Useless Conversation

[Bunk]

I just bought a new car. I'm split 50/50 between excitement of a new toy and dread of a new monthly bill. My old piece of shit was starting to become a money pit though, so it was time.

Bought a 2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback. First Ford I've ever owned. 80 pages worth of the owners manual are devoted to the stereo.
Only driven it to work so far, but I like how it drives. Wouldn't recommend it for a large boned individual, but it fits my scrawny ass really well.

[ghost]

Ford really seems to have gotten it right when it comes to shooting for what the younger generations are going to want.  The Sync system is really, really nice.  If you have money to sink into the stock market I think Ford is a good long term bet. 

[Sky]

Yesterday I saw two cars I thought looked cool: a Chevy (new camaro) and a Pontiac (solstice). It's about goddamned time American automakers started making cool cars again.

[Nebu]

Yesterday I saw two cars I thought looked cool: a Chevy (new camaro) and a Pontiac (solstice). It's about goddamned time American automakers started making cool cars again.

When they make one that can outperform my GTI for the same price, I might consider buying American again. 

[Merusk]

If we're going for cool looks, the Saturn Sky was pretty cool looking, and I've liked the look of the new Charger.  I got a Charger as a rental when I had to have my springs replaced and it was a damn smooth car.  Little unwieldy, though.

[ghost]

Yesterday I saw two cars I thought looked cool: a Chevy (new camaro) and a Pontiac (solstice). It's about goddamned time American automakers started making cool cars again.

When they make one that can outperform my GTI for the same price, I might consider buying American again. 

I don't think we're too far away from that. 

[WayAbvPar]

Speaking of the flu- I heard last week or so that researchers had isolated a part of the flu virus that doesn't ever mutate, and will thus be able to develop vaccines against that section (which would cover almost all flu variants, instead of just a handful year to year). I haven't been able to dig up a link about it yet, so perhaps my fevered imagination has again had its way with me.

Covers bird and swine flu too.

Let me state that whatever people were involved in isolating this, shouild it pan out, should have money and praises thrown upon them for the rest of their lives. A real vaccine for the flu might not be as sexy as one for smallpox, but a flu epidemic would be bad. Very bad. Even in the first world.

That is what I was thinking. Merusk's link was over 2 years old (thanks for confirming I am not insane!), and I swear I heard this on the radio or something last week. I wonder if there was a further breakthrough or new study?

[Furiously]

My only fear is that once WAP no longer got the flu his body would react in a hostile way and give him cancer.

[WayAbvPar]

I might have to start drinking heavily again to beat my immune system down to its normal useless state.

[MisterNoisy]

I just bought a new car. I'm split 50/50 between excitement of a new toy and dread of a new monthly bill. My old piece of shit was starting to become a money pit though, so it was time.

Bought a 2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback. First Ford I've ever owned. 80 pages worth of the owners manual are devoted to the stereo.
Only driven it to work so far, but I like how it drives. Wouldn't recommend it for a large boned individual, but it fits my scrawny ass really well.

Congrats!  Those are sharp little cars.

My car was the same way - it came with a supplemental manual for the stereo/nav system that was as thick as the 'real' manual for the rest of the car.  Hell - the glove box is only big enough to hold the manuals and a tire pressure gauge.

[Murgos]

When they make one that can outperform my GTI for the same price, I might consider buying American again. 

If Ford had brought the Focus RS here I would have seriously looked at it when I was considering my GTI.  As it was the only real competition was the WRX and Mazdaspeed 3.  Neither of which can compete with the GTI in comfort and usability.

[Sky]

Hell - the glove box is only big enough to hold the manuals and a tire pressure gauge.

One thing I love about the FJ is that there is another 'glove box' on the top of the driver's side dash. I keep a bunch of crap in there and it's really nice to have the easy access. And a flat dash with a lip, ffs! So nice to be able to put my hat or a book on the dash and not have it fly off the first time I take a corner. Only pic I could find quickly has a cheesy carpet mod, heh.

[rattran]

I keep my GPS propped up and secured in the little dash cubby, which puts it just above the steering wheel in perfect view. I should route power into it and eliminate the cable, then it'd be perfect.

[ghost]

Only pic I could find quickly has a cheesy carpet mod, heh.

[Bunk]

I was gonna say...

Haven't seen something like that since, well - it brings back memories of a "Willoway Green" Chevy Van.

[MuffinMan]

Why stop at the dash?

[Obo]

Speaking of the flu- I heard last week or so that researchers had isolated a part of the flu virus that doesn't ever mutate, and will thus be able to develop vaccines against that section (which would cover almost all flu variants, instead of just a handful year to year). I haven't been able to dig up a link about it yet, so perhaps my fevered imagination has again had its way with me.

Covers bird and swine flu too.

Let me state that whatever people were involved in isolating this, shouild it pan out, should have money and praises thrown upon them for the rest of their lives. A real vaccine for the flu might not be as sexy as one for smallpox, but a flu epidemic would be bad. Very bad. Even in the first world.

That is what I was thinking. Merusk's link was over 2 years old (thanks for confirming I am not insane!), and I swear I heard this on the radio or something last week. I wonder if there was a further breakthrough or new study?

Don't about recently, but about this time last year there was a paper published on the current state of trials with mice that are promising. http://www.physorg.com/news193498065.html

[Nebu]

If Ford had brought the Focus RS here I would have seriously looked at it when I was considering my GTI.  As it was the only real competition was the WRX and Mazdaspeed 3.  Neither of which can compete with the GTI in comfort and usability.

I test drove a Focus SVT and a Mazda Speed 3, but both just didn't feel right... particularly when cornering hard while accelerating out of a tight turn.  The Mazda was skiddish and the Ford had too much front end plow for my tastes.

[Chimpy]

When U.S. auto makers decide to make cars that don't start having major mechanical failures at 80-100k miles then maybe I would think about buying one. They have the ability, they just are not willing to make cars to that standard because they want people buying new cars every 4-5 years (or less).

[lamaros]

One thing I love about the FJ is that there is another 'glove box' on the top of the driver's side dash. I keep a bunch of crap in there and it's really nice to have the easy access. And a flat dash with a lip, ffs! So nice to be able to put my hat or a book on the dash and not have it fly off the first time I take a corner. Only pic I could find quickly has a cheesy carpet mod, heh.

Why would you ever put anything on the dash while you were driving?

[Paelos]

That carpet is just awful. I mean, wow, who the hell thought that would look good?

[Sand]

That carpet is just awful. I mean, wow, who the hell thought that would look good?

[Selby]

That carpet is just awful. I mean, wow, who the hell thought that would look good?

Carpet dash covers have been around a good long while and are usually a decent idea.  But they almost always match the dash color (which is always a subdued color for glare reduction).  That color... that's just terrible.

[ghost]

and are usually a decent idea.

Um......why?

[Paelos]

and are usually a decent idea.

Um......why?

Yes I dropped my monocle on that one.

[Sky]

Why would you ever put anything on the dash while you were driving?

Why wouldn't I put my hat and book on there?

[ghost]

Why would you ever put anything on the dash while you were driving?

Why wouldn't I put my hat and book on there?

Well that little box sure is handy.  It would be a great place to keep your .45.   

[MisterNoisy]

Carpet dash covers have been around a good long while and are usually a decent idea.  But they almost always match the dash color (which is always a subdued color for glare reduction).  That color... that's just terrible.

I think it depends on the car - on older cars (and new Chryslers  ), I could see using one to keep the dash from splitting/cracking with age, but my last two cars did just fine without them, even parked outside in the Florida sun for 4-5 years each.

[RhyssaFireheart]

A - nothing like having your breakfast not agree with you to remind oneself why fast food sucks.  Get up earlier, self!

2 - I find it amusing that this one PM, who is apparently successfully managing a multi-million dollar project, has such difficulty with some of the finances.  I realize some of this is out of his control (aka labor and invoices are transferred to/from his project budget) but come on.  We discussed at the beginning of May that your April labor charges were short because you forgot to freaking publish your plan after accepting the final hours from everyone, so I missed moving almost 10k in labor for April.  So your May labor is going to be 10k more because the missing April was added to it.

I just go done explaining that to him - again.  About how April and May labor charges from Project Server aren't going to match up to the G/L report on a monthly basis, but they should match in aggregate.  He's still having a bit of difficulty with that.  He's not even blond so I can't use that as an excuse. 

[Selby]

I could see using one to keep the dash from splitting/cracking with age

This.  Sun destroys the vinyl used in dashes.  Granted, it really depends on where you live - Arizona desert can turn a dash to dust in less than 10 years while Connecticut cars usually have very nice dashes for years.  All manufacturers have gotten much better about this problem in the last 8-10 years so you don't see it anywhere as much as before, but regardless of make the sun ages the vinyl and if you keep a car a good long while you'll eventually see cracks and outgassing that ends up ruining the dash.  Most good Americans would be all "new car time!" after 5 years but I tend to keep mine a bit longer than most ;-)

[lamaros]

Why would you ever put anything on the dash while you were driving?

Why wouldn't I put my hat and book on there?

Because a book sitting on the dash is going to fly around and possibly cause some damage if you're ever unlucky enough to be in an accident than if you had it somewhere else? Or move around and cover up an airbag? Or anything like that?

[Paelos]

I could see using one to keep the dash from splitting/cracking with age

This.  Sun destroys the vinyl used in dashes.  Granted, it really depends on where you live - Arizona desert can turn a dash to dust in less than 10 years while Connecticut cars usually have very nice dashes for years.  All manufacturers have gotten much better about this problem in the last 8-10 years so you don't see it anywhere as much as before, but regardless of make the sun ages the vinyl and if you keep a car a good long while you'll eventually see cracks and outgassing that ends up ruining the dash.  Most good Americans would be all "new car time!" after 5 years but I tend to keep mine a bit longer than most ;-)

The logical solution would be to armorall your dash, not put fucking shag on it.

[Selby]

The logical solution would be to armorall your dash, not put fucking shag on it.

Yeah but then there's the whole "Armorall has silicon in it and ends up drying out your dash early leaving it prone to cracks" rumours that everyone likes to talk about.

Dash covers are fine however I agree that shag is terrible looking.

[Sand]

Dont use armorall.  Like sun tan oil it just ists on the surface you wipe it on, feeling oily, collecting dust and eventually getting wiped off.

Once a year with this stuff (which actually absorbs in) works wonders:
http://www.303-products.com/shop303/index.cfm/category/65/303-aerospace-protectant.cfm

[rattran]

That was a terrible webpage. I don't care how amazing the product it, but that add made it look like the cross between New Shimmer and Spacom.