Humor and Perspective...

Some people may not like my humor, or what I think may be funny.  They might even say that frequently I am sophomoric.  Humor is valuable, as in "Laughter is the best medicine...".  If you can laugh at the world as well as yourself, then you are definitely healthier that those that wander about with a black cloud over their head.  I am not depressed or even unhappy.  I try to make each day count, and to laugh at the stressful situations that occur.  At any rate, if you like what I think may be funny, then read on... otherwise you need to  find another blog.

I am not an advocate of gun control.  I do believe that making them more difficult to obtain will only mean that the bad guys will have guns, but the good ones won't.  Why is it so easy to buy guns on the internet, without even checking on who is buy them?  Maybe the ammunition should be way more expensive.   It would seem as though those guns bought on the Internet should be registered somewhere, if nothing more but to keep track of how many are going to whom.  Kennedy was assassinated with a mail-order gun.  The  Aurora massacre was  carried out with guns purchased off the internet.  Much certainly has occurred between those two events, and yet we haven't done anything to restrict that kind of access to guns.

Last night I tackled fixing my Corvette.  I had previously  had problems getting into second and third gears.  I thought that my transmission was failing.  Usually that would be one gear or another, but not two. Over the weekend, I had crawled under the car to inspect the shifting linkage.  I was suspecting a problem because it is so unusual to have second and third failing since first and third, and second and fourth are associated together via the linkage.  I discovered a roll-pin sticking out from its home by about 75%, and it was canted and jammed back.  This caused the shifter to not be able to enter second or third gears.  Great, I thought.  I'll just remove the old one and replace it- all should be fixed.


The replacement pin that I had also moved back and forth in the hole- it was too small.  I proceeded to visit three different parts stores to buy a larger diameter, but couldn't unless it was basically gigantic.  My only path to success was to open the roll-pin a bit and make it a larger diameter.  These pins are spring steel and are very difficult to do anything with.  They are utilized in high stressful areas in the design to provide shear strength.


I used various tools and a big hammer to accomplish the enlargement.  Now if I could only get it into the hole.  This required the use of a needle-nosed pliers, from the inside of the car.  I removed a metal plate around the shifter to expose the hole at the bottom of the shifter.  If I cant my head just right, I could see the hole.  At least 39 times, I grabbed the pin with the pliers and attempted to get the pin into the hole, only to drop it to the ground below.  Then get out of the car, get a broom and retrieve the pin from the garage floor.  Then back into the car, get the pliers and try again.  On the 40th try, it started to go in- a tight fit (as planned by enlarging the diameter).  Quickly, I used a pry bar to force it into its home.  A big sigh of relief.

Now, how will I keep the pin from coming out again.  The design of the pin and its use is to stay put by the compression of the pin.  I didn't trust it, so I inserted a very large Cotter pin through the roll pin, and bent over the emerging ends.  That should keep it in place, I thought.  Only time will tell.

This morning the car shifted like a champ.  It almost seemed "happy" to be out of the garage.  I'm very happy that it was not something much more serious and expensive.  I am content.  Persistence and basic mechanical engineering has paid off again.

Things to Remember
We cannot see the future. We cannot change the past. We can only live in the now with an eye towards gaining enough power in the future to wreak revenge on everyone who ever screwed us in the
past.

Dreaming frees the soul, energizes the spirit and allows you to do things that would get your ass thrown in jail if you really tried them.

Love means never having to say, "Does that twenty include the spanking?"

To truly love another, you must first love yourself. And it wouldn't kill you to wash your hands in between either.

A little bit of love goes a long way in our lives. It can provide us with higher highs and lower lows. But, if it comes with a persistent burning sensation, see your physician.


When it becomes a crime to love, you should probably consider dating outside the family.


If Life hands you lemons today, smile and give thanks. Then when Life isn't looking, give him a quick knee to the groin. That'll learn him.


They say a smile is a gift which is free to the giver and precious to the recipient. But giving the finger is free, too, and I find it more personal and sincere.

North vs South
The North has coffee houses,
The South has Waffle Houses

The North has dating services,
The South has family reunions.

The North has switchblade knives,
The South has Lee Press-on Nails

The North has double last names,
The South has double first names.

The North has Indy car races,
The South has stock car races.

The North has Cream of Wheat,
The South has grits.

The North has green salads,
The South has collard greens.

The North has lobsters,
The South has crawfish.

The North has the rust belt,
The South has the Bible Belt.