Honda Civic LX (2006)

The 2006 Honda Civic LX is much improved with increased go-power and a stiffer chassis to provide a sportier feel without taking away from the comfort you expect in a sedan. The fit and finish are excellent. Even though it is said to be a compact car, there is plenty of room for 4 people. There is no hump in the back seat to take away legroom. The LX version adds an immobolizer key to deter thieves, alloy wheels for a sporty look, and cruise control to save gas on long drives.

However, there are a few quibbles. The instrument cluster takes some getting used to. Everything except the tachometer is digital. The speedometer, fuel, and engine temperature indicators are above and behind the tachometer. The radio knobs and push buttons are identical to the air flow controls so I find myself setting the air conditioner instead of changing the radio station. The entire dash is curved instead of mostly flat like you see in many cars. The stereo controls are found by pressing a push button many times so you need to make necessary adjustments before starting your journey, not while driving.

The rationale for this design is to save on the number of parts in the car. There are no sliders or levers which would require intricate assembly. Even the gas pedal is "drive by wire". This makes it less costly to add cruise control.

Motor Trend magazine says it will be hard for competitors to match the Honda Civic. I agree.

even more fries with that?

Morgan Spurlock successfully managed to "shock and awe" in his Super-Size Me documentary. He extrapolated the general trend in modern life to eat too much crap while not getting near enough exercise to it's worst case conclusion that even the doctors did not expect. He force-fed himself at the arches every day but there were side trips to schools where kids were having fries, sausages, and candy for lunch boxed by some cheap food processing company. So it's not just MacDonalds who wish to maintain the status quo but the entire processed food industry and their well paid lobbyists.
My Conclusion: Have an occasional happy meal for variety but eat natural food every day.

shaving cream art

The valve of the a new shaving cream can came off with the cover. When I pressed the cover back on, shaving gel squirted over the bathroom mirror!

Black blogs are popular

I click 'next blog' on blogger and wonder "why do so many blogs have a black background'. Nearly half of them are black. Some have a pink background, others are just white with pale circles.

Since plain white seems bland and business-like, perhaps the blogger wants to be 'un-bland' or cool. On the other hand, perhaps they feel dreadful and black reflects that mood.

I like the blogs with photos. I recently saw one of a person's trip to Iceland. (Sorry, forgot the link). The girl is an artist and that talent shows in her photos.

Now, if only we could get rid of these stupid adverts that clutter the blogsphere!

The cow... the cow!

As I was lying beneath a tree

A robin sent his love to me

And as I wiped it from my eye

I thanked the Lord that cows can't fly.

-- who wrote this?

The rumor of Blackie's demise is true!

Blackie died today. He was a Black Moor, a fantail type fish with a chunky body and a flowing tail. These are hardy fish but prone to swim-bladder problems. He would swim upside down when he got tired of trying to swim with his buddies. There was nothing to do but put him to sleep in a small container of tank water with sodium bicarbonate (found in Alka-Seltzer or Eno).

Don't flush your fish down the toilet. That is cruel because they die slowly under mean conditions. Also don't buy fish from crowded tanks. That would encourage the keeping of these poor creatures under stress. The rule is one gallon of water per inch of fish.

If you park like an idiot.. watch out!

Soon frustrated drivers will be carrying these nifty park-like-an-idiot stickers. Note that the sign is not for you to make a proud announcement, rather it is for that other idiot who can't park neatly between the lines or the cars that are already parked. These folks must suffer from some combination of arrogance and stupidy. Now it is time to take back the parking lot!

Bob's Your Uncle

The expression "Bob's your uncle" always implies simplicity of execution and success or satisfaction with the result. Practice the KISS principle (Keep It Simple) so you can soon say- "Bob's Your Uncle". The following links give lengthy explanations. Apparently, thieves and pickpockets were once called "bobs". The reference does not say but I think London policeman are now called "bobbies" because they used to catch "bobs".

• Reference 1
• Reference 2

Jean and Karla Swap

Another sign of our times

Sign of our times

Interesting sign seen on Yonge Street

every Blog must have a cat

Overcome by the rigors of blogging, Buffy snoozes atop the computer

blogging for a sogging

Recently there was a wee bit of rain in Calgary with unexpected consequences... overflow in Calgary

Everyone must have a blog!

Blogs are hot. Soon, everyone on the planet will have one. But this is perhaps not a good thing. For example:- Today I went for a walk. It was stinkin hot. I found a rotten apple in the fridge under the moldy bread. Buffy the cat barfed on my CD player. See... who would want to read this banal drivel?

---

Hopefully, this is my worst post. I'll try to do better in future.