How many miles were on that clutch? What kind of car?

 

125K, Honda Prelude, H22 VTAK power.

 

I thought that looked familiar. I miss my 95 VTAK! Prelude. H22 makes pretty good power, and is able to pull that heavy bitch along pretty well. I went through 3 clutches in 100k miles with it. Maybe it's just a Prelude thing.

 

I got vindication from the wifey too:

 

Hey guys, thanks for the info and suggestions for the camera. I found a used one for a good price. Now I can stop updating my thread with 1.3mp pics from my flip phone, haha.

New questions. I love reading. So much so that I am now stacking books on the floor because my 4 tier book case is overflowing. I've had coworkers tell me to get a kindle or other e-reader.

My question is, do I "own" these books once I download them? Or is it iTunes where you only rent them? If I download a book for a kindle, can I access the file through my computer and save it as a document so I can do whatever I want with it since I paid for it?

I use a ripper program to manipulate my ipod and do whatever I want with MP3's, is there something similar to be used for e-readers?

 

Yes.

calibre - E-book management

In theory, you could also use that program to load pirated e-books which you had downloaded via bittorrent into your Kindle, though of course you wouldn't actually do that.

 

Well that takes care of that issue. How about the units themselves? The kindle seems to be the big cheese in the e-reader world. Is it worth getting the tablet/kindle combo thingy at this point?

 

I absolutely would not.

I have a previous-gen basic Kindle (no touchscreen, no backlight, no keyboard.) It's nearly perfect.

With an e-reader, I want the following things:

1: Lightweight.
2: Very small.
3: Runs forever on a single change.
4: Readable under any lighting, including direct sunlight.

With the tablets (eg: Kindle Fire) you are giving up every single one of those things, in exchange for some limited tablet-like functionality.

The so-called "e-ink" screen really is quite amazing. Readability is just as good sitting in a folding chair at the beach in direct sunlight as it is indoors under subdued halogen lighting. My own mother, who knows nothing of technology, commented at how amazingly clear the screen on mine was when she saw me using it poolside at her house in Florida last Christmas. (eg: she recognized how superior it was to her laptop or phone in that regard.)

The ONLY thing I wish mine had was a backlight. If you're shopping for a new one, splurge and get the backlit model. Every now and then, you find yourself on an airplane during an evening flight, and find that the overhead light for your seat doesn't work. That's annoying.

 

Agreed with Joe on all of his points that followed.

I also have a basic Kindle with the keyboard and it sports something like this:

I mainly bought it so it would fit in with my physical book collection (I have many leather-bound books and my office smells of rich mahogany) and to give it some additional protection when it gets tossed in a beach bag or carry-on. The light is not as good as I imagine back-lighting would be, but is a nice improvement.

 

Cool. So the basic kindle is one function but does it flawlessly and I can easily manipulate it's files. I like that.

Tablets are something I need to look into more. I like the idea of mobile gaming that I can easily run hdmi out and connect my ps3 controller. Time to read more.

Thanks again.

Edit: good lordy this is cheap I've paid more for a single book....

 

you guys...why read when you can have someone else read FOR you?!

 

Because I can read faster than they can speak?

 

you cant read and drive!

 

I've never used any of those clip-on lights / covers. Agreed that the protection would be nice, but I was kind of turned off by the price- $40-50 for a dust jacket with a light? I mean, that's the same as the difference in cost between the base kindle and the paperwhite (backlight) version.

The backlights in the newer ones aren't awesome, but they work. I was initially expecting something like an EL panel which gives a perfectly uniform glow like my 90s vintage calculator watch, whereas in reality it's more like the edge-lighting of an 80s vintage calculator watch. Perfectly usable, probably equal in quality to an external light.

As for protection, I don't really feel like I need it. The Kindle isn't especially fragile- mine's been kicking around in my backpack for a couple of years now, and it shows no serious signs of wear.



Yup, that's the exact same one I have, though mine is the previous version which is grey rather than black.

And don't worry about the "special offers." The advertizing is not intrusive at all, just a static screensaver that pops up after something like 10-15 minutes of inactivity. It never appears "inline" while you are actually using the device (eg: it's not like popups or banner ads.)

 

kindle paperwhite with light:
get the special offers one. it's not even as intrusive as giving away $1, let alone 20.

also every once in a while they have seriously good amazon deals on the off-screen.

I love my kindle.

I look back at what I read in a year since I got it compared to before and it's like I was some sort of illiterate *******.




edit since two posts popped up while I was typing this one:

if you damage your kindle, there is a very good chance that amazon will simply replace it for free just because you asked nicely and told them it was an accident. and if not, it's fairly cheap.

 

I only drive. The only music I listen to is the sweet symphony of my perfectly executed shifts and wail of tire on tarmac.

That, and Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" blasting on an infinite loop.



A. I have had my Kindle for a few years and want to say I paid closer to $160 for it and the backlit version did not even exist.

B. I like luxury. Fine things. Silks. Furs. Fine exotic woods.

The screen on mine was FUBAR after ending up at the bottom of a bag that then had something heavy placed on it. Amazon was kind enough to replace the Kindle for me, but I didn't want to push my luck. And, I like luxury.






* So that no one thinks I am being totally serious with some of the comments about luxury and leather-bound books and rich mahogany, they are all references to Will Ferrell movies or skits.

 

Just got back from Howe Caverns. Other than the 3+ hour drive, it was great. Son got a bag of "rough" to sift/pan through for minerals, wife got 1/2 pound of fudge. We bought a small (4" diameter) geode, which the son cracked open to find some very pretty crystals.

Family flashlight tour was very cool. Literally, as the cave is a constant 50 degrees. Felt great after 90 degrees outside. They give everyone a flashlight and the kids get a headlamp, too. They take you all the way to the end and then turn off all the lights. The pitch black is somewhat scary - it must trigger some primeval fear reflex. You head back at your own pace, using just your flashlights. Noisy ADD kids ran back, leaving just us and another older couple. We took our time, checking out all the cool stuff to see. Well worth the trip if you're ever in the area.

 

My god, the rock climbing gym is the place to go for women. Every one I have ever seen in there has been at least a 7/10 face and 8/10 body. Saw a 9/10 10/10 tonight. ******* **** she was incredible.

 

I dated a Serious Rock Climber Girl for a while, and met a number of her Hot Rock Climber Girl buddies, so I'm qualified to speak on the topic.

For the most part they're pretty cool... It's a fitness mindset crossed with hyper determination, which in the wrong ratios can result in some of them being a bit "intense". But that's the exception to the rule, most I met were super cool. All of them were ripped to shreds, not weird like manly, just taut. I can tell you from experience, flexible too. Like gooooood flexible.

On a vaguely related note, a Pro Tip for y'all, which I just discovered tonight: Take your three year old son to Hooters, just the two of you. Trust me, just do it.

 

Oh yeah! To all of the above. One of my cousins friends used to "borrow" his little girl to go out to eat at places like Hooters. Worked. The good baby sitter/uncle.