I will be leaving for Ames in a few short hours.
I should arrive Friday evening, I have one planned stop.
Please quit your jobs and hang out with me for the week I will be there.
30 August 2007
29 August 2007
New Portable Electronic Difference Engine
I purchased a 15.4" MacBook Pro, 2.4GhZ.
Pretty damn cool so far.
OS 10.4.10 has a lot of little differences from 10.3.9 that I was running on the dear departed CRT iMac.
Still getting things moved over from one side to the other.
Pretty damn cool so far.
OS 10.4.10 has a lot of little differences from 10.3.9 that I was running on the dear departed CRT iMac.
Still getting things moved over from one side to the other.
24 August 2007
17 August 2007
New Child In The House
It's a Ruger "New Model" Blackhawk, .357 Magnum, 6.5" barrel.
I bought it from a member of the car club who's further down on his luck than I am.
15 August 2007
Fuck YOU Wal Mart!
For the umpteenth time, the security sensor went off as I exited Wal Mart.
For the first time, I kept walking.
"Sir! I need to see your receipt!"
Keep walking.
"Sir! I need to see your receipt!"
Wave it in the air, "Here it is, can't you see it?" keep walking.
"Sir! I need to see your receipt!"
Stop, "Here! Happy?"
"Thank you, sir, shop at Wal Mart again soon."
"Thank you, asshole."
"Thank you, sir, shop at Wal Mart again soon."
I sure hope greeter man didn't like being called an asshole, because I sure don't like being called a thief. Their damned counter clerks routinely screw up the arduous task of "wave the product over the anti-theft device deactivator" and I get to be accosted on my way to the car.
Every couple of years, you'll see a report about shoplifting. Shoplifting is 13% of theft from a retail store, guess who steals the remaining 87%. The employees. While greeter man is demanding to see my receipt, the lumpers are loading their cars at the loading dock!
Fucking idiocy.
For the first time, I kept walking.
"Sir! I need to see your receipt!"
Keep walking.
"Sir! I need to see your receipt!"
Wave it in the air, "Here it is, can't you see it?" keep walking.
"Sir! I need to see your receipt!"
Stop, "Here! Happy?"
"Thank you, sir, shop at Wal Mart again soon."
"Thank you, asshole."
"Thank you, sir, shop at Wal Mart again soon."
I sure hope greeter man didn't like being called an asshole, because I sure don't like being called a thief. Their damned counter clerks routinely screw up the arduous task of "wave the product over the anti-theft device deactivator" and I get to be accosted on my way to the car.
Every couple of years, you'll see a report about shoplifting. Shoplifting is 13% of theft from a retail store, guess who steals the remaining 87%. The employees. While greeter man is demanding to see my receipt, the lumpers are loading their cars at the loading dock!
Fucking idiocy.
14 August 2007
Here's An Example...
Of why I don't like Hillary Clinton.
She's talking about having the gubmint bail out people who "have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous mortgage brokers."
You know, people who despite not understanding the loan document and terms signed it anyway.
It sure doesn't take much research to learn that you want a fixed rate, fixed term, traditional mortgage. Just a little more digging tells you that if you can't get that, sign a lease not a mortgage, or pick a more modest dwelling as your starter home.
_I_ did such research. I stunned my mother by doing that.
Since I was able to find this information with ease at a library, I refuse to be victimized by the government AGAIN because a class of people couldn't bother to educate themselves about how loans work.
Anyone who doesn't learn how the things they do work deserves to be victimized by the people who do understand.
Mortgages are not rocket science, amortization tables are reasonably advanced algebra not calculus. Oh, the library had a book with those tables in it too.
Once again, this is not my fault. Once again, we are blaming the wrong person for the problem. Once again, we expect an uninvolved third party to solve the problem. And once again, we expect an even less involved fourth party to pay for it.
She's talking about having the gubmint bail out people who "have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous mortgage brokers."
You know, people who despite not understanding the loan document and terms signed it anyway.
It sure doesn't take much research to learn that you want a fixed rate, fixed term, traditional mortgage. Just a little more digging tells you that if you can't get that, sign a lease not a mortgage, or pick a more modest dwelling as your starter home.
_I_ did such research. I stunned my mother by doing that.
Since I was able to find this information with ease at a library, I refuse to be victimized by the government AGAIN because a class of people couldn't bother to educate themselves about how loans work.
Anyone who doesn't learn how the things they do work deserves to be victimized by the people who do understand.
Mortgages are not rocket science, amortization tables are reasonably advanced algebra not calculus. Oh, the library had a book with those tables in it too.
Once again, this is not my fault. Once again, we are blaming the wrong person for the problem. Once again, we expect an uninvolved third party to solve the problem. And once again, we expect an even less involved fourth party to pay for it.
13 August 2007
2008 Corvette Things That Mess With Me
1. No door locks, per se. The door is opened when a stepper motor retracts the latch when signaled by a button. If the car is "locked" the buttons don't work.
2. Two gas tanks, one filler. This is actually familiar to me from the M1 Abrams, which uses almost exactly the same method of balancing the fuel in the rear cell.
3. Outside mirror is autodimming. Something I have been wishing for.
4. No keys to unlock the doors and no ignition key. Buttons! Buttons everywhere! The "key" fob has a teeny little transmitter that the car listens for. Once you are within a certain distance it shuts off the alarm and enables the door buttons. Once you are in the seat it enables the ignition button.
5. Memory power seat on the driver's side. Again, tied to the fob, the car senses which of the fobs is nearing the driver's door and adjusts the seat to one of two pre-set positions, it also adjusts the telescopic column.
2. Two gas tanks, one filler. This is actually familiar to me from the M1 Abrams, which uses almost exactly the same method of balancing the fuel in the rear cell.
3. Outside mirror is autodimming. Something I have been wishing for.
4. No keys to unlock the doors and no ignition key. Buttons! Buttons everywhere! The "key" fob has a teeny little transmitter that the car listens for. Once you are within a certain distance it shuts off the alarm and enables the door buttons. Once you are in the seat it enables the ignition button.
5. Memory power seat on the driver's side. Again, tied to the fob, the car senses which of the fobs is nearing the driver's door and adjusts the seat to one of two pre-set positions, it also adjusts the telescopic column.
Based On The Vote
2008 1YY07 (Corvette Coupe), 313 (Cashmere Interior), 3LT (Trim Level), 41U (Black Exterior), AAB (Driver Seat Memory), AG2 (6-Way Power Passenger Seat), AJ7 (Airbags, all around), AQ9 (Perforated Leather Seats), C2L (Both roofs), CJ2 (Air Conditioning), D42 (Luggage Shade), DD0 (Auto Dimming, Heated Driver's Side Outside Mirror), DD8 (Auto Dimming Inside Mirror), FE9 (Federal Emissions), GU6 (3.42 Rear End with Positraction), KA1 (Heated Seats, in Florida), LS3 (6.2 liter, 430hp V-8 Engine), MZ6 (Z51 version of TR-6060), N37 (Power Telescoping Steering Column), NK4 (Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel), NPP (Dual Mode Exhaust), QG6 (Split Spoke, Painted Wheels), R8C (National Corvette Museum Delivery), U2K (XM Radio), U52 (Gauges), UE1 (On-Star, YUCK), UG1 (Universal Home Remote), UJ9 (Tire Pressure Monitor), UK3 (Steering Wheel Radio Controls), US9 (6 Disc Changer version of the Radio), UV6 (Heads-Up Display), Z51 (Performance Suspension).
$55,280; black is cheaper than Atomic Orange.
$55,280; black is cheaper than Atomic Orange.
09 August 2007
Thag's Stupid Vette Color Poll
Poll #1036586 Thag's Stupid 'Vette Color Poll
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3
What color 2008 Corvette should I get?
View Answers
| Atomic Orange / Ebony |
   0 (0.0%) |
| Atomic Orange / Titanium |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| Black / Titanium |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| Black / Cashmere |
| 3 (100.0%) |
| Machine Silver / Ebony |
| 0 (0.0%) |
| Machine Silver / Titanium |
| 0 (0.0%) |
07 August 2007
Well FUCK Me
Can anything else go wrong this year?
Mom dies.
McSister tries to screw me.
The Lovely Harvey is fired.
Bring on the hurricanes!
Mom dies.
McSister tries to screw me.
The Lovely Harvey is fired.
Bring on the hurricanes!
06 August 2007
04 August 2007
Just $55,580
2008 1YY07, 313, 3LT, 83U, AAB, AG2, AJ7, AQ9, C2L, CJ2, D42, DD0, DD8, FE9, GU6, KA1, LS3, MZ6, N37, NK4, NPP, QG6, R8C, U2K, U52, UE1, UG1, UJ9, UK3, US9, UV6, Z51.
Let me know if those codes mean anything to you.
Let me know if those codes mean anything to you.