Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

I'm betting that Vansmack saw Candlebox open for Rush some time in the mid 90's? Maybe that's how he got into them?

I'm betting that Vansmack joined one of those clubs where you get 10 cd's for a penny.

And he did it like fifty times.

Originally posted by econo:
I'm betting that Vansmack saw Candlebox open for Rush some time in the mid 90's? Maybe that's how he got into them?

April 1994. The Pond in Anaheim AND the Great Western Forum in LA. Awesome shows, but I still prefer Rush outdoors.

I didn't list the Candlebox Bootlegs I bought from that tour. I actually liked Candlebox before that show…

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
I'm betting that Vansmack joined one of those clubs where you get 10 cd's for a penny.

And he did it like fifty times.

No comment.

For the kids in the audience who have no idea what we're talking about, we debating the merits of which Candlebox song is better:

Far Behind

You

Change

The necessary in the 90's acoustic ballad Cover Me.

I've never seen Blossom this way, but I like it more now.

I'm going with the Letterman live performace of Far Behind on VHS...dude looks like Jay of Silent Bob fame with a mic. Awesome. You can't fake passion like that.

now maybe
i didnt mean to treat you oh so bad
but i diiiid it anyway

I saw the same tour but on the East Coast at the Caps Center.

Originally posted by vansmack:
April 1994. The Pond in Anaheim AND the Great Western Forum in LA. Awesome shows, but I still prefer Rush outdoors.

Alright, after a long discussion with my current DSL internet service provider that ended in me cancelling the service, I'm seeking a new ISP solution.

Is there anybody out there not using a DSL or cable modem solution? Unfortunately I can't get fiber yet, a cable modem is difficult with DirecTV and the Board of Supervisors blocked the free google wi-fi. With wimax not being supported yet, I'm tired of being behind third world countries in internet access. Is anybody trying anything cool?

I'm looking at EVDO routers and the like. I'm up for anything! What are you guys doing?

i'm posting this here because smacks loves guitar hero, and i don't feel like starting another thread.

guitar hero on the DS: when marketing goes wrong

so embarrassing. i believe the singer in the video goes by the name "nrketch".

(and sorry that i can't help you with your previous question about ISP alternatives… currently my ISP is the university, can't complain)

Wow. That's um…somebody should lose their job for that.

As for my ISP, I'm testing Sprint's EVDO network (Rev A - 3.0Mbps) USB Modem which I will eventually plug into an EVDO wireless router, that is being sent to me. It's a fairly flexible solution in that we can unplug the USB modem and take it with us anywhere we are with a laptop that has cell phone coverage, and share it at the apt when we're home via router. It also helps that there's a Spint tower near our apt.

This will be a precursor to switching to Sprint/Clearwire's WiMax when it's available in my area.

For others that may be interested in this solution, Verizon has a 5 GB download limit per month, and Sprint will be introducing a similar limit on June 20. However, I was informed that they would be grandfathering customers in who have an unlimited package ($59 a month) prior to June 20, so I went ahead and did it.

So which would have to happen first for Americans to embrace trains?

(1) The price of trains would have to be equal or less than airfare, or

(2) The travel times of trains must improve greatly to rival planes, or

(3) Both.

Plane versus train: a one-sided contest

FLYING is becoming more expensive, but a new comparison of American journeys made by plane, train and automobile makes the skies look relatively friendly. CSA Travel Protection, a San Diego-based insurance company, examined the costs and travel times of different modes of travel on selected routes. Some of their findings:

Phoenix to San Diego
· Plane: $124, 2.5 hours
· Train: $300, 33 hours
· Auto: $106 (712 miles), 11 hours

Cincinnati to Washington, DC
· Plane: $467, 3 hours
· Train: $148, 28.5 hours
· Auto: $155 (1,044 miles), 17 hours

Grand Rapids to New York
· Plane: $401, 4.5 hours
· Train: $286, 48 hours
· Auto: $221 (1,494 miles), 23.5 hours

The calculations assume a solo traveller using the most direct route and round-trip tickets where applicable. For trainsâ??shown at a particular disadvantage in this study as the selected cities are not on direct routesâ??the time includes waits between transfers.

Apart from the alarming possibility of travelling for 48 hours and staying in the same country, the most depressing observation provoked by this study is that in many circumstances airlines really do have us over a barrel. While thereâ??s a lot to be said for the road trip and the dining car, the prospect of journey times over ten hours means most travellers won't be giving up flying any time soon, no matter what surcharges and fare increases are thrown their way.

Originally posted by vansmack:
For trainsâ??shown at a particular disadvantage in this study as the selected cities are not on direct routesâ??the time includes waits between transfers.

heh, that's the crux - they went out of their way to make trains look bad by picking train-unfriendly routes. for travel from NYC to major cities on the northeast coast, for example, trains are definitely the way to go. it's both cheaper and faster for me to take the train than a flight.

these numbers include the assumption that airports add only an hour of time (getting there, checking in, security, etc…). depending how far away you live from the airport and the time of day, that can be a pretty big assumption. my workmates who fly in every week leave the office about 2 hours before their flight (and no, they're not bailing on work to go drink at the airport lounge :) ). train stations tend to have better, more centralized location.

and let's not forget how comfortable economy class has become nowadays… i totally heart amtrak with its bigger seats that recline farther, wider aisles, bigger bathrooms, dinner car, electricity plug-ins at every seat, etc.

Originally posted by vansmack:
So which would have to happen first for Americans to embrace trains?

(1) The price of trains would have to be equal or less than airfare, or

(2) The travel times of trains must improve greatly to rival planes, or

(3) Both.

for two of the three cases cited above, trains are notably cheaper… so there's half the equation.

Originally posted by sweetcell:
heh, that's the crux - they went out of their way to make trains look bad by picking train-unfriendly routes. for travel from NYC to major cities on the northeast coast, for example, trains are definitely the way to go.

Really? I'm pretty sure that trains from Boston to DC are the ONLY place in the US where trains are working.

I'm not sure if it's the crux, but I'm pretty sure your counter example is just as guilty of being an extreme example.

DC to Pittsbugh for example? Should not be nearly as difficult as it is.

To show one of their examples that I didn't think was extreme, San Diego to Phoenix? Should not be nearly as difficult as it is. 33 Hours?

San Francisco to LA? Not possible without taking a bus. No excuse for that.

i remember when i first moved here i looked into a dc to nyc train and it cost 3x as much as a plane

BTW, am I the only one that wants to see Joba pitch a gem for 7 innings and then have the Yankees blow it in the 8th inning in each one of his starts this season?

Portland-Seattle is a nice train route, cheap and drops you off in downtown pdx or downtown seattle right outside qwest field and near safeco

it's like some speak easy coffee shop in here. where are the hash brownies? behind the counter?

Originally posted by walkonby:
it's like some speak easy coffee shop in here. where are the hash brownies? behind the counter?

I keep those in the freezer.

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
Portland-Seattle is a nice train route, cheap and drops you off in downtown pdx or downtown seattle right outside qwest field and near safeco

True and good point. 3 Hours for $30 and a really pretty ride at that.

The problem with trains is that we've let Republicans, Libertarians, and other stupid people get away for years with claiming that trains need to make a "profit" in order to be worthwhile.

Nobody makes that argument about highways. They receive public funds because they are a public good. Trains should be treated the same way, and receive the level of public funding necessary to upgrade them to the level of service and speed they have in Japan and other modern countries.