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2 yr. ago

  • It's not as glamourous as it seems lol. It's so much awful shit sometimes, but it's fun sometimes too.

    I'll preface this story with here are some articles about a car we built (engine/wiring mostly), and took to Bonneville Salt Flats. (I'm not sure if links are allowed, so if not, LMK) If you want to read about it, there are about 15-20 pretty technical articles on Moto-IQ about the build (I'm co-owner of 5523 Motorsports, so articles with us apply). You can see them here (they don't seem to be in any particular order, and there's other unrelated shit, but they were publish chronologically originally and I suggest reading them chronologically). If the link doesn't get them to load, search project LSR on Moto-IQ site.

    So, we were out at Bonneville, running the LSR 240SX which had our destroked SR20 in it. We get up to the line, start our pass, take off, and the car spins at right about 200mph (we never officially clocked 200 (lame), but datalogging shows we exceeded it). Next pass, same thing (I think it was a total of three times it spun that weekend). One of, if not the last pass we did of the weekend, we were in line in front of (maybe we were right behind, it's been a while) Danny Thompson (Mickey Thompson's son), who was running his dads Challenger II car (google the history, it's long, sad, and sorted). Our team was mostly at the start line, but I was at about mile 5.

    Whichever order the cars went out in, I saw both from mile 5. Challenger II takes off, and I can't see it (curvature of the earth, I couldn't see it until it reach somewhere around mile 2) but the announcers are broadcasting on an AM channel so I can hear whatever they are calling out. I hear mile 1 xxx MPH, mile 2 xxx MPH, mile 3 xxx mph. I witnessed this car go 450.9 MPH on salt. I know that kinda sounds dumb, but you're brain really can't comprehend how fucking fast that is until you see it in person. I've been around cars, and fast car my whole life, but this was something else. Danny beat his dad's old record, which was the point, but my god that car was impressive.

    So we go back out for our next pass, and what do we do, again? Spin, of course. There is the in car video of it in this article on page 3. The funny part, is that I have series of pics (which I'd have to go searching for now), where you can see the spring come off the chute, then the knob (the cable for the chute itself wrapped itself around the knob and launched it when it deployed), then the chute starts to deploy, and the last pic of the series was the nose of the car facing the fully deployed chute. We did set the record though. yay!

    IDK how interesting that story is, but it was a fun weekend of racing. If you ever get the chance, going to the races out there is really fun. It still feels like back in the day, where everyone helps each other, and seemingly wants to collaborate, in some capacity. The crew next to us in the pits had a ranchero that they had put a Nissan engine in. It was an older Nissan engine (I don't remember it even having a true ECU in it) and they were struggling with the "tech" that was in it. IIRC it was just one of those MSD electronic ignition boxes (like the 6AL). We helped them as much as we could, and they lent us some tools. Hell, tech inspection, after we spun was some dude rubbing his hands around the circumference of the tires, to check for anything abnormal, and then the thumbs up to go again.

    I will say the most flattering part of the whole weekend was these HUGE teams that were running these crazy cars really took notice of what we were doing with our little team/car. I didn't even have to be near the car, or mention it, and people would ask me about it. It's really something different from most other forms of racing anymore.

  • Can definitely do an AMA, but not sure how interesting it would be.

    We have built multiple kinds. We have build engines/cars for Rolex GrandAm, Drifting (Formula D), Land Speed Racing (we actually hold a bunch of records in our class), King of Hammers/Baja type off-road (engines/wiring only, not chassis), and then the more casual type stuff for the weekend warrior types (autoX, desert toys, etc).

  • Haha, yeah I'm DEFINITLY not "normal" or "well functioning mentally".

  • @techconsulnerd I agree!!! It's been a very, very slow process, but I have been seeing more women in motorsports, which is awesome. Even F1 has a new series F1 Academy, which is an all women series. I'm way too old, but if I was younger, I'd sure be trying to get in.

  • So, this isn't culling because it's necessary, it's just killing for sport. Why is this even legal?

    The contests also have been defended as a way to keep wildlife populations in check -- especially for coyotes, which are viewed as livestock-killing nuisances in some areas.

    I love how humans always try to justify their shitty acts. There are plenty of groups who have been working with local populations for years, mostly in asian and african countries, to help farmers with predator problems. In africa, they use "bee fences" to keep elephants from fields. India, they discovered that wearing a mask on the back of your head can keep tiger attacks down. There have also been certain dog breeds used to deter larger predators from livestock. Getting creative it the way to go, not pointless killing.

    Also, if there are no coyotes to eat the local rabbits, squirrels, etc then they will be overrun with them, and they will make BIG problems for livestock (assuming they aren't factory farms).

  • Work on/build racecars. Some of it's very technical, but probably not the type you're asking about. Also a woman. I'm checking off all the abnormal demographics here. Right?

  • Lol. Ain't that the truth. I do need a little "support" (more like trying to keep them contained in the top) so I go with the soft bralettes, or a pastie if the dress or top I'm wearing is fitted enough, or has enough coverage . Thankfully, no one has ever said anything to me. I occasionally get a weird look, but I just don't care.

  • @lagomorphlecture Oh, there is TONS of science and research behind keeping people addicted to UPFs.

    "In a recent article in the New York Times Magazine, food scientist Steven Witherly describes Cheetos as “one of the most marvelously constructed foods on the planet, in terms of pure pleasure.”

    The cheese puffs’ greatest quality, Witherly says in the article, is its ability to melt in your mouth. “It’s called vanishing caloric density…If something melts down quickly, your brain thinks that there’s no calories in it…you can just keep eating it forever.”

    This deception, writer Michael Moss tells us, isn’t accidental: snack food companies do a lot of research in order to design foods that fool your mind and bewitch your taste buds into a constant state of craving–a state industry insiders call “the bliss point.” To achieve this “bliss point,” Moss writes, food designers pay close attention to something called “sensory-specific satiety.”

    “In lay terms,” Moss says, sensory-specific satiety “is the tendency for big, distinct flavors to overwhelm the brain, which responds by depressing your desire to have more.” To avoid this, successful junk food products like Coca-Cola and Doritos consist of “complex formulas that pique the taste buds enough to be alluring but don’t have a distinct, overriding single flavor that tells the brain to stop eating.” source

    @LostWanderer

  • @Countess425 Free the nipple!! I haven't worn a bra in years, and I don't intend to. I do wear those little bralettes, that may as well be a crop top, instead, or nothing at all, if possible.

    @ClarissaXDarjeeling

  • @ClarissaXDarjeeling 40 something woman here.

    IMO, as we get older, we either seem to pay more attention to silhouettes, shapes and flattering clothes, or we just stop caring all together, and go with the leggings and moomoos (nothing wrong with either, I occasionally wear both). Trends are always going to change, and "fast fashion" will do so constantly. As far as I can tell we are heading back to the 90s (ugh) with a weird mix of 70s thrown in. I'm excited for the death of high rise jeans again, and those god awful mesh tops/dresses, but I digress.

    Personally, I've been building my closet on higher quality staple pieces, with some fast fashion thrown in. If you get a cute, high quality skirt, and a
    trendy, fitted crop top, you can mix both those items with other items in your closet. Same with a nice pair of jeans, dress, or a jacket.

    All of that said, either learn to tailor your own clothes (this is the route I chose) or make friends with a local tailor. Clothes rarely fit well off the rack. Buying a piece of clothing and wearing it will look ok, but having it tailored for YOU will make it look GREAT. I also make my own clothes, when I can't find what I want.

    Oh, and as someone who is rather ....."chesty" yeah, boxy tops/dressed make me look TERRIBLE. I absolutely love the way those little boho shift dresses look on smaller chested women, but they look like a circus tent on me. I feel your pain

  • @mashi right, but those aren't apple's ads, they are the news sources', since it's redirecting to their page (afaik).

    @svotay @Mrmcmisterson

  • @Mrmcmisterson i have had iPhones for forever now. The only place i see ads (that Apple has control over) are the one bar in the App Store now, which didn’t happen until what 2 weeks ago. Every other ad is within an app itself or online.

    Even Apple News doesn’t have ads. Nor do any of their exercise or music apps (at least not that I’ve seen)

    @svotay

  • Not sure how you got that out of my comment but no.

  • I mean, that’s great but that’s not the norm everywhere. Yes, there will be vets who can look at them. I’m in a big city so you can definitely find them, but it doesn’t mean they are taking new patients, or that your specific animal is going to be something they know how to deal with. You even said one of the two near you IS an exotic pet vet.

    That also doesn’t change their diets, social structures, cleaning requirements, etc. since so many few people have those animals (3% according to you) it’ll be harder to find accurate info about care. Look at how many bunnies get adopted for Easter and then get abandoned because, surprise, they are WAY more work than people knew.

  • FYI all of the animals you listed are effectively exotic pets, and difficult to very difficult to care for. Most vets won't/can't see them, they have highly specialized diets/needs. They have enclosures that require constant cleaning. They are not good first pets. Birds can also live for VERY long times (budgies are on the lower end of the spectrum for birds, but parrots can live more than 50 years)

  • Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with you there. The likelihood of it being a complete freak occurrence is slim to none. Call me a pessimist.

    The end of the article does say its mating season though, so there may have been other factors at play. Animals tend to be pretty high strung, for lack of a better term, during mating season.

  • The short answer is yes, you should worry about them. Are they ok in moderation? Sure. Are they ok when they are the main staple of your diet? Absolutely not.

    For those that don't know what the term means:

    Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Examples of these foods are frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes, and salty snacks. - source

    Ultra-processed foods don't really contain any actual food. They are derived from food, but they have basically been stripped of all of their naturally occurring nutrients.

    There are quite a few studies out there that show that while eating an ultra-processed diet people tend to eat a fair amount more calories (I've seen multiple places say 500 more calories) per day than when eating whole foods, or minimally processed. They also tend to gain weight (over a surprisingly short period of time), have higher incident of cardiovascular disease, had higher increase in fat and carb consumption, but not protein, and high incident of some cancers.

    I'd also add that most people probably feel A LOT worse when eating ultra-processed foods. Just observation on my part, but people who eat terribly seem to lack energy, and seem to struggle more with things like sleeping, exercise, etc.

  • I agree, but I think it REALLY depends on the person. My family 1000% proves that people only get worse with age. People that were assholes to begin with, only become bigger assholes as they get older, and less capable. Especially if they were "super independent" before. That also seems to hold true, in my experience, for people who were very independent and suddenly lost that, regardless of how they were before. Narcissism seems to increase exponentially too.

    I also have some much older friends (like 80s and 90s older), who were always really good people, and are still just honest, down to earth, good people, just a little needier.

    I guess what I'm saying is that people don't tend to change, and the person they were as an adult is only amplified as they age, from what I have seen.

  • Woman in her 40s here.