PERFECT!
And that is how today was, up in Andover at the Old Home Days show - almost perfect. The weather could not have been better if it had been custom ordered. The show was incredibly well organized. The atmosphere was gay, and spoke of days of old, when times were simpler.
The entire town comes out for this event, as does every town around it. The Common is filled with arts & crafts, and assorted vendors of all kinds. There was a cookie walk at the Congregational Church. And, of course, a parade. And there were horse and wagon rides for those who wanted to just let someone else show them around.
The show, itself, was almost as perfect, and the hosts were friendly and accommodating. It just doesn't get much better...
Throughout the entire event there were only two minor problems brought to my attention, and they were the typical - there will always be one or two people who will stoop to anything to win a trophy, like the guy who entered his 60's Riviera in the 40's class because the competition in the 60's was too tough, and there was only one vehicle in the 40's. So, he jumped class. Fortunately, most voters realized what he was doing, and he got very few votes, so he ended up in second (out of two cars). Personally, I think he should not have received any trophy because he was so obviously out of class. Call me old fashioned, but I do not believe cheaters should be rewarded.
But all in all, I gotta tell ya, this Andover show is among the best - if not THE best - show I have attended in at least 4 years. We will definitely be back.
Pix will not be up until tomorrow evening - been busy, and have not got all the pix back (had to borrow a camera when mine died), so I will try to get both shows up tomorrow night.
Tomorrow, we are off to Oxford, weather permitting.
/
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Touching Up
Hey, guys and gals, at one time or another we all face the prospect of trying to touch-up our rides. My own vehicle had a bad case of "road rash" - hundreds of tiny chips on the nose. You know what I mean.
Well, I ordered a touch-up kit from Dr ColorChip, online (no, I do not represent them, nor do I get paid for telling you about them. But I always like to keep you informed of things I try that might benefit you - like that "chrome paint" last year. Man, that was a loser).
The claims Dr ColorChip made were fantastic, so I did not really believe them, but I was desperate for a solution. So, I ordered, hoping it would at least help a little.
A couple of noteworthy things, folks -
1) The service was absolutely astounding. The product arrived almost before I finished placing the order, and
2) It actually WORKED! I spent about 20 minutes applying the materials as instructed, and all those chips, plus scrathes, simply seemed to disappear.
You can see for yourselves at the Andover show tomorrow, or the Oxford show on Sunday. 5000 little "white chips" are now invisible. Kool! I'll be using it on old touch-ups next week, to fix what other touch-up kits could not fix correctly.
Ya gotta see it to believe how simple it is to touch-up the ride quickly and inexpensively.
On the other hand, I had a TERRIBLE experience with a different touchup company called Microfinish. I'll be telling y'all about that soon. But right now, I'm going to go show the wife how the car looks now.
See ya at the shows!
/
Well, I ordered a touch-up kit from Dr ColorChip, online (no, I do not represent them, nor do I get paid for telling you about them. But I always like to keep you informed of things I try that might benefit you - like that "chrome paint" last year. Man, that was a loser).
The claims Dr ColorChip made were fantastic, so I did not really believe them, but I was desperate for a solution. So, I ordered, hoping it would at least help a little.
A couple of noteworthy things, folks -
1) The service was absolutely astounding. The product arrived almost before I finished placing the order, and
2) It actually WORKED! I spent about 20 minutes applying the materials as instructed, and all those chips, plus scrathes, simply seemed to disappear.
You can see for yourselves at the Andover show tomorrow, or the Oxford show on Sunday. 5000 little "white chips" are now invisible. Kool! I'll be using it on old touch-ups next week, to fix what other touch-up kits could not fix correctly.
Ya gotta see it to believe how simple it is to touch-up the ride quickly and inexpensively.
On the other hand, I had a TERRIBLE experience with a different touchup company called Microfinish. I'll be telling y'all about that soon. But right now, I'm going to go show the wife how the car looks now.
See ya at the shows!
/
Psychic?
Yesterday Congress suspended the "Cash For Clunkers" program, as reported here on the blog yesterday. I also added that I was willing to bet that in the end, instead of ending the program, they would actually expand the $1 billion program.
Well, it's official - it appears I am either psychic, or just good at predicting events based on past experience - the House has voted to TRIPLE the amount of taxpayer money used for this travesty:
WASHINGTON – The House rushed Friday to pump $2 billion into a popular cash-for-clunkers program running near empty, with a leading Democrat saying "consumers have spoken with their wallets." (Ed.- actually, it was the scammers who did all the talking)
A floor vote was under way at midday on the bill to refuel the car-purchase program.
Hoyer, D-Md., said that at the request of House Republicans — whose approval was required for swift passage — the bill would include provisions for government auditors to make sure the money was being spent as intended (Ed. - why is it that only Republicans want oversight, to insure money is not stolen?).
Republicans argued that Democrats were trying to jam the legislation through.
The House has voted to rush an additional $2 billion into the popular but financially strapped "cash for clunkers" car purchase program.
The bill was approved on a vote of 316-109. House members acted within hours of learning from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the program was running out of money."
It is true that Republicans have insisted that vehicles being turned it must actually have been owned and insured the previous year (presumably by the person trading it in), which does allow for some protection against fraud. Unfortunately, wherever there are billions of dollars to be had, it is only a matter of days before the scammers find ways around that, with fraudulent paperwork or some other means.
/
Well, it's official - it appears I am either psychic, or just good at predicting events based on past experience - the House has voted to TRIPLE the amount of taxpayer money used for this travesty:
WASHINGTON – The House rushed Friday to pump $2 billion into a popular cash-for-clunkers program running near empty, with a leading Democrat saying "consumers have spoken with their wallets." (Ed.- actually, it was the scammers who did all the talking)
A floor vote was under way at midday on the bill to refuel the car-purchase program.
Hoyer, D-Md., said that at the request of House Republicans — whose approval was required for swift passage — the bill would include provisions for government auditors to make sure the money was being spent as intended (Ed. - why is it that only Republicans want oversight, to insure money is not stolen?).
Republicans argued that Democrats were trying to jam the legislation through.
The House has voted to rush an additional $2 billion into the popular but financially strapped "cash for clunkers" car purchase program.
The bill was approved on a vote of 316-109. House members acted within hours of learning from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the program was running out of money."
It is true that Republicans have insisted that vehicles being turned it must actually have been owned and insured the previous year (presumably by the person trading it in), which does allow for some protection against fraud. Unfortunately, wherever there are billions of dollars to be had, it is only a matter of days before the scammers find ways around that, with fraudulent paperwork or some other means.
/
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Clunk, Clunk...
WASHINGTON (July 30) — The government plans to suspend its popular "cash for clunkers" program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases, congressional officials said Thursday.
The Transportation Department called lawmakers' offices to alert them to the decision to suspend the program at midnight Thursday.
Even before the suspension, some in Congress were seeking more money for the auto sales stimulus. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., wrote in a letter to House leaders on Wednesday requesting additional funding for the program.
"This is simply the most stimulative $1 billion the federal government has spent during the entire economic downturn," Miller said Thursday. "The federal government must come up with more money, immediately, to keep this program going."
Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said they would work with "the congressional sponsors and the administration to quickly review the results of the initiative."
General Motors Co. spokesman Greg Martin said Thursday the automaker hopes "there's a will and way to keep the CARS program going a little bit longer."
Well, folks, that is the Washington version. What they are NOT telling you, mostly because politicians cannot see past their noses, is that the poorer folks cannot afford to turn in their clunkers, because they cannot afford to buy a new, fuel-efficient car. All this taxpayer money is going to scammers who buy up wrecks for $50, then sell them to affluent people for $1500 who, in turn, use them as trade-ins to get $4,500 of the new car they were going to buy, anyway. So scammers and the wealthy are collecting the taxpayer funds, while the poor suffer even more.
How do they suffer? Heck, I'm sure every one of you can recall a time when you were struggling, and drove an old car that wasn't yet a classic. And those old cars always needed parts to keep them going. Now, with those parts cars getting crushed, just where will struggling people find parts at a reasonable price?
Once again, the poor get the short end of the stick at the hands of politicians who SAY they are working to help the poor. Sure they are! Helping them to stay poor. And, knowing the current administration and Congress, I'm betting they actually expand this dumb program, and dump even more of our money down the toilet.
On another topic, we have been bombarded by friends asking us where we are going this weekend - Andover or Parsem. The pressure has been great, as our friends seem evenly divided as to which is best. Originally, we had decided to attend Andover this year, and hit Parsem next year. But with all the pressure building, we were at a loss to choose.
So, we did the only honorable thing - tossed a quarter.
It will be Andover, after all, and possibly Oxford on Sunday.
And Robin didn't give back the quarter.
/
The Transportation Department called lawmakers' offices to alert them to the decision to suspend the program at midnight Thursday.
Even before the suspension, some in Congress were seeking more money for the auto sales stimulus. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., wrote in a letter to House leaders on Wednesday requesting additional funding for the program.
"This is simply the most stimulative $1 billion the federal government has spent during the entire economic downturn," Miller said Thursday. "The federal government must come up with more money, immediately, to keep this program going."
Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said they would work with "the congressional sponsors and the administration to quickly review the results of the initiative."
General Motors Co. spokesman Greg Martin said Thursday the automaker hopes "there's a will and way to keep the CARS program going a little bit longer."
Well, folks, that is the Washington version. What they are NOT telling you, mostly because politicians cannot see past their noses, is that the poorer folks cannot afford to turn in their clunkers, because they cannot afford to buy a new, fuel-efficient car. All this taxpayer money is going to scammers who buy up wrecks for $50, then sell them to affluent people for $1500 who, in turn, use them as trade-ins to get $4,500 of the new car they were going to buy, anyway. So scammers and the wealthy are collecting the taxpayer funds, while the poor suffer even more.
How do they suffer? Heck, I'm sure every one of you can recall a time when you were struggling, and drove an old car that wasn't yet a classic. And those old cars always needed parts to keep them going. Now, with those parts cars getting crushed, just where will struggling people find parts at a reasonable price?
Once again, the poor get the short end of the stick at the hands of politicians who SAY they are working to help the poor. Sure they are! Helping them to stay poor. And, knowing the current administration and Congress, I'm betting they actually expand this dumb program, and dump even more of our money down the toilet.
On another topic, we have been bombarded by friends asking us where we are going this weekend - Andover or Parsem. The pressure has been great, as our friends seem evenly divided as to which is best. Originally, we had decided to attend Andover this year, and hit Parsem next year. But with all the pressure building, we were at a loss to choose.
So, we did the only honorable thing - tossed a quarter.
It will be Andover, after all, and possibly Oxford on Sunday.
And Robin didn't give back the quarter.
/
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Summah Days
The Sanford "Summah Days" is coming up this Friday. Here is additional info, provided to us by Charlie Noonan (thanx, Charlie):
Registration is between 4:00-5:00 pm at Sanford Junior High school- parade at 5:00pm to Main st - Main st. will be closed down from 5:00-7:00 pm. $5.00 registration- music, food, 50/50, awards
Unfortunately, at this moment the weather looks "iffy", so we'll have to keep our eye on that.
/
Registration is between 4:00-5:00 pm at Sanford Junior High school- parade at 5:00pm to Main st - Main st. will be closed down from 5:00-7:00 pm. $5.00 registration- music, food, 50/50, awards
Unfortunately, at this moment the weather looks "iffy", so we'll have to keep our eye on that.
/
Simple Rules
I have said this before, but it would appear it needs to be stated again.
Anyone may post to this blog, provided they avoid personal attacks and foul language, and do not try to infuse illegitimacy, prejudice or hate.
And you may post anonymously, as a rule.
But if you are going to try and post something that involves unfounded allegations against a person, or attack a person's character, or you want to make any other comments that are designed to do harm, then you need to sign off on it. You may NOT shoot at folks from a dark alley, like some coward in a "B" western. If you try that, your post will not appear, but I will likely respond to it, anyway.
So, if you want a forum, play by the rules.
One individual continues trying to bait me, and makes unfounded allegations about HotKarz, me, and my wife. But he/she refuses to identify themself. The person keeps trying to post that we "trade votes", when we do not, and most people know we do not. And when I try to tell the person that the issue is BLOCK VOTING, they ignore that and again try to make personal attacks on us.
Do we sometimes vote for friends? Of course - many of our friends have primo vehicles. Do we vote for them BECAUSE they are friends? No. We only vote for vehicles that can legitimately be deemed the best in their class.
Do we ask others to vote for us? Never! On the contrary, as an example, we told several folks at Gorham that the electric car in Special Interest deserved to place 1st.
If someone asks us the number of our car, we will tell them. But we do not ask them to vote for us. Not one person can step forward and honestly say we have ever solicited their vote. Not one person!
Nor has anyone asked us to vote for them. They might point out things about their ride in the hope we will vote for them, but not one person has ever specifically solicited our vote.
And I have also said this before: the issue is not whether a person votes for a friend every now and again. The issue is BLOCK VOTING - swaying the results by pooling the votes of an entire club or organization in order to grab the trophies. That is the problem. So I would appreciate it if certain culprits would stop trying to deflect attention away from block voting by making stupid claims that HotKarz somehow trades a vote or two.
We don't. Period.
So, if you see me or my wife talking with friends, do not jump to the conclusion that votes are being traded - come on over, join the discussion, and see what we are really talking about. But you will NEVER find us trading votes, or soliciting votes. And most of you already know that, because we visit you, too. Have we ever asked you to vote for us? Of course not. 'Nuff said.
Meanwhile, one last time - if you want to post comments anonymously, that is fine. But if you intend to try and harm someone with your remarks, you need to identify yourself so your allegations can be checked, and rebutted if necessary. I have no respect for cowards who take shots at others by ambush.
/
Anyone may post to this blog, provided they avoid personal attacks and foul language, and do not try to infuse illegitimacy, prejudice or hate.
And you may post anonymously, as a rule.
But if you are going to try and post something that involves unfounded allegations against a person, or attack a person's character, or you want to make any other comments that are designed to do harm, then you need to sign off on it. You may NOT shoot at folks from a dark alley, like some coward in a "B" western. If you try that, your post will not appear, but I will likely respond to it, anyway.
So, if you want a forum, play by the rules.
One individual continues trying to bait me, and makes unfounded allegations about HotKarz, me, and my wife. But he/she refuses to identify themself. The person keeps trying to post that we "trade votes", when we do not, and most people know we do not. And when I try to tell the person that the issue is BLOCK VOTING, they ignore that and again try to make personal attacks on us.
Do we sometimes vote for friends? Of course - many of our friends have primo vehicles. Do we vote for them BECAUSE they are friends? No. We only vote for vehicles that can legitimately be deemed the best in their class.
Do we ask others to vote for us? Never! On the contrary, as an example, we told several folks at Gorham that the electric car in Special Interest deserved to place 1st.
If someone asks us the number of our car, we will tell them. But we do not ask them to vote for us. Not one person can step forward and honestly say we have ever solicited their vote. Not one person!
Nor has anyone asked us to vote for them. They might point out things about their ride in the hope we will vote for them, but not one person has ever specifically solicited our vote.
And I have also said this before: the issue is not whether a person votes for a friend every now and again. The issue is BLOCK VOTING - swaying the results by pooling the votes of an entire club or organization in order to grab the trophies. That is the problem. So I would appreciate it if certain culprits would stop trying to deflect attention away from block voting by making stupid claims that HotKarz somehow trades a vote or two.
We don't. Period.
So, if you see me or my wife talking with friends, do not jump to the conclusion that votes are being traded - come on over, join the discussion, and see what we are really talking about. But you will NEVER find us trading votes, or soliciting votes. And most of you already know that, because we visit you, too. Have we ever asked you to vote for us? Of course not. 'Nuff said.
Meanwhile, one last time - if you want to post comments anonymously, that is fine. But if you intend to try and harm someone with your remarks, you need to identify yourself so your allegations can be checked, and rebutted if necessary. I have no respect for cowards who take shots at others by ambush.
/
The "Following"
Someone wrote that we (HotKarz) win all the time because we have a "big following" of people trading votes. Though most folks know better, I'd like to set that person straight.
First, we lose as often as we win when there are more than three cars in our class, so the idea that we win because of any "following" is just ridiculous. And no one from HotKarz "trades votes" - not me, and not my wife. We may vote for a friend here and there, but ONLY if we believe his or her vehicle is best in their class. We have often won at shows where we knew almost no one (Medomak, Madison, Canaan VT), and we have lost totally at shows where we know almost everyone. So it would appear our wins have little, if anything, to do with any "following".
This same person stated that they followed my wife at Gorham and saw her trading votes. Well, I have a newsflash for that person: as many of you may recall, I walked with my wife at Gorham during the voting, and from start to finish, she talked to no one during the voting, and it was I who chose most (not all) of the vehicles we voted for. If we voted for a friend, it was because he/she had the best vehicle in their class. When the writer says he or she watched as Robin traded votes, that simply was not even possible with me by her side the whole time. So, the person who wrote that BS is obviously not telling the truth (and I suspect I know why). And at Gorham, we only placed third, even though there were only 4 vehicles that belonged in the class. And in all these years, we have never once won a People's Choice or a Best of Show. So, if we were "buying or trading votes", it would seem we are not very good at it.
Yes, Robin goes from place to place, as do I, and talks with friends. But any idiot knows that does not constitute "trading votes". And if two people - any two people - want to vote for each others vehicle, as I stated earlier in another blog, that is not necessarily a problem, particularly if both parties believe the other's vehicle is best in their class.
When one person trades votes with a friend or relative, that is not such an issue because those votes likely get canceled out by two other parties doing the same thing for other vehicles, and most folks will do that every so often. It is human nature. If my brother-in-law has a car in the show, and if it is a decent car I would likely vote for him, if only to keep peace in the family. But I don't have any relatives at the shows, so even that is not an issue for me. And because we are well known, we cannot vote for friends, either, unless they have the best in their class, because we probably have more than one friend in each class.
But the issue, again, is not about voting for Uncle Harry. It is about block voting. A large "block vote" cannot be canceled out, and will end up unfairly skewing the results. THAT is the problem.
I think the person who wrote that BS about HotKarz "trading votes" is simply trying to move the conversation away from the issue that is at the forefront - BLOCK VOTING. When a group of people, belonging to a club, or a business, all agree to vote for the members in their group which sways results, THAT is the problem. It is very difficult to cancel out 10, 20 or more votes from a club.
Now this same clown who wrote that BS has written again (still anonymously, of course, because he/she is ashamed and does not want to own the BS he or she is spewing) and thinks a 2nd place award at Ossipee in a class with only 4 vehicles somehow means votes were traded. Wow! What a mathemetician! Of course, having a sharp car couldn't possibly have anything to do with getting placed.
Y'know, it is amazing how far people like that will stoop in order to try and justify their own bad behavior. If that person really BELIEVES the BS they are spreading, then how about identifying yourself, instead of taking potshots at my back from a dark alley? Anonymity is fine, unless you are going to make unfounded allegations. Then you need to identify yourself, or provide proof, or your allegations are simply nothing more than BS and your credibility is zero. Why are you afraid to let others kinow who you are? I know the answer to that - and so does everyone else.
As a side note on this topic, Steve Flynn wrote a little piece of tongue-in-cheek satire about it that some may find some humor in.
"I've been chewing on this one for the past few days and was thinking that maybe we could work this to our advantage. Since "block voting" may be the wave of the future, for those of us who don't participate in such passive/aggressive activities, an accommodation might be possible.
"This would involve configuring your website to allow the "block voters" to contact you before each show. The "block voters" could announce ahead of time that they would be actively (but surrepticiously) voting during the show. A check box next to each of the shows listed would work, and this could be marked for all to see. That way we would know that "block voting" rules would apply for those shows.
"Those car owner who do not participate in "block voting" could then avoid the show and spend time with family or friends. We might even organize a cruise-in that day that focuses on the appreciation that we have for our cars and the camaraderie of fellow car nuts. But without the trophies.
"I suspect this may be difficult to achieve, given what I fear is a lack of testicular fortitude on the part of the "block voters" to admit to such a scheme. However, I on the other hand, would welcome the transparency of this approach. It's efficient and we all get what we want in the end. So, let's try to work together and reach across the aisle and admit our differences and work towards a better car show in the future.
"If you choose to publish this Bill, please do not hesitate to use my name.
Steve "
/
First, we lose as often as we win when there are more than three cars in our class, so the idea that we win because of any "following" is just ridiculous. And no one from HotKarz "trades votes" - not me, and not my wife. We may vote for a friend here and there, but ONLY if we believe his or her vehicle is best in their class. We have often won at shows where we knew almost no one (Medomak, Madison, Canaan VT), and we have lost totally at shows where we know almost everyone. So it would appear our wins have little, if anything, to do with any "following".
This same person stated that they followed my wife at Gorham and saw her trading votes. Well, I have a newsflash for that person: as many of you may recall, I walked with my wife at Gorham during the voting, and from start to finish, she talked to no one during the voting, and it was I who chose most (not all) of the vehicles we voted for. If we voted for a friend, it was because he/she had the best vehicle in their class. When the writer says he or she watched as Robin traded votes, that simply was not even possible with me by her side the whole time. So, the person who wrote that BS is obviously not telling the truth (and I suspect I know why). And at Gorham, we only placed third, even though there were only 4 vehicles that belonged in the class. And in all these years, we have never once won a People's Choice or a Best of Show. So, if we were "buying or trading votes", it would seem we are not very good at it.
Yes, Robin goes from place to place, as do I, and talks with friends. But any idiot knows that does not constitute "trading votes". And if two people - any two people - want to vote for each others vehicle, as I stated earlier in another blog, that is not necessarily a problem, particularly if both parties believe the other's vehicle is best in their class.
When one person trades votes with a friend or relative, that is not such an issue because those votes likely get canceled out by two other parties doing the same thing for other vehicles, and most folks will do that every so often. It is human nature. If my brother-in-law has a car in the show, and if it is a decent car I would likely vote for him, if only to keep peace in the family. But I don't have any relatives at the shows, so even that is not an issue for me. And because we are well known, we cannot vote for friends, either, unless they have the best in their class, because we probably have more than one friend in each class.
But the issue, again, is not about voting for Uncle Harry. It is about block voting. A large "block vote" cannot be canceled out, and will end up unfairly skewing the results. THAT is the problem.
I think the person who wrote that BS about HotKarz "trading votes" is simply trying to move the conversation away from the issue that is at the forefront - BLOCK VOTING. When a group of people, belonging to a club, or a business, all agree to vote for the members in their group which sways results, THAT is the problem. It is very difficult to cancel out 10, 20 or more votes from a club.
Now this same clown who wrote that BS has written again (still anonymously, of course, because he/she is ashamed and does not want to own the BS he or she is spewing) and thinks a 2nd place award at Ossipee in a class with only 4 vehicles somehow means votes were traded. Wow! What a mathemetician! Of course, having a sharp car couldn't possibly have anything to do with getting placed.
Y'know, it is amazing how far people like that will stoop in order to try and justify their own bad behavior. If that person really BELIEVES the BS they are spreading, then how about identifying yourself, instead of taking potshots at my back from a dark alley? Anonymity is fine, unless you are going to make unfounded allegations. Then you need to identify yourself, or provide proof, or your allegations are simply nothing more than BS and your credibility is zero. Why are you afraid to let others kinow who you are? I know the answer to that - and so does everyone else.
As a side note on this topic, Steve Flynn wrote a little piece of tongue-in-cheek satire about it that some may find some humor in.
"I've been chewing on this one for the past few days and was thinking that maybe we could work this to our advantage. Since "block voting" may be the wave of the future, for those of us who don't participate in such passive/aggressive activities, an accommodation might be possible.
"This would involve configuring your website to allow the "block voters" to contact you before each show. The "block voters" could announce ahead of time that they would be actively (but surrepticiously) voting during the show. A check box next to each of the shows listed would work, and this could be marked for all to see. That way we would know that "block voting" rules would apply for those shows.
"Those car owner who do not participate in "block voting" could then avoid the show and spend time with family or friends. We might even organize a cruise-in that day that focuses on the appreciation that we have for our cars and the camaraderie of fellow car nuts. But without the trophies.
"I suspect this may be difficult to achieve, given what I fear is a lack of testicular fortitude on the part of the "block voters" to admit to such a scheme. However, I on the other hand, would welcome the transparency of this approach. It's efficient and we all get what we want in the end. So, let's try to work together and reach across the aisle and admit our differences and work towards a better car show in the future.
"If you choose to publish this Bill, please do not hesitate to use my name.
Steve "
/
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Go Go Gardiner
Sent in by Roxanne:
"Go Go Gardiner Classic Car Show & Sock Hop
Water StreetGardiner, Maine 04345
Phone: (207) 582-3100
Aug 01, 2009.
Flashes of steel and chrome, the sound of Buddy Holly, saddleshoes and poodle skirts. Downtown Gardiner will feel like a blast from thepast with the Go Go Gardiner Car Show & Sock Hop. From 5:30-8 p.m. onSaturday, Water Street will become a museum in the streets, decorated withnostalgic decor, vintage storefront displays,an old fashioned soda counterand photo retrospectives of the downtown during the 1950's. Antique Vehicleowners can register by phone (207) 582-3100 or email gardinermainst@aol.com,with a $5 entry fee, which will help defray the cost of the event."
While you are here, we have a new "Featured Vehicle" on HotKarz
/
"Go Go Gardiner Classic Car Show & Sock Hop
Water StreetGardiner, Maine 04345
Phone: (207) 582-3100
Aug 01, 2009.
Flashes of steel and chrome, the sound of Buddy Holly, saddleshoes and poodle skirts. Downtown Gardiner will feel like a blast from thepast with the Go Go Gardiner Car Show & Sock Hop. From 5:30-8 p.m. onSaturday, Water Street will become a museum in the streets, decorated withnostalgic decor, vintage storefront displays,an old fashioned soda counterand photo retrospectives of the downtown during the 1950's. Antique Vehicleowners can register by phone (207) 582-3100 or email gardinermainst@aol.com,with a $5 entry fee, which will help defray the cost of the event."
While you are here, we have a new "Featured Vehicle" on HotKarz
/
C.H.O.P.
Just returned from our Tuesday night trek to the Cumberland House of Pizza for their weekly cruise.
What can I say - C.H.O.P. has never failed to delight! Anyone who has not attended this cruise just does not know what they are missing. And you never know what "new" vehicles will make their debut.
Gotta love it! Thanks to all the good folks who put on this wonderful cruise.
/
What can I say - C.H.O.P. has never failed to delight! Anyone who has not attended this cruise just does not know what they are missing. And you never know what "new" vehicles will make their debut.
Gotta love it! Thanks to all the good folks who put on this wonderful cruise.
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Misinformed
I received a comment (anonymously, of course) that I feel I should address, primarily because the writer seems to be sadly misinformed. Here is one of the incorrect comments:
"I realize you are trying to make it fair for everyone, but your getting to worked up over (block voting for) best of show"
This statement is wrong because no one from HotKarz made any mention of block voting on that particular award - or any particular award, for that matter. In fact, I made it a point to say that I was not pointing out any particular class, car or award. It was the READERS who posted comments concerning Best of Show, not HotKarz. So please, again, if you are going to comment, please make it a point to be both accurate and honest.
In another comment by the same person:
"Furthermore if you are going to pick apart all the shows then either start staying home or maybe the state of MAINE isn't worthy to have car shows anymore because we don't know how to run them.I think the people are doing the best they can so work with them.My only other bitch is I don't think that on your way up to recieve your trophy the reply "up yours" was appropiate after all this is a FAMILY Sport so please act accordingly. "
Spoken like someone from the block-voting group. The writer has completely missed the point - not only of HotKarz and comments by concerned readers, but also the point of life, itself. So let me be clear - the POINT is to always try to improve in ALL things. That is why we go to school. College. Why we work our way up the ladder. Why we strive to earn more. Why we take time to give our children values. The point of life is to IMPROVE and PROGRESS and GROW. And car shows are a part of our lives. If we are not striving to make them better and better, then shows are destined to fade away. Because here is another fact of life - nothing stays the same. Nothing can stagnate. It either moves and/or grows, or it dies.
The writer misses yet another point - the problem being addressed (block voting) is NOT a problem created by the show hosts, or the people "running" the shows. It is a problem of a certain small, tight group of dishonest people whose objective is to stoop to any level to win trophies. The shows are generally fine - the problem is the dishonest folks who cheat the rest.
And as for the "up yours" comment, I believe it was actually "bite me", and that is a running joke between us. But in either case, neither is vulgar, nor profane. If your skin is that thin, then I would think you are the one with a problem.
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"I realize you are trying to make it fair for everyone, but your getting to worked up over (block voting for) best of show"
This statement is wrong because no one from HotKarz made any mention of block voting on that particular award - or any particular award, for that matter. In fact, I made it a point to say that I was not pointing out any particular class, car or award. It was the READERS who posted comments concerning Best of Show, not HotKarz. So please, again, if you are going to comment, please make it a point to be both accurate and honest.
In another comment by the same person:
"Furthermore if you are going to pick apart all the shows then either start staying home or maybe the state of MAINE isn't worthy to have car shows anymore because we don't know how to run them.I think the people are doing the best they can so work with them.My only other bitch is I don't think that on your way up to recieve your trophy the reply "up yours" was appropiate after all this is a FAMILY Sport so please act accordingly. "
Spoken like someone from the block-voting group. The writer has completely missed the point - not only of HotKarz and comments by concerned readers, but also the point of life, itself. So let me be clear - the POINT is to always try to improve in ALL things. That is why we go to school. College. Why we work our way up the ladder. Why we strive to earn more. Why we take time to give our children values. The point of life is to IMPROVE and PROGRESS and GROW. And car shows are a part of our lives. If we are not striving to make them better and better, then shows are destined to fade away. Because here is another fact of life - nothing stays the same. Nothing can stagnate. It either moves and/or grows, or it dies.
The writer misses yet another point - the problem being addressed (block voting) is NOT a problem created by the show hosts, or the people "running" the shows. It is a problem of a certain small, tight group of dishonest people whose objective is to stoop to any level to win trophies. The shows are generally fine - the problem is the dishonest folks who cheat the rest.
And as for the "up yours" comment, I believe it was actually "bite me", and that is a running joke between us. But in either case, neither is vulgar, nor profane. If your skin is that thin, then I would think you are the one with a problem.
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Firestorm
Since I mentioned block voting last year, and again a few days ago, a lot of folks have been posting comments and emailing me, all saying that they are suddenly noticing it themselves - and find it to be reprehensible.
So just a short note to those who use "block voting" - if people are noticing, that means they know who you are. So if you continue playing that dirty game, you may soon notice that more and more people will have less and less respect for you - they know that sleeping with dogs will only result in getting fleas.
Using dishonest means to sway results is a dirty game - and folks who play dirty games get dirty.
It's OK to want to win - Americans are, by nature, competitive, and it is competition that made this nation strong. But winning is not the goal. The goal is to be WORTHY of winning. To be the best. A trophy means nothing unless is represents the truth. If you have to cheat to get it, it is not worth having. It certainly is not worth selling your integrity for. The trophy is worth $10. What is your honor worth? Or your immortal soul?
Let's all work to clean things up. It will make the competition more fun for us all. It will encourgage participants to work harder to improve their ride, because that is the road to winning. And then when you win, you will know that you earned it, and deserve it.
Yes, try to win. Try your damndest, if that is what you want. But do it honestly, by improving your vehicle, and not by buying votes.
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So just a short note to those who use "block voting" - if people are noticing, that means they know who you are. So if you continue playing that dirty game, you may soon notice that more and more people will have less and less respect for you - they know that sleeping with dogs will only result in getting fleas.
Using dishonest means to sway results is a dirty game - and folks who play dirty games get dirty.
It's OK to want to win - Americans are, by nature, competitive, and it is competition that made this nation strong. But winning is not the goal. The goal is to be WORTHY of winning. To be the best. A trophy means nothing unless is represents the truth. If you have to cheat to get it, it is not worth having. It certainly is not worth selling your integrity for. The trophy is worth $10. What is your honor worth? Or your immortal soul?
Let's all work to clean things up. It will make the competition more fun for us all. It will encourgage participants to work harder to improve their ride, because that is the road to winning. And then when you win, you will know that you earned it, and deserve it.
Yes, try to win. Try your damndest, if that is what you want. But do it honestly, by improving your vehicle, and not by buying votes.
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Belgrade & Gorham
Below is the first letter received on Belgrade, along with the writer's perspective on an issue at Gorham (but not the fault of the Lions). It does point out clearly what I was saying about cheating at some shows.
"Hi Bill: We spent an enjoyable but wet day yesterday at one of the best shows of the season in Belgrade. But first, more about Gorham.
"Two of us were actually approached by someone in Special Interest who wanted to exchange ballots with us so they could vote for themselves and we could vote for ourselves. We said no and they couldn’t understand why. It’s too bad the car itself couldn’t win and the owner had to cheat for it. [Editor - yes, we know who that was. ]
"Now back to Belgrade. They did an excellent job from start to finish and even controlled the rain so it stopped during the awards ceremony. Judges used a point system very fairly, even checking my car and another which apparently were very close a second time to determine first and second in imports. They did two other things which I had not seen before. The five cars which the judges had given the highest points to in the show were lined up while the awards were being presented and were judged again, with the best of show trophy and four runner up trophies presented at the end.
"Secondly, instead of giving each entry a ticket for door prizes when they registered, throughout the day the DJ gave a door prize to, for example, the first to bring up a tire, an air pressure gauge, a tire iron (someone got there with a lug wrench but that didn’t qualify), a first aid kit, a bottle of Coke or Pepsi, and lots of other similar objects. It made it much more interesting and lots of fun. The whole show was great and worth the almost 2 hour trip. Will certainly do it again next year.
Bob Norwood "
Belgrade seems to have made some good and interesting changes this year. Sometimes it is a painful process, but it goes to show that a little constructive criticism, when taken properly and used to make improvements, can do wonders. I, for one, am very happy to hear this kind of feedback on Belgrade. I know they worked hard this year.
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"Hi Bill: We spent an enjoyable but wet day yesterday at one of the best shows of the season in Belgrade. But first, more about Gorham.
"Two of us were actually approached by someone in Special Interest who wanted to exchange ballots with us so they could vote for themselves and we could vote for ourselves. We said no and they couldn’t understand why. It’s too bad the car itself couldn’t win and the owner had to cheat for it. [Editor - yes, we know who that was. ]
"Now back to Belgrade. They did an excellent job from start to finish and even controlled the rain so it stopped during the awards ceremony. Judges used a point system very fairly, even checking my car and another which apparently were very close a second time to determine first and second in imports. They did two other things which I had not seen before. The five cars which the judges had given the highest points to in the show were lined up while the awards were being presented and were judged again, with the best of show trophy and four runner up trophies presented at the end.
"Secondly, instead of giving each entry a ticket for door prizes when they registered, throughout the day the DJ gave a door prize to, for example, the first to bring up a tire, an air pressure gauge, a tire iron (someone got there with a lug wrench but that didn’t qualify), a first aid kit, a bottle of Coke or Pepsi, and lots of other similar objects. It made it much more interesting and lots of fun. The whole show was great and worth the almost 2 hour trip. Will certainly do it again next year.
Bob Norwood "
Belgrade seems to have made some good and interesting changes this year. Sometimes it is a painful process, but it goes to show that a little constructive criticism, when taken properly and used to make improvements, can do wonders. I, for one, am very happy to hear this kind of feedback on Belgrade. I know they worked hard this year.
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Sunday, July 26, 2009
New Cruise-In
HotKarz has posted a new cruise-in location for Monday nights - Sebago Brewing Company, 29 Elm Street in Gorham, includes classics from Wyman's Auto Body. Every Monday in August, 5-8 pm.
Don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a new Monday night cruise. This just may be the ticket!
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Don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a new Monday night cruise. This just may be the ticket!
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Block Voting
Someone anonymously commented that "block voting did not happen" on certain vehicles/classes at the Gorham show. Just for the record, please note that I and several others actually witnessed it, and one individual involved in it even admitted it, and did not see anything wrong with it. And there were TWO groups that were using block voting. There is no doubt about it, and I would add that no one can say with any certainty that they know it did NOT happen, unless, of course, they somehow know how everyone voted, which is not possible.
Please folks - before making comments stating a mere opinion as though it is fact, one word - DON'T. Block voting was happening by two separate groups at the Gorham show, and was witnessed by several folks (and anyone with their eyes open). I am not saying it happened in any particular class, or any particular vehicle - but I am saying it did happen, and often does. The "buddy system" of rigging results is alive and well. Face it - many of us do it to some degree. It is difficult to vote against a friend or relative. And ordinarily, as individuals, that is simply human nature and understandable. But when a GROUP of people purposely act together to rig the results, that is a different story. That is dishonest. It is cheating. It is intentionally doing harm to others - to the people who deserved to win.
And almost every regular show-goer knows it. Here's a dead give-away, as an example: let us say that a club with 10 or 20 members (or a business with a lot of entries) attend a show. They want their members to win. When the awards are given out, if most of those club members or company employees take home the trophies in their classes, it's a pretty good bet they voted for one another in block voting. Or, as you traverse the field you keep your ears open and hear a group say something like, "What's Bobby-Jo's number?" and another says, "C-22", and 10 people all jot on their ballots simultaneously, it's a good bet that block voting is going on.
I do agree, however, that for "Lions Choice", Lions should recuse themselves from consideration, to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. Bear in mind, however, that just because a Lion won does not mean it only won because he was a Lion - it could simply be coincidence.
Now, although I could easily produce evidence of block voting and embarrass people, and name names, it is not the objective of this blog to shame anyone in that manner - it is enough to point out the PROBLEM without attacking individuals by name. They know who they are, and so do many others, and that should be sufficient.
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Please folks - before making comments stating a mere opinion as though it is fact, one word - DON'T. Block voting was happening by two separate groups at the Gorham show, and was witnessed by several folks (and anyone with their eyes open). I am not saying it happened in any particular class, or any particular vehicle - but I am saying it did happen, and often does. The "buddy system" of rigging results is alive and well. Face it - many of us do it to some degree. It is difficult to vote against a friend or relative. And ordinarily, as individuals, that is simply human nature and understandable. But when a GROUP of people purposely act together to rig the results, that is a different story. That is dishonest. It is cheating. It is intentionally doing harm to others - to the people who deserved to win.
And almost every regular show-goer knows it. Here's a dead give-away, as an example: let us say that a club with 10 or 20 members (or a business with a lot of entries) attend a show. They want their members to win. When the awards are given out, if most of those club members or company employees take home the trophies in their classes, it's a pretty good bet they voted for one another in block voting. Or, as you traverse the field you keep your ears open and hear a group say something like, "What's Bobby-Jo's number?" and another says, "C-22", and 10 people all jot on their ballots simultaneously, it's a good bet that block voting is going on.
I do agree, however, that for "Lions Choice", Lions should recuse themselves from consideration, to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. Bear in mind, however, that just because a Lion won does not mean it only won because he was a Lion - it could simply be coincidence.
Now, although I could easily produce evidence of block voting and embarrass people, and name names, it is not the objective of this blog to shame anyone in that manner - it is enough to point out the PROBLEM without attacking individuals by name. They know who they are, and so do many others, and that should be sufficient.
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Gorham - Another Perspective
Received the following email from Norm, of the Gorham Lions Club, concerning their great little show:
"Good morning Bill ,read with great interest your blog on yesterday show , couple of changes were made this year to reduce classes but I guess that just complicated the works, last year there was little or no interest in trucks both mini and full size so we grouped them together reducing the classes by two but there was a request to add commercial units and they were to be behind the school but none showed that was the second group you mention. We also grouped the camaros and firebirds together for same reason and dropped restoration in progress as there were little or no interest last year, sooner or later we may get it right. As for the block voting we were advised of that but there is little we can do about that. We did discover some class jumping but it was after the voting had started so it was two late to do anything about it except cause some commotions which we did not need...As for the old stock cars the owners had inquired if they could be there but we had no spot for them they made a issue of paying since they were not in the running I am guessing they were not above board with our registration folks and I believe those vehicle came in a trailer so could not be seen by our spotters. Please be easy with us we are Lions not cars owners and our purpose is raise fund for our local community projects. We trust those who attend many of these events to be honest with us but I guess we need to be on guard. Thanks for you comments we will try to address those items if we can."
Thank you for the clarification, Norm. We all realize this is a bit new to you, and that there are some things out of anyone's control. You did a fine job overall. A lot of shows that have been around for years could learn a thing or two from you guys.
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"Good morning Bill ,read with great interest your blog on yesterday show , couple of changes were made this year to reduce classes but I guess that just complicated the works, last year there was little or no interest in trucks both mini and full size so we grouped them together reducing the classes by two but there was a request to add commercial units and they were to be behind the school but none showed that was the second group you mention. We also grouped the camaros and firebirds together for same reason and dropped restoration in progress as there were little or no interest last year, sooner or later we may get it right. As for the block voting we were advised of that but there is little we can do about that. We did discover some class jumping but it was after the voting had started so it was two late to do anything about it except cause some commotions which we did not need...As for the old stock cars the owners had inquired if they could be there but we had no spot for them they made a issue of paying since they were not in the running I am guessing they were not above board with our registration folks and I believe those vehicle came in a trailer so could not be seen by our spotters. Please be easy with us we are Lions not cars owners and our purpose is raise fund for our local community projects. We trust those who attend many of these events to be honest with us but I guess we need to be on guard. Thanks for you comments we will try to address those items if we can."
Thank you for the clarification, Norm. We all realize this is a bit new to you, and that there are some things out of anyone's control. You did a fine job overall. A lot of shows that have been around for years could learn a thing or two from you guys.
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A Nemesis Defeated
Having a large piece of land in the great state of Maine, we are plagued every summer with hordes of voracious deerflies and horseflies. It always made outdoor work a real pain, literally.
Out of desperation, I tried a product called TRED-NOT, a sticky patch that you affix to the back of your hat.
Here is the result of a short test walking out to our first field and back - about a 10 minute walk.
If you are pestered with biting flies, I highly recommend these inexpensive patches. I found them online at http://www.biconet.com/traps/deerflyPatch.html
Bill
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Out of desperation, I tried a product called TRED-NOT, a sticky patch that you affix to the back of your hat.
Here is the result of a short test walking out to our first field and back - about a 10 minute walk.
If you are pestered with biting flies, I highly recommend these inexpensive patches. I found them online at http://www.biconet.com/traps/deerflyPatch.html
Bill
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Mackworth Island
Pix of the Mackworth show & winners are up in the Gallery, Winner's Circle and the Best Of... areas of HotKarz.
When we awoke this morning, we debated whether or not we would trek out to the Island - the rain was coming down hard in Limington (of course it was - it ALWAYS is).
But we took a chance and headed out. To our surprise, the weather at the Island was not that bad - a few sprinkles here and there, but only immediately after drying off the cars. When we stopped trying to dry the cars, the rain stopped altogether.
But the weather did keep a lot of folks away, unfortunately. But those intrepid souls who did attend were treated to the customary hospitality of the good folks who host the show to benefit Baxter School for the Deaf.
Ah-h-h, a fresh cup-a-joe first thing. And homemade apple pies.
Like last year, we strolled around the island trail, along the coast - a real treat for us landlubbers.
Although there were only 12 classes, they were well-defined, and every vehicle was able to find its proper place.
All in all, the show was rather flawless. We'll be back next year!
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When we awoke this morning, we debated whether or not we would trek out to the Island - the rain was coming down hard in Limington (of course it was - it ALWAYS is).
But we took a chance and headed out. To our surprise, the weather at the Island was not that bad - a few sprinkles here and there, but only immediately after drying off the cars. When we stopped trying to dry the cars, the rain stopped altogether.
But the weather did keep a lot of folks away, unfortunately. But those intrepid souls who did attend were treated to the customary hospitality of the good folks who host the show to benefit Baxter School for the Deaf.
Ah-h-h, a fresh cup-a-joe first thing. And homemade apple pies.
Like last year, we strolled around the island trail, along the coast - a real treat for us landlubbers.
Although there were only 12 classes, they were well-defined, and every vehicle was able to find its proper place.
All in all, the show was rather flawless. We'll be back next year!
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