Fashionistas you have arrived 3-25-03 - 10-3-03

[str8outavannuys]

Originally posted by mmm3587
Whenever I drive an automatic, my left foot flops around uncontrollably. I don't think it engenders a lot of confidence in my passengers. Couple that with the right hand accidentally shifting into "N" and "3" all the time, and I think it's just safer for my to drive a stick, fuel efficiency be damned.

Back when I was in college, SNL had a lot of "guy" skits, like the "copier guy." I came up with "it's the guy who's driving automatic but wishes he were driving stick" guy, which, considering how bad SNL was during those years, might have had a shot of getting on the show if only I'd known any writers. The bit consists mostly of shifting the automatic shift between the different meaningless automatic settings, going through neutral each time and flaling around with the left foot. Comedy gold baby, gold.

[str8outavannuys]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
What a remarkable program. Please share with RP, who lacks rithm.

That's pretty simple software: if there's spelling mistakes, the poster is female.

str(JOKE! IT'S A JOKE)8

[NotFromHere]

This cracks me up. As if you could teach cab drivers anything.

Etiquette lessons for Boston cabbies

BOSTON, Aug. 22 — Say “please” and “thank you.” Dress nice, and try not to run any stop lights or make offensive comments.Those are the lessons that the city of Boston and Democratic organizers are hoping the city’s 5,500 cabbies learn before next summer’s presidential convention.
“YOU ARE OUR ambassadors,” police Capt. Albert Sweeney, leader of the hackney unit, told a class of new recruits this week. “Next year, people from all over the world will be here and how well you present yourself will help determine what kind of experience they have.”
The effort to improve cab service presents a unique challenge in a city not exactly known for courteous drivers — in cabs or otherwise. (As if there are courteous cab drivers anywhere.)
Narrow streets, many of them one-way, twist and wind their way through. Drivers are notorious for going fast, barely applying the brakes, cutting off fellow motorists and rarely using turn signals. For the thousands of out-of-towners flocking here to attend the Democratic National Convention in July, the mayhem could be unnerving, especially if their cab driver isn’t particularly friendly.

Emily Post for Cab Drivers

[robustpuppy]

Originally posted by str8outavannuys
That's pretty simple software: if there's spelling mistakes, the poster is female.

str(JOKE! IT'S A JOKE)8

What does the program say about subject-verb agreement?

[Shape Shifter]

I never tire of reading about this. The winning bidder backed out of his $50,922 bid, and teajay 101 aka Tommy is stuck with his Ghost in a Jar. He wonders if perhaps the Black Thing cursed his auction.

http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.js...&thread=208861

Other Ghost in a Jar links here.

http://www.logantradingco.com/ghostinjar2.htm

[W.W.L.D.]

Originally posted by str8outavannuys
My weekend: Vegas followed by Belle & Sebastian concert Sunday night. I'm hoping for some up-tempo numbers so that I can stay awake after 48 hours of coke and strippers.

So, did you do the "treasure hunt?"

And don't forget that Chris Geddes will be spinning at The Derby afterwards.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by mmm3587
If the ratios are preset at a certain level, what does the computer do when you cause an upshift or a downshift in that mode? Just gradually but quickly move the gearing so that it's in that ratio?

Actually, while I was mostly right, I think I mis-stated it a bit, in that it has the 6-point sport selection, but it also has the true CV setup, albeit a low-tech model. A truly well-run CV is continuously plotting load, speed, fuel, and weight, and keeping the engine racing at optimum rpm's (on the peak graph) while delivering variable-but-increasing speed to the drive wheels. Mini does it with mostly mechanical sensors, as far as I can tell, while the really good systems have proxes and sensors from all over the vehicle plugged into a high-power processor.

(In a more direct answer to your question, the CV slides between six pre-selected points when using the stick. Actually, less efficient, but I think it's there just to satisfy the need to shift that characterizes so many of us control freaks.)

I suspect that lawyers, as a group, have a higher incidence of manual trannys than the general population.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by mmm3587
Too bad it sounds like the CVT is only offered with the smaller engine.

The limiting factor for CVTs remains total engine load, so small cars and small(er) engines are the order of the day. The reason everyone was so excited about the Audi A4 CVT is that it was the largest engine to date married to a CVT --- a 3.0 liter V6. CVT technology has been in industrial use since the late 1800s, but not in cars. And until recently, cars with engines larger than 1.2 liters were considered ineligible for CVT (the Subaru Justy had one starting in 1989). Obviously, there's no size reason the Mini Cooper S should be without one, though. I guess their marketing research told them everyone would want the manual.

The Nissan Murano is the largest engine and heaviest car to carry a CVT, but because of the engine load limits they advise against towing anything heavier than 3,500 lbs., while other SUVs in its class can usually get up to 5,000 lbs.

[ABBAKiss]

Originally posted by NotFromHere
Dear Mr. AbbaKiss....

Thank you. I will let you know how he takes this utterly from left field news. Next project: Eradicate Boy-Band Hair. Kevin Richardson and Chris Kirkpatrick are pushing (have pushed?) 30, and still have the hair, but that does not mean you should.

[mmm3587]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Obviously, there's no size reason the Mini Cooper S should be without one, though. I guess their marketing research told them everyone would want the manual.

If I recall correctly, the S is supercharged. Faced with the option of adding a belt-driven compressor and the accompanying tuning and computer interaction to what sounds like a rather low-tech system, I'm not surprised that the BMW engineers decided against it. Also, if the computer is not measuring load, fuel and air to determine how to vary the gearing as in most modern CVTs, how would it do a decent job of working with the parasitic supercharger to add air and fuel as needed and have the engine spinning at an appropriate RPM to provide enough power to drive the supercharger at any appropriate level?

I'd be amazed if reliablity and manufacturing become good enough with CVTs in the next few years to offer a reasonably prices CVT in an all wheel drive, turbocharged or supercharged application.

That said, they are cool. The one time I was in one, it felt like a boat: the engine load was highest when you were and settled down to a very low level when you were just cruising. Is gas mileage appreciably better than traditional transmissions? Also, I think a good mating to a hybrid engine would be a real killer app.

[bridge of love]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
What does the program say about subject-verb agreement?

I just put the software through the ultimate test:
Truman Capote's truck driver-like prose style was easily id'ed as male, but then I put in his Jackie O-type gabbing from Interview and the program still realized he was a male. That is to say, I think it works.
That's not to say those of you were pegged wrong need to start thinking about gender ID therpy, or start hormone treatments. On the other hand some brief experimental cross-dressing could help some of you resolve some "inner turmoil" that you've been trying to surpress.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by bridge of love
I just put the software through the ultimate test:
Truman Capote's truck driver-like prose style was easily id'ed as male, but then I put in his Jackie O-type gabbing from Interview and the program still realized he was a male. That is to say, I think it works.
That's not to say those of you were pegged wrong need to start thinking about gender ID therpy, or start hormone treatments. On the other hand some brief experimental cross-dressing could help some of you resolve some "inner turmoil" that you've been trying to surpress.

Could you post that link again? I don't want to go back through 800 posts to find it, and I want to try the test right now, while I'm wearing the women's panties.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by mmm3587
I think that you're thinking of Tiptronic/AutoStick type technology, where you have control over the shifting of an automatic transmission.

There is also SMG, which stands for sequential manual gearbox or something like that, where it's a true manual, but the computer does the clutching and you just use paddles or buttons to shift. This used to be mostly on exotics, like Ferraris, but now the M3 and some of the little Toyotas have it.

I tried to check edmunds.com to see what kind of transmissions the Mini offers, but it's down/slow, probably as a result of all the worm traffic on the internet today. Generally, though, a computer controlled automatic will still shift slower than a manual transmission driven by a good driver. There is also loss of torque from the use of a torque converter.

With an SMG, the shifting can be very fast if done well, but I hear than the Toyotas, in particular are very slow. The M3's SMG is supposed to be great (as are the $10k versions in lots of Ferraris that started it all), but I hear that it not very reliable and is directly related to many engine failures in early E46 M3s.

Edited to add some info.

All I know is that it said CVT on the sticker. But I never claimed to be an authority when it comes to things automotive. Cars are like art and pornography. I know the good stuff when I see it.

[bridge of love]

Originally posted by bilmore
Could you post that link again? I don't want to go back through 800 posts to find it, and I want to try the test right now, while I'm wearing the women's panties.

try some of the sensitive stuff from the politics board you did a few weeks back
http://www.bookblog.net/gender/genie.html

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by W.W.L.D.
Goatee. So you can have that "I-didn't-get-around-to-growing-this-until-ten-years-too-late-geek" look.

I still see a lot of them around. And don't call me a geek.

Tax(bitch)wonk