Shop Teacher Bob
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson.
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Soundtrack
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Henrys
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Brake Pads
Friday, December 1, 2023
Seneca & Hubbard
In pursuance of some more knowledge of Stoicism, I drug out an old book by
Elbert Hubbard that contained a chapter on Seneca, a name that always comes up in the study of Stoicism. Elbert Hubbard was quite an influential individual in his own right, having formed the Roycroft Shops and as an author. I've got several of his books, including this one:
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Track Gang
I just read in the paper "Slow Joe" and company are using wartime powers to manufacture heat pumps and four other alternative energy technologies. This goes along with the war on gas stoves, water heaters and other appliances that will create increased costs in new construction and who knows what costs for existing homes and businesses. I've got no idea how this is all going to shake out but I really wish the government would back down a couple of notches on the green energy/climate change front and come up with way to balance the budget and erase some of the debt. This country is in big, big trouble on all fronts. Heat pumps aren't going to be the solution.
It's been unseasonably cold the last few days - night time temps in the teens. Between my cold and Mother Nature's cold, I haven't ventured out to the shop for a few days. I did feel well enough to go to the health club yesterday. I needed to go out anyway in search of a heated chicken waterer. Two different farm stores and all I could come up with was the bottom half of one. Fortunately, it matched the one I was replacing so I could use the old top with the new bottom. They cut me a good deal on it, so I came away satisfied.
The Missus has come down with the cold now. She's hacking, coughing and feeling like death warmed over. The grandson has it, so we had to cancel our welding lesson and the sister-in-law has got covid. I hope the cold weather has killed some of these nasty germs so the rest of the winter will be better from a health standpoint.
In the meantime, here's a couple more shots from the AMA Museum:
Moto Guzzi cut-away and an Indian service vehicle. I enjoyed the museum visit, and now there's two others on the list to go see: Wheels Through Time in North Carolina and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Alabama. I need to get the map out and see what kind of a trip I can put together for North Carolina that would include motorcycles, steam trains, an open wheel race or two and the Buc-Ees Travel Center in Richmond, KY.
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Stoicism
Epictetus was telling his students that there can be no such thing as being the "victim" of another. You can only be a "victim" of yourself. It's all in how you discipline your mind. Who is your master? "He who has authority over any of the things on which you have set your heart. ...What is the result at which all virtue aims? Serenity. ...Show me a man who though sick is happy, who though in danger is happy, who though in prison is happy, and I'II show you a Stoic."
Thursday, November 23, 2023
Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving one and all. Looks like it's going to be busy traveling, so be safe out there!
I'm getting over my cold after a week of hacking and coughing. I'm signed up for a 5K Saturday morning, so I'll tackle that one for sure. There's also a new event at the golf course by me tomorrow. I'd like to do that one as well but don't know if that's feasible - I'll see how I feel in the morning.
Here's a couple more shots from the AMA Hall of Fame Museum: