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.

Google is now offering mapping with style. You can do the old school style of vector art goodness, or you can do the fresh new style of color satalite photography (just hit the “satalite” link on the right hand side).

For example: Casa de WWBD

Small issue though…. they marked my house with the little plumb bob looking thing…. and that’s not my house. I actually live 2 houses down (I added the yellow arrow). I guess it’s not as precise as it could be, but wtf… it’s free (and free is a good thing!)

So there you go, all you intraweb psychopaths. Sharpen those axes, adjust the tension on those chain saws, and come on over! (Just make sure you check the Google version of the map instead of mine first) 🙂

We went to the Toyota dealer and test wrecked a 2005 Highlander tonight.

Nice.

Of course, they didn’t have the hybrid version that we want, but it gave us a feel for how it’s going to drive… and it drives pretty nice. The salesman was trying to get us “on the list” by putting money down right now.

On a car that they don’t have.

So we can be 5th in line to take whatever they get.

Um… I’ll wait till you have one, thank you very much.

So…. being that we were already on Auto Row (an area of East Sprague Avenue that is populated nearly completely by car dealers), we stopped at the Ford dealer to look at the Escape.

Well… they had one, but it was in the shop getting ready for customers (apparently it just came off the truck). So we talked to the dealer about it.

He basically said (and I quote): “You don’t want one, they’re not worth it”.

😐

Apparently, the Ford runs on batteries up to 25 mph, then the engine kicks in. If you have the heater or AC turned on, the engine is always running. So… if you live in an area like we do (with extreme cold in the winter and heat in the summer) for your extra $5,000…. you get the same exact mileage as a normal Escape.

Unless, of course, you never turn on the AC or heat, and keep it under 25mph.

Hmmmmm…..

That’s something that never crossed my mind. I’ll be calling the Toyota dealer again tomorrow and asking him about that to see if they do it differently.

Funny thing about the Ford salesman though… he didn’t offer to show us anything else. He did talk about his new ’05 mustang though. I guess he’s pretty proud of it, because that’s all he talked about.

*sigh*

So… unless we find out that Toyota has a different way to heat/cool their vehicle (or that it does it more efficiently), we’re off the hybird shuffle and will pry get something that gets better mileage without all the fancy bits.