads at 600 to 800 K/sec seem quite nice... until you realize you should be getting 3 TIMES that speed. LOL.

Peace.

OK, thing 1 ... no spoilers. Thing 2 ... TOTAL geek factor, no crap.

My biggest beef with the majority of movie renditions of my childhood comic book heroes goes like this;

Stop stuffing 10 years of plot and story into a 90 minute animation!

Happily, Iron Man does not! Short timeline, action packed, love-hate characters, and a Gwennie! You will notice her eyes are never the same color twice tho... odd that. In a movie I mean - my own eyes change significantly with mood, lighting, etc.. Aaaaanyway, this version of the movie *does* encompass several lengthy design version changes of Iron Man, probably spanning a couple decades of Golden Age comicery. This, I feel, is an acceptable, and significant, modernization to the storyline, not a detraction.

The original Iron Man was 'technologically advanced' in an era when engines were iron, and aerodynamics were voodoo. Time and place of the movie is now, so I find it completely understandable to make a few story mods allowing for more rapid design and implementation in our increasingly technology-driven world. The story is also changed to more relevantly reflect our socio-economic climate, as well as replacing a few baddies with more current and instantly recognisable versions. The cinematics are stunning, the CGI is impeccable, and the soundtrack only leaves one little thing out. And dear GAWD I wants it! We Musst have that HUD!!!!

Together, the purists might be offended, but in my mind, this is a well executed revamp of one of my favorite childhood characters! I have a rather extensive Iron Man comic collection - minus the older ones from pre ... well, pre-me. Other Marvel-based stories have tried to develop too much of a base timeline within the initial movie, leaving one's head spinning trying to understand how Peter and M.J.'s relationship blossomed so quickly, when it took my entire childhood for the action to evolve in the Marvel Universe I remember! Iron Man does less of that, being slightly condensed from the original Tony Stark Learns His Lessons timeline, but falls neatly into the Iron Man / Young Tony from the premium comics. I am quite happy there was no attempt to stuff Rhodie in the suit, or to make Tony pre-paralyzed, or any of the other life-change elements (like the remote suit, and the inter-planet suit designed for the wars in Crossover) all happening in the span of the movie - in this one, the storyline and timeleine changes are understandable and realistic. In whatever way a sci-fi Marvel character would be realistic.

Prior to joining the multi-generational throng for opening night, I had people asking why they would want to use a purportedly womanizing, playboy lush like R.D.J. as the blundering hero-in-development ... well, who better to portray the womanizing playboy lush Tony Stark? I mean really, IRL Stark was an ass. If he was bigger he'd probably have been just like the pro-ballers we hear about crashing their exotic cars after a night of debauchery. While being chased by the po-po. While enjoying the affections of an expensive call girl. Who isn't their wife. R.D.J. is in good physical shape for this movie, and while maybe not quite as tall as the M.U. Stark would be, well, who could ever match the comic book physical proportions of most any character? The M.U. Stark is a relatively regular guy, physically, who just happened to be a genius, a tad crazy, and loves to party and showboat. All played impressively by Mr. Downey.

Also a wonderful part of this move, is the R&D 'behind the scenes' included to advance the story. Elements have been brought in that are not possible in static print, and had the entire theater LOLing! I do believe all of us had "those great ideas" that weren't quite so smart when we attempted to implement them. Like trying the roof-jump because it should be just like our little toy parachute guys! Everyone had at least one. Very well portrayed in this movie.

Overall, I say go see this one! I plan to use this movie to test gearheads - I might even play clips on my TV show "Motorhead" - see for yourself if you can tell who built the bikes, or who's tuning package is on one of the cars! Even if you were never an Iron Man fan, if you just like Action Movies, or maybe you just want to see R.D.J. or Gwennie on the screen - definitely worth seeing! I am adding the DVD to my collection when it happens, alongside Ghost Rider, in the 'watch it again and again' section.

P.S. It's worth the moola to see it on the big screen, loud, unless you sit 6 feet from your 50-inch with the 7.1 cranked, this is a theater movie for sure!

Two happy thoughts about my Sunday.

I had forgotten just how goooood proper pancakes are with real butter and good syrup! Daaaamn! Doing that again! :)

And I have finally found a store in town that carries shark! Just Black-Tip, but I'm happy! They seem to have Marlin when there's no shark, but supper was lemon-pepper shark with spiced rice n' veg. I did overcook the shark just a tad, but it's also a do-it-again meal!

Nevermind having time for outside projects and visiting friends! This was a good day overall!

I love a rainy night

I love a rainy night

I love to hear the thunder

Watch the lightening

As it lights up the sky

You know it makes me feel good

Anyone know how to set "adult content" to "allow" in your profile?

I mean, I doubt I'll include any, but I am seriously tired of having to promise I'm over 14 evreytime someone posts with that setting. I'd just like to permanently set it to "allow" or something ....?

Soooo ... the tag said "mountan bike + motor = ..." but that would make it a motorbike, no?


However you look at it, this guy is GOOD! And I have a place to post teaser clips for my new TV series! Looks like Heavy.com might be a good server....

Anyone using a free webhost they like? We are hunting for a technology sponsor for Motorhead TV, but in the meantime I'd like a freebie to do some development of the feel and look of the website proper. Opinions?

P.S. Apparently getting older makes allergy reactions to spring feel more like flu! Damnit. I detest taking medications, but I cannot deal with a physical job in the state I'm in so drugs it is. Hope tomorrow's a better day. :(

Yup.

At least I like it :D

Kinda self explanitory, really. I found it while looking for the artist responsible for the vocal talent in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

I kind of like the movie, never seen the whole thing till now - learned it was based (loosely) on Homer's "Odessey" so that makes a bunch of elements in the movie make MUCH more sense!

Enjoy...

So THIS GUY has some issues. I cannot fathom anyone under the age of my father (except perhaps Mr. Bush) having so much difficulty with keyless entry systems.

Brief recap:
Car made with keyless operating system.
Problem arises through user error.
User blames keyless operating system for problem.

OK. I know I'm a gadget freak, but I mean, seriously folks! The advantages to utilizing a keyless system in a modern car are astounding! 

Imagine if you will - you have just purchased a new car, avoiding the keyless system option. Now you get to spend dark nights fumbling for the lock, possibly scratching your paint, you get to worry about your child making a key copy (yes, you can copy even chipped keys with ease) and through all of this, an accomplished thief is still able to physically force your car to start!

Now, that is a short, and probably nasty version of what all of us are accustomed to in terms of using a conventional key in day-to-day life. But here's the rub; you don't have to, anymore! I know that more automobiles everyday are being created with factory-installed remote items, remote start, remote locks, and with these toys often comes an immobilizer. While all of that is wonderful, ALL of that is included in the current keyless systems!

So tomorrow, you walk up to your new car, RF keyfob in pocket (or security card, or 'emotion chip' or...) and it unlocks as you get next to it. You sit in it, and depending on whose (yours or your spouse's) fob you have, the car automatically resets all the power options (seats, pedals, mirrors, gearbox and suspension settings, climate control, radio stations) to your personal preference. You push a button on the dash, the car runs a power-on self-test, then starts. When you get where you are going, you simply grab your attache, and wander off. At this point, your car will lock itself, arm the immobilizer, and arm the alarm system. Happy thing, yes?

The gentleman referenced above, however, makes a valid point in this - these remote and keyless systems do need to be programmed to shut the car off if the fob is outside the vehicle for more than a few seconds. Inconsiderate you say? Well, not many pizza drivers are going to be using vehicles with this technology for some time! And if you are still thinking that you need to keep you car running, consider the ever-increasing "idle-free zone" areas. I, for one, rarely leave a vehicle running when I am not in it. Especially a fancy new car!

So I should say, instead of complaining about the challenges in a new system that you think needs to be upgraded before being released, perhaps one might consider updating your habits before getting all whiny.

Just my 02...

It is absolutely amazing.

The sheer volume and number and options on cars we will not likely ever see here in Canada.

In my interest to provide my new television series with suitable and entertaining content, I have been comparing our episode plans to existing Automotive Journalism concepts from around the globe...

Now, I will not say we have a poor selection, exactly, just not as good. There are most definitely countries with a significantly lesser selection in the automotive world, however - I really do wish Transport Canada might realise the EU models and manufacturers would like to hustle their wares in our country. We get to miss out on first-look at several very cool (and affordable) English, French, German, and Italian cars, not to mention smaller house brands not currently owned by the conglomerates! And some kick-ass Asias-only models that are....

I'm not sure about you, but I would absolutely love to head on downtown to the Alfa Romeo dealership and try out the newest sports model. Or perhaps you've played a racing game on your video game system, and might like (as I would) to drop by the Peugeot dealer to try a real 206/207? Not going to happen in Canada.

Sure, we have grey market items, used cars individuals have imported, such toys as TR7's with right-hand drive. But we want the new and the now! Transport Canada sets rigorous and religious standards regarding safety, fuel economy, exhaust sound levels, and even sales levels - these limits, combined with a relatively small national population, mean we get a rather bland selection.


I have no idea how my tiny voice might make a difference, however the planned Motorhead Television crew will do our utmost to make the utmost of the available options!

So here we go...

I am embarking on a journey into journalism. I am taking several friends and strangers with me, both industry professionals and rookies. I am following a path trodden by many, mastered by few, and I expect to be challenged, frustrated, infuriated, and rewarded.

To begin:

I keep hearing about the "driver's car" ... and it never seems to be related to WHO might be driving! My very own cousin, for example (well, a few of them agree) feels that his very favourite car to drive is anything american, V8, and pre-1974. I expect he means post 1964 as well, the muscle versus pony era.

Admittedly, there is a significant level of fun to be had roasting off big ballooney rear tires, however most grownups prefer to be able to effectively steer and stop as well.

So I bring you the Porsche 928 S4 during my formative MotorHead years, my early teens, this was hammered into my very soul as the ultimate - perfect weight balance, front engine, rear transaxle... Too bad for Porsche I'd already driven a '70's 911 (and loved it at first twitch - I'm still looking to add one to my personal stable.) Well, then, you ask, what do you think IS the driver's car?

This is a tough one to answer honestly. I am addicted to power. To having the ability to drive as sideways as I feel at a given moment. To four-wheel-drift at 100+ mph.

My absolute favorite car I have ever owned would be my collection of Celicas and Supras. Toyota had their nuts on tight to build those chassis. Big frame rails, super-stiff chassis design, evolved, yet traditional suspension... But rather passe as delivered. You might think I have some sort of deficiency regarding the laws of physics, providing you have ever driven a Supra Turbo (any of them) but, if you have been provided the opportunity to drive a tuned Supra - completely different game.

King of the hill for handling? 1984 Toyota Celica GTS. 49/51 balance, LSD, 4 wheel disk (not normal that era) and yet ... 115 HP.

Rather pathetic. The 22R and RE and RTE (the turbo - quite rare) survive today as the ultimate evolution of the Toyota Motor engine for Tow Motors (Fork Lifts!!!) so you put a tractor engine in a sports car? After some work, the little engine happily churns 6000 rpm and nearly 200 HP without boost. That alone makes the driving experience differ considerably!

I could go on for pages and hours and books about the whole 80's/90's Celica and Supra and Trucks from Toyota! But I won't.

Send me a car to test, and I will tell you where it stands, perhaps even post it in my private list of the best-ever cars.

Until then - do yourself a favour - go find a Celica GTS, rear wheel drive, in decent condition, and a good-sized parking lot (or stretch of Nevada hiway) and try it for yourself.

So at around 11pm last night, my neighbour comes flying down the stairs banging on my window to tell me a couple girls just kicked my motorcycle over!!!

Even worse it isn't MY bike, it's a customer/friend bike freshly rebuilt and repainted that I'm looking after.

So off I go down the street to accost these two white trash beeatches who automatically deny everything. As I'm catching up on them the are kicking cars, knocking over signs on front lawns, yelling obscenities, and generally being seriously obnoxious.

When I catch up, of course they deny everything, and the one i tapped on the shoulder to get attention (as i was coming from behind them) starts to yell about how I shouldn't be hitting girls and all. Seems she was hoping for a sympathy back-up from somewhere.

To tell ya the truth, I wanted to kick both of them in the lying face, but I'll reserve that for another day. As-is my neighbour called the popo and they had a rather stunningly fast response time! Probably the cops were more concerned I was going to assault the girls than that they were worried about the bike...........

In any case, off the cops went with descriptions from myself, backed up by my neighbour, as well as some random guy walking his dog had seen these chickies doin their thing on another street, so he came up to re-inforce some detail.

I expect the girlies (mid teens, too much makeup) will either be frightened that the 50 is looking for them, or, unfortunately, will more likely probably think it's fun that they got away.

Minimal damage to the motorcycle, it's a cruiser, and turnsignals are cheap. I'm just pissed. I really couldn't tell if these trashbags were chemically modified or not, but they sure were fired up and feeding off each other. I really had to watch my step when I caught up to them, since running up and accosting two teen girls in the night could be considered 'assault' depending on witnesses and spin .. even if they had weapons.

Damnit and I WAS having a good day.

Off to the store to grab some munchies and other purposefully unhealthy things, I see this fingered into the dirt on the back of a minivan;
"I wish my wife was this dirty!"

LMAO!

Too bad minivans in general are the curse of the roadways...

Thanks, kawaiishario


Hmm... embedding html..... awkward. Rather just code it, but hey.... ;þ

And found myself in the most enviable predicament of being forced to chose between 4 different, yet similar, job/career offers in the auto industry. funny thing that - since I've been trying to break into the auto industry here in town since i was not much more than a kid!

I've had jobs as a body prep guy (get yer mind outta the gutter!) and as a counterman (turned out to be 'shop manager', just not paid for that) and a few others, but nuffin' led anywhere!

Now I'm closing my own shop, and everyone seems to need my services all of a sudden!!!!!! Not to mention I already have a position (fallback) as a heavy equipment operator should i feel the need lol.

So all of this is on my mind, and while walking down the street after dropping off one of the last vehicles left in my former shop to it's owner.... I look into the stormy black yonder and find the biggest, brightest rainbow i think i've ever seen!!!! From purple to purple, waaaaaay wide, and so bold i thought it looked SOLID!

All that AND there was a 'shadow' rainbow! Much lighter, very faint, coming and going from vision so i thought at first i was just getting one of those light tricks when you look away from a light source and see the negative !! It was verrah cool all in all, and left me feeling much less troubled than i have in quite some time.

We'll see how tomorrow goes! :)

Now if only i could find all the posts i put in other people's LJs.... >_<