February chat thread: Leap years make it longer, if you know what i mean

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > February chat thread: Leap years make it longer, if you know what i mean

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

I lifted a weight for the first time in over a year and it felt good. Bench and squat are both pathetic right now but that's why you keep going.

IMO though you shouldn't wander away from a squat rack for 5 min and act upset when someone else started using it... I'm not gonna stand around all day for Your Highness to finish using the most popular thing in the gym, and leaving the plates on just makes it look like a lazy person finished lifting.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2016 03:06

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 03:13

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Anderron Shi posted:

February; a month with 29 days.

So the question is will we start the end-of-month bitchiness early, or will it start normally and get cut short?

# ¿ Feb 1, 2016 03:07

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Adiabatic posted:

Nope.

Neat thanks. Any recommendations for either?

Def checking out Niagara Falls, and bringing my passport so I can get to the Canadian side, which I hear is better?

I've never heard of Beef on Weck. Gonna have to try it.

Def checking that out. It has an observation deck too! 360� views of snow and despair sounds wonderful.

Fort Niagara isn't that far away and I thought it was kind of cool.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2016 21:22

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

1937 Chevy with suicide doors for sale down the road. Paint's so-so, interior's nice. He had erased a 4-digit asking price and wrote OBO. I want to drive it.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2016 20:42

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Raluek posted:

Do it do it do itttt. Not near as sweet looking as a same-year Chevy, but '37 was a good year for cars.

Same year Chevy? It is a Chevy... Did you mean a Ford? Because those do own bones. Or a Chevy Coupe?

Either way it's sweet, the interior is quite nice. I'll post pics in a bit.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2016 23:44

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Apologies for the lovely pictures, my wife and I were on our way to lunch so I was moving quick:

# ¿ Feb 6, 2016 23:54

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Tide posted:

They also have spiders the size of a truck, so, no.

And also, that 'livable wage' is part of the reason that the costs of that bourbon is what it is for Australians. If you raise the min wage, the cost of goods WILL go up for multiple reasons (increased labor costs, retailers/manufacturers/whatever saying 'well they make more so they can pay more', etc).

So you're right back where you started. 15 bucks is the new 7.50. Then the people that made 50-100K (combined or single income, doesn't matter) feel it worse than anyone, because their wages don't increase yet the goods and services the min wagers created or produced increases.

Be careful what you ask for.

When they raised the wages in...Seattle? The people that were all gung ho about the wage increase were all like YAY MORE MONIES!! then they found out their increase in income caused them to lose their welfare benefits and then were all like NO! I CAN ONLY WORK 12 HOURS A WEEK (OH WAIT AWESOME WOOOHOOO!!!) So what will happen here, our society being what it is, human nature and all that, will earn 15 bucks an hour but work less in order to keep their welfare bennies because ultimately the welfare bennies are worth more. So, their income will be roughly the same (working 20 hours instead of 40) as it was before.

Just this past week, I offered a guy at our office a promotion that would have put him managing 3 other guys, would have been a triple pay increase plus arguably one of the best benefits packages available anywhere. He worked part time, couple three days a week. He would have gone from making just shy of 20,000 a year to almost 60,000 with 401K (with company match), a pension plan, profit sharing, BCBS family coverage (250/500 max yearly deductible) that cost 187.50 a month, and a company loving TRUCK (F-150) that he could use as his personal vehicle as well at zero cost (insurance, gas, maintenance, repairs). He would get a new one every three years or if the mileage went over 80K. Automatic two weeks vacation plus a week of personal/sick days. After three years it goes to 3/1, eventually capping out at 7 weeks vacation/1 week personal/sick. Life changing money and benefits for this guy and his family.

All thing considered, close to $100,000 a year worth of salary and benefits.

He turned it down because he and his family would lose their welfare benefits.

I immediately began rethinking the 'sharp as a tack' opinion and almost fired his rear end on the spot. But it occurs to me that while many on the welfare system know the tricks and abuse it, some are institutionalized to it and couldn't handle life without. But he knew how many hours he needed to work and stay under the cap. He would work extra if needed, but always said 'Boss, need you to adjust my timesheet' when he did or simply not clock in. So what do I do here? He's sharp, he's good at his job, and the guys he works with respond well to him. He's a 6'4 bald black dude with tatted up arms the size of an oak tree, but dude is an honest to goodness teddy bear. Not what you would call educated, but sharp as a damned tack and THE hardest working guy in that section. Show him something once, and the dude had it. Never late for his shifts. Did what needed to be done without asking or reminding. Pissed me off something fierce when he said he couldn't take the position.

Rambling a bit...

Income inequality as being touted by Sanders and such is a myth and I say that as an honest to God liberal. One is paid what one is worth as determined by the market. There are all sorts of professions that are not paid what they are perceived to be worth (teachers, EMT, police, fire, etc), but ultimately the market (not perception) determines that worth. And that's anywhere...USA, Australia, Norway.

So does welfare pay into a 401k? Because that seems like a big loving hole in the plan right there.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2016 01:53

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

So my shitbox Mazda's a lot less smoky these days, at least on startup... a goon had suggested Liqui-Moly and it seems like that may have done some good? Whatever the reason, it used to blow massive clouds of oil smoke whenever I started it, and now it only does that sometimes and with less volume.

Even if I get smoke on startup, by the time the choke turns off it isn't smoking anymore. I can drive around and there's no smoke. But if I drive it for more than a few minutes, it starts to blow smoke out the tailpipe again. Not as thick as on a bad startup, but it'll definitely leave a trail of thin whitish-blue smoke.

My uneducated guess is that there's a bunch of oil and poo poo in the exhaust and especially the cat, and once the cat gets hot it starts burning that poo poo off. Does that seem feasible?

# ¿ Feb 7, 2016 02:08

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

iwentdoodie posted:

My in laws, who are both 50ish, are flying in tomorrow. They've never flown anywhere in their lives.

Trying to walk them through how airports and connecting flights work is worse than explaining consequences to children.

I guess the best thing you can say is they're not in their 60s, which seems to be the point at which everything new becomes absolutely terrifying instead of just an excuse to act grumpy.

I can only imagine the conversation. I mean, you check in, go through security, then follow signs until you reach the gate marked on your ticket. When it's time to connect to the next flight, you get off the plane and follow signs until you find the gate marked on your next ticket. I mean security sucks balls but that's about all there is to it, I've navigated just fine even in foreign airports.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2016 02:33

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

NitroSpazzz posted:

Looks decent in the pictures but hard to tell mechanically how it is without digging around. If it's been maintained and is in good shape that would be a bad rear end cruiser.

Rockauto doesn't have much for it but chevsofthe40s.com has an ok selection.

Wife told me if he'll sell it for $5k I can have it. That is... unlikely. Still want to see how much he wants.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2016 03:29

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

God I hate comic book movie commercials

# ¿ Feb 8, 2016 01:59

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Super Aggro Crag posted:

Ugh. I took out my earrings last night to clean them this morning. Now one if them is AWOL.

Think of it as a golden opportunity (lol piss) to further increase your hireability, and just leave them all out.

# ¿ Feb 8, 2016 17:08

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

There's a 1991 Subaru Legacy... automatic right hand drive for sale down the street. $2600, 100k miles. I can't imagine someone importing an automatic wagon so I'm guessing it's an old mail driver's vehicle?

# ¿ Feb 13, 2016 04:45

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

The Mazda is out of my life at last! I only got $700 for it, so I'm about $500 out, but I bought it before the ring problem became evident so fuuuuck me :v:

# ¿ Feb 14, 2016 17:29

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

iwentdoodie posted:

Valentine's dinner is gonna be ribeyes, baked potatoes and whatever veg the wife wants. Follow that up with a fire and chilling in the backyard with dogs and some nice beer.

Fuuuuuuck going out on this fake rear end holiday.

I made lamb chops, wild rice, and roasted vegetables (squash, zucchini, bell peppers), with a bottle of pretty OK Merlot to go with it all. Almond pound cake for dessert.

We're still thinking of hitting up somewhere for cocktails later.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2016 01:59

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

willroc7 posted:

How bad an idea is this http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/5447672319.html. For a winter beater.

He says it needs tires and a wiper motor... I'd think it's got more than that wrong if he's selling it for 20-year-old Taurus prices.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2016 15:43

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

iwentdoodie posted:

There was a family with no less than five sub 10 year old kids in our showing, plus random couples with one or two. It was ridiculous.

On another note...the other day my wife went to Lush, and bought a poo poo ton of bath bombs and some face scrub for me (poo poo is so expensive but it's the only thing I've found that keeps my face clear) and tonight convinced me to take a bath with one of the bath bombs.

As a 29yr old male, that is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable loving things I've ever had. Holy poo poo.

I don't care for baths because the water seems to go cold really quick, and I find sitting in tepid nipple-height (or lower) water pretty uninteresting. If I could get a bath that recirculated the water through a heater the whole time, I'd probably enjoy it more; as it stands, the constant dance of draining a little water and topping up with hot (scalding my feet with no effect on my back) makes me say gently caress it.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2016 06:54

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Wife just paid off her car loan, we're now totally debt-free! Compared to 6 months ago that means about $500-600/mo extra straight to the bank; we've paid off 2 sets of student loans and a car since then. Feels good.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2016 04:31

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Tomarse posted:

Well done! - Now go buy a house....

That's next up, I talked to a realtor today.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2016 07:05

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Yesterday I saw a car in the lot that appeared to have been painted all over with dark blue spray-on bedliner. Wish I'd snapped a picture... I'll look for it again today.

# ¿ Feb 23, 2016 17:43

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Enourmo posted:

maybe. does your brother have depressive bouts that often prevented him from studying with any sort of distraction around (like say the roommate shenanigans I've been prong up with)?

cause its kinda hard to bootstrap your way to an A when sometimes the effort to reach down and grab the straps is just beyond me, mentally speaking

Do you have a prescription for braindrugs?

# ¿ Feb 23, 2016 21:38

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

PaintVagrant posted:

The bigger roadblock to getting/keeping a job is this raging victim complex. Nobody gives a poo poo about your GPA, but turning into a mopey baby martyr at any hint of hardship will get you dumped from gainful employment very quickly. I have watched a couple guys destroy what could be promising IT careers with this type of attitude.

Go get the pills so you can stop feeling this way and start demonstrating the mental toughness it requires to be a functioning, happy adult.

But my teacher/mother/roommates/tutor/theoretical employer/classmates/past work experience, they all conspire to prevent me taking responsibility for literally anything!

# ¿ Feb 24, 2016 01:37

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

Slavvy posted:

FWIW I think therapists are like mechanics for your brain but they can't get in there with a screwdriver themselves, all they can do is tell you how to use the tools and what goes where. Kind of like when a mate needs help with his car and I stand there telling him what to do without getting my hands dirty

The analogy works, here's what happens when AI posters try it:

# ¿ Feb 24, 2016 23:06

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

leica posted:

Yep, we used to go to one in Rochester NY years ago all the time and it was great, I have no idea what the hell happened but it's horrible here.

The one in Henrietta? I went a couple times and it was fine.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2016 05:51

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

leica posted:

Yeah, that was it. Was back in about '09 but it was really good. Lots of different sandwiches and salads, even dinners IIRC.

The ones they're opening here in FL seem to focus just on burgers, seems like a dumb idea to me.

You weren't at RIT during that period were you? I'd have been finishing up my undergraduate courses at about that time... and driving a beautiful red Hyundai Accent...

# ¿ Feb 27, 2016 06:09

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

keykey posted:

I liked Chris Rock in SNL years ago until the yelling until funny thing started grating on the nerves

Did he introduce that disease to the rest of SNL ("really?!?!?!")? Did he catch it from that other toiletbowl of a comedian, Lewis Black (note that although his name is Black, I'm not racist for saying he sucks because he's actually white, you see)

# ¿ Feb 29, 2016 05:41

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 03:13

Pham Nuwen: Oct 30, 2010

spog posted:

Oh, how you joke, but it is actually true, though the percentages are much lower.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/dining/13chocolate.html?&_r=0

Those loving Italians and their gross-rear end Parmesan vomit cheese

# ¿ Feb 29, 2016 20:42

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > February chat thread: Leap years make it longer, if you know what i mean