Last blog
I can't believe this is number 65 of 65. The last few days as I've been running to the end of this blog I've been thinking of so many new ideas and things I wished I had written about. I know it sounds crazy I wish I had more time, because I have so many things I'd like to say. I would've enjoyed writing the blogs a lot more if it was based on words total words over the course of the semester so I could've told stories in their entirety instead of cutting them off at 500 words. In the beginning my stories often ran over so I can easily say I've exceeded the 32,500 words that would've been expected for the semester. In fact as I look back I wonder where all the time has gone. I've wanted to write a book for many years and I thought the English class would be a good way to get the experience and improve my writing skills. What I found instead is just changing the style and it can be very frustrating to try to teach an old dog new tricks. I'm so used to writing in the military style or from the aspect of writing speeches for giving training, where persuasion, salesmanship and sometimes even humor is part of the mix. In fact if I had to say so I'd say the blogs are probably my favorite part of the class, because I don't have focus on the technicalities, I just tell the story and have fun doing it. If there was more time I would spend more time on each blog to ensure that they are the best that I could produce. But if the rate of one a day it's like assembly line production, just punch another one outing keep on moving. I really don't think it helps to improve my writing skills, in fact it probably is doing more to degrade them, but instead causing me not to spend the time to make the corrections. Maybe that's why it’s seems more difficult to write the papers. If there was more time to hone your skills when writing the blogs, who knows, maybe the average person isn't interested in taking the time to improve their writing skills, after all that's what texting is all about shortcuts. I'm not in the English class because I have to be I'm there because I wanted to be. I was hoping for a challenge in a lot of ways it was. I'd like to think I've improved but I really can't see the evidence of that. It seems the more someone teaches me to put commas and colons in the paragraph the more confused I get and the more I add or delete depending on the day of the week. It seems like the hard and fast rules are not hard or fast and change from person to person. Sometimes they've even day to day if not I guess it's just me because I haven't got the hang of it.
Signing off last blog.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Argument Essay Blog Six
Argument Essay Blog Six
It just occurred to me a few moments ago that I hadn't completed the last two blogs. With all the workload piled on and coming down to the wire I keep asking myself some whether the going to end because something's going to give. I keep racking my brains on my thesis statement I know what I want to say but I just can't seem to get it and it words. I guess this is as good a place to try them in. The fossil fuels that humans have relied on for centuries are not inexhaustible. Man has undergone a population explosion since the industrial age. The burgeoning population has been tapping the Earth's supply of nonrenewable resources at an exponential rate. Modern man has become aware of the dangers involved in such unbridled extractions. However, not enough corrective measures have been taken to ensure a prosperous future for all of the Earth's inhabitants. A new path is needed that will decrease man's reliance on nonrenewable energy.
The next bone of contention is the pros and cons of coal, oil and natural gas.
Pros
Coal large quantities, high-energy source, low-cost, well-established infrastructure
Natural Gas large quantities, low-cost, decreased CO2 emissions, low land use
Oil 100 hundred year supply, high-energy, easily converted,
Nuclear large fuel supply, low environmental impact overall, low CO2 emission
Biofuels Renewable, decreased air pollution, large quantity, can be produced from waste products
Solar power Passive energy, nonpolluting, free energy
Wind power nonpolluting, free energy
Conservation most cost efficient, free energy, net pollution decrease, high return on investment most ecological.
Cons
Coal nonrenewable, habitat destruction, severe air and water pollution, unsafe practices, government subsidies
Natural Gas nonrenewable, government subsidies, highly flammable
Oil dwindling Quantities, large government subsidies, CO2 air emissions, potential water pollution
Nuclear government subsidies, low energy yield, potential environmental impact radioactive waste,
Biofuels soil degradation, medium energy yield, can drive up the cost of other commodities
Solar power low to medium energy yield, high initial cost, requires backup system
Wind power low to medium energy yield, high initial cost, requires backup system
Conservation none available.
Now that I've created a basic outline I need to determine how the pieces of my puzzle fit together. Coal is primarily used for creating electrical power so in order to decrease the dependence on coal, we need to increase sources of electrical energy such as solar, wind, and nuclear power. To go along with these I explain the correlation between the sources using the pros and cons of each.
Then I will move on to natural gas discusses pros and cons and its potential replacements, because natural gas is primarily used for heating, biofuels, geothermal and solar heat are potential substitutes.
The last of the big three is oil, oil is used as heating oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, cleaning solvents, pesticides, plastics. So what are some of the ways we can reduce our dependence on oil. Conversion to biofuels for heating, bio diesel for automobiles, methanol for automobiles, plant-based cleaning solvents such as terpenes, organically grown produce, and recycling to reduce the production of plastics.
And finally conservation- conservation not only reduces all of the above energy sources, but it also reduces the potential incidences from production, such as oil spills nuclear power plant explosions, and foreign wars. At the same time it increases spendable income for those who conserve.
It just occurred to me a few moments ago that I hadn't completed the last two blogs. With all the workload piled on and coming down to the wire I keep asking myself some whether the going to end because something's going to give. I keep racking my brains on my thesis statement I know what I want to say but I just can't seem to get it and it words. I guess this is as good a place to try them in. The fossil fuels that humans have relied on for centuries are not inexhaustible. Man has undergone a population explosion since the industrial age. The burgeoning population has been tapping the Earth's supply of nonrenewable resources at an exponential rate. Modern man has become aware of the dangers involved in such unbridled extractions. However, not enough corrective measures have been taken to ensure a prosperous future for all of the Earth's inhabitants. A new path is needed that will decrease man's reliance on nonrenewable energy.
The next bone of contention is the pros and cons of coal, oil and natural gas.
Pros
Coal large quantities, high-energy source, low-cost, well-established infrastructure
Natural Gas large quantities, low-cost, decreased CO2 emissions, low land use
Oil 100 hundred year supply, high-energy, easily converted,
Nuclear large fuel supply, low environmental impact overall, low CO2 emission
Biofuels Renewable, decreased air pollution, large quantity, can be produced from waste products
Solar power Passive energy, nonpolluting, free energy
Wind power nonpolluting, free energy
Conservation most cost efficient, free energy, net pollution decrease, high return on investment most ecological.
Cons
Coal nonrenewable, habitat destruction, severe air and water pollution, unsafe practices, government subsidies
Natural Gas nonrenewable, government subsidies, highly flammable
Oil dwindling Quantities, large government subsidies, CO2 air emissions, potential water pollution
Nuclear government subsidies, low energy yield, potential environmental impact radioactive waste,
Biofuels soil degradation, medium energy yield, can drive up the cost of other commodities
Solar power low to medium energy yield, high initial cost, requires backup system
Wind power low to medium energy yield, high initial cost, requires backup system
Conservation none available.
Now that I've created a basic outline I need to determine how the pieces of my puzzle fit together. Coal is primarily used for creating electrical power so in order to decrease the dependence on coal, we need to increase sources of electrical energy such as solar, wind, and nuclear power. To go along with these I explain the correlation between the sources using the pros and cons of each.
Then I will move on to natural gas discusses pros and cons and its potential replacements, because natural gas is primarily used for heating, biofuels, geothermal and solar heat are potential substitutes.
The last of the big three is oil, oil is used as heating oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, cleaning solvents, pesticides, plastics. So what are some of the ways we can reduce our dependence on oil. Conversion to biofuels for heating, bio diesel for automobiles, methanol for automobiles, plant-based cleaning solvents such as terpenes, organically grown produce, and recycling to reduce the production of plastics.
And finally conservation- conservation not only reduces all of the above energy sources, but it also reduces the potential incidences from production, such as oil spills nuclear power plant explosions, and foreign wars. At the same time it increases spendable income for those who conserve.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Sixty-two down, three to go
Sixty-two down, three to go
It so hard to believe I can see the blog finish line. Just the other day I was at least 10 blogs behind, and I had a seven page paper to write and the list goes on and on. My wife and I were competing for office resources because she is completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her final paper has been all-consuming of the last couple weeks. To say the stress level in our house was high is a complete understatement. I think the stress level could have reached out and touched the Hubble telescope. The last couple days have really come down to the wire. Today was her very last day and she needed all the help I could muster. It amazed me each time I read her final paper how differently it was written than the ones that I submit. I found myself saying to her time and again “you can't say that.” But she can because her school operates on a different principle. Once I put those differences behind me I was able to focus on the mechanics of her paper. She still has some difficulty with Microsoft word and that slows her down tremendously. But she got her paper completed a might say in the nick of time, and began working on her threefold poster. It was very unique and colorful and much different than the ones I've seen recently at the NIAR building. She created the PowerPoint slides and did all of the layout but she needed help insuring spacing was correct and creating the title block of the top of her display board. It was nothing short of a miracle to get it all finished in time. But this miracle was riddled with anxiety and stress. At 430 in the afternoon she finished a project just in time to head out the door for school.
Today is her very last day and I'm not sure who's more grateful her or I. With both of us going to school and her working full-time we have no time to get the things done we really need to do so they keep piling up and we keep talking about the day school ends. For her that day is today I'm not going to know what to do when she no longer has to work on projects every waking hour and I don't have to compete for the computer to write blogs or homework. She wants to wrap the blogs around my neck every time she hears me say it. How can I blame her it permeates the conversation every single day. But like her schooling that is come to an end I have merely to blogs last as unwinding this went down to close. So for all those others were so far behind I know how difficult it can be to find the time. But I have found the easiest way is to pick us up subject and more or less pretend you are talking to a friend. I guess in a manner of speaking I am because I've using voice recognition software and if you're reading this I guess that makes you a friend.
It so hard to believe I can see the blog finish line. Just the other day I was at least 10 blogs behind, and I had a seven page paper to write and the list goes on and on. My wife and I were competing for office resources because she is completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her final paper has been all-consuming of the last couple weeks. To say the stress level in our house was high is a complete understatement. I think the stress level could have reached out and touched the Hubble telescope. The last couple days have really come down to the wire. Today was her very last day and she needed all the help I could muster. It amazed me each time I read her final paper how differently it was written than the ones that I submit. I found myself saying to her time and again “you can't say that.” But she can because her school operates on a different principle. Once I put those differences behind me I was able to focus on the mechanics of her paper. She still has some difficulty with Microsoft word and that slows her down tremendously. But she got her paper completed a might say in the nick of time, and began working on her threefold poster. It was very unique and colorful and much different than the ones I've seen recently at the NIAR building. She created the PowerPoint slides and did all of the layout but she needed help insuring spacing was correct and creating the title block of the top of her display board. It was nothing short of a miracle to get it all finished in time. But this miracle was riddled with anxiety and stress. At 430 in the afternoon she finished a project just in time to head out the door for school.
Today is her very last day and I'm not sure who's more grateful her or I. With both of us going to school and her working full-time we have no time to get the things done we really need to do so they keep piling up and we keep talking about the day school ends. For her that day is today I'm not going to know what to do when she no longer has to work on projects every waking hour and I don't have to compete for the computer to write blogs or homework. She wants to wrap the blogs around my neck every time she hears me say it. How can I blame her it permeates the conversation every single day. But like her schooling that is come to an end I have merely to blogs last as unwinding this went down to close. So for all those others were so far behind I know how difficult it can be to find the time. But I have found the easiest way is to pick us up subject and more or less pretend you are talking to a friend. I guess in a manner of speaking I am because I've using voice recognition software and if you're reading this I guess that makes you a friend.
A Picture's Worth 1000 Words.
A Picture's Worth 1000 Words.
Everyone knows the old saying that picture's worth 1000 words so I grabbed up a photo album see if I could get some inspiration after all I would need 500 words. So I guess my workload is cut in half. I looked a couple photo albums and many pictures. Some I have not seen in at least a decade. I started to laugh as I asked myself that I really look like that. Some brought back some fantastic memories and others, there were others from the time of my mother and grandmother's funeral. I saw the pictures of me with long hair the day before he joined the Air Force and went away to leave it all behind. I saw pictures of my brothers and sisters when they were much younger than the students in school. They too had long hair and very different dress. The pictures remind me of the crazy things I used to do and made me wonder how I got away with some of it. There were early pictures of me and my wife before she was my wife. It was easy to see why I fell in love. Because I don't want to get into personal stories I am definitely going to change the subject. Where do I go from here I guess. I saw pictures of friends I haven't seen in decades. I've seen the pictures of my father before he had his stroke and my brother on his wedding night. I saw my niece the maid of honor and dancing at his wedding reception. That was many years ago she was young and now she is grown, but she hasn't changed a thing.
I seen pictures of moose and deer and dogs, some are pets and some are not, but my wife would like to make them pets. She has been known in more than one occasion to following the tracks of moose to get its picture. It's when she follows after the Bears that I get concerned, if you're reading this you may be laughing but it's true, or family has a house in northern Maine and on more than one occasion had black bears across the field and the budding photographer was chasing her and after them with the camera.
I saw old cars that made my hands dirty and scarred. All cars are like old friends you can't wait to see them again. It seems they always came to me when they have problems. They never break down on a warm sunny day. But if it's a cold dark night be prepared that's when they need your attention the most. It reminds me of the time Pauline's voltage regulator went out and of course it was in the middle of the night when I got the call. I assess the situation a new I had to do something to get the car home. I did what's called a full field test and bypass the voltage regulator a crank out full voltage I had her turn everything on that use electrical power to try to drain away some of the surplus. She said the lights were just searing bright as she pulled in the driveway.
That was my trip down memory lane.
Everyone knows the old saying that picture's worth 1000 words so I grabbed up a photo album see if I could get some inspiration after all I would need 500 words. So I guess my workload is cut in half. I looked a couple photo albums and many pictures. Some I have not seen in at least a decade. I started to laugh as I asked myself that I really look like that. Some brought back some fantastic memories and others, there were others from the time of my mother and grandmother's funeral. I saw the pictures of me with long hair the day before he joined the Air Force and went away to leave it all behind. I saw pictures of my brothers and sisters when they were much younger than the students in school. They too had long hair and very different dress. The pictures remind me of the crazy things I used to do and made me wonder how I got away with some of it. There were early pictures of me and my wife before she was my wife. It was easy to see why I fell in love. Because I don't want to get into personal stories I am definitely going to change the subject. Where do I go from here I guess. I saw pictures of friends I haven't seen in decades. I've seen the pictures of my father before he had his stroke and my brother on his wedding night. I saw my niece the maid of honor and dancing at his wedding reception. That was many years ago she was young and now she is grown, but she hasn't changed a thing.
I seen pictures of moose and deer and dogs, some are pets and some are not, but my wife would like to make them pets. She has been known in more than one occasion to following the tracks of moose to get its picture. It's when she follows after the Bears that I get concerned, if you're reading this you may be laughing but it's true, or family has a house in northern Maine and on more than one occasion had black bears across the field and the budding photographer was chasing her and after them with the camera.
I saw old cars that made my hands dirty and scarred. All cars are like old friends you can't wait to see them again. It seems they always came to me when they have problems. They never break down on a warm sunny day. But if it's a cold dark night be prepared that's when they need your attention the most. It reminds me of the time Pauline's voltage regulator went out and of course it was in the middle of the night when I got the call. I assess the situation a new I had to do something to get the car home. I did what's called a full field test and bypass the voltage regulator a crank out full voltage I had her turn everything on that use electrical power to try to drain away some of the surplus. She said the lights were just searing bright as she pulled in the driveway.
That was my trip down memory lane.
Argument Essay Blog Five
I think today I will analyze the schematic drawing I have to see if I can help streamline my plans for my paper. I spend a great deal of time analyzing it and going over and over in my mind. I think my thesis consists of three main points of this juncture. But Americans need for energy is causing a great deal of hardship in the case of fighting wars to secure sources of oil. The second point of my thesis revolves around the use of natural gas natural gas is the nonrenewable resource that must be imported mostly by large ships in a liquid state, better known as LNG liquefied natural gas. The liquefied natural gas is extremely cold and very flammable, because of these characteristics it must be handled with a great deal of safety and security. There is much concern about the security of the provide natural gas and its vulnerability to terrorist attack. Coal has been around and used for centuries originally used for heating but now is primarily used for electrical power generation. The benefits of coal I guess a way you could say it's a homegrown resource, it's got a high-powered energy punch. But the mercury and the carbon dioxide CO2 emissions from burning this fuel are degrading the ozone and causing a buildup of toxic mercury in animals especially fish, small children. Mercury directly affects the brain through motor skills development and because it's a heavy metal remains in the body permanently. The main benefit of coal is its high power concentration its ease of access and its low cost. The low initial cost however must be balanced against the high cost environmental degradation and human toxicity. How could someone put a price tag on a human life. The coal industry has a long reputation of poorly managed health and safety measures. I need not mention the recent deaths of 13 miners followed shortly thereafter by another mining accident in other loss of lives. The oil industry is once again polluting the environment to the tune of billions of dollars of cleanup costs. The oil spill in the Gulf Coast is destroying habitat disrupting livelihoods of people from several states. The cost of this oil spill was felt immediately as far away as Maryland with the increased cost of seafood at local restaurants. The electrical grid is old and worn and in desperate need of repair and update to keep up with demands of the American public and the modern electronic world. Currently electrical power alone is wasting approximately 25% of the energy generated. This loss could significantly with green technology thereby creating jobs boosting the economy reducing our need for foreign energy supplies. Renewable energy has a distinct advantage in this arena because of its close proximity to the end-user the energy loss is minimized. A reduce dependence on foreign suppliers will in turn reduce the influence foreign nations can mobilize by threatening to cut off resources. This exact situation has played out many times one example is when Russia shut off the natural gas pipeline to Turkey last winter this also included countries such as Great Britain. World powers are being held at bay by the use of energy sanctions.
I think today I will analyze the schematic drawing I have to see if I can help streamline my plans for my paper. I spend a great deal of time analyzing it and going over and over in my mind. I think my thesis consists of three main points of this juncture. But Americans need for energy is causing a great deal of hardship in the case of fighting wars to secure sources of oil. The second point of my thesis revolves around the use of natural gas natural gas is the nonrenewable resource that must be imported mostly by large ships in a liquid state, better known as LNG liquefied natural gas. The liquefied natural gas is extremely cold and very flammable, because of these characteristics it must be handled with a great deal of safety and security. There is much concern about the security of the provide natural gas and its vulnerability to terrorist attack. Coal has been around and used for centuries originally used for heating but now is primarily used for electrical power generation. The benefits of coal I guess a way you could say it's a homegrown resource, it's got a high-powered energy punch. But the mercury and the carbon dioxide CO2 emissions from burning this fuel are degrading the ozone and causing a buildup of toxic mercury in animals especially fish, small children. Mercury directly affects the brain through motor skills development and because it's a heavy metal remains in the body permanently. The main benefit of coal is its high power concentration its ease of access and its low cost. The low initial cost however must be balanced against the high cost environmental degradation and human toxicity. How could someone put a price tag on a human life. The coal industry has a long reputation of poorly managed health and safety measures. I need not mention the recent deaths of 13 miners followed shortly thereafter by another mining accident in other loss of lives. The oil industry is once again polluting the environment to the tune of billions of dollars of cleanup costs. The oil spill in the Gulf Coast is destroying habitat disrupting livelihoods of people from several states. The cost of this oil spill was felt immediately as far away as Maryland with the increased cost of seafood at local restaurants. The electrical grid is old and worn and in desperate need of repair and update to keep up with demands of the American public and the modern electronic world. Currently electrical power alone is wasting approximately 25% of the energy generated. This loss could significantly with green technology thereby creating jobs boosting the economy reducing our need for foreign energy supplies. Renewable energy has a distinct advantage in this arena because of its close proximity to the end-user the energy loss is minimized. A reduce dependence on foreign suppliers will in turn reduce the influence foreign nations can mobilize by threatening to cut off resources. This exact situation has played out many times one example is when Russia shut off the natural gas pipeline to Turkey last winter this also included countries such as Great Britain. World powers are being held at bay by the use of energy sanctions.
This and That
This and That
I don't really have a purpose for this particular blog I thought I would just share some tidbits of information whenever they may be, just free writing exercise. What triggered this was the other day my wife accidentally discovered that if you had control shift F Microsoft give you the option to permanently set the default font size and style. That was one of the happiest days of a long time to be able to alleviate the annoying Colibri style number 11 font that no one uses. Now each and every time we open the computer and opens the way it should who could ask for more. I've got approximately 6 blogs left and what three days. I know it's time to get on the stick. I'd really rather write a story or about something technical and perhaps it will.
My favorite piece of furniture is an antique secretary made in New England by two woodworkers Goddard and Townsend. It is every bit of what can only be described as high style. And speaking of high style it's over 6 feet tall. It's got finials at each of the four corners and one in the top center. I'm not sure if anyone reading this blog would know what a finial is so I guess I should say it's a small spire that accentuates the corners. It's usually build with crotch Mahogany front panels on the upper section in a style called tombstone doors. There are three doors to hinge to one side and one hinged to the other very unique design. I suppose I should mention that a secretary is built into pieces and upper and lower case. The uppercase can change shelves inside primarily for books. The lower case contains drawers and a fold flat desk with a gallery. A gallery is still seen today in roll top desks, it's often called the pigeonholes. On a Goddard Townsend the gallery is very meticulously shaped from delicate pieces of wood, a real treasure. And the secretary wouldn't be a secretary if it didn't have it in compartments tucked away within the gallery. These hidden compartments vary from maker to maker and region to region. They were designed to protect the owners valuables in the days before safes. The lowercase is decorated with shell top carvings across the front of the fall front panel, these carvings are carried through the design across the front of the drawers to the base. The base is supported by Ball and Claw feet. Like so many other features of this particular piece the ball and claw feet are unique to Goddard Townsend. Each of the makers had their own style and a piece of furniture can easily be traced by the carvings. I would imagine it would surprise you to know that if you could find a Goddard Townsend for sale it would easily fetch into the six digits. Because of this extreme price many replicas are made but none are equal to the most eye-catching secretary ever made. I have planned for years to build one all in need is time.
I don't really have a purpose for this particular blog I thought I would just share some tidbits of information whenever they may be, just free writing exercise. What triggered this was the other day my wife accidentally discovered that if you had control shift F Microsoft give you the option to permanently set the default font size and style. That was one of the happiest days of a long time to be able to alleviate the annoying Colibri style number 11 font that no one uses. Now each and every time we open the computer and opens the way it should who could ask for more. I've got approximately 6 blogs left and what three days. I know it's time to get on the stick. I'd really rather write a story or about something technical and perhaps it will.
My favorite piece of furniture is an antique secretary made in New England by two woodworkers Goddard and Townsend. It is every bit of what can only be described as high style. And speaking of high style it's over 6 feet tall. It's got finials at each of the four corners and one in the top center. I'm not sure if anyone reading this blog would know what a finial is so I guess I should say it's a small spire that accentuates the corners. It's usually build with crotch Mahogany front panels on the upper section in a style called tombstone doors. There are three doors to hinge to one side and one hinged to the other very unique design. I suppose I should mention that a secretary is built into pieces and upper and lower case. The uppercase can change shelves inside primarily for books. The lower case contains drawers and a fold flat desk with a gallery. A gallery is still seen today in roll top desks, it's often called the pigeonholes. On a Goddard Townsend the gallery is very meticulously shaped from delicate pieces of wood, a real treasure. And the secretary wouldn't be a secretary if it didn't have it in compartments tucked away within the gallery. These hidden compartments vary from maker to maker and region to region. They were designed to protect the owners valuables in the days before safes. The lowercase is decorated with shell top carvings across the front of the fall front panel, these carvings are carried through the design across the front of the drawers to the base. The base is supported by Ball and Claw feet. Like so many other features of this particular piece the ball and claw feet are unique to Goddard Townsend. Each of the makers had their own style and a piece of furniture can easily be traced by the carvings. I would imagine it would surprise you to know that if you could find a Goddard Townsend for sale it would easily fetch into the six digits. Because of this extreme price many replicas are made but none are equal to the most eye-catching secretary ever made. I have planned for years to build one all in need is time.
Niagara Small Engine
Niagara Small Engine
When I was 16 years old I used to hang around at Niagara Small Engine listening to Ted the owner tells stories about his drag racing days. It was fun to pass the time for somebody who wished they could have been around when drag racing on the street was the norm. He used to laugh and say that I was born too late. One of my favorite stories was about how one of the guys used to bet people hundred dollar bill that he tacked to the dashboard. Each challenged them to reach that $100 bill as he accelerated the car from 0 to 60 miles per hour. He laughed as he squirmed in the seat and struggled to reach forward but they just couldn't get their hands on it because the G. force pinning them tightened to the upholstery.
Ted was always full of stories are never forget the story about the guy who claimed he could make his 69 Dodge Challenger do a wheelie before he left the parking lot of Carol's restaurant. The challenge was on. It's time for a little background on this story. Carol's restaurant is now called Burger King and the parking lot was very small in those days and when you left the parking lot you're out into Main Street eight have to make a quick left-hand turn so you didn't get plowed by another car. That was not the type of challenge someone would take lightly, so the bets were high and the BS did fly. When the money was laid down he fired up the challenger in back it against the fence against at the back of the parking lot, it was so tight the fence was stretched out, nearly ready to give way. The reved the engine, the tires were screaming when he rammed it into first gear. Smoke started to build the car leaped forward as if launched from a cannon. He slammed it back into second the wheels broke free once more and he was nearing the sidewalk just as the front wheels took to the air. He crossed the sidewalk on two wheels in into the street just as a traffic light changed to green. There wasn't time to take a breath as he jammed the brakes drop the wheels to the ground hard enough the suspension bottomed out. He ripped the wheel to the left and punched the gas once more gravel started flying the rear and came around and all you could see was a blur of taillights peeking through the smoke. But the oncoming cars were about to overtake the intruder. Once again with lightning fast reflexes he yanked it shifter back in the second dumped the clutch and screamed down Main Street with a grin on his face because he just took the money and ran.
I love the old drag racing stories perhaps that's why it hung around so long that I became a mechanic myself and soon I joined the Air Force to become an aircraft mechanic.
When I was 16 years old I used to hang around at Niagara Small Engine listening to Ted the owner tells stories about his drag racing days. It was fun to pass the time for somebody who wished they could have been around when drag racing on the street was the norm. He used to laugh and say that I was born too late. One of my favorite stories was about how one of the guys used to bet people hundred dollar bill that he tacked to the dashboard. Each challenged them to reach that $100 bill as he accelerated the car from 0 to 60 miles per hour. He laughed as he squirmed in the seat and struggled to reach forward but they just couldn't get their hands on it because the G. force pinning them tightened to the upholstery.
Ted was always full of stories are never forget the story about the guy who claimed he could make his 69 Dodge Challenger do a wheelie before he left the parking lot of Carol's restaurant. The challenge was on. It's time for a little background on this story. Carol's restaurant is now called Burger King and the parking lot was very small in those days and when you left the parking lot you're out into Main Street eight have to make a quick left-hand turn so you didn't get plowed by another car. That was not the type of challenge someone would take lightly, so the bets were high and the BS did fly. When the money was laid down he fired up the challenger in back it against the fence against at the back of the parking lot, it was so tight the fence was stretched out, nearly ready to give way. The reved the engine, the tires were screaming when he rammed it into first gear. Smoke started to build the car leaped forward as if launched from a cannon. He slammed it back into second the wheels broke free once more and he was nearing the sidewalk just as the front wheels took to the air. He crossed the sidewalk on two wheels in into the street just as a traffic light changed to green. There wasn't time to take a breath as he jammed the brakes drop the wheels to the ground hard enough the suspension bottomed out. He ripped the wheel to the left and punched the gas once more gravel started flying the rear and came around and all you could see was a blur of taillights peeking through the smoke. But the oncoming cars were about to overtake the intruder. Once again with lightning fast reflexes he yanked it shifter back in the second dumped the clutch and screamed down Main Street with a grin on his face because he just took the money and ran.
I love the old drag racing stories perhaps that's why it hung around so long that I became a mechanic myself and soon I joined the Air Force to become an aircraft mechanic.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Dragon
The Dragon
I am testing out and older version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking on the laptop seems to be working OK. I guess I'm in business, its time kick out of a couple more blogs. This version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking has its share of problems but still got a better than typing. I am using it on the laptop. How convenient with that be to take this to school and knockoffs and blocks long sitting there waiting except the people would be wonder what the hell is 88 doing over there. That’s 88 words in just a few minutes how can be it. I just lost the computer for good now. Now for the real challenge figuring out what to talk about? My wife suggested I talk about the trials and tribulations of two people attending college at the same time and trying to work on homework and sharing one computer just wasn’t cutting it. So I thought I give the old Dragon NaturallySpeaking to try on the laptop before I got the bounce check. Actually I tried using Microsoft version of speech recognition but it was a disaster. I seem to run other things to say that it’s not like me. I guess all I need to do look around the room a little bit. Just one a lot of look around the office it will become obvious that there are two college students trying to work together in the same room on different projects at the same time. The office is paying the ultimate price, there are papers strewn everywhere, every time you look for something you have to shift and shuffle just to find anything. I haven’t seen the telephone in hours. I guess I’m grateful I don’t have a senior project due at 5 o’clock tomorrow night. But a 7 page paper is still plenty enough to keep me busy. I rack my brains on it all day and half the night. In some ways are still don’t know where I’m headed with the paper.
I really wish that I would have thought of this sooner. It doesn’t work nearly as good as my newer version but it works a hell a of a lot better than typing the old-fashioned way. I guess that’s my main reason why I don’t believe in texting. Text is a step backwards from typing and voice recognition is a step forward. I’m all for going forward. I suppose the more this Dragon NaturallySpeaking gets used to my voice the better will become. It hasn’t taken me that much time to get over 400 words under the paper, try that by texting. It’s getting late and I really want knock this out because six o’clock morning comes off awfully early. I guess I have some company behind because I hear her whining a little bit. She obviously wanted something to eat, so she made bee line to the food dish. By the way her name is Molly the Pom Weiler. She’s a Pomeranian on the outside a Rottweiler on the inside. I’m done.
I am testing out and older version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking on the laptop seems to be working OK. I guess I'm in business, its time kick out of a couple more blogs. This version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking has its share of problems but still got a better than typing. I am using it on the laptop. How convenient with that be to take this to school and knockoffs and blocks long sitting there waiting except the people would be wonder what the hell is 88 doing over there. That’s 88 words in just a few minutes how can be it. I just lost the computer for good now. Now for the real challenge figuring out what to talk about? My wife suggested I talk about the trials and tribulations of two people attending college at the same time and trying to work on homework and sharing one computer just wasn’t cutting it. So I thought I give the old Dragon NaturallySpeaking to try on the laptop before I got the bounce check. Actually I tried using Microsoft version of speech recognition but it was a disaster. I seem to run other things to say that it’s not like me. I guess all I need to do look around the room a little bit. Just one a lot of look around the office it will become obvious that there are two college students trying to work together in the same room on different projects at the same time. The office is paying the ultimate price, there are papers strewn everywhere, every time you look for something you have to shift and shuffle just to find anything. I haven’t seen the telephone in hours. I guess I’m grateful I don’t have a senior project due at 5 o’clock tomorrow night. But a 7 page paper is still plenty enough to keep me busy. I rack my brains on it all day and half the night. In some ways are still don’t know where I’m headed with the paper.
I really wish that I would have thought of this sooner. It doesn’t work nearly as good as my newer version but it works a hell a of a lot better than typing the old-fashioned way. I guess that’s my main reason why I don’t believe in texting. Text is a step backwards from typing and voice recognition is a step forward. I’m all for going forward. I suppose the more this Dragon NaturallySpeaking gets used to my voice the better will become. It hasn’t taken me that much time to get over 400 words under the paper, try that by texting. It’s getting late and I really want knock this out because six o’clock morning comes off awfully early. I guess I have some company behind because I hear her whining a little bit. She obviously wanted something to eat, so she made bee line to the food dish. By the way her name is Molly the Pom Weiler. She’s a Pomeranian on the outside a Rottweiler on the inside. I’m done.
How do you spell STRESS?
How do you spell STRESS?
Share a home office with someone who is running way behind a final project for graduation. What do I mean by way behind it’s due tomorrow all twenty-two plus pages and a display board. So it’s a battle for computer time, we’ve had to take shifts quite literally. There is no shortage of stress. I got relegated to the laptop and I’m continuously draw away from work be screams of frustration – Why is this doing this to me is a common one, another one is this compute is junk to which I’d like to reply here’s the laptop have a nice night. I don’t even have access to my most current copy of my essay. If I even try to sneak the jump drive in to the computer I’ll suffer the unmentionable wrath of a woman in stress. So what is a man to do, shut up and color might be good suggestion?
Peace, she’s typing away two fingers at a time. It sounds like a woodpecker tap, tap, tap I say to myself. Good thing I merely thinking it, after all she’s within striking distance, ha ha. No LOL in this letter except of course for the insistence that I don’t use such them. It’s quiet except for the muffled drone of the computer fan trying to keep up the ever increasing heat being generated with the black case. Why would someone paint a device black that needs to dissipate heat? Poor design certainly seems to jump from my tongue. I’ve really got to get moving to meet my own deadline. I have nine blogs top go by Thursday. I can’t even begin to imagine those others who are so far behind. I like to write but according to my papers – I’m not good at it. So where do I go from here. Practice makes perfect, or quit spinning my wheels. I guess we’ll see come grading time. I just love how paper and/or story seems to raise the level of confusion. Instead of getting a better handle on it I get more confused and frustrated. Blogs seem to perpetuate the problem. Blogs are so informal and ungraded that aside from idea generation they are detrimental. When I first began to write blogs I pour my heart and soul into them just a I would for any other form or writing. But it soon became apparent it was busy work, and story creation or even punctuation was optional, soon I began to feel no one ever even reads a word of them. I still try to do my best – who knows perhaps someone is reading some of them. Besides they are a reflection of me and I never do second rate work. I pride myself on doing my best. I don’t need others to see what I’ve done I have a sense of accomplishment that I can sleep comfortably with myself. If I don’t complete the required number of blogs by Thursday I’ll feel like I didn’t try my best. So I’ll keep plugging away.
Share a home office with someone who is running way behind a final project for graduation. What do I mean by way behind it’s due tomorrow all twenty-two plus pages and a display board. So it’s a battle for computer time, we’ve had to take shifts quite literally. There is no shortage of stress. I got relegated to the laptop and I’m continuously draw away from work be screams of frustration – Why is this doing this to me is a common one, another one is this compute is junk to which I’d like to reply here’s the laptop have a nice night. I don’t even have access to my most current copy of my essay. If I even try to sneak the jump drive in to the computer I’ll suffer the unmentionable wrath of a woman in stress. So what is a man to do, shut up and color might be good suggestion?
Peace, she’s typing away two fingers at a time. It sounds like a woodpecker tap, tap, tap I say to myself. Good thing I merely thinking it, after all she’s within striking distance, ha ha. No LOL in this letter except of course for the insistence that I don’t use such them. It’s quiet except for the muffled drone of the computer fan trying to keep up the ever increasing heat being generated with the black case. Why would someone paint a device black that needs to dissipate heat? Poor design certainly seems to jump from my tongue. I’ve really got to get moving to meet my own deadline. I have nine blogs top go by Thursday. I can’t even begin to imagine those others who are so far behind. I like to write but according to my papers – I’m not good at it. So where do I go from here. Practice makes perfect, or quit spinning my wheels. I guess we’ll see come grading time. I just love how paper and/or story seems to raise the level of confusion. Instead of getting a better handle on it I get more confused and frustrated. Blogs seem to perpetuate the problem. Blogs are so informal and ungraded that aside from idea generation they are detrimental. When I first began to write blogs I pour my heart and soul into them just a I would for any other form or writing. But it soon became apparent it was busy work, and story creation or even punctuation was optional, soon I began to feel no one ever even reads a word of them. I still try to do my best – who knows perhaps someone is reading some of them. Besides they are a reflection of me and I never do second rate work. I pride myself on doing my best. I don’t need others to see what I’ve done I have a sense of accomplishment that I can sleep comfortably with myself. If I don’t complete the required number of blogs by Thursday I’ll feel like I didn’t try my best. So I’ll keep plugging away.
Argument Essay Blog Four
Argument Essay Blog Four
It is Monday one week from the deadline and for the Argument Essay. Each time I look at my paper I draw blank on how I should proceed. We work shopped my paper I thought that would be the genesis of new ideas. I was really rather surprised the essay wasn’t torn to shreds, I tore it to shreds myself for many of the exact reasons mentioned in the workshop. I quickly realized it lacked a strong thesis and I had no road map, as I like to call it. I took it to the writing center and we compiled a list of fixes. Some were easy and others were painful but necessary. Still others I have yet to implement because I’m like a dog chasing his tail. I have such a flood of ideas washing over me I’m overwhelmed and I just can’t get all of my ideas organized. I feel like I’m herding cats (because my ideas are running all over the place). Organizing a complex seven page paper is like trying to unravel a ball of yarn. When I left the workshop today I thought to myself, ah hah I’m on the right track. How wrong can someone be? Each time I hear the news I say /I need to input that, and that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. Maybe I need to lock myself away with my thought for a little while so I can focus my ENERGY (A little pun). For those who just so happen to read this I’d like to thank those who took the time to work shop my paper.
I just had an idea a few moments ago concerning my road purpose (thesis). I want to channel my paper into three main points. Security; by reducing of our (the US) dependence on foreign oil. Environmental and Health; pollution reduction health benefits of a cleaner environment. Economic impact; personal wealth as well as job creation. Now that I have a punch list for a thesis statement I need a list of target to aim for. Coal and oil are the major cause of air pollution and water pollution. Natural gas is a distant second when it comes to air pollution. But However, natural gas is a nonrenewable resource and is increasingly being supplied from other countries, dependence of foreign countries for our most important resources weakens our national security. The US thirst for oil is a our Achilles heel, we must maintain relations with countries who’s principles are not aligned with our own, it’s a tenuous situation balancing needs against ethical values. We have waged war and lost thousands of American lives to secure oil. Despite this sacrifice it wasn’t too long ago that Oil prices skyrocketed and the cost of gasoline reached $4.00 a gallon. We are simply not in control so we need to make every effort to decrease or dependence of foreign energy suppliers. It’s a long hard road and we all need to join together to do our part and find solutions.
It is Monday one week from the deadline and for the Argument Essay. Each time I look at my paper I draw blank on how I should proceed. We work shopped my paper I thought that would be the genesis of new ideas. I was really rather surprised the essay wasn’t torn to shreds, I tore it to shreds myself for many of the exact reasons mentioned in the workshop. I quickly realized it lacked a strong thesis and I had no road map, as I like to call it. I took it to the writing center and we compiled a list of fixes. Some were easy and others were painful but necessary. Still others I have yet to implement because I’m like a dog chasing his tail. I have such a flood of ideas washing over me I’m overwhelmed and I just can’t get all of my ideas organized. I feel like I’m herding cats (because my ideas are running all over the place). Organizing a complex seven page paper is like trying to unravel a ball of yarn. When I left the workshop today I thought to myself, ah hah I’m on the right track. How wrong can someone be? Each time I hear the news I say /I need to input that, and that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. Maybe I need to lock myself away with my thought for a little while so I can focus my ENERGY (A little pun). For those who just so happen to read this I’d like to thank those who took the time to work shop my paper.
I just had an idea a few moments ago concerning my road purpose (thesis). I want to channel my paper into three main points. Security; by reducing of our (the US) dependence on foreign oil. Environmental and Health; pollution reduction health benefits of a cleaner environment. Economic impact; personal wealth as well as job creation. Now that I have a punch list for a thesis statement I need a list of target to aim for. Coal and oil are the major cause of air pollution and water pollution. Natural gas is a distant second when it comes to air pollution. But However, natural gas is a nonrenewable resource and is increasingly being supplied from other countries, dependence of foreign countries for our most important resources weakens our national security. The US thirst for oil is a our Achilles heel, we must maintain relations with countries who’s principles are not aligned with our own, it’s a tenuous situation balancing needs against ethical values. We have waged war and lost thousands of American lives to secure oil. Despite this sacrifice it wasn’t too long ago that Oil prices skyrocketed and the cost of gasoline reached $4.00 a gallon. We are simply not in control so we need to make every effort to decrease or dependence of foreign energy suppliers. It’s a long hard road and we all need to join together to do our part and find solutions.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency
I'd like to begin the topic about fuel efficiency with a hybrid automobile. What makes Hybrid cars fuel efficient? Major changes under the hood have combined electric powered motor with a gasoline engine to drive the wheels. A large lithium battery pack is installed at the rear of the car to balance the power to weight ratio. At low speed the lithium battery pack powers the electric motor through the transmission which in turn drives the wheels. As the car begins to accelerate and the load increases a small gasoline engine augments the electric motor to provide the additional power for acceleration and hill climbing. As the car begins to coast the gasoline motor is shut down and decoupled from the transmission and the electric motor is driven to become a generator that recharges the battery pack. When the car is stopped at a traffic light the gasoline and electric motors are both turned off conserving energy. Additionally, as the brakes are applied the energy of stopping the car is converted into electrical power that is once again used to recharge the battery pack. With all the virtues of a hybrid automobile some consumers are still dissatisfied. Many find the prospect of having a large battery pack that may need to be replaced at some point in the future to be an expense they are unwilling to accept. The lithium batteries are designed in individual cells to allow them to be replaced one by one, on an as needed basis thereby reducing the cost and disposal of the batteries. The new technology incorporated into the lithium batteries has improved the reliability and longevity and should not be considered a cause to refuse this fuel-efficient automobile.
Diesel cars and trucks have a long-standing track record of reliability and fuel efficiency. Diesel engines have been used in trains, ships, heavy equipment, and power plants for nearly a century. The Volkswagen Jetta has an EPA fuel economy rating of approximately 50 miles per gallon on the highway. Diesel cars get better mileage on the highway and more power than gasoline or hybrids so why are they not more popular. There are several reasons and they all seem to be from the status quo. Diesel engines used in automobiles are not the same as those used in large trucks and other equipment. The days of the noisy diesel are gone diesel are not as quiet obviously as a conventional automobile engine. But they are considerably quieter than days of old. Another reason not to own a diesel car is simply the unfamiliarity with the engine. Most folks like to be able to understand or work on the engine at least a little bit, and a diesel engine is a complete mystery. The higher cost of diesel fuel is obvious deterrence to the uninformed, although the cost is higher the increased mileage more than makes up for the difference. Although the engine is unfamiliar the lack of required maintenance is once again a benefit the few who have not owned a diesel understand. The maintenance I'm referring to is; a diesel does not use spark plugs has no distributor cap and rotor to replace and no plug wires that are susceptible to misfire when they get wet. Diesels are just plain reliable! And I look forward to the diesel hybrid that is being introduced in Europe.
I'd like to begin the topic about fuel efficiency with a hybrid automobile. What makes Hybrid cars fuel efficient? Major changes under the hood have combined electric powered motor with a gasoline engine to drive the wheels. A large lithium battery pack is installed at the rear of the car to balance the power to weight ratio. At low speed the lithium battery pack powers the electric motor through the transmission which in turn drives the wheels. As the car begins to accelerate and the load increases a small gasoline engine augments the electric motor to provide the additional power for acceleration and hill climbing. As the car begins to coast the gasoline motor is shut down and decoupled from the transmission and the electric motor is driven to become a generator that recharges the battery pack. When the car is stopped at a traffic light the gasoline and electric motors are both turned off conserving energy. Additionally, as the brakes are applied the energy of stopping the car is converted into electrical power that is once again used to recharge the battery pack. With all the virtues of a hybrid automobile some consumers are still dissatisfied. Many find the prospect of having a large battery pack that may need to be replaced at some point in the future to be an expense they are unwilling to accept. The lithium batteries are designed in individual cells to allow them to be replaced one by one, on an as needed basis thereby reducing the cost and disposal of the batteries. The new technology incorporated into the lithium batteries has improved the reliability and longevity and should not be considered a cause to refuse this fuel-efficient automobile.
Diesel cars and trucks have a long-standing track record of reliability and fuel efficiency. Diesel engines have been used in trains, ships, heavy equipment, and power plants for nearly a century. The Volkswagen Jetta has an EPA fuel economy rating of approximately 50 miles per gallon on the highway. Diesel cars get better mileage on the highway and more power than gasoline or hybrids so why are they not more popular. There are several reasons and they all seem to be from the status quo. Diesel engines used in automobiles are not the same as those used in large trucks and other equipment. The days of the noisy diesel are gone diesel are not as quiet obviously as a conventional automobile engine. But they are considerably quieter than days of old. Another reason not to own a diesel car is simply the unfamiliarity with the engine. Most folks like to be able to understand or work on the engine at least a little bit, and a diesel engine is a complete mystery. The higher cost of diesel fuel is obvious deterrence to the uninformed, although the cost is higher the increased mileage more than makes up for the difference. Although the engine is unfamiliar the lack of required maintenance is once again a benefit the few who have not owned a diesel understand. The maintenance I'm referring to is; a diesel does not use spark plugs has no distributor cap and rotor to replace and no plug wires that are susceptible to misfire when they get wet. Diesels are just plain reliable! And I look forward to the diesel hybrid that is being introduced in Europe.
Argument Essay Blog Three
Argument Essay Blog Three
After a visit to the writing center we together decided that the hybrid automobile topic was not really cohesive with the rest of the paper. So I chopped out a section of over 350 words. That was a major setback but sometimes setbacks are the most important decisions you'll ever make. I began to look for new ways to organize my paper. I combed over the document trying to decide how to improve the way the subjects are tied together. My original draft felt like it lacked a thesis statement but I wasn't really sure without doing my research which direction my paper should be headed. After I gathered a great deal of information I felt like it was full of information but needed a new roadmap to lead my reader from start to finish in a more logical pattern. It seemed like the harder I looked the more I found in the more overwhelmed I became. As my father often said I couldn't see the forest for the trees. Aaron at the writing lab had a really good method for evaluating a large document. He laid all my sheets of paper out side by side in order so he could view the document as a whole. It seems so logical but had never thought of such a thing before. With his help I made many improvements but I still have a long way to go.
One such improvement was to clip a section from the introductory paragraph and converted into a summation because of its strength. I had a step-by-step plan of action and I was able to complete some of the steps. But the more I think of it the more difficult it becomes to cut such a large document into pieces and rearrange them into a homogenized whole.
I found a pictograph of energy sources and how they are interrelated and used for raw materials into the forms of energy they are most suited. The graph is full of statistical data that I feel could be very helpful in simplifying explaining the key points of my paper but I have to find a way for get approval to integrate this figure into my document. Because of its graphic nature it says many things more simply than the entire paragraph. The old a picture is worth 1000 words is a well spoken adage for this bit of vital information. It has really helped me to clarify and solidify in my own mind how these energy resources work together and also alone. Another key point that I wasn't completely aware of was the vast quantity of energy that is wasted in production and pre-consumer use, such as transportation, transmission, storage, etc. I realize that the grid is outdated and energy is lost because long distances electrical power must travel through the transmission lines of the transmission lines. But a 26% loss was really an eye-opener even for me. Petroleum products had an additional 21% loss of energy. These two facts alone give my whole paper a cause for argument.
After a visit to the writing center we together decided that the hybrid automobile topic was not really cohesive with the rest of the paper. So I chopped out a section of over 350 words. That was a major setback but sometimes setbacks are the most important decisions you'll ever make. I began to look for new ways to organize my paper. I combed over the document trying to decide how to improve the way the subjects are tied together. My original draft felt like it lacked a thesis statement but I wasn't really sure without doing my research which direction my paper should be headed. After I gathered a great deal of information I felt like it was full of information but needed a new roadmap to lead my reader from start to finish in a more logical pattern. It seemed like the harder I looked the more I found in the more overwhelmed I became. As my father often said I couldn't see the forest for the trees. Aaron at the writing lab had a really good method for evaluating a large document. He laid all my sheets of paper out side by side in order so he could view the document as a whole. It seems so logical but had never thought of such a thing before. With his help I made many improvements but I still have a long way to go.
One such improvement was to clip a section from the introductory paragraph and converted into a summation because of its strength. I had a step-by-step plan of action and I was able to complete some of the steps. But the more I think of it the more difficult it becomes to cut such a large document into pieces and rearrange them into a homogenized whole.
I found a pictograph of energy sources and how they are interrelated and used for raw materials into the forms of energy they are most suited. The graph is full of statistical data that I feel could be very helpful in simplifying explaining the key points of my paper but I have to find a way for get approval to integrate this figure into my document. Because of its graphic nature it says many things more simply than the entire paragraph. The old a picture is worth 1000 words is a well spoken adage for this bit of vital information. It has really helped me to clarify and solidify in my own mind how these energy resources work together and also alone. Another key point that I wasn't completely aware of was the vast quantity of energy that is wasted in production and pre-consumer use, such as transportation, transmission, storage, etc. I realize that the grid is outdated and energy is lost because long distances electrical power must travel through the transmission lines of the transmission lines. But a 26% loss was really an eye-opener even for me. Petroleum products had an additional 21% loss of energy. These two facts alone give my whole paper a cause for argument.
Auto Hobby Shop
Auto Hobby Shop
When I was much younger than today I owned a 1968 Pontiac Firebird; it was a roughed up beast all covered in brown primer and Bondo. I cut my teeth fixing that car, day after night night after night underneath the car laying in the snow banks hack sawing off the rusty headers under the moonlit night. Freezing cold pouring rain didn't matter I was bound and determined to make something out of it. One time I had it towed to the auto Hobby shop on the Air Force Base. I got off to an early start, when they opened the doors at seven o'clock in the morning I open my toolbox and began. By 12 o'clock noon I had the engine and transmission removed and the whole front clip taken off the car. From there I rolled it into the paint booth and began with cans of primer spray painting the suspension on the front frame. I set the fenders aside and painted all the parts. When everything was painted I began to work on the engine.
The engine had a knock in it, so I began to tear down. Our removed the oil pan and began to remove the crankshaft and connecting rod bearing caps. It wasn't long before discovered the cause of my problems. The engine was suffering from a spun bearing. I sent the crankshaft out to have it turned. It took about a week to machine the crankshaft, so in the meantime restoring the interior of the car. When I got the crank back from the machine shop I reinstalled it. It was the first time I've ever had the bottom of the engine apart and I was very concerned about over tightening the bolts. I worked carefully and methodically using a torque wrench and the instruction manual to ensure I did not undo the work I which I just paid for.
Since the motor was removed I decided it was a good time to install a new clutch pressure plate and throw out bearing. I also had the flywheel resurfaced so the clutch would work like a champ. I reassembled the engine to the clutch and transmission and put the whole unit back in the car as one piece. This made it heavy but clutch alignment was a thing of the past. I cleaned, repaired and rerouted all electrical wiring under the hood as a measure of preventative maintenance.
I reinstalled all the body panels. I began with the front fenders and the core support, and work my way to the valance panel and the bumper and grill. I needed a hand to position the hood as I installed the screws. This was a tremendous undertaking and I did at all in just a week. I was thinking about this today and wondering where has all my energy gone. I still like mechanics and still like to get my hands dirty but now a tune-up was a full day's work.
Piece of advice: take advantage of your youth while you can.
When I was much younger than today I owned a 1968 Pontiac Firebird; it was a roughed up beast all covered in brown primer and Bondo. I cut my teeth fixing that car, day after night night after night underneath the car laying in the snow banks hack sawing off the rusty headers under the moonlit night. Freezing cold pouring rain didn't matter I was bound and determined to make something out of it. One time I had it towed to the auto Hobby shop on the Air Force Base. I got off to an early start, when they opened the doors at seven o'clock in the morning I open my toolbox and began. By 12 o'clock noon I had the engine and transmission removed and the whole front clip taken off the car. From there I rolled it into the paint booth and began with cans of primer spray painting the suspension on the front frame. I set the fenders aside and painted all the parts. When everything was painted I began to work on the engine.
The engine had a knock in it, so I began to tear down. Our removed the oil pan and began to remove the crankshaft and connecting rod bearing caps. It wasn't long before discovered the cause of my problems. The engine was suffering from a spun bearing. I sent the crankshaft out to have it turned. It took about a week to machine the crankshaft, so in the meantime restoring the interior of the car. When I got the crank back from the machine shop I reinstalled it. It was the first time I've ever had the bottom of the engine apart and I was very concerned about over tightening the bolts. I worked carefully and methodically using a torque wrench and the instruction manual to ensure I did not undo the work I which I just paid for.
Since the motor was removed I decided it was a good time to install a new clutch pressure plate and throw out bearing. I also had the flywheel resurfaced so the clutch would work like a champ. I reassembled the engine to the clutch and transmission and put the whole unit back in the car as one piece. This made it heavy but clutch alignment was a thing of the past. I cleaned, repaired and rerouted all electrical wiring under the hood as a measure of preventative maintenance.
I reinstalled all the body panels. I began with the front fenders and the core support, and work my way to the valance panel and the bumper and grill. I needed a hand to position the hood as I installed the screws. This was a tremendous undertaking and I did at all in just a week. I was thinking about this today and wondering where has all my energy gone. I still like mechanics and still like to get my hands dirty but now a tune-up was a full day's work.
Piece of advice: take advantage of your youth while you can.
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