Modern Vespa

It could be worse. You could have a Brazilian for 24 hours.

She'd be bored with me after 15min..

It's because the bubbles in this sheet of bubble wrap are un-poppable, eliminating the only redeeming quality of bubble wrap.

Some unspeakable monster has designed this bubble wrap such that each bubble has a small passage to the bubble chambers on either side of it, so when you squeeze one, it just redistributes the displaced air to the network of bubbles in that row. The resulting air displacement, divided across all the bubbles in that row, is insufficient to rupture anything except my excitement.

And that is what's pissing me off today.

I realise that this is an easy target but people who can't control their f***ing dogs.

An unpleasant incident occurs and so you point out the fact that the owners don't have any control or authority over their animals and then suddenly you are the problem.

Today I just went full scorched earth and didn't give a shit about the consequences.

I have to go to Brazil.

For 24hrs.

I get it, you want a loyal companion but if you are going to take one on please spend the time to train it properly.

I get it, you want a loyal companion but if you are going to take one on please spend the time to train it properly.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — One person was shot during a car meetup in Grand Rapids early Sunday, police say.

Around 1:50 a.m., officers with the Grand Rapids Police Department were sent to the area of 41st Street SE and Trade Drive after receiving reports that someone had been shot.

Responding officers found over 100 people from the 313 and 616 area codes doing burnouts and donuts in the streets and firing gunshots into the air. GRPD said the car groups were asked to leave multiple times from various areas before the shooting.

A woman who was in her vehicle had a bullet graze her head when it went through her back window, GRPD said. Her injuries are not considered life-threatening.

GRPD said that gunshots continued to be heard on Stocking Avenue NW near 3rd Street NW around 2:40 a.m.

This is not the first time that someone has been shot at a car meetup in Grand Rapids. In September 2023, a woman was shot and killed at a car meetup in the area of Freeman Avenue SW and Hall Street SW.

After the shooting, metro Grand Rapids police agencies vowed an "aggressive approach" to shut down dangerous "car meetups" after a woman was shot and killed.

"I'm happy that the law enforcement community here is unified in recognizing the need to respond to these events, which often feature firearms offenses, violence, disregard for the law and disregard for the well-being of others," Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Eric Winstrom said in September after the shooting. "Not only will we be working together to take an aggressive approach to addressing this illegal activity, we will work together to identify the organizers of these events and hold them accountable, as well."

I have no words.

Mind-boggling.

What I have a hard time understanding is how law enforcement doesn't seem to be able to deal with this stuff.

Heck, I got yelled at walking across the street on a red light when I was an adolescent.

According to the report it was 100+ (I heard closer to 200) vehicles doing burnouts / donuts and firing guns in the air. After midnight.

I don't know how local law enforcement is supposed to respond. There has to be a solution somewhere between allowing it to unfold and bloodbath, but I don't know what it is.

Around here that kind of event is called a sideshow.

There has to be a solution somewhere between allowing it to unfold and bloodbath, but I don't know what it is.

You know, my whole young adult life I spent going to events with my father. It was a place where people of all ages could get together and show off their cars. We called them "car shows". I don't recall the police ever being called or anyone being shot.

Anyone promoting or participating in these dangerous and illegal shows should serve jail time. My opinion, of course.

Yeah, that's just called a "car show". And I've been to many (and exhibited a few times).



Agreed, though it gets really difficult to draw the line between "participant" and "spectator" at a sideshow. Is someone standing on the sidewalk watching the event also a criminal? And by what legal standard? What if the person was merely a bystander, who happened to be at that location at the moment a sideshow arrived? What about someone standing in front of their home as a sideshow breaks out?

It's a really difficult thing to define.

My center stand for the Stella came in early. Minus some key components.

It only has one of the spring plates to go between the stand and frame and it's missing the rubber bumper that goes inside the bracket.

That's three things I've ordered for this bike I can't use. The rear rack (from a reputable American source) with a mount plate that is NOT like the original. I still can't use that. The front rack that straight up did not fit despite having a picture of it mounted to a Stella in the description, and now the center stand missing parts.

It's enough to make me depressed, as if owning a Stella weren't enough.

Tear gas is impartial. Whoops ... was that out loud?

I prefer the use of the terms "hand crafted" and "bespoke".

In my office, customers occassionally bring their young children with them. There seems to be two kinds of parents: 1. Parent points to the office chair, with out uttering a word, and the kids get in the chair and are quiet. 2. Parent provides no direction and the kids are running around the office like wild animals opening desk drawers - going into the supply room grabbing stuff from the shelves.

Sneezing in a FF helmet on a cool morning.