(no subject)

It's weird, but I never realized that there was non-unionized auto industry labor in this country. With the way the UAW defines the American concept of automobile production, I just never considered that foreign owned plants in the states were allowed to not be unionized. The episode of This American Life on yesterday about how GM wasn't able to put to work what they learned from the Japanese about small car production by collaborating on the NUMMI plant (and why, consequently, their small cars continued to suck) was absolutely fascinating.

(no subject)

I decided to look at the brakes on the Swift today. I was all set to get the drum off of the wheel and take a picture of the horror within. This being the rust belt, it wasn't that easy.

I progressed from pushing and pulling on the tire by hand, to kicking it, to striking the rim with a sledgehammer, to putting the lug nuts back on loosely and driving it up and down the driveway. None of that worked. On the plus side, I have now driven my stick shift car in reverse. As I've believed for some time, there is something to be said for subconscious learning. I was able to smoothly engage first and reverse without stalling the car. Of course, I forgot to step on the clutch when I stopped and stalled it that way.

So instead of dealing with more cold lying on the ground and trying to free the wheels, I'm going to go vacuum the car. It doesn't smell like cigarette smoke at all, so I was really surprised to find cigarette butts in the ash tray. Those need to go, and then I'm going to change the vacuum bag. Bleh.

* Update: Holy cripes! It's at least clean enough that I don't feel all scungy just being in it, but I think I'm going to break down and have it detailed once I get the brakes done. *squicks*

-----

And then I'm off to a board game party tonight. That should be fun.