[Toshi]

Volkswagen Officially Confirms I.D. Buzz Will Go On Sale In 2022

Get ready, Microbus fans. Volkswagen confirms it'll build a new version of the iconic bus, based on the I.D. Buzz Concept, and we'll see it in about five years.

www.motor1.com

VW ID Buzz officially given the go for production. 2022 projected sale date, North America included.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Woot....

Tax program suggest 6800 federal rebate after all is said and done with EV credit.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Woot....

Tax program suggest 6800 federal rebate after all is said and done with EV credit.

Fack. I need to get my tax shit together.

I suspect I will be paying through the nose again this year. It's not easy livin' the life of a tycoon.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Volkswagen Officially Confirms I.D. Buzz Will Go On Sale In 2022

Get ready, Microbus fans. Volkswagen confirms it'll build a new version of the iconic bus, based on the I.D. Buzz Concept, and we'll see it in about five years.

www.motor1.com

VW ID Buzz officially given the go for production. 2022 projected sale date, North America included.

Volkswagen confirms it’ll build a cargo van version, also using a full-electric powertrain

 

[Pesqueeb]

The "loaner" vehicle I received while the Mazda is in the shop is a new Jeep Compass. While a nice enough car, it's a perfect Avatar for everything wrong with FCA era jeep products. The perfect Jeep for the mall crawling, suburbanite household, desperate to not be seen as such. Bland driving, anemic acceleration, mediocre fuel economy and less than impressive/useful cargo area. Should have asked if they had a mini-van.

 

[Toshi]

Why so many of the world’s oldest companies are in Japan

The country has 33,000 businesses at least a century old. How have so many survived – and what does it mean for Japan’s future?

www.bbc.com

 

[Toshi]

First drive: Volvo's 24,500lb VNR electric truck drives better than it has any right to

Volvo Trucks launched their electric heavy duty truck program in California this week, nicknamed “Volvo LIGHTS.” Its centerpiece is the new...

electrek.co

2 speed transmission, but one motor not hooked up to it? I'm not sure if the Electrek writer just got that wrong.

260 kW sustained power. 200-300 kWh of battery for "75-175 mile routes". 150 kW presumably CCS fast charging, 11 or 43 kW AC charging, the latter on 480V three phase.

24,500 weight for the tractor alone, 8k more than diesel. Apparently electric trucks can run 82k GVW so 6k lower effective load, although if these are non-sleepers given the short range that might not matter.

 

[Toshi]

I think tomorrow may be the day when I finally get out to Tucker Mountain and that new Three Bears lift, as the timing of snow and my presence seems to be good. Or it may be the day when I sit inside and drink something hot, because I can’t see anything and it’s 10 degrees.

 

[Toshi]

https://www.roamrobotics.com/ski

for @SkaredShtles in his dotage?

NO

I tagged Watz in this photo on Facebook. Sure looks like him, I figure

 

[Toshi]

23andme confirms that I am indeed half-Japanese! But where did that Korean bit sneak in? My cousin got nigh-identical results as well, but then again a Korean friend says her brother's 23andme said he was 1.5% or so Japanese so perhaps just noise in their Asian-categorizing algorithms.

 

[Toshi]

of academic interest:

An Audi E-Tron Towed A GM EV1 From Tulsa To Austin, Range Was Affected

There isn’t a lot of data out there about how towing affects EV range, largely because there is such a diversity in trailer aerodynamics and mass. Thanks to the Oklahoma Chapter of the Electric Auto Association, we have some idea of how towing a 4000-pound car trailer affects the range of an...

jalopnik.com

E-tron goes 2.43 mi/kWh unladen. While towing a 4,000 lb covered car trailer (with a GM EV1!) it got 1.3 mi/kWh.

 

[Toshi]

 

[Toshi]

Michael Collins Is the Forgotten Astronaut of Apollo 11. He's Perfectly Fine With That.

Apollo 11's third astronaut orbited the moon, all alone, while his colleagues walked on it.

www.esquire.com

 

[Westy]

The "loaner" vehicle I received while the Mazda is in the shop is a new Jeep Compass. While a nice enough car, it's a perfect Avatar for everything wrong with FCA era jeep products. The perfect Jeep for the mall crawling, suburbanite household, desperate to not be seen as such. Bland driving, anemic acceleration, mediocre fuel economy and less than impressive/useful cargo area. Should have asked if they had a mini-van.

FCA has perfected the science of perfecting. "just good enough"

 

[Toshi]

Circled be the fun part

 

[SkaredShtles]

Circled be the fun part

View attachment 141109View attachment 141110

The Taco!!

 

[Toshi]

Robinson lays it down. Wow. Very powerful skiing!

 

[Toshi]

I just read that Nissan only sold 31,514 Titans last year, inclusive of the XD. So the @6thElement rig is a rare beast indeed!

 

[Toshi]

For @dan-o 's future purchasing decisions in case he decides to go full dually/diesel idiocy:

2020 Ford F-350 Smacks Down GMC Sierra HD In Diesel Dually Drag Race

Really, the gap might surprise you.

www.thedrive.com

CN: F-350 diesel dually will do 7.8 seconds 0-60 at Denver's elevation, whereas the GMC can only do 8.8.

 

[dan-o]

For @dan-o 's future purchasing decisions in case he decides to go full dually/diesel idiocy:

2020 Ford F-350 Smacks Down GMC Sierra HD In Diesel Dually Drag Race

Really, the gap might surprise you.

www.thedrive.com

CN: F-350 diesel dually will do 7.8 seconds 0-60 at Denver's elevation, whereas the GMC can only do 8.8.

Saw that.
New 7.3 also smokes the gm 6.6.

Barring suitable electric/hybrid option, my eyes are on a 7.3 in next 3-4 years (once current truck hits 200k).
People are getting 600hp with minor mods on those already.

 

[Toshi]

I'm getting the itch for something wider once more. Like that K2 Mindbender 108Ti that I posted about before. Mmmm

And the good news is that Epic Mountain Gear has 'em as rentals! So I will try to line up a pair for one or both my upcoming ski days, which would be Sunday and then Monday.

Powder7 has a demo set but new and unmounted is the same price and I have those Look bindings in my garage from the unloved Moment Bibbys...

 

[Nick]

That Mindbender is getting rave review, but the 99ti moreso than the 108ti.

If I were you knowing your daily driver is a Mantra, I'd go 115ish and slightly softer then another metal laminate ski.

Groomer ski+ storm ski. Boom.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
Groomer ski+ storm ski. Boom.

Fischer Ranger Ti 106 - it's both. BOOM!

YMMV.

 

[Toshi]

That Mindbender is getting rave review, but the 99ti moreso than the 108ti.

If I were you knowing your daily driver is a Mantra, I'd go 115ish and slightly softer then another metal laminate ski.

Groomer ski+ storm ski. Boom.

That was my thought with the Bibby. But while girthy they were far too soft. (That’s what she said.)

but this is why I’m demoing. Got to see how it feels for myself since I’m apparently picky.

 

[Nick]

"Slightly softer" than a 2x metal ski is still plenty stiff!

If you didn't have such small dainty feet you could try a bunch of great skis outta the garage.

 

[Toshi]

That Mindbender is getting rave review, but the 99ti moreso than the 108ti.

Interesting:

2021-2022 K2 Mindbender 99Ti | Blister

BLISTER | Featured, Reviews, Skiing | June 21, 2019 | The most honest & in-depth reviews of outdoor gear

blisterreview.com

Sounds a lot like my impression of my current Mantras, except with more float in powder! The problem with the Blister reviews is that they are all light guys who ski a ton of powder.

I also think that the 177 cm length of the new Mantra 102 sounds right up my alley (from my 177 cm Mantras):

2021-2022 Volkl Mantra 102 | Blister

BLISTER | Reviews, Skiing | July 26, 2019 | The most honest & in-depth reviews of outdoor gear

blisterreview.com

 

[Toshi]

Some shady shit afoot at the bottom of the "education" barrel:

This college was accredited by a DeVos-sanctioned group. We couldn’t find evidence of students or faculty.

At present, Reagan National University apparently has no students or faculty. Yet it was accredited -- by a group saved by the Education Department.

www.argusleader.com

 

[Toshi]

TurboTax finally made available the small business deduction form I was waiting for. With that I went from ~$3k combined Fed/CO refund to being net -$70 between the two. At least my withholding was pretty spot on for the amount of 529 contributions I did last year (1/3 of a normal year), I guess.

Hmph.



Plus this:

 

[Toshi]

Purdy

Used Porsche 911 for Sale in Salt Lake City, UT - CarGurus

Save $40,676 on a used Porsche 911 near you. Search over 4,100 listings to find the best Salt Lake City, UT deals. We analyze millions of used cars daily.

www.cargurus.com

Attn @Nick even though it's not a 997. Dat plaid interior might also interest @Westy

The sad thing is that with 3x,000 miles on it it'll continue to be a garage queen for the rest of its pristine life.

 

[Nick]

Purdy

Used Porsche 911 for Sale in Salt Lake City, UT - CarGurus

Save $40,676 on a used Porsche 911 near you. Search over 4,100 listings to find the best Salt Lake City, UT deals. We analyze millions of used cars daily.

www.cargurus.com

Attn @Nick even though it's not a 997. Dat plaid interior might also interest @Westy

The sad thing is that with 3x,000 miles on it it'll continue to be a garage queen for the rest of its pristine life.

a 993 RUF Turbo? I bet it's $300k+

now THIS is what all the cool radiologists are cruisin' around in ... pull the trigger, tell your wife later.

2018 GT3 Touring Lava Orange

Lava Orange GT3 T YEAR ASKING MILEAGE Lava Orange option, Ceramic Composite Brakes, LED Headlights, Front Axle Lift System, Chrono, 18-way Sport Seats Plus. THE VEHICLE OFFERED This is a GT car for the Porsche enthusiast. Finished in the

luxeautomotivesales.com

 

[Toshi]

Ah, I didn't even catch that. I saw the RUF wheels and the wings but thought it was a replica. Instead it was pumped up by Hans, I see.

 

[Toshi]

Ok, I really tried to like it, @Pesqueeb and @jonKranked , but Clone Wars just doesn't do it for me. Same formula in each episode, and I don't really connect.

 

[jonKranked]

Ok, I really tried to like it, @Pesqueeb and @jonKranked , but Clone Wars just doesn't do it for me. Same formula in each episode, and I don't really connect.

Which season did you try watching?

 

[Toshi]

Which season did you try watching?

Watching in chronological order

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Chronological Episode Order | StarWars.com

Lucasfilm presents the official sequential order for the beloved animated series, including all 121 shows and the original feature film.

www.starwars.com

Made it through about 17/113 Jedi Crash.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Ok, I really tried to like it, @Pesqueeb and @jonKranked , but Clone Wars just doesn't do it for me. Same formula in each episode, and I don't really connect.

You're dead to me.

 

[jonKranked]

Watching in chronological order

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Chronological Episode Order | StarWars.com

Lucasfilm presents the official sequential order for the beloved animated series, including all 121 shows and the original feature film.

www.starwars.com

Made it through about 17/113 Jedi Crash.

Honestly the first two seasons aren't the best. Season 3 was when it started getting good. By the time season 4 came out they were at minimum 2 episode story arcs, mostly 3. There are a few 4 episode story arcs.

 

[Toshi]

What Happens To Your Mail-Order Mattress After You Return It

Earlier this year, I noticed something curious: four Craigslist ads, selling the same brand of mattress, using nearly the same text, at the same location, but i…

fivethirtyeight.com

 

[Toshi]

Mini ski review after one day demoing the 179 cm K2 Mindbender 108Ti.

Pros:

- nice floatation
- can carve a nice, long radius turn on harder snow
- easy enough to break away from the edges in moguls or trees

Cons:

- feel a bit long in tight trees, especially in what’s in front of my boot
- shovels flap about a bit when pounding through crud (i.e. off Chair 8 in Loveland)
- relationship between edge angle and carving doesn’t seem as linear as on my Volkls (177 cm 2015-era fully rockered Mantra, 100 mm underfoot)—the Volkls have a larger nominal radius yet the K2s just want to carve lazy 30 m turns if left to their own devices
- I get the general feeling I’m skiing on top of these skis, if that makes any sense

As long as kid 2 doesn’t get sicker than she currently is overnight then I’ll get out to Copper tomorrow to put another few hours on these K2s, but barring changes in my impression of them I do not think I’ll be buying them.

 

[jonKranked]

hey toshi have you watched star wars rebels?

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

Why so many of the world’s oldest companies are in Japan

The country has 33,000 businesses at least a century old. How have so many survived – and what does it mean for Japan’s future?

www.bbc.com

Having started work-life at a japanese keiretsu, then switched to a big fast-paced all-or-nothing emerging-market corporation, to a european mammoth (Daimler), and now to a family owned biz....

I´d say, long term you cant beat japanese business philosophy.
Respect for people, principles and teamwork go a long way. The hiring process is 5th derivative level vs the primitive elemental function style of the rest of the world. Its simplicity and humbleness are profoundly genius.

I try to integrate it to my business style/vision, plus musk´s "no assholes" principle. Thing is, "long term" is a hard sell to western boards.