George Bush Shouldn't Be Reelected

George Bush should not be reelected because he's either a liar or incompetent.

Let me say that I supported Bush based on what I read and heard about Iraq's weapons prior to the war.  And there's no doubt that Iraq is much better off now. The rest of the intolerant, repressive Middle Eastern governments are thinking hard about what we did to Iraq and that's good.

From what I've been reading Bush is not really a liar. I don't believe he purposely told lies about Iraq's weapons programs. I'm not sure he's smart enough or bold enough to think he could get away with lying. What may have happened was intelligence analysts fed Bush the information they though he wanted to see about Iraq's weapons.

Most people know that to keep your job you have to please the boss. But if Bush is not a liar, that makes him incompetent. Even if the President isn't smart he should be able to surround himself with smart people. If he employs yes men who only give him what he wants to see and hear, that makes him not smart but incompetent.

Incompetence is not a qualification to be reelected.

Discovery Channel Hits!

My four favorite new shows are all on the Discovery channel. Monster House, Monster Garage, American Chopper and American Hot Rod.

On last night's Monster House they built a Mobster House. The dining room was done up like an Italian restaurant. And the living room was styled like a Prohibition-era speakeasy. They used brick on the walls, put in a beautiful pine floor, and made the fireplace look like a boiler.

Some of the houses they remodel look difficult to live in because of all the gadgets, but this one was tastefully done. The build team gets a set of Mikita cordless tools and a welder and for this episode, a set of Stanley mechanics tools.

On Monster Garage they stripped down a Peterbuilt Semi and made a trike out of it. They bolted the rear axle right to the transmission. That was smart. It looked good and seemed to work right but I would have done it a little different. They used the existing steering knuckle from the truck and put the drivers seat off to the left side of the engine. It seat was too low for the driver to see over the engine or anything on the right side of the vehicle. One of the cool things about a big truck is you sit up high and can see everything on the road.

I would have created a seat up high, on top of the engine with a chopper-style front fork and wheel. This build team gets a set of Mac toolboxes and Mac tools.

On American Chopper Mikey was building a bike. This was a rerun but I hadn't seen the first half of this episode. Mikey conceived a blues bike, styled like a 1950's Cadillac. First of all, Paul and Paul Jr. should have had Mikey help out on a few other bikes beforehand. He really seemed lost and didn't know what to do so he had to rely on his brother for almost all the work. Is wasn't really fair to Mikey to throw him in the deep end like that. And Paul Jr. should just shut up about being too busy or not patient enough to help his brother learn. Brothers help each other out. Like all American Chopper shows, this was just the first of two parts.

The new American Hot Rod episode was last Friday. They are building an all aluminum rod that looks like a highly styled 1934 Ford roadster. They put the frame on a bathroom scale and it weighed 85 pounds! They shipped it off to another company to build the body. The body guys had only one rough two-dimensional sketch to go on and they were doing a fantastic job.

Charlotte asked me what set of tools I would want. I said I would like to work on the Monster House show but win the Mac tools from Monster Garage.

No Comments

I'm sorry, but due to the insane level of spam appearing in my comments section, comments are now closed.

Comments may come back when technology allows comments without spam.

Cruel Chris

Bobbing up and down in a sea of shit
fly circles overhead Gasses waft their acrid stench
colorful in the in the evening light
Cruel Chris Cruel, cruel Chris
Vacation paradise crawling with body lice employment, in heavy syrup
Cruel Chris
Bobbing up and down in a sea of shit
a fly circles overhead Gasses waft their acrid stench
colorful in the in the evening light
Cruel Chris Cruel, cruel Chris
Vacation paradise crawling with body lice
employment, in heavy syrup
fearless in its gravy
Cruel Chris Cruel, cruel Chris
Sincerely, Craig Patten

Microsuck

I just got a great new laptop. It's an IBM ThinkPad 600X and I love it. I'm creating this post on the new machine. It's small but powerful with a Pentium III 50 128 Mb of RAM and a 6 gigabyte hard drive

Right now I'm trying to visit one of my favorite web sites, Slate.  It's an online magazine and is owned and operated, by Microsoft.nnBut my Microsoft browser, Internet Explorer 6.0.2800.1106, keeps reporting that there are errors on the page and it fails to display Slate's home page correctly. I'm not surprised.

Back in 1995, when I first tried the Internet, I tried MSN. I thought that just because Microsoft knew software and operating systems they would offer a good online service. Well it was terrible. It crashed, the access line was busy. Overall though, I'm pleased with the laptop and the browser.

Deadbeat Client

I think I have a deadbeat client. I have to send another notice and see if he responds. If not, I'll be outing him to the entire internet community. Always pay your bills.

Welding is Fun!

After two years I finally got my welder fired up and working. The instructions I got from the welder manufacturer on how to wire up the plug were wrong, wrong, wrong. I had to remove the case of the welder to see where the hot and ground was inside the machine to get it right. I had 110 volts going to the case of the welder. I could have shocked myself or damaged the welder.

My neighbor gave me an old truck hood, so I brought it home and started to practice. The hood was in two parts. I stripped off the underside; the support structure and cut it up to practice on. I had a very hard time welding this material. I couldn't get the weld smooth and I had a hard time judging the amount of current necessary. This material must be too thin.

I thought I had poor technique or didn't know how to weld until I tried a couple of pieces of zinc bar that were laying around the shop. I welded these two pieces of zinc bar and it worked great. The problem wasn't me but the poor material I was using. Maybe the top part of the hood will be thicker and will weld better.

I learned that your material has to be very clean and the two pieces have to mate well. Now I'm wondering if I should use old automotive sheet metal from a junk car or just go buy new sheet metal?

Spike TV to Broadcast Champ Car Series

A new TV deal announced today has the Champ Car series airing on Spike TV.  All 16 races are scheduled to be televised starting with the first race, the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 18, 2004.

Spike TV, owned by Viacom, calls itself, "The First Network for Men". It used to be TNN, The Nashville Network.   Satellite provider Echostar Dish Network) has just dropped all Viacom programming in a contract dispute.

11 Ways to Keep Writing

When I think about the craft of writing I remember a scene from the dark comedy Throw Mama From the Train starring Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito. Crystal plays writing instructor Larry Donner and DeVito plays his obsessed student, Owen. In a class lecture, Donner keeps repeating this advise -- A Writer Writes.

It sounds a bit simplistic but the advice is true. A writer writes -- and keeps writing.

It can be difficult to write when you may be uninspired, suffering from writer's block, or just plain tired after a long day. Here are eleven tips to keep writing in the face of adversity.

1. Set writing priorities according to due dates, project size, degree of difficulty, and importance of the assignment.

2. Start early. This gives you flexibility when the unexpected happens.

3. Develop a writing routine same time, same place. Avoid doing other things in your writing place.

4. Use good lighting and avoid distractions. Eliminate background noise, and don't get too comfortable.

5. Minimize time spent getting ready no more than 5 minutes.

6. When you don't feel like it, write anyway. This strengthens your routine and moves you steadily toward your goals. No Excuses!

7. Tackle your most difficult writing chores first, while you are fresh.

8. Develop the habit of writing alone. Limit interactions with others to getting missed information or to review.

9. Focus on one writing project at a time.

10. Take regular short breaks, but no more than 10 minutes per hour.

11. Schedule well enough in advance that the night before a deadline the writing part of project is done. Spend the last few hours polishing and improving what you've already written.

If you follow these guidelines, you'll find writing becoming easier and more enjoyable. If you consider yourself a writer, remember what Larry Donner says, A Writer Writes.

Exciting Start to the F1 Racing Season

The Ferraris were dominant but that's to be expected. I think Michael Schumacher got a scare last year when the championship looked to be in doubt. They used the off-season to test and build in reliability. How long can Ferrari dominate? How long will Michael Schumacher race?

The poor performance of McLaren was surprising. Especially the engine failure due to water pump problems. They knew the rules mandated reliable engines this year. I think they were the only team to have an engine failure. I expect them to get back on track soon.

We know Montoya will be leaving Williams after this year. Rumor has Ralf Schumacher going to Renault next year. So Williams will be looking for two new drivers. I think Williams still suffers from internal conflict between BMW and Frank Williams. The BMW engine is strong and Frank Williams sees no fault with the chassis.

Until the conflict is resolved that team will fail to unseat the Ferraris.  It was encouraging to see the BAR team do well. Jensen Button continues to improve. I would also like to see the Toyota team improve this year. With all their resources they really should be doing better. It was a shame to see Mark Webber out so early in front of his home crowd. Renault looks to be building on the success of last year I think this is the year that Renault runs with the top teams.

My Rant Against Europe

I may be way off base here, but this is how I see it.

Compared to Europe, the United States has spent the most on military spending since World War Two.   American taxpayers, like me, paid for that military. The U.S. built the mightiest military in the world, in part, to help defend countries like France and Germany from the Soviet Union.

Imagine how much greater the U.S. would be if we had used that money in other ways?  Yes, perhaps that spending helped the country economically and we wouldn’t be a greater country, but I’m not sure. I don’t think anyone could be sure. Perhaps we could have spent the money on better social services, or better education.

Perhaps Social Security would be in better shape now. So I paid taxes to defend Europe. Most Europeans have a pretty comfortable retirement because their governments can afford it, mainly because they don’t have to spend money on defense. The U.S. has that covered.

Because I helped pay for the defense of Europe, Europeans get to enjoy a comfortable, retirement while I have to sweat whether I’ll be eating cat food in my golden years.

Imagine how you would feel if you were a WW2 vet who helped liberate Europe, but now can’t afford prescription drugs, while the French get free medical care for life.  It just doesn’t seem right.

10 Ways to Improve your Business Writing

Communicating ideas to others is the goal of all written communications. Communicating quickly and clearly is especially important in business writing. Whether you are writing a one-page email memo or a 100-page sales report, take time to think about the content and structure of your document before starting.

The Handbook of Technical Communication lists three keys to good writing: Purpose, Audience, and Scope. Decide what you want your readers to know, believe, or be able to do when they have finished reading your document. That's the purpose. Consider your audience. Learn certain key facts about your readers, such as educational level, demographic position, cultural background, and needs relative to the subject. Scope is how much the document will contain; where it will begin and end. For longer documents, like the 100-page sales report, create a written outline before starting. But for shorter work, like the one-page email memo, simply create a brief mental outline.

Business Letters include acceptance letters, acknowledgement letters, adjustment letters, application letters, sales letters, and other correspondence. Business letters are usually written in a formal tone formal unless it\'s a letter to a well-known client.

1. Stick with tried and true rules. Always use the standard business letter format. Use company letterhead. Put the "To" address in the upper left right under the letterhead.  Make sure the salutation is correct. Don't be embarrassed by addressing someone as Ms. when he's really a Mr.  Make the body text short, direct and to the point. Conclude with your name. Don't forget to sign and date your letter.

2. In sales/marketing letters write to sell and to motivate.  Use the formula A.I.D.A.: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Get the reader's attention with an interesting first sentence.  Arouse the reader's interest in the product by describing the benefits and features. Create desire for the product by describing how the benefits will make the reader's life easier.  Finally, make a call to action by providing a phone number, web site or some other way for the reader to take the next step in the sales process. You will find yourself writing two types of memorandums in business: memos that inform, and memos that persuade.  The tone and structure of memos can be less formal than letters but should still follow certain rules.  Paper memos are almost non-existent. Most of today's memos are circulated via email.

3. If you're writing a memo to inform, stick to the key facts.  Write in a "newspaper" style where you put the most important information in the first two sentences.  Maybe youe trying to describe a business meeting, a business trip or other conference.  Describe what happened and who you met in a chronological order. If youe describing an upcoming event, give your reader the Who, What, Why, When and How.

 4. For persuasive memos, you can make your case by using logic coupled with emotion. Maybe you are trying to convince your boss to buy lunch for the office once a week. Use facts about how inexpensive it is and how easy it is to deliver, coupled with the emotion of how well liked the boss will be and how good it will make him feel to do something nice for the office.  Reports can include feasibility reports, investigative reports, progress reports, trip reports, and trouble reports. Reports tend to be longer than memos or letters and written in a more formal style. They don't need to be frightening. If you have all the data gathered together, reports can be easy.

5. Present your data in a logical order: chronological, geographical, or by division/department. Stick with the order throughout the report.

6. Reports are mostly filled with boring statistics. Graphs, charts, numbers, and short paragraphs explaining the data. Make the report easier to read by breaking up the data into small bites. Use short sentences.  Spice up the report with color graphs and charts. People enjoy looking at other people so drop in color photographs of people whenever possible. You can't make numbers sexy but a new format can make your boring report bearable. You may be called upon to write articles at some point in your career. Articles can include literature reviews, newsletter articles, or trade journal articles.

7. When writing for professional journals check with the specific journal editor for style rules. Some professional journals, like the journal of American Psychological Association, maintain entire style manuals with rules on spelling, grammar, use of jargon and other style considerations. Find out what the rules are and stick to them. Professional journals require a formal writing style.\n\n8. Newsletter writing is a much more informal, light writing style. Write the way you talk. Include quotes from a number of co-workers. Everyone enjoys seeing his or her name in print.Use an objective tone when writing instructions or procedures. The focus is on helping the reader accomplish some task or understand a concept. The writing style is pragmatic or "useful".

9. For greatest clarity when writing a technical procedure, perform the procedure yourself if possible. You will be able to describe the most efficient methods, pitfalls and shortcuts. If you are not able to perform the procedure, interview someone who has.

10. Don't bother writing to impress. Use plain English. Some procedures cover dangerous machinery or methods and need to be conveyed in the most simple, concise terms possible. Use the word investigate instead of the phrase conduct an investigation. Use evaluate instead of perform an evaluation. This is no time to impress or to be unclear.  After you have written a document, save it and put it aside for a while if possible.  For short memos or letters, put them aside for a few hours. For longer documents let them sit overnight. Read your documents later to see if they still communicate effectively. You will find small errors and ways to make your writing better if you put it aside and visit it again later. Don't forget to run your grammar and spell checker. Be sure to re-write at least once or twice. I re-wrote parts of this article four times. Very few writers (maybe none!) can produce a masterpiece on the first attempt.

IRL to Scavange CART Assets

It looks like the IRL is ready to kill, then pick over the bones of CART. These quotes are from Yahoo UK.  

"While we are aware of the interest shown by other parties, OWRS is committed to assuming all the liabilities associated with the bankruptcy," said Open Wheel partner Kevin Kalkhoven, co-owner of the PK Racing team. "The IRL wants to bury, OWRS wants to build. That's the difference."

IRL spokesman Fred Nation said the intent behind IRL's bid, "is to unify open wheel racing, and on the platform of the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

"The IRL's late-game involvement and its admission that it is not prepared to go road racing in 2004 has awakened years of mistrust and anger for the breach in open-wheel racing," said Paul Gentilozzi, owner of CART's Rocketsports Racing team and one of three principal partners of OWRS.

I think Gentilozzi wants CART as a bargaining chip to reunite CART with the IRL in 2005. That is, after he negotiates the best deal as far as money and the number of road courses that would be run.

SOTU Drinking Game

Political speeches and drinking large amounts of alcohol go hand in hand. For Bush supporters, tonight's State of the Union Address is cause for celebration ... and drinking. For Bush detractors, tonight's address is a reason for mourning ... and drinking.

Might as well make it fun! Here's the State of the Union Address Drinking Game

My favorite action: Every time the Prez says anything in Spanish, like Cualquier cosa en español you have to down a shot of Tequila or chug una cerveza, por favor.

Rally Monte Carlo Entry List

This list courtesy of Yahoo UK :

1 SOLBERG Petter - MILLS Philip Subaru Impreza WRC
2 HIRVONEN Mikko - LEHTINEN Jarmo Subaru Impreza WRC
3 LOEB Sébastien - ELENA Daniel Citroën Xsara WRC
4 SAINZ Carlos - MARTI Marc Citroën Xsara WRC
5 GRONHOLM Marcus - RAUTIAINEN Peugeot 307 WRC
6 LOIX Freddy - SMEETS Sven Peugeot 307 WRC
7 MARTIN Markko - PARK Michael Ford Focus WRC
8 DUVAL François - PREVOT Stéphane Ford Focus WRC
9 PANIZZI Gilles - PANIZZI Hervé Mitsubishi Lancer WRC04
10 GALLI Gigi - D\'AMORE Guido Mitsubishi Lancer WRC04
11 WARMBOLD Antony - PRICE Gemma Ford Focus WRC02
31 BALDACCI Mirco - BERNACCHINI Giovanni Suzuki Ignis
32 AAVA Urmo - SIKK Kuldar Suzuki Ignis
33 WILKS Guy - PUGH Phil Suzuki Ignis
34 BROCCOLI Alessandro - AGNESE Giovanni Fiat Punto
35 KATAJAMAKI Kosti - ALANNE Timo Suzuki Ignis
36 MEEKE Kris - PATTERSON Chris Opel Corsa
37 CECCHETTINI Luca - X Renault Clio
38 FEGHALI Adbo - MATAR Joseph Ford Puma
39 BERNARDI Nicolas - X Renault Clio
40 CHICHERIT Guerlain - PERIN Michel Citroën Saxo
41 BARRATT Natalie - WILLIAMSON Carl X
42 BIASION Mathieu - COQUARD Philippe Fiat Punto
43 LATVALA Jari-Matti - ANTTILA Miikka Ford Puma
44 SCORCIONI Alan - DADDOVERI Massimo Fiat Punto
45 ANDERSSON Per-Gunnar - ANDERSSON Jonas Suzuki Ignis
46 PONS Xavier - JULIA Oriol Fiat Punto
47 TABATON Luca - ROVEGNO Gisella Fiat Punto
48 RAUTENBACH Conrad - MARSH Peter Ford PUMA
49 BETTI Luca - X Peugeot 206 S1600
50 MARSHALL Oliver - PARRY Craig Renault Clio
51 COLS Larry - GODDE Filip Renault Clio
61 VOUILLOZ Nicolas - FIORINI David Peugeot 206 WRC
62 CAMPOS Miguel - R. SILVA Peugeot 206 WRC
63 BURRI Olivier - PATTHEY Jean-Philippe Subaru Impreza WRC
64 ERRANI Riccardo - CASADIO Stefano Skoda Octavia WRC
65 BENGUE Alexandre - X Peugeot 206 WRC
66 BOLAND Eamonn - REGAN Francis Subaru Impreza WRC
67 ROUX Philippe - CORTHAY Paul Ford Focus WRC
68 SZABO Gergely - KÖHLER Zoltan Skoda Octavia WRC
69 KRESTA Roman - TOMANEK Jan Hyundai Accent WRC
70 VALIMAKI Jussi - HONKANEN Jakke Hyundai Accent WRC
71 BERES Jozef - STARY Petr Hyundai Accent WRC
72 FIDIANI Moreno - BERGONZI M-Grazia Mitsubishi Lancer
73 BIJVELDS Peter - X Mitsubishi Lancer
74 ATKINSON Chris - ATKINSON Ben Suzuki Ignis (Forfait)
75 ROSSETTI Luca - D\'ESPOSITO Dario Citroën Saxo VTS
76 BOETTI Michel - X Citroën Saxo VTS

Racing News

'Here are a few racing news tidbits courtesy of Yahoo UK

First Dakar Stage Win For McRae  - Former world rally champion Colin McRae has chalked up his first Dakar win with a resounding victory in the 13th stage after a troubled week. The Scot, driving a Nissan pickup in his debut Dakar, reached the final checkpoint of the 478-km stage between the Malian capital Bamako and Ayoun el Atrous 25 minutes faster than Mitsubishi's defending champion Hiroshi Masuoka.

Barrichello Extends Contract with Ferrari  - Ferrari's Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello has signed a two-year extension to his contract with the world champions, ensuring his partnership with Michael Schumacher will continue at least until the end of the 2006 season. "Ferrari announces it has extended its agreement with the driver Rubens Barrichello to cover the 2005 and 2006 racing seasons," the team said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ferrari Looking At William's Nose  - A Ferrari spokesperson has revealed that the reigning World Champions are intending to have a look at the radical nose of the Williams FW26. And if it proves to give a team the edge, they may decide to copy it.  The new Williams’ FW26 chassis uses the twin-keel monocoque/suspension design. It features a shorter nose than its predecessor, the FW25, and has sweeping front wing supports that resemble tusks. The car has already demonstrated it’s pace, claiming P1 on four occasions at Jerez in the last seven days, despite it being the FW26’s maiden test session.

Coming of Age Day

Today is Monday January 12, 2004. It's Coming of Age day in Japan, a national holiday. Here is a description from the Japan Information Network.

The second Monday of January is Coming-of-Age Day, a national holiday to encourage those who have newly entered adulthood to become self-reliant members of society.

Municipal governments host special coming-of-age ceremonies for 20-year-olds, since an "adult" in Japan is legally defined as one who is 20 or over. They gain the right to vote on their twentieth birthday, and they\'re also allowed to smoke and drink. But along with these rights come new responsibilities as well, and so age 20 is a big turning point for the Japanese.

Coming-of-age ceremonies have been held since time immemorial in Japan. In the past boys marked their transition to adulthood when they were around 15, and girls celebrated their coming of age when they turned 13 or so. During the Edo period (1603-1868), boys had their forelocks cropped off, and girls had their teeth dyed black. It wasn't until 1876 that 20 became the legal age of adulthood.

Pending Merger

After reading Robin Miller's December 17 article, I'm convinced that the Open Wheel Racing Series (nee CART) is going to merge with the Indy Racing League.

 It won't happen in 2004 but probably in 2005. I think OWRS principal and Trans-Am owner Paul Gentilozzi is orchestrating it. Consider this quote from Miller's article:

"Look what's happened since the split," said Gentilozzi. "The Champ Car series was effectively competing for the leadership position in North America and the split diminished its ability to compete (with NASCAR). This used to be a successful business and it can be again if we're cost efficient and effective. We'll have bludgeoned each other by then and we'll be together," replied Gentilozzi. "We need to be and we all know that."

 If the two series merge, it will look a lot like CART did in 1995. They'll be racing on some ovals and some street courses. Tony George will have won in a business sense but the IRL will have been absorbed by the culture and passion of CART. The IRL will not have all American drivers and engines, it will not run only on ovals, and it certainly will not have kept team operating costs down to affordable levels. If the two series merge, I will probably become a grudging IRL fan I never had anything against the formation of the IRL.

I still think Tony George did a terrible thing when he took the Indy 500 away from CART because CART had the best, most competitive cars and drivers.  If the OWRS and the IRL merge, the fans, the drivers, and the racing teams will have been put through the ringer for the past seven years, all because of Tony George's ego.  Other than that, nothing will have changed.