I know right. Took me a while to get the perfect ration of water/coffee, but it's hands down the best espresso you'll make when you figure it out.

For a moment there I thought that shadow was spilled coffee

If only it were that easy. It was a real disappointment though, because the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the movie looked like it was going to be awesome. And then it fell apart and became a huge train wreck at the end.

He needs a lot more than bench pressing to be Mantalban.


I will try to refrain from more specifics as Joe has not seen the movie.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1401824278
If you put 1/2&1/2 or milk in the lower chamber it also does a respectable cappuccino.

For my goto I do like the Keurig but my basic cheapness drives me to using the reusable thingie so I use my White Castle blend...

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1401824278

here's your poverty single coffee solution:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1401826143

it's made by the people who make such brilliant roof and tree decorations as the Aerobie flying disc. Other than being a ton of fiddly unstackable parts, it does indeed make a tremendously good cup of concentrated coffee, roughly akin to an espresso.

I've seen these discusses here on this forum before. Never tried one, largely because it does kind of seem like a stack of fiddly parts. And, of course, I do my coffee drinking in the morning and early afternoon, and Keurig-brand coffeemakers (with an unlimited supply of free pods) are standard-issue equipment at all radio & TV stations these days.

That makes sense and ironic given the issue with DRM in the media industry... Somehow I think Keurig is going to a place it may regret with this news; Keurig Will Use DRM In New Coffee Maker To Lock Out Refill Market | Techdirt

Those one-shot pods make the coffee too weak. I like my coffee strong.

Decide for yourself.
Here he is, enjoying the hell out of an ice cream cone.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1401837951

It's that time of year again where I need to do vehicle maintenance stuff before summer traveling. I need 2 different oil filters, 2 different air filters and a fuel filter and none of the 4 LAPS I called this morning had more than 2 of the above items in stock. Every one of them wanted me to come order the parts in person and prepay before they were willing to have them shipped "from the warehouse" so single source means 2 trips across town, or 4 trips if I split anything up. Most of them claimed they could get what I wanted but none could guarantee that everything would be here by Friday. I was told I could order and pay online and have it shipped to the local store, but I've played that game before. The parts monkeys have either lost or misplaced the things I've ordered on more than one occasion.

I'm reminded of this:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1401840479
"Well, ain't this place a geographical oddity. Two weeks from everywhere!"

God bless you Amazon Prime. I got everything I need ordered up and tracking numbers are already in my email. Everything should arrive by Thursday before close of business.

<rant>
Honestly, these kinds of commodity items + poor customer service are what is going to kill brick-n-mortar retail. If you give me attitude in person/on the phone or make things inconvenient enough I will always make the effort to find the path of least resistance. If I screw something up and order the wrong part, that's my fault and I can deal with it. I don't want to pay someone a premium in my time & money to screw something up for me, I do that quite well enough on my own.
</rant>

I just pulled the trigger on Tein EDFC Active pro with the motors and the optional GPS kit.
That is an expensive toy.

But it's cool...

I have been working my ass off lately, and that's how I justify the "indulge".

Cool story bro.

I learned along time ago paying extra for the local places is worth it for the service. Unfortunately, most shop on price and not on value.

"Hi, K&N an expansion joint just sliced the rear tire on the bike. The tires I purchased from you."
"No problem, we will have a trailer to come pick you up in 20 minutes and bring you back to the shop"

Wherein they didn't charge me for the tow, and gave me a discount on the rear tire. Or when I'd bring my bike in for service it would go to the front of the line because I'd spend my money locally.

It's unfortunate everyone is concerned over 5-10% at the sacrifice of service.

Don't get me wrong, I shop local when and where I can. While I agree with most of what you said, I think you missed the point of my little rant: its the service (or specifically the lack thereof) at the local places that drives me to the internet for generic, universal items. A WIX filter from Amazon is the exact same product as a WIX filter from NAPA or O'Reilly or AutoZone. The difference is when I buy from Amazon I don't pay the 10% markup to support the toothless redneck behind the counter at the NAPA that gives me a ration of shit for driving a Mazda.

Example: I can buy Amsoil products from the local guy down the street from my office, but he's a cocknose bastard who's screwed too many people locally (including me) with his day-to-day business, so I buy my magic lube from Andrew @ TrackSpeed. Sure I have to pay shipping, but I'm supporting someone (semi) local who isn't a fucking prick.

If we had Mom n Pop shops locally that had this stuff, and they had great service, you know I'd shop there and I'd tell my friends. 5-10% be damned.

you shoulda went shopping here in Sac when you were up here

when I say parts stores are "on every corner", its not a figure of speech

Speaking of coffee, heres my design for my buddy.. he wanted cold brew coffee.. so this is what i came up with for him.

Unfortunately i cannot find any other pic of the coffee maker but this one of him.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1401860934

also related to coffee:

I saw the manliest coffee grinder at a flea market this weekend:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1401890997

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1401891170

Please excuse the cell phone quality pics.

Yeah, but instead I went yarn shopping with my wife :laugh:

I would have bought this coffee grinder so hard. How much did they want for it?

Caption suggestion...

Amazon is hands down the best company I have ever dealt with. They are not perfect, which is why I've had to contact them to resolve a few issues over the years. The most recent one:

I bought my Kenwood subs from two different "sellers" on Amazon. They both were eligible for prime. I got my first one yesterday and it was perfect. I got the second one today and it was clearly used. It was of course advertised as new, so I was a bit shocked. The wires had been cut, and poorly crimped, and the wires were a bit dirty from the previous installation. The mounting screws had the black paint scrapped off where it was screwed in, and the part that makes contact with the screw driver was a bit ate up.

Now I'm no detective, but it was clear someone installed this, then returned it.

So I go to my computer and open up an amazon help chat window, no wait time. I tell them what happened and they offered a replacement and free return shipping, and free one day shipping.

I need to install this thing today. So they offered 20% off what I paid, plus they made a note on my account saying that I got a used item, in case I have to return it for being defective, or it fails any time soon.

This is pretty amazing service. A big company like that can either screw over customers, or help them out. Both ways probably only have a little impact on their business, but helping customers out takes a bit more work. I would have continued to purchase items from Amazon either way. Still they made it right, and I'm happy. That doesn't seem to happen too often anymore.

Okay I'm done rambling.

My neighborhood is going to be overrun by cats by the end of summer. I have heard some serious feline humping going down around 2:30AM the last 3 nights in a row.

You never forget the first time you hear that noise. Initially you think they are fighting or getting ready to. Sounds so damned aggressive, with the little escalations rrrrrrrrrrrrouuuuuuuuuuuueeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiahhhhhh hhhhch.... But soon the harmony of the sounds and the fact that clearly neither animal has been killed yet sort of gives it away. Thing is, a sound like that through a window, it could be 10 yards off or 3 lots down. No way to know.

I will try to get pics of the pack of feral cats that will soon be terrorizing my neighborhood. Between the garbage people leave around and the vegetable garden I have started, there is probably plenty of prey for them.