                       tm
                                            
                                  
                                 
ͻ
 RANDOM THOUGHTS MAGAZINE                           (C) 1994  D.P. McIntire 
͹
 Issue XIV - April, 1994                                   by D.P. McIntire 
͹
 RANDOM THOUGHTS MAGAZINE may be distributed freely via CBBS, the Internet, 
 or other networks such as FidoNet.  It may be used by System Operators of  
 CBBS' as a door, bulletin, or by any other means at their disposal.  It    
 may also be distributed via CD ROM diskette without copyright violation.   
 ANY OTHER DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PUBLICATION IS PROHIBITED AND WILL BE       
 CONSIDERED AND PROSECUTED AS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAWS.        
ͼ
ͻ
 IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE OF RANDOM THOUGHTS...                                
 (1) The true costs of transportation.                                      
 (2) The power of persuasion:  a small tale.                                
 (3) I'm gaining hair, and losing my mind.                                  
 (4) Baseball in North Carolina.                                            
 (5) Parting Thoughts.                                                      
ͼ

ͻ
 THE TRUE COSTS OF TRANSPORTATION.                                          
ͼ
   Driving normally is an expensive proposition to begin with... living in 
Pennsylvania, I was used to paying a certain amount each year to keep my car
legal and registered and so forth.  My move to North Carolina has proven to
be expensive in terms of automotive spending.
   My experiences with the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles have
thus far been few, but have been expensive.  A week or so ago, I opted to get
myself a North Carolina driver's license - a small feat in some areas, a hard
one in others.  I stood in line at the DMV for oh, about an hour or so (no
exaggeration, folks) before being seated before a DMV official, handed a test
and told to walk "over there and take it."
   The test was 25 questions, all of which were in the handbook I picked up
as I was standing in line.  Fortunately I memorized enough questions to pass,
missing 6 of the 25 (7 would have failed me).  Most of the ones I missed were
questions pertaining to underage drinking and motorcycle operations, neither
of which pertain to me personally - why they're on the test I don't know.
   Anyway, after passing the written portion of the test I was given a brief
eye exam, and then I got the snapshot of my mug to put on the license.  I've
learned not to smile for DMV photos, as the result usually makes others want
to chuckle upon seeing my license.  Instead this time, I look like a felon,
and felt as if I should have had one of those plates under my chin with
"Raleigh Police Department - Inmate 00481985" or something on it.
   The DL itself wasn't expensive at all ($ 10.00 for four years, a bargain
by my standards - Pennsylvania's is $ 24 annually), but transferring my car
to North Carolina was a little high - and a new experience indeed.
   It took two trips to the "tag center" to get the job done.  The first was
a brief appearance.  Upon presenting my title to the friendly, craggy old
lady behind the counter, she quickly told me "get your bank to date this
thing", and refused to process it.  Apparently my bank had failed to enter
the date in which the final payment was made, and they didn't care too much
about the fact that I had the title in my possession, proving that it had
been paid for.
   Anyway, I had to send the title back to my bank in Pennsylvania, wait for
it to return (it took about a week), then return to the DMV tag center and
get my plates, title transferred, etc.  The second trip went without a flaw,
except for one thing:  the cost.
   When I titled my car in Pennsylvania it was included in the purchase price,
so I didn't know (nor care) what I was being charged.  In North Carolina, it
was a whopping $ 242.00.  Add to this the fact that there is a personal
property tax in the state (my car, I'm told, will get hit for about $ 165)
makes it $ 400.00 or so spent.  Ouch!
   So, in the overall picture of things I guess I shouldn't be complaining
too much... but hey, I have to write something here each month...

ͻ
 THE POWER OF PERSUASION:  A SMALL TALE.                                    
ͼ
   I'm visiting friends in Pennsylvania over the Easter weekend, which is one
of the reasons that this issue of RT is late - I'm typing it on April 2nd at
around 10 p.m., scrambling to put it all together as soon as I can for its
release.  I moved to North Carolina in January, having abandoned my BBS here
upon moving (I haven't opened a new system yet, but I probably will before
the close of 1994).
   While "up here" for the weekend, two of my former users contacted my BBS
successors (three people I recommended to my users upon my departure as good
system operators) and requested my permission to open up new systems in my
old home area.
   Keep in mind that I moved away over three months ago, to a location over
500 miles away, and they're still asking my permission... much in the way
that Tessio and Clemenza asked the Godfather for permission to open up their
own families.  Nuts, ain't it?
   Anyway, at this point I'm debating my "permission", but I'll probably let
my "successors" decide this issue.  I'm laughing as I write this just thinking
about it.  I must have sure had some oomph around here, huh?

ͻ
 I'M GAINING HAIR, AND LOSING MY MIND.                                      
ͼ
   When I moved to North Carolina, I decided that to celebrate my liberation
from Pennsylvania, the Pothole state, that I would "go hippie", growing my
hair as long as I could possibly stand it.
   As I continue to do this however, I'm noticing a startling coincidence...
as my hair gets longer and longer (it's just now at the bottom of my collar,
after 3 months or so), I'm losing my memory more and more.  I find it rather
strange.  I can't remember what I had for dinner last evening anymore.  Has
anyone had a similar experience?

ͻ
 BASEBALL IN NORTH CAROLINA.                                                
ͼ
   North Carolina is a hotbed for minor league baseball.  I'm happy to say 
that I'll be supporting the minor leagues in my own way, attending games of
my local teams (I'm fortunate that two live in my area), and partaking in all
the things that make up the minors - 50 hot dogs, idiot drunks running 
around the bases to win a dinner for two, and watching (and this tells the
serious baseball and movie fan one of the teams I'll be watching this year)
the bull and the sign saying "Hit Bull... Win Steak".
   Within an hour's drive of my new home, I can go see four different teams
in the minors (3 of them AA).  I fully intend to go see them all at least
once, which will drive my significant other nuts.
   So, to the owners of the Durham Bulls, Carolina Mudcats, Winston-Salem
Thunder (I think that's the name) and the Norfolk Tides, be assured that this
individual will be plunking down bucks at your stadiums very soon.

ͻ
 PARTING THOUGHTS.                                                          
ͼ
   This issue stunk.  I know it.  I'm sorry, I lost track of time due to the
Easter Holiday and actually forgot that the issue was due.  I promise that 
the May issue will be better... I'll train harder, I'll study up better, and
I promise, absolutely promise, that it will be a better issue next month.


- end -
