WARLOCK wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 5:00 pm
2022 was far better than it's 2 predecessors.
2020 was terrible and 2021 was quite bleak.
This is from my own unique viewpoint only.
However, I am quite glad that 2022 is done.
Thanks for this Scott.
Last night I wrote a far too detailed response to your no non-sense comparison of the past few years, and the more I think about it, your approach to 2023 may be more sound than mine, it is certainly more empirical. It differs somewhat from what I think, and for this, I want to thank you.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
My long winded musings of the last 3 years are still largely unreadable.
I require the perspective "of distance" from the events to edit it properly.
So, for the moment; the empirical and mathematical approach will just have to do.
Looking forward to reading what you will write R.A.B.; it will be interesting and precise.
There is so much to say and write about. It is simply overwhelming to begin considering the implications at this stage in our history.
I do not intend to be quiet about ideas that can ignite conversation, questioning and thinking amongst other fellow human beings. We need to do this, and to never give up our abilities to discuss ideas, old or new. Thinking for ourselves should never be rendered obsolete because it is considered to be "in the way" of something as unsustainable as big businesses growing by acquisitions while disregarding a future other than their own. Yes, yes, yes - I know that it is a losing battle, but I for one will resist becoming a subservient dumb dumb for as long as I can. Strike that, - I have a certain affection for dumb dumbs, so what I meant to state was that I will resist for as long as I can in order to never let myself become a subservient "yes man", - the latter being the most dangerous agent of them all, never questioning the orders from above even when these orders are not in the best interest of the people who serve - i.e. those who are just doing their jobs, or just following orders as they say.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
Going to the office/confessional today (Thrusday) instead of tomorrow. Shuffling home service calls around for the clients I haven't been able to get to just yet, as well as those parts consultations with noobies wondering into 8500 with old used parts in hand like beggars. I thought things were suppose to slow down after the new year, but apparently not. Looking forward to the challenges ahead regardless of all the noise from outside.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
I've been on the road again for the last couple of weeks taking care of things other than those pinball related...
5500 km's and change later, back in the central hub of activity in the GTA; back to the road soon regarding pinball...
WARLOCK wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 4:58 pm
I've been on the road again for the last couple of weeks taking care of things other than those pinball related...
5500 km's and change later, back in the central hub of activity in the GTA; back to the road soon regarding pinball...
Welcome back to the Northern ranch Scott, snow and all.
Looking forward to your next visit to the GMA, lots and lots happening here in the pinball and coin operated amusement world. Always have my ear to the ground as Mr. O often says when he sees how many people come by for repair advice and parts. The man comes into the office weekly, mostly to hang out and see people, sign some cheques and chat history with me, it is a kind of social club for the 89 year old in a sort of classier Pitt street located on Delmeade in the Town of Mount Royal with better wine. And even in these otherwise traditionally slow months, there is lots of stuff brewing as I said, especially at this here "confessional" office space where lots of interesting people pass by. The stories I hear are far from ordinary and contribute to some pretty exciting stuff coming down the pipe in the otherwise dull doldrums of winter.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
Mrhide wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:17 pm
Guess that’s why you didn’t answer when i called today! No worries catch you soon!
Sometimes it is a bit "nuttsy" here Phil, especially when the accountant isn't here to answer the phones. 4 phone lines, 2 cells and people often talking over eachother. Not that it happens all at once very often, but the afternoons are busier in general at the client dimension. You can text my cell, or leave a voice mail on the old answering machine if you can't get through the possible pandemonium that occurs here occasionally. Hell, you can even fax me if all the lines are not answering.
Old micro-cassette answering machine, I am hip.
Two more lines between the parts shelves
As you know I very much dislike confusion and especially fuzzheads, but there's not much you can do about their existence, they are a product of not knowing how to work and an environment that wants everything (however complex) to happen like an Amazon delivery. Sometimes it's like being in a Coen brothers movie, i.e. The Big Lobowsky comes to mind for some reason.
Mr. O's social club seating.
Oh yeah, forgot this one at my desk. I am very hip now.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
Didn't want to create an entire thread for this, but wanted to share. Was at Home Depot today and they are doing one of their build days. Thought this might be interesting for those with kids out there, or perhaps a bunch of us adults could swarm the place and make it an adult class. Looks like it's made out of some decent wood. Interested to see how the drops work and reset.
Fifty wrote: ↑Mon Feb 13, 2023 4:30 pm
Didn't want to create an entire thread for this, but wanted to share. Was at Home Depot today and they are doing one of their build days. Thought this might be interesting for those with kids out there, or perhaps a bunch of us adults could swarm the place and make it an adult class. Looks like it's made out of some decent wood. Interested to see how the drops work and reset.
Looks like the one I built as a kid
Ok better than mine, very cool, would have totally attended this back in the day. Great fun for kids.
Fifty wrote: ↑Mon Feb 13, 2023 4:30 pm
Didn't want to create an entire thread for this, but wanted to share. Was at Home Depot today and they are doing one of their build days. Thought this might be interesting for those with kids out there, or perhaps a bunch of us adults could swarm the place and make it an adult class. Looks like it's made out of some decent wood. Interested to see how the drops work and reset.
That's free, huh? ... but how much is the LE ?!?
Anyway, cost of pin ball and vids has skyrocketed, darnit, so I recently purchased a less expensive version of a neat game. I still might add leds.
I don't usually post on a Tuesday or a Thursday because I am not at the Montreal Pinball & Co. office, so today will be an exception. I have disciplined myself to only log in to this divided fading & sad "community" forum during my time at the office. You know, "business as usual" as the morons say, but my friends and acquaintances both know that I am not only a business guy, that would be too obvious, easy to predict, common and yes, dull.
Business, especially big business is the root of all evil in my opinion, especially the big corporations, oh wait, maybe money and greed are the real problem, isn't that what they use to say in order not to stir the pot and the american way of "life"... Yes, yes, yes we all need to keep busy somehow, stuck being alive and all, so work and business is what we have come up with as an activity instead of killing eachother in tribes for eachothers resources, or better yet helping each other live more meaningful educated lives, maybe planting flowers in the evenings while promoting beauty all day long and also picking up garbage in parks when time permits
This is the last freaking day of February and I know that I have now made it beyond that dreaded psychological threshold. Tomorrow is March 1st. I don't know what kind of weather you are having in other parts of Canada, but today sucks in Montreal and we are all hoping for better times. Regardless, I still managed to do a service call in St Basile le Grand this morning on a Jungle Princess and delivered some parts from a web order to NDG and then drove home like a bastard, to open a bottle of vodka, eat a bunch of peanut butter sandwiches in order to relax and watch this month fade to March from my window and apartment lobby. I can see the snow and the wind trashing the trees and I don't feel any more desire to go out there until tomorrow morning. staying warm and happy.
I am however still determined and viciously bent on participating in slowing down the decline of our world and the values that made it work in the past by openly exposing the liars, the thieves and the many openly proud dukes of bullshit. I think that they are breeding and let it be known that I do not have their best interests in mind. The world has changed, and lying is now more and more accepted as a business practice and I simply can't wrap my head around that, so I will simply react accordingly. I do not hold much hope for that succeeding in changing the course of things, (the world will unfold as it should based on the quality of those in charge, and they are not known to be good people in general) but I continue to believe (like Nietzsche did) that since the industrial revolution got rolling about 200 years ago, we have been unwillingly writing & editing god's suicide note in its wake. (by the way I do not believe in an all knowing god so I am just borrowing the concept as a way of wrapping up this wanton post like a big bag of shit that most of us can grasp)
Yes, yes, yes, - kaff, kaff, - ouin "ca va bien aller" et tous ca, rainbows white clouds and all.
Last edited by R.A.B. on Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:58 am, edited 7 times in total.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
Mrhide wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 7:58 pm
sorry you had a sucky day.... but what the hell were you thinking driving to St-Basile des pneus is this shat?
Ca va indeed bien aller demain
Sucky days are fine Phil, I know the drill. I just like noticing them and keeping busy in response to their nature while mostly choosing daily tasks to fill those days of wrath. That one winter morning just happened to be filled with a service call in St.Basile des Pneus on a very snowy and slushy day. The good part is that I made the lady of the house happy, (she plays more than her hubby) and now he has a little more peace and time to himself. So it was a good day because I plowed through it and made it home to relax and watched the weather and think of the looming springtime that usually feels like it is on back order when March walks in. So let us hope that it is just another couple of weeks before it is delivered to us.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
Spring break this week for my 19 year old's CEGEP, while the other colleges seem to have already had theirs. So last night, Louis went out for Ramen with his most recent group of apes from Maisonneuve college.
Before dropping him off downtown, he offered to go on service calls with me this week. He knows that the two days I am not at the office (tuesdays & thursdays) are reserved for home repairs. Saturdays are for longer service call hauls outside the GMA with apprentices/friends and Sunday is a day of rest.
Been overbooking my abilities this past little while in hopes of keeping my head out of the sewers, but I think that this may be working against me this year. My son's offer to help was likely prompted by how I must have looked yesterday - low down & beat. So yes, I can certainly use his help as we await the smell of earthworms that tell us that spring has sprung and that there will be an inevitable coming about of a brighter sun watching over us as we grow older.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
The day started in Brossard. I had an order for a couple of cases of coin wrappers to pick up from an industry vet who is a few months younger than I. We relate and communicate well since we had first met back in 1991 when he worked for Banco and I had just started my home repair service business. He had come to meet me in my south shore workshop with coin counting machines on a cold call. It was the heyday of the stand alone VLT's and they were everywhere. You just couldn't roll the coins by hand anymore, there were just too many to collect everyday and then some. This was back then the banks wouldn't dare charge you to deposit or change rolls of coins for bills. After shooting the breeze with Claude nearly 1/2 hour about so many past events and people we knew who are now out of the business, Louis began wondering why these two crazy old guys were still so passionate about their work and especially bent on discussing their past.
Next stop was Leo's Harley Davidson on Tashereau where one of the parts guy is one of my first Montreal Pinball clients after moving back to Montreal from Toronto once I had finished a one year contract to build a parts dept. for Hip Coin, Louis-Daniel was 15 months of age. I hadn't the courage to tell my Montreal raised son that he was actually born in Toronto. I waited until he turned 8, at least he had reached the age of reason by then so I could at least explain how that happened.
So, after looking interested in buying a Harley, a sales person approached us and asked if they could help. I said that I had an old motorcycle buddy who worked in the parts dept. which I hadn't seen in years and would love to say hello again, so the young sales guy went to get him. Gilles came out saying, "Bien tarbarnac, c'est Bob, le jesus des pinballs." Louis burst out laughing. I hadn't seen Gilles since 2017 or seen my son laugh so loud. I last serviced his Buccaneer & Volley when I went to his place in St.Bruno with an old girlfriend and with Louis-Daniel who was 13 at the time. Ofcourse, Gilles freaked out at how tall he had gotten, - Louis simply laughed out loud again and said that he had no choice about it. I gave Gilles a Volley sales flyer and a sling shot plastic (yes I know it has no sling shots per say) as a sign of appreciation for all the contacts and business he has provided me over the years. It was real good to see my friend from Gaspé after so long. We talked about Pitt street and Louis smiled at the memory of that industrial loft filled with pinballs where he had met so many interesting people and had grown up around so many different pinballs and various social events.
Next was the first service call of the day in Greenfield Park, new client nearing 60 and super interesting guy who repairs guitar amplifiers and sound equipment. Amazing shop, two benches and several testers in his basement along with a row of 1st generation solid state pins. He bought a Bally "Speakeasy" from the Alouette office recently and fixed all the little bugs himself, but still had a few issues to tweak. So, I said that I would come by to see if I could help. We talked and worked and now I am seriousluy considering buying a used rebuilt Fender Twin Reverb from him for my brother's 65th birthday. Also sold a piece of new playfield glass for his 6MDM and head off to lunch. In the car, Louis couldn't stop talking about the people he had met so far that day and said that he thought this was an interesting way to work and learn. I then simply repeated what my father had told me decades before - "Make sure you enjoy whatever you choose to do, money inevitably comes by itself after that, especially if you are good at what you are doing."
Lunch consisted of Greek lentil soup and pastrami sandwiches. Burp, more to follow.
We head off to Carignan where a finicky EM which this older couple had paid too much money for was unfortunately a lemon and had to be dealt with one way or the other. May start offering a service for people buying their first pinball in order to prevent them from being duped. Not everybody knows what to look for when buying. It was full of leds and looked OK to them, they didn't even raise the hood, they didn't know how. So I may start offering that service to check out machines up for sale and make recommendations to ordinary homeowners who decide to purchase used commercial equipment, hell I know all the resellers and their reputations. Then I put that thought on hold and thought to myself, I have already seen too much bullshit in this business. I have digested more than my ample dose of thieves and liars, wokers and wankers over 4 decades - why pollute the remaining years life with those types, they will always exist as long as greed and quick profit are the primary values they aspire to, real life is much deeper than just that and too precious these days to deal with people who have no honour or depth.
Made it back home and will be doing a full day at my temporary shop with my 19 year-old tomorrow. We will be working on a Williams "Big Deal" for a new client who kept calling and asking if he could bring it to me from Quebec city and have me do a shop job. I finally made room for it and after dropping it off and looking it over, he asked if I thought he had made a good deal at 2500$ ? I humbly replied that I would let him know once I got working on it. I hope he forgets that he asked me that question.
Last edited by R.A.B. on Fri Mar 24, 2023 12:15 pm, edited 10 times in total.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
Beware. My car repair guy used to make inspections but now refuses to do any inspections because he got too much heat from angry sellers when the deal went sour because of what he found.
cap wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 2:37 pm
Beware. My car repair guy used to make inspections but now refuses to do any inspections because he got too much heat from angry sellers when the deal went sour because of what he found.
Merci Clement, no need, pis si tu as bien lu -
R.A.B. wrote -
Then I thought to myself, I have already seen too much bullshit in this business to last a lifetime. I have digested more than my ample dose of thieves and liars, wokers and wankers for more than 4 decades - why pollute the remaining years of life with those types, they will always exist as long as money and quick profit are the primary values they aspire to, life is much deeper than that and too precious these days to deal with people who have no honour or depth.
Last edited by R.A.B. on Fri Mar 24, 2023 12:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
Made the smart decision yesterday to slow things down until the weekend and spent Thursday in my new workspace with my son assessing an EM that came in for repair a month ago. (yes, just getting to it now) The client had consulted the web in trying to fix it himself and the experts there deducted that he should change the transformer since the machine wouldn't play even though it did light up somewhat and made clicking noises when you pushed the start button. In over 40 years of fixing pinball machines I have never had to change a transformer in an electro-mechanical pinball. So when this guy showed up with his machine and informed me that he had managed to change the transformer by himself but that the game still didn't flip or score points, basically doing the same things as prior to the transformer swap. I paused dumbfounded and held back my expressions then politely told him not to worry about it and just hand me the original Williams transformer that he had with him, just for the heck of it.
There was a dirty contact on the interlock game over relay preventing coil power to get to the playfield, but apart from the machine's steppers needing some attention, that 1974 electro-mechanical bugger went through all its' sequences with very little help.
Crazy stuff I am seeing lately, as more and more people buy pinball machines while there are less and less people left who can actually fix them based on actual field experience. It is a brand new ball game now folks, and only time will tell what will happen as the ball rolls towards the out hole. But I do know that the "big show" we are living right now will go on because it is largely fueled by hype and noise, so it looks big, but actually it is like a real life circus with its' share of clowns and tricksters and shysters and will go on for a good while yet until...... hell, just hope that the pinballs machines being churned out lately will turn on and boot up in 50 years, say around 2073 and will not necessitate any major components replacements like a transformer.
Last edited by R.A.B. on Mon Mar 27, 2023 7:31 am, edited 5 times in total.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
There are too many home service calls lately, hence finding out that 5 hours on the road is more tiring than 7, or even 11 hours at the office. It use to be the other way around back at the old corporate fishstore. The reason that there are so many service calls lately is not only because there are more "experts" out there "fixing" pinball machines and not always following up with their clients, there also seems to be a renewed interest in older machines due to the hype/noise of new ones coming out at exorbitant prices. The fallout of all that is more people calling and asking for help since many repair people and some resellers don't always return calls when things need to be corrected. I often do the latter repairs for free when I am in their area and if it takes less than an hour to fix. I don't care who thinks I am off my rocker, as long as I am working and meeting new people while correcting negligence and keeping my name up to my statndards, I am content.
It does pay more to be on the road, but not everything is about money these days unless you are driven solely by that factor and are basically one dimensional borg type automation when it comes to doing business. Many of these beings will tell you that it is necessary for them to believe that money is the gauge for success and maybe happiness in their case. Yikes ! OK with me, but allow me to keep my distance from these screwheads in the measure of what is possible. If money alone is used as a measuring stick in relation to success (or even happiness), then I have obviously missed something. Happiness and success are complicated concepts to wrap your head around if you have any grey matter being used beyond the old brain. I think most of the dumb dumbs have resigned to that base equation (money = success) because it has been pounded in us for so very long, and that maybe evolution and an ability to question has bypassed many of those life forms. There really doesn't seem to be much else to going on up there in those static & mushy frontal lobes, yet many less boisterous humans understand & know that deep down, - the "cake" is a lie.
But you say, "one has to work, one has to do something." I agree, we would be killing eachother otherwise, we need to be busy. Oh wait, that killing thing is happening anyway, staying busy and messing up the world and its peoples for more money is not a good combo. Shit !!
The consolation to the routine of working is that it can take on many forms, especially when there is no asshole telling you what he or she thinks has to happen based on whatever evil forces they have forsaken their life to in exchange for money and some abstract status level. Upper management types come to mind and screwheads and wankers who know very little about how the rubber actually meets the road in order to do real work. Fuck these people. Work can be about raising a kid, fixing a pinball, taking the sighs away from a friend, writing, building a deck, making art or whatever one does to make things better. It remains work no matter what, and at worst, the work is only about money, and at best it is about contributing a verse to this great big powerful unfolding of events we are all witness to. That I believe validates “work” in its highest form, and if it happens to pay, well so much the better these days until we figure out that money is starting to mean less and less as we see where our world is headed due mostly to big business demanding constant growth.
An example in regards to the above from 2013 - ten years ago - oh how times have changed, but not for me apparently, the past remains in front of me and the future is falling way behind due to how nasty it is looking from here.
Tonight was payback pinball service night. After a very productive day at work I was booked to go and visit our very own obtuse mbudman on MAACA. His name is Mark, and he is really a good guy, annoying to be around for more than an hour, but a good guy nonetheless. Wouldn't hurt a fly, and no matter how many faults somebody has, I can not have disdain for someone who is giving, kind and not intentionally a troublemaker. Regardless of all our shortcomings, one can not talk badly about anyone who doesn't harbour and/or hides some ill intent towards others as a way of feeling superior and/or to generate an excessive sense of self-importance.
Carry on doing good things and watch out for the big business borgs. They may launch themselves a pod to New Zealand soon, and then beyond leaving the doomed ship behind.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
et même en 2001 mais avant Septembre bien sur. Maintenant on verras,...... jusqu’à quelle point ça peux aller sans que ça pète le feux une fois de plus.
At the office today and on the road tomorrow repairing the negligence of some of the resellers who don't return calls after selling a game to some unknowing enthusiast who was shopping for a "deal" on facebook marketplace and has a concern. People don't seem to be questioning much these days, looks like this may be escalating as the expectation of getting a straight answer is not being met as often now. Hell, good for bizness when the consumer can't question and not even get an answer without jumping through endless hoops and resorting to virtual assitants that are there to help because your call is important. However, your time is now less important than those who sell you stuff, and yes, it use to be the other way around. Hell, it is almost better to not buy anything at all, but alas people seem to want to consume, often as a compensation for something. Usually an empty feeling, that is the basis of our consumer culture, an emptiness. Feeling that you are missing something will likley prompt most of us to consume more in hopes of feeling fulfilled for a while, - then as time marches on - here we go again, the emptiness returns.
Have a banner day everyone, not often we get to witness such a mess of advances and changes in so short a time. These are indeed special times, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Hell, might as well move to Switzerland. Strike that, next country that says they are neutral in a major world conflict, we should immediately.......well, maybe I won't move there, will likely just visit and look for Domenic Laniel in order to have a friendly chat about the future and the past to see if he would like to invest in a Montreal based coin op museum back in his native land since it doesn't look like highway 61 will be conjuring one up on its own without eating acid first.
And as I said before, the past is in front of me all day long and I am feeling good about that. I am also placing the future behind me as often as I can when possible, because that is where it can do less harm. Everything that is hailed as new is not necessarily better riding on the sole premise of being new, - marketing can work wonders around any truth. Regardless, let's carry on, what the fuck else are we to do ?
Is the past in front of us ? At Alouette it certainly is.
Last edited by R.A.B. on Mon May 15, 2023 1:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy
C'est cher en ta la Suisse... calcule bien ton affaire si tu veux passer tes vieux jours sur le bord du lac Léman.
Faut je stop à shop pour des rubbers bientôt. J'ai vendu du stock à un chum à qui j'avais trouvé une T2 dans l'temps que ca coutait 1500$ ... qui m'a demandé si j'avais le rubber du milieu en m'envoyant cette photo là:
Je lui ai donc fait un kit complet, avec des nouvelles balles et une bouteille de novus. en plus de lui faire un speech sur le cleaning.
Anyway Si j’m’ennuie trop, vous êtes ben mieux, vous êtes ben mieux de faire attention!
LF: COLOR VECTOR monitor, shmups or any PCB, specifically Namco System 1 (Pacmania), let me know what you have!
Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"
Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.
A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.
Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy