car news

1st Annual Car Raffle Benefitting Habitat Homes for Haiti and Union County!

2010-06-25T23:00:00.000+02:00

Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac will make several important announcements during a Press Event this Thursday, 1/28/10 at 11:00 a.m. at the dealership on Highway 74 in Monroe. These announcements will include information about Hendrick’s partnership with the Union County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. “We wanted to find a way to help the earthquake victims in Haiti,” explained Phil Marshall, General Manager of Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac. “Our partnership with Union County Habitat for Humanity will allow us to contribute not only to the relief effort in Haiti, but to help those in need right here in our own community, as well.” Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac will sponsor several Homes for Haiti and a Union County Habitat Home in Marshville, NC. “We are so excited about this partnership with Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac,” said Mike Reece, Executive Director of Union County Habitat for Humanity. “Hendrick will become an integral part of Habitat’s efforts both locally and in Haiti.” Hendrick will be kicking off their commitment with the First Annual Car Raffle Benefitting Habitat Homes for Haiti and Union County. Participants will have the chance to win a BRAND NEW 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox or Colorado pickup. Ticket Sales for the raffle will begin this Thursday, and end on June 26, when a winner will be announced at 3:00 p.m. at the dealership. Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac/Habitat for Humanity

Tickets can be purchased at the dealership at 3112 Highway 74 West or at Union County Habitat for Humanity at 2520 West Roosevelt Boulevard. Ticket prices are $25 each, or 5 tickets for $100, with all proceeds going DIRECTLY to build Habitat Homes for Haiti, and to build a Habitat Home in Marshville. “This is an incredibly generous gift from Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac, and one that will make a lasting impact in Haiti and in Union County for years to come,” added Mike Reece. For additional information about Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac or to purchase tickets for the First Annual Car Raffle Benefitting Habitat Homes for Haiti and Union County, join them for their Press Event this Thursday, 1/28/10 at 11:00 a.m. at the dealership located at 3112 Highway 74 West, Monroe, NC 28110. For more information about Habitat for Humanity’s relief efforts in Haiti or locally, contact Union County Habitat for Humanity at 704.296.9414.

Address: Hendrick Chevrolet Cadillac

3112 Highway 74 West

Monroe, NC 28205

[Via http://wsocfm.radio.com]

Ducky - Se7en

2010-03-23T06:46:00.000+02:00

The setting, the inside of a dark green, 2002, Pontiac Grand Am. The windows are up, the seats are down, and past the 8 year old tan roof lay over a million specks of flaming gas, dancing without moving.

The location is somewhere in the continental US, anywhere from 3 to 7 1/2 hours from an overpopulated suburb in northern Virginia. The time is morning, though the sky says night, and half of the world has to be sleeping. A fair amount of the world is also experiencing orgasm.

Our scene, the car, is surrounded by trees, or perhaps pavement, or buildings, or even a little of everything. Cars are parked all around, or maybe they’re not. Birds are passing one-liners to each other across the air, sweet talking each other from their separate trees, unless of course there are no trees.

I find it beautiful wherever I am. The only other character is you. The date is unknown.

Action.

[Via http://thetransformationofthings.wordpress.com]

The slightly longer weekend...

2010-03-23T00:43:00.000+02:00

I had a belly dancing workshop on Saturday. It was well worth going to. Each belly dancing teacher has a different style and way of teaching and often a different name for a familiar move, so it makes it all the more interesting. In the morning we went over some Egyptian belly dancing moves and in the afternoon we learned a choreography incorporating those moves. The dance was fun and short enough that we were able to practise it several times. This was much better than a workshop I went to in Wellington in which the choreography was so long and complex that most of us gave up trying to follow halfway through and we didn’t finish it in time to practise the whole thing. (I didn’t go back to that particular teacher’s workshops or lessons. I didn’t much like her style in any case.)

I’ve since made a list of belly dancing moves learned from elsewhere (ie outside of normal classes) and hope to use them in my own choreography at some stage. I nearly bought another DVD by the same teacher as a DVD I currently own, but decided against it as I saw examples of the choreography on Youtube and didn’t think much of it. Instead I did order a DVD of dancing by Serena Ramzy who I just love to watch.

Sunday disappeared quickly. I helped my daughter with her photography assignment, dropping a tomato into a large glass vase several times or flicking the hose around so she could take photos of water droplets at fast shutter speed. She then went off and sought help for more photos from friends.

And then Monday morning loomed which I dreaded for the knowledge that the car wouldn’t start. After the workshop on Saturday my car was rather sluggish in starting and I thought, oh no. However, I got home (luckily as I’d forgotten to take my cellphone with me, idiot). As suspected, the car didn’t want to start so I rang the AA then work to say I’d be late. I had intended to get the AA to start the car then take the car to a garage in town so I could catch a bus to work. But the AA man put paid to that idea. “You won’t get that far” he said. The alternator had gone so the battery wasn’t charging, so I toddled off down to the local garage and walked back home. I missed daughter so couldn’t get a lift to work. That left me totally without transport. The only bus that goes from this village to town about once a day is at a totally inconvenient time. I wasn’t too pleased at having to take an unplanned day off work.

You’d think I’d take advantage of the day off and do something useful. The weather wasn’t particularly good so nothing doing outside. But no. I couldn’t think of anything I needed or wanted to do, so I ended up playing Sims 2 for nearly the whole day. Quite wasted. What I should have done was to embark on some more genealogical research or something, but once I started playing Sims I couldn’t stop. Oh dear. And then there was the feeling that I couldn’t start anything that required a long stretch of time and concentration (such as genealogy) because the garage might ring up at any time for me to collect the car. Well, come 4.40pm I hadn’t heard a thing and rang up. The car was ready and they hadn’t thought to let me know and they closed at 5pm. So I shot down there on foot arriving at 4.55pm. $250 poorer but the car is now behaving itself. Phew.

Back at work today and while the weather this morning was the pits, it’s quite lovely this afternoon. Oh well. Only three more days until the next weekend.

[Via http://driftingon.wordpress.com]

Rome - Day 3 on film

2010-03-21T12:06:00.000+02:00

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Trevibrunnen

[Via http://eoik.wordpress.com]

OTHER NIGHT TIME DRIVING SAFETY TIPS

2010-03-20T11:57:00.000+02:00

OTHER NIGHT TIME DRIVING SAFETY TIPS

There are many tips for night time driving safety which are as under,

Prepare your car for night time driving.
Check your car condition carefully.
Check the car lights conditions.
Accelerate slowly.
Wax your car at least twice in a year.
Check your car tire conditions.
Don’t drink or eat during drive.
Avoid from drunk drivers.
Keep your car windshield wipers clean.
Keep your headlights in a high beam.
Adjust your car right side and left side mirrors carefully.
Avoid from smoking during drive.
Reduce your car speed and increase the following distance.
Keep your car windows and door clean.
Be alert during drive.
Avoid from parking no parking areas.
Keep in your lane.
Don’t follow the big trucks and busses.
Follow the well lighted area route.
Park your car in a well lighted area.
Plan out your route.
Check your car tire air pressure regularly.
Drive with a comfortable speed.
Avoid from any glares and halos.
Prevent from fatigue driving.
Avoid from drowsy driving.
Drive very carefully in wet weather.
Drive very slowly in a wet weather.
Be patience while drive.
Be normal and don’t take any stress at night driving.
In fog keep your car headlights in a low beam.
Keep turn on your car headlights at night.
Keep clean your car windscreen from both sides.
Keep your car headlights, taillights, back lights, signal lights and hazard lights clean.
Be alert on the road.
Follow the traffic signals.
Avoid from any accident or small damage.

[Via http://tipsforcarcare.wordpress.com]

Pick Up Car Central

2010-03-20T06:22:00.000+02:00

I’m waiting for you to come and pick me up feeling mildly guilty for not having a car and making you always drive.

We met under supremely strange circumstances.

We met on a chance.

We met while I was drunk and you were crying.

There is roughly twenty minutes between the time I finish writing this and you picking me up.

There is a thumping in my chest.

There is an overwhelming sensation running through my body. I have to go back and check my list of emotions printed out for me by my counselor; increase my vocabulary and finally describe if and what I am feeling. There is a feeling, and that feeling is strong.

I’m entranced by you. Frankly, by most circumstances, we should have never met. We probably wouldn’t even be friends. We have a varying amount of shared interests. Nevertheless, when we talk, we don’t stop. You make fun of me and I revel in it. You say words and I listen to every one of them.

When you laid your hand on my chest while tightly crawled up against my body, feeling the warmth emanating like the steam out of a sewer drain, feeling the slow hesitation in my stilted breath, feeling the irreverent beating of a physical heart, I drew in the most curious of emotions in a raw form: happiness.

Not the type that comes from watching terribly good movies.

Not the type that comes from reading a delightful book.

Not the type that comes from insulting someone I don’t like.

Happiness that I cherished, happiness that I believed in, happiness that felt tangible.

We swap stories and emotions and lifeless sentences through a pixelated core set of 26 letters and about 6 units of punctuation. We swap flirts and emoticons through waves sent in the air. We swap digital glances.

All in all, I’m happy. I’m nervous. I’m feeling that that good thing I was trying to force came from the most unlikely of places when my head was turned the other way. I’m feeling that that undivided attention and giddy remarks came from a place I did not expect, but I do not want to abandon like a final soldier holding the ranks back on top of the hill.

I’m feeling, and that counts for everything.

Like the wind rushing past your ears when your bicycle no longer needs to switch gears, like the air surrounding us, like the wind rushing past your body when you stand on top of the largest, most beautiful mountain that only Atlas could have ever imagined.

[Via http://mechanisticmoth.wordpress.com]

auto lot of fun

2010-03-18T18:26:00.000+02:00

Remember that partially-buried old sedan I posted awhile back? This is the brightly-colored beacon that led me to it. Tried out some new editing techniques on this one.

It is a gorgeous day outside, and I intend to spend a bit of my break outside with my camera. Off I go!

[Via http://rediflex.wordpress.com]

The car

2010-03-18T12:53:00.000+02:00

As I’m working on the start-up of my company, I’m also searching for a car. A car for business and pleasure. There are tons of rules and regulations about owning a car, but I just want a car and I will use it for business purposes sometimes.

Finding a simple, cheap, elegant, stylish car that works is quite a task. Also, it needs to be big enough to carry around a lot of stuff.

Cars that are stylish and affordable are almost always second-hand. New cars are expensive and do not fit within my budget. Oldtimers or youngtimers are perfect for this job. But which one? An American car that always breaks down and is almost entirely made out of plastic? An old Mercedes, with colours like army-green, off-yellow and vague-grey? A Land Rover? A mini-van?

For me, it’s a hard choice to make. I therefore have asked some people to help me searching for the right car. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments below.

Mercedes Benz

[Via http://derektigges.wordpress.com]

Finances

2010-03-16T12:55:00.000+02:00

Today I decided to sort out my finances and see how much I’ve been spending/earning etc and did a whole load of averages and sums and I’m proud of myself! lol. I know I’m only 19 so don’t have to worry about loads of things, but I do pay rent, now have a contract phone, have driving lessons each week, have to spend loads on bus tickets (despite my friend driving me to uni, I give her some money too), save up for a car and insurance and have been spending loads of money since I’ve been going out with my boyfriend on little things, like going for food together. I also need to stop going shopping… that would help! And not buy food when I have food already, or drinks.

I started from when I got my job to now, and so I’ve had three pay checks and my student loan/grant so should have way more money than I do right now. I used to be good with budgeting, but then it was Christmas and I spent money on presents, then my first pay check I always want to completely spend, then things just kept spiralling outta ma control! If I wasn’t planning on buying a car and stuff, then I’d be fine. I have the money for it, but no money left for petrol and having a life afterwards which would kinda suck.

But I’m trying to sort out my life, all my mini projects and whatnot, and my finances and yeah. I’m feeling more positive about it all. I’ve made a new budget and have decided to automatically put half my wages into a separate savings account, and the car money that’s in my main account elsewhere (maybe the same savings account?) and so all the money that’s left in my main account I can spend, but remembering my budget of course! I’ll see how this goes for awhile to see if it’ll work for me and hopefully it will.

[Via http://lisamello.wordpress.com]

Words From Dead Prez . . .

2010-03-16T06:52:00.000+02:00

This a dope verse from Dead Prez. This is theHi third verse from “Hip Hop“. Read on:

Uh, who shot Biggie Smalls?

If we don’t get them, they gonna get us all

I’m down for runnin’ up on them crackers in they city hall

We ride for y’all, all my dogs stay real

Nigga don’t think these record deals gonna feed your seeds

And pay your bills because they not

MC’s get a little bit of love and think they hot

Talkin’ bout how much money they got, all y’all records sound the same

I sick of that fake thug, R & B, rap scenario all day on the radio

Same scenes in the video, monotonous material, y’all don’t here me though

These record labels slang our tapes like dope

You can be next in line, and signed, and still be writing rhymes and broke

You would rather have a Lexus or justice? A dream or some substance?

A Beamer, a necklace or freedom?

Still a nigga like me don’t playa’ hate, I just stay awake

This real hip hop, and it don’t stop until we get the po-po off the block

They call it….

(fake, fake, fake records)

[Via http://lecremedelacreme.com]

Game Theory

2010-03-16T00:26:00.000+02:00

Every human interaction, every sport, every move is a game… including FI in Bahrain to mat rempit on KL road, World Cup in Africa to kicking balls at the backyard, getting kids to wake up in the morning for school, to off-shoring an entire division from America to China.

I was first attracted to World Cup not because of some macho men playing balls, but the strategies behind the game. Last week, one future guru told me that, the key to trading is not fundamental or technical analytics alone, but understanding the game theories.

According to Wikipedia, Game theory attempts to mathematically capture behavior in strategic situations, in which an individual’s success in making choices depends on the choices of others.

Likewise in every game, fear, greed and uncertainty are three greatest emotions that govern individuals and therefore influence his/her move. The key to winning in a game is raising above these emotions.

I don’t know much about game theory yet, but it is definitely an interesting subject to explore.

[Via http://stzegarden.wordpress.com]

Crash Test Dummy Olympics - Bizarre Flash Games

2010-03-13T06:17:00.000+02:00

URL : http://www.flashgame-girl.com/Bizarre-Horror/Crash-Test-Dummy-Olympics.html

Game description :

Crash the car into the wall and launch the dummy as far as you can. Use Space bar to change up through the gears at the optimum moment. Use space bar to set elevation of dummy. Try and get the dummy as high as possible up the wall.

Game controls :

Space bar- To select choices.

[Via http://liwenfeng3.wordpress.com]

The Legend of Betty

2010-03-11T18:55:00.000+02:00

Who is Betty? Some say that when you rev her engine, an angel gets it’s wings. Others say, that when she passes you… there’s a little asian girl behind the wheel smiling. All we know… is that she’s a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, and she’s.. mine.

The journey started in May of 2006 when I finally got a promotion to a full-time position at the Calgary Sun. I decided that it was time to get a car, not a shit-box… something nice, and I narrowed it down to 3 choices…. a 2005 Acura RSX sitting on Mazda’s used lot, a 2006 Hynudai Tiburon V6, and a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

My Mom accompanied me to the dealerships (she can get a deal like no other, well.. maybe Dave.) I test drove the RSX, but didn’t like the one I drove, the steering seemed a little off. Then we went to Mitsubishi… and you could say that I never made it over to Hynudai… that day, I was approved for my Ralliart…

Betty at the Street Car Challenge 2007

Betty and I have gone through many changes in our lives, but the most prominent change in our life was the introduction of Morpheus256 aka, Dave. Dave and I connected through Mitsubishi enthusiast site, MitsuNation.net… and have been together since 2007. Our common interest in our cars and compatible personalities helped us form a great relationship.

Dave and I on the Beyond Cruise - Photographed by Eric Stenberg

In 2007, I also took the step forward to learn motorsport… to try and better my driving skill … so I began drag racing at the local track, Race City speedway. The track isn’t the best track in the world, you get mauled by mosquitoes when you spectate, the track is bumpy and not as well-maintained as I would like, but it’s a track.. and it’s usable.

I raced my first drag race in April of 2007, and have been hooked on speed since then. The Lancer isn’t the fastest car on the track, but she does the trick. I learned quickly the sweet spots on when to shift, and how to launch.

In my experience with the “Tuner-world” I have had the privilege to be able to work with Hyatt Mitsubishi on arranging HAN (Hot August Nights) 2007, and 2008.

HAN 2008 was the largest show that Hyatt has ever had, with over 40 single make vehicles showing up from different locales such as Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, and Ontario. It was a double whammy weekend with the Cool Cars Cruising for Cancer Benefit cruise happening that same weekend. It was a great meet, and a great experience to meet all sorts of people from different walks of life with the same love for the Mitsubishi brand.

It was a great experience for all, and I hoped to continue the show circuit in 2008. By then, most of MitsuNation’s 2004-2006 body style members have moved on… and so came the new crop of members in 2008. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in: HAN 2006-2008, MN’s Annual Alberta Meet in Sylvan lake 2007-2008, Street Car Challenge 2007 (Betty won Best Girl Tuner), Driven to Perform Calgary and Edmonton 2008.

Betty at Driven to Perform Calgary - 2008

Current Modifications:

__engine

Injen RD1833 CAI/SRI

RRM Underdrive Pulley

Apex’i KA156008 Exhaust

carbon fibre coilpack cover

sokie tech hood dampers

custom paint

____exterior

Cerious Performance Carbon Fibre Eyelids

Smoked 05 Spec Tails

Smoked Sidemarkers

Debadged ass

Limo Tint in rear, and non-limo tint on the front

Projector Headlights

NN logo on rear pillar / Heartagram

Shorty S2K Antenna

Black Calipers/ Purple Caliper Decals

Konig Heatsink 17″ Rims

Kumho Ecsta 217 tires [new tires this year!]

____suspension

Tein S-tech lowering springs

Ralliart 3 point strut tower brace

_____interior

MOMO Racing Evo Shift Knob

Neural Negative badge in front

rexpeed dry carbon evo dash panels

rexpeed carbon fibre gauge cluster

_____electrical

eurolite HID bulbs

red LED parklights

clarion vrx785bt dvd headunit

Stinger Wiring

Kenwood Amp

Sony 10″ Sub

bassworx ported sub enclosure

iPod and bluetooth integration

///awards and acheivments

Cover Car for Urbane Monthly – June 2007

15.9 Quartermile – Car 391 – Race City Secret Street- Calgary

Best Girl Tuner – Street Car Challenge 2007 – Calgary

Participated in: Hot August Nights 2006, Street Car Challenge 2007, Hot August Nights 2007, Cool Cars Cruising for Cancer 2007, Driven to Perform 2008 – Calgary and Edmonton, Hot August Nights 2008, and of course.. every Friday Night… Secret Street

[Via http://thelancergirl.wordpress.com]

Updating Your Car Stereo

2010-03-11T12:54:00.000+02:00

Is your stereo still living in the past? But you don’t want too many confusing gadgets or ‘add ons’ on your new stereo? Today, there are still a variety of more basic stereo models on the market, which will allow you to listen to your CD’s, as well as connect to a mp3 player.

The Sony CDX-GT430U CD Mp3 Player

A CD and Mp3 stereo offers the best of both worlds as you can listen to the high quality sounds of the CD, or conveniently connect a mp3 player – It’s your choice. An Mp3 connection enables you to listen to your music, without you lugging around with you your whole CD collection. But if you still wish to listen to a CD, the option is still there.

This stereo is also great for those who burn mp3 or wma files off the internet, as it is capable of playing CD-R/RW’s. Downloading music is now one of the easiest, fastest and often cheapest ways of getting that much wanted album, making a CD R/RW option in a stereo highly desirable.

Of course, CD and Mp3 compatible stereos still provide you with the radio. So if you enjoy listening to a radio show after work, you certainly won’t miss out on it in the car. You may notice that with this stereo that a number of radio tuner improvements will expand the number of shows you can listen to and improve the quality of signal.

A new stereo will also provide you with better sound quality overall, enabling you to listen to the radio, a CD or an Mp3 player, without much distortion from the sound of the car. Extraneous ware, such as amplifiers and sub-woofers can also be connected to improve the listening experience.

If you are looking for a replacement stereo, have a look at Car CD Mp3 Players, which are available from a variety of outlets, including www.caraudiowarehouse.co.uk.

[Via http://caraudiowarehouse.wordpress.com]

CAR TIRE SAFETY

2010-03-11T06:01:00.000+02:00

CAR TIRE SAFETY

Check your car tire pressure regularly. Buy a digital tire gauge and check the tire pressure once in a month and also check the air pressure your spare tire. Inspect the air pressure level like your other car tires. Check your car tire tread depth with a coin. Checking the tire air pressure must inspect the tires for any cuts, puncture or any other injury. Rotate your car tires after the 6000 miles. Clean your tire with the soap, water and soft brush. Check your car tires from any cracking or cuts. Check the better fuel economy in your car. Car tires come in various types so buy a right and quality tires for your car. If you buy a set of car tires that doesn’t fit in your vehicle so it is so dangerous for you and your family. Rims are another important part of your car it provide safety to your car tire. It holds your car tire. So you also buy a good rim set for your car tires.

Check the air pressure in your car tires because a low tire pressure may cause high oil consumption. So check the air pressure level monthly basis. You prefer buying tubeless tires. Tires are the most important car accessory. So do a research for buying good and quality tires. Cold weather can affect your car battery efficiency. In cold weather tire lose its air pressure so check your car tire position. Monitoring the car tire air pressure is very useful tool for your car tire safety. You must check your car high air pressure and low air pressure for safety purpose. A low air pressure tire can be very dangerous for your car safety. Monitor your car tire air pressure this thing save your money and it can also save your life as well. Air bags are also important for your safety. Car tires are made with a flexible rubber. Most of the drivers don’t check the spare tire air pressure. Very short drivers wash their car once in a month, and two out of four drivers check the air pressure level correctly. Every body must understand the rules and regulations of the road. You must understand about emergency and dangerous driving situations, and other important driving information. If you don’t see the manufacturing code on your car tire so must replace immediately. Check all the tires of your car. You must understand about your tires age. After the expiry period you must replace it and buy a new tire. Replace your worn tires. Proper maintenance is a key of tire safety.

Buy a right tire for your car place it on a right position. Install your car tires at a right position. Check your car tires for uneven wear. Your car tires must be registered. Registered tires help you in replacement. Try to purchase all season tires. Tires are only one thing that connects your car on the road. Maintain the proper air pressure in your car tires. Measure your tires air pressure level when the tires are cold. Proper tire maintenance can improve your car steering. You should check your car tire tread depth each month. During drive must wear your car safety belt. Check your car wheel balance and its alignment.

[Via http://tipsforcarcare.wordpress.com]

Title, I don't need no stinking title

2010-03-09T18:57:00.000+02:00

Alright, I have been on the road and I’m not talking about flying to a destination, I’m talking about driving around from 6:00 a.m. and not getting into my hotel until 8:30 p.m. cause I was stopping every half an hour to survey “sites” then the next day up and at ‘em at 5:30 a.m. to get home at 4:30 so I could enjoy an awesome treat from my mother in law at Seven Stars.

Now, I was going to blog a bit last week about some of my experiences out on the road but it wasn’t a good idea as I knew I couldn’t restrain myself from dropping bombs and thus rendering the blog NSFW. I have since cooled down and regained the ability to cool down. I will tell you this, I have been working in this company for nearly 15 years and when I came home from my road trip I was so fed up with what goes on in this office (even when I’m not here) that I was seriously thinking about leaving. It’s OK now though because I vented to my wifey and she got pissed. Obviously I left it alone from then on and took my time getting over it.

Well that was road trip numero uno. I went down to the northern part of Maryland on friday for just the day which was nice to be on the road by myself to spend that special time with me.

So this weekend was pretty awesome. Our anniversary was coming up on Sunday and I still had no idea what to get my loving wife on our first anniversary. I had a few ideas but nothing that I really wanted to get her for the first anny. I wanted it to be something special something that we wouldn’t forget and after running some ideas by her and her completely rejecting them she asked me if I would take her to dinner at the Fountain restaurant in the Four Seasons. I jumped on it and made the reservation and told them it was our first anniversary yaddy yaddy yaddy. I think it was a great idea, it was more money than I would have spent on a gift but it was worth it. It was better than getting a gift I believe as well because an experience is something you can never lose and you will always be able to appreciate.

So our Friday night consisted of us going to pick up my truck that was for sale from the office, then had a good night of BBQ and a movie. The movie was hilarious. Cop Out with Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis and Directed by Kevin Smith. Fortunately it was not one of those movies where all the funny stuff happens in the trailer and there was no reason to see the movie. The movie was great but like most comedies it was funny for the first half and this movie was funny up until about 2/3’s of the way through then it was just an ending to a regular comedy. All in all a good Friday night , you know we’re getting old, isn’t that right, precious?

Saturday was also a very good day. Precious set up an appointment for a guy to look at my truck in the morning. I wouldn’t exactly say he “looked” at my truck it was more of a “thorough investigative process”. He was underneath the truck from front to back, checked out the spare, popped the hood, checked ALL the fluids but his wife didn’t like the interior. Oh well the truck was in awesome shape and I got paid cash. With the day off to a good start, my sister showed up and took me to do the paper work and then we had lunch. It was nice to do this since I don’t think we had ever actually gone out and had lunch just the two of us. I guess that’s what siblings do when they get older. I am starting to see a pattern here.

Well wifey ditched me on Saturday night to go to a bridal shower, boo. So I was in a toss-up. Do I have people over to chill with? Or Do I enjoy the house all to myself? Well I invited a few people and someone did come over. Excitement was contained though. I got to enjoy the house to myself for a while and then had company for a bit (thank god cause you can really get bored by yourself).

Sunday was the big day. Our first anniversary, I’ll explain the day but keep in mind that wifey enjoyed the day. We get up and go to Giant, once there and running around the store just browsing and getting some ingredients for cupcakes I was making her, she decides maybe we can just go to Sam’s Club, cause heck we have to pick up the mountaineer anyway that is at the office. So we wait at the “member’s services” desk for about half an hour so I can get a new card cause my other one got lost. Then we get to shopping, I kid you not when I say one of the first things we did was go over to the optical center to check out some sunglasses, prescription sunglasses) for my nerdy yet, wonderful wife. Anyway, we were at Sam’s club not much to say about that so we get home clean up the house a bit get showers and off to The Fountain restaurant in the Four Seasons.

This dinner was absolutely the best dinner I’ve ever eaten. I won’t go through the entire meal because I know some of you read the wifey’s blog as well, so if you want to read what we had for dinner, check it out here.

Other than that, I can’t really update anymore nor has anything happened that I’ve been awake for. You see I’ve been in a food coma since Sunday. Gluttony is my favorite sin. Yup, I’ll leave on that note.

[Via http://miscandom.wordpress.com]

The Porsche 918 Spyder

2010-03-09T12:40:00.000+02:00

Porsche just released a video showing the new 918 Spyder concept, its new 918 Spyder is a mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid, powered by both a 500-horsepower V8 and a pair of electric motors (on the front and rear axle) producing an additional 218 hp or 160kW. It can reach 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, a top-end speed of 198 mph. The best past about it is that Porsche says it can also achieve 78 miles per gallon and emit just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

Scroll Down to check the vid

[Via http://randomimpulses.wordpress.com]

1000 Things We Hate #28: Messy Car Interiors

2010-03-09T06:15:00.000+02:00

Only a precursor to what is to come

Okay, once I do one, it’s hard to stop the hate. Sort of like turning on a faucet to get water for a bath and then forgetting about it then the water overflows then your hate spills out then it seeps through the floor then your bathtub falls through the ceiling like in Breaking Bad then you keep on hating because you never turn off the faucet… yeah.

I think about 80% of the people reading this have probably been guilty of this hate. I will even admit my own guilt in the past (since I don’t have that thing that drives you around in the form of an automobile at the moment) with my poopy Toyota Camry. Hell, I think this hate is such a common crime (not like child molestation) that it is fairly socially acceptable.

For example, you’re beginning to make friends with this person that you think is pretty cool and you get along with really well. So, the two of you decide to have a fun Saturday and they say they’ll drive and pick you up. They pull up to where you’re waiting and you see this:

Wipe that innocent grin off your face, dick

You think, “okay, the pizza box is a little much, but I’m good.”

It’s not like you’re going to be like “What the fuck are you doing? Where am I supposed to sit with your fuckin McDonald’s wrapper smeared with mustard crampin the groove on my seat? What the fuck are you trying to pull you little shit!? Are you honestly this much of a fucking slob? There are trash cans every-fuckin-where, why can’t you lift your lazy little ass up and take the 3 minutes to throw shit away, cuntwhore!?”

Well, you may not think that, but I do.

Unless it’s Monique and her car… because, quite frankly, you know you’re getting into shit when you spot that thing from 8 lightyears away.

Yes, I am judging you right now... by a lot

Now, I understand, sometimes you’re too busy to clean up for the day because you’re late for an appointment or something. However, one day cannot turn into a week to a month to 3 and a half years. If you keep your car consistently clean, then you wont have to build yourself up for that end of the month clean up that you always dread.

There is the aforementioned reason when this is acceptable: if your car is a piece of shit both inside and out. This works because you already have low expectations… so, you might as well not go above those.

The worst atrocity one can commit with the Messy Car Interior is the finding of year old food. This usually is formed when you are on a trip and your passenger(s) eat cheetos… or chips… or salsa… or subway sandwiches… It is so fuckin’ scary to clean the car and grab something that looks like it was once edible, but you are no longer quite sure what it is anymore. Fucking disgusting.

Why is this so disgusting? Because it basically sums up what it is to be American: fast food, messy, fat, lazy, and des

Clean your cars, pricks.

I will disown you as a friend

[Via http://mechanisticmoth.wordpress.com]

more stuff I am in, or wrote, or something

2010-03-07T18:51:00.000+02:00

Inspired by the opening of Dragnet where they remix the words “enforce the laws” and over and over again. We thought it was hilarious, so here this is.

“Forlease Navidad” commercial.

Making full use of our latest item, the green screen.

Some movie trailers, we made. Not going anywhere with those.

Verbatim a conversation Leo Vader and Nick Petree had.

A story about a young man who holds all the knowledge.

This was something me and Sam thought up, and I am very satisfied with it.

[Via http://mantonminnick.com]

The Five Most Common Mistakes When Buying Car Speakers

2010-03-07T12:24:00.000+02:00

The Five Most Common Mistakes When Buying Car Speakers

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Hans_Dekker] Hans Dekker

When it comes time to buying replacement speakers for a car audio system, there are several mistakes which are commonly made. Be sure to read this handy guide to avoid the five most common mistakes when buying car speakers.

1. Plan your budget. Are you revamping your entire audio system? If so you need to allocate money to different parts of the system. If you are just changing the speakers, decide how much money you want to spend on them before seeing what is available. This will allow you to keep costs within a reasonable range.

2. Consider how much you are willing to modify your car. Some speaker systems require extensive modification. This is an extra cost which must be factored into your budget, and also may affect the resale value of the car if you decide you want to try and keep the audio system.

3. What do you use your car for? If you travel extensively and are on the road almost every day, you should probably splurge and buy the best quality speakers you can afford. After all, your car is like a second home, and anything you can do to make it more comfortable will enhance your working life. On the other hand, if you only use the car to go to the grocery store and most of the time it sits on the driveway, it’s a bit of a waste to go for high-end car speakers.

4. How long are you going to keep your car? If you plan on using the same car for two years or more, it makes sense to buy good-quality speakers. If you’re going to sell the car next month and are simpler looking for a upgrade to the audio system to make it easier to sell, keep your car speaker budget to a minimum.

5. What kind of music you listen to? This will have a big influence on the type of car audio system that you have. If you like to listen to strong, bass-heavy music, you should get powerful amplifiers and ample subwoofers. On the other hand, if your music tastes run to classical or pop, you want a speaker system which can reproduce the entire audio spectrum evenly.

Hans is a car audio enthusiast and author of the Audio How

To Section of the http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Five-Most-Common-Mistakes-When-Buying-Car-Speakers&id=92469] The Five Most Common Mistakes When Buying Car Speakers

[Via http://bcspeakers.wordpress.com]

#193. Th Woman (last piece)

2010-03-07T04:21:00.000+02:00

Th woman

as paint

the pure lines of body

breast hip navel.

sharp

the pure lines of faca

cheek nose eye.

all colors change sparkles

all colors real

color.

***

i sing angel with iggy pop

yr loveslaps

joy

collapsedance.

i dance naked.

later we fuck beautiful.

sweat is the endless sea.

***

Th woman

as man

i’m not pushing

or pulling yr rib.

i kiss yr hand.

***

The closed world of us in a car

at night.

Dreams.

dense and sweet against

the bitter chocolate world.

Touch the cold windshield

turned to ice.

Wake to morning thunder.

Pounds

lazy.

***

Th woman

over now.

[Via http://zevstar.wordpress.com]

How To Choose The Best Cheap TV Stand

2010-03-06T18:30:00.000+02:00

What your TV is sitting up there is almost as important as television itself. These days TV is a great investment and to pay more than $ 1,000 – $ 1,500 is not uncommon to see large screen LCD or Plasma TV. But with all the choices available to you, how do you choose?

The best thing is to first select your budget in mind. If you just spent $ 1,500 on the TV you might not feel like you have a lot left to spend on a stand. Cheap TV stands may be inexpensive but many of them are very good and be sturdy enough to last for many years to come. The unit for delaying the weight of the television. This brings us to the next item.

The size of the TV, which determines the size of your stand. Make sure the stand is at least as large as your TV, if not larger. The large TV on top of a small booth will be irrelevant and strange in your house. Under the truck, the little booth Buck could collapse or that could be dangerous.There is a danger that it could fall down, if someone bumps into the booth if there is a large difference in size. The sound of your new TV to fall to the ground is not something you want to hear.

Choose a material that matches your other furniture. Go with a cherry finish, if all your other living room furniture is cherry wood already. If you put a TV in mahogany or other stands in the room it stand out and attract much attention to itself.

Is it going to be in the corner of the room or in the center of the wall? There are specific units available if you put the camera in the corner of the room. These devices consume extra space offered by the angle to maximize storage space. A standard unit is perfect right to be in the center of the wall. These units are simple and can be placed anywhere.You can use a unit directly into the corner, but you may lose a bit of usable space in your TV room.

Find the right position for you is simple, choose a budget, get the right size, choose your equipment and know its location. Ask these criteria in mind and you will be able to quickly sort through the many units that are available.

[Via http://thomasscott123.wordpress.com]

The Day After

2010-03-06T12:45:00.000+02:00

My mother had a friend in Okemos, not far away from the hotel we’d spent the night at. In the morning, we called her and she offered to come pick us and the dog up from the hotel. We had to figure out what to do next; was the car going to be salvageable, how we would home, were there going to be legal charges, etc.

Sue was a former work colleague of my mother’s. She had the 90 miles away for her husband’s job. We’d spent some time with them before, so being in her house wasn’t strange. She was all concern and apology that we hadn’t felt comfortable calling her late last night when we’d been discharged from the hospital.

They discussed what to do next. Obviously we were going to have to get home. My mother didn’t want to ask my Grand Rapids relatives for help; it was still winter after all and she didn’t want them driving all that way. She didn’t want to call my sister, who had been at the helm of her own car accident or two, and wasn’t exactly known for her grace under pressure. My mother wasn’t supposed to be driving yet because of her injuries. Sue couldn’t do it because of her work and neither could her husband.

Finally, after much discussion, my mother decided to call my father and ask him to come up to help us.

This was extremely hard for her to do. They had been fighting for the five years since the divorce and relations between them were frosty on a good day. But she simply had no one else to turn to, and he was my father after all. So she picked up the phone, and sure enough, my father made plans immediately to come and help us.

It was nice to seem them both working together on something, even if it was this awful thing. He brought a camera to document the damage to the car; it was totaled. We removed all of our belongings out of the car to take home with us. When I saw the damage I sucked my breath in; we really were lucky. I had been sitting right behind the area of the worst impact. No wonder my collarbone snapped.

The two hour drive home was punctuated with his probing questions and her calm answers. There was no anger, no judgement, no fighting; just calm relief as to the outcome of the situation.

The aftermath of the accident gave me hope that perhaps we had found a shelter somewhere on the slippery slope.

[Via http://myformerlife.wordpress.com]

Taken for a Ride: GM systematically Destorys Electric Rail Transportation, PLUS, vagabond prose by epimetheus

2010-03-06T04:46:00.000+02:00

This documentary is great. Below, I’ve reprinted some prose by a friend from deviantArt, epimetheus. Enjoy.

Wheel Country

I imagine. I imagine I am hovering just below heaven, looking down on the earth lying quietly in the darkness of its own shadow. Looking down, hidden from the sun, to witness man discontent with the darkness, and his inventing of light. His fires, created or stolen from nature, the consequence of lightning and dryness, the divine manifestation of that singular holiness in the sky, broken off and fallen to earth as power and control, kept and reverently stoked, smoldering slowly in a sacred lacquered box, full of more problems than Pandora’s.

I watch as man’s fires flicker and expand into the darkness of the unknown, within which community is forged both to survive and enlighten, where language and, through language, art become the accidental occurrences of community, art then a consequence of survival. Watching as those fires are slowly tamed, flattened and thinned, poured like liquid lightning into tin containers and aluminum boxes, and flickers to life again in imitation of human form, captivating surely as its cousin had millennia ago.

Fire is the heart of technology, beating in the chest of each angry machine; the life blood of revolution; the crude cousin of electricity, a poorer relation whose coal inspired furies fund electricity’s smooth transduction from power grid to homestead. Now fire and art flicker a thousand generations later in the darkness of the known world, a darkness in which there is no space for the gods, fires grown large and bright prod it ceaselessly leaving little space for the mysterious or divine that inspired us to capture the light in the first place. A darkness now that is no larger than the living room of each unit, eerily familiar, camp-fire companions long abandoned for the solitary comforts of our inviolable spaces, wedged tightly between strangers on either side, laughing and crying with familiar strangers made of fire and glass, whose history and association are limited to a half an hour one night a week, until they make syndication, sitcom heaven, and I am inundated with their stories five nights a week at seven and seven thirty.

I imagine all of this hovering just below heaven. Experience as translated by the abstract and arbitrary clusters of lights reaching weakly upward and outward in electric desperation, a kind of photometric Braille whose surfaces are interpreted by my eyes and translated into the voice of fire as amplified by the machination of man.

I take all of this in, the intensity of this luminescent topography burning into the backs of my eyes, these cities scattered across landscape rendered empty by the blindness of darkness in contrast to the ever-burning omniscience of cities, its dynamic and varied landscape flattened into nothingness by the all consuming, ever-hungry dark, only momentarily alleviated by the flickering flame for an evening by a candle or an eon by the sun, every flame is eventually extinguished and the darkness goes on, unquenched.

So I stare, and stare hard. Taking in all of the light that I can, its memory necessary when my flesh gives way and the darkness swallows me, but can not consume completely, because of the memory of light. I take it in, my eyes wide, full of light until there is blindness, until the light becomes a darkness, until nothing is distinguishable. The presence of complete light a blindness itself.

Darkness. Almost. Between me and the dark is the memory of light, now inverted, hanging like a translucent silk screen separating me from the distance. I consider this image, a thing in my periphery, a will-o-wisp that I must not chase, but instead observe without looking. I discipline myself, and observe these dark places-turned-light by virtue of the negative values of my eyesight, the exhaustion of rods and cones by the unrelenting intensity of the light, so that those unaffected, those resting in the darkness, come to accidental prominence, incidentally highlighting what I hadn’t previously noticed.

These dark paths measure the distance between glowing points, thin strings of asphalt across the dirt that, if plucked, might vibrate, giving off a low and melancholy note, a flatted fifth that does not belong in any respectable scale, but is a necessary sound bridging the distance. Focus on these thinning distances, victims of an ambitious light, where I attempt separate myself from its glow, some fragment of the star chipped away, flaked off and thrown out ahead of me, reflecting the road where there is nothing, but the asphalt and the paint, the only reminders that I am neither the first nor the last, but the only.

I am on the far side of the heartland, moving through the broken hearted land, through these lanes of darkness, the nation’s veins and gutters where its food comes from and its garbage goes to. Wheel country, where miles are marked by mid-city metropolises, truck stops and silos, miles of frontage road and irrigation, crop dusting and corn rows. The strip of road between the fields, the expressway where speed and distance exist as the long sighs of uninterrupted tedium, the near constant sound of rubber against the road, the sound of constant impact, replacing the hard sound of hooves that once carried in the opposite direction in eager exploration of a savage land now tied down by concrete and steel, veins opened pouring out coal, salt, silver, gold, and oil used to finance and create this new artificial geography laid across its top: a leash or a cage.

This is the broken hearted land where the sky tells the story, and the houses merge so poorly with the landscape. This is the road which is never a destination, but the long, hard consolation of having-a-place-to-be. The strange assurance and calm of purpose in I-am-going-somewhere, and the hard reality of direction and motion without physical responsibility, of incredible distances covered in a single day at the helm of the beast with fire in its belly, of incredible exertion without tiredness.

But there is a ghostly exhaustion in travel, a stiff sore emptiness at passing so much and seeing so little, being seen so little; moving through worlds without interaction, strictly a passerby, an uncounted un-included member of no community, only a citizen of the road, despite the concrete appearances of my driver’s license. The consequence of being neither here nor there, part of no life at all, having left one behind, about to begin another. The weariness of invisibility that takes away something in exchange for its powerful anonymity, punctuated occasionally by piercing moments of powerful resumption of responsibility when the officer asks for my identification and the illusion of fading away forever is punctured completely.

Perhaps it is the hard certainty of destination that so tires, its thick gravity ultimately inevitable. The hard consolation of knowing there is somewhere to be. Hanging loosely between one point and the next, belonging to neither, a soul in transit is a tense type of freedom. At the mercy of the surroundings, praying to Saint Christopher through cell phone static, and the idle caprice of shitty truck stop telephones. Piercing the surface of the scenery for a moment to lie submerged, bathed in grease and heat, wondering how people can still be allowed to smoke indoors. Succored by the tenderness of coffee and chemically preserved road side rations, by café waitresses, never as ugly here as they would be in the city.

Then, caught staring, one foot still in the dream, I am suddenly aware of my unintentional left coast sophistication, aware that my knowledge is of no use, that my car, parked outside, is of little use, its sleek lines no faster than the landscape, almost plain without the stark vertical contrast of its usual urban context. Here, among the momentary detritus of the highway, I am symbolic of what is wrong or right with what I accidentally represent. Suddenly a cipher with no words of my own, I have only my consumption to mark me, emblematic of technology or sophistication or culture or money as they see fit. As saint or sinner, the excesses of style and culture contrasted against the hard work and no-nonsense attitude of a pragmatic people suffering slow starvation at the hands of a mechanized giant whose heart is made of crystal and whose brain lives near the sea. Just like that I am myself again, aware of my presence and my limitations, who I was, who I am, and who I am going to become. To be, as Berkeley said, is to be perceived.

This is the sharp joy of the wheel: to become aware of myself, to appreciate more fully the contrast between the slow churn of the soul against the ragged red teeth of the passing desert, an introspective froth that fills up the silence between the wheels and the road. To pull off the freeway full of this foam, these idle crystals grown on the road, to be filled completely with myself, all body fallen away into invisibility, and then to stop and enter into physical memory, to become aware of who I physcially am to these people staring at me in the gas station because there is nothing else to do while the earth coughs up another fifty gallons of fuel. To become aware of the thin physical shell, less than an inch of flesh between me and their organs, to become one more tired traveler, another sad sack of bones passing through, unaware of the subtleties playing their way through the dining room, much less the community.

And then I am gone. The meal is consumed, the plate is empty, and the car is full. There is a moment of rest as the boulder reaches balance, pausing for a moment at its nadir to enjoy the novelty of stillness, sighing once and burping before rising from the vinyl seat to pay the bill at the counter, scribble a tip to the waitress, maybe more than usual because of the rings beneath her eyes or the way I heard her other tables treat her. The reason doesn’t matter, and neither does the money; it’s ghost money, hardly tangible, almost invisible, and certainly never seen again. Money paid to Charon, necessary tender for my safe passage, a small offering to those under the protection of St. Christopher: road-side saints cleaning toilets and waiting tables. Because these are the only road-side shrines left, blinking ‘food and gas’ well into the night. Because out there is nowhere, not somewhere, because in-transit never was a place. Because if we believed it was the journey and not the destination, things would be different out there, but we don’t, and they’re not. So I leave a little extra when I tip, because I can, because I understand what it is to be a stranger everyday. Then I’m inside my car again, almost invisible, up the on-ramp and onto the freeway, striving as quietly as possible to disappear

[Via http://walkforpeace.wordpress.com]

No Charges for Officers in Student Beating Even Though They Did Beat Him@!!!Hmmmm...

2010-03-04T17:15:00.000+02:00

The Vietnamese community is getting to experience how it feels to be mistreated by the police,and how powerless it makes you feel to witness a child that looks like one of our own, get viscously beaten by the police.

The September 3, 2009 arrest of 21-year-old Phuong Ho, a vietnamese student and a math major, was captured on cell phone video. It showed police striking Ho with batons 13-14 times and using a Taser on him.

And, after an exhaustive four month investigation, prosecutors have decided not to file charges against the four officers involved in the incident.

The arrest angered the city’s large Vietnamese-American community, which was already upset over the fatal police shooting of a mentally ill Vietnamese man in May.

When officers arrived at his home,Phuong Ho was uncooperative and unwilling to follow orders and when officers tried to restrain him he twisted away.

That’s when the police unnecessarily and unmercillessly began to shoot him with a powerful electric taser stun gun!

The Taser was used in ‘drive stun mode’, which is intended to cause pain but does not fire darts into the target.

Ho later told police he did not feel any pain from the Taser, but instead felt ‘energised’ like he had been drinking an energy drink.

District Attorney Dolores Carr said the use of the Taser did not appear to affect Ho, who is from Ho Chi Minh City, and that …’A jury hearing criminal charges against these officers would likely conclude that the force used here – 13 baton strikes in 45 seconds – was reasonable under the circumstances…’

I guess Mrs Carr thinks that Asians are invincible!!!…because that is excessive punishment for ANY HUMAN BEING!!!

Phuong Ho’s actions were the result of a miscommunication with the officers over whether they had permission to go into his room,which they did not.What they did was illegally enter a private residence,and began to illegally search and seize Phuong Ho, which is a violation of his Constitutional rights.

Phuong Ho,is a student at California State University in San Jose, California.

An internal affairs investigation will now be held to determine whether the police officers complied with department rules regarding force, which is a sham investigation staged for the media, and no actually wrongdoing or punishment is expected to be handed out to the offending officers, by their fellow officers conducting the investigation.

In light of the history of violence that the police have committed against society, I always recommend to people to just co-operate with them when they show up, because the have guns, and have a free liscence to kill you, even if you have not done anything to warrant their death penalty!!!…you will get ssummarily executed by the cops,..and they will get away with it.

They will probably get a raise and and a promotion when they victimize the public, so you must consider that.

Yet another example of the boys in blue upholding the thin blue line, in order to terrorize the minority communities throughout America.

Phuong Ho is the Vietnamese Rodney King!!!!!No justice...No peace!!!!

Sources…

The Associated Press

Mercury News.com

[Via http://jerrybrice.wordpress.com]

POPULAR CAR

2010-03-04T06:03:00.000+02:00

Car have became the main necessity cause with it people can do more better, faster and fell sophisticated.

Each week Yahoo! Autos brings you the top 10 most popular cars in each of the different categories. The rankings are determined by the number of visitors that view each new car. Choose a car to see pictures, reviews, features, and more.

Top Sedans 1. 2010 Honda Accord Sedan MSRP:

$21,055-$31,105 2. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid 3. 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 4. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 5. 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid See top 10 Sedans View slideshow of Top 10 Top Coupes 1. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class MSRP:

$48,050-$85,750 2. 2010 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3. 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo 4. 2010 Audi A5 5. 2010 Ford Focus See top 10 Coupes View slideshow of Top 10 Top Convertibles 1. 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo MSRP:

$198,000-$221,000 2. 2010 Audi A5 3. 2010 Ford Mustang 4. 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago 5. 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 See top 10 Convertibles View slideshow of Top 10 Top SUVs 1. 2010 GMC Terrain MSRP:

$24,250-$31,300 2. 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour 3. 2010 Chevrolet Equinox 4. 2010 Honda CR-V 5. 2011 Kia Sorento See top 10 SUVs View slideshow of Top 10 Top Sports Cars 1. 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class MSRP:

$33,600-$57,350 2. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 3. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4. 2010 Mitsubishi Eclipse 5. 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo See top 10 Sports Cars View slideshow of Top 10 Top Wagons 1. 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 MSRP:

$15,295-$22,000 2. 2010 BMW 5 Series 3. 2010 Audi A4 4. 2011 Ford Fiesta 5. 2010 Kia Soul See top 10 Wagons View slideshow of Top 10 Top Vans 1. 2011 Toyota Sienna MSRP:

$24,260-$39,770 2. 2010 Honda Odyssey 3. 2010 Toyota Sienna 4. 2010 Ford Transit Connect Wagon 5. 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan See top 10 Vans View slideshow of Top 10 Top Trucks 1. 2010 Ford F-450 SD Crew Cab 4X4 MSRP:

$46,375-$55,660 2. 2010 Ford Truck F-150 SuperCab SVT 4X4 3. 2010 Toyota Truck Tacoma 4X4 4. 2010 Honda Ridgeline 5. 2010 Chevrolet Truck Colorado Crew Cab 4WD See top 10 Trucks View slideshow of Top 10 Top Luxury Vehicles 1. 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class MSRP:

$33,600-$57,350 2. 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour 3. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4. 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo 5. 2010 Audi A5 See top 10 Luxury Vehicles View slideshow of Top 10 Top Mid-Range Vehicles 1. 2010 Honda Accord Sedan MSRP:

$21,055-$31,105 2. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid 3. 2010 GMC Terrain 4. 2010 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 5. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro See top 10 Mid-Range Vehicles View slideshow of Top 10 Top Economy Vehicles 1. 2010 Honda Accord Sedan MSRP:

$21,055-$31,105 2. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid 3. 2010 GMC Terrain 4. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 5. 2010 Chevrolet Equinox See top 10 Economy Vehicles View slideshow of Top 10

[Via http://popularlinks.wordpress.com]

Blind People

2010-03-04T00:50:00.000+02:00

I am not talking about the people with real disability but rather those road users who oblivious to the presence of other road users.

(Blind on the road is not an excuse. Image source: http://www.travelpod.com/)

Take today for instance – I encountered 3 blind people on my way to work today

First incident happened very near to my house. I saw an old Proton coming out from a residential area. Moving very slowly, the car was blocked by a Perodua Myvi and both moved to the second lane. The driver probably anxious to move ahead of this slower moving Myvi suddenly moved to the fast lane, completely oblivious to a speeding black Perdana on the fast lane. Thankfully, nothing bad happened.

Second incident happened after I have moved to the fast lane myself and a 1 – 2 minutes later, noticed that there was a car fast approaching me. By now there was a heavy traffic on the second lane so I decided to speed up and try to move back to the second lane when I have the chance. As I was speeding and managed to ‘leave’ the fast approaching car at a good distance, up in front I saw my opportunity to move back to the slower lane. Just then, the idiot from the third lane (Proton Iswara WHL 9221) decided to casually move from the third lane straight to the fast lane.

This was the time, I counted my luck of changing my whole braking system to a much better one. I slammed on the brakes and the whole four disc brake pads went into action very beautifully. The car did not lock but very firmly slowed down. I “horned” the idiot at front but nothing happen. After a while, I managed to catch up with the idiot and slowed down to see who was the idiot who almost caused a major pile up in the morning – it was a lady, looked stoned and did not turn anywhere but to the front.

I guess this must be one those drivers who don’t bother to look left or right when driving.

Third incident happened when I reached the office and was about to turn in from the main road to the building parking lot. Usually there will be plenty of people walking on the lane near the building to go to work and when a car wants to moves in from the main lane, they usually walk up fast to cross the lane or stop and wait for the car to pass first before crossing.

Not this lady who was wearing all black and continued to walk as I was making the turn from the main road. As before, she just looked straight in front and never turns her head to notice my car. I slowed down just a fraction of a second so that I pass her very, very closely (without actually hitting her). I gathered she did not notice this as she continued to walk.

Being “blind” when on the road is not a disability that can be forgiven or excused.

Toyota chief apologizes, pledges better safety

2010-03-02T12:22:00.000+02:00

NEWS

Toyota headmost apologizes, pledges better safety

By Michael Muskal

February 24, 2010 | 11:43 a.m. PST

Toyota President Akio Toyoda appeared in front of a House panel on Wednesday, apologized for safety problems that be delivered of led to the recall of 10 million vehicles around the globe and promised that the company would work harder to ensure preservation.

Wearing a dark striped suit, Toyoda, the grandson of the gang founder and considered corporate royalty in Japan, spoke in English and he apologized in a straight line to the Saylor family for the San Diego accident that became the instance of the company’s acceleration safety problems and helped lead to Wednesday’s being.

“I would like to send my prayers again, and I command do everything in my power to ensure that such a play never happens again,” he said.

Toyoda, 53, was greeted by a phalanx of crowding photographers being of the cl~s who he took the witness seat, a far cry from the homage that usually greets a top executive in Japan. Those differences were expected to remain during the questioning phase.

“I would like to discuss what caused the revocation issues we are facing now. Toyota has, for the past hardly any years, been expanding its business rapidly. Quite frankly, I fear the go at an ambling gait at which we have grown may have been too quick,” Toyoda afore~.

“I would like to point out here that Toyota’s precedence has traditionally been the following: first, safety; second, quality; and third, volume. These priorities became confused, and we were not able to arrest, think and make improvements as much as we were able to in the presence of, and our basic stance to listen to customers’ voices to raise better products has weakened somewhat. We pursued growth over the fare at which we were able to develop our people and our organizing, and we should sincerely be mindful of that.

“I regret that this has resulted in the safety issues described in the recalls we face today, and I am deep sorry for any accidents that Toyota drivers have experienced,” he declared.

“My name is on every car. You have my personal unreserved adherence that Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to restore the credit of our customers.”

[Via http://topbestautonews.wordpress.com]

Goes Around, Comes Around

2010-03-02T06:45:00.000+02:00

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you.

He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.”

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard….

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

Moral:

What Goes around Comes Around. You do good, You will get good in return. Always be Helpful.

[Via http://lovelyshortstories.wordpress.com]

New Volkswagen Sharan Debuts at Geneva Motorshow

2010-03-02T00:45:00.000+02:00

The all-new Volkswagen Sharan has made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on an advanced new platform and featuring twin sliding doors, a seven seat configuration and a range of frugal yet powerful petrol and diesel engines, the Sharan is set to establish new standards of efficiency, practicality and refinement in its class.

At 4,854 mm in length, the new Volkswagen Sharan is 220 mm longer than the model it replaces, 92 mm wider and 12 mm lower. Despite these gains the new Sharan weighs 30 kg less than the previous used Sharan.

Access to the rear seats in the new Sharan is granted via a pair of large sliding doors that can, along with the tailgate, be specified with electric motors to operate automatically. The centre row features three individual seats that can be moved by up to 160 mm back and forth if required and, when not in use, can be folded to create a flat loadspace.

The third row of seats is made easy to access through the ability of the centre row of seats to slide and pivot forwards by 20 degrees. As a result of a wheelbase extended by 75 mm over the outgoing model, the new Sharan’s third row of seats is large enough to accommodate adults as well as children. As with the second row of seats, they can also be folded flat into the floor when not required.

At the heart of the new Sharan is a range of four advanced TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines linked to six-speed manual or DSG gearboxes. A 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine developing 150 PS while returning 38.1 mpg and emitting 172 g/km of CO2 is joined by a 2.0-litre unit which is mated to a standard DSG gearbox and produces 200 PS. This engine emits 201 g/km of CO2 while returning 32.8 mpg.

The diesel range comprises two 2.0-litre common rail engines producing 140 and 170 PS. In 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS form the Sharan returns 52.3 mpg while emitting 143 g/km of CO2 to make it one of the most efficient vehicles in its class. The 170 PS model emits 152 g/km of CO2 and has a combined economy figure of 49.5 mpg. To further improve efficiency, all models except the 200 PS variant feature Stop-Start and regenerative braking systems as standard.

The new Sharan is the most advanced people carrier Volkswagen has ever produced. Available as an option for the first time on the Sharan is the Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) system featuring electronically controlled pneumatic dampers with three selectable stages – normal, comfort and sport. In addition, a new version of Park Assist makes its debut on the Sharan. The system is now capable of guiding the vehicle into parking spaces at right angles with the direction of traffic as well as parallel spaces.

Following its international debut in Geneva the new Sharan will go on sale in the UK later this year with prices and specifications due to be announced.

[Via http://helpfindmea.wordpress.com]

BAZOOKA Harley Davidson 4 Channel Motorcycle Audio Kit

2010-02-28T06:38:00.000+02:00

Buy Car Speakers BAZOOKA Harley Davidson 4 Channel Motorcycle Audio Kit

Complete Description:

The Bazooka motorcycle kit includes our FAST-HD Plug and Play interface cable with OEM connectors that plug directly into the factory Harley Davidson harness. This allows for seamless integration of the amplifier into the Harley system and maintains full use of all factory handle bar controls.Each kit includes a 4-channel 200-watt amp that easily mounts under the front faring.

The MC-HD-AK4 motorcycle audio kit works on all FLH Harley models from 1985 to present for Harley FLH models:

FLH Electra Glide

FLH Standard

FLH Classic

FLH Ultra Classic (Exception: This product will not work on 1997 Ultra Classic bikes with a Built-in CB Radio)

[Via http://bcspeakers.wordpress.com]

A road lesson in empathy and patience

2010-02-28T00:10:00.000+02:00

For those who don’t know, British Columbia has a little thing called the Graduated Licensing Program for new drivers.

You begin by passing a written test for your “L”. Your L is literally a giant red L that has to be displayed on the back of the car. In addition, L drivers must have an adult supervisor. In other words, not only do you have to drive around with your mom, but you need to put a giant magnet on the back of your car that announces to everyone that you’re driving around with your mom.

After a year of driving with an L, a student driver can take their N test. This test is administered by someone at ICBC (the only car insurance option in this province) and, if passed, it’s the ticket to freedom. Kind of. You’re still required to display an N, can have a maximum of one non-family passenger, are not allowed to use hands-free technology, and can’t score anything above 0.00% on a blood-alcohol test. But you can fly solo, and that’s freedom enough.

This is my car with the N proudly displayed:

Ls look the same except red and, obviously, with an “L” instead of an “N”.

So, today, I was waiting to turn left at a major intersection, onto a one-way, when I notice an L a couple cars ahead. Sucks to be you. We were given the green advance and everyone hits the gas. Then, just around the corner, the L driver stops! The car in front of me hits the brakes, and I swerve into the right lane, narrowly avoiding collision. What are you doing?!

Likely scared to death, the L driver barely picks up any more speed and the car behind him honks. And I don’t mean an impatient “wtf” kind of honk. It’s looooong, it’s drawn out, and frankly, it’s unnecessary. It pissed me off more than the near-accident did.

Learning to drive is difficult. It takes time and it takes practice. Pointing out that someone made a mistake is logical. For all we knew, the L didn’t even see the chaos caused behind him. But literally leaning on the horn is hardly productive. It’s upsetting and just stresses out a driver who is obviously already having a fairly rough time.

For all anyone knew, that could have been the kid’s first time behind a wheel, or turning left at an intersection, or struggling to remember whether the approaching school zone is active on Saturdays. Freaking out doesn’t help anyone, and it’s certainly not going to make the kid a better driver.

Relax and have a little patience, so that he’s willing to learn. I think we can all agree that the sooner this kid learns to drive, the better.

[Via http://ihasgoodgrammar.wordpress.com]

what a tiring day..

2010-02-27T06:38:00.000+02:00

registered for ap exams; i’m taking art and english lit.

i suppose it’s good to have SOME stress. i think…

haha, i’ll worry about those later.

but today was a great day, like yesterday.

after school, i tutored this kid who’s in a freshman class that’s taught by my english teacher. and this class that he’s in is a class for kids who struggle with their grades. so my teacher wanted to give these kids someone to be their role model. so i volunteered. and this kid who i help now wanted/REQUESTED this other girl. have i talked about this before? well, tis true. he wanted to be paired up with a girl that i am no longer friends with.

it was only awkward on my side, so i let it go. he’s an alright kid, just gets easily sidetracked with random crap. he’s not dumb at all, he’s just lazy and makes excuses is all.

then, went driving with my uncle for like two hours. i was tired… more tired. i mean, when i was driving i wasn’t (can’t afford to do that). but at dinner, i was kind of dying. and like my family usually goes to the same place every friday to eat (my grandma is the cause of this, lol). but uh, my dad and i got to that restaurant early and sat down. then my uncle calls me and they’re at another restaurant like 2 minutes away. LOL and so, we leave. i felt so bad. haha

but the usual restaurant isn’t good when it’s busy (and it was busy). the dishes got smaller and aren’t as good on busy days. but they had tapioca dessert… which i wanted. oh well.

[Via http://alysonman.wordpress.com]

The American Religion.

2010-02-27T00:37:00.000+02:00

The next time you mute the television during a commercial, examine the silent language of an advertisement. It’s more obvious with the sound off. The human drama is centered on a non-human object, an object of attraction, even of obsession or worship. The satiated stare of the actors, whether speaking directly to you or in some concocted interaction, rests on the product being sold to you. Whatever social milieu may be depicted, whatever situation presents itself as self-consciously typical of “us,” the viewer, is completed and fulfilled only by the product. The product being sold is manifestly the meaning of life.

Here is the real American religion, indeed the religion of Western civilization. The religion found in the Church is only a sideshow in America today, a feature in the cultural landscape. There is no adoration in popular culture, the culture of day-to-day life in the developed countries, that can compare to the adoration of the car, the appliance, the light beer, the prescription drug. In fact it is not the specific commodity in itself that is significant, but our relationship with any product, the relationship of the consumer with any desired object, that constitutes our way of life.

To understand this fully it is necessary to clear away all illusions about the means of existence. Some commodities are necessary to us in terms of food, shelter, health, or future security. Many of them are unnecessary. But the cult of the commodity creates the same mental outlook in either case. You can be poor as dirt and still be hypnotized by a sense of dependency on products as such, a mental and emotional dependency that molds one’s entire attitude towards life.

When people talk disparagingly about material things as if an attachment to the physical world was a problem, it only obscures the issue. The object of worship in this religion is not really material at all. It represents a way of living that is purposely alienated from interpersonal relations. Our attention in the deepest sense, the locus of our daily awareness, is trained to turn away from contemplation of God and our relation to Him. Our attention is even turned away from ourselves as a human community and is focused solely towards the product, which becomes a replacement for meaning. When the shiny car drives up in the commercial, the people turn towards it as if it were a god or the holy grail. It has been invested with a kind of magic, a meaning that has no meaning other than the turning of attention itself. The market, through the sheer mechanical logic of its operation, has colonized the human mind, turning society into a group of atomized individuals bonding with their commodities.

The effect on the world is disastrous, but it is difficult to realize what the problem is as long as one is under the spell of this new religion. If one has no experience with culture based on relationships between people, if all one knows is consumer culture, there is only a nagging sense of unease, a premonition of emptiness. It has become difficult to experience the natural world without the intrusion of commodities, but glimpses can be had if you are lucky. In the midst of the nonjudgmental and non-manipulative environment of the wilderness, gratitude can suddenly arise. There are people who can look at a forest or a canyon and only see the potential for some kind of use, something to grasp, something to consume. Humanity pays a steep price for ignoring its dependence on nature.

In architecture, too, one can tell when something has been built with an attention based on a relationship with nature, and on the sense of human community. Such places inspire an inner sense of freedom and contentment, and a connection with other people. The architecture of the consumer religion is only designed to showcase the commodity. People are always visitors in these environments. There is nowhere to rest, nowhere to interact meaningfully with anybody. We are impelled, rather, to interact with products. Such places foster a sense of inner constraint and dissatisfaction. Nothing can satisfy the restless seeking. No object is ever enough.

The U.S. is covered with strip malls now, from coast to coast. The strip mall is the perfect church for the new religion. They are alike in their ugliness. We park our cars in the parking lots and enter the strip malls looking for a promised fulfillment. Whatever conversations we may have with each other are only incidental to the drama of the getting of more things. It is the epic drama of perfect boredom.

To break away from the new religion is to experience a wrenching of the psyche. There is no easy way for a free spirit to make his escape. Shaking free of the common stupor is not something achieved once and for all, but must be practiced every day, with varying success.

[Via http://lifeondoverbeach.wordpress.com]

Coincidence Or What???

2010-02-24T23:59:00.000+02:00

*Useless Story Alert*

So some days ago when I was on my way home from work, I received a text message. Normally when I am in the car I don’t look until I’m home, but for some reason I did this time. I saw it was from my friend and because it was 11 pm already and she never text me at that hour I called her. When I asked where she was, she told me she was in a car on the way back to home. She came back from visiting someone and he was taken them back home. After some talking I found out she was at the same road as I was, only 1 km ahead of me =D 3 minutes later I drove next to them…

COINCIDENCE OR WHAT???

[Via http://lisab88.wordpress.com]

Légendaire: Peugeot 504 Saloon

2010-02-23T18:41:00.000+02:00

Sales Brochure, Peugeot 504, France, 1972:

A wonderful tourer, the 504 is aggressive on mountain roads, eats up the miles on the road and its powerful 2 litre engine offers high performance and motorway endurance. Smooth and comfortable it is a pleasure to drive in town and on very long runs.

Two black Peugeot 504 saloons were driven by henchmen of James Bond in the 1981 film "For Your Eyes Only". Bond made a remarkable escape in a yellow Citroen 2CV.

[Via http://retrocarstyle.wordpress.com]

Power windows? How about onboard sheesha?

2010-02-23T12:49:00.000+02:00

For the man who has everything

If I ever get stuck in a traffic jam, I hope my car has one of these inside it.

Shamelessly stolen from “The Arabist.”

Actually, I’ve essentially given up smoking for the past few weeks and exchanged it for midnight runs on the Corniche, and am impressed with the results so much that I think I might hang up my hookah permanently.

[Via http://sonofaduck.wordpress.com]

Check In

2010-02-23T00:51:00.000+02:00

Update on my college applications

1. I’ve gotten into U of Pitt

2. Hofstra

3.and UB

4. I’m pretty excited that I haven’t gotten denied from anywhere and am more so excited to get the other 4 letters soon

It’s so surreal because I’ve been talking to my parents about getting a car for graduation, my 18th birthday, and going off to college

It is almost here everyone

[Via http://itstiffaniemarie.wordpress.com]

dreams as I know it...

2010-02-21T06:11:00.000+02:00

I’ve never been one to dream that much, and when I do dream I can rarely remember anything I ever dreamed about. There are only 2 dreams throughout my entire life that I can even remember really. The first being when I was 5 and trying to rescue my little sister from being hurt (the dream was in Sepia), and the other was my first wet dream- but does anyone ever forget anything that significant?

However, I have been dreaming quite a lot lately, and remembering them vividly. I guess it also helps that I talk about it to people, so that way I don’t forget. Maybe the dreams mean nothing, but after the year I’ve had maybe they are a bit more meaningful, it’s definately something that I am trying to figure out.

Two really stand out in my mind.

The first was last night. The setting was very Sherlock Holmes like, and it took place in Poland. I was laying in a white bed on the top floor of what seemed to be a 3 story torture house. From the window next to my bed the roof stretch out, and went into a pool of water, with an Island just off of it. I was being molested by someone whom I knew very well, and crying. In the room next to me my Mom was yelling, and then all of a sudden she busts through the doors runs out the window and dissapears into the water. The person molesting me then went to the bathroom, cops came running into the room and went right out the window into the water. Seeing as this was my chance to escape I ran out into the cold night air of Poland. I was searching for help desperately, and terrified to turn any corners. All the buildings were dark and grimy and incredibly foreboding. No one would help me, and I needed to get back to America so I could escape my situation. I needed to get to the US embassy, but the building seemed farther and farther away with every step I took towards it. When I finally saw the building a single tear ran down my face and I woke up…

The other dream was from a few weeks ago. I was driving on a street and the area was very industrial and dark. Lots of factories, and barely any street lights. Fog started creeping over all my windows and then I noticed my rearview wasn’t facing me. When I turned it correctly I saw myself in the back seat. I was possessed and evil, and my jaw dropped trying to attack the “me” that was driving the vehicle. I grabbed the “demon me” by the mouth and slammed it into the window. Just at that moment the car crashed and exploded.

I look up what cars meant. It said that if you were driving you were living your life recklessly, or had no control over the traumantic events in your life that had just occured. (I could write a book on the things that have happened to me recently.) And then it said if you were in the back seat you had no control over the pain that people around you were causing you.

I was in both seats.

[Via http://marcussdaniel.wordpress.com]

Driving me crazy

2010-02-20T18:44:00.000+02:00

When most people turn 17 years old it’s more than likely that they’ll want driving lessons as their main birthday present. I wish I’d asked for driving lessons. But no. At the age of 17 I was more interested in building up my N64 collection. So I asked for a pile of games instead. The only driving I was likely to be doing on my birthday was on Mario Kart. Now I’ve made a lot of decisions in my life that I’ve gone on to regret, and that has to rank right up there with sinking into a vast sea of unsecured debt. Just think, if I’d learnt to drive a real car when I was 17 instead of a virtual 150cc go-kart things might have turned out very differently. I might not have ended up working for Sainsburys for 5 years for example as I would’ve been able to work further afield instead of being restricted to working in Farnham. Consequently, I probably wouldn’t have sunk into the aforementioned sea of debt. And I certainly wouldn’t have had to spend countless hours stood waiting on freezing cold railway station platforms waiting for the connection that’s always late.

But I guess there’s little point in wallowing in past mistakes. Especially if it’s easy to rectify them. It’s best to look to the future. And in just over a week I will finally begin learning to drive.

I’ve never driven a car before. But I can’t wait to get started. I guess at the moment I’m feeling excited, enthusiastic and just a little bit nervous. Although I know there’s nothing to worry about. The car I’m going to be learning in has dual controls so I know that even if I do mess up on a grand scale my instructor will be able to take charge and prevent any major disasters. I just need to keep focussed on what my ability to drive will do to change my life.

It’s good to have a positive outlook on life. A negative outlook really doesn’t get you anywhere.

[Via http://ttnugs.wordpress.com]

PCN Friends = Trying To Hack Us.

2010-02-20T00:12:00.000+02:00

Thanks to anonymous for the tip-off.

It’s look like someone tried or getting some of their friends to hack our blog and i would say congratulation you thought no one who would find you trying. I know the people who tried to and you probably going to guess but it the guys at Pixel Car Nation on the issue about the latest news about Tony, i wonder why they want to hack this site probably because the news about Tony is true because tony doesn’t come comment on this issue so he must started the rip site.

Ryan Soper who also knows as FuzzyBear on that site was trying to get his friends on another site he’s on to hack the admin side of this blog and well you think I wouldn’t find out but I did and Tony would like if Ryan’s friends can delete this blog again i wonder why ?.

SCREENSHOTS – 56k warning

Ryan(FuzzyBear) screenshot taken from Pixel Car Nation

Tony(V.P. Tony G) screenshot taken from Pixel Car Nation

and Eric also know as Trucker_Eric doesn’t want any bad name to go with the site of Pixel Car Nation, so you better listen to him but to late saying that you trying to hack another site is giving you a bad name already.

Trucker_Eric screenshot taken from Pixel Car Nation

So to the admin of Pixel Car Nation if you want to keep going with things like this hacking and give your site bad name you can i will still report it and here a suggestion Tony and the rest of you stop doing CRAP like stealing intellectual property etc and just use you brain and do some creative to be one of a kind pixel car rpg and Tony if you get banned from a site just leave it alone don’t go back a make another account and when that account get banned don’t try it again or we will go in a unless loop of you creating accounts like i said in a previously post you started doing all the crap so it’s your own fault, i just report it to STOP you for making a mistake but you can’t take the hint.

[Via http://himrx.wordpress.com]

Symbol of East Germany: Trabant 601

2010-02-18T18:08:00.000+02:00

Symbol of former East Germany!

Sales brochure, Trabant 601, Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), 1966:

Die zunehmende Verkehrsdichte verlangt Automobile mit Temparament, mit leistungsstrarken Motoren. Der luftgekühlte 23-PS-Motor des Trabant 601 mit seinem kraftvollen Drehmoment von 5,3 kpm entspricht diesen Forderungen…

[Via http://retrocarstyle.wordpress.com]

Polo prices to be announced on Feb 23

2010-02-18T12:06:00.000+02:00

VW Polo

The Volkswagen Polo which was unveiled at the Auto Expo last month in Delhi will finally be out on roads later this month. The Polo is one of the most awaited car in the auto market and if sources are to be believed will be priced very competitively.

The base Polo is expected to start at Rs 4.5 lakh and the top end model can touch up to mark of Rs 7 lakh. In the first phase, Indian consumers will be made available the 1.2litre 75bhp petrol version. Although, later on a 1.2litre 75bhp diesel and a 1.6litre 104bhp petrol will be added.

The Polo promises to bring class leading levels of quality and comfort to the segment and will be available across three trim levels – Trendline, Comfortline and the Highline.

Volkswagen will offer additional features like safety features, entertainment options, accessories that will be available with the dealers at the time of bookings.

[Via http://gratiscarconnect.wordpress.com]

empowerment.

2010-02-18T00:07:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, I decided to get back on the horse and take my first steps towards accomplishing one of my goals for 2010, which is to pass my driving test and get a car. I’m 24 years old, I’ll need a car for jobs once I finish my current university course, and I also just want to take this step towards freedom. I feel a little guilty relying on friends who drive, and I want to repay the favour; I’m tired of getting the bus, I’m tired of having to leave Toby’s at 10:30pm just so that I can get home. I want to do what I want when I want. So I took my driving theory test for the first time in 6 years, and I passed it. So onto the practical! I have a CD-ROM to help with this (though I have yet to view it, and unless the CD puts me in a car, I’m unsure as to how helpful it’ll actually be), and I’m going to book an intensive course for a week in the Easter holidays, hopefully with a practical test attached at the end which I can pass and then get my licence.

When I was 18, I took this practical driving test 3 times, and kept failing. The first time, I nearly passed (and perhaps should have), but the second and third time my nerves got the better of me and I couldn’t function effectively. I know that driving is an industry and examiners are unnecessarily rigid, because they can get money out of people retaking tests. But I just need to get my shit together and give them an excuse not to fail me. I’m hoping that being a bit older with more life experience will give me the strength I need to get through the test, but I have to acknowledge the fact that I’m still nervous about it! But I’m going to try a different strategy (blitzing it in a week rather than taking a lesson each week might hopefully give me less time to get nervous) and my determination to pass – it’s a necessity! – might just see me through. We’ll have to wait and see.

The theme of this blog entry is in the title – empowerment. So far, 2010 is shaping up pretty well – two of my three goals seem to be progressing towards successful completion and it’s only mid-February. I have a wonderful new boyfriend and I am slowly learning to be in a relationship with him. I am halfway towards my driving licence, with the next steps clear in my mind (and my wallet, *sigh*), and Mike’s neighbour Andrea has a car (Peugeot 306 – nothing fancy but it’ll get me from A to B) which he is going to sell for £800 that I am considering purchasing (not only does he have to go through Mike who can be fearsome if necessary, but I’ve met Andrea myself so he’s unlikely to rip me off – I know where he lives!). I have got a fantastic best friend at university with whom I am extremely likely to keep in contact after the course ends, and I have shed nearly all the weight I’m looking to shed. I have got two tattoos that I love, that are exactly right for me, and I am making plans for the third (watch this space! It’s going to require some considerable designing though so I won’t be blogging it next week or anything ). In other words, life is good right now. I’ve tried to keep my blog even, to reflect the positives and negatives, the joys and heartbreak in my life in equal measure, in a way that means you can see and feel what is personal to me but also in a way that’s not so personalised that nobody else can relate. I’ve also blogged about music, fashion, perfume and other things that are personal interests of mine, but which are also interesting to the general population.

This blog itself, along with all of the aforementioned things in the above paragraph, are steps towards my own empowerment. It’s funny how much can change in six months. I have a lot of growing to do, but I look at myself and I have come quite far in quite a short amount of time. I feel like an adult, like I’m not an ugly person but someone deserving and strong. I can’t be strong 100% of the time, and that’s ok, but I’m stronger now than I used to be and I can see it, I can feel it. And this journey is only beginning, I have more steps to take (car, job, financial stability, my own place) before I am anywhere near satisfied (hah!) but I acknowledge my progress towards independence and I feel good about it. I can do this. We have to empower ourselves each day to get a little bit further towards where we want to be, and I refuse to ever be powerless. This is what I realise now, and I am empowered.

[Via http://iamchase.wordpress.com]

KSUBI.COM

2010-02-16T12:07:00.000+02:00

I’m a graphics fan & as logged onto this…

CLICK HERE!!!!

WASN’T THAT AWESOME?!?!

CLICK HERE AGAIN!!!

IT CHANGED!! LOOOOOL

Ok back to bizness..

Ksubis look has gone a lil bonkers but its kinda sexual because it’s so different & grunge-like. I’m liking the bold use of the patterned colours on their apparel…very noice! They’re an Australian brand so support the brand yo! They make ridiculous sunnies <3 not to mention you can’t go wrong with a pair of their ripped/dark/light denim range, those extra dollars are worth the spend because their denim actually lasts longer than say ahem *cough* XnudiesX *cough* not mentioning any names here

enjoy it xo

[Via http://jellyteds.wordpress.com]

Monday, February 15th, 2010.

2010-02-16T06:46:00.000+02:00

[Via http://christianabourdon.wordpress.com]

Driving Pablo

2010-02-14T06:19:00.000+02:00

So, some weeks ago, after being able to finally drive myself around for the past month I had a dream involving driving.

I was driving around in an area I knew and I was driving around my friend Pablo trying to find the house of his girlfriend, Brooke. Her house was located in Lakes By the Bay, the community my father’s house is in. This community has a bunch of little sections within it and hers was called Moonlight something, not sure what the second part was, but I know it isn’t a real section within the Lakes By the Bay community. We go around in circles and can’t find her house and eventually run into a group of people. My dad was with this group of people and he came up to my car. He tells us that the place is on the left and I drive off in that direction with Pablo. We finally find the house and I drop Pablo off.

After dropping off Pablo I kind of follow my father into a place that turned into a diner as I walked into it. My dad turned into another person that looked like a hippie veteran. This person sat down with two other people in a booth and I slid in next to him. They were having some type of meeting, talking about plans to do something.

Then my dream shifted its focus onto the girl sitting across from me. It was because she’d been wanting to hear about a baby she had given up according to everyone. But her baby was really stolen.

[Via http://ilovemycrazydreams.wordpress.com]

2003 Honda Accord EX Chase Motors Used Cars Richmond

2010-02-13T00:15:00.000+02:00

2003 Honda Accord EX Richmond

Richmond Honda Accord in Richmond VA

Extra Clean! 4cyl EX trim! Automatic Transmission! Alloy Wheels, Moonroof, Power Driver’s Seat, Power Windows & Locks, Keyless Entry, CD Changer, ABS, Wood Dash.

Chase Motors Corporation is your one stop dealership for used Honda cars in Richmond. Visit our Richmond, VA dealership in Midlothian today and allow us to demonstrate our uncompromising commitment to excellence!

Honda Accord Richmond VA

Honda Richmond

8311 Midlothian Turnpike Richmond VA 23235

804-562-3940 Toll Free 1-866-768-0341

[Via http://chasemotorsusedcars.wordpress.com]

I'm soooooo sorry!!!

2010-02-11T12:47:00.000+02:00

I’m soooo sorry that I didn’t update my post for so long.It is because in a period of time wordpress was really slow.

So,now without wasting any time…I would like to introduce a really stunning 6 seater car-NAZA Ria!!

Below are the photos…

Taken from http://kereta.info/naza-ria-specification-the-spacious-5-star-premium-luxury-mpv-with-ngv/

[Via http://saythisnthat.com]

Crazy Crossings - Skill Flash Games

2010-02-11T06:36:00.000+02:00

URL : http://www.flashgame-girl.com/Skill/Crazy-Crossings.html

Game description :

You control a Crossing Patrol Guard/Lollipop Person who is tasked with helping kids cross the road to school.

Game controls :

Use the Arrow Keys on your keyboard to control the lollipop person.

[Via http://liwenfeng3.wordpress.com]

Inspiration, part II

2010-02-11T00:37:00.000+02:00

In a previous post I mentioned how I’ve drawn upon the magnificent Rebel Without A Cause in my preparations for Dead Load. The style and tone of the movie and the coolness of James Dean have provided much food for thought.

But now I figure it’s time for more inspiration of a much different kind. And so on to Sin City we go.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it’s one of my favourite films of all time. So stylised, so rich. Such a stunning movie, brilliantly realised.

My favourite scene is the interior car scene with Clive Owens and a very dead, but very much alive and smokin, Benicio Del Toro. As much of Dead Load takes place within a moving convertible at night, this scene is obviously a great source of mental stimulation.

The scene itself was directed by one Quentin Tarantino, and if he keeps up this kind of form that lad will have a bright future, mark my words.

Anyway here’s the scene…

And better still here’s the behind the scenes footage of how it was all realised, an extra feature from the DVD called “The Long Take”. Great stuff altogether and well worth some minutes of your time be you film-maker or film fan. Check it out….

And better still is the news that Sin City 2 is in development and slated for 2011. And I for one can’t wait.

[Via http://deadload.wordpress.com]

Car DVD Players: The Smaller the Better

2010-02-09T12:01:00.000+02:00

In recent years, the DVD player has moved from the comfort of your own home to the car. The car DVD player has served many well on those long journeys, where the kids are bored and your flustered partner is increasingly getting redder as she tries to comprehend the map in front of her. Those days of stressful journeys are over, since inventors fitted the DVD player in the car to entertain all the family. Since the original DVD player was fitted, a number of new technologies have vastly improved its performance and usability in the car, as well as its aesthetics.

One of the favourites on this currently advancing market is the EISA awards participant, the JVC KD-AVX77. It’s an ideally small system for in the dash, which combines the latest of technologies within a small space. Its user friendly, as the latest touch screen technology is utilised – meaning you no longer have to fiddle with those temperamental buttons. Picture quality is superb due to the latest LCD TFT technology, which combined with a wide screen, provides you with the experience of Cinemascope viewing. Furthermore, its Ultra Wide Viewing Angle LCD format means no longer is there any glare from any angle.

This unique little number also has the excellent advantage of owning a split screen mode, making those arguments over which programme to watch part of the distant past. Moreover, split screens usefully allow for dual tasking, so that you can control the DVD system and the car stereo’s control panel at the same time. The inbuilt proximity sensor is another excellent feature that acknowledges your presence, by lighting up the screen, when in range. Furthermore, Dual Zone technology enables you to relax and listen to your music in the front, whilst the kids watch their favourite film in the back – making the entire family happy!

The JVC KD-AVX77 accepts all formats, from films to MP3 and can be used with i-pods, i-phones and other equivalent technologies through USB. Full speed control of these technologies is combined with a two way control system to enable you to access your music and films, easily and quickly. Even your phone can be connected to this system, as the built-in Bluetooth system allows for handsfree calling and audio streaming.

Lastly JVC went for the personal touch to this system, as the graphic user interface (GUI) can be altered and changed to your liking. This piece of latest technology is undoubtedly an example of how Car DVD players are set to be transformed within the next few months

Car DVD players, including the JVC KD-AVX77, are available at http://www.caraudiowarehouse.co.uk

[Via http://caraudiowarehouse.wordpress.com]

February 8th

2010-02-09T00:06:00.000+02:00

I bet you can all guess why I took a picture of a red, plastic container. If you can’t guess, it’s because I ran out of gas today and had the pleasure of walking to the gas station and purchasing it. My gas gauge is broken so I have no idea when my tank is almost empty. I usually go by the mileage. According to the numbers I still could have gone at least 20 more miles. Well, I was wrong. For the past week I’ve been thinking I should just get gas because it’s been a while but I would look at my mileage and think “eh, it can wait.” I actually had a bit of good karma to help cushion my stupidity. Remember that my roommate got in a wreck a couple weeks ago? Well, she’s been driving a rental car while her car was being repaired. Today, her car was finally ready to be picked up so she had to drop her car off at the rental place this morning. I followed her over there and she rode with me to campus before class. After my first class she called me for a ride home because her original ride had backed out. I didn’t mind, so I drove from our house to campus and back to her house before heading to ceramics. The ceramics studio is about 3 miles from our house and a little over a mile from campus. I headed down Chautauqua to take my usual route to class and was already running a little late because of the taxi service.

Right after I turned onto Imhoff my car started sputtering kinda and slowed down. I knew what was going on and knew I had it coming eventually since I had put it off so much. The good karma comes in because of the location of where my car came to a halt. It was not even a block away from a gas station. It was actually the only gas station in probably a mile radius. I pulled over to the side of a not so busy four-lane street and put my flashers on. I grabbed my wallet and trekked over to 7-11. I’ve never filled a gas can before so I didn’t know what I was doing. The cashiers were really nice and helped me out. I filled up the can and walked back. Only as I was about to pour the gas into my tank did someone pullover and ask if I needed help. Granted, I wasn’t far away from the gas station and didn’t linger in my car when I realized I was out of gas.

The other part of the good karma has to do with when I ran out of gas. I ran out on the way to class and it was cold but it hadn’t started snowing yet. I also take a different route to go home than I do to go to class. If I had run out of gas after class I would have been on busy two-lane roads away from a gas station and causing a big traffic jam. That would have been super embarrassing and I would have felt really bad for making everyone late for class. So, in a way, I have the unlicensed 16 year-old who hit Jen’s car to thank. Crazy how everything effects something else.

Now, I feel all independent and grown up. I did it all by myself. I didn’t have to call someone to save me and didn’t freak out. I could probably fix a leaky faucet or lay drywall. Maybe not quite yet but if I had to I bet I could do it.

[Via http://lisadianne.wordpress.com]

Exhaustion

2010-02-07T18:02:00.000+02:00

Things have been very busy the past few days so today I’m not feeling so hot. Last week I helped Mommy make all of my favorite dishes: chicken, chicken soup, and cholent–oh yes, those are delicious dishes! But, I wish I knew more about the deliciousness. Can you believe she made all of that food and barely let me eat any of it? Yes, I’m serious. All she gave me was some boiled chicken and broth mixed in with my dry food. I swear sometimes she treats me like I’m in prison. Broth? Really? Thanks, lady. Jokes on Mommy though. She doesn’t know that I snuck in some licks of her soup when she left her bowl sitting on the table.

Yesterday we had some of Daddy’s family come over to eat cholent. I was so excited to see them. I gave them the grand tour of the house, including where I sleep, where I eat, and where Mom and Dad torture me with the shampoo. I tried showing them where the cholent was cooking but got too close and burnt my snout–ouch! Then I lapsed into an uncontrollable sneezing fit. After regaining my composure, I spent the rest day entertaining them.

Today was also eventful. Daddy was home with me in the morning while Mommy was at class. Daddy is almost never home alone with me so I knew something was up. And then I saw it…a suitcase. Oh no! I started to get upset and feel sick. I kept looking to Daddy for answers but he was busy working. As the moments passed, I felt worse and worse. When Mommy walked in the door I could take it no longer. I went under the dining room table and threw up!

Mommy tried to make me feel better and she did….until she packed up the suitcase and the 3 of us headed to the car. I remembered the place as soon as we pulled up. The last time I was here, they put me in a crate and stored me under the plane for 12 hours. Daddy got out of the car. Mommy got out of the car. I stared at them through the window. I was next, I just knew it.

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG! Please don’t take me! What is happening?! How can you do this to me? I just got hit by a car–don’t you remember? I almost died! Don’t take me!!!!

Then a miracle happened. Daddy waved and walked off and Mommy got back in the car. I was safe. Wow, that was close.

By the the time we got back home, I was emotionally and physically exhausted. It might not compare to say, getting hit by a car, but today was a bad day! It’s a good thing Mommy can read my mind because she knew just what I needed–couch time!

See how exhausted I look?

[Via http://misterpeoples.wordpress.com]

RC Project 07: Tamiya Ford F350

2010-02-07T06:26:00.000+02:00

Time to get serious, unpacking ceremony of one of the more sophisticated Tamiya models, the Ford F350 High-Lift (link). Coming with more parts, metal stuff, 3 gear speed transmission and a hop-up electronic set with plenty of light and sound effects. Keep you updated with the progress.

Ford F-350 High-Lift

MFC-02

[Via http://rcgeek.wordpress.com]

Like Your Stuff…Love Your People

2010-02-07T00:54:00.000+02:00

Remembering to only 'like' stuff...even flowers. Remembering to 'love' people...and God the Creator.

JESUS My Lord and Savior -Anastasia Diamond

How often do we say, I love this or I love that…when talking about some thing that has no known eternal value?

Our casual wording gives everyday stuff a place of equal importance with the most treasured people and relationships in our life. In doing so, we speak words that unthinkingly may appear to lessen the value of our most important love relationships by comparison.

Should the words we speak equally compare the lustful attraction we may have to a chocolate chip cookie, piece of jewelry, an electronic gadget, a sport, a game, or a new car…with the blessings of the love we have for and share with, our children, husband, wife, parents, family, friends…or Jesus?

What a ridiculous comparison. Yet, every time we speak the word love in relation to stuff…we verbally exalt that stuff to a place of honor…while diminishing by comparison, the value of our love relationships with people and with God.

I don’t know about you, but I am wondering how I can possibly continue to use the same word when saying I love (fill in the blank with your favorite stuff) …I love you…and I love Jesus?

Continuing to do so feels like an implied insult to our loved ones…and most especially to the holy name and nature of God our Creator, His Holy Spirit, and His Son; Jesus Christ.

Clearly, English lacks the love-word options offered in Greek and some other languages. However, I can train the English words of my mouth to define the differences. Therefore, I challenge myself to this change.

This is my prayer:

Heavenly Father, I want the position of my heart and the words of my mouth to match.

May my words express that I like my stuff…and I love my people; most of all You dear God.

Father, I pray for Your Holy Spirit wisdom, discernment and knowledge…that I will make proper word choices to express my emotional attachment, attraction, or reaction to…all worldly stuff.

No matter what stuff I am talking about… I submit all stuff – every thing – to You for clarification of its’ true worth: home, belongings, gifts, music, movie, song, TV show, computer, car, circumstance, antique, money, flower, collectible, furniture, food, book, restaurant, color, clothes, shoes, phone, place….and more. I submit it all to You.

I pray I will remember to save all of my true love-words for people…and for You.

Dear Abba Father, I love You.

I pray You will continue to teach me…that I will receive and understand more from Your precious mind and heart of love.

These things I pray…in the name, power, and authority of Your Son, Jesus. Amen…and amen.

[Via http://jesusmylordandsavior.wordpress.com]

Wedding transportation tips

2010-02-06T13:03:00.000+02:00

When shopping around for wedding transportation tips, it is easy to get overwhelmed by multitude of options and their prices tags. To be able to make a good decision you should keep your needs and your budget in mind while researching this. The transportation might be an essential part of some couples weddings and they therefore dont hesitat to spend a lot of money on fancy cars. For others, the fashion in which they travel back and forth during their wedding day is very far down on their priority list and they can easily come up with a multitude of things they’d prefer to spend their money on.

Don’t care about what others thinks, choose something that suits you and your budget. Some couples do as an example feel forced to travel in a white limo while there are so many other options that might be more suitabel to them. If you love motorbikes, why don’t leave the wedding reception on Harley or two? Another cheap but still charming options is to use an old-fashion romantic tandem bike to go from the church to the reception. It will be more romantic than any limo and can also yield some unusual and stunning wedding photos.

You really do not have to rent a fancy car for the entire day.. To keep your wedding within budget you can use cheap transportation (e.g. let a trusted friend drive you) during part of the day and splash out on the ride that’s most important for you. Do you want your prince Charming to arrive at the church on a white stallion? Or maybe you’ve always fantasised about leaving City Hall together in a red sports car? Maybe what you actually would appreciate the most is to let a fully equipped limo pick you up after the reception filled with champagne, strawberries and exquisite chocolate pralines to give you that extra boost of energy after the big day? Renting transportation by the hour instead of paying for an entire day and evening can save you considerably amounts of money and make it possible for you to afford something you thought were out off reach.

For those who need arrange to transport for more people than just the bride and groom, hiring a bus or a stretch limo is two common options. The stretch hummer limo has grown increasingly popular during recent years since it can fit much more people than most ordinary limos and is perceived by many as more festive than a traditional bus. When you book a hummer limo you should tlel the company how many guest you will have riding in it. This is to make sure you get a limo that is suitable for you needs, if they dont know you will share the limo with guest they might send one with just a few seat and a hot tub and sofa instead, which is ideal for two but not very good for a party.

Regardless of which wedding transportation you end up with, make sure to get all the details that are important to you in writing, such as pick-up time, vehicle model and colour, license-plate number if you’ve chosen something very specific, decorations, special requests, etc. Do not let the rental agency get away with just handing you a simple recipe stating that you’ve paid for the vehicle this is a day when you don’t want anything to go wrong so make sure that all important details are clearly specified in writing. This is a good practice regardless of what type of transportation you get, even if it is just your friend giving you a ride you should make sure that he has all important info written down somewhere.

[Via http://hotsexygirlspics.com]

Corvette stingray - A reborn classic

2010-02-06T12:42:00.000+02:00

Corvette stingray 1973

The Corvette is a classic car that have survived into its 6th generation as one of GMs truely iconic cars. Corvettes have been rolling on the streets since the early 1950s when the first Corvette was designed by legendary engineer and automotive stylist Harely Earl.

The six generations all contained different versions and are commonly referred to as C1 -C6. The latest generation does for instance include the ZR1 model; a car fitted with the most powerful engine ever used in a production Corvette.

One of the most loved and appricated models is the Corvette Stingray, which is a C2 Corvette with a split rear window and purely decorativ hood vents. The stingray was produced from 1963-67 and featured independent rear suspension wis was rare for the day. Only the first year model featured the distinct split window and hood vents which were then removed due to the fact that Zora Arkus-Duntov, High performance director, didn’t like the design.

The latest version of the Corvette is the C6 ZR1 which is a juiced up high performance version of the regular C6. Corvette used to be built in Flint, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri, but the latest ZR1 version is built in Kentucky (Bowling green) with an engine built in Wixom, Michigan.

The ZR1 has recieved a very warm welcome by car critics. It was also appointed “2009 Performance Car of the Year by Top Gear” and has done the N¼rburgring Nordschleife lap in 7 minutes and 26.4 seconds.

The ZR1 engine produces 638hp (476kW), and 604foot-pounds (819Newton metres) of torque. Known as the LS9, the engine is a modified version of the LS3 and contains a sixth-generation Eaton TVS R2300 roots 4-lobe supercharger with intercooler. The supercharge and its output have been been designed not to change the appearance of the hood.

It is the first Corvette model ever to feature oil injectors that help reduce noise and improve cooling, the system also uses oil squirters tha make sure the pistons and cylinders always are well lubricated. Lubrication is also increased by a new and improved version of the dry sump system found on the LS7.

To cut down the weight, the chassis of the ZR1 Corvette is naturally made from aluminium just like the 2008 Z06, and the hood, roof, fenders, splitter, and rocker extension panels consist of carbon fibre. A special pain treatment safeguards the carbon fibre from being damaged by the sun. The designers did a good job in reducing the weight of this care and it weighs a mere 1520 kg (3352lb).

All this power must naturally be combined with potent braking capacity so the ZR1 has been fitted with breaks originally designed for Ferrari. Ferrari developed the ceramic break system to use on their epic Ferrari Enzo, a limited edition tribute to Ferrari Enzo who founded Ferrari. The Corvette ZR1 will stop in less than 30 meters (96ft) at 96 km/h (60mph).

[Via http://hotsexygirlspics.com]

Thankful Friday

2010-02-06T00:22:00.000+02:00

I am starting to write this post in the final minutes of Friday 6th February 2010. My husband is asleep (and loudly snoring) next to me, my son is in the next room soundly asleep, yelping every now and again as he scratches his chicken pox spots. I haven’t felt very thankful this week, I have had very little me time, barely time to fit my working week in, barely a moment when I didn’t feel stressed so although I don’t do this post every week this week I feel I need too.

So what am I thankful for?

First and most of all my son getting a mild dose of chicken pox. Some people are lucky and cruise through illness with barely a sniffle unfortunately my son isn’t one of them. He’s been hospitalised more times than I care to think about, I have seen him with breathing apparatus attached, lines in his hands, feet and arms, heart monitors in his head (in utero – we didn’t start well!) and on his chest, and with brain scanning equipment glued to his scalp. I am happy that he doesn’t have an amazing number of spots, that it seems to be passing, that so far his mood hasn’t been bad and the only real disruption we have had is being house bound and getting up early (although we still aren’t as hardcore as Dharma, but sadly moving in that direction!). I am thankful that, for once, my son isn’t suffering through illness but coping well.
I am thankful for meetings that went well reassuring me that I can do my job just as much as I love it. I run on praise and confidence a lot. When it takes a knock, or I am criticised professionally then it slows me down and stressed me out a bit.
I am thankful for the Happiness Project Book which I have started and will continue to read until it’s done. With that comes thankfulness for home delivery and Play.com. The more I read the more I identify with Gretchen especially about striving for the “gold star” moments. Very me. I would recommend the book to anyone, it’s uplifting and inspiring.
I am thankful for my home, running water, electricity & gas(in more ways than one as it not only powers our home but allows us to have one as DH is on the payroll) and easy access to food. I have all of these things and Haiti don’t. It pains me that I can’t fix everything for them.
I am thankful for friends I can be frank with. Sometimes you just need to disagree about something and know you are still friends. Even if it’s trivial or massive. I am a huge softie who looks for explanation (not excuse though) for everything and just wants to heal everything and everyone, she isn’t so much (although I know deep down she is really!) but I love her spirit and her soul anyway.
I am thankful for a reliable car, something a friend has reminded me recently is an essential commodity that I am lucky to have.
I am thankful for having a job I love even if it challenges me and my workload is massive. I’m thankful that it will open doors for me in the future.
I am thankful that I am happy with my boy. Watching the pain of people who aren’t happy with what they have, or don’t have, makes me realise that I am very lucky to have such a beautiful creature living with me. I will never ever take him for granted.
I am happy we have a home and have made a decision about it. When we have finished it will be beautiful.

[Via http://weightwars.wordpress.com]

BRUUWWM BRUUWWM!!

2010-02-04T12:52:00.000+02:00

Oh one of Luca’s favorite things to do… GO FOR CAR RIDES! He loves car ride! Even if its just getting in the back, ride for one or two minutes get out and back home… to kitchen duty (or sleeping!)

"Oh yes! I do love car rides!"

See! Look at those eyes!

Most people have “Baby on board” sign on their car but my dad… this is his:

That's right "DOG ON BOARD!"

Yes... U can see Luca at the back!

You can see him looking at the camera (always ready for a new facebook profile picture, aren’t you Luca?)

He’s always ready for a car ride!

"Yay! Lets go!"

"Where to next??"

He’s always on the go!

[Via http://idontretrieve.wordpress.com]

Dealer Pulsa Elektrik - Repo Car for Sale

2010-02-02T18:43:00.000+02:00

Kadang-kadang S sulit untuk menemukan kesepakatan yang baik pada apa pun. Kebanyakan orang don T menyadari bahwa ada cara untuk menyelamatkan ribuan dolar ketika mereka ingin membeli mobil baru. Jika Anda dapat menemukan mobil repo untuk dijual pada publik dealer pulsa termurah atau pemerintah lelang Anda dapat menyimpan besar. Dan jika Anda benar-benar melakukan pekerjaan rumah Anda Anda dapat membeli hampir merek mobil atau truk baru di Pulsa Elektrik diskon besar.

Setiap hari ribuan mobil truk SUV S sepeda motor dan RV S bisa ditangkap atau disita. Ada banyak alasan untuk serangan ini termasuk defaulting pada pinjaman bank menyita harta benda karena polisi lokal dan federal tindakan atau dealer mobil berusaha untuk menyingkirkan model lama. Hal ini dapat menjadi besar menemukan seseorang mencari untuk membeli mobil baru atau bekas karena dalam banyak kasus badan-badan ini hanya berusaha menyingkirkan kendaraan pada harga berapa pun.

Lain hal yang menyenangkan tentang repo mendapatkan mobil di sebuah lelang adalah anda tidak T tertabrak dengan devaluasi biasanya Anda akan mengemudikan mobil baru dari banyak. Sana S tidak ada yang lebih buruk daripada membeli mobil baru merek bagus dan saat Anda masuk dan menyetir pulang kehilangan ribuan dolar dalam nilai. Jika Anda dapat menemukan sebuah mobil kurang maka satu tahun di sebuah lelang kemungkinan dealer pulsa termurah Anda akan membayar jauh lebih murah lalu apa itu akan bernilai sebagai mobil bekas dan anda tidak T perlu khawatir kehilangan nilai. Pemilik asli telah diurus untuk Anda.

Untuk waktu yang lama hanya mobil dealer dan broker tahu bahwa mobil lelang repo ini bahkan ada. Bagi mereka itu banyak karena mereka dapat membeli mobil yang murah biasanya di bawah nilai buku biru dan kemudian serius mark up harga ketika mereka menempatkan mereka di mobil bekas. Untuk dealer mobil itu dan masih merupakan investasi yang bijaksana uang.

Hari-hari ini dengan kedatangan internet itu S mudah bagi siapa saja untuk menemukan sebuah mobil tidak hanya pelelangan tetapi juga jenis tertentu mobil atau truk untuk dijual di sebuah lelang di dekat mereka. Internet situs lelang pembeli mobil memberikan kemampuan untuk pencarian umum yang besar dan pemerintah lelang database dan menemukan mobil yang mereka inginkan. Jika Anda mencari mobil untuk dijual repo mempertimbangkan untuk mencoba layanan lelang internet ada ribuan kesepakatan yang baik yang bisa didapat.

[Via http://pulsa3star.wordpress.com]

The Joyride (Part II)

2010-02-02T12:53:00.000+02:00

Less than two year after we bought our SUV, I finally take it for a ride around Kuala Lumpur myself today. What a joyful ride.

I got my Indonesian driving license in December 2008, after a few weeks of driving instruction in Aceh, Indonesia. I did not have to go through any kind of tests because my intention was to get as fast as possible the little piece of card that allows me to cruise the street legally. Getting a driver’s license without having to pass knowledge and practical tests by the road authority (the Indonesian police) is a common practice in Indonesia, popularly known as “SIM tembak“. Most people loved to take this super express service, including bus drivers.

In my case, I bypassed the tests which were supposed to be the driving school’s responsibilities; yet there was never any examination to assess the students’ driving skills. The driving instruction, as the school principal said, was emphasized on the basic skills: how to hold the steering wheel correctly, change gear, start the car, alternate between accelerator and brake, how to not to be afraid of cars coming from other direction and stuff like that. We learned driving using a very old Kijang van with manual transmission. The van belonged to our instructor and was not built specifically for driving instruction purpose.

Fast forward to January 2010, when I took a driving instruction in Australia. I drove an automatic transmission car which was specially designed for teaching purpose: it had two brakes for the driver and the instructor. Here the instructor taught me how to be a safe driver and not only how to drive. She made sure I understood that driving required certain attitudes and safe driving should be made a habit.

I began to fully understand why Indonesian drivers are notorious for their driving attitudes. There seems to be no rule on the streets in Indonesia. The rule is literally made to be broken and road users gleefully do it over and over for reasons range from ignorance to simply stupid. It is a common sight at any pedestrian crossings in Jakarta where a car sped to pass the crossings as soon as the driver spot someone wanted to cross the street, or the cars would horn impatiently — perhaps to let the pedestrians know that they had advantage over the one who did not have a car.

Anyway, everywhere around the world we will encounter reckless drivers, drunk drivers, speed demons etc, who endanger their own lives and others’ through their way of driving. Nonetheless for me, what matters is whether I want to save my own and other road users’ lives through safe driving. The others’ road attitudes are not my problem.

Being able to drive gives me a total independence from fear, other people and boosts my self-confidence as well. I feel I have certain control over my decision and the time. My parent does not know how to drive. My father is one of the kind who believes that he would forever have a driver to take him elsewhere. Which unfortunately does not happen. Somehow I believe that he fears driving. And my mother does not think that a woman should be able to drive. My parent never encouraged their children to learn to drive when they reach eligible age limit to drive. As of today, I still don’t understand the reason, but this was always a source of deep regret because I felt like being confined in a small bubble and had to rely on others for my movement.

Now I don’t need my parent to decide what is good for me simply because they are not God. I have grown to be a smart woman who wants to live life to the fullest. One particular circumstance has forced me to learn to drive: We live in a condominium on top of a hill in the suburb of Kuala Lumpur where the nearest public facilities are beyond the walking distance. No public transport available from the condominium compound to the nearby restaurant or market. Thankfully, my husband fully supports my efforts for self empowerment: he took over the Aceh driving school’s responsibility and taught me how to drive properly in our own parking basement. It was tough at first, because I realized I did not learn much from the Indonesian driving school and could not overcome my fear, but it worth the effort.

After touring the city and elsewhere for about 3 hours today, I treat myself sushi at the biggest shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. It is followed by another 3.5 hours of shopping spree.

It is a solemn celebration to my courage and determination to take a small step ahead towards independence. year

[Via http://thoughtcity.wordpress.com]

Traffic Pet Peeves

2010-02-02T00:09:00.000+02:00

Those who claim they enjoy driving during rush hour is either an idiot or loves to be different, just to be different. Below are situations that drive me (pun not intended) batty:

Drivers who merge on yields and yield on merges.
Drivers that slow down on an accident scene just to take a look.
Speeders ripping through playground and school zones. Think for a moment: How would you feel to know your own child isn’t coming home because someone was driving way too fast?
Idiots that tailgate your bumper, decides to pass you and then immediately cuts in front of you. Only to brake because of a red light, stop sign or slowing traffic.
Young males who drive pickup trucks at unsafe speeds during inclement weather because their 4×4 makes them invincible, supposedly.
Rednecks who have this urge to jack their truck ten feet into the air. Yes, let’s forget about safety as you crush the car beneath you.
Young females who chat or text on their phones while driving at unsafe speeds completely oblivious to drivers around them.
Punks that boom their subwoofer because distorted bass is cool. It’s even cooler when I can feel the jam four lanes over. Note the sarcasm.
Asian drivers. I am Chinese by heritage if that says anything.
Those who weave through traffic only to get ahead by three car lengths when traffic finally stops at a red light.
While there is no official rule where slow drivers are to remain on the farthest right lane, be courteous and stay on the right if you drive like a granny.
People who don’t follow the speed limit. Yes, driving below the speed limit can be dangerous.
In a parking lot, drivers that wants your spot badly will edge so close to your vehicle that you barely have any room to backup and leave. You make room for me otherwise we’re having a staring contest.

I’m sure there are a few more pet peeves that I have forgotten. Driving can be quite stressful as our cities become larger so vent your anger by commenting on your own frustrations!

[Via http://fatyoshi.com]

Framed Prints (still not actually available)

2010-01-31T17:57:00.000+02:00

I picked up some frames at IKEA yesterday to shoot/show off some of my prints in. I have no intention of selling prints in these frames. Firstly, I have no place to store a stack of frames and secondly, the amount I’d want to charge to have to run to IKEA every time someone bought one would be more than an original Picasso. That is to say, I don’t see selling framed works online. Aside from the storage issues, there’s the matter of shipping and wasted energy and divining what would match someone else’s decor. Buy your own frames, people. If I were to ever do a craft/art show/fair, I’d likely frame some (because it does really set off photographic prints to see them framed) and I’d likely stick a larger price tag on them (because frames cost money, don’t'cha know) and I’d likely hope I didn’t have to store too many of them before the next show.

But the pricing possibilities for shows is a matter for a whole other post.

Now, for the pretty pictures:

You could even frame your cards!

[Via http://glimpsesandremains.wordpress.com]

Road Noises In Radio Commercials

2010-01-31T00:48:00.000+02:00

“You’d better get down here to Smith’s Car Mart, because these deals are Hot, Hot, HOT!” blares the radio, issuing the sound of a police siren to finish the commercial.

Being the first time this commercial aired, I pretty much swerved all over my lane, and anxiously checked my rear-view mirror in order to see if I would be getting pulled over, or if I needed to get out of the way. As I am a new driver, tickets would have have higher repercussions for me. First, my parents wouldn’t be terribly happy about it. Second, the penalties are increased simply because you’re a new driver and should, therefore, somehow have a better idea of what you should be doing.

What a fun logic puzzle that is. But I digress.

After seeing that there was absolutely no other traffic around me, I relaxed a little, my fear converting itself into anger. True, I did have the radio up a wee bit too loudly. That’s my fault. Is it my fault, though, for using sound effects that are intended to draw attention to an emergency vehicle? I didn’t think so.

Anyway, I don’t need to be hearing these false sounds including trucks back-firing during an interview, sirens, motorcycle revving, and screeching tires. Satellite or FM, advertisement or musical score, it’s just not helpful.

I’m not sure why a siren would motivate me to buy a car anyway. Seems like I’d be getting stolen property.

Let Road Noises In Radio Commercials Die

Photo Credits: Here

[Via http://thingsthatneedtodie.wordpress.com]

Dreams die at the DMV.

2010-01-30T18:32:00.000+02:00

A little over a week ago, my father tore his ACL. For those of you that don’t know, or are too lazy to research for yourself, an ACL is a ligament in the knee that prevents it from wobbling or giving out. Simply put, my father is in a great deal of pain and has been confined to a sitting/laying position for the past several days. Well, his doctor ordered him to remain as immobile as possible, but like Colonel Custer and the Sioux Indians, my father isn’t one for standing down. Regardless, many of his daily tasks have fallen upon me, and many of these involve driving.

I have been driving for over a year now, that is, driving with a permit. Sure, it might be a bit peculiar that one has had a permit for over a year, when most 16 year old Americans have the 6th month marked down on their Facebook calendars, but that in itself is hardly interesting. Nor is the rebellious side of the same story, as in the empty passenger side. Illegal? Yes. Uncommon? Doubtful. However, despite my self-confidence, I always feared the day when I would become the victim of racial profiling. I mean, according to the ironic principles of karma, it’s bound to happen sooner or later.

Back to my unlawful joyrides, they have become quite frequent in the past several days, and fearing that inevitable karma, my father decided that it was time to stop holding out and take me to get a license. I expressed little excitement one way or the other, seeing as how I would be driving regardless. If anything, I knew I was just setting myself up for defeat, failing the road test and walking out empty handed, down $7 and several hours in waiting. The failing in itself isn’t what troubles me, it’s the walk of shame out those doors past the jail-bait blond with a fresh license in one hand and a cellphone in the other. I can only imagine the text reading: Liek omg!!! i can driv now : )))) I shudder at the thought.

In my driving career I have encountered many a hazard on the road, ranging from heavy rain to women. I use both hands when dealing with the latter. From experience, I can say that the “fresh n’ blond” blend are at the top of the danger scale. If it’s not a cellphone, it’s a Starbucks cappuccino in their hand, or their boyfriend’s stick shift. No, I’m not talking about an actual stick shift, though for the record, they shouldn’t have their hands on one of those while driving, either. It’s when I encounter these wonders of the road that I take a moment to avert my attention to the question: how did they ever pass the written exam? Let’s just say that the actual academic side to high school isn’t their strong suit.

The DMV in itself is a very uninspiring place once you reach the waiting room. Crummy plastic chairs, gray walls, and the current number being served, A113. You are E337. Silent faces stare blankly forward, combating the temptations of rest; brightening after hearing their letter, only to be restored to their former saturnine appearance when they don’t hear the corresponding number. Though few verbally express it, all await the moment a student driver crashes through the northern wall after forgetting to put their car in reverse.

When I’m finally called up, I hand over my paperwork and current permit. After looking it all over, the lady across the desk frowns. “You know that this permit is expired, right?” Yes, yes I did. However, I was hoping to just charm my way past the experience, but seeing as how this lady was approaching her 60’s, I realized that such a plan bore little hope. “You’ll have to retake the written test.”

November 22, 2008. “Sorry, but it looks like you have failed. Why don’t you study next time, cock sucker.”

Who cares about the weight of an infant in a car seat anyway? At this point, I knew that I wasn’t going to get my license that day, but swallowing some anxiety I approached the test taking area, hoping by some stroke of grace I would pass. I think that now is a good point to say that at the DMV, logic is about as abundant as the excitement. Part of the reason I failed the my first written exam was that I’d answer the questions I didn’t know through the due process of reason. After all, it had served me well in school, and I’m at the top of my class, so why wouldn’t it serve me well here? Because this isn’t school, this isn’t the test sheet of life. This is the DMV.

If you park on an uphill slope, you better turn your damn wheels toward the curb. If you forget to use the emergency brake, and your car becomes possessed by gravity, the worst of your issues is a dented hub cap and a new parking spot on the sidewalk. I mean, that’s better than turning it away from the curb, where you’re relying solely on the off chance that friction saves the day; or keeping your wheels straight where the car behind you is your emergency brake. But no, you put the passing traffic at risk by turning your wheels away from the damn curb. Forget that guaranteed stop, let’s not risk running people over in the nearby sidewalk. Well, that is, as long as there is a curb present . If there is no curb, by all means, turn your wheels toward the side of the street and risk running down little Timmy on his way to school! See if we care!

Not only did I not get my license, I lost my permit in the process. I guess it was already expired, so it didn’t change anything, but it was still a low blow to the balls of pride. So I walked out the doors of shame, past the jail-bait blond with a new license in one hand a cell phone in another. Liek OMG!!!! I cn driv now n their is this loser who faled XDDDD

Taking the keys from my dad, I proceeded to drive us home regardless. I really stuck it to them.

[Via http://jawebs.wordpress.com]

Create a Ride: Version 1 - Girls Flash Games

2010-01-30T06:36:00.000+02:00

URL : http://www.flashgame-girl.com/girl-Dressup/Create-a-Ride-Version-1.html

Game description :

If you are into import cars then you will love this. Here you can customize cars and even drive them!

Game controls :

Use mouse to interact.

[Via http://liwenfeng3.wordpress.com]

8:05am Cheers With The Sippy Cup

2010-01-28T18:10:00.000+02:00

Yesterday morning I got a taste of what it would be like to be a working single mother with an 8 month old baby, let me just take a moment to say, wow- my hat goes off to those ladies who do this every day!

7:20am… B walks into the bedroom to tell me that Everly is still sleeping and that he is leaving for work. I pop out of bed like a piece of toast, amazed that it is 7:15 and she is still sleeping… what happened to her waking me up between 6:45 and 7:00? Knowing that we need to be out of the house by 7:50 I walk down the hall and open the door to her bedroom, hoping that the morning ambiance will wake her.

7:25am… I am in the bathroom having a hooker shower with a face cloth and wetting my hair, just as I start brushing my teeth I hear B walk into her room and pick her up (wasn’t he leaving)? He plunks her down on the floor in the bathroom and says see ya later- thanks babe, (secretly I was hoping that she would stay sleeping until I was dressed).

7:27am… she is hungry and not being shy about telling me (of course), I realize that I am going to have to feed her as I do what I need to do to get ready. In the high chair she goes as I mix up her breakfast, am thinking this might be better because now she is contained. I drag the high chair to my room where I take turns giving her spoonfuls of cereal mixed with fruit and getting myself dressed. One spoonful, 2 socks, one spoonful, underwear, one spoonful, bra… until I am done and she nearly is too- aha! We have a system.

7:37am… I sit to feed her the last bits of her breakfast and suddenly I am aware of the towel still on my head. I drag her high chair to the bathroom door and take turns putting product into my hair while feeding her the last spoonfuls of her cereal- thank goodness she choose to cooperate and eat this morning is all I can think of… thank you patron saint of feeding babies. I pause and wonder what would the patron saint of feeding babies be called? Emeril, Rachel, Top Chef? Maybe that guy who swears all the time… okay focus, focus.

7:45am… time to nurse Everly. I thought we might be able to wait to do this until I got her to my cousin’s (who was looking after her), but no, she would have none of it. I am tapping my foot on the floor as she guzzles; said guzzling is partially because I am squashing my boob with my free hand to make the milk come out as fast as possible… I have seen how this kid can throw back a bottle, I know she can handle it.

7:50… we were supposed to be leaving the house at this point but nope, it’s only time to get Everly dressed. Getting Everly dressed is kind of like trying to get a lobster into one leg on a pair of pantyhose without the pantyhose being snagged; it isn’t easy. So we wrestle and sing songs and eventually she is ready to go. I put on her coat and strap her into her car seat.

7:56… I am a pack mule waking out to the car with Everly’s diaper bag, my work bag, Everly’s daycare supplies bag and my donations for work bag… oh and Everly in her car seat- which now officially combined weighs over 25 pounds. I hobble and hop and get half way to the car and realize that I am still wearing my slippers. I trek on despite the slippers, I have come too far with my load to turn back, I am closer to the car than my door. I play put stuff into the car tetris and then quickly run back into the house for some shoes- awesome, we are ready to go and only 10 minutes behind schedule.

8:03am… I am in the car at an intersection and hear my tummy growl, I feel my throat- heechk (a bit dry and pasty), is it possible that through all of this I have not eaten or drank anything, YES. Food I knew I didn’t have, but water hmmm, I took a quick look around the inside of my car and miracle of miracles, there in the cup holder was one of Everly’s sippy cups. I grabbed the cup and tried to get the lid off so that I could down the water inside, yeah, no, they don’t make these lids easy to get off do they. So I started sipping. I learned yesterday morning that it takes a lot of effort to get water out of a sippy cup, so I was sipping hard. I started to feel like I was being watched and sure enough I was. The lady in the car on my left was staring blank faced right at me. I found myself embarrased for a nanosecond and then I took the cup out of my mouth, raised it in a cheers like fashion and drove away as the light turned green… at least I gave her something to tell her friends at work.

8:13am… we arrive at my cousin’s house, 13 minutes late but everyone present and sound. I drop her off without any trouble and head to work. I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly… ahhhh work the vacation day in my week.

[Via http://ourlittlepickle.wordpress.com]

It's Official

2010-01-28T11:00:00.000+02:00

Well, my car has turned traitor. Ok, maybe that’s a little harsh. After all, all it did was get registered in VA and get VA license plates. It’s a little sad to take off the FL license plate, but actually, the car looks a little better. Yeah, I said it. The plates are blue and white and what else on my car is blue and white? Correct! My Detroit Lions license plate holder on the back.

The only thing is that in VA they have a plate on the front of the car also. So, my cute little car had to have a plate drilled into the front bumper. I don’t think it hurt…much.

Look for the blessing!

Chyrisse

P.S. There are updates on the Kid Bits page.

[Via http://mynewseason.wordpress.com]

Flower Power

2010-01-28T00:01:00.000+02:00

I’ve shown this car before, but couldn’t resist snapping it one last time.

5 October 2007

[Via http://sibiudailyphoto.wordpress.com]

Car Curling - the Environmentally Friendly Driving Game

2010-01-26T18:42:00.000+02:00

View Vlog

In this mash of Zen Mix mixes, we see examples of Car Curling and environmentally friendly driving game where you try not to use your brakes. So as you approach a group of stopped cars, you stop accelerating and glide towards them seeing if you can glide to a stop just behind them.

FULL STORY

[Via http://zenvironment.wordpress.com]

Car Insurance Tips For International Students

2010-01-26T00:07:00.000+02:00

Image : http://www.flickr.com

When you are an international student studying in the US, it can be a bit confusing with the new culture and possibly even a new language. Often the simplest things can be difficult to get the hang of. Things like car insurance can be a whole new challenge when you are not familiar with the process or the rules.

If you`ll be driving in the country you plan to study in, you will want to have car insurance. Most students are on a budget anyway and having to deal with the cost of an accident, no matter how minor is usually a big dent in the budget, particularly if you were at fault.

- Look for a car insurance provider that doesn’t penalize international students. Many companies will insist on a minimum of 3 years US driving experience in order to qualify for lower rates and higher coverage. Since the majority of international students have little or no experience driving in the States, they will end up paying more for less coverage. A very few insurance companies will count foreign driving experience and offer lower rates and deductibles.

- While liability is the minimum requirement by law, it`s a good idea to find out how much more you`ll pay for collision insurance, as well as comprehensive. Liability covers your passengers or property that you damage in an accident, collision will cover repairs to your vehicle if you crash, even if the accident was your fault. Comprehensive insurance is meant to help you recover your financial losses if the vehicle is stolen or destroyed by means other than a car accident.

- Keep the age of your vehicle in mind. Older cars usually aren`t worth insuring for anything more than liability, since you would be better off replacing the vehicle than repairing it in most cases. Newer cars will need to be insured for more since it`s usually far cheaper to repair them than buy a new vehicle. The general rule of thumb is that a car older than 1989 should carry liability only.

- Look for fixed rates. Some car insurance companies will let you sign up for 6 months or 12 months, where your rates will not go up, even if you have an accident during that time. Obviously, the longer the term, the better.

- Make sure you have an up-to-date international driver`s license. This will allow you to drive both in your home country and in the US. Most international students have no need for an American driver`s license, so an international one should be fine. Just be sure that it is good for at least six months after your stay ends so you`ll be able to get the best car insurance possible.

- Bring all paperwork that could be necessary with you when you apply for car insurance. You`ll need proof that you haven`t had an accident in the previous 18-36 months for the best rates. All driving related paperwork will help you out when applying for car insurance and can drastically cut the waiting time, as well, since you won`t be trying to get your papers from your home country.

Car insurance for international students might be a bit tricky, but it mainly comes down to doing some research to find which companies will give you a break, even if you haven`t been driving in the States for the past three years. The prices and amount of coverage should be fair and not hiked up just because you are only temporarily in the country.

Complete home and auto insurance in Quebec. Get a free, no obligation car insurance quote in Quebec online. Insurance products include standard coverages with options and deductibles that can be adapted to suit your needs.

Visit : Clackmannanshire

[Via http://jaminduner.wordpress.com]

BLOG/SITE/LIFE/GTHSRNFG

2010-01-24T06:24:00.000+02:00

So i got an actual Blog where i blog. i copied all the old ones here.. now im gonna get another new blog once i get a real place on the web like, WWW.dorb3k.com or something but it should be fun since i got a new 3G compatible netbook so i can blog anywhere with a full computer screen and shit.

ALSO. I’m gonna start photographing number plates and making a massive library of them on the site which i think will be fairly easy and fun.. I was thinking that if you saw yours then you could message me and i can make it say, Mike’s Car or something.

New stuff up later today..

[Via http://dorb3k.wordpress.com]

> Robbers threaten to rape victim

2010-01-24T00:06:00.000+02:00

2010/01/13 JOHOR BARU: A 30-year-old woman was almost raped by two robbers after they forced her to draw money from an automated teller machine (ATM).

On Dec 30, two robbers forced the woman into their car at a hotel car park about 7pm. She was punched in the face, tied up, gagged and blindfolded.

The duo forced her to reveal the PIN before stopping at an ATM.

Johor Baru (south) police chief Assistant Commissioner Zainuddin Yaacob said the duo was dissatisfied after they found they could only withdraw RM1,000.

They threatened to rape the woman but instead dumped her at Taman Century.

One of the suspects was caught on a closed-circuit television camera.

Anyone with information is urged to call the police at 07-2212 999.

[Via http://ahgonghippo.wordpress.com]

LCPLTFN

2010-01-23T18:40:00.000+02:00

If you’re like me, you amuse yourself in traffic by staring at the letters on license plates and making up words. For example, HRT becomes “Heart” and DNT becomes “Donut.” Then I start thinking, oh yeah I do love donuts!

Then you get the 3 letter abbreviations like SNL, ETA, BTW or ones that just sound funny: BAP, POW, MEH. (If you see me while I’m driving I’ll most likely be muttering to myself like a madwoman.)

Once in a while you get a REAL treat and see a vanity plate with an actual word on it, or something that looks like a word but you can’t quite figure out what it means. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve compiled a short list of plate words that I have observed.

First, your obligatory sports fanatics:

GOPHER

TWNFAN

IA HWK 1 (boooooooooooo, on a Nebraska Plate)

And others:

JPG (I can only assume this person is a member of the Joint Photographic Experts Group)

WLLFX4U (on a service van)

FRITZY

MS MOON

CREEPIE (I laughed when I saw this one, someone is declaring to the world “yes, I am creepie and proud of it”)

LONGORV

MILACA

ERTHDOG

I think if I got a vanity plate it might say BRETZEL. Or we could be sick and get BRTZEL1 and BRTZEL2, I don’t think Ryan would go for it though. What do you think? I guess it’s not very original. Maybe CRAFTY1, or GRNMAB since I have grandma-like tendencies to knit or bake cookies whenever possible.

-Emily

[Via http://ebretzel.wordpress.com]

A rough guide to Indian roads.

2010-01-23T12:32:00.000+02:00

After nearly two years of experience of living in India, I would risk a thesis, that cultural difference is nowhere as visible, as on its roads. Westerner who makes a foolish mistake of heading out on the road without proper preparation, would find himself in a “shock and awe” within a minute from starting his car (or any other vehicle for that matter).

As a quite experienced driver in India – both bike and car – I think I’m ready to share sort of a basic guide, a crash course… (believe me, every attempt to drive here inevitably begins or ends up with a crash) on driving in India.

But no worries, driving in India is actually way simpler than anywhere else in the world. Forget all the complicated rules and trust your intuition. Drive where the place is on the road, no matter which lane is it or even which direction. If you follow few basic rules mentioned below and move slow but consequently, so that others could adjust their behaviour to yours, you’re on the safe side. Remember – nothing is impossible!

Ladies and gentleman. Fasten your seatbelts if you have any!

1. Preparing a vehicle

Enter the vehicle, start the engine, check the horn* and dipper. If you have rear view mirrors – make sure they’re hidden, otherwise you will lose them soon. Now, you’re ready to go.

2. Signs and traffic lights:

green light = go

orange light = go

red light = you might consider stopping or slowing down, but not necessarily

Haven’t seen any other than speed limits.

If you see a speed limit – ignore it.

c) Communicating with other drivers

Indicators – blinking (usually) orange lights on a vehicle, used together if you want to signal you are about to do something weird on the road (i.e. backing up on the highway or driving against the traffic)

Full headlight – always on. There is a competition called “I got stronger lights than you”.

“Dipping” – acts like a horn at night.

Horn – remember, “Horn OK Tata”. Sound of the horn is the national anthem of India. Indicates any action you want to take on road or even just your presence. In example:

You want to go straight – honk and go straight

You want to go right/left – honk twice and go right. You might consider sticking your arm out of window while turning to show you’re turning.

- you want to overtake – keep on honking till you’re done

- you’re happy – honk

- you’re sad – honk slowly

- you’re angry – honk furiously with no reason

- you’re Punjabi – honk the bhangra sounds

- you’re truck driver – honk BIG

- you have a scooty- get yourself a BIG horn and pretend you’re a truck, people will make space on road before they realize

3) Priority on road:

first – the biggest (truck, bus, train) – WARNING: this rule can be observed also on a one way road. Trucks tend to go against the traffic for a shortcut. Don’t try to play James Dean with them!

second – the biggest horn (mimicry technique)

later – the fastest one to enter

very last – trespassers

* Once we were driving down the mountains, from app. 3000m altitude, in a rain, in the evening . Our cab wasn’t in perfect condition – lights were working like they wanted, our wipers weren’t working at all, breaks seemed to be a bit too soft, but our driver wasn’t discouraged until the horn went off. Then he has slown down, gripped the steering wheel tight and leaned towards the window… and stopped by the next mechanic to fix it.

** Observe number of scratches on the car. The more it has, the least you can trust the driver.

Please share with me if I missed anything important!

Few nice examples:

[Via http://butdifferent.wordpress.com]

Cars With Good SUV Gas Mileage

2010-01-23T06:00:00.000+02:00

Image : http://www.flickr.com

With the rise in fuel prices, we cant help but try to go for the type of vehicles that will give us the best results as far as fuel is concerned. We do not want to have a car that will only do a few miles yet consumes so much fuel. This is the reason why auto makers are coming up and making a great impact in the manufacture of SUVs which have proved to be economical in terms of fuel consumption.

Most of the brands that will give you good delivery and good performance may sometimes be dismissed as being uneconomical but this is not the case. Some vehicles in the sports utility vehicles category especially qualify for the cars with the best SUV gas mileage.

The Lexus and Toyota especially are well known for their ability to cover so many miles for so less fuel and more so the hybrid types. Toyota highlander hybrid and Lexus RX 400 have both got a 3.3 liter 6 cylinder engine and they can amazingly deliver 28 city miles and 25 miles on the highway per gallon.

The Ford escape hybrid which came into being in 2007 was crowned the as the one with the best SUV gas mileage in the front wheel drive SUV category. It can do 31 city miles and 29 highway miles per gallon. The four wheel drive of the same version delivers 28 city miles and 27 highway miles per gallon. Other models with preferable SUV gas mileage are the Saturn vue hybrids which can do 23 miles in the city and 29 highway miles.

Peter Gitundu Creates Interesting And Thought Provoking Content on Gas Mileage. For More Information, Read More Of His Articles Here GAS MILEAGE If You Enjoyed This Article, Make Sure You SUBSCRIBE TO MY RSS FEED!

[Via http://jaminduner.wordpress.com]

new car

2010-01-21T18:04:00.000+02:00

If there is one thing to be more wary of than an advertisement for a new product, it is an ad that isn't selling you any product at all – just image, pure and simple. So, in the middle of a recession when car sales are low, Audi last week bought the back pages of the Guardian and Sunday Times, and no doubt others, to tell us about what its largest typeface called “a very, very quick glimpse of the future”.

This week, Audi used the Detroit Auto Show to show us that glimpse: its e-tron concept car, “an electric car with electrifying performance” that was originally unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. Concept cars are mock up models that never reach the showrooms in their present form.

It's nice to see electric cars being promoted as fit for more than just getting around town – albeit only at motor shows and on the back pages of newspapers. But we are entitled to be cynical. This corporate image advertising has a deservedly bad reputation for greenwash.

In the world of oil companies, for instance, there seems to be an inverse relationship between the amount of money spent promoting corporate green aspirations and actual investment in delivering clean energy. Witnesses the millions spent by Shell.

So what is Audi doing out in the real world? The answer is not nearly enough. It is so far behind the green curve that the company told me this week it won't have its first hybrid on the market for almost another year, and no electric vehicles before the end of 2012.

True, last month, its A3 2.0 picked up the “green car of the year 2010″ award, sponsored by America's Green Car Journal, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. But how come the award was made even before 2010 was under way? It seems that date inflation by the award organisers was keeping pace with inflated environmental claims by Audi.

The diesel-powered A3 2.0, has CO2 emissions of 115-147 grams per kilometre. This is better than average, but with a range of cars now under 100g, it hardly meets the citation from the journal's editor that the car “defines what a green car should be”.

The Audi website also has a page on “green issues and sustainability” (pdf). In keeping with the company's famous slogan, Vorsprung durch Technik (advancement through technology), it focuses on how the company is improving engine technology so you save fuel without noticing any change in performance.

This is good. But before you start believing the hype, read the latest report from Transport & Environment (pdf), an independent European think tank. It uses official data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act to chart progress by major car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions from their cars in Europe. And guess where Audi and its owner Volkswagen, which together sell more cars in Europe than any other company, appear?

They are third from bottom in a table of 14, with fleet-average emissions for cars sold in 2008 at 159g/km. This is way off the voluntary target of 140g/km agreed between the EU and European car manufacturers more than a decade ago to be achieved by 2008. Audi tells me its average in 2008 was a very poor 175g, though the early months of 2009 were close to the lower Volkswagen figure, which would be “better than all but one of our key competitors”.

To be fair, most other manufacturers also missed the target. The EU average for cars sold in 2008 was 152g. Only Fiat and Peugeot-Citroen have got below 140g.

They all have a long way to go to meet the EU's new target of 130g across average fleets by 2015. And Audi and its owners at Volkswagen more than most. The Transport & Environment report notes caustically that “the Volkswagen group … have a strategy of selling fuel efficiency as an option, rather than as standard”. Audi denies this and says it works “to improve fuel efficiency as part of the normal development process”.

But even so, take a close look at that ad. It is, as they say, a “very, very quick glimpse of the future”. Now you see it; now you don't.

New US$21 million investment will further Dorel's global car seat leadership position

EXCHANGES

TSX: DII.B, DII.A

MONTREAL and COLUMBUS, IN, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) today announced plans to build a Design and Development Competency Center at its Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) USA car seat manufacturing facility in Columbus, Indiana. The project is the first major milestone in Dorel's car seat product capital investment program and involves a total investment of US$20.8 million through 2013. DJG will immediately spend US$3.6 million and will add 39 jobs at its Columbus facility with a total of 98 jobs being created over the next four years.

“The development of this world class technology center with specialized research and design facilities will further Dorel's leadership position as the largest manufacturer of car seats globally and will drive ongoing technical advancements and innovations for child passenger safety,” stated Dorel President and CEO, Martin Schwartz.

This past year, Dorel's team of car seat engineers launched Air Protect(TM) Side Impact Technology, the most innovative and groundbreaking safety feature ever offered in a car seat.

The Design and Development Competency Center will be located adjacent to Dorel's current one million square foot car seat manufacturing facility. The expansion project will renovate 40,000 square feet of office and warehouse space doubling the space dedicated to child restraint systems design and development. The new center will house cutting-edge resources to aid in the development of future car seat technological breakthroughs. A revolutionary new crash test sled, dedicated computational engineering resources, and advanced side impact testing capabilities are just some of the dynamic assets to be included.

“We take great pride in the continued innovation and advancements our team has made in the car seat industry, most recently with the launch of the ground-breaking Air Protect Side Impact Technology,” said Dave Taylor, President of Dorel Juvenile Group US. “The new Design and Development Competency Center will enable us to bring additional leading car seat technologies to more families on the road today.”

“Dorel's decision to expand its development and testing operations here is an incredible vote of confidence in the Indiana economy and the work force of Columbus,” said Governor Mitch Daniels. “We appreciate their continued investment in this region and look forward to the new opportunities they will bring Indiana workers.”

Ninety percent of Dorel car seats and 50 percent of the DJG USA's total business are currently produced and distributed from the Columbus, Indiana facility. In addition, expansion with Dorel's new Competency Center will improve the community's economic development through the addition of new jobs and will highlight the area as a center for child passenger safety innovation.

Profile

Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is a world class juvenile products and bicycle company. Established in 1962, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company's lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and Bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products. Dorel's powerfully branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bébé Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, Iron Horse and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure. Dorel's Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of furniture products, both domestically produced and imported. Dorel is a US$2.2 billion company with 4700 employees, facilities in eighteen countries, and sales worldwide.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information provided herein, this press release may contain information and statements of a forward-looking nature concerning the future performance of Dorel Industries Inc. These statements are based on suppositions and uncertainties as well as on management's best possible evaluation of future events. The business of the Company and these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from expected results. Important factors which could cause such differences may include, without excluding other considerations, increases in raw material costs, particularly for key input factors such as particle board and resins; increases in ocean freight container costs; failure of new products to meet demand expectations; changes to the Company's effective income tax rate as a result of changes in the anticipated geographic mix of revenues; the impact of price pressures exerted by competitors, and settlements for product liability cases which exceed the Company's insurance coverage limits. A description of the above mentioned items and certain additional risk factors are discussed in the Company's Annual MD&A and Annual Information Form, filed with the securities regulatory authorities. The risk factors outlined in the previously mentioned documents are specifically incorporated herein by reference. The Company's business, financial condition, or operating results could be materially adversely affected if any of these risks and uncertainties were to materialize. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.

SOURCE DOREL INDUSTRIES INC.

[Via http://blogdeteva.wordpress.com]

The Collected Works of Colonel Ludwig Van Monkeyhammer

2010-01-21T11:57:00.000+02:00

Sorry, but I’ve just got to say that again.

‘The Collected Works of Colonel Ludwig Van Monkeyhammer’.

I sat in the car with wifey this morning and started laughing so hard I almost choked. When she asked me what was so funny, I replied between sobs “Ludwig Van Monkeyhammer”. She stared at me as though a small Chinese gooseberry bush was growing out of my ear. I still verge on dissolving into a gibbering mess when I say it out loud to myself.

This morning we were running late. We were running late because of wifey’s pregnant brain (the brain belonging to pregnant wifey, rather than the pregnant brain belonging to wifey, you understand.) It is a recognised phenomenon that pregnant women start to suffer mental malfunctions, forgetfulness, indecision and so on (to which I refer as Cheesing of the Brain.) But wifey was, at times, pretty random before the blessing of growing a small me within her.

Yesterday she brought in her very important work ID pass for schools (without which, as an adult in a school she will naturally be assumed to be a child-molestor in these saddening days) and because she knew she would very much need it today, she put it ’somewhere safe’. This information she relayed to me this morning as we were searching high and low for the damn thing. Yes she’d lost it. As soon as I heard the magic words ’somewhere safe’ I started searching all the appropriate places (up the dog’s butts, in the biscuit tin, under the kettle and in the fridge to name but four.) You see, ’somewhere safe’ is the mythical realm where important things go to die. If wifey puts anything ’somewhere safe’, I immediately get in contact with the bank, DVLA, government or whomever and report it lost and order a new one. In some cases she put important things ’somewhere safe’ in the previous house and even though when we moved we checked everything as we packed and left an empty shell of a building, said items still never turned up.

I digress, but at least I digress on the general point. And now I digress further to question whether it’s actually digressing if it goes in more than one direction. Am I now trigressing? Anyway…

So, because this was SUPER-important, I dropped everything (except my trousers as that wouldn’t really have helped at this point) and helped wifey in her search. We spent 20 minutes rummaging around the house, searching everywhere she’d been yesterday. I searched the car too, with its insane central locking. Unlocking the driver’s door unlocks the driver’s door; unlocking the passenger door unlocks the other three. Oh and we have two car keys but wifey has to keep both of them with her, as one works on the four main doors, but not on the boot (trunk), whereas the other only works on the passenger door and the boot, but not on the driver’s door. See how my life works? See?

Nothing in the car. No sign. No sign anywhere. We ran out of time to search any more. Had to rush around and get things done real quickly before we left. I walked the dogs, we got our collective sh*t together and left the house.

On the way out to the car, wifey stopped at the back gate and looked thoughtful for a moment. As I was about to question this behaviour, she reached into the wheelie bin (dumpster), moved aside two bags of assorted waste, and retrieved her work pass and database keyfob! I said nothing, just shaking my head and laughing throughout the journey.

All this, without a word of a lie!

When you combine the above with what you know of me, what chance does our child stand?

[Via http://sjat.wordpress.com]

Wet Window

2010-01-21T00:09:00.000+02:00

Photo: A view from inside a car out through window on a rainy afternoon.

Photo taken by Digital Video Camera.

Comment: Unfortunately, I forgot to remove the date stamp before taking the photo. After it was taken, I didn’t want to open it with Photoshop as I’m not good Photoshopper!

© Aminul Islam Sajib, Do not copy without prior permission.

Contact: Twitter @aisajib; http://www.aisajib.com/contact

Blog: http://aminulislam333.wordpress.com

[Via http://photographyofsajib.wordpress.com]

Tip 17: Make sure to control the repair process

2010-01-19T18:31:00.000+02:00

Too often, people forgot that they have a choice. The best advice about getting your car fixed is to remember that the money may be coming from the insurance company but you can control the repair process. This means refusing to settle for a repair job you do not like. And it may also mean refusing to accept the use of generic replacement parts instead of the original manufacturer’s parts (your policy may give your insurer the right to use generic parts, so it’s important to check the details to know your rights). Even if your favorite shop doesn’t do the repairs, you can still have your mechanic look at the car (although this may be at your personal expense) and provide an assessment of what should be fixed. Ultimately, it’s your car and your call about what’s done to it. Keep this in mind, not only when you’ve been in an accident, but also when you’re looking to purchase a policy.

Credited to www.insure.com

[Via http://autoaccidenthelp.wordpress.com]

The MOT: All About Attention to Detail

2010-01-19T12:52:00.000+02:00

MOT sign

With insurance, rising petrol prices and the general wear and tear, an MOT can just seem like another lot of fuss and another expense for you to worry about in the upkeep of your vehicle. It does not have to be so much of a bother.

We all know that the MOT is necessary in keeping your car road safe, even if we grumble about it. But the smaller aspects, even the ones that are important, although it sometimes does not see like it, such as headlight alignment and bulbs, can cause you to tear at your hair. Some of the most common ways in which cars fail MOTs include faulty headlights and windscreen wipers. These seemingly insignificant details are important however as they can severely impact your safety.

It used to be that a headlight bulb could easily be replaced at home. You could access the old one to remove it, and slipping the new one in was as simple as changing a bulb in your house. However, with the renovations in car design and the more safety conscious bonnet designs, the headlights are all but inaccessible, meaning that even for such a tiny repair, you need to get a mechanic or garage involved, and the costs can soar.

If your car is discovered to have a faulty headlight during its MOT, it is no longer such an easy fix and the last thing you need is to have your mode of transport failed because of something so small. You don’t have to worry about the problems of paying for this, though as, if you look around carefully enough, you should be able to find a garage that will take care of the smaller things – such as replacing a bulb, without an extra charge.

Given that the MOT is a compulsory process and that there is a maximum price set by the government, for that very reason, MOT test centres really need to demonstrate that they give you more than the rest, therefore including bonuses like this helps them as well as you.

If you need an MOT in Coventry or the Midlands, and you’re interested in an MOT centre that gives you that little bit extra why not use www.binleywoodsservicecentre.co.uk.

[Via http://binleywoods.wordpress.com]

Get out of my way you bloody zombies!

2010-01-17T12:29:00.000+02:00

Bureau of Meteorology predicted afternoon thunderstorms today. Still I felt we could take the chance to go down to the Gold Coast to cool down in the ocean and catch some waves with our bodyboards.

The whole trip was rather interesting to be honest.

The drive to and from Gold Coast amazes me each time. I have been told, by Aussies themselves, that Queensland driver’s have some what of a bad reputation on the road. Only having a Learner’s License I will and can not say I am an expert, but I can still have an opinion.

It amazes me that not more people die on the QLD roads already. How people drive is just scary. So many are incapable of following simple laws and common sense. I am actually more alert and nervous during rush-hour than when I can drive the maximum allowable speed. It doesn’t matter what the speed limit is, a lot of drivers gladly drive 10-20 km/h over the speed limit. Usually 60 km/h means 80km/h, 80km/h mean 100km/h and so on.

Of course, we can not forget the very causes driver’s who like to drive 10-20 km/h. I do not mind these people that much, if they drive in the left lane.

You will see a lot more signs in NSW telling you to ’stay in the left lane unless overtaking’. I see it becoming more and more common here in QLD, but no one really cares. If the road I am driving on has four lanes I sometimes have to merge all the way to the fourth the overtake and still be driving the speed limit; just because some people could not be asked to merge to the left lane when they are driving 80 km/h when the speed limit really is 100km/h.

And please do not get me started on tailgaters. I have lost count where we probably would have gotten a new car if I had slammed the brakes. Sometimes I tap the brakes to give the a quick scare, and the tend to back off.

I think a lot of people would disagree with me, but I honestly wish that the government would spend more money on funding highway patrol and speed cameras.

Just seeing how some drive that funding would soon be paid by the idiots incapable of following the law and common sense.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it must have been something in the water today.

At some of the patrolled beaches in Australia life guards put up red and yellow flags to indicate where it is safe for people to swim and avoid being caught in a rip. On each side of those flags you will find blue flags; and in the area surfers and bodyboarders can enjoy themselves. Beyond the blue flags you are on your own; or a surfer.

As Lizzie and I tried to stay in the area for surfers and bodyboarders we still had to do our best to avoid other people walking around in the water like zombies. A few times when Lizzie and I where moving away from these idiots they followed us. Problem was that we were trying to get away from these numbnuts so we could avoid running them over with our bodyboards.

I am sorry if some think I am rude, but you are a bloody fool if you stand behind someone with a bodyboard. We are not just in the ocean to cool down. We are also there to catch a few waves; that will sometimes send us toward the mainland at high-speed. I haven’t hit anyone yet, but it is still annoying trying to swerve and sometimes have to terminate a ride on a perfect wave you hitched a ride on.

I am getting better and bodyboarding and reading the waves. So soon I might take greater risks and catch greater waves; which means I might not be able to stop or swerve. Maybe I do not feel like stopping or swerving next time.

I kind of saw the same attitude in the ocean as I see on the road; every man for himself and no one else matters. Pure selfishness and ignorance towards people around them.

I guess I can only use that as motivation to get a really good bodyboard and get really good at it so I can play outside the flags with the big boys.

Note: Not feeling to good, so this article was kind of finished very abruptly and not as good as I hoped.

[Via http://randomoid.com]

Dual Zone function for Car DVD Player

2010-01-17T05:59:00.000+02:00

Dual zone function allows car DVD player to do two or more function at the same time. It is commonly used by car DVD player with GPS function. Drivers turn on the GPS function, and can listen to CD, radio or even watch DVD at the same

Gearflag car DVD GPS entertainment system with Dual Zone function

time. Of course watching DVD during driving is not recommended.

Not all car DVD players (especially 2 DIN size) has dual zone function. First of all, the DVD player (or entertainment system) should be equipped with GPS function. The CPU (processor) of the unit has to be upgraded, that means you should look for branded or updated unit.

www.gearflag.com

[Via http://gearflag.wordpress.com]

Let the cold go and the warmth come

2010-01-17T00:13:00.000+02:00

Although I’m sure many people out in Alaska won’t have much sympathy for us, I still think it’s incredibly cold here in Utah. It seems winter lasts too long. Lately hasn’t been too bad, but with lows in the low teens, I’m ready for some warm weather. Orem Mazda has a huge lot on University Parkway which means some times you have to walk what seems like miles to find a vehicle. It gets cold, and I like to stay inside. Luckily, we do have a great service bay where we usually like to show cars to our customers. Even if it’s really cold, we try to be pleasant and serving to our customers. That said, I cannot wait for the warm weather to hit (but I’m sure when the 100 degree temps come I’ll be re-thinking that.

[Via http://oremmazda.wordpress.com]

Starting out the year...

2010-01-16T18:20:00.000+02:00

So many changes so far this year! Well not big changes, just plans for the future! I applied for my pass port, and Ryan lost his it appears *scratches head* hopefully we will find it soon, but hopefully a cruise is in our future!

We have also been car shopping for the husband. We are probably going to end up getting him a 2010 Chevy Cobalt! Yay for husband’s new car! Of course insurance will go up and we will be adding some car payments. However, it’s okay. We will make things work out, and I am super excited every single time I see the smile on his face that he is getting a new car soon. We are actually going to be ordering it, it seems. As they do not have what he wants. However, I am sure I will post photos once we get that taken care of.

Soon Ryan’s and Mine’s days off are changing… to what I originally bid which was tuesday/wednesday off. And the husband falls into the new status-line bid which is sunday/monday off. So expect me to blog some more on his days off!

I had much more profound things to write of course when I didn’t get the opportunity to write. However, I figured I would add a tiny update to this! Life is going great so far, and the optimistic person in me is loving it! Even when the glass is half empty. I mean, half full!

Check out the page I added for our kittens at the top! Yay for getting this into shape!

[Via http://faithtrustnpixiedust.wordpress.com]

Pakistan First Robotic Car

2010-01-16T06:37:00.000+02:00

Inyat have converted an ordinary Suzuki car to a robotic-car in 2006. Wrote 185 pages masters thesis in which he has described that how an ordinary Suzuki car is converted into a robotic-car. It was a self controlled as will as remote controlled car. It was tested and demonstrated in University ground, on ordinary congested roads, in car parks and run at a speed of 80 Kilo meters per hour. This demonstration was recorded by different TV Channels and Print Medias. It can be controlled verbally in an ordinary spoken English language as will as through keyboard, joystick and through screen buttons etc. It can also be controlled globally through Satellite where the Satellite access is available. Basically I was a medical group student but I came towards the computer engineering side to see that how the human brain is working. Now He wish to use this AI/Robotics Technology to develop disabled peoples hands, legs, eyes etc.

[Via http://sweetneha.wordpress.com]

In Praise of Quality Customer Care

2010-01-14T18:37:00.000+02:00

Just Brakes customer Armand had this to say after visiting Just Brakes #150 in Mansfield, Texas:

“I just wanted to take the time to commend your staff at the Mansfield, Texas, location. This is the first time I have used your service and I will not only recommend your company, but will be back for future service.

Your manager at this location was not only friendly, courteous and seemed like an old friend. Also, the brake technician explained everything in detail and presented a service I could not refuse.

I am 48 years old and have been to plenty of car repair locations in my time. The service I received has to be in the top five in my time. The manager even offered to drive me home while the service was done. I commend your organization and quality service I received.

Thank you and the staff of the Mansfield location.”

[Via http://justbrakes1.wordpress.com]

Double Black

2010-01-14T12:29:00.000+02:00

This is an older photo that I took with my Sony point and shoot camera. It was taken on 17th September 2006 on a run with the MX5 Club of NSW along the Putty Rd, north west of Sydney. We had stopped at the “Halfway Roadhouse” for a break and re-group. My MX5 NB is in the foreground, and the newer MX5 NC is behind. A big thanks to Andrew for the editing on the photo.

[Via http://ecstaticfanatic.wordpress.com]

Suns

2010-01-14T06:04:00.000+02:00

These days as I drive west through the darkness along the coast of Connecticut on I95 the constellation of Orion is splashed across the southern sky, just above the horizon. Despite the distance of those myriad stars, it is still almost too bright for me to look at. That, and then there’s the threat of driving off the road if I stare out the driver-side window for too long.

I know that it is not him, not in any real way, but I cannot help feeling the whisper of his presence when I see those stars.

I listen for Silas above the thumping drums and screeching guitars I have blasting in the car on my way home. I listen to see if he’s speaking to me, but mostly I just hear the din of my voices arguing and rehearsing the narrative of my soul. Agreement between them all is rare. Mostly what I do is made of momentum and habit.

Sometimes NPR intersects with my ruminations like tonight when Terry Gross spoke to T Bone Burnett and she played a clip of the song “O Death” from the movie “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?”.

There I was driving along thinking of what Death has taken from me, reflected in those stars above. Thinking of how well I know It now and how deep and terrifying It lies nearby, like the darkness flashing past wooden and forested. And then that song out of no where like a deer or a moth or a shooting star.

The stars, the song, the speed of my lonely car and me telling me what I think about it all.

I rarely even see the what-if-World anymore. There is no empty, ghostly carseat behind me. There is no other schedule all tangled with child-care and life. There is only what is: around me, above me, within me, without.

Those stars are not him but their slight, whispery light and impossible, infinite dust, they are so close to me as I drive; closer than Death. Closer than his life.

They are brilliant, and they shine on me all the way home to Lu.

[Via http://elmcitydad.wordpress.com]

My First Short Story

2010-01-12T06:52:00.000+02:00

My sister called me on her drive home to San Francisco after Christmas. I was in the grocery store and she skipped the greeting and went right to: Do you remember a guy named Thomas Andrew Young? I told her it sounded familiar but that I was not sure who the person was.

She and her boyfriend burst into laughter in the car. While she was at my parents’ house she’d been going through the boxes of pictures as she is wont to do. Amongst the family memorabilia she found a copy of my very first complete short story, written when I was 11 years old.

Thomas Andrew Young was the main character of this story. My sister greatly enjoyed reading passages of it out loud and regaling me with the hilarious details. She asked where the story came from, how did I come to write this? Was I upset with someone? I explained to her the story was not about me, it was a work of fiction and what she was failing to fully realize was that I was awesome as an 11 year old. I made the story up and it was great.

I’ve read it from time to time over the years and I always enjoy it with nostalgia and a sense of pride. I thought that today I would share it with you. I hope you enjoy the inner workings of my 11 year old mind as much as my sister did.

I have not edited it or changed it in any way.

TOMMY

Hi! This is the diary of Thomas Andrew Young (that’s me) and you can call me Tommy. I am an overweight eleven year old with serious psychological problems. One of these is my loving, skinny family.

I also have an array of school problems (besides my grades, which I believe to be low because it’s hard to concentrate on math and spelling while your face is being beaten in and your butt is being kicked). Another one of my long list of problems could be my lack of friends. In my whole life I’ve had one friend. Who was, by the way, an imaginary one. His name was Fred, but I killed him off when I was eight.

My parents find all of this hard to believe since my skinny brother, Sean Allen, who is a junior in high school, and my skinny sister, Natyli Ana are so popular – not to mention honor students.

Some of my mental problems are due to the fact that putting me down is a favorite family pasttime in my house. If a day goes by that Sean doesn’t get the chance to beat me up or play a mean trick on me, he becomes a sad and lost human being with a bad temper.

An example is the time I was seven and fell in love with my sister, Natyli. When I asked her to marry me, she and Sean decided to “teach me a lesson in life” and I would tell you about it, but the memory is too painful.

Then, when I was at the tender age of eight, my imaginary friend, Fred (mentioned before) betrayed me. (You’re asking yourself, “How can an imaginary friend betray someone?” Well, then, PAY ATTENTION!!) He made me tell Sean about a very serious problem of mine. This was my crush on his girlfriend, Cindy. (By now, I was long since over Natyli, who was no 14 years old and in the ninth grade.) Sean decided it was time for another “Lesson in Life”, so Cindy, who went along, pretended to be in love with me and got me to tell her of my love and when I went in for the kiss I had seen Sean perform flawlessly so many times she shoved me away and started yelling. Well, as you may have guessed, Sean was right there and had the whole thing on video tape.

And from my parents all I ever hear is:

“Tommy, you look awful today, go change.” (This almost every day.)

“Tommy, why can’t you dress more like your brother and sister?”

“Tommy, why can’t you behave more like your brother and sister?”

“Tommy, why can’t you get good grades like your brother and sister?”

Now, I believe everyone needs someone to put down and be mean to, as I discovered early in life, but why me? I mean, I don’t encourage cruelty and bodily harm unto myself, I take showers and I’m generally neat and as nice to everybody as you can possibly be to people who use you as a punching bag. So, I have arrived at the conclusion that I was God-chosen and the only cure is:

REVENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown to my family, I had begun planning my revenge. For three months all I could think of, night and day, was my sweet plan for revenge. But in the end all that was destined to go to waste. For that reason I won’t even take the time to tell it to you.

What happened instead will astound you and you may not believe it, but read it anyway. (You’ve come this far so you might as well suffer through the rest.)

It was a warm spring day and I was out for a walk to observe nature. (I also had to get away from the house because Sean was in a particularly bad mood and I was still sore from the bad mood he’d been in yesterday.)

As I walked along, what should I come across? It looked to me to be a bunch of papers. But I’m no expert and these days you never can be too sure. So I looked inside and there were about 15 pieces of paper full of what looked like plans or something. Anyway, they were in another language.

Being paranoid as I am, I immediately took them to our local FBI branch and a “friendly helper of justice and the American Way” (as they call themselves on TV) helped me locate someone called a bilingual. Since I’m only eleven, I thought the worst – why does someone with a weirdly named disease work for the government? As it turned out, bilingual meant someone who spoke more than one language and the funny writing turned out to be Russian. They were plans and they said that the Russians were planning a secret attack on the United States.

Before I knew what was happening to me, I was a National Hero. Suddenly my life was forever changed. For one thing, now Sean and Natyli kissed up to me and I was now my parents favorite child, and always (secretly) had been.

I didn’t buy that stuff for one single second – would you? But I took full advantage of it – I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy being spoiled and pampered?

All over the country I, Thomas Andrew Young, was on newspaper covers, magazines, TV.

But wait! Here’s the best part of all: The President of the United States wanted to give me a reward! On national television! The day arrived and I went up there and received my reward in front of the whole country and I shook hands with the President. Then came my revenge! (You thought I forgot about it, didn’t you?) My family stood around the podium at my feet and clamored for attention. our great Commander in Chief saw them and asked me if they were my family. At that point they jumped up and started hugging me – on national TV! So I said that no, I didn’t know who they were, had never seen any of them in my life.

The President thought that they were trying to hurt me (And Sean was, he tried to discreetly pound my back in with one hand while hugging me with the other.) Security guards and Secret Service men came and my family was taken away in strait jackets.

Then, while they grew old in separate mental hospitals, I grew up as the adopted son of the President of the U.S. of A.

THE END!!

[Via http://thezenafile.wordpress.com]

Wild WIth War Paint

2010-01-12T00:47:00.000+02:00

Iv been sick for a week!! Fever of 101 and head acks non stop the only fun part was playing Run Factory and the World Ends With You on my DS!

NEWS FLASH: Last Sunday there was a 6.8 earthquake thats epasenter was in Eureka CA (I live ten miles from that)! Supriseingly I didnt even feel it because I was in the car with my mom but all my friends said it was very scary. Dont worry apart from a couple of people who fell over during the quake no one died or was ingered to bad. The worst damige to buildings was to stores

[Via http://maroonsparrow.wordpress.com]

Truck Car Rentals - a Wise Business Option

2010-01-10T18:19:00.000+02:00

Nowadays it is not only the usual cars sedans compacts or SUVs that are often leased out Many car hire companies nowadays lease out various kinds of vehicles including trucks Now if you have a business demand to meet and you need a huge vehicle that can carry loads of shipment then you can seriously consider truck car rentalsTruck car rentals can be a very good option if you need a big vehicle that can carry much load Trucks are also built for longer travels even with the heavy load that they carry Rain or shine you can expect your merchandise to arrive to its destination without any problem at all With the use of a rented truck then you can be assured that your needed mode of transportation is always ready without you having to buy a truck of your ownIf you have a business and if you need to deliver various kinds of merchandise or supplies somewhere else then you can make use of truck car rentals You do not have to invest much money just so you can have your own truck for delivery You do not need t do that as you can still have a reliable means of transportation for your delivery needs You can get that by renting And with renting trucks you get to accomplish your business task with just a fraction of the cost of a vehicle purchaseThere are car hire companies which offer truck car rentals Not all companies offer a selection of bigsized vehicles like trucks but there are several which can meet your need The best way to start is to search online for the various car hire companies which offer such service There are online directories that also offer a convenient means of search for different car hire companies and vehicles for rent You simply have to go online so you can choose which company and which particular vehicle you need for your businessRenting a truck through truck car rentals is a wise option especially if you want to meet your business goal without the need of spending more It can be a wise option for the practical business owner who simply wants to accomplish a delivery or shipment transfer goal without the need to buy his own truck Truck car rentals remain to be an available option not just for those who regularly need trucks but also those who find themselves with a need to rent a truck temporarily

[Via http://qastex5.wordpress.com]

Hyundai at 10th Delhi Auto Show

2010-01-10T06:24:00.000+02:00

Designed under the theme of ‘Trust and Innovation’, Hyundai’s stand at the 10th Auto Expo will display the full line-up of passenger cars and Concept vehicles. Trust is represented by the ever reliable and trusted line-up of cars like Santro, i10, i20, Accent, Verna and Sonata Transform while the exciting new i10 Electric, Genesis Coupe, i-mode and H1 are the embodiment of ‘Innovation’ which will satisfy future customers.

Leading the showcase of new products and technologies under ‘Innovation’ theme is the i-mode which is set to take the stage with its amazing blend of visionary styling, futuristic technologies and advanced eco-dynamics. The car was first showcased at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, 2008. This innovatively styled and eco-friendly vehicle with its impressive mono-volume architecture provides an invitation to travel, explore and relax within the concept of a moving cocoon. Powered by the Euro 6 ready all-new 2.2-liter R (Dual Turbo) diesel engine, the i-mode concept incorporates high-tech materials, swivel seats and state-of-the-art communication solutions into a completely new vehicle impression.

The Hyundai Genesis sedan which was first launched in the Korean and the North American market won many accolades for itself including the coveted title – ‘North American Car of the Year 2009’ and the prestigious ‘Canadian Car of the Year 2009’. On display at the Hyundai pavilion this year will be the all new high performance Genesis Coupe – the sports variant of the Genesis sedan with focus on performance and luxury. The new Genesis Coupe highlights upscale new design, responsive driving dynamics and class-leading technology. The Genesis Coupe which followed the Genesis sedan comes in two performance-focused engine variants – a 212-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a range-topping all-aluminum 306-horsepower, DOHC 3.8-liter V6 engine with the new rear wheel drive architecture.

Joining these technological marvels at the stand is H1 – the comfortable and convenient, spacious and flexible, stylish and luxurious van from Hyundai. With a choice of nine or twelve seats, the H-1 Van is at home in a variety of business and leisure roles – as a hotel shuttle, for tourists on sight-seeing trips or for taking sports club members (and all their gear) to the big event. And because its a Hyundai, reliability and economy are part of the DNA.

[Via http://gratiscarconnect.wordpress.com]

Top Ten 2010 Best Garden Grove Bars and Places to Drink by Garden Grove Car Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson

2010-01-10T00:36:00.000+02:00

The right Garden Grove car accident attorney makes all the difference, and so too does the right bar or place to drink.

It matters more than you think who you call for your car accident or other legal matter. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson.

We hope this list of top bars and places to drink and our other lists of places to go also lets you make the most of your time in Garden Grove. For more information about the best events, top festivals, great food and wine tastings and more in California and around the world, visit www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

We know that when you spend your hard earned money when you go out on the town or even when you simply want to have fun without spending much money, you don’t want to spend your limited time or money and have a bad time. To help ensure your enjoyment when you go out in Garden Grove, we’ve compiled this list.

Remember though, even the best bar or restaurant can have a bad day. The server you have may be having a bad day, the bartender you have may even make the wrong drink. The trick to having fun when you go out on the town is to make the best of any situation. Life is too short to be annoyed by common things that go wrong.

It’s the same thing when you have an accident. A car accident can ruin your whole year. As a car accident attorney for Garden Grove, however, we know how to remedy a bad situation and make it better. We know how to obtain payment for your car repairs (or the value of your car if it was totaled) and how to obtain a car accident settlement that includes compensation for your medical bills, wage loss, pain and suffering and even the cost of a new child safety seat if one was in use at the time of the accident.

This is the first annual list of the top ten bars and places to drink in or near Garden Grove chosen by Garden Grove Car Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson for 2010, Even if this list doesn’t include your favorite bar or restaurant, we hope it will at least provide you with a few more choices of where to go for some drinks in the Garden Grove area.

At the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson, we’ve obtained outstanding results in cases other attorneys haven’t even been interested in. Not every case is a big one but it takes experience to recognize what makes a good one.

Find out what makes our Sebastian Gibson so exceptional and why our website, www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com is graded so highly by websitegrader.com.

It says a lot that other law firms refer their big cases to us. Other attorneys refer all types of matters to us and for good reason. Our record of obtaining extraordinary results for decades speaks volumes.

More than once, when other lawyers haven’t been interested in a case, we’ve persevered and had extraordinary success. We can’t guarantee results but we can guarantee that we will represent your best interests and that we will do so to the very best of our abilities.

Remember, it matters more than you think who you call for your accident or other legal matter. When it matters most, call the law firm of Sebastian Gibson. Visit our website at www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com and see the difference.

Don’t let a car accident ruin your year and prevent you from enjoying life and taking the chance to have some good drinks and times with friends and family at bars and places to drink such as these.

So here are our top ten bars and places to drink in Garden Grove for 2010. We’ve purposely chosen bars and places to drink that are popular and known for fun, instead of bars and places to drink that have the most expensive drinks or the top ratings. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, we think that going to a bar or restaurant with friends or family and having a nice drink and good conversation at a reasonable price is more important than overpaying for the paintings on the walls.

Here are our top choices.

1. Heroes, Fullerton

2. Silky Sullivans, Fountain Valley

3. Louie’s on Main, Garden Grove

4. Beachfire, Ladera Ranch

5. Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin

6. Goat Hill Tavern, Costa Mesa

7. Yard House, Newport Beach

8. Fred’s Cantina, Huntington Beach

9. Continental Room, Fullerton

10. Steelhead Micro Brewery, Irvine

Enjoy your time in Garden Grove but remember to watch how much you drink or to use a designated driver. And if by some unfortunate circumstance, you’re involved in a car accident on your way home, remember, it matters more than you think who you call for your accident. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson.

[Via http://blog.sebastiangibsonlaw.com]

Top Ten 2010 Best Costa Mesa Restaurants by Costa Mesa Auto Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson

2010-01-09T18:51:00.000+02:00

The right Costa Mesa auto accident attorney makes all the difference, and so too does the right restaurant.

It matters more than you think who you call for your auto accident or other legal matter. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson.

We hope this list of top restaurants and our other lists of places to go also lets you make the most of your time in Costa Mesa and the surrounding area. For more information about the best events, top festivals, great food and wine tastings and more in California and around the world, visit www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

Remember though, even the best restaurant can have a bad day. The server you have may be having a bad day, the bartender you have may even make the wrong drink. The trick to having fun when you go out on the town is to make the best of any situation. Life is too short to be annoyed by common things that go wrong.

It’s the same thing when you have an auto accident. A car accident can ruin your whole year. As an auto accident attorney for Costa Mesa, however, we know how to remedy a bad situation and make it better. We know how to obtain payment for car rental expenses or the loss of use of your car, we can obtain payment for your auto repairs (or the value of your car if it was totaled) and how to obtain an auto accident settlement that includes compensation for your medical bills, wage loss, pain and suffering and even a new child safety seat if one was in use during the accident.

This is the first annual list of the top ten restaurants in or near Costa Mesa chosen by Costa Mesa Auto Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson for 2010, Even if this list doesn’t include your favorite restaurant, we hope it will at least provide you with a few more choices of where to go for some fine food in the Costa Mesa area.

Find out what makes our Sebastian Gibson so exceptional and why our website, www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com is graded so highly by websitegrader.com.

Remember, it matters more than you think who you call for your auto accident or other legal matter. When it matters most, call the law firm of Sebastian Gibson. Visit our website at www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com and see the difference.

Don’t let an auto accident ruin your year and prevent you from enjoying life and taking the chance to have some good food and times with friends and family at restaurants such as these.

So here are our top ten restaurants in Costa Mesa for 2010. We’ve purposely chosen restaurants that are popular and known for fun, instead of restaurants that have the most expensive food or the top ratings. If you’ve been involved in an auto accident, we think that going to a restaurant with friends or family and having a good meal and good conversation at a reasonable price is more important than overpaying for the paintings on the walls.

Here are our top choices.

1. Stubrik’s Steakhouse, Fullerton

2. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Brea

3. Peppino’s, Lake Forest

4. El Farolito, Palcentia

5. Splashes, Laguna Beach

6. Matador Cantina, Fullerton

7. Quiet Woman, Corona del Mar

8. Orange Hill, Orange

9. Mastro’s, Newport Coast

10. Lucille’s, Brea

Enjoy your time in Costa Mesa but remember to watch how much you drink or to use a designated driver. And if by some unfortunate circumstance, you’re involved in an auto accident on your way home, remember, it matters more than you think who you call for your car accident. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson.

[Via http://blog.sebastiangibsonlaw.com]

3 and a half x 5 Inch Drawing #15

2010-01-09T12:52:00.000+02:00

Copyright Jeff Thomann, 1999

Media: Ink on Paper

Original Status: Not for Sale at this time

Print Status: Prints of this image on various items is available at http://www.cafepress.com/3andahalfx5in15

Original Size: 3 1/2″ x 5″

Primary Themes: Portrait, Sketch, Drawing, Line, Car, Study, Composition, Doodle, Action, Light, staging, wreck, vehicle, speed, impact, boom

[Via http://jeffthomann.wordpress.com]

Top Ten 2010 Best Chino Hills Restaurants by Chino Hills Auto Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson

2010-01-09T05:57:00.000+02:00

The right Chino Hills auto accident lawyer makes all the difference, and so too does the right restaurant.

It matters more than you think who you call for your auto accident or other legal matter. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson.

We hope this list of top restaurants and our other lists of places to go also lets you make the most of your time in Chino Hills and the surrounding area. For more information about the best events, top festivals, great food and wine tastings and more in California and around the world, visit www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

It’s the same thing when you have an auto accident. A car accident can ruin your whole year. As an auto accident attorney for Chino Hills, however, we know how to remedy a bad situation and make it better. We know how to obtain payment for car rental expenses or the loss of use of your car, we can obtain payment for your auto repairs (or the value of your car if it was totaled) and how to obtain an auto accident settlement that includes compensation for your medical bills, wage loss, pain and suffering and even a new child safety seat if one was in use during the accident.

This is the first annual list of the top ten restaurants in or near Chino Hills chosen by Chino Hills Auto Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson for 2010, Even if this list doesn’t include your favorite restaurant, we hope it will at least provide you with a few more choices of where to go for some fine food in the Chino Hills area.

Find out what makes our Sebastian Gibson so exceptional and why our website, www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com is graded so highly by websitegrader.com.

Don’t let an auto accident ruin your year and prevent you from enjoying life and taking the chance to have some good food and times with friends and family at restaurants such as these.

So here are our top ten restaurants in Chino Hills for 2010. We’ve purposely chosen restaurants that are popular and known for fun, instead of restaurants that have the most expensive food or the top ratings. If you’ve been involved in an auto accident, we think that going to a restaurant with friends or family and having a good meal and good conversation at a reasonable price is more important than overpaying for the paintings on the walls.

Here are our top choices.

1. Stubrik’s Steakhouse, Fullerton

2. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Brea

3. Peppino’s, Lake Forest

4. El Farolito, Palcentia

5. Splashes, Laguna Beach

6. Matador Cantina, Fullerton

7. Quiet Woman, Corona del Mar

8. Orange Hill, Orange

9. Mastro’s, Newport Coast

10. Lucille’s, Brea

Enjoy your time in Chino Hills but remember to watch how much you drink or to use a designated driver. And if by some unfortunate circumstance, you’re involved in an auto accident on your way home, remember, it matters more than you think who you call for your car accident. When it matters most, call the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson.

[Via http://blog.sebastiangibsonlaw.com]

January 7th, 2010 Sponge

2010-01-07T12:30:00.000+02:00

What type of projects would interest you the most in a computer/technology group like STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program)? Give me 5 examples. (Lego Building, Robotics, Real World, Car Tech, Video Game Tech, Building Computers, Movie Tech, Video Yearbook, Website Building, etc….are some examples)

[Via http://steedsclass.wordpress.com]

Wild West Coast - New Zealand

2010-01-07T06:09:00.000+02:00

Tow Truck Extraordinaire

The New Year begins in a blissful escape from working in tiny Akaroa and off to the West Coast for new adventures. We woke up to one of the worlds first sunrises of 2010! Our plan: to head over to the glaciers on the West Coast of the South Island. We instantly drove to Christchurch and stayed a night on the beach in New Brighton…unfortunetly we were temporarily locked in the parking lot but woke up in the morning to a beautiful day and swimming in the surf and off to the West Coast! We drove for a few hours towards the Southern Alps .. our car had quite a lot of trouble getting up some of the steep hills combined with the desert heat we had to make a lot of pit stops. We stopped in one park with an incredibal name: Korowai Torelesse Tussocklands Park. This park had amazing trad and sport rock climbing, boulders, cliff faces but no sign of any climbers when we were there…we jumped around the rocks and climbed some of them too.

Arthur’s Pass is known as the border town between the West & East as it sits right in the center of the island & the Alps. A funny little stretch of town with good cafes and hikes to the nearby waterfalls & alpine trails. We were warned about the massive amounts of rainfall & general bad weather in the West which was instantly apparent driving in on SH 73 –there was a physical wall of clouds/fog/rain that divided the region from the rest of NZ. The area has its own weather system that sees no sunlight most of the year–mainly an onslaught of South/North/East/West Westerlies and a hell of a lot of rain … it actually rained the entire 3 days we drove around–one day.. the worst day.. it rained 300mm and flooded the highways. So much so that our poor 92′ Toyota died on us b/c of flood water making its way into the engine. The break-down situation unwrapped quickly, we found ourselves stranded on the side of the highway with flood water rising around the car and the unrentless rain pounding down. It was only a couple minutes before some people stopped to help us out–towed our car to the closest drive way to get out of the flooding tried to revive our soaking wet engine. To add to the distress we had a dead cell phone & no road-side assistance. Determined to figure a way out we walked up to the closest house to ask for help… a farmer named Mr Maisely who let us use his phone. We got ahold of a local mechanic who could tow us to his shop 10 km down the road –the mechanic made his way over to us and hand cranked us up on a flatbed. We were saved! One last obsticle–get the truck to the shop: FAIL! The water was increasingly getting deeper on the road by this time and mid-way through a large flood the truck suddenly choked and came to a giant halt. So we were stuck in a fast-moving flood, in a tow truck with our car on the back… The only option at this point was to laugh… has to be one of the most hilarious looking break downs–even another mechanic stopped by our window to ask if we needed his help.. haha he instantly started laughing! Eventually, our mechanic came back with a 4×4 to tow the whole lot outta the giant puddle and onto the town another few km’s. Our good’ol’ car started after about 10 min of spraying it down with WD40 (a magical potion). Annd we were on our way again–off to Franz Joseph!! After a night in town we made a very instant decision to leave NZ altogether and start our trek to South East Asia! We carefully drove back to Christchurch… got a room with our UK friends for the week and prepared our car for an auction. We must be masters of marketing or something b/c we sold the car in a matter of hours.. just a few carefully placed ads at the downtown hostels and one online ad on the backpackerboard.co.nz We got a bit less than what we paid for initially but happy for a quick sale and money for plane tickets!

Our Next destination… Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur! We’ve bought direct flight tickets via Singapore Airlines leaving in 4 days from Christchurch! We’re currently purging all of our excess stuff we’ve accumlated eg. sweaters, scooters, boots, books, clothing and preparing for a new kind of travelling! Unfortunetly missing Oz this time around but we’ll make the trek back here in the future to fully experience ‘down under’ but in light of our rough timeline we want to have the most amount of time to explore S. E. Asia! Check back soon!

Flood Warning!

[Via http://thetravelled.com]