screw the whales

We purchased two vehicles this weekend.

Amazing.

Owning the same vehicles for 8 years

caused an even horizon in our world of transportation. 

After 8 years of driving,save the earth type vehicles,

we now both have 4x4's, the only thing we are lacking is 

a machine to

grind up koalas, pandas and penguins to fuel the huge gas tanks.

Fuck those road warrior, SUV soccer moms who would bully me in my Prius.

Get out of my God Damn way now you bitches!

The link below takes you to a recent,Comic-Con release, extended trailer for the

new, back to basics Riddick film---

The trailer is spectacular.. this 3rd film takes us back to

the original character that made Pitch Black such a classic.

In theaters during September, this is for sure a pre-order film from

Amazon on DVD for me as soon as it is possible to do so.

Back to basics Riddick

Currently:

Dmitry Orlov's new book.

Excellent.

I bought a radar detector for the new FJ.

Not that i am planning on speeding. 

The problem lies in the now desperate for any type of income,

State, County, and local governments punching up ticket

production through any means possible.

Simply for the money.

Red light camera's, reduced speed limits in towns.

Designed to trap you into having to pay exorbitant 

fines which are---just additional taxes.

I felt i needed electronic counter measures.

 I feel like a reconnaissance aircraft pilot on a dangerous overflight mission.

I can't fight back so i need to escape and evade detection. 

Electronic countermeasures may be the key to survival. 

Update:

I'm still awaiting the arrival of my Vostok Military Mechanical watch.
I had to double check the arrival time, getting a bit anxious although it's been shipped 
the arrival date is August unfortunately.
I purchased this watch because they were disappearing.
Disappeared now--they are no longer available.
I guess i may have gotten the last one new that was out there? 

I do plastic military modeling.
It's relaxing to me to work with small things.
I recently ordered a Soviet, Hind MI-24 helicopter model.
Unusual for me because aircraft are not my thing, so to say.
I am more into military vehicles--unusual ones.
Soviet era helicopters are so, so strange in their design they
are perfect as a stand alone display in my nerd cave.
I am interested to see how this turns out. 

"The cars we drive,

say a lot about us."

Alexandra Paul

Iamright.com

Trying to get my shit together.

Attempting to be more present, purposeful, 

viable and alive.

Russian mechanical movement watches are a personal favorite of mine.

They are "strong like bull" and the older, cooler designs are 

rapidly disappearing.

Like the Vostok military mechanical, civilian sale model, pictured above.

I am in the process of styling myself up a bit after a long period

of neglect in my personal appearance.

I ordered a pair of wrangler jeans described as "thunder" in color.

I have no idea what the fuck, Thunder, actually means?

Thunder colored jeans proves i am at least trying not to look like
an old Greek.

I purchased the above watch for three reasons:

First, i just love watches as i am sure you can surmise from reading this blog.

Second, as i mentioned these cheaper Russian watches are rapidly disappearing.

Third, an attempt to style the only way i know how.

I also ordered a Rotring, German designed, Japanese manufactured 

ball point pen for my constant notebook scribbling.

I am always fucking around in my multiple Moleskine notebooks and have never 

really had a decent pen to work with.

I decided to change all these little things about me.

The little things mean a lot actually.

We are clawing and collapsing our way through buying a new vehicle,
trading in one, and selling another.
Compared to most humans, buying a new vehicle  
is this huge Kubler-Ross process for JoJo and I.
We go through the whole denial, anger, stages of death thing.
JoJo can actually negotiate. I fail miserably at bartering.
I would starve as an Arab rug seller. 
This is the vehicle we are attempting to purchase---

A white over green 2013 Toyota FJ.
Trading in the 125,000 mile Prius. I have tried to save the earth.
All the while being crushed in traffic by soccer moms and their Ford Expeditions.
This will be our combination travel--Zombie response vehicle.

I'll write more on this if it happens today...there are many x-factors to consider.
We are close to the Kubler-Ross stage of acceptance.

We have started telling our dog BB,
"Dude, you're Awesome".
They are, aren't they.

"Change in all things is sweet"

Aristotle

just thinking

The 2nd watch build.

I now have all the materials collected and began the build.

This by the way is my watchmaking area and sort of
cobbled together watchmaker's bench.

First I mic'd all the parts and discovered the dial was
too large for the watch case.

I then had to file the dial evenly around the edges to insure that 
the dial would merely reduce in size and not come out of round
from the filing.
After four hours of filing the dial fit the case.

Believe me, it is easier, way easier to buy a watch, no matter
what the cost, as compared to building one.
You really have to want to understand---want to build a wristwatch. 

I love these old Saabs.

I believe them to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

Yesterday, on my commute home I noticed there were multiple street people out and active.
Strangely active.
One guy who was really in rough shape was standing in a vacant lot
obviously disorientated. Just staring around him.
A big homeless guy was sort of wandering, shuffling down the street 
in a tie dyed t-shirt with a huge, I mean huge, bushy beard.
The secondary weirdness of all this was that it was about 
107 degrees.
I felt for these guys...but it also felt like the end of days...no shit.....
 that was
the first thought that came into my head seeing these two was--
the end of days 
and deranged prophets. 

We are currently having problems with our VW 
Eurovan camper transmission.
It's been worked on by a dealer 3 times now and there is a
nasty transmission leak that they seemingly cannot stop.
We're going to try once more to get it right...
all we can do is hope, cause we both just adore this vehicle.
It means so much to us in so many ways. 

I am in the process of, well, rebuilding myself. In many aspects.
I've cut off my ponytail, and i am attempting to take better care
of my physical self and my personal presentation to the world.
This process includes catching up on purchasing clothing, something i dismissed
 for a long, long time. 

I began by ordering two new shirts from Orvis. 
Their linen expedition, long sleeve, in a light blue.
I like their clothing, although it does cost.
Orvis products do last and are style immune. 
Immunity from style is important to me. I am not good at
styling.
I am just attempting to better relate to the world around me.
Sometimes it is necessary to assist yourself in doing this
through things.
I have a long way to go with this myself project.


"Happiness depends on ourselves."
Aristotle

Watch this

I studied, read, and taught myself how to build a wrist watch from manufactured parts.

I only build mechanical movement watches, the wind up kind for those not into watches.

My first watch was a B-Uhr observer, gunner wristwatch copy of a German WW2 

issued watch..it actually looks good and works. It actually keeps excellent time.

I am starting on my 2nd watch build--this will be more of a large, sturdy, dress watch if there can  be such a thing?

Swiss Unitas 6497 manual movement that i got for a really good price.

Flieger pilot case with coin rolled edge, exhibition case back.

Guilloche silver dial face with seconds sub dial.

Breguet blue anodized hands.

Paneri style black leather band with stainless steel buckle.

Today I received the last parts ordered for the next watch and I now have all the parts i need to begin construction.

The next step is to mic everything for size, then test fit the dial to both the movement and the case. 

Once i am assured that everything is with specifications and should fit, I will

mount the hour washer and the dial to the movement.

Then fit the hands to the hour and second posts, and test run using the temporary

stem that come with the movement.

The initial test run is for operation, I know the movement works--but the

initial test is to insure the hands move properly, have clearance from

each other when passing and while in motion.

Regulating the movement for time accuracy will come later once i have

everything installed and working in the case.

As i go through this process i will take the best photo's i can for the blog but 

forgive me if they are mutt quality.

I am worried about installing these Breguet hands. They are extremely

thin and delicate.

Installing hands properly on a watch is tough enough with

diver or military watch type hands but--I bought two sets of these just in case 

of the oops factor and i am glad I did after seeing them.

It will probably be several days before i can actually sit down and begin work 

on this project. I try to make sure that when I work on watches 

there are zero disturbances and I can focus for a couple of hours straight

without interruption.

It does take a bit of concentration.

"Time moves in one direction,

memory in another."

William Gibson

no matter where you go, there you are.

I have a love affair with French design. From the Citroen DS
to my favorite footwear Palladium boots.

First manufactured in post war 1947 France, Palladium boots are lightweight, durable, and
fashion proof. They used to be cheap, are now inexpensive and are never in or out of style. 
I cannot afford a DS sedan but i am never without a pair of Palladium's. 
Usually well worn and black.
Palladium boot site

We have no cable , no regular TV. We don't like people yelling at us
or the indoctrination.
We watch off Netflix streaming and thru the mail DVD's.
We are lately hooked on "The Last Resort", a one season series
centering on a rogue Nuclear Submarine Commander and his crew.
Totally excellent by the way...
a summary of the plot here

Did you ever notice how the stoplights leading to a wal-mart are always rigged in their favor?
They must bribe someone in city government everywhere they build  to set the lights so that turning into wal-mart always has the right of way...
The rest of us passing by have to stop or wait.

Currently:

Our house was built in 1903. 
We love it, but a very old house means there are many, many ongoing projects.
This morning was paint the front steps over the holiday---day, for me.
JoJo picked the colors and it really does look great.

"The purpose of our lives,
is to be happy."
Dalai Lama