HONDA HATES HEAT

July 23, 2010

We recently purchased a 19-year-old Honda Accord. I should have talked to other owners first.

I knew when I bid on this car that it needed work, but it only had 81,000 miles and looked great. After minor repairs we drove about 3,000 trouble-free miles and then the weather turned hot.

The first time I parked our Honda in the hot sun, it refused to start. Nothing I did would convince the Honda to start, so I gave up. A few hours later, it started as soon as I turned the ignition switch. It happened again a short time later, so I went online and searched the forums to see if someone else had the same problem.

Not just one or two, but a hundred owners of Honda Accords sold in the early nineties complained about the same problem and begged for some knowledgeable person to advise them on a fix. Many of these poor souls had been to Honda dealers numerous times and gotten half their cars replaced, but the problem persisted. Others had taken their cars to a shop or dealership and were told that they could find nothing wrong. The car started just fine.

One forum guest asked a friend who is a Honda mechanic about the problem. He just grinned and said, "I hear that complaint from Accord owners a zillion times when it gets hot."

A couple of forum gear-heads knew what the problem was but I can't get excited about their suggestions on how to deal with it. The reason these cars won't start in hot weather is because an Atlanta-based supplier of the main relay module used cheap solder. When it gets hot, it expands and closes contacts, shutting down the fuel pump. The module is located under the dash on the firewall. Heat from the motor also seems to contribute to the problem.

That reminded me of an earlier visit to the forums when I was trying to figure out why my transmission warning lamp was blinking. Several forum writers indicated that installing a new TCM might solve the problem. It seems that a certain supplier in Atlanta used cheap solder in the transmission computer module - and also the engine computer module.

The helpful gear-heads on the forums suggested opening all the windows and waiting until the inside of the car cools down. One forum user said he slams the door a couple of times, and if that doesn't help, he lies on his back and beats a screwdriver handle on the relay. That sometimes works.

I could order and install a new main relay module, but several forum users did that and discovered that the new relay also reacted unfavorably to the heat. We have had numerous back-to-back heat waves already and the forecast is for more of the same.

I can hardly wait until it gets cooler!

PLEASE BARE WITH TRUMP

July 16, 2010

A casino was shut down for the second time in the history of Atlantic City casinos. Several years ago all the casinos were shut down because New Jersey had no budget. This time, the air conditioning in four casinos lost their cool and went on strike. No AC in AC! Trump put up a sign in the lobby, a-peeling to patrons, "Please bare with us..."

I didn't hear if the "us" included Donald Trump, or if the request to "bare" was accepted by many of the guests. Most casino patrons lose their shirts, but not willingly. This time Trump is losing after closing its doors.

NEW JERSEY D.U.I. RULING

July 12, 2010

The Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey ruled today that DUI suspects who do not speak English must be provided instructions in their native language.

This is just one more proof that our government is on the side of criminals and outlaws instead of American citizens. The next logical step will be to require medical personnel to be able to communicate in every language. Street signs, restaurant menus and sales catalogs will also have to be in all languages.

It would never enter a politician's mind to expect non English-speaking people to learn enough English to understand basic laws and street signs.

Democrats especially, are opposed to such "unfair" requirements. They call it profiling, which they claim is evil. So they pick on the police and other hard-working, tax-paying and law-abiding American citizens. That is not considered profiling.

READERS' EMAIL

July 12, 2010

I get an average of 2-3 emails a day from people who hit my websites. I don't bother responding to spammers or people who want to pay me to add a link to their site, but I do reply to most serious enquiries. For today's blog, I decided to share excerpts from a few typical emails just from the past week.

7/11/2010 I was looking at sailboat plans and things for my son who will be a senior and is wanting to build a boat... I saw an ad for one for sale for $100 but it needs, mast, sail, and who knows what else. The ad said the hull is in good shape but needs those parts. Do you know where I can get parts?

7/9/2010 We had a tough time in Long Island sound this past weekend... there is a split between the hull and the deck... Can you recommend a place where we can get plugs?

7/8/2010 I have two little girls, 5 and 8... my 5 year old runs the jib lines already and the 8 year old either holds the tiller or the main sheet for me. Had them out tonight. Hopefully by the time they have boyfriends they will know how to sail!

7/7/2010 I have a 1974 Kolibri ...Its previous owner was the Anglican archdeacon of the local diocese who sailed quite a bit... Our wind is very flukey and non existent in the summer sometimes. Can I sail with the main or is the boat difficult to tack without a jib? I have an Aquacat as well and sometimes I have to sail it backwards to get round although it is a lot of fun.

7/6/2010 Hi Ralph, Thanks so much for the updates on the Picnic 17's... I've just about finished the restoration of mine that I got back in February. It should have gone to the landfill, but I rescued it instead... It came without a centerboard... info on the dimensions and installation of it would be appreciated. If not, I believe I can improvise.

7/4/2010 I enjoyed reading your pages about the Koralle Jr and was hoping that you can offer some insight about the mast step on an Echo 12... It does not look safe and I am concerned that I would have the same experience as you of having a mast punch through the bottom of the boat... I would value your experience in this type of repair.

I just got off the phone talking with the owners of a Picnic in Wisconsin. They asked about adding a spreader to the mast. I have made many friendships - literally around the world through small sailboats. An Italian recently wrote asking for the dimensions of a rudder - in Italian! I copied the message into a translation website so I could read it. Then I translated my reply into Italian on the same site, substituting centimeters for inches. Life of a retired missionary can be quite fascinating!

TAXIDERMY

July 2, 2010

A New Jersey man is trying to sell a professionally prepared 9-foot hammerhead shark. He paid a taxidermist big money and then discovered that the shark wouldn't fit in his house.

That got me to thinking about the word, "taxidermy." The word is composed of two Latin terms, "tax" and "derm." Taxidermy is the process of extracting everything inside the skin (derma) of an animal in order to make a life-like image of a lifeless creature.

That pretty well describes what politicians do to citizens, especially in New Jersey. They extract everything until nothing is left but a lifeless body.

The new Republican Governor Christie promised to change that but so far he hasn't reduced taxation. In fact, we can expect to pay more taxes. I laud Christie for trying to cut the deficit, but he is doing so at the expense of the citizens. Seniors won't be getting property tax rebates and communities can expect less help from the state, but the state government dinosaur has not been affected. There are at least as many government employees and agencies as there were under Governor Jon Corzine.

When we decided to retire in New Jersey, friends and even strangers asked if we were insane. People and businesses are leaving this state by the thousands - annually. Why on earth would we choose to retire here?

I am beginning to wonder myself.

In 1960, a new 3-bedroom house with a single bath and crawl space sold for $15,999. It was identical to 50 other homes in the development. We purchased that house 43 years later for $110,000 and people said we got a bargain.

In addition to sales tax on the purchase of our home, we've paid the government about $27,000 in property taxes in the last 8 years. How much sales and property tax previous owners paid is a matter of conjecture, but it is clear that the government got the real steal!

Most readers know that I try to earn a few dollars fixing and selling small sailboats. I buy a sailboat and trailer for $150 and the government takes 7% sales tax and charges $120 just to transfer the titles into my name. New Jersey imposes a $45 penalty if I don't transfer the title within 30 days. I plan to sell them for a small profit after fixing them, so the next buyer will have to shell out more sales tax and another $120 for transferring the titles. In order to use the boat, one must shell out $75 for a boating safety course and pay the registration fees!

Nine states have no income tax but New Jersey has one of the highest. Although many affluent people and businesses are moving out of New Jersey, Democrats are pushing to tax them even more. The so-called "Millionaire's Tax" would simply send more of them packing, and many of them are employers. Employers normally have higher incomes than employees. When an employee is laid off, he or she gets unemployment compensation. The employer gets nothing. If the employee calls in sick, he or she gets sick leave. None of that is available to employers. If sales slump or customers default on payments, the employee can sleep well but not the employer. It amazes me that New Jersey Democrats want to bite off the hand that feeds them. The argument that money received from such taxation would be used to give property tax rebates to seniors is typical Democrat propaganda. They take thousands of dollars and give back a hundred to show how generous they are!

The government shouldn't take the money from seniors in the first place. Property taxes should be frozen when a person goes on Social Security. Seniors cost the state almost nothing and are economically beneficial in every way. They have no children in school, don't use highways as much as they used to, seldom get into trouble with the law, and they purchase everything they need in local shops. Doctors and medical institutions thrive on seniors!

But politicians are not only greedy, they are typically ignorant about how a healthy economy functions. That is understandable, for most politicians were pampered in wealthy homes and got law degrees which taught them how to work the system to their own advantage. They learned to defend criminals and find loopholes in the law, ideal preparation for a corrupt political career.

Politicians certainly know nothing about the plight of retirees who are attempting to make ends meet on Social Security income. They will retire with generous retirement and health plans paid for by taxpayers. Even if they only serve one term, they are assured that they will never need worry about finances.
 

2011 IS COMING

July 2, 2010

Many people took advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program, giving the automakers favorable statistics - and then auto sales slumped.  When the government offered an $8,000 tax credit for home buyers, many grabbed at the opportunity, helping to boost the number of real estate transactions. The momentary boost soon turned into a slump in home sales. Government bailouts and "stimulus" handouts had the same temporary effect on the economy.

Obama, Pelosi and Ried know that they are running out of options to create artificial, temporary gains in the economy. Many financial experts predict that 2011 promises to be a much worse year than 2010.

George W. Bush's tax cuts expire on Jan. 1, 2011. The personal income tax rate will go from 35% to 39.6%, the dividend tax from 15% to 39.6%, capital gains tax from 15% to 20% and estate taxes from presently nothing to 55%. This only pertains to federal tax increases. State and local tax rates will spiral in similar fashion.

Bills such as Cap and Trade and Health Care will lead to higher prices and interest rates. The already bloated government is adding more people to its payroll with every passing day and that means more government regulations and interference in private business. Many will close shop or opt for early retirement rather than deal with these added burdens.

People will cash in their IRAs and 401Ks without penalty in 2010, and after paying the taxes, roll them into Roth IRAs that provide after-tax income. The two wealthiest Americans, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, already hold the bulk of their wealth in non-taxable "unrealized capital gain" funds. People with money will find innovative ways to protect it, but the rest of us had better start canning and cutting firewood.