The more you live, love and laugh…. well, the more you live, love and laugh!
Notes from the Universe on TUT (Think Unique Thoughts)’s Adventurers Club : a great, inspirational site with resources to make you happier, daring and ready to face the day with a positive outlook. Freely subscribe to them here!
Now, may you ALL be in the New Year as cheerful, shiny and fearless as this Italian car 
Photo taken late March 2008, around Miramare Castle, on the gulf of Trieste, Italy.
Well hello Diary.
I’m really happy right now! I got my haircut tonight, my fauxhawk is back, and I’m excited about it. I’m also dying it either indigo blue or ruby red, or a combination of both. That’s pretty cool… Amanda is getting a car, I’m so excited for her. Good things come to those who wait, that’s true to me I guess. I just need to wait for my good things now, haha. I’ve changed my mind on some tattoo ideas. I’m still going to get my last name across my shoulders, and my celtic cross on my forearm is going to be moved to my side, my ribs. I want to add to that cross some sheet music with notes wrapped around it. I think it is a good idea. Marcus gave me a stereo system for my bedroom and I’ve been blasting music on it for two days straight. That guy is like the brother I never had, so is Jason. Jason’s more like a big brother to me though. I noticed I go all over the place in these postings but I don’t really care, this is my diary. Taylor is pretty much moved into my room, which is cool. She’s an amazing sister, I never knew a sibling and I could get along like this, even though we’re kinda stepbrother and sister, but kinda not. Later today we are going to drive up to PetSmart and look at hamsters or something to get as a small pet we can hide in our room. It should be really cool. Then later on, I’ll be heading to Marcus’s house for New Year’s. We’ll throw down on some smores and karaoke and god knows what else. That should be pretty sick. I’ve been reading “Scar Tissue”, the Autobiography of Anthony Kiedis, and it astounds me the life he led, especially as a child and teenager. He is sort of turning into my hero, which is horrible, he was a heroin junkie. I see myself in him in a lot of ways, same as in Nikki Sixx, who was also a horrible heroin junkie. Oh well, I’ve got friends and my own future to keep me away from that crap. Not sure what else to write down in here so I think I’ma head out. On a final note, my friend Cacia was accepted into WCU as well and she might go there with me, I’m pretty excited for that. My style in just about everything is changing a lot, which is a good thing. I’m getting to know myself, with pushing from several friends, thanks guys. And finally, I really want a bass guitar.
Peace and Love
-The Rook
PS: I rearranged my room last night, it’s so awesome now!
If you look at the stats for Scion sales, you’ll see that more old people buy tend to buy the cars that are targeted at younger buyer. I projected that Kia’s new hatchback, the 2009 Soul, would end up much the same way. I would still have this car regardless (I’m 24 year old mind you) no matter how many diaper-wearing octogenarians are driving them . Well I haven’t check the books, but this advert for the Soul may prove me right. Check out the vid below and watch how granny get down.
There are several temples in and around the town.
Vatakunnathan Shiva temple, in the centre of the town dominates the whole landscape, with a gentle sope towards all directions. Inside its massive walls, you feel as if in a different world. There is Sankaranarayana idol (unique, as Shaiva and Vaishnava cult co- exist in Keralam), in addition to Shivalingam.
To the east, is Paramekavu Devi temple and at the north, is Krishna temple. These two temples compete with one another, to make the Pooram festival a grand success, made much of by the Tourism Department.
Some 14 kms. along the Triprayar (Ram temple) road, is the grand Peruvanam temple (see my blog), with the Thiruvullakav Sastha temple, Subrahmanya temple at Thayamkulangara, Bhagavathy temple at Cherpu, Oorakath Ammathiruvady (the only temple of Mahalakshmy in this area), all within walking distance. While in Keralam, I used to cover all these in my morning walk.
Autorickshaws are available for short distances, if you do not have a car.
By noon, you can return to the town and see an excellent view from Velangan kunnu near Amala hospital.
The Kodungallur Kali temple is locally famous, as is the Triprayar Ram temple; but these are on different routes.
Temples of Ram at Triprayar, Bharat at Irinjalakuda, Lakshman at Mozhikunnu, and Shathrughna, all can be visited in one day. Tour operators are providing arrangements during the holy month of Karkidakam (July) second half.
Planning a trip? Why not rent a car? My sister came to visit this past week and while she was here, we rented a car and drove to visit our family in Caserta (about an hour outside of Naples). Before she arrived, I went to Borgo Ognissanti to research our rental car options. Due to the overwhelming hike in Italian tourism during the months of March through May, renting cars becomes rather trying. Car rental reservations should be made at least 5-7 days before the actual day of pick-up; I, completely unaware and uneducated as to the proper car rental procedure, did not make a car reservation as recommended, leaving my sister and I with one compact, and rather stereotypically European option: the Smart Car.
Caserta is about four hours south-west of Florence and while the Smart Car is effective for navigating the tiny streets of Florence, the autostrada demands a well, faster car. Looking back on the trip, the Smart Car did work very well. The Smart Cars seem to be uncomfortably small, but in actuality, the car fit both me and my sister very comfortably, with enough trunk space for a large piece of luggage and two full backpacks. The size and gas efficiency worked to our advantage as well.
The only problem that we did encounter with the Smart Car was the speed restraint and lightness of the car. Traveling on major Italian autostrada’s at speeds reaching 120 km/hour (about 85 mph), proved to be a challenge for our little friend. Our mobile was barely reaching 120 km/hour, while fellow drivers were passing us at speeds much faster. My cousin informed me that there are driving constraints placed on cargo trucks in Italy, and the highways are always filled with trucks Monday-Friday. The weekends are reserved for car travel; trucks only use the highways during the week. The wind created by the surrounding trucks was unsettling for our automobile, leaving our Smart shaking, literally, as we approached higher speeds.
Focusing now on price, many car rentals have a flat rate per day depending on the car of choice (economy, medium, luxury, etc.), but be weary of extra costs. Some dealers latch an extra fee for kilometers over a certain flat rate. For example, our car cost an extra € 0.13 for every kilometer over 250 kilometers per day. Our trip was about 900-1000 kilometers and we had a total of three rental days. If you do the math, we paid a bit more than we originally bargained for. Also, if you are not familiar with the roads, you can ask about a TomTom navigation system. This usually comes at an extra cost of € 8-10 euro per day. We rented a TomTom and this was invaluable during our trip—we would have been lost without it. Finally, potential car renters, make sure you factor in toll and gas costs. Our trip was € 24 Euro in tolls, both ways, and it cost us about € 40 Euro to fill up the tank of the Smart Car. We made it on two tanks.
In general, before renting a car, buying a train ticket, or booking a flight, the best option does not always have to be the most cost-effective. While our car rental cost a bit more than a round trip train ticket to and from Caserta, our experience would not have been the same on the train. Traveling on A1 provides you with a different view of the Italian countryside and gives you the freedom to stop in small cities along the way. On our way home, we stopped in Orvieto and enjoyed the underground city tunnels and the rolling, wine-producing hills. We found that we preferred the rental car for this trip in particular and no matter the price, we would have done it again given the chance.
Right, well if you haven’t bought your loved ones anything by now, chances are you never will. That being said, there’s still time, and this last gift is so amazing we had to dedicate the last two days to it.
Days 23-24: The Ariel Atom.
Form following function, race bred design and truly uncompromised performance. This is the Atom. Minimal bodywork, moulded to the highest standards possible, consisting of separate composite panels reduces weight, minimises costs and allows easy access for adjustment of most settings. Developed in the wind tunnel to generate front and rear downforce, with special attention paid to underbody air flow, the bodywork provides stability and precise steering at all speeds.
With its wide track the Atom can accomodate 2 large adults in safety, comfortably solving the space problems usually found in vehicles of this class. The composite twin seat unit, deisgned to be set up for the driver, offers high lateral support and a comfortable driving position.
On the dash housed in a minimal console the compact racing instruments feature stepper motor driven needles with clear, white on black, easy to read faces, LCD readouts for secondary information and all legally required warning lights for road use. A remote, keyless immobiliser allows for an ignition on/kill switch and starter button, ergonomically grouped together with other controls around the steering wheel.
The suspension used in the Atom is unique on a road car and has been derived from current single seat race cars. The suspension is by double unequal length wishbones and inboard, pushrod operated dampers, front and rear. The system features outboard rod ends all round for total adjustability and inboard rubber/metal bushes for compliance and comfort. Coil over dampers front and rear extend the adjustability of the car allowing the Atom to be quickly set up for road or track use or to individual preferences.
The Atom has been designed to be used on the road or the track. Race derived features include adjustable front/rear bias brakes with the option of remote operation while driving, twin brake master cylinders, hydraulic clutch, one and a half turn competition steering rack, adjustable allow pedals and ram air system. It is this thought for detail and lack of compromise that makes the Atom so totally unique.
Even in the standard 1.8 form the Atom’s power to weight ratio exceeds that of a 911 Porsche. The Atom power is from the Rover K Series as used in the MGF and Lotus Elise. Proven in road and competition use the engine and gearbox combines reliability and tuning options with economic servicing and practial ownership. With the performance emphasis of the Atom geared towards acceleration and handling, the power to weight ratio even in standard form exceeds that of most sports cars. In tuned form, capable of giving up to up to 500 bhp/tonne, the Atom approaches the levels of pure racing cars.
Available from firebox.com.
And to play us out, for this final time… Merry Christmas everyone.
James
The date is 12/17/2009 and the time is around 2:00 AM. Brian and I are waiting for Alicia and Erika to get to Denny’s and join us for some late night food. Alicia arrives, followed by Erika and we begin to order and chat about the random things going on. Some friends of Alicia’s happened to enter the Denny’s and they said hi to each other. Everything seemed to be as usual and all. It was quiet, not a lot of people around in the restaurant at all.
Some weird, older guy sat behind us our booth, about 2 booths back, and kept staring at Erika. Erika got sick of it and Brian told her to switch seats with him, this way Brian and I would be the ones facing the guy. Those friends of Alicia’s were playing around with a paper airplane they made and accidentally threw it in the direction of a girl who was walking into the restaurant. The girl acted mad, but was only joking and wasn’t at all upset. The weird guy, though, made a comment that lead to an eventful night.
“I think he’s gay,” is what the weird guy says. “I think that’s his problem, I think he’s gay.” At this point, we’re all looking at each other thinking, “Oh God, he’s talking.” We already knew
there was something off with him when he ordered his food and was blatantly staring at Erika but we were hoping he’d just keep to himself. He repeated himself once more, I guess he wasn’t happy with not getting a response. At this point, everyone at my booth said things like, “Thanks for your input,” “Are you done now?” “Can you please be quiet?” He wouldn’t stop though and eventually turned his comments into hate-filled slurs. “I think he’s a faggot! He’s a faggot!” Brian went off first, “Sir, shut up right now,” or something along those lines. This is when the guy turned his comments towards us, calling me and Brian faggots. Brian got up out of his seat and I followed.
“Take one more step!” says the weird guy, followed by him quickly getting out of his seat and putting up his fists in preparation for a fight. Seeing me and Brian standing right next to each other and very pissed at him must have made him think we were going to attack. Brian kept telling him to shut up while the guy mumbled something that I can’t remember, probably about taking another step. I followed up with, “Look, I am asking you to shut the fuck up!” and got a little closer to him. He looked like he was about to try and punch me but I think he reconsidered the action and decided on a new tactic, tattle telling and lying.
The weird guy turns and shouts, “I’m being attacked! I’m being attacked! Someone get a manager! I’m being attacked!” He walks towards the kitchen area and is turned away by employees. I followed him to make sure we could get a word in if he found a manager, but when he was turned away he walked back towards the door, passing right in front of me. He whispered, “I’ll slap you right in the face.” This set me off, “Do it motherfucker, fucking do it! Right here, hit me!” He didn’t take the offer and kept walking towards the door, I didn’t follow. As he walked through the door he turned and motioned me to come outside and I told him, “No, I came here to eat, not whoop on some old man.” He walked out and left.
I was heated, an attack on someone’s way of life, whether that guy was gay or not, is uncalled for in any situation. That kind of opinion should stay to yourself and those kinds of people who say stuff like that are the kind of people that are likely to cause hate crimes. I will never sit down for actions like that. There is no room for hate in this world. I was shaking with adrenaline when he left. I could have hurt him a lot if he hit me.
We kept an eye on the door and the windows the whole time. We knew that he was probably still out there. Some girls went outside to have a cigarette but didn’t seem to see anything. We kept our guard up as the food came.
About 5 minutes after the smoker girls came back in, we saw the guy by our cars. I saw him on Erika’s car doing something, I thought he was just drunk and stumbling on top of it. Brian ran out and the guy took off. I was not far behind Brian and we looked at the cars. Naturally, we looked at the tires first but couldn’t see any cuts. Brian noticed something eventually and ran in for his jacket and paid for his meal. I kept an eye on the guy as he went to his truck across the street. I got a good look at the truck but not the plates, it was way too far for that. I wish I had followed him some more and got his license plate number because we found out just a second after he got in his car that he had keyed all four of our cars.
Manager called the cops when we ran out at the sight of the guy, cops got the story from us and made a case out of it. I doubt anything will come of it but it was worth a shot.
Sydney has two key marks, one long line on the hood and one even longer line on the driver side. I’m not that pissed though. I’m sure this guy lives a crappy life and he was just out looking to get company for his misery that early morning. He wont get any company from me.
Another of the great groups that I never got to see Live in Concert.
Great group.
Great catchy songs.
One the strangest looking lead singers that a band could have…..Ric Ocasek
But Ric Ocasek gets the last laugh because he has been married to Supermodel Paulina Porizkova for the last 20 years. (She appeared in the video for the song “Drive”)
The Boston-based New Wave Group had 12 singles reach the Billboard Top-40 charts over the course of their career.
The Cars were a successful group from 1976-1988. Their many hits included:
“Just what I Needed”
“My Best Friends Girl”
“Let the Good Times Roll”
“Shake it Up”
“Let’s Go”
“You Might Think”
“Magic”
“Drive”
“Hello Again”
“Tonight she comes”
“Touch and Go”
and many others…..
My Personal Favorite: “Drive”
Their Videos were staples on MTV during the early and mid 1980’s.
The Cars were:
Ric Ocasek Vocals/Guitar/Supermodel Magnet
Benjamin Orr Vocals/Bass
Elliot Easton Guitar
Greg Hawkes Keyboards
David Robinson Drums
Sadly, Benjamin Orr, who sang lead on a number of hits including “Just what I needed”, “Let’s go”, and “Drive” passed away in 2000 at the age of 53 after battling Cancer.
Police chases. The stuff of every good movie. Or reality…I have witnessed two police chases in my life. Surprising as I live in London. The first was in Streatham four years ago, and the second was last night in Worcester Park. In true South London style, the pursued was hopelessly outclassed by the police car in pursuit. You got to remember that our taxes are paying for flashy BMW’s and Volvos. And they are chipped.
Why bother running? Are you high? Been playing too much Grand Theft Auto? Thinking of Hazzard County? Anyway, the reality is that (I assume) 99% of police chases end up with the police catching the run-aways (usually because they crash their car). 1% of the time, you can beat the police, but they have the number plate recorded anyway, so unless the vehicle is stolen, they know where you live…
What was really funny was that last night, it was a mini cooper doing the escaping. You normally associate the new mini with effeminate estate agents or something else along those lines. Not a couple of boys high on crack and with guns in the back seat. Ha, the comedy of watching the chase!
The Stig is finally granted permission to drive the world’s fastest car, the immense Bugatti Veyron, the fastest ever Pagani Zonda around the Top Gear test track. Which will be the faster supercar? Watch this high quality video in full to find out. Visit www.TopGear.com for all the latest news and car reviews. … BBC Top Gear Zonda Bugatti Veyron Fastest Lap time Stig Speed free supercar video car
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CRV6xDpkZo&hl=en
My Links : aberdeenblog http://mxr-reviews.co.cc/ Golf Zubehor
Yellow muppets!
So today I went into Mum’s school (Meysen Academy), the interesting parts will be uploaded on youtube in vlog form shortly. Then Dad and I went grocery shopping. Not particularly exciting and I didn’t really want to go, but on the way back….it started snowing!!!! Not much, but it’s a start, considering they’ve been forecasting snow all week without any result! Yew!!! The freezing cold is finally almost justified!!
In other (weirder) news, I had a dream about ‘Glee’ last night, which is really, really odd. I was cruising in a car with Mr Schu, and discussing his marriage with him. No, I wasn’t Emma; my accent was my own and there was not a stray ginger hair in sight. Will my subconscious never be normal???
That’s all for now!
–Marley, the Rad.
Want the full story? Check out ‘The Gaijinn Vlogs” on my youtube channel! http://www.youtube.com/tigerlillyfilms
If you’re shopping for a new car, of course you want the best price possible, right?
Well look no further because today the TrueTrends by TrueCar report was released, detailing some of the best deals on the market:
To see the full report, click here.
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I love these old railway posters and when looking for this one online I discovered that I could buy them as prints. Sadly this one for Minehead, soon to become our nearest ‘town’, is a little out of date in more ways than one.
Aside from the distinct lack of retro swimming costumes when I visited (although considering it was November it was hardly surprising) the beach has far less sand than the poster suggests. And the railway poster itself is also somewhat misleading: the only train line which serves Minehead these days is the West Somerset Railway, heritage steam line and the perfect place to play out your Polar Express fantasies with a trip to visit Father Christmas.
Which means we will need a car. As pretty as steam is, it is not the most time effective way of reaching one’s destination. So a car it is.
I passed my driving test the day after I received my A Level results in August 2000. Quite why I chose to schedule a driving test the day after results remains lost in my history, but take it that day I did. And, to my surprise, passed first time. I had no car to drive and was unable to be insured on my parents’ Volvo as the engine was too large and I was too young. And shortly thereafter I went down to Exeter to university where there was no need for a car for it was small, permits were expensive, my hallmate had one (and conveniently lived very close to my parents, so it turned out we could share lifts) and you could get a taxi from one end of Exeter to the other for about a fiver. Oh, student days. Occasionally I borrowed an (ex) boyfriend’s car. Occasionally Husband would borrow his parent’s Astra when we wanted to go surfing. But by and large, we managed.
And then we moved to London. Where parking was even more expensive and, mostly, the buses and tubes are more than adequate. And when they aren’t, there are taxis. But now, we need one. And had no idea where to start. We began by looking at auto trader but the idea of being conned into paying cash for something I couldn’t return, couldn’t wear, or couldn’t sell again on e-bay struck the fear of something into me. And so I pretended that the problem would go away.
And then one day last week, it did. We are to inherit Husband’s Dad’s car as he has bought a new one. It may have driven a million miles up and down the motorway but it has only had one owner and it is the first car we drove after we got married as we borrowed it for our honeymoon.
Now all we need to do is find somewhere to park it…
—
Image by BR from here.
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to view full size click 33D1245528197-Tamiya-Direct-Drive-Touring-Car-0620091235 C 1599X1199 photo ( 33D1245528197-Tamiya-Direct-Drive-Touring-Car-0620091235 C 1599X1199 photo )
usually i act pretty insane in public (lol)m but last night i pressed the leader of the club i’m ins button a bit too hard, i don’t really care if i get rewards now do i? well, i don’t really so yea, i’ve decided i’m going to hide my insanity inside and just be silent because i don’t feel like slaughtering my own public reputation even though i already have.
on friday night i was going to meet my friend somewhere down the street at 2 am, i met him there by the place we were supposed to meet and we headed to his friends house and i tried weed and we all hung out. we played a game but i sucked at it, lol my friend got a dagger and i was like pressing it all over myself. i must have been doing that while talking for like 2 hours. i wanna get a dagger now. :[ eh, i’ll pick one up sometime. i also talked to my friend about my mom and running away, i did realize my mom is being cooler though, it’s probably just the fucking christmas happyness, i’m sure it will get worse after christmas is over. … at least i’m waiting/expecting it to. i think i want to continue smoking though, i mean i think i liked it.
well what else? oh yeah, no one i know in person will know about this site. i felt like getting some feelings out so yea. oh and by the way i may post things that happened on a different day, so i may come back and edit if i remember anything else.
anyway, laterrr
x
My car recently passed 100,000 miles. Currently it is sitting at 100,225. Exciting, huh?
I get my oil changed every 5,000 miles. Why? Because that is what the owners manual recommends. So I go every 5,000. I don’t see any point in going every 3,000 if it isn’t recommended for my car.
It had been 5,000 miles and I needed to go – so I went. I also had noticed that my brakes had been squeaking the past few weeks, so I asked them to check that too.
As you can imagine, my brakes needed to be replaced, they actually are 95% worn – so they DEFINITELY need to be replaced. So that will cost me around $226 dollars – I have a $25 off coupon – so now I’m down to $201.
They also found that my thermostat is leaking. The mechanic said that this is a common problem with my type of car, and sure enough an internet search revealed that it is VERY common for my car. However, from the reviews I’ve read it tends to happen between 50-75,000 miles – so I considered myself very lucky that I got so far without having to replace my thermostat casing.
So I’m coughing up the $270(ish) to pay for this as well.
All told I’ll need a little less than $500 for everything.
And thus the question is posed: How to pay for it?!
I include $180 in my yearly fund for car repairs. However, I currently only have available to me $40 in my yearly savings because I paid for my ACS registration last month and Christmas this month with it. The working premise of my yearly savings is that I won’t have to pay for more than two “events” that I’m saving for in a given month. Oh well, no budget is perfect.
Here is the tentative plan:Step 1: Put it on my Firestone card – I get a 5% discount for putting the balance on the Firestone card (don’t worry, there are more steps!)
Step 2: Pay off Firestone card with $40 from Yearly Fund and the remainder from my Emergency Fund before any interest collects on it – I’m talking about putting the money on the card the same day I get the total, so don’t fret – no more debt here!
Step 3: Replenish emergency fund with the remaining $140 I’ve budgeted for car expenses on January 1st
Step 4: Replenish rest of emergency fund with extra money I will get from substitute teaching this month – I picked up 4 hours last week and I have another 4 hours scheduled for this coming week. That will give me a total of $200 extra outside of my budgeted money. I’ll get this money in my December 31st paycheck from the community college.
Step 5: This is where I’m unclear as to what to do. All of the above measure will pay for $380 out of my $500 bill. So I have two options:
So which option would you recommend? (I know what I’m leaning towards, but I’d love to see if the “general” personal finance community agrees with my hunch…)
P.S. – I’ve changed my blog format, so if you read this through an RSS I’d love for you to pop on over to the site and give me your comments, critiques and suggestions about the ‘new do’ !
Hopefully I’ll paint my Volvo 240 wagon in 2010. Still deciding on color.
There are some excellent resources available that teach how to paint your own vehicle.
Carefully choose the method that best suits your application, skills, and time.
If I was made of money I’d get my car done at a reputable private shop here in town.
Instead, I will probably do my own job using the techniques found at the website below.
http://www.neilslade.com/CarPainting/fiftydollarmyth
Here are some pefect examples of the finish I’m working toward.
The only sucky thing about not living in San Jose anymore is the easy access to fast food (haha!). Seriously though, the other day I wanted a slurpee but the closest 711 is like, a few miles away when before walking distance to a 711 in San Jose was about two minutes away.
Anyway, the weather’s been pretty mean lately. A few days ago my car was totally iced over and it took me about ten minutes to un-ice my car and you know what I had to use? A hanger. It was the only thing I could think of to use as a makeshift squeegee! But it did the job. Anyway, it even seemed like my engine and tires had frozen over too because my car was really struggling to make a simple U-turn.
My new year’s resolution: keep a diary/journal and write in it EVERYDAY. It doesn’t even have to be a long post or anything. What it most likely is going to be is a bullet pointed list of what happened that day. I’m already thinking it’s going to be a hard resolution to keep because I don’t even blog everyday. But I have to make myself do it because it’s nice to have something to read about 
Toyota HiAce is truly the trademark of the professional in Pakistan. Available in a Long Wheelbase (LWB) Van, a Super Long Wheelbase (SLWB) Van, and a Super Long Wheelbase , the HiAce range is powerful, stylish, and spacious, all whilst providing high levels of comfort.
Toyota HiAce claims the 2008 People’s Choice Award in the Light Commercial Van category.
Toyota Service Advantage makes owning your HiAce more economical because only Toyota can promise you the same Little Bill, service after service.You can enjoy the peace of mind of Genuinely Better Toyota Genuine Service.
Photo from the car taken in the tunnel that leads to the bridge between Denmark and Sweden – Öresundsbron. On the way from Berlin heading north. A 1100 km drive (plus ferry Rostock-Gedser) in one day. I love autobahn. I love driving. Fast. Not healthy or environmentally correct, but so fun!
German car giant Volkswagen will take a nearly 20 percent stake in Japan’s Suzuki for more than 2.5 billion dollars, giving VW a solid footprint in the Indian automarket, the companies said Wednesday.
Europe’s biggest carmaker, which hopes to unseat world leader Toyota, already has a strong presence in China but wants to expand its Asian reach in an alliance with the Japanese compact car maker.
Suzuki said the 19.9-percent stake is worth about 222.5 billion yen (2.53 billion dollars, 1.72 billion euros) and that it “intends to invest up to one half of the amount received from Volkswagen into shares of Volkswagen.”
The deal, set for January, comes as the recession-battered auto industry restructures, with new alliances forming to share green technology and small car designs while extending their global reach through combined sales networks.
PSA Peugeot Citroen of France has been in talks for a stake in Mitsubishi, and the partners Renault and Nissan said last month they would launch “an ultra low-cost car” in India in 2012 to take on Tata’s Nano.
Did you know that businesses benefit from the ability to expense the cost of certain vehicles in the first year of purchase?
That’s right, you your business may be able to combine some of the hottest incentives in the automotive industry and accelerated tax deductions for an opportunity to purchase eligible 2009 and 2010 model year Armadas, Pathfinders, and Titans.
With the IRS Section 179 expense allowance a business owner may be able to deduct the actual cost of new business vehicles weighing more than 6,000 lbs. GVWR in the year of purchase. Section 179 limits the expense of $25,000 for eligible Armadas, Pathfinders and Titans with beds 6 feet or shorter. Titan pickups with beds longer than 6 feet in 2009 can deduct the full cost of the vehicle in the first year. Additionally, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 increased the depreciation deduction to 50% if the remaining investment (if any) for these vehicles. In order to qualify, the vehicle must (among other requirements) be used for business purposes 50% of the time. In contract, a car, truck, or SUV used by a business but weighing 6,000 lbs. or less normally does not qualify for the section 179 expense allowance and will typically be limited to normal depreciation. In 2009 this will be a maximum amount of $3,060 plus an additional $8,000 as a result of The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008.
Eligible Vehicles 6,000 lb. GVWR or Higher IRS Section 179 Expense Allowance
2009/2010 Nissan Pathfinder S/SE/LE/LE V8 4×4 $25,000
All Armadas Eligible $25,000
2009/2010 Nissan Titan King Cab SWB/ Crew Cab LWB Actual Cost
2009/2010 Nissan Titan Crew Cab SWB $25,000
Example:
Armada Purchase Price: $50,000
IRS Section 179 Deduction: $25,000
50% Depreciation year 1*: $11,160
Total Deduction in year 1: $36,160
Balance to depreciate(years 2-5): $13,840
*maximum allowance
Current Incentives:
Pathfinder: $2,500 Customer Cash or 1.9% APR for up to 60 months
Armada: $4,000 Customer Cash or 0.0% APR for up to 60 months
Titan: Up to $5,000 Customer Cash or APR as low as 0.0% for 60 months
*Purchase your new vehicle to qualify for a tax deduction on your sales tax…
-Please consult with your tax advisor to determine eligibility of the additional $25,000 or more in deductions in the first year federal tax deductions. Financing subject to credit approval. Offer valid on vehicles in stock and ends December 31, 2009.
Am no longer an engineering student, nor do I want to visit a crazy professor’s lab in order to be sent back in time in his unidirectional time machine back to my engg days. Read on to find out why.
Not in the driver’s seat of my car,
I’m taking autos for distances near and far.
Forgot the pendrive in the printing shop,
So had to go back,come back, hop by hop.
Shuttling to yet another place to care of my project
Last day of being 20, I don’t think I can take it!
Missing my yellow car,
Watching the auto meter ticking in despair..
Woe is me, I’m so broke,
I don’t even have ten bucks to spare!!
This was a day before i turned 21. What’d i do to celebrate it? Threw a tantrum to get back my car.
As far as online journalism goes, twitter and blogs are about all I seem to manage at the moment - both I was highly dubious of three months ago and both I have come to love like a family member.
CAR is a totally different dimension in cyber confusion. Computer Assisted Reporting(CAR) is an established part of journalism across the pond but is relatively new in the UK. It is basically a tool of journalism using computer data to analyse statistics and find accurate information for successful articles.
Any government statistics about public buildings and services are available to the public – it is your right to know this information and www.data.gov.uk is a good place to start. Using the basic search tools you can find information on anything you need to know, be it your local MP’s expenses or the health and safety of your favourite fish and chip shop – the information can be found and downloaded using excel, or a free online programme like google spreadsheets – making it clearer and easier to analyse.
Journalists are known for not being great mathematicians and generally shying away from anything maths related – and this is a great weakness for example when being given facts by politicians, if you are unable to understand them then how can you ever produce an objective article?
Stephen Quinn from Queensland University said: “The techniques are how you use the tools to improve the breadth, depth and quality of your reporting.”
The basic four points of CAR are:
- Learning how to find information correctly and accurately.
- Evaluating and analysing this information.
- Communicating the data to your audience in an effective and interesting format.
- Using the right amount of precision in your data.
An example of using CAR in every day journalism is freedom of information requests. If you are investigating for example, the health and safety of a restaurant – it is much better to be given a range of statistics for restaurants throughout a city and analyse these, rather than being given the individual restaurant’s results.
Heather Brooke is an american journalist who spent two years challenging the MP expenses until these were finally released, and taken over by the Daily Telegraph. Brooke campaigned for this data to be released and was the first journalist to uncover this scandal. In Brook’s book, Your right to Know, and her blog of the same title, she provides an in-depth, informative guide to using CAR for FOI requests.
Image : http://www.flickr.com
Unsere Welt ist verzweifelt auf der Suche nach Antworten auf die Lösung der beiden größten Probleme, denen wir alle stehen: Energie sparen und die Umwelt zu schützen. Wasser-Autos zu sein scheint eine der Antworten. Und während unsere Umwelt weiterhin unter der Belastung mit giftigen Schadstoffen aus Fahrzeug-Emissionen leiden, der Preis für Benzin und Diesel ist auf ein Allzeit-Hoch und weiter steigen. Während ich dies schreibe Gasmenge wird über $ 4,00 pro Gallone. Wasser-Autos zu sein scheint die beste Lösung.
Gaspreisesind das Thema der Unterhaltung rund um Büro-Wasserkühler heute – es ist nicht "Who won American Idol", sondern: "Mensch, du, was ich zu bezahlen zu füllen heute Morgen hatte?" Es ist schockierend, gelinde gesagt.
Die Verbraucher werden immer verzweifelter – auf der Suche nach Möglichkeiten, den Finger auf gierige Öl Führungskräfte lernen, wie Sie Ihr Auto zu konvertieren, um Wasser zu brennen statt Gas geben, ist eines der vielen Dinge, die Menschen tun.
Es gibt viele Dinge, die Sie tun können, um den Verbrauch von Gas auf langsamen eine persönlicheNiveau, auch wenn Sie nicht bieten auf die Bedürfnisse der ganzen Nation. Einer der besten, was Sie tun können, ist Ihr Auto auf dem Wasser laufen zu konvertieren, mit einem einfachen Kit, das Sie selbst installieren können oder sich Ihrem Mechaniker, gegen eine geringe Gebühr zu installieren. Sie können auch in der Lage, eine schöne Steuergutschrift mit dem IRS erhalten, wenn Sie zu tun.
Wenn Sie Ihr Auto zu konvertieren, um Wasser werden Sie nie zu beugen, um den gierigen Gasunternehmen erneut brennen. Verzweiflung ist treten und schon ist es offensichtlich, dass Gas sparenTipps sind wertvoll für alle. Sie können sogar ändern Sie Ihr Auto zu Wasser verbrennen, mit einem einfachen Schritt-für-Schritt-Handbuch gibt Ihnen auch eine Steuergutschrift mit Onkel Sam (die Regierung liebt diese mods)
Nun bedeutet dies nicht, können Sie Ihr Auto gerade auf dem Wasser allein ausführen, NOCH! Aber mit einer kleinen Ad-on können Sie Wasser benutzen, um Ihre Laufleistung drastisch zu erhöhen. Während Sie vielleicht denken es ist unglaublich, das Auto auf dem Wasser laufen, die heutige Technik zu jedem Fahrzeug eine KonvertierungWasser betriebenen Auto. Ja, Sie können Ihr Auto auf dem Wasser laufen, mit einem Gemisch aus Gas.
Wasser ist ergänzend zu den Benzin-und Dieselkraftstoff, die es sehr einfach macht, um Energie aus Wasser zu extrahieren und Ihr Auto auf Wasser laufen. Und als Kraftstoff, Wasser ist weitaus effizienter als die üblichen Gas setzen Sie normalerweise in Ihrem Auto. Wenn Sie einen Diesel-Brennen eigenen PKW oder LKW gibt es bestimmte Zusatzstoffe können Sie verwenden, um den Kraftstoffverbrauch zu verbessern und Geld in Ihre Tasche.
EinfachGas Saving Tips:
1.) Nehmen Sie nicht aus schnell oder hart bremsen. Diese schnelle stop and go Lebensstil macht Ihr Gas schwinden schneller, als Sie wissen!
2.) Lassen Sie Ihr Auto nicht im Leerlauf für eine lange Zeit. Je mehr Sie sitzen im Leerlauf ist, desto weniger MPG Sie gehen raus aus den Tank von Gas. Schalten Sie den Motor ab, wenn es im Wert von über 10 Sekunden der Inaktivität aus.
3.) Slow down! Je höher du gehst, desto mehr Wind Ziehen Sie Ihr Auto ist gegen, was bedeutet, es muss mehr Gas, um die Reibung zu kämpfen. Gehen Sie aufoder knapp unter der Höchstgeschwindigkeit (solange es für Sie sicher, dies zu tun), und Sie werden an der Zapfsäule zu retten!
4.) Holen Sie sich die Junk aus Ihrem Kofferraum! Schwere Lasten mehr Arbeit für das Auto, das heißt, sie muss auf den Gas-Tank Aufruf zum Aufbruch. Entladen Sie alles, was Sie nicht brauchen und die Last wird leichter in Einsparungen an der Pumpe. Hypermilers einmal ab, die Fracht-Racks, mehr zu sparen!
See Also : aberdeenblog aberdeenblog Jvc Car Audio http://anger-management.macpress.org/
Day 3: Bangkok
The roads in Thailand are pretty beautiful, but not for any real reason except the vehicles on it are just so colorful!
Merriam Webster’s Dictionary Definition:
car — (noun) “a usually four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Life Lesson with the Zits definition:
car — (noun) proof of your independence (even if your parents paid for insurance, parts, gas and the car itself)
China, India, dan Indonesia akan menjadi penggerak pertumbuhan ekonomi. Demikian analisis Fokus Global bulanan Standard Chartered Bank yang dipublikasikan, Selasa (01/12) kemarin. Laporan itu menyatakan, tahun 2010, akan menjadi tahun pemulihan ekonomi global.
Ekonomi yang berbasis kebutuhan domestik, seperti China, India, dan Indonesia, akan berada do lini depan dalam proses pemulihan ini, menggeser keseimbangan kekuatan ekonomi dan keuangan dari Barat ke Timur.
“Posisinya bergantung pada interaksi antara fundamental ekonomi, kebijakan, dan kepercayaan diri,” ujar Dr Gerald Lyons, Chief Economist dan Group Head Global Research Standard Chartered Bank.
Laporan Global memberikan gambaran rinci dan prakiraan untuk ekonomi-ekonomi utama dunia serta pasar dan wilayah pertumbuhan utama, termasuk Asia, Afrika, dan Timur Tengah.
Di antara prakiraan utama adalah pertumbuhan ekonomi global yang mengarah ke 2,7 persen pada tahun 2010. Adapun pertumbuhan ekonomi global tahun ini diperkirakan 1,9 persen.
Sementara itu, ekonomi China dan India pada tahun 2010 diharapkan tumbuh masing-masing 10 persen dan 7,5 persen, sedangkan tahun ini, ekonomi kedua negara itu diperkirakan masing-masing 8,5 persen dan 6,8 persen.
Kepercayaan meningkat
Kepala Ekonom BNI Tony Prasetiantono memprediksi pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia tahun depan berkisar 5,2 persen – 5,3 persen.
Menurut Tony, salah satu modal utama yang akan mendorong pertumbuhan Indonesia ke depan adalah meningkatnya kepercayaan pelaku ekonomi.
“Merasa krisis sudah dilalui, masyarakat mulai berani mengonsumsi dan investor mengakhiri periode wait and see,” katanya. Oleh karena itu, ujar Tony Prasetiantono, konsumsi dan investasi akan naik.
Modal lainnya yang dimiliki Indonesia adalah stabilitas sektor finansial yang akan membantu mendorong intermediasi perbankan. Modal ini terbukti telah meningkatkan pertumbuhan ekonomi pada triwulan III-2009.
Tantangan
Di sektor perbankan, rasio kredit bermasalah (non-performing loan/NPL) tetap terjaga, rasio kecukupan modal (CAR) perbankan juga berada di posisi 17,7 persen.
Pertumbuhan ekonomi akan lebih baik jika sejumlah hambatan bisa diatasi. Tantangan-tantangan yang akan dihadapi, antara lain proyek infrastruktur, suku bunga kredit tetap lambat turun, aliran modal jangka pendek yang rawan terhadap pembalikan (sudden reversal). “Meskipun demikian, saya optimis pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia tahun depan bisa mencapai 5,3 persen,” kata Tonny.
Sumber :
Indonesia Jadi Penggerak | Kompas, 02.12.2009
Grafis : Gunawan
When California Vehicle Code Section 24400 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 24400 provides:
24400. (a) A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be: (1) Equipped with at least two headlamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle, and, except as to vehicles registered prior to January 1, 1930, they shall be located directly above or in advance of the front axle of the vehicle. The headlamps and every light source in any headlamp unit shall be located at a height of not more than 54 inches nor less than 22 inches. (2) Operated during darkness, or inclement weather, or both, with at least two lighted headlamps that comply with paragraph (1). (b) As used in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), “inclement weather” is a weather condition that is either of the following: (1) A condition that prevents a driver of a motor vehicle from clearly discerning a person or another motor vehicle on the highway from a distance of 1,000 feet. (2) A condition requiring the windshield wipers to be in continuous use due to rain, mist, snow, fog, or other precipitation or atmospheric moisture.
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 24400, 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 24400, 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
A violation of California Vehicle Code Section 22103 is one of the Vehicle Code Sections often cited as 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 22103 provides:
22103. No person in a residence district shall make a U-turn when any other vehicle is approaching from either direction within 200 feet, except at an intersection when the approaching vehicle is controlled by an official traffic control 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 22103, 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 22103, 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
… but I wasn’t really going out on a limb, was I?
Anyway, I have this humongous backlog of photos to share. I think I named them in reverse-chronological order, meaning the “2″ or “3″ was taken before the “1″ on most of them, for those who bother mousing over and looking at photo names. (I do try to make relatively helpful names, or at least ones that amuse me. I mean, a lot of my photos are of snowy mountains, sure, but if there’s some point to the photo, other than “Look at these huge freaking mountains,” I try to put it in the name.)
I took a couple of photos as I was driving through midtown on Thanksgiving; driving in snow that thick is kind of a freaky experience, but it went fine. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I’ve been up toward Wasilla, now, though I haven’t driven through the town itself. My boss invited me along to Thanksgiving dinner, which was really nice of him. Everyone was super friendly, and the food was awesome. (And now back to roads — maybe I should have called this blog “Driving in Alaska.”) Driving back down the Glenn Highway that night was a little scary, because, while large parts of it are lit, not all of it is; visibility got low, at times. And given how many cars we’d seen flipped over on the way up, I was–I think understandably–cautious. But I made it home without even going all that miserably slow, except for a few minutes when I got stuck behind a car going 35-45mph. I’m chicken when it comes to changing lanes in weather, but I got over it to get past that guy.
I think 70 miles of highway driving was good for the car’s engine; my gas mileage has been up since then.
Anyway, as you can see, I have pictures from before and after Thanksgiving, and quite a few of them show not-too-miserable roads. The before pics show good roads due to heavy use; we wore the snow and ice down to pavement over a couple of weeks. The after pics have good roads due to plowing, because however much snow we got the night before Thanksgiving is clearly beyond the limit at which they plow. (You can get a rough idea from the photo I took of my car the next morning, keeping in mind I’d brushed it off 1/3 of the way through the storm. Also, yeah, I doctored the photo really poorly to hide where I park in the morning, because I’m paranoid. 
) Unfortunately, my picture of the pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm didn’t come out all that well; you can’t really see the snow, but the windshield is obviously wet (what’s not obvious is that I took the picture right after the wiper swooshed–it was snowing that fast).
Other photos: I went out to look at the duck pond, now that it’s iced and snowed over. I only saw two ducks, and they didn’t stick around to be fed. (Note the “Thin Ice” sign, the clearly-still-flowing water-over-rocks photo, and the footprints out on the water/ice. People are amazing.) I took a picture of my office, now that I have lights up; don’t bother clicking it, since it’s all blurry–it’s probably a better-looking photo in thumbnail size. And I got pictures of those ice lines I was talking about, forming on the inside of the windshield. I don’t know if you’ll be able to parse the picture, not having seen them, but it was the best I could do.
Anyone following the drama of the windshield crack will notice from some of the photos that it’s gotten bigger. But it’s not growing all that quickly; I’m not too worried about it. I think I’ve seen a crack all the way across someone’s windshield nearly every day, up here, which makes my windshield crack look really piddly by comparison.
Oh, and, finally, I took pictures on my way into work this morning. Those photos are from right around 9:15am. It’s now 4pm, and it’s almost as dark as it was when I took those photos. Apparently the four days we took off for Thanksgiving made quite a difference in the amount of daylight we get. Or, you know, it could have been overcast all day. 
