chrisv wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
>
>>Have Americans come up with cars that can go around corners yet?
>
> The Cadillac Blackwings are all-time-great sports sedans. They are
> beating the Germans at their own game.

I remember the first time I drove a Nissan Pathfinder (the old boxy style one
from a few decades ago), after having driven a Mazda MX-3..

I nearly tipped it going around a curve too fast.

--
You have the capacity to learn from mistakes. You'll learn a lot today.

On Wed, 1 May 2024 06:39:23 -0400, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:

> chrisv wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:
>
>> Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
>>
>>>Have Americans come up with cars that can go around corners yet?
>>
>> The Cadillac Blackwings are all-time-great sports sedans. They are
>> beating the Germans at their own game.
>
> I remember the first time I drove a Nissan Pathfinder (the old boxy
> style one from a few decades ago), after having driven a Mazda MX-3..
>
> I nearly tipped it going around a curve too fast.

I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like a
disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.

On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:

> I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
> a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.

“Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap’n!”

I honestly don’t understand this fondness for SUVs.

On 2024-05-01 4:28 p.m., Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
> On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>
>> I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
>> a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.
>
> “Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap’n!”
>
> I honestly don’t understand this fondness for SUVs.

If you're as tall as I am, any other car just causes you to get back
pains and numbness in your legs.

--
Andrzej (Andre) Matuch
TG: @AndrzejMatuch
Catholic, paleoconservative, Christ is king.

On 5/1/2024 4:28 PM, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
> On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>
>> I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
>> a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.
>
> “Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap’n!”
>
> I honestly don’t understand this fondness for SUVs.

Have you owned one? There's no going back to small, low, cramped
automobiles.

I've saved about 1/3 of the purchase cost of my cheap Ford Explorer SUV
just by using it to pickup and bring stuff home: furniture, appliances,
big screen TVs, home reno materials, large boxes, etc.

Andrzej Matuch wrote:

> Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
>>
>> rbowman wrote:
>>>
>>> I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
>>> a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.
>>
>> “Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap’n!”
>>
>> I honestly don’t understand this fondness for SUVs.

I also prefer sedans.

>If you're as tall as I am, any other car just causes you to get back
>pains and numbness in your legs.

I can't think of any reason why a sedan couldn't have the same
seating...

--
"And it would be nice if car dealers gave me the option of buying a
car without a transmission or without an exhaust system so that I
could install an aftermarket unit. But that's not happening either."
- trolling fsckwit "Ezekiel", making analogies to a blank HD in a PC

Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

> On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>
> > I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
> > a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.
>
> "Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap'n!"
>
> I honestly don't understand this fondness for SUVs.

Four wheel drive is essential when going to the supermarket.

--
^Ï^. Sn!pe, PA, FIBS - Professional Crastinator

My pet rock Gordon just is.

On 4/22/24 13:34, Physfitfreak wrote:
> The only issue I have with it right now is that when I change the
> keyboard layout to a specific form of Persian, the layout works for
> every app except Telegram app. With formal Persian layout Telegram app
> has no problem, but for informal one like the one I use (phonetic
> Persian) it doesn't work. So I have to type everything in a text editor
> and paste it into telegram. So far, this is the only issue.

That issue is also at last resolved. Thanks to myself! Neither all those
websites which host the app helped it, nor the developers of the layout
app themselves. I did it.

The online installation of the Keyman phonetic Persian layout is the
culprit. It won't work for the Telegram. One has to download its kmp
file and install it in the computer via iBus. It still won't work unless
you turn the computer off and then back on. Then it works for all apps
including Telegram. _None_ of these steps are explained anywhere. They
either think they're trivial, or they're paid by Microsoft to stop at
that and not take the last vital step.

So the number one shortcoming of Linux for me is now shifted to that
problem. Lack of proper instructions to install their apps.

On Wed, 1 May 2024 20:28:07 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

> On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>
>> I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
>> a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow
>> tread.
>
> “Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap’n!”
>
> I honestly don’t understand this fondness for SUVs.

I don't know from a consumer standpoint although there always was a market
for vans and station wagons for soccer moms.

From a manufacturer's standpoint, thank the government. Tight fleet
mileage restrictions were placed on passenger cars but the rules for light
trucks were much more lenient. Put a more refined body on a F150 chassis,
and it still falls into the light truck category.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-726-may-7-2012-suvs-are-they-
cars-or-trucks

On Wed, 1 May 2024 17:35:18 -0400, Andrzej Matuch wrote:

> If you're as tall as I am, any other car just causes you to get back
> pains and numbness in your legs.

And how tall are you? I'm shrinking with age but in my prime was about 6'
2" and put a lot of miles on a '62 Austin Healey Sprite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin-Healey_Sprite

"small open sports car" is an apt description. Putting it on took care but
once installed it had more legroom than the larger A-H 3000.

On Wed, 1 May 2024 19:26:28 -0400, DFS wrote:

> ave you owned one? There's no going back to small, low, cramped
> automobiles.

I've got a semi-retired F150 in the driveway. It's an '86 back when
pickups were still pickups.

> I've saved about 1/3 of the purchase cost of my cheap Ford Explorer SUV
> just by using it to pickup and bring stuff home: furniture, appliances,
> big screen TVs, home reno materials, large boxes, etc.

You'd be surprised what I can stuff into my 3-door Yaris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Vitz#XP10

I referenced the Vitz because it gets confusing. My 2018 Yaris hatch is a
Toyota with the same drive train as the first gen. The sedans that year
are rebadged Mazda 2s. Different engine and drive train. Great fun at the
auto parts store.

The rear seats were folded down the day I bought it. I'm not an Uber
driver so they're unnecessary weight.

On 2024-05-02, Sn!pe wrote:
> Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
>
>> On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>>
>> > I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
>> > a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.
>>
>> "Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap'n!"
>>
>> I honestly don't understand this fondness for SUVs.
>
> Four wheel drive is essential when going to the supermarket.
>
It is amazing how many can't park between the lines when they get there, should
have done more colouring practice as a kid. :-)

--
Simon

RLU: 222126

Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>
>> I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
>> a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.
>
> “Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap’n!”
>
> I honestly don’t understand this fondness for SUVs.

Conspicuous consumption? A feeling of safety in a giant vehicle? A feeling of
power and superiority in a giant vehicle? Luxury appointments in an SUV?
Driving a buncha kids to soccer?

--
Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And hain't that a big
enough majority in any town?
-- Mark Twain, "Huckleberry Finn"

Andrzej Matuch wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> On 2024-05-01 4:28 p.m., Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
>> On 1 May 2024 14:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>>
>>> I've seen a few SUVs or whatever you want to call them that looked like
>>> a disaster waiting to happen with a high CG and relatively narrow tread.
>>
>> “Ya canna change the laws of physics, Cap’n!”
>>
>> I honestly don’t understand this fondness for SUVs.
>
> If you're as tall as I am, any other car just causes you to get back
> pains and numbness in your legs.

Try amputation at the ankles :-D :-o

--
Don't plan any hasty moves. You'll be evicted soon anyway.

rbowman wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> On Wed, 1 May 2024 19:26:28 -0400, DFS wrote:
>
>> ave you owned one? There's no going back to small, low, cramped
>> automobiles.
>
> I've got a semi-retired F150 in the driveway. It's an '86 back when
> pickups were still pickups.
>
>> I've saved about 1/3 of the purchase cost of my cheap Ford Explorer SUV
>> just by using it to pickup and bring stuff home: furniture, appliances,
>> big screen TVs, home reno materials, large boxes, etc.
>
> You'd be surprised what I can stuff into my 3-door Yaris.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Vitz#XP10
>
> I referenced the Vitz because it gets confusing. My 2018 Yaris hatch is a
> Toyota with the same drive train as the first gen. The sedans that year
> are rebadged Mazda 2s. Different engine and drive train. Great fun at the
> auto parts store.
>
> The rear seats were folded down the day I bought it. I'm not an Uber
> driver so they're unnecessary weight.

I had a Yaris (the original model) which was fun and cornered well.
Manual transmission, of course!

Of course, the doofs here made fun of me about it. Same when I switch to
the Fiesta, also a peppy fun car.

--
If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use
in reading it at all.
-- Oscar Wilde

On 2024-05-01 10:59 p.m., rbowman wrote:
> On Wed, 1 May 2024 17:35:18 -0400, Andrzej Matuch wrote:
>
>> If you're as tall as I am, any other car just causes you to get back
>> pains and numbness in your legs.
>
> And how tall are you? I'm shrinking with age but in my prime was about 6'
> 2" and put a lot of miles on a '62 Austin Healey Sprite.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin-Healey_Sprite
>
> "small open sports car" is an apt description. Putting it on took care but
> once installed it had more legroom than the larger A-H 3000.

I'm 6'2.5" at last measurement. Of course, I might also be shrinking now
that I'm in my 40s. I have no idea what that process starts.

--
Andrzej (Andre) Matuch
TG: @AndrzejMatuch
Catholic, paleoconservative, Christ is king.

On 2024-05-02 7:50 a.m., Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
> rbowman wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:
>
>> On Wed, 1 May 2024 19:26:28 -0400, DFS wrote:
>>
>>> ave you owned one? There's no going back to small, low, cramped
>>> automobiles.
>>
>> I've got a semi-retired F150 in the driveway. It's an '86 back when
>> pickups were still pickups.
>>
>>> I've saved about 1/3 of the purchase cost of my cheap Ford Explorer SUV
>>> just by using it to pickup and bring stuff home: furniture, appliances,
>>> big screen TVs, home reno materials, large boxes, etc.
>>
>> You'd be surprised what I can stuff into my 3-door Yaris.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Vitz#XP10
>>
>> I referenced the Vitz because it gets confusing. My 2018 Yaris hatch is a
>> Toyota with the same drive train as the first gen. The sedans that year
>> are rebadged Mazda 2s. Different engine and drive train. Great fun at the
>> auto parts store.
>>
>> The rear seats were folded down the day I bought it. I'm not an Uber
>> driver so they're unnecessary weight.
>
> I had a Yaris (the original model) which was fun and cornered well.
> Manual transmission, of course!
>
> Of course, the doofs here made fun of me about it. Same when I switch to
> the Fiesta, also a peppy fun car.

Why are you always providing this newsgroup with evidence that you're a
homosexual?

--
Andrzej (Andre) Matuch
TG: @AndrzejMatuch
Catholic, paleoconservative, Christ is king.

Simon <SimonJ@eu.invalid> wrote:

> On 2024-05-02, Sn!pe wrote:
> > Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

[...]

> >> I honestly don't understand this fondness for SUVs.
> >>
> >
> > Four wheel drive is essential when going to the supermarket.
> >
>
> It is amazing how many can't park between the lines when they get there,
> should have done more colouring practice as a kid. :-)
>

The current UK norm for parking spaces is 2.4 metres wide by 4.8 long:-
<https://www.britishparking.co.uk/write/Documents/Library%202016/Bay_Sizes_-_Jul_2016.pdf
>

Many modern SUV stylee cars are longer than 4.8 metres and almost all
are wider than 2.0 metres inc. mirrors (the width shown in brackets).
That doesn't leave much room to open the doors.

<https://www.automobiledimension.com/large-suv-4x4-cars.php>

However, that disadvantage is far outweighed by the sense of superiority
engendered by the commanding, high-up, driving position from which you
may look down your nose at the lesser mortals in their puny little cars.

Regrettably, many of the yummy mummies on the school run must either
sit on a cushion or peer through the steering wheel to see where they're
going (as if that mattered much).

--
^Ï^. Sn!pe, PA, FIBS - Professional Crastinator

My pet rock Gordon just is.

Andrzej Matuch wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> On 2024-05-02 7:50 a.m., Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>> rbowman wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:
>>
>>> On Wed, 1 May 2024 19:26:28 -0400, DFS wrote:
>>>
>>>> ave you owned one? There's no going back to small, low, cramped
>>>> automobiles.
>>>
>>> I've got a semi-retired F150 in the driveway. It's an '86 back when
>>> pickups were still pickups.
>>>
>>>> I've saved about 1/3 of the purchase cost of my cheap Ford Explorer SUV
>>>> just by using it to pickup and bring stuff home: furniture, appliances,
>>>> big screen TVs, home reno materials, large boxes, etc.
>>>
>>> You'd be surprised what I can stuff into my 3-door Yaris.
>>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Vitz#XP10
>>>
>>> I referenced the Vitz because it gets confusing. My 2018 Yaris hatch is a
>>> Toyota with the same drive train as the first gen. The sedans that year
>>> are rebadged Mazda 2s. Different engine and drive train. Great fun at the
>>> auto parts store.
>>>
>>> The rear seats were folded down the day I bought it. I'm not an Uber
>>> driver so they're unnecessary weight.
>>
>> I had a Yaris (the original model) which was fun and cornered well.
>> Manual transmission, of course!
>>
>> Of course, the doofs here made fun of me about it. Same when I switch to
>> the Fiesta, also a peppy fun car.
>
> Why are you always providing this newsgroup with evidence that you're a
> homosexual?

Why do spritely compact cars trigger you?

Did one pull up to you and a bunch of clowns piled out and beat the
bejeesus out of you?

--
Among the lucky, you are the chosen one.

On Thu, 2 May 2024 08:04:18 -0000 (UTC), Simon wrote:

> It is amazing how many can't park between the lines when they get there,
> should have done more colouring practice as a kid.

Some are sloppy and can't really drive their barges but many of the
parking lots really aren't laid out well for monster pickups and SUVs.
When you drive a subcompact Toyota it's a real PITA. First, you can't find
the damn car hiding in a sea of SUVs. Then, as you pull out, you sort of
have to ease the nose out because you can't see around them. I'm better
off if I've got a bike where I can stand up and peek around them.

On Thu, 2 May 2024 14:55:23 +0100, Sn!pe wrote:

> However, that disadvantage is far outweighed by the sense of superiority
> engendered by the commanding, high-up, driving position from which you
> may look down your nose at the lesser mortals in their puny little cars.

I drove a truck for a while in the '90s. Sitting in the cab of a Kenworth
really gives you a sense of superiority. It's always fun when some master
of the universe in his BMW thinks he can play chicken and force his way
into traffic.

On Thu, 2 May 2024 08:42:43 -0400, Andrzej Matuch wrote:

> I'm 6'2.5" at last measurement. Of course, I might also be shrinking now
> that I'm in my 40s. I have no idea what that process starts.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-do-i-shrink-in-height-
as-i-age

Welcome to the magical shrinking man age... When I was at my full height
I found comfort in a vehicle was very dependent on the design more than
the size of the vehicle. I liked Ford pickups but felt cramped in GM
pickups. Most passenger cars were okay but the most uncomfortable car I've
owned was an Audi. It was ergonomically designed for somebody other than
me. My '73 Mustang was fine but riding in a friend's Mustang II was
torture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Fiero

I was interested when the Fiero came out so I stopped at the Pontiac
dealership where I'd bought a Firebird two years earlier. As I was looking
at it the salesman who sold me the Firebird yelled across the showroom
'They don't make that in your size!' He was right. I don't know how they
are now but when I looked at Corvettes in the '70s I realized that despite
being fairly large they didn't come in my size either.

On Thu, 2 May 2024 07:50:38 -0400, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:

> I had a Yaris (the original model) which was fun and cornered well.
> Manual transmission, of course!

I had a 2007 with a MT. It was a sleeper when it came to handling. On a
day with a strange lack of traffic I played with a Mini on Hwy 1 down
through Big Sur. I couldn't lose the Mini but it wasn't gaining on me
either. A few tourists may have dove off the scenic pull offs as the two
rollerskates roared by. The Vitz is popular for club racing in Japan and a
hot version has done very well in rallies.

The 2007 met an early death by snowplow in March 2011. There were no MTs
available so I placed an order for one. After thinking about it that night
I went back the next day and bought the AT they had on the lot. This was
right after the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown and I wasn't sure if Japan was
going to be in the car business in the near future.

The 2011 had an airbag recall that I put off until I got too many nagging
notifications so I took it in to the dealership in 2020. While hanging
around I saw a leftover 2018 hatch. That was the last year for the Toyota
version before they switched to the Mazda 2 version. Hatchbacks don't move
in this market and I figured I could get a good deal although it's another
AT. I took delivery on the first day of the Covid lockdown here. The
showroom was deserted except for a bunch of salesmen looking daggers at
the guy they thought might be selling the last car for a long time.

Barring left turning snowplows this will probably be my last car.

On Thu, 2 May 2024 09:05:36 -0400, Andrzej Matuch wrote:

> Why are you always providing this newsgroup with evidence that you're a
> homosexual?

I don't think driving a Yaris has led to any questions about my sexuality.
If the pink Hello Kitty! notebook I bring to company meetings has nobody
ever had big enough balls to mention it.

rbowman wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> On Thu, 2 May 2024 14:55:23 +0100, Sn!pe wrote:
>
>> However, that disadvantage is far outweighed by the sense of superiority
>> engendered by the commanding, high-up, driving position from which you
>> may look down your nose at the lesser mortals in their puny little cars.
>
> I drove a truck for a while in the '90s. Sitting in the cab of a Kenworth
> really gives you a sense of superiority. It's always fun when some master
> of the universe in his BMW thinks he can play chicken and force his way
> into traffic.

Just think of the I-95 truck fires, including the one a few hours ago.

--
Don't go surfing in South Dakota for a while.