JamesSlusher.com

If I could really do what I want to do to the various and sundry autos that I work on it would be this:

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Check out Rev1.net for the new release of The Patriot Act. Good stuff.

Johnny Edwards, or someone else at the Augusta Chronicle, must have started dating someone outside of their race. There was a blitzkrieg of stories on interracial issues last Sunday. The thing is, I just don’t get it.

I mean, I understand the stories fine. I just don’t get any poor behavior towards me. At least none that I would attribute to race. Sure, sometimes people stare, but that would be attributable to the fact that I’m fine. People stare when I’m not with my wife. Men and women, because I’m that hot.

We also tend not to go places where there are people that are amongst the offendable demographic. We don’t go to “white clubs” or “black clubs”. We don’t hang around people who are in their early to mid-20s either, which happens to be the demographic which is most likely to get up the pluck to comment. None of our friends or family has a problem with it. Which is why we hang out with them. Having a problem with that sort of thing automatically disqualifies you from my “friend list”.

One of the great ironic arguments against interracial couples is the “I’m just worried about the kids” line. My wife and I are of the belief that if you would teach your uni-racial kids to act right, you wouldn’t have to worry about mine.

So all in all, we have sort of an “Ozzie and Harriet” lifestyle, which suits me just fine. If we ever do end up with racial drama in our lives, it will probably come by way of jealous kids acting up in school towards my child(ren). And I will be there to let her (them) know that there are good people and bad people in this world and to not let the bad ones ruin everything.

What do you get when you let a baby play with a digital camera? A bunch of self-portraits, obviously.

What do you get when you don’t let a baby play with digital camera? The puppy face, obviously.

I could not get my Mom’s bathroom sink unclogged. I tried snaking it (impossible to do, it turns out). I tried Draino. I tried some no-name (at least not one I had heard of) sink-unstopper. Then I asked a dude (sorry I can’t remember your name) at Wrightsboro Supply (if you need plumbing or electrical stuff in the CSRA, I recommend them highly). He handed me a bottle of virgin sulfuric acid (not some old slutty acid) and said if that wouldn’t unstop it, you didn’t want it unstopped. Sure enough, the drain is draining now (which is pretty much what one wants out of a drain). Of course, the old metal of the p-trap underneath the sink couldn’t handle the heat. Literally. That stuff gets HOT as it eats away at the crud in your pipes, causing a very minor leak in the old pipe. So the p-trap will need to be replaced, but all in all I’m proud of getting that done. I also replaced her kitchen faucet and the guy at Wrightsboro Supply figured out an ingenious way of running the lines that didn’t involve sweating (soldering) them. Tons of thanks for that.

Next up, replacing the timing cover seal on the F100.

Yes, I spelled “braking” correctly. We replaced the front calipers, rotors and brake pads on the Bronco yesterday. Doing the brakes on a 4×4 (manual locking hub for any four-wheel enthusiasts), is no real picnic, but we got it sorted out. Since I didn’t have any experience with it and William (my Father-in-law) had only ever seen it done, we decided to lay out a board and arrange the pieces on it as they came off. First piece went on the very end of the board, second piece a little closer, etc until it looked like an exploded diagram of a wheel hub. Then we replaced the parts that needed replacing. The calipers were in pretty bad shape and the brake lines themselves will need to be changed soon. Once we finished that, we just put everything back in the reverse order it came off. Turned out good and I’m happy. The big goal is that the Bronco will be his daily driver.

We also bought a tool to help with the harmonic balancer install on the F100 (yes, this will be the 3rd time in about 4 months). It is slinging oil like a presidential well. We also bought the timing cover seal (front main) and Robert Lee and I will probably tackle that shortly.

I have to admit something. When G. W. Bush told us that Saddam Hussein was an evil, WMD-toting, terrorist supporting, 9/11 helping, smelly bad guy, I was all for going in there and kicking his butt. But, you know, I was expecting what the president was telling us was true.

Don’t get this twisted, I don’t think that Saddam was ever a peace and love and big hugs kind of guy. I just realize now, despite the Bush administration’s and its cohorts (read gullible, lazy American Big Media) that Saddam was not nearly the threat he was made out to be and had nothing to do with 9/11, other than cheering when it happened. Which makes him a bad guy, but it is not our place to take over a country with a bad leader. If that were the case, we would be taking over about 50 percent of the world right now. Including (but not limited too), North Korea, Iran, Rwanda, Haiti, Pakistan, China, Libya and Mozambique. Oh, and we would be storming the White House right now.

The Bush administration lies. And lies. And keeps lying. Yes, I know that Clinton was almost impeached for lying and I don’t care. He was lying about cheating on his wife (and who wouldn’t want to avoid angering Hillary?) and Bush lied to take us to WAR.

Via Mark Evanier comes a link to Frank Rich discussing Bush’s use of faux journalism.

Josh Mitchell points out so many that I have to just let you read his whole blog.

Rep. Henry Waxman even created a searchable database showing 237 misleading statements the Bush adminstration made about Iraq.

How exactly does one get to be a “demagogue”? Is there some place I can put in an application? I like the whole idea of it. I want to be one.

I especially want to be one if people begin to mistake it with “demigod”. Then I would be thought of as having powers above mere mortals. That would be neat.

In reality though, it is far more likely that if I were elected to power I would be a Democrat who’s demarche would end up in getting caught with a demimonde, demeaning the office, demolishing the demos, demonetizing the currency system, demounting the current power structure, finding out I’m in a demoded demographic and ending in my demoralized demission.

Okay, okay, my Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary is currently open to pages 338 and 339. You caught me, no need to demur.

Jon Stewart has really come into his own on The Daily Show

Check out this clip. And this one.

Really. I’m sick and tired of working for the man. If I’m going to work for someone who is lazy and incompetent, it might as well be me. I’ve just got to figure out what I’m going to do exactly.

Darlene (my brother’s wife) made some really good suggestions for automotive related self employment. I’m interested in that, and I have had an idea about creating automotive themed furniture since my days at Gibbs junk yard, but I don’t really know where to start.

I’ve tried (unsuccessfully) to talk Chaun into a housing oriented business venture. The appeal of that is that I would get to be partners with one of my favorite people in the entire world and I know she is going to be careful and disciplined with the money. She might be a little too careful as I wouldn’t typify Chaun as anything even close to a gambler. I think it would be fun and if it made good money it would get her to move back down here, which would be a huge upside also.

Then there is an Internet related business with the Automan Empire website (which I am currently doing nothing with). That might be my best bet for a low investment/risk start up business.

We will see, as I am not fit for making money for others. I should be making it for me.