Random Thoughts....

[frankiess]

I'm an avid spokesman on behalf of open source software and everything under a creative commons license. As a semi-noob Linux user, I thought it might be a good idea to upgrade to Ubuntu 9.10. NOT a good idea. What follows is two days of recovering files, trying to boot up the system and well, the usual post-apocalypse scenario. So, after two days of tilting at windmills, I kinda gave up and installed something else.

I'm now running Windows 7, and I hate myself.

But I gotta say, it's a fairly decent piece of kit, as far as operating systems go. I'm betting they planned for Vista to be like this all along.

 

[Jay]

Many people complain of Vista, I have yet to have a problem with it. Works great, easy to use. Am I weird? Lucky?

 

[thevictor390]

I had few problems with Vista and even fewer with 7.

 

[frankiess]

Many people complain of Vista, I have yet to have a problem with it. Works great, easy to use. Am I weird? Lucky?

My first issue is with the new .NET they want everyone to use, when everyone is perfectly happy with their oldstyle MS Offices and Windowses. What this results in is graphic card drivers taking up 543Mb because the installer software has to be built on the latest framework.

Secondly, nothing special actually happened between XP SP3 and Vista. Except all the eye candy and Microsoft's try at building a Google-widget. All the user interfaces were totally screwed from an XP-user's standpoint, and the hours you have to put in to shut that security advisor the hell up are.. well, numerous.

After getting all the crap out of the way, all I end up with is an XP system which is bigger, more confusing, more nannying, and more of a :lol: u bought this turd, now were gonna stick it down ur throat!

So I rather use Ubuntu or a similar Linux. But then again, that's just my opinion. And I've yet to find an annoyance in Windows 7, which, I hear, every Vista user should upgrade to. Ignorance, of course, is bliss. So if you're happy, try to stay that way.

 

[hemoh]

pfft...Northern. Go to Duluth in January for a full on onslaught.

I lived in Superior for a short time; when it snowed, it snowed a lot.

Northern Wisconsin winters FT---well, I guess it depends on how you view loads of snow and sub-zero temperatures.



(Just after I finished typing that, it's started to rain. Go figure.)

 

[Clockwerk]

pfft...Northern. Go to Duluth in January for a full on onslaught.

(Russian voice)your winters are weak, like little girl!

Ohh I have seen some Northern winters having spent a little time in Bemidji, MN in December and January, I just wanted a little more this weekend. When I first decided I was going to make the trip for the Iowa State- Oklahoma State football game I had visions of a snowy football game in my head.

 

[Hidden_Hunter]

Congrats. I know what a P sticker is, what is the meaning of green and red plates?

you have the red plates for your first year of driving, then 3 years of green (in most states now)

different restrictions apply depending on what plate you're on, e.g. speed limits and passenger restrictions in new south wales.

 

[flydiscovery]

3 YEARS? Until you're 22 freaking years old? Good heavens. Geez they say we have a nanny state. That's craziness.

 

[Vette Boss]

The system is good in my mind, it lets you know the driver isn't as experienced. I know at 20, when I had driven for three years, there was still plenty to learn.

 

[Ramseus]

What Fly said.

In my provence the intermediate license that doesn't really have any restrictions (except 0% BAC and being restricted to 1 passenger between midnight and 5am unless you have a passenger with a full license in which case there's no passenger restriction... in other words no restrictions) only lasts 15 months. Plus the 9 month learner period, we can be fully licensed by 19 (or 18.5 if you take the high school course, which everyone does). 22... and having to wear P plates... god damn, I'm sorry for you guys.

 

[Red_Bull]

3 YEARS? Until you're 22 freaking years old? Good heavens. Geez they say we have a nanny state. That's craziness.

Well you can apply for a licence at 16 in Australia.

We dont have the green Ps in South Australia, you just dont have to display the plates when you're on your P2 licence.

When I did it, it was 6 months on your L plates, then two years or until you're 19 on the Ps (or something like that anyway, the specifics escape me).

It's a terrible system tbh, and the State Government wonder why the hell so many young people keep losing their lives on our roads. They'll keep reducing the speed limit without addressing the underlying causes, ie, poor driver training, shit road quality, etc. The problem with that strategy is that the idiots who do kill themselves at high speed have no regard for the existing limits now, why should they obey any changed limit that's imposed? All it will do is force regular drivers to go even slower, get frustrated, creep over the limit (the stupid creepers campaign is rubbish btw) and get done by the radar = more money into the state's coffers.

 

[brydie76]

It's only 2 years in NSW:

Long explanation below, don't read if you get bored by rules and regulations. Also, this is NSW only, other states differ.

- 120 hours (min 20 hours at night) on your learner's licence. Must drive with a fully licenced supervising driver, 80km/h speed limit, 0 BAC, etc. Take a basic road rules computer test to get this. Display Black L on yellow background on the car.

- P1 licence- min 1 year, can drive unsupervised, 90km/h speed limit, 0 BAC, passenger limits between certain hours and limits on what cars you can drive (so no Astons ). Take a practical driving test to get this, about a 45% fail rate from what I've researched. Display a red P on a white background. Also, any speeding offence (even 1 km/h over) and you get an immediate 3 month suspension and a massive fine.

- P2 licence- min 2 years, but you can now go 100km/h, use a phone in handsfree, no passenger restrictions and you get more demerit points so you don't lose you licence on the first offence. Still restricted to 0 BAC and limited as to what cars you can drive. Take a computer based simulated driving test for this (i.e. tap when you would slow down for a hazard, turn right, overtake, etc). Display a dark green P on a white background

Finally, your black (i.e. full licence). Bugger all restrictions, nothing to display, etc. Also can supervise learner drivers. Take another hazard perception test and a harder version of the learner road rules test to get this.


I got my L's 1st time (most people do), P1's 2nd time (1st time nearly crashed into another car in the first 2 minutes of the test I was that nervous :lol and P2's 1st time (today!). So this time in 2 years I am eligible for a full licence, when I am 20.

 

[flydiscovery]

See, I had a full, unrestricted, unsupervised, uneverything license on my 16th birthday. In a couple of states it's still even younger than that. Is that the best? I dunno but it's just what I'm accustomed to. The most restrictive states in the US have full license between 17 and 18. Oh and you never have anything on the outside of your car unless you sign up for some kind of driving lessons. So you can see how it's all a bit of culture shock.

 

[Hidden_Hunter]

See, I had a full, unrestricted, unsupervised, uneverything license on my 16th birthday. In a couple of states it's still even younger than that. Is that the best? I dunno but it's just what I'm accustomed to. The most restrictive states in the US have full license between 17 and 18. Oh and you never have anything on the outside of your car unless you sign up for some kind of driving lessons. So you can see how it's all a bit of culture shock.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licensing/GettingYourPs/CarProbationaryLicence.htm

If anyone really cares, the restrictions are on there.

 

[Nabster]

See, I had a full, unrestricted, unsupervised, uneverything license on my 16th birthday. In a couple of states it's still even younger than that. Is that the best? I dunno but it's just what I'm accustomed to. The most restrictive states in the US have full license between 17 and 18. Oh and you never have anything on the outside of your car unless you sign up for some kind of driving lessons. So you can see how it's all a bit of culture shock.

Seconded. You could (at least when I got mine, they may have changed the requirements since) get the full license here at 15 if you lived more than 5 miles from your school, you could get your permit at 14. On top of that, the permit costs $20, and the full license is $15.

 

[brydie76]

^ yeah, honestly our system is pretty stupid (again, a loooong post ensues)

- Speed limits- these are incredibly dangerous on freeways and such. If everybody else is going 30km/h faster than you, you don't feel confident at all and you make mistakes. Also, people go dangerously close to you, overtake dangerously, etc. It is just asking for trouble, tbh.

- Displaying P's/L's- this is just a big "I'm inexperienced/a hoon, come and let out all your road rage on me" signs. The amount of times people tailgate me, blare the horn, cut me off, etc (and all for no apprent reason- I am a very cautious driver and I don't break the road rules willingly) is incredible. And the one time i forgot to put my plates on (oops), the amount of rage that was directed at me dropped exponentially. People let me into gaps, they didn't speed to overtake me then slow down so I nearly went up their bumper- I can't wait until I don't have to display these stupid things anymore. Although people do treat green P-platers a bit better because they know you have a bit of experience.

- Passenger limits- basically, you can only carry 1 passenger under 25 between 11pm and 5 am when on your P1 licence. This is just ruining the concept of designated drivers- yeah, let's make it so the designated drivers can only take 1 person home, therefore only half the group can drink and the driver won;t be distracted. Um, yeah, as if that's going to happen (only half the group drinking) and if you get distracted by passengers when driving (at any time), you need to revise your skills or get some new friends.

- Limits on types of cars- unlike motorbikes, where there is a power to weight ratio limit, here there is just a list of things you can't have, like an 8 cylinder engine (unless diesel), a super/turboed engine (again, unless diesel), etc. So I can drive our 6 cylinder, 3 litre Outback and many of the 6 clyinder mercs, but not a standard golf unless I get an exemption for t because it has a turbo. That and the restrictions carry over to areas the RTA has no jurisdiction over, like racetracks. So my hopes of driving an Aston Martin V8 Vantage in February at eastern creek raceway are gone.

But yeah, could be worse I guess :S

 

[flydiscovery]

Well Nabster, keep in mind there's not much to run into in Laramie, Wyoming.

 

[Susurrate]

Well Nabster, keep in mind there's not much to run into in Laramie, Wyoming.

They've got buffalo and..... buffalo.

 

[ChelsDS]

So, a $7 Mickey Mouse balloon has lasted two weeks and will probably last even longer!

Going back this Wednesday too, woohoo. This whole buying a annual pass dealio was a good idea

 

[Nabster]

Well Nabster, keep in mind there's not much to run into in Laramie, Wyoming.

True... however that's not necessarily a bad thing.

http://thumb.armedcats.net/n/na/nabster/2009/11/08/Snowy_Peaks.jpg