http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog a tube sock full of master locks Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:12:37 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en We've dealt with a mostly-ineffectual $40 canister vac for a few years. But I get cold feet every time it's suggested that we plunk down $200 on some plastic modern abomination likely to break after six months. I grew up running an array of nearly identical Hoovers around the hallways ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=222 My band had a gig last night-- just a fun show with some friends at an out-of-the way dive that seems to book a lot of live music. The venue resides in that area of Portland best known for used car lots, conveninence stores and budget motels, and as such, ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=220 I'm sure you've heard the news: times are tough. It's bad all over. One day you're being told to ask yourself "could it get any worse?" and the next day you're being told that it has. Fuck! Now you're jobless, broke, in debt and living out of a 1983 Micro ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=216 Would it be that terrible to call the city abandoned vehicle hotline to remove the mid-80s Jetta that's been occupying "my" street parking space for the last week? I know, I know, the space doesn't have my name on it or anything (and lord knows I leave my truck sitting there ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=215 We're currently in the grip of a heinous winter storm. Yes, the mighty crushing forces of nature have conspired to dump somewhere between one and two inches in the Willamette Valley this weekend. Any more and we'd be dead. DEAD, I SAY! So yeah, an inch of snow is a pretty ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=214 Flagstaff AZ, 2006 Our waitress is scratching her meth-scabs as she stands before us, taking our order. She's whipped into an emotional tizzy-- most likely because she's just dropped a whole bus tub of soiled dishes on the floor and it's probably not the first time this week. Yeah, we ourselves ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=213 Oh, Black Friday 2008! You've killed at least three, riled the morbidly obese into shivering, blustery rage and reminded all the poor people once again why they should turn to the various Rent-A-Centers for their entertainment needs, not outright ownership. (Silly poor people! Get back on that vicious circle of ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=212 This summer, our local crap paper has been drumming up bicyclist versus car clashes and generally trying to insinuate that there's a "war" going on between modes of transportation. It sounds pretty ridiculous, and it is. Unfortunately, it's now gained a bit of traction in the national media. Crap magazines ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=211 Excellent news from the Beer Desk: Schlitz' owner, Pabst Brewing Co., is recreating the old formula, using notes and interviews with old brew masters to concoct the pilsner again. The maker of another nostalgic favorite, Pabst Blue Ribbon, it hopes baby boomers will reach for the drink of their youth, otherwise ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=210 My cell contract expires next week. The shiny (well, not quite as shiny as the first gen) iPhone 3G goes on sale a few days later and I'm thinking of taking the plunge. But the biggest roadblock, to me, is that it seems like overkill for my needs. My job keeps ... http://www.slopvehicle.info/blog/?p=208