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Self-defeating was the word I was looking for.

This post has been edited by umustwait101 on Apr 20 2018, 11:09 PM

I was bored and tested my ear's frequency response and I think I can hear about 17-18 kHz. Either I'm deaf at higher frequencies or there's too much drowning noise in my environment. The only thing I can hear is my heart's pulse.

i have a 6th gen Fiesta and Ford has recently announced they'd be stopping production of all compact to mid size vehicles (Fiesta may 2019 exp). this is new sensation for me to feel as with most new cars you buy, you'd expect they'll keep making them for quite some time and replacement parts would be easily accessible. it wont obviously be an immediate lack of parts but how does a car line phase itself out when no new parts are made? my car is still in good shape but i dont own a crystal ball to tell the future.

how do discontinued car production lines affect the availability of the cars that were purchased (and kept) before the line got discontinued? i dont plan on changing the car anytime soon and keeping it until it reaches its time to leave. will certain parts become obsolete/unavailable making the needed repairs impossible down the line? sure there wont be new parts but there would still be many good used parts still around.

there is one major repair i'll have to do to the car: the driver door replacement/skin replacement. i had a hit and runnner hit the driver door and wheel well when i had the car parked outside (and i wasnt present when they hit my car). i got the damage reported and replaced (door skin) but the repair shop left a 2mm gap on the extreme edges of the door skin unpainted and 2 years later there is rust under the paint. its not the most noticeable atm but it will need to be addressed before going too far. i was planing to deal with it in a few years but given the new announcement by Ford, it has given me something to consider doing earlier.

This post has been edited by 207 on Apr 28 2018, 08:40 PM

You'll be fine for the next 10+ years.
Just because a car is discontinued doesn't mean parts for it are immediately discontinued.

Heck, Fords announcement is ONLY for North America. Your Fiesta will continue to be built for elsewhere in the world, and may potentially stay in production for an X amount of time. One just needs to look at how long the B13 Sentra stayed in production way past its replacement in the US and Canada.

thank you for the reply. i must admit the Fiesta isnt the best car on the market but i like it too much to let it go. at times its a bit small for moderate/big grocery runs but it suits my needs perfectly. as long as i have the car i will repair it until parts run out or if/when it poses too many issues. which is a shame TBH, the only place its rusting is that damn driver door panel repair. the rest of the body is rust free with the usual surface rust on the chassis and underbody.

so the parts for the discontinued cars stick around for quite some time unless the car tech is near obsolete. there is some talk about the Fiesta active having being sold in Europe already but its rather fugly bastard of a Fiesta. just a bigger and higher car/crossover. though what does the recent announcement from Ford mean with the Fiesta active is yet to be determined. Ford really seems to like the actives/crossovers as of lately.

Yea, I wouldn't worry about it. I think you can gauge parts availability by how many other cars you see on the road. Those are all potential parts for your car. For a mass-produced car like the Fiesta, I think you're set for the next 20 years. You'll probably want to switch cars before the car parts for it become scarce enough to cause issues for you.

I think from a financial standpoint, it's not good to get attached to your car because there will come a point when repairs will be more expensive than the value of the car. At that point, the earlier you decide to move on, the better it will be for your wallet. If you try to hang on too long, eventually, you will be forced to move on, anyways. True story, bro.

im not too worried about parts as the Fiesta is a rather large market. the fact the driver door is rusting faster due to the botched repainting does irk me. there are a few (3-4) small dents but no other serious damage. i just dont want to hold back changing the door skin for too long before it gets to the door frame itself.

as for being attached to the car, ive been lucky overall that its still running well. there were 3 recalls that i went in for but none serious. the transmission is a dual clutch powershift and there were reports that some had some serious issues with shifting but mine's doing fine ATM.

ive had it for close to 7 years and only put 52,000 km or so on in that time. im more susceptible to unforseen incidents and general rust at this point but every car will have its own unique issues and ive yet to see what they'll be at this point. if i can keep it for 10yrs then i'l be happy, 15+ yrs would be even better god willing it doesnt give too many issues.

this is only my second car, first was a hand me down van and then i got the Fiesta.

This post has been edited by 207 on Apr 29 2018, 08:35 PM

i havent really travelled outside of north American any of my travels. ive always wanted/liked to travel to Japan for vacation. when are the best times to visit there usually in the year, i hear that allergy season can be rather brutal at the right times in Japan.

i havent looked at the travel websites yet but i dont plan on having a traveling partner atm for such trip so an organized group trip is the likely option. there are some things id like there ie Irohazaka road or some mountain pass roads featured in the game series. there's Akihabara for the anime duh etc....

im just starting to look at what could be done on a trip but havent really planned an itinerary yet. i would like to see a mountain pass road or 2 and time in Akihabara for games/anime but thats not the only thing id want to see. some of the usual tourist areas are also fair game to visit. places like shrines/temples ie Nikko Area would be nice to visit. id also like to see some of the trees in their blooming period (cherry or plum) if the times happen to correspond. seeing the mountain scenery is also something on the wishlist.

my biggest question is given this particular set of areas to see is which area/prefectures i should go to on such a visit? Akina/Irohazaka/Akagi ETC are more of a extra that id like to see but i dont know where/how i can squeeze them in.

i do need to try and learn some Japanese words and learn something so i dont sound like a complete idiot trying to communicate. i do have that eng/JPN learning CD lesson somewhere but thats not the only thing id rely on.

This post has been edited by 207 on May 4 2018, 08:18 AM

A few tips:

Depending on if you want to explore all of Japan or one or two cities:
All of Japan - JR pass (https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/)
one or two cities - no JR pass (buy all-you-can-ride for a day local transit tickets in the city)

JR pass is good for inter-city travel. It's a really good deal (you make back the cost of the ticket with just a round trip from Tokyo to Fukuoka on the bullet train). It can be used on almost all trains (there are exceptions, so need to do your research). It is also very convenient in that you don't need to book reservations - you just walk through a special kiosk, show them your pass, and keep going. Some trains or seating require reservations - those you can't get on with just a JR pass. But, when I travelled in Japan, there was a train that went to wherever I wanted to go that didn't require reservations.

If you don't have concrete plans, just periodically check https://www.theflightdeal.com/ until you get a cheap flight to Japan. Then, plan around that. Hopefully they track the city you live in.

For housing, I used https://www.hostelworld.com/ and https://www.booking.com/ to find hostels and hotels. I alternated between hostels and hotels and would take showers and dumps in hotels, and have friendly company and cheaper accommodations in hostels. Expect to pay at least $60 per hotel room, and $30 per person in a hostel. Now, Airbnb is also an option.

I would recommend you go during the off season (no cherry blossoms and not in a certain week around August or September). During their time off, there's lines everywhere, and a JR pass is sometimes useless without a reservation.

If you want to visit the Initial D sites, you'll have to book a taxi to take you around. Those are pricey, but they are professional.

There once was, but is no longer, a pink toilet plunger. He ate the milk and drank the bread and when he died, he was dead.

Is everything ok, there?

thank you for the reply. im fine with checking out 2-3 regions of japan and not the whole island. i only have 14 days for vacation time. Tokyo and other areas around there certainly are destinations on the list. Hiroshima, Kure, Kyoto and MT Fuji are places id like to see. its seems im leaning more to staying in the Kanto region with either Kyoto/Hiroshima as longer travel.

im looking more at summer/autumn season for the trip but i'll need to check online for the deals they offer. i did watch some YT vids of tips of travelling, transit and lodging so im aware of hostels and overnight buses and regional trains. a good 2-3 days in Tokyo would probably be what im looking for. im looking at the JNTO site to get an idea of what id like to do so i can compare that to the travel websites.

this is the first time i tried planning out a vacation so its a tad bit confusing but i'll figure it out. a neighbor of mine went to Japan in the past few years too and she loved it there.

This post has been edited by 207 on May 4 2018, 06:15 PM

I tried to be poetic.

im looking at AJT site for some Japan trip ideas and there is an anime themed package (8 days, 7 nights) where 1 day is spent in Akihabara. just the first day (actually day 2) is focused on the anime and related shopping/museums. realistically how long can you spend time just focusing on anime related areas in Akihabara? 1-2 days is pretty good but id think 3 days might be stretching it unless you find some arcades to pass the other day or 2.

the other days are more for the tourist/history and sightseeing which should work out for what i want. it might not leave room for the Initial D related areas but its a big country that cant be fully explored with a 1 week trip. this also does seem to correspond to the cherry blossom season which is a plus if nature is timed well.

This post has been edited by 207 on May 6 2018, 10:46 PM

Here's one that probably doesn't frequently come up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_festival_(Japan)

Not sure. Was watching Azumanga Daioh just now, and thought it might be cool to check out a school cultural festival.

school cultural festivals on an organised trip would be a very situational visit IMO group or not. i doubt the travel groups coordinate with the schools to bring tourists there. a self planned visit still leaves it as situational stop.

how hard is it to travel alone in Tokyo if you dont know too much Japanese? im considering on arriving a day early (stay in capsule hotel) if its a organized tour that i go for and explore the city solo for a bit. the aim is to go to Akihabara alone and also maybe see the 1:1 Unicorn Gundam on the 1st day alone.

This post has been edited by 207 on May 7 2018, 07:25 PM

Does someone else like answering facebook's questions?

"If I could be anywhere else right now, I'd be..." not here.
"My favorite bread is..." never in stock.
"Something that keeps me up at night is..." diarrhea.
"My favorite place to go after work is..." my home.
"Thanks to the Internet, I was able to..." get charged stuff for free.
"The best things in life are..." already over.
"If you want to beat me, challenge me to..." boxing.
"I can't leave home without..." functioning legs.
"Social media has helped me..." to hate people even more.
"I learned how to swim when I was..." a non-swimmer.

out of curiosity, are there any functional mini tablets for cheap-> very cheap with 7-8" screens that can handle google maps, apps and basic web surfing? this might sound rather weird given my views on smart tech but i do consider this a suitable compromise for a potential usage. im talking about something on the very basic levels under $100, $150 max without tax.

when i need to travel overseas/foreign countries or need access to the net in unfamiliar places i might need a smart device other than a flip phone. i talked to some neighbors who did go to Japan and found out they used an app that greatly helped them navigate the country with very few issues. given i love the flip phones and hate smart phones with extreme stubborness. i figured instead of borrowing a spare smartphone from my parents that i could just use a small and cheap tablet that will get the job done with some apps or google maps.

why not just use a smartphone you say? due to stubbornness, id rather avoid that potential situation where briefly using a smartphone might cause me to re-evaluate my opinion of smart phones. id rather use a basic small tablet instead of a smart phone for such navigation tasks. that way i can consider it a helpful tool rather than a phone. plus i dont know where i could find a carrier that will have a 1-2 week contract to use a smartphone just for travel purposes.

call me crazy (i am crazy and stubborn) but thats just some lengths that im willing to go to make a compromise with smart tech and still sport a flip phone for normal texting/calling. i havent made any travel plans yet but being in a foreign city with no internet to guide me around does warrant some tech compromise.

This post has been edited by 207 on May 13 2018, 12:18 AM

You're retarded.

So I'm reading this as
"I'm probably wrong, but I don't want to be put into a situation where I'll admit to being wrong this whole time"

In which case, yeah

This post has been edited by Sensation! on May 13 2018, 03:09 AM

So, if you're considering a small tablet, you're probably doing it with the intention of not having cell signal. So, it would be just wifi, right? There are lots of small cheap tablets that fit your bill. I think you can swing by Walmart to check out the Android tablets they have available. Besides that, you can also check out Kindle Fire. There's a few options, so you can select the one that best fit your goal.

As for Android apps, when I was in Japan, I used Maps.ME (because Google Maps did not support offline at the time, but they do now, so you can use that instead) to navigate maps. But, as important as maps are train routes. For that, I used Hyperdia, which is really clunky and not user-friendly, but it got the job done.

But, yea, I have to agree with Nomake and Sensation. It does seem like you're covering your eyes with your hands. I was a staunch supporter of flip phones, and I still do think they have certain benefits in terms of battery life, portability, and tactile feedback that smartphones are still unable to match, but data plans are now a commodity and smartphones are cheap and widely available (and you don't even need a flagship to get all the performance you would need). You are free to live your life however you want, but smartphones are definitely something that makes life much easier.

Of course, as with anything, it could be that in 20 years, we all look back, and 207 is the smartest person alive because he can actually still remember things, because he hasn't been relying on his smartphone for all these years, whereas the rest of humankind has become so dependent on their smartphones that they are all retarded. Who knows.

I request more positive reinforcement, plz.

Not a fucking chance. If this were a one-off post, independent of any prior history on the topic, then I could have probably just chuckled at how ridiculous a concept it was and and moved on. However, 207 has quite the history of posts on IDW dealing with this topic, and this latest one just plain takes the cake in its bold-faced insanity and egomaniacal self-indulgence.

I'll gladly take the warning, because it's worth it to give him what he deserves.

[insanity]

LOL, thank you every one for the reinforcement, the good and bad. yeah, im trying to stick my head in the sand and avoid the reality that smartphones rule the land. its my own choice to use a flip phone as i just need something to handle phone calls and basic texts without any of the extra bells and whistles.

my parents do have an extra non flip phone but i cant remember if its smart or just a step above flip phone.

my neighbors will show me an app that served them well during their trips to Japan but it'll work as long as the tablet will make the navigating task easier. but yeah, if anything im not planning on bringing the flip phone with me during the trip so a wifi capable device is needed. if i cant find anything i'll just borrow a smart phone/app capable device for the trip and promptly return that spare phone to my parents after the trip.

i did use a spare tablet (parents') for a while on/off and really missed the tactile feeling of a PC keyboard/flip phone. i still used the PC keyboard 90% of the time for net surfing even while the tablet was on the shelf or recently used. in the end i left the tablet on a shelf for months at a time as didnt care much about touch screen tech. the tablet wasnt that great IMO (galaxy tab 10) on the writing side which annoyed me to no end when trying forum posts.

[/insanity]

I forgot to add, be sure the tablet has GPS.

yeah, the GPS is a must on the tablet which shouldn't be too hard on tablets for the most part. are there any particular non apple tablet brands that can be trusted to work well? im leaning more to the samsung galaxy tablite e7. RCS, ASUS, Acer dont really inspire confidence IMO in their brand name. i just dont know much about the lower brands nor trust some of them traditionally .