And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

[JRoberts]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12

Great to be a proud dad Joe. Funny how the levels of proud go I guess. Today I was proud that Tom magically started counting to 5 on his own....I bet the feeling is the same regardless of the accomplishment.

I have the utmost respect for engineers of all ilks. I was not trying to take a swipe at any of them. Ol' Dave at the fleet garage just wanted guys to work, not analyze why the problem occurred and create a lasting solution.

He was looking for a guy to say..."That truck needs intake manifold gaskets" and replace the intake manifold gaskets.

The guy was a gem. He called engineers "philosophers"....he was full of 'em.

Brian

Hey Brian I did not take what you said for one second as a lack of respect. Most good engineers will probably tell you that there are some, like in all professions, that only know what's in the book and could not relate that to the real world if they tried.

Pride in you kids is the same no matter the accomplishment. A goal on the soccer field, counting to five, raising their own kids, or providing succesfully for their families -- its all the same. ;D

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Great to be a proud dad Joe. Funny how the levels of proud go I guess. Today I was proud that Tom magically started counting to 5 on his own....I bet the feeling is the same regardless of the accomplishment.

I have the utmost respect for engineers of all ilks. I was not trying to take a swipe at any of them. Ol' Dave at the fleet garage just wanted guys to work, not analyze why the problem occurred and create a lasting solution.

He was looking for a guy to say..."That truck needs intake manifold gaskets" and replace the intake manifold gaskets.

The guy was a gem. He called engineers "philosophers"....he was full of 'em.

Brian

[JRoberts]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12



[/quote]


And I like Brian's post about engineering students...and Dan's post about the engineers...very funny stuff! I worked at a junkyard then a transmission shop when I was in engineering school, I was always taking apart dirty broken stuff, so I learned a hell of a lot about engineering at my non-engineering part time jobs.


[/quote]

My son is a mechanical engineer (automotive engineering specialty from UNC-Charlotte) and I think one of the things that has made him successful thus far is not only having been successful in school, but also having put all that stuff into use by getting his hands dirty. Whether it be putting together the new brake system in my '50 Studebaker truck (at 15), pulling transmissions from my various vehicles to changing the electrical system in his '55 Champion from 6 to 12 volts (at 16), or doing his own modifications to his BMW (M3 that HE bought for himself and has raced at Maxton). He did most of this with my encouragement, but certainly not my expertise, as I am not the mechanic in the family -- he is. Sorry if I bragged too much --just a very proud Dad.

[JRoberts]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12

Squirrel and hondagod, I think you're agreeing with each other. What hondagod's saying is that what we do with our kids prepares them to deal with what society gives them.

When I was learning to drive, one thing my Dad pounded into my head was, there's a kid chasing after a ball coming our from behind that parked car, and the car in the next lane or coming the other way is going to cut you off. True defensive driving, not being afraid of what is going to happen, but be prepared for anything that can.

Heck, we could be brothers. Sounds just like what my dad used to drum into my head. Thankfully.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Ok Chris, you need to go into speech writing or motivational speaking. That (again) was very well said and hits right at the root of the matter.

I guess I was one of the lucky guys who had a great mom and dad who did not spare the rod when I did something that I deserved a whupping for as a kid, but also managed to instill into me the belief that I could do/accomplish whatever I set my mind to.

I look at my son now who is 19 months and is still in the stage where he hauls ass to the door when I get home at night with a big smile on his face. Every night he starts blurting out "Twacta Wide" (translation: tractor ride) so we go out back, fire up the tractor and hot lap the backyard on it for 5-10 minutes.

It literally makes his day. I can remember doing stuff like that with my dad (probably a bit older but same idea) and it means a lot. I feel sorry for kids who don't have that bond or even that person to run to see at the door.

I think a lot of problems we have stem from that.

Anyway, sorry to ramble, but I think we need to write Chris's name on a ballot or something!

Brian

[dhondagod]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

He is far too intelligent to do that! ;D

Brian

No sir, I am an idiot, besides, Id either get shot for firing too many polititions or go to prision for killing them. ;D

Whats wrong with our beloved country is rooted in the home. If we fix that the political issues will reverse as well. NOT the other way around...

For the record Im not saying anyone here is a bad parent, but I never got the instruction manual when I brought my kids home from the hospital. (Youd think for what those kids cost Id at least got SOMETHING! ;D)Ive made plenty of mistakes, trust me! But what we need to do is help the young parents around us not make our mistakes, teach them how to raise and protect their kids, help them get through the storms in their marriages to make them stronger, not get divorced when the wind blows.

We're car guys... We fix things... We find the problem, identify the failure, then fix it... Its what we do! So lets start fixing it... We CAN do this!

Chris 8)



Chris

[joebogey]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Squirrel and hondagod, I think you're agreeing with each other. What hondagod's saying is that what we do with our kids prepares them to deal with what society gives them.

When I was learning to drive, one thing my Dad pounded into my head was, there's a kid chasing after a ball coming our from behind that parked car, and the car in the next lane or coming the other way is going to cut you off. True defensive driving, not being afraid of what is going to happen, but be prepared for anything that can.

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Fair enough. ;D

But it would be nice if someone with that kind of integrity would do so.....

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

He is far too intelligent to do that! ;D

Brian

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

What kind of men would your sons be if they had never been exposed to the crap we see every day? Are they shocked when someone dies or saddend when someone divorces? Do they see relationships as a life commitment? Will they be men that will stand for whats right because its right or go with the flow so they dont "offend" anyone? Are they trying to fit into a mold which society says they should fit or do they think as an individual?

If you were gone tomorrow, did you prepare your kids to survive as men of honor and integrity?

These are questions I ask myself everyday as a father and it scares the hell out of me. Watch what your kids do. Pay attention and get to know their friends. Look at what they read. (books, internet etc) What movies/TV programs do they watch?

What you watch, what you read, who you hang around and what you dwell on in your mind is who you will become.

If you cant answer these questions about your kids then your failing your kids. If we are not protecting them and teaching them what to watch out for in this world then we ARE responsible for the world we live.

We have allowed our world to become what it is in the name of "tolerance" and "political correctness", and it has cost us the souls of our children and our country... :'(

Today, what will YOU do different/better than yesterday? (directed at all of us, not just squirrel) We CAN fix this.

Chris :-\

This man needs to run for office...

[hamrmech]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

ive street raced. now that theres a track 12 miles from me theres no excuse anymore though. really i dont understand racing where theres witnesses (potential victims?).. everyone has a cell phone nowadays and cant wait to play cell phone hero if they see something illegal going down. also i dont see how being a "good" driver would help you in a street racing crash, YOU being a good driver and not crashing wont keep you out of prison if the guy you are racing hits a school bus or something.. theres a man doing 7 years in iowa because the cobra kit car he was racing with his trans am rolled, killing the driver. something to consider i think.

[dhondagod]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Not trying to preach at anybody but its something Im passionate about.

I envy you for your time with your kids. Having to be gone during the day doing the 8-5 grind, then starting a business and supporting my wife and kids with it I missed alot. My wife was at home with them untill their teens though. That was by our choice even though it meant a simpler lifestyle.

It seems though that the world throws so much garbage at us its hard to survive trying to do whats right just because its right. You know?


Chris

[squirrel]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Very good points Chris, and it's interesting to see how my kids absorb a lot of the same material, but end up with quite different attitudes and values. There is a lot going on in their minds...they are not just sponges, they each see things in their own way, and adopt those things which fit, and not that which doesn't. We do spend a lot of time talking about this stuff, and I do know a lot about what they are into and what they value.

I do have the luxury of having been here at home with the kids most of their lives (except when they're in school), so I'm probably doing better than many parents. I know it's scary, but hey, we lived thru the 70s and 80s, didn't we?

[dhondagod]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Chris, I like your post, only have one quibble with it....

Im going to piss of alot of people and say its our fault theyre this way. WE raised them. (or didnt raise them) WE allowed them to be influenced by movies, internet, TV, peers etc.... WE are the ones who let this crap into our homes and exposed our kids to it.

So don't be too quick to lay all the blame on society, the fact is that people are genetically predisposed to behave in certain ways, and there just isn't much we can do about it. That's not to say that you don't need to be strict with your kids, you do, but there are some kids who just can't behave no matter what, and others who will behave right no matter what.

What kind of men would your sons be if they had never been exposed to the crap we see every day? Are they shocked when someone dies or saddend when someone divorces? Do they see relationships as a life commitment? Will they be men that will stand for whats right because its right or go with the flow so they dont "offend" anyone? Are they trying to fit into a mold which society says they should fit or do they think as an individual?

If you were gone tomorrow, did you prepare your kids to survive as men of honor and integrity?

These are questions I ask myself everyday as a father and it scares the hell out of me. Watch what your kids do. Pay attention and get to know their friends. Look at what they read. (books, internet etc) What movies/TV programs do they watch?

What you watch, what you read, who you hang around and what you dwell on in your mind is who you will become.

If you cant answer these questions about your kids then your failing your kids. If we are not protecting them and teaching them what to watch out for in this world then we ARE responsible for the world we live.

We have allowed our world to become what it is in the name of "tolerance" and "political correctness", and it has cost us the souls of our children and our country... :'(

Today, what will YOU do different/better than yesterday? (directed at all of us, not just squirrel) We CAN fix this.

Chris :-\

[squirrel]

Re: And yet another street racing death & Injuries in San Diego (Santee) June 12th

Chris, I like your post, only have one quibble with it....

Im going to piss of alot of people and say its our fault theyre this way. WE raised them. (or didnt raise them) WE allowed them to be influenced by movies, internet, TV, peers etc.... WE are the ones who let this crap into our homes and exposed our kids to it.

You see, I have 3 sons, the oldest just turned 20, the twins just turned 17. They've all been exposed to the same crap you talk about, but they react to it and behave quite differently from each other. I know I didn't raise them to be different from each other....they seem to have some internal thing that makes them different. Especially the twins....

So don't be too quick to lay all the blame on society, the fact is that people are genetically predisposed to behave in certain ways, and there just isn't much we can do about it. That's not to say that you don't need to be strict with your kids, you do, but there are some kids who just can't behave no matter what, and others who will behave right no matter what.

And I like Brian's post about engineering students...and Dan's post about the engineers...very funny stuff! I worked at a junkyard then a transmission shop when I was in engineering school, I was always taking apart dirty broken stuff, so I learned a hell of a lot about engineering at my non-engineering part time jobs.