Official Not So Random Thoughts Thread Version 2.2

dobrojim · Post #1261 » by **dobrojim** » Wed Oct 5, 2011 7:56 pm

I'm always hungry.

on a completely unrelated note - just checked out the photo gallery of the
Wizards girls. Definitely some cuties in there but also a couple ladies with
faces as long as Mr Ed.

Personally I prefer muffin faces over horse faces

closg00 · Post #1262 » by **closg00** » Thu Oct 6, 2011 10:17 am

dobrojim wrote:I'm always hungry.

on a completely unrelated note - just checked out the photo gallery of the
Wizards girls. Definitely some cuties in there but also a couple ladies with
faces as long as Mr Ed.

Personally I prefer muffin faces over horse faces

Thanks for the link :-?

http://wizards.drupalgardens.com/galler ... /galleries

fishercob · Post #1263 » by **fishercob** » Thu Oct 6, 2011 5:15 pm

miller31time, this is for you

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/user/ChinaPacers#p/a/u/0/ER8PzfYQoKA[/youtube]
Crap, not sure why the embed isn't working. I promise you'll like it, miller:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChinaPacers#p/a/u/0/ER8PzfYQoKA

Post #1264 » by **miller31time** » Thu Oct 6, 2011 6:05 pm

fishercob wrote:miller31time, this is for you

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/user/ChinaPacers#p/a/u/0/ER8PzfYQoKA[/youtube]
Crap, not sure why the embed isn't working. I promise you'll like it, miller:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChinaPacers#p/a/u/0/ER8PzfYQoKA

Must....join....team.

Sidenote: If I was on the team, I'd re-create this all-time classic Reggie moment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDSF8otJH8Y

...and I'd bring J-Wiz to China to be Spike Lee.

Post #1265 » by **Zonkerbl** » Fri Oct 7, 2011 3:02 pm

lol that's awesome. That's from when I was at IU too.

20MexicanosIn1Van · Post #1266 » by **20MexicanosIn1Van** » Fri Oct 7, 2011 4:22 pm

I'm thinking about buying a car this Columbus day weekend. Does which day I go, Friday-Tuesday, make any difference on the type of deal the dealership/salesmen will give me?

Post #1267 » by **miller31time** » Fri Oct 7, 2011 6:07 pm

20MexicanosIn1Van wrote:I'm thinking about buying a car this Columbus day weekend. Does which day I go, Friday-Tuesday, make any difference on the type of deal the dealership/salesmen will give me?

No, days of the week don't matter. However, dependent on which brand you're choosing, sometimes they run special deals for days or weeks.

Out of curiosity, what are you interested in getting?

20MexicanosIn1Van · Post #1268 » by **20MexicanosIn1Van** » Fri Oct 7, 2011 6:16 pm

At the moment, a brand new Hyundai Elantra is at the top of my list. But I haven't driven one so I need to test drive it first. I'll also check out the new Ford Focus, Corolla, and Civic before I buy anything.

Post #1269 » by **miller31time** » Fri Oct 7, 2011 8:05 pm

20MexicanosIn1Van wrote:At the moment, a brand new Hyundai Elantra is at the top of my list. But I haven't driven one so I need to test drive it first. I'll also check out the new Ford Focus, Corolla, and Civic before I buy anything.

My personal advice is to get a used car with just a few thousand miles on it. Once a new vehicle drives off the lot, it's value is significantly reduced so you can generally find some great deals from reputable dealerships if you buy used. And by "used", I don't mean old. It can still be a 2011 or even 2012 model - just one that has been broken in a little.

On your choices, oddly enough, the Civic for the first year in basically forever, has gotten negative reviews. From a cheap, plastic interior with uncomfortable seating to a lackluster exterior, I'm not sure it would be 1st on my list.

I definitely think the Elantra is a good move. Hyundai's reputation throughout the years has been consistently high and consistently getting better. And if you do choose to buy new, their 10-year, 100K mile warranty is impossible to beat.

The Corolla, while not undergoing a major design change from last year (as opposed to the Civic) is still rated well in terms of build and reliability. But if you're looking for any bells and whistles, whatsoever, it's not the option.

On the subject of bells and whistles, that's where the 2012 Ford Focus comes in to play. Completely redesigned for 2012, it's got a very sharp, modern look both inside and out. The drive, from what I understand, is very sporty. Also, Ford's new "My Touch" system (entertainment and communication system developed by Microsoft) has gotten great reviews.

Just my 2 cents. I absolutely love finding cars for people so excuse the over-information.

20MexicanosIn1Van · Post #1270 » by **20MexicanosIn1Van** » Fri Oct 7, 2011 9:54 pm

I appreciate the help. This will be the first car I've ever bought so I could use all the help I can get. I've heard negative things about the Civic/Corolla but I still feel like I should at least try them out. The reason why I have the Elantra above the Focus is that Ford simply just doesn't have a great reputation in terms of reliability - and that is one of my main priorities.

The reason I am uncomfortable going slightly used is that I question why someone buys a car, drives it for a thousand miles, and then gets rid of it. Did they screw up the car somehow? If I go new, I don't have these concerns.

BigA · Post #1271 » by **BigA** » Sat Oct 8, 2011 9:10 pm

Hyundai's reputation has really improved over the years.

Once you decide on the actual model you are going to buy, especially for a new car, this is my experience.

--Going the last day of the month is useful.

--Say you decide on an Elantra. Use the various online tools to get a good idea of the dealer cost for various trim levels. Decide what trim level and color(s) you want and how much you want to pay--as close to dealer cost as you can get.

--Learn what the inventory is at several Hyundai dealers. Show up at one, pick out the car, and tell them how much you'll pay. Be firm. If they don't meet your price, walk out and go to the next dealer. Be pleasant and polite, but go in with the attitude that you are totally ready to break their b*lls.

--It's simpler if you don't have a trade-in and are paying cash. If you do have either/both of those circumstances it's more complicated, but the key is to keep them separated as decisions. For example, if you need financing find out what kind of deal you can get at, say, your credit union if you belong to one. Same with a trade-in, find out what you could reasonably expect to get elsewhere. The key is to not let the dealer screw you on the price of the car because they're going to give you some supposedly great trade-in or financing deal.

--If you do your homework go with the right attitude, you'll pay hundreds or thousands less than the average car buyer.

Good luck.

Post #1272 » by **miller31time** » Sun Oct 9, 2011 5:43 am

20MexicanosIn1Van wrote:The reason I am uncomfortable going slightly used is that I question why someone buys a car, drives it for a thousand miles, and then gets rid of it. Did they screw up the car somehow? If I go new, I don't have these concerns.

A lot of the time, they are employee cars. I just got a used 2011 Acura TSX with about 11,000 miles on it. I saved about $10,000 on the new retail price. The car was an employee car, came with a nearly full warranty and was thoroughly inspected. I've had it for over a year now and I've had no problems.

Obviously, not all used cars are like that but generally, used cars from reputable brand-name dealers are inspected so much so that they are practically new.

closg00 · Post #1273 » by **closg00** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:16 am

Breaking Bad season finale, yeah!

MF23 · Post #1274 » by **MF23** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:46 am

Breaking Bad is a fun hour but it's so campy. That show reaches plot points that are impossible but Cranston, Paul and Esposito pull it off. Entertaining finale though.

pancakes3 · Post #1275 » by **pancakes3** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:14 pm

planning a bday party. where should i do it? trendy, hip wizboarders' opinions only, please.

fugop · Post #1276 » by **fugop** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:30 am

pancakes3 wrote:planning a bday party. where should i do it? trendy, hip wizboarders' opinions only, please.

Jack Rose in Adams Morgan (near 18th & U) is decent. You can reserve a portion of the second floor deck for a substantial, but not crazy price. Depends on weather, unfortunately.

When is your actual birthday, are you looking for private space, and how many people?

pancakes3 · Post #1277 » by **pancakes3** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:20 pm

middle of november. private-ish space. i don't necessarily need a roped off exclusive area (depends on if the price is right) but definitely guaranteed entry without hassle or wait. if there are open bar deals like mcfaddens or reef it'd be nice... for ~30 people. thanks.

fugop · Post #1278 » by **fugop** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:18 pm

I'm crotchety etc., mid-30s, not really trendy or hip. I like good liquor, though, especially whiskey. If you want loud music and thumping, you should probably get input from somebody else.

The Gibson. Speakeasy. Among the best cocktails in town. 14th & U. Drinks are expensive, no cover, can easily accommodate a dozen, will struggle to accommodate a larger group.

Jack Rose. Cocktail bar, opened by the same owners as Bourbon. Limited menu, good food though. 18th & U. Great cocktails. Upstairs deck area has two spaces reserved for groups, can accommodate 30 ish. On the pricy side.

Bourbon. There's a loft at the Bourbon in Adams Morgan. It can accommodate 30. Last I checked, the space could be reserved add no additional expense, provided that a minimum bar tab is met. The minimum tab was ~$900 on a weekday, last I checked (a few years ago). I did my 30th birthday here.

Ventnors. Sports bar in Adams Morgan. The proprietor, Scott, is easy to work with. If there's not a game on, and it's not a weekend (basically, if the party is Tues Weds Thurs), the upstairs should be available. Can accommodate far more than 40ish people. Limited additional cost.

The Passenger. Convention center area. Great cocktails. Cheaper than the Adams Morgan places. The Columbia Room is a small room in the Passenger, not big enough for 30 though.

Smith Commons on H street is trendy and fancy, but overpriced and the food was pretty bad. Not sure if they have private space.

Rock and Roll Hotel on H street can accommodate plenty, but I don;t know if there's private space.

There are a bunch of old stand-bys -- Local 16, 18th Street Lounge, Chi Cha Lounge, etc. Local 16, 18th Street Lounge operate on the minimum tab system. Pretty sure Marvin at 14th & U is owned by the same guy, not sure if they have space. Local 16, in particular, has good spaces upstairs for privatish events. It's really douchey though. 1223 has shut down.

pancakes3 · Post #1279 » by **pancakes3** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 3:23 pm

i'm throwing it with a friend, both turning 25, both single, and both looking to ball out to the best of our ability. i'm not the club-iest person out there but i wouldn't label myself crotchety just yet (close though). i've already looked into r n r hotel (pretty hip for a crotchety old man like you fugop) and the bar min is $750 which isn't bad. i like the Bourbon suggestion. def look into that. i didn't really enjoy the other bars: local 16, 18th st lounge.

how's chi cha? seems like a place with a lot of dudes with open shirts, chest hair, and no undershirt, $12 margaritas, and i don't know how to dance salsa.

daSwami · Post #1280 » by **daSwami** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 9:25 pm

wuuuuuuut?