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
/
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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.
/
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.
/
"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.
/
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.
/
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.
/
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.
/
"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.
/
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!
/
Don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a new Monday night cruise. This just may be the ticket!
/
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.
/
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.
/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)