Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

carnaught

abacomike said:

houdini1 said:

abacomike said:

Well, I estimated my income for next year and applied the new tax brackets - no tax reduction for me!  So I guess this was not a middle class tax reduction proposal after all.  Now if I was married filing jointly - that would be a boon!

Looks like you will have to find a nice rich widow woman to marry next year !

Get well soon Mike, and look on the bright side. If this foolish woman hadn't knocked you down, you might have gone out into the parking lot and got hit by a truck. You never know.

That's one approach to looking at the brighter side of things.

As for marriage in my future - not a chance. Who would marry a guy who is not too swift on his feet (literally), had two heart attacks, had part of his liver taken out due to cancer, has lived with Hepatitis C since 1980 (and hopefully is free of the virus after many years of drug therapies), lives in a 55+ community where there are no kids and only retired folks for over a mile in any direction, has recurring DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombosis or Blood Clots) in his left femoral vein, walks on a titanium left knee, and has a Parrot perched on his right shoulder (Long John Silver) ? Only the last one is a stretch!

George Costanza, is that you?

driver100

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

graphicguy said:

imidazol97 said:

graphicguy said:

I don’t get it. How many times do speed cameras have to be declared unconstitutional? What am I missing given these things are still around?
RB....your thoughts?

RB's in the wrong state... Ohio has "home rule." Somehow the cities say that means they can do as they please about giving out bills for speeding without due course as in a hearing before being pronounced guilty.

Our legislators, so called, passed a law that there had to be a policeman present for each photo billing taken from a speed or red light camera. A few cities saw $$$ flying away and won a suit that went to the supreme court. They gleefully have announced they have turned back on their cameras--Dayton and Trotwood. And every citation about their reasons by the story-writers in the local media carries the pronouncement that the cameras stop red light running and slow cars down, magically, somehow. And that the cities are only doing this for safety.

My own legislator, an insurance salesman guy, responded when I asked what was being done about these rogue cities by saying the State is withholding money they dole out to local entities equal to what they collect in "bills" to the criminals running and speeding. Then he also said that the cities say it reduces accidents and is for safety.

A camera can not be cross examined. Again, with no one observing the alleged crime to testify against you, how is this constitutional?

The camera, or the picture, is not a witness or the complanted, it's simply evidence. By your logic any evidence cannot be admitted in court because you cannot cross examine it. 

The one you cross examine in the officer or technician who examined the picture and made the determination. 

I'm getting too good at this

If I hold-up and commit robbery at a liquor/convenience store, you better bet my Defense Attorney worth 2 cents will call in the Store Manager (or Subcontractor) that installed and setup the security system and video the prosecution is using to help convict me. They know how the camara system operates and can be questioned on that. In every Traffic Court I've ever heard of, they don't allow this. In my opinion, this makes the video hearsay evidence as no one is in court to testify where the camera was positioned, when it was installed, ect. A random police officer testifying to those facts is hearsay (they would just be reading the City records on that data. They assume you are guilty instead of innocent. The presumption is the video is accurate and has not been altered or doctored in some manner.

I'm not questioning the mechanics/engineering process of how video tape works, but I would sure be worried about how many hands and computers had access to the USB drive that video was stored on before reaching the courtroom on the trial date!

No traffic court you have heard of? Me thinks you never heard of a traffic court then. I have been able to request similar stuff in traffic court. 

Go run your nearest red light camera and get a ticket. Without the help of a lawyer, if your able to summon and cross examine the camera installers & operators for your ticket I'll pay for your ticket. The whole point of camera enforcement is to slime around due process rights. Do you really think they would let you slow down the revenue by questioning authority?

The same legislative assembly bills that try to label camera citations as "civil infractions or administrative infractions" also usually include language that says the camera evidence will be accepted by the Courts as prima facie accurate evidence without laying an iota of ground work or substantiation. In other words, making hearsay evidence not hearsay

.

Since I don't run red lights I don't get tickets from red light cameras. But I have requested documents in traffic court to fight a speeding ticket and had the judge supeona them. I had the ticket tossed when the police department couldn't produce the officers certification on the radar gun. But then again it's all about the money

. 

I don't get many speeding tickets, but when I do I just think of them as part of playing the game......there must have been 50 times they could have given me a ticket and they didn't. You have to pay to play.

suydam

carnaught said:

abacomike said:

houdini1 said:

abacomike said:

Well, I estimated my income for next year and applied the new tax brackets - no tax reduction for me!  So I guess this was not a middle class tax reduction proposal after all.  Now if I was married filing jointly - that would be a boon!

Looks like you will have to find a nice rich widow woman to marry next year !

Get well soon Mike, and look on the bright side. If this foolish woman hadn't knocked you down, you might have gone out into the parking lot and got hit by a truck. You never know.

That's one approach to looking at the brighter side of things.

As for marriage in my future - not a chance. Who would marry a guy who is not too swift on his feet (literally), had two heart attacks, had part of his liver taken out due to cancer, has lived with Hepatitis C since 1980 (and hopefully is free of the virus after many years of drug therapies), lives in a 55+ community where there are no kids and only retired folks for over a mile in any direction, has recurring DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombosis or Blood Clots) in his left femoral vein, walks on a titanium left knee, and has a Parrot perched on his right shoulder (Long John Silver) ? Only the last one is a stretch!

George Costanza, is that you?

You’re still breathing. My Dad, at 90,was considered quite the catch at his nursing home. He was one of two males there.
I broke both wrists two years ago in a bike trail “accident” — as in, I was riding in my lane minding my own business when a guy coming the other way — riding on the left and admiring the scenery — just barreled right into me.

fintail

Does the history show a fleet, or a specific rental fleet? I suspect that one was never a normal rental car - manual rental cars virtually do not exist in normal American fleets, limited only to specialty cars, and even those are hens teeth.

Send me the airfare and some money for expenses and I'll pick it up for you

iluvmysephia1 said:

2015 Toyota Yaris 4-door 5-speed

Found me one. Anyone wanna head over to Atlanta , buy this for me, and drive it over to eastern War-shing-ton for me? This one is selling for only $7,979 ($4,579 below market valuation) and only has 32,322 miles on it. Was a rental car, though.

fintail

I hope that incident has no lasting impacts for you. For years, there's been a joke that starts with "Florida Man" or "Florida Woman", where you then insert an insane story. Yours fits - Florida woman rams man with shopping cart while texting, proceeds to blame the victim. I think people often drive carts like cars, and by that I mean stupidly.

abacomike said:

Well, I'm still sore, but my head isn't hurting as bad and the nurse stayed all night and just left.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I just watched a UTube video where a young guy took his 1 yo highly modified (supercharged, exhaust, bagged, ground effects, wing etc) Mustang to Carmax to see what it was worth. He didn't say what it all cost but said he paid $32k to start. Figure at least another $10k for the goodies, so maybe $42k. Car had 11,000 miles.

CarMax offered $22k.

A lesson for anyone who thinks modifications will make a car more valuable.

The car lost half of it's value in one year...not even counting the modifications?

Mustangs must really depreciate fast.

It probably has to do with Carmax not getting customers who want modified Mustangs.

It didn't really lose half it's value. Car Max likely went of the value of an unmodified car which means it lost about 1/3. Just for fun I checked Kelly Blue Book and ran a one year old GT with standard equipment and it came back with Just under 23K at the low end and about 25K at the top end. Add the fact that they have to make a profit when they sell it the value doesn't drop that much. 

Now modifications can ruin a cars value. 

I think it depends on the modifications; I passed on a gorgeous 2013 Boss 302 because the owner had replaced the OEM exhaust and installed a one piece driveshaft. I wanted the OEM exhaust because it had side exits that could give the car a truly wicked exhaust tone by just removing a couple of baffles. The only reason to R&R the driveshaft was to make it more suitable for drag racing.
The car also had an aftermarket cold air intake, but I was fine with that because it had received uniformly good reviews on the Boss 302 forums.
Likewise, if I was looking at a BMW with Dinan or Turner upgrades on it I would still consider it as long as the mods suited my planned uses for the car; for example, I wouldn't want a lowered car with coilovers if I was looking for a DD that would never see the track.


My plan is to do some mild mods on my car. A slightly louder "touring" exhaust for a deeper rumble. Maybe a cold air intake, strut tower brace and summer performance tires. Might even go for thicker sway bars.

Of course I'd save all the OEM parts so any future buyer could revert to bone stock.

Mr_Shiftright

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, the helicopter probably doesn't help

Stupid design. Can you imagine walking that deck in any kind of swell?

iluvmysephia1

fintail - good point. I didn't see any specific rental agency mentioned. Or anything about fleet  usage...in fact, I'm actually more than just a little bit interested in this car. 

Notice that Yaris name... it's not just the Yaris iA with me but it's also the Yaris. Itself. Whatever a Yaris is. I should Google that. 

fintail

I bet it's not a fleet car then. Remember, most drivers (I think) can't even drive a manual at all.

I think Yaris is a made up word, like Camry etc.

I have a relative with a prior gen Yaris, maybe 2009-2010. It has been flawless for them, but I think it's only at about 40K miles now. Don't get excited, it's an automatic

iluvmysephia1 said:

fintail - good point. I didn't see any specific rental agency mentioned. Or anything about fleet  usage...in fact, I'm actually more than just a little bit interested in this car. 

Notice that Yaris name... it's not just the Yaris iA with me but it's also the Yaris. Itself. Whatever a Yaris is. I should Google that. 

houdini1

iluvmysephia1 said:

fintail - good point. I didn't see any specific rental agency mentioned. Or anything about fleet  usage...in fact, I'm actually more than just a little bit interested in this car. 

Notice that Yaris name... it's not just the Yaris iA with me but it's also the Yaris. Itself. Whatever a Yaris is. I should Google that. 

Since they are sold in Africa, could have been a rental safari wagon. 32,000 rough miles.

houdini1

suydam said:

carnaught said:

abacomike said:

houdini1 said:

abacomike said:

Well, I estimated my income for next year and applied the new tax brackets - no tax reduction for me!  So I guess this was not a middle class tax reduction proposal after all.  Now if I was married filing jointly - that would be a boon!

Looks like you will have to find a nice rich widow woman to marry next year !

Get well soon Mike, and look on the bright side. If this foolish woman hadn't knocked you down, you might have gone out into the parking lot and got hit by a truck. You never know.

That's one approach to looking at the brighter side of things.

As for marriage in my future - not a chance. Who would marry a guy who is not too swift on his feet (literally), had two heart attacks, had part of his liver taken out due to cancer, has lived with Hepatitis C since 1980 (and hopefully is free of the virus after many years of drug therapies), lives in a 55+ community where there are no kids and only retired folks for over a mile in any direction, has recurring DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombosis or Blood Clots) in his left femoral vein, walks on a titanium left knee, and has a Parrot perched on his right shoulder (Long John Silver) ? Only the last one is a stretch!

George Costanza, is that you?

You’re still breathing. My Dad, at 90,was considered quite the catch at his nursing home. He was one of two males there.
I broke both wrists two years ago in a bike trail “accident” — as in, I was riding in my lane minding my own business when a guy coming the other way — riding on the left and admiring the scenery — just barreled right into me.

In the shape you were in, it's a good thing the guy didn't want to fight !!

iluvmysephia1

I am still eeking out the last few days of my 90-day probation at work or I'd head over and try and spin a deal for that Yaris. I always talk about the iA but a hatchback is an interesting proposition to me. They have discounted it an enormous amount, too.

It's priced $5,336 below market.

sda

Mike, hope you're feeling better and recover quickly. It is really upsetting that there are so many selfish uncarring people. To not help or apologize is beyond unthinkable. Thankfully most people are not like that. A sip of scotch (for medicinal purposes only) will take the edge off.

abacomike

I’ve come to the realization that I’m getting old.  It took quite awhile for me to get to this point, but I did.  I spent about 3 hours thinking about how I realized I was getting old, and I noted the indicators below for those of you who will definitely get to the point that I am.

Old Adult Truths

1. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing irks me more than that moment during an argument when I realize I'm wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. We really need a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest or Google Maps really need to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blu-Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection... again..

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front.. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

21. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

22. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

I was in a Starbucks Coffee recently when my stomach started rumbling and I realized that I desperately needed to fart. The place was packed, but the music was really loud so to get relief and reduce embarrassment I timed my farts to the beat of the music. After a couple of songs I started to feel much better. I finished my coffee and noticed that everyone was staring at me. I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my Ipod (with ear piece) - and how was your day?

(This is what happens when old people start using technology!)

  

isellhondas

iluvmysephia1 said:

abacomike - it's not just you, man. Please read andres3's comments about his fractured bones. I have broken the humerus bone of my right arm falling down the stairs. It was at a townhome Mrs. iluvmysephia1 and I rented while I went to college in Rolla, MO. The place was in St. James, MO. Cute, quiet little town. The event happened like this.

"Dinner, iluv!"

"OK!"

I was in my stocking feet and upstairs, where there is a bathroom and a bedroom. I was taking a nap when I heard her call out for dinner, so I was quite drowsy, and college made me sleepy, anyway.

I grabbed our 6 1/2 pound Pomeranian, Rocky, and headed down the stairs. Ooops. Big time. The ball of my right foot stepped on the edge of the carpeted stairs, and...slipped. All the body dynamics were just right at that particular moment in time to put maximum pressure on that foot, because the force exerted on that foot was big and large. I was counting on making that first step as a big 'ole push-off down the stairs successfully. Didn't happen, car nuts. Oh, no - it did not happen. As I slipped, my right elbow came down to break my fall. The right elbow hit hard on that same stair edge. I heard a "Snap!" sound.

Then I bumped on my butt down the remainder of the stairs. I threw the Pom Rocky back behind me on the stairs. I didn't want to risk crushing him with any of my body parts! He was fine for the weather through this all.

Meanwhile, my sight grew dim. I sat there at the bottom of the stairs in extreme pain. I saw stars, literally. "Mrs. iluv!!!!!" Wilma!!!!

I called a cab to drive me to the nearest hospital - I could not shift the gears of our 2001 Kia Sportage 4X4 with what was most likely a broken arm. Later, after the arm was stabilized, a really dear friend lent me his Ford Interceptor ex-police car, that had an automatic transmission. What a nice gift to me to borrow that rig from him!

"Hey, take it easy over the bumps, OK?"

"Yes, I will," was the cabbies response.

At Phelps County Memorial Hospital in Rolla, MO, the verdict came in quickly.

"You, Mr. iluvmysephia1, have a broken humerous bone."

Great. Right during Respiratory Therapy college. We were coming down the home stretch, too, getting ready to graduate in March of 2005. This broken arm occurred in December of 2004.

Long story short - I retained the services of a Rolla bone doctor and went through recovery. I was told I couldn't go to my clinicals because, as my teacher told me, "I've never heard of a one-armed Respiratory Therapist!"

Thanks, teach. So, I was allowed to stay in school, only ta go to daytime classes with the rest of the students. Once my arm was sufficiently healed up, I was allowed to start up clinicals again. So I did this. All of this.

And ended up graduating college one month and 25 days after everyone else in school. But at least I did.

abacomike - you're not alone, man! These nasty things do happen to other people. Other people like iluvmysephia1. And bone breaks are absolutely awfully painful.

Our club had a guest speaker recently who said the Number One cause of a fall is going down stairs in stocking feet! I never even thought about that!

snakeweasel

jmonroe said

My guess is that it did not perform to the kids liking after he beat  the he'll out of it, so now he doesn't want it anymore and Carfax knew it. Kinda surprised they even offered 22K for it.

jmonroe

My guess is that they screwed up on an engine modification and is trying to unload it before it turns into a 3000 pound paperweight. 

snakeweasel

PF_Flyer said:

My brain is on a tangent today (shocking, I know) but this seems to be one heck of a garage

Ah, the MV Capsized. 

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

I now remember why I love living here in South Florida - the weather during the winter and spring.  It was 58 degrees this morning when I went walking so I put on a sweater.  By 10:00 AM, it was 72 degrees and took off my sweater - not a cloud in the sky.  It is now 76 degrees, barely a breeze, and I have all the windows wide open.  Had the sunroof open in the car for the first time.

But, I then realized why I dislike living here - the traffic and the people.  I was doing my bi-weekly food shopping at Walmart when a woman who was texting on her smartphone hit me with her shopping cart and caused me to fall on my back.  She looked down at me and told me to watch out where I was walking.  Luckily, an employee came running over to help me off the floor and told the lady to stop texting when she was walking in the store because she pushed her shopping cart right into me and could have severely injured me.  I was unable to stand up - my arm hurt be so bad and I was bleeding from the back of my head. 

The employee called the the manager on his walkie-talkie and asked him to call for an ambulance.  During all this commotion, the woman (had to weigh 200 pounds - at a minimum) tried to walk away but the employee had the store security stop her from leaving until the police arrived.

Yep, ended up in the hospital.  Police investigators took down my account of what happened while I was in the emergency room and assured me they had the eye witness account from the Walmart employee - that the woman was at fault because she was texting and was not watching where she was walking - and that she walked right into me with her shopping cart.

I was just released from the hospital and had to take a cab home.  My car is still parked at Walmart.  The store manager is coming over to get my car keys and will drive my car to my condo and park it in my spot.  The police charged her with battery which caused me serious injuries.  I have 6 stitches in the back of my head, a mild concussion, and my left arm is in a sling.  I have a nurse coming over later to watch me for 8 hours to make sure I am OK.  That was the only way they would release me from the hospital - I hate that place!.

I have to have my doctor take the stitches out next week - they are supposedly staples.

The police said I might not have to be called in to testify since the woman said she was texting at the time and was not paying attention and she agreed with what the store employee said about the accident.

Never a dull moment in my life. 

Wow, I do hope you have a speedy recovery. 

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

Well, I estimated my income for next year and applied the new tax brackets - no tax reduction for me!  So I guess this was not a middle class tax reduction proposal after all.  Now if I was married filing jointly - that would be a boon!

The place I do my tax work did an analysis and found that most of our clients would be getting some type of tax break. 

Looks like I won't though. 

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HOb2GMU8jJA

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

andres3 said:

andres3 said:

graphicguy said:

I don’t get it. How many times do speed cameras have to be declared unconstitutional? What am I missing given these things are still around? RB....your thoughts?

RB's in the wrong state... Ohio has "home rule." Somehow the cities say that means they can do as they please about giving out bills for speeding without due course as in a hearing before being pronounced guilty. Our legislators, so called, passed a law that there had to be a policeman present for each photo billing taken from a speed or red light camera. A few cities saw $$$ flying away and won a suit that went to the supreme court. They gleefully have announced they have turned back on their cameras--Dayton and Trotwood. And every citation about their reasons by the story-writers in the local media carries the pronouncement that the cameras stop red light running and slow cars down, magically, somehow. And that the cities are only doing this for safety. My own legislator, an insurance salesman guy, responded when I asked what was being done about these rogue cities by saying the State is withholding money they dole out to local entities equal to what they collect in "bills" to the criminals running and speeding. Then he also said that the cities say it reduces accidents and is for safety.

A camera can not be cross examined. Again, with no one observing the alleged crime to testify against you, how is this constitutional?

The camera, or the picture, is not a witness or the complanted, it's simply evidence. By your logic any evidence cannot be admitted in court because you cannot cross examine it. 

The one you cross examine in the officer or technician who examined the picture and made the determination. 

I'm getting too good at this If I hold-up and commit robbery at a liquor/convenience store, you better bet my Defense Attorney worth 2 cents will call in the Store Manager (or Subcontractor) that installed and setup the security system and video the prosecution is using to help convict me. They know how the camara system operates and can be questioned on that. In every Traffic Court I've ever heard of, they don't allow this. In my opinion, this makes the video hearsay evidence as no one is in court to testify where the camera was positioned, when it was installed, ect. A random police officer testifying to those facts is hearsay (they would just be reading the City records on that data. They assume you are guilty instead of innocent. The presumption is the video is accurate and has not been altered or doctored in some manner. I'm not questioning the mechanics/engineering process of how video tape works, but I would sure be worried about how many hands and computers had access to the USB drive that video was stored on before reaching the courtroom on the trial date!

No traffic court you have heard of? Me thinks you never heard of a traffic court then. I have been able to request similar stuff in traffic court. 

Go run your nearest red light camera and get a ticket. Without the help of a lawyer, if your able to summon and cross examine the camera installers & operators for your ticket I'll pay for your ticket. The whole point of camera enforcement is to slime around due process rights. Do you really think they would let you slow down the revenue by questioning authority? The same legislative assembly bills that try to label camera citations as "civil infractions or administrative infractions" also usually include language that says the camera evidence will be accepted by the Courts as prima facie accurate evidence without laying an iota of ground work or substantiation. In other words, making hearsay evidence not hearsay

.

Since I don't run red lights I don't get tickets from red light cameras. But I have requested documents in traffic court to fight a speeding ticket and had the judge supeona them. I had the ticket tossed when the police department couldn't produce the officers certification on the radar gun. But then again it's all about the money

. 

I don't get many speeding tickets, but when I do I just think of them as part of playing the game......there must have been 50 times they could have given me a ticket and they didn't. You have to pay to play.

That is how I normally think however in that case I wasn't speeding. I'll suck it up and pay the ticket if I was in the wrong but I'll fight it if I wasn't. 

snakeweasel

isellhondas said:

abacomike - it's not just you, man. Please read andres3's comments about his fractured bones. I have broken the humerus bone of my right arm falling down the stairs. It was at a townhome Mrs. iluvmysephia1 and I rented while I went to college in Rolla, MO. The place was in St. James, MO. Cute, quiet little town. The event happened like this. "Dinner, iluv!" "OK!" I was in my stocking feet and upstairs, where there is a bathroom and a bedroom. I was taking a nap when I heard her call out for dinner, so I was quite drowsy, and college made me sleepy, anyway. I grabbed our 6 1/2 pound Pomeranian, Rocky, and headed down the stairs. Ooops. Big time. The ball of my right foot stepped on the edge of the carpeted stairs, and...slipped. All the body dynamics were just right at that particular moment in time to put maximum pressure on that foot, because the force exerted on that foot was big and large. I was counting on making that first step as a big 'ole push-off down the stairs successfully. Didn't happen, car nuts. Oh, no - it did not happen. As I slipped, my right elbow came down to break my fall. The right elbow hit hard on that same stair edge. I heard a "Snap!" sound. Then I bumped on my butt down the remainder of the stairs. I threw the Pom Rocky back behind me on the stairs. I didn't want to risk crushing him with any of my body parts! He was fine for the weather through this all. Meanwhile, my sight grew dim. I sat there at the bottom of the stairs in extreme pain. I saw stars, literally. "Mrs. iluv!!!!!" Wilma!!!! I called a cab to drive me to the nearest hospital - I could not shift the gears of our 2001 Kia Sportage 4X4 with what was most likely a broken arm. Later, after the arm was stabilized, a really dear friend lent me his Ford Interceptor ex-police car, that had an automatic transmission. What a nice gift to me to borrow that rig from him! "Hey, take it easy over the bumps, OK?" "Yes, I will," was the cabbies response. At Phelps County Memorial Hospital in Rolla, MO, the verdict came in quickly. "You, Mr. iluvmysephia1, have a broken humerous bone." Great. Right during Respiratory Therapy college. We were coming down the home stretch, too, getting ready to graduate in March of 2005. This broken arm occurred in December of 2004. Long story short - I retained the services of a Rolla bone doctor and went through recovery. I was told I couldn't go to my clinicals because, as my teacher told me, "I've never heard of a one-armed Respiratory Therapist!" Thanks, teach. So, I was allowed to stay in school, only ta go to daytime classes with the rest of the students. Once my arm was sufficiently healed up, I was allowed to start up clinicals again. So I did this. All of this. And ended up graduating college one month and 25 days after everyone else in school. But at least I did. abacomike - you're not alone, man! These nasty things do happen to other people. Other people like iluvmysephia1. And bone breaks are absolutely awfully painful.

Our club had a guest speaker recently who said the Number One cause of a fall is going down stairs in stocking feet! I never even thought about that!

I would have thought that gravity would be the number one cause of falls. 

driver100

Mike, I liked those lessons from old people.
How did you get the print so small...or is the shrunken writing part of getting old?

isellhondas

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

tbirdmarco

@abacomike feal better we all are hear for you!

abacomike

driver100 said:

Mike, I liked those lessons from old people. How did you get the print so small...or is the shrunken writing part of getting old?

My brother sent me those in an email so I just pasted it.  Some funny, but realistic clues that one is getting old.

abacomike

I received the following from a friend of mine and thought it was appropriate for me to share it with all of you!

 A NEW CHRISTMAS POEM

 TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE
MADE O PLASTER AND STONE.

 I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

 I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

 NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

 WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

 FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

 THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

 THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

 WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

 I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
 WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

 SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

 THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

 I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

 THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

 THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

 I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

 THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

 I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

 I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

 THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

 ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

 This poem was written by a Marine. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable..... PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead! , who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed

 May God Bless You and Have A Great Day

explorerx4

Just watched an interesting movie. Pawn Sacrifice. It was about Bobby Fischer leading up to the Fischer/Spassky chess match in 1972.
Well done and lots of good period vehicles 50's/70's.

driver100

Mike good poem.
Did the guy from Walmart deliver your car or is he still driving it around?

abacomike

driver100 said:

Mike good poem. Did the guy from Walmart deliver your car or is he still driving it around?

He drove it to my condo last evening.  He was very accommodating and said if I needed anything to just call him.  He gave me his cell phone number.

oldfarmer50

isellhondas said:

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

isellhondas said:

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

Funny, aside from breaking some fingers in a car door when I was 6 I never had a broken bone. I've fallen down stairs, out of trees, on ice...even had a small tractor roll over on me once...nothing. I hardly even bruise so I get no sympathy from my wife.

My weak spots are tendons which I've ripped off bones and gotten hernias. Now watch, somebody will break my legs with a shopping cart for bragging.

oldfarmer50

I saw one of these new MX-5 retractable hard tops today. Just like this. Impressive and good looking but I'm wondering what's the point.

stickguy

when you want better visibility, weather sealing, or security over a cloth top, and still want to be able to put it down.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

isellhondas said:

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

isellhondas said:

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

Funny, aside from breaking some fingers in a car door when I was 6 I never had a broken bone. I've fallen down stairs, out of trees, on ice...even had a small tractor roll over on me once...nothing. I hardly even bruise so I get no sympathy from my wife.

Guess you don't shop at Walmart?

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Mike good poem.
Did the guy from Walmart deliver your car or is he still driving it around?

He drove it to my condo last evening.  He was very accommodating and said if I needed anything to just call him.  He gave me his cell phone number.

I wonder how he felt driving your car? Depending on the car he has, it could be a little overwhelming.

driver100

stickguy said:

when you want better visibility, weather sealing, or security over a cloth top, and still want to be able to put it down.

Exactly, Stick. If I got a little sports model like that I would really want a snap on hardtop. That is probably what I would use 90% of the time for the reasons you gave. I would really want to have the hardtop if I was parking the car in a downtown area......too easy to break into a soft top.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

Funny, aside from breaking some fingers in a car door when I was 6 I never had a broken bone. I've fallen down stairs, out of trees, on ice...even had a small tractor roll over on me once...nothing. I hardly even bruise so I get no sympathy from my wife. My weak spots are tendons which I've ripped off bones and gotten hernias. Now watch, somebody will break my legs with a shopping cart for bragging.

Same here. No broken bones ever. At least that I am aware of. I suspect I may have broken at least 1 toe, since that foot doesn't work right anymore, but I don't know for sure.

abacomike

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

Mike good poem. Did the guy from Walmart deliver your car or is he still driving it around?

He drove it to my condo last evening.  He was very accommodating and said if I needed anything to just call him.  He gave me his cell phone number.

I wonder how he felt driving your car? Depending on the car he has, it could be a little overwhelming.

He mentioned that to me.  He said it took him 5 minutes to figure out how to put the car in gear!

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

when you want better visibility, weather sealing, or security over a cloth top, and still want to be able to put it down.

Exactly, Stick. If I got a little sports model like that I would really want a snap on hardtop. That is probably what I would use 90% of the time for the reasons you gave. I would really want to have the hardtop if I was parking the car in a downtown area......too easy to break into a soft top.

Hate to tell you this but it's just as easy to break into a hard top as it is a soft top. Windows break just as easy between the two. 

As for weather sealing my 10 year old 125k mile ragtop seals up just as well as any new hardtop. 

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

isellhondas said:

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

isellhondas said:

You slip going downstairs or on an icy sidewalk and you'll find out about gravity quickly!

Funny, aside from breaking some fingers in a car door when I was 6 I never had a broken bone. I've fallen down stairs, out of trees, on ice...even had a small tractor roll over on me once...nothing. I hardly even bruise so I get no sympathy from my wife.

Guess you don't shop at Walmart?

Funny you reference Mike's incident. Just now we were at the supermarket I rounded a corner an a woman with a loaded cart was coming down the isle texting. I near jumped into the cat food display. My wife thought I was crazy until I told her Mike's story.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

when you want better visibility, weather sealing, or security over a cloth top, and still want to be able to put it down.

Exactly, Stick. If I got a little sports model like that I would really want a snap on hardtop. That is probably what I would use 90% of the time for the reasons you gave. I would really want to have the hardtop if I was parking the car in a downtown area......too easy to break into a soft top.

Hate to tell you this but it's just as easy to break into a hard top as it is a soft top. Windows break just as easy between the two. 

As for weather sealing my 10 year old 125k mile ragtop seals up just as well as any new hardtop. 

Does your Sebring have the 2.7L 6 with the sludge reputation? Obviously you haven't had that happen. I've heard the 2.7 was ok after about 2005-06 when they put in a larger oil pan. Heretofore I've been reluctant to consider anything newer than 2000 models.

I know most people don't think much of them but they're cheap to buy and could make a nice little sunny day cruiser.

breld

oldfarmer50 said:

I saw one of these new MX-5 retractable hard tops today. Just like this. Impressive and good looking but I'm wondering what's the point.

The RF model still catches my eye - I like the profile of it with the top up, and I kinda like the idea of a more “targa-like” feel with the top down.  But, from what I’ve read, the noise levels of the RF are higher than the soft top, and of course the blind spots with the top down seems just silly on a convertible (the RF model comes standard with blind spot monitoring!).

And, for what its worth, that picture is not one of the retractable hardtop version - looks to be a soft top with hardtop accessory.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

when you want better visibility, weather sealing, or security over a cloth top, and still want to be able to put it down.

Exactly, Stick. If I got a little sports model like that I would really want a snap on hardtop. That is probably what I would use 90% of the time for the reasons you gave. I would really want to have the hardtop if I was parking the car in a downtown area......too easy to break into a soft top.

Hate to tell you this but it's just as easy to break into a hard top as it is a soft top. Windows break just as easy between the two. 

As for weather sealing my 10 year old 125k mile ragtop seals up just as well as any new hardtop. 

Does your Sebring have the 2.7L 6 with the sludge reputation? Obviously you haven't had that happen. I've heard the 2.7 was ok after about 2005-06 when they put in a larger oil pan. Heretofore I've been reluctant to consider anything newer than 2000 models. I know most people don't think much of them but they're cheap to buy and could make a nice little sunny day cruiser.

I have the 2.4L 4 banger in mine. Other than an intake manifold going bad and setting off the VEL (couldn't tell that anything was wrong except for the CEL). It's been a pretty good engine. 

tbirdmarco

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/12/17/from-t-to-taunus-a-visit-to-the-gratton-museum-italys-blue-oval-mecca/

oldfarmer50

breld said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I saw one of these new MX-5 retractable hard tops today. Just like this. Impressive and good looking but I'm wondering what's the point.

The RF model still catches my eye - I like the profile of it with the top up, and I kinda like the idea of a more “targa-like” feel with the top down.  But, from what I’ve read, the noise levels of the RF are higher than the soft top, and of course the blind spots with the top down seems just silly on a convertible (the RF model comes standard with blind spot monitoring!).

And, for what its worth, that picture is not one of the retractable hardtop version - looks to be a soft top with hardtop accessory.

Yeah, I realized that after i posted. The one i saw had something like wings coming back from the C pillar. Looked good though. Just a funny concept for such a small car. But not unheard of. The VW eos comes to mind.

What I saw looked like this only in white.

tbirdmarco

@abacomike nice what you posted above will shair that is for shore! glad the man braught the car back to your house and was real nice!

tbirdmarco

@oldfarmer50 nice MX5 posted above love the shape of it looks good in white!

breld

Yup - those “wings” give it a cool fastback, “Alfa” look to the profile.  As @michaell can attest to, I was very taken with it at last years car show, but there are some practical drawbacks that would draw me toward the soft top.  And then from there, the inherent drawbacks to a two seater convertible set in and I stop looking.    

The previous generation’s retractable hardtop was ingenious, having the full too retract into the same space as the soft top.  

explorerx4

@marcothecarguy1986,
Some great stuff I that museum. I liked the picture with the 2 Capri's side by side. They looked good.

abacomike

Marcothecarguy1986 said:

@abacomike nice what you posted above will shair that is for shore! glad the man braught the car back to your house and was real nice!

Thanks, Marco