Modern vehicles are a delight to drive.

They come with all the conveniences, tons of safety features, and are far more comfortable than walking to the damn store in the rain.

One of the unique features a car comes with is something called a “turn signal”. This marvel of automotive design is often overlooked by the vast majority of drivers in the Spokane, Washington area, so I thought I’d jot down a few notes on it’s use for you.

There is a lever located on the left hand side of the steering wheel (photo A). Pressing this lever down will activate the turn signal on the left hand side of the car. Pressing the lever up will activate the signals on the right hand side of the car.

Photo A

You do this procedure when you would like to turn your car either right or left. It signals the other vehicles that you are about to change the direction of the 2 tons of metal you’re hurling down the road in. This gives them a chance to know your intentions and a chance to not attempt to fuse their vehicle into the side of yours.

A note: While using your turn signal is the appropriate way to show intent and a polite thing to do, using it excessively is not better. Driving down the road with your turn signal blinking for 4 miles doesn’t show intent, only your intelligence (which gets lower with each revolution of your tires). If you find that you have turned a corner and your turn signal is still blinking (as indicated by the dash lights), simply move the lever into the center position to cancel it.

I hope you’ve found this public service announcement helpful. Next time, we’ll talk about what those little footy things under the dash on the drivers side, what they’re for, and when to press them.

Michigan Congressman Fred Upton is trying to ammend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to change DST.

Another daylight saving time debate made its way to Washington.

Michigan Congressman Fred Upton introduced legislation to extend daylight saving time as part of the Energy Policy Act.

Currently, daylight saving time begins in the United States on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October.

Rep. Upton says extending daylight saving time “makes sense” especially with “skyrocketing energy costs”.

Under Upton’s amendment, it would begin in March and end in November.

Yeah… it would also fubar every computer, router, and firewall in my NOC.

Sure, given time, man hours, cash, and enough patches and firmware updates, everything would be spiffy again. That is, of course, only if the hardware and software mfgr’s write an update (we have some older equipment in use… most of it would have to be replaced).

Monumental bad idea, kids. Don’t do it.

Ok… for all you forum junkies out there… the BRHF is back… mostly.

I’ve taken creative license and moved a few threads into the old “Barbershop Politics” forum, then burried that forum under a few tons of concrete. It’s thill there, just not accessable.

If you want to run amock in the murky waters that are politics and religion, then I suggest you try my other forum, shitdanish (it’s un-moderated, non-administered, and un-loved). I don’t even have an account there. You can bash each other into mush there all you like.

As for the BRHF, I’m hoping that it goes back to the way it was prior to the last election: a fun place to hang out and goof off.

Our auto purchase idea has been placed on hold.

We’ve decided instead to replace the front end of the Durango (since our ’99 didn’t fall under the recall for the faulty ball joints, even though we have them). We’re also going to pay off my bike.

After my bike is paid off, that’s extra money to throw at the Durango, so we should pay it off early next year. Then we’ll focus that cash on her bike. When it’s gone, we’ll attack the credit cards (we don’t care about my car payments… I have a 60 month 0% interest loan… gotta love that!!).

Sure… I know what you’re thinking… “you’ll never focus that cash… you’ll just blow it on beer and stuff”. Well then, my little doubting Thomas, you’ve obviously never met my wife. When a decision is made, it’s cut in stone. That’s the way it’s gonna happen.

Other news:
I rode my motorcycle today for the first time since my last back surgery! Ok… I only rode it for 3 miles to Jess’s house, got off and watched him make beer for an hour, then rode it the same 3 miles back, but damn it… I RODE!!!

I shut down my forum today.

That wasn’t an easy thing to do… I spend a lot of time there, but it’s not what it used to be.

Way back in the day when I started it up (3 some odd years ago), it was a fun place. We had a lot of good members who poked each other and laughed.

Now, it’s become a hate machine. People arguing with no intention to back down from their viewpoint no matter how inane has become the standard practice. We’ve lost some good members and every thread seems to break down after a few posts.

So… I pulled the plug.

I’ll probably reinstate it in a week or two, but I’m torn about keeping the current content. There’s a lot of anger in there. I might just wipe the slate clean.