Really Cool Dude

A new feature, over on the left, below the links, an MP3 player to let you know what my mood is for the day….

Click on the red arrow (it will turn green when you hover over it), the player will start and the MP3 selection of the day will stream from my world to yours.

The Red Sox re-signed catcher Jason Varitek to a one-year, $2MM deal, tweets SI’s Jon Heyman. MLB.com’s Peter Gammons adds that the deal has $300K in incentives.

Varitek, 39 in April, will return for a 15th season in Boston. Last year, the Red Sox captain appeared in just 39 games and he’ll likely assume a backup role again in 2011, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia could become the regular Boston backstop.

Thanks in large part to a torrid start at the plate, Varitek finished the 2010 season with a strong .232/.293/.473 batting line. The former Silver Slugger winner belted seven homers in just 123 plate appearances, proving that he still has some pop.

Though Varitek struggled to limit opposing base stealers early in the season, he threw out nine of 43 would-be base stealers overall. That figure (21%) is below average, but significantly better than the 13% mark he posted in 2009.

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up for active duty.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears at least once, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement & feedback it well deserves.

A lot of articles like this one circulate the ‘net all the time nowadays… more often than not, they are made up. These articles can be verified at Snopes. This one is verified by me Here is the link.

Flamingos in the shape of ... well, a flamingoFlamingos can form themselves into flamingo shaped gatherings in order to warn other birds of what they are. Doesn’t that blow your mind?

Like, flamingos are aware of what they look like. Maybe the flamingos that survived are the ones that just happened to be able to form themselves into flamingo shaped gatherings. By doing so, they ward off other birds and thus accidentally select themselves for survival over the next lot of flamingos that happened to form themselves into the shape of a giant prawn, advertising the location of tasty filter feeding food.

Here’s a report on Abe’s oil — somewhere around 100,000 miles

Abe’s Oil

(photos have been removed – email if you need help)

There is a kit available with the parts you need. I however put together my own kit as it was much cheaper.

Please note that this is the first time I have ever modified a motorcycle. I have no prior mechanics skills. So its not hard!

This is what I used:

- 2 oil pan drain plugs for a Nissan Bluebird, part number 11128-01M05 (12 mm 1.25), 3$ each

- 1 bolt, M8 × 16mm

- 1 plastic cap from my bicycle bar end

This is how it is done:
1. Remove the Seat
2. Disconnect the battey
3. Remove the tank
4.Remove the rubber hoses between the chrome air injection tubes and the reed valve (red).

You need to loosen the spring clips (yellow)

5. Remove the large rubber hose that runs from the top of the airbox to the reed valve. Plug the hole in the airbox.

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-I used a bar end plug that I got from my bicycle. It was a bit long so I sawed of the end.

(I did not use any silicone to seal the plug. Perhaps you should?)

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- Once the plug is in place

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6. Remove the thin (ribbed) vacuum line that runs from the reed valve to one of the carburator manifold vacuum ports. Leave rubber end in.

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- Since I didnt have a rubber cap (like the ones that cover the other 3 vacuum ports) I left the rubber at the end and put a screw in it. I used a M8 × 16 mm but I guess any screw that fits tightly would work.

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7. Now remove the vacuum operated reed valve. It is mounted with 2×10 mm bolts (red arrows).

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8. Yank off the black pipes that sits on the air injection tubes

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9. Use a 13 mm wrench to remove the air injection tubes.

Save the copper washers on each tube!

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10. Now plug the holes for the air injection tubes with the Nissan oil pan plugs. Use the copper washers that you saved.

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Here I ran in to a bit of trouble. The Nissan oil plugs were a bit wide so I had to grind them down just a little. I think they where 12 mm to start with. I grinded them down to about 10.

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- then they fit perfectly!

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11. Now all you have to do is reconnect the battery, put the tank and the seat back. And you are done!

• House
1. Dogs
   • Food
   • Water
   • Form
   • Collars
2. Keys to everyone
   • Dog Caretaker
   • Jane and Gerry
3. Turn off computers
   • Chris
   • Ryan
   • Bar
   • LEAVE ON WEB SERVER
4. Turn off TV’s
5. Move furniture
6. Doors closed or locked

• Luggage
1. Ryan
   • stuff
   • stuff
2. Chris
   • stuff
   • stuff
3. Sherry
   • Drugs
   • stuff
4. Dad
   • Phone
   • toiletries
   • Laptop
   • Phone Charger
   • Wallet
   • Drugs

• Tickets
1. Boarding passes
2. ID cards