Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

explorerx4 · October 22

I'll post a sunset pic, too. It will be a softball for our local photo critic jmonroe1.

jmonroe1 · October 22

explorerx4 said:
I'll post a sunset pic, too. It will be a softball for our local photo critic jmonroe1.

————————————————
That’ll do…in a pinch.

jmonroe

snakeweasel · October 22

@corvette said:
@nyccarguy - I've never been on a cruise, but I've always heard the drink packages aren't worth it unless you're planning on having at least a few drinks per day. Plus, I think most cruise lines allow you to bring a small amount of alcohol on board, or at least they used to, which might be all you'd want.

Fun fact, the steamboats in NOLA that offer two hour brunch/lunch/dinner cruises offer "drink packages" for the two hour cruise, which is the most NOLA thing ever. I think the package includes three drinks.

I would say that the drink package would not be would not be worth it especially if you are light drinkers. On our cruise they upgraded us to the drink so all bets were off.

stickguy · October 22

You people leave the house? Wild.

tjc78 · October 22

We absolutely got the drink package - we are good for a minimum of 5 drinks / day which if you get the package on sale is more than break even.

We really did have a blast and very much enjoy cruising - if we didn't have the shore house I could see us going much more often.

Great sunset photos all! Love this time of year for that.

@jmonroe1
If I took it after the billboard is was behind the horizon.

@snakeweasel
I want to do Alaska, but the family has zero interest in it.

@laurasdada
You may have been on the same ship... there was Hairspray on our sailing too.

tjc78 · October 22

stickguy said:
You people leave the house? Wild.

Unfortunately.... I have to 4 days/ week ugh

Michaell · October 22

Basement update:

In the home stretch now. Carpet was installed on Monday, shower door is scheduled to be put in this afternoon, and various folks have come in over the past few days to do touch up work on drywall, paint, hardware installation (doorknobs), etc. Not much left on the punch list at this point, and I think the final inspection is set for tomorrow.

New W/D to be delivered on Monday next week, and we're working with the LV folks to get the TV installed on Monday, as well. Final cleaning probably starts today, and the daughter will start moving things in starting tomorrow or Friday and going through the weekend.

Wife and I are now talking about replacing the carpet in the bedrooms upstairs to match what we installed in the basement (and stairs leading to the basement). What's another few thousand when we've spent so much already?

snakeweasel · October 22

@tjc78 said:
We absolutely got the drink package - we are good for a minimum of 5 drinks / day which if you get the package on sale is more than break even.

@snakeweasel
I want to do Alaska, but the family has zero interest in it.

@laurasdada
You may have been on the same ship... there was Hairspray on our sailing too.

Thr drink package might be worth it if my wife had more than one a day. I could do 5 or more a day if my wife didnt keep count.

An Alaskan cruise can be a crap shoot as it is a rain forest and can get a ton of rain. We lucked out and the entire trip was dry.

tjc78 · October 22

Great picture!

Wife will stay one for one with me.... for a little bit

explorerx4 · October 22

@kmonroe1,
I thought you'd say something about the trash barrel in the foreground.

xwesx · October 22

Approximately the same view today. No more mountains!

tjc78 · October 22

Way too early for the white stuff!

xwesx · October 22

tjc78 said:
Way too early for the white stuff!

Not here. We actually fared pretty well this year. It was raining most of the last few weeks, and, in "the old days," that would have all been snow. Now? It can be snow or rain, but the forecast says this stuff is going to stick around a while (maybe until spring).

oldfarmer50 · October 22

xwesx said:

Approximately the same view today. No more mountains!

We had a thunderstorm with hail today. Very unusual for late October.

roadburner · October 22

My last "cruise" in Alaska- back in 2000. I hope that my son and I can return in a few years.

ab348 · October 22

As part of the renovation I got rid of the 1980s colonial maple dining set I bought the first week I moved in here at an auction for very little, which was too big for the new space and very dated. The table was used as a landing ground for all sorts of things so this was addition by subtraction. I finally decided to get something even though I seldom use a dining table, so I got a small round 2/4 seater and a couple of chairs. Either side of the table drops down so it can take up very little space when not in use. I put it together today and it wasn’t an awful task. Hardest part was disposing of all the packaging. Bought it online from a place that was new to me, I think on the west coast, called Costway. UPS delivered it surprisingly quickly given I’m on the opposite coast.

Michaell · October 22

ab348 said:
As part of the renovation I got rid of the 1980s colonial maple dining set I bought the first week I moved in here at an auction for very little, which was too big for the new space and very dated. The table was used as a landing ground for all sorts of things so this was addition by subtraction. I finally decided to get something even though I seldom use a dining table, so I got a small round 2/4 seater and a couple of chairs. Either side of the table drops down so it can take up very little space when not in use. I put it together today and it wasn’t an awful task. Hardest part was disposing of all the packaging. Bought it online from a place that was new to me, I think on the west coast, called Costway. UPS delivered it surprisingly quickly given I’m on the opposite coast.

Sounds like a great solution for your needs!

We replaced our dining room table this week. Wife had bought a round table with metal chairs, which she ended up disliking greatly, so it got replaced with a rectangular table with 4 padded chairs and a bench for the cats. Unfortunately, the bench was damaged in transit, so a new one has been ordered and should be here by the end of the week.

Final walkthrough on the basement is scheduled for tomorrow, but there is one little glitch - apparently, there is a scratch on the fixed panel of the new shower door. A replacement is in the process of being crafted and should be installed soon.

TV guy will also be here tomorrow to do the installation. Daughter is chomping at the bit to start moving in.

ab348 · October 22

Michaell said:

We replaced our dining room table this week. Wife had bought a round table with metal chairs, which she ended up disliking greatly, so it got replaced with a rectangular table with 4 padded chairs and a bench for the cats.

Funny thing here. Lucy the cat was greatly distressed by the new additions. I figured she would like it because it would make it much easier to get up on the adjacent window sill. Nope. Even when I placed her on the table she couldn’t get away fast enough. Just as with most cats, she doesn’t like change.

fintail · October 22

xwesx said:

tjc78 said:
Way too early for the white stuff!
Not here. We actually fared pretty well this year. It was raining most of the last few weeks, and, in "the old days," that would have all been snow. Now? It can be snow or rain, but the forecast says this stuff is going to stick around a while (maybe until spring).

I hope we get the same. I recall Oct 23 2020 we got like 6-7" but last winter was half of normal. We've had several frosty mornings in Spokane in the past week including some ice in the birdbath, so maybe this year will be better.

stickguy · October 22

I saw some prediction online (from a source I don't remember, but some "big name" prediction operation) that said the NE will be extra stormy and lots of snow. Not looking forward to that but fully well expecting it.

Michaell · October 22

ab348 said:

Michaell said:

We replaced our dining room table this week. Wife had bought a round table with metal chairs, which she ended up disliking greatly, so it got replaced with a rectangular table with 4 padded chairs and a bench for the cats.
Funny thing here. Lucy the cat was greatly distressed by the new additions. I figured she would like it because it would make it much easier to get up on the adjacent window sill. Nope. Even when I placed her on the table she couldn’t get away fast enough. Just as with most cats, she doesn’t like change.

Our cats have lived through a lifetime of changes in the past 7 weeks. Very much ready for them to be able to roam the house again, day and night.j

ab348 · October 23

stickguy said:
I saw some prediction online (from a source I don't remember, but some "big name" prediction operation) that said the NE will be extra stormy and lots of snow. Not looking forward to that but fully well expecting it.

Most media weather forecasts are more concerned with getting clicks and eyeballs by constantly providing forecasts of dire weather. The drama is almost always present. Nobody boosts their engagement by predicting a nice sunny day.

tjc78 · October 23

Minor rant... I'm thinking anyone with tweens or teens may experience this. Yes, it is 100% a first world problem

We have several of the streaming services (Netflix, Disney, etc). They are all in my name and email account. Many times per week I get texts from the kids or my wife "I need the verification code for X". Just last night on my way home my son was first and then 10 minutes later my daughter pinged me. The TV's seem to stay logged in, but it's always their phones that get logged out.

I like two-factor authentication, but what a PITA sometimes!

corvette · October 23

@tjc78 - that "feature" on streaming services isn't so much to protect your account against hackers, it's because the providers want to make sure only one "household" is using the account.

nyccarguy · October 23

tjc78 said:
Minor rant... I'm thinking anyone with tweens or teens may experience this. Yes, it is 100% a first world problem

We have several of the streaming services (Netflix, Disney, etc). They are all in my name and email account. Many times per week I get texts from the kids or my wife "I need the verification code for X". Just last night on my way home my son was first and then 10 minutes later my daughter pinged me. The TV's seem to stay logged in, but it's always their phones that get logged out.

I like two-factor authentication, but what a PITA sometimes!

Sometimes it is the only conversation I'll have with my (almost) 14 year old daughter. "Dad. What's the Disney Plus password?"

graphicguy · October 23

tjc78 said:
We absolutely got the drink package - we are good for a minimum of 5 drinks / day which if you get the package on sale is more than break even.

We really did have a blast and very much enjoy cruising - if we didn't have the shore house I could see us going much more often.

Great sunset photos all! Love this time of year for that.

@jmonroe1
If I took it after the billboard is was behind the horizon.

@snakeweasel
I want to do Alaska, but the family has zero interest in it.

@laurasdada
You may have been on the same ship... there was Hairspray on our sailing too.

Alaska....make it a bucket list cruise.

ab348 · October 23

This morning I was going about my usual routine when I heard an unusual sound outside, wasn't sure if it was a piece of heavy equipment or what exactly. Went window to window until I saw the source: an absolutely pristine and shiny 1969 Camaro Z-28, triple black with white stripes, rumbling at the corner where my house is. He made a left and went up the dead-end street next to me, then went back down and departed. It was just gorgeous even though I don't like triple black anything. It looked totally stock from the outside but I wouldn't be shocked if it had been heavily worked on.

tjc78 · October 23

nyccarguy said:

tjc78 said:
Minor rant... I'm thinking anyone with tweens or teens may experience this. Yes, it is 100% a first world problem

We have several of the streaming services (Netflix, Disney, etc). They are all in my name and email account. Many times per week I get texts from the kids or my wife "I need the verification code for X". Just last night on my way home my son was first and then 10 minutes later my daughter pinged me. The TV's seem to stay logged in, but it's always their phones that get logged out.

I like two-factor authentication, but what a PITA sometimes!
Sometimes it is the only conversation I'll have with my (almost) 14 year old daughter. "Dad. What's the Disney Plus password?"

I knew it wasn't only me!

tjc78 · October 23

graphicguy said:

tjc78 said:
We absolutely got the drink package - we are good for a minimum of 5 drinks / day which if you get the package on sale is more than break even.

We really did have a blast and very much enjoy cruising - if we didn't have the shore house I could see us going much more often.

Great sunset photos all! Love this time of year for that.

@jmonroe1
If I took it after the billboard is was behind the horizon.

@snakeweasel
I want to do Alaska, but the family has zero interest in it.

@laurasdada
You may have been on the same ship... there was Hairspray on our sailing too.
Alaska....make it a bucket list cruise.

I know - I have to convince the family!

jmonroe1 · October 23

tjc78 said:

graphicguy said:

tjc78 said:
We absolutely got the drink package - we are good for a minimum of 5 drinks / day which if you get the package on sale is more than break even.

We really did have a blast and very much enjoy cruising - if we didn't have the shore house I could see us going much more often.

Great sunset photos all! Love this time of year for that.

@jmonroe1
If I took it after the billboard is was behind the horizon.

@snakeweasel
I want to do Alaska, but the family has zero interest in it.

@laurasdada
You may have been on the same ship... there was Hairspray on our sailing too.
Alaska....make it a bucket list cruise.
I know - I have to convince the family!

————————————————
Could be more interesting if you went by yourself. Although not the best thing for your health.

jmonroe

ab348 · October 23

graphicguy said:

Alaska....make it a bucket list cruise.

To my twisted mind, a "bucket list cruise" makes me think of "The Poseidon Adventure".

ab348 · October 23

Recently I stumbled across a YT channel from Toronto Realty Group, featuring a guy named David Fleming, a realtor in Toronto (surprise!) who posts videos about the market there and does a weekly thing called Pick 5 where he compares 5 listed properties of a certain type or in a certain area. He can be a bit quirky but I find him entertaining. It is eye-opening to see the prices in that market. I can't imagine being on the hook for property taxes and condo fees in the area of $3000-$5000/mo. before you make the payment on your $2 million mortgage.

https://www.youtube.com/@Torontorealtygroup

roadburner · October 23

nyccarguy said:

tjc78 said:
Minor rant... I'm thinking anyone with tweens or teens may experience this. Yes, it is 100% a first world problem

We have several of the streaming services (Netflix, Disney, etc). They are all in my name and email account. Many times per week I get texts from the kids or my wife "I need the verification code for X". Just last night on my way home my son was first and then 10 minutes later my daughter pinged me. The TV's seem to stay logged in, but it's always their phones that get logged out.

I like two-factor authentication, but what a PITA sometimes!
Sometimes it is the only conversation I'll have with my (almost) 14 year old daughter. "Dad. What's the Disney Plus password?"

The good Lord knew what he was doing when he gave us one son; I have several friends with teenage daughters and there is absolutely no way that I could tolerate the drama that erupts on an hourly (or frequently minute by minute) basis.

snakeweasel · October 23

tjc78 said:
Minor rant... I'm thinking anyone with tweens or teens may experience this. Yes, it is 100% a first world problem

We have several of the streaming services (Netflix, Disney, etc). They are all in my name and email account. Many times per week I get texts from the kids or my wife "I need the verification code for X". Just last night on my way home my son was first and then 10 minutes later my daughter pinged me. The TV's seem to stay logged in, but it's always their phones that get logged out.

I like two-factor authentication, but what a PITA sometimes!

For me it's my wife that refuses to change our contact information at the bank to her phone number.

roadburner · October 23

I'm prepping the Club Sport for a BMW Classic tour in a few weeks, so I decided to drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I bought a decent BT/FM transmitter and a vent mounted phone holder to use with the app that the tour is using for navigation. It will also give me access to SXM and my Missed Apex F1 podcasts. I might even listen to a Kennedy Saves the World podcast- although I'll have to listen to my wife referring to Kennedy as my secret girlfriend.
I could do worse.

kyfdx · October 23

ab348 said:
Recently I stumbled across a YT channel from Toronto Realty Group, featuring a guy named David Fleming, a realtor in Toronto (surprise!) who posts videos about the market there and does a weekly thing called Pick 5 where he compares 5 listed properties of a certain type or in a certain area. He can be a bit quirky but I find him entertaining. It is eye-opening to see the prices in that market. I can't imagine being on the hook for property taxes and condo fees in the area of $3000-$5000/mo. before you make the payment on your $2 million mortgage.

https://www.youtube.com/@Torontorealtygroup

Wasn't Love it or List it based in Toronto, originally?

ab348 · October 23

kyfdx said:

Wasn't Love it or List it based in Toronto, originally?

Yes. I haven’t watched in a while, but it began there, then went to Raleigh-Durham for a few years before returning to Toronto. There is also a parallel show with different principals done in Vancouver.

andres3 · October 23

I was watching a relatively funny video titled "Car Meets in 2025" and this guy goes down a line of German cars commentating something like this script:

1st Car M240i: " Weak! Should have got the M"
2nd Car Audi S3: "Garbage! It's not even an RS."
3rd Car C63: "100 years old, and sounds like crap!"
4th Car M2: "Should have got the M4"
5TH CAR M4: "Should have got the M5"

oldfarmer50 · October 23

roadburner said:

nyccarguy said:

tjc78 said:
Minor rant... I'm thinking anyone with tweens or teens may experience this. Yes, it is 100% a first world problem

We have several of the streaming services (Netflix, Disney, etc). They are all in my name and email account. Many times per week I get texts from the kids or my wife "I need the verification code for X". Just last night on my way home my son was first and then 10 minutes later my daughter pinged me. The TV's seem to stay logged in, but it's always their phones that get logged out.

I like two-factor authentication, but what a PITA sometimes!
Sometimes it is the only conversation I'll have with my (almost) 14 year old daughter. "Dad. What's the Disney Plus password?"
The good Lord knew what he was doing when he gave us one son; I have several friends with teenage daughters and there is absolutely no way that I could tolerate the drama that erupts on an hourly (or frequently minute by minute) basis.

But sons won’t take care of you as well in your dotage.😅

suydam · October 23

I’m counting on ours. 😊
In seriousness, I know plenty of guys who took care of their parents in their old age. My Dad moved in with us and was with us for about 10 years. It was great for the kids growing up.

andres3 · October 23

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:
So there is a trial in my future over speed:

1. Officer lacks discretion and blindly follows the sign posting location to generate revenue.
Speculation as having discretion also means having the discretion not to use it.

The problem is not using discretion to actually cite hazardous dangerous drivers doing hazardous dangerous actions. Ignoring safety as an element directly shows a lack of discretion.
andres3 said:
2" Sheriff issues ticket for 40 in a 35 ignoring the fact the driver did slow down to 25 or so by the time children were anywhere NEAR being present. Also, 40 is a safe speed for the roadway;
Last time I checked you are legally required to follow what the speed limit is not what you think is safe.

Incorrect. The basic speed law always makes safety, reasonableness, and prudency as primary factors, and the posted speed limit is really just a guideline. Without the basic speed laws being written this way, there would be no way to cite people for "going too fast for conditions" at below the speed limit. Maximum speed laws are absolute and follow your logic above where safety isn't a factor nor element of the crime, this goes for CA but many States copy CA. With speed limit violations that are not "maximum speed code violations" the People have to prove safety was violated in some way to win a conviction as all elements of the crime have to be proven to win a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. Failure to prove any one of all the elements of the charge results in a "not guilty" verdict. In a trial by mail (declaration) the Court conveniently gives the Officers a form with a box to check (perjuring themselves IMHO) that the speed was "UNSAFE" in order to make sure they don't forget to testify to this element.
andres3 said:
Who will win in Court?
You might but not because the law favors you but the fact that you are only 5 over and the Judge might want to move cases forward. I don't think that where the children were in relation to you has any significance here since the officer cited you for doing 40 in a 35.

He actually cited me for 40 in a 25 with the special vehicle code for schools:

California Vehicle Code 22352 establishes a 25 mph prima facie speed limit in a school zone under specific conditions. This limit is active when children are present and the school area is marked with a standard "SCHOOL" warning sign.

The "reasonable and safe" argument:
For a prima facie speed limit like the school zone limit, you can also argue that your speed, while over the presumed limit, was still "reasonable and safe" for the conditions at that moment. If no children were present, the road was clear, and visibility was good, a judge may be persuaded by this line of reasoning.

When children became "near present" I slowed down to 25.

andres3 · October 23

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Also remember it's not just about time saved, its about safety and less hazard exposure which multiplies exponentially over time. Less likely to be rear-ended or crashed into by not dawdling around.
Oh I would love to see a peer reviewed study that supports that.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22664713/

More study is needed as the results are mixed, which means your myth propagating side doesn't have conclusive peer reviewed support either.

The key here is this fact:

The measure of exposure matters: some studies show crashes per mile may fall as speed increases (because you spend fewer miles/time on the road for a fixed trip), which is exactly what I'm talking about above.

However, I have to concede there's some data where crashes per hour (time-based) tend to rise with speed. This creates the apparent paradox you noted. See Pei et al. (2012) and related work.

I believe this suggests that the benefit of reducing hazards by reducing your time-exposure to "incidents" is limited to your ability to not lose focus and become fatigued. Of course, you don't have to last without fatigue as long if you get to your destination sooner!!!!

roadburner · October 23

In other Club Sport news, I installed a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus UHP all season tires. I'm interested to see how they perform on the BMW Performance Center track.

kyfdx · 8:27AM

One thing to note about Windows 11 upgrade

Just got an email from TurboTax that said their desktop version won't work with Windows 10, for tax year 2025.

corvette · 8:45AM

@kyfdx - Intuit and its formerly owned Quicken are both quick to drop support for old operating systems, once the OS no longer receives security updates. I keep a current Windows laptop for that purpose (Quicken for MacOS doesn't have the same feature set).

imidazol97 · 9:30AM

Windows 10 offered security updates for another year on my Win 10 laptops. I clicked the yes button on both.

oldfarmer50 · 10:07AM

suydam said:
I’m counting on ours. 😊
In seriousness, I know plenty of guys who took care of their parents in their old age. My Dad moved in with us and was with us for about 10 years. It was great for the kids growing up.

My son, who is a saint, takes care of my wife while I’m at work. So there are exceptions.

snakeweasel · 10:10AM

andres3 said:
The problem is not using discretion to actually cite hazardous dangerous drivers doing hazardous dangerous actions. Ignoring safety as an element directly shows a lack of discretion.

Police are there to enforce laws not to be a safety inspector. While you may be safe you were still in violation of the law. Otherwise it would be perfectly legal to break the law as long as you were safe doing it.

andres3 said:
Incorrect. The basic speed law always makes safety, reasonableness, and prudency as primary factors, and the posted speed limit is really just a guideline. Without the basic speed laws being written this way, there would be no way to cite people for "going too fast for conditions" at below the speed limit.

It's not called "speed suggestion", The "limit" on the sign means the maximum allowed. Since this is not a required speed one may, at their discretion go slower that the "limit". Vehicle codes do have a provision requiring slower speeds when conditions require it.

andres3 said:
He actually cited me for 40 in a 25 with the special vehicle code for schools:

OK that's a bit different as you said in a 35 in the original post.

andres3 said:
The "reasonable and safe" argument:
For a prima facie speed limit like the school zone limit, you can also argue that your speed, while over the presumed limit, was still "reasonable and safe" for the conditions at that moment. If no children were present, the road was clear, and visibility was good, a judge may be persuaded by this line of reasoning.

When children became "near present" I slowed down to 25.

Remember just because you didn't see them doesn't mean they weren't there. The guy that hit me a year and a half ago, although he looked directly at me, claimed he didn't see me. The eyes and brain do some weird stuff.

kyfdx · 10:16AM

Safety expert that has a column in the BMW car club magazine has great info on not seeing things. I think about it, every time I pull out of my neighborhood, onto a busy street:

https://www.brightmile.io/blog/safety-on-two-wheels-what-motorcyclists-need-to-know

kyfdx · 10:17AM

This, for those who don't want to click through, or read the whole thing:

Sorry, Mate, I Didn’t See You
Almost every motorcycle rider has heard some form of SMIDSY, the acronym created from the line above. Although it may sound like an excuse, the fast-moving, slim profiles of people on dark-colored bikes are, in fact, very difficult to see. That’s because of how our eyes and brain process information:

Gaps called saccades mean that our eyes literally can’t see anything meaningful while our heads are moving. Only when our heads are still (even momentarily) can our brains register what we’re seeing. That’s why when riders and drivers alike do quick glances before turning, they may miss seeing exactly what they’re looking for, even if it’s looming right in front of them.

Add to this a double whammy: Our brains like to fill in these gaps with whatever we expect to see, which may be nothing, because that’s usually what we encounter—until the one day that something is there.

Distraction can literally blind us to the point we don’t see gorillas walking across the court during a basketball game. This “tunnel vision” has been proven in countless studies.

A moving entity that stays in the same position and speed relative to you (especially at an angle) can appear perfectly stationary as you both approach the point of collision because there is not enough contrasting movement for our eyes to detect.

This also means we’re exceptionally poor at judging the speed of oncoming traffic (such as a driver turning in front of our path, one of the leading causes of motorcycle crashes).

Now that you know all this, overlay other factors: difficult light contrast conditions like dusk, cloudy conditions and bright dappled forest light; the big structural pillars and narrow windows of many vehicles (look up windscreen zoning); the many things happening on city versus rural roads; and a thousand other reasons why drivers and motorcyclists miss detecting each other. These factors don’t excuse either group from responsibility, but it does mean that safety is strongest when everyone follows best practices.

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