Shipping annoyance

Even though I haven't worked in the car parts industry for, like, 3 years I still deal in parts an aweful lot.

Lately I have been trying to clean out parts i have been accumilating over time. Performance BMW parts are at a premium right now i guess. Several people overseas want some of the parts I am selling at this moment. In particular one buyer in the UK and one buyer in Hong Kong stick out. here's why:

USPS is the only reasonable shipper for international shipping so I go to usps.com and get some shipping quotes for these guys. Hong Kong- less than $20. UK- $170.

Who is smoking the crack here? the UK is technically closer to me by hundreds of miles and yet the shipping cost is almost TENFOLD that of mainland Asia!? WTF.
-G

Are you tired of media? I sure am.

First off; my condolences for the families of the deceased from the recent VA Tech incident. The world gets more and more complex every day and it is sad when innocent people get mixed up in it.
Now on to my rant of the day-

What the fuck is wrong with the media? Some people died...innocent or not there are only 32 of them. How many people died that day in Iraq/Afghanistan? How many people died that day from traffic accidents? From AIDS? I am sorry but this media frenzy is totally misplaced and overinflated!

It was a random serial killing. They are only going to get more complex and more devastating as time goes on, people. You better come to grips with that soon. The amazing technologies and social climates that we live in today provide for a ridiculously volatile mental state for nearly everybody and when somebody whose not all there to begin with gets put in that mix things like this shooting are going to happen. I heard a guy on the radio today commenting on how "he was surprised this doesn't happen more often considering the freedoms Americans have," like access to guns&ammo, access to drugs, access to a million things that other people around the world don't have access to.

I hate the media most of the time and this is just another event for them to blow up on. laddy-frickin-da.

-G :/

I'm back.

I've been back since last Monday actually but haven't realized any writing, much less posting, since.

Being in AZ was an absolute blast and the weather was nearly perfect, sadly the trip itself sucked and cost me somewhere in the $1000+ range thanks to not one; but TWO automotive mishaps during the drives. I survived thanks to capital one, patience, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Perhaps I will post a more in depth post later but i need more pictures first.

-G

Bullitt

I am amazed. I just watched the movie Bullitt for the first time tonight. I thought it was a most amazing movie. Some movies are okay; but they are basically bearable junk. This is one of those movies that are just outstanding because of, not only, the way they are seen on the screen but also they way they are viewed inside yourself. Being a car guy I love the way the cars are so obvious..and yet there is a romantic underlayer that plays with the emotion. A classical good versus evil story line, cutting edge 1968 filming technics, an incredible cast and remarkably good dialogue for movies of the period.

I'll stop there since I can't describe it very well other than to say: Go watch it now.

New parts...

well, my recent phone conversation with my mother left me rather down about how quickly my upcoming trip to AZ is! It finally struck me how fast im gona have to work to get the bimmer ready for duty. Luckily my new front apron came today so maybe I can have the front end fixed up by next week some time? That leaves the suspension, and recently assumed water pump, not to mention an oil change and general cleaning. Plus removal of the flasher that seems to be using my reverse lamps as brake lamps. :(

So I ordered a water pump off eBay when I got home...$50 plus a bunch of coolant. Right now I am researching using E30 parts on the steering rack (they are not only cheaper but also a more robust build thanks to BMW not putting polyurethane dampers in the ball joints on E30s) but that will still cost me upwards of $180 plus ANOTHER alignment. so something like $300. UNLESS i decide to get a new steering rack as well which will run an additional $150 for the rack and probably $50 worth of PS fluid and headaches getting it to work correctly.

and the biggest question of it all: can I do it in 3-4 weeks? I honestly don't know. right now the freakin Jeep is still in the garage. I can move it but it would be nice to have THAT done so i can use it while the BMW is appart.

I'm getting rather worked up just writing this...doing the work will shorten my life considerably! LOL
having fun in cyber-autoworld,
Gabe :)

Rally: Canceled. Party: On.

Well as the snow continues here in lovely northern WI, my back hurts from so much shoveling and the rally for this saturday has been postponed.

I spent approximately 2 hours this morning shoveling a maybe 100 foot driveway. by the end I could have been doing it in a T-shirt and there was a small snow bank in my hair. ah so much fun!....NOT

And Scott's Kewenaw TSD is postponed until the 17th...likely due to a lot of people not wanting to brave the elements. I was about to leave when Joe called me to let me know...good timing I guess. Sadly I won't be able to visit Mum this weekend, which i was kind of looking forward to.

There has also been some disturbances in the Arrowhead SCC group lately concerning the season point standings/apointments. They put this Dave Courtwright guy in like 3rd place even though he DNF'd the first rally of the season...rather rediculous. Brian and Joe seem rather up in arms with Tim (the MAN) and I voiced a little concern on the forum as well since I think it is TOTAL bullshit. *shrug* unfortunately I like Tim and everybody and I think they will take it rather personally. which sucks because it makes drama.

anyway thats all for now from up north in snow country Wisco,
-gabe :)

So a celebrity died this week...

and I honeslty didn't think much of it. I felt the pangs of death at a younger age but no sentiments over somebody I never met and do not envy very much. I frequently scoff at celebrity figures and they way they act or operate. I think they are so far removed from reality in their own little bubbles that there is no coorelation between them and "normal" people such as myself.
I came across this blog post and it seems to about sum up my feelings on the subject:
"Mirathon: ANS dead at 39"
The one person in this whole bit the really, authentically, and wholeheartedly deserve good prayers and best luck is her daughter. I am the son of divorced parents and that was dificult enough...I can't even comprehend what the future holds in store for that girl; But I wish her the best and hope she can perhaps salvage some sort of reality better than her parents (whoever they end up being).
so best wishes to you, Dannielynn, for leading a life more stable than that of your parents.
-G