OFH

So in these day and times I try to steer clear of the news.  I really cant believe who is right and who is wrong anymore.  It seems you can get more true and funny statements from the urban dictionary than you can from the media.  But today at lunch my favorite Mexican food restaurant installed a T.V. since the last time I was there.  Well today CNN was running a story about Occupy Wall Street but OWS is now replaced with Occupy Foreclosed Homes OFH for short in this story.  They featured a woman that is now squatting in her house that was seized by the bank she had the mortgage with.  I cant help feel but somewhat not sorry at all.  Some of ya’ll that read that last sentence probably think that I do not have a soul but listen up.

First off this lady is mad at the bank for giving her an adjustable rate mortgage.  Well if you don’t know how one of these works but the simple jest of it is that when the market changes and interest rates go up so that means you interest rates will go up or down depending on the market.  Well with this you have to be able to keep up with these changes monetarily.  Now that being said if this is the only option she had she should have not taken the offer.  It is not the banks obligation to make sure you can keep up with the interest changes.  But on another note it is also a banks job to make sure you can sustain the payment. But, with those two things being said , you should know something is up when you make 40,000 a year and they give you money for a 200,000 house.

Then she went on to say how the government helped her get this house with a mortgage assistance program.  Now I love America, this is the greatest country on earth hands down.  But , if the government came to me and said “have we got a deal for you”.  I would probably run away screaming because I do not trust the government enough to let them talk me into a 30 year loan.  While I hate to see people lose their homes I do feel sorry for them but I do not think this gives them the right to just take it back and get something for nothing.  The rest of us that own homes and pay for them and sometimes we struggle but we make the payments.  A friend of mine(shall remain nameless) he lost his house because of an ARM mortgage.  Did he squat in it? No, he did not.  He got his stuff out and rented a house.  Granted he regrets it because the look on his wife’s face was enough to make him want to cry but he sucked it up did the right thing and put a roof over his families head.

Today it seems like everyone wants something for nothing.  These are the same people that think just cause a guy drives by in a nice vehicle that he has to much and they should give some to them.  These are the also the same people that think everyone should get a first place trophy there should be no competition.  I have news for these people there is always been and always will be competition in everyday life.

Time Stood Still

I want to tell you about a town that is not well know in America.  You will probably never hear about it on the news having a top ten crime rate in America.  You will probably never hear of this town being in some political scandal.  It because time stood still in this town.  The town I am talking about is Alton Illinois.

I stepped off the plane at Saint Louis international airport,  I was surrounded by cell phones, blue tooths and I pads.  Every modern convieance in life we have learned not to live with out was engulfing me like some digital age army.  I have become use to technology and all it helps out with.  I was greeted by my aunt Cyndi (hope I spelled that right, she will be reading this) and my aunt Lori with a crudely written sign that reads “Reverend Darren”.  It made me laugh and let me know how goofy my family is and where I get it from.  Well we went through the airport and out to the garage to get in the car.  As we drove out I caught a glimpse of all the big named chain stores such as star bucks great clips and every cell phone company known to man.  Well we drove away from all this talking and catching up and then we came upon the new Louis and Clark bridge (nova did a documentary on this bridge).  Pretty much a good majority of my family and I think the town of Alton worked on this bridge.  It is an amazing bridge the way it is designed.  With that being said this is the most modern looking thing in this whole town.  We crossed the mighty Mississippi and we are in Alton. At fist glance,  you see the town and wonder, where is sheriff Taylor?  Yes ladies and gents it is exactly like this.  I don’t think I saw one single chain store that the rest of America cant seem to live without.  The grain towers have a huge “Welcome to Alton” logo painted on it with an American flag.  City hall looks like something strait out of the 40’s.

I spent the second day of my trip just wondering around this little Mid-America town.  We drove over to old side of town and checked out all the turn of the century mansions.  One of these my brother and sister in law were actually staying in.  They did not tare these house down to make way for strip malls with star bucks or over priced “what is in style” clothe boutiques.  No they kept them in the family or other people bought them fixed them up and ether lived in them or turned them into hotels.  From there we drove down through the neighborhood that my aunt lives in and all these houses look like they were straight out of  leave is to beaver land.  I was waiting on the beave to ride by on his bike and toss out the daily news paper.  Then we saw the old steal mill that was shut down due to reasons that are un known to me.

All in all I was in awe by how this town seemed like it was frozen in time.  Everyone knows everyone, they still mostly go to St. Mary’s or the First Presbyterian church on Sunday.  They still wave when you drive past and they say hello to you even if they don’t know you.  None of the bars are over priced with the velvet rope V.I.P affliction shirt wearin crowd.  No it is just your neighbor hood bar that is just a fun place to drop money in the juke box and hang out with your friends.  It seems that in these day and times everyone is scared of everyone.  Its all about yourself and not helping anyone around you.  I cant blame people for being like this in some of the towns they live in.  But I wish sometimes that America was like this little town that most people don’t know about but with of course the digital era twist.  If you get a chance and you are up that way stop in and visit lil ol Alton and have bite over at Fast Eddy’s .  it’s a great place to be.

Mighty 390 update

Well, back on memorial day weekend I aquired a 390 to start project mighty 390.  I figured I would give yall an update on what s going on.  Some of you may have been wondering and some of yall may not care either way you are getting an update.   So last night on the way home I was feeling like crap but,  I needed to get down to Mills Hot Rods and see what I had got myself into.  When I first pulled the valve covers the absence of burnt or  old motor oil was a big relief.  But , the previous owner had use a heavy paraffin based oil so this was coated on the rocker arm shafts but no big deal, my sure shot and some mineral spirits will clean that right up.  Now on to the intake manifold.  Anyone that is reading this that has ever pulled an intake on an FE knows that they almost need the engine hoist just to take this part off.  So got the intake off and no broke lifters, yippee.  Man at this point I am extactic,  I got this engine for nothing and it is looking promising to this point.  Lets pull the heads shall we?  Well this is always the part that scares me on an engine.  You never know what is going to be inside there other than a piston.  Pulled the right bank and no water but .030 over pistons that look good with good crass hatching in the cylinders.  Right head same way.  Well we decided to stop there at the end because I wanted to let the oil drain all night before I pulled the pan off.  Lets just hope that the rod and main journals on the crank don’t look like the top of a 2X4.

Tattoos

I remember when I turned 18 I went and bought a can of snuff, a pouch of chaw and a lottery ticket.  It was great not worrying about getting caught with this stuff cause I was legal now.  Then I told my mom and dad, “ I am going to get a tattoo” .  Dad told me to think about it after he said hell no and mom just said hell no.  Well I waited I thought and thought about it but couldn’t find anything that fits.  So four years later I finally got my first tattoo.  When I got my first tattoo it was not out of a book or off the wall at the tattoo parlor.  It was in my head.  I walked into the parlor and told the dangerous looking but friendly guy , “I am ready to get my first tattoo” .  He asker me are you sure?  I was kind of insulted but then I got to thinking,  this guy probably gets tons of frat guys and wanna be bad ass chicks in here wanting to get tattoos that later hate them and all they can do is piss and moan trying to get thier money back.  I went back outside to my truck sat on the tail gate and really thought about it.  I went back in and said yes sir I am ready.  He said pick one out,  I said I have one in mind but you don’t have it here I need to draw it out.  So he turned me towards a guy that was not doing anything and also did not seem enthusiastic about being there this worried me but I drew it out and he perfected it.  Then he went to put it on my arm.  Im not gonna lie as soon as he sank the needles in I knew there was no turning back.  An hour later it was done.  I was proud it was a tattoo that I thought no one had  and as far as I know no one still does not have.  I have had two more put on me after that and plan to get a few more .

I told you this story because it seems thanks to MTV and the NBA tattoos have become main stream and it is really sickening.  The more and more I look around people are getting tribal tattoos.  Everyone said I need to get a tribal tattoo.  I am not nor have I ever been part of any tribe, which means I really don’t need to get a tribal tattoo.  I did my home work before I got a tattoo.  A lot of the guys I worked with at the time of me getting it were either ex cons or bikers.  I asked them all about it.  They said the one main thing, make sure it is what you want because it is there for life.  Now I don’t take tattoos to seriously to the extent where I say everyone of them has a meaning.  I mean the big one I have does but its not a really big meaning.  I got the tattoos because they were different and I liked them.  I remember my friend telling me when he was in there getting work done A guy that may have weighed 90 lbs soaking wet was getting the monster logo tattooed on his leg.  The guy said he was getting it beasue he is hard core , and by hardcore it means he drinks 4 cans a day of that junk.  While I do have to respect what he is getting he is going to regret it when the whole monster energy thing is played out which takes me back to what the guy says are you sure you are ready.  Tattoos should be timeless, not a trend setter.  Heck back in the day the only people that got tattoos were degenerates and skuzzy sailors(probably one in the same) .  So remember before you get a tattoo make it your own make it original.  Don’t do it cause everyone is doing do it because you know it is what you want to do.

Mid night ride

As I step out into the dimly lit front yard of my friends house and my attention is caught by the full moon,  it almost feels like I am sent back to the late sixties.  Because ,  I look at my car sitting on the gravel road, the dim porch light cast just enough light to shine the paint but the wheels appear black with just a little bit of shine.  The car sit’s a little low in the back as if to make a cop wonder, does he have a shine tank full in the trunk?  I start my car and hit the lights then hit random on the IPOD (then I realize I cant be in the late 60s).  The first tune,  Surf Rider.  I back down the gravel road to make the turn around and I am off.  I cruise down the gravel road till it ends on to black top,  but that shortly follows another gravel road.  I feel like I am hiding from the g-men on another run to a dry town that needs some shine.  I suddenly get a glimpse of head lights careening towards me at a high rate of speed.  G-men? Local yokel cop ? I wasn’t waiting around to find out.  I sped off into the winding curves of the back road which I have driven so many times before.  Taking some of the hair pin curves at 50 maybe 60 mph.  All I could think was, man what a rush.  As I left it in second gear and left the rpm’s assist in the braking I made the trip in no time flat.  I was suddenly flashed back to reality when I hit the main drag and saw 2011 again.

You are probably wondering why I explained this to y’all.  Well the moral is a cool car can make your imagination go free.  You cant have these same feelings in a 2011 F150 believe me it does not work.  I was on a path to find the most coolest car for me I had found it in my 67 galaxie but strayed only for a time period of about 24 hrs.  You see I didn’t think I would be happy till I was a proud owner of a late 50s early 60s ford vehicle.  Well fate saw that and stopped the car sale dead in its track.  I was approached with tire kickers and dumbassery.  After a while I knew in my heart the 67 was the car for me.  The next day I hit the craig’s list in search for a new heart and a new engine project that I have never embarked on,  The 390 FE.

In these day and times the FE has been thrown by the way side with small more inexpensive engines with more available parts sources.   But, you cant get the same end result out of a small block like you can with a big block.  Remember there is no replacement for displacement.  Plus my car weighs almost 4gs it needs some nuts under the hood that the 87 model 302 just can supply.  While on craig’s list I came across a 406 FE for sale no price which usually means you cant afford it.  Never the less I called and my accusations were correct 2500 bucks not happening.  I told the man I needed a 390 which so happens he had just pulled a running 390 out of 67 mustang.  The price 800 bucks, something in my price range.  He told me come on by take a look at it and we will make a deal.  I pull up to his shop and immediately I see a 66 ford fairlane A stock dragster which is kept company by a 34 ford powered by a 429 CID 385 series motor.  I thought to myself man this could go two ways, either this guys is gonna be really cool or a total know it all dick.  Well it was the first.  On sat the cool old guy and I sat and talked, mostly he talked of drag racing in the 60s and I listened in amazement.  So fate sent me another gift that went along in the form of not selling my car.  A 63 model factory 315 horse police motor.  Now I told him I would have to pay him out cause I was short on coke bread and he said no problem.  He stopped me on my way back to my truck and said” you bring that W motor and we will call it even”.  He didn’t need it he was a big block guy I mean he has a factory 7 liter car.  Its under my impression that he knew I really wanted that motor but he was not going to give me something for nothing.

I went back and visited cool old guy again today.  And listened to more stories of 56 ford with a 390 fork lift motor (FE was an industrial motor before an automotive motor) .  It was a great time and I plan to go back as much as I can to learn old dog tricks and listen to some bitchin stories of how it use to be. IF you want to know how cars were back in the day find a cool old dude to make you a hell of a deal on a motor and listen to his out of sight stories.

My 67 Galaxie

So earlier today I read a blog about my friend Steve’s cool 60 model F-100 and it inspired me to write this blog.  So let us begin shall we?  This one is about my 1967 Galaxie.  Is it a 500, 500 xl you might ask?  I don’t know and frankly don’t care.  For the past several years I have been buying engine parts and receiving old cars and trucks that did not run.  I had a 1947 international that I was doing a ground up restoration on but just lost the time and interest.  I was down in the dumps cause until the point of purchase of the Galaxie, I have not had a cool vehicle since High School.  It was a 1971 F100 ranger.  It was cool man had it all decked out with late model ford chrome wheels off of a bronco,  dressed up the engine with all fomoco parts and finished off later with a tach in the hood.  But back to the galaxie.  I was working a job that kept me out of town a lot but left me with good chunks of money in my bank account.  My friend Dustin Mills was about to buy another car and after seeing his collection I decided to buy a cool car.  In my search for this cool car, I had come across dead ends and dumbassery(sorry steve had to borrow that).  The dumbassery was from guys that thought they had a gold mine but it was just a rust bucket. But anyways,  I did all my searching in Texas from a hotel room in southern Pennsylvania .  After running through all the mid to late 50s and early 60s ford searches it was looking pretty bleak that I was not going to have a cool Ford vehicle.  I was getting discouraged and angry.  After a couple of days of not searching I went back to the hotel and searched “67 Ford”  and wouldn’t you know my car was at the top of the list.  I clicked it open and even with the mediocre camera phone pictures, the car looked amazing.  I had to have this car but it was priced 2000 over my budget.  Then  I thought this car was made for me I was made for this car the price will go down.  Two weeks go by and boom,  the price dropped to 2 grand.  I called in a favor to my dad to go look at the car.  I was nearly 2000 miles away from home.  Dad said he would kick my ass if  did not buy that car. He said” you already lost one cool truck, don’t let this one go.”  So the deal was set, the guy holds the car I get home a week later and collect my prize so to speak.

Here comes the fun part.   I want to thank Dustin Mills and Mills Hot Rods for loaning me the trailer to get the car home.   I went to pick up the car and I looked it over one last time before the exchange of cash.  I am here to tell you, on the outside I was cool and composed but on the inside I was like a kid kicking his legs waiting for his pot pie to come out of the oven.  The car is exactly what I was looking for. The body was in great shape the interior while at first I was leery about really grew on me.  The interior is black vinyl with a spider web pattern on all the seats and back dash.  Cash exchanged and lets load this bitch it s time to take her home.  I was so excited another cool car only my second one ever and I was gonna do this one right.  Well we get the car loaded and unload it back at Mills’ Hot Rods .  The first thing I notice was the ignition switch was finicky and was troublesome to start the car it had a sweet spot.  Now any normal person would change that, not me, that means someone has to really know how to start this car,  it is really a theft deterrent system 43 years in the making.  Then we noticed there was no push button for the passenger outside door handle.  Buy a new one I say now.  So my buddy Dustin fixed it with a carriage bolt and 2 nuts with a lock washer.  Yea little hill billy but it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.  But all in all the car was solid just a little bit of unique things that  I liked about it.  Now the week after I bought it there was a big gathering at Murray’s Kustoms in Fort Worth and I thought of no better way to show it off than to take it there.  Well middle of July was not a kid idea.  The night before I went out there I installed a 3 gauge set because all the car had was Idiot lights.  Well needless to say, I found out quick that the motor in the car was not long for this world.  It ran at a steady 215 degrees with a dip up to 225 and 7psi of oil pressure.

Well after all these years of collecting engine parts it finally paid off.  Who is stupid now Dad?  So at this point I built a motor and I rushed it .  Because of that,  I know burn as much oil as gas thanks to slipping a scrapper ring.  No big E though,  I have my old 351W motor I started building when I was 18 .  Now I have taken this thing to a few car shows and just drove it around really.  It has been a fun ride,  and it is only going to get better.  I am really happy with what I bought because it is not a camaro,  mustang, shoe box ford or 53 chevy.  This car is not what you see everyday and it shows when people ask me about it.  People tell me I need to rat it out or lower it or bag it.  Those are al good suggestions but what I do with it will not be something you are seeing done in the magazines or on TV.

Hot Rod or Rat Rod

Rat rod, what does it mean to you? To me it means laziness in a sense that you are to lazy or lack creativity when building a car.   Now don’t get me wrong I don’t think every car should be a Boyd Codington custom but take some time to build your car.  Now I remember when rat rods hit the scene they were pretty cool and some things were creative.  Now a days rat rods have become to evolve into nothing more than a cast iron skillet with a 350 Chevrolet and a spatula for a seat.  The people that build these cast iron skillets say “they want to honor hot rodders before them”.  I am calling bullshit on this ladies and gents.  In all the old hot rod picture archives I have never seen a rusted out shit box that was built on purpose.  I look at these cars and see everything wrong with car building today.  Everything is ordered out of a catalog nothing is matched right and there is no creativity.  A buddy of mine has a rat rod that he paid cash for it looks ok to much rust for me but now after he has tore into it was really poorly built.

Lets talk about paint on these so called rat rods.  Flat black, that seems to be the only color they offer for rat rods.  I mean do you walk into the Napa or paint supply and say” I am building a rat rod” then they hand you a gallon of the worst black primer a person can buy.  No look I am a big fan of a black car Cadillac’s, mercury’s and what not but not flat black.  Make that bitch shine that’s what I say.   What happened to taking time to actually give some thought to you paint color .  This involves going to the paint store and sitting for hours looking at colors and wondering if you can mix two or three together to make the perfect paint color for you car.  I mean you look at all the old Rat Fink pictures and the cars were colorful not just black.
So lets talk about the engine combo.  Man these guys slap a 305 in a car and call it a 350.  Now I am not a Chevy man and people know this but I do know that neither the 350 or the 305 are “old school” hot rod motors and that’s what you rat rodders preach isn’t it old school?  If you are gonna build and old school hot rod to honor hot rodders before you wouldn’t you build a flat head,  y block , 265 or even a W motor?  Man I guess I will draw this to a close because I will get a lot of people bitchin if I really carry on this subject.  I guess in the end if you want to build a true old school hot rod look at old popular mechanics or hot rod magazines from the 60s you wont see any rats in there.  Be creative don’t follow the main stream make the car your own.  Just cause everyone is turnin a model A or T into a rat rod does not mean you have to as well.

Taxes

So government seems to be the big topic now of days,  well might as well throw my hat into the ring on this one.  Now like fifty percent of Americans I am a tax paying citizen.  Yes I said fifty percent,  there are only fifty percent of Americans paying taxes.  The other fifty percent is made up of tax dodging yuppies and people that just feel like everyone else should pay and they keep what ever they want.  They call the second of the two socialists in my book they are both socialists.  Part of being an American is paying taxes.  Now lets say on average an American (and honest one)  pays in 20 percent of his or her wages.  So you run the numbers of an average salary of forty thousand a year on fifty percent of America witch is roughly 150,000,000, that comes out to 1.2 trillion.  Now this s just a rough number this doesn’t include the current tax code brackets this is just a rough number.  So 1.2 trillion dollars, where does it go you might ask since we have over a trillion dollar debt and borrow 48 cents of every dollar. Well there are a number of government entities that do or offer the same service.  Well fare that has been abused for 30 years.  A billion of it is advocated to the 50 states for bridge and road programs.  Oh failed to mention bail outs.  Yes bail outs of banks and auto makers.  Now why did we bail the banks and auto makers out?  It makes more sense if you would have gave everyone in America 130,000 dollars.  Now with that money people would have paid cars and houses off thus stopping the  bank and auto bail outs.  I mean why not?  It was out money to begin with.   In the past 2 years some of the banks and one of the auto makers have paid back the money.  Now that this money is paid back somewhat the country is still struggling.  So to fix this problem we print 1 trillion in new money witch decreases the value of the great American dollar.  Now lets say you run out of money in the bank,  you need some you go to your basement or garage and print more, you would go to jail.  SO what gives the government the right to do it?  The United States government is as corrupt as the New York police department.  It does not matter what side of the isle you sit on more than likely you are corrupt if you are in D.C.  So as Americans we are tired of plans to fix the problems we need a solution and not a ten year solution because it will be impossible to hold future congress’ to the agreements made now.  We need a solution now.  So here is my solution.  A flat 3 percent federal sales tax.  Now before you roll your eyes wait.  Remember earlier when I said only 50 percent of Americans pay taxes with this instated it goes to 100 percent.  Everything you buy has a 3 percent tax for the federal government.  It takes away tax loopholes no one can dodge it not even church’s or non profit organizations.  Everyone is taxed so you can have a fare steak in this Great country now lets just run the numbers on a gallon of gas with a 3 percent tax.  Now this is taken on a 3 dollar a gallon average.  So in one year Americans’ use about 136 trillion gallons of gas now on a 3 dollar a gallon  that’s roughly 410 trillion dollars a year.  With a 3 percent tax that’s 12,318,750,000 in tax revenue a year in just gasoline alone.  Now with this flat tax you don’t pay labor taxes you don’t pay anything out of your check it all goes to you.  Wow what a thought a 28 yr old Texan with a 12th grade education fixed the revenue problem.  

American schools

Hello again It is me , Darren.  I am writing another blog after taking a break.  I really did not put a lot of passion into my earlier writings and ,  I did not want to become one of those empty headed blog writers that just  type to watch themselves type.  This one is over schools,  it has come to my attention in weeks past the whole no child left behind slogan and what it actually means.  Also I wanted to speak on some topics of what has changed since I was in high school, and how some of these changes I think are not for the good.  Hope you like what I have to say if you don’t hey that is your write as an American and I would be more than happy to talk about these differences and see why we disagree.


Lets dive right in shall we?   Man no child left behind should just say “ do what you want we will pass you”.   It has come to my attention that this is true.  I have talked to some teachers at different school districts that are my age that say this is how it really is.   For eample a teacher in a FTW ISD school had a student,  the student was always tardy, never turned in home work, took one test in the trimester and was passed.  When the teacher was going to fail the student they told her no,  they cant afford to fail a student because the school needs more money.   This right here is the problem with kids today.  No accountability,  this is why we have lazy brain dead kids.  What does the school need more money for that is so important they are willing to sacrafice a child’s future?  Maybe a new fancy capucino machine in the teachers lounge or something ridiculous but not limited to that.   It is a shame to hear this happening and it is not just in DFW or Texas alone,  it is everywhere.   I think some of this may have to do with the parents of children like the one above that was described to you.  His parents may be contributors to the school, that is fine give money to the school I am all for it.  But when it comes to cutting that education short because the school thinks it needs a statue of the masscot out front or something man it is sad.   In my day (and I am not very old )  if you did not shw up to class, BAM! Detention .  If it happened again, you were in summer school while all your friends were at camp or on the lake or the river.   And again what do these schools need more money for? Teachers salaries?  Hell no you don’t pay them enough as it is that is why 90 percent of them don’t care and the other 10 percent that got into teaching to make a difference have been beaten down by the system so bad they don’t care anymore as well thus giving you 100 percent of teachers that donet care.  You probably wonder why I care so much about this.  It is because these kids are the future of the country.  Looking pretty sad aint it.

Lets talk about when we were in school,  this applies to kids 26 and older.  So remember your first day of school?  I barley do, but never the less I remember it.  But what I remember most was getting whooped by the principal for screwing up.  And my principal was a 5ft 8 in cowgirl with her own farm that she ran so she didn’t care how old you were you got whooped.  When this got taken out of school it all went down hill.  When they stopped calling your parent cause you screwed up in school it all went down hill.  People when I was a kid if I got whooped in school they let my parents know and I got some more when I got home just to make sure I did not forget what they felt like.  There seems to be no discipline in school anymore.   Who remembers saying the pledge of allegiance every morning in school ?  I do,  hell I still say it in my heads sometimes to see if I still remember it.  But heaven forbid the pledge has the word “god “ in it and star child’s atheist son or daughter does not believe in god so therefore it must be abolished from school.  Horse crap,  it is not about worshiping god, Buda or ala,  it is about pledging your allegiance to this country and it is a sign of how happy you are to be here.   This leads me to another touchy subject kids waving the Mexican flag at school no big deal but when a kid wears an American flag t shirt t school it offends the Hispanic crowd.  Now don’t get me wrong I am not saying here all Mexicans go home.  That is not what this is about I am all for people wanting to start a new better life in America that is what this country was based on.  But when you find the American flag offensive then I have a problem.  This is America last time I checked so that means that’s what we get to fly for a flag you don’t like it you say? To bad.   It has come to the point were we are so politically correct it is not even funny.  Don’t want to offend anybody.  This is crap.   Man I have de railed I need to get back on track P.C. is for another blog nor right now.  

So I think I have said what I need to say now here comes the ending which always a little shaky for me.   I don’t know why a kid gets passed for not doing any work.  Are we bringing up a lazy generation? Teaching them it is ok not to do work, some one else will carry the load?  Or has it become a priority to get that money and make a school look like a country club or a college rather than teach the kids that are in it.  Why is there no discipline in school anymore?  If you act out in school you are tossed a ridalen pill and thrown into a special class.  No accountability anymore,  it is no ones fault.  Well start taking the blame for stuff.  Get your kid off the PS3 or the Xbox and get them out side or doing their home work.  Be a parent, don’t treat your kid as a hassle.  Now please realize that last sentence wasn’t for everyone.   Why am I paying taxes for schools that don’t even teach?

Im a mechanic, are you?

Hi there, it is me again Darren.  I got another blog to write and I hope these keep getting better as I write.  This blog is on a subject I have ten years experience with.  This blog is about calling mechanics technicians.  Now it seems today in our society we have become ashamed to call our jobs what they really are.  Strippers are called dancers or entertainers, mailmen are called letter carriers and finally they call mechanics technicians.  I believe this originated from some rank and file union thug wanting to make a name for himself by making a more sophisticated name hence, more money and higher union dues.

Some odd years ago my big paw paw’s dad bought a model T brand new.  Well his dad crashed it and he had to learn how to fix.  That is the short sweet version to our family’s start into mechanics.  Now if you would have called him a technician he would have probably put his size 13 up your rear.  He like me and the rest of my family is a believer in not trying to be something you are not.  I mean I can finally, about 4 years ago call myself an actual mechanic.  I came up through the ranks as a trainee.  I didn’t even get to touch an engine in a truck other than changing the oil and filters.  I once had a job interview and the man asked if I was a technician? I said no sir I am a mechanic.  Needless to say I did not land that job.  But with that being said, that is exactly what is wrong with shops today they are full of techs and not mechanics.

In today’s world shops are filled with techs.  These guys in my mind are just parts changers in the sense that they do not know how to diagnose anything.  They will pretty much remove your radiator cap and drive a new car under it before they find a bad spark plug or a shorted wire.  And for this, tech schools are to blame.  These schools bring kids in, teach them a few things, hand them a piece of paper saying you are a tech now.  Well I am sorry you are not even close to being a mechanic at this point, you are really not even  experienced enough to run a grease gun.  Now with that statement this does not apply to everyone of course.  One case is my friend Scott he was a mechanic before he even knew it.  He was sucked in on the whole scheme they would teach him what he didn’t know.  But he was the one doing the teaching.

It is just a shame today guys wanna be mechanics go to schools and don’t even show enough intiative to learn.  They just wanna put on a patch tell people I work at a dealer and think they are a mechanic.  But they don’t know half about being a mechanic.  The old timers are the only real mechanic left.  These guys now how to diagnose with out a computer , rebuild a starter or alternator.  These are the guys I look up and will always look up to.  They are a dying breed, they have been replaced with mostly no talent ass clowns who think it is cool to be a technician.  When in fact its not cool it is honorable.  Use to be people looked up to mechanics.  Mechanics were the ones that saved the day in a short time.  Now you take your car to the shop a technician tears it all apart, calls you to the shop and says this is whats wrong.  This is legalized rape.  A mechanic could look at it drive it, then put it up on the rack bring you and and say here is your problem.  He would also tell you how he had to fix it, if you didn’t like it he would let you go and wait for the next customer.  The “technicians” cant do that they cant keep customers so they have to rape you force you to let them fix your car or truck, then really not even fix it right.

Now do not get me wrong this was not meant for everyone.  I know there rare still good mechanics out there.  A lot of them are my friends.  Some of them have their own shops and they stay busy and have more work than they can handle.  These are the mechanics.  It just ticks me off when they bring a kid out of tech school, pay him more than me and he has to use my tools cause he has none.  And, he also tries to correct me on something he knows nothing about.  I wish these guys would have stayed on  their couch playing video games and smoking weed while their mom bakes them cookies.  So when someone asks me what I do for a living and I say mechanic, they try to say oh a tech. I poke my chest out a little bit and say no mechanic.  The day my dad called me a mechanic I knew I could call myself one.

Gas Prices

So today’s blog is about gas prices.  It is a popular subject so I figured I would give my two cents on it.  Don’t get me wrong I am not happy with the way the prices are going but,  I am just tired of all the complaining about it.  There is really no solution for it.  So let us dive in and talk about this for a little bit.

So first,  lets start with the government.  Now to be more clear, this is not the current administration’s fault 100% nor is it the former administration’s fault.  This problem was started long ago and just kept getting worse over the years,  per say a snow ball affect.  People say we are to dependant on foreign oil, well they are right.  But thanks to the E.P.A., that is why we are dependant on it.  There are not enough refineries in the U.S. to keep up with current demand, and if anyone paid attention in basic economics in high school you know about supply and demand.  Thank Al Gore for this.  Then with our stake in foreign oil production a lot of people stand to loose a lot of money, so thank you G.W. and Mr. Chaney.

Now everyone wants to blame the “Evil” oil companies.  Stop right there and read this.  The oil companies like to see 100 plus dollars for a barrel of oil, but they know at those prices everything is about to come crashing down.  They would like to see the comfortable 70 to 90 dollar prices.  This is their comfort zone.  They know at these prices it is more stable and more of a long term profit.  But,  I do think they could do a bit better to pass some saving on to the consumer.  It cracks me up when people what to get back at them by not buying and petroleum products for one day.  This is asinine,  everything we consume use in day to day life is some how related to the petroleum industry, from the hairspray women use to even turning on a light switch.  So even if you don’t buy it to put in your car you sill still buy some form of it from the “Evil” oil companies.

Now to the crazies.  I heard a report today that religious groups were driving to gas pumps in their church buses and praying for lower gas prices.  This is ridiculous,  I am not a very religious man but  I think God would say to them “ my son walked every where so you can too”. And again,  the boy cotters crack me up.  Yea show them for not buying gas for a day.  Also in this crazies category is the people that buy big cadilacs and fords and what not, and then they complain when they only get 15 mpg.  All I have to say is what my paw paw said, “If you cant afford to drive a cadilac you shouldn’t have bought one.” For those of you that know me you know that I am into hot rods and have one and I own a truck.  But I can afford to drive them.

So in the end, it is not one political parties fault, it is all of their fault.  The oil companies have some to do with this but not much.  You can really thank wall street speculators they are another reason price sky rockets over night.  But just remember when inflation sets in the petroleum industry is the first one to show signs.  This really has to do with inflation about to set in like a long cold winter.  Thanks to all the money we printed now the treasury wants it back.  So in the end the little man has to pay for everything again.  So if you read this and you feel I wasted your time don’t read another one of my blogs.  Last time I checked this is still America and you can read what you want to read.  So have a great day and if you would like to have an inelegant conversation about this feel free to comment.  

Music Questions

Hello everyone, welcome to my first blog.  I have thought about doing this for a long time and really have never had the guts to do it.  I just really did not want to start a blog and really talk about nothing like the cowboy militia people.

This blog will be about music.  For those of you that know me my music selection is widely ranged , and odd at times.  I remember as a kid dad would come home from a long day at work, we would be doing home work and mom would be cooking dinner.  Dad would turn the television off and crank up the old turn table radio ( I am not that old its just what  we had when I was a kid).  We would listen to KNON 89.3.  First we would listen to Texas Renegade Radio and then while eating supper we would listen to the Texas Blues Hour.  But, the moral behind this story is if you have never listened to these radio shows,  you will know that they are anything but main stream radio.  They played and still play some of the best music by some of the greatest  musicians in the world.

In these day and times it seems that good music has been replaced with a popularity contest.  And, its not just country music its every kind of music.   Like George Straight said, “I’m tired of all the smoke and the lights”.  I am tired of it,  the music and radio industry has gone down hill.  It seems to me any mediocre person with a high paid publicity person can get their 15 minutes of fame.  Its no longer about talent,  it is about how big your trust fund is.  Now do not get me wrong I am not grouping every band in on this but there is a lot of them that make the list.

In country music today,  it seems if you wear a rolling stone T shirt and a cowboy you are instant musician.  And it also helps if you sit around writing songs talking about all you did in college was get drunk every night and smoke weed.   That seems to be a big song writing topic.  With this being said what happened to country music ?  Use to be they sang about real life, real situations and  the sound they had was out of this world.  Now I know even The Rolling Stones had a honky tonk album, but at least they sounded country.  The “Red Dirt” singers of today have the same old strum pattern in every song.  They all try to sound like the guys that come before them.  I have no problem with cover songs,  in fact I embrace them cause in some instances they are as good if not better than the original.  But when you revolve your whole career around sounding like a Stoney  you will probably end up like them, washed up.  I would also like to add if Stoney does read this sorry bout the “washed up “ comment just calling it like I see it.  

I have never been in the music industry, that is probably why I don’t understand why they play mediocre at best bands and leave the great musicians songs sitting off to the side.  I know you have to play and promote what sells.  But it just seems to me thy have never taken a chance on the other guy.  I mean take Willie Nelson for example.  No one liked him at first now he is an icon and has stamped his mark on country music forever.  But now if you are as different now as Willie was back then you are done before you even plug in your amp.

Now after reading this this blog is pretty random I know.  They will get better I swear.  But what I was getting at is why has the music and radio industry lead us down this road.  Why is when they play a song call it a hit when it really is shit?  Why is it when they say this some of you take their word?  All I ask is read those two questions and just analyze them and really think about , how many of these bands today can you tell apart?  There is only a handful around here.  So if you have taken the time to read this, thank you.  And for those of you that did not like this and want to call me out you can find me on face book.  Just look under Darren and you can find me I welcome it.