Saturday, January 31, 2009

A Touch of Summer

Last season I spent some time photographing a wide variety of hood ornaments at car shows around New England.

I was saving them for this series, during the cold depths of winter.

Here is Page 1. Others will follow during the winter.

I like the 5th one :o)

Enjoy!

/

Friday, January 30, 2009

Money 101

For those of you who may be interested in gaining a fuller understanding (in plain English) as to how an economy works, why it is not working very well right now, and what can be done to give 'er a boost, check out http://bill-is-watching.blogspot.com/2009/01/backward-thinking.html

And before you bash the rich, remember that poor people can never offer you a good paying job.

And for chuckles, here is an update on the Turkey Run - clearing their din-din area after the storm. I still ask myself, "WHY?"

Overheard in a poker game in the Oval Office: "I'll see your two lobbyists and raise you two tax cheats and a socialist..."

Biden says he wants to lock up business owners. Conyers says the Republicans should be locked up. The DNC wants Blago locked up. It appears the only folks Democrats don't want locked up are terrorists and tax cheats.

/

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Just Hadda Do It

This was sent by our own comic relief, Dale Chasse. I don't often publish the funny stuff he sends, but I had to make this exception. I have seen this before, but it STILL makes me chuckle - especially the last one.

These are from a book called "Disorder in the American Courts", and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
_________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
_________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
_________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?_________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
_________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty.
_________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shittin' me?
_________________________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Uh.... I was gettin' laid!
_________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Are you shittin' me? Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
_________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?WITNESS:
Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
_________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
_________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
_________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?_________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!_________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
_________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

/

Update - Big Mike Designs

Big Mike asked if I would pass this along to all you good folks. Since I know he makes good stuff, I don't see a problem with that, so here 'tis:

"Just thought I'd drop a line to let you and your readers know that Big Mike Designs is still going strong. I have added some new products to my line- up including Hard Display Boards (on 3/16" PVC), the Custom designed Business Cards (which you may have known about?) and Vehicle Photos and Posters up to 24x36" with some pretty cool digital editing software (I can alter the photos with different effects) full info on www.bigmikedesigns.webs.com

I would like to extend the following special to you and your readers:

$10.00 off on Hard Display Board purchases
$5.00 off on All other purchases Recieved BEFORE February 15th. Mention code: HK109

I am also offering a discount to all previous customers who would like to "upgrade" to a hard board. ( 2008 Display sheet purchase required)

You can direct any questions to: bigmikes78@hotmail.com

Thanks, and enjoy the rest of the "off" season!

Big Mike

/

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Just for Laughs

Just thought I would pass this on...

For the second year in a row, Al Gore's conference on Global Warming has been either canceled or badly affected due to excessive cold and ice. Last year, the one in Boston was canceled. This year he decided to host it farther south, in DC. But the cold and ice dampened his gathering considerably. I suspect next year he will plan it for Florida :o)

Just one of the pieces of "pork" in the stimulus bill concerns spending a bundle for new grass on the Washington Mall, to improve the landscape of Washington. I can think of a free way to improve the landscape of Washington - keep the lobbyists out, and get Congress doing their job.

Both my wife and I have WEATHERBUG on our computers. When she opened hers, it said we were looking at 12-20 inches of snow. At the same time, my Weatherbug said 10-15 inches. Maybe it has to do with the fact that her computer is farther east than mine - by about 25 feet.

Much of the problems we face in America today are the direct result of a serious disconnect with the political elite and the everyday folks. Politicians think with their fat wallets. The folks think with the holes in their pockets.

When a politician has an "evening out", it is likely to include a dinner at a $100 a meal restaurant, followed by a Broadway play or a Penthouse party featuring champagne and caviar. When "the folks" have an evening out, it is more likely to consist of dinner at Pizza Hut and either a movie at the local cinema or a house party featuring beer and chips.

So, when a politician writes a bill, or votes for it, he is looking at the issue from a completely different viewpoint than the folks.

Ergo, I have an idea how we might be able to help reconnect the politicians with the folks. Every state or federal politician should be required by law to spend two consecutive weeks each year living with a family of everyday folks with holes in their pockets. Much like the Foreign Exchange Student program. The politician would be required to eat what they eat, go where they go, and do what they do. He must become part of the family for two glorious weeks of reality. I'm not talking families in abject poverty - just normal, everyday lower-middle class families. Preferably with teenagers.

I believe this may provide an important new perspective to our leaders.

/

/

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Other Side

Nope - this is not about a near-death experience, or holding a seance. It's about the Democrat view of bills like the Cash For Clunkers bill and now the new bill being presented that is the same thing with a new name. This is not for political purposes, but for understanding.

As you can see by one of the comments in the previous post, the liberal New York Times printed an article by a democrat economist who opposes republican economists. He tries to make the point - and many low-income folks buy into this - that since most "clunkers" are owned by poor people, it would provide them money that they would use to infuse the economy.

What this economist seems to have missed is a little thing called "reality". Last year, President Bush authorized a tax rebate for that same purpose - to get people spending. Most poorer families received an average of $1200-$1500.

But the result was not as expected - instead of rushing out to buy new product like flat screen TV's and cars, a whopping 84% of that money was used to pay off debt - purchases made previously - which did nothing to boost the economy. In order to boost the economy, money must be spent on new products and services, to keep business humming, and you and I employed (well, not me. I don't hold down a job).

It appears that backers of such bills just do not think things through - they get a brainstorm, then run with it, without even attempting to follow it through to the eventual conclusion. It LOOKS like it will help a little tomorrow, so they never bother to look to see what the long-term effects will be. In this case, they never considered us, our hobby, the tens of thousands of businesses that depend on our hobby, all those employees, or the tens of millions our hobby produces for charities each year. Nope. All they saw was "Gee, we'll get some old cars off the road and maybe the folks will actually use that money to buy new cars."

Sorry - the low-income folks they are targeting, particularly in this economy, will not be buying many new cars. They will just take the $4,000, buy another $3,000 clunker and use the other $1000 to pay off other bills. No new cars to bolster the auto industry or reduce emissions, and no stimulus to the economy. None.

Rich Senators do not understand that, because they have never been poor. They think with a fat wallet. We think with holes in our pockets.

Now, the reason for this "political" post. Some of you, adversely affected by the recession, may be tempted to let these bills slide through so you can pocket a little dough. I can't blame you for that. But if you do that, you can believe that, in the long run, it will do you much more harm than good. And when that little bit of cash is gone, it is unlikely you will be better off for it.

So, please - contact the senators of Maine, and contact Feinstein and Waxman. Let them know this is a bad bill, and needs to be put into the same junkyard as the Cash For Clunkers bill that was shot down last week.

/

Here We Go Again...

For those of you not yet aware of this new Congressional attack on our hobby, I reprint the following:

Dear Fellow Enthusiast
Last month, we sent you an Urgent Legislative Alert from The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) regarding a proposed “Cash for Clunkers” bill that would threaten our hobby. Thanks to your overwhelming response, this legislation was dropped from the economic stimulus package. Congratulations for standing up for your rights as enthusiasts!

We have just received a follow-up Legislative Alert from SEMA. New legislation (S. 247 and H.R. 520) has been introduced in Congress to create a national vehicle scrappage program which will give U.S. tax dollars to consumers who turn-in their “gas guzzlers” to have them crushed. This program would target vehicles with low fuel economy ratings of any model year. That means sports cars, SUVs, and performance-built vehicles could be crushed in exchange for a monetary reward.

The following information is directly from SEMA. If you would like to contact the lawmaker, follow the instructions in the alert.Thank you for your time,
Your Friends at Summit Racing Equipment

Our effort to prevent Congress from including a nationwide “Cash for Clunkers” program in the economic stimulus package has been successful – so far. Thousands of SEMA members and SEMA Action Network (SAN) enthusiasts contacted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in opposition to the plan. The Speaker’s Office informed us that your emails, calls and faxes were received and, thanks to your work, Cash for Clunkers was not included in the economic stimulus package introduced in mid-January in the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, new legislation (S. 247 and H.R. 520) has been introduced in Congress to create a national vehicle scrappage program which will give U.S. tax dollars to consumers who turn-in their “gas guzzlers” to have them crushed. Lawmakers need to scrap this idea!

Contact Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) Immediately to Oppose S. 247 and H.R. 520The so-called “Accelerated Retirement of Inefficient Vehicles Act” is Cash for Clunkers with a twist. Instead of focusing exclusively on older cars, this program would target vehicles with low fuel economy ratings of any model year. Participants would receive cash vouchers ranging from $2,500 to $4,500 based on the model year and whether the replacement vehicle was a more fuel-efficient new car or used car (MY 2004 or later).

Fuel-efficient is defined as getting at least 25 percent better mileage for the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) target for its class. The bill sponsors want to scrap up to one million cars a year for at least four years.There is no evidence that the program would achieve the goal of boosting new car sales or increasing fuel mileage. Many states have considered scrappage programs in the past as a way to help clean the air or increase mpg, but abandoned the effort because they simply don’t work. The programs are not cost-effective and do not achieve verifiable air quality or fuel economy benefits, but they do have a devastating impact on the many small businesses that market products and services for the scrapped cars.

Don’t Delay! Please contact Senator Diane Feinstein and Rep. Henry Waxman today to urge their opposition to S. 247 and H.R. 520. For those who responded to our first call for action, we need you again, along with everyone else.

Contact Sen. Dianne Feinstein to oppose S. 247
Click here to send an email: http://email.e-mailnetworks.com/ct/3952842:1768512852:m:1:114789630:2F44133E25B4F16D201C13C025606533 Call: (202) 224-3841Fax: (202) 228-3954

Contact Henry Waxman to oppose HR 520
Click here to send an email: http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1313&Itemid=1 (then click on Contact button to the right)
Call: (202) 225-2927Fax: (202) 225-2525

Talking Points: Oppose the Use of U.S. Taxpayer Dollars for Accelerated Vehicle Retirement

I am writing to urge lawmakers not to approve an “accelerated vehicle retirement” program. Even on a voluntary basis, the program will hurt thousands of independent repair shops, auto restorers, customizers and their customers across the country that depend on the used car market. These businesses are already very vulnerable in the weak economy.

An accelerated vehicle retirement program is flawed since it does not target the “gross polluter,” an improperly maintained vehicle of any make or model year that has poor fuel mileage and dramatically more emissions due to poor maintenance.

An accelerated vehicle retirement program is flawed because it does not factor-in how many miles-a-year the collected vehicles are currently being driven. U.S. taxpayers will be buying rarely-driven second and third vehicles that have minimal impact on overall fuel economy and air pollution.

Accelerated vehicle retirement won’t generate many new car sales. The cash incentive provided will not be enough to enable a person to buy a new or used vehicle.

Accelerated vehicle retirement will compete with nonprofits that rely on vehicle donations to raise funds, such as the Salvation Army, the Purple Heart and other charities.

Accelerated vehicle retirement threatens to disrupt a large and complex industry which already handles scrappage, repair, remanufacturing and recycling issues. This independent industry provides thousands of American jobs and generates millions of dollars in local, state and federal tax revenues.

Accelerated vehicle retirement ignores better policy options. Taxpayer dollars would be better spent as direct tax incentives to purchase a fuel-efficient new or used car, without a government vehicle crushing program. Congress should also provide tax incentives to upgrade, repair and maintain existing cars, trucks and SUVs. There are many commercially available products and technologies that can substantially improve fuel mileage and lower the emissions.

We hope we can count on you to reject “Accelerated Vehicle Retirement.” Thank you for your consideration on this very important matter.

If you choose to send a note and/or message to Sen. Feinstein and Rep. Waxman please forward a copy of your message to:E-mail: briand@sema.org

/

Monday, January 26, 2009

Senator Collins Is Comin' 'Round

As you may have heard, the furor over the Cash For Clunkers bill (which got tossed out) effectively placed our Senator Collins on "the outs" with many of us.

But things change - and politicians change even faster.

Here is the latest "good" news concerning how Senator Collins represents us. In spite of the fact that Geithner did get confirmed by the Senate in spite of being a tax cheat, I can report the following:

"...Even so, not everyone was convinced that the need for a speedy confirmation should trump concerns about the candidate. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, didn't buy Geithner's contention that he skipped paying some taxes because he was confused by the complexities of the tax code.

"They were described by the nominee himself as 'careless mistakes,'" Collins said in prepared remarks. "It has become clear to me that this is not merely a matter of complexity leading to mistakes, but of inexcusable negligence.""

Good show, Senator. Ye have been redeemed in the eyes of Mainers who believe integrity is more important than expediency and political gamesmanship.

/

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Update...

This came in from SEMA last night:
CASH FOR CLUNKERS IS GONE!

Obviously, this is great news (passed on by, who else - Frank Barron). And I am very pleased. However, it does not ease the disappointment I feel in the local lack of action. We are fortunate that enough car buffs in other states pushed hard enough to get that bill dumped.


They covered for us, this time. I hope that in the future, as other issues arise, that we Mainiacs do not sit back and entrust our futures to others. We got lucky this time, that there were devoted folks fighting the good fight.


But it will not always be a national issue. Like last year, when we attempted to get better laws in Maine to protect us from communities that wanted to shut us down, and fine us if we had spare parts kicking around. A lot of effort went into trying to get a petition out. We appealed to hundreds of you to pick up a copy and get it signed. In spite of that effort, we only got 6 1/2 pages back. 130 names! Needless to say, that will not impress anyone in Augusta, so don't expect any changes in the law.


And that is the problem, folks. We really love you guys. But it is just awfully disheartening to put in so much effort into getting something done, and you, the folks, don't seem to want to get involved. Not even when it affects you. But once a bad law gets passed, and it harms you, the complaints fly. But by then the damage is done.


The time to protect your interests is BEFORE others take away your rights, not after. And we cannot always expect "others" to do it for us.


/

Disappointing

There are over 800 readers of HotKarz. For that, I truly thank you for your loyalty. And of those 800, I suspect each of them knows at least 6 people. That comes to roughly 5000.

However, there is a serious threat to our hobby, coming from Pelosi and Senator Susan Collins, who co-sponsored the "Cash For Clunkers" bill that will hurt each and every one of us. So, HotKarz did its job - we put out the call to arms. We provided the email address, the fax numbers, phone numbers and mailing addresses, so you could stand up for your hobby. Stand and be counted. And to spread the word, getting others to do the same.

So, it comes as a serious disappointment to learn than fewer than 120 people stood to be counted by contacting Collins, and even fewer contacted Pelosi. That is not enough to convince Collins to take a coffee break, let alone change her position on this issue!

So, because the majority of you decided to leave this important issue up to "someone else" to deal with, and "someone else" did the same, the Cash for Clunkers bill will likely go through, unopposed.

As Jefferson said, "We all get the government we deserve". By not standing up to be counted, you will see the Cash for Clunkers bill ushered in next month.

And the next time someone complains to me about how much it cost for this part, or how hard it was to get that part, I do not think I will have any tears to shed.

If you, the folks most affected, will not fight for what you want, then don't expect anyone else to, either.

I am so terribly disappointed that I must seriously reconsider keeping HotKarz up. It is a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of cost, with only one person covering it. I did not mind when I thought it was a worthwhile thing to do. But it does not appear to be worthwhile any longer.

/