Texsox

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 08:00 AM) Ford's (and Microsoft's) Sync system has had problems since day 1, it has been a real issue for them. Its a shame because Ford has done a lot of nice work with their vehicles in the past 5-6 years or so, but thei reliability numbers aren't as good as they could be specifically because of Sync. It seems to be related to road noise. Althought this is the quietest truck I have driven. Stopped, the commands are recognized better than when moving.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 09:07 AM) I think that fact that you are calling Mom while driving drunk is about the absolute least manliest thing you could really do.

And coolest sight on my truck, watching the average MPG hover around 20-21 instead of 14. We'll still take my wife's four cylinder Honda CRV on longer trips when we aren't towing our camper, but getting 20 driving to work seems almost miserly now.

I have Sync with MyFord in my new truck and the voice control seems to have a problem recognizing what I say. I know I have to change some names in my address book, Marvilyn sounds too much like line-in. But something as simple as call mom cell doesn't register. I am the pronouncer for our school's spelling bee, and (before drinking) speak fairly clearly. Is the technology still evolving?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 24, 2013 -> 02:19 PM) Good idea getting the cops in on it. They pointed out which guy to hit after seeing the wad he pulled out of his pocket to pay for parking.

Of the Rangers the past month.

Bevington fell all the way to independent ball. He rolls though my hometown everyone in a while. I've talked to him a time or two. Nice guy.

I love helping the youngsters with their homework. Paulie should have underbid, Ozzie should have just kept screaming "I have so much money I don't care if I win or not" and a bewildered Steve Perry keeps showing up but he doesn't know why.

At the old stadium we had the best parking lot. It was small, on the north side of the stadium bertweena street and an autorepair place. The guy who ran the lot was a cop. We would pay an extra $5 for a quick out and he would start our cars for us and have us on the driveway, facing the street, and ready to go. That way we could mug a guy on the way out of the stadium and make a clean getaway.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Sep 23, 2013 -> 01:15 PM) Mick Jagger is a GREAT grandfather. That is just crazy I'm not surprised, wouldn't it be cool to have Mickas a relative? All your friends parents and grandparent would want to meet him. So him being an great grandparent should come as no surprise, what is crazy is he is also a great great-grandparent. This is why my English Language Learning have a rough time with English

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Sep 23, 2013 -> 01:12 PM) So would going after gangs. You'll have SS and Balta crying about institutional racism and disparate impact. And I would agree that is a reasonable concern. I see it down here when people want to "round up illegals". Here, 90% of the population is Hispanic, what the hell does an illegal look like? So when rounding up "gang members" do you grab suburban kids dressing like Eminem? Every black guy wearing a hoodie? Bottom line, for me, you can't trample on innocent people's freedoms because they happen to fit a profile.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 23, 2013 -> 01:04 PM) Disarm them. If we could disarm only the bad guys and leave guns in the hands of my Dear Aunt Sally who likes a fresh squirrel now and then, would that be ok?

What do the coaches really do? It's a long season and comments range from "they don't pitch and swing the bat, they don't mean squat, it's the players" to "it's {insert mgr here} fault the team is below .500 instead of in the playoff".

The depth and breadth of the rights and freedoms we enjoy is scary when people like this push them in ways only a small percentage of the people agree with.

I nkow we have a aversion to having the military attcking our own people, but at some point Jenk's point becomes real. The point when the "bad guys" are better equiped and as organized as the police, what is the next step?

The right lane isn't useless. Merging and cars that are travelling slower than the posted speed limit (such as towing) should be there. Very few trucks have set speeds below the posted speed limits, Spirit I believe is the one I've noticed. So you have trucks and other traffic travelling at the posted speed limit in the center lane, vehicles travelling slower than the limit in the right (with trucks passing them) and vehicles speeding and travelling in the left lane. That seems to work.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Sep 22, 2013 -> 10:16 AM) Why the hell would someone hack my twitter? Twitter is rapidly becoming the hell hole that was myspace. I've had my account hacked three or four times.

Cars don't like to travel in the right lane anymore than trucks. But having driven many miles in a semi, don't stay there too long. It is a dangerous spot. In the olden days, before we had 55 mph, trucks were regulated to the right lane IIRC, which I may not. For certain they were kept out of the passing lane.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 21, 2013 -> 10:12 AM) Nah, the US wouldn't step in to stop that... True

Obviously what caught their attention was what they were burning. But looking at what they were charged with, I am wondering how safe it was to be carrying that many extremely flammable objects. Wouldn't it have been safer to keep the fuel in an approved fuel can and the Korans in a separate box and cover them with fuel once you get to the park? I have mixed feelings, I believe that burning books, even holy ones as part of a safe, peaceful, protest is something we should tolerate as Americans. It's kind of silly, but whatever floats his boat. I would feel some outrage if it were Bibles, as I assume Muslims would if it was a Koran.

Also affecting supply is how people are accessing care. Currently the best option for people without insurance is to visit an ER for everything. We need cheaper access. A whole lot of minor illnesses could be treated more effectively by PAs and Nurse Practitioners.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Sep 20, 2013 -> 05:01 PM) I think it is amazing that he was even born alive thanks to modern medicine. He should have been dead a long time ago but thru our medical system he is alive. He even stated it himself, born 20 years earlier or perhaps in a different place, he wouldn't be here at all. It says he lost his coverage. Do we know why? Yet we're clinging to a financial model of medical treatment that is from WW2.

To add to Duke's post Be kind. When a truck is trying to change lanes, flash your lights when it is ok to move over.

Makes the post even better.

So last week I decided I needed a new truck more than I needed the cash in the bank. My needs are simple. A 1/2 ton pick up for towing, four doors for passengers, and a few comfort items. My search was fairly simple Ford F150, Ram 1500, Chevy Silverado, and Toyota Tundra. Since I was internet shopping, I looked at dealerships in San Antonio (the biggest city near me) and some local shops. Visited dealer websites for all four and requested quotes on comparably equipped vehicles. I basically had a Ford window sticker to work off of. In Texas if you can't compare your truck to the Ford, you don't know s*** about your truck. Couple observations. The Toyota response was We have many great Tundras in stock for GREAT DEALS!, when can you come in? Ah, I can come in today, but I am not going to drive to four dealers. I am narrowing my choice down via the internet. Yes, but, we have so many to choose from . . . Do you have someone at the dealership that deals with internet sales? (His title was internet sales manager) Yes, but we don't negotiate prices via email, only in person. Here is a link to an internet special Tundra ($6,000 higher than the other quotes) So you don't actually sell any vehicles via the internet. Doesn't that make you the Internet Lead Manager? Bye bye Dodge Competitive price, fast response, but they had a clueless dude call me to gather the same information I emailed. They are a one price shop, so besides a little help with the rebates, they did not have to do much. Chevy crickets chirping from the first dealer. second dealer. Canned automail response. Eventually spent time trying to get me into the showroom. Ford. Back and forth over several days, the internet sales guy seemed to work hard to find all of the rebates that Ford offered. The most annoying was there were about $1500 in incentives tied to financing through Ford. If it is a cash deal, you lose that incentive. No problem I said, I'll just pay the loan in one payment. No, you really need to make a couple payments (paying close to $1000 in interest to get the $1,500 rebate). Then I remembered, one of the Boy Scout leaders I volunteered with works at a local Ford shop. Actually, he and his father own the shop. So I walked the internet deal into his store yesterday and commenced the old fashioned bartering. We laughed, we talked, he mentioned his prices, I told him mine. I laughed, he cried. He expressed skepticism that they could sell at that price and they would be losing money. I said your sales guys tell that to everyone, yet here you are still in business after a hundred years. (I think Henry Ford visited this location). So bottom line Monday they will be delivering to me a new F-150 SCREW XLT. I am giving up a few things from my old truck like HomeLink, automatic temperature control, hidden, lockable rifle storage, heated and power passenger seats. I am getting reliability and about a 25% to 30% increase in fuel efficiency. And some updated electronics like backup camera, satellite radio, power rear sliding window (WTF for I have no idea). This is the first vehicle I did 90% of the work via the internet and phone. I didn't leave home until I was almost certain of making a deal. Just for kicks I checked my bank and they quoted me under 1% interest on a two year loan. I could go all the way out to six years at 2.25%. I can't believe these rates, not wonder I can't get s*** for interest on any savings.