Random Thoughts Thread

[riviera74]

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Sometimes, one has to "just say no" to specials and coupons.

I clipped a handful of Long John Silver coupons on threw them into the console.  At midday, I was hungry and the light bulb went on.  I used one.  I got 2 pieces of fish, 2 sides, and 2 hush puppies.  I then regretted it.  I didn't get sick or anything.  The food was just gross.  I threw out the remaining clipped coupons.  Perhaps that's why 5 years lapse between visits to LJS.

Again, like Nancy Reagan once said, "just say no."  The "Tour de Costco" is almost guaranteed to have a better outcome.

Exactly.  LJS is the worst.  There are so many better alternatives for fried fish than that restaurant.

[Robert Hall]

I'm trying to avoid fried anything as much as I can.  For fish close to home (literally less than 2 miles)  I go to Bonefish Grill, albeit a chain but w/ pretty tasty food.   There are several excellent local seafood places I frequent when I want something different...but so many have fried items.

[Drew Dowdell]

gag.... seafood.....

[balthazar]

[David]

27 minutes ago, balthazar said:

😢 I hope someone recovered this beauty and restored it.

[regfootball]

Here is a promotional ad for GM’s most available and exciting paint colors for 2020

 

[oldshurst442]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

gag.... seafood.....

Cow would be my favorite food. Then pig, lamb and chicken. 

But seafood is not far behind.   I like seafood. Not all. But most.  Octopus, shrimp,  Greek style fried shrimp, various types of fish. Nothing exotic. Salmon, rainbow trout.  There are some types of fish that I do gag. But Ill eat seadfood generally speaking. 

Ill eat veggies too. All kinds of veggies. Lots of veggies.  But I love my veggies with a complimentary side of fleshy meat... 

Its a personal choice, done for me by my ancestors...oh...for thousands of years.    

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by oldshurst442

[Drew Dowdell]

Just now, oldshurst442 said:

Cow would be my favorite food. Then pig, lamb and chicken. 

But seafood is not far behind.   I like seafood. Not all. But most.  Octopus, shrimp,  Greek style fired shrimp, various types of fish. Nothing exotic. Salmon, rainbow trout.  There are some types of fish that I do gag. But Ill eat seadfood. 

Ill eat veggies too. Lots of veggies.  But I love my veggies with a complimentary side of fleshy meat... 

Its a personal choice, done for me by my ancestors...oh...for thousands of years.    

 

For me it's shellfish. I'm not allergic, but I can't even stand the smell.  I'll eat swordfish and that's about it. 

[oldshurst442]

5 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

For me it's shellfish. I'm not allergic, but I can't even stand the smell.  I'll eat swordfish and that's about it. 

I do not mind shellfish. Lobster and crab. But lobster and crab are not exactly my fave.  Like I mentioned above, shrimp would be on top of the crustaceans list.   I will NEVER do mollusks or clams and the like.  gag like you said. 

I never tried swordfish, nor does it seem like I will ever give it a try. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by oldshurst442

[Drew Dowdell]

I put my resume up on Indeed and I'm already getting calls.   I'm not even sure I'm leaving yet. 

[Robert Hall]

As far as seafood, I love shrimp, jumbo shrimp, clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, tilapia, walleye (a Lake Erie speciality), lobster, salmon, cod, cobia...  I love surf & turf and seafood pastas and soups like bouilebasse..    Maybe living in the Florida Keys as a teenager shaped my taste.     I love sushi occasionally also 

Three of my absolute favorite restaurants are all seafood-centric places...The Moorings in Newport, R.I.;  Poseidon in Del Mar, Ca;  and Pier W here in Lakewood, Oh.   

Phoenix wasn't exactly known for seafood, but I liked Mastro's Ocean Club in Scottsdale. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

42 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I put my resume up on Indeed and I'm already getting calls.   I'm not even sure I'm leaving yet. 

I've debated doing this myself. Is there a charge to post it? 

[Robert Hall]

I haven't put mine up on Indeed, been mostly using Dice and Linkedin over the last decade+.  But I get job postings emailed from Indeed..

Dealing w/ recruiters gets pretty tedious because so many have no comprehension of geography.   Just because I live in Ohio doesn't mean I'm interested in gigs in Columbus or Cincinnati.  And I still get Arizona job postings, though I haven't lived there in 2+ years...

Edited November 13, 2019 by Robert Hall

[regfootball]

So car and driver had a new comparison test up for all wheel drive Altima vs all wheel drive legacy.  Also toyota just announced that Camry will be available with AWD for 2020.  I remember from my 2019 Malibu test drive the sales guy said that lots of people as soon as they found out AWD was not available on Malibu they went to the equinox.  Do you think this new focus on AWD on midsize sedans May boost that market and should Chevy also offer an AWD midsize sedan to compete.  

[oldshurst442]

5 minutes ago, regfootball said:

So car and driver had a new comparison test up for all wheel drive Altima vs all wheel drive legacy.  Also toyota just announced that Camry will be available with AWD for 2020.  I remember from my 2019 Malibu test drive the sales guy said that lots of people as soon as they found out AWD was not available on Malibu they went to the equinox.  Do you think this new focus on AWD on midsize sedans May boost that market and should Chevy also offer an AWD midsize sedan to compete.  

For sedan sales to start augmenting and to get people out of their CUV/SUV fix, sedans have to become passenger, family, cargo hauling friendly again. 

If that means AWD, then yeah!

It certainly means better accessible trunk space that is large enough for family needs and egress and ingress improvements over what we have now as sedans.

Interior space shoudnt be  taken for granted either.  Rear leg room should be a priority along with head and shoulder room front and rear. 

As much as I like the sleek, fastback design, that kind of design favorises looks over practicality and usage. 

And...maybe sedans need to get a tad bigger also. The Edge is on the same platform as the Fusion, so the Edge is just as long as the Fusion, but the Edge is sooooo much larger that the Fusion.  The Edge rides taller and has a taller profile, nothing says that the Fusion can't ride a tad  taller while utilizing is space more efficiently  while retaining its car  qualities over the Edge as a CUV...

[Robert Hall]

I like sleek, fastback shapes..if they have hatchbacks....not a fan of tiny mail slot trunk openings.  If you can't fit a standard 12x12 box through the trunklid opening, then the usefulness of the trunk is limited...  driving mostly hatchback SUVs and hatchback coupes most of my life has made me jaded about sedan trunks.  About the only sedan I drove regularly that had a reasonably big trunk was the DTS..that was nice. 

[balthazar]

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

😢 I hope someone recovered this beauty and restored it.

It's on Craigslist for $37,500.
https://frederick.craigslist.org/cto/d/poolesville-1957-cadillac-eldorado/7017642465.html

[frogger]

3 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

gag.... seafood.....

I have that reaction to boiled chicken, chicken congee etc. Yuck.

 

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

I've debated doing this myself. Is there a charge to post it? 

Nope. It's really easy too. 

[ocnblu]

9 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

gag.... seafood.....

ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU DON'T LIKE FISH?

 

[USA-1]

Love some good seafood including tasty shell fish myself. Growing up in Oregon an hour drive from the Coast and eating some of the freshest seafood including the best dungeness crab I've ever had. Surprisingly, Phoenix and Scottsdale have some really good fresh seafood in fine dining restaurants and better grocery stores that's flown in daily just an hour flight from So. Cal. I've had some of the freshest and very tender grilled salmon and fresh shell fish here in Scottsdale at The Capital Grille, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, Tommy Bahama Restaurant and Bar and daily fresh oysters served at Dominick's Steakhouse. Gotta get your natural Selenium everyone!    

[USA-1]

Angus beef is still my fav. grilled animal, grew up on a farm where we raised our own grass fed beef, nothing better. A T-bone or NY Strip grilled medium with taters on the side please!

Edited November 14, 2019 by USA-1

[trinacriabob]

On 11/12/2019 at 9:10 PM, Robert Hall said:

Haven't eaten at a Long John Silvers in maybe 15 years..pretty bad IIRC.   A random eating experience I do miss, though...I miss having an IKEA nearby...I used to go to the one in Chandler, AZ periodically for lunch or breakfast..  tasty.   Never been a Costco shopper, with Amazon I rarely need big box retailers. 

"Just say yes" to Chandler's (AZ) IKEA.

[trinacriabob]

11 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

For me it's shellfish. I'm not allergic, but I can't even stand the smell.  I'll eat swordfish and that's about it. 

I didn't like seafood as a kid.  Then I learned how good it is for you (certain types are amazingly high in protein and low in fat).  My mom would make a baked sole in a tomato/cacciatore type sauce that was delicious.  I would definitely eat it and ask for seconds.

I'm with you on the shellfish.  I'm not sure how it smells different from other fish.  What I don't like, though, is the consistency and dealing with the outer shell.  I hate clams, crab, mussels, crayfish, and many more.  I had calamari within the last 10 years (in Europe), they tasted just okay, and, within hours, I got sick from them.  No one else in the party got sick.  I don't know what that was all about.  I won't eat them again.  Surprisingly, I'm okay with scallops and with larger shrimp.  I've had lobster about 5 times and it was good.  Once was at a seafood buffet on a Good Friday at Harvey's Casino at Lake Tahoe.  All the lobster you could eat.

What you like is what I call "steak fish."  It's presented like a cut of meat or a chicken breast.  I agree. I love swordfish, halibut, and, if you get a good cut, shark can also be very tasty.  I also like smaller fresh water fish ... flaky and white, wow ... and if the scales have been removed.

Edited November 14, 2019 by trinacriabob

[regfootball]

11 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

For sedan sales to start augmenting and to get people out of their CUV/SUV fix, sedans have to become passenger, family, cargo hauling friendly again. 

If that means AWD, then yeah!

It certainly means better accessible trunk space that is large enough for family needs and egress and ingress improvements over what we have now as sedans.

Interior space shoudnt be  taken for granted either.  Rear leg room should be a priority along with head and shoulder room front and rear. 

As much as I like the sleek, fastback design, that kind of design favorises looks over practicality and usage. 

And...maybe sedans need to get a tad bigger also. The Edge is on the same platform as the Fusion, so the Edge is just as long as the Fusion, but the Edge is sooooo much larger that the Fusion.  The Edge rides taller and has a taller profile, nothing says that the Fusion can't ride a tad  taller while utilizing is space more efficiently  while retaining its car  qualities over the Edge as a CUV...

Well there was the AWD Taurus.....

[oldshurst442]

4 minutes ago, regfootball said:

Well there was the AWD Taurus.....

Yeah but...cramped interior. Especially for such a larger vehicle than the Fusion. The Fusion I believe, has about the same interior volume. Maybe just a minuscule amount less.  

[balthazar]

[Robert Hall]

^ 1965 was a very good year for GM styling across the board..

[David]

14 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

"Just say yes" to Chandler's (AZ) IKEA.

Cannot agree with this, IKEA BLOWS! 

They honestly need to be investigated for deceptive pricing, marketing and failure to support products they sell that upon return, sorry that is discontinued and not supported. Not returnable.

They use tiny signage to say you have to be part of some plan to get the priced items. Hell help you if you buy a product missing parts and it has been discontinued by the company but still being sold.

I get it that it is cheap, but not worth the hours you spend in line to check out, the Salty MSG heavy food they sell and the lack of quality help. 

If Cheap is your thing, then IKEA is your place. I will save up and buy quality over cheap. Horror stories about my kids buying stuff and then having to return it or try and get parts. I have told them knock the shit off and save to buy quality stuff. Not worth anyone's time.

3 hours ago, balthazar said:

We really need a Love Emoji in the choices for post other than the 5 options we have.

😍

[trinacriabob]

On 11/13/2019 at 12:04 PM, regfootball said:

So car and driver had a new comparison test up for all wheel drive Altima vs all wheel drive legacy.  Also toyota just announced that Camry will be available with AWD for 2020.  I remember from my 2019 Malibu test drive the sales guy said that lots of people as soon as they found out AWD was not available on Malibu they went to the equinox.  Do you think this new focus on AWD on midsize sedans May boost that market and should Chevy also offer an AWD midsize sedan to compete.  

I could see that jumping ship as soon as they knew AWD wasn't available.  In a way, it says people DO like sedans.

On 11/13/2019 at 12:20 PM, oldshurst442 said:

For sedan sales to start augmenting and to get people out of their CUV/SUV fix, sedans have to become passenger, family, cargo hauling friendly again. 

If that means AWD, then yeah!

It certainly means better accessible trunk space that is large enough for family needs and egress and ingress improvements over what we have now as sedans.

Interior space shoudnt be  taken for granted either.  Rear leg room should be a priority along with head and shoulder room front and rear. 

As much as I like the sleek, fastback design, that kind of design favorises looks over practicality and usage. 

And...maybe sedans need to get a tad bigger also. The Edge is on the same platform as the Fusion, so the Edge is just as long as the Fusion, but the Edge is sooooo much larger that the Fusion.  The Edge rides taller and has a taller profile, nothing says that the Fusion can't ride a tad  taller while utilizing is space more efficiently  while retaining its car  qualities over the Edge as a CUV...

In a way, you're advocating the qualities of a boulevardier type sedan.  I'm with you on this.  I'd like to see ample leg and head room front and back, a nice usable trunk without a mail slot as a trunk lid, and even more formal (more notchback like) looks, if they can be made to be aerodynamic and fetch the needed mpg.  I think today's fastback styling on sedans compromises visibility and, for me, that takes away from both the sense of control and the pleasure of driving.

Edited November 14, 2019 by trinacriabob

[Robert Hall]

I generally don't like Ford truck styling since 1997, but this DDR Concepts Lightning is sweet...I like the cleaned up front end.

[balthazar]

Ford has always made the Lightning a very attractive package.
- - - - -
Barn-find '20s Pierce-Arrow straight 6 engine on CL. Interesting to see the free-flowing, tubular exhaust and 4 valves/cylinder :

[David]

On 11/15/2019 at 5:43 AM, balthazar said:

Ford has always made the Lightning a very attractive package.
- - - - -
Barn-find '20s Pierce-Arrow straight 6 engine on CL. Interesting to see the free-flowing, tubular exhaust and 4 valves/cylinder :

Are they gonna rebuild it and bring it back to life or just looking to see what the head was like?

[balthazar]

Someone was questioning the value on it from a CL ad. AACA consensus was it was worthless in that condition; more people want the I8 and there are a decent supply of better I6s out there. This engine was stuck, and (an earlier version of the) ad stated no specific price, but that 'it's worth thousands so no low-ballers'.

 

I would be game to get an old inline flathead, disassemble it & clean it all up, then offer it as just that to the antique market (not rebuilt/running, just a complete engine cleaned up, derusted, threads chased, etc).
About 20 years ago I looked at a private collection of parts cars, and one was a late 40s Packard. When I looked under the hood, I was besmitten by the I8 flathead under there. Couldn't tell you why.

Edited November 17, 2019 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

On 11/14/2019 at 10:12 PM, Robert Hall said:

I generally don't like Ford truck styling since 1997, but this DDR Concepts Lightning is sweet...I like the cleaned up front end.

Very nice truck, but it ain't all that "custom".  I mean, that's the bone stock STX grille and painted bumper, with a scooped hood and Pep Boys headlights added.

[David]

31 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Very nice truck, but it ain't all that "custom".  I mean, that's the bone stock STX grille and painted bumper, with a scooped hood and Pep Boys headlights added.

Plus get rid of that Damn Plastic wind deflector under the bumper. Looks like your trying to plow the road.

[regfootball]

On 11/13/2019 at 10:27 PM, oldshurst442 said:

Yeah but...cramped interior. Especially for such a larger vehicle than the Fusion. The Fusion I believe, has about the same interior volume. Maybe just a minuscule amount less.  

agree there, the taurus interior was not efficient but it does have a huge trunk.

 

[Robert Hall]

12 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Very nice truck, but it ain't all that "custom".  I mean, that's the bone stock STX grille and painted bumper, with a scooped hood and Pep Boys headlights added.

Ahh...not familiar with the STX...I'm used to seeing F150s with that thick bar across the front.   Those look like stock headlights; I've seen the glowy tube lights at night..  and it's pretty unusual to see a regular cab short bed 2wd...an almost extinct configuration. 

Edited November 18, 2019 by Robert Hall

[balthazar]

Concrete sidewalks, dirt roads. Wash DC, 1925 ~

[ykX]

Seems very well received by critics and the audience.

Planning to go with family next weekend.

[ccap41]

16 minutes ago, ykX said:

Seems very well received by critics and the audience.

Planning to go with family next weekend.

I'd like to go sometime in the next week or two, as well. 

[Robert Hall]

Going to try for next weekend.  Was too busy this past weekend. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Well, after over 13 years with Direct Energy and surviving multiple rounds of layoffs, my 9 lives with the company appear to be up, the latest round of layoffs got me. I will be finishing out the year and then be on the hunt for a new position in January.

[ykX]

@Drew Dowdell Good luck! Hopefully, you will be able to find something better.

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, ykX said:

@Drew Dowdell Good luck! Hopefully, you will be able to find something better.

Thank you.  I'll find something fast I think. Plus I will get an awesome severance. 

[Robert Hall]

@Drew Dowdell Good luck.  I'm sure you'll find something good. 

[USA-1]

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Well, after over 13 years with Direct Energy and surviving multiple rounds of layoffs, my 9 lives with the company appear to be up, the latest round of layoffs got me. I will be finishing out the year and then be on the hunt for a new position in January.

Good luck man! Sounds like you already had some bites recently on Indeed with your resume. I've had pretty good luck finding decent job on there in the high tech. industry as well.

[balthazar]

Not to make light of DD's situation too much but, I've tried to lay myself off numerous times, to no avail. I keep showing up like nothing happened.
- - - - -
Original owner '75 Toronado 'Air Cushion' car (air bag) :

Edited November 19, 2019 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

Selective fading?  I like the caution labels.  If he wrecks it, please contact GM so they can study the air cushion system for proper deployment.

[balthazar]

Mercedes copied GM and debuted an airbag system, but 8 years later (‘73 vs. ‘81).