March Chat Thread - Choose Your Own Chat - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > March Chat Thread - Choose Your Own Chat

Somewhat Heroic: Oct 11, 2007; (Insert Mad Max related text)

CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:

St Albans in between on site work around Deer Park / Laverton. Yes, St Albans is as lovely as I have been told

That place has gotten dodgy, even more so since I was there in ~2005. I lived just north of Main Road West a few blocks north from the train station on the east side of the tracks. There was a lot of cultural diversity and nobody got along well.
I remember one night in my flat trying to fall asleep and hearing the unmistakable sound of a semi automatic pistol and thinking 'That's not something you hear every day in Australia'.

That neighborhood had the best Turkish kebab I ate in all of Melbourne.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 05:51

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# ? May 8, 2024 04:36

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

The Royal Nonesuch posted:

That's largely true, but there's something about actually working with film and learning what the terminology really means outside of an Adobe menu that is incredibly useful, satisfying, and can help with more intuitively navigating Photoshop/Lightroom.

*realizes his Photo 101 B&W class was over 10 years ago*

Nevermind, I'm now grandpa talking about how he made and used a REAL dodge/burn tool

I've taken college credit photography classes.... one of which was long ago enough (2002) that it required a specific model of full manual SLR 35mm (I believe Pentax, actually), and learning how to use the campus darkroom (that darkroom is now a closet).That camera had NOTHING automatic; it had a light meter, and that was it - everything else was up to you.

The other classes were a bit more recent (2011), and were 100% digital, though the instructor did take us to some presentations by some famous photographers who always shot film. But the first (of 2) classes required that we present all of our work in B&W, and required at least an entry level DSLR. Had to learn how to mount prints as well, which even then, I think was a dying art. So many people didn't see the point, while I still have most of my (mounted) prints from that class.

scrubs season six posted:

I have some experience with this situation. A guy I used to commute to work with at my old job got his taxes done by one of the major nationwide tax preparers (by an actual human, not a software).

Since our commute was long we talked about everything under the sun and eventually taxes came up. He told me that the previous year he deducted the miles that he drove to work, but wouldn't be able to this year since I always drove and my passengers just paid me for expenses (my car was nice and got 35-45 mpg and his car was a shitpile that got 20 mpg).

Luckily (for him, I guess?) the next year his tax accountant found a new deduction he could use to offset the loss of his mileage deduction. He could deduct 25 dollars per day for lunch expenses since he worked more than 25 miles (or 50, or some poo poo) from home.

Massive tax reform is absolutely needed but I'm afraid Trump's apparent plan of massive cuts for the rich and somewhere between minor decreases and minor increases for the middle class is probably not what is needed.

I'm kind of in the opposite boat. For the longest time, I thought I couldn't deduct mileage to and from work. This is true for the great majority of people. And if I had one job (or in my case, one contract), with a single work site, that would still be the case. So I wasn't tracking commute miles.

However, even with my main contract (Amazon), there's one of 8 locations I can be sent to. I also work for Uber Eats and GrubHub. My father is a CPA, and based on what I told him recently, he told me I can absolutely deduct all commute miles for work, since I don't have a set pickup location, so long as I'm not going out of my way to, say, go to a restaurant on the way, or go way out of my way to do grocery shopping on the way home (I do pick up groceries on the way home occasionally, but it's literally on the way home.. as in no extra miles, I pass by the grocery store once I get off at my exit, so I might add 1/10 of a mile driving through the parking lot - my odometer doesn't show tenths anyway, and my mileage tracking app generally combines short trips into one long one - but it does keep a GPS track available online).

A coworker has a parent that's also a CPA, and kept telling me I could deduct commute miles. I didn't listen to him, as my dad had told me so long as I had a single job, I couldn't do that... but once I explained the nature of the whole multiple start locations to him recently, he quickly changed his tune and told me I absolutely need to track every mile.

I haven't filed yet, so I could go back and add on the estimated commute miles (one way; I didn't track where I was when I dropped my last package), and probably cut my taxes in half (if not better) - I know the exact distance from home to the warehouse I normally worked out of, but I didn't keep track of which location I started at each day, nor did I keep track of how far it was from home from my last dropoff. :doh:

And I could probably get away with it. But going back and guesstimating the mileage, every day, and going back and editing the daily mileage entries in Quickbooks Self-Employed, then doctoring all the mileage spreadsheets I used for tracking (one per month)...... it's almost worth paying the $800 just so I don't have to gently caress with spending a few weeks doing that, and for not having to worry as much about an audit.

I figured for consistency's sake, I'd start tracking commute miles on Jan 1st, and I'd also start using automatic mileage tracking software. I just swipe left for personal, swipe right for business. It probably misses a few miles here and there, but there were days where i'd completely forget to record my odometer readings when I did it via pen and paper (or later, Google Keep, which then got exported to Google Sheets, and manually entered into Quickbooks Self Employed). The app I'm using can export CSV files that Quickbooks Self Employed can import too. And hey, the subscription fee for both Quickbooks and MileIQ is a tax writeoff anyway.

I have a dedicated work phone (phone itself is one I've had forever, but I can write off the expense of the plan (a whopping $30/mo) since I don't use it for anything personal), I use the IRS mileage deduction, and I write off any equipment that I only use for business (such as the combination hand cart/hand truck I keep in the car). I'm probably going to write off 50% of the cost of a new printer soon, since mine finally crapped out, and I'd say about half of what I print is work related. Thankfully I can also write off my medical insurance premiums, since I'm technically self-employed - but deductions got my income so low that I barely even qualify to get a subsidy.

I'm fully in agreement with the need for tax reform. But until it happens, I'm going to maximize my deductions as much as I legally can.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 05:54

Applebees Appetizer: Jan 23, 2006

Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:

I've taken college credit photography classes.... one of which was long ago enough (2002) that it required a specific model of full manual SLR 35mm (I believe Pentax, actually), and learning how to use the campus darkroom (that darkroom is now a closet).That camera had NOTHING automatic; it had a light meter, and that was it - everything else was up to you.

The other classes were a bit more recent (2011), and were 100% digital, though the instructor did take us to some presentations by some famous photographers who always shot film. But the first (of 2) classes required that we present all of our work in B&W, and required at least an entry level DSLR. Had to learn how to mount prints as well, which even then, I think was a dying art. So many people didn't see the point, while I still have most of my (mounted) prints from that class.

I've got a giant 60x30 print hanging on my wall off a 35mm B&W negative I shot at a local state park of an old Spanish war era fort.

Normally it's close to impossible to get a good print that big off 35mm, but I lucked out because the exposure was perfect and the guy that made the print was a master at his craft. I also have TONS of B&W family portraits around the house. I definitely had fun shooting film, but these days it's just too much of a pain to deal with.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 06:05

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

I have a small portion of a small wall covered in 4x6s of some of my own photos (the only one not shot by me in the collage is one of my dad, but the photo is at least 25 years old - I'd say he's mid 40s in it since he had zero gray hair and very few wrinkles, he's 70 now). They're just stuck to the wall with a single piece of scotch tape on the back, so they look lovely, but it's the only wall decor I have aside from a single section of a 3 or 4 section painting I found at Goodwill... plus a Ren & Stimpy thing I found on ebay sitting on top of said painting. Even a lot of the 4x6s were printed off of the web-optimized versions I had uploaded to deviantArt years ago, but came out pretty decent once printed. All printed on matte, of course. Amazon had a 50 free prints into deal awhile back, and I took them up on it with about 40 photos. Some didn't come out good due to resolution, a handful were ones I liked but didn't have the rights to (those are on a corner wall in the kitchen, I don't feel right posting a picture of that collage since they're not my own photos, and I'll likely eventually destroy them since they're not mine to print).

Painting + Ren & Stimpy hanging out on top. Wish I had the full set for that painting, but it works well in that space, and it was all of :10bux:

at Goodwill.

I lost an absolute shitload of photos in a HDD crash years ago, and I'm really wishing I had them now - lots of photos of friends who are no longer alive, family members that also woke up dead, etc. The older I get, the more I wish I had that stuff. Even with a lot of my more recent stuff, I stupidly got rid of the RAWs and only held on to the web-optimized JPGs. :doh:

I did recover some photos from an accidental HDD wipe, but never really went through the recovered files until after Clint died last month - found a few of him that I was able to send to his father for his memorial.

I really need some more wall decor. Those two photos show all of it. I kind of want to just throw up some band posters again, at least to have something. But my tastes tend to be a bit on the odd side - I want stuff like some of Lora Zombie's stuff. A local photographer. Justin Terveen, also has some amazing stuff of Dallas. Talked to him a few times, he's a great guy and has some great work.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 06:45

spog: Aug 7, 2004; It's your own bloody fault.

InitialDave posted:

Well, traditionally, the TV goes out the window. But it only counts if it's still plugged in and working when it hits the pool.

There is a heath club attached to the hotel, so I suppose I could interrupt the Mothers and Children's Aquarobics session by carrying the tv there, but it might lose a little of the Rock and roll impact.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 09:05

Olympic Mathlete: Feb 25, 2011

Throwing a piddly flatscreen tv just doesn't have the same impact as hucking a heavy-rear end CRT into a pool.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 10:57

Olympic Mathlete: Feb 25, 2011

What I'm saying is you need to park a car in the pool instead.

*edit: there's a surprising amount of photos of different cars sat at the bottom of people's pools man. So much so that I'm fairly confident a lot of people really shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Olympic Mathlete fucked around with this message at 11:00 on Mar 15, 2017

# ? Mar 15, 2017 10:58

spog: Aug 7, 2004; It's your own bloody fault.

Not a company car, so would be a little counterproductive.

I did briefly consider driving my car over the company laptop 'by mistake' - but then I realised I should keep it for working on my resume.

I could trash the company phone but as it is a Windows Phone, that would be more of a mercy killing.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 11:09

The Door Frame: Dec 5, 2011; I don't know man everytime I go to the gym here there are like two huge dudes with raging high and tights snorting Nitro-tech off of each other's rock hard abs.

This feels like something that would've happened in Office Space, is there any chance to burn things? Milton was the hero of that story, right?

# ? Mar 15, 2017 11:18

spog: Aug 7, 2004; It's your own bloody fault.

The Door Frame posted:

This feels like something that would've happened in Office Space, is there any chance to burn things? Milton was the hero of that story, right?

I'm sitting in a hotel on the company's dime, but they haven't enabled a tab for the room so room service is out.

I've been stealing things from the breakfast bar, but there's not a lot you can do with a yoghurt and a banana. (Well, not without a few drinks in me first. )

# ? Mar 15, 2017 11:33

CAT INTERCEPTOR: Nov 9, 2004; Basically a male Margaret Thatcher

Applebees Appetizer posted:

I've got a giant 60x30 print hanging on my wall off a 35mm B&W negative I shot at a local state park of an old Spanish war era fort.

Normally it's close to impossible to get a good print that big off 35mm, but I lucked out because the exposure was perfect and the guy that made the print was a master at his craft. I also have TONS of B&W family portraits around the house. I definitely had fun shooting film, but these days it's just too much of a pain to deal with.

As much as I am a fan of digital and I aint touching film again..... in all honesty film is the best to learn with, for one specific reason - there's no room for mistakes. It forces you to think about the shot, how to compose, how to set the apature and field of focus becuase as soon as you press the button that's it and you only got 11 or up to 35 more shots availible with no edit and no erase. It really makes you learn how to use a camera properly and I really apreciate using the old Pentax SLR for that reason.

Sure, I can be lazy and just shoot a test / check / adjust / erase / shoot / check these days because I can. But the grounding on how to work the camera and understanding how to get the best out of a D-SLR? Use a film camera first, simply because it really makes you think and understand.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 12:30

Seat Safety Switch: May 27, 2008; MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.; Pillbug

spog posted:

I'm sitting in a hotel on the company's dime, but they haven't enabled a tab for the room so room service is out.

I've been stealing things from the breakfast bar, but there's not a lot you can do with a yoghurt and a banana. (Well, not without a few drinks in me first. )

Start mining bitcoins on the company laptop. Siphon gas out of your boss' car.

Order a poo poo ton of room service to your boss' room.

Page through the brochures and phone books in the room and order escort service to your boss' room.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 12:48

Olympic Mathlete: Feb 25, 2011

CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:

in all honesty film is the best to learn with, for one specific reason - there's no room for mistakes. It forces you to think about the shot, how to compose, how to set the apature and field of focus becuase as soon as you press the button that's it and you only got 11 or up to 35 more shots availible with no edit and no erase. It really makes you learn how to use a camera properly and I really apreciate using the old Pentax SLR for that reason.

Yeah learning how to make the shot in camera is the best thing you can ever do. I hated editing digital poo poo, I really didn't enjoy it so I made sure my shot was pretty much what I wanted it to be in the first place. I'm not about making more work for myself AFTER I've clicked the shutter.

Also I feel like the editing culture that surrounds digital can also be really loving bad for photography, mainly because people that can use a camera often don't have an eye for what looks good. They'll snap a shot and then overedit the poo poo out of it making it look like trash. Just smash the contrast and edge enhancement all the way up, colours need to pop so hard they make your eyes bleed.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 12:53

CAT INTERCEPTOR: Nov 9, 2004; Basically a male Margaret Thatcher

Olympic Mathlete posted:

Yeah learning how to make the shot in camera is the best thing you can ever do. I hated editing digital poo poo, I really didn't enjoy it so I made sure my shot was pretty much what I wanted it to be in the first place. I'm not about making more work for myself AFTER I've clicked the shutter.

Also I feel like the editing culture that surrounds digital can also be really loving bad for photography, mainly because people that can use a camera often don't have an eye for what looks good. They'll snap a shot and then overedit the poo poo out of it making it look like trash. Just smash the contrast and edge enhancement all the way up, colours need to pop so hard they make your eyes bleed.

I *might* touch up a few images but that's as far as I will go.

Thats how it comes off the card, if I need to post process heavily then I hosed up the shot in the first place. I *should* use a polarised filter a bit more than I do, Aust lighting conditions tend to make things look harsh and a tad over exposed even with a -1/3rd f-stop dialled in.

I should get my motorsport photographers license so I can legally go where normally I shouldnt.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 13:16

Cage: Jul 17, 2003; www.revivethedrive.org

spog posted:

I'm sitting in a hotel on the company's dime, but they haven't enabled a tab for the room so room service is out.

I've been stealing things from the breakfast bar, but there's not a lot you can do with a yoghurt and a banana. (Well, not without a few drinks in me first. )

So did you already find out if you were canned or not? Because if they weren't planning on doing it to you they might change their minds after all this.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 13:35

CornHolio: May 20, 2001; Toilet Rascal

I suddenly really want to buy a W210 E55 AMG. How awful of an idea would that be?

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/5984842347.html

# ? Mar 15, 2017 13:53

Cage: Jul 17, 2003; www.revivethedrive.org

CornHolio posted:

I suddenly really want to buy a W210 E55 AMG. How awful of an idea would that be?

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/5984842347.html

It would be a better idea if it was from someone without a SIKK license plate.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 14:03

Adiabatic: Nov 18, 2007; What have you assholes done now?

Their motors in particular are super stout, but SBC sucks rear end in general.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 15:04

Applebees Appetizer: Jan 23, 2006

CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:

As much as I am a fan of digital and I aint touching film again..... in all honesty film is the best to learn with, for one specific reason - there's no room for mistakes. It forces you to think about the shot, how to compose, how to set the apature and field of focus becuase as soon as you press the button that's it and you only got 11 or up to 35 more shots availible with no edit and no erase. It really makes you learn how to use a camera properly and I really apreciate using the old Pentax SLR for that reason.

Sure, I can be lazy and just shoot a test / check / adjust / erase / shoot / check these days because I can. But the grounding on how to work the camera and understanding how to get the best out of a D-SLR? Use a film camera first, simply because it really makes you think and understand.

That's all well and good, but these days with expensive schools and people trying to learn how to make a living at it (good luck) it's really just a waste of time imo. When I was in school we spent WAY too much time in the dark room when we could have been on photoshop instead. Fact is you don't have to get the shots right the first time anymore, that's a thing of the past. Do I wish it was different? Sure, because if there was no such thing as digital cameras right now I'd be making a killing shooting film because unlike most people coming into the industry I CAN get it right the first time.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 16:05

CornHolio: May 20, 2001; Toilet Rascal

Cage posted:

It would be a better idea if it was from someone without a SIKK license plate.

Oh, I'm not talking about that one in particular, just in general.

Either a W210 or the following generation, though those seem to be a lot more expensive. Which would be easier to work on / have cheaper prices / have better longetivity?

# ? Mar 15, 2017 16:32

Adiabatic: Nov 18, 2007; What have you assholes done now?

CornHolio posted:

Oh, I'm not talking about that one in particular, just in general.

Either a W210 or the following generation, though those seem to be a lot more expensive. Which would be easier to work on / have cheaper prices / have better longetivity?

I have a 2011 E63, last year of the non-turbo. I can't find a shop manual or a wiring diagram anywhere. SDS is required to do anything, and the cheapest available option is a Chinese knockoff system for $500.

Mercedes does not make things easy, especially if it's relatively new.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 16:35

IOwnCalculus: Apr 2, 2003

I loved the W210 E320 we had - it was a '97 so it still had the inline six. But even that base model still had all kinds of little poo poo going wrong with it as it aged.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 18:30

Goober Peas: Jun 30, 2007; Check out my 'Vette, bro

I just got pulled over on a 5 lane state highway for going 5 over. The speed limit was 30. I was the only other vehicle for miles. He had to turn around to pull me over.

:psyduck:

He must have been lonely.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 19:17

Powershift: Nov 23, 2009

Maybe you looked black.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 19:20

GnarlyCharlie4u: Sep 23, 2007; I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

Powershift posted:

Maybe you looked black.

There's a reason they're called "one-timers"

# ? Mar 15, 2017 19:22

NitroSpazzz: Dec 9, 2006; You don't need style when you've got strength!

Powershift posted:

Maybe you looked black.

He's posting so I assume he didn't get shot

# ? Mar 15, 2017 19:32

Powershift: Nov 23, 2009

NitroSpazzz posted:

He's posting so I assume he didn't get shot

I said looked black, not are black.

I'm sure once he reached the driver's window he buckled his holster back up.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 19:33

FAT32 SHAMER: Aug 16, 2012

I used to get pulled over based on my tinted windows then I'd roll them down and they'd be like ok have a nice day

100% they were making sure I wasn't DWB (driving while black)

# ? Mar 15, 2017 20:04

Powershift: Nov 23, 2009

It's depressing as all gently caress watching cops these days. it's all "we're pulling this guy over because he didn't signal when he changed lanes back there" and then they walk up to the window and go straight into asking where the drugs are."

# ? Mar 15, 2017 20:13

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

scrubs season six posted:

Get her a Pentax K1000 and tell her that any good photography class includes developing and printing your own pictures.

Her Grandad was a semi-pro photographer. He had his own darkroom. It was really annoying disposing of the chemicals after he passed. I still have a couple of large format cameras hanging around from his estate, including a Graphlex with a light saber.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 20:17

nm: Jan 28, 2008; "I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."

Powershift posted:

It's depressing as all gently caress watching cops these days. it's all "we're pulling this guy over because he didn't signal when he changed lanes back there" and then they walk up to the window and go straight into asking where the drugs are."

TBF, every time it is a white dude, he clearly appears to have meth.
As a former criminal defense attorney, cops is my guilty pleasure. Yelling at the screen is cathartic. Also, one place I worked is a common cops location, so I look for people I know.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 20:26

spog: Aug 7, 2004; It's your own bloody fault.

Cage posted:

So did you already find out if you were canned or not? Because if they weren't planning on doing it to you they might change their minds after all this.

I get to interview for the new job next week.

19 such jobs, 23 existing employees.

To my eyes, the new job seems remarkably similar to the old job.
But the job title is different, so it must be completely different to the old one and I must be mistaken. Fortunately for the company, this happens to help with the redundancy process - such luck for them!

I don't know where the stolen banana is. I've lost it somewhere and I am very confused how I managed to do so.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 20:26

Powershift: Nov 23, 2009

nm posted:

TBF, every time it is a white dude, he clearly appears to have meth.
As a former criminal defense attorney, cops is my guilty pleasure. Yelling at the screen is cathartic. Also, one place I worked is a common cops location, so I look for people I know.

Yeah, but the difference in treatment even the white druggos and black druggos receive is jarring. And that's when these dickheads have a god drat camera pointed at them.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 20:44

CAT INTERCEPTOR: Nov 9, 2004; Basically a male Margaret Thatcher

Ahhhh the joys of an allnighter. Actually been a while since I've needed to do one - but I guess a server room wont rebuild itself.

Fuelled by tea and coffee at present. Wheeeeee!

# ? Mar 15, 2017 20:56

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:

Ahhhh the joys of an allnighter.

Ah, so this was you?

# ? Mar 15, 2017 21:23

CAT INTERCEPTOR: Nov 9, 2004; Basically a male Margaret Thatcher

InitialDave posted:

Ah, so this was you?

No.

Pity. That's quite funny.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 21:25

Goober Peas: Jun 30, 2007; Check out my 'Vette, bro

CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:

No.

Pity. That's quite funny.

You did a catte, didn't you? Lol

# ? Mar 15, 2017 21:35

IOwnCalculus: Apr 2, 2003

Admit it, anyone in here (who isn't too lazy to do so) would do a giant :dong:

because why not.

# ? Mar 15, 2017 22:19

the spyder: Feb 18, 2011

I have kicked rear end the last two days, or at least gotten way more rewarding things done then in recent months. If I can keep this going through the next two weeks, I might just get pulled out of this awful rut I keep dropping back into. :unsmith:

# ? Mar 15, 2017 22:19

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# ? May 8, 2024 04:36

kastein: Aug 31, 2011; Moderator at http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/and soon to be mod of AI. MAKE AI GREAT AGAIN. Motronic for VP.

IOwnCalculus posted:

Admit it, anyone in here (who isn't too lazy to do so) would do a giant because why not.

http://www.geek.com/geek-cetera/pilot-uses-gps-flight-path-to-draw-giant-penis-over-disney-world-1617941/

# ? Mar 15, 2017 22:25

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > March Chat Thread - Choose Your Own Chat

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