Saturday, May 17, 2008

Bonny Eagle

While it is true the show has yet to start, I have looked over a few things on their website and it looks like maybe they still don't have it right after 28 years. I will wait until the show to make any certain determinations, but for the record, here are a few things that pop out at me:
  • The most noticeable thing is that they have FOUR CLASSES for tuners. That's (12) trophies for a class that has a limited number of entrants at most shows. Looks like every tuner should get a trophy
  • On the other hand, people with trucks might note that one class is "1967-present". That covers FORTY YEARS of trucks. Strikes me as a bit unfair for truck owners (Antique Trucks covers only 8 years, which shows a great deal of disparity). A couple years of Tuners get 12 trophies, while 40 years of trucks get 3
  • There is a '50's Class. But there is also a special class for 50's Fords, and 55-57 Chevy's. So, there are 9 trophies for a 10 year span of cars. This may have some merit, since there are so many 55-57 Chevys - but should the sheer number of a particular year be a determining factor? I think not - either you have one of the best or you don't. It shouldn't matter if there are 3 cars or 30 cars in your class. It just seems like 55-57 Chevys are getting a lot of extra consideration
  • There is no class for "2000-present". This excludes a lot of good cars (except tuners - but not every 2000 or newer is a tuner).

It just strikes me as wrong to have 21 trophies for two classes - Tuners and 50's. And three years of Chevys get three trophies, while 10 years of Fords get three trophies, and a whopping 40 years of trucks get three trophies. Again, a lot of disparity.

Worse still, I'm betting that a bunch of unfortunate folks will be stuck out at the Bus Barn with the Tuners, being driven away by the loud, bass music that rattles windows and dispenses migraines like crazy. That drove us and a few others away at Casco last year, and I have heard horror stories about it at last year's Bonny Eagle show. It's good that the Tuners are secluded out by the barn, so they can be as loud as they wish. It is not good to subject any other class to the same area.

And I'll bet also that our PT Woody will be one of those "unfortunates", since we have to register as Special Interest because they do not have an appropriate class for us (2000-Present).

Well, we'll see. But I think the folks who put on this show should make an effort to make things more fair for all - and to have classes that afford every vehicle a place.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Ramblings

So, I forgot the camera for the first cruise, at Roy's in Auburn ME. Then I forgot it for the second cruise, at TJ's in Biddeford (Maine Coastal Cruisers). So I swore I would bring it to Blast From The Past on Friday.

Lo! and Behold - I remembered the camera. Unfortunately, I did not get many pix because I had forgotten to CHARGE the damned thing. It's Hell gettin old!

I did manage to charge it and bring it to Shapleigh on Monday, and the first ever cruise for Rock'n Roll Diner (Scarborough ME) on Tuesday. You'll find some pix at HotKarz. And you will also find some new "off-the-cuff" comedy pix - hope you enjoy them (you too, Dick Fritz!)

Scuttlebut has it that:
  • Two Trails Cruisers is changing the location of their show this year. Usually held in Limington, they will let HotKarz know where they will hold it once they finalize plans. Wisdom dictates that if you want spectators, it's a good idea to hold your show where people might actually go :o)
  • The Windham WalMart show may not be held at WalMart this year. Not yet sure - will try to nail this down for you as soon as possible. Cheryl seems to be the Great Seer for all things such as this, so I am kinda counting on her to get us up to snuff on this one.

Ocean Garden (Gorham) does not seem to be interested in hosting cruises this year, and Aquaboggan is no longer hosting cruises, due to a change in management, from what I hear.

Hotrod Bob (Deuces Wild) is working hard trying to get Mainiacs to attend cruises in Massachusetts. While it is true that Mass. has some big cruises, with lots of wheels we have not seen, the current price of petrol is going to make it a hard hill for him to climb. But we wish him luck!

Speaking of gas prices, many folks blame the oil companies, while others blame OPEC. Of course, some even blame Bush. But not me. The way I see it, the real culprits are those damned day-traders who keep bidding up the futures. In their quest for fast profits, they bid up the future price of oil. OPEC and the oil companies are merely unwitting beneficiaries.

Oil should never have been made a "commodity", to be traded. It is far too essential. If Congress would make law that would remove oil from the commodities market, we would all be far better off, and oil prices would come down.

But I am not sure that would be the best thing for us. We Americans are a funny lot. If the price of oil were to drop, we would suddenly do two things:

  1. We would increase the amount we use, thereby reducing the available resources, and
  2. We would stop trying so hard to find a decent alternative

That's what happened in the '70's. When we were standing in line for gas on alternate days, we were pushing to develop alternative energy sources, such as solar. But as soon as the crunch was over, R&D into alternative energy almost came to a grinding halt.

Perhaps excessive prices will result in innovation. With innovation, we could tell the day traders, the Saudi's and the oil companies to kiss our exterior posterior. Can you imagine how fast some company would find an alternative if gas were to hit $7.00 a gallon?

Personally, I have always been a firm believer in folks being as self-sufficient as possible. Once upon a time, that was an American trait. It's called being INDEPENDENT. Not so today. Most Americans are now completely and irrevocably dependent upon government, entitlements, oil companies, drug companies, and, yes, even computers and this Internet. But we can still make some small effort to regain control of our own destiny. We can be more conscious of the resources we use. We can conserve. We can eliminate some waste from our budget. With a little thought, we may find we can save a lot of gas by combining trips and errands.

As one example, I purchased another freezer. I buy a half beef and a half pig (all natural meats) and freeze the cuts. I either grow, or buy in bulk, veggies I can freeze. This not only saves money on the food (bulk buying), but now we only go shopping one-third as often, which saves considerable gas. Just a short walk to the freezer is all the "shopping" we need to do. And the food, being all natural, is healthier.

Well, the title of this post is RAMBLINGS, and I believe I have succeeded in living up to it, so I will leave you for now. But I give fair warning - I'll be back!

BILL

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mom's Day

Once again, the day where we celebrate Motherhood is upon us. And if there is one thing we all have in common, it is the fact that we all (presumably) have a mother.

I would like all the Mothers (and Mom's to be) to know that I, for one, really do appreciate Motherhood and all that it embraces and stands for.

Happy Mothers Day!