Posts by Gadgeteer

  • LATEST RECALL INFO. YOU WILL RECEIVE A CUSTOM VERSION OF THIS LETTER SOON IF YOU ARE AFFECTED.

    Quote from Red

    It's at the dealer for the recall, 70mph at 30 degrees is cold. First time catching snowflakes in a slingshot.


    I'm at dealer right now, for recalls and a warranty repair. Left the house before 6AM (34 deg.) to get to dealer by 9AM; arrived closer to 10. No alt. transport, so I'm here until it's done. Shop just closed but their putting in overtime to get me back on my way home tonight. Maybe another hour or two. Temps will be dipping below 40 before I get back on the road, with 50% chance of rain (of course) and streets are already damp from drizzle. Should be a fun ride home. :cool:

  • LATEST RECALL INFO. YOU WILL RECEIVE A CUSTOM VERSION OF THIS LETTER SOON IF YOU ARE AFFECTED.

    Yep! I got the same call from Coleman (Woodbridge). They would like to order my recall parts for me. Nice thought, but the Sling I bought from them has gone to SS heaven and my new dealer of choice (Tri-county) already ordered them for my current SS. Sorry Coleman... too little, too late. It sucks that my choice dealer (Tri-county) is 180 miles away when there are 3 other dealers within 60 miles of home, but that's the way it goes.

  • LATEST RECALL INFO. YOU WILL RECEIVE A CUSTOM VERSION OF THIS LETTER SOON IF YOU ARE AFFECTED.

    Quote from BatPower

    ... also he told me they had all the swingarms for all recalls


    That's an odd statement for a dealer to make. I have to assume they meant they have "all the swingarms they've requested, so far." I'd be surprised if they had extras, unless they ordered one for every SS they sold, whether the customer requested it or not.


    Nice to hear Coleman has changed their service schedule from the "drop it off and we'll get to it when we can" method. ;)

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Quote from Bill Martin

    Wasn't gonna say it but now that you mention it - "caring for unaborted babies"???? The left and Dems wanna be able to abort up to time of birth!! LEGALIZED MURDER IMO!!


    And the right-wing conservatives seem to favor legalization to kill the un-aborted (living persons - often liberal minded or otherwise undesirable and offensive to conservative minds and values). So, if we could agree that everyone should have the right to kill whomever they want, pre- or post-natal, then both side will be happy. Right?


    Sorry, my liberal mind got the better me and went off the reservation. Pro-choice does not mean Pro-death. Pro-choice means allowing a woman to decide what is best for herself. I am not in favor of abortion, but I don't think my choice should necessarily be forced on others either, in this matter. I'm not in favor of free handouts, but I am in favor of helping those truly in need. I think we should retain our right to bear arms, but I don't think we need assault rifles for game hunting. I agree that lower crime rates seem to coincide with areas that allow open-carry, but those areas also have lower population densities, statewide. I also agree that in places like Alaska which are more wilderness than anything else, a sidearm could be a life saver. There are no easy answers to the many problems that we face. Both conservative and liberal views have merits, but neither is ideal by itself. Nor is either flawless. We all have different ideas about what will America great again, but we need to understand that what worked in the past may not be the right answer. The world has changed, thanks in no small part to America and it's global influence, and we need to change with it. Holding doggedly on to our past greatness is not the answer, but neither is tossing it aside.


    I give many of you credit for being able to reel in some of the extreme views that were bandied about, but I encourage you to take it a bit further. One thing I've noticed is that most, if not all, of the name-calling and bipartisan bashing i have seen on this thread and among my Facebook friends is coming from the Conservative side. I'm not saying the Liberals are innocent, but I'm not seeing/hearing it first-hand. There are media reports and videos showing kids rioting and protesting, and plenty of young idealistic college kids acting naively, but mostly, it is just the kids. Not too much different that how the boomers were when they were the same age. It wasn't ALL "Peace and Love", back then. But, really, on this thread, the majority of the "bad behavior" seems to be coming from the conservative minded. In fact, a large portion of Conservatives are also Christians and I think we can all agree that much of the bashing is very un-Christian. As I recall, it is exactly the kind of hatred that Christ was quick to admonish. I don't remember any mention of him saying it was okay as long as someone else started it. In fact, I'm pretty sure there was something about "turning the other cheek." I haven't read the latest version of the book, but I'm pretty confident that it's still in there. If I'm mistaken, then please let me know. In the meantime, can we at least strive for less bashing and unrestrained/uninformed stone-throwing, and have a more civil debate? What'd ya say?


    Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Quote from Red

    Space Program? Didn't Obama kill the shuttle program? I think that's why we pay the Russians to get us into space now.


    No. Bush killed the Space Shuttle. Contrary to popular belief, Obama is not to blame for everything negative thing that happened in the country or the world.


    "[The Space Shuttle program] was formally scheduled for mandatory retirement in 2010 in accord with the directives President George W. Bush issued on January 14, 2004 in his Vision for Space Exploration.[21]" (Wikipedia)
    Space Shuttle program - Wikipedia

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Quote from Slingrazor

    This is what is wrong with the political and journalism today. You quoted what you thought would help from my post but didn't put the entire post directly which contradicted what you have posting.That same method is what is used in statistics to make a point. Just because you posted the numbers from the source you wanted in a way you interpreted it does not make it factual. It is your opinion which is OK, for what you believe.


    I'm trying to maintain and promote fair and reasonable conduct among us, but it is obvious that some folks don't care or are opposed to that goal. If, in trying to achieve that goal, I failed to adhere to my own standards, then I apologize for my misconduct.


    You're right, sharing only the information that supports a particular bias is exactly what is wrong with journalism, because journalism is supposed to be unbiased. Politics is all about persuasion and is fundamentally biased. Therefore, there is more flexibility in that arena and yes, statistics (often biased) plays a large role. Unfortunately, the standards of conduct that we have been taught to expect from journalism and politics have succumbed to abuse of power by pushing the boundaries of those standards.


    Unfortunately, these institutions are free to set their own standards, as long as they do not infringe on the 1st Amendment. Not only are those standards malleable, the public helps to shape those standards by their response and use of the information being disseminated. In debate among the public, especially on the internet, there doesn't seem to be any rules of conduct and we constantly seek out biased information to support our opinions and beliefs. The media is shaped by it's ratings and politics is shaped by votes. In both cases, they are a reflection of the public majority. We have influence to effect change through our behavior (purchasing power, activism, etc.), but in turn, we give them the ability to influence those behaviors. They are a reflection of our choices and demands. That is the fundamental principal of both American democracy and pure capitalism, the two major components of what makes America great.


    Now, let's get back to your complaint...


    Apparently I misread your post as an agreement and completely missed it was an accusation directed at me. I honestly appreciate you pointing out my mistake. Since you've reposted it here, I now see the spirit is which it was intended. I misunderstood because the first and last sentences seemed to agree with my point about the unreliability and inherent bias in data presented to support a particular view. However, I did not mean to imply that disbelief indicated a lack of intelligence. In fact, belief (or disbelief) have little or no relation to intelligence at all. If I implied the two were related then I greatly apologize for it and any disrespect it may have conveyed. As to the claim that "the ones with a little more brain cells" being less offended by a differing point of view, it is a bit too generalized. I agree that they may be less offended in general, but it is somewhat dependant on the amount of independent thought and consideration that has gone into forming the differing opinion. One of my college professors used to remind us of a quote from the writer, Harlan Ellison, “You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”


    On to making others look dumb. I'm not trying to make anyone look dumb. Just as you have done for me, I am simply trying to point out to others that they are making themselves look dumb. That is all. I'm not calling anyone stupid (at least I didn't mean to - please forgive me if I did) and I'm not trying to suggest their views are dumb. Nor am I trying to push an opposing point of view. My reference to Bush was not to favor Obama, it was to point out the intentional omission committed by many conservatives in their unrestrained bashing of both Obama and anyone who holds a view that differs from the conservatives'. I'm not offended by either conservative or liberal views and leadership, I am offended when one is vilified and the other praised when both are guilty. It is the underhanded, willful or blind, favoritism that is being used to sway or support the opinions of others that bothers me. If you truly cared about your fellow Americans, your brothers in-arms, and the welfare of this country, and you could see the damage being wrought due to the flagrant favoritism that is literally ripping this country in two, then I would expect it would bother you too.


    If one intentionally uses another's fear or ignorance against them, then I feel compelled to question the motives and integrity of that person. Further, if one willfully supports those that use fear or ignorance to gain such support, doesn't that call into question, not just the integrity of the supporter, but their intelligence, wisdom, gullibility, or culpability, as well?

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Wowwww... just... wow. Just to be clear, I'm not arguing the merits of any president over another, I'm arguing for awareness and consideration among Americans. Is seems @Allln5450 has now volunteered to show us exactly what I'm talking about.


    Ok, so...


    Quote from AllIn5450

    They are DIRECTLY from your source, Just from the page that allows you to search the national debt DAILY.

    If is was directly from my source, then it would be the same page, not a different page. However, you are not entirely wrong, you're just using the term "source" incorrectly. If your original claim of using of my source had indicated that you were citing a different page from the same source (U.S. Treasury), then your claim would have been accurate and acceptable. Yes, it's a small point, but an important one.


    Quote from AllIn5450

    the summary is from another site, and is just for informational purposes only

    That would have been helpful to know since it has no identifiable relationship to your initial counter argument. If you just mash a bunch of stuff together like that it distorts any coherent message you're trying to convey. I was going to let some of that slide, but since we're already talking about it...


    Even if you had cited the last sentence correctly, as noted above, it should have been placed just after the grand total line because everything from "Needless to say..." down to that sentence lacks any numerical or mathematical support. Definitely something that undermines your credibility. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt on that one.



    Quote from AllIn5450

    I do not believe the government should be able to spend money that it does not have. IF I ran my business like the government is run,

    Does your business have any outstanding loans or credit on your accounting ledger? If so, then in this context, you are indeed running your business like the government is run. However, you don't have to worry about the IRS since they don't come after you for bad debt, unless that debt is on taxes you owe to them. If you owe someone other than the IRS, it is that entity you need to worry about coming after you. Of course, as a business owner, you know all this, so this is just clarification for anyone else that might not be aware of it.


    Quote from AllIn5450

    YOU are the one that went back and claimed some of the spending of Obama was a result of Bush, not me. While I agree with your assessment on the spending overlaps, the same will apply to Trump during his first term as President. He will be blamed for the failings of Obama during the time it takes him to fix it and recoup some of the money Obama wasted.

    You are right, Trump will be blamed for whatever needs to be fixed after Obama leaves office. You're right, I went back further than Obama and into Bush's presidency, not you. Now, if I could just get you make the following connection.


    In the last 8 yrs., I have never heard of any conservative ever concede that, just as Trump will be unfairly blamed for the failings of his predecessor, Obama was being unfairly blamed for the failings of his predecessor, President Bush. Even you have admitted the former, yet you are arguing that Bush did less damage to our economy than Obama did. Would you be willing to concede that just as Trump is being left holding the bag for Obama, in turn, Obama was left holding he bag for Bush? So far, every conservative to whom I've suggested this has denied it and labeled it as Democratic propaganda. So, it seems to me that most conservatives have forgotten (or are trying to forget) that Obama inherited an economy on the verge of total collapse, the very first day he was in office. Everyone remembers the massive cluster-f*** of a bailout, but they seem to forget that it was signed-in by Bush, 30 days before Obama was elected. They also seem to forget that the bailout was deemed necessary due to the irresponsible lending practices that Banks started using to take advantage of the housing boom which began around the time Bush first took office. I'm not upset about who screwed the pooch, I'm upset that conservatives like yourself actually believe (or at least support) the idea that Obama was the one responsible for the economic shit-storm, and it's aftermath. If the shit hit the fan a month before Obama was elected, I would be delighted if you or anyone else can explain how the economy was entirely his fault. Until then, any complaints regarding the mess Obama is leaving behind for Trump reeks of hypocrisy.




    Quote from AllIn5450

    AMEN!!!!!!! Well........some accept the propaganda, but there are some that actually use their brains and find the TRUTH. And those are not called "socialists".

    This statement conveys the exact opposite of what you actually intended. Squeezing the words "AMEN!!!!!", "propaganda", "TRUTH" and "socialists" together into one thought, with lots of CAPITALIZATION, makes one more likely to question just how much independent thought is really going on. I'm not saying you are not using your brains, I know you are, but your statement makes you sound like a conservative fanatic, and not in a good way. Just something to think about.

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Quote from Bill Martin

    @Gadgeteer & @AllIn5450 both of you guys have put up excellent, well thought out arguments to support both schools of thought. What it proves is that politicians have lied, cheated, and said anything to make their political interest look good and we the people are guilty of just accepting same. Case and point - just this morning I heard Rob Emmanuel, mayor of war zone Chicago actually say "Chicago will remain a sanctuary city - you are safe here". If anyone can accept that- a few fudged facts and figures are nothing. This ain't the first case I lost and probably won't be the last - but I did learn something. Whoever started this thread must be pretty smart :00008172:


    Holy cow. Someone actually gets it. Thank you @Bill Martin.


    Yes, Politicians have proven time and again that, in general, they are not the most trustworthy bunch of folks. Further, political bias has undermined the reliability of the media and our false confidence in the media is further undermined by the countless special interest groups bombarding us with propaganda and rhetoric disguised as expert knowledge and analysis. Yes, we the people are guilty of accepting it, mainly because we were taught that pure journalism was supposed to be presented without bias, so that people could make an informed decision based on the facts. Obviously, most of us know that is not the case, yet we still base our decisions and opinions on this plethora of unreliable information. However, perhaps the greatest error is that we the people use this unreliable information to support and justify our various view and to stomp any reasonable opposition to our views.


    It is common knowledge that the two most volatile subjects to debate are politics and religion. Why? Because both are based more on belief and faith than on evidential proof. This is the core problem with Politics and the American public. Because of the difficulty of finding real evidential proof for ourselves, we instead rely on others to provide it for us and then we weaponize it in the battle for our chosen political savior. Religion is based on faith because there is very limited evidential proof. However, there is plenty of evidential proof in Politics, yet people are too preoccupied to seek it out for themselves. Instead they rely on the political sermons and scripture provided to them and take it on faith that their thoughts and opinions are just. Power no longer rests with the people, it rests with government and those closely aligned with government, especially corporate and industrial interests. Our elected officials do not represent us or our choices, we represent them and their choices. They know this, they count on it, and as long as they can keep us squabbling amongst ourselves over "the issues" which have no simple answers and are essential impossible to resolve so they can go about their business of handling the "big picture" stuff, as they see fit. I don't give a rats ass about which party party is in control, my concern is that in our collective ignorance, we are actively participating in the perpetuation of everything we say is wrong with our government, our legal system, and our country. We put the blame on the Politicians, but we are the ones that keep buying what they are selling us. We are the ones that are voting for "the lesser of two evils" because those are the options presented to us by our representatives and their supporters. We are the ones that keep casting our "popular vote" while it is the votes of the electoral college, a body of representatives chosen by the political parties, that actually matter. This is what our arrogance and ignorance has made possible and continues to make possible. As long as the discussion is a debate over who was the better president or at what point a fetus has rights, America will never truly be what WE want it to be. Neither Trump, nor anyone else that sits in the Oval office can make America great again. Only WE can make America great again and the only way it will happen is if we stop arguing and debating over pointless crap and start having thoughtful, reasoned conversations about real issues based on real data. Real change starts with us making real changes in ourselves, not by changing who's in office or who we follow.

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion


    Alright, you too have supported my point. While you obviously made a valiant effort here, these are not the numbers from my source. If you click the link in my post, it should take you directly to the table of data. The big tip off is that my numbers are based on government fiscal year end, 9/30, not the date of inauguration which your numbers are based on. So, contrary to your claim, your numbers did not come from the same source. In fact, the only link to a source that I can see is to yet another 3rd party analysis and that is only for the summarization. So, I have no idea where your numbers came from. In the end, it doesn't matter and I really don't care. I don't care what Obama did because it has already been done and there's nothing that you or I can do to change that. Same goes for Clinton and any other past president or presidential candidate. None of it has any bearing on what is to come. My point has never been about who's better because it is not relevant. My point is that opinions are like assholes - everybody has one - and most of them are based on unreliable, biased data. That's it, nothing else. If you prefer one party or candidate over the other that's great. If you hate the other, that's fine too. If you want to try convincing someone that your preference is better than theirs, then you need to do more than slam them with propaganda made up bullshit. Just because it was effective on you doesn't make it any more true or real. So, once again, my point...


    You know what? Screw it. America has gotten this far without my input and it is clear from the state of things that everything is just peachy. So, forget everything I said (not that you would remember it anyway) and carry on. I'm going to go do something that is actually worthwhile. Peace.
    -

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Quote from Bill Martin

    @Gadgeteer I have a little chart here for you to examine. Numbers and percentages can be played with and spun to prove any point you would like to make. You can fact check thisde
    There is no spin there!

    That would depend on how you define "spin", @Bill Martin. My point was that people are basing their "informed decisions" on incomplete information, such as the chart you provided, which is not really a chart, but just a graphic. Not only does you graphic tell an incomplete story, it is also inaccurate. Keep reading.


    As you suggested, I did do the fact checking because, as I am about to prove, you did not. Of course why would you? After all, you EARNED the RIGHT to argue from the heart, not the mind, right? So, Counselor, I pulled numbers from the U.S. Treasury Dept. showing the outstanding National Debt, by close of fiscal year, and here is what I found. The errors in your graphic are the $6.3T and $6.5T. Since you provided no source for your numbers, let us use the numbers provided by the Treasury Dept., which are $10.02T and about $6.1T. That's right, as of FY2008, and not quite the end of Bush's term, the National Debt was at $10T, not $6.3T. Now, let's look at the rest of the story. While it is true that the national debt increased about $6.1T under Obama's first term, what your graphic does not show is that under Bush, the National Debt increased about $4.35T, from $5.67T. While you can argue that the increased debt was numerically larger under Obama than it was under Bush, your claim that the increase is greater than the debt accrued before Obama took office is false. Further, the attempt to hide Bush's impact on our current level of debt, by lumping it together with all the previous presidents before him, has been revealed and provides a clearer picture of the truth. Therefore, you have successfully proven my point, which is that even highly intelligent people can look like fools when they use someone else's half-baked analysis. Thank you, Counselor. :thumbsup:


    If it makes you feel any better, I too have proven the point by making a fool of myself plenty of times. :D
    -

  • Wrecking Crew / DMV owners roll call

    Quote from ethermion

    The time is coming for heated gloves.

    Yep. My fingers get to aching when temps drop, so I got a pair of heated glove liners last year and they were awesome. My glove size is L-XL, so finding a pair of gloves to go over the liners was a bit of a challenge, but once I did they worked great. I was out driving in temps as low as 26' F without a problem.


    For everything else, I stuck with layers instead of heated gear because I sweat at the drop of a hat. Synthetic base layer under my jeans and a long sleeve base layer under tee shirt, hoodie, and light weight jacket. When temps dipped really low, I'd add my light-weight rain suit as a wind-breaker. Also had a thermal balaclava under my full-face. The only heated clothing I needed was the glove liners.

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Ok, I know. The beginning of my previous post (rant) runs contrary to the end of it. Cut me some slack. As I said, I'm just as guilty of taking the bait as anyone else. In my defense, my reactionary crap is shared in the spirit of my lengthy plea for reason, clarity, and perspective. Please forgive. :)

  • Conservative Politics & Daily Events Discussion

    Quote from Bill Martin

    20 trillion in debt - debt doubling under Obama, the king of the Democrats and they don't love entitlements for votes??? THAT IS FACT Don't be naive or ignorant?? Kinda harsh there bro!!


    @Bill Martin, if the numbers in this article are accurate, then debt doubled under Bush (+101%), not Obama (+68%). Granted, the actual dollar value was greater under Obama. However, since Calvin Coolidge was the last standing president to actually have the debt decrease during his term, then percentages may be a better indicator of performance, but that still only tells part of the story. There is also a matter of income fluctuations (income tax, tariffs, etc.) such as those caused by the economic crisis of 2008, under Bush, that can bleed over into the next President's term. There is also the matter of perceived value; the value of what was gained from incurring the debt. Economic relief for banks, businesses, and homeowners, military spending to support our troops, affordable health care and education, industrial subsidies, and the list goes on. Simply looking at gross numbers, without a clear understanding of what those numbers really mean, makes a weak argument that only serves to rally the sympathetic and repel the staunchly opposed. Since almost every political debate is grounded in such half-baked statistics, an intelligent individual should realize the numbers offered by the experts and media are meant to influence, not inform. Unfortunately, even the intelligent can be incited by their emotional response before their rational mind can catch up. God knows I'm as guilty of that as anyone. :D


    To all,
    In just a few days, this thread as grown to a staggering 188 pages. Obviously, folks are passionate about what is going on in the country right now. However, most of the arguments are pointless because they are fueled by fear which is being manipulated by the half-baked information being distributed by the media and the politicians themselves. They are the ones shaping public opinion, not us. We, the public, are reacting to what is being given to us and we make little or no effort to actually take the time to really investigate the truth. As long as we continue to accept what is fed to us on TV, social media (FORUMS), newspapers, web articles, or any other 3rd party analysis, then our arguments will only be the same tired, pointless, crap. Only the foolish (even smart people can be foolish) believe what is favorable to them and refuse what is unfavorable. Open your eyes, your ears, your minds, and your hearts. We are all in this together, as Americans, and while only a few may be rioting in the streets, so many more are rioting on-line from the comfort of their homes. Because the internet brings the world into our daily lives, we are are all subject to being caught up in the "mob mentality" that is running rampant in social media. Right now, this thread and thousands more like it are feeding into this and it is up to us to break the cycle. If you are full of hate over politics, you've already been sucked in. This is your rope, your wake up call, your smack back to reality. Stop spreading fear, stop being rude or crass, stop attacking each other and stop attacking each other's choices. The odds are that your choice is just as misinformed as anyone else's. The votes have been cast within a system that we all accept by virtue of our using it and the winner has been elected. The time of complaining about or defending the previous president and the losing candidate is over. It is too soon to form a real opinion of our new president- elect because even now, the claims and promises made are in a state of flux. Calm down, keep your eyes open, and let the dust settle before making any further judgements about what is yet to come.