The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Thank You, Desert Renegade

Posted on | August 28, 2010 | 48 Comments

Sitting here near midnight, I was feeling bummed out — lower than a snake’s belly — over this:

Friday afternoon Mrs. Other McCain said, “Oh, Jim just called — you need to go pick up the part for the car.” This required a trip across town to a machine shop, where my 17-year-old son had taken the valve head for our 2004 KIA Optima.

Two weeks ago, the timing belt broke. No problem, it seemed at first. My son and his friend replaced the timing belt but, when they went to start it, it turned out that four of the 16 valves were bent. (This being a side-effect of the broken timing belt, although the mechanics of this side-effect are alien to me.)

OK, so the valve head — the part on top of the engine to which the phrase “double overhead valve” refers — had to go to a machine shop to be repaired. Again, no problem, it seemed. The work would cost “four hundred something,” my son said, and we were prepared to bite the bullet.

Having a teenage son who’s a budding shade-tree mechanic (mentored by his more accomplished buddy) certainly saves labor costs. “Four hundred something” is nothing compared to what this kind of job would cost at a regular auto-repair place. So when my wife dispatched me to fetch the part, I had in mind a certain price that would be paid.

What I didn’t know was that Jim had also ordered gaskets and other parts necessary to doing this repair, and when the man at the machine shop — who may have been the eponymous Denny — told me the bill was nearly $700, my reaction was shocked anguish.

To say that this unexpected additional expense ruined my day is an understatement. I was heartbroken, devastated, emotionally wiped out. Maybe an extra $250 isn’t much to you, but it’s The Mother Of All Bummers when there are already bills past due and I’m rattling the tip jar to hustle up air fare to Anchorage.

After a while, I called Smitty to tell him that it looked like, all things considered, I wouldn’t be joining him in D.C. for Friday evening’s “Smittypalooza” or Saturday’s 8/28 rally. A real kick in the head, you see: Here I am planning a trip to Alaska and now I feel like I can’t even afford a day-trip an hour down the road to D.C.

Smitty commisserated, and mentioned that it had recently been decided by people above his pay grade that his part-time services to Uncle Sam would soon become full-time for a year in a place where all The Smart Guys say there’s no chance of anything resembling “victory.”

Kind of puts that $678 repair bill in perspective, eh?

Smitty further counseled that, back when he was a young enlisted sailor out at sea enduring miserable conditions aboard the USS Something Or Other, he would occasionally read the Book of Job, and reflect that at least he hadn’t lost everthing to raiding Chaldeans, been afflicted with festering sores, etc.

However much your life sucks, cheer up: It could get worse!

And inevitably does, it seems at times. Now I’m just praying that when my son and his buddy reassemble the engine on the KIA that they don’t discover any worse problems requiring further expensive repairs.

Did I mention that we bought the KIA used in 2007? That we still owe at least two more years of payments, and that the finance company calls most every day wondering how soon we’ll make another one?

Tucker Carlson doesn’t have such problems, you know.

So I was sitting here, about midnight, pondering my afflictions — six hundred and seventy-eight freaking dollars! – and also feeling the bitter disappointment that not a single blogger had deemed my big scoop about the Alaska LP newsworthy enough to merit linkage, when I decided to check the SiteMeter. 

There I saw that someone going by the moniker of Desert Renegade had linked an older post of mine at Free Republic.

It may seem a small thing, but for some reason that link cheered me up and gave me hope.

Also, August is now officially the best traffic month at The Other McCain since we switched to WordPress.

Thank you, Desert Renegade. You’re an angel.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
– Hebrews 13:2 (KJV)

And I am still going to Alaska.

UPDATE: Patrick at Political Byline:

You ask, “So, why does he need my help?” Well, Mr. McCain is a full time writer and blogger, like me. In other words, He’s unemployed . . .

LOL! Actually, I am what used to be called a freelance journalist. The decline of print journalism has made this a problematic job description. Getting paid to write is one thing. Getting expense money is something else entirely.

Also note the difference between liberal media and conservative media: Andrew Sullivan gets paid by The Atlantic Monthly to rant about Sarah Palin’s uterus, because liberals want to read that kind of stuff. Ace of Spades is a far better blogger, but you don’t see Ace fending off job offers from, say, National Review or Newsmax, because conservative publishers are generally obsessed with “respectability.” And the New York Times is never going to publish an op-ed under the Ace of Spades byline, so we are in a sense, collectively screwed.

The American Spectator tolerates rogues a bit more – Bob Tyrrell has a mischievous streak — so that’s why I feel more comfortable publishing there.

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Category: Alaska, Blogging, Religion, Shoe Leather Fund

Comments

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  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    That little dig at me alone (good luck over there, Smitty, victory or not) was worth 1% of the car repair bill, excluding tax (I’m a libertarian — I don’t do tax).

    PayPaled. If 99 other people match me, all you’re stuck for is the tax, right?

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    That little dig at me alone (good luck over there, Smitty, victory or not) was worth 1% of the car repair bill, excluding tax (I’m a libertarian — I don’t do tax).

    PayPaled. If 99 other people match me, all you’re stuck for is the tax, right?

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    That little dig at me alone (good luck over there, Smitty, victory or not) was worth 1% of the car repair bill, excluding tax (I’m a libertarian — I don’t do tax).

    PayPaled. If 99 other people match me, all you’re stuck for is the tax, right?

  • http://theothermccain.com Robert Stacy McCain

    Smitty took a dig at you? I’m sorry I didn’t notice it. I guess having survived that notorious van full of smelly libertarians was such a bonding experience that I’m inclined to be more tolerant of you, Thomas.

    BTW, you don’t often comment on the economics posts I frequently do. Surely you must be gloating at the apocalyptic prospect of the Keynesian welfare state finally digging a hole so deep it can’t climb out again?

  • http://theothermccain.com Robert Stacy McCain

    Smitty took a dig at you? I’m sorry I didn’t notice it. I guess having survived that notorious van full of smelly libertarians was such a bonding experience that I’m inclined to be more tolerant of you, Thomas.

    BTW, you don’t often comment on the economics posts I frequently do. Surely you must be gloating at the apocalyptic prospect of the Keynesian welfare state finally digging a hole so deep it can’t climb out again?

  • http://theothermccain.com Robert Stacy McCain

    Smitty took a dig at you? I’m sorry I didn’t notice it. I guess having survived that notorious van full of smelly libertarians was such a bonding experience that I’m inclined to be more tolerant of you, Thomas.

    BTW, you don’t often comment on the economics posts I frequently do. Surely you must be gloating at the apocalyptic prospect of the Keynesian welfare state finally digging a hole so deep it can’t climb out again?

  • Adobe Walls

    When I tried to help Stogie a few weeks ago and couldn’t get the new Pay Pal account to work I considered the possibility that pay pal and my self were retarded. Am now convinced only pay pal is retarded. Does pay pal not accept web e-mail accounts? Am offering some help but require another option, you’ve got my E-mail.

  • Adobe Walls

    When I tried to help Stogie a few weeks ago and couldn’t get the new Pay Pal account to work I considered the possibility that pay pal and my self were retarded. Am now convinced only pay pal is retarded. Does pay pal not accept web e-mail accounts? Am offering some help but require another option, you’ve got my E-mail.

  • Adobe Walls

    When I tried to help Stogie a few weeks ago and couldn’t get the new Pay Pal account to work I considered the possibility that pay pal and my self were retarded. Am now convinced only pay pal is retarded. Does pay pal not accept web e-mail accounts? Am offering some help but require another option, you’ve got my E-mail.

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    Stacy,

    I generally don’t comment on your economic stuff because although we’re in disagreement, it’s a minor, boring disagreement.

    To wit, I believe that Nixon was right. “We are all” — by which I take him to mean Democrats and Republicans alike — “Keynesians now.”

    So, I reject your prescription (electing Republicans, even “real, non-RINO” ones) for ending the Keynesianism.

    But I wouldn’t have bothered to say so if you hadn’t brought it up.

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    Stacy,

    I generally don’t comment on your economic stuff because although we’re in disagreement, it’s a minor, boring disagreement.

    To wit, I believe that Nixon was right. “We are all” — by which I take him to mean Democrats and Republicans alike — “Keynesians now.”

    So, I reject your prescription (electing Republicans, even “real, non-RINO” ones) for ending the Keynesianism.

    But I wouldn’t have bothered to say so if you hadn’t brought it up.

  • Pat

    I feel for ya bud. I scrapped my old clunker out. Too many issues. Hope to get something later on.

    I wish you the best.

    -Pat

  • Pat

    I feel for ya bud. I scrapped my old clunker out. Too many issues. Hope to get something later on.

    I wish you the best.

    -Pat

  • Pat

    I feel for ya bud. I scrapped my old clunker out. Too many issues. Hope to get something later on.

    I wish you the best.

    -Pat

  • Pat

    I’ll link this, and the good story on the libertarian post, (previous one..) and see if that will rattle up some support. I mean, I am not in the best of circumstances. But as you say, it could be worse!

  • Pat

    I’ll link this, and the good story on the libertarian post, (previous one..) and see if that will rattle up some support. I mean, I am not in the best of circumstances. But as you say, it could be worse!

  • Pat

    I’ll link this, and the good story on the libertarian post, (previous one..) and see if that will rattle up some support. I mean, I am not in the best of circumstances. But as you say, it could be worse!

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  • http://warlocketx.wordpress.com/ Ric Locke

    For me it’s $200 to replace the fuel pump and another two C for wires and a coil pack, which is more or less the same proportion of my income that the $700 is to yours.

    I used to do most of my own car work, but I got the thing jacked up and blocked and crawled under, and realized that I no longer have the ass to drop a gas tank. Age is not good for people and other living things.

    Hitting the tip jar is a matter of “I eat” vs. “you eat”. The only thing I can offer is some philosophy that helps me get through the day sane.

    Regards,
    Ric

  • http://warlocketx.wordpress.com/ Ric Locke

    For me it’s $200 to replace the fuel pump and another two C for wires and a coil pack, which is more or less the same proportion of my income that the $700 is to yours.

    I used to do most of my own car work, but I got the thing jacked up and blocked and crawled under, and realized that I no longer have the ass to drop a gas tank. Age is not good for people and other living things.

    Hitting the tip jar is a matter of “I eat” vs. “you eat”. The only thing I can offer is some philosophy that helps me get through the day sane.

    Regards,
    Ric

  • http://warlocketx.wordpress.com/ Ric Locke

    For me it’s $200 to replace the fuel pump and another two C for wires and a coil pack, which is more or less the same proportion of my income that the $700 is to yours.

    I used to do most of my own car work, but I got the thing jacked up and blocked and crawled under, and realized that I no longer have the ass to drop a gas tank. Age is not good for people and other living things.

    Hitting the tip jar is a matter of “I eat” vs. “you eat”. The only thing I can offer is some philosophy that helps me get through the day sane.

    Regards,
    Ric

  • ThomasD

    This being a side-effect of the broken timing belt, although the mechanics of this side-effect are alien to me.

    When the belt breaks their is nothing keeping the valves opening and closing in proper time relative to piston movement or firing sequence.

    When cylinders begin to fire out of sequence with the valves very bad things can happen. Remember, there are a whole mess of controlled detonations going on inside those cylinders.

    Bad timing means valves that should be closed might be open, or open prematurely, and that is a bad bad thing. It lets expansion gases go places at times when they shouldn’t be there. When the expansion gases from those detonations travel in manners not intended by the desingers it really should be little surprise that things get damaged.

    Even worse can be detonation that does not happen in proper time with the piston – that type of action breaks pistons. Broken pistons are not kind to the cylinder and/or head and can turn an entire motor into scrap in mere seconds.

    Catastrophic is the term generally used to describe timing belt/chain failure.

  • ThomasD

    This being a side-effect of the broken timing belt, although the mechanics of this side-effect are alien to me.

    When the belt breaks their is nothing keeping the valves opening and closing in proper time relative to piston movement or firing sequence.

    When cylinders begin to fire out of sequence with the valves very bad things can happen. Remember, there are a whole mess of controlled detonations going on inside those cylinders.

    Bad timing means valves that should be closed might be open, or open prematurely, and that is a bad bad thing. It lets expansion gases go places at times when they shouldn’t be there. When the expansion gases from those detonations travel in manners not intended by the desingers it really should be little surprise that things get damaged.

    Even worse can be detonation that does not happen in proper time with the piston – that type of action breaks pistons. Broken pistons are not kind to the cylinder and/or head and can turn an entire motor into scrap in mere seconds.

    Catastrophic is the term generally used to describe timing belt/chain failure.

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  • glenn

    shade tree mechanickin ain’t what it used to be, but an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure sure is.
    that’s an engine design with valves and pistons located in what’s called “interference” if the timing belt or chain goes, the pistons hit the valves, making for a very bad day, unless you’re the mech getting paid to repair what should have been a smaller job. Most good old American iron with cam in block, would not interfere, making a cam timing thing more of a don’t fix it if it ain’t broke thing.
    “interference” engines, especially with a belt, have a replace date, based on mileage, like 60 thousand for the old style timing belt. It’s a routine maintenance thing, to avoid problems like this.
    and I’m not trying to pick, just a little advice going forward, you’re not done yet.
    It’s easy to pull a head off, getting it back on correctly is paramount to not repeating the process of pulling the head off and going back to said machine shop, and you’ll get charged again if the head looks like it did the first time, and/or cracked, or drop a valve and ruin a cylinder, the party will get even bigger.
    so get it right, even if it means a couple dollars for an experienced wrench, oh, that reminds me, and a good torque wrench, you can rent them.
    I’m sure the manual has been referenced as to torque specs and order, a re-torque after engine run, or if the head bolts are toss and replace. not to mention getting the cam/cams and crank in correct time. Cleanliness, almost surgical, these “high tech” motors are efficient, but unforgiving of shortcuts.
    so good luck with it, I’m a regular reader, former lizard, lurker, and hobby mechanic, weekend racer.

  • glenn

    shade tree mechanickin ain’t what it used to be, but an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure sure is.
    that’s an engine design with valves and pistons located in what’s called “interference” if the timing belt or chain goes, the pistons hit the valves, making for a very bad day, unless you’re the mech getting paid to repair what should have been a smaller job. Most good old American iron with cam in block, would not interfere, making a cam timing thing more of a don’t fix it if it ain’t broke thing.
    “interference” engines, especially with a belt, have a replace date, based on mileage, like 60 thousand for the old style timing belt. It’s a routine maintenance thing, to avoid problems like this.
    and I’m not trying to pick, just a little advice going forward, you’re not done yet.
    It’s easy to pull a head off, getting it back on correctly is paramount to not repeating the process of pulling the head off and going back to said machine shop, and you’ll get charged again if the head looks like it did the first time, and/or cracked, or drop a valve and ruin a cylinder, the party will get even bigger.
    so get it right, even if it means a couple dollars for an experienced wrench, oh, that reminds me, and a good torque wrench, you can rent them.
    I’m sure the manual has been referenced as to torque specs and order, a re-torque after engine run, or if the head bolts are toss and replace. not to mention getting the cam/cams and crank in correct time. Cleanliness, almost surgical, these “high tech” motors are efficient, but unforgiving of shortcuts.
    so good luck with it, I’m a regular reader, former lizard, lurker, and hobby mechanic, weekend racer.

  • glenn

    shade tree mechanickin ain’t what it used to be, but an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure sure is.
    that’s an engine design with valves and pistons located in what’s called “interference” if the timing belt or chain goes, the pistons hit the valves, making for a very bad day, unless you’re the mech getting paid to repair what should have been a smaller job. Most good old American iron with cam in block, would not interfere, making a cam timing thing more of a don’t fix it if it ain’t broke thing.
    “interference” engines, especially with a belt, have a replace date, based on mileage, like 60 thousand for the old style timing belt. It’s a routine maintenance thing, to avoid problems like this.
    and I’m not trying to pick, just a little advice going forward, you’re not done yet.
    It’s easy to pull a head off, getting it back on correctly is paramount to not repeating the process of pulling the head off and going back to said machine shop, and you’ll get charged again if the head looks like it did the first time, and/or cracked, or drop a valve and ruin a cylinder, the party will get even bigger.
    so get it right, even if it means a couple dollars for an experienced wrench, oh, that reminds me, and a good torque wrench, you can rent them.
    I’m sure the manual has been referenced as to torque specs and order, a re-torque after engine run, or if the head bolts are toss and replace. not to mention getting the cam/cams and crank in correct time. Cleanliness, almost surgical, these “high tech” motors are efficient, but unforgiving of shortcuts.
    so good luck with it, I’m a regular reader, former lizard, lurker, and hobby mechanic, weekend racer.

  • http://theothermccain.com Robert Stacy McCain

    “interference” engines, especially with a belt, have a replace date, based on mileage, like 60 thousand for the old style timing belt. It’s a routine maintenance thing, to avoid problems like this.

    Right: And if you’re in a situation where you take your car to the dealership for routine maintenance, that kind of stuff gets done. Whereas if you’re in the situation where you’re relying on your teenage son for the occasional oil change, it never crosses your mind to do a maintenance job that is supposed to occur at intervals of 60,000 miles.

    Or, at least, it never occurred to me before. I suppose in the future, it might!

  • http://theothermccain.com Robert Stacy McCain

    “interference” engines, especially with a belt, have a replace date, based on mileage, like 60 thousand for the old style timing belt. It’s a routine maintenance thing, to avoid problems like this.

    Right: And if you’re in a situation where you take your car to the dealership for routine maintenance, that kind of stuff gets done. Whereas if you’re in the situation where you’re relying on your teenage son for the occasional oil change, it never crosses your mind to do a maintenance job that is supposed to occur at intervals of 60,000 miles.

    Or, at least, it never occurred to me before. I suppose in the future, it might!

  • Qbert

    R.S., I posted your scoop to FR last night. Alas, it was non-excerpted because…well, every time anybody posts something from a (non-MSM) blog, accusations start flying about “blog pimping”. Feel kinda bad now after knowing the full story (and I finally understand the part about the “Kia”…).

    I’ve noticed that there are some blogs on their “Copyright List” tag that are required to be excerpted and linked- I don’t know how they are added- perhaps you could request it. In the meantime, I’ll try to throw some traffic your way…

  • Qbert

    R.S., I posted your scoop to FR last night. Alas, it was non-excerpted because…well, every time anybody posts something from a (non-MSM) blog, accusations start flying about “blog pimping”. Feel kinda bad now after knowing the full story (and I finally understand the part about the “Kia”…).

    I’ve noticed that there are some blogs on their “Copyright List” tag that are required to be excerpted and linked- I don’t know how they are added- perhaps you could request it. In the meantime, I’ll try to throw some traffic your way…

  • Qbert

    R.S., I posted your scoop to FR last night. Alas, it was non-excerpted because…well, every time anybody posts something from a (non-MSM) blog, accusations start flying about “blog pimping”. Feel kinda bad now after knowing the full story (and I finally understand the part about the “Kia”…).

    I’ve noticed that there are some blogs on their “Copyright List” tag that are required to be excerpted and linked- I don’t know how they are added- perhaps you could request it. In the meantime, I’ll try to throw some traffic your way…

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  • http://politicalbyline.com Pat

    The American Spectator tolerates rogues a bit more – Bob Tyrrell has a mischievous streak — so that’s why I feel more comfortable publishing there.

    So, why do you put in a good word FOR ME, BUDDY?!?!? :D

    I could use a little freelance bread myself!

    Come on man, help a cracker out here, a little.

  • http://politicalbyline.com Pat

    The American Spectator tolerates rogues a bit more – Bob Tyrrell has a mischievous streak — so that’s why I feel more comfortable publishing there.

    So, why do you put in a good word FOR ME, BUDDY?!?!? :D

    I could use a little freelance bread myself!

    Come on man, help a cracker out here, a little.

  • http://politicalbyline.com Pat

    The American Spectator tolerates rogues a bit more – Bob Tyrrell has a mischievous streak — so that’s why I feel more comfortable publishing there.

    So, why do you put in a good word FOR ME, BUDDY?!?!? :D

    I could use a little freelance bread myself!

    Come on man, help a cracker out here, a little.

  • Pat

    I say again…

    The American Spectator tolerates rogues a bit more – Bob Tyrrell has a mischievous streak — so that’s why I feel more comfortable publishing there.

    So, why don’t you help me out and recommend me to the editors over there?

    Come on, McCain, Help a poor cracka honky here man… :D

  • Pat

    I say again…

    The American Spectator tolerates rogues a bit more – Bob Tyrrell has a mischievous streak — so that’s why I feel more comfortable publishing there.

    So, why don’t you help me out and recommend me to the editors over there?

    Come on, McCain, Help a poor cracka honky here man… :D

  • Pat

    I say again…

    The American Spectator tolerates rogues a bit more – Bob Tyrrell has a mischievous streak — so that’s why I feel more comfortable publishing there.

    So, why don’t you help me out and recommend me to the editors over there?

    Come on, McCain, Help a poor cracka honky here man… :D

  • http://novatownhall.com Joe Budzinski

    Stacy, do what you have to do, man. No one is going to hold it against you if you can’t make the Alaska trip because of unexpected new bills. By the way I am traveling with only the Blackberry for Web access and cannot link you, but would have if I had access to my blog. Keep up the heat on Bitchkowski.

  • http://novatownhall.com Joe Budzinski

    Stacy, do what you have to do, man. No one is going to hold it against you if you can’t make the Alaska trip because of unexpected new bills. By the way I am traveling with only the Blackberry for Web access and cannot link you, but would have if I had access to my blog. Keep up the heat on Bitchkowski.

  • http://novatownhall.com Joe Budzinski

    Stacy, do what you have to do, man. No one is going to hold it against you if you can’t make the Alaska trip because of unexpected new bills. By the way I am traveling with only the Blackberry for Web access and cannot link you, but would have if I had access to my blog. Keep up the heat on Bitchkowski.

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  • John West

    Can you say Greyhound Bus?

  • John West

    Can you say Greyhound Bus?

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