Suggestions for a new distributor - MSD doesn't have parts to repair mine.

[scott foxwell]

If you want to find out what is wrong with the world, don't look at the poor and disenfranchised for the cause. Look at the rich and powerful. Look at Wall Street.

Yep. Countries are poor because the rich keep them that way.

[Barry_R]

.

The people I worked with were surprisingly similar in all of them. The countries and economic systems had issues, but for the most part people try to do the best they can. I've also seen xenophobia - there are ignorant racists everywhere - and corruption. I've seen poverty that is hard to imagine beside astonishing wealth.

I've made a lot of money, created companies where the average salary was over $250,000 per year where we have had zero turn over in 10 years. I'm clearly not a socialist. If you want to find out what is wrong with the world, don't look at the poor and disenfranchised for the cause. Look at the rich and powerful. Look at Wall Street.

I know, I used to work there.

Of the off topic and politicized commentary I have seen across the various automotive sites this stands out as perhaps the best worded and most coherently stated summary about the outsourcing topic I have read.  We have one side of the aisle forcing our industry to adhere to workplace and environmental rules that we do not require of our trading partners, and the other side of the aisle using the costs associated with meeting those rules, coupled with the enormous disparity in labor costs, to justify the outsourcing of entire industries in pursuit of profit.  That pursuit is inherent and necessary in our system, but left uncontrolled it forces a leveling of worldwide wages for the working class - something not entirely beneficial to the country with the higher standard of living.

[Yellow Truck]

Thanks Barry. Back on topic - I should get the MSD back today. If it fails again I'll buy something else. I'm thinking about a Duraspark from Faron Rhoads.

I forgot to mention Thailand, I worked there too. Interesting cultural clash. We were hired as consultants to figure out why the exchange trading system was losing orders between the broker's systems and the exchange. Their IT team was made up of a mid 30's guy as manager and a group of young women. We had them walk us through the architecture of their system, in particular how they constructed their messaging system that passed orders and other information between systems.

They told us it was based on UDP (User Datagram Protocol) rather than TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) for their transmission protocol. UDP is akin to a radio station broadcasting a signal. They don't know who is getting the signal and don't really care. A lost message is assumed to be no big deal. TCP/IP is what is used in most computer systems, and it has methods to ensure that messages are delivered or the sending system is informed so it can re-send.

If you use UDP it is up to the system designer to add in a method to ensure delivery. This is usually done by putting sequence numbers in the messages so you can tell if one was dropped, add an acknowledgement feature so the sending system gets confirmation, and you need a heart beat to tell you the system is still up or you could lose messages and not know. It can be done, but generally it is better to just use TCP.

We asked if they had built a transmission guarantee layer, and the looked confused. They had paid us to fly to Bangkok since we were among the world leading experts in this type of technology. We had scheduled 3 days to work on the problem, and it was 9 am on the first day and we said - "We know what your problem is".

They were so upset over the loss of face (took us three questions to find the problem) that they would never speak to us again. We got paid and had two days in Bangkok to sightsee.

As you might imagine, over the last 30 years I haven't had a lot of weekends at home, explains why it took me until I was in my late 50's to build my first FE.

[FElony]

Well, since you're keeping it going...

All your ramblings are just a smokescreen that obfuscates the original reason you poked me with a stick. Respect, whether it be individually or as a group, is earned, not demanded. If the Chinese companies that are tasked with providing us quality products for our money fail to do so, then they do not nor cannot demand respect. And they should take criticism in any form as they deserve. When the overwhelming majority of their production leaves much to be desired, then they shoulder the reputation. It has nothing to do with the color of their skin or genetic makeup, but concerns how they function as a society.

I don't think anybody these days argues that the elite and their financial warfare are not a problem. THE problem. Much of their ability to destruct this society has been facilitated by Political Correctness, the social permeation of which caused you to get triggered by a relatively innocuous comment. PC is cancer. PC is refuting 1st Amendment rights. And your global meanderings give you no holy right to force your structured version of civility on anyone else. You criticize the rich, but you are a pawn.

[jayb]

In as much as this discussion affects the quality and availability of parts related to FE engines and cars, we can keep it going.  But let's not let it devolve into a purely political discussion, because that's against the rules and would force me to lock this topic.  Thanks, Jay

[Yellow Truck]

FeLONY, so far I have not cast any aspersions on you or your character. I have pointed out that racial slurs are not necessary, and not helpful. I have encouraged civility. You have called me, and others on this site, a number of fairly rude things. I do note that you have added little or nothing in terms of actionable advice or information to any thread. You do like to jump in on threads and offer insults and ignorant comments.

I can only assume from your behaviour that you have no other way of attracting attention to yourself. Most of us come here for the thoughtful and informed advice we get. There are a number of people who post here who are exceptionally accomplished. I don't need to name them, we all know who they are. They add value to the discussion. A thread that degenerates into a rant or a screed of hate and insults is guaranteed to be driven by you.

I am sorry that your life is so sad that you need to blame others for all your disappointments. Perhaps if you met some of the people you like to denigrate you would be pleasantly surprised. I do hope things improve for you.

Jay, I do think this topic should be locked. I will report separately what happens with the MSD distributor that is now in my front hall.

[FElony]

Yep, lock it so we won't have to listen to this sanctimonious PC shill.

[jayb]

OK, its locked.