(This site was updated 12/10/02, please see the "rants" below)
Paul E. Smith

My name is Paul Smith.  Transplanted from south Arkansas to Illinois.
I am partially self employed, and full time employed as Plant manager for a
Carbon Processing facility which supplies Carbon for the making of Steel.
My customers include Briggs and Stratton, GM, Chrysler, Honda, Kohler, Inland Steel, etc.
It is a VERY dirty job, as Carbon is Black.
My self employment includes mainly home repair.  I am in partners with my brother, Vince.
We buy and repair houses for either resale, or rent.
I enjoy bringing back old houses others think are unsavable. I  have a knack to be able to
straiten walls, floors and foundations, using jacks, come a longs, and chains etc.
My other interest is working on cars, buying and repairing and selling.
I work on all my own cars, and feel the Chrysler products have gotten a bad rap.
I have owned many makes of cars and trucks, and have found that the design and
durability of the Chryslers is better than most other manufactures.
The TURBOVAN is my favorite!
Below are my links to the rest of my Web site:
 

This is me working on my Turbo Van. I have the engine on a stand with a new turbo, head, etc.
The Turbo Van is on the right, Diet Dew and Never Seize sitting on top of the Big Ass Intercooler.

My children Now have web sites of there own:
(I am in no way responsible for the content of these pages :-)

Josh's Web Page (www.joshuapaulsmith.com)
Richard's Web Page
Tylor's Web Page
Scott's Web Page (www.turboshelby.com)

Some links to my other web Pages:

A few Christmas Pictures from this year

A few pictures from our Vacation this year in Branson, MO

My family pictures (updated 6/17/01)

My TURBO-VAN (I know, It's hard to get excited about a Mini Van)

My new project-   Midnite Shadow (1991 Shadow Turbo 5 speed)

NEW, the Turbo Van owners list!

My NEW front porch project

My New Farm (8/27/01)

My other cars:

My 1996 Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesel Dually

My 1987 Voyager Tool (Pit Crew) Van

My 1991 Grand Caravan

My 1989 Shadow

The 1989 Daytona ES (for sale $900)

The green booger, (1976 Ford Cube van)

1995 Chevy K2500 4 x 4 Truck

My 1989 Turbo Caravan, (Fastest in the USA!)

My Stepsons 1991 Daytona Shelby (www.turboshelby.com)

My 1991 Dodge Shadow ES Turbo 5 speed

1989 Daytona ES 2.5 TBI, For Sale

How to Change FWD Mopar Axles (CV Joints, or Half shafts)

How to check and correct the cam timing on the 2.2, 2.5 Mopar engine

My New Transmission Rebuild Page, In Progress

2.5 liter Balance Shaft removal Instructions!

A speech given by Charleston Heston concerning the current condition of the USA.
Some of the best reasoning I have heard in a long time. It gets you thinking, if nothing else!
http://nrahq.com/transcripts/yale.shtml

And yes, I am a proud member of the NRA! (and dont even OWN A GUN!)

12/10/02

I am the manager of a small company, and have a few employees. I will be the first to admit that we are a business with average wages at around  $10.00 per hour. Not too high, but for the type of work I require, it is fair pay.

One employee, who we will call Jim, is strong, healthy male, 35 yrs old. He has been with me for a few months, (I dont think he has ever had a job more than a few months) and I would say is smart enough for management (if he wanted to). Jim comes to me at least once a week asking for $20, and will systematically approach every other employee for money, but consistently turns down my offers for him to work overtime. I have had a long talk with Jim and told him he has only two real options to solve his problem: earn more, or spend less. Jim's wife does not work because she has asthma.... they both smoke, and only Name Brand Cigarettes!

Jim cant earn any more money or he will loose his government "benefits"......

Jim cant get free housing from the government because he is a convicted felon... twice. And Jim is pissed! The Government OWES HIM! But, Even though he is a convicted felon he is still eligible for many government benefits:

Jim lives with his brother. Jim has a 8 year old child (stepchild). His brother is the father of his step-daughter (his wife had a child by his brother several years ago) Neat huh? His brother doesn't work because he would have to pay child support to Jim. Jim gets aid from the government, so the government would force his brother to pay child support if he worked. But if Jim got child support from his brother, Jim's income would be too high, and he could loose some of those government benefits, and he would be taking money from his "poor" brother (who BTW is a 33 year old slim, active, almost athletic male)

Jim has the "medical card". You know, the medical insurance provided by the government at no cost (if you qualify). One of those benefits I mentioned earlier. This last week at the "Jim household" went like this, and I must stress that this was last week, but this is typical of EVERY week with Jim:
 

Monday: Jim's stepdaughter has a fever of 101. She has had it all day, along with a cough and sore throat. Jim takes her to the emergency room that night because of the fever. (101 degrees). The doctor gives Jim some Tylenol and sends them home, his daughter has the flu....  emergency room visit $150, doctors fees and test another $200, for a total of $350, cost to Jim:  ZERO. That's my tax dollars at work!

Tuesday: Jim's step daughter gets bit by a dog!  Turns out it is Jim's brothers dog, who also lives with them in the house. The child was feeding the dog food off her dinner plate, and reached down to take away the plate while the dog was still eating. The dog snapped at her face (dogs will do that). I guess the dog made contact, but did NOT BREAK THE SKIN. Off to the emergency room again! X-rays, rabies, calls to animal control, lots of reports filled out. Turns out she MIGHT have a small bruise on her cheek. That's it. Total cost $575, total cost to Jim ZERO. Glad I could help finance this little visit Jim

Wednesday:  Jim's daughter is feeling better, and is out riding her bike, and has a nasty crash! Jim thinks she has a broke rib, maybe internal bleeding, so off to the emergency room! X-rays, test, doctors see her and poke and prod....  Well, she probably will be sore for a few days, bruised up some but otherwise she will survive. total cost over $400, but we know how much  it cost Jim.... ZERO. My treat!

Thursday, School calls Jim at work, His daughter is being sent home with head lice, this is the third notice. His wife cant drive (asthma), and his brother doesn't have a job or car, so he has to leave work to pick up his daughter. This actually pretty good though as today is the 5th of the month, Jim is 2 months behind on his rent (you know, Felons can't get that free housing) and has Gotten a Eviction notice. BUT with the eviction notice as Proof to the Salvation Army, they will pay his rent. This Eviction notice is what he needs to show the Salvation Army to get THEM to pay his rent. Jim's need to take off work this afternoon to go to the Salvation Army anyway!

Friday:  His daughter is playing at the city park, on the swing set. The set is old, and one of the chains break. It broke as she sat down in the seat, so the fall was not very far (18" maybe) BUT the chain fell on her head!  Off to the emergency room again! Was there a concussion? cracked skull? NOPE, just hurt like hell, but better safe than sorry right? total cost over $400, but it's all free to Jim right?

Monday, Jim is at work and gets a phone call, it is a Attorney, Jim definitely has a case to sue the city for faulty playground equipment, and the Lawyer will set a court date in the near future. The lawyer said he could almost guarantee Jim to get a LARGE settlement, and the lawyer will not charge him a dime!

Today is Tuesday, It is 2:00 pm break time. AS I TYPE THIS I hear Jim in the next office on the Phone now with his wife. By the conversation I am hearing, they think his daughter has "mono", the kissing disease. And the situation sounds grave.... That's ok Jim, I got my pay check today, and I see where I made another tax payment, so I got you covered!

I bet I know where Jim will be tonight....

Folks, this is a true story, of a TYPICAL week with Jim. He leads a very busy life... and this is just the last 8 days!

I have worked at this job for 8 years. I am 39 years old and have had 4 jobs since high school. I have not missed a (unscheduled) day of work in 2 years. I work hard some days. I pay $87.00 every two weeks for insurance for my family (company pays for 80% of mine, I pay for additional coverage for my family) My insurance is a PPO and has a $1000 deductible, then pays 80%. I have a $15 co pay for doctors visits, and a $20 co pay for prescriptions. Not "good" insurance to be sure, but for $170 per month, it does what I want: covers me in case of a major medical expense.

As a Employee, Jim is also eligible for this same insurance, but he declined. His insurance is not a PPO, so he does not need pre approval, and his insurance pays 100%. He has no limit to HIS expenses, and no one will "deny payment" for a uncovered procedure.

And the problem is, everyone want to play this game of  "I need a check". And as more and more people sign up, the closer we get to a country where we all work for the government, have to obey the rules set by the government, and get paid by the government, with the government furnishing us with housing, and all out needs. Sounds a lot like the USSR.....

Paul Smith
12-10-02
 

Post Script:  12/13/02, The City has taken out the swing sets, and it does not appear they will be replaced. Too much Liability I suppose......

4/1/02: (below was copied from http://www.road-kill-cafe.com/letter.html)
An Open Letter To Terrorists:
The World Trade Center housed more than 430 companies from 63 countries. They were engaged in a wide variety of commercial activities, including banking and finance, insurance, transportation, import and export companies, customs brokerage, trade associations and representatives of foreign governments. You just declared war on all of them!

Well, you hit the World Trade Center, but you missed America. You hit the Pentagon, but you missed America. You used helpless American bodies, to take out other American bodies, but like a poor marksman, you STILL missed America.

Why? Because of something you guys will never understand. America isn't about a building or two, not about financial centers, not about military centers, America isn't about a place, America isn't even about a bunch of bodies. America is about an IDEA. An idea, that you can go someplace where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to, live for the most part, like you envisioned living, and pursue happiness. (No guarantees that you'll reach it, but you can sure try!)

Go ahead and whine your terrorist whine, and chant your terrorist litany: "If you can not see my point, then feel my pain." This concept is alien to Americans. We live in a country where we don't have to see your point. But you're free to have one. We don't have to listen to your speech. But you're free to say one. Don't know where you got the strange idea that everyone has to agree with you. We don't agree with each other in this country, almost as a matter of pride. We're a collection of people that don't agree, called States. We united our individual states to protect ourselves from tyranny in the world. Another idea, we made up on the spot. You CAN make it up as you go, when it's your country. If you're free enough.

Yeah, we're fat, sloppy, easy-going goofs most of the time. That's an unfortunate image to project to the world, but it comes from feeling free and easy about the world you live in. It's unfortunate too, because people start to forget that when you attack Americans, they tend to fight like a cornered badger. The first we knew of the War of 1812 was when England burned Washington D.C. to the ground. Didn't turn out like England thought it was going to, and it's not going to turn out like you think, either. Sorry, but you're not the first bully on our shores, just the most recent.

No Marquis of Queens bury rules for Americans, either. We were the FIRST and so far, the only country in the world to use nuclear weapons in anger. Horrific idea, nowadays? News for you bucko, it was back then too, but we used it anyway. Only had two of them in the whole world and we used them both. Grandpa Jones worked on the Manhattan Project. Told me once, that right up until they threw the switch, the physicists were still arguing over whether the Uranium alone would fission, or whether it would start a fission chain reaction that would eat everything. But they threw the switch anyway, because we had a War to win. Does this tell you something about American Resolve?

So who just declared War on us? It would be nice to point to some real estate, like the good old days. Unfortunately, we're probably at war with random camps, in far-flung places - who think they're safe. Just like the Barbary Pirates did, if I recall correctly. Better start sleeping with one eye open.

There's a spirit that tends to take over people who come to this country, looking for opportunity, looking for liberty, and looking for freedom. Even if they misuse it. The Martialists that Castro emptied out of his prisons were overjoyed to find out how much freedom there was. First thing they did when they hit our shores, was run out and buy guns. The ones that didn't end up dead, ended up in prisons. It was a big pain in the ass then (especially in south Florida), but you're only the newest pain in the ass, not the first.

You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in America, America lives in US! American Spirit is what it's called. And killing a few thousand of us, or a few million of us, won't change it. Most of the time, it's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of Spirit. Until we're crossed in a cowardly manner, then it becomes an entirely different kind of Spirit.

Wait until you see what we do with that Spirit, this time.
 

Sleep tight, if you can. We're coming.
 
 

Her children where found in the master bedroom, where the bodies of Luke, 3, Paul, 2, John, 5, and Mary, 6 months, were laid out on the bed "like lumps."

"A frothy substance trickled from three of their mouths..."

The body of the fifth child, 7-year-old Noah, was found lying face down in a bathtub. "She had to chase down and subdue him"

I cant even look at the pictures of these children. Anyone who knows me knows I love children, Hell, I have a several of my own. When I looked at those pictures, and thought "foam from their mouths" I shook with illness and distraught. Imagine what it was like for those innocent children, how did it feel to drown by their mother...   I just CANT think of it. Let me run down a few more facts that lead up to the cruel murder:

This women had her 4th child, Paul,  in 1999. 4 months after the birth, she tried to commit suicide twice after that, and had visions of stabbing someone with a knife. She spent almost four months at a psychiatric hospital in Houston. There was no indication doctors thought she had been cured. In fact, one doctor wrote, "patient and husband plan to have as many babies as nature will allow! This will surely guarantee future psychotic depression."

In November 2000, Mary was born.  Russell Yates (the father) said symptoms of postpartum psychosis returned several months after the birth. 4 months after the baby was born, Her father died!  By now her husband KNEW SHE WAS IN TROUBLE!

She was again placed in the mental hospital twice for severe depression! 29 days after getting out, she killed her kids...

Her husbands says its not her fault. I agree, it is both his fault and her fault! Not only her, but he should also be held responsible for letting this happen. Dont point fingers. They were both told she would crack, back in 1999. This country has got to stop this "blameless crap". If she was possessed by the Devil, then they should meet!

Paul E. Smith
 
 

1/22/02:
First let me say I may have this all wrong but this is the story the way I hear it:
On Christmas Day 2001, a Arab American was not allowed to board an american Airlines plane. For this both he and president Bush are "madder than Heck". They believed that "ethnic profiling" was used in part to determine whether he would be allowed to board the plane. As I understand, The Agent is now suing american airlines for damages from discrimination.

I cant believe this! Let me point out a few of my views:

1. Since 9-11, We must use EVERY available method to try to prevent this type of terrorist act from ever happening again. If this means searches at airports, racial profiling or whatever, then that is what we must do!

2. Every Commercial pilot has been given a message from the president: If you loose control of you plane from hijacking, you WILL BE SHOT DOWN by the U S Government!  If I am a American Airlines Pilot and I think, Would I risk both my life and the lives of every passenger for one questionable man? Sorry buddy, if it were me, this man would have to take the NEXT Flight!

3.  At this time of crisis, we should all be prepared to make to make sacrifices for the greater good. If this means we have to endure long lines at the air port, or more weapons control, tighter security at the Foot Ball game, or WHATEVER! This man was a Secret Service Agent for God's sake. If anyone should be willing to make a small sacrifice for the greater good, it should be him!

4. It was widely announced that everyone be on "special alert" during the holiday season. Given this fact, and that the man was ARMED! Dont you think it would require special caution? Again, Not on my flight!

OTHER PEOPLES COMMENTS:

                                    "As a fellow pilot, I do not blame the captain one bit. I
                                      believe it is a case of SNAFU'd paperwork, where in our
                                      industry, the Is have to be dotted and the Ts crossed, or
                                      'good-bye license.'" — airking1

                                      "Bad credentials, and a loaded gun. Game over. That
                                      guy would get on the plane over my cold dead body." —
                                      thekid4425

                                      "The pilot used his best judgement and if you were on
                                      that flight, I doubt you would have disagreed. Two
                                      thumbs up? You bet — to AA." — ball_of_twine

                                      "Given the fact that people are still being pulled from
                                      the rubble in NY, you would think this SS Agent would
                                      be a little embarrassed whining about missing a flight."
                                      — ball5580

                                      "Actually, it sounds like AA is taking their security
                                      seriously. That makes me MORE inclined to fly with
                                      them." — Dreagon39
And still more:

                 "I have no doubt the man was profiled. Rightfully so. It seems silly to give equal
                 attention to Buddhist nuns or Druid priests. After all, if either have attacked us we
                 aren't aware of it." — talismantam

                 "An Arab-looking man heading toward a plane is statistically more likely to be a
                 terrorist. That likelihood is infinitesimal, but the whole airport rigmarole is based on
                 infinitesimal chances. Wouldn't logic say that you should pay more attention to people
                 who look like Arabs than to people who don't?" — DannyMcK1

                 "Considering what American Airlines has gone through since 9/11, and just recently
                 with [Richard] Reid, they, as well as other airlines, cannot afford to do anything but
                 profile suspicious activity." — OUOSU2001

                 "Better safe than sorry. ... I don't mind being profiled. Sorry if that cramps someone's
                 style, but most people should understand after what has happened. Some
                 inconveniences? Sure. It's worth it." — bdfojitas
 
 
 
 
 

Page updated 1/23/02