Hijack This Thread

[Sam the Centipede]

NL, just enjoy thrashing your organ.

Pull out those stops, stamp on those pedals, let the Mighty Wurlitzer scream and the rafters shake!!

Srsly, look after yourself.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I take breaks from some threads too.

[Maybenaut]

I take breaks from some threads too.

Me too. I still read the trump threads, but I never read his lies (I refuse to refer to them as truths), and I never, ever watch or listen to him speak. I don’t care what he has to say on any topic.

[Reddog]

Didn’t want to continue hijack from

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2023!!!
#29 Post Thu Dec 21, 2023 5:39 pm
Ford Rangers are magical. They can do anything

I agree, I had a 1988, when it quit I got a new 1998. Ended up putting a quarter of a million miles on it. It was great. I could park it anywhere, and still open the doors. After I sold it, I almost instantly regretted it. I started looking for one like it, finally found one, 2009, with a long bed. Main thing I did that I really like after having newer cars is replaced the radio with one that has CarPlay, and a backup camera, backup camera is built into the Tailgate blue oval.

[raison de arizona]

NSFW language, Ford effing Ranger!

► Show Spoiler

[Volkonski]

Five new soft-furred hedgehog species discovered



https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67780254

The revelation required several scientific missions to the animals' tropical forest home to study them.

Researchers also re-evaluated specimens of the mammals which had been in museum collections for decades.

This detailed, biological spot-the-difference study revealed that two of the animals in the museums were new species to science.

Three others - that had been categorised as subtypes of one species - were confirmed to be sufficiently distinct from each other to be formally recognised as individual species.

One of the lead researchers, Dr Melissa Hawkins, from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (SMNH), told BBC News that the discovery showed the "amazing" diversity of life on our planet still to be revealed.

"We think we know about the natural world," said Dr Hawkins, "but even groups like mammals - especially the little things that live in difficult-to-reach habitats - we really don't know much at all.

"Finding animals like these could bring some attention to [rainforest] ecosystems that are very threatened," she said.

[northland10]

NSFW language, Ford effing Ranger!

► Show Spoiler

My last Ranger still had a good engine (it was the largest of the three I owned over the years). The others, well.... after a while, they lost their pep. They were called pickups, but they had none.

Zero to sixty in... can we make an appointment for next Tuesday?

[northland10]

From the Halloween thread

Ok, i may owe an apology.

I was commenting on the monsters they are forcing on Australia since Ford and GM quit manufacturing here. I was sure the monstrosity i saw just yesterday said Ranger across its ass, but your pictured truck is reasonable.

I will observe more carefully.

Ford has started selling Ranger's here again, and to be fair, they do look larger than the previous versions. Even mine looked a bit lager because the off-road package made it sit higher.

When I walked out of the grocery store this morning, I saw two newer F-150s and thought they looked somewhat larger than old ones but it was hard to tell without a comparison and also hard to tell how it compares to the new Ranger. Just like the "flying" cop in another thread, a lack of context can skew perception.

Then, while driving home, I spotted two Ford Maverick's, a new small pickup model in the US. I thought to myself, that seems about the size of an old Ranger.

As is my way, I decided to check the actual specs. To allow something closer to apples to apples, I was using XLTs and super crew (the full backseat now) for the models (I have had XLTs with an extended cab in the past). I then compared the 150 and Ranger against the 2002 specs (the year of my last Ranger).

What I found is:

1. Like myself, the trucks have gotten wider over the years.
2. F-150s are a little bigger than the F-150s from 2002, though not greatly.
3. Ford Rangers are bigger in most specs, though depending on the model, the bed is shorter. The extra length comes in part from the full backseat instead of the small jump seat in the old super/extended cab (I am pretty sure there were fold-down seats somewhere under the pile of crap I had in mine).
4. Ford Mavericks are closer to the old Ford Ranger specs, though slightly larger (mainly in width). They appear to only offer the 4ft bed.

As for the Ranger in Australia, they actually appear to be smaller than even the Maverick in the US. While I don't know about Australia, I have noticed that US vehicles are often larger than in other countries (in the early 90s I saw some early 80s US Chevy in England and it was huge compared to everything else). Perception is everything. An Austrialian Ranger may look rather tiny in the US but look like a beast in Australia.

The rather bold front-end designs also make them look bigger than they are.

[p0rtia]

Help Wanted!

Looking for someone with access to Adobe InDesign.

I have a small number of .indd files that I need to convert to .idml, which, Prof. Google tells me, can only be done from within InDesign or by purchasing the very cool app, IDMarkz for 109 bucks.

Out of interest I snooped around. There is a 7day trial for InDesign, but maybe the export or print to pdf feature may be restricted. Adobe says then US$22.99/mo. I did not see a minimum subscription period mentioned. Maybe a short subscription to convert may solve your problem.
(re: https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign ... nload.html )

Wanted to let you know that your plan worked like a charm. (Just took me a while to open up the time to do it). D/L'ed the free trial for InDesign and converted the files with no problem. Now I'm good to go with Affinity Publisher, which opened up the files just fine. Thanks a million!

To No One In Particular: It took me almost two hours to D/L InDesign. No, not a slow connection, just working my way through the insane maze that is Adobe. Not gonna miss it.

[RTH10260]

Great to know, your servant truly

[Rolodex]

My senior dog is literally 1 foot from me and yelling/screaming, I think with separation anxiety. Fortunately, I refilled "granny's nerve pills" earlier today (trazadone). I guess it's time for her dose, bless her heart.

She can see just fine, but has lost most of her hearing, so I think she gets confused and then anxious about that, bless her heart.

[Volkonski]

California town proposes ban on Pride, Black and women’s history celebrations
Far-right council members in Huntington Beach introduce agenda item to switch focus to US wars and America’s independence

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... lebrations

The southern California city of Huntington Beach, a bastion of conservative voters, has made the move to block diverse monthlong celebrations of Black history, women’s history and Pride, in favor of observing the revolutionary and civil wars, California’s history and America’s independence.

An agenda item introduced on 19 December forbids any programming that pertains to previously established honorary celebrations for women, people of color and LGBTQ+ groups from taking place on city-owned property, including libraries, or of being featured in city communications such as social media posts, according to Natalie Moser, a city council member who voted against the action.

This means that monthly programming meant to acknowledge and teach the history of historically marginalized groups such as Black Americans and LGBTQ+ people will be replaced by “content” about local railroad and surfing history and a monthlong tribute to the discovery of oil in Huntington Beach called Black Gold Jubilee, according to the agenda item’s language. It’s still possible that the city can establish a day of observation for marginalized groups, Moser adds.

“I was really disappointed to see it on the agenda but wasn’t surprised given the past year,” said Moser, who is from Huntington Beach. “I want Huntington Beach to be seen as a welcoming and inclusive community. Instead, we are thrust into this war and I think that this council majority is trying to make a name for itself as a model or symbol of the extreme-right side of that war.”

[Dave from down under]

Can you solve it faster?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-24/ ... /103255592

13-year-old mystery of Tweed Regional Museum's red letters solved in time it took to drink half a cuppa

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Fascinating story, Dave!

[neonzx]

Very cool mystery story.

[raison de arizona]

Ahem.

IMG_6791.png (137.72 KiB) Viewed 38514 times

[keith]

Just curious here.

Anybody besides me read PoliticusUSA.com? Is it in trouble for you today?

All I get is a never ending spinning gear signifying that I should 'wait fot it...'. But it never comes. "Isitdownrightnow" service says it is up.

I wonder if there is something weird going on, or if its just me what done sumpin wrong.

[MN-Skeptic]

Just curious here.

Anybody besides me read PoliticusUSA.com? Is it in trouble for you today?

All I get is a never ending spinning gear signifying that I should 'wait fot it...'. But it never comes. "Isitdownrightnow" service says it is up.

I wonder if there is something weird going on, or if its just me what done sumpin wrong.

I get the same spinning gear, so it's not just you.

[keith]

Just curious here.

Anybody besides me read PoliticusUSA.com? Is it in trouble for you today?

All I get is a never ending spinning gear signifying that I should 'wait fot it...'. But it never comes. "Isitdownrightnow" service says it is up.

I wonder if there is something weird going on, or if its just me what done sumpin wrong.

I get the same spinning gear, so it's not just you.

Thanks. Ill chill til uhey fix it.

[Lani]

PoliticusUSA.com is back on line.

[Foggy]

Orlylicious is now Luke, as indicated. Love you, Luke.

[keith]

PoliticusUSA.com is back on line.

Hn n. Not for me.

30 mi utes to 2024.

Sydney bridge fireworks, Melbourne CBD buildings skyrockets in space. Almost time kiddies.

[bill_g]

PoliticusUSA.com is back on line.

Hn n. Not for me.

30 mi utes to 2024.

Sydney bridge fireworks, Melbourne CBD buildings skyrockets in space. Almost time kiddies.

You are a day ahead and five hours behind me. Happy New Year to you!

[bill_g]

PS - for the rest of us - Happy Consecutive Day! It's 12/31/23

Drive responsibly.

[keith]

PoliticusUSA.com is back on line.

Hn n. Not for me.

30 mi utes to 2024.

Sydney bridge fireworks, Melbourne CBD buildings skyrockets in space. Almost time kiddies.

It works on CHROME, but not on FIREFOX, (on the Windows desktop - I haven't tried the mobiles yet).