So this thing happened to me the other day … I’m driving to work, minding my own business, when this little punk jumps out of nowhere and gets in my face. Now, I’m usually a mild-mannered guy, but there was no stopping this, so we had a fight. He’s right there, keeping me from getting through, and I couldn’t help it, so I smacked him upside his head. I ended up jumping off the road and into a ditch. My poor Jeep ultimately came to a stop when it hit a concrete drainage pipe in the ditch. Jerry (the Jeep) had to be pulled out by his legs, and he was taken on a stretcher to a body shop. He has some missing teeth now and a black eye, but things could be worse. And, you should see the other guy.
The good news in this story is that no one was hurt (except Jerry) and the other guy’s insurance company is accepting total liability for the accident, so I don’t have to pay a deductible or anything. Right now, Jerry is being examined to see if he can be restored, or if we have to put him to sleep.
It’s that time of year. The time when everyone looks back on the year that was. The good, the bad and all the rest.
I’ve started this post a few times and never been very happy with how it turned out. Looking back on 2009, I’ve come to the conclusion that 2009 mostly blew.
Personally, for me, the year was pretty good, more highs than lows, and overall better than 2008. However, when I’ve looked back at the big news stories, movies, music, etc. of 2009, I’ve realized how much this year just stank to high heaven. We had some miserable lows, and a few dizzying highs. But, the lows greatly outnumbered the highs.
I looked long and hard for good music in 2009, and came up mostly empty-handed. A handful of decent releases, but nothing earth-shattering or anything that was anything more than a blip on my radar.
Movies fared slightly better, but still nowhere near what 2008 was, movie wise. Star Trek and Harry Potter ruled, Transformers found a way to ruin a movie about giant robots beating the crap out of each other, Watchmen left many people scratching there heads, New Moon was enjoyable. All in all, mostly just a so-so year, nowhere near the epicness of The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Indiana Jones (fuck you, it’s good and a worthy part of the saga, but that’s another rant) and everything else from 2008.
For me, 2009 was a year of continuing what started good in the later part of 2008. I still work at the same job, which is better than the 4 jobs I had in 2008. Finances have improved over the clusterfuck that was 2008. I got addicted to Facebook, Twitter, ignored MySpace, started a blog, car blew up, bought a new car, buried 1 cat who was a member of our family, adopted 2 new kittens who have fast become a part of our family, traveled, saw much, experienced much more, loved, laughed, lost, gained, spent, saved, lost friends, gained friends, rediscovered old friends, moved into a full fledged staff position with Shevacon, then nearly fucked it all up with my big mouth and short temper, and Star Wars continued to rule every facet of my life.
Star Wars continues to be everywhere for me. I trooped 8 different events with the 501st, got to meet Seth Green and Matt Senriech, be interviewed by Fangoria online (even though they didn’t use it), have dinner with Jeremy Bulloch (aka Boba Fett) twice, got my picture in the Star Wars Insider, may or may not have been on TV, marched in freezing rain, sweated my ass off in 100 plus heat, finally finished the Hell Bucket, raised money for charity, made thousands of kids smile (and only a few cry), saw the inner child of many adults come out and shine for a few moments. Clone Wars continues to amaze with each episode. Celebration 5 was announced after months of rumours and speculation and plans are already in the works for Jenn and I to attend the biggest Star wars party of the year.
It’s hard to believe that we are on the cusp of 2010. For so long, 2010 was the FUTURE!! Like it was an episode of the Jetsons or something. We still don’t have flying cars or food in pill form, but so much has changed in our daily lives since 1999, which was surprisingly only 10 years ago. It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago, we were all worried about Y2K and all that nonsense. Add in the fact that I turned 30 this year and it just boggles my mind, it’s so hard to believe. I still mostly feel the same that I did in my teens. I don’t feel 30 on the verge of entering 2010. It just seems very surreal. I have high hopes for 2010, and I see many good things on the horizon.
We were walking along the road, talking about the law and order situation in the city, especially about the safety of elderly people.
I saw some one lying in the gutter. I wanted to see whether he is alive, but my friend held me back, saying it may be a case of murder even. Why attract the attention of the police?
I heard some sound, as if coming from the man. I came nearer and found that he was trying to show something. He looked like a perfect gentleman in white shirt and pants.
Yes, it was a packet in his pocket. I opened it. It looked like sugar.
My friend rushed towards us, took the packet and emptied it into the old man’s mouth. In a few seconds, he sat up. We helped him to walk and presently, he called a rickshaw and got into it, thanking us profusely.
We walked along side the rickshaw as we wanted to make sure that he reached home safely. My friend explained to me that it was a simple case of diabetes. Sometimes low sugar can even kill him. He was lucky we saw him. He was wearing a costly watch and had a gold chain.
His wife, so we assumed, came out to receive him, abusing the poor man: didn’t I tell you not to go alone? One day you will die.
The man invited us to come in, but we declined, saying we will come some other time.
A car stopped suddenly, as it passed by me, in the traffic chaos of the road. The old man put his head out through the window and asked me to get in. As I was about to get into the front seat, he said: sit by my side.
When I was seated, he continued: that day you two ran away. I could not even thank you properly. Tell me who are you? What are you doing?
I came to work, as we are very poor people. My friend brought me. I stay in my room. That day we were returning home.
What do you do?
I sell books and magazines.
Who are at home?
Mother and a sister. Two sisters are married.
Father?
He is no more.
We had reached his house which was very big.
His wife came out. A fat, pot bellied woman, with an evil look.
We went in and I was offered a chair. Seeing my hesitation, he said: you saved my life. You are like God to me. Tell me, can you help me?
Oh! Yes. I am ready.
See, I am alone. I have to go here and there. In the evening, I go for a walk. You have to be with me; that is all.
OK.
I will give you six thousand every month.
I went to my friend and told him every thing.
With the advance salary he gave me, I went to our village home. My mother could not believe me.
I said: he wants my sister to assist in the kitchen.
After some reflection, she said: then you take her with you.
There was a festive mood at home. Mother made her favourite fish curry. Neighbours came to participate in the rejoicings.
Before I got this new work, I used to sell pornographic CDs and books to young men and women. I knew it was illegal, but I got good response and easy money. Many became very friendly with me. One girl with curly hair, was always hitting and kicking me, because I refused to do her bidding. She is very fair and I do like her.
She waylaid me by stopping her car just in front of me. She got out of the car and asked in an angry tone: where are you these days? Don’t you sell CDs?
Both of us entered the back seat and she did whatever she wanted. At last, when exhausted, she said: they have fixed my marriage. Till then, I want you here, every day.
Then she dropped me at my friend’s room.
My friend began asking questions about my sister’s stay in the old man’s house. Where does she sleep?
I told him she seems to be happy there. She will always bring something delicious to eat.
I showed him the revolver, with proper license, given to me by the old man. It was loaded and I practiced shooting at a stone in a lonely place. In a few days I learned to shoot, with accurate aim. I shot a crow from a distance of fifty metres.
One day, I was escorting the old man to the bank. After our work was over, we returned to our car and the driver started the engine. I did not notice anything unusual. When we reached a lonely place, two men suddenly came in front of the car, forcing the driver to stop the vehicle. Apprehending danger to my boss, I shot one and injured the other. The latter was brought to a hospital and the police informed.
I explained every detail, as I thought it my duty to serve the old man.
We went home.
That night, the police came and took me away. They treated me well, but told me to sign a document, saying, if I signed it, they would try to save my life; otherwise I would be hanged, as there was a perfect case against me. I signed it.
There were mosquitoes. The atmosphere was gloomy. Some how, I was not unduly disturbed. If they hang me, my boss will take care of my sister.
Next day, my boss came with a lawyer. They tried to get me bail, but their efforts failed.
In the evening, my friend, the curly haired blonde, came with another lawyer. She was very much upset and worried. They did not allow her to come very near to me.
A few days passed. Then she, along with the lawyer, met the magistrate and showed him some documents and video, to prove that we were married, and attended the reception at her town, on that fateful night !
As prima facie, it was genuine, the magistrate ordered my release on bail.
The blizzard so fierce we drove the old VW bus
only from Adair, Iowa to Lincoln, Nebraska
before I-80 closed again — that was a day
the world stopped long enough for us to be in love.
At Perkins, we ate French toast with real maple syrup.
The room at the Super 8 smelled smoky and stale
but the shower was hot. We made love in the double bed,
young love, sweet love, crazy love, love to pass the time.
But pass it did. The winds swung around from the northwest
and artic air spilled across the Plains, too cold and dry
to snow. Men and machines cleared away the circumstances
that had drifted in to hold us timeless, on ice. Next day
we were back in the front seats, sleeping bags over our laps,
the cold air cutting through the thin sheet of metal
between us and a dark winter sky and those long I-80 miles.
And now our love has turned out like that rear-engine VW –
just enough power to keep us moving forward,
not enough heat to keep us warm.
No shopping for us today. We got up showered and headed out for the 4 hour drive to my mom’s in Albuquerque. We pick up our rental car and find that Aveo may actually be french for ‘go kart’. We’re in a hurry so I push the little car up into the upper eighties and low nineties. This car is an automatic speed deterrent. As soon as I pass the 80 mph mark, something on the passenger side starts making a sound halfway between a whistle and a screech. It continues until I let off and fall back to 79 mph. We finally arrive a little after 4pm with everyone waiting for us. We have some cheese and shrimp and snacks before we get into the real feasting. We all eat far more than is healthy and retreat to the living room to open presents before we tuck into the 5 pies my mother made. Sergio does so well during dinner, he is cordial and polite and minds his manners and refrains from uncomfortable discussion topics. He even left the area when he needed to fart (he had a solid mexican breakfast). I’m very proud of him.
Sergio and I go to Walmart to pick up a few things we couldn’t take on the plane and that brings us to now. We’re quietly enjoying the kind of silence that you can really only get in deeply rural areas, the kind where you can hear the blood rushing past your eardrums. I take the opportunity to write uninterrupted and he digs into the first book he’s picked up since college. It’s called Freakonomics and he says it’s good. I’ll be reading it when he’s done since I’ve already chewed through most of the small library I have brought along.
“No service Wednesday night,” announces Blair Settlemyre, “We’ll be going Christmas caroling as a church family instead.” I nod my agreement as I head out the door, wondering if this will be such a good idea. Nevertheless, I determine to go.
I set out from the house around 5:50 pm on Wednesday, and arrive at the church about an hour later. Upon arrival, I find the lights extinguished. The parking lot is vacant. Were we not supposed to meet at the church? I pull in and sit in my car for a few moments. Then, one of the men in the church trudges around the corner, flashlight in hand. As I exit my car, he looks rather surprised to see me there. “I guess we’re still havin’ church tonight,” he says to no one in particular, “Although I ain’t for sure.” As he continues to walk around the end of the building with his flashlight in hand, I meander to the end of the sidewalk, gazing at the snow that still covers the majority of the front lawn. Stepping over the berm at the sidewalk’s edge, I saunter through the pristine snow, feeling the bite of the cold December air as it rushes into my lungs. I look up at the clear sky, spangled with millions of stars, and marvel at the creative power of God, displayed both in the stars above my head, and the snowflakes crunching beneath my feet.
After just a few moments of quiet contemplation, I head inside, where a growing number of people are assembling, the joy of the Christmas season written on every face. Excitedly, they discuss destinations, songs to sing, and how we’re going to divide up amongst the vehicles we have. Finally, everyone arrives, and it’s time to start. After a brief word of prayer, we all head to the parking lot and our various vehicles.
After a no-show first stop, we find someone home at the second stop on our list. As the elderly man comes to the door, we launch into “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” with much gusto and enthusiasm…and slightly less tunefulness. Our breath forms a big steam-cloud as we sing, and the man at the door smiles as we sing the old songs of the Christ-child’s birth. Finishing our singing, we scurry back to our cars, the snow crackling underfoot, our breath forming streamers trailing behind us in the cold December air. We clamber back into our cars, rubbing cold ears in hopes of restoring some semblance of warmth, holding frozen fingers before the vents, shivering from our recent bout with the elements. I start the car and crank the heat fan to full bore; my fingers and ears begin to thaw as we head to the next stop.
A short time later, I’ve begun to regret bringing neither gloves nor cap. My fingers are cold, and my ears feel as though they will fall off at the slightest touch of a hand or tree branch. The man who began this adventure, Blair, trudges on happily, seemingly oblivious to the fact that anyone could actually be feeling cold.
Now my toes are starting to hurt, and my feet are complaining about bearing my weight. Not a surprise since I’ve been on them since 9:30 this morning, and it’s now 7:30.
After several more stops, I’ve begun to enjoy the feeling of crunching through the snow to make people’s night by singing the songs of the season to them. As an elderly lady from our church opens her door, we all draw a gigantic breath of the frigid air and begin to sing again. Our voices blend somewhat harmoniously, but she seems oblivious to (what seems to me to be) glaring dissonance. The truth comes home yet again that it’s not necessarily how you sing, as why you sing that makes the difference. I understand now what Dr. Spencer meant when he said that some of God’s people may not be able to sing the best, but they’re still a blessing. Watching this elderly lady sing along as we voice the wonderful lyrics of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” I can see that she’s looking past the slight discord, whether consciously or unconsciously, to the thoughtfulness of a group of people from her church giving up the sanctuary of their warm cars to brighten her lonely night with Christmas cheer.
Back in the car, as we return to the church, I ponder the love of God that caused Him to send His only Son to die on the cross for sinners that had no desire for a relationship with Him. Now that’s love! I’m grateful for saving me at a young age, and for the home in which I grew up, where I heard the Gospel from birth.
Christmas is a time when we pause and consider everything that God has given to us. We commemorate God’s ultimate gift to us by giving gifts to those we know and love, and we remember Christ’s willingness to give up His kingly throne and crown to come and die for us. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!
Neue Auto-Händler von Kalifornien will bis Autos, wann immer möglich zu verkaufen, aber sie werden nicht bieten volle Blue Book Wert zu diesem Zeitpunkt. Ein Händler in Seattle gab diese Preisinformationen vor kurzem – vor etwa sechs Monaten eine 2006 Ford Expedition auf einer Auktion verkauft für ungefähr $ 26.000. Heute geht es für ungefähr $ 16.000.
Manche Leute kaufen sehr alte Autos für Umzüge oder aus sentimentalen Gründen oder für persönliche Interessen. Zum Beispiel – Gary Bursey, eine semi-Ruhestand Bauarbeiter und Manager inKalifornien, hat eine regelmäßige suchen Limousine für den Rennsport ausgestattet und ein Legends Auto, ein Auto mit einem 30er Jahre-Stil Körper und einem Motorrad-Motor. Dan Murphy, ein pensionierter Neurochirurg, besitzt 10 Autos und verfügt über eine besondere Affinität zu Packards. Murphy ist der Gründer und Kurator der Murphy Auto Museum. Das Museum beherbergt etwa 70 Autos aus 38 Sammlern gekauft haben, haben fast alle Einwohner von Süd-Kalifornien.
Die beeindruckende Features von alten Autos auch dann ausgelöst, einige Leute um sie zu kaufen. Manche bevorzugen auchalte Autos zu kaufen, da sie ein Auto kann bei vergleichsweise niedrigen Preis besitzen. Packard waren eine der besten US-Luxus-Autos bis 1958. Die herrliche butterscotch-and-tan 1928 Packard bietet eine gerade acht-Motor, ein 143-Zoll-Radstand, große Trittbretter, ein Notsitz in den Rücken, einen Golfschläger Ablagefach hinten rechts, und ein "Goddess of Speed" Kapuze Ornament mit Motor-Thermometer von außen sichtbar. Die Burgunder 1934 Packard V-12 Club Sedan hat Soft-Touch-Wolle TuchPolster-und ein stilvolles Kormoran Kühlerfigur. Die Burgunder, sieben Passagiere 1927 Packard 343 malerischen hat fold-out-open-air-Kiddies Sitze mit verstellbarer Windschutzscheibe.
Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout und 1917 Marmon Modell Kleeblatt Roadster zeigen, wie die Gesellschaft den Übergang von der Pkw-Buggy. Korvetten, Jags und Porsche, Cadilla 1961, 1948 und 1951 Ford Woodys sind auch einige der bevorzugten Autos. Die schwarzen, stark 1927 Ford Model T war das Everyman's Auto seinerZeit.
Heute gibt es mehr F-Serie Pickup auf der Straße mit 250.000 Meilen als jede andere Marke. Abgesehen davon, dass Amerikas beliebteste Auto, hat es auch seine meistverkaufte Fahrzeug. Die Kunden haben F-Serie von Ford-Fahrzeuge als meistverkaufte amerikanische Autos für 31 Jahre. Dies ist auch der Grund für die meisten Menschen lieber für F-Serie Ford-Fahrzeuge, wenn sie ein gebrauchtes Auto kaufen zu entscheiden.
Einige der Fontana Gebrauchtwagen, bekommen in Kalifornien verkauft werden, neue / alte Modelle mitsehr wenig gefahren. Sie können herausfinden, dass es wirtschaftlich sinnvoll ist, Ihre niedrige Laufleistung Auto mitnehmen zu halten und den Schmerz jedes Mal, wenn Sie füllen den Tank zu fühlen, anstatt sich einen riesigen Verlust durch den Verkauf der unpopulären Fahrzeug.
Wenn Sie ein kleineres Auto zu kaufen sind, sehen, ob es Superbenzin, was etwa 40 Cent pro Gallone mehr als regelmäßige jetzt durchschnittlich ist, verlangt. Der Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda3 Grand Touring Schräghecklimousine, Nissan Maxima und Nissan Altima V6 alleder Premiumklasse. Auch der kleine Smart Fortwo wird empfohlen, auf Premium laufen.
Die Ford-Mitarbeiter in Ihrer Plan zur Modelljahr 2008 F-Serie bieten dem Kunden die Inanspruchnahme des hochgeschätzten Mitarbeiter Rabatt Preise in mehr als 3.600 Ford-Showrooms in den USA erhalten Sie können sich täglich Automobile & Mobile Industry News – Rezensionen, Berichte, Artikel, Forschung suchen , Messen & Events, die Ankündigungen der Industrie Trend Verkauf von Autos zu finden.
The folks over at [Soup], a British marketing agency, thought up this cool project. It’s a set of handbells hooked up to an Arduino, actuated by central locking motors found in car doors. By the look of some pictures, there was also a Lego version. Songs written by users (through the online interface) are placed in the que of a server. Once it’s time for the song to be played, serproxy sends the Arduino an appropriate set of commands for ringing the bells in sequence. All of this happens in the [Soup] office while it is streaming live through a webcam.
We think that this is definitely a great way to use surplus auto parts. After all, not everyone can build helicopters.
It seems as though the bells are down for the moment, or the employees got a bit annoyed at hearing them constantly ring.
My name is Dinuka lakshan.I’m 16 years old.I studing in malwaththawala national school.My mother name is Siriyawathi.My farther name is Jayarathna.I have three brothers.Elder brother is enginiear.I have a talant as singing.My favorite subject is I.C.T.My class teacher is Mr.Basnayaka.I playing the school music band.My best fried is Kanishka.He is very kind.My village name is Aluthpara.It is very beautiful village.My hobby is playing computer games.
Dropped Kim off at her place downtown and made my way back to the north side of the city, and mid-way I see reflected the kaleidoscopic urgent blinking patrol-vehicle lights. Cop lights. Lighting me up.
Me, already quite lit, literally (well, figuratively but literally) in the sense that Kim and myself had gotten quite high in my car only shortly prior. Boxed that shit. I can’t smell it but the car probably reeks of weed.
The cop flashes his cop lights in my eyes when he walks up. Taking advice from a How-To-Act-In-Cop-Run-Ins viral video, I roll down my window only enough so that I can pass him my license and registration. That way the cop can’t force his face into your window and say he smells pot. Even if he didn’t. Which he would have. And if he’d searched my front-right pocket in my jeans, he would have found confirming evidence.
Cop says: “Evening sir, I’m Officer Forgothisfuckingname. Can I see your license and registration?”
I’m nervous, and I start to stutter t-t-telling him-Err, asking him rather – why it is exactly I pulled you – I mean you pulled me – over?
He says he notices my right headlight is out. The first cop in the months it’s been broken to actually give a shit enough to pull me over. Someone has a quota to fill.
I keep my composure, tell him I haven’t noticed but that it “seems to have dimmed a bit recently, now that you mention it.” He has me turn on me vehicle and confirmed the broken headlight.
I keep my composure.
He says to me to wait and I see another patrol car slide behind the first. 5-0 called for backup. Code One. Shit. Someone must have talked. The cop tells me to wait here. Heartbeat. Heart. Beat. Pause. Beat. Pause. Beat. PauseBeat. Pausebeat. pausebeat. pausebeat pausebeat pause and tthen he comes back and he says “Okay, I’m going to let you go with a warning for tonight. Just get this taken care of as soon as possible.” I thank him and I drive off, my beating heart penetrating through my chest as it protrudes outside in-and-out the inside.
I get home, and when I see my reflection in the mirror I see my eyes looking glazed and scarlet. “How in the FUCK did I get away with this?” they humbly inquire.
COPS LITE
Dropped Kim off at her place downtown and made my way back to the north side of the city, and mid-way I see reflected the kaleidoscopic urgent blinking patrol-vehicle lights. Cop lights. Lighting me up.
Me, already quite lit, literally (well, figuratively but literally) in the sense that Kim and myself had gotten quite high in my car only shortly prior. Boxed that shit. I can’t smell it but the car probably reeks of weed.
Cop thrusts his flashlight beam into my eyes, blinds me, tells me to get outta tha fuckin’ car. Now Scumbag. I move to take my seatbelt off and right after it clicks the fuzz jockey impales my driver’s side window and the glass hits the side of my face and my buccal nerve is torn through until it’s dangling raw meat. I can’t even process what’s happened and next thing I know the cop is dragging me out of the same window by my shirt collar, shards being pulled out and embedded in my stomach like little glass quills. I’m on the dirt on the side of an unfamiliar road and the cop is kicking me in the head. I choke.
“What – The – FUCK – Do you think you’re doing? ” he snarls. I respond with: “Wh-wha-mrgh…h-k-” and he says “You are in direct violation of the USAPATRIOT Act, Section 16, and uh, sections, uh… 215 and… Look, not a good idea to refer to the good green by its given name on the phone, son. You never know who may be listening. Now I’m gonna have to make you pay.”
He brandishes his stun baton and I instinctively jab at his closest appendage – his ankle – with my car key. He makes a face, a compressed sour-face, and there is a faint hiss. His body wrinkles as the rest of the air (helium perhaps?) is pushed out of him and he crumples into a pile of synthetic man-suit.
Of course, I say, relieved. A remote-controlled surrogate officer-decoy. Signals intelligence had apparently risen to a level of automation the authoritarian hierarchy of the past ten years could only have dreamed of achieving. I had to be more on my toes. I would need to stock up on a cop-lite’s (diet cop) sole weakness: thumbtacks, push pins, the bended-out paperclips I use to clean my paraphernalia. Also maybe a nailgun.
SEARCH LIGHTS
Dropped Kim off at her place downtown and made my way back to the north side of the city, and mid-way I see reflected the kaleidoscopic urgent blinking patrol-vehicle lights. Cop lights. Lighting me up.
Me, already quite lit, literally (well, figuratively but literally) in the sense that Kim and myself had gotten quite high in my car only shortly prior. Boxed that shit. I can’t smell it but the car probably reeks of weed.
The cop flashes his cop lights in my eyes when he walks up. Taking advice from a How-To-Act-In-Cop-Run-Ins viral video, I roll down my window only enough so that I can pass him my license and registration. That way the cop can’t force his face into your window and say he smells pot. Even if he didn’t. Which he would have. And if he’d searched my front-right pocket in my jeans, he would have found confirming evidence.
Cop says: “Evening sir, I’m Officer Forgothisfuckingname. Can I see your license and registration?”
“No, actually,” I say, and with the Beretta U22 Neos I have concealed that he doesn’t see I put two very large, egg-sized holes in his face. One goes through his left eye which is converted to ooze in an instant. The other hits him the right maxilla, blows off a chunk of his jaw and he chokes on his own brain matter.
Reinforcements have already arrived and the cacophony of sirens and radios and shouts fills the Florida sky. “Damn Neil, what have you gotten yourself into this time?”
I accelerate but my Volvo is almost as old as I am so I’m no match for nitrogen-boosted patrol vehicles. I slam on breaks and the two cop cars on my tail collide into me and I am jettisoned through the windshield, flying like an eagle to the sea, flying like an eagle, search lights monitoring me. I get up and to my shock I am unharmed even if there is a little blood and I make a run for it into the woods, through stickers rife with thorns systemic. They send the doberman dogs after me and those little cerberus fucks can’t make it through the vegetation like I can, and I transcend the speed and time of the search lights. Time slipping, slipping, slipping. Into the future.
COP FRIGHTS
Dropped Kim off at her place downtown and made my way back to the north side of the city, and mid-way I see reflected the kaleidoscopic urgent blinking patrol-vehicle lights. Cop lights. Lighting me up.
Me, already quite lit, literally (well, figuratively but literally) in the sense that Kim and myself were aglow with beaming smiles after finding our lives and loves to be comparable – connective, if you will. Needless to say I’m not ready to have my good mood shattered. To my fortune, however, the patrol car’s lights cease to blink. I squint and see why; the troubled, nervous, face, the cough I can see jump out of his congested chest, and the interior clearly fogged as a result of marijuana use. Boxed that shit. I can’t smell it but the car probably reeks of weed.
The cop turns as soon as he can, presumably too paranoid to pull me over.
Fucking stoners.
COP HEIGHTS
Dropped Kim off at her place downtown and made my way back to the north side of the city, and mid-way I see reflected the kaleidoscopic urgent blinking patrol-vehicle lights. Cop lights. Lighting me up.
Me, already quite lit, literally (well, figuratively but literally) in the sense that Kim and myself had gotten quite high in my car only shortly prior. Boxed that shit. I can’t smell it but the car probably reeks of weed.
The cop flashes his cop lights in my eyes when he walks up. Taking advice from a How-To-Act-In-Cop-Run-Ins viral video, I roll down my window only enough so that I can pass him my license and registration. That way the cop can’t force his face into your window and say he smells pot. Even if he didn’t. Which he would have. And if he’d searched my front-right pocket in my jeans, he would have found confirming evidence.
Cop says: “Evening sir, I’m Officer Forgothisfuckingname. Can I see your license and registration?”
I’m nervous and I start to stutter, t-t-telling him-Err, asking him rather – why it is exactly I pulled you – I mean me – over?
“Frankly, sir,” the cop says armed to the teeth with tooth-filled taunts, “you are obviously under the influence of cannabis. Not only can I smell it clear as crystal in the car but your breath stinks of the cheebah, kid.”
This is it, I think. “I’m going to jail, aren’t I?”
“Not if you puff, puff, pass,” he says. Holy shit. My heart. Beat. Pause. Beat. Pause. Beat. PauseBeat. Pausebeat. pausebeat. pausebeat pausebeat.
Pause.
Beat.
Puff.
Puff.
Pass.
Even though it’s just mids, me and this cop get really, really fucked up. Then he gives me a $120 ticket for my busted headlight.
COP BITES
When I drive home from Kim’s place I get pulled over by a cop. I’m nervous because I have drugs on me but it doesn’t smell too much like weed because we had smoked a lot of cigarettes and anyway my window is only rolled-down halfway. The cop takes no suspicion, only my information, and politely lets me off with a warning. I tell him thanks and drive home after I call Kim to tell her what happened. I drive home safely and write about it on my blog. Nothing particularly interesting happens.
Photoshop. A word which has now been included in the dictionary, it is something which we come into contact with (in a very loose sense) almost every day. And that is as far as I’m going to take that point of this post.
Moving onto the main topic which I am going to talk about. It has really only been in the past year or so, since starting university, that I have been exposed to Photoshop in a full on way. Before that, at school, the closest thing we got to this sort of programme was CorelDRAW and its associated programmes, and it didn’t quite have the same functionality as the Adobe competitor. For personal use during this time, I called upon the services of GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Programme)(and I am aware that there may very well be some dodgy double entendres). A free downloadable programme which had all the, or nearly all of the functionality of the fully blown Photoshop. If you wanted a like for like programme, as in the same layout, there was GIMPshop. I never had the pleasure of using this one as at the time, I never really thought I would go so far as to need to use it.
I would like to point out that I do not think I am a professional at Photoshop. I am able to get by with what I know and I am able to follow tutorials I find on the internet quite easily and relatively accurately. Most of the things I do, generally are related to the product design course, generally sorting images for use on presentation boards.
Since last January, my use of Photoshop for other things rather than just for work has increased quite a lot. In fact, it has probably overtaken my University use of the programme. This has mainly been due to entering the monthly Photoshop competition on the Final Gear forums, where each month a different car is chosen and people get free reign on what they do to it. I have won a number of these competitions, and here are each of my entries for most of the competitions.
As well as the general messing around with cars and the like. One of the other main uses I have for Photoshop is tweeking my photographs slightly in order to improve them, or at least try to. One of my favourite things to do, is to apply a Lomo affect to photos which I think looks quite good. It is replicating an effect created by an old film camera and gives the resulting photographs a distinctive look.
If you would like to see more of what I do in PS, I’m sure that if you look on my Flickr, or DeviantART accounts, you will find some examples. They’re not perfect, but I did quite enjoy creating them. Working on Photoshop manages to pass the time quite well, especially when things are building up and the stress about other things is getting too much. That along with going out and taking photos helps with this.
Photo’s and competitions aside. I am able to help people reasonably well with PS, despite still learning about it myself. There are still many things I don’t know about it, but I’m sure that time will sort those out, and, eventually, I’ll be able to help others with them too, since we do learn more when we share with others.
Well, that is it for this post. I sort of feel that they are deteriorating in quality over time since I really am not having many ideas about what to write, mainly because I kind of know that my audience isn’t that large, and I do get a sense that I’m putting across that I am showing off, and I really don’t like doing that sort of thing. I shall persevere however, and on that note, I leave you with a video of me creating my entry for the December Final Gear photoshop competition. Goodnight.
Another version is available on YouTube, slightly shorter, and with different music if you would like it instead of the Vimeo version.
Friday morning it snowed so by the time the world woke it was to a blanket of white. Beautiful. The Vet and Ski came over after lunch and we threw the snow around, made a snow reindeer (complete with antlers and red nose) and made a snow castle pyramid and promptly destroyed it! Was much fun! Sat inside after and let our toes defrost. Moment of fear before we went outside when I put my foot in my boot to find a nest had been made. The Vet tipped it out into the bin, thankfully there was no dead mouse inside as we’d all expected!
Car is pretty much dead. Juddering on the motorway as we’re doing 70mph and engine cutting out randomly. Luckily for me Roo works in same town and has very kindly said she’ll give me a lift to work mon and tues. As for wed n thurs – I’ll have to ask my dad if he’ll be so kind. Will then need a lift over christmas to the various relatives houses but will be off up North after so hopefully on my return will have the car back. Feel trapped in the house without a car. Am lucky to be at Dangermouse’s; is only because the Vet was coming into town and let me scrounge a lift with her that I am. Its wrong to rely on a car so much but its too late now!
If the car is trying to tell you something and the Actron CP9150 Super AutoScanner Diagnostic Code Scanner Kit speaks its language. Use this scanner to unlock the information stored in the computer of your car. Whenever your check engine light is on, the device can identify the problem so you can adjust quickly and be on your way. This scanner includes a rugged transport and all the cables needed to accelerate from a simple code scanner to a sophisticated analysis tool at an affordable price.
The Super AutoScanner Kit allows you to easily retrieve, read, and erase OBD I and OBD II trouble codes, as well as display and read live vehicle data for a faster diagnosis. This sophisticated, yet extremely user-friendly tool includes the CP9145 base unit and can be used on OBD II compliant cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. from 1996 to present. The CP9150 kit includes additional cables to retrieve codes and live data for 1984-95 Ford and GM models, and 1989-95 Chrysler models. Plus, the tool is fully upgradeable, accommodating future vehicles.
The CP9145 base unit is built tough for both shop and road test use. It also features a large, easy-to-read liquid crystal display that shows the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and their definitions. And although you still have to fix the problem, the scanner will deactivate the “check engine” light on your dash so you’ll no longer be distracted while you drive. The scanner is easy to connect to your vehicle, and a user friendly menu provides a variety of information in a snap, including live engine data parameters (PIDs). Built-in help screens help you interpret the data, and you can view freeze frame data, which provides a “snapshot” of the vehicle’s operating conditions at the time of the fault. Meanwhile, an internal 9-volt battery stores the latest test results for later review.
Use the Monitor Status and I/M readiness (Inspection/Maintenance) function to determine if your vehicle is ready for an emissions test. I/M Readiness is an excellent function to use prior to having a vehicle inspected for compliance with a state emissions program, so you’ll have a good idea if your vehicle will pass the standards.
Another important thing to remember is that all emission testing facilities will fail a vehicle that has the “check engine” light illuminated at the time of the test–even if it is only lit to remind you of a past-due oil change or 60,000-mile tune-up. With this scanner, you can shut off the check engine light and pass the emissions test on your terms.
The menu also alerts you of any pending DTCs and reads the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) status. By reading the MIL status the scanner gives insight into what might cause your “check engine” light to turn on in the near future. In this way, the scanner also provides some preventive measures to help you keep a close eye on your vehicle’s systems.
This device works exactly as advertised. I’ve used this time on a 1999 Mitsubishi cars and Saturn. Some of the most advanced diagnostic spend my weekend hobby, but a quick Internet search will quickly and speed.
The USB cable is good, the rights of a serial cable is heavy. Minute updated software is simple, but it has to do. The internal memory is limited, we recommend often need to download if you use the recording function. My brother is a mechanic by profession and says that 219 million of my being a bit ‘expensive, but the construction is durable and will save on codes of conduct relating to it in a garage. The device is thin enough.
Con: I wish that was a bit ’shorter and would be a difficult case, or at least a soft case with a compartment made to hold it securely. The case includes a clam shell fabric (quality of fabric and stitching)
I would recommend this only if you need more advanced diagnostics.
Not for people who simply want to search and clear codes, then I recommend the unit of 9135 or less.
It’s not only high street stores that do January sales. There is a huge brooding car sale too, Essex dealerships are already cutting prices leading up to Christmas and they are among many others proving eager beavers to slash the prices of new cars in order to boost sales during the January lull. So, if anyone is in the market for a new car, now’s the perfect time to buy.
236915-car-year-2009-vauxhall-insignia c 1148×847 picture picture of 236915-car-year-2009-vauxhall-insignia c 1148×847 to view full size click 236915-Car-Year-2009-Vauxhall-İnsignia C 1148X847 picture ( 236915-Car-Year-2009-Vauxhall-İnsignia C 1148X847 picture )
Actron CP9185 Elite AutoScanner Diagnostic Code Scanner is designed to read, record, and review LIVE engine data. It reads as well as erases generic and manufacturer specific DTCs and definitions. This scanner is compatible with all vehicles and is upgradeable to domestic OBD I vehicle coverage. It displays graphing data on screen and is updateable online.
I used an Auto Xray for pre 96 vehicles. The latest AutoXRay Actron scanners are very similar, but after calling the company and research, I decided to go with the Actron because 1) Actron provided with a hook to connect the computer’s USB (AX needs an adapter for serial cable) 2) you like the graph features 3) Better instructions 4) More info in the scanner for codes. Since I already had a scanner capable of old vehicles, I went with the 9185 to save a bit ‘of money off of 9190. The scanner has proven to be simple to use, but can be dangerous if you are looking for real-time data while driving. A good scanner for the money.
Purchased the CP9185 AutoScanner. Pluged my Tacoma in 2001 and read the codes. He looked up what it takes to fix the codes. He then reread the codes and they were gone. Excellent tool to know what happens with your vehicle. It gives you the chance to fix things yourself, saving you a lot of money. Have had scanner real long and do not know how to use all the features yet, but I would recommend it to those who want to know what their codes are. It ‘was very easy to use. You must have a computer so that you can print the manual.
after all the crap we’ve been through over these few months because of eug and also with me being uncertain for most of it with us, i just want to say we are going strong and i’m willing to fight for us till the very end. I’m sorry that i space out sometimes but know that no matter what happens in the future, no matter how much more crap we’ve to take from different aspects of our lives, i still love you crazy shit heehee :>
Saturday night is not a normal night to do a TT. We Subaru club cowboys did it anyway. Instead of getting intoxicated with alcohol and ecstasy pills in some clubs, we drown ourselves with Subaru’s famous exhaust burble and smell of unburned gasoline (some are running rich)
Yup, Subaru famous TT did it again. I had a great great time (no typo here) As usual, we met up at Pertonas station opposite Eastin Hotel. Pictures are courtesy of salabianca from Subaru forum.
By the time I got there, there were about 20 cars already. As usual, we chit chat while waiting for other cars to rumble by and before we left, there were strong 28-29 cars. There were 3 GC8s, 1 Spec C Type RAR, few 204s, few S203s and the rest are the normal suspects (STIs and WRXs).
It was decided that we drove to SeriEmas, just behind Sepang F1 circuit. Around 10:15pm, all 28 cars convoyed to Jalan Duta toll via Sprint Highway. It was a nice leisurely and orderly drive. We were just warming up the engine and brakes wakakaka . Once we hit Duta toll, the sprint begin to TT location.
Imagine this, 28 loud high powered fun cars on your left and right driving at some speed (but keeping a safe distance of course) on the highway. It was a sight to be captured in YouTube and I was grinning all the way. The lead car was very disciplined. He drove at 120kph on this stretch but the guys behind were having fun poking each other at higher speed LOL. It reminded me of Canonball Run movie.
Once we hit Shah Alam, we turned left to KLIA/Nilai/Seremban. After the overhead bridge near USJ, the guys really started to have fun. One 7 series was stuck in between our group of cars. We were doing ~170kph at this moment and he was following the group closely too. One by one, Subarus overtook him from the left (he was on the right most lane) and I guess he saw the futility in trying to asked us to move left, he backed down. It was “Fast and Furious’ in every sense with exception of the cars. All 28 cars are Scoobies hahaha.
We reached KLIA toll in not time. (It is true that time flies when you are having fun). We regroup after the toll and waited for couple more friends. 1 WRX and 1 Civic EK (track car project). Once they arrived, we roll to the next destination. Again, some of the guys got heavy right foot – drove at twice the legal limit. Errrr, I have no choice but to follow la (excuse excuse
We reached Sri Alam pretty quickly and parked our cars. By then, I was famished.
Once we finished checking out everybody’s car (again!), we talk cock and have teh tarik. I had a roti bom
Ahhh, I love this non-official subaru club. No general election. No books to keep. No registration. Nothing. The entrance fee is only love. Love for the car. Love for the drive. Love for the teh tarik
To sum it up, it was a fantastic drive. Ahhhhhhh…..this is the life……bliss
Exercising Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure. See what happens! All this was filmed while I WAS NOT UNDER ARREST! #25 – Most Discussed (This Week) – News & Politics #93 – Most Viewed (This Week) – News & Politics – South Korea #100 – Top Favorited (This Week) – News & Politics #27 – Most Discussed (This Week) – News & Politics #87 – Most Viewed (This Week) – News & Politics – South Korea #33 – Most Discussed (This Week) – News & Politics #39 – Most Discussed (This …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw1q9rBv7oU&hl=en
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STUTTGART, Germany — When Mercedes-Benz unwraps its tasty new 2011 E-Class Cabriolet at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show next month, the big news will be its place in the automotive firmament as perhaps the first soft top that can be driven comfortably with the lid down all year long.
This Sir Thomas More of a four-seat convertible owes its versatility to a remarkable invention called the AirCap, a feature that took a team of Daimler engineers four full years to develop.
They garnered 20 patents along the way, but perhaps more rewarding once the car hits the streets late next summer will be the thanks of men and women around the globe who can finally ride in an open car without worry about frazzled hairdos and frozen faces.
The AirCap, an aluminum, mesh and plastic air diverter blade that rises from the top of the windshield frame with the press of a center-console-mounted button, is an engineer’s way of fooling the laws of aerodynamics into thinking that the E’s smooth, low-profile ragtop is still in place and that all those heads of hair aren’t there for turbulence to tussle.
The device, which forms a broad and glossy black frame at the top of the E-Class Cabriolet’s curved windshield when stowed, rises up to 2.4 inches above the top of the glass and flips into a horizontal position when deployed.
It works in conjunction with a height-adjustable three-position mesh draft-stop mounted between the rear seat head restraints to alter the flow of air over and around the cabin when the top is down.
The effect, best experienced at speeds of 30-150 mph, with the side windows up and top down (it wouldn’t make sense to deploy if the top was up, and it won’t operate in that circumstance anyhow), is wondrous and threefold:
It deflects the wind that would otherwise flow over the top of the windshield and pour down into the cabin, especially affecting those in the backseats.
The deflected air, which takes on the approximate curvature of the convertible top (a curve that’s visible in computer simulations and in a plume of smoke that defines the flow in wind tunnel tests) helps keep warm air inside the cabin rather than forcing it out with an in-rush of chilled outside air.
The relative absence of turbulence and wind rush inside the open cabin results in a much quieter top-down ride, making conversation — even cell-phone calls — possible at speeds of up to 75 mph.
These, by the way, aren’t just claims made by Mercedes but actual observations made while sitting in the open cabin of a pre-production E-Class Cabriolet at Daimler’s 70-year-old wind tunnel facility at the mother plant in Stuttgart’s Unterturkheim district.
With wind tunnel and aerodynamics manager Teddy Woll at the controls, the E-Class Cabriolet’s top stowed under the rear deck and the side windows up, the air flow from the giant fan gradually rose to a speed of 140 km/h, equivalent to driving along a U.S. highway at about 85 mph.
Read the rest of the article here
Another great innovation from Mercedes-Benz…
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet will be something to look forward, and I think this feature will be a hit with customers. Mercedes-Benz is bringing out the new AirCap technology, paired with the Airscarf technology (previously only available on the SLK and SL models … which adds heater vents placed in the headrests), which will in theory allow drivers to enjoy the top down all year around. With the 5.5L V8 (making 382 horsepower) .. this should be one hell of a car to look forward too. It will be interesting to see how it goes up against the BMW 3-Series, 6-Series, and Audi A4.
The Earth’s climate may be 30–50 percent more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide in the long term than previously thought, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience.
That finding is not good news for proponents of fossil fuel or coal fired utility plants in the Commonwealth, but it will give their consultants and highly paid “spin experts” plenty of work to do in the next year.
A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol and including the U.S. Geological Survey, studied global temperatures 3.3 to 3 million years ago, finding that the averages were significantly higher than expected from the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at the time.
To read the article, visit http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo706.html.
We kick off today at 9 AM with Histology. Dr. Fiekers (you may remember him from CMB) is our leader today, and he does a good job of walking us through the structure and histology of the kidney.
Normally there’s one Histology section each week, but this week we have two. Dr. Fiekers admits it’s a rush, and he doesn’t know why we’re cramming it all in. From my POV, it’s either this or take another weeek of HSF. And as much as I love HSF, I want to go home for the holidays.
***
The CMDA has a Bible study meeting at lunch. The second-years tell us how they’re having these lectures on aging in their Generations course.
The subject of elderly people driving comes up. One of the second-years tells us how one elderly driver had an accident that resulted in a person flying through the windshield of the driver’s car. This driver than drove off, oblivious to the fact that there was a dead person in his/her windshield. Somehow this hits a dark funny bone.
The leaders tell us afterward that this may be our last meeting for the semester, since the second-years have a final next Wednesday and thus will be busy studying on Tuesday. The time has come for the leadership to transition, but there aren’t too many first-years attending right now. We’ll see what happens.
***
Dr. Gennari returns for two lectures on glomerular filtration rate and renal tubles in the kidney. Some of this, apparently, we didn’t understand until ten to fifteen years ago. Very fascinating.
Yesterday, he was wearing a kidney tie that his daughter gave him as a gift when she started medical school. Today, he’s wearing a red tie with imprinted with elephants. At the beginning of lecture, he tells us he does this because in his travels around the world, he’s developed a fascination with Ganesha, the Hindu god of knowledge and education.
“So let’s get our Ganesha on,” he says, and jumps right into lecturing.
***
Today is what we might call a very special MSLG. We were asked to discuss reproductive rights, namely abortion. Dr. Rosen specifically encouraged us argue well and productively.
Out of respect for my group members’ privacy, I’m not going to reveal much about our very civil conversation. But I don’t think I’m betraying much of a secret to say that I ended up being one of the few people who leant towards the pro-life side. I should have anticipated that. The problem is that, well, I didn’t, and so I didn’t prepare as much as I should have, due to our HSF schedule. And when you’re one of the few people on a particular side in a discussion, you need to be at the top of your game.
Now it is over. But as I reflect back over it, things become clearer. I see now where I stand and why I stand there. I am willing to admit that there is much I don’t know, much I am thinking through and much I could be deeply wrong about.
And I also see that I prepared for this conversation the wrong way.
I should not have argued from a logical standpoint, but from a more emotional one. I should have realized that someone’s position is more personal than I might think, since it is often implicitly tied to their own views of sex and what they would do if they (or their S.O.) were pregnant. I should have been more sensitive to that and somehow addressed that in our conversation.
But more importantly, I should have talked with my sister and taken notes.
I’ve been told that my pro-life tendencies are, in part, due to the fact that I’m a male and don’t understand what a woman goes through. But I have a sister, and we’re very close. I do consider how, were I in charge, my positions on abortion would affect her.
But it’s more than that. She is, in all seriousness, one of the most thoughtful and intelligent women I’ve met. She’s taught and continues teaches me a lot about women (and life). And she’s pro-life. To a certain extent, that gives me confidence in taking the same stance. She would have been able to provide a valuable perspective I don’t have.
Too bad the discussion is over. Never too late to learn again, though. If you’re reading this, Duckface, we need to talk.
When I received the pictures, I kept them hidden from him. They ran around and around in my mind. It didn’t seem real. Looking at the car I wanted to know more. I know my neighbour had told me what happened but I wanted to hear it from HIM. I deserve an explanation at least?
I approached him one afternoon after work. I had the pictures prepared, I was calm. I wanted answers. Now I am not the most tactful person but I knew that if I wanted answers and didn’t want to be choked to death, tactful I would have to be.
He waltzed in without a care in the world. I hated him, I loved him, wanted to hurt him so badly but didn’t know where to start. Instead, I looked at him and urged him to sit beside me. I presented the pictures, saying I needed them for my case and I couldn’t remember what happened. His hands started to tremble, I didn’t know whether it was fury or panic. He looked at me, his face twisted with fury, tears of what can only be rage on his face. Oh shit, I thought, this is it – bad move. He screamed in my face, his forehead was touching mine and the pressure began to hurt my neck. He was ranting at me saying he couldn’t remember, he didn’t want to – it was best forgotten. Liar liar LIAR I thought to myself, but those words never left my lips. He sprang from his seat, as if his arse had caught fire, (I wish it had), books flew off the bookcase, the table went over, the door was punched and all I could do was sit there in disbelief. Nope, definately wasn’t getting any answers today. He turned on Blue screaming at him. Blue ran to me and hid behind my legs-I would kill him if he dare hurt my baby. The door slammed and with a very colourful dialogue he left the house. We were safe, for now.
Got my Logo done today.. But he forgot the letter Y in photography so i have to go back tomorrow and get it fixed..
On my way home i got a call from a Bodybuilder Bo Johnson.
He won 2 competitions this weekend. He asked me for a photoshoot so will do it next week.
Stay tuned..
You may have seen these photos circulating around email lately. Are we to believe that lame story about the bull’s owner transporting it so his daughter could ride it in some parade, or does it show a man trying to transport his wife home after an ancient curse takes effect? You be the judge.
I typed the blog up, but then I accidentally deleted it… so bit annoyed really.
We went to Palma by train from Inca. Trains were nice, saw some great scenery from the train. In Palma we walked around the streets and looked at some nice shops and market stalls. We bought some nice pictures from one shop. We then walked up to the cathedral and the architecture was brilliant. We saw the Spanish changing of the guard outside the Palace and the Cathedral. We were going to go into the Cathedral but saw they were charging 4 euros to see inside… we walked around the back streets behind the cathedral and found the banys arabs which are historic arab bath houses. It was amazing how they were standing between two apartment blocks, but still had a peaceful feel about it. We walked back to the cathedral and paid the 4 euros each to see the inside of the church. The stained glass windows and the ceiling was amazing… you weren’t allowed to take photos but I took some sneaky shots because I saw everyone else taking photos.
We then walked around Palma for awhile and looked at stalls and shops. Everything closes from about 1-4 so we decided to just go home when things started to close.
On Sunday we had a great sunday roast at a little cafe in Port de Pollenca. Maxine and Grandpa had Roast Beef – we had the chicken. It was delicious. We had a yummy dessert as well. We all spent the afternoon at my aunts place and then we drove my Grandpa home.
We drove to the Caves of Drach and it was very impressive, they also had a little music show like the Cave of Arta but they actually played the music in boats so it was a bit cooler then the Caves of Arta but it just went on and on. The actual stalagmites and tites were really amazing and they had all these lakes within the caves… the water looked so clear. We weren’t allowed to take photos – one guy got yelled at so we didnt even try.
After the caves we drove to Palma in search for the Castell (castle).. It was too hard to find and the traffic was busy and scary drivers that we just kept going and had a nice drive to Port Andratx on the way back we had one more attempt at the Castell but didnt get much closer. Palma has some scary streets. There was this one street that had 3 lanes and merged into 1 without any warning and being in the middle lane with cars on both trying to merge on top of the car.
Tuesday we went for a nice drive off the motorway through the middle of Mallorca – we were looking for a walk but couldn’t find the start so we kept driving and ended up at Port Soller again where Cindy got a cool shot glass. We then drove through the scary windy cliff drive back to Pollenca. Later in the Afternoon we drove to this small little beach where we hung out for awhile before going home.
Wednesday we took the car back and hung out, Tommy arrived back from work today so we finally met him. He’s great – we hung out for a few hours then went back to the apartment where I made some great chicken burgers… if i do say so myself. Thursday was a horrible wet and windy day so we stayed in and watched movies.
Friday we borrowed my Aunts Alfa Romeo and went to visit my Grandpa to say goodbye. We hung out there for the morning before a quick stop at the supermarket. We went over to Maxines and Tommys place in the afternoon and had a few drinks.
Saturday, Jan a family friend drove us to the Airport. The flight ended up leaving half an hour early – which we thought was kinda crazy. No wonder Ryanair is always early. We flew over the pyrenees mountains which were covered in snow so that was an amazing site from the plane.
Ellen kindly picked us up from the airport at prestwick. We hung out for the afternoon and we all went to the movies to see 2012… which was a laugh, you just couldn’t take it seriously but it was fun to watch.
So yeah… Santa fun run next sunday – I’m number 640 and Cindy is 645. We are also going to a Pantomine on Saturday which should be good fun.
Fiat Linea is a very attractive car and is a perfect example of Italian Styling. It is equipped with world best technologies and has the interiors which are comfortable and very stylish. Presently Linea is available is five variants Active, Dynamic, Dynamic Pack, Emotion and Emotion Pack. All these variants are available with petrol and diesel engines.
Fiat linea
The Car has very dynamic and gorgeous exteriors with flawless lines, impeccable design, distinctive front grille and beautiful parabola headlamps. Fiat sports 15″alloy wheels on the rear which provides the car an admirable look.
Fiat is geared with many safety feature including Air bag smart 2 system, side and curtain air bag, front racked seat belt and fire protection system. It is an ultra spacious car, which has automatic climate control AC with rear AC vents, front arm rest with glove box, cabin lamp with switch off timer. With such features Fiat Linea Guarantees an ultimate driving experience. The Car ranges between 6 lac to 8.5 lac.
Green and performance luxury needn’t be mutually exclusive concepts. That’s a core belief at Audi. Today, that philosophy paid off with the all-new A3 TDI earning the prestigious title of 2010 Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto show.
The 2010 Audi A3 TDI arrived at U.S. dealerships last month and initial sales have been promising. The A3 TDI is the latest example of the fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions benefits provided by the critically acclaimed TDI clean diesel product line, following the wildly popular Q7 TDI, which launched in June 2009.
The revolutionary TDI 2.0 engine available in the A3 delivers 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, yet achieves an EPA-estimated 42 mpg highway fuel economy that is the best of any luxury car sold in America. That means the Audi A3 TDI achieve 50 per cent better fuel economy than a comparable gasoline engine.
TDI clean diesel technology was first developed by Audi 20 years ago and has come to signify the brand’s commitment to trailblazing automotive performance executed in an environmentally responsible way. In addition to setting the new industry standard in fuel efficiency, the 2010 A3 TDI remains a stylistic pacesetter as well.
Toyota Motor Corp’s market-leading hybrid was widely seen as the front-runner for the prize by virtue of its huge commercial success and its status as the most fuel-efficient mass-market sedan on the road. But Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car, said jurors were impressed that the Audi A3 with TDI, which stands for turbo diesel direct injection, achieved “50 percent better fuel efficiency than the gasoline-engine (A3 model) without sacrificing anything.” “The Audi A3 TDI really defines what a ‘green’ car should be,” added Cogan.
When California Vehicle Code Section 27360 is cited as being the primary collision factor for an auto accident in California, and the person found to be in violation of this Vehicle Code Section is the other driver involved in your accident, this can greatly assist a personal injury lawyer in settling your accident insurance claim for a substantial settlement or even the policy limits if your injuries are extensive. This is even more true in the case of fatal accidents which cause one or more fatalities. Although a traffic collision report is not evidence, insurance companies treat them as if they are as discussed below.
However, due to how insurance companies treat individuals without an attorney, a person injured in an auto accident should always retain an attorney to represent them at the earliest possible date after an accident. Unless you haven’t been injured and won’t be needing medical treatment, an experienced and reputable personal injury lawyer will almost always be able to obtain a considerably larger settlement from an insurance company and a larger amount for you, even after the attorney’s fees and costs are paid.
At the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means that unless we obtain a settlement or judgement in your case, there is no fee payable to us. Even if we’ve incurred costs, such as the costs of obtaining your medical records, no fee is payable to us, unless we obtain a settlement or judgement in your favor. Starting with the personal injury consultation which is also free, and which can be by phone or in person depending on our mutual availability, you never receive a bill from us on any case we take on contingency. Unlike other attorneys who ask you to pay the costs involved with your case, we simply don’t believe you should have to pay those costs yourself.
We’ll also advise you how to obtain reimbursement for your car repairs or if your vehicle is totaled, for the value of your vehicle, and any amount you receive for the vehicle is yours to be used by you for the repairs or to replace your vehicle. At the Law Offices of Sebastian Gibson we never take any portion of your property damage settlement and we can also advise you how to obtain payment for a new child safety seat if one was in use at the time of the accident.
California Vehicle Code Section 27360 provides:
27360. (a) A parent or legal guardian, when present in a motor vehicle, as defined in Section 27315, may not permit his or her child or ward to be transported upon a highway in the motor vehicle without properly securing the child or ward in a rear seat in a child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, unless the child or ward is one of the following: (1) Six years of age or older. (2) Sixty pounds or more. (b) (1) A driver may not transport on a highway a child in a motor vehicle, as defined in Section 27315, without properly securing the child in a rear seat in a child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, unless the child is one of the following: (A) Six years of age or older. (B) Sixty pounds or more. (2) This subdivision does not apply to a driver if the parent or legal guardian of the child is also present in the vehicle and is not the driver. (c) (1) For purposes of subdivisions (a) and (b), and except as provided in paragraph (2), a child or ward under the age of six years who weighs less than 60 pounds may ride in the front seat of a motor vehicle, if properly secured in a child passenger restraint system that meets applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, under any of the following circumstances: (A) There is no rear seat. (B) The rear seats are side-facing jump seats. (C) The rear seats are rear-facing seats. (D) The child passenger restraint system cannot be installed properly in the rear seat. (E) All rear seats are already occupied by children under the age of 12 years. (F) Medical reasons necessitate that the child or ward not ride in the rear seat. The court may require satisfactory proof of the child’ s medical condition. (2) A child or ward may not ride in the front seat of a motor vehicle with an active passenger airbag if the child or ward is one of the following: (A) Under one year of age. (B) Less than 20 pounds. (C) Riding in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system. (d) (1) (A) A first offense under this section is punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100), except that the court may reduce or waive the fine if the defendant establishes to the satisfaction of the court that he or she is economically disadvantaged, and the court, instead, refers the defendant to a community education program that includes, but is not limited to, education on the proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system for children of all ages, and provides certification to the court of completion of that program. Upon completion of the program, the defendant shall provide proof of participation in the program. If an education program on the proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system is not available within 50 miles of the residence of the defendant, the requirement to participate in that program shall be waived. If the fine is paid, waived, or reduced, the court shall report the conviction to the department pursuant to Section 1803. (B) The court may require a defendant described under this section to attend an education program that includes demonstration of proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system and provides certification to the court that the defendant has presented for inspection a child passenger restraint system that meets applicable federal safety standards. (2) (A) A second or subsequent offense under this section is punishable by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250), no part of which may be waived by the court, except that the court may reduce or waive the fine if the defendant establishes to the satisfaction of the court that he or she is economically disadvantaged, and the court, instead, refers the defendant to a community education program that includes, but is not limited to, education on the proper installation and use of child passenger restraint systems for children of all ages, and provides certification to the court of completion of that program. Upon completion of the program, the defendant shall provide proof of participation in the program. If an education program on the proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system is not available within 50 miles of the residence of the defendant, the requirement to participate in that program shall be waived. If the fine is paid, waived, or reduced, the court shall report the conviction to the department pursuant to Section 1803. (B) The court may require a defendant described under this section to attend an education program that includes demonstration of proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system and provides certification to the court that the defendant has presented for inspection a child passenger restraint system that meets applicable federal safety standards. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the fines collected for a violation of this section shall be allocated as follows: (1) (A) Sixty percent to health departments of local jurisdictions where the violation occurred, to be used for a community education program that includes, but is not limited to, demonstration of the installation of a child passenger restraint system for children of all ages and also assists an economically disadvantaged family in obtaining a restraint system through a low-cost purchase or loan. The county or city health department shall designate a coordinator to facilitate the creation of a special account and to develop a relationship with the court system to facilitate the transfer of funds to the program. The county or city may contract for the implementation of the program. Prior to obtaining possession of a child passenger restraint system pursuant to this section, a person shall attend an education program that includes demonstration of proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system. (B) As the proceeds from fines become available, county or city health departments shall prepare and maintain a listing of all child passenger restraint low-cost purchase or loaner programs in their counties, including a semiannual verification that all programs listed are in existence. Each county or city shall forward the listing to the Office of Traffic Safety in the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency and the courts, birthing centers, community child health and disability prevention programs, county clinics, prenatal clinics, women, infants, and children programs, and county hospitals in that county, who shall make the listing available to the public. The Office of Traffic Safety shall maintain a listing of all of the programs in the state. (2) Twenty-five percent to the county or city for the administration of the program. (3) Fifteen percent to the city, to be deposited in its general fund except that, if the violation occurred in an unincorporated area, this amount shall be allocated to the county for purposes of paragraph (1).
When a Police or CHP Officer, or a Sheriff’s Deputy states in his or her report either that the primary collision factor in an auto accident was one party’s violation of a certain vehicle code section such as the one above, and that one of the parties is at fault for violating that code section, the Officer or Deputy is stating what he or she believes to be the underlying cause of the accident.
The reason insurance companies treat the collision reports as if they are admissible evidence is that they know if put on the witness stand, the investigating officer or deputy will almost always testify in a manner consistent with the conclusions in his or her report. That testimony becomes evidence and will often sway a jury in their determination of fault for an accident.
While an investigating officer’s job is to determine if there was a violation of the law and not to determine who should be at fault in a civil dispute such as a car accident claim, insurance companies often view these two determinations as one and the same.
A police officer assigned to investigate the scene of an accident does not have the role that a trier of fact does in a courtroom. The officer is not there to render a verdict and determine who is responsible for the damages. Rather, the officer is there to determine if any laws were broken. The officer makes such a determination based on his or her having seen the damage to the vehicles, and having spoken to the drivers and the witnesses when their memories are freshest. He or she is thus often in a position to make a well-educated determination of who caused the accident.
Unfortunately, despite the experience of most investigating officers who are dispatched to the scene of an accident, sometimes mistakes are made by these officers. Quite often one or both parties to an accident will lie to them and an officer or deputy will not always be able to determine which of the parties is telling the truth. The evidence from the scene, while important, may also be misleading as to what actually occurred to cause the accident.
If you’ve been injured in an auto, truck, motorcycle, bike, pedestrian or car accident, or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death vehicle accident, call our offices for a free personal injury consultation by phone. You can also e-mail Attorney Sebastian Gibson at sgibsonesq@aol.com Additionally, we invite you to visit the Sebastian Gibson law firm website for more information at www.CaliforniaAttorneysLawyers.com
Sometimes an Officer or Deputy cannot determine with any degree of certainty which party was at fault and will cite two possible Vehicle Code Sections, one for each party in a two-party collision, that may have been violated. In that case, the Police or CHP Officer or Deputy will often state that the primary collision factor is unknown.
Even if there are witnesses to an accident, the Officer of Deputy may discount the statements of some or all of the witnesses if they were friends or relatives of one of the drivers.
Although, as stated above, the conclusion of fault by an officer or deputy does not carry the same weight as a determination of fault by a judge or jury, the importance of the citation of this or any other California code section in the police report is that insurance companies treat the conclusions in these traffic collision reports in a great majority of cases as if the conclusions were written in stone and evaluate a party’s claim based on the findings of fault in these reports.
A traffic collision report may be amended by the police department or the CHP where it contains obvious mistakes, such as when the officer or deputy has mixed up the names of the parties. Supplemental reports are sometimes written when new evidence comes to light, such as when a hit and run party is located. But for the most part, most police departments, Sheriff’s offices and the California Highway Patrol will not amend a report when a party complains and states why he or she doesn’t feel they should have been found at fault for a collision. They will, however, in most cases allow a person to fill out a Counter Report, which, unfortunately simply does not carry much weight with an insurance company.
If the Primary Collision Factor for an accident is unknown, one should look on the traffic collision report to see if the Police or California Highway Patrol Officer or Sheriff’s Deputy cited any “Other Associated Factors” in the traffic collision report as having had a role to play in causing the collision. There may have been faulty equipment, as with some truck accidents, or the roadway itself may have been dangerous.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in California that has been determined by the investigating Police or CHP Officer or a Sheriff’s Deputy to be the fault of another driver as a result of his or her violation of Vehicle Code Section 27360, call the Law Offices of Sebastian Gibson as soon after an accident as possible before important evidence disappears, such as skid marks that are washed away with the rain.
At the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson, we specialize in California auto accidents caused by violations of the California Vehicle Code, such as Section 27360, and will represent you to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
In over thirty years of practice, Attorney Sebastian Gibson has obtained millions of dollars in settlements and multiple million dollar or larger settlements. We handle auto accident cases on a contingency fee basis so there is no fee payable unless we win your case and obtain either a settlement, an arbitration, mediation, jury, judge or court award.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, call to speak with a lawyer at our offices for a free personal injury consultation by phone. You can speak to Attorney Sebastian Gibson personally by phone or you can e-mail Sebastian Gibson at sgibsonesq@aol.com or visit the Sebastian Gibson law firm website at www.CaliforniaAttorneysLawyers.com
blog that allows people to release, highlighting in the real world has been suppressed individuality and freedom, which are popular crowd. However, the blog are by no means entirely free, their freedom can only be enjoyed within the limits of the law. In fact, the blog they enjoy the blog, they is not easy.
Blog legal issues often involve two types of subjects: one for the blog, one for the blog service providers. Blog is the right blog page, but it may be infringing or offenders. Blog service providers mainly provide technical support, including web servers used to store blog space and used to create, modify, blog software, web pages, templates, or interface. By their nature, blog service providers belong to the IHP (Internet HostProvider, Internet storage service providers) rather than ICP (InternetContentProvider, Internet content provider). Blog and blog service providers may face a variety of legal issues, tentatively be grouped into two categories of public law issues and private issues.
Blog service providers is difficult to define the identity attributes
That the real problem is the network of public law regulation (InternetGovernance) problem. Although our regulatory system in the network there is evident lack of theoretical studies, but the network surveillance system of legal norms can not say that developed. Promulgated in 1994, “The People’s Republic of China Regulations on Protection of Computer Information System Security” to the newly published “electronic authentication service management approach”, rough math, laws, administrative regulations and departmental rules and regulations will have 50 or so, as local regulations, and regulations, it had too numerous to mention. Overall, they have three characteristics: First, rank is not high, with laws, rules and regulations majority; Second, the system confusing and even contradictory to each other; the three, less reasonable, or even inoperable. For example, first of all, according to the “Internet Information Services” (2000), engage in business information services, permission should be obtained (ICP license), engaged in non-commercial information service should record the registration; operational and non-operational distinction between the standard user fee for access to information. Blog service providers (hereinafter referred to as B-IHP) should fall within the types of services provided by it? The majority of cases, B-IHP was neither charged to your blog, or as visitors to the ordinary user fees, seem to be non-commercial sexual services. However, B-IHP usually exists in the form of companies and in advertising and other means of profit, with the traditional Sina, Sohu and other ISP (InternetServiceProvider, Internet service providers, ICP’s commonly known) is similar to another wrong classified as non-operating services. Go from here is really difficult decision. Of course, some B-IHP run by individuals to provide non-commercial sexual services. However, in order to fulfill the required non-business services, filing procedures, and they had anchored a particular institution, is affiliated units in the acquisition, “affiliated interests” at the same time, have to bear the legal obligations to be borne by ICP. In addition, in accordance with “The Internet Station Management in covering business, Interim Regulations” and other laws and regulations, which contain news, educational, medical, pharmaceutical and other information needed to access the blog site are specifically allowed by the competent department will undoubtedly increase the operation of B-IHP costs and legal risks. It is noteworthy that both the laws and regulations set over against the ISP, just ignore the occasion in the blog, the real information providers is not a B-IHP, but the blog. In other words, blog, or blog with the B-IHP, is the real information service providers; ordinary Internet users (those who blog web browsing, but also blog I) is the real recipients of information services. So let B-IHP alone as an administrative obligations are not appropriate.
Second, according to “Internet Information Services”, B-IHP as the Internet information service providers, shall not produce, reproduce, publish, disseminate illegal information, or bear administrative or criminal liability; while according to “Internet electronic bulletin service management requirements,” B-IHP are electronic bulletin board service providers, Internet users (blog) deal with responsibility for the information released, B-IHP is only after the discovery of illegal information on the negative obligations immediately removed. “Rules” and “provides that” B-IHP obligations require significantly different. The former belongs to administrative regulations, departmental rules and regulations as a rank higher than the latter; but the latter specifically for the purposes of the former by the legislature, release time than the former night, has a special law priority. One can imagine that — Web blog: The law gives little freedom — published from insurance information www.autoinsurancequotes3.com
Did you ever go on those family roadtrips growing up? Depending on how many kids there were in your family may have had an influence on whether you enjoyed them or not.
I, for one, loved family roadtrips at the start of the journey, but not so much on the way back home since everyone tends to be tired and just wants to get back home now.
My reason for loving them so much is because you get to go somewhere new, and it was always an adventure. And of course you have got to love those candy stops at the has stations.
Well, the reason this post is so late is because I am just on my way back from a roadtrip with my boyfriend. We didnt go very far, but it was a fun afternoon trip to see his family. Now it’s later at night and were on our drive home as I write out this post on my ghetto cellphone. I just couldnt miss a reason to smile.
I dont think I will ever outgrow my love for roadtrips. Even though my boyfriend does not quite share that same enjoyment about them. But I definitely hope to go on many of them with our future family.
So I think you all should go on a roadtrip soon. Grab friends or family, some munchies, tunes, and of course, a camera. Then do not forget to smile. : )
A violation of California Vehicle Code Section 21658 is one of the Vehicle Code Sections that can be cited as being the primary collision factor for an auto accident in California. This is true whether the accident only caused injuries or if the accident was a fatal accident which caused one or more fatalities.
California Vehicle Code Section 21658 provides:
21658. Whenever any roadway has been divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic in one direction, the following rules apply: (a) A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from the lane until such movement can be made with reasonable safety. (b) Official signs may be erected directing slow-moving traffic to use a designated lane or allocating specified lanes to traffic moving in the same direction, and drivers of vehicles shall obey the directions of the traffic device.
When a Police or CHP Officer, or a Sheriff’s Deputy states in his or her report either that the primary collision factor in an auto accident was one party’s violation of a certain vehicle code section such as the one above, and that one of the parties is at fault for violating that code section, the Officer or Deputy is stating what he or she believes to be the underlying cause of the accident.
If you’ve been injured in an auto, truck, motorcycle, bike, pedestrian or car accident, or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death vehicle accident, call our offices for a free personal injury consultation by phone. You can also e-mail Attorney Sebastian Gibson at SgibsonEsq@aol.com Additionally, we invite you to visit the Sebastian Gibson law firm website for more information at www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com
Sometimes an Officer or Deputy cannot determine with any degree of certainty which party was at fault and will cite two possible Vehicle Code Sections, one for each party in a two-party collision, that may have been violated. In that case, the Police or CHP Officer or Deputy will often state that the primary collision factor is unknown.
Even if there are witnesses to an accident, the Officer of Deputy may discount the statements of some or all of the witnesses if they were friends or relatives of one of the drivers.
Although the conclusion of fault by an officer or deputy does not carry the same weight as a determination of fault by a judge or jury, insurance companies treat the conclusions in these traffic collision reports in a great majority of cases as if the conclusions were written in stone and evaluate a party’s claim based on the findings of fault in these reports.
A traffic collision report may be amended by the police department or the CHP where it contains obvious mistakes, such as when the officer or deputy has mixed up the names of the parties. Supplemental reports are sometimes written when new evidence comes to light, such as when a hit and run party is located. But for the most part, most police departments, Sheriff’s offices and the California Highway Patrol will not amend a report when a party complains and states why he or she doesn’t feel they should have been found at fault for a collision. They will, however, in most cases allow a person to fill out a Counter Report, which, unfortunately simply does not carry much weight with an insurance company.
If the Primary Collision Factor for an accident is unknown, one should look on the traffic collision report to see if the Police or California Highway Patrol Officer or Sheriff’s Deputy cited any “Other Associated Factors” in the traffic collision report as having had a role to play in causing the collision. There may have been faulty equipment, as with some truck accidents, or the roadway itself may have been dangerous.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in California that has been determined by the investigating Police or CHP Officer or a Sheriff’s Deputy to be the fault of another driver as a result of his or her violation of Vehicle Code Section 21658, call the Law Offices of Sebastian Gibson today at (800) 589-3202.
At the Law Firm of Sebastian Gibson, we specialize in California auto accidents caused by violations of the California Vehicle Code, such as this section 21658, and will represent you to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
In over thirty years of practice, Attorney Sebastian Gibson has obtained millions of dollars in settlements and multiple million dollar or larger settlements. We handle auto accident cases on a contingency fee basis so there is no fee payable unless we win your case and obtain either a settlement, an arbitration, mediation, jury, judge or court award.
Due to how insurance companies treat individuals without an attorney, a person injured in an auto accident will almost always receive a greater amount from a settlement, even after attorneys’ fees, if the case is handled from the start by an experienced and reputable personal injury lawyer.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, call to speak with a lawyer at our offices for a free personal injury consultation by phone. You can speak to Attorney Sebastian Gibson by calling (800) 589-3202 or you can e-mail the Sebastian Gibson law firm at SgibsonEsq@aol.com
Additionally, we invite you to visit the Sebastian Gibson law firm website at www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com
picture of 236915-car-year-2009-vauxhall-insignia c 1148×847
As usual, we met up at Pertonas station opposite Eastin Hotel. Pictures are courtesy of salabianca from Subaru forum.
