Random thoughts thread

Jumped into the MPV for a grocery store run.  Noticed a mosquito or similar little flying insect on the passenger side window.  Rolled down the window figuring it would fly out.  Mosquito flies out, and before I could roll up the window, in comes this huge murder hornet.  I'm pretty sure I didn't scream like a little girl.  Fortunately, it left.  I rolled up the window and cogitated for a moment.

No matter how bad your life is, remember it can always get worse.  Count your blessings.  Be glad your small problems aren't big problems.

I've never traveled much in my life - well, I "traveled" plenty in the Army, but I haven't taken nearly enough vacations.  My main priority right now is to save up money to help with moving to Canada (fingers crossed) but once I get a big chunk there I'm taking my family on a vacation.  Yearly vacations, actually.  We want to go to Montreal and somewhere in the Caribbean.  

In Back to the Future Part II, when Marty (from 1985) is in the Cafe 80s, he starts getting driven crazy by a Max Headroom like Reagan and Khomeini (sp?) arguing with each other, when all he wanted was a Pepsi.

There should be drag racing events with LeMans-style starts.

NickD said:

There should be drag racing events with LeMans-style starts.

There are a lot of fat drag racers.  That might be entertaining.

Duke said:

NickD said:

There should be drag racing events with LeMans-style starts.

There are a lot of fat drag racers.  That might be entertaining.

 

Also, ever seen someone try and walk on a well-prepped start line? Hilarious. Now imagine running.

I'm having one of those moments where i've read every review i can find on a a product and i still feel like i know nothing about it.

In reply to NickD :

Ever try and get into a NHRA cage built for a 3 second pass? Nothing quick about getting in it. Nor should it be. Impossible, I imagine, without help. 

I'd allow it only if LeMans prototypes have to pop a chute after crossing the finish line.

Appleseed said:

In reply to NickD :

Ever try and get into a NHRA cage built for a 3 second pass? Nothing quick about getting in it. Nor should it be. Impossible, I imagine, without help. 

See, that'd be the great equalizer. It doesn't matter if your car is 6 second capable, because by the time you thread your way in through the rollcage, get the harnesses on and spool the twin 88s on that ProLine 481X, ol' boy in the bone-stock 5th-gen SS is going to be three quarters of the way down the track.

Realistically, it would make sense to do it with some sort of 12-second daily driver class, so that way there aren't rollcages or harnesses in the way. Just run back to your car from the sixty foot marker, jump in, throw your seatbelt on and go. Bonus points if you go full Dukes Of Hazzard and jump in through the window.

In high school, I played baseball with a guy who was about 5'5", and a gymnast. He had a Spridget, and he used to launch himself into the drivers seat from behind the car. I can't remember if he used the back bumper for a step up or not, but it was damn impressive. 

Us people question what is the purpose and what do we do actually matters. There's a lot times we struggle mentality/fiancility(word) where we're at. Seems we have a horrible tendency to stick to the negative, when there is a small slither of happiness in there. It's sucks when the negative is more narrative then the positive, but the positive is much more great! Life most of the time seems to be more of a struggle that outweighs the positive, and we forget to enjoy the little positives, albeit small at times the positive is the best...

This thought doesn't really fit here, but then again I'm not sure it fits anywhere.

A friend of mine a couple states away is dying.  He is deteriorating at a steady rate and will probably be dead within 6-18 months depending on a variety of unknowns.  The man has been through damn near everything a man can have happen to him and has made it through to the otherside (30+ major surgeries, pieces of his hip are in his ankle, survived a horrible MRSA infection, and on and on.)  At the point now he needs a double lung transplant but has neither the money/insurance to pay for it or the general health to survive the transplant. 

It is the most morbidly interesting thing I've ever been a part of.  His thoughts on the matter, his observations, its incredible to hear and so humbling.

In reply to Mr_Asa :

If it's any consolation at all, lung transplants usually only get you about six months.  Those are the worst as far as required immunosuppressive cocktails go, and you become extremely susceptible to infection because they basically have to halt your immune system entirely.

I think Jack died.

I don't know who he is, but when I got a new phone last year he kept leaving messages for his sister, Norma-Jeanne, on my voicemail. Long messages. From his voice and words, I picture him in his late 70s - early 80s, old-school, hard working, and clear minded.  Jack would always start with, "Hi Jeanne, this is your brother Jack...." and after expressing his mild frustration about phone trouble, he'd ramble on about the farm and how other family members were faring until the messages faded out at a full three minutes.

I texted him back and tried calling a few times times to let him know this was not Jeanne's number, but he never answered. I don't think that he ever got my messages. The last time I heard from Jack was a message where he was talking with someone else in the background - I think it was Jeanne. He wasn't leaving a message, but just talking as the voicemail recorded. That was when he realized that he had been reversing a portion of the phone number (613 vs 316).

Yesterday I received a voicemail from the funeral home for Jeanne. They had been very busy, but were trying to get back to her about the arrangements.

Sorry for your loss Jeanne. Peace.

If Pinocchio told people his nose grew when he told the truth no one would know he was lying.  

Wally (Forum Supporter) said:

If Pinocchio told people his nose grew when he told the truth no one would know he was lying.  

But they would never believe him when he told the truth. The whole town would be devastated by a tornado because his nose didn't grow...

Subscriber-unavailabile said:

Us people question what is the purpose and what do we do actually matters. There's a lot times we struggle mentality/fiancility(word) where we're at. Seems we have a horrible tendency to stick to the negative, when there is a small slither of happiness in there. It's sucks when the negative is more narrative then the positive, but the positive is much more great! Life most of the time seems to be more of a struggle that outweighs the positive, and we forget to enjoy the little positives, albeit small at times the positive is the best...

Watching the early news this morning and they mentioned that movie crews had shot car chase scenes for an upcoming movie in Cambridge and Worcester MA over night.  I randomly thought “ I wonder if jfryfry was in town?” 

AC repairman arrested with gun stolen from truck at Margarita Republic.

Is clarified butter a clear liquid?  

Wally (Forum Supporter) said:

Is clarified butter a clear liquid?  

This is what Land O Lakes has posted on their site.  They say clairified butter has the milk solids and water removed.  It does look a bit more clear than a cube of butter 

In reply to CJ (FS) :

A former girlfriend worked in the ready-to-eat foods section of a natural food store, making various things.  She had a hard time looking at the 5 gallon jar of small baked potatoes (skin on) floating in clarified butter.  It looked like something you were about to flush.

1987 Mustangs (The year they smoothed out the Fox body a bit and the second year they had port fuel injection) are older now than first year Mustangs were in 1987.

eastsideTim said:

1987 Mustangs (The year they smoothed out the Fox body a bit and the second year they had port fuel injection) are older now than first year Mustangs were in 1987.

I had a thought like this....  my car is 15 years old.  In 1968 when you could get OHC Tempests and Firebirds and Hemi everything and all sorts of stuff, 15 year old Fords had flatheads.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

eastsideTim said:

1987 Mustangs (The year they smoothed out the Fox body a bit and the second year they had port fuel injection) are older now than first year Mustangs were in 1987.

I had a thought like this....  my car is 15 years old.  In 1968 when you could get OHC Tempests and Firebirds and Hemi everything and all sorts of stuff, 15 year old Fords had flatheads.

I was born in 1990. My dad at the time had a 1957/59 Austin Healey (57 build date, titled in 59) and an '87 T-Bird. 
 

That Healey was 31-33 years old when I was born. It was OLD then. 
 

The T-Bird would be 33 today. I wouldn't consider it all that old today. I wouldn't really think twice about driving it across the country. By 96, only 9 years later, any random car would have FI, OBD2, crumple zones, air bags... positively modern. It's amazing how far cars have come. And we are in the next super evolution, what with electric and self driving cars.