TTP XVIII Powered by the Legs of Bing

[Andrew Pratt]

Rick what speakers are those?

[Lex]

Taz, respectfully, 72 ended the true muscle car era. Check your stats, it was 1973 that resulted in huge horsepower decreases due to additional pollution controls, and among muscle car affectionados in the antique specialty market signaled the year they begin not to pay premiums for these cars. You have to look at what was produced in 72. Yes, there were some reductions in manufactured performance models earlier, like the Mustang model change of 1971 pretty well signaled the end of an era.

The reduction in power in many models of 71 and 72 were more a result of insurance companies saying they flat were not going to insure these cars anymore at the time with 4 daggers next to models with performance motors. So, the manufacturers started watering them down some to keep selling cars. Remember, my Dad was in this business at this time, so this is an area I excel in. I was also 16 in 1973 with my first car a 69 Olds 442 and second a 72 Dodge Challenger.

However, other really sweet rides like the 71-72 Olds 442s were produced, even if with somewhat reduced numbers. The 71-72 Dodge Challenger and 71 and 72 Cuda were also available with some nice power plants. I personally owned a 1972 340 Challenger. It didn't have much in the way of pollution controls, mostly it was just reduced compression in these years of 71 and 72. A few 426 Hemis were still produced, as were a few 428 Cobra Jets on the Ford side.

While you may feel like a car has to have a 4 speed to be a muscle car, this really isn't the truth in the collector car market. There's a lot of nice autos commanding premium dollars, in fact some people prefer them for ease of driving.

[aud19]

Well looky here!

[aud19]

Looks like I'm going for a Sunday morning run.... :D

[aud19]

and.....

[aud19]

Flip!

Well it's the weekend, so here you go guys!!!!! Just make sure you flip this page before Monday eh!!! :P

converted to link for Monday.

http://people.freenet.de/kraskapolski/nell_mcandrew/01.jpg

Edit: to add a pic back to my flip... I know.... it's the rules :roll: :lol:

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3577/dscf04649mq.jpg

[Lex]

Jason must be going for the record. :Z

[aud19]

Jason must be going for the record. :Z

:p: Happy now! :B :W

[aud19]

I'm guessing Dodge is going to be in trouble if gas prices keep going up. They have what? ....The Neon that gets decent mileage.... and that's about it! :lol: Funny ad though :lol:

Sounds like you're enjoying the new toys Taz :T I have to agree with Kev though, that speaker/TV situation looks a little :E :unsure: Might be best for both the TV and speaker to de-couple them anyways....?

I hear ya re: the lead-foot Kev. Though I drive mine that way more for fun! :twisted: :driving: The people that drive me crazy are the ones WITH fast, powerful cars like BMW's, Mercedes, even the bigger engined Big three cars... and they're trying to merge in to traffic doing 110kph-120kph at 80kph or 90kph with me stuck behind them!!??? :evil: :F Thanks for trying to get me killed @$$hole!!!

With fall coming I have to start looking for a leaf blower/mulcher that can handle chestnut husks, if there is such a thing...? :confused: The last couple years have been enough fun for me :evil: I swear in the peak of fall, EVERY WEEK I fill up about TWO, yes TWO LARGE bags of leaves/chestnuts. It takes a good couple hours to rake it all and clean it up, then I still have to mow and weed-eat! All this in usually cool drizzly weather, does not make for a fun weekend :evil: I need something to simplify and speed up the process, BAD!

[aud19]

Come on guys, we need some posts to keep the hottie!!!

[taz13]

Lex
Yep I can agree with pretty much all of that. I just remember that starting in 69 on certain engines, polloution reduction schemes were being started and some engines started suffering. GMs seem to drop off the fastest and Chysler started with solid state replacements for points in 70(?)iirc. And I owned many of them. When the 70s gas crunch started, I bought a 69 hemi cuda that I kept for years as a toy. Daily driver was a 318 2barrel and a 6 cylinder 66 Rambler Ambassador station wagon, the drive in special option package with the folding and reclining seats. And yes I can understand how working at a dealership when your car crazy helps. My Grandfather started the first dodge dealership in Selkirk MB in 1930 and the family has been involved in car dealerships since. It takes a special type to run a dealership though. I would want nothing to do with it.

Kevin
There is a saftey strap attached to the back, although it is very stable.

Andrew
They are the Exodus Audio Kit 41 from CSS. And I absolutly love them.

Nicholas
http://www.guitarnoise.com/
http://www.learnguitar.net/
and of course the music section of any book store. And of course the area of learning. Electric, acoustic,classical. And if electric, lead or rythem.

[Bing Fung]

Morning Gang :later:

Working on the garage before we paint.

Hope to get out for a ride, other than that not much going on.

Cool knife Nic :yesnod:

Looking good Taz, however I agree that monitor looks precarious on the speaker.

Cute flip pic Jason :T

[taz13]

Looks are deceiving it is solid.

Nicholas
Forgot, one of the best resources is to find the magazine that teaches what you play.
Guitar player(aimed at advanced players primarly), playguitar(aimed at beginers and novices), and a lot more. Some come with a cd or a dvd.
Best book and DVD pac I have seen is learnig guitar for dummies. Book comes with a cd and the dvd is a stand alone that is quite good.

[GregoriusM]

Gotta love the flip! :B

-------

That's true about Chrysler. A lot of gas guzzlers it seems. Mind you, they always promote the Hemi's in the big cars, but they do all come with 6's I believe. But still, not a lot of 4 bangers.

I can't see the Neon replacement getting any better gas mileage (Doge Caliber) and probably worse.

-------

If muscle cars mean straight line speed, than the Hemi versions of the Chryco's are muscle cars! :M Meet me out back in 5 minutes if you disagree. If I'm not out there by that time, start without me! :M

:later:

[aud19]

Finally got some pictures up from our trips to Bowen Island and Vancouver Island.

http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/2461/dscf04124rh.jpg

http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/6029/dscf04160df.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9921/dscf04361aj.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3577/dscf04649mq.jpg

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/2104/DSCF0494.jpg

There's more here (http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?p=192307#post192307) and here (http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=15400) if anyone wants to take a look ;)

[aud19]

Come on guys! If you don't get posting the flip pic will be gone!!!! Greg, Bing and Trev (when and if he see's it) will be very upset!

[Shane Martin]

I'm guessing Dodge is going to be in trouble if gas prices keep going up.
Gregor and Aud,
The fuel shutoff system shuts the new Hemi engines down to 4 cylinders until you get past a certain speed. This is why they get ~20 mpg now and 25 highway. The big Hemi(6.1) doesn't have it so it gets craptacular mileage.

Most of the newer cars are coming with this type of fuel delivery system. I know Honda has it on their big v6's.

[aud19]

I understand that Shane but even 20-25MPG some of the time isn't that great and the way gas prices are going, if they don't start to produce some lighter, smaller engined, more fuel efficient cars, it could hurt them in the immediate future. It just seems Chrysler wants to stuff Hemi's in anything it can, which is great for power and a "macho" image to it's cars but they don't seem to have much planned for smaller, more efficient vehicles. Like it's barely on their radar....

[GregoriusM]

I'm posting now to get that ugly blonde off of this page before Monday!

Yeah.... ugly... right....! he he he

:later:

[GregoriusM]

Ooops, posted again.....

[GregoriusM]

..... and again.....

[aud19]

I'll thrown another one in here :D

Where the heck is everyone anyway? I mean I know you guys, there's no way you're all in church :twisted: :lol:

Well goodnight fella's :later:

[Lex]

I went to play golf this afternoon, then napped. as the heat zapped me. :Z

Didn't play to great today. I did finally start hitting the ball a bit better late in the round, but by then I was to hot, tired, etc to make much out of it.

[Lex]

This hurricaine was as of early this morning upgraded to a Catagory 5. Maybe that should be downgraded. :( Like they used to say regarding twisters in the movie twister, what's a Catagory 5 like? the Thunder of God. I think he said...

As of this morning was aimed at New Orleans and the entire coast in that area.

[Shane Martin]

I understand that Shane but even 20-25MPG some of the time isn't that great and the way gas prices are going, if they don't start to produce some lighter, smaller engined, more fuel efficient cars, it could hurt them in the immediate future. It just seems Chrysler wants to stuff Hemi's in anything it can, which is great for power and a "macho" image to it's cars but they don't seem to have much planned for smaller, more efficient vehicles. Like it's barely on their radar....
When it begins to hurt their bottom line, they'll reconsider. They are a business afterall, they'll make changes if they see fit.

[Trevor Schell]

Hi Guys! :later:

I did take the Corvette to my first ever Car Show!
It was great. Lot's of people and there was a lot of
interest in my Corvette. The best part was that there
was a total of 15 Corvettes in the show. We exchanged
names and phone numbers and will officially be starting
Saskatoon Corvette Club..:T

Here are some photo's...

http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/v1.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/v2.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/v3.jpg

[Andrew Pratt]

Looks like fun Trev:T So do you get drool off your car?

[Bing Fung]

Nice photos Jason :T

Looks good Trev, were you able to get the swirls out before the show?

Lex, you know the old addage. If your golfing in the 90's you neglecting your golf game. However if your golfing in the low 80's your neglecting your everything else in life :lol:

[GregoriusM]

Nice pics, Trev! It's cool that you're starting a Vette Club!

[GregoriusM]

Wow! A Category 5 hurricane is why I live where Category 5 Mosquitoes can only lift you 10 or 15 feet off of the ground before they drop you. No deaths have ever been reported, although a few broken bones and egos have been. :B

[GregoriusM]

Hmmmm............ I didn't check that the chick was turned to a link. I was trying to do some serioud padding here.

Oh well....... I'll say nighty-night then.

:later:

[Snap]

Bing- :nono: anything above 50 deg F is Golf weather brother!

Ran into somthing rather disturbing the other day. Did you all know that the mortality rate in Iraq is 60 deaths for every 100,000 troops? Did you also know that with the tuffest gun control laws in the nation Washington DC has a death rate of 83 per 100,000??

Conclusion: I demand that we pull out of Washington ASAP!

Well they (Iraq) vote on the constition in October....so may be next year we can start having our buddies come the heck home!

Afgan is getting turned over to UN or NATO or someone soon, so our troops get to get out of there soon! :T

Hope every one has a great week!

[GregoriusM]

Bing- :nono: anything above 50 deg F is Golf weather brother!



ABOVE 50 F? We use colored balls in January and do Snow Golfing! Seriously! :T


Ran into somthing rather disturbing the other day. Did you all know that the mortality rate in Iraq is 60 deaths for every 100,000 troops? Did you also know that with the tuffest gun control laws in the nation Washington DC has a death rate of 83 per 100,000??

Conclusion: I demand that we pull out of Washington ASAP!


THAT is VERY interesting! :E

-------

Amen on "Everyone having a good week!" :T

:later:

[GregoriusM]

Flip!

Well it's the weekend, so here you go guys!!!!! Just make sure you flip this page before Monday eh!!! :P

converted to link for Monday.

http://people.freenet.de/kraskapolski/nell_mcandrew/01.jpg


Hmmmm........ just take that link and add 02, 03, 04, 05.jpg, etc. and she gets better looking with each link.

BUT, don't do this on Monday to Friday while at work, kids! :nonod: :nonod: :nonod:

At home or on the weekend? :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :drool:

[Lex]

Trevor should come down here for the Corvette Nationals in the spring or early summer I think it is. Talk about Vettes!

Glad you had a good show Trevor. At least now you guys can talk about your Vettes all winter. :)

Bing, so true on the 90s and 80s thing. I did the low 80s thing once, contributed to costing me a marriage.

[Kevin P]

Mornin' folks...

Jason, now that your pic is a link, you should put another pic in your post so you don't get "fouled" in the flip statistics. :)

Grego, our category 5 mosquitoes show up on airport radar, and they carry things like "Triple E" and West Nile, so they're potentially deadly too. Though I suppose not as deadly as a hurricane. Maybe it's a good thing I'm staying north. Of course I won't be saying that next time I have to shovel out from under 18" of snow. :roll:

Trev, your Vette looks great in the show! Did you find a solution to your clearcoat scratches?

Maybe Chrysler needs to make a 1.8L mini-Hemi so you can buy an econobox and still brag that "it has a Hemi!" :)

One of my car speakers sh*t the bed... the driver's side door only has the tweeter working. I'm hoping it's just a loose wire and not a busted speaker or crossover. But it means taking the door panel apart, which I don't have time to do right now. Ugh.

[Bent]

and they carry things like "Triple E" and...
Triple E? (http://www.tripleerv.com/)

[Kevin P]

Triple E?Eastern Equine Encephalitis (http://www.thewmurchannel.com/health/4882165/detail.html) (I really didn't want to have to type that) :unsure:

[Shane Martin]

I'm going to pull an Aud and go for.

[Shane Martin]

An early morning.

[Shane Martin]

oh wait its 9am flip

http://www.garmin.com/products/sp330/gallery/PT-spc330-LG.jpg

We had one of these this weekend on loan from my wife's work. Once you use and have an in-car GPS, you must own one especially a portable one. :T

Semi short week for me as well. We usually work partial days on Friday and I'm taking the wife to the airport this Friday so I'll be bacheloring it all weekend.

I work Monday for a few hours but I can't complain because it's extra pay.

[Gordon Moore]

Howdy one and all. Much to do, seems like less and less time to do it. Taking Friday off for the labour day weekend :party: short week this week.

[Shane Martin]

VW is launching a new car in the US. The EOS. It's a cabriolet coupe
http://autotelegraaf.nl/vanonzeredactie/images/36902.1.gen.jpg

[Gordon Moore]

West Nile is so overblown it's not funny....what 26 confirmed cases in MB out of a population size of about 1.2 Mil makes that an incidence of 0.000022% of the population got sick. Didn't die, just got sick....whoopee :roll:

They talk about overhead spraying....what idiots? Politicians should not be allowed to influence decisions like that. The problem is on slow news days the paper has to report something as evil because no news is good news and if they can't scare you, you don't buy papers. UGH!


Anyways I digress.

Everyone have a nice weekend? Spent all Sunday at a 2 year b-day party and then partied with family (my wife's brother is in town for 2 weeks).

Saturday was a bball tourney with Mr. Pratt...a little stint at work and some R&R in the evening at a hot tub party

[Trevor Schell]

Morning Guys!!

Thanks to all of you who commented on my Car Show pictures..
This is my hobby and I have been wanting to do this for the
last 2 years. I put a lot of extras onto the car just for showing
purposes.
When the scratches occured due to my waxing project, I was
really disappointed cause I figured the car was done and I would
not be able show it.
I did not get the scrathes out, however in the bright sun , they did
not show up unless you reaaly look for them. Under my Garage lighting
and under flourescent lighting, it is a different story. The scratches
show up as if they had been highlighted with a marker. It's that bad
under that type of lighting.

As for the CarShow,,Thousands of people toured through the downtown,,approx 40,000
people in the 6 hour period.
My Corvette was certainly a highlight. Not too many people are familiar here
with the C5 Corvette , since you don't often see them driving around.
So too many people , it was there first close up look at such a car.
The reactions were amazing to watch experience. Especially to see people walk by
the other Corvettes and then stop by mine and tour around it gawking and drooling as
Andrew had said! It was a great day and has made my time and money investment into
the Corvette very much worth it.
Now we are starting up a club! It doesn't get any better than that! :yesnod:

Now, I have to get those scratches fixed at the body shop.
http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/v2.jpg

[Kevin P]

Sounds like fun Trev! Maybe if I keep my Saturn in good condition for the next 22 years I can enter it in a show as an antique! :lol:

[Gordon Moore]

Morning yokes

What do you call a blonde with 90% of her intelligence gone?

Divorced.



Grounds for Divorce
A judge was interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce, "What are the grounds for your divorce?"

She replied, "About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property."

"I mean," he continued, "What are your relations like?"

"I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, and so do my husband's parents."

He said, "Do you have a real grudge?"

"No," she replied, "We have a two-car carport and have never really needed one."

"Please," he tried again, "is there any infidelity in your marriage?"

"Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don't necessarily like the music, but the answer to your question is 'yes'."

"Ma'am, does your husband ever beat you up?"

"Yes," she responded, "most days he gets up earlier than I do."

Finally, in frustration, the judge asked, "Lady, why do you want a divorce?"

"Oh, I don't want a divorce," she replied. "I never wanted a divorce. It's husband. He says he can't communicate with me."

[Nick M]

Trevor - I drool everytime I see that Vette. Kick-@$$! :drool: :-y
-----
Damn-it, another flight lesson canceled. :roll:

My next 6 lessons (3hrs each) will be "cross country" flights around the North-Eastern US. Can't seem to squeeze even one in though due to all this piss-poor weather we've been having. After those six flights all I have left is practicing/perfecting the PPL maneuvers Solo (however long I need), and 3hrs of night flight. Taking the written portion of my exam this upcoming month. I'm hoping to take my FAA checkride by mid-November.

Just ordered some fish, roe, and kelp from California to stock my freezer with. Sushi supplies are rather slim around these parts.

Still waiting to hear from Carada on when my screen will be shipping. I'm going to give'em a buzz tomorrow if I don't hear from them today.

I've been checking out this laptop lately...
Sager NP-3830

http://www.sagernotebook.com/media/large_notebook_jpgs/3880.jpg

15.4" WUXGA Display (1920x1200)
2.0GHz Pentium M Processor 2MB L2 Cache
1GB DDR2 RAM
nVidia GeForce Go 6600 PCi Express 128MB VC
60.0GB 7200RPM HDD
8x DVD +/- R/RW Drive
XP Home

$1745

I'd prefer a P4, but I can't find a unit with this screen and design/layout with a P4. Hopefully I'll be upgrading sometime before Christmas.

[taz13]

Maybe Chrysler needs to make a 1.8L mini-Hemi so you can buy an econobox and still brag that "it has a Hemi!" They did it was the 81 2.6 litre K-car :rofl: :rofl:
Transaxles were a 4-speed floorshift manual or a 3-speed automatic. The car did 0-60 in the 13 second range [not bad for the times]. A 2.6 Mitsubishi motor was optional, and cars bearing this motor - for 1981 at least - were adorned with the badge "2.6 HEMI." (Yes, they were hemi-heads!)
Gordon
So where did you get the the transcript of my Ex's interview??

Ben you haven't heard of triple e because out west it is WEE

[Nick M]

Lol, a Hemi RWD Neon... :twisted:

[Andrew Pratt]

Nick actually I like the spec's of that machine over a P4 :)

Speaking of note books. I'm having dell come out and replace the DVD burner and the arm rest on mine. The DVD burner won't work properly as its not regecting discs and after talking with a Dell rep and upgrading the firmware (i'd already tried that) its pretty much DOA now. The armrest is just that the silver paint is wareing off on the edge and its covered in the warranty so while I'm at it I figured I'd have that swapped out as well. I figured my wife's notebook was my last Dell until I was "forced" to get this one..hopefully next time round I'll have more options.

[Kevin P]

What are PPL maneuvers Nick? I agree with you on the weather. We had our softball tourney yesterday and it got rained out (it was in the western part of NH). Go figure it didn't rain much if at all at home. :roll:

Maybe if we plan a local HT meet you can fly up to Manchester! 8)

Pr@, I'm having some problems with the CD burner in my Stalker. It made a coaster and the 2nd disc I burned is a bit iffy too. I'm hoping it's just dust. Having a performance PC with lots of cooling in the same room as the cat box is asking for trouble (even "low dust" kitty litter throws a LOT of dust). I can't wait till we're in the house so those two things can be separated. :E

Speaking of the house, they're sanding and priming this week. Hopefully painting will start next week.

[taz13]

And I have never had a problem with any of my Dells. Go figure. Customer service (oxymoron or what) is what I have a beef about with Dell.

[aud19]

Vette looks great Trev, sounds like a good time :T

Thanks on the photos Bing, there's more in the Photography area if you'd like to peruse :T

Thanks for trying to help with the posts Greg :T Thanks Kev too, I've added a pic :T

Nice on the Hemi's guys :lol:

My back/neck is KILLING me today.... :uhoh: I need to go to the chiropracter :gah:

[Nick M]

Nick actually I like the spec's of that machine over a P4Personally I'd rather have the same unit with a 3.0GHz P4 rather than a 2.0GHz Pentium M. The most intensive thing I'll be running on it will be a few flight simulators which can get pretty heavy if you turn up gadgets such as anti-aliasing and stuff. With WUXGA resolution I imagine it should make 3D images quite nice looking. I could get into the 256MB VC units, but then I'd be looking at US$2k+ for a similar laptop with equivalent features. I dunno, I still have a few months before I get one, so by then alot of the technology and/or prices will change anyways.What are PPL maneuvers Nick?Steep turns (45* banks while maintaining altitude and rolling out on exact headings), Soft Field Landings (In Grass), Emergency Landings, Basic Instrument flight (standard rate 180* turns to escape nasty weather), and a bunch of others spelled out in a tome issued by the FAA. I meet the minimum proficiency standards for almost all of them already, but I want to do them perfectly so I'll go up and practice until I get near-flawless repetitions. Need to do some long distance flights though, and this weather has prevented the last three I've scheduled. Hopefully next weekend I can fit in two. With my luck we will be awash in the leftovers of Katrina though, and then my Instructor is taking a week off.

Ugghhhh... :(

[aud19]

Well here's hoping you get a break from the weather Nick :T

[Paul Wu]

Hi guys. Seems like some had a busy weekend. Like me. :)

Did my presentation Saturday morning! It went great! Everybody loved it and I would guess there was probably about 30-40 people. I didn't do a headcount.

So I dropped off my car to get it washed, it really needed it, plus it is place is next to the Saab dealership. So guess what I did, I took out a Saab 92x Aero for a quick test drive.

Met a good salesrep there. Funny I'm sitting in the showroom and a few 'fellows' just walk right by. I really didn't care as I was more interested in getting familiar with the cockpit and controls. I like some of the layout, but I don't like a few of the others. It took about 10 min before a younger rep walks by and says hi. Well I tell him I want to take out this car and he says no problem. He asks me a few questions about what I have and he knows instantly it would take a lot to get me out of my Golf, especially since I've got it chipped. :B

First and foremost, the automatic is the death of this car. I had some high hopes that the auto would be somewhat decent, but no, nope, and absolute disappointment. :( I really wanted to like this car. We got some gas and that's when I took control. Pulling out of the station, I thought there was something wrong, we were going so slow! I let the car warm up some more, we got $20 worth of 94, there was some cheap gas pumped in just to get us to the gas station. The air con was on as well, so I turned that off, cracked the sun roof and some windows. As I know the area, I went on my test drive loop.

Off the line, there just seems to be no power, the power comes on at about 4,000 rpm and then it gets a bit more fun. The handling is very good, tight, neutral and it will pull through some high speed corners. I took a couple and gunned the engine and it was very steady power through the turn. I had a chance at a light to rev it to 2,000 rpm and then launch, which worked a lot better, but still, I don't want to be standing on the brake and reving the engine to 3k or 4k and letting it go at every light!

Creature comforts that are missing in the Saab 92x. Once you have lived with these little things, it is tough to go without. The power windows are pretty slow going down, and there is only the one touch down on the drivers side. My Golf has one touch down and up for both driver and passanger windows. The sun roof on the Saab has two switches, one to crack the back for ventilation, and one to open it entirely. If you have it cracked open to start and want to open it fully, you have to hold onto one button until it closes, and then use another button and hold it down to open it entirely. On my Golf, I have one dial switch, turn it one way, cracks open the roof, turn it another way, it will close the crack and open entirely. The Saab just has a manual hatch cover that you have to pull to cover the contenst in the hatch. The Golf has a hard cover that lifts with the hatch. Full size spare in the Golf, mini spare in the Saab. The quality of the materials in the Saab did not seem as luxurious as in my Golf. Sure there were some shiny bits and expensive looking things, but this is about the quality of the plastic and the feel of the switches and dials and little things.

Overall, as if you can't tell, I was a bit dissapointed with the whole test drive experience. I remember about 2 years ago my friend bough a WRX and he took me out and it was a blast. He did keep the revs up over 3k, but that is so much easier to do with a 5sp. If the Saab was a 5sp, I'm sure my opinion would change in regard to the power. I have no issue with the handling, just excellent, well in comparioson to my Golf. (For now :)) But the creature comforts would be something that would bug me everyday.

I'll describe my test drive route, as I'm sure Jason would like to know. We gassed up at the Chevron by Cambie and Garden City. I turned onto Garden City and headed towards Costco. I turned left on Bridgeport and headed towards the airport. The highspeed turn was a nice sweeping left hander onto Grant Mcconachie Way and headed towards the airport. I turn left and at the first light, Templeton st, and then left onto Miller Rd. Down Miller past Russ Baker and onto Cessna Dr. Down Cessna and then made it back onto Russ Baker and then left at Gilbert and back to the dealership.

The sales guy was very nice and did a bit of buttering up, just commenting on how a good driver I was. I already know that. :) But he did say he has been on test drives where there were some pretty wreckless drivers. I'm more controlled. The one thing I learned was he is a go getter, and will do deals on other makes as well. Sooo, that got me thinking that I'm probably more suited to an S4 as that has way more power than my Golf. :) We shall see in 2-5 years time.

Gotta do some work now.

[aud19]

I told you no Auto-slush-poop-box :naughty: :lol: Was it the Linear or Aero you drove? I'm guessing one of those automatic Aero's that was on sale ;)

Is the sunroof standard? Because frankly I'd rather go without if it's an option. Nice to hear about the handling :T

Test driving in Richmond.... :blink: :unsure:

[Paul Wu]

It was the Aero(fixed my post). So the 227hp didn't feel like 227. All the Aero's are now on sale.

The sun roof is standard.

Yeah, what can you do as that's the only Saab dealership in the lowermainland.

I may take it out again, once more of the premium fuel is running through the engine. I figure it might feel a bit better, but the gearing of the automatic is not condusive to fun driving. I played around with starting it out in 1st and it still seemed slow.

I think with enough power, and atuo-slush-poop-box would be okay. But I am more sold on my Golf than ever. Just need to put some money into improving the handling.

[Kevin P]

Paul, it just goes to show that you should be eyeing an Audi as your next car. ;) With a manual tranny, of course. :driving:

[Shane Martin]

I'd prefer a P4, but I can't find a unit with this screen and design/layout with a P4. Hopefully I'll be upgrading sometime before Christmas.

Nick, The heat and battery life will change your mind ;) My wife has a p4. The Centrinos are so much nicer. I heard AMD has a new mobile chip. I have not played with it. I don't know how it compares.

[aud19]

Did they have any manual Aero's left? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that one if you get a test drive! :P Actually now that I remember, I seem to remember reading in numerous reviews of the Saab and the Subaru, that the Auto was worthless almost to the point that if you needed an auto, to look at another vehicle. It's that bad. If you get a chance to drive the manual, I think you'll have a better impression of the car ;)

[aud19]

Nick, The heat and battery life will change your mind ;) My wife has a p4. The Centrinos are so much nicer. I heard AMD has a new mobile chip. I have not played with it. I don't know how it compares.

I just wish you could find AMD processors in some of the bettter laptops! :evil: Right now you only find them in the more "budget" brands and the lack of quality in other areas is not made up with the AMD processor alone. My guess is Intel's questionable business practices are keeping AMD from the mid and high-end laptop market :confused:

[Paul Wu]

Did they have any manual Aero's left? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that one if you get a test drive! :P Actually now that I remember, I seem to remember reading in numerous reviews of the Saab and the Subaru, that the Auto was worthless almost to the point that if you needed an auto, to look at another vehicle. It's that bad. If you get a chance to drive the manual, I think you'll have a better impression of the car ;)

There are no manuals left in the country! At least that is what I've heard from a third party. In fact the sales guy said the base Linear model in a 5 speed is faster off the line than the auto. I may try out a 5speed WRX wagon, to see how fast it really is. I'm just concerned that max torque is at 217 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm for the WRX/Aero. My Golf develops 240 lb-ft at about 3,250 rpm. See the chart:

http://www.goapr.com/VW/images/dyno_golf_18t_stage_i.gif

Based on my first test drive, I would agree with all the reviewers, the gearing in the auto for both the Saab and Subaru makes it worthless, at least for city driving. If you were on the highway, I think that would be different. You'd have the revs up and passing wouldn't be a problem. But where we live, I don't do a whole lot of daily highway driving.

Kev: Yeah, I am pretty much decided that Audi is going to be my next ride. They have all the creature comforts that I expect in a car, plus the power will be there. And maybe I'll try out their DSG, or maybe not.

Speaking of laptops. My wife's laptop is really driving me and her crazy. We swapped laptops, so we don't have the old Dell Inspiron. It's Toshiba, but lately it's been shutting it self off. Plus when it boots it takes a long time to load stuff. I will be reformatting and reloading Xp this week. :roll: I am not looking forward to wasting an evening doing the reload and downloading of updates. This may fix the software problem, but I don't know how to diagnose the hardware instant shutoff. This shut off happens even when she is working on the laptop.

So looking for a new laptop may be in the future. I've got an old IBM, well 3yrs old and this thing is solid! Mind you I don't have a lot of extra stuff loaded on. I'll be increasing the ram to 512 to help things out.

[taz13]

Andrew
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Then the mental image kicks in :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Lap tops
As long as I use it as a desktop replacement I don't have a problem with my P4, but if I was doing constant road trips with it I would go with one of the new mobility cpus

[aud19]

Sounds like either maybe a power supply issue or possibly virus/spyware related problems Paul.... You have up to date antivirus and spyware software?

If you test drive an '06 WRX I believe it will have a 2.5 Turbo as opposed to the '05 Subie/Saab 2.0 Turbo. Just keep that in mind ;) The 2.5 should have some extra low end grunt... maybe you should wait for the '06 9-2x's.... ;) :D

[Paul Wu]

The laptop has an older version of Norton Corporate Antivirus with current updates. That's one of the first things I load onto any computer. I have a feeling it's a spyware issue. I hope it's not a virus issue.

I'd be looking to test an '05 WRX just to compare, apples to apples. The '06 will have 2.5 which should provide more gurnt.

The one thing that knocked the salesguy back at Saab down a notch was he told me that there wouldn't be an Aero coming out for '06. :confused: Which I know couldn't be the case, as I've seen the press release for Saab USA. But who knows, maybe it won't come to Canada, but I just can't believe that.

[Gordon Moore]

Ooooo, Sobeys is offering Sterling Silver Premium Meats now. Only the top 12% of AAA Grade beef is selected.

Looks like we'll be BBQ'ing with some premium strip loin's (aka: New York Strips) paired off with some grilled lobster tails this weekend. Last long weekend before school starts in style :drool:

[aud19]

That would indeed suck! But if sales are as low as they seem to have been....? Who knows...?!?! 8O

Hey Paul, you work downtown or in Richmond? I can't remember :oops:

[taz13]

Nice avatar Gordon :T

[Gordon Moore]

I've been neglecting my oldest....thanks for the compliment ;)

[Kevin P]

Paul, does the lappy shut off without any warning, or do you get a message box first?

If you get a message box first (Windows will shut down in 60 seconds), it's caused by a virus/worm/trojan. If it just cuts out without warning, then you have a hardware problem. Most likely in the power supply, or a loose connection.

[aud19]

Oooh

[aud19]

an open

[aud19]

you know what

[aud19]

Flip!

An Albino Peacock!!! :E :scratchhead:
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/3092/dscf05138nt.jpg

BTW Gord, you're making very hungry with all that talk! :drool:

[Paul Wu]

Kev: The lappy just shuts off, no warning what so ever. One minute it's on the next it's off. So powersupply or lose connection, but it's a laptop, wouldn't the battery take care of it if the AC goes out? :confused: So maybe something between the battery and the laptop. Let me stick my finger in there. ZAP!

Jason: I work between downtown and Richmonnd. :rofl: Don't worry about remembering as I hadn't said where I actually worked. :) Sometime's on on the road, but lately I'm in one place, more east side. I'm working at a non-profit so that's why you see me posting more often.

[Kevin P]

Well, in the case of a lappy, "power supply" is probably a misnomer, since that is actually the brick that plugs between the wall and the lappy. It seems like your problem is in the connection between the battery/PS and the motherboard. I guess that would be a "power controller" rather than a "power supply".

[Gordon Moore]

I really need to cut back...

How to Drink Coffee

Depending on how you use it, coffee can be a pick-me-up or a real downer.

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Feature Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

A cup of coffee with breakfast, another during the morning commute, a few lattes at the office, and an espresso after dinner -- is this a healthy habit or an addiction?

Coffee's caffeine jolt can temporarily boost alertness, perk up performance, and possibly even improve concentration.

But before you pour yourself another cup of joe, experts say it's important to remember coffee's main ingredient, caffeine, is a drug and not a nutrient required for good health like vitamins and minerals. And as with any drug, there are right ways and wrong ways to use it.

"The right way is to know how it affects your body and your reasoning," says registered dietitian and epidemiologist Gail Frank. "The wrong way is to use it in an abusive way, and that means going without sleep and then drinking a lot of coffee to get the perk."

In fact, too much caffeine may also lead to health problems like high blood pressure, brittle bones, trouble sleeping, and just plain irritability.

"The other wrong way, as a parent, is to allow young children to use it and have it as crutch -- not only for the perk but because it may also displace nutrient-rich beverages for kids," says Frank, who is professor of nutrition at California State University at Long Beach.

Frank says the caffeine in coffee is especially dangerous for young children and teenagers with growing bones because caffeine leeches much-needed calcium from the bones and may retard growth or make the bones weaker.

Five milligrams of calcium is lost for every six ounces of coffee that is consumed, says Frank. But the good news is you can put back some of those lost nutrients by adding two tablespoons of milk to your coffee or making your espresso a latte.

Good Coffee Habits

Here are some other tips to help you keep your coffee habit as healthy as possible:


Some people feel the buzz of caffeine more than others. Listen to your body and know when to say "when" to that extra cup of coffee, even if your friend says he can drink it 'til the cows come home and still get a good night's sleep.
Most research suggests that drinking one to three cups of coffee a day (up to 300 milligrams of caffeine) does not seem to have any negative effects in most healthy people. However, pregnant women, children, people with heart disease or peptic ulcers, and the elderly may be more susceptible to the effects of caffeine and are advised to restrict caffeine.
Be aware that the caffeine content of coffee varies widely depending on roasting and brewing methods as well as the size of the cup you're drinking. For example, a recent study showed that a 16-ounce cup of the house blend at Starbucks had an average of 259 milligrams of caffeine compared with only 143 milligrams in the same-sized cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts.
Although coffee is the main source of caffeine for many people, other items, such as soft drinks, tea, chocolate, and cold and headache medicines also contain caffeine and can add substantially to your daily caffeine quota.
Regular coffee drinkers who skip their daily java fix may experience temporary "caffeine withdrawal" (usually in the form of a headache or drowsiness), but these symptoms will go away within 24-48 hours or after getting a new dose of caffeine.
Some medications may interact with caffeine. Consult with your health care provider or pharmacist about potential interactions with caffeine whenever you take medications.

[aud19]

Well if you're "on the road" one day, near Steveston, we should go for lunch ;)

[GregoriusM]

Hey, kids!

Nice day here. 25 degrees C all week. NiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiCE!!!

Well, I have do go an DO nothing, so I'll talk to you later!

Gregor :B

[aud19]

Way to keep busy Greg! :lol:

[Paul Wu]

Atta boy Gregor! Doing nothing is actually very difficult to do. I haven't master that just yet, but that is on my list of things to master. :B

Jason: I thought you were working somewhere closer to Knight St bridge?

So as we aren't just carrying on a conversation.

On Saturday I was at the Canadians baseball game. We had a sponsored BBQ dinner, great little riblettes, and there were fireworks at the end. It was a long game! 13 innings, unfortunately we lost. Next time I won't leave my seat! The other team seemed to score every time I left my seat! When I got back, we had a double play to end the inning.

Sunday was a potluck at a friends house. He's got a HT room. :B So I'm going to have to visit again and bring over my SPL meter and calibration dvd! His sub was way too hot so we turned that down just a touch. My wife also noticed that the surrounds were really up to par!

I played a bit of ping pong and then ate some great food! We left a bit early as it started to rain. I didn't think I was that tired, but when I put my head down for a bit of snuggle time, I was out like a light!

[taz13]

Man I can't wait till I can go and do nothing!!
59 months and counting

[aud19]

Nope, Steveston, right by the Aircare centre... if you know where that is... ;)

No doubt, wish I was doing nothing right now!!! :lol:

[GregoriusM]

Dang it! :M

I actually have to go out and so something...... actually a few things.

Bummer! :M :M :M

[Paul Wu]

Jason: I know exactly where you are talking about. I used to work out at BC Packers, which is no longer there. Just a lot of townhouses.

The new Golf R32
http://www.vwvortex.com/gallery/generated//Volkswagen/Golf%20-%20GTI%20-%20Rabbit/Golf%20V/R32%20-%20EU/006__scaled_600.jpg

Only in Europe, pity. :( I think all 4 door hatches will only be available in Europe.

[aud19]

Yeah I think you, me and 5 or 10 other people like 5-door HB's in North America Paul :lol:...siggghhhhhhh...

[taz13]

Call it a station wagon and I will probably be one of those people..
The biggest problem I have with VW is much the same as dodge. the VW commercial with the 2 losers that are picking each other up or the guy asking if you have a Hemi in there. :throwup:

[aud19]

"Special" email for some of you ;) Paul I don't think I have your email address, if I can find it in your profile I'll FWD it to ya ;)

Just checked, nope. Sorry Pauly :p:

[Trevor Schell]

I love the Charger with the 20" or 22" rims.
SWEET!!:T

http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/e1.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/e2.jpg

[Trevor Schell]

For Doug , I present my favorite Mustang..
1969 Mach 1

http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/m1.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/TTP/m2.jpg

NOTE:
The big honkin redneck splashguards are attached
due to the RCMP Police in Yorkton, consistanly pulling
the owner over, due to his wide tires sticking out past
the wheel wheels.
They are detachable, so I am not sure why he still
had them on.

[taz13]

Those redneck splashgaurds :lol: are why I took bodywork in high school shop. Same reason except it was a 63 plymouth senaca complete with push button auto and a 413 max wedge :) with mickey thompsons on the back. Between tickets for cheater slicks and rubber sticking out(loud exhaust, burning rubber speeding etc) I had to do it myself. So I probably am in the minority but I like them.
Trevor Great images :T

[GregoriusM]

Nice pics, Trev!

I still say the new Charger is a "Muscle Car"!!! :T

[Bing Fung]

Hey Gang :later:

Nice Charger Trev :T

Sorry Trev, that Mustang has too big of boots and too Jacked up. (check out the shackles :lol: ) It really lacks refinement and reminds me of my Teens. The craze then was to always jacked up cars and put big boots on that stuck out past the wheel wells. Air-shocks and Shackles were the epitome of backyard mechanics. We didn't know any better and thought it looked bitchen :roflmao:

Check out that red Oldsmobile sedan beside the stang at the show :confused:


Did lots of tree pruning today, and got most of the house primed :T

[Bent]

HIya everybody
Jason - thanks for the e-mial. :T

[GregoriusM]

:a> :g> ;b> ;-x :k> :2guns: :banana: :boohoo: :party: :bash: :boobies: :tomato: :blah: :blowup: :clap: :gossip: :stupidpc: :frypan: :storm:

Can't sleep, so I thought I'd wake all of you up. If I can't sleep, no one sleeps! :B

[Gordon Moore]

okay, but I'm up for the day :D

[Gordon Moore]

The onix rockets are reviewed at Secrets today:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_3/onix-rocket-rs850-speakers-8-2005.html

Check out the listening environment....5 fullsized speaks in the theater.....that would be nice :yesnod:

[Andrew Pratt]

Those Onix's should sound pretty close to what my M8a's do give we're both using the same drivers and tweeters...theirs are prettier though :yesnod:

[Kevin P]

Howdy howdy howdy... :later:

I fixed the speaker in my car. Turns out the window was hitting a wire and broke it off. What's funny is, the woofer worked when I had the window all the way down, but when I rolled it up, the woofer would stop working. I reattached it and tied everything down so the window doesn't hit it anymore.

Priming starts today and painting tomorrow or Thursday! :banana: Really moving now. I guess I better get colors picked out! :oops: ;)

Nice "muscular" cars. My car falls into the "wimpy" category.

[Gordon Moore]

Wow, I read that in one year's time there will be 60 Red Light Cameras installed in Winnipeg....sheesh. Not a big deal to me but I wonder if the cost is warranted?

Yesterday I saw an "almost" 3 car pileup because someone freaked out at a redlight intersection and slammed the brakes last minute causing all the others to tighten up early.....it was noisy, there was a lot of dust but fortunately no one connected.

[Lex]

I think that's a VERY real concern Gordon with these big brotherish tactics of cameras on traffic lights. It could in fact cause more serious injuries and deaths than it saves...

They've been talking of these here this year. :roll:

Besides, the delays are set different on lights, it's easy to be going on yellow and bam it changes red. But there's a built in delay anyway, so just because you run a red, doesn't mean it's truly endangering anyone if it's ran immediately.

I guess they will put heaters on them to keep them from icing up this winter?

[Kevin P]

While the original intent of the red-light camera is a good one, to deter people from running red lights, they are ripe for abuse. Often, when red-light cameras are installed, they'll shorten the length of the "yellow" light to a ridiculously short amount, so that anyone entering the intersection on the yellow ends up "running" the red and getting a ticket.

Ideally, the yellow should be long enough for someone to get through the intersection without it turning red, if they're too close to stop when it turns yellow. And the camera shouldn't kick in for a few seconds after the light turns red.

So far there's no red-light cameras around here, but Lidar (laser) speed enforcement is becoming more popular. Even in the city. I've been Lidared driving home from work more than once.

[Shane Martin]

It could in fact cause more serious injuries and deaths than it saves...
This doesn't make sense. How would it cause these serious injuries? If people knew they were being watched, they typically wouldn't do things like run red lights etc etc. IIRC Europe has cameras like this all over the place. I know some folks feel it is an invasion of privacy but I'm all for it. I feel it would make a huge difference. I haven't seen any issues with lights changing too quickly. Just people who are in a hurry running yellow and red lights like usual.

As far as cost goes, it comes down to cost vs safety.

[Kevin P]

This doesn't make sense. How would it cause these serious injuries? If people knew they were being watched, they typically wouldn't do things like run red lights etc etc.It might cause someone to slam on their brakes when the light turns yellow vs. just going through it. If someone is on their tail, they risk getting rear-ended.

Houston, we have a problem... I just got an email from the guy I hired to build a coffee table to house my CRT projector. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he can't do it now. I was hoping to have a coffee table that "hides" the projector. Now what am I gonna do? :rant:

[Lex]

Precisely Kevin. It's a sense of avoidance at all cost a ticket by the dreaded camera ticket writer. So someone is moving during rush hour, someone's closely behind, the light turns yellow, and under normal circumstances the lead car shoots through without thinking. Under new circumstances he starts to shoot through, then bails at the last minute slamming on his brakes maybe even sliding through the intersection, the car behind him nails him, etc... it's a chain reaction.

[Lex]

nice 69 stang, sniff sniff, I miss my 70.

[Kevin P]

Time...

[Kevin P]

for...

[Kevin P]

a FLIP!

http://www.earthplace.org/images/Animals/Kish%201.JPG

[Shane Martin]

Under new circumstances he starts to shoot through, then bails at the last minute slamming on his brakes maybe even sliding through the intersection, the car behind him nails him, etc... it's a chain reaction
Yet somehow this is the cameras fault? Please. It is the fault of the guy tailgating. This is like blaming the cops for you speeding.

[Gordon Moore]

I would have to agree with Shane's point of view somewhat. People need to 180 their way of thinking when it comes to driving.....and I don't believe there was any adjustment of the timing of yellows up in Canada. No hard data on that, just nothing seems different to me.

Also the camera is fairly non-decrimitory....either you're speeding, blowing a red or you're not. If you are scooting through or even sliding through....you are technically not "driving to conditions"

Pretty hard to blame the camera.

In the example I cited the person was definitely going to try to run it and then got cold feet. I have a hard time blaming the camera. Moreso if someone was crossing the intersection at the point.

Case and point, a pedestrian was recently punted 50m (and killed ) because the driver raced through the intersection and did not check to see that anyone was finished getting across....she's was 65 and was pronounced in the ambulance.

[Kevin P]

Yet somehow this is the cameras fault? Please. It is the fault of the guy tailgating. This is like blaming the cops for you speeding.The accident wouldn't be the camera's "fault", but if the camera caused the driver to slam on his brakes instead of just blowing through the light, then the camera (or the fear of getting a ticket) was a factor that led to the accident.

I think tickets should only be given by police officers, live and in person. They can use judgement as to whether the violation merits a ticket, a warning, or just to let it slide (say, in an unusual circumstance where the driver couldn't have stopped for the light if he tried). The camera can't make this distinction, it just snaps pictures. Granted, there aren't enough cops to patrol every intersection all the time, so that's the argument for the cameras. Perhaps the cameras should be limited to issuing warnings, or no-point tickets only. Or maybe it could display a pic of the violator on a big billboard at the next intersection. Use embarrassment as an incentive to not run the light. :)

[Gordon Moore]

but if the camera caused the driver to slam on his brakes instead of just blowing through the light, then the camera (or the fear of getting a ticket) was a factor that led to the accident.

Still can't see how it's the camera....it's the persons, internal fear of punishment. The camera just sits there and takes you picture based on 1 of 2 circumstances. The ticket can be fought if there are extenuating circumstances....like weather. I've heard of penalties getting bumped down or excused.

The argument of the cop using personal judgment sucks because sometimes you'll get a nice guy and others you get a hardline a-hole. Why should there be all this grey area in interpretation of law? Then it comes down to woman in short skirts who cry at the male officer get off tickets and Joe Shmo gets screwed at every infraction. How would that be fair?

[Nick M]

More big brother BS.

It's pretty bad when we have to fight the government to keep basic privacy rights. Perhaps the "law" needs to get out of the donutshop drive-thru and onto the roads. Another reason why we need more libertarians in office.

Whats next, camera's in our homes to make sure we don't clip the tags from our mattress'? :roll:

editI also believe we need a much more strict system in appointing law enforcement. The majority of cops I've met think they're archangels of space and time. They're public servants getting paid a decent wage to do a fairly easy job. People call it "dangerous", but there are plenty of jobs that are even worse, such as commercial fishing and being a gas station attendant. The same goes for fireman. I'm a wastewater operator which has one of the highest on-the-job injury/casualty rates, but you don't see honey trucks on parade shutting down the local town/city when one of us makes a poor choice and bites the big one.

[/Rant] :B

[Shane Martin]

It's pretty bad when we have to fight the government to keep basic privacy rights.
I honestly don't see how it's breaking your privacy. Besides if you aren't doing anything bad, why worry?
The ticket can be fought if there are extenuating circumstances....like weather. I've heard of penalties getting bumped down or excused.

And it would be in Kevin's example too. Sir, I couldn't stop because I'd get rearended. The Camera would back that up too would it not?

The camera could also be used to end disputes over accidents where noone witnessed it.

[aud19]

Morning all :later:

I'll stay away from the cameras/big brother talk :lol:

Kev, you haven't picked Paint colours yet!!!???? :E I'd assume you're at least doing the theatre with something resembling flat black/grey? I have the colour code for the colour-neutral grey I used in our theatre/family room if you want it ;) Ours turned out fantastic and looks great :T I'd highly recommend! :yesnod:

Nice Eagle shot :T Looks like there's a bird theme to the flips recently :lol:

Speaking of birds, where the heck's Andrew been? :scratchhead:

Greg, due to the time difference/distance, your racket only woke me up a couple hours ago :lol:

Your welcome Ben ;)

Nice pics Trev :T I do have to agree the mudflaps are a bit much though!!

So last night I walk to my Dr.'s office a couple blocks away to renew a prescription, drop off a DVD rental at Rogers and stopped in to Superstore to pick up my prescription, some balsamic vinegar and Feta cheese... I see a $90 "Bratz" Ski Chalet on sale for $49. Perfect for my neice's birthday coming up!! Of course now I have to walk home with this ~2' cubed box with "Bratz" plastered all over it! :lol: Let's just say I got some interesting looks! :blink: :lol:

[aud19]

The camera could also be used to end disputes over accidents where noone witnessed it.

The camera's, here at least, are still only, they coordinate their timing with the lights and if a sensor detects a vehicle passing through passed a specified point in time, it snaps a shot of your plate. So not much help in the situations you mentioned ;)

[Gordon Moore]

'll stay away from the cameras/big brother talk

Awwww, come on, it's fun. :)

[aud19]

Awwww, come on, it's fun. :)

As you can see by my previous comment, you guys already sucked me in!!! :evil: :p: :lol:

[taz13]

but you don't see honey trucks on parade shutting down the local town/city Only if they are downwind ;)
Seriously, though you need a good union PR department if you want that kind of public belief in your job. However police and fire crews don't have a fairly easy job. And their injuries are normally more life threating then other trades(not counting northernwestern crab boats). When you go into burning buildings for a living it can get you dead real quick. When you go into a domestic dispute and you come out dead, well. It doesn't happen as often as other trades getting hurt just a little more serious.

[Andrew Pratt]

I'm here...sort of. Just up to my eye balls in work.

[aud19]

Good luck Andrew! ;)

[efarstad]

:sn :sn :sn Hey! :sn :sn :sn

What's up fellas?

I am! :rofl:

Anyone seen our buddy Chris? Has he posted and I've missed it? I'm trying to hook up with him and can't track him down...I know he's home now.

Have a great day gents! :T

[Bing Fung]

Morning Gang :later:


I'm all for Cameras. Drivers in general all seem to be in too big of a rush these days, Driving through yellows, never stopping on right hand turns, zipping in and out of lanes only to gain a car length...etc :smackbutt:

This is in Saskatoon, a city of 200K were it takes you all of 10mins to get from one end of the city to the other.

When I'm turning left and in the intersection on a major street, I notice most times I will make the turn once the light has turned red and the intersection has cleared. This is because of all the cars coming that will run the yellow, it's almost as if they think it's their right to run the yellow.

Of course a yellow light in Saskatchewan means, go ahead, you and the 4 other cars behind you as well....

My major pet peeve is these drivers that don't stop at a stop sign or red light when making a right turn. They continue on as if it was not even there, even though they see you coming. Some even speed up to beat you so as to continue their frenetic pace...


One time I was making a left turn on 8th street (major 3 lane street) and in the intersection. The light turned yellow, and I started to proceed to clear the intersection. A lady with good velocity in oncoming traffic proceeded on to make a right hand turn, into the single lane I was heading into, even though her light was yellow/red. She honked at me essentially because she felt I cut her off, as if it was her right to make the turn.

I met up with her again in the Video store we both went to. She proceeded to give me ugly looks, so I approached her and said it was my right away to clear the intersection, and she had a yellow/red and must stop before making the right hand turn. She said "she was turning right and she had right-away..." I told her only if the light was green, and that she needed to re-evaluate her driving skills, I walked away.... :roll:

[aud19]

Oh I almost forgot, we watched Finding Neverland lastnight. FANTASTIC movie!!:T If you haven't seen it, give it a view ;) Other than than the great story/acting I especially enjoyed the great camera work :yesnod:

[Lex]

I haven't seen Chris on the forum, in the air, or at Walmart.

Cameras Swameras. I can't wait for the pooper camera!, to make sure we don't flush twice per turd. Or maybe the rollercam that insures you only use 2 sheets per wipe.

Also, the shave cam, insuring you only use cold water to shave, not hot. Then there's the cooking cam, oh God, no more steamed brocolli or cabagge greens as it requires to high a heat setting.

Then there is the gas cam. Making sure you don't use super unlead where only unlead is required, and so on... Hello George. Orwell that is, 1984.

Lex

[Kevin P]

Cameras Swameras. I can't wait for the pooper camera!, to make sure we don't flush twice per turd. Or maybe the rollercam that insures you only use 2 sheets per wipe.There is one possible fringe benefit of these cameras, however. They might give us something interesting to watch on TV, for once.

[aud19]

Hope Chris is ok....?

Dougie! 1984! :T :B

[efarstad]

Oh, Chris is fine...I just shot him off an email a while back and have not heard...so just seeing if he's around here....

E

[aud19]

There is one possible fringe benefit of these cameras, however. They might give us something interesting to watch on TV, for once.

The poo cam Kev....? :confused: :scratchhead:

[Snap]

Camera's freak me out! 8O What was that movie with Tom Cruise were they had cameras all over the place and weird stuff like that. I am not a big fan of "Big Brother" watching over me every second. Next thing you know we will have some of the crazy stuff like other people have already joked about.

That is how people do it. "Take Away" freedom that is. They take a little bit at a time. With all sorts of "Good, Safe" reasons too. "Hey it will reduce ran red lights! :T Save Lives :T And if you don't run the light you are fine! :T Come on......it is for the good! :T " ;) ;)

Not a fan of big government. The fed's should get smaller not bigger IMO!

Why don't we put a bar cam in, and that way when you order a beer, the camera takes a picture and notes the time. If you leave the bar and get into your car inside of an hour from your last beer you get an automatic DUI???

Hope Chris is doing OK. It is kind of hot in certian spots of the world about this time of year! :(

[taz13]

For you CFL fans, the colour and play by play guys are not going to like this, but I sure do. :T

Ratings out for the second CFL game broadcast without on-air announcers suggest Canadian couch potatoes just may prefer the sound of silence.

An average of 580,000 fans, the largest audience this season, watched the B.C. Lions' 19-15 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday.

Remember this is for CBC only.

[Nick M]

Lol, 1984 indeed.

if you aren't doing anything bad, why worry?Because we live in a supposed "open society". Problem is it's becoming less and less "open". Having cameras at every intersection, in schoolrooms, on the subway, along with technologies such as facial recognition is borderline Minority Report. Being watched 24/7 everywhere except when you bolt up and pull the shades at home is not open and free, it's smelling oddly Orwellian. This is supposed to be America, not a Communist gulag. The government should be as small as possible with just enough power to make things run. Granting the government powers such as these places us along that road we don't want to be on. Next will be a Bar Code tattooed on our left @$$ cheak at birth.

Thank god for people such as the ACLU and my most recently joined organization, AOPA.

The majority of Cops and Fireman either sit around in the cruiser/firehouse or deal with small disputes/fires. Occassionally they have to do some dangerous work. Most will say "everything is dangerous, even traffic stops". So is every drunk that pulls into a gas station, or every cylinder of chlorine I change at work with a crane and scott air pack (much more deadly than anything a fireman/cop will likely handle in his entire career). Atleast they have a gun unlike most gas station attendants. The reason why they get paid so well is due to the fact that they might encounter a dangerous incident. My father was a cop for 20yrs and never fired his weapon. Same goes for the military. They get cake benefits paid for by taxpayers in exchange for their service in the rare circumstance they are needed for war/national emergency (not so rare under this administration though, which is why recruitments are down considerably, but thats another rant).

FATALITIES per 100,000

Timber cutters 117.8
Fishers 71.1
Pilots and navigators 69.8
Structural metal workers 58.2
Drivers-sales workers 37.9
Roofers 37
Electrical power installers 32.5
Farm occupations 28
Construction laborers 27.7
Truck drivers 25

Cops/Fireman don't even make the top 15!

[Gordon Moore]

Why don't we put a bar cam in, and that way when you order a beer, the camera takes a picture and notes the time. If you leave the bar and get into your car inside of an hour from your last beer you get an automatic DUI???

An interesting response but attitudes towards drinking and driving may be vastly different between the US and Canada. In fact your suggestion is a good one.

I guess the argument becomes what happens when people can't police themselves and therefore become a threat to others (as well as themselves). Who protects those voices....some would argue at that point: government.

Drinking and driving is an interesting example. Do we always roll the dice with a senseless and unnecessary death like getting creamed by a drunk or someone who's driving is impaired by alcohol by simply allowing an individual to be the best judge of what's "good enough" for them to get behind the wheel?
It's easy for us to say that we can be the best judge but I bet there's several people who have been left behind after their family member was wiped out of existence and we could not honestly look them in the eye and give them our take on how safe we can be when drinking and driving.

Why should there be any burden of responsibility?

So another intersting comment is say: water is in real short supply but the ignorance of a neighbor has them watering their grass 24/7 trying to keep it green. Common folks may not have the scientific smarts to understand the complex issues of a water shortage and figure "yeah, who cares"? Say that water shortage or high water consumption in combination with a drought year is contributing to a power crisis and rolling blackouts or power loss for extended periods.....you start losing your freezer goods, your fridge fails and food spoils, it's costing you money because of the ignornace or sheer flippancy of others. Who makes them pay.....how would you make them pay.....it's simply moral responsibility.

Complex issue. The bar cam isn't a good example because drinking and driving is stupid and there is no safe limit to get behind the wheel no matter what anyone tells you.

[aud19]

I've got to say I agree with Snap, Nick, Kev and Doug mostly here. While i haven't got any real problem with red-light cams specifically, it's just another example of slowly eroding rights to privacy. Snap summed it up quite well there IMO. The slow eating away of our rights to privacy (among other things) in the name of safety, is a very VERY bad thing IMO.

As for drinking and driving... it killed Jazz's Dad and severely injured her mother and also caused a HUGE problem between Jazz and her brother that I won't get into. Safe to say I'm not a fan of drunk drivers but IMO the road checks with actual live officers (as Kev eluded to) is a much better deterrent and method of cathing the SOB's than any camera/tracking program. In fact it has been so succesful here in BC that a couple years ago they debated on scaling back and stopping the roadchecks in a lot of area as it was deemed a "waste of time" until the public and organizations like M.A.D. hear about it :lol:

Anyhoo... been looking online for something to help combat my MAJOR leaf/chestnut problem I have every fall :evil: Something like this would work great but A seperate leaf blower/vacuum and wood chipper might be more versatile and cheaper. I'm even toying with the idea of a Shop Vac and chipper :lol:
http://www.troybilt.com/wcsstore/pics/TroyBilt/24A-204B766_lg.jpg
Anyone else have a similar problem and solution?

[Kevin P]

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Jason is right, the best way to deter unsafe driving habits (such as drunk driving as well as running red lights) is with actual patrols with real, breathing, human police officers.

As for your chestnut problem, how about cutting down your chestnut tree(s)? :)

[Gordon Moore]

Of course people are the best judge of character and the best at interpreting results....no question....problem is that we don't want to pay for the person, pension, benefits and everything else required to staff that person.

Like I said: complex issue. I'm not a government fan either mostly becuase they make decisions based on public sway and not relative data....nor do most politicians have the smarts to understand the issues presented to them especially with respect to environmental or scientific or heck even religious issues. They tend to mis-manage resources as well because , well, they're human.

the North Dakota Diversion is an excellent example of government royally screwing up.

The thing about a quote like that is that life was a little simpler in Ben Franklin's time and on top of that during 9-11 and in spirit of it's continued efforts, I'd say your country has giving up a LOT of patriotic freedom's for piece of mind.

[aud19]

As for your chestnut problem, how about cutting down your chestnut tree(s)? :)

First the tree is HUGE, likely ~100 years old. So it would cost a small fortune to have it cut down. Second, because it's so old and such a beautiful tree.... I don't want to cut it down. I just need a solution to deal with its mess :B Plus it's not the only tree in the yards so.... it would help but wouldn't solve the cleanup problem. there's the still the leaves from other trees, pine needles, pine cones etc....

[Kevin P]

The thing about a quote like that is that life was a little simpler in Ben Franklin's time and on top of that during 9-11 and in spirit of it's continued efforts, I'd say your country has giving up a LOT of patriotic freedom's for piece of mind.That is unfortunately VERY true. However, it doesn't lessen the truth of the quote.

This is as far as we should take this topic as it's veering dangerously close into political territory. Therefore, this will be my last mention of it here.

Jason, probably a combination leaf sucker/grinder/chipper would be the best bet. It dices and slices and makes curly fries too! :B

[Snap]

I'd say your country has giving up a LOT of patriotic freedom's for piece of mind.

Yeah your right Gordon....it is sad to say but I must agree.

Nick- I deployed just as much under Clinton's time in office as I have under Bush's. I have served during 3 wars. Kosovo, Afghan, and Iraq. But that is just how the rotations worked out for me. I have friends that have deployed 2 out of the last 2.8 years! 8O Some of my buddies are on their 3rd tour in Iraq, and have done several tours in Afghanistan.

Also you should probably get your facts straight about the military before you go to posting. "Cake Benefits" "Paid So well" Please let me know where to find these as I am not aware of them.

And please let me know if you are scared to drive to work? Also please let me know if every day your parents pray and are worried that Nick is going to come home? Every time that I went overseas, my family was on pins and needles till I got back. While people die in lots of every day jobs, to put Firemen, Police Men, Military in the same slot as construction workers is a huge stretch. (Plus if you get too scared you can quit. Kind of hard to say I quite in the middle of a fire fight. If you do you die.)

I would say that a majority of people that enlist are people that want to "serve" our country. Yeah there are a few that just don't want to go to school, or what ever. But the most are just patriots that want to serve this great nation. For sure 90% of the people that sign up again are not doing it for the "Big Paycheck" What we make as far as pay is free for all to see. And it is not much. I have been in for over 10 years and I make under 40K a year! I have several jobs that I have done for the Corps over that time, and all the non military versions of my job are almost double that. Chris can make 6 figures flying for UPS, FedEx or some other airlines. Way more than he is making now. That is why after 9-11 we have so many joining the armed forces. They were pissed off that some one came and punched us in the face in our own back yard. Now that we are taking the fight to the enemy in his back yard people tend to forget what we are actually doing. OK I am safe here at home....nothing is wrong.....we are all good. I would much rather fight in their back yard, then to be hiding in Lex's back yard or some one else’s back yard here in States.

Recruitment is down for one simple reason....."People Lack the courage of their own convictions"! They have no problem living in a free nation. But when it comes to making sure that it stays free......now that is a whole different story. “Oh you mean I probably will have to go to Iraq?" "Oh you mean people might shoot at me?" "No Thanks, I will work construction, or _____ " "I want to serve my country but not THAT much."

The reason that this country remains free is that there are a whole bunch of people that swore an oath to, "Uphold and defend the constitution of the United States...." It is the constitution that we defend. With out people who are willing to put their lives on the line. Possibly make their kids grow up with out a father, with out those people the constitution is not worth the paper it is printed on.

Freedom and our liberties are bought and paid for by the blood of patriots.

And the good news is Nick....your an American and I defend your right to say what ever you want. Your welcome!

(PS: Sorry for the spelling, I was trying to watch my 2 year old and type real fast! Plus I stink at spelling any ways. Lex, add a spell check program! :rofl: )

[Snap]

Sorry Kevin did not see your post, I was writing my book.

Sorry

[Snap]

That Troy Built is awesome. What does a thing like that run? I have TONS of trees surrounding my yard. I just use the old gas blower? That looks like it would take 1/2 the time? Does it cut down on the time to clear the yard????

[Snap]

Check out the coast gaurd and Air National Guard! They are kicking some butt in the S.R missions. Good on them!

[Gordon Moore]

http://www.saferroads.org/Media/downloads/11_10200410122922_18.jpg

Well it's interesting discussion none the less. I'm playing Devil's Advocate a bit as I'm not thrilled about the cameras (the original topic of dicussion :lol: ) but I've seen too many people blow reds before them and you can physically see people make a conscious effort to at least slow down where they are (and then they speed back up again).
So while not great....they do have an effect (much like our afternoon discussions).

Everyone's entitled to their opinion I think so long as they have something to back it up.

So Kevin, Snap, Nick, Doug....thanks for the views....they're all different and that's what makes it interesting.

Later guys, meeting the family at a local resturant for dinner 2-nite. My mother-in-law is buying for everyone so I can't turn down a meal at the Ranchhouse....good thing too because I'm starving.

[Bent]

Hiya everybody.
I'm going to see "A sound of Thunder" tommorow at Polo Park.
(I won tickets to see it on Power 97)

[taz13]

Thanks Snap and your umbrella helps us to, even though few admit to it. Being an ex grunt I have to agree.

[Snap]

taz13 you made my day!

I am sure that your fellow Canadians also thank you for your service.

[Bent]

Well I for one, am extremely thankful.
I get the opportunity each day to freely make so many different decisions that I might never have been able to if there hadn't been capable people who went before me to pave an open and clear path. Many thanks to each and every one of you, And may God bless.

[Snap]

Hey I did not know this but did you know that a preacher made the "purcusion cap" for firearms? I think that the History Chan is probably hands down one of the best things on TV. I learn something EVERY time I watch it! The discovery Chan is also very cool! I think having the History Chan is worth the extra loot for cable all by itself.

[Snap]

OK I am getting a D- in potty training. (And for all you jokers out there. I am potty trained! :) )

My girl can talk like she is 5 but darn it if I can get her to go in the potty. :( oh well keep trying. She is 26 months old.

[taz13]

He was a dove hunter amd used a fulmation of mercury (sp) to make it. He got tired of misfires with a flintlock.

I am sure that your fellow Canadians also thank you for your service.

Most Canadians do. Some can't understand our peacekeeping role, and don't know that our R.o.E. are self defense only unless other orders are given. I know a couple(relatives) on rotation in Afghanastan, and you worry about them and hope they keep their heads on straight. Be prepared.

[Lex]

Well, I made a decision. I've decided not to sell my house. It's hard walking away from this. But the only house I want is 360,000, and that just puts the payment up there outside my comfort zone.

I'm staying put. Given the volatile cost of energy, gas, natural gas, rising electric costs, I've decided the smart decision is to stay, and add on possibly. It puts me a lot less deeply involved in monthly mortgage payment, and it leaves me closer to work, even if Kimberly's not close to to much of her stuff.

At least her car will be pretty efficient.

I just couldn't sell my house and not have a plan. Moving into Mom's or such wasn't a good option for me with 2 outside dogs, a business, and not to mention my daughter and so much STUFF.

I guess it's just not mean to be. Just wish I'd figured this out before I sold my baby, my Stang. :(

Doug

[taz13]

Or a chance to look for a new baby?

[Lex]

Certainly that's a possibility Taz. It will be more difficult than before likely, since I had to spend some of that money paying off a loan that I wanted off me.

We'll see. Right now, I am trying to adjust to the disappointment of not being able to do this.

Then too, having been sick didn't help this equation. While I've seemed ok to you guys I guess, things still haven't been 100% right. I'm fighting a lot of muscular pain associated with one of these meds I am on likely. I'm hoping that it will subside some as my dosage goes down.

[taz13]

Lex
Isn't half the fun looking for and finding the new baby. Downside though is when you find them you want them. Maybe I should just keep these ideas to myself. ;)

[Nick M]

Snap, I guess we disagree there. There may be a few idealistic types out there who join purely for the sake of protecting the flag, but the majority join for reasons pertaining to the benfits of service. Being housed/fed/educated along with world travel and on-job training is a pretty appealing deal. I know, I had planned on taking advantage of it when I graduated from high school to attend the Flight Academy (in 1999/2000) but was told due to having athsma as a youngin' that it was not very likely the government would invest that type of money in me. My grandfather is a WWII vet, and my father was a police officer. There are certainly heroes in both professions, but not every soldier/police officer is a hero. Big difference. For most it's simply another day on the job, whether pulling guard duty or writing tickets.

Talking purely in numbers, the death rate of cops/fireman is not all that high, because in reality it's not that dangerous of a job. I'll look for the armed forces death rate tomorrow (which regardless of deployment, I believe is much higher under this administration). Sky walking with powertools is a bit more dangerous that tackeling a guy or throwing on a airpack and putting out a fire. Just look at the fatality list I posted above. Numbers, not hype.

Have to go to work. Another 8hrs dealing with dangerous machinery and chemicals. I'd love to see a monument of the single-mother working two jobs that gets shot trying to sell a druggie a pack of hohos. Heroes come in every walk of life.

See you boys tomorrow! :java:

[Andrew Pratt]

Snap don't worry about the potty...she'll do it in her own time. Lauren's a little older then that we're still dealing with it as well.

[Lex]

Well, it could be fun, maybe Taz. It will be a long time probably for me, but maybe someday I can make it happen again. I think first I am going to worry about creating a place so my car never has to be in the way of normal living. A place where I can have room to do something to it when I want to.

That plan is a new 2 car garage at the back of my house.

[taz13]

I can really understand that one. As I get closer to a deal on a new oldie, that nasty thought keeps popping in. Garage is no longer a garage, so summer will be a new carport and I will look at renting space for the winters. Although I know a few who use mordern temporary shelters for winter boat and car storage, so that might be an option for me. I would like to build a new garage, but that could be an issue in getting a permitto build.

[Lex]

I don't anticipate a problem with a permit, as a guy near me has 5 car garage counting 2 on front and 3 on back side.

[Bing Fung]

OK I am getting a D- in potty training. (And for all you jokers out there. I am potty trained! :) )

My girl can talk like she is 5 but darn it if I can get her to go in the potty. :( oh well keep trying. She is 26 months old.

Snap, one thing that worked very well for us was to make a chart. Each time our girls went to potty instead of the diapers, they got a star to put up on the chart. :1: for number 1 and :2: for number 2. Both our girls trained very quickly (a month or less) with this as they loved collecting the stars along with the accomplishment and encouragement they felt.

Give it a try :T

[Snap]

Andrew & Bing
Thanks I am going to talk to the wife about that. We have a simular program with M&M's. No M&M's unless you go in the big girl potty! But grand ma is messing that up cause she gives Meagan M&M's when ever!

She was doing well until the airport potty incident! Those automatic flusher thing kept going off when she was on it. Super loud, got her butt wett. Now she is scared to death of anything but her little fisher price plastic thing!
:rant: stupid automatic flushers.

I will try it guys. Thanks!

[Nick M]

She was doing well until the airport potty incident! Those automatic flusher thing kept going off when she was on it. Super loud, got her butt wett. Now she is scared to death of anything but her little fisher price plastic thing!Nevermind a child, those things scare me! :rofl:

Another rainy/muggy day in the North-East...
Going to visit my Mom today, it's her B-Day.

Have a good one boys!

[jimmyp58]

Nick...

What separates the military/firefighters/cops from all the other dangerous jobs you cited is the fact that at a given notice, they can be asked to perform a selfless act of protection. No argument from me that the other jobs you named are very dangerous but are they selfless, no. People select those jobs and they do it purely for profit. It is true that a cop can have a career that they never fire their weapon but it doesn't mean that when your dad was simply out and about and he saw someone mugging another that he wouldn't intervene on their behalf only to get a knife in the belly. My father-in-law, who was a hero to me, fought only one fire in his whole 30+ year career (I am not including 'training' fires). A lot of community safety/fire inspections, pranks at the firehouse, 911 calls.....but in the one instance he and three other guys, in the act of their job, a job they loved and believed in, risked their own life as they saved others trapped in the building. Never thought twice about it. Was it their job, sure, but they could have been mamed or lost their life doing it ... and they knew and and never thought twice.

Sure, any common person can be walking down the street and intervene to save someone. That is an act of selflessness as well. Heroes indeed.

I went in the military for two reasons....serve my country and get the GI Bill (remember I am an old fart). To say which was more important, I can't because they were equal. Each and every day I put on that uniform, I was humbled and honored that I represented something far bigger than me....MY COUNTRY. My MOS was not one of a combat nature but that didn't matter one iota. I was and am proud to be an American and was willing to lay down my life for all the freedoms we have....and even for those that spit at me, yes spit at me (I was in just after Vietnam), I still served for them too though I found their way of expressing themself so childish, self-centered, ignorant, repulsive, and unappreciative I hated what they did. Talk about shoot the messenger...the guys that fought and died in Vietnam were the messenger. Argue, protest, what have you with those that sent them, not them. And now I see our dear old friend Hanoi Jane back at it again. At my alma mater no less denouncing this war. I remember when I was in basic training there was an episode at the DMZ of Korea where a U.S. Army officer was beheaded and there were thoughts a conflict was to arise. We were told we had to be ready for deployment, just in case. Hey, I didn't bi*&h. I didn't say to myself, they can't send me, I didn't sign up for this. I was ready to go because the calling could have been much bigger than me welding a frame on a highrise building.

I will never agree on your views and that is o.k. I guess. Guys like SNAP and Chris are constantly allowing you (and me) these freedoms. Having never served in the military a day in your life I just don't understand how you know so much and form your views.

[taz13]

Each and every day I put on that uniform, I was humbled and honored that I represented something far bigger than me....MY COUNTRY
I think anyone who voluntarly wears a uniform feels that and it doesn't matter why you signed up or where. After all pride in what you do is one of the basic trainings that you get. Can do!

[Lex]

but the majority join for reasons pertaining to the benfits of service.

Nick, how can you profess to know even one person's reasons or motives for joining, let alone the majority? I don't think you've walked a mile in that other person's boots, so to say what these people think is well very hypocritical. The fact is, many a family guy could make a helluva lot better money working construction or such on the outside, than as an enlisted man in the military. How about Pat Tilman. You think he joined for the benefits? Is that unfair of me to bring him up? Maybe.

Yeah, these guys families have some benefits. Medical particularly at least. Sometimes their checks are delayed, they can't get the same financing as you or I because of protections the military affords them, that it doesn't you or I when we finance. Their families many times live in base towns where they are discriminated against just for being military. It's not all glitz, glamour, and easy money.

[Nick M]

Unless a person is drafted, you contractually give up certain rights to the government/people of the United States in exchange for housing, food, health/dental/life insurance, college tuition at state schools, direct hands on training in cutting-edge fields, world travel, a check (in addition to a pension if you stay in long enough), VA benefits, and a few others I'm probably missing. Another big one is enlistment to get put at the head of the line for citizenship. I pay for these things (currently at a rate of 40% of my federal taxes, or ~$4,000.00/yr when you figure in the massive amount of interest we pay each year due to the incredible amount of debt we've incurred from unchecked spending) no matter what, in exchange for that persons service in the event that armed force or organized manpower is required to preserve/protect/repair our nation. I'm not complaining, afterall, I tried to get in, and even took a bunch of tests at Westover Airforce Base in SW Massachusetts when I was 18. Unless you're independantly wealthy, joining the military is a fantastic option (not so much now unfortunately). Again though, I view it as a service that I pay for. Soldiers/Cops/Fireman had better step up when needed, it's what they're compensated to do. If I have to pick up an M16 and go fight I'm going to be awfully pissed off if someone is slacking off that I've been housing/feeding/educating/supporting! That said, our military does a fantastic job, and I currently have family members in the military that I am proud of.

And anyone who interprets this as an opinion of a "Hanoi Hank" who hates the troops needs a swift kick to the teeth with a mickey mouse boot. I'm so sick of the pre-conversation formality/rite where I/we (those of my opinion) have to recite "I'm against the war not the troops". Anyone who is against our own troops is a moron, as well as anyone who expects this statement from those who don't agree with our current position and intentions on the big 'ole chessboard. If it were up to me I'd bring our boys home, or give them the right tools/support to finish this horrible mess caused by the idiots who planned it out. Better yet, hand a rifle, flack jacket, and seat on a transport to anyone who feels we're "obligated" to be there. I'd love to see some of these big mouths go over there who preach that we should invade the rest of 'em while were at it (like Wolfowitz).

As far as my opinion not being valid due to the fact that I've never been in the military, thats BS. Thats like saying I can never understand toilet paper because I've never wiped someone's butt with my face. I can say I've been shot at before by a dumb hunter who peppered me with birdshot at a fairly long range (thank-god) and then took off. Can I now state our troops don't know a thing about guns/ammunition if they haven't picked shot out of their arms and hands with a pair of tweezers? It doesn't take a plastic surgeon to look at Michael Jackson and know somethings up... :P

Here is a PDF file on military casualties/causes over the past few decades.
http://www.dior.whs.mil/mmid/casualty/Death_Rates.pdf
Check out the Bush Jr numbers compared to Bush Sr (amazing foreign policy) and Clinton's (not so amazing). Note that the 2005 numbers are unfortunately even worse. Pay close attention to those killed in Hostile action.

Anyhoo, EVERYBODY GET BACK TO WORK! THE CAMERA'S ARE WATCHING! :rofl:

Have to deliver chocolate/flowers/magazines/card to my mom now. See you boys later!

[Snap]

Nick-silly thing I have to pay 40% tax as well! EDIT: I think 37 to be honest.
Heck I am self employed! Sweet! :rofl:

Switching topic to Star Wars....

One of my students his Dad worked on and designed the software programs and computers that were used in Star Wars II ! This freeking guy is SUPER SMART. He (The son) can already program Windows, Lenix, and Unix computers! The guy was teaching himself Japanese durring the breaks! I tried to get him just to test out of the course but he did not want to do that. But he said that he had his first computer when he was 3!

I have never seen such a smart 19 year old in my life! Just amazing. The Marine Corps wanted him to do computers and networking for them, he was like "HECK NO!" hahaha I say in a year he will be flying the KC-130J with his Palm Pilot! :lol:

[Snap]

Hey we are going to release some of the oil reserves. I guess that is supposed to help with the oil prices? Gas just jumped here 30 something cents a gallon in 1 day!

[Shane Martin]

Gas jumped 23 cents here.

[Snap]

darn it. I am driving to OK to get my gas! :LOL: What is it for you Shane? it is 2.89 for 87 unleaded.

[Kevin P]

Gas prices have gone from ridiculous to ludicrous. When will it stop? When the entire economy collapses and we're all living on the street?

I'm just hoping we'll be able to afford to heat the house this winter. As it is I won't be able to afford to drive to work anymore. Time to get a bike. It's just too bad that it snows or is too cold for 8 months out of the year...

I suppose the upside is we won't have to worry about red light cameras... :roll:

I'm not even the type to get into political discussions but lately I've had to physically hold myself back from posting things that have been eating at me the past couple years. :rant: Suffice it to say I haven't been a happy camper...

[Snap]

I just filled up this morning before the price jump. So i paid 2.48 a gal. I put in 50 bucks cause that is all the pumps will let me do using my debit card. And I did not even get to 3/4 of a tank! 8O
I might have to start the talks about getting a Buell again! :T

[Lex]

Yes, if I push my car through a redlight, and am not actually driving it, can they still write me a ticket using a traffic cam? (Wed food for thought question)

I took my Truck, SUV, M3, and 5 gallon tank in for 248.9 pricing late yesterday a block from my house. 1 place on the highway was already 269.9, the "new price". Keeping in mind, I barely topped off the SUV, had over a half a tank in the S10 pickup, I still spent 60-70 bucks last night before the price increase. It is a contributing factor to my decision not to look at a new house.

[Snap]

going to.....

[Snap]

try....

[Snap]

to run....

[Snap]

for my first ever......

[Snap]

Flip
Darn computer......:stupidpc: :banghead:

working.....working....
screwed up my first FLIP! :rant:
http://www.htguide.com/forum/attachment.php4?attachmentid=4255

There we go! How about these guys kicking some butt! God love em! :T

[Gordon Moore]

Yes, if I push my car through a redlight, and am not actually driving it, can they still write me a ticket using a traffic cam? (Wed food for thought question)


That's easy....yes....unless you are blocking the plate....the ticket goes to the owner, not the driver....if someone else got you that ticket, it's up to you to recoup the cost from that person. :D

[Snap]

wow what a disaster..... the whole flip thing takes some practice!

Speaking of food for thought.....

If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, then why do they have locks on the doors? :scratchhead:

[Shane Martin]

Snap,
You ran too early :frypan:

What I love most about this whole gas ordeal is how easy some folks wish to blame people who don't have control over it. Gas just went up because a large % of our oil supply comes from an area that got wiped out by a hurricane(we've been underpaying for years as it is). Now part of this whole ordeal is our own fault because the oil companies didn't invest in more refineries but they won't because it doesn't make any financial sense to do so when the restrictions(placed on them by the clean air act and such) are so strict, it would cost them a mint to build one. They are opening up the reserves now so that should stabilize that atleast.

Still even if name your favorite president candidate was here, he'd be having the same issues. I guess it's easier to blame someone when you don't like them ;)

[Snap]

:oops: what is the right time?? 2 or 3 out?? Sorry guys first flip.

[Kevin P]

You can run starting at #33, but not at #32 (in other words, if the last post on the page is 32, you can run since your post will be 33). Don't worry about it, we've all done it. The camera will send you a ticket in the mail. Just pay the fine and go on with life. You won't have points on your HTG license. ;)

That's easy....yes....unless you are blocking the plate....the ticket goes to the owner, not the driver....if someone else got you that ticket, it's up to you to recoup the cost from that person.Which brings up another issue with the cameras. Lend someone your car, or let someone else drive it, and they run a red light, you get the ticket. I know you can fight it, since you can use the photo to prove that someone else was driving, but it shouldn't be necessary in the first place. Violations are the fault of the driver, not the car.

[Snap]

Kevin-A friend of mine had that happen to him, and he was stuck paying the fine! The judge just removed the points on the ticket.
I think he had a bad lawyer or he is pulling my leg. But that is what he said.

[Snap]

A cool pic and a not so cool pic

[Snap]

Just pay the fine and go on with life. You won't have points on your HTG license. ;)



:laughat:

[Kevin P]

Kevin-A friend of mine had that happen to him, and he was stuck paying the fine! The judge just removed the points on the ticket.
I think he had a bad lawyer or he is pulling my leg. But that is what he said.I rest my case. Especially if they're assessing points for camera tickets. That they *shouldn't* be doing.

Great pics Snap. Well, except for one of them anyway...

Shane, you're right, to a point. However, I believe our current Prez does has a lot to do with our current gas prices. Katrina, refinery capacity and China's increased demand are factors too, but I bet with someone else in office we'd see the prices a buck or so cheaper right now. I could go into a lot more detail but I'm already too far over the political limit for the forum so I'll stop now before I get a ticket! :oops:

[Bing Fung]

Morning Gang :later:


My buddy Darral who I have known ever since I was 5 years old was in town last night. We went for supper and then went and did video game racing like we did when we were kids.

It was good to see him :T

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/6520/20050701006small2xk.jpg

[Gordon Moore]

In Manitoba, no points are assessed against the owner of the vehicle. The owner receives the ticket and the burden of paying it regardless of who was driving. It's a pretty fair system. It doesn't really assert blame it just says your car was doing x speed or ran through the intersection....here's the photo and the fine. You pay it and recoup the cost (if necessary) from whomever was driving. No demerits are given as the focus is on the plate and not the driver.

Looked like fun Bing :T

[Shane Martin]

Here's some pics from the Big Easy:
http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/1569/venicedest9kt.jpg
http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/8052/shiponlevee5vt.jpg
http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/5927/mars1xz.jpg
http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/1074/fourchon6rz.jpg
http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/4928/empirebridge1gh.jpg

If gas goes up to $4 US here in the states, we can blame this.

[Kevin P]

If gas goes up to $4 US here in the states, we can blame this.If gas goes up to $4, I'm walking/biking to work, winter be d8mned. I don't see my paycheck going up to compensate for this...

[Lex]

Forcasters are now predicting in the SHORT TERM at least, 4.00 a gallon is likely. So, it may not be this week, but soon, a crisis is impending, scarce commodity will increase price.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/31/news/gas_prices/index.htm?cnn=yes

So, it seems that what Bing and his friend are driving, is about all we will be able to afford to drive soon.

[Bing Fung]

So, it seems that what Bing and his friend are driving, is about all we will be able to afford to drive soon.

:lol: Not even... At the rate we were dumping coins into the machines, Gas prices didn't have a thing on us :rofl:

Think of Kids in a candy store with Adult wallets :twisted:


Thanks Gordo, They say a person is lucky if he has just one friend for life... This is One of them :T We have shared and learned so much in life growing up together as children and adults.

My dad use to have this huge change container that he would let Darral and I fill our pockets. We would go to our local arcade and blow it all perfecting our Kraft ;)


Quite the disaster in in New Orleans 8O

[Shane Martin]

Quite the disaster in in New Orleans
80% of Mississippi has no power too. I would make a southern comment but it would be too insensitive. For now New Orleans is spared to a degree. Their main tourist spots are spared.

Still a huge tradegy. Water based natural disasters have been huge the past several years. Maybe Waterworld is coming true?

[taz13]

probably be just as bad for us as the movie was.

[Nick M]

The camera will send you a ticket in the mail. Just pay the fine and go on with life. You won't have points on your HTG license.LOL! I almost fell out of my chair after reading this one! :roflmao: Gas just went up because a large % of our oil supply comes from an area that got wiped out by a hurricane(we've been underpaying for years as it is). Now part of this whole ordeal is our own fault because the oil companies didn't invest in more refineries but they won't because it doesn't make any financial sense to do so when the restrictions(placed on them by the clean air act and such) are so strict, it would cost them a mint to build one.I agree with 90% of this. Also realize that oil products are heavily subsidized by our tax dollars through land grants, tax incentives, and direct contributions to companies. I believe in much more strict regulations regarding our energy infrastructure including pollution control whether it drives up costs or not. Kyoto should have been signed. What good is cheap gas when we're destroying the world. Yeah thats smart. Another example of the result of deregulation is the massive black out a few years ago in the North-East. Essential infrastructure is very important (hence the word essential) and IMHO should be maintained to protect both the customer's access and national security. As Kevin said though, there are alot more factors than this storm and China's demand. I for one feel it is a good change even though it will be hitting my wallet. Perhaps people will smarten up with their energy useage and demand alternatives. That said my flight lessons just went up $5/hr and are due to increase another $5/hr at the rate we're going. I also love the talk about Alaska'a reserves. If the US was to rely solely upon Alaskan oil, the expected life of all known reserves would be 6mos... hardly worth tearing up the eco-system. If the fuel mileage of all cars was increased by 2mpg, we would save more oil in 6mos than Alaska has in it's known reserves. Intersting tidbits. Makes you wonder what demand would be if everyone drove 3cyl geo metros... :D

I loved the recent automobile sales numbers. SUV purchases are down 23%, while hybrid vehicle sales have increased 208%!

Hopefully people get the help they need down south. I was in Louisiana last August and it was like living in an armpit. Hopefully they're bringing in enough bottled water/portable treatment units and properly treating new waste. Swamps plus floods plus lots of people equals diseases. :(

[Snap]

were are you getting your intel on the ammount of oil in Alaska? I thought it was LOTS more than that.

Doing a small yahoo search found that the issue is "saving" the enviroment vs. oil and money. From what I was able to find it is not in question the ammount of oil that is there, but rather the eco impact on the drilling. Personally, I say take our time, do it right, and drill. The less we as a nation have to depend on other nations for fuel the better off we will be.

I do also agree that we need to find other fuel supplies. But the simple fact is we might be able to make cars work off of cow dung, but jet engines are still going to need JP8.

There is a right way to do things. We cut down tons of trees, but at the same time we plant now more than we cut! Plus with the new Hybrid Pines a full grown pine tree only take 15-20 years to grow! There has to be a balance between man and nature. Please don't get me the wrong way. I am not saying make Alaska look like Texas in the early 1900's with oil rigs every place and a huge mess every were. But I urged my congressman to vote for the Alaska drilling.

[Kevin P]

I think Nick is referring to known reserves, oil we have access to right now. If they were to drill in the, uh, wherever it is, wildlife preserve or whatever they keep talking about, there could potentially be a lot more. Still not enough to meet our demand though, and probably not worth destroying all that wilderness for.

Hey, I'm all for more conservation and fewer SUVs on the road. I just don't like the fact that it's costing me $25 (and soon, $30 or more) to fill up my little economy car. In '98, I could fill it from empty for less than 10 bucks. If we had continued working on fuel efficiency that we had in the early 80s, instead of getting into horsepower wars, with today's technology, I'm sure every car made today would get at least 5-10 MPG more than they presently do.

[Snap]

Kevin,
I remember when Gas was 96 cents a gallon! That was COOL!

[Kevin P]

I do also agree that we need to find other fuel supplies. But the simple fact is we might be able to make cars work off of cow dung, but jet engines are still going to need JP8.I think if cars could be made to work on cow dung, they could make jet engines run on horse manure. :)

With 6 billion people * how many cubic feet of methane production per person, we could probably power everything with... :fart: :rofl:

Besides, even if you only make cars run on something else, the resulting reduced demand would make the price of JP8 drop.

I'm hoping when my Saturn falls apart eventually, that they'll have something that drives like an Audi A4 or S4 but has the same fuel economy (or better) than my Saturn.

[Snap]

I had to get a truck that filled both the family needs as well as work needs. But I tell you the truth the Avalanche SUCKS the gas! 50 bucks today did not even get to 3/4 of a tank.

[aud19]

Wow you guys have been posting a up storm!!...ewwww maybe not the best way of putting that with the state of the south-east :confused: My thoughts and sympathies to all affected :(

Snap here's a link to that Troy-Bilt beast :P
http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_10109_17690_-1
MSRP of $849US!! :E So ummm ya, not cheap! 8O Sweet looking machine but as I said a seperate mulcher/chipper and leaf blower might be more versatile and best of all, cheaper... if a little less convenient ;)

[Lex]

I also love the talk about Alaska'a reserves. If the US was to rely solely upon Alaskan oil, the expected life of all known reserves would be 6mos... hardly worth tearing up the eco-system. If the fuel mileage of all cars was increased by 2mpg, we would save more oil in 6mos than Alaska has in it's known reserves.

Where did this information come from? Post your source please...

[taz13]

Or look at what you can rent one for each year. I have both chipper shredders(gas and electric) and vacuum. But they are used on an island at my cabin so I have a little more use then most. If I could rent them I would. They take up room, money and time. They need maintenace. RENT!!!!!!!

http://www.htguide.com/forum/attachment.php4?attachmentid=4261&stc=1

New Eagle on the Block. :D

[Lex]

Nice Eagle.

[Gordon Moore]

Hey I do my part....transit tom or ride a bike.

Riding a bike probably isn't as healthy as I hope mostly because I suck back exhaust while I ride *cough* *cough*

Not sure if I'll revert back to walking in to work this winter or just take the bus. Probably walk. The hour jaunt clears my head.

[Lex]

You do your part at what Gordon, running redlights?

[aud19]

Or look at what you can rent one for each year. I have both chipper shredders(gas and electric) and vacuum. But they are used on an island at my cabin so I have a little more use then most. If I could rent them I would. They take up room, money and time. They need maintenace. RENT!!!!!!!

Well I need whatever equipment I get for every weekend for about 2 months. So I doubt renting would remain cost efficient in that scenario sadly :confused:

[Nick M]

Alaska is thought to hold anywhere from 6-13 (environmentalist-republican) Billion Barrels of Oil. The US currently uses ~8 Billion Barrels of Oil a year, and this is rising quickly (you can find this info here... http://www.eia.doe.gov ). Also realize that once a reserve is depleted by 50% or so, it becomes more and more difficult to draw and refine what's left. It also requires alot of oil to facilitate the search/infrastructure/removal/transportation/and refinement of it.

If we opened all of Alaska, every square mile, and depended upon it as our sole source of energy, an average estimate would see us dry in 12mos. More likely with removal inefficiencies and such we would get less than a year. In exchange we would pretty much rape our last wild/untouched lands.

As a wastewater treatment operator I see alot of hogwash when it comes to EPA regulations, but I'm also an outdoors lover, and I don't want to see the last bastion of purity we own littered with wells and criss-crossed with pipelines. I think it's a little more important to preserve that place for our future generations than getting an extra 50hp on our vehicles for a few years, or setting our thermostats at 68 instead of 62 (mines at 55, I'm a cheap $%&#). :rofl:

Put 2/3 of a tank (11gal) in my 4cyl van today. $30. Thank god I swapped jobs last month and now have 96 miles to commute per week rather than 600! :E

[Lex]

and time

[Lex]

to go

[Lex]

and time ss

[Lex]

I found my new car!

http://www.commutercars.com/images/random/rotate.php?img=tangoClooney.jpg

[aud19]

snipe?

[aud19]

Doh almost had ya! :P

[efarstad]

:sn :sn :sn Hey Guys! :sn :sn :sn

Oil, destruction, death, disease, who's to blame, who's not...what to do, what not to do? Life is a complex thing...we'll never make everyone happy, someone will always be upset either socially, politically, or economically...but we continue on living and making the best decisions we can...can we ask for more? Sure...but then just read this paragraph again! :D

Because life is a blessing, a gift, let's just live each day and be thankful for it. Then wake up tomorrow and repeat!

I too have my VERY strong opinions...but this is not the place for them...so I just try to bring a little :sn to someone's day and suggest ya'll do the same!

Have a great day everyone!!!

E

[aud19]

I found my new car!

http://www.commutercars.com/images/random/rotate.php?img=tangoClooney.jpg

Is that Clooney? :lol:

[Lex]

http://www.commutercars.com/

Yes, it is clooney.

[Nick M]

I answered the source question on the last page. It kinda got fed through real quick with the flip run... :B

I've been really hankering to make a lightening fast single seat roadster utilizing lightweight materials and a motorcycle engine. Maybe instead of the S2000 or similar 25mpg car I'll do that next summer... :oh:

[Kevin P]

I've been really hankering to make a lightening fast single seat roadster utilizing lightweight materials and a motorcycle engine. Maybe instead of the S2000 or similar 25mpg car I'll do that next summer... :oh:I think they have those already. They're called "motorcycles." :B

[Nick M]

LOL! I should have mentioned 4-Wheels with a ragtop/retractable hardtop in case of rain.

Here is that post again btw...
Alaska is thought to hold anywhere from 6-13 (environmentalist-republican) Billion Barrels of Oil. The US currently uses ~8 Billion Barrels of Oil a year, and this is rising quickly (you can find this info here... http://www.eia.doe.gov ). Also realize that once a reserve is depleted by 50% or so, it becomes more and more difficult to draw and refine what's left. It also requires alot of oil to facilitate the search/infrastructure/removal/transportation/and refinement of it.

If we opened all of Alaska, every square mile, and depended upon it as our sole source of energy, an average estimate would see us dry in 12mos. More likely with removal inefficiencies and such we would get less than a year. In exchange we would pretty much rape our last wild/untouched lands.

As a wastewater treatment operator I see alot of hogwash when it comes to EPA regulations, but I'm also an outdoors lover, and I don't want to see the last bastion of purity we own littered with wells and criss-crossed with pipelines. I think it's a little more important to preserve that place for our future generations than getting an extra 50hp on our vehicles for a few years, or setting our thermostats at 68 instead of 62 (mines at 55, I'm a cheap $%&#). :D

Put 2/3 of a tank (11gal) in my 4cyl van today. $30. Thank god I swapped jobs last month and now have 96 miles to commute per week rather than 600! :E

[taz13]

I think this might work.
http://www.htguide.com/forum/attachment.php4?attachmentid=4263&stc=1

[Nick M]

Is that a wheel on it's side? It looks like the thing flops on it's side in corners, and stands upright when you punch the accelerator!

I'm thinking of something more inline with an indy racer at street legal roadheight. I could even go with an oldschool design...

http://www.vintageracecars.com/r2racer.jpg

I bet you'd $#!T your pants if you saw this thing roll up next to you and peel off going 0-60 in 3sec... 8O :E :rofl:

[Kevin P]

As for that wheel on the side, as a pilot you should know what landing gear looks like! ;) It looks like it goes down when he stops, so the thing doesn't flop over.

[aud19]

Something styled after the (what was it 50's?) open wheeled Indy racers Nick?

http://www.chrysler.org/ferrari/graphics/car_Indy.jpg

And yes the vehicle taz posted does tilt like a motocycle in corners utilizing those side wheels ;)

[aud19]

As for that wheel on the side, as a pilot you should know what landing gear looks like! ;) It looks like it goes down when he stops, so the thing doesn't flop over.

That too, saw something about them a couple years ago, pretty neat idea anyways. The side wheels for cornering only come in to use for EXTREME cornering but there's there for safety and also when at stop lights etc as Kev pointed out ;)

[taz13]

http://www.peraves.ch/ndexe.htm

Consumption ISO 7118:
4.30 l/100km at constant 90 km/h (55 MPG)
5,40 l/100km at constant 120 km/h (44 MPG)
Lead free premium gas.

or about 1 imperial gallon to go 60 miles at 55
or 1 gal us/hour

[Bing Fung]

Here is my solution to the gas crisis

http://www.htguide.com/forum/attachment.php4?attachmentid=4264&stc=1

[aud19]

Kevin,
I remember when Gas was 96 cents a gallon! That was COOL!

I remember when gas was ~$0.35CA per Litre.... :cry:

[Nick M]

Very sexy ferrari. How about a tube framed version with a kevlar composite body and 180bhp motorcycle engine... :twisted:
-----
Lol, your right, it does look like landing gear! That thing must be a bitch to drive around town with! :rofl:

Time for me to say nighty-night! It's 3:15EST and I have to be up for 10:00 for work. Tomorrow I'm taking one of my sister's out for lunch and a movie before she heads off to college. The Carada screen is also scheduled to be delivered tomorrow! I also have some seafood from California arriving in the afternoon. Along with today's gas and groceries, my Mom's B-day gifts, and two flight lessons this weekend (two 3hr jobbers) I'm pretty much broke... :B

We need an emoticon pulling lint from his pockets or eating ramen... :lol:

Have a wicked awesome day... (Boston speak)

Sox are up 2.5 games on the Yankees and it's almost September. It's a great day in New England! :-y

[Bent]

Hiay everybody.

I had a question about a home based business.
If I buy a projector (home theater type) to use for displaying HT images/movies for prospective clients of a Home based AV consulting - and get reportable income as an AV consultant, can I use the purchse cost of the pj as a claimable business expense?

[Gordon Moore]

Bing the placement of those shifters is hillarious.

====================================

Doug I'm guessing that was a joke... not a funny one but a joke none the less :Z

=====================================

Well with the crappy weather, I think we're going to see Brother's Grimm indoors and do the drive-in another time.

=====================================

Yeah it's hard to get upset for SUV, sportscar enthusiasts, HUMMER owners, Trucks etc... crying the blues. If you bought it, you certainly thought you could afford the gas. Why cry now?

======================================
I'd have to agree, mining every last nook and cranny still won't solve the problem, in fact it leaves our youth a hell of a lot more problems to solve. Mostly because we'll tear up the planet and go "wow we avoided that one by a hair". 'Course in the process, killed of several species of fish, birds, wolves, bears and whatever else lived there. We throw the balance of nature out of wack....air pollution continues to rise...Smog alerts grow....the planet gets hotter.... Ice Caps continue to disappear...Hurricanes, and other really fun natural disasters continue with greater frequency and intensity (and we can't figure out why)....but hey, it's not our problem....we're dead and at least we could fuel the hearse to drive us to our grave.

Not our problem anymore ;)

People's attitudes towards fuel efficiency won't change, so really what can anyone do? Simply pay for it....you bought, you want to drive it, pay for it. If you don't like it, find something more efficient....what's so hard about that? People are making this too complicated

[aud19]

The legs come down AUTOMATICALLY below a certain speed Nick ;)

Weirdest thing just happned, my comp was playing randomly the like 4000 song I have and.... The Tragically Hip's: "New Orleans is Sinking" came on..... 8O :confused:

As Kev (I think) eluded to last page, if nothing else, hopefully this latest fuel problem will have people generally driving more fuel efficient vehichles. (The last 15 or so years in North America has been rediculously wasteful with everyone owning two SUV's it seems :roll: ) The other good thing is it will only encourage further R&D in to both more fuel efficient vehicles and research for energy alternatives which IMO, while having been fairly important, were not as high of a prioority as they should have been due to our relative complacency with our relatively plentiful and cheap oil.

[taz13]

No problem owning them, its the driving thats the problem.

[Paul Wu]

If the US was to rely solely upon Alaskan oil, the expected life of all known reserves would be 6mos... hardly worth tearing up the eco-system.

I think Nick is referring to known reserves, oil we have access to right now. If they were to drill in the, uh, wherever it is, wildlife preserve or whatever they keep talking about, there could potentially be a lot more. Still not enough to meet our demand though, and probably not worth destroying all that wilderness for.

There is only so much available in Alaska. Where the future for oil supply is in Canada.
Here's an article from back in May 2005 from the San Francisco Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/22/MNG46CMUPL60.DTL) talking a bit about the reserves in Alaska, but really focusing on the reserves in Canada.

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/05/22/mn_oilsand412.jpg

In 2001, as oil was doubling to $30 a barrel, the U.S. Energy Department quintupled its estimate of "proven" reserves in the oil sands -- the amount that is known to exist and that can be profitably extracted -- to 175 billion barrels.

Now, with $50-a-barrel oil making it profitable to extract even deeply buried or dispersed formations of oil sands, producers say the reserves could be as large as 314 billion barrels.

Check out the $50-a-barrel price, that seems cheap in today's $70-a-barrel price!

The big question, which has been identified, is the refining capacity is at maximum.

Bent: I will PM you with a more detailed answer. But a projector is considered a capital asset and must be depreciated/amortized or the fancy term for the tax people is 'capital cost allowance' So there is a certain rate you need to use, and in the first year, it's half of what you would normally use.

[Lex]

It was flip filler Gordon, and yes, it was funny I thought. If you failed to see the humor in it, well, maybe your being to serious about it. regardless, I take it back, and will not use that style humor to you in the future- In fact, no humor at all, we'll just be serious to one another, perhaps that's best.

[Shane Martin]

Yeah it's hard to get upset for SUV, sportscar enthusiasts, HUMMER owners, Trucks etc... crying the blues. If you bought it, you certainly thought you could afford the gas. Why cry now?
Which is why you don't hear me crying about gas prices. I knew what I was getting. Oddly when I talk to people about gas prices, the ones that are complaining are the ones with fuel efficient cars. That's a generalization of course but just what I've seen from discussions thus far.

[Kevin P]

I thought it was funny Doug. :)

Shane, I've been "complaining" ever since it hit $1.50/gallon, and I drive a fuel efficient car. I feel like I'm doing my part by driving an undersized, underpowered sh*tbox, and what do I get for it? Triple the cost to fill it up now as compared to when I bought it. :roll: Another thing: if you drive a big car and the gas prices get to be too much, you can easily downsize to a more efficient car. But those with efficient cars are pretty much stuck. We can't get much more efficient without going to an expensive (as of now) hybrid or ride a bike or motorcycle, which is impractical for 7-8 months out of the year around here.

And back to our "original" topic, red-light cameras, here's a thread I found on another forum I hang out on, in regards to someone who recently got a ticket from one: http://www.radardetector.net/Red-Light-Camera-Ticket---Info-4610t.php

[Snap]

Snap here's a link to that Troy-Bilt beast :P
http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_10109_17690_-1
MSRP of $849US!! :E So ummm ya, not cheap! 8O Sweet looking machine but as I said a seperate mulcher/chipper and leaf blower might be more versatile and best of all, cheaper... if a little less convenient ;)

Yeah man Momma is going to say...." Guess you better get to work sweety... those leaves are not going to go any place with out your help!"

Darn it. I wanted a new power tool!

[Snap]

Bent- In the US you can. Your Tax person will ask you how much of a % is used for you, and how much is used for your business. Like our internet is used for both home and business. So I get to write off a portion of the internet bill every year as a business expense. Same thing would apply to you. (If your Tax Laws are simular to the states)

[Bent]

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/05/22/mn_oilsand412.jpg
Paul, I had a stock tip a while ago to keep an eye on UTS energy - does the name ring a bell?

[aud19]

Crazy spider!!! :E

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/camelspider.html

[aud19]

Yeah man Momma is going to say...." Guess you better get to work sweety... those leaves are not going to go any place with out your help!"

Darn it. I wanted a new power tool!

Yeah if it was say half that price...might be an ok deal. I'm going to look around though, see if I can't find another make/model that's not quite so hardcore and then maybe cheaper....? Otherwise it's looks like it's a blower/chipper for me...

[Shane Martin]

Triple the cost to fill it up now as compared to when I bought it
Such is life. Things don't stay stagnant for long or go lower. I know we all want gas to be $.89 a gallon like it was when I rememeber or a quarter a gallon like my grandpa remembers but things happen. Boo Hoo.

Just thank god you aren't paying $50 a fillup. Logic would indicate that if you are spending more than me filling up, you'd complain more but yet that isn't the case. Honestly, is the extra $60-$80 a month causing you that much of an issue? I'm going on the assumption you are spending $20 more a fillup than usual and fill up once a week. I just don't get why people are complaining. Don't drive or stfu. Sure $3.50 a gallon will make me change my mind a little but i'll just cut something out to make the adjustment. Like everyone else I have some areas where I can cut back.
As I saw the sign for the highway entrance the light was just turning yellow and I didn't want to miss the entrance and get more lost. It turned red JUST as I was going through it, and I saw the flashes.



Yep and dude deserved a ticket too. He ran a yellow light on purpose.

[Paul Wu]

Jason: I got red screened trying to click onto that site. That's a bad thing! I hope my IP wasn't logged. :oh: I might be getting a visitor!

** WARNING **
This connection has been refused.
The Internet site you are attempting to access has been designated by a web classification service as containing material that contravenes ... Internet usage policy.

Adult Content

There's a link to a usage policy


Record of Access Request

Note: The filtering product logs each attempt to access restricted sites.
If a manager or other authority is concerned about a user under their supervision who may be accessing inappropriate sites they may request a review of the logs. If the grounds for a review are appropriate to the policy the logs will then be scanned. Records regarding the particular user will then be forwarded to the above manager or other authority for further action.



Bent: How long ago, and I hope you acted on that tip. I can't technically comment on individual stocks. But if this is the company, I pull up the chart: :E

http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/z?s=UTS.TO&t=1y&q=l&l=off&z=m&a=v&p=s (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=UTS.TO&t=1y&l=off&z=m&q=l&c=)

I had a stock tip for a little local company called Ballard Power. Little did I know.

[Paul Wu]

Too all members: If you wish to link to questionable sites, please indicate that it is "NSFW" Not Safe For Work.

I would greatly appreciate it, I'm not worried about getting a visitor, or having my IP logged. But this may be an issue for other members, and lurkers that visit our little page here.

Thanks

[aud19]

oooh