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)
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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?)
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.
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
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!