Who are you guys?

[Trimdingman]

I am 62, Ford employee for going on 35 years. Just think of me as the "Horse's Mouth". I have all the answers.

[RangerM]

Bottom of the 9th. Bases loaded. The count is 3 and 2.

 

Here's the wind-up..........the PITCH!

 

Just think of me as the "Horse's Mouth".

[stephenhawkings]

I am 62, Ford employee for going on 35 years. Just think of me as the "Horse's Mouth". I have all the answers.

They might be the wrong, slanted, or jaded answers, but he'll stand by them!

[Bored of Pisteon]

What is this? FACEBOOK?

[chiefstang]

I clicked on "fast reply" so I'll have to make this short.. :rolleyes:

Tank mechanic now driving a desk in the Army. Born in 65, married in 92, two boys 11/7. With the exception of a vw beetle that I built up as a baja when I was 16, I've only owned/raced fords. I won't list them as it would look like a phone book.(had my version of a junkyard along with my cousins 350+ veh at any one time) Was into stockcar racing for years, got tired of working on the car 6 1/2 days to race for 1/2 day then start all over with a car destroyed because of somebody else. Heavy into dragracing and have the mentality that if you can turn your not going fast enough.

 

More into the mechanical side of things and really get pissed off at "internet mechanic's" who judge a car by the shape/feel of stupid shit like ashtray lid or bemoan the "lack of glovebox lighting" as a basis of the worthyness of a car.

 

 

Lucky it was "fast reply" eh?

 

 

I was an Abrams turret mechanic for three years. I now sell these cars we talk endlessly about, and love my product. It's nice selling what you love. I've sold for seven years, and always Fords.

 

I'm a frustrated, but die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan, and in the few hours I'm not working, I tinker with my '89 GT Mustang, and shoot little kids online with my PS3. If anyone here plays CoD4 on the PS3, PM me your screen name and I'll shoot you too! I also play drums, but haven't been in a band since I started selling... No time.

 

Oh, I'm 32 years young and love beer, rock 'n' roll, long legs, and all of Versa Tech's avatars!

[sprinter]

What is this? FACEBOOK?

 

 

appears to be heading that way

[NickF1011]

What is this? FACEBOOK?

 

Eh, nothing wrong with getting to know your fellow posters. If you don't want to share any more information than is required for you to have an account here, no one is forcing you to share it.

[No_Fear]

What is this? FACEBOOK?

 

 

"Comment" "Like" "Share"

[silvrsvt]

Tank mechanic now driving a desk in the Army.

 

What 63 Series?

 

I was an Abrams turret mechanic for three years.

 

Ha, when were you in? I did Basic at Knox and was a Bradley Automotive systems mechanic there in 1993-1994

 

Oh about me, I'm 34...been a Ford Fan since I was a kid, My old man officially retired from Ford just a month or two ago, even though EAP was closed back in 2004 or so. Did 4 years active duty as a Bradley mechanic an another 4 in the National Guard...I HATED it. Was always into computers, so went to tech school for them after getting out of the Army and been doing IT since 98. Finished up College last year. I work for the Army Reserve since 2001 as contractor...so I've been involved with the Military in some shape or form since I was 18 years old.

[Hemiman]

What 63 Series?

 

 

 

Ha, when were you in? I did Basic at Knox and was a Bradley Automotive systems mechanic there in 1993-1994

 

Oh about me, I'm 34...been a Ford Fan since I was a kid, My old man officially retired from Ford just a month or two ago, even though EAP was closed back in 2004 or so. Did 4 years active duty as a Bradley mechanic an another 4 in the National Guard...I HATED it. Was always into computers, so went to tech school for them after getting out of the Army and been doing IT since 98. Finished up College last year. I work for the Army Reserve since 2001 as contractor...so I've been involved with the Military in some shape or form since I was 18 years old.

 

 

Husband and father of three, 10, 8 & 3 All future gear-heads

 

19E M60 Series, Active Duty, Armor Specialist. Loved it!

63B Army Reserve, Motor Sgt. Liked it

93B Nat. Guard, OH6 Aero-Observer. Would have paid the Gov to let me do this!

67V Nat. Guard, OH6 Mech. Didn't like this too much.

 

Optical Engineer by degree - Telecom-Network Engineer by employment.

 

Business owner: Automotive shop, mostly custom & high performance car & 4x4 work. Moving toward bikes though.

 

Writer for automotive magazine.

 

Ford Fan since youth. My list of cars is somewhere on BON.

 

Current Vehicles:

 

2005 Freestar

2004 P71

1953 Dodge M-37 (Military Powerwagon)

1982 Harley XR750

1988 Suzuki GSXR750

1971 Rupp Black Widow

 

Going back into the reserves after a 12 yr break. Not sure what MOS, would like to get back into tanks though.

 

Working toward Church Ordination for "retirement" into the mission field.

Edited May 8, 2009 by Hemiman

[JLaudioF150]

I'm a proud father of a soon-to-be 3 year old and a little (big) 6 month old boys. I've made it in managment and I'm considering going for an MBA - possibly concentrate in Finance (I'm debating if it's actually worth it).

 

My Fords have been a 1991 Ranger 2.3L XLT Reg. Cab and a 1993 Mercury Cougar XR7 V6 that I used during college. Right now I commute a couple of miles on my old, but very reliable 1997 F150 ext. cab flareside. The wife's car is a '04 Lexus RX330.

 

My dad and brothers have owned much more cars than I:

 

1974 Torino (Sold, later scrapped)

1976 F150 Ranger (Sold, later wrecked - 390ci still survived)

1979 Thunderbird Town Landau (Is that how you spell it?) - quite nice with the TTops (Wrecked)

A few rangers between the 1986-1994 (all excellent little trucks - all in Mexico now - yeah)

1990,1992,1997,1999,2006 F150s (Most in Mexico, others traded in, kept the '99 Ext. Cab Lariat)

1997 Mercury Cougar XR7 30th Pearl White Ann. Ed (V8) - on sale now!

2001 Sport Trac (current)

 

I'm sure I missed a few. Yeah, 1983-1999 Rangers are the new "beetles (common car)" in Mexico. They're reliable, they're efficient, and they're relatively cheap!

[Roadtrip]

I've made it in managment and I'm considering going for an MBA - possibly concentrate in Finance (I'm debating if it's actually worth it).

 

I was in a similar position: I had been in management for about 10 years before I decided to go back and get my undergraduate Business Administration degree, and then my MBA. The undergraduate degree was a no-brainer, since my company picked up the full tab through its tuition reimbursement program. It came to roughly $30,000, and would have been more, except I was able to transfer about 45 credit hours from my previous enrollment in college as a music major. You should check to see if your company has a tuition-reimbursement program and if you're eligible.

 

As for the MBA, my company wouldn't pay for it, but I went for it anyway. I didn't expect any benefit to my career path, as I was 48 or 49 when I started. I did it more as a personal challenge, and in that regard it was worth the effort and money. The money was no problem: I make a decent living, so I was able to pay for the tuition with free cash flow; the demands of the program were not that big a deal, either, because I'm single.

 

One thing that attracted me is that I love the Finance. I also enjoy statistics, project management, strategic planning, and business law. Marketing, not so much. What disappointed me at the time was what I perceived as the curriculum's over-emphasis on soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership, and an understanding of organizational behavior. I later realized the value of these so-called "soft skills" and their importance in the workplace.

 

Overall, my MBA experience was very satisfying. It expanded and disciplined the way I think (i.e., examining the values and perspectives of relevant stakeholders; analyzing and then defending a position in terms of cause and effect; conducting research involving specific problems through generic benchmarking, which includes learning about unfamiliar industries and companies and their best practices, the problems associated with global trade; and applied critical thinking, among other things . . .).

 

All these things have enhanced my management skills in a quantitative and qualitative way. I'm a district sales manager for a large international food wholesaler. My sales-growth numbers have been at or near the top of the list among my peers for several years running - and this is no accident, considering that my territory is in New Mexico, one of the weakest economies among the 50 states. I am proud to have shaken things up in the district I inherited by shedding the bad apples and bringing in people who are proud to be part of our organizational culture. I took to heart all the organizational behavior theories I learned in my MBA program, and it's paying dividends in practice.

 

If you choose to embark on an MBA program while working full time, a word of advice: Be prepared to spend at least 20 to 30 hours per week (or more, depending on the level of rigor you want to pursue). Good luck and have fun!

[Bored of Pisteon]

Eh, nothing wrong with getting to know your fellow posters. If you don't want to share any more information than is required for you to have an account here, no one is forcing you to share it.

 

Oh, I know... But I love the anomytity of the whole thing!

[JLaudioF150]

I was in a similar position: I had been in management for about 10 years before I decided to go back and get my undergraduate Business Administration degree, and then my MBA. The undergraduate degree was a no-brainer, since my company picked up the full tab through its tuition reimbursement program. It came to roughly $30,000, and would have been more, except I was able to transfer about 45 credit hours from my previous enrollment in college as a music major. You should check to see if your company has a tuition-reimbursement program and if you're eligible.

 

As for the MBA, my company wouldn't pay for it, but I went for it anyway. I didn't expect any benefit to my career path, as I was 48 or 49 when I started. I did it more as a personal challenge, and in that regard it was worth the effort and money. The money was no problem: I make a decent living, so I was able to pay for the tuition with free cash flow; the demands of the program were not that big a deal, either, because I'm single.

 

One thing that attracted me is that I love the Finance. I also enjoy statistics, project management, strategic planning, and business law. Marketing, not so much. What disappointed me at the time was what I perceived as the curriculum's over-emphasis on soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership, and an understanding of organizational behavior. I later realized the value of these so-called "soft skills" and their importance in the workplace.

 

Overall, my MBA experience was very satisfying. It expanded and disciplined the way I think (i.e., examining the values and perspectives of relevant stakeholders; analyzing and then defending a position in terms of cause and effect; conducting research involving specific problems through generic benchmarking, which includes learning about unfamiliar industries and companies and their best practices, the problems associated with global trade; and applied critical thinking, among other things . . .).

 

All these things have enhanced my management skills in a quantitative and qualitative way. I'm a district sales manager for a large international food wholesaler. My sales-growth numbers have been at or near the top of the list among my peers for several years running - and this is no accident, considering that my territory is in New Mexico, one of the weakest economies among the 50 states. I am proud to have shaken things up in the district I inherited by shedding the bad apples and bringing in people who are proud to be part of our organizational culture. I took to heart all the organizational behavior theories I learned in my MBA program, and it's paying dividends in practice.

 

If you choose to embark on an MBA program while working full time, a word of advice: Be prepared to spend at least 20 to 30 hours per week (or more, depending on the level of rigor you want to pursue). Good luck and have fun!

 

 

:shades: Thank you so much for that post and I agree that the MBA thing is more for my personal gain (something that I want to do) and really is nothing that I feel I need to do. The company wouldn't pay for it in that they figure why do an MBA? Just go and get your MS in Chemistry. The only big problem in that, is one, to be honest, it's F*ing hard, and second the salaries vary too much! Not only that, there isn't that many jobs out there. When there are jobs, it's mainly in research that doesn't pay well, academics (pay is okay, but nothing I want to do), or you're working as a tech making $8-17/hr.

 

Finally, it's just something I like. I like interacting with people and not being a lab rat. Unfortunately, I'm going to pay for it myself. University of Houston has a program for just under $20K for a Global MBA with a concentration in Finance, an MS in Finance for $23K, or an executive program for $32K. I'm thinking of going for the Global MBA for the location of the campus (just minutes away) and they offer very flexible schedules for working individuals. Thanks for the info. - you don't know how valuable it is to me. You mentioned 20-30hrs/wk - that's exactly what my Brother said (he did his a few years back).

 

 

 

Regards

[ironhorse]

Self-employed businessman,including Multi-line auto dealerships...Ford is my favorite franchise.

Edited May 13, 2009 by ironhorse

[fabfordeb]

quick edit gave me a double post. please delete

Edited May 14, 2009 by fabfordeb

[fabfordeb]

As part of my daily routine I come to my office every morning and take a couple of minutes and read several posts and the latest news while I enjoy my coffee. It's just part of a pleasant daily routine and I hope BON, or Ford for that matter, never disappear.

 

I'm one to typically read and not reply, but I'm just curious to know in what industry you guys work in and/or if you guys work at Ford. I've truly enjoyed reading about the business decisions, forecasts, etc. and learned a great deal in the past years. I discovered you guys sometime in 2001 when I was in college.

 

Anyways, just wanted to express my gratitude to all you clowns. Just kidding.

 

BTW, I'm a scientist working for an oil service company. I drive Fords and love 'em for the most part. I've been a guest at some other forums, but this just feels more like home.

 

I'm an engineer in the power plant business, don't post often but have been watching the BON daily for a couple of years now.

 

First car was a Ford. Then 2 Rangers and an F-150 when I had a construction business. Then bought a big bird from my dad who was a poor man's collecter of them as a 2nd daily driver. Got it fixed up pretty well but wife's son crashed it and I gave up. Bought my son's Bronco and had it for about 15 years and loved it, sold it to my daughter. Been on the Ford Car Club Council working with Ford for all that time. Really went Ford true-blue when I shopped for a small pickup the last two years and knew the Ranger was the best but it didn't have the features I wanted. So I got my current F-150 instead, and think its the nicest looking and best truck on the road, just love it. Now as much as I like the Rubi, I wish I'd kept the Bronco and got the F-150. Hoping for a new capable 4WD Bronco with soft top some day.

 

Had to get a Solara convertible for my wife since room in the trunk and a full back seat left few choices. Anxiously awaiting a Fusion or Taurus convertible some day, if not maybe there's a Mustang or Focus vert in our future.

 

Picked up the Focus for wife's son, by this time it had to be a Ford and liked it much better than even new competition.

 

I've been exposed to the Ford ups and downs working with them on the Council, and I'm thrilled about where Ford is today and where they are going.

[ausrutherford]

Just graduated from high school and going to be a drug dealer...err...pharmacist. lol

[chiefstang]

What 63 Series?

 

 

 

Ha, when were you in? I did Basic at Knox and was a Bradley Automotive systems mechanic there in 1993-1994

 

I was at Knox for basic and AIT in '96, and was stationed in Ft. Riley, KS.

 

So you're familiar with Agony and Misery....

 

Loved that movie about the development of the Bradley. Really bizarre, but effective vehicle. I worked on a few, but was mostly on the Abrams.

[silvrsvt]

So you're familiar with Agony and Misery....

 

Yep. but thankfully didn't have to deal with them that much

 

Loved that movie about the development of the Bradley. Really bizarre, but effective vehicle. I worked on a few, but was mostly on the Abrams.

 

Oh that HBO Movie? Lots of crap in it from what I remember. I got to touch an M1 in Germany..had to wiggle couple cables to get it to start

[Mark B. Morrow]

I was at Knox for basic and AIT in '96, and was stationed in Ft. Riley, KS.

 

So you're familiar with Agony and Misery....

 

Loved that movie about the development of the Bradley. Really bizarre, but effective vehicle. I worked on a few, but was mostly on the Abrams.

 

 

Ever get one of these?

 

Captain Stillman: Oh, it's a pleasure to see you, sir!

Col. Glass: Let's skip the bullshit, Captain. I have a problem, and I need your help. Are you familiar with the EM-50 project we have in Italy?

Captain Stillman: Yes... it's a tank... or something.

Col. Glass: [impatiently] It's an Urban Assault Vehicle!

 

John Winger: C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia. It's like going into Wisconsin.

Russell Ziskey: Well I got the shit kicked out of me in Wisconsin once. Forget it!

Stripes_EM_50.bmp

Edited May 18, 2009 by Mark B. Morrow

[Floyd Lawson]

Ever get one of these?

 

Captain Stillman: Oh, it's a pleasure to see you, sir!

Col. Glass: Let's skip the bullshit, Captain. I have a problem, and I need your help. Are you familiar with the EM-50 project we have in Italy?

Captain Stillman: Yes... it's a tank... or something.

Col. Glass: [impatiently] It's an Urban Assault Vehicle!

 

John Winger: C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia. It's like going into Wisconsin.

Russell Ziskey: Well I got the shit kicked out of me in Wisconsin once. Forget it!

Psycho: The name's Francis Soyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you.

[Mark B. Morrow]

Psycho: The name's Francis Soyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you.

 

 

Lighten up Francis

Edited May 19, 2009 by Mark B. Morrow

[Hemiman]

Lighten up Francis

 

 

 

Stripes,

 

 

Most accurate Army documentary ever made!

Edited May 19, 2009 by Hemiman

[Floyd Lawson]

Best military movie:

 

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Today... is Christmas! There will be a magic show at zero-nine-thirty! Chaplain Charlie will tell you about how the free world will conquer Communism with the aid of God and a few Marines! God has a hard-on for Marines because we kill everything we see! He plays His games, we play ours! To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls! God was here before the Marine Corps! So you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the Corps! Do you ladies understand?