Searched through the forum's & didn't see anything like this, so I figured I'd try it out & figured it'd be fun.
About me: -I've been working EMS for over 10 years, currently an EMT-Intermediate (95% of what a paramedic can do, at least in my state)
-I've done 911, critical care, COVID stuff, event medical, etc.
-I am in the USA. Paramedics in other countries (UK, Australia, etc.) require much more schooling than what's required in the USA, so I cannot speak on their training/education, but it's probably much more than most people here in the US.
I figured with EMS being more in the spotlight now (Thanks to Rainn Wilson in the movie Code 3), this could be a fun way to see if anyone would be interested in the field.
Hi all, just picked up a guitar after a 15 year hiatus (played as a kid & early teen, stopped). I decided to get back into it again & picked up an Epiphone Les Paul Custom.
I'm seeing conflicting stuff online about "setting it up" in terms of action, strings, etc.
The strings aren't bad for me, but the action between strings & fretboard, I'd like to be lower (I got soft hands, as they say). I'm sure I'll take it somewhere to lower the action on it, but wanted input on if there's anything else that should be done at the same time for longevity/ease of use.
So, I'm looking to purchase another car in the next year or so. Looking for a mix of some speed, comfort, & reliability, while also being relatively new (in the event I need to finance part of it)
Personal overview: Ive owned a lot of "boy racer" type cars (Civic Mugen Si, Golf R, currently audi S3), but looking for something that has more room, more creature comforts (if possible), & relatively reliable outside of basic maintenance. I cant take a motor apart, but I've done coilovers on my own cars, alternators, etc. so I'm not terribly afraid to work on stuff if needed.
Wants: Budget: $30-35k Years: 2015+ AWD (live near WY/SD, so snow is a when issue, not an if)
So far, I've looked into: -Audi SQ5. Probably top of the list. 3.0T is super good, easy to make power on, & creature comforts of the SQ5 are appealing. Good examples can be found under 30k all day. -Explorer ST: On the higher end of the price range, & i heard some of the launch models had issues, but they seem to be resolved. -BMW X5: Seems to have the B58 engine in some models, which are reliable & make good power. Unsure of maintenance/reliability though.
Any input/recommendations? I'm in the US, so we dont get shooting brakes or anything like that unfortunately. A wagon would meet all my wants, but.
my car has heated/cooled/massaging seats, & I can hear the bags in the seat inflate during the massaging part. Many American cars are geared towards “soccer moms” so a lot of the heart of the sportier cars are toned down, as opposed to European counterparts.
I can say parts are significantly cheaper (both OE & aftermarket) compared to euro cars & generally the work isn’t as bad as on European cars. My Audi s3 had a lot of special tools/sockets needed for pretty minor stuff, which isn’t the case with my Explorer.
Porsche & Audi are both owned by VAG, so no surprise that they're the same.
You can throw VW parts on porches, Audi parts on VW's, etc (usually).
I was looking at an SQ5 for my last car, but decided on a Ford Explorer ST. I didn't have a BMW dealer within a few hours of me, or I would've looked at those too.
The X-series that have the B58's can be monsters, & are generally reliable.
my wife & I have played all the halos (except 5 & infinite) on couch co-op. They’re so fun.
it’s sad there’s almost no games coming out that’re couch co op. We’ve been stuck playing CoD: Black Ops, RE5 & 6, & GoW series. Borderlands is just a little too crazy on couch co-op
Hi all, just picked up a guitar after a 15 year hiatus (played as a kid & early teen, stopped). I decided to get back into it again & picked up an Epiphone Les Paul Custom.
I'm seeing conflicting stuff online about "setting it up" in terms of action, strings, etc.
The strings aren't bad for me, but the action between strings & fretboard, I'd like to be lower (I got soft hands, as they say). I'm sure I'll take it somewhere to lower the action on it, but wanted input on if there's anything else that should be done at the same time for longevity/ease of use.
Look for a K24 swap. 9/10 times, they’re cheaper than the K20 variants & most swap components bolt right up to K24’s.
Many people will just do a “FranKenstein” build where you have a K20z head & K24 bottom. Usually people will use the K20z3 from 06-11 Si’s & then K24A’s from TSX’s
I did. Had pretty bad depression, a low paying, morale crushing job, crumbling relationship. Was very close to letting the hammer drop.
I got help (therapy & meds) & kind of pushed myself forward. You have to learn that even tiny steps will make you go a long distance, as long as you keep making those steps.
If none of that works, then survive purely out of spite too.
I recovered in 2 weeks. Granted, that 2 weeks was hell. But in my situation (also USA), short term disability wouldn’t kick in before I was released back to work, so I just had to use PTO & pinch Pennie’s to make it work
Technically, first car was a 1990 (I think) Toyota Tercel. Bought it for like $300, got it close to home (about 20 mins) & timing belt snapped. Scrapped it for $250.
My first car I actually kept was a 2000 VW Jetta VR6. I loved that car. The sound, the features (for a 2000 car) was great. It had it's issues, but it was fun. Tuned it, put some coilovers on it & some cams in it & it sounded amazing. Wasn't "fast", but it was good for what it was.
Aerospace & Undersea Science is pretty cool. My field of work is in the undersea medicine part, but it's wild how being above the earth & also below the earth (in the water) share alot of similarities/
Find a chevy with a 4.3, 4.8, or 5.3L engine. They'll kinda last forever.
Older volvos will last forever too & then Honda/acura's with a K20/K24 (2.0 or 2.4L engine)
Id steer clear of any VW/Audi. I owned a few, & they do last, but you have to ensure you stay on top of maintenance, & if you arent comfortable working on them, they get expensive quick.