Pirate with a Permission Slip

We're NOT a plumbing supply

2024-03-29T08:47:00.001-06:00

So... Fridays are slow. Like, "stand around and play on your phone" slow.

Guy walks in, doesn't seem to speak English. Hands me a part: the handle and flush arm from a toilet. And just stands there, looking at me.

My brother Knuckles walks away, shaking his head: he had seen what was in the guy's hand, and wanted nothing to do with it.

I ask the guy what the part is from. I recognized what it was, but wanted to give the guy a chance. He just kept staring at me. I said "This is from a toilet"... he nods. The rest of the crew is now staring, trying not to laugh.

"Sir... we're an auto parts store, not a plumbing supply". Dude just keeps staring.

Some people

Ocean oil

2024-01-01T10:22:00.001-06:00

So... not one of our customers, but via one of the local shops.

Girl comes in to get some work done. Complaining that the last shop put "ocean oil" in her car, because she can hear it "whooshing around".

Further complaint that the wheels are somehow connected to the engine: she presses the gas and the wheels turn, even when she puts it in reverse.

Shop owner was rolling, telling us about this. To be honest, I'm just flabbergasted that she can drive.

Stay classy, Wisconsin!

cast of character

2023-11-20T13:57:00.001-06:00

Occurs to me I should give y'all the cast of characters at the parts counter...

First off, we have Jess. Lovely girl, several kids, very knowledgeable. She's the leader if our merry band (store GM).

Then there's Abe. Commercial manager, and kinda Jess' right hand. Mexican guy, expert on detailing, and my direct boss. Good guy

Two more managers, Jordan and Alex. Both younger guys, and knowledgeable. Alex is multilingual (and has saved me more than once), Jordan is a gun nut.

Then the peons. There's the other driver, Kaw Liga. Dale, the resident Old Guy. Phoebe, whose father works at a sister store. And myself.

Not gonna mention the couple weekend guys, as I don't work with them.

There... y'all have the cast for TftPC

Tales from the Parts Counter

2023-11-20T11:31:00.001-06:00

As I stated last night, I've been working at a local auto parts store. To say that some of our customers are... interesting, would be an understatement. So I figured I would share some of them with you.

This won't be a regular feature, but one that will pop up when I get a particularly humorous one.

-----------------------------------------------------------

So, I was in my first week. I'm standing behind the store manager, Jess, and the customer is looking for a battery for his new bike. I ask what he got, and he answers "Got myself a steal! $7K, for a nice HD Sportster Softail"

My brain immediately checks out for a smoke.

Jess does her best to find him a battery, and sends him on his way. Then she turns to me and asks "What's wrong?".

Ok, so she doesn't know bikes. I explained it to her this way: "Dude just asked for a battery for a Ford Focus Fusion"

Hope he didn't fry his new scoot

Repost for the winter

2023-11-20T00:13:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again, to brew up Spiced Tea!

Mom swore by this stuff. In fact, many of the girls I dated met Mom because of it: they'd come over to get dosed when they got sick...

This makes about 2 liters. You want to drink it as hot as you can, as fast as you can. If Mom was serving you, you'ld only get to stop to breathe...

Spiced Tea

1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
3/4 tsp black tea
1 1/2 qts cold water (6 cups)
1 1/2 cups OJ
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cups sugar

In the first pot, bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add cinnamon stick. Steep teabag w/ clove for 5 minutes. In a second pot, heat OJ, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir frequentally until sugar is dissolved. Add the contents of the juice mixture to the tea. Serve hot!!!!

I had almost forgotten this thing

2023-11-19T22:53:00.001-06:00

So... lots of life changes. Spoon left me (well, ended the relationship, I was the one that had to move). Have been seeing another lady (Dismount, will introduce the 2 of you to her eventually). The two of us bought a house (?!?!).

I'm also currently a powder monkey (won't name the company, but in the next couple months you will probably shoot .223 that I loaded), and also a delivery driver at an auto parts store (that pays the mortgage).

Still with BACA. Still ride and shoot. Had reason to dig into Law Dog's blog, and got reminded that this was helping me some. So... I'm back!

Not sure what form or frequency my posting will be. That'll all come out in the shakedown cruise

Administrivia

2018-05-09T07:08:00.001-06:00

Going back through previous posts, and I realize that Photobucket has decided that I have to pay for my pic hosting

Gonna go see if there's something better

This thing on?

2018-05-08T17:38:00.003-06:00

Well, life got in the way again. But I'm back for a spell

Been noticing talk around the net, folks agitating for a fight. Left v Right, winner take all

That... isn't how it's going to happen.

What I see, peering into the foggy depths of my crystal ball is certain actors on the Far Left, who think they're Billy Badass, causing enough of a disturbance that a (so far) quiet segment of the Right and Center decide that the Social Contract has been voided. The people I'm thinking of contain a large number of veterans, and people that have learned a wide variety of ways of creating mayhem. And the only thing keeping them in check is the belief in that Social Contract.

Not sure what the kick-off issue will be. Could be a Trump re-election. Maybe a gun control protest. Midterms don't go the way Antifa and their allies want. But when it happens, the backlash will be ugly... and catestrophic

Neither side is really "pure" on their ideology, and it won't take long before these differences start to cause rifts. What starts as "Left v Right" will quickly turn into the end scene of Reservoir Dogs: everyone pointing their guns at everyone else, temporary alliances between this group and that dissolving as quickly as they're created.

Now, I could be wrong (gawds, but I hope so). My crystal ball was a cheap purchase at a discount store, and can always be misleading. But looking around, and listening to folks, it certainly looks like we're headed for disaster

Product review: Coulax V4.1 bluetooth stereo headset

2015-11-27T18:01:00.000-06:00

So... might be time to dust this thing off again (HOW many times has this been done?)

So anyway... was contacted about doing a review through the Android Forums. Good piece of gear to look into!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coulax V4.1 Bluetooth Headset

I recently received one of these headsets for review, and have to admit that I'm impressed. For some background, I use my headset when riding, doing maintainence at a local hotel, working out. And I use one side for calls when driving. My previous setup was an LG HBS-700

Comparing the two, battery life is a horse apiece: I tend to charge my electronics every night out of habit, so I didn't notice too much of a difference there. Did manage to run the V4.1 for a couple days without charging, and never had a problem. Call quality was good throughout. On par for working out, as well, and working at the hotel.

Where the V4.1 pulled ahead was at the hotel and on the bike. Mowing lawns and riding have always been problematic for me, as it gets VERY hard to hear the LG when on the mower or at speed on the bike. The V4.1 had no such troubles: even on my Sportster at 70mph (running straight pipes and no windshield), I could still hear my tunes perfectly clearly, whereas the LG became nothing more than a poor set of ear plugs.

Also give a slight advantage to the V4.1 on design: the buds are connected by a wire, with just a small control box near the right side. The advantage here was in working out: the band connector of the LG would tend to slide around while at the gym, and the V4.1 simply didn't have the extra weight being thrown around (and pulling the buds out of my ears). This eliminated a LOT of frustration!

Controls, I give a slight (think “hair”) edge to the LG: since you have a much larger piece for controls, you have separate volume and track controls. A very minor difference, as getting used to the V4.1's controls wasn't difficult at all.

Priced currently at $30 on Amazon (I paid around $80 for the LG), the V4.1 is a deal that's hard to beat this Christmas season!

Wait, what? Words fail me

2015-01-06T13:52:00.002-06:00

OK... caught this over at APS

Basically, the premise of an essay given an award at Hebrew University is that Israeli soldiers are showing racism by not raping Palestinian women. Let me quote here:

Nitzan alleges that the "lack of military rape merely strengthens the ethnic boundaries and clarifies the inter-ethnic differences–just as organized military rape would have done."

Wait a second: not raping is racist. Raping is racist. Ye gawds... there really is no "win" here

Read the whole thing. Have Excedrine handy

I better put my boots on...

2014-12-21T22:57:00.001-06:00

... so I can start quaking in them, re: this announcement.

I mean, seriously: can the Norks even successfully hit South Korea, let alone project force across the Pacific?

And how many people across the US, if Kim actually managed to lob a missle across and hit the White House, would be upset? I know a bunch who would probably send the man a beer for that one.

Ecigs, revisited

2014-12-18T00:24:00.001-06:00

Ok... if you've been reading me for awhile (or actually went through and read everything I've posted), you may remember me experimenting with Blu ecigs.

That experiment failed: worked for a while, but I just couldn't stop smoking regular smokes. And, after a short time, I had given up on the gadgets. Then tried again, with a better set-up: couldn't make it work right. Even tried a third time, when a vape shop opened nearby: still no joy.

Recently, and in part to the promptings of a certain 12 year old, I decided to try again. This time, it seems to be working. And oh my gawds, the variety of gadgets available!

There is, almost literally, something available for any lifestyle or price range. There are the beginners' "eGo" system: a simple battery and tank, with an atomizer coil of some kind, all usually sold as a kit. There are "mods": devices that hold a removable battery, come in all shapes and sizes, with a variety of features (or, on the opposite end, are nothing more than a simple tube with some wires and a switch). There are pipes, boxes, tubes... you name it, someone makes it. There are even a fair number of folks building their own

So... given this new hobby, I'll be covering some vaping stuff on here. If you smoke, and would like to get away from it, I'm hoping what I convey here will help.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First things first: benefits. I basically stopped smoking in October (I still bum a few, but that's getting less frequent). My sense of smell has come back in a BIG way (as in "I can smell smokers right away). No more smokers' hack. No more smell. And SAVINGS

Did a quick bit of math. I was spending roughly $1500 a year on tobacco and papers (more if you count lighter fluid and such). Quite a bit of scratch!

My current set-up for vaping (Sigelei Legend II, eLeaf iStick, couple of tanks for different liquids) totaled $270. Then add liquid, batteries (figuring replace once a year), and atomizer coils (which I rebuild to save more): estimating $600/year recurring. Hell... even buying new gear every year, I'm coming in at around half the cost.

Cons? There's a bit more of a start-up cost: a basic starter kit is around $30 (maybe less on evilbay) plus juice (at least another $5-10), instead of $6 for a pack of smokes and a Bic. There's also a learning curve: lots of variables involved in vaping. And you will still be lumped in with the rest of the social lepers (although it is MUCH easier to get away with vaping in Sprawlmart than smoking).

So overall... I would call the switch a net benefit. Not to mention it makes a certain 12 year old happy that I'm not smoking anymore!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A couple good resources, if you want to learn more:

www.sweet-vapes.com (local vape shop, located in Sheboygan WI. VERY knowledgeable, with a friendly staff and good prices on gear and a great selection)

www.ecblendflavors.com (where I've been getting juice: selection and prices that are crazy good)

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com (forum for vapers of all kinds. LOTS of info available)

Bloody Hell

2014-12-17T23:33:00.002-06:00

I'll admit up front: I don't really follow the news anymore. It's mostly depressing "if it bleeds it leads" garbage, and sports figures. Neither of which really interest me in the slightest.

So... I come across this. If you haven't heard: Greenpeace members, during the UN climate talks in Peru, decided to add to the Nazca Lines by setting out fabric strips to spell out "Time for change! The future is renewable Greenpeace" next to the Hummingbird.

Cue instant rage

Seriously: had someone at the local brew house walked up and started talking about Greenpeace after I read that, I would be sitting in jail right now. There are some lines that simply should NOT be crossed. And this didn't cross them, it pole-vaulted them. Here's hoping the guilty parties are imprisoned until the damage they caused is gone

Edit: forgot the damn link!

Oh, hi

2014-12-16T20:53:00.000-06:00

Been a LONG year. Not going into details: nobody's business. Figured I would try using this again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading over at Larry's and saw this. Go, read, take it to heart. All it takes for evil to triumph, and all that...

The International 100 Mile Ride

2014-05-10T23:04:00.001-06:00

Hey folks!

So it's that time of year again: we'll soon be doing the 100 Mile Ride for BACA. I had a goal this year: $200. Unfortunately, I'm currently going to be a bit short of that. So I'm going to up the stakes a bit.

If friends on Face Book (and the couple readers I have here) donate enough to push me over the $200 line, I'll be listing all the "out there" colors of hair dye available at my local Sally Beauty Supply. Folks will have one week to vote: the winner is the color I'll dye my head (and post pics of the result, here and on FB)

Hit me up at baca.strings@gmail.com. I do have a paypal acct (under a different addy), if that works better than sending a check. And remember: all proceeds go towards helping abused kids!

Veterens' Day Essay

2014-05-08T20:57:00.001-06:00

So... a good friend's 11 year old daughter recently won a contest for essay she wrote about "what Veterans' Day means to me". Occurs to me that y'all might like to give it a read.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

What Veteran's Day Means to Me
By: Alexandria Kifer

Veteran's Day is a time to remember the heroic men and women who faithfully and courageously served our country and to whom we owe our precious lives.
Today is cold, I can hear the stormy wind singing its sad song, but I feel proud and calm. In my hands is an envelope with the name of a courageous and valiant veteran on it. He was on a mission in Vietnam, fighting the enemy, when his aircraft was shot down. The damage to his plane was beyond repair. Many of his crewmen were killed or wounded, but he survived.
I try to envision his pain. War is bloody, cruel, and haunting. He encountered death many times, but survived its deadly jaws. He had a dream that one day there would be peace for every child, man, and woman in the world. I would like to give this brave and heroic veteran a gift from my heart. I would like to thank him and all veterans for the heroic and courageous sacrifices they made to preserve our priceless freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Our veterans are wise, courageous, generous and heroic men and women whose love and unselfish service to our country are an inspirations to all of us. Their sacrifices and bravery made this great country of ours, the land of the Free, and the home of the Brave.

Veterens' Day Essay

2014-05-08T20:53:00.001-06:00

So... a good friend's 11 year old daughter recently won a contest for essay she wrote about "what Veterans' Day means to me". Occurs to me that y'all might like to give it a read.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

What Veteran's Day Means to Me
By: Alexandria Kifer

Weird grocery

2014-04-24T09:40:00.001-06:00

So... haven't really mentioned it before, but I do have a day job, working for an inventory service. Which means I sometimes see things categorized in slightly odd fashions

Thus is one of those times. Unfortunately, this is NOT the oddest I've seen

You keep using that word...

2014-04-20T00:28:00.001-06:00

... I do not think it means what you think it means

The money quote here, regarding this murder/suicide:

"Question is to whether or not she was safe, she was, in fact, we were protecting her. We also made sure with the protective order in addition to, provided protection to him," Hite said. "I think due diligence was done by detectives in both cases, making sure there was protection around him and her. There is some technology we used to make sure that happened."

Remember this the next time someone says something to you about how you should just cower behind a piece of paper

A good man needs a lill assisstance

2013-12-02T01:55:00.004-06:00

So... it's come to my attention that Dennis at Dragon Leatherworks has recently had some serious medical issues, to the point that he has been unable to work at his bench (meaning holsters are behind, and cashflow is suffering).

Since I think Dennis is a good guy, and I REALLY want to see my holster, I'd like everyone who has a couple extra bucks to go here and buy some DLW swag. Let's help keep one of the good guys going!

New project

2013-11-18T00:36:00.002-06:00

So... some friends have been running a podcast for awhile, and they've managed to draw me in as a part of their cast. Recorded a new episode today: if you follow a pagan path of any kind, go take a listen at Another Pagan Podcast

Roughly biweekly: I'll post here when we do another episode. And by all means, let me know if you have a topic you want to hear about!

This ep, we discuss misused words.

On this day...

2013-11-09T19:23:00.001-06:00

On this day in 1775, the world's most elite group of bellhops was founded.

Happy birthday, jarheads. My bags are in the trunk: make sure they make it to my room ok >;)

Seriously though: Happy Marine Corps Birthday

THIS is the War on Drugs?

2013-11-05T20:32:00.001-06:00

From Reason magazine: go read, I'll wait

Y'all back? Blood pressure going? Good. It should be

This poor man was pulled out of his car for whatever reason. And, because he "appeared to be clenching his buttocks" (maybe he had to go real bad?), was subjected to extreme measures to find drugs... that didn't exist.

Personally, I hope he not only wins his suit, but files further suit against the hospital (billing him? REALLY?), and presses charges. Willing to bet the docs and nurses are now open to sexual assault charges, as well as conspiracy to same on the cops, deputies, and possibly even the judge who issued the warrant

Hey... give me a hand with this barrel?

2013-11-05T11:59:00.001-06:00

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes and his companions
Did the scheme contrive,
To blow the King and Parliament
All up alive.
Threescore barrels, laid below,
To prove old England's overthrow.
But, by God's providence, him they catch,
With a dark lantern, lighting a match!
A stick and a stake
For King James's sake!
If you won't give me one,
I'll take two,
The better for me,
And the worse for you.
A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,
A penn'orth of cheese to choke him,
A pint of beer to wash it down,
And a jolly good fire to burn him.
Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!
Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!
Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Ruminations on food (and paying for it)

2013-11-04T20:05:00.001-06:00

So... was reading this piece over at Peter's, and it got me thinking: what CAN we get by with for food costs?

So... as I sit here at the local coffee shop, I'm writing up a quick shopping list. Now usually, Spoon and I do grocery shopping like urban Japanese: we don't have a lot of storage space. So I'm making a list to feed a family of 3 for 30 days, bought out of Sprawlmart, with explanations of each. Here we go:

Ramen packets: $2.18/12 (let's say 4 of these. Ramen is quick and sleazy, and usually filling. Also good to base a more elaborate meal on) $8.72

Canned soup: $1.50 (A can of Chunky soup with oyster crackers tossed in is another good "quick & sleazy, but filling" meal. Let's say 30 cans) $45

Oyster Crackers: $.98 (good both for soups, and as a snack. We'll say 4 bags) $3.92

Mac & Cheese: $.68 (Ah yes, another staple of cheap eats. One box, mixed with cheddar franks, can easily provide a meal for all three people in my theoretical family. Let's say 10 boxes) $6.80

Rice: $6.53 (Largest bag of white rice they had. Should be good for the entire month, and provides a good base for all kinds of meals) $6.53

Bread: $1.38 (Assuming one child in this scenario. Provides both sammiches and toast. 5 loaves for the month?) $6.90

Milk: $3.38 (I go through a LOT of milk. let's go nuts: 6 gallons for the month) $20.28

Peanut butter: $3.98 (Figuring 2 jars a month) $7.96

Jelly: $1.72 (Smaller jars: we'll say 3 a month) $5.16

Lunch meat: $4.98 (Mom & dad need lunches too. figure 6 of these a month for that) $29.88

Cheddar franks: $2.98 (These have become one of the staples for Spoon & I. Can be added to lots of different things for a meal, as well as just nuked & nommed. 5 packs for the month) $14.90

Frozen chicken breast: $11.48/5lbs (Another staple for us. Can be used for a variety of different meals. 1 pack should last the month with everything else) $11.48

Cereal: $5.98 (Bagged cereal at Sprawlmart. BIG bag. We can say 4 of these) $23.92

Frozen veggies: $1.98 (Also able to be combined with a bunch of different things, for variety at mealtime. 10 bags, different combos) $19.80

Eggs: $1.68 (both for breakfast and other meals. We'll overshoot here, and say 5 dozen) $8.40

Hmmm... pretty sure I've overfed the Theoreticals here: there should be some leftovers. Or maybe there's 2 kids, instead of just one. Whichever, it seems that Mr & Mrs Theoretical SHOULD be able to get by for a grand total of $219.65 for the month (not including some small incidentals like spices)

Notice something though: no snack foods, no soda, no alcohol. And no fast food: the family eats together at home every night.

Anyone else wanna give it a try?