No

Music. I can play close to a dozen instruments with enough skill that I could sit in as a stand in player for a large variety of genres. I do everything in my power to avoid letting people around me know.

I make music as a way to meditate and relax. I can throw down a synthesizer drone and spend an hour+ noodling on the piano, guitar, cello etc without doing any recording or writing down stuff. I’ve got probably 100 or so short 4-12 bar ideas saved on my computer. I probably will never do anything with them but I like going back and rediscovering where I was musically/emotionally.

The dubstep phase was, in a word, terrible.

I drive for UPS and the pick me up I get from taking a quick cat nap in the back of the truck cannot be overstated.

Great ingenuity but if falling into the inventor trap of “I’ve figured out one part of the equation and am neglecting the rest of it”

The inventor says “Some additional off-the-shelf systems – brake and steering boosters, as well as e-heating and air conditioning – would also be added under the hood.” While also stating all the original components are remaining untouched.

Does he have any idea how cramped the majority of modern engine bays are? I used to work on saburbans, bucks, chevys, and ford’s where you could literally stand in the engine bays. Modern cars though? Good luck having enough space to even get your tool let alone your hand where it needs to go.

Also “Off the shelf” systems?

Heaters are a nightmare. Resistive heaters, while being the most common, cheapest and easiest to access, use obscene amounts of energy and would put a huge drain on the tiny batteries he is proposing being used. PTC heaters are a possibility but Heat pumps would be ideal. Heat pumps take up space and are best designed into a car from scratch.

E-brake boosters are definitely a thing but are not a one size fits all and ABSOLUTELY require the removal of the existing system.

Finally the AC… The best electric units I’ve seen are retrofit kits for classic cars. Once again those require significant removal of existing infrastructure in order to be installed. More of an issue though… they cost 2-4 thousand dollars! That’s certainly going to eat into the project 4-5 thousand dollar estimated installation cost.

Side note: These are effectively motorized wheel spacers and I have seen a ridiculous amount of damage to vehicles from wheel spacers that are just simple chunks of metal.

Innovation is always encouraged of course and hopefully his work leads to something applicable. As it stands right now it’s a bit of a pipe dream.

Two I surprisingly haven’t seen yet:

“I haven’t given a shit about anything in a while”

and

“I’ll just cancel the free trial”

That’s actually pretty interesting. I started with minimalist footwear once I was old enough to start making shoe decisions myself and apparently that was partially causing some of the problems I was experiencing.

Five Fingers were my go to’s (once they came out) for most days and Vivobarefoot’s / Nike Free’s for when the social side of five fingers was in questionable taste.

It’s always fascinating to me how wildly different solutions are the exact remedy needed for different individuals. It’s why I always get a little irritated when you read someone saying “Use this thing AND THIS THING ONLY! everything else is junk and dumb and you will be a worse person for using it.” such a close minded approach to the world.

I’ve been out of the minimal shoe worlds for a bit minute, anything cool to come about recently?

I had this exact stance until I won a pair of $200 running shoes in a raffle. My occasional backpains and joint problems disappeared almost immediately. I started buying the best footwear I could afford and my quality of life went measurable up after that decision.

The BIGGEST changes were going to a reputable podiatrist and getting shoe recommendations based off of my arch shape, weight and gait. They put me on a treadmill with highspead cameras at the sides and rear to record how my stride landed both walking and running. That and custom molded insoles.

Now Shoes are a part of our yearly budget to make sure we have good condition, supportive shoes at all times. Also re-soleing if applicable.

Side note: Dress shoes can die in a fire.

What the ever loving FUCK is this.

I feel enlightened. When’s your next talk!

I love misunderstandings like this that produce fun results.

The enemy rolls out Tuna can mines and EVERY cat here willingly runs to their death.

Do you think I could get away with burying my face in it’s fuzzy belly?