And now what did you do TODAY?

[swt61]

Is this good practice in general for pneumatic tools? I use the air wrench in my dad's auto shop a lot, wondering if I should be doing that for it too.

There are a few tools that do not need oil, in fact it can harm the seals in certain tools. Look up the tool's manual online, and go with their recommendation. In general oil is a good idea.

[Dusty Chalk]

Isn't pretty much a requirement to do an alignment after installing new tires?

No. I always do it (every time I get new tires), and they always try to sell it to you (when you get new tires), but it's a separate service, and hardly a requirement. Balancing is, alignment is not.

Their stance is that since they just did an alignment, it won't be necessary. And that may be, but I think they should pay for their screwup in sweat.

And I agree, they owe me more than just an alignment right now. I don't even feel comfortable driving anywhere of any distance today, so they owe me for screwing up my weekend. I was going to go to Gainesville (VA) to get some Wegmans Dragonwell, but I'd hate to be stuck. It was raining cats and dogs yesterday, and my car was hydroplaning every time I cornered.

[n_maher]

Peter,

Have you spoken with the owner/manager of the place yet? I can't believe that whomever you were speaking with put you off until Tuesday unless he/she didn't want other people finding out about their fuckup. Me, I'd be livid as well. But don't expect them to offer all that much in compensation, they're in an insanely tight-margined and heavily competitive business and they are probably already figuring that they lost you as a customer so there's not much left for motivation for them. I'm not saying they don't owe you something but just offering a perspective that I've been faced with as well. If it were my business I would have had you in there as soon as I found out about the mistake and done whatever was necessary to a) put your car in a safe and drivable condition even if temporarily and offered one hell of an apology.

[grawk]

The big challenge is that you didn't buy the tires from them. Many places won't mount tires they don't sell, and the few that do aren't as motivated to be all that helpful.

[Dusty Chalk]

Have you spoken with the owner/manager of the place yet?

Actually, I think the person I emailed was one of the owners/managers, the name sounded vaguely familiar. The fact that they're willing to wait until Tuesday to deal with it is not a good sign in my eyes. No, "we'll take care of you" is being offered.

And I do appreciate the insight -- forewarned is forearmed and all that. They're probably used to that sort of response in Potomac, but I can still write up a review on Tirerack (I think), Yahoo, Google, Yelp, etc. So it's not like I'm completely without leverage.

[crappyjones123]

i iz nao a pee-hech-dee. lolsup?

on a different note, i realized last night that i absolutely hate what i am doing (after 5 years). i have never had any interest whatsoever in financial math and pretty much did it because i thought i could make a lot of money doing it and because my parents told me that i should do it along with a few colleagues who wanted to do it themselves and convinced me i wanted to do it as well. as i shared with a few of you before, i went to med school and after 8 days of attending, decided not to continue and left and then got myself kicked out for lack of a better phrase of the phd program i had immediately entered for not being adequately prepared. i never shared the true reason for making that big of a mistake with my life mostly because it is far too embarrassing and well until i forgive myself for it, it shall stay with me.

my mcat scores are no longer active and after having a rather lengthy talk with my parents who were not entirely supportive of the idea, i decided to take another crack at the mcat. i have enough degrees already from things i didnt want to do myself and i dont think i am that smart. i do work rather hard and have been able to fool people into thinking i was bright enough to deserve a phd. last night, however, marked the first time i wanted to do it for myself. it might just so happen that i quit it this venture as well like i have a track record or doing - first med school, then law school, then financial math but for the first time it will not be because i did something i disliked just because my parents wanted me to do it. the decision feels right mostly because it isnt motivated by a need to make money (law school, financial math) nor based on what my parents want me to do (everything ive done so far). as cliched as it sounds, it feels like a giant weight has been lifted.

looking forward to preparing for this beastly exam again. should be fun.

looks like you were right vicki sorry for disagreeing you all those months ago in chat.

[jvlgato]

Good luck, CJ! Lost me a bit, though. Are you trying to go back to med school? In my experience, doctors are plenty smart, but not thaaat smart. Certainly no smarter than most anyone hanging around here.

Mostly doctors have great memorizing ability, and work work work work , tolerate great pain, work, more work, and convince themselves that it's pretty great working a lot. But there's new rules protecring residents from overworking, so maybe not as bad anymore? Not aure. Anyways, you're certainly more likely to succeed in something you really like for yourself than anything you do for someone else!

Edit: although I guess I worry a bit about why you left after 8 days the first time through, and what's changed since then ...

Edited April 23, 2011 by jvlgato

[crappyjones123]

yes, i shall start preparing for the mcats (again) in the fall and spend the year taking a few classes and hopefully shadowing some doctors. back in the day a 40+ score was enough for hms. now, you need to have saved babies from burning buildings and have killed osama twice and have cured cancer while taking 15 classes and bench pressing 500 lbs with your left hand while you hang from a building upside down with your other. times certainly have changed.

Edited April 23, 2011 by crappyjones123

[Salt Peanuts]

Spent the day sitting around (just as I did for the entirety of the week) while they worked on my bathroom. It's not quite done yet, but everything is now back up and functional. While I hated not being able to do much of anything this whole week, at least the bathroom looks sooo much nicer now.

[Torpedo]

Congrats cj, it's great knowing what you want to do with your life. I'm glad you chose medicine, on the long run I find it a very satisfying profession, it feels great doing good things for other people.

[Aimless1]

Good Luck CJ! Always better to do something you love. I've spent 40 years in the same field and still love going to work each day. Can't imagine waking up and dreading going to work. The money is simply not worth that drudgery.

[skullguise]

Took my son and his friend around the two local towns, putting up posters for their "Mitzvah" projects - hosting two bone marrow drives for the Gift of Life. Got a few businesses to donate some goodies to give or raffle away at the events as well.

Very proud of these kids!

Wife and I just went out to a nice dinner, alone.

Now watching a good hockey game, 0-0 Bruins-Habs between 2nd and 3rd......

[jinp6301]

Awesome CJ.

Youre parents might be the only asian parents who dont want their son to be a doctor

[HeadphoneAddict]

yes, i shall start preparing for the mcats (again) in the fall and spend the year taking a few classes and hopefully shadowing some doctors. back in the day a 40+ score was enough for hms. now, you need to have saved babies from burning buildings and have killed osama twice and have cured cancer while taking 15 classes and bench pressing 500 lbs with your left hand while you hang from a building upside down with your other. times certainly have changed.

Good for you - I'm almost of the thought that if you've been accepted once before that they should automatically take you back again.

I seem to recall back in 1983 when I took my MCAT that the average for acceptance to University of Texas Health System was about a 52, with some below that and some above. I had a 65, and at Baylor College of Medicine where I studied there were many there with a score higher than mine, although the average there was a 60. Anyway, it looks like they might have a new scoring system, and the average score of accepted students is now 32 with the new scoring. MCAT average

I think the schools still look for well rounded people who aren't total bookworms with no practical experience in life, and certainly not just heros and olympic medal winners, so I wouldn't worry about that. I think that being able to show that you've been out in the real world doing things, and then decided that you did miss your calling when you quit the first time would show an increased level of dedication when you do re-apply. In this day and age, I think that many people who are going into medicine know the perils of fighting with insurance companies for reimbursement, and the burden of meeting government regulations, and aren't the type to be looking at hitting the income jackpot. Medicine isn't as lucrative a career as it was 15-20 years ago, but at least there are more opportunities to get a job with a larger company that offers a salary and benefits with decent hours, rather than trying to start from scratch and working solo like I did.

So, I say go for it.

[Augsburger]

Good luck CJ, it is always better to pursue your passion, if that is what you are doing regardless of when you come to the realization. Nothing beats waking up in the morning and looking forward to what waits at the office.... unless of course your are the county coroner.

Well after three days of whining and complaining I finally decided to step up to the plate and finalize the Easter menu. This year there will be no Easter ham, roast, mashed potato's or turkey, at my wifes suggestion we will be doing shish kabobs. So I prepared a Greek, curry, terriyaki, Cajun, and southern BBQ marinades for the eight pounds of beef and chicken. There will be basmati rice and risotto ai fungi, BBQ smoked eggplant, zucchini, roma tomatos, portabello mushrooms and carmelized vidalia onions, two pasta salads and lots of wine.

[shellylh]

CJ: Live your dream and nothing less!

Greg: Can you give me directions and I time?

[grawk]

We're having an alton brown city ham

[Wmcmanus]

May have just blasphemed on Facebook... on Easter Sunday!!!

Friend of mine posted: "The Lord is Risen! Alleluia!" to which I replied, "He's an early riser, eh?" since it was before 6am her time when she posted about Him waking up. Then I quickly posted, "Or she..." since my friend is a feminist and would be quick to point out that possibility if I hadn't. But then, she often confuses Obama for the Lord, so maybe my reference to "He" was ok?

[Currawong]

Over here in heathen Japan, there is no Easter, and Toyota has a large family wagon called the Noah.

[Salt Peanuts]

It's a nice weather here so we've been out and about, which reminded us why we don't care for Easter all that much - nothing is open today. It shouldnt take us multiple phone calls to find a place to get little lunch.

[Dusty Chalk]

May have just blasphemed on Facebook... on Easter Sunday!!!

Friend of mine posted: "The Lord is Risen! Alleluia!" to which I replied, "He's an early riser, eh?" since it was before 6am her time when she posted about Him waking up. Then I quickly posted, "Or she..." since my friend is a feminist and would be quick to point out that possibility if I hadn't. But then, she often confuses Obama for the Lord, so maybe my reference to "He" was ok?

Awesome. Particularly awesome.

[Craig Sawyers]

Well it is actually three days - Thursday, first empty garage and coat of expoxy floor paint. Friday second coat. Today first coat of masonary paint on the cinderblock (breezeblock in the UK) walls.

All preparatory to moving all my woodworking gear from the cupboard-sized garden shed to the garage - and then getting on with some serious cabinet making. Knackered. Compensating by drinking - hic.

[Grahame]

Yesterday. Celebrated St. Georges's Day with a bunch of Brits by going for Beer and Curry! ((En-ger-land!) Surprisingly Decent Cheap'N'Cheerful Indian. Why is it that you can't seem to get Onion Bhajii's in The States, and the Papadum's leave something to be desired? (freshly cooked plain ones would be nice).

Edited April 24, 2011 by Grahame

[crappyjones123]

Yesterday. Celebrated St. Georges's Day with a bunch of Brits by going for Beer and Curry! ((En-ger-land!) Surprisingly Decent Cheap'N'Cheerful Indian. Why is it that you can't seem to get Onion Bhajii's in The States, and the Papadum's leave something to be desired? (freshly cooked plain ones would be nice).

Grahame, are you talking about fried or regular ones? Pm me your address. Mom just came back from India and I think she brought some goodies that might suit your palate.

[mypasswordis]

Mapped out all possible combinations on my "7 segment" LED display and dual color LEDs, gonna get the rotary encoder working next and display what I'm reading from it on the 7 seg. After that going to play around with low and high priority interrupts.

Edit: Have now been working on this for about 10 hours straight, head hurts, can't figure out rotary encoder

Edited April 25, 2011 by mypasswordis