Herculodge

Happiness: I Surpassed My Quota of Man Points for the Day

This afternoon I snuck out of the house to take out the garbage and decided that I’d be back in the house so soon there’d be no harm in not wearing a shirt. But as I took out the garbage, on the driveway next to my side yard was Big Joe replacing the leaf spring on his boat trailer, punctuating his hard work with sips of frosty beer from a tall glass. Big Joe is about six feet five and weighs around 260. I’m a puny six flat and 230 next to him, and do not have his mechanic skills, which he exercises on his boat trailer, his Dodge Ram, his Corvette convertible and his Harley Davidson. Also, he has a doctorate in engineering and works in the aerospace industry. So when Big Joe holds court, I listen. 

So on this day two shirtless forty-something men stood in front of Big Joe’s garage (a combined weight of 490 pounds, thank you very much) while he lectured me on following Manly Talking Points:

1. If he can’t change these leaf springs on his boat trailer, he’s not a real man.
2. Why Brembo brakes are overrated.
3. Why people make a big deal over MacPherson struts (they’re just four bolts instead of two but are overpriced).
4. The difference between single beam and wishbone suspension.
5. Why tequila is superior to Nyquil for fighting a cold.

Every now and then Big Joe would stop his lecture and take a sip of beer or when an unfamiliar car passed by, the two of us would give the driver a flinty glare. 

My God, a half hour later I entered the house brimming with more Man Points than I’ve enjoyed since taking jiu-jitsu lessons from the Gracie family back in 2004. 

Special J&R Sale for the Grundig G4000: $65

Matt has apprised us of this great sale price for the Grundig G4000, one of my favorite portables. Sale lasts one day. 

Truth About Cars Gives Positive Review of 2009 Nissan Maxima: Just Don't Get the Sport Package

Two reviews on the Truth About Cars give positive impression of the 2009 Nissan Maxima. But a convincing case is made against spending extra on the sport package. Why? The ride is rigid to the point of being brutal. Bare bones models are selling for about $31,200 at local dealerships in Los Angeles, but 2009 used models with hardly any miles are going for about $25,900. I'd go for a used one and perhaps add leather and a spoiler after market. 

Sharp GF-9494X Boombox Commanding $215 Plus Shipping So Far

I'm commonly seeing vintage boomboxes sell for over $200, as is the case with this Sharp GF-9494X. 

Boombox Mania Continues: "Rare" JVC RC-555C Buy Now for $200 Plus $45 Shipping

Vintage boomboxes appear to be in demand. However, I'm not sure sellers are usually getting their asking price. Here is a "rare" JVC RC-555C. I recently bought a Panasonic that looks almost identical to this one for $30. 

Is It a Con or Is It a Conion? This Boombox Will Cost You $2,500

Boombox fever continues with this Conion CRC-H84F, which is new in box. Thanks, Hugo.

The Big Lebowski Remains Perhaps the Biggest Cult Classic of the Last Thirty Years: 10 Reasons Why the Dude Remains Such an Endearing—and Enduring—Character:

 

With the new documentary about The Big Lebowski coming out about the enduring cult classic, we should look at 10 Reasons the Dude remains such an enduring figure: 

1. We all want to be the Dude for he is not some elitist or hyped-up movie character. He is an Everyman, which is to say he is a man completely stripped of pretension.
2. The Dude is not a sell-out. No one or no thing owns him. He is his own man and he seems to embody Steely Dan’s song manifesto “Deacon Blues”: “This brother is free. I’ll be what I want to be.”
3. The Dude does not have inflated narcissistic expectations like too many Americans. He just wants his few creature comforts like bowling with his buddies and drinking his favorite libation, a white Russian.
4. The Dude has integrity. He does not wear different masks to manipulate others.
5. The Dude is not a ruthless social Darwinist who would step on others to gain his own advantage. He is loyal to his Dude Code.
6. The Dude does not try to be cool or impress others so that ironically he is truly cool.
7. The Dude captures our incredulity at life’s absurdities. No face in film can capture better the Dude’s “WTF” expression.
8. The Dude is a loyal friend who does not make a big deal about his loyalty because for him loyalty is an unspoken part of his Dude Code.
9. The Dude is his own man but he is not burdened with the narcissistic urge to conform others into his own image. He accepts that everyone is different.
10. The Dude is comfortable enough in his own skin to traipse the grocery store aisles in his robe and slippers and not make a big deal out of it. No studied casualness for him. He is utterly and truly casual.

 

 

Put on Your Big Boy Pants: There's a JVC RC-M90JW8 Boombox for Sale: $1,500

Be a man and buy this JVC boombox. You know you want it.

Very Nice But a Tad Pricey: $1,300 Buy Now for JVC RC-550 Boombox

I'd be a liar if I said I didn't covet this JVC Boombox, but it's beyond my price range.

Men Between Age 20-50 Generally Do Not Read Fiction And When They Do It's About Alienation

Men prefer novels about alienation and women prefer novels about passion. The latter gender reads a lot more than men do, according to this Guardian article.