Something Random

[Bozo]

You are in PA or NJ, something like that? Is your car damaged seriously?

In Pa.
The car looks okay but I haven't had the time to really check it out. I think most of the damage will be scratches.
The tree is still on the garage. I will need to get professional help to remove it. But the roof doesn't appear to be leaking.
The deck is easily replaced if need be. It's a shame though. The tree was a Sycamore about 60' tall and gave a lot of shade to the deck.

 

[ddrueding]

I am so grateful to my neighbors and their awesome trees. They take care of them and handle the liability, I get some shade. Nothing on my land is more than 8' tall.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

My first bike was a PITA until it was decently hot. Second was no problem at all, as long as enrichment was set right. Carbs suck, my next bike is going to be fuel injected.

Four carbs is definitely a pain. I've decided to stop commuting to work (at night) due to so many deer around the place. Which is a shame, as I know my job performance is better when I have ridden in rather than driven. 70 on the Thruway in the dark is just too risky for me, and if I go at 45-50 I will be rear-ended for sure. I will attempt to do my best to drop the population down via crossbow from treestand.

 

[ddrueding]

Almost had a deer run into me tonight on my bike (12:25AM and I just got back). Saw the eyes in the brush, but I was going too fast (27+mph) to do much about it. I just picked my line and it turned out well.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

Thinking of hitting the ground at 27mph without any armor makes me shiver. My next purchases will be a Leatt neck brace, a strap on hard shell back protector (to work in addition to the soft armor in my jacket), something for the chest, and something for the knees.

 

[Handruin]

So you have yet to return home and see what the aftermath is?

Correct, I'll find out tonight when my flight gets in. I do know my family in CT has been without power since the storm and likely for another week or more according to the power company. They're still trying to assess the damage. I've invited my family to stay with me in Mass, assuming my house isn't destroyed. I don't believe we lost power though.

 

[ddrueding]

Thinking of hitting the ground at 27mph without any armor makes me shiver. My next purchases will be a Leatt neck brace, a strap on hard shell back protector (to work in addition to the soft armor in my jacket), something for the chest, and something for the knees.

I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, so all was well.

Honestly, it wasn't bad until my temporary light slipped. It went from shining down the road to shining straight into my face.

 

[Howell]

Colliding with deer is no fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2oymHHyV1M

 

[ddrueding]

That is pretty awesome. That isn't "colliding" with a deer, that is getting full-on attacked by something with giant fricking horns.

 

[CougTek]

I'd like one of those f**kers to try that on me. It wouldn't believe how painful the retribution would be. We train with mooses here, so a puny antilope, pssf!

 

[ddrueding]

Some serious road rage out there today.

 

[CougTek]

Did you at least send him off road, then stopped and gave him the beating of his life? Did you use a bat, a shovel or an axe? Nah, you're more of a golf club type I bet. Do you think some tourist passing by will put it on Youtube?

 

[ddrueding]

I let him get into an accident with another car, and then waved as I drove by. That is my style.

 

[Chewy509]

Some serious road rage out there today.

We've experienced the same, but in the local shopping center. All the parents out starting the xmas shopping (before the annual December price rise, umm, Christmas Sales), and some are just nuts, and severally inconsiderate.

 

[ddrueding]

This guy had simply made the wrong choice, and it was going to cost him about 5 minutes. As soon as it became apparent to him that I (who had been behind him on the freeway) had made the right choice (and would be on my way much sooner), he broke at least three traffic laws, cut across an intersection and attempted to barge across three lanes to cut me off. Apparently he was so preoccupied by me that he didn't see another car and rear-ended them. Unfortunate for the innocent bystander, but served that jerk right.

Certain cars are telltale signs that the driver doesn't know how to drive or anything about cars. These are cars that are not nor ever were the right choice for any situation. At every point in time there was a better choice for you regardless of your needs.

-Chevy Aveo
-PT Cruiser
-Pontiac Aztec

It's too late to form a more complete list, but you get the idea. If you see someone in one of these, unless it is their parents, you know they don't know what they are doing. Same as someone with an @aol.com e-mail account.

 

[Chewy509]

-Chevy Aveo
-PT Cruiser
-Pontiac Aztec

I would like to add:

• Toyota Camry
• Hummer H3

to that list. Most Camry drivers on the road don't seem to have a clue.

Another one of my favourites is the use of transit lanes. (I travel on one on the way to/from Uni, and should only be used by motorbikes, taxis and cars with at least 2 people). Most drivers seem to treat them at speeding lanes to bypass peak hour traffic. Approx once a month, I'll see someone speeding in them, driving by themselves, and often cross the double-white lines dividing the transit lane from the normal traffic lanes. I've lost count the number of times I've been abused when on the bike doing the speed limit and/or tailgated. Mind you during peak times, there are often police monitoring the lanes, and it's common for me to see at least 1 person pulled over each week in them...

PS. Crossing double-white lines dividing traffic lanes here, is equivalent of an offense of running a stop sign.

You can see the transit lane as the right lane here: http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Pa...7EQV-OimXxDQ7IKYVhn-mg&cbp=12,310.99,,0,15.78

PPS. Toyota Camry for those who aren't familiar with it, or comes under a different name in your region. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Camry

 

[BingBangBop]

If you have issues with Camry drivers then why wouldn't you have the same issues with Honda Accord drivers? Seems to me that they pull from the same basic market and if anything the Accord will have even more elderly clueless people.

Personally, I prefer simplicity of the clueless driver to the recklessness of the sports car driver.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

I would like to add:

• Toyota Camry
• Hummer H3

to that list. Most Camry drivers on the road don't seem to have a clue.

Another one of my favourites is the use of transit lanes. (I travel on one on the way to/from Uni, and should only be used by motorbikes, taxis and cars with at least 2 people). Most drivers seem to treat them at speeding lanes to bypass peak hour traffic. Approx once a month, I'll see someone speeding in them, driving by themselves, and often cross the double-white lines dividing the transit lane from the normal traffic lanes. I've lost count the number of times I've been abused when on the bike doing the speed limit and/or tailgated. Mind you during peak times, there are often police monitoring the lanes, and it's common for me to see at least 1 person pulled over each week in them...

PS. Crossing double-white lines dividing traffic lanes here, is equivalent of an offense of running a stop sign.

You can see the transit lane as the right lane here: http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Pa...7EQV-OimXxDQ7IKYVhn-mg&cbp=12,310.99,,0,15.78

PPS. Toyota Camry for those who aren't familiar with it, or comes under a different name in your region. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Camry

I would say the elderly driver population that drives Camrys in Aus are more than likely driving massive land barges like Buicks in the USA.

 

[ddrueding]

The Camry/Accord is actually a good car for a certain demographic. It is conceivable that someone who knows a lot about cars would choose them based on their circumstance. H3 does fit into the "never" range because it is flanked on all sides by better options:

Cheaper: Tahoe
More capable/imposing: H2
More Expensive: LR3

 

[Mercutio]

You Aussies have been holding out on us. Somebody turned me on to The Gruen Transfer and it's awesome.

 

[DrunkenBastard]

The Camry/Accord is actually a good car for a certain demographic. It is conceivable that someone who knows a lot about cars would choose them based on their circumstance. H3 does fit into the "never" range because it is flanked on all sides by better options:

Cheaper: Tahoe
More capable/imposing: H2
More Expensive: LR3

Oh no question. It's economical to run, good on the gas, pretty reliable. When riding the bike I treat all vehicles as potential killers and that works out pretty well.

 

[Howell]

You Aussies have been holding out on us. Somebody turned me on to The Gruen Transfer and it's awesome.

Hilarious!

 

[Chewy509]

If you have issues with Camry drivers then why wouldn't you have the same issues with Honda Accord drivers? Seems to me that they pull from the same basic market and if anything the Accord will have even more elderly clueless people.

Personally, I prefer simplicity of the clueless driver to the recklessness of the sports car driver.

Surprisingly enough (despite both being the same price range), I see 5 Camry's for each Accord...

As my wife put, it's the old Magna drivers are now getting into the Camry's which may be half of the problem.

 

[Chewy509]

You Aussies have been holding out on us. Somebody turned me on to The Gruen Transfer and it's awesome.

For more recent episodes, you may be able to watch them via ABC iView. (I don't know if ABC blocks IP addresses based on location).

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/search/Gruen

You could also use iViewNapper to get a more permanent download version: http://users.on.net/~m.elliott/ivn/index.html

 

[Mercutio]

I snagged the whole thing from Demonoid. The first two seasons were under 2GB total. I don't have any idea what the legality of that is, but somehow I'm guessing that Oz's copyright cops have bigger things to worry about than some dude in Indiana stealing all the episodes of their three year old panel discussion show about advertising.

On a related tangent, Youtube user BeanyOne posts 720 versions of "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" every week. I've been using her(?) Youtube channel as a demo for the capabilities of devices in my Internet Media Players class, just 'cause I think it's funny to make a room full of steelworkers watch My Little Pony.

 

[Howell]

On a related tangent, Youtube user BeanyOne posts 720 versions of "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" every week. I've been using her(?) Youtube channel as a demo for the capabilities of devices in my Internet Media Players class, just 'cause I think it's funny to make a room full of steelworkers watch My Little Pony.

I'm sure you have some closet bronies secretly enjoying the show.

 

[LunarMist]

It is ridiculous to stereotype people by vehicle. There are millions of people that drive vehicles like Camrys and Accords, etc.

 

[CougTek]

You don't think that there are millions of morons too.

 

[LunarMist]

I agree that there there are millions of bad drivers, but not necessarily any particular model. Certainly if I had to make a sterotypical uneducated guess, the vehicles marketed for agressive driving are more likley to be driven by dangerous, selfish a**h*les. Nobody has tried to force me off the road in their Honda. Of course there is that "Horny Ninja" ad that demonstrates other that safe driving.

 

[Pradeep]

Gonna get an hour of deja vu in 15 minutes

 

[snowhiker]

It is ridiculous to stereotype people by vehicle. There are millions of people that drive vehicles like Camrys and Accords, etc.

# of times cut-off by BMW drivers > # of sub-atomic particles in universe.

Of course that was when I lived in SoCal (Orange County, CA). Here in the greater Phoenix area it's the tailgaters that drive me crazy.

 

[Pradeep]

Random post I saw today:

"Perfect lasagna should tremble at your approach like a virgin's breast."

 

[Mercutio]

I found this nifty little page on making acoustic panels for your home theater system today. Because ddrueding needs more weird crap to do to his house.

 

[ddrueding]

Sweet. Just last night I got the OK from the wife to do the ceiling and headboard wall in the master bedroom. I've been granted 2".

 

[LunarMist]

Because ddrueding needs more weird crap to do to his house.

I think I know what it is. The house is like a large computer to be modified.

 

[ddrueding]

I think I know what it is. The house is like a large computer to be modified.

When talking to my wife I refer to the house as a "toy" not a computer

 

[DrunkenBastard]

Sweet. Just last night I got the OK from the wife to do the ceiling and headboard wall in the master bedroom. I've been granted 2".

Surely that's going to get in the way of the mirrors....

 

[ddrueding]

Side walls are better for that kind of thing. Or so I've heard.

 

[LunarMist]

What is that needed for? Do you really want dead rooms?

 

[LunarMist]

Humanscale was busting my balls. Stupid designs.