Modern Vespa

In memory of Santiago who was the curmudgeon who started this originally. I sent him a message but he hasn't responded so he is pissing me off.

What a great start .

People who hate Win11. Microsoft changed the interface, most everything underneath is the same. I have used it since my new desktop was upgraded, have installed decade(s?) old software, and have only one complaint: I cannot add a new Toolbar to the Taskbar. Get over it, things gotta change.

I was ok up to about an hour ago, but after my stupid phone slipped out of my hand as I was getting back into the car after a lonesome solo supper at the China Buffet, and more or less shattered the front screen, I get to go phone shopping tomorrow afternoon and deal with those up-selling sharks at the phone store, or what they call those dens of aggravation now.

It wouldn't be so critical, but I cracked the beejeebers out of it's backside ten days ago.

It's just an old Motorola Android, but replacing it at this time is not an appreciated expense.

AAAARRRRRRGGGHH!!!!

I know underneath Windows 11 isn't that much different from 10 but I tried it on a spare box I use as a VPN connected to a tv for streaming. I suppose I should give it another shot as I use Adobe Lightroom, Illustrator and Photoshop which drives my new PC purchases since I retired a few years ago. My current Surface Book Pro can handle even the latest version with all the AI stuff but I suspect that it won't be long before I have to bite the bullet and get a new machine as the graphics card is 3 year old tech and Adobe like pushing graphics cards to their limit. I suppose I could go back to a desktop since when traveling I mostly just take my iPad Pro anymore.

Showing my age but I've used CPM, DOS, Windows starting at 3.11 for Workgroups and everyone since except ME which I refused to use, Windows NT (bleh), System 5+ on Apple, iBM OS/2 (I actually quite like it except that it crashed so much I gave up on it), Unix, FreeDSD OSX up until whatever version came out 3 years ago when I gave away my MacBook Pro. While in some ways I prefer Windows Server and IIS for web servers if I'm actually managing the server, Apache on various flavor of Linux has some nice control panels for users on a shared server. So for sites like this one, especially now that I'm basically retired I've moved what few I still run over to commercial hosts on Linux/Apache.

My man, you just rebuilt your CVT. This is yet another opportunity to excel:

https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/Motorola_Android_Phone

Just rebuilt my machinist's 2020 Moto G Stylus and it wasn't all that bad to do.

Just witnessed our 2005 Subaru Outback be towed away to go to the recycle dismantlers. Main bearing went, engine was toast, and uneconomical to repair.

Only 4-wheeled transport is now the 40-year old Westfalia van. We'll keep that going come hell or high water.

Whoever thought that moving to an ordering system last updated in 1998 was a good idea is pissing me and probably 10000 of my colleagues off.

lol.

this is what ordering parts via the Australia Piaggio importer is like. I ask for part numbers and they send me these screenshots to confirm. (this mistakenly has angles instead of diablos)

Quote from today's Washington Post: 446 comments, nearly all pointing out what a complete load of bollocks THAT is. It's still up there, 14 hours or more since the first correction was sent in. <sigh>

Just set it at what ever time you want and just remember where you are at with the rest of us. What a waste of time. I am setting my Clock to Right Here Right Now!

Thanks for the timely timey reminder Jim. I thought we had done this already but apparently not.

Oh, I don't hate Windows 11. I hate Windows, period. Agreed, change is (ironically) a constant. I chose to change to something better than Windows.

As we were pushing back from the gate in San Francisco, on the way to Porto, I looked out the window and saw one of my bags, by itself, in the back of a luggage trolley, driving around the tarmac. I pointed at it and said to my wife "That's my @#$% bag!"

Sure enough, when we landed in Munich for our (very brief) layover, I could see the status of the AirTags in all of our luggage. Two of our bags were with us (or close by). One was still in San Francisco, regularly getting location updates every couple of minutes, definitely not with us.

By the time we got to Porto, the carrier on our second leg (Lufthansa) had figured out that there was a bag missing and texted us to start the resolution process. But they didn't have the bag — United had the bag, and it was still in San Francisco.

As of this moment, my bag is still in San Francisco, though it has moved to a different terminal.

This seems like an appropriate point to post this topical music video attesting to the fine baggage-handling skills of United Airlines.

The fact that I will never see page 101....

My Breakfast Date saying " I don't fancy yours much" way too loud at the backs of 3 rather oversized ladies lined up at the checkout when only 1 of them was paying the Bill.

It was worth the 2 hour drive just for that little gem.

That my car, which has TPMS, gives me no option of seeing what the current tire pressure is. Now I have to find my old gauge.

Toenails. I hate cutting toenails. It seems the older you get the faster they grow (and get further away).

Which reminds me of this gem from James McMurtry

TPMS will often show a warning when the temperatures get a bit low.

Unless of course you own a Range Rover then they will be on all the time.

fucking liars and folks who try to embellish themselves

Oh, details needed for that one.

So you just HAD to go visit Facebook, eh?

So United, to their credit, got my bag (two days late) onto a plane to Frankfurt, where it was supposed to be transferred to a plane to Porto.

Which, of course, it didn't.

I've spent the better part of today in text chats and phone calls between Lufthansa and United (Lufthansa being the carrier on the second leg of our journey), with each of them saying I needed to talk to the other party in this increasingly Kafkaesque nightmare.

Lufthansa, in particular, seems very confused by the fact that we transited through Munich, while the bag transited through Frankfurt. And United insisted that this was all the responsibility of Lufthansa, even while admitting that United at that moment had possession of the bag and Lufthansa didn't know SFA about it.

I am so angry at this moment, I think the word "apoplectic" is completely appropriate.

I think I'm going to make a cocktail with an amlodipine garnish instead of olives.

"Non illegitimi carborundum" - don't let the bastards wear you down!
I hope this gets resolved ASAP. Maybe they're trying to figure out a way to charge you for the bag's extra mileage

Make sure you max out your lost luggage costs.

Sorry about your troubles. I know it's awful.

But this right here made me laugh.

Baggage update is required please.

Update in The Other Thread. Here.

Sorted.

Today I was happily riding home. Doing 60 at a 50 road, a car in front of me, driving at the same speed. A car behind me, honking like a mad man. I thought something was wrong with the Vespa so I slowed down to see what was going on. Then I saw the man in the EV waving at me, not in a friendly way. Making very clear that he wanted me to make way for him. Once I saw that, I blocked his road, he quickly closed the doors. On asking, he was barking at me, "what I was thinking, driving on a big peoples road, with a scooter". I should have moved . Once I educated him that this Vespa was not moped, he quickly added that he was a rider too. Big bike rider. And that he always moved to the side the make way for cars behind him. I laughed and moved on, you can't that someone like that serious right. But actually it was pissing me off!

Making way for cars ? Hilarious.

Wonder how he thinks his MC qualifies?

Talking of which, within the same hour and a half -

1 A guy blasts through a red light at a T Junction with his family in the car so the BMW's ABS gets tested.

2 A white Mini pulls out of a side turning with no room for me to stop at around 60 mph so I kept the horn down as we flipped mirrors.

3 A mile from home an idiot reverses out of a driveway in front me so once again with no room to stop I miss his rear bumper by a couple of feet and much cursing ensued.

Please be careful out there.

Within an hour and a half? That's crazy!! It's amazing you're still alive and kicking. Hope it's not the standard there.

Yeah it's pretty much standard these days.

Today was an exception as nothing eventful happened but most of the time you are totally absorbed by anticipating the ineptitude of others.

The RT is a big bike but I get pulled out in front of all the time when the drivers ( of all ages ) don't bother looking.

The Mini was a great example of just knowing they were going to pull out on you but still act surprised when they do.

I was actually wondering how long you could stay insured but still keep driving into people who pulled out with no regard to my safety ?

Have you ever considered that it might not be the other drivers that are the problem?

People pulling out in front of me and I'm the problem ?

Yes, if its happening on a regular basis then maybe your speed/hazard awareness isnt right for the roads you're on.

On my last 5 or 6 motorcycles I installed headlight modulators. I was riding in the Washington, Baltimore, Annapolis area where people constantly pulled in front of me or turned left across my path. In each case after installing a modulator the frequency dropped to nearly zero. I can't recommend them highly enough.

My scooters didn't lend themselves to the installation so never had one on a scooter.

(Not sure they are legal in UK, Yurp ,etc.)