Ah the joys of vacationing! A long drive with a great reward at the end. Relaxation. No work. No school. No Worries. There is a hot tub in room and food has no calories for the three day weekend. I think everyone deserves one of those every now and then.
Unless of course you fail to google where exactly it is you are going and you take your car with the dying clutch into the mountains. Who has ever had their mechanic use the words 'it exploded' on you before? Ya those aren't pleasant. Then again neither was being within sight of the hotel when the car lurches and thunks at you before refusing to move.
However there was a bright side. We lost a day of vacation but in exchange we got a reliable car. The man and I have been car shopping on and off for months now anticipating the approaching demise but we always put off buying. Who needs another bill when we were getting along just fine as is. However this did not stop us from investigating.
The first car we really thought we wanted was the Toyota Yaris. Cute little hybrid I had been in love with for the better part of two years. However the second we got in for a test drive we realized a problem. When you got a man upwards of six foot and all leg, you don't want a Yaris. For my little 5'2" sister the car was perfect. For me and the man we were feeling cramped. We still drove it around and gave it the thought but when the first one to pop into your head is cramped, it doesn't stay near the top of the list and the engine didn't have quite the get up and go we wanted because it was a hybrid.
The next car we mozied on over to was the Honda Civic. A lot roomier than the Yaris had been it was off to a good start and honestly it won our hearts with the cool little toys we could play with. For example my all time favorite, the back lit dash changed from blue to green depending on how fuel efficient you were being. Granted it made me play with the colour when driving but I loved it. We probably would have bought that car on the spot if the salesman hadn't been so rude to me. So when my man asked did I want to keep it I looked and said I refuse to buy from that man. So we postponed.
Fast forward. We have an exploded clutch and no desire to fix it. Well recently I read an article comparing some cars and I liked how the Chevy Cruze sounded so we went on a test drive. First thing we notice when we get in is that if the seat is all the way back, it's too far for my man. Leg room was amazing. The ride wasn't as smooth as the Yaris has been however it had a lot more toys than the Yaris and a lot more trunk space. It wasn't as tech savy as the Honda Civic but the gas mileage was better and the Cruze was several thousand dollars cheaper. They had it in a manly enough color and we decided we wanted to keep it.
Well in selling the broken car I did find something out. I had to make a round trip seven hour drive in the new Cruze and turns out it has everything except cruise control. The car is a better cell phone than my actual cell phone it came with Sirus radio and OnStar til the end of the year. I can plug in my iPod to it or watch how many MPG I am getting at any point but no one thought I might want cruise control.
Now it's not a big deal I am assuming it's because our car also switches between an automatic and a manual and so we sacrificed the ability to ignore the gas pedal once we hit a good speed. We've had the car for about a week now and I really like it. When you first drive it, the car does shift a little rough but that cleared up around 300 miles for us like the dealer said it would. (It's got a computer that tracks your driving habits. Hence rough shifting til it gets to know you.)
Anyway. That's my half a cent on three different cars. If you have the money you also want to look into a Ford Focus. That is a nice car too but we wanted something on the slim that came with a warranty but like with any car give it a go and see what feels right for you.
hoping for no more car adventures,
Corset signing off.
PS: If you have any specific questions about any of the cars that you feel the dealer or google can't answer just drop me a comment and I'll get back to you.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Birth Control & Other Political Rantings
So have you lot heard the hype as of late. I know I've heard some very dramatic statements like today, "Kansas seems to be ground zero for the Republican war on women this year". While dramatic, from the research I have started it's not a wholly untrue statement. Just recently Kansas passed a bill that would allow pharmacists and doctors to deny a woman birth control if it conflicted with their religious beliefs. This bill was particularly targeted at the morning after pill and what shocked me the most was the ignorance about birth control that is being brought to light.
As little as forty percent of women get on birth control to Only prevent pregnancy. Pregnancy isn't the only reason you'd want to start a method of birth control. Birth control can regulate your cycle as well as help control and reduce the symptoms a woman suffers during her time of the month. If they called it the anti-pms pill would men still be trying to ban it so actively? What I don't understand is why ban birth control if you are ok with Viagra? I think that is what has a bunch of panties in a bunch. Men are making choices about reproductive health they don't understand. If a woman has severe cramping and heavy bleeding well then that's part of being a woman. If a man can't get it up well then someone call 911 we have a real problem. I don't think people should be encouraging men to get a hard on if they want to deny their women a way to pay for prevention of the consequences. No one is naive enough to pretend that Viagra is bought only by married men who want children just as no one believes that every woman on birth control is an out of control hussy. The world doesn't work that way.
What has my panties in a bunch is that the state is slowly moving toward allowing religion to dictate what could potentially be me. What if it was my state? You are Catholic so I don't get to have birth control? If you don't want to sell it to me I get it but don't tell me you won't give the prescription to the guy that will. You not personally selling it is your business you using your religion to enforce this on me is wrong and unconstitutional. Religion slowly creeping into the government actually worries me quite a bit. When candidates win things they thank God. When they want their people to follow them blindly they rally the people in the name of God.
I don't identify with their God with the capitol G. I believe you should live a good life for it's own sake not because someone is holding Hell over your head. I know that is an awful over arching statement to make but I have heard a little too much fire and brim stone the past few days. So my point being why should Your God preside over my life? I don't understand how a country that brags about its religious freedom is trying so hard to enforce the rules of one Religion. I am honestly surprised that no one has made a move to try and pass a national religion. We have a national language, food, birds. We have something to represent just about every aspect with the except of a few constitutionally protected rights. Yet the constitution doesn't seem to be cracking the whip like it used to. I have heard it called out dated on more than one occasion and maybe it is.
We have come so far from where our country was founded. Some part of my mind says it might not be a bad idea to rewrite the constitution so that we have a more updated blanket of write and wrong. However I am afraid that if someone tried to undertake this then it would fall into squabbling and everyone's own personal agenda. I think any attempt to modernize it would end up removing a lot of protections that the constitution offers such as the freedom of religion.
I did hear a valid point today though despite all the bickering. There should be better sex education and birth control education. There is a difference between abortions and birth control and not all birth control does the same thing and I've met a lot of people who don't know the differences. For example some birth controls mean you just don't drop any eggs because it prevents ovulation and I think men should be the primary ones informed of this. So many men hear the word period or woman issues and they stone wall then have the audacity to think they have enough information to chose for women. America really needs to stop being such a prude and start talking about sexual health and not just their own but that of the opposite sex as well. If you are with a partner you need to know what you are looking out for and how various forms of birth control work and how diseases are transmitted. That's just the basics.
I think I've had all the ranting I have time for right now.
I would love some perspectives from people on other countries at this point.
Corset disappointed,
signing off.
As little as forty percent of women get on birth control to Only prevent pregnancy. Pregnancy isn't the only reason you'd want to start a method of birth control. Birth control can regulate your cycle as well as help control and reduce the symptoms a woman suffers during her time of the month. If they called it the anti-pms pill would men still be trying to ban it so actively? What I don't understand is why ban birth control if you are ok with Viagra? I think that is what has a bunch of panties in a bunch. Men are making choices about reproductive health they don't understand. If a woman has severe cramping and heavy bleeding well then that's part of being a woman. If a man can't get it up well then someone call 911 we have a real problem. I don't think people should be encouraging men to get a hard on if they want to deny their women a way to pay for prevention of the consequences. No one is naive enough to pretend that Viagra is bought only by married men who want children just as no one believes that every woman on birth control is an out of control hussy. The world doesn't work that way.
What has my panties in a bunch is that the state is slowly moving toward allowing religion to dictate what could potentially be me. What if it was my state? You are Catholic so I don't get to have birth control? If you don't want to sell it to me I get it but don't tell me you won't give the prescription to the guy that will. You not personally selling it is your business you using your religion to enforce this on me is wrong and unconstitutional. Religion slowly creeping into the government actually worries me quite a bit. When candidates win things they thank God. When they want their people to follow them blindly they rally the people in the name of God.
I don't identify with their God with the capitol G. I believe you should live a good life for it's own sake not because someone is holding Hell over your head. I know that is an awful over arching statement to make but I have heard a little too much fire and brim stone the past few days. So my point being why should Your God preside over my life? I don't understand how a country that brags about its religious freedom is trying so hard to enforce the rules of one Religion. I am honestly surprised that no one has made a move to try and pass a national religion. We have a national language, food, birds. We have something to represent just about every aspect with the except of a few constitutionally protected rights. Yet the constitution doesn't seem to be cracking the whip like it used to. I have heard it called out dated on more than one occasion and maybe it is.
We have come so far from where our country was founded. Some part of my mind says it might not be a bad idea to rewrite the constitution so that we have a more updated blanket of write and wrong. However I am afraid that if someone tried to undertake this then it would fall into squabbling and everyone's own personal agenda. I think any attempt to modernize it would end up removing a lot of protections that the constitution offers such as the freedom of religion.
I did hear a valid point today though despite all the bickering. There should be better sex education and birth control education. There is a difference between abortions and birth control and not all birth control does the same thing and I've met a lot of people who don't know the differences. For example some birth controls mean you just don't drop any eggs because it prevents ovulation and I think men should be the primary ones informed of this. So many men hear the word period or woman issues and they stone wall then have the audacity to think they have enough information to chose for women. America really needs to stop being such a prude and start talking about sexual health and not just their own but that of the opposite sex as well. If you are with a partner you need to know what you are looking out for and how various forms of birth control work and how diseases are transmitted. That's just the basics.
I think I've had all the ranting I have time for right now.
I would love some perspectives from people on other countries at this point.
Corset disappointed,
signing off.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Web Comics
So do you follow any online comics? I do. It started out just one. A friend came to and said "Look what I found. It's pretty funny." So I made my way over to Ctrl+Alt+Del Comics did some back reading. They started out silly but really picked up in quality when he started to introduce story lines and it's been going strong ever since and I have been following since all those years ago. Then a few years later someone else approached me. "Hey have you read Girls With Slingshots?" Turns out that was pretty good too. Then I found WereGeek on my own one year when I went to Gen Con and she happened to be sharing a booth with Devil's Panties. Then there was Gregor and The Way To Your Heart. The list actually goes on for quite a bit. So I started to wonder what do these have in common that I keep coming back for more?
Well the first thing is they all early on started to flesh out their characters. Each one develops their quirks and their good sides along with the bad and each of those points works into the story line. I found I'm really fond of webcomics with solid stories. Now granted Ctrl+Alt+Del took a little bit to work into a story but I try not to hold the first few weeks of a web comic against someone. I know when I started to blog I just flailed around for a few weeks. Well unlike me I kept flailing and they developed plot.
The Way to Your Heart is particularly good at this. Where the others were meant to be funny ha-ha comics with plot. This one is a comic in the Japanese style meaning if the lovely artist had been born in Japan it would be a Manga. However she lives in Seattle and is condemns to comic status. Still it's a wonderful little drama that keeps us guessing and moving toward an actual end point. I must say that is one respect where I am sad. A majority of the comics I read will keep going as long as the artist is moved to draw. This one has a plot and one day in the mediocre future she will write "THE END" and those characters will be done. On the upside she had said she wants to start a new story afterwards so it's a mixed bag.
I've already dedicated a whole post to what I like about Gregor so I'm going to skip him and move right on. I don't want to say too much about any particular comic just because I'm limited without giving away spoilers and for the most part I'd like to stay spoiler free so the next thing I realized I like about all of these is the quality of art. XKCD is the only comic I am willing to forgive for poor art style, it's beautiful in its own way. All the rest tend to have well drawn beautifully coloured work. (Forgive Ctrl+Alt+Del this was another portion they took a bit to catch up). That being said Ctrl+Alt+Del is a great example of beautifully done panels and work. I love the attention to detail such as in the most recent their are shadows on the floor and a picture in the background you can almost make out. I can't tell you how much it irks me when I see something that is going nicely then an artist slacks and nothing has any shadowing done or they decide they don't want to keep up with that level of detail anymore.
Well I don't want to take up too much of your time. If you clicked a few of those links my mission is accomplished. I'd love to hear what you have to say about the comics I read. Or if you have any other suggestions you think I might like. All I've discovered in writing this is I still like pretty art and I am a sucker for a story. Nothing new there. I would like something new to talk about though. Give me some comments on something I should write about.
Meandering through web comics,
Corset signing off.
Well the first thing is they all early on started to flesh out their characters. Each one develops their quirks and their good sides along with the bad and each of those points works into the story line. I found I'm really fond of webcomics with solid stories. Now granted Ctrl+Alt+Del took a little bit to work into a story but I try not to hold the first few weeks of a web comic against someone. I know when I started to blog I just flailed around for a few weeks. Well unlike me I kept flailing and they developed plot.
The Way to Your Heart is particularly good at this. Where the others were meant to be funny ha-ha comics with plot. This one is a comic in the Japanese style meaning if the lovely artist had been born in Japan it would be a Manga. However she lives in Seattle and is condemns to comic status. Still it's a wonderful little drama that keeps us guessing and moving toward an actual end point. I must say that is one respect where I am sad. A majority of the comics I read will keep going as long as the artist is moved to draw. This one has a plot and one day in the mediocre future she will write "THE END" and those characters will be done. On the upside she had said she wants to start a new story afterwards so it's a mixed bag.
I've already dedicated a whole post to what I like about Gregor so I'm going to skip him and move right on. I don't want to say too much about any particular comic just because I'm limited without giving away spoilers and for the most part I'd like to stay spoiler free so the next thing I realized I like about all of these is the quality of art. XKCD is the only comic I am willing to forgive for poor art style, it's beautiful in its own way. All the rest tend to have well drawn beautifully coloured work. (Forgive Ctrl+Alt+Del this was another portion they took a bit to catch up). That being said Ctrl+Alt+Del is a great example of beautifully done panels and work. I love the attention to detail such as in the most recent their are shadows on the floor and a picture in the background you can almost make out. I can't tell you how much it irks me when I see something that is going nicely then an artist slacks and nothing has any shadowing done or they decide they don't want to keep up with that level of detail anymore.
Well I don't want to take up too much of your time. If you clicked a few of those links my mission is accomplished. I'd love to hear what you have to say about the comics I read. Or if you have any other suggestions you think I might like. All I've discovered in writing this is I still like pretty art and I am a sucker for a story. Nothing new there. I would like something new to talk about though. Give me some comments on something I should write about.
Meandering through web comics,
Corset signing off.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
BBQ Goodness at AppleWood
Do you like BBQ? I like BBQ. And not mediocre BBQ either. I've been eating the stuff since before I could walk if you put a plate of just so so ribs in front of me I'm burnt out on the things to the point I'll probably just eat the bread that goes with it and call it a night. Same thing goes for even modestly good pulled pork. That being said I can't go into a city without trying their smokey goodness at at least two different places. Typically I go to the cities 'best' and the runner up to see what they have to offer. Typically it's good not great and I end up wondering why am I eating BBQ again when I don't really enjoy it. There are a small handful of exceptions.
I made my way into Kansas City for a spell one summer and everyone raved about Oklahoma Joes BBQ. It's run out of a gas station and I've never been when their wasn't a line running out the door and that's during church hours on a Sunday. I drove past during lunch on a Saturday once. No Barbecue is the worth the wait I saw. This place has won oodles of awards and is generally considered awesome right up there with Jack Stacks (I wasn't fond of this place so no paragraph for them.)
Oklahoma Joe's was somewhere I could go and have some pulled pork and baked beans and enjoy my meal with modest satisfaction. It was good, not the best I ever had but good. Then traveling with the man like I do we mozyed on over to Independence, Mo. You know birthplace of Harry Truman. Big historical site all that jazz. Stopped at a little bbq joint with no reputation no awards yet and had the best barbecue I have had in years. Apple Wood BBQ (http://www.applewoodbbqkc.com/#) was absolutely delicious. They had sauces that had some heat they they had some with the tangy but my favorite turned out to be the apple bbq sauce. I saw it in the line up and decided why not, best choice I ever made. I loved the stuff. Then I got mine with a baked sweet potato with honey butter and brown sugar. My man got rib tips with the fries and baked beans and a burnt end sandwich. We went halvsies. It was all delicious. The rip tips were cooked perfect. The fries weren't the out of a bad steak fries these were honest to god fries. Everything was so delicious. I'll admit the burnt ends were not my favorite but I've never been a super fan of them.
Then about that time where we know we're about to eat to much we know we should stop but it's so good you don't want to. The owner comes on over and says "I hope you saved room for rum cake."
My man replied, "I don't think we have room for desert."
He nodded, "I'll bring you a sample then let you decide."
So a moment later he came back bearing two small squares of rum cake and I had decided. I needed me a slice of his aunts rum cake. I hadn't had a rum cake that good since I was a little girl. I think the best part was we ate til we were stuffed. Spent $20 between the two of us and had enough leftovers I got to do it all over again for breakfast this morning. Compared to the rest of the barbecue we got in Kansas City, it was a steal.
So if you ever happen to be doing the tourist thing in the Kansas City area hop on over to Independence. It's a cute little historical site with BBQ that is just as good if not a bit better (close call) than the cities best. So help keep deliciousness in business.
Apple Wood BBQ
1003 E 23rd Street Unit E
Independence, MO 64055
http://www.applewoodbbqkc.com/#
Later in the week I'll talk about the Varsity in Atlanta. Don't let me forget.
Corset missing the rum cake.
Signing off.
I made my way into Kansas City for a spell one summer and everyone raved about Oklahoma Joes BBQ. It's run out of a gas station and I've never been when their wasn't a line running out the door and that's during church hours on a Sunday. I drove past during lunch on a Saturday once. No Barbecue is the worth the wait I saw. This place has won oodles of awards and is generally considered awesome right up there with Jack Stacks (I wasn't fond of this place so no paragraph for them.)
Oklahoma Joe's was somewhere I could go and have some pulled pork and baked beans and enjoy my meal with modest satisfaction. It was good, not the best I ever had but good. Then traveling with the man like I do we mozyed on over to Independence, Mo. You know birthplace of Harry Truman. Big historical site all that jazz. Stopped at a little bbq joint with no reputation no awards yet and had the best barbecue I have had in years. Apple Wood BBQ (http://www.applewoodbbqkc.com/#) was absolutely delicious. They had sauces that had some heat they they had some with the tangy but my favorite turned out to be the apple bbq sauce. I saw it in the line up and decided why not, best choice I ever made. I loved the stuff. Then I got mine with a baked sweet potato with honey butter and brown sugar. My man got rib tips with the fries and baked beans and a burnt end sandwich. We went halvsies. It was all delicious. The rip tips were cooked perfect. The fries weren't the out of a bad steak fries these were honest to god fries. Everything was so delicious. I'll admit the burnt ends were not my favorite but I've never been a super fan of them.
Then about that time where we know we're about to eat to much we know we should stop but it's so good you don't want to. The owner comes on over and says "I hope you saved room for rum cake."
My man replied, "I don't think we have room for desert."
He nodded, "I'll bring you a sample then let you decide."
So a moment later he came back bearing two small squares of rum cake and I had decided. I needed me a slice of his aunts rum cake. I hadn't had a rum cake that good since I was a little girl. I think the best part was we ate til we were stuffed. Spent $20 between the two of us and had enough leftovers I got to do it all over again for breakfast this morning. Compared to the rest of the barbecue we got in Kansas City, it was a steal.
So if you ever happen to be doing the tourist thing in the Kansas City area hop on over to Independence. It's a cute little historical site with BBQ that is just as good if not a bit better (close call) than the cities best. So help keep deliciousness in business.
Apple Wood BBQ
1003 E 23rd Street Unit E
Independence, MO 64055
http://www.applewoodbbqkc.com/#
Later in the week I'll talk about the Varsity in Atlanta. Don't let me forget.
Corset missing the rum cake.
Signing off.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)