UAW ratifies concessions- about damn time!

With GM teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, the UAW ratifies concessions to help alleviate some of the labor costs for the ailing auto maker. About damn time! I have said for years that the "big three" have been paying so much in labor costs that they can't afford to make a quality automobile anymore. I am not a genius, don't tell my wife she thinks I am, but even I can figure out that if you continue to make an inferior product for 30 years, your competition will catch up with you and eat you for lunch. GM has been watching foreign auto makers catch up in their rear view mirror for 30 years and have been in "cruise control" the whole time. It's like they were never even worried that anyone else could catch them. Now that they have had their doors blown off, they're saying "what happened"? Now, I know that volumes can be written about all the problems GM has, labor being only one of them. However, I do say to the UAW, too little too late. I do believe that everyone deserves to make a good living wage, but I don't believe that anyone deserves to make over $30 an hour putting wheels on Cadillacs. I know the history of unions, and I know they have had their place and purpose, but it is my humble opinion that they have become a corrupt and greedy organization who cares more about money than protecting the rights of workers. The sad part is the workers have become just as greedy. It has become "us against them" instead of "we". As it is becoming painfully clear that a house divided cannot stand, they are trying to piss on a forest fire.

I hate to see what has happened to the auto industry in America. There was a time when owning a Ford, Chevy, or Chrystler came with pride in ownership. Now, if you buy American, you wonder if you should have bought a Toyota, Hyundai, or Kia. I was disguted when I saw a Ford commercial and heard "we're as good as Toyota". Shame, shame, shame. I truly hope and pray that there is a bright future for the big three. God help us! We can't seem to help ourselves.

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I'm back!

Well, long time no.... see? Anyway, I'm back. After many talkings-to and stern looks from my buddy A.J. here I am.

I guess the most worthy thing I can blog about is the fact that I got married to the wonderful lady from my last blog. Yes the woman from the plane. I moved from Charlotte, (yuk) to a small town in the mountains called Burnsville. You can't find Burnsville, NC without getting lost first, it's so secluded. Anyways, that's about all I have for now, so I will be posting more later.

How long has it been?!!!

Obviously I don't peruse the 'net very much. Thats why I haven't kept up with my blog. Like I have made mention of before, I'm just a regular guy that sometimes gets to do cool shit.

It's been almost a year since my last blog, and my friend scolded me sternly for not blogging like I should. Well, a couple of blog-worthy things have happened since y'all last heard from me.

Keeping with the theme of my blog, "cars and guitars", I bought a new guitar a while back. Its an Ibanez acoustic. Its made out of the most beautiful "ash"wood I have ever seen a guitar made from. And it sounds awesome. I saw it in the store and just had to have it!

I don't usually blog about things in my personal life, but this is definitely blog-worthy. The company I work for sent me to Texas for a big company thing. That was pretty much uneventful. It was the plane ride home where things got really interesting. I boarded the plane and took my seat. Naturally, I had my headphones and lots of music to listen to. My co-workers that got sent with me were in seats around me. One of them was across the aisle from me. He was very nervous about flying. He had taken the gangsta rap out of his CD player, and put in gospel music, and was damn near speaking in tounges. The rest of the fellas and I were just anxious to get back home. I was sitting there trying to decide what to listen to, when two rowdy girls took their seats behind me. Then their friend walked by. I looked at her and our eyes met, I smiled and said "hey" and she did the same. Little did I know at the time that her friend was standing behind me pointing at me, mouthing the words "I'm thinking he can get it!" She took her seat, and we all waited on the plane to take off. I was having a hard time deciding what to listen to. I tried listening to a couple of different CDs, but couldn't get that girl out of my head. So, I turned around and said hey to her again. She smiled a big beautiful smile and said hey back again. The plane took off and we were on our way home. The flight attendants started serving drinks. Then girl I had been flirting with ordered a drink. She asked me if I'd like a sip and I took her up on it. We had passed her drink back and forth a few times, when I suggested that I come back and sit with her. She invited me back to an empty seat beside her, and I went gladly. During conversation, I found out that she and her friends were on their way back from Las Vegas. They were at DFW for a short layover. Lucky me! We talked for awhile, and we felt an instant connection. It was like we had known one another for years. Somewhere over Mississippi, we started kissing. The next thing I knew the plane was landing. Damn tail wind! We exchanged numbers, and, well, eight months later, we're inseparable.

Well, there's your new blog. My friend should be happy now. I'm going to be going to Sebring again this year and I can't wait. I will be blogging about that in March. See you then.

What party?!!!!

Here I am at my favorite coffee house, wondering what happened to the big party that was supposed to happen Saturday night. After the race, I was so excited to get my rig packed up and into the car. I was ready to party, wooohooo! But to my dismay, when we cruised through the Green Park, it was as if someone had flipped off a lightswitch. There were no lights, no music, no beer, no party goers, hence no boobies. It was dark and quiet. Too quiet! So A.J. and I just said "fuck it", and started driving home. I'm not staying anywhere after being that let down. Now I have a big plastic grocery bag full of beads. I'm sure I can find someone who wants to earn them. Sylvia, perhaps. We'll have to see about that.

Anyway, Saturday night notwithstanding, a good time was had by all. I had the best time I had in years, met some cool folks, and came away with a different piont of view. I dicovered a new way to enjoy racing, and got my head screwed on half way straigt. I can't wait to go see another.

Shout out to Brett, Candi, and Todd! Thanks to Brett for letting us sleep in his camper for 2 nights, and letting us drink his beer. I hope we can all hang out again some time.

Its all over but the party...

Well, 12 hours of Sebring is over, and guess what. The silent Audi I told you about won its class. Hooray. Not really a suprise. A.J. nicknamed the Audi "Silent But Deadly". It ran strong all day-night. I know I said that I wasn't that kind of commentator, but its not every day you see racing history in the making. I find that very exciting!!!

Now for the real story. I was milling about earlier, and I went across the track via the walkover bridge. And, lucky me, happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was just in the right spot when a couple of cars went under my feet. The vibration from the cars went up through my feet, right into my crotch. Too bad Sylvia is in North Carolina. Anyhoo, that kinda got me off a little, so I stood there for awhile. I leaned against the fence and waited for the cars to come by again. When they did I closed my eyes, and enjoyed the sensation. The only car I didn't feel was the killer Audi. Can't win 'em all, I guess. People walking by were looking at me as if I had too much to drink and coldn't find my way off the bridge. Oh no! I had found a new way to enjoy the race. A way that I highly recommend to everyone. Its kinda like stop and smell the roses. Don't just walk across the bridge to get across, walk across to feel the cars under your feet!

If you've never been to a race like this I recommend it to all. Now its all over but the party. Hopefully the bead gods smile upon me tonight! Let the titties fly, YEEHOO!!!!

Holding out hope...

I'm sitting here watching the 12 hours of Sebring. Remember that hot Audi I told you about? Yeah, the diesel. I watched as the Audi came into the pits to have some work done. As the pit crew worked furiously to change the front end, a cat, yes a CAT ran across pit lane! If you're watching the race on Speed Channel, you missed it, because they cut to Busch coverage, YUK! Of course, there has been alot of hot racing action, but I am not that kind of commentator. You know that from my last blog. I thought you'd all like to know what you missed.

I'm still holding out hope for tonight. I know I'll have a good time no matter what happens. With the company I keep, something interesting always happens. I'll keep you posted.

Here I sit...

Here I sit at Sebring Int. Speedway watching the cars go by. FAST! This is a historic race for Audi. They are racing their new TDI Power Diesel race car. This car is slicker than owl shit! What I find most interesting is watching it go by. While the other cars scream by like monsters the Audi seems to slide by with a whoosh. You can actually hear the turbo hum over the engine! All you conspiracy theorists will probably say "its alien technology they picked up in the desert at Roswell". Its alien alright, from Germany! These guys really know their stuff. This is probably the biggest advance in racing technology since the wheel.

I have been here since Wednesday, and have had an absolute blast! I have seen all the qualifying and practice rounds, races in all the other classes, but my intent is not to give you the stats and placings and shit. If thats what you want there are plenty of other places you can get alot better info than I could give you. You can read my friends write up of the whole deal on http://www.autoextremist.com What I'm doing is summing up my experience here this week.

Why am I here? I'm the luckiest guy in the world I guess. My good friend, A.J. , whom I've known since High School, called me up a while back and asked me if I could come. I told him "HELL YEAH". He writes for the above link. He was able to get me in on media creds, and here I sit in the air conditioned media office, watching the race. Freakin' awesome! I figure if I'm in on media creds, I'd might as well write something about it, right? In the meantime, I'm getting treated like a spoiled ass brat. Free food, free drinks, and free frosty adult beverages. All I have to do is flash my badge, and I can go where "regular" people can't go. I have met drivers, vendors, TV persnalities, track officials, and so on. Hobb knobbing, rubbing elbows, shmoozing, aahhhhhh, I'll never be the same!

Of course I came down from on high to mingle with the "commoners" too. A.J. and I met up w/ some other friends and went looking for a good time in the Green Park. And we found it! We went and joined a big party, had some of the best bar-b-q I've had in a long time, some free adult beverages, and lots of fun. And of course we had lots of beads to go around. Most of which I still have. Johnny Lawman a.k.a. the Fuzz, came down to direct traffic, and keep girls titties in their shirts. Damn them! Hopefully the police will mind their own damn beeswax tonight, and let the breastsis fly. I'll let y'all know.

I want to shout out to some friends and shit. Thanks to A.J., without whom none of this would be possible. Hey to Brett, Candi, and Todd, who are the other friends I mentioned. Wassup to my sweetie, Sylvia, who sent me some cool pix on my phone to keep me entertained, WOW! I'll let y'all know what happens tonight.