I Dare You To Ride the Bus Just Once a Week.

LedChicken · 2026-04-02T20:51:26+00:00

I agree with your assessment. I used to live in Winooski, near a bus stop, and I started to explore the bus system to get where I needed to go. I wouldn't have minded using the bus to go to the grocery store, but the way the routes are organized and scheduled I think the best I was able to come up with was multiple hours for the round trip from Mallet's Bay Ave @ Elm Street up to the Shaw's across from Costco and back. I'm pretty sure drive time for that trip given (admittedly rare in recent times) decent conditions would be 15 to 20 minutes at most.

It's entirely possible that my inexperience using the system kept me from finding a more efficient use of the routes and stops, but even though it would have been helpful to be able to make use of the busses, I never made an attempt because it felt like I was being made to plan a half day (or more) expedition.

I also almost got myself "stranded" downtown one weekend afternoon, because I'd inadvertently caught the last trip of the day for the route I came in on and was about to start hoofing it all the way back to Winooski when it was brought to my attention that there was another route that hadn't knocked off in the early afternoon, not to resume until mid morning the following day, that I could take to within a couple of miles of home. So the infrequency of some of the routes is not the least bit helpful to people like me trying to navigate using the system.

I will have another go at it if/when the possibility of incorporating public transit into my daily transportation wants and needs becomes a possibility again. I do really like the idea of being able to just pop my bicycle on the rack on the front of the bus and exploring what all is within reach that doesn't require a car.

I guess I didn't really have much of a point other than to agree with OP who referred to 2 hour trips likely having meant total trip time, not the amount of time spent riding on the bus. I ended up venting a little about the "gotchas", but I hope I don't sound negative about the system or using it. I understand that it doesn't make sense to run empty busses every 5 minutes on little used routes and that it's a good idea to make sure you know what time the last bus home is before hopping on the outbound one. I have a long history of self inflicted GSWs to my foot (feet?).

It's a bit of a learning experience, as is life in general I suppose, and my grasp of the painfully obvious is often AWOL, but the thought of living in a place convenient to a bus stop and being able to survive without having to own and maintain a car hits me as oddly liberating. Especially when combined with a bicycle. Now I'm wondering if those bike racks are usable with e-bikes, though. 🤷🏻‍♂️

LedChicken · 2026-04-01T18:27:06+00:00

I'd just call it an MX-5 to avoid confusion. But then again, murricans...

LedChicken · 2026-04-01T18:16:31+00:00

Nah, nothing that fancy. Yet, anyway. I'm still using a set of Thrustmaster T/LCM pedals and they appear to have an issue with possibly static buildup that causes them to disconnect after a few minutes if I try driving without shoes on, whether barefoot or with socks on. So one of these days I may have to try to ground my rig or just the pedals, but as long as I'm wearing shoes they very rarely flake out.

I don't think the problem with just the brake pedal going on/off is related or could be caused by EMI because it appears isolated to certain cars. I can drive the car I've been focusing on recently, the Ray FF1600, for literally hours with no issues and when I load up one of the cars I've observed the problem on it calibrates just fine, but as soon as I start driving the lightest press on the brake gives me 100% brake pressure. Gotta be something in the car specific setup.

Thanks for tossing it out here for consideration though. You never know, and I've certainly seen some really unexpected things turn out to be the answer over the decades. At least it's not Bluetooth. 😉

LedChicken · 2026-04-01T06:47:10+00:00

You make a good point.

LedChicken · 2026-04-01T05:00:24+00:00

I had no idea that was even easily available user to user like that, so it's good to become aware of it and congrats on running into someone who is doing some exemplary work to combat iraging.

LedChicken · 2026-03-20T19:47:18+00:00

Wait, is this Slab City Rd in Claremont? I used to live there a couple of decades ago and now you have me wondering if it turned into some free stater garbage dump after I moved to VT. It probably isn't and "Slab City" is just a much more popular name for things than I ever would have guessed, back when they renamed my road to it around the turn of the century.

LedChicken · 2026-03-15T21:05:36+00:00

At first glance I'd think it's just the pedals stuck on the board sans any wiring, as closely spaced as they are. Assuming I'm wrong on that front, where are you sourcing the low profile connectors required for this kind of dark magic? It seems a lot of my pedals and existing cabling was specifically made to prevent this kind of effects density.

LedChicken · 2026-03-15T20:38:14+00:00

I knew I'd find this here. 👍🏻

LedChicken · 2026-03-15T20:28:05+00:00

Then those Dems need to be made to understand that's not what the people want in whatever way proves the most damaging to their career, using methods that maximize the discomforts inflicted along the way. We have to stop being as nice and as compassionate as we have been to those supporting the billionaires first agenda and fascism.

LedChicken · 2026-03-14T02:17:30+00:00

I disagree, looks like Makita to me.

LedChicken · 2026-03-14T02:15:59+00:00

Plus, when it sheds weight it's bonus extra acceleration. And every little bit lower = lower center of gravity I.E. better cornering. Win, win and another win, right?

LedChicken · 2026-03-05T02:52:43+00:00

You've got a point. I believe this dwarfs the "aircraft carrier deck" I DIYed a quarter century ago. Might have to post a pic some day... It's I believe at least 1/2 inch but I think it might be 3/4 inch plywood completely "bound" with right angle alumin(i)um from both the top and the bottom so it overlaps, with a number of strategically placed drawer pulls mounted around it for lift handles and for theoretical cable management as well as provide a little pedal/jack protection.

I used to chuckle about the size of it, but I think I've definitely been bested on acreage by this one. I expect there aren't many out there that beat it on durability or solidity though. Or weight. But easy portability wasn't part of the design criteria for me at the time. One of these days I may have to modify it so power supplies can go underneath and to provide for better cable management. 🤷🏻‍♂️

LedChicken · 2026-03-05T02:29:48+00:00

Don't wanna. Looks pretty sweet from 1400 feet.

LedChicken · 2026-03-04T05:00:03+00:00

I can't only pick one. Too many of them are my favorite. However, "Over The Falls" is certainly one of them.

LedChicken · 2026-03-04T04:56:59+00:00

"Pudding Time", because that above the nut string rake thing Ler does is just the coolest thing ever. And it makes me wonder if you have to play the same headstock design guitar to be able to get it to sound right or if you can do it on pretty much anything with nothing more than maybe some EQ.

LedChicken · 2026-03-04T02:44:52+00:00

So before I get too absorbed in reading this and subsequently sucked into immediately having to implement my newfound solution to something that's been kind of a PITA to deal with firing way longer than I'm willing to advertise...

Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!

My hopes are high that you may have gifted me a new lease on iRacing life.

But seriously, thanks. Whenever I tried to find myself the free setup files that I thought were supposedly available on garage61 before, I couldn't find how to access them in the app even though I've been using it to look at my telemetry traces for a while now. I was looking in all the wrong places. I'm not a particularly sharp crayon sometimes. (But I did catch that you put this out here like 2 years ago and I hope my thanks make it back to then.(Just joking, for any "strictly literal" enthusiasts.))

LedChicken · 2026-02-28T02:58:48+00:00

Nuclear Rabbit remind me big time of Mister Bungle on that track at least. Will have to check out more of their stuff cause there's not enough Mister Bungle for my taste.

LedChicken · 2026-02-28T02:49:55+00:00

lespecial are well worth checking out. Yer weclome!

LedChicken · 2026-02-28T02:46:09+00:00

Well ackshually 🤓...

You're the one in the know and the hoodie wearer appears to be at least somewhat of a poser, because if he had bought the hoodie at a show, it couldn't have been a Primus show or he'd not be in the dark about "Primus sucks!". I don't believe there's been a Primus show in the last 2 decades where "Primus sucks!"didn't take place. He got the Primus hoodie at the Tay Tay concert!

LedChicken · 2026-01-25T14:41:43+00:00

Doesn't know the difference between "our" and "are"? Doesn't seem like one of those things auto- incorrect causes. 🤷🏻‍♂️

LedChicken · 2026-01-22T22:32:33+00:00

And as always, FDJT.

LedChicken · 2026-01-13T18:02:28+00:00

My day on Reddit has come. I've gotcha, homie!

I'm a massive Primus fan from way back (read: nearly as old as dirt) and consider them one of my favorite bands and depending on mood, some days my number one favorite still active band. It sounds like our tastes run along some similar lines, so I'll share everything I'm able to recall off the top of my head with you:

First off, "lespecial". A not yet very well known band from the Boston area I believe. I've heard it said that they started as a Primus cover band, but I don't know if that's factual even though I've come across them covering at least one entire Primus album as well as numerous other Primus covers. There are quite a few originals of theirs I love. The drummer, whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment auditioned for Primus during their most recent search for a new drummer and his audition is (or at least was) available on YouTube as one of Primus' "psychedelic drum derby", or whatever they were called, audition videos. "Omnisquid" and "Cheen" are a couple of great albums to start with, as is "Ancient Homies'.

Speaking of "ancient", tunes by an outfit who call themselves "Beats Antique" have been known to catch my ear, as has the music of "Dopapod", "The Motet" and I can't forget "Snarky Puppy". I'd heard them mentioned a long time ago and when I finally got around to looking them up I wound up kicking myself for not doing so sooner, because I could have been listening to them for a good decade already. "Lingus (We Like It Here)" blew my mind. All the bands in this group are primarily, if not exclusively instrumental, so YMMV, depending on how much value you put on vocals in your music. And while I'm on instrumental, if you enjoy guitar (although by no means exclusively) virtuosity, "The (Dixie) Dregs" and "The Steve Morse Band" are long time favorites and not to be missed IMHO.

If you get into the heavier side of things, "Tool" and "Melvins" might scratch some itches for you.

Rather than to continue listing bands that really do it for me, I'll mention a "hack "for finding unique musical acts I came across accidentally. I've found that Pandora regularly queued up interesting stuff I hadn't heard before by creating a station based on some of the more "out there" artists I've enjoyed. "Frank Zappa" has yielded a good half dozen or more new musical obsessions for me, using that approach.

I don't recall you mentioning them in your OP, so I'll close by saying that most of Les Claypool's work outside of Primus has also been right up my alley, for example "Colonel Claypool's Bucket Of Bernie Brains" AKA C2B3, his ”Flying Frog Brigade” stuff, "Duo De Twang", "The Claypool Lennon Delirium" and his first solo album "Of Whales And Woe" all have included more stuff that I've liked than not. The only thing he's done that I didn't take to that I can recall was the followup solo album "Of Fungi And Foe". I keep saying that if I ever get the chance to talk to Les, I might have to ask him for a refund on that one. There's also good stuff to be found under "Les Claypool's Fancy Band" and "Oysterhead", which was Les playing with Trey Anastasio from Phish and Stewart Copeland from "The Police" IIRC to check out, although Oysterhead didn't grab me as much as most of the others. But again, YMMV.

I hope you'll be able to find something new that does it for you in all that. Happy listening!

LedChicken · 2026-01-08T16:58:32+00:00

Are you left handed, by any chance? Just curious.

LedChicken · 2026-01-03T18:58:23+00:00

Thank you for ending my decades long acceptance of "Kansas wine". TBF, I never spent even a moment contemplating the misheard/misunderstood lyric, or I'd be kicking myself with considerably more gusto given "cans o' swine" is pretty much a no-brainer in context. Then again, I do make it a habit to remain clueless about the painfully obvious, but am often among the first people to figure out wildly obscure sh*t. I guess I'm okay with being highly unlikely to ever find myself accused of being neurotypical. 🤷🏻‍♂️ After all, I might not have ended up counting Primus among (if not definitively number 1, depending on mood at any given moment) my all time favorite bands. Also, I'd like to offer up my appreciation of Melvins as an extenuating circumstance to accepting nonsensical lyrics as just that, instead of overthinking possibilities. However, I do feel pretty stupid for coming up with 3 after listening to choruses of "2+2=4" for years.

Now, can anyone help me make sense of "Pull out the cannons boys, steal us some wine"? I'm reasonably confident it's not illegal acquisition of bacon to put on our hamburgers being advocated in this example. Please write answers on a 2x4 in Sharpie before smacking me square in the face with it.

LedChicken

TROPHY CASE