J Mays: What I've Learned
Posted using ShareThis
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Bringing my reviews to my peoples!
Here is a link to my Yelp reviews, dont ask where to eat just look:
ptr.yelp.com
http://http://ptr.yelp.com/
ptr.yelp.com
http://http://ptr.yelp.com/
Monday, October 12, 2009
Uruguay to Jamaica (with a lot in between)
Other than my racing travels I have done the most traveling Internationally in one year in my life. I normally only get out of the country once or twice a year. 2009 was much more special in the sense that I have been out of the country 4 times with one still to go, visting a total of 7 countries. I plan on reflecting on these travels and what I saw and did in this posting over the next couple weeks.
The countries I visited over the last 10 months are Uruguay, Argentina, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Bahamas and Jamaica. Some of the trips were for work and others were for pleasure. The last place of the year be Mexico.
The countries I visited over the last 10 months are Uruguay, Argentina, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Bahamas and Jamaica. Some of the trips were for work and others were for pleasure. The last place of the year be Mexico.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
boundaries and barriers
What defines a boundary? What creates a barrier?
Why are these things in place to keep us safe? To prevent access? What if they were not there?
Why are these things in place to keep us safe? To prevent access? What if they were not there?
objects of desire
what do we covet? Why is Louie Vuitton and Ferrari considered so high class: price, marketing, quality (all of the above).
What if LV made garbage bags and Ferrari made dust pans? Would you be able to sell them for $1000? Would they be better than any other garbage bags or dust pans?
Why do we covet products that are based on class and money? Why don't we covet warm days and walking the dog? What have we become, is there a duality?
*An artist actually made a computer rendering of a Louie Vuitton garbage bag and it caused quite a stir on the blogosphere!
What if LV made garbage bags and Ferrari made dust pans? Would you be able to sell them for $1000? Would they be better than any other garbage bags or dust pans?
Why do we covet products that are based on class and money? Why don't we covet warm days and walking the dog? What have we become, is there a duality?
*An artist actually made a computer rendering of a Louie Vuitton garbage bag and it caused quite a stir on the blogosphere!
space shapes
Ghost space, a frame of what isn't there and what is! The shape space is the expanse it sits in while being true to itself and its surroundings!
stretch?
stretch art, over stretched, stretched out, a big stretch
What cant be stretched? What should be stretched? What would be surprising stretched?
These are the questions, through yoga the body stretches, through music, art and literature the mind stretches! What causes the biggest stretches of body and mind.
What daily objects stretch?
What cant be stretched? What should be stretched? What would be surprising stretched?
These are the questions, through yoga the body stretches, through music, art and literature the mind stretches! What causes the biggest stretches of body and mind.
What daily objects stretch?
Monday, September 28, 2009
F1 in NYC, it will always be a dream...
...but most likely never happen. If it did happen this is what it might look like:
Well I can not post the link to the article, but the source 0-60mag
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
From Art to Design to Art
Since I can remember I have been a artist, just like all my friends and peers who attended art school with. Most of us were the most talented artists in our High School's which lead us a all to career in art or design. Some in fine arts, graphics and illustrations, architecture and industrial design the path that I decided to follow.
I choose ID (industrial design) because I knew that there was a paying job on the other side of school, it Incorporated everything creative thinking, problem solving, drawings, model making and once you graduated the ability to go out and design products for the world. Well that is exactly what I do. I have been out of school since June 2004. I have at least 100 products on the market and many patents as well. The majority of these are in the Animal Product field which is a fun field to work in.
At some point I would love to peruse my own product development for my own company. I still have not figured out what that is or what field it will be in. Since I have graduated I have casually worked on my art and I am beginning to feel a building sensation to dig back into my work. I have had many ideas but nothing that feels polished or professional. 2010 will be the year that I relaunch my artwork and start thinking about what my future in the Industrial Design world will be.
-D Racer
I choose ID (industrial design) because I knew that there was a paying job on the other side of school, it Incorporated everything creative thinking, problem solving, drawings, model making and once you graduated the ability to go out and design products for the world. Well that is exactly what I do. I have been out of school since June 2004. I have at least 100 products on the market and many patents as well. The majority of these are in the Animal Product field which is a fun field to work in.
At some point I would love to peruse my own product development for my own company. I still have not figured out what that is or what field it will be in. Since I have graduated I have casually worked on my art and I am beginning to feel a building sensation to dig back into my work. I have had many ideas but nothing that feels polished or professional. 2010 will be the year that I relaunch my artwork and start thinking about what my future in the Industrial Design world will be.
-D Racer
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fusion Filter
Over the last couple years I have been heading some decently large projects for my company. One of the biggest if the Fusion Power Filter for aquariums. We finally received our first order and they are perfect. So if you have fish go buy one, they will be in stores shortly!
-D Racer
-D Racer
Travels!
I have traveled more this year than any year in my life, I am going to take time to post on each place I went this year, with comments, reviews and reflections...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Last race of the year!
Watkins Glen one of the oldest tracks in America. The ghosts of past races echo around every corner of the track. A track that is so ingrained in racing that I tattooed on my arm. I love this track!
We end every year at The Glen, it is always nice because after all the fly away races I love being able to leave work and drive upstate to what would be essentially a home race for. After taking a few years off racing, the glen was where I started again in 2005. I was there for the Alfa meet and race, I successful caught on fire that weekend, but got the car fixed and finished the race. The next year I went out and won my class for my first SVRA class win. The year after that we decided not to race due to weather conditions, the year after that we had problems with the Jets in the Carb, and now this year.
The weekend started out rocky, we had changed the clutch and it was very hard to get the car into 5th gear during the first session. The only real excitement of the session was when I found myself surrounded by slower cars and passed 5 cars in one corner. The second session I was still struggling with finding 5th, but I started getting it. I picked up my pace and in 2 laps I was withing a second and half of best time at the glen, the session was wet and grey so that showed what I would be able to do if the conditions we better. On the 5th lap as climbed the S's and shifted to 5th, the motor went off song. The same problem from Mid Ohio was back, this time it was game over for the weekend. I ended up out qualifying my father again by one spot, leaving him in 12th out of 36 and me in 11th. I did not see the green!
So the best season yet of my young racing career did not end on high note, but it was still a good year.
-D racer
We end every year at The Glen, it is always nice because after all the fly away races I love being able to leave work and drive upstate to what would be essentially a home race for. After taking a few years off racing, the glen was where I started again in 2005. I was there for the Alfa meet and race, I successful caught on fire that weekend, but got the car fixed and finished the race. The next year I went out and won my class for my first SVRA class win. The year after that we decided not to race due to weather conditions, the year after that we had problems with the Jets in the Carb, and now this year.
The weekend started out rocky, we had changed the clutch and it was very hard to get the car into 5th gear during the first session. The only real excitement of the session was when I found myself surrounded by slower cars and passed 5 cars in one corner. The second session I was still struggling with finding 5th, but I started getting it. I picked up my pace and in 2 laps I was withing a second and half of best time at the glen, the session was wet and grey so that showed what I would be able to do if the conditions we better. On the 5th lap as climbed the S's and shifted to 5th, the motor went off song. The same problem from Mid Ohio was back, this time it was game over for the weekend. I ended up out qualifying my father again by one spot, leaving him in 12th out of 36 and me in 11th. I did not see the green!
So the best season yet of my young racing career did not end on high note, but it was still a good year.
-D racer
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Labor Day Weekend 2009
Oh Labor Day, everyone calls you the end of Summer! How wrong they are. Summer is not over on Labor day but it is notice that if you have not done everything you want during the summer, that now is the time to do it! What have I done this summer, I have traveled, I have raced and I learned how to ride and bought a motorcycle! I am not sure what I have not done this summer but I know what I didn't do enough of, I have only gone fishing twice this summer and next weekend I will racing as well! When will I get chance to catch some fish!
-D racer
-D racer
Monday, July 27, 2009
My love and hate relationship with Road America!
It began the first time I arrived in Elkhart Wi when I was teenager. I love this track. It is big and beautiful it deserves the name Road America. Too bad my racing success has not equaled my love for the track! With my overall record there being 4 DNF's and 1 last place this track has been one track that I have struggled on to say the least! Unfortunately this track will now host the SCCA Runoffs for the next 4 years, so it is time to get good on this track.
To say this track big is an understatement, the track is 4 miles long, most tracks are not over 3 miles. It is mix of very long straights and very fast corners. It is not a track for the faint of heart and those lacking the proper attachments.
This trip we brought our Nissan Z race cars, my father had built a car specifically for this track and turned over his SCCA EP to me for the race. The Z's would run in group but separate classes. The first session was wet, very wet but I felt comfortable and laid down a few decent laps about 30seconds off the pace. The 2nd session was worse (so I am glad I didn't run it).
The next morning we had the early session, it hard to run the early session after a night of partying. But I went out and successfully qualified 3rd in class. The first race went smooth, jumped a bunch of cars on the start since vintage drivers all start slow. Held off a few of them and finished 2nd in class 3 cars behind first and 15 overall out 52. The race the following day went similar I jumped up to the 1st place car in my class and tried to maintain pressure on him but with out success. I ended up getting passed for 2nd and finishing 3rd in class and 12th overall!
Honestly I have no compliants this is the best I have ever done at this track and it is nice to see some results from all the hard work I have put in training in the off season and working on my racing craft!
-D racer
To say this track big is an understatement, the track is 4 miles long, most tracks are not over 3 miles. It is mix of very long straights and very fast corners. It is not a track for the faint of heart and those lacking the proper attachments.
This trip we brought our Nissan Z race cars, my father had built a car specifically for this track and turned over his SCCA EP to me for the race. The Z's would run in group but separate classes. The first session was wet, very wet but I felt comfortable and laid down a few decent laps about 30seconds off the pace. The 2nd session was worse (so I am glad I didn't run it).
The next morning we had the early session, it hard to run the early session after a night of partying. But I went out and successfully qualified 3rd in class. The first race went smooth, jumped a bunch of cars on the start since vintage drivers all start slow. Held off a few of them and finished 2nd in class 3 cars behind first and 15 overall out 52. The race the following day went similar I jumped up to the 1st place car in my class and tried to maintain pressure on him but with out success. I ended up getting passed for 2nd and finishing 3rd in class and 12th overall!
Honestly I have no compliants this is the best I have ever done at this track and it is nice to see some results from all the hard work I have put in training in the off season and working on my racing craft!
-D racer
Monday, July 6, 2009
Putting the Miata's on notice!
SCCA has become more and more Mazda friendly because they are inexpensive and make good race cars, my father calls it the MCCA (Mazda car club of America). So when I rolled my little Lotus Super 7 at High Plains Raceway in Byers CO for SCCA national weekend I knew my challengers would be in Miata's.
It was my first time in the car, this is the car I crewed for all the way through high school while my father was one of the most competitive EP racers in the country. I love this car, it is a beautiful car, a fast car and fun car to drive. I spent the Friday test session just getting comfortable in car and feel for the car and the track. I did notice that the foot box where my feet go (makes sense) was very hot and burning my leg. I would address that later.
SCCA "National" weekends people take very serious as if they were getting paid "or trying to get paid". I was not taking it that seriously I was looking at it as a good weekend to learn the car. Each day consistent of a practice, qualifying and race. There were 7 competitors in the FP class, mostly Miata's, a few BMW 2002's and my Lotus.
Sat morning I arrived at the track excited to see how the Lotus would fare in a very competitive race with me behind the wheel. The morning practice was smooth and clean and I 4th fastest in class and 14th overall on the time sheets. A good place to start the weekend. We went out for the Qualifying after tightening the bolts on the rear axle. I ran the whole the qualifying session and qualified 8th overall and 2nd in class. As my father said "I may have pissed on some bushes" with the car running that well. As our race time approached the sky above us began to darken within seconds of the pushing the Lotus into the trailer the sky opened up upon the track on the Colorado plains. I did not bring rain tires and was not planning on running in some rain let alone the rain that Noah built the arch for. The race was postponed until the morning.
Sunday morning I awoke early and determined to defend my qualifying position to prove it was not fluke lap! We were the 2nd race out (being that group 4 and 5 were rained out). The morning was cool the skies were still dark. The car slowly begun coming up to the pre-grid, the moment that some racers think of there plan for the race or relax there minds in preparation for the next 35 minutes of racing. We rolled on to the track and began our warm up lap, I personally find starts the most exciting part of any race because anything can happen and this is where your skills are really challenged. We came around to the front straight the green flag dropped, this is the point in a race I do not hear the sound of the cars around me, everything goes quiet as my mind quickly process everything that is going on around me. The lotus has very little torque so on starts you get jumped by all the cars with more horse power, this is the first time I experienced it. I got a good start only one car was able to jump me through turn 1 (too bad it was the 3rd place in class car), as we came through turn 2 a yellow car that had started 14th comes out of nowhere across the track dragging wheels through the dirt to take position. We head through the next 2 corners and down the back straight everyone picking up speed, at the end of the straight there is fast set of downhill corners, the yellow car tries to pass and has the door shut on him, resulting in him spinning in front of me. I react braking and maneuvering around him, this causes me to lose to much speed I am passed by 2 cars behind. Back to work I go trying to get back to position. We continue around the track I pick my places and tack advantage of the slower cars that had taken advantage of me. The race has settled in and start logging laps. The 2nd place in class Miata has gotten too far away from me, I am by myself. I finished the race 3rd in class and 10th overall, not bad for my first time in the car. Unfortunately the story does not end there. During post race tech inspection it turn out my car is under the required weight, like 70lbs under. I am disqualified from that race, but if I add the weight I will be able to race the afternoon race!
I Qualified 3rd in class for the afternoon race, with one of the Miata's qualifying 3rd overall and the other missing qualifying and starting in the back of the field. When the green flagged dropped I had good start into the first corner gaining 2 spots, but with a little slip up off the next 2 corners I was caught by the 2 cars behind me on the long straight. I was trying to keep calm and focus on my line. I knew that the other Miata would be storming through the field to the front. As I pushed I made a few mistakes and continued to fall back. Once I found my rhythm I started taking spots back, that is when the Miata from the back caught me. He ran me down the straight and made a pass. I was on him I knew this was my chance. That was when I put in the worst lap of the weekend, I thought it was over. I once again refocused and started working my way back. With 6 laps to go I could see the Miata again, I pushed and pushed hard, with 3 laps to go the Miata that was leading our class broke down. This was it I was racing for the lead and I had to go, 3 laps were not enough I finished under a second behind the leading Miata and 2nd class and 9th overall!
This is the best have I ever done in a SCCA National race and for the first time in the car and first racing on the track I would call it a very successful weekend!
-D racer
It was my first time in the car, this is the car I crewed for all the way through high school while my father was one of the most competitive EP racers in the country. I love this car, it is a beautiful car, a fast car and fun car to drive. I spent the Friday test session just getting comfortable in car and feel for the car and the track. I did notice that the foot box where my feet go (makes sense) was very hot and burning my leg. I would address that later.
SCCA "National" weekends people take very serious as if they were getting paid "or trying to get paid". I was not taking it that seriously I was looking at it as a good weekend to learn the car. Each day consistent of a practice, qualifying and race. There were 7 competitors in the FP class, mostly Miata's, a few BMW 2002's and my Lotus.
Sat morning I arrived at the track excited to see how the Lotus would fare in a very competitive race with me behind the wheel. The morning practice was smooth and clean and I 4th fastest in class and 14th overall on the time sheets. A good place to start the weekend. We went out for the Qualifying after tightening the bolts on the rear axle. I ran the whole the qualifying session and qualified 8th overall and 2nd in class. As my father said "I may have pissed on some bushes" with the car running that well. As our race time approached the sky above us began to darken within seconds of the pushing the Lotus into the trailer the sky opened up upon the track on the Colorado plains. I did not bring rain tires and was not planning on running in some rain let alone the rain that Noah built the arch for. The race was postponed until the morning.
Sunday morning I awoke early and determined to defend my qualifying position to prove it was not fluke lap! We were the 2nd race out (being that group 4 and 5 were rained out). The morning was cool the skies were still dark. The car slowly begun coming up to the pre-grid, the moment that some racers think of there plan for the race or relax there minds in preparation for the next 35 minutes of racing. We rolled on to the track and began our warm up lap, I personally find starts the most exciting part of any race because anything can happen and this is where your skills are really challenged. We came around to the front straight the green flag dropped, this is the point in a race I do not hear the sound of the cars around me, everything goes quiet as my mind quickly process everything that is going on around me. The lotus has very little torque so on starts you get jumped by all the cars with more horse power, this is the first time I experienced it. I got a good start only one car was able to jump me through turn 1 (too bad it was the 3rd place in class car), as we came through turn 2 a yellow car that had started 14th comes out of nowhere across the track dragging wheels through the dirt to take position. We head through the next 2 corners and down the back straight everyone picking up speed, at the end of the straight there is fast set of downhill corners, the yellow car tries to pass and has the door shut on him, resulting in him spinning in front of me. I react braking and maneuvering around him, this causes me to lose to much speed I am passed by 2 cars behind. Back to work I go trying to get back to position. We continue around the track I pick my places and tack advantage of the slower cars that had taken advantage of me. The race has settled in and start logging laps. The 2nd place in class Miata has gotten too far away from me, I am by myself. I finished the race 3rd in class and 10th overall, not bad for my first time in the car. Unfortunately the story does not end there. During post race tech inspection it turn out my car is under the required weight, like 70lbs under. I am disqualified from that race, but if I add the weight I will be able to race the afternoon race!
I Qualified 3rd in class for the afternoon race, with one of the Miata's qualifying 3rd overall and the other missing qualifying and starting in the back of the field. When the green flagged dropped I had good start into the first corner gaining 2 spots, but with a little slip up off the next 2 corners I was caught by the 2 cars behind me on the long straight. I was trying to keep calm and focus on my line. I knew that the other Miata would be storming through the field to the front. As I pushed I made a few mistakes and continued to fall back. Once I found my rhythm I started taking spots back, that is when the Miata from the back caught me. He ran me down the straight and made a pass. I was on him I knew this was my chance. That was when I put in the worst lap of the weekend, I thought it was over. I once again refocused and started working my way back. With 6 laps to go I could see the Miata again, I pushed and pushed hard, with 3 laps to go the Miata that was leading our class broke down. This was it I was racing for the lead and I had to go, 3 laps were not enough I finished under a second behind the leading Miata and 2nd class and 9th overall!
This is the best have I ever done in a SCCA National race and for the first time in the car and first racing on the track I would call it a very successful weekend!
-D racer
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Editorial note on use of Fonts!
Since I am going to be discussing several lines of thought within this blog space and don't feel like creating multiple blogs I am going to use different font for different topics. I figure I should have 4 separate fonts for the separate topics: Design, Racing, General Musing and Editorial Notes.
Design: will be Arial because it is what I use for presentations
Art: Courier, who knows why!
Racing: will be Verdana, no particular reason big letters I guess
General Musing: will be Trebuchet, seems to flow for free form writing
Editorial Notes: will be Times, because it is official
-D racer
Design: will be Arial because it is what I use for presentations
Art: Courier, who knows why!
Racing: will be Verdana, no particular reason big letters I guess
General Musing: will be Trebuchet, seems to flow for free form writing
Editorial Notes: will be Times, because it is official
-D racer
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
There is no car...
Mid-Ohio is is one of the tracks that when I saw it as a teen it intimidated me. It is now the track that I have had the most success on with 2 1st places in class. So I guess it is only fitting that it was at this track that I learned another important lesson in racing. for the sake of mental part of it we are going to call this lesson "there is no car".
The weekend started out like any other racing weekend with a car that hasn't been run for year. We had pulled the engine in the off season and had it rebuilt, anytime a change like this done there can be teething issues. When the car cut out on me heading down the straight it was not a surprise. I pulled it off and looked it over and deemed it a voltage issues and charged the battery. The next sessions brought more of the same where after a few laps the engine would start missing and feel like I lost a cylinder. It turns out the Piston was striking the Spark Plug and creating the miss. We solved this with a washer that prevented the Piston from striking the plug node.
I began the 1nd (qualifing) race 14th overall. Starting directly behind my father, green flags drops my father goes hammer down to the inside of the track. I should have followed, I was held up by slower people in front of me. That is when it happened coming down the straight I get a Datsun2000 pulling on me so I lifted a little and gave the guy room. Bad mistake, Datsun2000 proved to be much slower than the Alfa GTV, but the Datsun didn't care he blocked and chopped every passing attempt tried, until out of desperation I finally passed on the outside in the carousel. It was hairy but it worked. Then I laid down my fastest lap of the race and 4th overall fastest lap.
I was angry when I came off the track with Datsun driver feeling he was out of line, some of the guys laughed about my anger. They explained to me that I was driving erratic and over driving the car to get past someone who was clearly slower than me. I spoke to the driver of the Datsun a Fat Old Limp Man, who clearly didn't care that I thought he was blocking. I wanted to punch him. That night I carried the anger till I was nice lit.
In preparation for the final feature race my dad gave me one piece of advice, go like hell on the starts. I started the feature race 10th overall. When the green flagged dropped on the feature race the Datsun was gridded next to me and I dropped the Hammer and didn't look back. This race went much smoother. I was able to get within one position of my dad, finishing 9th with a 1st in class.
The weekend started out like any other racing weekend with a car that hasn't been run for year. We had pulled the engine in the off season and had it rebuilt, anytime a change like this done there can be teething issues. When the car cut out on me heading down the straight it was not a surprise. I pulled it off and looked it over and deemed it a voltage issues and charged the battery. The next sessions brought more of the same where after a few laps the engine would start missing and feel like I lost a cylinder. It turns out the Piston was striking the Spark Plug and creating the miss. We solved this with a washer that prevented the Piston from striking the plug node.
I began the 1nd (qualifing) race 14th overall. Starting directly behind my father, green flags drops my father goes hammer down to the inside of the track. I should have followed, I was held up by slower people in front of me. That is when it happened coming down the straight I get a Datsun2000 pulling on me so I lifted a little and gave the guy room. Bad mistake, Datsun2000 proved to be much slower than the Alfa GTV, but the Datsun didn't care he blocked and chopped every passing attempt tried, until out of desperation I finally passed on the outside in the carousel. It was hairy but it worked. Then I laid down my fastest lap of the race and 4th overall fastest lap.
I was angry when I came off the track with Datsun driver feeling he was out of line, some of the guys laughed about my anger. They explained to me that I was driving erratic and over driving the car to get past someone who was clearly slower than me. I spoke to the driver of the Datsun a Fat Old Limp Man, who clearly didn't care that I thought he was blocking. I wanted to punch him. That night I carried the anger till I was nice lit.
In preparation for the final feature race my dad gave me one piece of advice, go like hell on the starts. I started the feature race 10th overall. When the green flagged dropped on the feature race the Datsun was gridded next to me and I dropped the Hammer and didn't look back. This race went much smoother. I was able to get within one position of my dad, finishing 9th with a 1st in class.
I have been racing for close to 12 years now and learned so much in that one session while be held up. I learned to calm down, run clean and not erratic and that if you are a better driver and in a faster car you will get around them. The Datsun was not holding me up I was holding my self up by over driving the car and not focusing on my line.
-D racer
Life is a one lap race
I am creating it for me, not you. I am not sure if it will public or private and whether I am writing this now as an address to myself or the possible future reader. I have wanted to create a place where I can reflect on the day to day and make comments and notes on many of small things that slip through the cracks while pursuing larger goals. I never would call this journal because I may choose to share it with the world. Many entries may read like prose and lack any formal grammar because I generally think in stream of consciences and my mind rarely takes breaks.
I may make a entry once a week or once day, but when something strikes me and reaches beyond the superficial level that I deal with most things, I will reflect on it. I may call these moments of zen or other cliche terms but what I am really trying to do it put into words feelings that build up inside of me and thoughts that must be freed. These feeling stem from my passions, also my relationships with friends, family and my bunny (hopefully I don't have to explain the bunny thing). I will also use this forum as place to give my personal outlook on situations that I experience.
-D racer
I may make a entry once a week or once day, but when something strikes me and reaches beyond the superficial level that I deal with most things, I will reflect on it. I may call these moments of zen or other cliche terms but what I am really trying to do it put into words feelings that build up inside of me and thoughts that must be freed. These feeling stem from my passions, also my relationships with friends, family and my bunny (hopefully I don't have to explain the bunny thing). I will also use this forum as place to give my personal outlook on situations that I experience.
-D racer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)