Modern Vespa

Ok, I still don't understand, but I'm guessing some of these changes make the higher-up look better on paper.

You have a good head on your shoulders, you'll just have to find the right place to work at where you'll be appreciated. Not an easy task, I know, but you will get there and look back on this time as a bump in the road.

Perfectly said!

This reminds me a bit of my working life, even though it was for profit.
I moved my family - my wife and four kids to the Charlotte area after working 31 years in my trade, with 21 at the same Plastering company in SE Florida. That owner's son had taken over, hired some people as superintendents that never worked in the field at all, and things were going down. I needed to get my kids out of the extremely overcrowded schools, so I found a job in Charlotte, and did the move. This new to me shop was staffed by the owner, three sons and one daughter and a couple of secretaries - a lot of overhead. I worked in the field as well as the shop and also figured plans after work and some nights. My division, which was new to them, started out making a 15% profit from the start. After a year, we had less than 3% waste and a steady 18% net profit, all while training several workers for the shop work. Even though the other divisions were making at best, 11%, I was being pressured to increase out divisions' profitability. Eventually, one of my peers conspired with others to oust me as I had already trained everyone, so why did they need me? So, I was let go. The guys I trained were pressured to produce much more, so over half quit and took their new skills to the competition. The ones that stayed, took short cuts, problems ensued, builders got pissed off and the division made a 3% profit over the next six months. They asked me to come back, but I did not trust them and I was already working anyway. Within another six months, they declared bankruptcy.

Last bit: something my father told me and I have passed on to my kids. Maybe I'm repeating, but it bears repeating - "Don't stop looking for your next job."

Let's say the budget for our department next year is $3 million. This includes payroll, benefits, equipment leases, insurance, depreciation, materials, etc.

By cutting our department, they've "saved" $3 million, freeing it for spending elsewhere.

So each department/school has a set amount of money in its budget for printing. Normally, that would come to us, so in a way, the district was paying itself for the work. Now they'll have to pay an outside vendor, so that money will be leaving the district. Our prices were usually much better than outside vendors' because we got great rates from our suppliers as a school. Since our costs are lower, our prices can be lower.

One example is that we print district maps showing each school's location and which high school it feeds. The maps are either 32" x 36" or 42" x 48". They can be printed on paper, printed and laminated, or mounted on foam core (in which case, we printed directly on the foam core and laminated it). For a 42" x 48" map printed on foam core and laminated, we'd charge $45, and I'd have it to the customer within two business days. At the print shop I worked at prior to working for the school district, they would charge $252, and it would take at least 5 business days. The two products are identical - same foam core, same lamination material.

I'm thinking that district leadership has decided to make print costs the departments' and schools' problem. Leadership will look good, on paper, because they were able to cut $3 million from the budget. But the students will suffer because the schools won't be able to order the same quantities of items as in the past.

Looks like simple arithmetic is beyond the higher ups skill set.

OFG

From what I've seen in the 6.5 years I've been there, they mostly understand the math, but don't really care.

Like most non-profits, they try to use their entire allocated budget every year. They'd rather run out of funds a month before the end of the fiscal year than have even a minuscule positive account balance. Their fear is that if they're given $1 million this year, but only use $900k, then next year they'll only get $900k, because they've proven that they can do the job with less. So every year in June and July, there are lots of purchases for odd things to use up their budget funds. That's how I was able to get a Herman Miller Aeron chair three years ago. No, my department didn't pay for it; we got it from the warehouse where all the unwanted items get sent. Someone had purchased that Aeron chair at some point and used it for a year or two. Then they had to burn through their budget, so they bought new chairs and sent their old ones to the warehouse. They thought nothing of disposing of several $1500+ chairs.

They also shift money around between various accounts. My boss told me there's an account earmarked for workers' comp claims, but if we don't have any (or only minor ones) in a given year, she can transfer funds from it to pay for other things. She was never worried about the balance being too low because it would get "topped off" at the start of the next year. I'm sure other departments do that, too, and will end up doing so to cover printing costs going forward.

The '80s. Well, making me sad, really.

I'm ripping a bunch of CDs and vinyl in the basement as a pet project. I'm comparing different styles of music from the era.

There was so much good music on both ends of the spectrum. Last night I listened to a 12" 45 single of REM's "S. Central Rain." The B side is "Voice of Harold" and "Pale Blue Eyes". Absolutely timeless music because it's clean and unpolished.

On the other end of the spectrum is Dokken's "Tooth and Nail". I have a huge respect for the musicianship of the hair bands. George Lynch was / is amazing, but the album sucks because it is so processed and polished. You can hear track switching and George punching in for his solos. The execs wrapped all that talent in spandex and pyrotechnics, so it didn't age well.

I just watched a video from 2021. Dokken reunion. It's a live performance of Tooth and Nail. George Lunch is still amazing on the guitar. Don Dokken is a fat old man who mumbles into the mic because he's out of breath and had to sit down during the solo. The video has 243 views in four years and no comments.

Sad.

Understandable. There was that good phase of "unplugged" albums. As I recall, REM did one. It's no wonder that so many musical appearances are lip synced. Many sound so bad without being tweaked and electronified.

I guess it's more than just being unplugged for a particular performance. It's about just a naturally clean sound. I mean, just listen to Mills' bass on this.

There's so much room for the music to breathe in there.

Yes. And I guess it makes sense. The DLO album is "...a compilation of old outtakes and B-sides, R.E.M. actually added a humorous warning in the CD's liner notes about the raw, unpolished analog nature of the recordings, writing: 'Due to the post-consumer nature of this product, certain tape hiss and analog anomalies may be audible. They are not the fault of your CD player.'"

So VoH (and others) were originally straight to tape without messing around. And of course vinyl will really bring that out. The CD, probably used on YouTube, was AAD--only digital for the CD. But that still can't compete with the openness of vinyl. I've occasionally thought of going back into vinyl but haven't gone down that path.

In my driveway, before I left about noon to do some errands.

I can relate. The humidity here is stifling.

Heat and humidity will overcome old age treachery.

Monday last week i asked the body shop when to take my bike in. He said Tuesday. I did. He still hasn't started, and no he's not waiting on parts.

Is the guy going to need body filler after you give him a few dents?

Our humidity is down today after the tornadoes rolled through last night.

All is good.

Yeah, it is. I'm from SE Florida, so waking up to 80% humidity there was common. Of course it goes over 90% during the daily summer rains. Fun times in the world of construction.

So..................... It's time to do an oil and filter change on my, now, 3000 mile Royal Enfield Classic 650.

The factory calls for 10w50 full synthetic, motorcycle specific, engine oil.

You would THINK that the Royal Enfield dealership that I bought the bike from would have a dependable supply of the bike's proper motor oil in stock, wouldn't you?

But NO, none to be found among the dozens of 'wrong' motor oil brands and viscosities on their shelves.

That kind of pisses me off.

Tomorrow, I'll try the Honda and Harley dealers and see if, by chance, one of them has the oil I need for that change.

If not, it's off to the Internet for the rescue.

Surely a RE classic runs on anything that looks vaguely black and sludgy?
I'm questioning the authenticity.

Did I say 10w50 "motor oil"?......I meant to say '10w50 Chicken Vindaloo' big difference.

Still damn hard to find around here.

My Vespas take 5w40 synthetic oil, and Piaggio recommends Castrol.

A quart of that oil is over $20. at the dealer.

I found a box of six for $60 on line, so much better.

Bill

That reminds me, when I had a new 1965 Honda Cub, the dealer charged me $1.00 for a quart of oil, when the going rate was 24¢ a quart, 400% markup. Even then, dealer prices were insane.

I'm not surprised, I have never anything like that on the shelf. The upper rating 50 - seems awfully high. But they are air and oil cooled machines, so I guess RE knows what it needs. I would think you could use 20w50 during the warmer months. I know you could find that.

Even Auto Zone carries brand name motorcycle specific synthetic oil for wet clutches. It's what I use in the Stella. I found Mobil1 20w50 synth for cycles there.

Looking online, it shows that several local O'REILLY'S auto stores have the Castrol 10w50 oil that I need. I'll check tomorrow, and if they don't have it, I'll send off for three quartz and probably have them within several days.

I'll win, one way or another.

Heck, I still have four or five quartz of proper spec Castrol for my long gone Vespa GTS300 laying on a shelf in the garage.

Moto Guzzi is even worse, my V7 required 10w60, which was even harder to find.

In the Netherlands we have webshops , very handy , you can get everything on your doorstep

20w50 synthetic MC oil is as common as diet Coke, 10w50 is another thing altogether, hence the nickname: Unicorn Juice.

I can get the correct slippery stuff easily online, but it does irk me that the dealer who sells this model (any of the four or five RE 650 machines) apparently doesn't inventory a reliable supply of it for their RE customers.

My 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan calls for 15W50 in the manual. That should do your bike too as it's the same oil/air-cooled "technology". 50 000kms and going strong.

You know, you do a search for ANYTHING on the Internet and you are bound to find it.

When you buy oil at a dealer you will have to pay a lot more than online so if they would sell it I still wouldn't buy it at the dealer

It seems that the Castrol 10w40 is about $14 per quart regardless of whether it's sourced online or off the shelf.

Where this viscosity of oil goes crazy is when it's one of those 'premium' snooty brands often found at the dealerships, running over $20 per quart.

I can find some of those high-end oils at our local dealerships, Bel-Ray, etc. but for my purposes they are not somehow superior to the Castrol in spite of their elevated prices.

Hey, we should start a thread about motor oil ...

(covers head and dives under nearest table)

It started out as just another 'What's Pissing Me Off' post, but as these things go, it expanded and morphed into a, sorta, oil thread, though it was never intended on my part.

Regardless, I must take responsibility for unintentionally prying open that particular Pandora's Box of gooey slipperiness.

That's a good way to grease the works... ⚙️

Oil's well that ends well. 🛢️

You have a legitimate gripe and it's in the dealers best interest to have the oil on hand.

O'Reilly Auto Parts just picked up the dealer's slack, I found twelve quarts of Castrol synthetic MC 10w50 at a local store, I bought the three that I need immediately, and will go back in a week or so and pick up six more for future changes.