Something Random

[LunarMist]

The total amount I pay for video content (90% via Patreon, the rest on YouTube paid) is about $50/mo for ~ 2 hours of content a day without commercials on exactly what I want. The TV model won't survive long-term.

Maybe it won't in the long term, but the internet won't be the same either. It'll probably all merge into some Orwellian septic tank of content.
The baby boomers and unwashed masses don't have all the IT gear you people have nor time to work with it.
They are moving to the Netflix and dongles like that, but TV is just there and will be for another decade or so.

 

[LunarMist]

I have a hard time finding interesting content on Youtube. Not helping is the fact that the top row on the front page is always showing shortcuts to videoclips of teenage girl music, like Taylor Swift and Nicky Minaj, both of whom I can't name a single song (not even hum the beat - but I suspect it's cheap pop music). It is certainly not related to my browsing habit because I browse through a VPN and I mask my IP address, so the site can't really know who I am when I access it.

Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I should allow those f*ckers to track my browsing habits, so I would have shortcuts to heavy metal clips, 80's action movies and science documentaries on the front page.

I block the UTube normally, and only use it for some specific commercial sites that I trust.
My cookies and all that sort of local profile things are wiped every few hours, so they probably don't care about me personality.

 

[LunarMist]

This is exactly the way to do it. My best viewing experience is at work; Acer 32" 4k flanked by Adam A8X speakers while sitting in a Herman Miller Aeron Chair (Medium Size). Sure the projector system at home has surround, but this is just awesome when I'm on my own.

That's not exactly a typical use case. Most people are working on something else at work, unless they are in the video/movie industry or something.

 

[LunarMist]

Rest assured that if we ever get a la carte cable your bill isn't going to be any cheaper than it is now. You'll pay the same and have less channels.

1 channel -$100 each
5 channels - $20 each
10 channels - $10 each
100 channels - $1 each

It's absolute crap. I wonder if they will make it mandatory or still have the packages. I see most people in the nearby areas have been getting the small satellite dishes the last few years.

 

[ddrueding]

That's not exactly a typical use case. Most people are working on something else at work, unless they are in the video/movie industry or something.

I must admit that occasionally my actual work gets relegated to my second screen if something good is playing.

 

[mubs]

Puddy tat unintentionally goes on a plane ride.

 

[Tea]

Weird!

 

[Bozo]

I liked the train cleaning video too.

 

[jtr1962]

Puddy tat unintentionally goes on a plane ride.

For what it's worth chances are good the cat would have survived if it had fallen from the plane. Fatality rates for falling cats peak at around 5 stories, and go down from there. In general though the survival rate in very high when cats fall from hundreds of feet up.

 

[LunarMist]

They may not have the best security in the French Guiana.

 

[Bozo]

They may not have the best security in the French Guiana.

????????

 

[LunarMist]

????????

That's where the cat got on board, or did I misunderstand the article?

 

[mubs]

For what it's worth chances are good the cat would have survived if it had fallen from the plane. Fatality rates for falling cats peak at around 5 stories, and go down from there. In general though the survival rate in very high when cats fall from hundreds of feet up.

Yeah. A cat that used to visit us fell down from the 5th floor outside and died in my arms. It was sickening, I'll spare the gory details. Was a very, very painful experience for us.

 

[Mercutio]

I think you wrote about it before but it's heartbreaking nonetheless. :/

 

[Mercutio]

I know it's not really a huge milestone for any of the other regulars, but today was an amazing and surprising day for justice in the USA.

I was in a meat packing plant in a farm town in Central Indiana when I got the news. Which sounds like an extended gay joke all its own but actually at the time it mostly sounded like pigs being slaughtered. Which, by the way, sounds utterly horrific.

 

[LunarMist]

I know it's not really a huge milestone for any of the other regulars, but today was an amazing and surprising day for justice in the USA.

I was in a meat packing plant in a farm town in Central Indiana when I got the news. Which sounds like an extended gay joke all its own but actually at the time it mostly sounded like pigs being slaughtered. Which, by the way, sounds utterly horrific.

What were you doing in the meat packing plant? I doubt you were packing anything.

 

[LunarMist]

My car started going nuts this afternoon from the UPS. The engine and multiple other warning lights are on, but it still drives with no unusual sounds or smells or anything. Will the car just die or burst into flames, etc.? Monday-Tuesday I'm supposed to drive about 400 miles, which is probably not a good idea.

 

[ddrueding]

I know in my car the check-engine has two modes. Constant-on means take it in as soon as you can, blinking means pull over and turn it off to prevent additional data.

Either way, a road trip can't be recommended. There are a number of better car rental options in your area. Might I recommend an Aventador?

 

[LunarMist]

I know in my car the check-engine has two modes. Constant-on means take it in as soon as you can, blinking means pull over and turn it off to prevent additional data.

Either way, a road trip can't be recommended. There are a number of better car rental options in your area. Might I recommend an Aventador?

The lights are all on continuously after a while each time it starts.

What kind of ridiculous car is that to rent? Are you joking? I'd rather have a nice large SUV like I had on vacation last month, but I'll probably end up with a standard car if the company will pay for it.

I'm wondering if it is time to start looking for a new car.

 

[ddrueding]

The Aventador is mostly a joke, though I would be envious if you splurged in such a fashion (as I have yet to do). They'll also rent you a top-end Range Rover (far more practical and cheaper).

I'd suggest at least taking your car in somewhere for evaluation before replacing it, but I always have a "plan B" in the back of my mind if one of our current cars becomes non-cost-effective.

Of course, then there is "plan C" which is the impractical variation and currently revolves around this place and specifically several of this thing.

 

[jtr1962]

Regarding plan C, my brother has actually been seriously thinking of doing an EV conversion on his Mark VIII when it finally dies. It still may last a while, which I guess is good as battery technology will only get better. I think this car would be a perfect EV conversion. It's already very aerodynamic. Put in a floor pan to make it more so, maybe replace the grill with something opaque to airflow. It would undoubtedly have very good range as an EV.

 

[LunarMist]

The Aventador is mostly a joke, though I would be envious if you splurged in such a fashion (as I have yet to do). They'll also rent you a top-end Range Rover (far more practical and cheaper).

I'd suggest at least taking your car in somewhere for evaluation before replacing it, but I always have a "plan B" in the back of my mind if one of our current cars becomes non-cost-effective.

Of course, then there is "plan C" which is the impractical variation and currently revolves around this place and specifically several of this thing.

I need a reliable car as there are no friends or family to help me out.
I know a lot of you younger guys like cars. I just hate them due to the terrible accidents involving people closest to me and they have negatively impacted my life directly as well.
If I never had to get behind a wheel again, that would be just fine.

Meanwhile, I'll try to drive it a few miles this weekend and then rent a car on Monday.

 

[sedrosken]

I don't much care for cars either. My priorities are, in order:

- Safety

- Affordability

- Gas mileage (where applicable)/range

 

[LunarMist]

I don't much care for cars either. My priorities are, in order:

- Safety

- Affordability

- Gas mileage (where applicable)/range

That's a good attitude there . TCO depends so much on the variables of vehicle cost, depreciation, repairs/service, fuel, etc.
I don't drive a personal car very much this century, so MPG is of no significance for example.

 

[LunarMist]

Regarding plan C, my brother has actually been seriously thinking of doing an EV conversion on his Mark VIII when it finally dies. It still may last a while, which I guess is good as battery technology will only get better. I think this car would be a perfect EV conversion. It's already very aerodynamic. Put in a floor pan to make it more so, maybe replace the grill with something opaque to airflow. It would undoubtedly have very good range as an EV.

I had a similar car and it is not really the best choice due to the weight. A Mustang version of the modular engine with some later improvements is nice for making better HP.
I don't know how you'd get anything other than sluggish out of electric without spending quite a lot of money. You also have to deal with the typical engine powered accessories, steering, A/C, etc.

 

[snowhiker]

I don't much care for cars either. My priorities are, in order:

- Safety

- Affordability

- Gas mileage (where applicable)/range

Don't forget reliability. In fact, I'd put reliability first (I'm obviously NOT a "car guy"), as a reliable car is both safer and more affordable than an unreliable car.

 

[jtr1962]

I know a lot of you younger guys like cars. I just hate them due to the terrible accidents involving people closest to me and they have negatively impacted my life directly as well.
If I never had to get behind a wheel again, that would be just fine.

More or less my feelings also. Although nothing happened to anyone I know, I've seen the negative impacts cars are having in NYC in terms of carnage, pollution, and overall quality of life. I'd just as soon that they disappear from large cities altogether. Never had a driver's license either but that's not unusual in NYC. Something like half of the adult population here doesn't have a driver's license. In NYC cars are useless as a practical means to get around. Average traffic speeds in Manhattan are something like 8 mph. And parking is a major hassle.

If you really dislike cars and driving you should seriously consider relocating to a place where neither is necessary. I would personally hate having to jump in a car every time I needed to run errands.

I had a similar car and it is not really the best choice due to the weight. A Mustang version of the modular engine with some later improvements is nice for making better HP.
I don't know how you'd get anything other than sluggish out of electric without spending quite a lot of money. You also have to deal with the typical engine powered accessories, steering, A/C, etc.

You'll gain immensely in terms of operating costs. An electric costs about 1/5 the amount a gas car does to "fuel". Maintenance is practically nonexistent. We'll need to see how battery tech has advanced when the time comes. I'm guessing we'll be able to do a decent EV conversion for under $10K.

 

[LunarMist]

More or less my feelings also. Although nothing happened to anyone I know, I've seen the negative impacts cars are having in NYC in terms of carnage, pollution, and overall quality of life. I'd just as soon that they disappear from large cities altogether. Never had a driver's license either but that's not unusual in NYC. Something like half of the adult population here doesn't have a driver's license. In NYC cars are useless as a practical means to get around. Average traffic speeds in Manhattan are something like 8 mph. And parking is a major hassle.

If you really dislike cars and driving you should seriously consider relocating to a place where neither is necessary. I would personally hate having to jump in a car every time I needed to run errands.


You'll gain immensely in terms of operating costs. An electric costs about 1/5 the amount a gas car does to "fuel". Maintenance is practically nonexistent. We'll need to see how battery tech has advanced when the time comes. I'm guessing we'll be able to do a decent EV conversion for under $10K.

My average speed commuting is 20-25, though on vacation in the southwest where there are high speed limits it is more like 70MPH. We drove over 2500 miles in little more than a week.

I really don't know much about the EVs except that I don't see very many around, so the economy and/or practicality is not there yet for most drivers.
I did the math on a mainstream full size car recently and the hybrid was not worth it for a person driving even 12,000 miles/year.
I drive about 100 miles/week, though that may increase somewhat in 2016. At 20 MPG and $4/gallon, I'd only spend about $1000/year, hardly worth considering alternatives. Obviously it's different for most people.

 

[ddrueding]

If I were to use four of the motors I linked (one per wheel?), that would be a total of 232hp and 692lb-ft. At that point the question is whether I need a 2-speed transmission or whether that is enough torque to not bother.

 

[LunarMist]

If I were to use four of the motors I linked (one per wheel?), that would be a total of 232hp and 692lb-ft. At that point the question is whether I need a 2-speed transmission or whether that is enough torque to not bother.

That would be 892 lbs. of motors alone.

 

[ddrueding]

That would be 892 lbs. of motors alone.

Once you factor in the transmission, cooling, exhaust, driveshaft, intake, turbo, etc. I don't think the current system is too far from that.

 

[LunarMist]

Once you factor in the transmission, cooling, exhaust, driveshaft, intake, turbo, etc. I don't think the current system is too far from that.

I have no experience with converting old cars to electric power, but I'm sure the MK VIII had the modular engine. I drove V8 Ford/Mercury/Lincoln vehicles for over 25 years.

 

[ddrueding]

The Mk VIII is a nearly 4,000 lb car with 290hp and 295lb-ft. I could throw those electric motors in the trunk as ballast and still have a better power/weight ratio.

 

[jtr1962]

Not to mention that those are continuous HP ratings. Typically you can overload an electric motor by 50% to 100% for a short time, assuming the battery can supply the power. That could give you in excess of 400 HP. Given electric motor torque curves, that's probably equivalent to a 500 or 600 HP gas engine, at least for acceleration purposes. That would be enough to get a car like the Mark VIII to 60 mph in under 4 seconds, probably to 100 mph in under 10 seconds. Top speed might be powered limited or gearing limited. Hard to tell without actually running the numbers.

 

[mubs]

7:45 pm. Awesome view of Jupiter and Venus holding hands in the western sky. Wish I had a good telescope. The crappy Bushnell 10x25 binocs we have sucks big time.

 

[LunarMist]

There were excessive clods in the area, so I did not have a view.

 

[ddrueding]

Heading to Lake Tahoe today, staying for a couple days. Hoping to get a good shot of Jupiter/Venus from up there somewhere. We'll see if I can get away from the family long enough.

 

[LunarMist]

Not to mention that those are continuous HP ratings. Typically you can overload an electric motor by 50% to 100% for a short time, assuming the battery can supply the power. That could give you in excess of 400 HP. Given electric motor torque curves, that's probably equivalent to a 500 or 600 HP gas engine, at least for acceleration purposes. That would be enough to get a car like the Mark VIII to 60 mph in under 4 seconds, probably to 100 mph in under 10 seconds. Top speed might be powered limited or gearing limited. Hard to tell without actually running the numbers.

I would bet that you never build that car.

 

[LunarMist]

800/5.6 with a TC is a start, but you really should use an equatorial mount.

 

[LunarMist]

I see a convertible tablet thingamajig with a Core M CPU. Is that any good for the Windows or is it slow like the Atomic CPU?