When you're not using your computer...

[ccortez]

Why not the Mazdaspeed3 instead of the WRX? Seemed to offer better handling and better value being about $3000 less with more options.

Could be. I'm more familiar with the WRX. I tend to trust a model line more once it's been around a few years, but I'm not really a car guy. I drove an Infiniti J30 from 1997 until Monday. ;)

20/26mpg is "OK" but nothing to brag about. My Honda gets 20/28 and its an Odyssey MINIVAN.

Yeah, we've got a CR-V that may get better mileage. And I've driven the Odyssey. And, all due respect to both our "loser cruisers", they ain't no fun compared to driving the WRX. Anyway, I have 10 miles of hilly switchbacks between me and work, so I'm not going to get great mileage in anything. Especially this... ;)

Oh, when did peak diamond production hit and have we run out of those yet?

I don't know anything about diamonds except that it's a murderous, mobbed-up racket.

But you and I both know that peak oil has nothing to do with "running out" of oil. There will be plenty left in the ground. It's just that at some point (soon) it will require more energy to extract and refine it than is economically... tenable.

EDIT: Many argue that technologies will allow us to go deeper and into smaller, more unreachable pockets of oil. Ironically, the more efficient and aggressive we become at extracting the more difficult deposits, the faster we bring on the peak. Burn baby burn! :twisted:

[super8man]

Agreed on almost all parts. Love the van, its a comfortable cruiser on the interstates here. Good for filming since the ride is nice and steady too. However, I also have a Legacy wagon and I am with you, construction is first rate and the 4cyl kicks! 5-speed is the way to go in my wagon! Mileage is great - 450 miles on one tank on the interstate (I think it is 15 gallons). Very nice in that regard too.

Now I have to turn my attention to natural gas vehicles for my real job. SHould be interesting.

Later,
m

PS - I am jealous on the WRX - I have been seriously thinking about upgrading my legacy but I like the wagon...color? Suby Blue?

[MovieStuff]

Oh, when did peak diamond production hit and have we run out of those yet?

A friend of mine is a geologist and he told me years ago that diamonds are actually pretty common; more common than a lot of other gems, in fact. What made them scarce long ago is that they are usually found deep down in solid rock, where the pressure needed to create them existed. Hence diamonds were scarce simply because getting to them was problematic. Now diamond mining is technically more advanced, and produces a far, far greater yield than ever before in history, though much suffering still exists within the African mining community because certain controlling groups think that humans are more expendable than machinery. But the point is that there are about 5 familes, I believe, that control the world's diamond supply. They mine far more diamonds that they release and the rest they keep locked away to make them artificially more scarce than they really are.

Roger

[ccortez]

Pretty good comparison of the WRX and MazdaSpeed3 from MotorTrend, for anybody still following this thread while I'm hijacking it... ;)

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/wag ... ngine.html

Mine is the light silver color. Another reason I couldn't get a MazdaSpeed3 is that they're new and therefore beyond what I was willing to spend on a gasoline vehicle. (I had my sights set on a few TDI models, but never found the right car.) I bought an 05 WRX wagon with 15k miles, mint. More stealth than the racer blue IMHO. Besides, as far as I could tell, I bought the only low-mileage WRX wagon in the country on that particular day. Austin showed one, Miami showed another, a 2k5 but with 32500 miles. Crazy how hard they are to find used...

Sorry... now, back to the off-topic flame war, er, discussion.

[super8man]

But the point is that there are about 5 familes, I believe, that control the world's diamond supply. They mine far more diamonds that they release and the rest they keep locked away to make them artificially more scarce than they really are.

Roger

I see a paternity suit in the making there... Tie this comment (Roger's) with the recent survey/study that finds the wealthiest own almost everything...there's a movie script in here somewhere.

Getting back to the oil bit, the same thing is happening where there's a not so outside chance for alternative vehicles to really upset the current "balance of power" and could literally render oil worthless in some economic sense (not literal)...I am just talking pie in the sky along the lines of Roger's assertion (sp?) of the 5 familes worried about the flood gates opening on diamonds.

Say, wasn't there a hollywood movie about a diamond that had a very bloody path? recently?

[super8man]

One last thread-related comment...you cannot LEGALLY buy diesel powered cars in California. So the TDI is out. WRX wagon - forgot there was that option...thanks!

Oh, if you ever get a chance to drive a Audi A6 with the 4L TDI (or was it the 3.8), its a blast. Again, illegal in California. All diesels sold in the state must have 7500 miles on them before they can be REGISTERED in this state.

Edit - the law is more strict actually: you cannot register any diesel in the state without it having 7500 miles on it. I have had to tell a few folks planning a move to this state (with out of state brand new diesels) that their car will have to wait until it gets 7500 miles on it before the DMV will allow it. I think there is an outfit that now gets the cars up to 7500 and then imports them Go figure.

[Angus]

for me it seems that most things, both software and hardware, break during boot if they do. plus it takes longer than a wakeup. plus, it gives the computer some idle time to rebuild indices, consolidate vm, and delete temp files.
/matt

I often have mine encoding DVD's for a couple of hours after I go to bed....then at 3am it updates its antivirus and then performs a complete virus scan (takes around an hour to do both)...I'm up before 6 using it...so really it has no real down time. It will go to sleep and shut down the monitor and HD's after a while...but it rarely gets the chance!

[Evan Kubota]

Why not the Mazdaspeed3 instead of the WRX? Seemed to offer better handling and better value being about $3000 less with more options.

Actually, I have to side with Chris here... the newer, special editions of the WRX are brutally fast, (relatively) cheap, and handle really well. That said, I've given up on getting my mechanized performance thrills from cars. Too inefficient (relatively). My $2300 motorcycle will outrun any car under $90,000 and is more fun to turn ;)

Regarding your earlier comment, I hope we don't need to stoop to dictionary definitions... but if so, it should be noted that 'untenable' also means 'incapable of being maintained.' That certainly applies to a situation in which I had to physically turn off my computer at night... especially since inspiration often strikes at 4 AM.

[ccortez]

Why not the Mazdaspeed3 instead of the WRX? Seemed to offer better handling and better value being about $3000 less with more options.

Actually, I have to side with Chris here... the newer, special editions of the WRX are brutally fast, (relatively) cheap, and handle really well. That said, I've given up on getting my mechanized performance thrills from cars. Too inefficient (relatively). My $2300 motorcycle will outrun any car under $90,000 and is more fun to turn ;)

Can't disagree with that. I love bikes too, but I'm afraid they're in my past...

Regarding your earlier comment, I hope we don't need to stoop to dictionary definitions... but if so, it should be noted that 'untenable' also means 'incapable of being maintained.' That certainly applies to a situation in which I had to physically turn off my computer at night... especially since inspiration often strikes at 4 AM.

Of course you're right, Evan... why use words precisely when sloppy usage is perfectly acceptable in most circles. ;)

My argument is that you're portraying very minor inconveniences (in the grand scheme of things) as conditions that are "incapable of being maintained". Commoditized, dirt-cheap energy is the only reason we can even consider such frivolities.

Anyway, here are some fun quotes:

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."
-- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"
-- Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

[Evan Kubota]

why use words precisely when sloppy usage is perfectly acceptable in most circles.

I fail to see how my usage was anything other than precise. It correlates exactly with a given dictionary definition, since you seem to like those...

My argument is that you're portraying very minor inconveniences (in the grand scheme of things) as conditions that are "incapable of being maintained". Commoditized, dirt-cheap energy is the only reason we can even consider such frivolities. Smile

Everything is minor "in the grand scheme of things." I don't see what the last bit contributes, unless you were planning on mothballing your PC and moving to a mud hut, or converting your home system (at great cost, I'm sure) to operating on solar power. It's quite possible that the actual, systemic costs of some means of attempting to avoid using the aforementioned 'dirt-cheap energy' are actually greater than simply plugging in and shutting up. Consider that it takes energy to produce other devices to save it, etc...

[aj]

double post. Which I thought was not possible

[aj]

It's quite possible that the actual, systemic costs of some means of attempting to avoid using the aforementioned 'dirt-cheap energy' are actually greater than simply plugging in and shutting up. Consider that it takes energy to produce other devices to save it, etc...

The classic nonsense argument for denial and self-justification.

Don't install lightswitches these cost more then they deliver. Keep the light on. Etcetc.

Do you smoke?

[etimh]

Anyway, here are some fun quotes:

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."
-- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"
-- Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

Writers in a pissing contest. Very good.

Tim

[Evan Kubota]

The classic nonsense argument for denial and self-justification.

Don't install lightswitches these cost more then they deliver. Keep the light on. Etcetc.

Do you smoke?

Note the word "may" in my earlier post. It's not feasible for everyone to turn off the computer frequently. I put it to sleep at night if there are no processes running, but fully turning it off would be a waste of my time when it sits in my bedroom and I use it in small bursts through the day.

As for your last comment, no, but maybe if you sent me some of whatever you get in the Netherlands that makes your posts' logic so incomprehensible, I would give it a try.

[camera_wizard]

I leave my iMac on, because I use it a lot.
For my other computers (ie. the computers i just kept after I upgraded to new machines so that I didn't have to transfer my old files) I just turn them off. I might not use them for weeks at a time.

However, my Apple //e still gets used every few days. Same with my Windows 3.1 machine.

Actually, my desk hasn't been upgraded since I kept my Windows 3.1 computer on it. I actually bought the smaller screen iMac because I thought the 20 inch model might not fit on my desk.(It probably could have, though. I found that out after i got my Mac home. Oh well.)

I sincerely hope that I didn't bore anyone to death with this post.

Dylan