*** i could've sworn i posted this somewhere, but at this moment i cant seem to locate it so here's this one...
Entry for November 12, 2008
this is one of the few blogs where i haven't posted anything in a long time, so i figured i was long overdue for providing an update in regards to things that have been transpiring in my life since my last post.
this year has seen many things: another birthday, identity theft, a self-run business slowly rise and quickly fall, admin-level status at a web site, the loss of a family member, communication briefly re-established with other family members, and contemplation of career change accompanied with going back to school again. all this is on top of the daily and other incidental stuff with which i already deal. without a doubt, it's been quite the emotional roller-coaster ride, especially when i take into consideration my past and my future.
my birthday serves as a yearly milestone where i assess how far i've come, what i've accomplished, what i'm currently doing, and what my plans are. it's not so much of a comparison with other people as much as it is a comparison with what i feel i could be doing based on a potential happy medium that i generally try to strive for- nothing too great nor too poor.
as many of you know, last year saw considerable marks in success. i released 10 albums (with a cumulative 15,000+ download result) including a collaborative album which i later remastered as a solo work which i released this year. indeed i have plans for future works, both specifically and generally speaking. after pulling off to work independently, i was accepted to sell my work with apple itunes along with several other companies online. before i was able to send my work to each of these companies, my external hard drive died, which i have described in great detail in a previous post. this put my life at an abrupt standstill. i had no backup plan. if anything, returning to music was my backup plan. due to various medical situations, i've become limited in what i can do so working at home on music seemed like my best option considering my abilities and resources. even though it seems life has other intentions for me, i will not be giving up on this dream and it is my intention to slowly rebuild my way back to where i was before and surpass that milestone.
in the meantime, i'm still limited as to what i can and can't do. time has been slowly healing physical and emotional wounds. i have had time to reconsider life, options, and so forth. an option i've been giving strong consideration to is teaching english as a second and/or foreign language, specifically in japan. why japan? because before i was a live my family had been there while my grandfather was still in the navy and i have grown up seeing all sorts of things attesting to their love of being there and i have been captivated by these relics and on my own experiences found myself gravitating to all things japanese over the course of my life, so it only seemed natural that my first thoughts were of japan. asia, in general, is seeking native-speaking english teachers for all levels of education and they are paying very well and if you get a private job, then the pay is pretty phenomenal. I could really use something that would provide a decent, reliable income. that is something i have never had- its always been decent or reliable, but never both.
so here i am trying my best to become fluent in japanese so that i can go out there and get a job teaching english, but wait- don't i need some sort of experience and educational background in that field before landing such a job? yes, indeed i do. this means completing my existing education so i don't lose all the work i've already done over the course of about 7 years in four colleges. then i need to get an additional degree and perhaps certification as well as work experience before i can even go over there and work. additionally, i will have to perform a massive overseas move as well as getting a home, which will be monumental tasks in of themselves. i've already done all the research into that as well, but i've determined this is something that i want to do and even if it takes me around 7 years to accomplish, i will get it done.
sounds great, but what about the music? that will be sitting on the back burner as little as possible while i am trying to get all these other things accomplished. another goal of the teaching would be to better afford my ability to work on music and probably the repair (if possible) of my external hard drive. if i can get that repaired, then i can get back on track where i was with music sales and continuing further album work, broadcasting, and more. everything i had previously entertained doing in the line of music i still would like to do and i think i can be successful doing that anywhere in the world.
ok, so you mentioned a lot of other stuff happening thats been messing with your abilities... yes, my grandmother passed away this year. her health has been deteriorating for several years now and this year seemed to bring some considerable problems- a broken leg, a heart attack, and then spending her final days in a hospital where she would eventually die. the last medicine the doctors gave her lead to her death. they knew it might do it and my family was informed and for some reason everyone thought it was ok to do. well, she went into a coma, stopped breathing on her own, and after two weeks they finally unplugged her life support and she died a painful, scary death. she was also buried this summer and that was also an ordeal in of itself. i saw relatives i had stopped talking to for quite some time. i saw my grandparents' latest poor choice in assistants there as well. it was not a good day. i chose to bring the dog because he is family and he has emotional problems with being left alone for various reasons. because i had him with me, i was not allowed to go inside for the memorial service which was performed by my great uncle, her brother, how ever i was allowed to attend the burial service as that was outdoors. i miss the person she sometimes was, but not the person she became. her death cemented that things would never be good between us again, much as i had already suspected. in a way i had already said my goodbyes long ago, so the day felt very awkward for me. i think everyone had slightly different feelings on that day and continue to have slightly different feelings. everyone is slightly different now and yet they're still quite the same. things have quieted up between me and my relative once again. everyone is doing what they had been before, the only difference being that my grandmother is no longer part of the picture. it's been hard dealing with things in a way i can't quite describe. i intentionally abandoned certain activities i knew i wouldn't be able to perform during that time and i have resumed most of those activities, such as career and educational research, learning japanese, and a couple of recreational things online, but not everything is back to normal.
i was an active trivia official on a website dedicated to my birth year where i posted on a weekly basis, but now i merely hold the title as i haven't done anything there for months except excuse myself from activity due to family matters. i have resumed recreationally surfing the web and talking to friends online, but i still find myself testier about many things that i used to be more patient about and i've noticed with every major life-affecting event, that i get more and more like this and i don't really care for it. it's something that i try to keep in check, but i can't quite control it 100% of the time, either.
my grandmother's passing hasn't brought much change. my grandfather has seemed to grow more bitter of her, and he continues to tire of life. many of her things have vanished and it seems the help was involved, but he rehired them instead of hiring new help. this places quite a bit of unnecessary tension around the place because my mother will not go while any of them are there and if they are, she insists they leave. my uncle lives out of state so he isn't much help in many matters unless my mother pesters him to do something by phone or during one of his rare visits.
it's hard to keep focused when you have so much swimming around in your head, even more so when you're predisposed to having problems with maintaining focus. things have been breaking down right and left this year as well. my tv died so i have to use a small old one which means i can't really read anything on it or appreciate any rental in any great detail. i can't really afford a replacement at for the time being, either. my home has flooded some more this year and it got pretty bad. i am still fighting mildew problems and telecommunications problems as a result. i've been repairing computers in hopes i can get them all completely functional so that mine will work as they used to (if not better) and i can sell some others online so that i can get a little money. finding ways to make money has been a pain because it almost always costs money to make money. i was hoping to find ways to get ahead and it seems like i am barely staying afloat, all the while i am still receiving minimal financial assistance from my mother when she is able to afford it. i am lucky as most mothers wouldn't do this. i am trying to make the best use of her financial assistance, which does not always come as the easiest of choices. there are so many distractions and oh so many things to do, and there is always more to do than before. all i can do is keep trying and keep planning and someday i might manage to make things work ok...
Showing posts with label automotive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label automotive. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
back-words... car talk...
*** they never replied beyond the automated reply which stated that someone would reply...
also, it seems i have a comment from someone who wants to correct the spelling of McCormick's name. if you read carefully i have written his name correctly twice before the quotation. the only place it is spelled incorrectly is within a quotation, which was taken directly from wiki. that is not my typo. it is in quotes, meaning i do not alter the quotation, not even to correct an error, otherwise it is not a direct quotation. by my description and the link i provided, one can easily see i know how to spell his name. i might suggest making a correction to wiki as they are a major reference to people online.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
car talk...
I have just written to cars.com regarding one of their articles. The article was fine, however I felt it lacked discriminating taste for a top ten list. Clearly such a list is merely presented for amusement, but I would prefer to see a list that showed a little more careful consideration. After reviewing all their top ten lists, I felt compelled to write them and advise them of other vehicles they should have taken time to consider. i hope you will agree with my choices, and if you can think of anything neither cars.com nor I mentioned, by all means, I'd like to hear your suggestions, too! Here is the letter I wrote to cars.com:
To Whom It May Concern:
You have some fantastic entries in your top 10s, however your tv list (http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=more&story=TVcars&referer=&aff=national) failed to mention one crucial vehicle (among many), one whose performance and styling certainly qualifies for ranking: the Coyote featured on the tv series Hardcastle & McCormick. Here is some useful information courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcastle_and_McCormick
"Coyote
The car that McCormack drove, the Coyote was built from Manta Montage kit car based on a McLaren M6BGT and built by the now defunct British kit car manufacturer Warp 5.[1] Like many kit cars of the time, the car uses a chassis from a VW Beetle and its engine from a Porsche 914. [2] For the second and third series series, producers used a different Coyote which was based on a DeLorean, as Brian Keith had difficulty getting in and out of the original Coyote. [3] One significant difference is that the car appears not have any resemblance to the Manta, as the front is larger than the original, making the car resemble a front engined car. [4]"
As I mentioned earlier, I know you were only looking to list a top 10, but you may need to revamp your list. I also noticed you failed to mention the Munstermobile featured on the Munsters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_munsters
"The Munstermobile
George Barris built two automobiles for the show: "The Munster Koach", a hot rod built on a lengthened 1923 Ford Model T chassis with a custom hearse body. It was 18 feet long and cost almost $20,000 to build. Barris also built the DRAG-U-LA (which inspired a Rob Zombie song by the same name), a dragster built from a coffin, which Grandpa used to win back "The Munster Koach" after Herman lost it in a race. (According to Barris, a real coffin was, in fact, purchased for the car.) In real life, Yvonne de Carlo drove a Jaguar sedan fitted with custom-made "spooky" ornaments, for example spider webs on the rims. She had to give up on it, as the car was repeatedly vandalized by fans hunting for souvenirs."
TV shows during the 50s-80s, in particular, were loaded with fantastic vehicles. Another series was Stingray which featured a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_%28NBC_TV_series%29
Additionally one might consider an honorable mention for a vehicle from another series: Streethawk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streethawk
"The bike
The Bike in the pilot episode was based upon a 1983 Honda XL500 trailbike, the bikes used in the series were based on 1984 Honda xr500's, the bikes used for the stunt shots were based on Honda CR250's, overall 15 bikes were used in the show. The whereabouts of 14 of the bikes are unknown, but one now resides in the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, England after being restored by the show's stuntman Chris Bromham. The pilot bike was designed by Andrew Probert and the series bikes were redesigned by Ron Cobb.
There is also evidence that a second Streethawk bike survived, the whereabouts of this bike now are sadly unknown but it is known that a bike was displayed at "Star Cars" in America in the 80's/90's. It is believed that that is the missing bike."
There are indeed many vehicles that have been over-looked. what about the car featured in Kojak? How about the vehicles featured in the Shaft movies? What about the car featured in XXX starring Vin Diesel? It would seem to me your writer(s) needed to do some more research before narrowing down the competition... Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Scott Cherry
also, it seems i have a comment from someone who wants to correct the spelling of McCormick's name. if you read carefully i have written his name correctly twice before the quotation. the only place it is spelled incorrectly is within a quotation, which was taken directly from wiki. that is not my typo. it is in quotes, meaning i do not alter the quotation, not even to correct an error, otherwise it is not a direct quotation. by my description and the link i provided, one can easily see i know how to spell his name. i might suggest making a correction to wiki as they are a major reference to people online.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
car talk...
I have just written to cars.com regarding one of their articles. The article was fine, however I felt it lacked discriminating taste for a top ten list. Clearly such a list is merely presented for amusement, but I would prefer to see a list that showed a little more careful consideration. After reviewing all their top ten lists, I felt compelled to write them and advise them of other vehicles they should have taken time to consider. i hope you will agree with my choices, and if you can think of anything neither cars.com nor I mentioned, by all means, I'd like to hear your suggestions, too! Here is the letter I wrote to cars.com:
To Whom It May Concern:
You have some fantastic entries in your top 10s, however your tv list (http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=more&story=TVcars&referer=&aff=national) failed to mention one crucial vehicle (among many), one whose performance and styling certainly qualifies for ranking: the Coyote featured on the tv series Hardcastle & McCormick. Here is some useful information courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcastle_and_McCormick
"Coyote
The car that McCormack drove, the Coyote was built from Manta Montage kit car based on a McLaren M6BGT and built by the now defunct British kit car manufacturer Warp 5.[1] Like many kit cars of the time, the car uses a chassis from a VW Beetle and its engine from a Porsche 914. [2] For the second and third series series, producers used a different Coyote which was based on a DeLorean, as Brian Keith had difficulty getting in and out of the original Coyote. [3] One significant difference is that the car appears not have any resemblance to the Manta, as the front is larger than the original, making the car resemble a front engined car. [4]"
As I mentioned earlier, I know you were only looking to list a top 10, but you may need to revamp your list. I also noticed you failed to mention the Munstermobile featured on the Munsters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_munsters
"The Munstermobile
George Barris built two automobiles for the show: "The Munster Koach", a hot rod built on a lengthened 1923 Ford Model T chassis with a custom hearse body. It was 18 feet long and cost almost $20,000 to build. Barris also built the DRAG-U-LA (which inspired a Rob Zombie song by the same name), a dragster built from a coffin, which Grandpa used to win back "The Munster Koach" after Herman lost it in a race. (According to Barris, a real coffin was, in fact, purchased for the car.) In real life, Yvonne de Carlo drove a Jaguar sedan fitted with custom-made "spooky" ornaments, for example spider webs on the rims. She had to give up on it, as the car was repeatedly vandalized by fans hunting for souvenirs."
TV shows during the 50s-80s, in particular, were loaded with fantastic vehicles. Another series was Stingray which featured a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_%28NBC_TV_series%29
Additionally one might consider an honorable mention for a vehicle from another series: Streethawk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streethawk
"The bike
The Bike in the pilot episode was based upon a 1983 Honda XL500 trailbike, the bikes used in the series were based on 1984 Honda xr500's, the bikes used for the stunt shots were based on Honda CR250's, overall 15 bikes were used in the show. The whereabouts of 14 of the bikes are unknown, but one now resides in the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, England after being restored by the show's stuntman Chris Bromham. The pilot bike was designed by Andrew Probert and the series bikes were redesigned by Ron Cobb.
There is also evidence that a second Streethawk bike survived, the whereabouts of this bike now are sadly unknown but it is known that a bike was displayed at "Star Cars" in America in the 80's/90's. It is believed that that is the missing bike."
There are indeed many vehicles that have been over-looked. what about the car featured in Kojak? How about the vehicles featured in the Shaft movies? What about the car featured in XXX starring Vin Diesel? It would seem to me your writer(s) needed to do some more research before narrowing down the competition... Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Scott Cherry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
