Erich

This weekend at our normal stop, I saw the bottle that @KahrMan just posted about, so picked it up along with a Blue Run Reflection. Both running on the hotter end of the typical proof range. The subdued heat sounded appealing, was curious what the flavor profile would be like as I didn't notice that mentioned. As subjective as that can be, thought I share how these struck me. First up the Calumet. I completed agree with Kahrman's take on the proof, just the vaguest hint of it on open but nothing that suggest the number on the bottle. Nice entry of of vanilla flavors that open up to some cherry from the rye mid palette then the barrel's oak notes drop in and stay thru to the finish. First few sips found the oak lingering and dominating the profile. A few drops of water to open it up and the oak seem to taper off and leave a more balanced profile. Fished with a second smaller pour. And there was the oak again for me. few drops of water, but didn't seem to have the same effect. I suspect the higher amount of alcohol may have deadened the palate to the nuanced flavors leaving the oak to dominate. It reminded me of how Angels Envy's heavy oak profile comes forward in the presence of more balanced offerings. If you are a love of oak and like higher proof, great choice. The Blue Run. Simply because it was close to the Calumet and I love to do things back to back. Not as hot at 95 proof, but it to was happily restrained. No harder hit than a typical 80 proof. The familiar vanilla tones with toasted bread at entry then a rush of spice. Cinnamon with a hint of nutmeg right at the middle and holding strong thru the finish. No notable oak or barrel char. After a few sips add a few drops of water, which cuts the enjoyable entry and to a very miner degree the spice, but the cinnamon / nutmeg persist heavily thru to the end. The spice character gives a hint of burning sensation that brings it out of balance. I like this quite a a bit, being a fan of pumpkin spice and cinnamon. There is a lot going on with this one, if the spike was a little more balanced this would be getting close to an ideal for me. Both were quite enjoyable. Probably depends on your mood or what you are having it after if by itself. For my palate I would Blue Run the nod simply as I find I less of an oak fan. Its a nice bonus that it also happens to be about $40 less.

Those are some great pics. They so look so young! Congrats on the addition to the family.

I kill myself, so you know. 0 Silverados and 20k Bolts not that it matters. Not sure his you read that, but to be clear, it’s meant to point out a 50x increase in just 2 tooling years is [insert your preferred BS tag] I see the marketing setup aspect to get the attention of Tesla and Ford fans as Genius. Execution you’d have to be a bit stoned to think they can get there( maybe you prefer on crack lol). But the intent and direction should be paid attention to. It’s a shift in parts supply and labor to the EV line. They may not hit the number, but there will be a hit in ICE numbers as suppliers transition in Gms fight for marketshare after Ford got a leg up on them. They may leverage this thought of recession to not add labor needed to keep numbers up on both lines.

lol. I wasnt specifically referring to you, no worries. It was the tone on some of the preceding items and them being someone directed at EV in particular. I'll say your comment seem to imply there are less abilities to exploit ICE over EV, but that may not have where you were going perhaps. We actually share alot of the same concerns on the ability to exploit the tech. I think, I may have (for better or worse) been the one who brought up that concern in the thread. It was the one thing that almost had me hold back. But I only see it getting worse, and for now, as delivered, I can remove the ability to communicate with it if needed. Biggest difference is I currently see the auto makers as the biggest abusers. Though they could easily hand over control to whoever they choose to. I'll add one thought in reference to .gov and regs seeming to preclude things available internationally. We have more lobby from the manufactures and oil. Here .gov is an outcome of big oil and car manufactures. Anyone remember what happened to the first EV's and who was buying charging stations and removing them? Interesting topic. As far as that item on Toyota, that sounds more like Toyota or how its implemented? Mine has that feature and goes back to earlier models. I would be very surprised not to see it on others, or that it cant be unlocked if for some reason its a disabled item.

It took me years to curate a nice collection of various foil hats for any occasion, I'm pretty happy with em. Most folks dont know this, but they have figured out how to get thru the tin ones. Very appropriate to mention while we are on the topic of new tech capabilities and vulnerabilities. Point being, dont be driving around in your ICE with a tin foil hat thinking your safe.

Folks are letting their hatred of EV rile them up enough to were they’re completely missing the point. Has ZERO to do with the propulsion system. EV, Hybrid, ICE, or 3 squirrels on a treadmill makes absolutely no difference when it comes to control of vehicle in the recent thread context. Its 100% about modern vehicles having their systems run thru a centralized OS which can be externally modified and/or controlled. Hate EV if you want, but at least be clear on what the real problem is on the expanded control topic. The ICE model is running through that same and is just as vulnerable to being exploited by bad actors.

This is a great example of the bad that comes with the good, and what meant by taking a car to the dealer being tenuous as well as the nefarious things that OTA updated can do b b if left enabled. Love the tech, hate the guys in the suits https://electrek.co/2022/07/26/tesla-ransom-customer-over-80-miles-battery-range/amp/

It may be time for you to consider this may be where you're at

GM saying it will build 1,000,000 EVs in 2025. 2021 totals around 22,000 Genius, whacky weed, or over exuberance....sounds a bit too lofty a goal. But still worth taking note given WH demands. https://www.musclecarsandtrucks.com/gm-will-be-able-to-produce-a-million-electric-vehicles-per-year-by-2025/

True, and it use to be problematic. It’s a good example of a need driving positive change. Today scanning interfaces are dirt cheap and readily available. No different than buying any other tool you’d need. I’ll never argue things aren’t to complex, they are. But they do come with a seldom recognized sizable benefit. That thing we hate can also tell us what’s wrong (usually). Sure its got dozens of things your car from the 60’s didn’t have to go wrong, but plenty of things made in the last 40 years (the majority of us) could benefit from the upside in time / cost savings compared to testing or swapping modules/parts when it can’t easily be isolated. There are some open source programs that allow you to alter configuration in onboard systems. And for those committed to never seeing a Ford dealer, a programming interface is available along with Fords actual technical software used by dealerships for full diagnostic and programming ability. Limited use licenses run as little as $50. That’s just an example i’m familiar with, could be makes as well. Times have changed. Its more a matter of keeping up with them if one chooses. Admittedly, I choose to, though i’m not always thrilled to do it.

I’m sure it’s better to have an abundance of caution around the fringe possibilities in the hope of preventing them from being reality. Or at least a livable reality. Seeing what can be done via remote access, one would be naive to not have some level of concern. Irrespective if its made easier by legislation to standardize system protocols. If this does start to look problematic, I would expect we’ll start seeing a good number of used auto cell / sat / wireless receivers on eBay.

I wonder how close all this is to the saloon conversations during the 1800's when the horse owners were having questions about the feasibility of horseless conveyances.

Truer words… I laughed at the generational reference, I removed it from the initial version to avoid triggering. Of course the problem may have been I paired millennial with scourge. Yours is much kinder. Companies moving to models with emphasis on recurring revenue streams over one-time sales IS actually a systematic one, unlike the times that word is unreasonably stretched. What I see in all the information and surveys is they are continually probing to see what they can get away with and pushing. Its no different than undisciplined children testing limits of their bad behavior. I can’t see fault in it with regard to purely service based sectors. But the trend of infusing this into goods by the addition of ransomware has passed its inflection point. If one has paid an additional up front charge to add as an option, ransomware is the appropriate term. I recall the MS’s discussion points on the 365 model where they pointed to their research finding the average MS office user was on a 7 year upgrade cycle. They simply and blatantly stated that was to long and by holding the software hostage they could increase revenue. It’s one of my favorite examples of where the train was fully coming off it’s rails, so Ioved seeing it here. Here is the thing folks need to be most wary of: The Backdoor trap This was my biggest problem buying this new truck. Its all well and good that it has limited subscription items that are of no concern outside maybe the autonomous driving (a topic in itself). The issue is the ability for the mothership to modify the systems remotely via Over The Air updates. 100% of vital systems are run thru control modules with a programmable firmware layer. This is should be a plus to add future enhancements, and in the hands of the ethical would be the fantastic bonus. But in the hands of the auto makers… For now owners can disable OTA updates. There is sufficient support in the aftermarket to maintain or retake control. It makes any dealer service tenuous. You have to ensure they don’t enable the nefarious bits each time. The compromise in my mind is something like Red mentioned. Great to have the latest and greatest, but having a trusted old school ‘dumb’ vehicle as well is the way to go. The examples presented are surprisingly recent. Pre 80’s is what I’d be looking at with maybe a few exceptions. Would love to have my 87 Silverado back. The old school body with fuel injection, most importantly the last year of the all analog dash.

They got the first two covered already. The 3rd is more of a work in progress.

That plays a bit tinfoil hat. I’d think if it’s a question, look at a warranty schedule showing time and mileage cost grids. As the future. I wish we could choose the good parts. Leave out the parts board members all add. The Cox survey references a 25% survey sample who said they were ok with this revenue model: GM is hoping to increase profits by offering a wide variety of in-vehicle features through a subscription model – a strategy that will be enabled by its new connected Vehicle Intelligence Platform and Ultifi end-to-end software platform. The automaker’s own internal research goes against Cox Automotive’s, with the automaker saying its customers are eager to bundle vehicle features together in monthly subscription models. GM’s own survey on customer reactions to subscription services included thousands of participants – more than Cox’s rather low sample size. “Our research indicates that with the right mix of compelling offerings, customers are willing to spend $135 per month on average for products and services,” Alan Wexler, GM’s senior VP of innovation and growth, told TechCrunch in an interview last year. https://gmauthority.com/blog/2022/04/just-25-percent-of-car-buyers-willing-to-pay-for-subscription-services/amp/

That top item and cost, is far too true. The second piece, the one most will refuse to recognize, is there is a large degree of designed obsolescence at work. Not the batteries as such , more the overall operating system. There is no corporate imperative to design and build to last, the profitability lacks in that model. The fact that American manufactures will not offer a factory extended warranty past 8 years tells you exactly how long they think you’ll make it, or when they will start to discontinue parts to squeek by the 10 year federal requirement. As someone that just bought a new vehicle, I struggled this time, haven’t really had that in the past. The frightening thing with cost is the increasing rate of change over a relatively short time, with an inflection point starting between the 2014-2015 MY. When you look at industry news around focus group studies specific to cost, features, and subscription services it will make you really fear what’s to come along with all the improvements and positives in new tech.

I think you didn’t catch I was kidding. But for what it’s worth, some mid engines do have trunks. Smallish, but hey. I had to give up the 36 gallon tank option for my hybrid that the ICE only truck has. The batteries have to go somewhere. They are not immune. But yes, should be better with better battery tech.

Conservation of energy. Using a powered positive drive item to drive a generator takes power that is other wise used to drive the vehicle forward. It’s the opposite of what’s going on in regenerative braking. Think of it as opening your fridge to cool the room. No free lunch that isn’t naturally occurring. The wind turbine concept has scaling problems. External turbines of any size to matter would induce aerodynamic drag and weight that would take extra power to overcome, same deal. Anything in a duct that isn’t ‘external’ would be too small to matter and impede flow taking away from that systems purpose.

except for those pesky rear and mid engine engine cars

They did a similar thing for the Berettas. Using a loop I could see their was a covered hole vs it being a blind hole. They counterbored for final diameter. So i used the pilot hole with my mill to drill / punch them out. All of them broke. To the horror of the safety patrol!! I’m kidding, but it wasn’t quite the joker’s origin story of falling into a vat of toxic waste that it’s occasionally made out to be.

They were good to go for me. Vials were tight for my application. They break easily so don’t force them if they don’t go right in

An alternative if it makes sense for you https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-5-7-rock-complete-rmr-optics-ready-pistol.html?avad=211021_e29da9465

That may have been tongue in cheek, but it turns out its really a thing! Good case of demographics matter. I've been spending some time on the truck forums where the Lightening is a favorite target for those opposed. To hear Lightening buyers responses, you get some good insights about their specific situations. A significant number of EV buyers do have solar and or added more solar. In many areas new homes for the last several years come with solar and surplus is sold back to the grid at times. Those are the demos that you will see more adoption of EV, in some cases multiple EVs in a household. While the solar addition to a home is not free, if its part of lifestyle choices amortized over several years and vehicles, there are places it can make sense if you are so inclined. The 22 F150 hybrid powerboost I ordered (as '21) finally came last month. When I picked it up, they wouldn't let me leave until I drove their demo Lightening. I have zero interesting in a full EV, not out here especially. They were insistent it was really fast. 30 years on sportbikes, looking at a big heavy truck, thinking not so much. Gotta tell ya, it surprised me. Its was stupid quick. Had a ball taking it for a spin, laughing to myself a couple times. I did not know its specs but afterward I found it has 775 ft-lbs of torque, so it made much more sense. While I wouldn't want one, I appreciate they can offer it and things like this will only improve the breed going forward. I am more opposed to some monitoring features they are building in. And the advent of subscription based features and services as they look for recurring revenue streams beyond initial sale. Have the take the good with the bad if you like new toys.

Saw this too late, but if it helps someone else. I’ve got them from Mixglo a few years ago. I had a couple govt 96G slides with dead fixed night sights. Originally beretta sent slides off to trijicon to get lamped. When I called Trijicon to replace them, they would not, they only provide that service for conventional removable sights and their products. However would lamp them if the old vials were already removed…. somehow. Bizarre as that sounds.

I got mine ahead of getting TSA Global Entry. In and out under 10 minutes with an $8 duplicate fee. Main rationale was to take away as many reasons for any .gov personnel to impede or harass down the road. I think of it like like a can of insect repellent for .gov staff. May not work on the big nasty ones that are determined to have at you, but generally can make passage thru high pest areas more pleasant.