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Comments
Steve
First the DSL folks dug up my yard to bury new cable, and still never got it working. This was a few years ago. They left a mess.
So we switched to Cable. That was OK for a couple of years, but then they "upgraded" and failed to tell me my modem was out of date. That's despite the fact that I called tech support 6 times and every single time as part of their routine they ask the model of the modem I'm using. Someone here told me it was my modem, believe it or not, so they never figured it out.
I was so frustrated I changed again, to DSL. It was cheaper, $30 instead of $43, and DSL was now operated by Verizon, which acquired Bell Atlantic (we used to say BAH!).
Too bad you don't have choices. When I feel they're incompetent, I switch.
-juice
Anyhow, it was nice to see Jim again. We did this two years ago when I was in town.
Sorry Juice, no pictures. You will just have to take our word for it that it actually happened!
Steve
Chat's tonight, just a reminder!
-juice
Actually, I was in Wilmington -- I wish I was in Baltimore -- better places to eat!
Ken
-juice
(soltice ... stonehenge ... oh well .. it sounded good in my head)
jim
This came up not long ago at a chat you missed; it was determined that this phenonoma only occured on the Chevy Equinox. That Vernal guy was talking about it.
Steve, Host
It was one of the best conferences that I have attended in a long time. A lot of breakthru work in TEM (transmission electron microscopy) - unique sample prep using my specialty (FIB), lots of high powered computer work for 3D imaging, etc. I learned stuff that I can apply on Monday when I get back to work. Pretty neat....
Steve
Ken
I have never, ever seen such long lines for any driving event before, it got ridiculous. One line took an hour and 15 minutes, to drive a Mazda5 for 60 seconds? And it was the shortest of 3 lines.
I was there from 9:45 to after 1pm and didn't even get to do all the drives. Huge disappointment. Mazda should be embarassed.
Top it off, all the food they had was some hot dogs and chips, and the only drink was water. It just felt decidedly low budget.
I'd avoid this event entirely if anyone is still scheduled to go.
At least I got to meet up with Bob briefly, catch up a bit. But the event ran so late I didn't even get to show him my new NAV system, which I had brought with me.
-juice
They should have restricted the amount of people by half, at least.
The 70 seconds I spent driving the new Miata was fun, but it was only 70 seconds.
Bob
-juice
Bob
Just sitting here listening to the ABC's (our national broadcaster - like the BBC only friendlier) Washington Correspondent describing the oddity of the leaf collection trucks coming to vacuum up the leaves. Haven't you folk heard of composting?
Cheers
Graham
The leaves in my back yard get blown into the woods where they do get composted. In my case I just have too many to compost, hence the trips to the county landfill.
Bob
My 4 horse chipper shredder has used more gas than the Outback this month.
We have a separate compost pile going for the kitchen waste.
A lawn service gives me a pickup load of grass clippings every week in the summer but it's trickier to compost, especially when you live on what's essentially a high desert sand dune without much brown organic matter to play with.
When it starts getting too ripe around here I just blame it on the dairy farm 4 miles away that's upwind. :-)
Steve, Host
The next year spring, that goes in my garden as fertilizer (black gold). The compost pile goes down gradually, and then fills up the next fall.
Repeat the cycle every year!
This year we had a drought, but last year my garden was incredible. On one single day I picked 22 cucumbers. I brought veggies to work every day because we could not eat them all.
My garden isn't even that big, 6' by about 20' or so, maybe. And it's on the North (shaded) side of the house. Go figure.
FWIW, the county composts all the yard waste and turns it into free mulch. So none of it ends up in land fills, even Bob's leaves.
-juice
Bob
Lines when we left were growing, naturally. Mazda probably needs to limit the attendance or expand the tracks to allow for more drivers.
Lines for the Solstice at the GM event were at least 1.5 hours long. And there were only 2 to drive.
-Brian
We got there a little late, but Mazda had e-mailed me to tell me they were overbooked (first red flag) and suggested I come late. When we registered they asked if I was a walk-in (second red flag).
Plus they allowed 18 and up drivers, usually events like this are for 25 and up, at least to be able to drive.
-juice
But the drives were fun.. that's all I cared about. So I guess it depends on the location.
http://imprezashakedown.com/
I think the comments the drivers make are pretty funny. I don't have a joystick so it's kind of hard to play for me, but it still made me laugh.
Check it out. Then report your fastest and slowest time back here (be honest!). I've got a prize for the fastest and slowest times overall, OK?
-juice
1:07.73 in the WRX
It's awkward to use the keys, though. I think I did some follow-up laps under a minute but I run out of time before completing a 3rd lap and they stop the game there.
-juice
http://veepers.budlight.com/service/RetrieveCardBySlip?id=OKIiSD9w2Hg5oSUj1ENTha
-juice
Bob
It's pretty neat. You can submit your own photo. Try it out, it takes some time to set up and they're slow to e-mail it to you, but it's funny.
-juice
well, actually .. my DH bought a Dyson Animal vac online (reconditioned) at a $150 savings and this thing is WONDERFUL .. no false advertising claims here ...
(never thought i'd be excited about a vacuum cleaner ... me .. who says the dust is the protective coating on furniture ...)
So....Turkey Day coming up, any body planning a road trip?
For once we'll be in town, no 10 hour drives that should take 5 this year for us. We visited grandma early this year.
-juice
Interestingly enough, there was a feature article about Dyson in the United Airlines Magazine (read it on the way out to San Jose two weeks ago. Seems he hated the idea of bags and basically invented the idea of cyclonic separation of dirt and air. His stuff is big in Europe and Asia, just starting to take off in the USA.
Let us know if you still like it over time.
I have Electrolux central vac, exhausted to the outside of the house. This is my second home with it. It also uses a cyclone action and no bag in the big bucket located in the basement. For small stuff when it is inconvenient to fetch the long hose, we have an Oreck XL.
Steve
-juice
Steve
Driving all the vehicles was fun and my only beef was that the courses were quite short with a fast run only taking 30 secs or so. They had a BMW 330 to compare the IS 350 to but for me it backfired since I felt the BMW handled better. Sure the 350 has a faster 0-60 and the interior was nicer (with more gadgets) but the BMW was more fun to drive. Oh, I figured a good indication on how close to the handling limits I was pushing a given vehicle was the number of times the GF grabbed the Oh S#!t handle :-)
Actually the most impressive Lexus demo was a GS 430 with a Mark-Levinson audio system (with its 14 speakers). They played a demo DVD at movie-level volume and with the doors closed; you couldn’t hear a thing even standing right next to the car.
-Frank
nah .. no hooking up anything to my Subie ....
We've had a Dyson DC01 for about 9.5 years. The only problem we have had was a recent drama when the cord chafed and caused a short in the power cable. Service for about AUD65 including cord replacement and belt/filters.
We used to live near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, where the Dyson is made and James Dyson lived locally. He has designed several innovative solutions including a wonderful wheelbarrow with a ball wheel that is no longer made.
I acquired the Dyson in a Charity Raffle run for the local town fair (Tetbury Woolsack races) where the weather girl from the local TV station conned me into raising my bid. Money well spent.
I was a little dubious about the robustness of the cleaner but noting its age and regular use, it must be holding up well. I recently let Mum use it for a while and she raved about how good it is. The only disapporval is the dog who regulalry threatens to kill it when it appears. The fromt bar has teeth marks from her attacks.
It has a HEPA filter and does a pretty good job of cleaning the place
Cheers
Graham
Subaru does this but last time their "Washington" location was in Dover, Deleware, 2+ hours away from here. It's ridiculous to call that Washington, DC. I think it's actually closer to Philly!
-juice
-Frank
-juice
Now, he has a 6 spd auto with paddle shifters, which is kind of a bummer. But after spending hours in traffic I was actually glad it wasn't a stick! It has a sport mode where it the shifts are delayed and quicker, and of course the manual paddle shift mode which was pretty good. I don't know if I could have shifted much faster. It was good had picking and holding gears on the twisties, and very smooth when driven modestly. The car is quite comfortable and quiet when not driven aggressively (It has the base suspension)- I'd say it's even a little quieter and smoother than my LGT! But there's plenty there to hold the road on the curves. I ran out of guts way before the car did! (Not that I was willing to take any risks, of course- I'm sure I could push the car to it's limits on a track)
The engine is, of course, a blast. 6 liters, just raw power. Too fun! Makes my car seem almost slow! As much as I love the sounds from my car, it's just not the same. It loafs around at 1K which you could drive all day and never get it above 1.5K. But it starts screaming around 3K and it's quite a roar at 5K, topping out at 6.5- wonderful noises!
It also has a neat HUD which can project speed, tach, lateral g's, and Nav directions. I think I got too used to it and have forgotten how to look down at my gauges. I think it'd be good to have on more cars.
Well, it was fun, and I can't wait to go back on another 'business trip' I can see how it's really a good 'bargain' at it's price. It's a great daily driver with some serious potential. I can't imagine needing more, and the Z06 must be a serious animal considering how fast the 'base' model is! I thought my dad made a mistake in not buying a 911, but now I can't fault him for his choice, even the auto part. I'd love to have one. Now I've just got to figure out how to get one past my wife.
tom
Bruce
-Frank
Craig
In the end I chose the better vehicle for 4 seasons and hauling people. I don't *need* a roadster nor corvette when I've got a sportbike. But boy, did I want one.
~Colin
I am still amazed how comfortable the car is. I am actually much more impressed by the Corvette than the 535i or MB E500. Americans really can do some great engineering- it must be that they just won't? It's too bad. If every GM car was like the Corvette GM wouldn't be laying off workers.
tom
It looks like I'll have to shelve my plans for a Miata road race car for another year. Kinda of a bummer but other things came up.
tom