LED Brake Light, Take 2

So I got my brake light back from Signal Dynamics a couple weeks ago. Their communication with me on this was pretty poor. They never called to say what the issue was or that it was coming back, it just arrived. The invoice said "Repaired, tested" and that was pretty much it. I have verified that it is in working condition again but I am interested to know what caused the failure. As soon as I can get a little garage time I am going to reinstall it. I am trying to be positive here but there is always that feeling in the back of my mind that it will fail again.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Uncle CC's Sauce Front Porch Committee-December is going to be another month of all Alabama hot sauces. This post in particular is going to be a little different. I was turned onto this sauce by my friend Billy and when I inquired I found out that this stuff is made in Leeds, AL, just a stone's throw down the road from me. I contacted Clint Hogland, the owner and mastermind behind the sauces and he was kind enough to answer a few questions.

Front Porch Committee is excellent. Crafted in the classic style of Louisiana sauces, it has that great vinegar and pepper pairing that made the style famous. The difference here is the quality. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients that went into it and tell if is crafted in small batches. I am a big fan of seeing bits of ingredients in the sauce and several times during my tasting I got seeds and I love that. In addition to the tang, the distinct flavor of the pepper is strong and unlike a lot of sauces of this style, this one brings the heat. Seriously, if you dig Louisiana sauces, pick up a bottle of this one.

Uncle CC's Upside Down Sauce- much like Front Porch Committee, this is a Louisiana Sauce. It carries the same small batch, fresh ingredient quality of the other. The similarities stop there. This sauce was a bit smokier with just a hint of sweetness poking through. It is easy to tell there is a different pepper in the mix as well as this sauce has a less exacting but broader burn that is very satisfying. Excellent, excellent stuff.

I tried both of these sauces over a variety of dishes this week and the flavors are classic and work well with anything. The big difference to me was the obvious quality of ingredients and care of small batch production. Seriously, these are great sauces and I am proud to say they are made here.

1. What inspired you to start making hot sauce? Spicy foods, mostly. I do a good bit of cooking, and I like it spicy. It was a natural progression for me to start making hot sauce. 

2. Are there any common elements in your recipes? In some of my recipes, yes. In others, not so much. I have a base sauce that I use as a starter for most of my sauces. 

3. Where do you source your ingredients from? I get most of my ingredients right off of the grocery store shelf or produce department. There are a few ingredients that I get from a local specialty store. 

4. Are your sauces all organic or gluten free? I'm not sure about gluten-free, but my sauces are not all organic. I am, however, working on that.

5. What is your goal for your sauces? To introduce people to the heat, and all the different ways you can use hot sauce to make you food more exciting.

6. Can we expect to see the sauces on store shelves? When? I hope so!!! When, I'm not so sure. It's quite a process to go from being a homebrew hot sauce maker like myself, to being a full-blown operation.

7. Where can people find you? Website? Facebook? The best place to find out about my varieties of sauces is https://www.facebook.com/UncleCCHotSauce

8. Where can people get a hold of your sauces? They can go to my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UncleCCHotSauce I keep updated information on there pertaining to what I currently have available.

9. What is your favorite hot sauce? My current favorite hot sauce is a very warm Chipotle Scorpion sauce that I've been experimenting with. Nice smoky flavor with a long lasting burn.

Q&A, Part 8

41. What does JT eat/not eat on his pizza? I'm not picky on this one but I tend to lean towards Hawaiian pizzas pretty heavily. My favorite Hawaiian, and I make it at home a lot, is ham, pineapple, slivered almonds and cinnamon sugar. Beef and banana peppers is a good one too. Plain cheese is good if I am feeling like a five year old or sometimes just pepperoni. When I worked at a pizza joint in college I made a three cheese Slim Jim pizza. It was killer.

42. Where and how did you learn so much about motorcycles? I wouldn't say that I know that much but what I do know I learned by reading books and magazines, the internet and by taking stuff apart and trying to put it back together again. Do that enough times with anything and you will learn something about it.

43. What are 3 Recommendations on friend's blogs, pages, etc? Right now I am really hung up on my friend Voy's blog The Greasy Shop Rag. From the jump he has been all about great stories with awesome photos. Since Instagram has slowed down the blog scene, it is great to see that there are still blogs like this one popping up providing something honest and good to read. Along those same lines, Iron Vaquero comes to mind. Solid writing, great pictures and Chris is just an awesome guy. Junk With Wheels would be number three. Wes is a great photographer. Trust me, his OK is OK trip photos are mind blowing. Dude has skills. I know you only asked for three but I have to say Beast Feast Maine and their hot sauces are off the charts good. If you have ever seen a sauce on this blog but been on the fence about actually ordering it, do not hesitate. You will not be disappointed. Also, if you are local to Alabama and you are not a BamaRides.com member, you are missing out. Great community of riders and people. There are always events and rides going on. Again, if you are local, go sign up.

44. What kind of charity work do you fully support? Anything where real good is actually being done and they aren't judgmental. I won't name any names but I have volunteered for a couple and had pretty bad experiences. One had a complete lack of organization which led to huge wastes of volunteer manpower. The other complained about a lack of volunteers and then refused to let me collect for them as they didn't think I was an appropriate representation of their brand. I prefer to give time over money because I see where it is going but to date, it has not gone well.

45. What's your dream job? Blogger, movie critic, professional motorcycle traveler, beer taster...anything along these lines that I could get paid for would be excellent. 

46. Favorite local bar? I don't do bars much anymore. When I do it is usually something low key like The Ridge Eat and Drink. Great burgers, it is run by a former manager of The Vortex. Go see Saeed and tell him JT sent you.

47. Favorite beer? High Seas Loose Canon is a good go-to and lately I've been drinking a lot of Golden Monkey but this question is impossible to answer. I will say as a former domestic beer drinker who finally saw the light, I am glad to say my answer is no longer Miller Light.




Well, that's all folks. Thanks again to my buddy Soundwave for putting this together, it was fun. And if there is still something else you want to know, drop me a line. I can't promise the answer will make it to the blog but I will respond.

Q&A, Part 7

31) What's your opinion on the war? The pope? Women wearing thongs? Dudes in cut-off shorts? The royal baby? Obama? The US spying on us? Taxes? Do coconuts migrate? I think the US needs to be less of the world police and focus more on domestic issues vs international ones. Don't know much about the Pope but I heard he is Catholic. Women wearing thongs are great. Dudes in cut-off shorts not so much. I know nothing about the royal baby. I feel like a lot of people don't like Obama just because he is black. The US spying on us doesn't really bother me because I have nothing to hide except for a few bootlegged Hall and Oates records. I wouldn't mind taxes so much if we had a smaller, more effective government. I know nothing about coconuts. 
 
32) What sports if any would you say you'd be good at? I used to be pretty good at archery but it has been a while. Not golf, my short game is terrible.
 
33) If you still smoked, do you think you'd smoke a pipe, or chew tobacco as an older man? I've tried a pipe before and it wasn't bad but I never really got the hang of it. Seems like a lot of work. 
 
34) Just how awesome is your wife, really? (Some of us want to know how green the grass is over there.) She really is that awesome. We met at a mutual friend's birthday party and pretty much fell in love at first sight. We went on a couple dates, she moved into my efficiency apartment and we've been together ever since. I feel like I won the lottery with her. She was the first woman I dated in a long string of girls, as in she already had her shit together before I was ever in the picture. She is smart, caring, giving, thoughful, inspiring and beautiful. She makes me a better person and is understanding when I fail to be. As a mom, a wife and partner she is top notch. End of story. 
 
35) When and what will your next vacation be? ... Any plans? We just got back from a family beach trip last month and there are a couple weekend motorcycle trips between now and the end of the year so that is pretty much it. 
 
36) If you were stuck on a deserted island with a crate of spam, a can of tuna, some guitar string, A plush stuffed animal of Spongebob, A poster of the Yin-Yang twins, a sharpie, and a David Hasslehoff cd.... How would you make the best of the situation? I would ration the spam and tuna using the guitar string to cut it, use Spongebob for a pillow, write a help me sign on the poster with the Sharpie and use the Hasslehoff cd as a signal mirror.
 
37) Bill Cosby ... Funny or not? ... What about George Carlin? Robin Williams? Bob Ross? Yes, Yes, not anymore and no. 
 
38) If I said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me? Depends who is on the other end of this question.

39) What's your favorite fast food joint? Milo's, easily.

40)What's your favorite place to get a burger? ...What's the best burger you've ever had? The Vortex in Atlanta, GA. Easily my favorite restaurant and best burger I've had time and time again. Locally though I have to give the honor of best burger to Sam's Super Sandwiches in Homewood. After that, The Ridge is a close second and Blackwell's third. 

Super Bacon Cheeseburger at Sam's Super Sandwiches

 

Q&A, Part 6

21. What is your dream bike? Same as most guys, the clean, rad looking chopper that runs like a scalded dog and never breaks down. I would really like the bike from Akira too, looks like it would be fun.

22. What would your dream job be? At this point, if I could make a living off of writing and all of the social media I do...that would be pretty great. Getting paid to write about things you like and interact with people about it? SOLD!

23. If you could be your own superhero what would your name and power(s) be? I would be Captain Leisure and my powers would be to drink more beer, watch more movies, score higher at Mrs. Pacman, eat more junk food and sleep better than anyone else on the planet. Wait a minute...

24. What's one place you've been to that you could never get tired of? The stretch of coast from Gulf Shores to Pensacola. More here.

25. When is Representative Slice going to do another show? Not anytime soon, possibly never.

26. If you could take one food item you love (like a condiment... Something not meant to be eaten by itself : ex. Cottage cheese, mustard, hot sauce, or chocolate syrup) and put it in a Dixie cup and drink it, what would you choose? Chad's Obsession hot sauce is pretty freaking great. I consume so much it is almost like drinking it.

27. How do you feel your life has changed since getting married and having children? I definitely feel like I am more balanced. olivia is a great fit for me and makes me a better, relaxed, more easy going person. Not that I was every the height or seriousness or maturity but the addition of children has kept me young and less serious than I feel like I should be at this age. That and I never get out of my around the house clothes for any reason. I dress like the poster child for People of Walmart.

28. Do you have any plans for any additional tattoos? I would like to get more but at this point I don't have any plans for anything. I always struggle with getting the ink I want vs narrowing my job options. I have a friend who is covered in tattoos and still has a great, very respectable job but he has to wear long sleeve shirts and suits every day. In hot-ass Alabama, I am not sure I want to commit to that.
29. Are you happy with your life? I think all of us have things that we want or wish were different but yes I am very happy. More now than ever.

30. What do you think your life will be like in five years? Hopefully a lot like it is right now, all of us a little older and wiser. I'll be working again at who knows what and the girls will be approaching double digits. I'll likely have a different bike and car and different things but in terms of day to day, I am pretty close to where I want to be.

Q&A, Part 5

11. What is your favorite food? My Mom makes a dish called Noodlebake that has noodles (duh), ground beef, olives, onion, cheese...basically everything awesome in it. It is a real pain in the ass to make so she only cooks it for me once a year. It usually doesn't last more than 24 hours.

12. What scares JBMFT? The thought of not being able to take care of my family or feeling like I failed or disappointed them. That and bears when I camp.

13. How is it that you and your wife both have dark hair and your kids are blonde? What gives with that? I was blond when I was a kid and as I got older my hair got darker. My guess is that this will happen with the girls eventually...that or my wife has some explaining to do.

14. What's your biggest weakness? Indecision. Close second would be my inability to stop worrying about things.

15. What's the story with your necklace tattoo? It is a St. Jude, the Saint of lost causes and desperate situations. Many years back I took a trip to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN. I was going through a rough spot in my life so I bought a necklace at the gift shop and immediately put it on. After years of never taking it off, I thought it would be a fitting tattoo. I still have the old necklace.

16. What one gig from playing in bands stands out most in your mind as the best and favorite one?
I played in a band called Pure Crap years ago and our shows were always really fun. We always got sloshed before we got on stage. There were only two of us with acoustic guitars and our songs were all goofy to begin with. There was a lot of room for jokes and fooling around. It great to be in a band where the people on stage could heckle the crowd. What about the worst? Being in an experimental/prog rock/jam band and getting booked out of town not knowing you'd be opening up for thrash metal bands. We met the other guys beforehand and everything was cool but we were young and nervous. Before we hit the stage we agreed to play all the songs at double the normal tempo and scream all the lyrics. We didn't nail it but we didn't get booed off the stage either.

17. What's one place worldwide you've never been to, but would like to go? What would you want to do there? That is a big question. Other than places that are ravaged by war or places where they hate Americans, I would like to see and do it all. 

18. What is your favorite music artist/band, other than Representative Slice, of course?  
Matthew Sweet, no contest. He is a great songwriter, producer and performer. My feelings on this one are likely peppered by nostalgia since I have a lot of great memories that tie back to listening to his music. Any time I have answered this question in the past people seem surprised...I should know by now just to say "Motorhead" and move on.

19. Name someone you look up to and admire. / Whom would you consider your hero(es) ?
David Morrell, Lemmy and Panhead Billy.

20. If you could only drink one alcoholic beverage (one kind, not one drink period) what would it be? Beer. There are so many beers to choose from, seems like it would never get old.

Q&A, Part 4

Various & Those whom wished to remain anonymous asked:

1. Do you have any guilty pleasures? What are they? Bad movies and manufactured pop music. "Reality" TV too like Hoarders, Kitchen Nightmares, and Bar Rescue.
   
2. Is there any music you listen to that you are ashamed to admit you listen to? (Ex. Spice Girls, Milli Vanilli, NKOTB, Billy Ray Cyrus, etc.) What is it? Spice Girls for sure...and Ke$ha. A lot of folks give me a hard time for being such a big Matthew Sweet fan but I am not ashamed.
   
3. What are you most proud of from your life ? In that same aspect, What's your biggest regret? I am most proud of my children and the family I've made, easily the best thing I've ever done. To the other part, someone told me once that regrets are for people who don't learn from their mistakes. That doesn't mean that there aren't things I wish I had handled differently, like situations dealing with other people mostly. I try to learn from them and I wouldn't take that back but do I wish I could do some things over, sure.
   
4. If you could change anything in the history of the world, what would it be and why? On a purely personal level, I wish Birmingham didn't have such an ugly history with rascism. It has taken a long time for the city to get over its rascist past. As far as we have come and as much of a rennisance as the city is currently enjoying, we would be so much farther ahead if we didn't have to deal with that.
5. What was your dad like/What's your opinion of him? My Dad was a hard working, intelligent man who would have done anything for his family. He was smart and savvy and ran several sucessful businesses over the course of his life. He enjoyed sports, classic movies and The Three Stooges. He was a musician and fostered my interest in learning to play an insturment. Though I didn't understand a lot of why he did certain things when I was a kid, as I got older he became a real inspiration to me as I had a growing family of my own. Later in his life and after my folk's divorce I feel like he started to resent me and my mother and  he developed intense feelings of bitterness towards us. I am estranged from him now, which I hate, but he is a far cry now from the man I knew and once called my father.
   

6. What makes your mom so awesome? She is smart, hard working and caring and would give you the shirt off her back. There hasn't ever been anything I didn't ask her for or solicit her advice about that she didn't steer me straight or make me feel better about things. She is also a badass woman and has never let life keep her from having a smile on her face, including a pretty nasty divorce and breast cancer. She is the type of woman I hope my kids turn into when they reach her age.
   
7. What's your favorite arcade style game ever? I'll assume that you are asking about games that were in arcades, not games from arcades that were ported to home consoles. When I was a kid, Golden Axe was a real favorite. A midevil sidescrolling beat-em-up with solid play mechanics and character choices...it was awesome. As an adult, with a cabinet in my house with a ton of games on it, I play a lot of things I never had the chance to when I was a kid. At this point, I find myself going back to Tapper again and again. Its just easy to play and fun and I enjoy the history beind it.
   
8. If you had to choose just one hot sauce for the rest of your life... What would you choose and why? If my buddy Wyatt had never given me a bottle of Beast Feast Maine's Chad's Obsession, I peobably would have said Tiger Sauce just because I really like the sweet and hot combination and feel it goes good on a range of dishes. Since I have tried Chad's Obsession and it is a higher quality, hotter version of Tiger Sauce, I think it would be the one.
   
9. Let's say that something happened and you no longer had your bike that you have now... How would you choose to get around? Would you walk, drive a normal car, or buy a new bike? Since having kids I spend a lot more time in cars than I used to, specifically a '97 Honda Accord and an '07 Hyundai Sante Fe. As long as I am physically able to ride, I will have a motorcycle. If I had my choice of any 4-wheeled vehicle, I would pick a late model Jeep Wrangler, basically because it is the closest thing to the open, connected feeling of a bike but would carry the family.
   
10. Out of all the bands you've been in, What is one song you've always wanted to play, but never been able to? See the video below.

Q&A, Part 3

http://motorcycletabernacle.blogspot.com

Rusty Crowe asked :
1) What is your beard maintenance routine? Maintainence? Nothing. Occasionally I'll trim it if it gets on my nerves and I take length off the mustache when it gets in my mouth but other that that...nothing.
2) What was or is your favorite motorcycle road trip? The trip I took out west. It was my first really big bike trip. I learned a lot about motorcycle travel and saw some amazing parts of the country.
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Orunda' Bryant asked :
How can you be the best of both worlds, a bad-ass and a softie? You can't have it both ways, you're either one or the other. You can have it both ways. How you act is subjective, based on who you are interacting with. When I was a bouncer, I treated the bar patrons different than I treat my kids. Most people have more than one side. For example, do you really personally choose to wake up each day and put on slacks and a collared shirt? 
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Party People asked :
Why do you have a dildo on your workout bench? Ask Jonathan Harris, I got it from him. Seriously though, I think it is a sleeve that lets you put different sizes of weights on.
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Russell Harris asked:

1. 5th Favorite hot sauce? Slap Ya' Mama.
   
2. Longest your beard has been? Last time I trimmed it I took 14 inches off so probably 16 inches or so.
   
3. How long did that take to grow? Not sure, I don't keep track.
   
4. How many 500+ mile days are you good for on a bike? Several. 600 and 700 plus days are where I start to get unhappy.
   
5. On a camping trip, if you woke up with a condom hanging out of your ass, would you tell anyone? Yes. (if the answer to 5. is "no") Wanna go camping? No.
   
6. What do you do for a living? My main job is being a stay at home dad. I pick up part time work and odd jobs here and there. Before this, I was an insurance adjuster and fraud  investigator but I have done a little of everything. Ask me again once the kids are in school and I have to get a full time job again. 
   
7. What is the best way to talk your wife into letting you buy another bike? Buy her things she wants, like an SUV, sewing machine or fancy digital camera.
   
8. You going to Barber's this year? Yes...for real this time.
   
9. What hot sauce do you recommend that tastes good, but you can feel it move through your body even as you evacuate your bowels? Blair's After Death.
   
10. What are your views on Asian ladies? Not my favorite but nothing against them.
    
    
    You can check out all of Russell's wit and wisdom at the MHT blog here. 

Q&A, Part 2

http://www.artistjharris.com/

Jonathan Harris asked :

1. Have you ever never had a beard? Yes. Prior to the summer of 1997 I had to shave for high school. I haven't shaved clean since the day of graduation. 
    
   
2. Has Chuck Norris' beard ever given your beard pointers? No, but I would totally take them.
    
   
3. Of all the States you've visited road tripping which is your favorite so far? Utah. The land is just incredible and it really stuck with me. I could say the same for a lot of the states out West. 
    
   
4. Of the remaining States you haven't visited, which one do you want to visit most and why? That is a big question. There are a lot of places I still want to see for different reasons. South Dakota has great riding and landmarks so theres that. Portland has a killer barcade and tons to see so Oregon also. There are 17 states I haven't ridden in and I would like to see them all. 
    
   
5. Other than 'Big Fish 2', Which movie is your all time favorite? Why? American Beauty, just because it really spoke to me. Thoreau said "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desparation." Though the story permforms on many levels and topics, its examinations of imprisionment, freedom, redemption and self satisfaction hit home and really opened my eyes to the idea that it is never to late to make your life what you want it to be. I think a lot of us, stuck in the busy routine of what our lives have become, have forgotten that. 
    
   
6. Favorite director? Why? Sam Raimi. He is a visionary and was driven to make movies no matter the cost. If you've never read Bruce Campbell's autobiography, If Chins Could Kill, you really should. The things they went through to get Evil Dead made are crazy and inspiring. In his career he has fought with the studios for his movies and has finally reaching the point of being able to make what he wants how he wants. Not everything he does is great but I think he has range and his best is yet to come. 
    
   
7. What was your favorite Atari game? Joust. I had a 5200 and was really good at it, even with the terrible, bulky controller. 
   
   You can check out Jonathan's art portfolio out at artistjharris.com.
   
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   Ken Gillette asked :
   
   1) Just what possessed you to start a Blog? I had been reading and following a lot of blogs and needed a creative outlet so it seemed like the thing to do. If you go back and look at the beginning (2010) it didn't start out being so focused one topic. That kind of came later naturally. 
    
   2) And… JBMFT? How did you come up with that, what made you think of using this? I used to work for a wrecker company doing light duty for AAA, things like fuel deliveries, flat tires, etc. We had this one wrecker driver who would always check in calling himself Paul Wayne Mutha Fuckin' Stephens (name changed to protect the innocent). It always made me laugh so I kind of adopted it, though I usually only refer to myself by all 5 initials when asked what it stands for.
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Misty Howard asked :
   
   Would you ever consider writing books? Also, maybe a book with Sailor and one with Ruby... or both? I like writing, in case you couldn't tell, and have toyed with trying to write a whole book. It would probably be better to start coming up with a complete short story first, something I haven't done since high school. I would consider writing a book with either or both of the girls. I bet they would have some pretty great ideas.
    
   

Q&A, Part 1

In case you had forgotten, my buddy Soundwave put together a list of reader submitted questions that I promised to answer on the blog. As the list is quite large, I am going to do an installment each Tuesday until they are all done.

James Lipton asked :

1. What is your favorite word? Love.
   
2. What is your least favorite word? Whatever is currently trendy (ie "Swag" or "Yolo").
   
3. What turns you on? Intelligence, inner strength and confidence.
   
4. What turns you off? Bitchiness and entitlement.
   
5. What sound or noise do you love? The outdoors.
   
6. What sound or noise do you hate? My children crying.
   
7. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck.
   
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Professional Musician.
   
9. What profession would you not like to do? Anything constantly dealing with bodily functions or fluids.
   
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
    Welcome.

For Sale-'08 Harley-Davidson 1200 Nightster

 

So I am pushing back the start of the trip journal by one post to list my bike up for sale. 

'08 Harley-Davidson 1200 Nightster (Sportster).
Right under 20k on the clock. This has been a supremely reliable bike that has never let me down on the road, including a 9 day trek earlier this month.
3k on new rear tire, needs rear brake pads ($10 on ebay) and a 20k service. There is a dent in the top right of the gas tank. The bike has been, and is still, under warranty with HD.  

Lots of aftermarket goodies. Huge apes with internally wired electrics, fork brace with hand tooled leather top (still have fender), tank lift and wire tuck, relocated coil, quick detach sissy-bar, single tail-light conversion, stickers, etc. The fork bag and fuel sling ARE NOT included. More pics available upon request, just ask. Decided I want a different bike so this has to go. 

$6500.00

There is wiggle room in the price. Come with a serious offer and you'll do a little better. 

Click here for more info. 

Stuff

photo courtesy of Wes from Junk With Wheels

On the Oklahoma is OK ride, I kept a running list of laughs along the way. Even though these are inside, I'm sharing despite the fact that only 5 people in this world will get it. Of course, speculation is welcome but I may or may not confirm your accuracy.

Here's the list:
Quiet Wyatt, You don't work here do you, Match.com, Well there was this guy name Jesus, Fake Candids, Gladiator fights in Hilton, Disaster the carnivorous buffalo, Grasshopper genocide, Fahts. 


On a totally different note, my friend Soundwave asked me at my birthday kegger if I would be open to doing a Q&A on the blog since there were things he had always been curious to ask me. He thought it would be cool to open it up to everyone and I drunkenly agreed. He's putting it together so if there is anything you've ever wanted to ask yours truly, e-mail him at yo.iisei@gmail.com and once he gets enough questions, I will answer and post the replies here.