And, I'm glad this kid is staying in school. I doubt the ad on craigslist will stay active for too long, so I copied the contents of it here:
1995 acura integra - $4500
Reply to: sale-254803627@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-12-29, 12:55AM EST
wutsup.. i have an 95 acura for sale 175km all stock small rust on rear fenders and i mean small..good relayable car have no problems.. the reasion why im selling it is becouse schools lots of money...im askin $4500 price is negoshible... u can email me at streetrebel69@hotmail.com or call me at 416 409 6423
* This item has been posted by-owner.
* Location: north york
* It's ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Windows stealing from the Mac?
How could it be? This is too funny... and yet, oh so true.
Maybe the tide is finally shifting?
Then again, when has Microsoft really NOT stolen from Macintosh? Like, way back in the day when Apple started using that crazy "mouse" thing back in '83.
Maybe the tide is finally shifting?
Then again, when has Microsoft really NOT stolen from Macintosh? Like, way back in the day when Apple started using that crazy "mouse" thing back in '83.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Headaches, vomit, and mp3 players
Well, it looks like I came down with the flu recently. This is the sickest I can ever remember being in well over 10 years. And it wasn't fun, either. I was off work for 4 consecutive days. Which in itself is usually a treat, but this time it was no picnic.
And today, I was talking with my new boss Brian, who mentioned he was thinking of getting a new mp3 player that's come out on the market, called the Zune. Looks interesting. You can watch videos in portrait or landscape (not that I use mp3 players to watch videos, anyway). And it has wireless connectivity between other "Zunes", which is cool too. But, there are a few problems with it.
For one, it's not compatible with the Mac. Since it's a Microsoft product, I don't see them bending over backwards anytime soon to address this - so for any die-hard mac fan, they've simply closed the door on marketing to us. *shrugs* I never liked Microsoft that much anyway.
But get this: it isn't just incompatible with the Mac, it's currently incompatible with Windows! Well, with Windows Vista, that is. They're currently "working on it" to make it compatible.
Really, that one sums it all up for me: Microsoft goes and makes a product, brings it to market, then figures out how to make it work with their OS. That in itself has cemented me from considering a Windows-based OS for another year or two. Morons.
I'm not really looking for a new iPod. But, now that the Zune is around... maybe that will force a few new features into the iPod... more cool stuff on the iPod might just make me go looking for a new one!
But if I can't use it with my computer... I'm sure as hell not buying a Zune.
And today, I was talking with my new boss Brian, who mentioned he was thinking of getting a new mp3 player that's come out on the market, called the Zune. Looks interesting. You can watch videos in portrait or landscape (not that I use mp3 players to watch videos, anyway). And it has wireless connectivity between other "Zunes", which is cool too. But, there are a few problems with it.
For one, it's not compatible with the Mac. Since it's a Microsoft product, I don't see them bending over backwards anytime soon to address this - so for any die-hard mac fan, they've simply closed the door on marketing to us. *shrugs* I never liked Microsoft that much anyway.
But get this: it isn't just incompatible with the Mac, it's currently incompatible with Windows! Well, with Windows Vista, that is. They're currently "working on it" to make it compatible.
Really, that one sums it all up for me: Microsoft goes and makes a product, brings it to market, then figures out how to make it work with their OS. That in itself has cemented me from considering a Windows-based OS for another year or two. Morons.
I'm not really looking for a new iPod. But, now that the Zune is around... maybe that will force a few new features into the iPod... more cool stuff on the iPod might just make me go looking for a new one!
But if I can't use it with my computer... I'm sure as hell not buying a Zune.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
A Civic you'll actually love (not just like).
Ok, so I didn't win the Ferrari.
On a completely unrelated matter... check out the new Honda Civic that's being offered in Europe.
In all seriousness, this is by far the first and ONLY Civic I'd even consider buying/driving. Well, except maybe the old CRX. I have a soft spot for that one for some reason.
Absolutely fantastic! Except, we won't see it here in North America. Buggar.
If you're interested, download the .pdf brochure. It's 78 Pages!!!
On a completely unrelated matter... check out the new Honda Civic that's being offered in Europe.
In all seriousness, this is by far the first and ONLY Civic I'd even consider buying/driving. Well, except maybe the old CRX. I have a soft spot for that one for some reason.
Absolutely fantastic! Except, we won't see it here in North America. Buggar.
If you're interested, download the .pdf brochure. It's 78 Pages!!!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Tomorrow, it could be mine...
Oh, yes, it could be mine.
And, guess what? I thought I'd find out what it would cost to add the Ferrari to my insurance policy... now, I didn't get a proper quote, just went online and added my current car and the 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider (Before you say it: yes, I'm aware that the car above isn't a Spider). Take a guess at how much it was?
Only $4,500 per year! Which yes, is expensive. But some 16-year olds would pay that much (or more!) to insure a '95 Sunfire.
Now, I have to find a way to scrape together an additional $270/month (since I'm already paying about $115/month. Let's see... don't need a telephone... probably won't need cable... or electricity...
And, guess what? I thought I'd find out what it would cost to add the Ferrari to my insurance policy... now, I didn't get a proper quote, just went online and added my current car and the 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider (Before you say it: yes, I'm aware that the car above isn't a Spider). Take a guess at how much it was?
Only $4,500 per year! Which yes, is expensive. But some 16-year olds would pay that much (or more!) to insure a '95 Sunfire.
Now, I have to find a way to scrape together an additional $270/month (since I'm already paying about $115/month. Let's see... don't need a telephone... probably won't need cable... or electricity...
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Garrr! Happy Hallowe'en!
(^^^- Pete the confused Pirate)Had a fantastic time this year at the office... even despite a slight wardrobe malfunction experienced by our fearless leader Christine (images have been deleted to protect the innocent).
The only real problem with our pirate ship?
It was running Windows:
More photos posted online (See photo album link on the sidebar)!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The Breasts that went Too Far.
First of all, let me make something perfectly clear: I feel terrible for anyone who is, or is closely related to a victim of breast cancer. I believe breast cancer research is important, and I believe it should continue (just try stopping it, anyway). And I’m definitely a fan of breasts, in all shapes and sizes. But seriously… things have gone too far. The pink ribbon is spiraling out of control.
Breast Cancer awareness has hit on every product you can possibly think of. I have quarters with a pink ribbon on them. I have some “So Good” Vanilla Soy milk in my fridge with a pink ribbon on it. Motorola has a Pink version of the RAZR to help support breast cancer. You can test-drive a BMW, and for every mile you drive, $1 goes to breast cancer research, education, screening & treatment programs. They also have a Pink Ribbon Collection of miscellaneous items you can buy to help support breast cancer. This month, HBC is encouraging me to Think Pink. The list goes on and on.
So, what’s the problem? Isn’t it all for a good cause? Of course it is, but in this case, I think it’s simply “too much of a good thing”. It has become a marketing phenomenon. It’s literally taken over almost every consumable product that comes to mind (right now, I’m waiting for DuMaurier to start marketing pink cigarettes. That oughta boost sales a bit, and it’s not exactly a new idea. Can you imagine how much money they’d raise if $1 from every pack of smokes went to breast cancer research? It would almost be worth starting up smoking again – at least the money would go to a worthwhile cause, instead of the government).
Still, there's nothing wrong with successful marketing, right? True, but have a look at this report from the US Department of Health and Human Services. In 2002, the #1 cause of death in the United States was heart disease (28.5%). The #2 cause was cancer (22.8%). Of these cancers, 8% were attributed to breast cancer, which means that 1.824% of all deaths in the US in 2002 were attributed to breast cancer. That’s lower than the overall accident death rate, which accounted for 4.4% of all deaths (think about that next time you want to cross a busy street in Manhattan).
Or, put it this way: All cancers put together are the #2 Killer. Breast cancer alone? The #10 Killer, behind Alzheimer's, Flu/Pneumonia, Diabetes, Stroke, Emphysema/Chronic Bronchitis, Lung Cancer, and Colon Cancer.
Yet, breast cancer gets all the attention. I'd be willing to bet that the amount of money generated from the public for breast cancer research is up in the top 3 of all of these causes of death. Our society loves boobs (Who doesn't love a good hollywood clevage shot?). If someone were to even suggest that maybe too much funding and attention is focused on breast cancer awareness and research, they’d be branded woman-haters. They’d be ridiculed and put down for being inconsiderate and unfeeling. They'd be... uh... I dunno... Boob-Bashers. But, they’d also be absolutely correct. Too much money IS spent on breast cancer. Especially when there are other important causes out there with far less funding or awareness. Where’s the brown ribbon for colon and rectal cancer? Where's the "Prevent Accidents - Don't Be Stupid" ribbon?
Breast cancer awareness has simply gone too far. And I don’t see any sign of it slowing down. The first decade of this millennium may be remembered as the pink years.
I never really was a fan of pink.
Breast Cancer awareness has hit on every product you can possibly think of. I have quarters with a pink ribbon on them. I have some “So Good” Vanilla Soy milk in my fridge with a pink ribbon on it. Motorola has a Pink version of the RAZR to help support breast cancer. You can test-drive a BMW, and for every mile you drive, $1 goes to breast cancer research, education, screening & treatment programs. They also have a Pink Ribbon Collection of miscellaneous items you can buy to help support breast cancer. This month, HBC is encouraging me to Think Pink. The list goes on and on.
So, what’s the problem? Isn’t it all for a good cause? Of course it is, but in this case, I think it’s simply “too much of a good thing”. It has become a marketing phenomenon. It’s literally taken over almost every consumable product that comes to mind (right now, I’m waiting for DuMaurier to start marketing pink cigarettes. That oughta boost sales a bit, and it’s not exactly a new idea. Can you imagine how much money they’d raise if $1 from every pack of smokes went to breast cancer research? It would almost be worth starting up smoking again – at least the money would go to a worthwhile cause, instead of the government).
Still, there's nothing wrong with successful marketing, right? True, but have a look at this report from the US Department of Health and Human Services. In 2002, the #1 cause of death in the United States was heart disease (28.5%). The #2 cause was cancer (22.8%). Of these cancers, 8% were attributed to breast cancer, which means that 1.824% of all deaths in the US in 2002 were attributed to breast cancer. That’s lower than the overall accident death rate, which accounted for 4.4% of all deaths (think about that next time you want to cross a busy street in Manhattan).
Or, put it this way: All cancers put together are the #2 Killer. Breast cancer alone? The #10 Killer, behind Alzheimer's, Flu/Pneumonia, Diabetes, Stroke, Emphysema/Chronic Bronchitis, Lung Cancer, and Colon Cancer.
Yet, breast cancer gets all the attention. I'd be willing to bet that the amount of money generated from the public for breast cancer research is up in the top 3 of all of these causes of death. Our society loves boobs (Who doesn't love a good hollywood clevage shot?). If someone were to even suggest that maybe too much funding and attention is focused on breast cancer awareness and research, they’d be branded woman-haters. They’d be ridiculed and put down for being inconsiderate and unfeeling. They'd be... uh... I dunno... Boob-Bashers. But, they’d also be absolutely correct. Too much money IS spent on breast cancer. Especially when there are other important causes out there with far less funding or awareness. Where’s the brown ribbon for colon and rectal cancer? Where's the "Prevent Accidents - Don't Be Stupid" ribbon?
Breast cancer awareness has simply gone too far. And I don’t see any sign of it slowing down. The first decade of this millennium may be remembered as the pink years.
I never really was a fan of pink.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sometimes, teachers can be morons.
I know a few people that have become teachers (not "Educators", but teachers). They're not terribly intelligent, and they're terrible at spelling and stringing together a sentence. This letter makes me think of them.
The only difference is, this letter is well-written. I'm pretty sure they're not capable of such (*ahem*) great prose.
The only difference is, this letter is well-written. I'm pretty sure they're not capable of such (*ahem*) great prose.
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Killers
A coworker of mine recently went to see the Killers in concert ... somewhere. I think I know a song or two of theirs... (I'm *so* not cool anymore).
What was interesting were the pics she got. Normally at a concert, you'd expect to see a lot of this:
You know, the standard concert scene: lots of arms up in the air, people waving their hands, displaying the "rock on!" symbol (or "I Love You", if you're into sign-language). Maybe a beer can here and there. Instead, what a lot of her photos showed was this:
I'm sure it's not much of a shocker to regular concert-goers... but I never realized how much digital technology has penetrated and changed our society... even concerts!
Cool.
What was interesting were the pics she got. Normally at a concert, you'd expect to see a lot of this:
You know, the standard concert scene: lots of arms up in the air, people waving their hands, displaying the "rock on!" symbol (or "I Love You", if you're into sign-language). Maybe a beer can here and there. Instead, what a lot of her photos showed was this:
I'm sure it's not much of a shocker to regular concert-goers... but I never realized how much digital technology has penetrated and changed our society... even concerts!
Cool.
Prestige Motors - Dealers in Fine Crap.
This morning, I received an email from Prestige Motors. One of those generic sales-type emails companies will send out from time to time. Usually, not a big deal.
But let me tell you a story.
Back in November of 2002, I was looking for a different OTM ("Other Than Miata"). I was currently driving a Cavalier, and needless to say not terribly happy with it. I came across an ad for a Miata for $4990, as well as an ad for a Mazda MX3 Precidia for about $2500, if memory serves me correctly. The Miata had already been sold, but the MX3 was still available. I went down to take it for a test-drive, and the car itself drove ok, but I wasn't sure about the vehicle overall.
To make an offer on the car (I can't remember how much I offered), I was allegedly required to make a $100 deposit to "indicate that I am serious" about purchasing the car. This, of course, was fully refundable if I didn't purchase the car. As it turns out, they declined my offer, and I didn't purchase the car. For some reason, I didn't get my deposit back before I left. I can't for the life of me remember why. Maybe I was intending on making an offer on another vehicle, maybe I was waiting to hear back from them about the MX3... After 4 years, the details have become fuzzy. In any case, I've emailed them back a number of times, with no response whatsoever.
Of course, I've sent a few emails from time to time, all with no response. I haven't really sent anything in a year or two, from what I can recall. Today, I got this email:
Some time ago you contacted our dealership "Prestige Motors" for a car or truck. This is just a friendly reminder of our Annual Fall Clearance going on right now with 10% to 30% discounts.
You can visit www.prestigemotors.ca for all the HOT DEALS!!!
If you looking to obtain financing visit www.prestigemotors.ca/credit or call us toll free at 1-877-257-3500 or in the local Toronto area 416-256-3500.
Best Regards,
Sales & Management
Prestige Motors
So, I decided that today I would send a response, which looked something like this:
Hello there,
Some time ago (in 2002) I placed a $100 deposit to make an offer on a vehicle which I didn’t purchase, and was never reimbursed this money.
I’ve emailed numerous times about this, but since that didn’t help me get this money back, I’m sure emailing now won’t help either.
I’m sure you can also imagine my thoughts when I receive advertising in my inbox from a car dealership that has taken $100 of my money and refuses to make any effort to contact me regarding it.
You can also imagine the number of people I’ve mentioned this to over the years, recommending they NOT do business with your dealership.
And yet, you still send emails to me…?
Strange.
But let me tell you a story.
Back in November of 2002, I was looking for a different OTM ("Other Than Miata"). I was currently driving a Cavalier, and needless to say not terribly happy with it. I came across an ad for a Miata for $4990, as well as an ad for a Mazda MX3 Precidia for about $2500, if memory serves me correctly. The Miata had already been sold, but the MX3 was still available. I went down to take it for a test-drive, and the car itself drove ok, but I wasn't sure about the vehicle overall.
To make an offer on the car (I can't remember how much I offered), I was allegedly required to make a $100 deposit to "indicate that I am serious" about purchasing the car. This, of course, was fully refundable if I didn't purchase the car. As it turns out, they declined my offer, and I didn't purchase the car. For some reason, I didn't get my deposit back before I left. I can't for the life of me remember why. Maybe I was intending on making an offer on another vehicle, maybe I was waiting to hear back from them about the MX3... After 4 years, the details have become fuzzy. In any case, I've emailed them back a number of times, with no response whatsoever.
Of course, I've sent a few emails from time to time, all with no response. I haven't really sent anything in a year or two, from what I can recall. Today, I got this email:
Some time ago you contacted our dealership "Prestige Motors" for a car or truck. This is just a friendly reminder of our Annual Fall Clearance going on right now with 10% to 30% discounts.
You can visit www.prestigemotors.ca for all the HOT DEALS!!!
If you looking to obtain financing visit www.prestigemotors.ca/credit or call us toll free at 1-877-257-3500 or in the local Toronto area 416-256-3500.
Best Regards,
Sales & Management
Prestige Motors
So, I decided that today I would send a response, which looked something like this:
Hello there,
Some time ago (in 2002) I placed a $100 deposit to make an offer on a vehicle which I didn’t purchase, and was never reimbursed this money.
I’ve emailed numerous times about this, but since that didn’t help me get this money back, I’m sure emailing now won’t help either.
I’m sure you can also imagine my thoughts when I receive advertising in my inbox from a car dealership that has taken $100 of my money and refuses to make any effort to contact me regarding it.
You can also imagine the number of people I’ve mentioned this to over the years, recommending they NOT do business with your dealership.
And yet, you still send emails to me…?
Strange.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Test Drive Friday - the sequel
So, after a lovely drive in a 2004 (not 2006) Nissan 350Z, it was almost time for lunch. Since I had such a nice drive, I was in a particularily good mood, and decided to buy some lunch for Silvermane and myself, and have lunch with her at work.
After a nice (quick) lunch and watching Silvermane slowly become a Workaholic, I rushed off to Mazda for my 2:00PM appointment to drive the '06 Miata. (Note: She's not *really* a workaholic. There. That'll keep me out of trouble!)
I should note that of all the dealerships I went to, only two of them allowed me to book an appointment via the Internet: One was Honda, and the other was Mazda. Richmond Hill Honda never called or emailed to confrim, but Avante Mazda did. The same day I requested a test-drive, I received an email from Danny Koh to confirm the type of car I wanted, and a time of 2PM.
I arrived precisely at 2:00PM, and met up with Danny who was there waiting bells on. Very impressed, and made me feel valued as a customer (Honda, take note). The first thing we did? Play with the Power-retractable Hardtop (PRHT). :) There is only one word to describe it: Brilliant. You can buy the normal hardtop for somewhere around $1800 from the dealer (doesn't show on Mazda Canada anymore?), or, for for $2195, you can have the power-retractable version. Not much more money, and for that you get an amazing piece of engineering. The roof retracts in about 12 seconds. AND it takes up NO trunk space. NONE. Eat that Pontiac Solstice / Saturn Sky.
Upon taking the car out to drive, aside from a few little things, the car feels very much like the old Miata. Same handling, more power, and the exact same exhaust note as mine (except for the slight rattle mine's developed in the last 9 years). Except now, it's a little nicer inside: There's more room (wider), and the interior is far more elegant. You get more toys. You can even get heated seats.
Like a lot of people, I liked the fact that the Miata was very minimalist on heavy things like power accessories and convenience features. I didn't even mind very much that there weren't any practical cupholders in it. But now, you can have all that, without the weight restrictions: the new MX5 has gone on a binge diet. It has all these extra features, more power, more space, and barely any more weight (about 84lbs extra for the retractable hardtop)! How can you argue with that?
And, how can you argue with the price? Starting at about $20K LESS than the 350Z, I can have as much (if not more) fun. I get a bit more trunk space. I can get a retractable hardtop. And, I don't have to get that terrible, terrible orange interior. I can choose a black interior. That interior was the only downfall of the new MX5 I could find. Well, that, and the keyless-entry was a bit difficult to get used to, since there's no actual key to put in the ignition. I think in time, I would find that never having to pull my keys out to start the car is pretty cool.
Overall? I'd buy this car in a heartbeat, and have a ton of cash to spare!
After a nice (quick) lunch and watching Silvermane slowly become a Workaholic, I rushed off to Mazda for my 2:00PM appointment to drive the '06 Miata. (Note: She's not *really* a workaholic. There. That'll keep me out of trouble!)
I should note that of all the dealerships I went to, only two of them allowed me to book an appointment via the Internet: One was Honda, and the other was Mazda. Richmond Hill Honda never called or emailed to confrim, but Avante Mazda did. The same day I requested a test-drive, I received an email from Danny Koh to confirm the type of car I wanted, and a time of 2PM.
I arrived precisely at 2:00PM, and met up with Danny who was there waiting bells on. Very impressed, and made me feel valued as a customer (Honda, take note). The first thing we did? Play with the Power-retractable Hardtop (PRHT). :) There is only one word to describe it: Brilliant. You can buy the normal hardtop for somewhere around $1800 from the dealer (doesn't show on Mazda Canada anymore?), or, for for $2195, you can have the power-retractable version. Not much more money, and for that you get an amazing piece of engineering. The roof retracts in about 12 seconds. AND it takes up NO trunk space. NONE. Eat that Pontiac Solstice / Saturn Sky.
Upon taking the car out to drive, aside from a few little things, the car feels very much like the old Miata. Same handling, more power, and the exact same exhaust note as mine (except for the slight rattle mine's developed in the last 9 years). Except now, it's a little nicer inside: There's more room (wider), and the interior is far more elegant. You get more toys. You can even get heated seats.
Like a lot of people, I liked the fact that the Miata was very minimalist on heavy things like power accessories and convenience features. I didn't even mind very much that there weren't any practical cupholders in it. But now, you can have all that, without the weight restrictions: the new MX5 has gone on a binge diet. It has all these extra features, more power, more space, and barely any more weight (about 84lbs extra for the retractable hardtop)! How can you argue with that?
And, how can you argue with the price? Starting at about $20K LESS than the 350Z, I can have as much (if not more) fun. I get a bit more trunk space. I can get a retractable hardtop. And, I don't have to get that terrible, terrible orange interior. I can choose a black interior. That interior was the only downfall of the new MX5 I could find. Well, that, and the keyless-entry was a bit difficult to get used to, since there's no actual key to put in the ignition. I think in time, I would find that never having to pull my keys out to start the car is pretty cool.
Overall? I'd buy this car in a heartbeat, and have a ton of cash to spare!
Monday, October 16, 2006
Test Drive Friday - Part Two
So far, I hadn't driven any cars at all. And from looking closely at the Sky, I really didn't need to drive that one (or the Solstice). And, given the hoops to jump through just to look at an S2000 up close, I figured why bother with the Porsche? Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind at some point.
I arrived at Alta Nissan, and one of the first cars that I noticed on the lot was this one:
Yup, that's right. A 2004 Z with only 28,500 kms on it (I didn't know the mileage right away, but I got to finding out later).
In any case, being late morning on a Friday, the dealership was relatively empty. I walked over to the black coupe in the showroom, opened the passenger-side door, and started taking a look at the car. I took note of the sumptuous leather interior, the numerous storage compartments, the well-appointed interior pieces, and also took note of how the air duct connected with the passenger-side door. At this point, A salesman came up behind me and greeted me. I can't remember his exact first greeting (maybe "Good Morning", maybe "Hi"), but I distinctly remember his next phrase:
"How'd you get in there?"
"Uh, I opened the door and got in. Why, am I in trouble?" I joked.
"No, you're not in trouble, it's just that the car should have been locked."
Turns out, the battery was drained on the car, and as a result the doors weren't locked the night before. In any case, this set of a great long conversation with the salesman at Nissan. They didn't have too many Z's on the lot. They had 3, to be precise. One was the black one in the showroom that I broke into-er, um... sat in, another was a convertible which was also in the showroom... and the third was a blue convertible which was outside. I suppose we would have taken that one for a test drive.... if it weren't an automatic.
So, I ended up taking out the 2004. The 2006 has 300HP, whereas the 2004 has approximately 287HP. I don't think I'd have felt much difference... but I'm sure I would choose the 2006 with more power if given the option. :D
My first impression? The first thing I noticed is that the gauges all move with the steering wheel when you tilt it. Very cool. And possibly the first car I've driven that does this. The second thing I noticed? It's a bit cramped... or rather, it feels cramped. I think this has to do with the fact that I took out a roadster version with seriously tinted windows, so everything inside was very dark. The rear window of the roadster is much smaller than the coupe which adds to this, but also a bit closer to the driver. I think a week or two of driving this car, and you'd get used to it. Everything is very well laid-out, and it's a very comfortable interior to be in. I'd prefer the coupe version of this car. It's lighter, has more storage space, and better visibility. Of course, at this point, I haven't even driven the car yet.
After getting the car on the road, the perma-grin that was pasted on my face when I first bought the Miata came back. This car is a ton of fun. It pulls strongly throughout the power band. I think you'd have to hate driving to not have fun driving this car. And the SOUND! Surprisingly quiet inside despite being a ragtop, but just loud enough to hear that fantastic exhaust note. Don't get me wrong, it's no Ferrari... but I can still hear it in my head while sitting here typing.
The 350Z also has a limited-slip differential, just like my Miata. In the Miata, I really have to bang on the gas to engage it. It comes on even easier in the Z, most likely due it having more than twice the HP of the Miata (AND about 1000lbs more weight than the Miata). It does prove to be good fun, I have to admit! I think on a rainy day with little traffic around, this car could be a lot of fun.
Overall, I love this car. I started feeling guilty for liking it more than my '97 Miata. But, then I realized that it's in a different market segment: Starting price for this one is about $20,000 higher than the 2006 Miata. After taxes and other add-ons, I could almost have 2 Miatas for the price of this car.
After driving this car, I was off to test the 2006 Miata. Would it be as much fun as the 350Z?
*** UPDATE ***: I checked Alta Nissan's website this morning, and noticed that the price of this car has been dropped. Originally they were asking +/- $41K for it; the price is currently $39,888. If you're interested in it... it's a steal at that price.
(Here's an interesting bit of trivia: The photos of this car were taken at the Nissan Dealership on my 30th Birthday!)
I arrived at Alta Nissan, and one of the first cars that I noticed on the lot was this one:
Yup, that's right. A 2004 Z with only 28,500 kms on it (I didn't know the mileage right away, but I got to finding out later).
In any case, being late morning on a Friday, the dealership was relatively empty. I walked over to the black coupe in the showroom, opened the passenger-side door, and started taking a look at the car. I took note of the sumptuous leather interior, the numerous storage compartments, the well-appointed interior pieces, and also took note of how the air duct connected with the passenger-side door. At this point, A salesman came up behind me and greeted me. I can't remember his exact first greeting (maybe "Good Morning", maybe "Hi"), but I distinctly remember his next phrase:
"How'd you get in there?"
"Uh, I opened the door and got in. Why, am I in trouble?" I joked.
"No, you're not in trouble, it's just that the car should have been locked."
Turns out, the battery was drained on the car, and as a result the doors weren't locked the night before. In any case, this set of a great long conversation with the salesman at Nissan. They didn't have too many Z's on the lot. They had 3, to be precise. One was the black one in the showroom that I broke into-er, um... sat in, another was a convertible which was also in the showroom... and the third was a blue convertible which was outside. I suppose we would have taken that one for a test drive.... if it weren't an automatic.
So, I ended up taking out the 2004. The 2006 has 300HP, whereas the 2004 has approximately 287HP. I don't think I'd have felt much difference... but I'm sure I would choose the 2006 with more power if given the option. :D
My first impression? The first thing I noticed is that the gauges all move with the steering wheel when you tilt it. Very cool. And possibly the first car I've driven that does this. The second thing I noticed? It's a bit cramped... or rather, it feels cramped. I think this has to do with the fact that I took out a roadster version with seriously tinted windows, so everything inside was very dark. The rear window of the roadster is much smaller than the coupe which adds to this, but also a bit closer to the driver. I think a week or two of driving this car, and you'd get used to it. Everything is very well laid-out, and it's a very comfortable interior to be in. I'd prefer the coupe version of this car. It's lighter, has more storage space, and better visibility. Of course, at this point, I haven't even driven the car yet.
After getting the car on the road, the perma-grin that was pasted on my face when I first bought the Miata came back. This car is a ton of fun. It pulls strongly throughout the power band. I think you'd have to hate driving to not have fun driving this car. And the SOUND! Surprisingly quiet inside despite being a ragtop, but just loud enough to hear that fantastic exhaust note. Don't get me wrong, it's no Ferrari... but I can still hear it in my head while sitting here typing.
The 350Z also has a limited-slip differential, just like my Miata. In the Miata, I really have to bang on the gas to engage it. It comes on even easier in the Z, most likely due it having more than twice the HP of the Miata (AND about 1000lbs more weight than the Miata). It does prove to be good fun, I have to admit! I think on a rainy day with little traffic around, this car could be a lot of fun.
Overall, I love this car. I started feeling guilty for liking it more than my '97 Miata. But, then I realized that it's in a different market segment: Starting price for this one is about $20,000 higher than the 2006 Miata. After taxes and other add-ons, I could almost have 2 Miatas for the price of this car.
After driving this car, I was off to test the 2006 Miata. Would it be as much fun as the 350Z?
*** UPDATE ***: I checked Alta Nissan's website this morning, and noticed that the price of this car has been dropped. Originally they were asking +/- $41K for it; the price is currently $39,888. If you're interested in it... it's a steal at that price.
(Here's an interesting bit of trivia: The photos of this car were taken at the Nissan Dealership on my 30th Birthday!)
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Test Drive Friday - update
Well, I didn't have as much fun as I expected. The day sort of went like this:
9:30AM, arrive at Honda dealership. Find out that there are NO S2000's on the lot. To get one to their lot, I need to leave them with $500 of my money, and wait about two weeks. Apparently there are less than a dozen of them at dealerships in Ontario... a quick search this past weekend on AutoTrader showed about 38 Honda S2000's... most of which were used. So, off I went to the Saturn dealership, as it was right down the road.
10:00AM at the Saturn dealership, and there's a Sky in the showroom - with a huge "SOLD" sign in the window. Doesn't look bad. Isn't ugly like the Solstice. Upon close inspection: The dash is made of cheaper material than the keyboard I'm typing on, and has a rougher texture to it. The body doesn't line up nicely at the front end where the hood meets the side fender (about a 1/4" gap - product shots show this much, much smaller). The trunk doesn't seem to close properly, leaving a larger gap on the passenger side than the drivers' side. And then, I sat inside.
There's a neat-o pop-out cup holder on the passengers' side of the Sky. This was the last cool thing I noticed about the Saturn. The glove box is big enough to fit an average-sized romance novel. There's also a small storage compartment between the seats, big enough to fit your wallet and phone. And... this center compartment doesn't lock! This is a major problem if you need to store anything in the car, due to the "limited" trunk space. I didn't see a lock on the glove box, but I assume there HAS to be one there: the "trunk" release is in the glove box. And, here's how you put down the roof:
1) Open glove box, and press "trunk" release.
2) Unlatch convertible roof from inside car (relatively easy)
3) Open rear boot (trunk) to accommodate roof
4) Lower roof into trunk
5) Close trunk
5.1) Close trunk again, as it didn't close the first time
5.2) Close trunk yet again, with more force. Still doesn't seem to close on passengers' side
5.3) Let salesperson slam trunk for you, as the car has been allegedly "sold" already - and I don't want to be responsible for breaking it (It never did close completely).
One thing you'll notice when you put the roof down, is that the roof completely fills the trunk. There is NO usable space remaining in this trunk with the roof in place. And no storage space under the hood. You're limited to the two small storage compartments within the car (one of which doesn't lock at all!).
Putting the roof back up is relatively the same, with two small differences:
1) Latching the roof is much more difficult than unlatching it - it doesn't meet up with the windshield without some conscious effort, and
2) once the roof is up, those "wings" at the back of the roof need to be snapped down.
Those wings were more difficult to snap into place than closing the trunk was. I never fully got them to engage - again, this is where the salesman needed to be rough with the vehicle for me. I have serious concerns about the long-term reliability of these pieces. Either those high-tension cables that hold the wings in place are going to break, or all that bending and pivoting is going to make the convertible top crack and break down over time.
I never actually got to drive the car, as there was only one there.
The verdict?
- NO trunk storage
- Very little interior storage, most of which cannot be secured
- Poor fit & finish
- Cheap feel to interior pieces
- More attractive than the Pontiac Solstice
- Looks and feels like a GM Product
Based on what I saw here, I decided that I didn't need to see the Pontiac Solstice, and headed off on my way to the Nissan Dealership.
9:30AM, arrive at Honda dealership. Find out that there are NO S2000's on the lot. To get one to their lot, I need to leave them with $500 of my money, and wait about two weeks. Apparently there are less than a dozen of them at dealerships in Ontario... a quick search this past weekend on AutoTrader showed about 38 Honda S2000's... most of which were used. So, off I went to the Saturn dealership, as it was right down the road.
10:00AM at the Saturn dealership, and there's a Sky in the showroom - with a huge "SOLD" sign in the window. Doesn't look bad. Isn't ugly like the Solstice. Upon close inspection: The dash is made of cheaper material than the keyboard I'm typing on, and has a rougher texture to it. The body doesn't line up nicely at the front end where the hood meets the side fender (about a 1/4" gap - product shots show this much, much smaller). The trunk doesn't seem to close properly, leaving a larger gap on the passenger side than the drivers' side. And then, I sat inside.
There's a neat-o pop-out cup holder on the passengers' side of the Sky. This was the last cool thing I noticed about the Saturn. The glove box is big enough to fit an average-sized romance novel. There's also a small storage compartment between the seats, big enough to fit your wallet and phone. And... this center compartment doesn't lock! This is a major problem if you need to store anything in the car, due to the "limited" trunk space. I didn't see a lock on the glove box, but I assume there HAS to be one there: the "trunk" release is in the glove box. And, here's how you put down the roof:
1) Open glove box, and press "trunk" release.
2) Unlatch convertible roof from inside car (relatively easy)
3) Open rear boot (trunk) to accommodate roof
4) Lower roof into trunk
5) Close trunk
5.1) Close trunk again, as it didn't close the first time
5.2) Close trunk yet again, with more force. Still doesn't seem to close on passengers' side
5.3) Let salesperson slam trunk for you, as the car has been allegedly "sold" already - and I don't want to be responsible for breaking it (It never did close completely).
One thing you'll notice when you put the roof down, is that the roof completely fills the trunk. There is NO usable space remaining in this trunk with the roof in place. And no storage space under the hood. You're limited to the two small storage compartments within the car (one of which doesn't lock at all!).
Putting the roof back up is relatively the same, with two small differences:
1) Latching the roof is much more difficult than unlatching it - it doesn't meet up with the windshield without some conscious effort, and
2) once the roof is up, those "wings" at the back of the roof need to be snapped down.
Those wings were more difficult to snap into place than closing the trunk was. I never fully got them to engage - again, this is where the salesman needed to be rough with the vehicle for me. I have serious concerns about the long-term reliability of these pieces. Either those high-tension cables that hold the wings in place are going to break, or all that bending and pivoting is going to make the convertible top crack and break down over time.
I never actually got to drive the car, as there was only one there.
The verdict?
- NO trunk storage
- Very little interior storage, most of which cannot be secured
- Poor fit & finish
- Cheap feel to interior pieces
- More attractive than the Pontiac Solstice
- Looks and feels like a GM Product
Based on what I saw here, I decided that I didn't need to see the Pontiac Solstice, and headed off on my way to the Nissan Dealership.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Test Drive Friday!
This Friday, I have the day off... and what better to do, than go around town and test-drive some cars?
I've narrowed it down to 6 ROADSTERS. Given that if I did purchase one it would likely replace my current MX5 Miata, it definitely has to be a 2-seat roadster, and it has to be at *least* as fun to drive as my Miata. Bonus points if the car was designed as a roadster (not a coupe with the roof cut off).
The 6 to be tested (in no particular order) and their respective starting prices are:
Mazda MX5 Miata - $28,095
Honda S2000 - $50,300
Nissan 350Z - $53,698
Porsche Boxster - 63,600
Pontiac Solstice - $26,625
Saturn Sky - $31,935
I realize that the Solstice and the Sky are essentially the same car... but, they're both affordable, and the Sky isn't exactly the ugly stepsister that the Solstice is. Plus, for some reason, the starting price is almost a full $5,000 higher, which is worth finding out why.
Also, the Audi TT would have been in the list, but for some reason, it doesn't appear on Audi's Canadian website? May be that the 2007 model hasn't been released yet, but wouldn't they have a 2006 model?
In any case, 6 cars will make for a long day. I'm hoping to spend about an hour with each car. Good thing 5 out of 6 dealerships are on Yonge Street!
I've narrowed it down to 6 ROADSTERS. Given that if I did purchase one it would likely replace my current MX5 Miata, it definitely has to be a 2-seat roadster, and it has to be at *least* as fun to drive as my Miata. Bonus points if the car was designed as a roadster (not a coupe with the roof cut off).
The 6 to be tested (in no particular order) and their respective starting prices are:
Mazda MX5 Miata - $28,095Honda S2000 - $50,300
Nissan 350Z - $53,698
Porsche Boxster - 63,600
Pontiac Solstice - $26,625
Saturn Sky - $31,935
I realize that the Solstice and the Sky are essentially the same car... but, they're both affordable, and the Sky isn't exactly the ugly stepsister that the Solstice is. Plus, for some reason, the starting price is almost a full $5,000 higher, which is worth finding out why.
Also, the Audi TT would have been in the list, but for some reason, it doesn't appear on Audi's Canadian website? May be that the 2007 model hasn't been released yet, but wouldn't they have a 2006 model?
In any case, 6 cars will make for a long day. I'm hoping to spend about an hour with each car. Good thing 5 out of 6 dealerships are on Yonge Street!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Party Sheep
I know I'm just asking for it to be placed on this site more, but...
This morning I looked at the blog, and saw an advertisement on the right for Bachelorette Party Sheep.
I'm not sure what part of Google's Adsense crawler-thing actually decided that advertising blow-up sheep dolls on my site was a good idea. But, I have to say, if you're in the market, I'm sure they can help you out!
They even have a FAQ section, which answers great questions such as, "Why an inflatable love sheep?".
A question that's been asked for a long time, no doubt. One you might be able to answer by taking a trip to the southern United States.
This morning I looked at the blog, and saw an advertisement on the right for Bachelorette Party Sheep.
I'm not sure what part of Google's Adsense crawler-thing actually decided that advertising blow-up sheep dolls on my site was a good idea. But, I have to say, if you're in the market, I'm sure they can help you out!
They even have a FAQ section, which answers great questions such as, "Why an inflatable love sheep?".
A question that's been asked for a long time, no doubt. One you might be able to answer by taking a trip to the southern United States.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Miataphiles.com
There's a link over to the right of the screen for "miataphiles.com". At one point, I was a member of the site, and would find some of the threads on their board interesting. I even went so far as to go to some of the monthly meets, and even went on a trip to Deals Gap with 26 other Miatas and a total of about 30 GTA miataphiles.
Way back in (2002? 2003?) when I registered, I lived in Barrie. The Miataphiles are a GTA (read: Toronto) based group, which more or less means they don't see much life "North of Steeles" (unless there's a twisty road involved). So, I couldn't always head out to monthly meets, or random last-minute meets at the strippers or whereverthehell they ended up. Because of this, I'd log in from time to time, read some of the threads, and maybe post once in a while. Plus, I didn't have the money to blow on the gas, let alone on beer and food every time they'd all meet up.
Fast forward to the summer of 2005: I moved to Richmond Hill to be closer to work. I think to myself, "Hey, I'm finally closer, I can actually take part in some Miataphile fun!" And what do I find? My username/password allowed me to log into the board, but I have NO ACCESS to any of the threads! I can't read anything, I can't post anything, and there's only ONE link to email the site administrator (which I did repeatedly, with NO RESPONSE).
Today, I logged onto the site for the first time in a while, since I couldn't actually *do* anything on the site any other time I logged in... and it's all re-arranged! Adding to this, they have a brand spankin' new FAQ section, with one fantastic question/statement:
I registered in the past but cannot log in anymore!
And the answer? This is GOLD:
"The most likely reasons for this are: you entered an incorrect username or password (check the email you were sent when you first registered) or the administrator has deleted your account for some reason. If it is the latter case then perhaps you did not post anything? It is usual for boards to periodically remove users who have not posted anything so as to reduce the size of the database. Try registering again and get involved in discussions."
Nice. So, if you're registered, and you want to post (but haven't in a while), you can't. Unless you register a whole new name. Which I also tried, which was deleted.
And after all that effort emailing in the past, trying to find out what the problem is with no response, and they say something like "try registering again?" Register THIS. Why do I have to chase them...? What is this, some sort of exclusive club? Eat me.
I'd have participated a bit more in the discussions, but most of them were about CRAP. Seriously. And most of the people on the site were god-damn post whores. I honestly didn't have the time required to waste hours and hours every day reading and posting on that site. But occassionally, the stuff there was good - it was just harder to find.
And the alternative? Trillium Miata Club. Although it's gotted a bit of a bad rap in the past for being an old person's Miata club... what's wrong with old people? At least they're not all cliquey and highschool-ish like the Miataphiles.
Long live the Klown!
Way back in (2002? 2003?) when I registered, I lived in Barrie. The Miataphiles are a GTA (read: Toronto) based group, which more or less means they don't see much life "North of Steeles" (unless there's a twisty road involved). So, I couldn't always head out to monthly meets, or random last-minute meets at the strippers or whereverthehell they ended up. Because of this, I'd log in from time to time, read some of the threads, and maybe post once in a while. Plus, I didn't have the money to blow on the gas, let alone on beer and food every time they'd all meet up.
Fast forward to the summer of 2005: I moved to Richmond Hill to be closer to work. I think to myself, "Hey, I'm finally closer, I can actually take part in some Miataphile fun!" And what do I find? My username/password allowed me to log into the board, but I have NO ACCESS to any of the threads! I can't read anything, I can't post anything, and there's only ONE link to email the site administrator (which I did repeatedly, with NO RESPONSE).
Today, I logged onto the site for the first time in a while, since I couldn't actually *do* anything on the site any other time I logged in... and it's all re-arranged! Adding to this, they have a brand spankin' new FAQ section, with one fantastic question/statement:
I registered in the past but cannot log in anymore!
And the answer? This is GOLD:
"The most likely reasons for this are: you entered an incorrect username or password (check the email you were sent when you first registered) or the administrator has deleted your account for some reason. If it is the latter case then perhaps you did not post anything? It is usual for boards to periodically remove users who have not posted anything so as to reduce the size of the database. Try registering again and get involved in discussions."
Nice. So, if you're registered, and you want to post (but haven't in a while), you can't. Unless you register a whole new name. Which I also tried, which was deleted.
And after all that effort emailing in the past, trying to find out what the problem is with no response, and they say something like "try registering again?" Register THIS. Why do I have to chase them...? What is this, some sort of exclusive club? Eat me.
I'd have participated a bit more in the discussions, but most of them were about CRAP. Seriously. And most of the people on the site were god-damn post whores. I honestly didn't have the time required to waste hours and hours every day reading and posting on that site. But occassionally, the stuff there was good - it was just harder to find.
And the alternative? Trillium Miata Club. Although it's gotted a bit of a bad rap in the past for being an old person's Miata club... what's wrong with old people? At least they're not all cliquey and highschool-ish like the Miataphiles.
Long live the Klown!
Friday, September 15, 2006
CANCELLED.
It's true. There weren't enough people to warrant a party. So, the hell with ya!
In total:
6 People RSVP'd YES,
14 People RSVP'd NO, and
22 Deadbeats didn't say sweet F.A.
Sorry for those lonely 6 people who wanted to come. Now you're free to do something else! And now... so am I.
This just further proves my point: For some reason, NO ONE comes to parties that I throw. When I even suggest the word "party", people head for the hills.
Makes me wonder what makes them think it would suck, if they never even show up?
Penn - once a Bad Boy, always a Bad Boy
Oh, that baaad boy, living up to that bad boy image!!
Am I concerned about his second-hand smoke...? Nope.
Am I concerned that he has very little regard for the Smoke Free Ontario Act...? Nope.
Am I worried about the long-term health of Sean Penn...? Not really.
Am I concerned that he doesn't have to pay any fines for his act...? Well, sure!
I'm not entirely sure I understand the Smoke Free Ontario Act. Specifically, I'm not sure I understand how it's the responsibility of the owner of a building to inform and enforce the law. I understand that we can't have "Cigarette Police" running around chasing smokers. But, how is it the responsibility of the building owner to enforce the law? Can the building owner in-turn charge whomever breaks this law in their building?
I'm pretty sure that the issue here wasn't that fact that he simply didn't know it was illegal in Ontario to smoke in a public building. The issue is, that he knows he can do it, and get away with it.
On one hand, I applaud him for challenging the law. It's important to press issues sometimes. But... maybe he could try challenging something worthwhile?
*slaps Mr. Penn on the wrist* Bad Boy!
Am I concerned about his second-hand smoke...? Nope.
Am I concerned that he has very little regard for the Smoke Free Ontario Act...? Nope.
Am I worried about the long-term health of Sean Penn...? Not really.
Am I concerned that he doesn't have to pay any fines for his act...? Well, sure!
I'm not entirely sure I understand the Smoke Free Ontario Act. Specifically, I'm not sure I understand how it's the responsibility of the owner of a building to inform and enforce the law. I understand that we can't have "Cigarette Police" running around chasing smokers. But, how is it the responsibility of the building owner to enforce the law? Can the building owner in-turn charge whomever breaks this law in their building?
I'm pretty sure that the issue here wasn't that fact that he simply didn't know it was illegal in Ontario to smoke in a public building. The issue is, that he knows he can do it, and get away with it.
On one hand, I applaud him for challenging the law. It's important to press issues sometimes. But... maybe he could try challenging something worthwhile?
*slaps Mr. Penn on the wrist* Bad Boy!
Friday, September 08, 2006
This evening... from my balcony
Honestly, I've always wanted an apartment with a balcony. And now I have one!
But, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to take such great pictures on my balcony...!
mmmm... lightning... :)
But, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to take such great pictures on my balcony...!
mmmm... lightning... :)
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Housewarming!
Ok. It's official. I'm unpacked... Everything (more or less) has it's own place...
And since I never got around to it the last time I moved... It's time for a house warming party!
So, for those of you who can make it... Or don't think I smell *too* much to come visit... and for those of you who still speak to me on a relatively regular basis... here are the particulars:
Housewarming! <--- CLICK HERE!
Like the invite says, if you want to bring any food or drinks... please feel free to do so! If you have to bring a gift... well... I sure won't stop you. :D
But, please RSVP no later than September 16th. That way, I'll know how many people to expect, and I'll know who's bringing what, which means I'll know how much food to buy!
Hope to see you there! :) If you don't know where I live... let me know and I'll send the details when you RSVP. :D
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Cool idea...!
(can you tell i'm working VERY hard today?)
Came across this looking for "housewarming" info on google.
Very cool idea that worked out very well!
I remember once I went to a Church youth group meeting, and we did the same thing - they called it "Bigger and better". I think we started with pencils, and ended up with a riding lawn mower and snowblower or some such things. Good fun!
Wonder if I could start my own trading...? Would really seem a bit like I was copying... which... I guess I would be. But, truth be told, I thought of this some time ago - but, thought is different than execution!
Came across this looking for "housewarming" info on google.
Very cool idea that worked out very well!
I remember once I went to a Church youth group meeting, and we did the same thing - they called it "Bigger and better". I think we started with pencils, and ended up with a riding lawn mower and snowblower or some such things. Good fun!
Wonder if I could start my own trading...? Would really seem a bit like I was copying... which... I guess I would be. But, truth be told, I thought of this some time ago - but, thought is different than execution!
PETITION: Survivor.
It occurred to me today that this show is STILL running.
The original oxymoron (re: Reality TV) is still running. And it's in it's 13th 'season'? Does anyone still care?
Post a comment below, and show your support:
Petition for the cancellation of Survivor!
Although, I must admit, it's not just a clever name, seeing as how it lasted this long.
The original oxymoron (re: Reality TV) is still running. And it's in it's 13th 'season'? Does anyone still care?
Post a comment below, and show your support:
Petition for the cancellation of Survivor!
Although, I must admit, it's not just a clever name, seeing as how it lasted this long.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Photos!
Finally...! FINALLY!
Photos of the Missouri trip have FINALLY been posted!!
For some of you... sorry for the wait!! And yes, it's been almost two months!
You can view the photos here:
http://photos.yahoo.com/findyourself@rogers.com
There's also a link to it on the main page now - and I'll be posting other photos here from time to time... including Algonquin photos. :)
Photos of the Missouri trip have FINALLY been posted!!
For some of you... sorry for the wait!! And yes, it's been almost two months!
You can view the photos here:
http://photos.yahoo.com/findyourself@rogers.com
There's also a link to it on the main page now - and I'll be posting other photos here from time to time... including Algonquin photos. :)
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Summer Search for Mazdas (ChumFM)
Can I just say this?
MORONS!
If you want to make a guess, but you haven't read any of the clues... please don't call. Seriously.
"Is it in the Grand Canyon?"
"Is it in front of the Taj Mahal?"
It's SO frustrating when these people call in... because I have a VALID guess that I've had since Sunday... and every clue seems to match it. But, morons with ridiculous guesses keep getting through!
When all this is over, I'm going to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. Seriously.
MORONS!
If you want to make a guess, but you haven't read any of the clues... please don't call. Seriously.
"Is it in the Grand Canyon?"
"Is it in front of the Taj Mahal?"
It's SO frustrating when these people call in... because I have a VALID guess that I've had since Sunday... and every clue seems to match it. But, morons with ridiculous guesses keep getting through!
When all this is over, I'm going to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. Seriously.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Success!
All my worldly possessions have finally been moved into my new condo apartment. And, aside from a few small issues (like, not having a TV), everything is pretty much unpacked!
Had a fantastic vacation in Algonquin... I have to say that I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did! Sure, I thought I'd have a good time... but I didn't think I'd want to STAY. :)
But, now I can sit in my new place... and watch the sunset. When I'm not killing time at work - I'll post a photo of the sunset from my balcony. It's really quite nice! :D
Had a fantastic vacation in Algonquin... I have to say that I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did! Sure, I thought I'd have a good time... but I didn't think I'd want to STAY. :)
But, now I can sit in my new place... and watch the sunset. When I'm not killing time at work - I'll post a photo of the sunset from my balcony. It's really quite nice! :D
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Al: Gone Quinn.
As of Thursday, if anone needs me, you can reach me here. But don't call, 'cause even if the phone was on, I probably wouldn't answer. :)
I'll be back on Monday afternoon... then I get to pack, pack, pack!!
I'll be back on Monday afternoon... then I get to pack, pack, pack!!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Summer Search for Mazdas
ChumFM has their Summer Search for Mazdas on again. And I've been enjoying playing along; I even guessed the first location (although I never got through on the phone).
But the second location upset me a bit, mostly with a few of the clues. Normally, they're vague, but direct you towards the location. This one, didn't quite fit the bill:
9. The Swiss and the Italians, they do not hide it.
And the Brits and the Russians, can’t see inside it.
Well, you can imagine how many things went through my head - what do the Swiss & Italians not hide, that the Brits and Russians can't see inside??
As it turns out, the location is the Confederation Bridge. And the explanation? "This clue tells you that it’s not in Switzerland, Italy, Britain or Russia."
Um. what?
I guess if the "IT" is the car... ok, fair enough. Maybe I'm overanalyzing some of the clues. It's fun to play along... but good f-ing luck getting through on the phone. Even with all our technology & redial, blah, blah... most of the time if i call from work, I end up with a fast-busy signal, which means all the phone network lines are tied up. I can't even get a line through to tell me that it's busy, let alone get a busy signal!!
Anyway, clues start today for car #3. It ain't no Miata, but a free car is a free car. I'll try super-hard when it comes to the "Secret Car" (could it be a Miata??)
:)
But the second location upset me a bit, mostly with a few of the clues. Normally, they're vague, but direct you towards the location. This one, didn't quite fit the bill:
9. The Swiss and the Italians, they do not hide it.
And the Brits and the Russians, can’t see inside it.
Well, you can imagine how many things went through my head - what do the Swiss & Italians not hide, that the Brits and Russians can't see inside??
As it turns out, the location is the Confederation Bridge. And the explanation? "This clue tells you that it’s not in Switzerland, Italy, Britain or Russia."
Um. what?
I guess if the "IT" is the car... ok, fair enough. Maybe I'm overanalyzing some of the clues. It's fun to play along... but good f-ing luck getting through on the phone. Even with all our technology & redial, blah, blah... most of the time if i call from work, I end up with a fast-busy signal, which means all the phone network lines are tied up. I can't even get a line through to tell me that it's busy, let alone get a busy signal!!
Anyway, clues start today for car #3. It ain't no Miata, but a free car is a free car. I'll try super-hard when it comes to the "Secret Car" (could it be a Miata??)
:)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Moving!
Well, it looks like it's official - I'm moving!
If all goes well... I won't be moving again for some time. Moving is a severe pain in the ass... especially if you don't have much (or any) help. I've done a few moves with lots of help (mostly thanks to Mr. Duggan), and some with little to no help at all.
I'll be moving on Saturday, AUGUST 5th, 2006!
If you can spare some time, I'm springing for lunch or dinner (depending on when we finish) at Rhapsody here in Richmond Hill. It's about a 6 minute walk away, and it's verrrry good! :) I don't know if it's still true, but according to Toronto Life, "A violinist and keyboardist play traditional Hungarian music Friday and Saturday night."
If you have time, and you like free food... and you don't mind lifting a few boxes or holding open doors... I'd be forever grateful for your help!
And... you'd *definitely* be invited to the upcoming housewarming party! :)
If all goes well... I won't be moving again for some time. Moving is a severe pain in the ass... especially if you don't have much (or any) help. I've done a few moves with lots of help (mostly thanks to Mr. Duggan), and some with little to no help at all.
I'll be moving on Saturday, AUGUST 5th, 2006!
If you can spare some time, I'm springing for lunch or dinner (depending on when we finish) at Rhapsody here in Richmond Hill. It's about a 6 minute walk away, and it's verrrry good! :) I don't know if it's still true, but according to Toronto Life, "A violinist and keyboardist play traditional Hungarian music Friday and Saturday night."
If you have time, and you like free food... and you don't mind lifting a few boxes or holding open doors... I'd be forever grateful for your help!
And... you'd *definitely* be invited to the upcoming housewarming party! :)
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Happy 4th of July!
Happy 4th of July from Canada!
Now, get out there and celebrate your Independence.
PS: VOTE FOR ME in 2006!!! Pete Hickey for Congress!!
Now, get out there and celebrate your Independence.
PS: VOTE FOR ME in 2006!!! Pete Hickey for Congress!!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Road Trip - EOD5
Well, today's the last leg of our journey! Since we only have a 6 hour drive back to Ontario, we figured we'd take in a bit of the old architecture of Benton Harbour. But, first thing's first: FOOD!
If you're ever in the Benton Harbour/St. Joseph area, try to steer away from the Caffe Tosi. I'm sure the snotty noisy rich wives with no day jobs sitting around the place enjoy it, but I don't recommend it. They don't cook eggs any way except "steaming" them in an espresso maker (I still don't totally understand this). They will not offer food in any combination other than what they place on their menu. And, the coffee is TERRIBLY watered down. It literally is coffee-flavoured water. Oh, and their definition of cinnamon toast is actually a warmed cinnamon roll. Still trying to wrap my head around that one too.
Long story short: We should have gone to Denny's. McDonald's would have been better than this place.
But the town itself is nice. They have a bunch of themed bears around... and... everything is pristine.
It's so nice, and so clean... it made me wonder about the other half of the "twin cities", Benton Harbor. And, it made me feel guilty for being white. I know that I couldn't live in a town like this... unless I was actually on the Benton Harbor side. There's such an imbalance between these two cities; it's disturbing. The poor, black side, and the rich white side.
Benton Harbor population, 92.4% Black
St. Joseph population, 89.6% White
It surprises me that the rich white folks wouldn't want to sink some of that hard-earned money into fixing up Benton Harbor. It has some beautiful buildings, if only they could be restored and maintained.
We pissed around most of the morning looking for decent breakfast, and taking pics of delapitated buildings. We never found a decent breakfast, but here are a few of the buildings we saw along the way:
This one has to be my favourite. If anyone knows the name of this hotel, please let me know!
I think I'd like to visit again someday. There were a lot of buildings we didn't get to see, mostly because we should have been leaving by 9:00am at the latest to get home in time... as it was, I think it was about 10:30 by the time we got onto the Interstate! If anyone wants to come along... or drive... I'll go with! I'm sure there's a lot more to be seen here.
And although we felt a bit safer here on the second day... in the daylight... on a relatively quiet Monday morning... we were quickly reminded that it's not always a nice quiet town:
That's a stop sign on a side street along Pipestone Rd, if I remember correctly.
A cop car drove by and gave us a bit of an odd look while we were taking a close look at the holes in the sign. They didn't slow down much, and I honestly expected them to turn around and ask us what the hell we were doing... but it never happened. :)
So, we were on our way again. A little more delirium... a little bit of rain along the way... being that we left so late, we didn't really want to stop if we didn't absolutely have to. The hunger was starting to set in. We were literally going bananas... mmmm... bananas. Pretty soon, we found salvation (no, not another Jesus sign). The only thing that would bring a smile to any Canadian travelling in the US: Tim Hortons!
Can't remember where exactly in Michigan this one was, but it couldn't have come at a better time. We had some food... had some coffee... and realized that a Large coffee in Canada is a Medium coffee in the US. I think with exchange the price was pretty close, but I was more interested in getting some caffeine in my sytem than doing math in my head. :)
One thing though: If this comes to Canada, I'm seriously considering switching to Starbucks or something:
Gross!!
It gave me flashbacks to way back when the McGriddle came out and I thought to myself, "How bad could that be?". ***SHUDDER***
After our Timmie's stop, we were back on the road. Stopped in at a Canadian Tim Horton's along the way (somehow, it just seemed different here... it seemed... more normal).
Soon enough, when all the cars around us on the Freewa- er, um, Highway started to change from domestics to lowered Civics with oversized mufflers... we knew we were home. :D
For anyone who's looking to see more (or all) of the vacation pictures (ahem: Lucyfer)... I'm going to post them all online, rather than emailing them out - the files are just too damn big for email!
If you're ever in the Benton Harbour/St. Joseph area, try to steer away from the Caffe Tosi. I'm sure the snotty noisy rich wives with no day jobs sitting around the place enjoy it, but I don't recommend it. They don't cook eggs any way except "steaming" them in an espresso maker (I still don't totally understand this). They will not offer food in any combination other than what they place on their menu. And, the coffee is TERRIBLY watered down. It literally is coffee-flavoured water. Oh, and their definition of cinnamon toast is actually a warmed cinnamon roll. Still trying to wrap my head around that one too.
Long story short: We should have gone to Denny's. McDonald's would have been better than this place.
But the town itself is nice. They have a bunch of themed bears around... and... everything is pristine.
It's so nice, and so clean... it made me wonder about the other half of the "twin cities", Benton Harbor. And, it made me feel guilty for being white. I know that I couldn't live in a town like this... unless I was actually on the Benton Harbor side. There's such an imbalance between these two cities; it's disturbing. The poor, black side, and the rich white side.
Benton Harbor population, 92.4% Black
St. Joseph population, 89.6% White
It surprises me that the rich white folks wouldn't want to sink some of that hard-earned money into fixing up Benton Harbor. It has some beautiful buildings, if only they could be restored and maintained.
We pissed around most of the morning looking for decent breakfast, and taking pics of delapitated buildings. We never found a decent breakfast, but here are a few of the buildings we saw along the way:
This one has to be my favourite. If anyone knows the name of this hotel, please let me know!
I think I'd like to visit again someday. There were a lot of buildings we didn't get to see, mostly because we should have been leaving by 9:00am at the latest to get home in time... as it was, I think it was about 10:30 by the time we got onto the Interstate! If anyone wants to come along... or drive... I'll go with! I'm sure there's a lot more to be seen here.
And although we felt a bit safer here on the second day... in the daylight... on a relatively quiet Monday morning... we were quickly reminded that it's not always a nice quiet town:
That's a stop sign on a side street along Pipestone Rd, if I remember correctly.
A cop car drove by and gave us a bit of an odd look while we were taking a close look at the holes in the sign. They didn't slow down much, and I honestly expected them to turn around and ask us what the hell we were doing... but it never happened. :)
So, we were on our way again. A little more delirium... a little bit of rain along the way... being that we left so late, we didn't really want to stop if we didn't absolutely have to. The hunger was starting to set in. We were literally going bananas... mmmm... bananas. Pretty soon, we found salvation (no, not another Jesus sign). The only thing that would bring a smile to any Canadian travelling in the US: Tim Hortons!
Can't remember where exactly in Michigan this one was, but it couldn't have come at a better time. We had some food... had some coffee... and realized that a Large coffee in Canada is a Medium coffee in the US. I think with exchange the price was pretty close, but I was more interested in getting some caffeine in my sytem than doing math in my head. :)
One thing though: If this comes to Canada, I'm seriously considering switching to Starbucks or something:
Gross!!
It gave me flashbacks to way back when the McGriddle came out and I thought to myself, "How bad could that be?". ***SHUDDER***
After our Timmie's stop, we were back on the road. Stopped in at a Canadian Tim Horton's along the way (somehow, it just seemed different here... it seemed... more normal).
Soon enough, when all the cars around us on the Freewa- er, um, Highway started to change from domestics to lowered Civics with oversized mufflers... we knew we were home. :D
For anyone who's looking to see more (or all) of the vacation pictures (ahem: Lucyfer)... I'm going to post them all online, rather than emailing them out - the files are just too damn big for email!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Road Trip - EOD4
Hello, and greetings from Benton Harbor, Michigan!
Warning: this might be a long post.
After a very short visit, it was time to say our goodbyes to Whiteman Air Force Base. Here's to coming back again someday!
We had a long but good drive in. Went through a bit of questionable weather, and I honestly think we were bordering on being completely delirious when we arrived. Chalk it up to spending about 12 hours in the car... and one hour travelling about 2km in backed up traffic. ;) The drive wasn't really boring, but... what was most interesting about today was our destination.
Benton Harbor is right next to a town called St. Joseph. They're sometimes referred to as the twin cities. Our hotel was within Benton Harbor, right off the Interstate. We unpacked, and made our way out in search of Lake Michigan, which should have been mere kilometres from our hotel. A quick check of the maps in the local phone book, and we were off.
What happened next was something neither of us expected. Near the hotel, there are some restaurants: Applebees, Hardees, a Wal-Mart down the street, a few hotels - nothing out of the ordinary. As we drove down the street, the landscape began to change. We passed by some older houses, some of which looked like they could "use some work". A few more blocks in, and the homes were in an even further state of disrepar: some abandoned, others lived-in but hardly looking "liveable" by most standards. As we continued on, we passed more abandoned buildings: houses, businesses. Many with the windows and doors boarded up, some with broken windows (although most were intact).
Soon, we reached what appeared to be the downtown core. Buildings that seemed to be 80 years old or more, most of which seemed completely abandoned. Yet traffic flowed through the city. Pedestrians gawked at us as we drove through town, as though they knew something we didn't, and wondered why we were there. I began to, for the first time in a long time, seriously feel as though I had placed myself in a dangerous situation. I felt even worse, knowing that I had brought my girlfriend into the same situation. Every time we waited at a streetlight, I felt my pulse race, and watched the cars behind and around me closely, in fear of their passengers emerging to jump our car.
Where had we arrived? What was this town? How is it I could have chosen THIS place for us to stay?
As we continued on through town, we began to wonder how important seeing the lake really was. It was almost dusk now, and we're driving through a very rough looking neighbourhood. But, a glimmer of light emerged: as we passed through the downtown area, we passed by an outdoor public concert. It looked like a lot of people were having themselves a great time! So, the town isn't completely abandoned... but... are we completely safe here? We are the outsiders, after all...
We made a left turn out of the downtown core, and crossed a set of railroad tracks. Passed a few industrial buildings (factories of one kind or another), and soon we were away from civilization. Trees, grass... no buildings. No people, no traffic. About 2 kilometeres of this, and it changed yet again. We were stunned. The trees opened up, and we were staring at new home development. Large brand new houses! Beautiful ones at that! Streets filled with them! Talk about being on the wrong side of the tracks!
We drove through this unexpected development of posh homes, to a small access road that led to the waterfront. We were still in a state of shock (of sorts): we just drove through a neighbourhood that appeared to be predominantly black, and neglected for about 35 years. All of a sudden, we were in a seemingly exclusive neighbourhood, which appeared to be predominantly white. It almost seemed unthinkable that such a contrast could exist! Especially living in the Toronto area, where so much multiculturalism exists... it seemed impossible.
But for the moment... we're here. We're not driving. We came to see the waterfront... and water we saw!
As it turns out, Benton Harbor really isn't right at the edge of the lake - St. Joseph is. And it looks like St. Joseph is the snooty white town next door. Either way, it's a pretty nice view. :)
After a quick look at the waterfront, it was time to head back to the hotel... and eat - we were BEYOND hungry at this point! So, we sat ourselves down for a nice, romantic meal.
Tomorrow... I think we'll take a quick look around Benton Harbor in daylight... some of the buildings here look amazing... even if they have been neglected all these years. That's kinda what makes them interesting!
(It didn't really scream at all)
Warning: this might be a long post.
After a very short visit, it was time to say our goodbyes to Whiteman Air Force Base. Here's to coming back again someday!
We had a long but good drive in. Went through a bit of questionable weather, and I honestly think we were bordering on being completely delirious when we arrived. Chalk it up to spending about 12 hours in the car... and one hour travelling about 2km in backed up traffic. ;) The drive wasn't really boring, but... what was most interesting about today was our destination.
Benton Harbor is right next to a town called St. Joseph. They're sometimes referred to as the twin cities. Our hotel was within Benton Harbor, right off the Interstate. We unpacked, and made our way out in search of Lake Michigan, which should have been mere kilometres from our hotel. A quick check of the maps in the local phone book, and we were off.
What happened next was something neither of us expected. Near the hotel, there are some restaurants: Applebees, Hardees, a Wal-Mart down the street, a few hotels - nothing out of the ordinary. As we drove down the street, the landscape began to change. We passed by some older houses, some of which looked like they could "use some work". A few more blocks in, and the homes were in an even further state of disrepar: some abandoned, others lived-in but hardly looking "liveable" by most standards. As we continued on, we passed more abandoned buildings: houses, businesses. Many with the windows and doors boarded up, some with broken windows (although most were intact).
Soon, we reached what appeared to be the downtown core. Buildings that seemed to be 80 years old or more, most of which seemed completely abandoned. Yet traffic flowed through the city. Pedestrians gawked at us as we drove through town, as though they knew something we didn't, and wondered why we were there. I began to, for the first time in a long time, seriously feel as though I had placed myself in a dangerous situation. I felt even worse, knowing that I had brought my girlfriend into the same situation. Every time we waited at a streetlight, I felt my pulse race, and watched the cars behind and around me closely, in fear of their passengers emerging to jump our car.
Where had we arrived? What was this town? How is it I could have chosen THIS place for us to stay?
As we continued on through town, we began to wonder how important seeing the lake really was. It was almost dusk now, and we're driving through a very rough looking neighbourhood. But, a glimmer of light emerged: as we passed through the downtown area, we passed by an outdoor public concert. It looked like a lot of people were having themselves a great time! So, the town isn't completely abandoned... but... are we completely safe here? We are the outsiders, after all...
We made a left turn out of the downtown core, and crossed a set of railroad tracks. Passed a few industrial buildings (factories of one kind or another), and soon we were away from civilization. Trees, grass... no buildings. No people, no traffic. About 2 kilometeres of this, and it changed yet again. We were stunned. The trees opened up, and we were staring at new home development. Large brand new houses! Beautiful ones at that! Streets filled with them! Talk about being on the wrong side of the tracks!
We drove through this unexpected development of posh homes, to a small access road that led to the waterfront. We were still in a state of shock (of sorts): we just drove through a neighbourhood that appeared to be predominantly black, and neglected for about 35 years. All of a sudden, we were in a seemingly exclusive neighbourhood, which appeared to be predominantly white. It almost seemed unthinkable that such a contrast could exist! Especially living in the Toronto area, where so much multiculturalism exists... it seemed impossible.
But for the moment... we're here. We're not driving. We came to see the waterfront... and water we saw!
As it turns out, Benton Harbor really isn't right at the edge of the lake - St. Joseph is. And it looks like St. Joseph is the snooty white town next door. Either way, it's a pretty nice view. :)
After a quick look at the waterfront, it was time to head back to the hotel... and eat - we were BEYOND hungry at this point! So, we sat ourselves down for a nice, romantic meal.
Tomorrow... I think we'll take a quick look around Benton Harbor in daylight... some of the buildings here look amazing... even if they have been neglected all these years. That's kinda what makes them interesting!
(It didn't really scream at all)
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Road Trip - EOD3
We're here for a day, and we're living the American Dream.
Seriously. Went out in the morning to some garage sales on base. Went to Taco Bell (Burger King for Silvermane) for some lunch. I still think it's strange that Taco Bell doesn't have french fries (not even Freedom Fries?) in the US.
"I'll have the two-Taco combo, with a side of ... um... another Taco". They ALL come with side-tacos. Odd.
Anyway, after we filled up our bellies, we headed out to the range for a good 'ol day of shootin'. That's right! We went to the local Un-policed gun range, where you're free to bring your own weapons... and trust that no one will start shooting at you. I have to admit... it was kind of fun! :D It's the first time I ever shot a gun before... so... I didn't know what to expect.
Isn't she cute? She'd make a *great* assassin. So don't mess with me, or I'll have my girlfriend take care of you!
I have to admit... this is *way* better than the nintendo light gun or paintball guns...
Bullets are sexy!
So, yeah. After all that good time... we had to head back to clean up & head out for a barbecue. Of course, on the way there, we passed the photo-radar sign on base. I still don't fully understand what makes this speed limit necessary. I was going to get out and walk the rest of the way... but took a picture instead.
We topped the day off with a barbecue that I think we were *very* late for... since most of the food was cold! But, the food itself was good. And there was a great potato casserole dish there that I'd love the recipe for (Lucyfer, if you're reading... see if you can get your hands on this for me!!). :)
Seriously. Went out in the morning to some garage sales on base. Went to Taco Bell (Burger King for Silvermane) for some lunch. I still think it's strange that Taco Bell doesn't have french fries (not even Freedom Fries?) in the US.
"I'll have the two-Taco combo, with a side of ... um... another Taco". They ALL come with side-tacos. Odd.
Anyway, after we filled up our bellies, we headed out to the range for a good 'ol day of shootin'. That's right! We went to the local Un-policed gun range, where you're free to bring your own weapons... and trust that no one will start shooting at you. I have to admit... it was kind of fun! :D It's the first time I ever shot a gun before... so... I didn't know what to expect.
Isn't she cute? She'd make a *great* assassin. So don't mess with me, or I'll have my girlfriend take care of you!
I have to admit... this is *way* better than the nintendo light gun or paintball guns...
Bullets are sexy!
So, yeah. After all that good time... we had to head back to clean up & head out for a barbecue. Of course, on the way there, we passed the photo-radar sign on base. I still don't fully understand what makes this speed limit necessary. I was going to get out and walk the rest of the way... but took a picture instead.
We topped the day off with a barbecue that I think we were *very* late for... since most of the food was cold! But, the food itself was good. And there was a great potato casserole dish there that I'd love the recipe for (Lucyfer, if you're reading... see if you can get your hands on this for me!!). :)
