Saturday, July 12, 2008

Yesterday

I retired when I was 43. Oh, to be so young again!

I have noticed a few things about time. For instance, the older you get, the faster it goes - but you often don't remember it. And I figured out why it seems to go faster. It's psychological, and relational. When you are 5 years old, a year represents a whopping 20% of your entire life. At 50, it only represent 2% of your life.

When I was 30, a 20 year-old gal was smitten with me. But I told her it could never work. She was only 2/3 my age. I told her in 10 years, she would be 30, and I would be 40 - she would be 3/4 my age. She'd be catching up. In another 10 years she would be 4/5 my age - her at 40, and me 50. At that rate, she would someday pass me, and I didn't want to be married to a woman so much older than me.

At 6, I had all the questions. At 16, I thought I had all the answers. At 26, I realized how smart my father had suddenly gotten.

As I get older, I get increasingly random memories of little pieces of my younger days. Out of the blue, a smell might trigger a memory of something that happened when I was 5. A song will remind me of a specific moment at the Community Center Dance when I was 15. And I wonder if such an increase in reminiscense is a precursor of that thing they call the "second childhood". But I don't think so, 'cuz I never left my first.

I look lovingly at that 1947 Chevy, as it is the first car I remember my Dad owning. As I fawn over it, I hear some young fellow say, "Man, that car is OLD", and suddenly I am faced with the reality that all these sweet memories mean that I, too, am getting long in the tooth.

A youngster today might know that a "Les Paul" is a Guitar. But I remember when the real Les Paul sang "Vaya Con Dios" with Mary Ford.

A young person might know George Burns as the old man who played GOD in the movies. I remember when George Burns was a young comic, on stage with his young wife, Gracie Allen. And I recall a time when good comics like Bob Hope, Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason could get uproarious laughter without resorting to the use of profanity. And when the stars of Hollywood had class, and were worthy role models - Jimmy Stewart, Cagney, Bogie & McCall, Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Jack Lemmon...

Today is fine. But yesterday has a sweetness to it that is not unlike the heavenly smell that draws you in as you try to walk by an old-fashioned bakery.

But there lies danger in yesterday, as well. For those souls who try to return, or remain there will find their lives are slipping by without notice, as each new today falls victim to memories of yesterday. We all know who I mean - the guy who looks like an over-the-hill Fonzie and can't talk about anything except the past. He lives there. And it is sad.

Most of us have a healthy longing for times past, and we visit from time to time. At cruises, we relish the old, and play all the old tunes. And if the arthritis isn't too bad today, we might even try shaking a leg to the jitterbug. But when the cruise is over, we rub in the Ben Gay, and we are back in the here and now, with an optimistic eye on the future. For most of us know that yesterday is only a sweetener for our todays and tomorrows. Rather than live in the memories, we desire to create more memories that we can relish tomorrow. Like the new memories I made at Ken's birthday today, and at Hodgman's with some my-t-fine folks.

And while I wrote this, tomorrow arrived! G'Night.

Cruisin'

A busy day, today. And it got even busier when I dragged my arse out of bed. Cleaned the cruiser, weeded the gardens, mowed the lawns, then had breakfast... :o)

This afternoon we traveled to the end of the world - we went to Ken Matthews' 60th birthday shindig. Ken lives somewhere between nowhere and east noplace. You can see everywhere from his deck!

From there we headed up to Hodgman's Frozen Custard to conduct the balloting for Super Cruise. They had quite a showing, considering today was also the first day of both the Super Cruise in Biddeford and the Kora Shriner's show at Twitchell's.

Thank goodness we ran into "Preacher" (Joe Malozzi) with his blue '51 Ford, Betty Lou. For awhile, we thought the devil had finally got ahold of Joe. But Joe is too fast for the Old Boy, I guess. He looks to be doing fine.

Dick Levesque, who for once was on the ball, gave me some pix of the show at Blue Hill earlier today, so I have posted them for you in the gallery. Thanx, Dick. You're a pretty good Dick. From all reports, the show at Blue Hill was excellent. Well organized, well judged.

Frank Barron was at the cruise (natch), and he was kind enough to do a NSRA Safety Inspection on our PT Woody. Frank's a Helluva good ol' boy, even though he doesn't shave every day (or ANY day). But then, I have only shaved twice in the last 44 years, myself.

Lotsa great vehicles at Hodgman's today. And a lot of ballots cast. This Super Cruise Award thing is getting to be a real horse race, with some fine contenders.

Well, I'll see some of you folks at Ossipee Valley Fair tomorrow. The rest of you will likely be at Twitchell's or the Super Cruise in Biddeford. Please keep me posted as to your experiences. Wherever you go, have a fine day, and good fortune.

Bill

"Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged"

So says the Good Book. And it is ever so apparent when a car show is judged by good folks with good intentions, but a flawed system. The participants end up judging the judges, as is the case with the Belgrade show. Were they "experts" in judging on a points system? Perhaps, but only a handful of people in New England can lay claim to that, so it is not likely. Were they impartial? If they had friends in the show, human nature would dictate that there was probably at least some bias, intentional or not.

Judging is one of the most critical parts of any car show. As discussed in previous posts, there are generally two forms of judging:

1) a JUDGED show, judged by impartial, expert judges on a points basis, and
2) a PEER JUDGED show, judged by the participants.

In a judged show, the judges absolutely must be impartial. Preferably, they would be brought in from outside, so they have no "horse in the race." They would be experts in using the points system. And they would really know cars, inside and out. From what I can gather, most judges in a judged show in these parts are not even acquainted with the points system - they make up their own. Here is a typical sheet from the Rules & Standards for a judged, points system show.

If a show organizer cannot find qualified, expert and impartial judges for their show, then they should really consider going to a peer judged show. But even a peer judged show has the potential for unfairness. So, to reduce the potential for participants to use the "buddy system" of voting (I'll vote for yours if you vote for mine), the "limited ballot" method seems to work fairly well.

Here's how the limited ballot works:

Let's say you have 18 classes. You would print up ballots, each with only (6) classes, chosen at random. When a participant registers, he is given a ballot that does not include his own class. Since there is much less chance that his ballot will include the class(es) of his best buds, it is less likely that the "buddy system" of voting would carry much effect. Why? Because even if his "best bud's" class is on his ballot, it is unlikely that he would also be on his buddy's ballot.

A number of good shows use this system effectively, and the participants generally have no gripe with it, because it is more fair than "normal" peer judging, and more fair than a judged show whose judges know the participants, and where bias or friendship could affect voting.

Of course, there is also the balloting system where only the spectators vote. This is the least fair of all, since most spectators know nothing about cars. But it does have its place - it is the best method for choosing "People's Choice".

Friday, July 11, 2008

Update

In regard to the many emails received about the Belgrade show - none of them flattering - I received this comment from the show coordinator (below). He had posted it as a comment to the Belgrade post, and I felt it probably would not get seen by anyone, so in all fairness I am posting it here, in its entirety and unedited. Hopefully, this will shed some light on some of the issues. As for me, I would still be asking Scott one question: if Roy is your friend - enough so you ask him to assist you in the judging - and you are the judge for his car, does that not look like the "good ol' boy's network" at work when you award Roy 1st place? It may be a coincidence. But judges should avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Someone other than a friend should have judged Roy's class.

And Scott's letter does not address other problems noted in the emails, either. In the end, the folks who attended the show will be the final judge. HotKarz only asks that you consider both sides.

Bill

Scott said...
From The Show Coordinator:First I want to thank all of you for coming out. I know It was a big weekend, with the 4th and all, and I am happy about our turn out. Before I say too much about the judging let me say, I have been going to, and putting on shows for 15 years so I have an idea of what it takes to make a car show run smooth. Now With that said I have never been ripped more then I have since doing this Belgrade show. The Reason, it is a judged show. I for one am tierd of old rust cars beating out nice show cars. It has happened to me a few times. So when We scrapped the Sidney show and started in Belgrade, I decide this was the year to go judged. Last year I had 5 judges, Myself one of them, and 3 of us had our cars in the show. Well, none of those cars were judge by the owners, and I got ripped on that big time. This year I decided that My cars aswell as any of the other judges cars would NOT be allowed to be judged, however they could park them in the show. This is what happened. Roy(Yellow Cuda) walked around with (Judge)Mark and assisted him on judging, I asked him if he could help Mark so I could assisgn them more catagories. I would have never asked him to help but we were in a real pinch. I had 2 judges go down sick, and I found that out on FRIDAY before the show. The other called me SATURDAY and said he may not be able to make it. That left us with only 3 judges. So that is why I asked Roy to Help, But again he was not a judge. And also for the record, I judged his class, He had nothing to do with it. Also I heard that some people were saying this was a good old boys system, and the judges were mickey mouse judges. First All of us have many years around cars, Building them caring for them, and JUDGING them at Larger shows then this one. And I would love for just one of you folks to tell Bo Condon that he is a Mickey Mouse Judge! All of us, Especially Bo know cars very well, and take this task of judging VERY seriously. Now for next year there will be some changes to the judging system. We will be adding 3 more judges, and they will go around in Pairs to judge, I will be the head judge, and I will go around after they are thru and re check the results. If there are any questions, We will go over them together, and make any changes as needed. So with all that said I hope I cleared up any confussion, and I hope to see you all back again next year. We will be adding alot of fun stuff to the show next year. Feel fre to contact me via e-mail @ chevyshowtrucks@yahoo.com, or call @ 207-215-6142. Thanks again- Scott
July 11, 2008 4:40 PM

(NOTE): Scott added yet another comment under this post, and again it appears that when simple truths are stated, someone can't handle it. All I said was, in a judged show, it is inappropriate for a friend to judge a friend's car - and it is. Scott took offense. Sorry, Scott, but the truth is the truth. That is why a court judge has to recuse himself when he is on good terms with anyone facing him in court. He is not permitted to judge a friend. It's what is called a "conflict of interest".

Perhaps Roy's car was the best. That is not the point. The point is that it APPEARS to be the "good ol' boys network" in full swing. And judges absolutely must avoid such appearances. If you do not, then you can fully expect folks to think what they think.

And if your answer to this is, "If you don't like it, don't come", then you obviously do not understand what makes a good car show a good car show. 15 years experience? Or maybe one year experience repeated 15 times? If you are unwilling to learn from the thoughts and criticisms of others, then the latter is more likely the case. The FIRST thing you should realize is that the participants are your CUSTOMERS. The money you make comes from THEM. You can treat them right and prosper, or you can brush them off, ignore their comments, and lose.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

1st Annual Super Cruise - Family Style

As many of you know, the first annual Super Cruise - Family Style sponsored by Maine Coastal Cruisers is scheduled for this weekend. This is just a reminder that tickets are required for the cruise to Willowbook, and for the Sock Hop on Saturday night. If you do not have your tickets yet, give Fritz a call @ 207-985-2868. For complete info and schedule, please click here.

With any luck, Fritz will be at Blast From The Past tomorrow (Friday) - if he is, don't forget to get your tickets.

This special event is destined to be one of the best of the season. Don't miss it!

And don't forget that balloting for the Super Cruise Awards will be taking place at Hodgmans Frozen Custard in New Gloucester on Saturday evening. I know this competes with the sock hop, but it is just a reminder to those who will not be attending the hop. I would have chosen another night to ballot at Hodgman's, but they only do 3 or 4 cruises a year, and this is the last one before the awards are given out.

It looks like the weather will hold at least through Sunday morning - we can only hope.

Since we got rained out on Wednesday, we have rescheduled the balloting for the Big Dipper (Riverside Dairy Bar) in Lisbon Falls for next Wednesday. To paraphrase Frank Svatek, "It can't rain EVERY Wednesday."

Speaking of Frank, a reminder that Shaw's Ridge is holding cruises this year, every Tuesday. If you are in the area, check it out. Shaw's Ridge is a great place, with fun for all (even the young'uns), including mini-golf.

Later!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

What Is It About?

Someone left a comment under the BELGRADE UPDATE post. To the individual who left it, I agree with everything you say EXCEPT your last statement.

While it is not about the trophy, COMPETING for trophies is healthy and natural, and WINNING a trophy when it is deserved is validation for all the work you have done.

If you do not think it is worthy to vie for trophies - and to EARN them - then do us all a favor and don't register when you bring your ride to a show. But for most of us, while trophies, themselves, are not very important, being recognized for the work you have done is a valid desire. It says that "this guy outdid himself."

Of course, we could get rid of trophies - but I doubt many would go to the shows. Then we could also get rid of all the other signs of accomplishment - medals in the military, honors at school, awards and merit raises at work, Father's Day cards - you know, all those "unimportant" things. If you want a Father's Day card, as the commenter said, "just go out and buy your own".

My point is simple - while it is not about the trophies, the trophies are necessary and, when earned, show accomplishment. So please do not regale us with your comments about "going out and buying your own if they are important to you." Because that is just tripe! If you EARN a trophy, you should get it. To earn it, and have someone else get it because they "know someone" is wrong, no matter how you cut it.

No, it is not about the trophy - but it is about being recognized for a job well done, just like in any other endeavor. If you doubt that, then pass when offered your next raise, and tell your child's school not to give your child any honors he or she might earn. And tell the Girl or Boy Scouts the same - you are not interested in your child receiving any merit badges he or she may have earned.

Get it?

Postponement

Looks like HotKarz is going to have to postpone balloting at Riverside (Big Dipper) in Lisbon Falls. Heavy rains once again have interfered. Please stay tuned for the rain date.

Bill

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Belgrade Update

Just to keep y'all informed, thought you should know that (5) other people reported the same problems with the Belgrade show - most notably, questionable judging and the "good ol' boys network" at work. But many things, like the food, classes and set-up was good.

Here is yet another email:

"Just got back from the cruise-in at the Meeting House Market in Dresden. I had 2 couples and *****(name withheld by Editor) come right up to me and asked me how I liked the Belgrade show. I and they agree with the other e-mails you posted about it. It was a sham. They where set up well, good food, category's and D.J.. But the judging was way off and big time good ole boy network. Just figured I would let you know."

Perhaps the Belgrade organizers will take a hint and make changes in the judging next year. From what I am hearing, that is the main issue - otherwise, a good show. If they don't, they could end up sitting in the field all alone...

Monday, July 7, 2008

Belgrade

I was unable to attend either Belgrade or the Bikini Show (Waterville ME) this weekend. However, here are two emails I received regarding the Belgrade show that some may find interesting. Personally, I can make no comment since I was not present, but having received two separate mails saying the same thing is worth mentioning. If anyone (besides one of the organizers) has a flip side to tell, please do - we want to be fair.

EMAIL #1: "You missed an interesting show, the judging was inconsistent at best with one judge taking a first(although he claimed he did not judge HIS class) and some extremely nice cars losing to some extremely rough cars. I suspect there was a little of the "old boy" system at work, but, unfortunately this is what a lot of the shows have come down to."

EMAIL #2: "I did see the fellow the other guy is speaking of and he was judging cars. Also correct in stating he took first place in his category. Don't know if he judged his own though. I don't think he should of even registered his car if he was judging, his class or not. (just my opinion). From what I gathered, they were checking the cars on how they were presented. Straight body panels, cleanliness, alignment of doors, hood, etc. Even saw them check amount of tread wear on the tires. 2nd and 1st went to a couple of 2006 models. And bone stock at that! Had I known I would have gone to Enterprise and rented a new Mustang for the day. Ha!

"I feel we should have been judged on the work we've put into our cars and the things done to them to make them unique. First place in 90s to present went to a Monty Carlo that looked exactly like a spectators car in the parking lot. hehheh, not really but it could have very easily happened."

Again, these are only two folks who felt there were issues that need to be questioned. We would welcome any other comments, pro and/or con, from folks who were there.

Well, the weather has been great since I have not been able to go anywhere! That changes Wednesday, probably - scheduled for balloting at Riverside Dairy (Lisbon Falls) that day. Unfortunately, the weatherman says rain all day. It figures! But I'll wait and see.

Saturday evening it's balloting at Hodgman's in New Gloucester - hope to see you there! But don't forget the Super Cruise - Family Style earlier that day - it's bound to be an event worth checking out!

Sunday I can be found at the Fried Dough stand at Ossipee Valley Fair Car Show.

I hear Joe & "Betty Lou" showed up at Waterville. If anyone gets hold of him, PLEASE have him get hold of me. Thanks!