An email from Grind King...why are skateboarders hurting America

[BradleyGT]

i worked at General Motors for 6 1/2 years, and my dad for over 30 and he's still there. i was lucky and hired in there a year after high school when i was still 18. they preach quality quality quality, but you should see the state of some of the people in those plants. drunk, high, on meds, you name it. GM's internal motto is "Beat Toyota". There was just some study done recently that showed that Toyota spends somewhere around 8 hours less per truck to manufacture, but yet their quality is still top notch, and still #1 i believe. obviously something they are doing over there is working.

i know that automobiles are a little bit off topic, along with this whole spiel of mine. there is really no "true" American auto makers anymore and that kind of irritates me. You cant really have "American Pride" about any automobile that you are currently driving, like the lady in this article is bragging about. i guarantee you, even if it was assembled in Anytown USA, her wire harnesses, fuse boxes, or some other random parts were shipped in from mexico or elsewhere. Chevy Avalanches and i believe suburbans are actually assembled in Mexico, along with others. from what i remember i think there are even plants in indonesia or some #### like that. and to reverse that, companys like Toyota and Hundai (sp?) are building plants here in the USA. Its all just international now.

GM started going down the shitter in 06 (well really before that, but 06 i guess is when they realized it) and started offering Buyouts to everyone. I, seeing the state of the company and that there was no way in hell that i would be able to stay there through retirement due to outsourcing and slow sales, took that buyout offer and went on my merry way. most of my friends at the time thought i was insane to leave a job making 30 bucks an hour with excellent benefits, etc... well, they arent thinking im insane now. my local plant here is having to shut down for a week a month now due to slow sales. many other plants are being closed in general. a lot of the people i hired in with in 2000 are now sitting at home wondering if they are gonna be called back to work.

i dont really know what im getting at here. i think it just annoyed me when she was spitting out that she drives only cars built in america by americans. thats all fine and dandy, but she cant claim that car as an american auto anymore. as someone before said, america is just becoming a marketing economy, not manufacturing. outsourcing is where its at now. i wish it could be different but i dont see that changing anytime soon. its just too easy to have people make your products for next to nothing then put them on shelves here, and wherever else. maybe its just that lazy american mentality at its finest.

/endrant

[Ogre]

Originally Posted by *SWEET*

lol
Sorry for not knowing all the guns company, I googled metal storm, noticed about the gun company but had hard time to beleive you were actually refering to the fact you believe in a dude who created a GUN company
So I naturally thought you were refering to the metal site...
But if you take for granted what a dude who sells gun says, i have to admit I dont really know what to say.



And yep , Dave, I've had the luck to live in the states for long enough to start being able to see what is wrong (to me... once again , I dont ask people to take what i say for "the truth"). And I havent visited West "by god" ( sorry... but it doesnt help) Virginia yet, but west virginia being one of the less educated states within the country that ranks behind Kazakhstan and Mongolia in term of literacy rate, it very probably won't be my next travelling destination. And it's not the fact that they are un-educated that causes me problem... It's the fact they do believe they're the greatest... That is one of the thing I dislike about some places in the States.

Something intelligent to conclude: I'm out

haha Point taken Sweet.. But you're missing out on West Virginia. As for education? True, there are an abundance of back woods people here, some that may not add or spell up to some standards, But are 10 fold wiser in the ways of survival than most.And with an entire population of 1.8 million comprise the highest number of decorated soldiers and marksmen. Pretty impressive when the state's population is lower than most metro areas.
Hmmm do I rely on books or wisedom?

[*SWEET*]

Originally Posted by dave gale

haha Point taken Sweet.. But you're missing out on West Virginia. As for education? True, there are an abundance of back woods people here, some that may not add or spell up to some standards, But are 10 fold wiser in the ways of survival than most.And with an entire population of 1.8 million comprise the highest number of decorated soldiers and marksmen. Pretty impressive when the state's population is lower than most metro areas.
Hmmm do I rely on books or wisedom?

It does go with the uneducated thing though (fcuk I said i was out )
Uneducated people in the states do beleive they live in the greatest country in the world (they've never been somewhere else...), so they are extremly patriotic and do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for what the USA want. Also lack of education tends to send people to the army as they grow up (not saying all slodiers are un educated), so all these things makes them with good stats when it comes to the number of decorated soldiers.

And no worries, I WILL go to West Virginia someday, just like I want to visit all the american states

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by BradleyGT

i worked at General Motors for 6 1/2 years, and my dad for over 30 and he's still there. i was lucky and hired in there a year after high school when i was still 18. they preach quality quality quality, but you should see the state of some of the people in those plants. drunk, high, on meds, you name it. GM's internal motto is "Beat Toyota". There was just some study done recently that showed that Toyota spends somewhere around 8 hours less per truck to manufacture, but yet their quality is still top notch, and still #1 i believe. obviously something they are doing over there is working.

Originally Posted by Someone from the last Century

i worked under stalinism and was lucky and hired in there a year after high school when i was still 18. they preach quality quality quality, but you should see the state of some of the people in those plants. drunk, high, on meds, you name it. UDSSR's internal motto is "Beat USA". There was just some study done recently that showed that USA spends somewhere around 8 hours less per truck to manufacture, but yet their quality is still top notch, and still #1 i believe. obviously something they are doing over there is working.

The USA has not adopt to the new century, do some search on trends In Global Logistics & Trade, like this, and you will see were the world is heading to. America 13,7%, the others: 86,3% (Global Market)

SHift happens..

[Speedo]

Originally Posted by *SWEET*

I dont really know... But I tend to beleive it's mainly canaidan and european.
Small boar shapers in the states probably buy their stuff from US shops as they dont produce big enough quantities to have a need to import material.
No idea for S9 (and other related brands dregs, arbor...etc)
I just know they are produced around San Diego

Same deal goes, as in the slalom world.
Small operations like Subsonic Scott, and Longboard Larry, and so on.
CLB had a great thing going for a while.
Pavel Donald makes some beautiful products, over in Germany.
He's getting into speedboards, as well.
These are small businesses that ..........care.

[Ogre]

Originally Posted by *SWEET*

It does go with the uneducated thing though (fcuk I said i was out )
Uneducated people in the states do beleive they live in the greatest country in the world (they've never been somewhere else...), so they are extremly patriotic and do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for what the USA want. Also lack of education tends to send people to the army as they grow up (not saying all slodiers are un educated), so all these things makes them with good stats when it comes to the number of decorated soldiers.

And no worries, I WILL go to West Virginia someday, just like I want to visit all the american states

Sweet,
I'm an Air Force Brat my dad was in for 28 years and retired as a Colonel.. I've traveled the world both in ski racing as well as being stationed abroad almost my entire growing up years. We can all complain about how awful things are, and believe "the grass is greener on the other side" But truth be known, no matter where you are, it has it's positive side as well as it's counter part.The food in Germany, the wine in France, the weather on the Mediterranean coast, the scenery in the Bavarian region. The history and landscape of Ireland. All in all... the World's troubles are by the doings of almost the entire populace from around the globe... It's known as over population, I poo poo the people in power, thinking we can fix the enviroment by "Going Green" Robbing Peter to pay Paul has never worked and over time, has proven to delay the inevitable. We have to feed, fuel and clothe our people. The Mother Earth isn't designed nor can she supply what we demand.Disease, drought and starvation are my perceptions to the answer of long term success. Regulating the survival rate and keeping the demands to a reasonable amount.
Speaking of which... Who owns the Milky Way ? I'm feeling cramped by the visitors coming to my woods.

Enjoy, all my brothers

[Xgecko]

Originally Posted by *SWEET*

Also lack of education tends to send people to the army as they grow up (not saying all slodiers are un educated), so all these things makes them with good stats when it comes to the number of decorated soldiers.

that is an extremely uneducated view as to why people chose to serve. More often than not joining the military is about choosing to stand up for your country. Yes some presidents (on both sides of the aisle) have abused the trust of that service but that doesn't diminish the choice of those who serve.

[*SWEET*]

Originally Posted by Xgecko

that is an extremely uneducated view as to why people chose to serve. More often than not joining the military is about choosing to stand up for your country. Yes some presidents (on both sides of the aisle) have abused the trust of that service but that doesn't diminish the choice of those who serve.

Damn, I knew whaT i said would be misinterpreted.
once again, I aint saying soldiers are stupid.
BUT it's true to say that sons of manhattan's bankers, teachers or liner pilots are not the ones to be the big part of the forces. But poorer middle class sons and daugters for whom, the only chance to get out of their place and see around, is to enter the army.
And my father was in the french air force for a while when he was younger, as a pilot (I know.. french army, but still )

[Xgecko]

no you don't get it it really has nothing to do with money it has to do with entitlement and the lack of it...even Obama says that we as a country are selfish, expecting others to do for us rather than putting forth the effort for others. Service is a way to give to a cause or country something bigger than you are. Patriotic people give their lives to country, reverent/spiritual people give to the church, or the PeaceCorp, Mission and what have you. Choice of service...many people seem to have forgotten what it means to think of others before self. You presume to judge those that serve a country you neither claim nor even live in. You are no better than the rich of this who feel entitled to the protection of this country without respecting those that provide that Protection

[Cranks]

Originally Posted by dave gale

You must take into account that Sweet is always spouting off over his discontent and "thorough" knowledge of what's wrong with the world. (specifically The U.S.A.) Hmmm.... I have heard him say one thing a while back that was intelligent. I believe it was "I'm out"

its actually painfully obvious to the rest of the world, exactly what is wrong with the USA. you morons voted for bush twice.

xgecko you are full of ####. the statistics say that more often than not (a statistical term that actually means something, you shouldn't just bandy it around) people join the military because they have no other options.

"The Department of Defense defines a ‘high quality’ recruit based on a combination of educational attainment and AFQT score. A ‘high quality’ recruit is one who scores at or above the 50th percentile on the AFQT, and who is tier I (has a regular high school diploma or better). The DoD strives to have all recruits be ‘high quality’ as these recruits will be more likely to complete contracted enlistment terms and perform better in training and on the job. The percentage of ‘high quality’ recruits has dropped precipitously. In 2005, it was 56.2 percent, in 2006, it was 46.6 percent and in 2007, the number dropped further to 44.6 percent."

translation: 55.4% of recruits did some combination of never graduating from high school, or FAILING the military entrance test. (usually the 50th percentile is the pass/fail cutoff)


this by no means disrespects anyone in the military, because its facts, and facts don't respect ####. there are many many career proffesionals in the military who are very good at what they do.

i think hunter s thompson sums it up best.


"We have become a Nazi monster in the eyes of the whole world-a nation of bullies and bastards who would rather kill than live peacefully. We are not just Whores for power and oil, but killer whores with hate and fear in our hearts. We are human scum, and that is how history will judge us... No redeeming social value. Just whores. Get out of our way, or we'll kill you. Well, #### on that dumbness. George W. Bush does not speak for me or my son or my mother or my friends or the people I respect in this world. We didn't vote for these cheap, greedy little killers who speak for America today- and we will not vote for them again in 2002. Or 2004. Or ever. Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads? Who among us can be happy and proud of having all this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush? They are the same ones who wanted to have Muhammad Ali locked up for refusing to kill "gooks". They speak for all that is cruel and stupid and vicious in the American character. They are racists and hate mongers among us-they are the Ku Klux Klan. I piss down the throats of these Nazis. And I am too old to worry about whether they like it or not.
#### them.
Hunter S. Thompson 1939 - 2005 "

[Michael Billings]

A wise man once said, "Love, peace, and elbow grease."

--Michael
SFL Mod

[skategeezer]

well, we've made it to four pages and almost 1000 views...
try and keep on track, gang...