Goodbye New Audi

(click to enlarge)

If you can see the look on my face in this picture, it tells the whole story. It was taken a few minutes after I kicked the door open. My right turn signal is still on.

After an incredibly unnecessary month and a half long battle, I finally got the check from State Farm. I came out a few dollars above even, which is slightly better than I had hoped for.

That'll be the last Audi in my garage for the foreseeable future.

My new Honda Civic is being built this week at the new plant in Indiana. While I'll miss the all wheel drive, stick shift, and 255 HP, the new Civic gets 36 MPG, has a bunch of cool little toys, and is less than HALF the monthly payment.

My plan is to get a toy car in a few years. I'll be ready for my mid-life crisis by then.

Being White

So this is a two part intro here because this email was so horrible that I actually sent a reply to this message. I tried to tone it down so that I wouldn't hurt any feelings, but... well... we'll see if I accomplished that.

--Poobis

----- Original Message -----

From the email: How many are actually paying Attention to this?

No major or minor media outlet is paying attention to this because this a rant someone pulled out of the KKK handbook and attached a celebrity to in order to give it some sort of credibility. There's no WET, White Pride Day, white chamber of commerce, or white colleges because the other 14000 channels, holidays, chamber of commerces, and colleges used to be and still are mostly white.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/dubiousquotes/a/michaelrichards.htm

Though this racist rant has been widely disseminated online and seems especially popular on Neo-Nazi and "white power" websites, it dates from well before Michael Richards' infamous onstage tirade against African-American audience members at the L.A. Laugh Factory on November 17, 2006. He did not write it, nor could it have constituted his "defense speech in court," given that there were no charges filed and no court trial ever took place. It is also at odds with Richards' stated apology after the videotaped incident, in which he said he was "deeply, deeply sorry" for shouting racial epithets at two black men who had heckled him during his performance at the comedy club.

----- Original Message -----
From: [Deleted]
To: [Deleted]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 3:15 PM
Subject: Fw: Fwd: Fw: Being White

I don't condone what this Mike Richards did, but he makes a good point.

This is great. I have been wondering about why Whites are Racists, and no other race is. Proud to be White - Michael Richards makes his point...

Michael Richards better known as Kramer from TVs Seinfeld does make a good point. This was his defense speech in court after making racial comments in his comedy act. He makes some very interesting points...

Someone finally said it... How many are actually paying Attention to this?

There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc. And then here are just Americans. You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker,' 'Honkey,' 'Whitey,' 'Caveman' ... And that's OK. But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink ... You call me a racist. You say that Whites commit a lot of violence against you... So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?

You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah. You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP. You have BET...

If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), we'd be racists.. If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists. If we Had White History Month, we'd be racists. If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' our, Lives we'd be racists.

We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that?? A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, But any color can be in the Miss America pageant. If we had a college fund that only gave white students Scholarships. You know we'd be racists.

There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US . Yet if there were 'White colleges' That would be a racist college...

In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching For your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us Racists. You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're Not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride, you call us racist! You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white Police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.

I am proud... But you call me a racist. Why is it that only whites can be racists? There is nothing improper about this e-mail.

Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on I sadly Don't think many will. That's why we have lost most of OUR RIGHTS in This Country. We won't stand up for ourselves! BE PROUD TO BE WHITE! It's not a crime yet ... But getting real close!

Audi vs Hyundai *update*

I talked to a friend of mine who is an independent insurance adjuster. He told me to put the numbers together for the car and re-pitch the idea of calling it a total loss to the State Farm adjuster. He said it was quite possible that they got some figure way out of whack, because as he sees it, they should have called the car a total loss right out of the gate.

I get all the numbers together yesterday and I call the body shop to make sure that they haven't started the work yet. The sales manager at the body shop told me that State Farm was out there last week and had "discovered" that the car had damage all through the center structural member and with that the estimate jumped from 13K to 25K. Never mind that he could have just dropped to one knee and *looked* at the bleedin' floor panel to discover this and saved us all an entire month of dicking around.

Blindness aside, I'm relieved they've finally figured out their business. I call State Farm to find out what the deal is... It's been over a week since they had this epiphany. I leave a message.

My adjuster calls me back this afternoon and declares that yes, they've decided to call it a total loss, but the information was "stuck" in the system and has been so for a week. So much for having figured out what the hell they're doing.

Incompetence aside, at least the wheels are turning in the right direction, however slowly. Apparently I'm going get a call tomorrow from the total loss department for a low-ball deal on the car.

The lady I talked to, when pressed, hinted that they're at "mid 20's" for the car. I have only been able to find 5 cars on the net that match mine in miles and features and every single one of them is listed for $29,950. Not "mid-twenties." I have all of these cars printed out in case I need to fax them the estimates to prove my case. I might have to in case they've mixed up the two cars and think that I have the Hyundai.

So to sum this up: The accident happened on October 1st. It's nearly November and they're finally getting around to realizing what sort of car I have, what the damage is, and what it'll cost to correct it. The two other insurance companies that I have dealt with in my long tenure as a driver had checks to me THE VERY SAME DAY of the accident. By comparison, State Farm insurance has been a complete joke.

/rant

Please vote! Our children's future depends on it!

Well, they've finally started coming in. It looks like the Christian Taliban is getting really nervous. This is also the first email address I've left visible to the world. If this is indeed from the American Family Association, they deserve email.

Know what's funny? In Catholic school I was taught that there are three tell-tale signs of the devil's influence: fear, nakedness (lack of shame,) and an obsession with death.

How many of the devil's tactics are being used here?

-Poobis
-----

From: American Family Association [mailto:contact@afa.net]Sent: Fri 17-Oct-08 1:28 AM
To: [DELETED]
Subject: Please vote! Our children's future depends on it!

Donald E. Wildmon
Founder and Chairman

Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends.

Please vote! Our children's future depends on it!

October 15, 2008

Dear [Deleted],

In my 70 years, I have never seen an election where coverage was so one-sided and biased or where censorship by the liberal media was so widely practiced and where media coverage was so slanted as I have seen in this election process. Their plan is working. The only chance conservatives have is to make sure they care enough to vote.

If the liberals win the upcoming election, America as we have known it will no longer exist. This country that we love, founded on Judeo-Christian values, will cease to exist and will be replaced by a secular state hostile to Christianity. This “city set on a hill” which our forefathers founded, will go dark. The damage will be deep and long lasting. It cannot be turned around in the next election, or the one after that, or by any election in the future. The damage will be permanent. That is why it is so important for you to vote and to encourage friends and family to vote. This is one election where your vote really counts.

Sincerely,

Donald E. Wildmon,
Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

Please take a few minutes and invite your friends to AFA ActionAlert.

In keeping with our privacy policy, AFA may periodically contact you regarding issues of concern to the family. Rest assured that your e-mail address will be kept in the strictest confidence.

You are subscribed as [DELETED]. Unsubscribe Update E-mail Address

If you are a Federal Civilian, Postal or Military Employee, please consider AFA (#12037) for your annual CFC participation.
American Family Association P O Drawer 2440 Tupelo, MS 38803 1-662-844-5036

Audi vs Hyundai and 4'x4' stone pillar...

Audi for the win!

...almost

So I was turning into the driveway last Wednesday. I slowed down and turned on my signal. I looked in the rear-view and a kid in a Hyundai was coming up behind me. He was looking down at something interesting in his lap.

The boy was most likely texting.

He didn't even slow down.

That little Hyundai plowed into the back of me at about 35 MPH and sent me spinning into the 4ft by 4ft stone pillar by the entrance to my driveway.

The stone pillar is now cracked throughout and laying on its side. Every single bag went off in the little Hyundai. It'll be going to Hyundai Heaven soon.

I was unscathed, and the Audi was able to limp away from the scene. A very strained "didn't hurt!" was all it said as I started it up.

The kid had just gotten his license and he was all worried. "I'm going to be in sooo much trouble." His mom and cute little 15 year old girlfriend came by for support.

I now have to sit and wait on State Farm to get their shit together and actually look at the car. They got me into a rental the next day, which was nice, but I'm sitting here in limbo wondering whether or not I should be looking at new cars.

If the Audi isn't a total loss at this point, I don't know what is. The frame is bent at the B pillar, which is between the front driver's door and the back door. The rocker (the frame member below the door,) is bent in at least 4 inches. Bent frame member = never drive straight again. Even if they manage to fix it for less that half the value of the car, it'll never be safe enough for me to want to drive it again.

My girlfriend's dad is an insurance adjuster. He ball parked it at the very least $12K in damage. If they decide to fix it, it will be worthless. I won't be able to trade it or sell it with any sense of a clear conscience. A quick carfax report will render the vehicle unsellable.

Luckily I know a lawyer or three... I just have to sit here and wait for them to throw the first low-ball pitch before I storm the mound.

Roughing it...

We're one of 5 houses left in this suburb that haven't had power restored yet.

Since all 5 houses on this circuit have well water, when they powered up the substation on Monday, our circuit blew as all of the wells started pumping.

So it doesn't look like we'll get power until next week. For us, that means no water as well.

Luckily the gym is open.

Our neigbor has a 5000W generator that I'm stealing a bit of power from. Three extension chords are bringing power up the hill through the basement door. From there a web of orange extention chords is powering my cable modem router and modem, (amongst many other things.)

My laptop battery is now at 5%... better hook it up too.

PLEASE VOTE NO

I will not "agree or delete."

All three of my readers will know what to do if they should happen to click on that poll link...

----- Original Message -----
From: [Deleted]
To: [Deleted]
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 11:48 AM
Subject: Fw: PLEASE VOTE NO


----- Original Message -----

Here's your chance to let the media know where the people stand on our faith in God, as a nation. NBC is taking a poll on "In God We Trust" to stay on our American currency. Please send this to every Christian you know so they can vote on this important subject. Please do it right away, before NBC takes this off the web page. MSNBC poll is still open so you can vote.

CLICK BELOW

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

This is not sent for discussion, if you agree forward it, if you don't, delete it. By me forwarding it, you know how I feel. I'll bet this was a surprise to NBC.