CharmingGeek.net Funness

WTOP‘s weather forecasting is usually right on the money. Their meteorologists are much more reliable than any online source. However, I could do without the commentary. You just tell me today’s highs and lows, the chance of rain, and maybe a bit about humidity or wind, then I’ll decide if it’s beautiful, sweltering, or a little nippy. You may be completely accurate on the high temp of 92, but your assertion that it’ll be unbearably hot may not apply to me. Don’t tell me I’ll want a jacket in the morning, just tell me it’s 40 and windy. I’ll decide if that requires a jacket.

I saw a comic strip earlier this week that said something like “When you’re waiting at a traffic light to turn left, why would you inch forward into the intersection besides to block my view as I’m trying to turn right on red?”
That came back to mind as I was trying to turn out of BJ’s a few nights ago. Why on earth did that girl in the Explorer pull out into the intersection???

When I’m riding my bike, I like to play “Who’s the dumbest driver on this road.” It’s a great game to play. Helps me be prepared with the horn or the brake when somebody merges into my lane. I’m starting to think Beetle drivers are just bad drivers. When I’m riding I feel like most drivers are very courteous to me — giving me more space than they would give most cars and generously yielding the right of way. Unfortunately, some drivers just don’t pay much attention.

I’m not really into telling people they can’t drive safely while on the phone. DC drivers cannot drive safely while they are on the phone. In DC it’s illegal to drive while talking on a cell phone without a hands free device. So I constantly see people driving around, either with an ear piece in, or with their speaker phones on, and holding the phone out in the air. I also see the people with the ear piece in and gesturing with both hands, while the wheel just goes untended.

That’s all I can think of to complain about right now.

On the way in to work, I saw a Subaru Outback with far too many bumper stickers on it’s metaphorical ‘tocks. Of course, I pulled up closer to read the stickers. (Pasting words in tiny letters on the back of your car is not safe.) Among a few other left wing activist-inspired stickers, there was the requisite “If You Aren’t Completely Appalled, You’re Not Paying Attention” sticker. I have to admit, I was completely appalled by the number of slogans pasted on the back of this off-roading station wagon. I’m still wondering why one would say “you aren’t” as opposed to “you’re not.” I think “aren’t” is one of the most obscene, not to mention useless, words in English. I hate to hear it and I really hate to say it. I’m pretty much over that bumper sticker, though. Every time I see one, I think to myself, “Are you still completely appalled? Maybe you should think about just loosening up a little bit.”

A woman on the elevator with me today noticed I was carrying a helmet and asked me about my bike. She said her “husband was going through a midlife crisis or something” and bought a motorcycle. She obviously wasn’t very happy about it, especially after he got in an accident a few months later. She told him he should get a girlfriend instead.

Here are a few things that I could really use but just don’t feel like ponying up for right now.

Any one of these handsfree bluetooth headsets designed for use with a motorcycle helmet. The scala-rider series from Cardo easily fits on or off any helmet and has smart volume control that automagically increases with rider speed while reducing wind noise.

These rigid, locking, and waterproof saddlebags from Leatherlyke. I’d prefer the contemporary style (S317), but I’ll take either if I can find a good deal. I’ve been looking for a used set on eBay for a while.

Either the TomTom RIDER 2nd edition or the Garmin zūmo 500 navigation system. This is essentially your top of the line GPS navigation unit, but designed for motorcycles. That means a bike mount, waterproof design, and big, simple buttons that are easy to push while wearing gloves. The RIDER 2nd edition also ships with the scala-rider headset, a big plus for the TomTom.

Sandisk 2GB microSD card with miniSD and SD adaptors. My phone uses miniSD, my Sansa mp3 player takes microSD and the GPS units above would take SD. This solution would let me decide later which one needs the gigs. Or, hey. I’ll take 3. You’ll find a better deal at Amazon.

I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.

So, it turns out I am just slightly older than the ubiquitous emoticon. Sorry NY Times requires you to register to see their articles. 🙁

The first commonly acknowledged use of the contemporary emoticon was in 1982. Scott Fahlman, a research professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, was linked to an electronic university bulletin board where computer enthusiasts posted opinions on matters as divisive as abortion and mundane as campus parking.

Being a rebel comes with a price, and that price is realized in plastic overpants.

When my favorite environut blog collides with my favorite vlogging assasin:
Ask a Ninja declares Ninja Jihad on global warming.

In the interest of heading off any future arguments, horn honking, or possible citations, maybe you should set the following paragraphs to song:

In most areas of the United States, it is … legal to make some left turns on red. In all cases, the road being turned onto must be one-way. Making a left-turn on red from a two-way street is legal in only five states: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington. In Washington, freeway on-ramps are considered one-way streets for the purposes of the left turn on red law.
In 37 other states and Puerto Rico, it is legal to make a left turn on red only from a one-way street. Left turns on red are prohibited in the states of South Dakota (unless permitted by local ordinance), Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and in the District of Columbia and Guam.
All turns on red (left or right) are prohibited in New York City unless a sign is posted permitting it.

–Wikipedia [source]