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.