O.T. Other Hi END Pursuits - Page 3

I am with you, Dean. I actually even prefer the 360 to the 430. The newer car is faster, but I think the 360 is more beautifully organic in its form. I used to have use of a 348, and the 360 is in another league dynamically. The sound of the Ferrari V8 is intoxicating, surpassed only by their normally aspirated V12, in my opinion.

The problem, of course is where to use those goodies. My system is (barely) portable, due to light pollution and all those damn trees. To have a real home observatory, I'd have to come up with a few million for a house on Lake Michigan. Won't happen til my stock hits.

David

Yes - it's street legal... well sorta.

Where's thebland?

Nice setup David.....literally, the "sky's the limit" here too I think? Astrophysics makes some quality stuff.

The point is to talk about what you want to talk about here, eh?

Hi David......light pollution is huge.......throw your wallet in the "hole."

not for you little guys with priapism

It's an immaculate design, no doubt. I'm a hard top guy, but that one looks drool-worthy even without a top. There are a few folks around here who have them and I see them from time to time. I also pulled into Marie Calendars to pick up some food a couple months back and looked over and it was a baby Lambo (the Gallardo.) It's so small but it just drips testosterone. Quite impressive just sitting still. It's funny that difference in 'attitude' between them really is very much like that between a prancing stallion and a raging bull.

Of course, if we are in fantasy land, we could go for the Bugatti Veyron, which is in the 'too expensive to even drive' category.



Top speed of 250 MPH, 64 valve, 1000 HP, 1.3 million bucks, 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds, 0 to 125 in 7. 3 seconds. Running wide open, it will drain its 100 liter tank in 12.5 minutes. Brakes from 250 to a stop in less than 10 seconds. The rear spoiler acts as an air brake, tilting up when the brakes are applied. Supposedly you can take your hands off the wheel at top speed and stomp on the brakes and it will not deviate from a straight line all the way till it stops.

This is the kind of car that should come with a box of high end condoms.

Well, here's my high-end hobby.

Yeah, she's sitting in the cockpit of a Cessna 172 in this picture, but it's not mine

I'm only half joking, really. I quickly figured out that as long as I don't indulge in too many other luxuries, I can afford to spend a lot less time at work and a lot more time with this treasure. In terms of potential income lost, that makes her high-end for sure. I'd say I work 35 hours a week, tops, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Her mom's fun too.

Now, having said that, I am considering one of these:

But I'll probably end up settling for a Volvo

Non-sense---buy one with tiptronic and go

What is Jordan driving these days? I have had my 540i for a year and a half and am looking forward to getting something else.

To give me a rationale for higher education.

She's precious!

You have no idea. I raised two wonderful daughters. Between the "extended" tours in college and two weddings, high end audio (or most of the other stupid hobbies we are involved with) pale in comparison as it relates to expense.

But, it was clearly the best use of my time and money I could ever imagine. BTW, Michael, she is going to break a few hearts when she get older !! She's adorable.

Their flatplane crankshaft for their V8 gives that engine much of its beautiful sound, unlike almost every other street V8 out there --- it doesn't have that pony car burble caused by a crossplane crank.

--Andre

If you are into cars you must watch this, it is totally amazing. Talk about obsession.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3NVJ4pEFuY

High end hobbies? Well im not stupid enough to have kids so i have:

2006 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi on 20s (getting s/c kit after new year and new wheel/tires)
2006 Jeep TJ (stock at the moment but have 4.5 kit for it)
2002 Mazda Protege ES (Converting from ES to MSP)
2001 Jeep TJ on 38s TSLs, ARBs, Caged, Dana 44/Dana 60, Shafts, etc
1998 Jeep XJ on 35s TSLs, ARBs, Dana 44/Ford 9", Shafts, one straight body panel

2003 Honda CR250 (scratched all the hell plastic, Ren, FMF,etc)
2004 Yamaha GP1300 (fast)


1981 Girlfriend (Red head, drinks jagermeister)
1982 Girlfriend (Blonde, drinks captain)

Want list:
2005 Porsche 911 Turbo S
Vehicle Location: Foreign Cars Italia
5603 Roanne Way, Greensboro, NC 27409
Price: $125,900
Bodystyle: 2 Door Convertible
Transmission: Manual
Ext. Color: Silver
Int. Color: Grey
Mileage: 2,402
Stock Number: C5107
VIN: WP0CB29935S675339
Model Code: 997

Sat in it, started her up...very very veerrrrrryyyy plush. My house wont be ready 'till Feb 07 so I can justify a sports car sitting outside. Sell some of the toys, haven't used the jetski in two summers, the bike has about 500 miles on it, my xj is in missouri and my protege is in arizona being fitted for parts. 125k with 5k down at 6% is only 887$ more than what I am going to be paying in mortgage, lol. dunno but i always told myself before im 30 i want a super car and im 33 and im tired of waiting.

other want items:

1983 Model G/F (Specs: Blonde, 36 D, size 8)
Some type of four winns or equivalent boat, sleeps a few, etc.
and be retired at 49.5 and spend 15 years traveling.

jp

JP, I like the way you think...

the people i work with think im in the mob or something, a guy asked how i was driving two new rigs. simple, dodge employee pricing back in july. the truck (short bed, crew cab, 4x4, tint, bed liner, etc) and the jeep (4.0, 6 spd, x pkg) cost what the truck would have been alone without the employee pricing. i wanted a charger r/t but they couldn't get one in yellow before the EP ended. the truck is nothing but a speeding ticket waiting to happen and right now the jeep gets the best gas mileage of anything i own and thats 19, sad i know. im addicted to speed, jeeps and women...

jp

I have 2 cars a Mitsy Evo8 with stage 4 tuning 550Bhp from a 2.0litre engine 0-60mph in 3.2 secs and I have just sold my Aston Martin DB7 and will get my DB9 in May 07. The kids think the Aston is an old farts car . Will not let me sell the EVo Street Cred I believe.

Hmm...lives in England with an Aston Martin. Your name isn't "Bond...James Bond"...is it?

Apart from me being better looking than him. The only thing we have in common is the car.
The funniest comment when turning up at a business meeting. Was the PR saying.
" I was expecting you Mr Bond " The chinese delegates were convinced I was james bond and the discussion between themselves in chinese was " can't be, he looks shorter than in the films and he's younger and fatter. When told the PR was having a joke they all burst out laughing and said "The English they all look the same"

David,

I am considering combining my A/V hobby with astronomy.

I put a Wi-Fi card in my HTPC the last time I upgraded the hardware. A lot of the scopes these
days have computerized "GOTO" mounts, and accept CCD cameras on their eyepieces. You
can run the whole telescope and collect images with an attached laptop computer.

http://www.meade.com/rcx400/index.html

http://www.celestron.com/c2/category.php?CatID=9

Now if your laptop computer is Wi-Fi enabled; and you have a Wi-Fi card in your HTPC; then
you can sit in the comfort of your home theater and command the telescope in the backyard,
while viewing whatever the 'scope is looking at on the big screen in the theater.

I have the same problem with light pollution; especially given that I live only two blocks from
the site boundary of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Lab is always lit up like a
Christmas tree. However, most of the lights are sodium-vapor, and I have to see if anyone
sells an optical "notch-filter" to filter out the sodium lines like the big observatories do; that
doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

A few years ago, the Lab had a telescope set up next to the AVLIS [ Atomic Vapor Laser
Isotope Separation ] facilities. The heart of the AVLIS process is a tunable laser.

High in the atmosphere is a layer of sodium atoms. If you tune a laser to excite the sodium
atoms; you can create your own small "guide star" anywhere you like at the top of the
atmosphere.

The reason for doing this is so you can use adaptive optics to correct for atmospheric distortion.
If the adaptive optics has a bright enough source, it can correct for atmospheric distortion by
using a deformable mirror [ aluminum coated rubber ] whose shape can be altered in real time
by little hydraulic actuators controlled by a computer. The computer corrects the distortion of
the image of the laser generated guide star, and hence will also correct the image of whatever
astronomical object you want to study - the light rays of which are travelling parallel to those
of the guide star.

http://www.llnl.gov/str/June02/Pennington.html

The first trial of this system was done using a backyard-type telescope at Livermore; and using
the AVLIS lasers:

http://www.llnl.gov/urp/science/lgs_...uth_vault.html

After the success of this trial, a laser guide star system was installed on the 120-inch Shane
reflector at Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, just east of San Jose:

http://www.llnl.gov/urp/science/lgs_www/lgs_lick.html

The laser guide star system has also been setup on the world's largest telescopes, the
Keck II scope at Mauna Kea on the big island of Hawaii:

http://www.keckobservatory.org/article.php?id=74

Now THAT's the type of telescope that I would like to hook up to my Home Theater!!!

no kiddin. speaking of aston ive sat in this one as well. OMFG, when that v12 starts up you feel like bond. and that not that new pansy looking blonde..im talking sean freakin connery. i got out of the car with probably the biggest shiteating grin and only thing i could think to say was "i must be dreaming..."

http://foreigncarsitalia.cms.dealer....eea96c6523fb0e

ive got waayyy to many pursuits to ever talk about here, even magazines. every year i re-new my top gear with expedited s/h. people are like "where in the hell did you get those magazines?" best 90 pounds i spend a year.



jp

OB,

Probably likes his vodka martinis shaken, not stirred.

without a doubt... bet his plate is "MI5"

jp

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I import the UK mags T3, Stuff UK and iCreate. I know, I know, I'm a geek. ;-)

Jeff

not alone, had a g/f that still gets two and ride, both motorcycle mags. TG is so dam well written and i heart clarkson, everyone seems to hate his guts, dunno. the whole crash that hammond had and people in general not liking the show i hate to say but they may cancel it.

i saw screw it, ive got three xtra bedrooms in the new house (clarkson, hammond and may) they can film and crash here. stig can sleep in the garage if he does sleep? they can stay rent free... all i ask is a koenigsegg in the garage for my use for a year. insurance paid of course

jp

I must be getting old. I read this post four times and am trying to understand exactly what you are trying to say??