What a beauty. My first (at age 17) was a '65 fastback in "vintage burgundy" and a 289 automatic. It had about 130k on it already, and I eventually sold it several years and around 65,000 miles later. Over those years (in snow country) it provided me a solid course in auto mechanics, as most everything failed, except (amazingly) the transmission! But what great memories I have of that car, and where it took me.

Sadly, compact pick-ups that make sense for a do-it-yourselfer are a thing of the past, which is why I am so glad I kept my '85 Nissan King Cab. A full six-foot bed and a low gate height make this perfect for my needs. How else could I have got 16' long livestock panels home (to turn into tomato cages)? Or gravel for a retaining wall? Over the years it has helped me transport all manner of heavy and bulky materials. While it was initially my daily driver, I eventually retired it to weekend duty. The fact that virtually every time I use it now, guys are asking me if I would sell it, tells me there is a large market for these smaller trucks. Too bad the auto makers can't seem to understand that.

My first car was a 65 fastback with a 289 2bbl automatic. I got it in high school with about 120,000 miles on it. Got me through college and a few years beyond that. It was truly a course in auto mechanics though...virtually everything failed while I had it, except the transmission. But I kept it patching it up, and it still ran when I sold it. In spite of (or maybe because of) the various mechanical issues, it was the perfect car for me at the time! Nothing but great stories and fond memories.

I too appreciate the utility of pocket knives. While never a Boy Scout, I got a basic 4 blade scout knife around 2nd grade, and have never been without at least one blade in my pockets since. Over the years I've collected a wide variety, but generally carry a one-handed opener (by Kershaw) and a 4-blade Swiss Army hung on my belt with a chain. When flying, I'll always check a bag, so I'll have my knives when I land. For a great selection, I recommend the "Smokey Mountain Knife Works" near Knoxville TN.

There is certainly some variability with wood-fire cooking. My oven set-up is no exception...but with some experience, I've got better at "reading" the fire, and balancing the cooking time between the crust and top. Because the heat that cooks the top enters from the rear and flows over the top, to the front, the pizza needs a quarter turn at least every 2 minutes. I also have a handle on a block at the rear that allows me to vent a little heat off there just before loading the pizza. This slows the top cook a little, so the crust has a little more time. I use a infrared thermometer to check the stone temp before loading the pizza...looking for 500-600 degrees F.

Good luck if you decide to build it. :)

My wife and I have been making pizza for over 40 years, experimenting and learning. Last year I built a basic pizza oven from inexpensive materials...all dry stacked concrete products. After a few bakes, we got the process down. Regardless of baking method though, the secret to a great crust is making the dough with double zero flour.

That is the actual delivery photo that they sent...bet it got a laugh when he climbed the stairs and saw that.

Finally got my package!

And anything with a zipper can be easily opened with a knife. But since locks are only designed to keep your friends honest, they do serve a purpose. :)

Twin pulls also allow for a lock to be easily added (assuming the pulls have holes in the end). :)

Another option to consider is to stream from your PC into an FM transmitter. The connection is a via a single cable from the PC headphone jack to the transmitter (3.5mm plugs on each end). You just find an empty spot on the FM band, and set the transmitter to that frequency. Then you can receive the transmission on that frequency on any FM receiver in range. I use a whole house transmitter in this way, but mostly use my ancient IPOD as the input. Occasionally, I'll stream Sirius from my desktop. Range is good enough that I get signal anywhere in my house and yard. Beats Blue Tooth!

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein

Quite the hot topic! I'll defer to Carl Sagan who said simply "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". Have not seen that yet.

Had a similar situation recently. Tried another card reader, and it was fine.

I had my GS850LG 30 years, but only racked up around 50,000 miles. You may recall that Harley Davidson was having difficulties competing in the early Eighties, and got congress to impose a tariff on imported bikes over 850cc. It was my understanding that the 850 was actually an 1100 with displacement reduced to 850. I remember checking the weights for each, and they were the same. It was a heavy bike, but had more than adequate power. Air cooled engine, tubeless tires, shaft drive. I named it "Zook".

(Download)