Scooter Chronicles

So here are the answers to the latest edition of “Ask Scooter Anything.”

As I had said the first time around, none of my answers are in any way meant to offend anyone and should not be taken that way, even if they differ from your own opinion. Remember, this site is my site, therefore full of my opinions. And even if I rant about something, it doesn’t mean that I want to upset anyone or disagree for the sake of argument.

So here they are!

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My brother-in-law David asked:

Why has the USA not gone 100% metric?

Damn good question! A question that I have been asking for years! I have constantly had to go back and forth between Imperial and Metric at work, and it’s such a pain in the butt when you have to try and incorporate Imperial items into a Metric design because the shop that is manufacturing it is in the States. However, I haven’t been on my soapbox much lately because I now work for a company that designs everything in Metric, regardless of what county the customer is from.

Sometimes I think that Americans are too lazy. The government probably decided that it would take too much to get the whole country thinking Metric. If they forced a switch, I am sure many companies, organizations, and schools would be asking for significant amounts of money to help fund their teaching of the Metric system. So why go through all the hassle.

In my basic opinion, it’s just plain stupid that the US hasn’t switched to the units of measure that every other country in the world (except England) is using. What is even funnier is that all the numbers are nice and even, it makes so much more sense, and it really doesn’t take that long to “learn.”

Why is recycling not a mandatory waste disposal method?

Laziness rears it’s ugly head again. Though to be quite honest, I fall into that category as well. Other then recently, I haven’t recycled as much as I should have even when living in communities that had it. And it’s really not that tough to do. Living with my (well David, actually our) mother-in-law now, she recycles, and it isn’t all that much more work. (Though I have fallen behind on taking the cardboard in for recycling.)

Maybe it is something that government needs to seriously consider, and soon to make mandatory. Though I think there are a couple of other issues that need attention first. (And that’s not to say that recycling isn’t important and should be a forgotten topic.)

Why can’t my car get 100+ mpg and not be ridiculous in price or design?

I have been writing an answer to this since I you posted it. And I just keep adding and adding to it, turning it into a mini-essay. The problem with that is I really don’t know all the facts, so therefore would be talking out of my butt.

I do feel though that salaries of automotive employees, as well as supplier costs play a big part. During the three stints I had working on-site, I was very well compensated. And every dime that my company paid me was charged to the customer.

There are two issues that I want to bring up and try to keep them short.

First, we need to find an alternate to oil for fueling our cars. To me, this is HIGHLY important. One conversation I had with a couple of engineers about ten years ago makes me feel that not nearly enough is being done. One of them said that if you put a bunch of engineers and scientists together and asked them to design a car, from scratch, with no preconceived notion of how to make the tires move, he was sure they wouldn’t even come close to designing something like the engines of today and most of the designs probably wouldn’t require gasoline. (Of course getting rid of oil has major infrastructure issues I know, but to me this is still a problem that needs major attention.)

Now having said that, it segues into my second point. Technology moves very fast these days, and in many respects, the basic principal of the automobile has been at a standstill. We are still stuck with the same archaic design for it’s means of propulsion. Also, with greater technology comes faster, better, cheaper ways of manufacturing. A good example is the DVD player Marcia bought me for my 30th birthday party. Six years later, we bought a DVD player that also can be a five disc CD changer, and play MP3’s as well as some overseas DVD’s, and it was part of a surround sound system, for less than that first DVD player. The auto industry is finding cheaper ways to make cars, yet the price keeps going up. That has had me wondering from time to time. Though in many respects, low end model prices have leveled off in the past five years.

So I didn’t answer your question, but who really can, other then the guys running the car companies.

Would you get a tattoo? If so, what would it be?

I don’t like the idea of a tattoo, so the answer would be no. But if I did, it would probably have something to do with Nigel. Considering it’s basically permanent, I would want something that I know would be important to me for the rest of my life. Nigel certainly would fit that description.

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My brother Brian asked:

Being that I don’t know the answer, maybe you do. When do you think Jodi and I will sell our house? A good prediction date would work.

Wish I knew. How about by the end of the month you will have an acceptable offer. Does that sound good?

If you could quit your current job and do something more out of passion (with money not being an issue) what would it be?

Well, I got on that kick a few months ago about trying to write a novel. (I still plan on continuing it.) As of now, that is something that would interest me. I am not sure I could keep coming up with original ideas, or be that good of a writer that even unoriginal ideas still read well.

Part of me would want to work for the “Make A Wish Foundation”. I really like the idea of helping very sick kids get to fulfill a dream of theirs.

We have HOV lanes down here for people who carpool, buses, and emergency vehicles. I still don’t know what HOV stands for, do you?

HOV stands for High Occupancy Vehicle. Basically, if you are driving with no passengers, you can’t use those lanes. I didn’t have to look this one up since Marcia and I have experienced them on I-95 in Virginia just south of Washington, DC.

How far do you think the Atlanta Thrashers will go in the playoffs?

I don’t think they will make it out of the first round. They currently occupy first place in their division, but two of their division rivals (the Bolts and Canes, who are the last two Cup champs by the way) have more playoff experience then they do, and the Thrashers have played too erratically. If they have to play either in the first round, then they’re doomed. If they get lucky and get the Rangers as their first round opponent, then they may have a chance to see the second round.

Why did Uncle Steve’s fantasy hockey team kick my butt every single time I played him this year?

Dumb luck? (Just kidding Uncle Steve!) He just has a better overall team that he been more consistent. Last year I was just points below him, but my second tier players weren’t performing as well this year, and my goalies (who were very strong last year) fell off production wise. He has the right players at the right time, and he really watches it carefully.

The Gwinnett Gladiators are a local hockey team that play in the AHL. I know that they are affiliated with the Thrashers, but my question is what is the order rank for minor league hockey? I know how baseball works with A, AA, and AAA but not sure about hockey and would like to know where my favorite player locally will be headed next.

Actually Brian, the Gwinnett Gladiators are in the ECHL (which used to stand for East Coast Hockey League, but now the league is only known by the initials since it has many teams west of the Mississippi River). The Thrashers’ affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL) is the Chicago Wolves.

The AHL is basically like AAA baseball. The ECHL is somewhere between AA and A. More and more players are making it to the NHL through the ECHL, but once upon a time (like only ten years ago), it was rare to see that. Since the International Hockey League folded (which rivaled the AHL and half the teams in the IHL were affiliated with NHL teams) the ECHL has grown in importance as part of the a farm system that the NHL is trying to put together.

One thing to keep in mind though, unlike baseball, in hockey you don’t start at the bottom and move up. With hockey, you usually end up spending time in the AHL first or jump right to the NHL. (With the junior system and college hockey becoming a bigger influence, the good players spend very little time in the minor leagues.) Those playing in the ECHL are usually the ones that didn’t cut it in the AHL, or went undrafted/unsigned and are still trying to make a career out of hockey (or just don’t want to have to get a “real” job just yet).

A league like the United Hockey League (UHL) that the Motor City Mechanics play in, is sub-A. The chances of someone playing in that league and making it to the NHL are nearly impossible.

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Internet friend Roger asked:

If Barack and Hillary beat each other up, who will be the Democratic nominee for Prez in ‘08?

I know Al Gore hasn’t officially thrown his hat into the ring, but it seems like a lot of people are pulling for him. If he does step into the race, I think he may become the instant front runner. I have seen polls (I know they really don’t mean a whole lot) that says Gore has more support over most of the Democratic candidates that ARE seeking the nomination. (He is still behind Barack and Hillary.)

If Gore stays out, and Barack and Hillary beat each other up, I think that John Edwards becomes the front runner. However, I was thinking about my answer to this question before the announcement that Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer is back. I have a bad feeling that this may effect his campaign. So that probably leaves Biden as the front runner. Yikes!

What posting(s) have generated the most interest, either in terms of comments and/or referrals to your piece in Google?

I only know of one post that does show up in Google and I found it when I searched my name for fun one day. You could probably find it by searching the book I REVIEWED. The thing about it though is that it doesn’t show up in Google directly. Someone linked to the review along with many other reviews of that same book. It was “Black Juice” a collection of short stories by Margo Lanagan.

I had quite a few comments after I posted the first pictures of Nigel, which was nice. A few of them from friends of Marcia and I that we hadn’t heard from in a while. But the post that had more comments then any other, 19 actually (a few of them from me), was my “Defending Detroit” post after columnist Michael Rosenberg wrote about the city before hosting Super Bowl XL. I never that kind of response to it either.

Do you have a counter on this blog? If so, where the heck is it? If not, why not?

I don’t have a counter. I never thought of adding one. Thinking back on it, I am glad I didn’t have one because I would have been a bit obsessed about it, constantly looking at the numbers. I would rather not know how few people read my blog, though I know the numbers have increased.

Also to take into consideration, the numbers would be skewed. I visit my own site three to four times a day. All the blogs that I read I don’t have bookmarked in my browser. I use the LINKS I posted on the site.

In like manner, who comes to your blog (I mean besides Marcia), if you have a way of tracking that? What exotic locales have sent you comments?

I don’t know how to track people who look at my blog. (I know that one of the blogs I read always lists the actual city and country of the last ten comments.) I know there is a handful of people that read my blog on a regular or semi-regular basis. Obviously Marcia, my Mom and Dad, my Mother-In-Law, my brothers Brian and Todd, my sister Jenn, my brother-in-law David, my Uncle Steve, my Aunt Mary, my Mother-In-Law’s cousin Julianne, and my friend John. Then there are internet friends that read it too, like you (Roger), Sarah, and Karen.

As far as exotic locales, Karen would probably qualify as the most exotic, being from England. I know I have had a visitor from Sweden who linked to a photo that I posted. And have had other’s link to photos, or reviews that I have done, but those are mostly in the US.

Ultimately, why are you blogging? (I went back to your 2004 posts and didn’t find any mission statement; you seemed to just start.) Do you ever write something, hoping you’ll get some sort of reaction and then … nothing?

I did just seem to start. I had no mission other then to post about anything that I wanted to post about. David sent me a link to his web site almost three years ago and I asked him about it. He explained what a blog was and told me that if I was interested that there were free sites where I could do one. Eventually he put together a site for me away from Blogger (which you know can be a real pain sometimes).

Originally I was posting some things like it was some site that people could actually find out things, which I realized was kind of stupid. Especially sports posts. I then realized that the idea was just to sound off on things, what events or whatever I was posting about meant to me. So in some respects it just became a journal of sorts.

The second part of this question had me looking back at things and making me think. I don’t know if I ever expected a response from something and got nothing, but a recent post only solicited two comments which I figured might get more. To take the long way to explain, back on December 20, 2006 I POSTED about how the Isle of Capri lost out on the city of Pittsburgh casino bid thwarting their plan to build an arena at no cost to the city or taxpayers. I ended up getting two comments from guys that probably never read my blog before and more then likely haven’t read it since, and one link to that post from another site. It surprised me that my post would get such a response. Because of this, I was a bit surprised that my REVIEW of Senator Obama’s book only had two comments (one being yours, Roger). Now, I didn’t expect to have dozens of people making comments, but figured I would get at least three or four comments from people that didn’t normally visit my blog.

Like I mentioned, your question had me going back and looking at things and I found two interesting things. I am at a point now where I average one comment per post. (1,207 posts with 1,225 comments.) And it wasn’t until May of 2005 (almost one year of blogging) before I started to see at least one comment for every two posts. However, back in September of 2004 I posted 38 times and didn’t get one comment the whole month. I find that rather funny.

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Internet friend Sarah asked:

What is your fashion style?

When I get dressed to go out, it’s called “Marcia’s Husband”. Other then that it’s “Typical Guy”.

At work I can get away with wearing jeans, so I usually wear a long sleeved button down shirt with them, or a polo style shirt. Most of my button downs are from Express for Men, though are all rather old (but not out of date) and were bought when the establishment was called Structure. My polos are pretty general all though I have many that tend to follow my sports interests. I have a few with the Red Wings logo on them, a couple for Michigan St., one with the Tigers’ old English “D” on it, one from the Hockey Hall of Fame, and one from Wimbledon.

What is your favorite color?

Without a doubt, blue. Most of my shirts (that aren’t associated with a team) are some shade of blue, or have a few different shades. I just like how blue looks with greys and blacks on clothing and other things in general.

What is your astrological sign? Do the traits assigned to your sign match your personality?

I am a Leo (August 9th). And according to my wife (another astrological fan like yourself) I have a Scorpio Moon and a Virgo ascendant.

As for my traits, she says Leo’s are quick to anger and quick to forgive, which I follow. Leo’s are into performing arts, which I like, but don’t perform. She thinks my Moon and ascendant keep me from wanting to be in the spotlight like Leo’s normally do. Leo’s take pride in all they do, which seems to follow me. I tend to take pride in a job well done and having the look of someone that takes care of things. And that I am well groomed and take care of myself (although I don’t shave often enough for her), and that Leo’s are very neat and organized which is me to a “T.” Leo’s tend to be fixed in their ways too, which Marcia believes I very much am. Also generosity is another trait, or at least when I can be.

What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

Bugs Bunny and the gang (Porky, Daffy, Speedy, Roadrunner, Coyote, Sam, etc.). I watched Scooby-Doo and Fat Albert as well as others, but I just enjoyed the Looney Tunes the most. Obviously they weren’t made with kids in mind, so as I got older I saw even more humor in them. So not only did I watch them more when growing up, I still enjoy them today.

Here is one of my favorites, combining Bugs Bunny and baseball.

What was your favorite subject in high school?

American History, though any history class was cool. I really got a kick out of learning it, and it helped that for one semester I had a really great teacher, Mr. Beck (who also happened to be my Phys Ed teacher in middle school).

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Thanks to those that played along!