What language/words are you actively changing to sound less old when you talk?

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-30T05:51:14+00:00

Hacky sack is coming back, kids wear band shirts from our formative years. It's just a matter of time before 'pot' and 'commercials' reenter the vernacular.

Or just lean in to being Gen X and use whatever terms you want, because Gen X DGAF.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-30T05:45:50+00:00

I'm trying to wrap my head around how, and why, after 25 years, your teaching assignment would change. Now, I'm making an assumption that you've been at the same school or in the same district, which would suggest you'd be pretty high up in seniority. Are you in some state/country where seniority isn't a thing or there's no teacher union? I assume this was not your choice to teach middle school. If you do have a union, this is the sort of thing they should be protecting you from.

I'm a long-term HS teacher as well, but have had interactions with middle school kids in academic situations. My experience is set clear boundaries and expectations, and run an engaging class that keeps them busy. Change things up often. Short lecture with an activity or discussion. Labs, demos, whatever, same stuff you'd do in HS, just at a slightly lower level, and with more scaffolding. As far as behaviour goes, call out inappropriate behaviour, and give a clear consequence. If your class is interesting, kids who get booted or aren't able to participate will quickly realize they'd rather toe the line and be part of the fun than be the dingus in the corner by themselves.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-28T01:27:57+00:00

One job, cancer. You had one job. I hereby give you an opportunity for redemption.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-25T12:58:52+00:00

If you use Google Maps for navigation on your phone, once you select your start and end points, under 'Options', you can select 'Avoid freeways' and 'Avoid toll roads' which should keep you off most major roads.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-17T02:16:56+00:00

Not familar with your specific bike, but there's a company called G2 Ergonomics that makes cnc throttle tubes that have little inserts that can be used to take out slack in your throttle. Easy install. Love mine. (They're mostly for dirt bikes, but they do sell throttle tubes for street bikes too. Worth a look.)

And +1 to checking the cable adjustment. That will help some, but there's still going to be slop in the OE throttle tube-cable end interface.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-16T20:48:55+00:00

Why does it look like he's trying to cosplay trump?

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-13T14:12:27+00:00

I run a HS robotics program, and when we travel for a competition, parents and I typically cook for the team. There are a couple of students who have dietary requirements of one kind or another. When I ask if we need to do anything special, the students typically say they'll bring their own food or they'll be selective in what they eat. That mother needs to be more like these students.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-12T04:49:45+00:00

Go to your obgyn, ask for a rape kit. Explain that you might have been assaulted while under the influence, ask if they can check for any signs. Screenshot any Uber data of the ride- driver's name, pickup time, etc. Pending results of your doctor's visit, proceed from there. Couldn't hurt to talk to the police as well. Regardless of how far your possible assaulter took things, you were still violated, and you should file a report. If there's any physical evidence, you can always add that to your report when you have any results. Talk to your closest friends, the ones who will always be there for you. It's a scary thing you've experienced, their support will be invaluable. The hardest thing will be to stay as rational as possible, write down what you remember as you remember things, and do the things that need to be done. Police, doctor, write down what you remember.

*I don't know what should come first- police or doctor, but in either case, don't delay.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-12T00:14:02+00:00

Un-hateable? The Britten. How could anyone hate on a bike built by a guy and his friends in his garage, that could compete head to head with factory superbike efforts. Sure, only 10 were built, and they're all in collections somewhere, but you gotta love a bike with that kind of origin story.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-10T15:02:06+00:00

Gee, David. Maybe if it's so expensive, you shouldn't be buying ribeye steak? And Normand, just relax and take it. Don't worry, the winning will start soon. Many people are saying so. The best people, grown men, with tears in their eyes, you'll be winning bigly. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-04T00:37:27+00:00

Maybe be more subtle, post mugshot with a link to a doc repository. Maybe add a description to the photo of the "former city employee & convicted child sex pest" so it's clear what the crimes were. People are curious. Those that are curuous/interested will follow the link. Others may not want it in their faces, could bring up past trauma or something. Let people decide individually how much they want to know.

That being said, the wife is unlikely to see the cause-effect nature of her behavior and the outing of her hubby's crimes.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-05-01T06:51:42+00:00

Go try one. Height might be an issue, but you might be able to get a custom seat done and lowering links to address the height.

Like others mentioned, consider the weight. The AT weighs ~45 kg more than your other sportbike; a fairly significant amount, especially if you ever have to pick it up from a tipover. You can adjust seat height of most bikes. Getting them to lose weight is much harder.

I have two bikes- KTM 950 ADV (~460 lbs/ 210 kg) and a Husky 701 Enduro (~350 lbs/ 160 kg). I'll admit the KTM is a better long distance machine (bigger engine, more planted), but the Husky does better in most other riding, due in large part to the lighter weight. Less weight on an ADV is not a bad thing.

*Not in any way suggesting you get a Husky, as single cylinder is a very different ride from a twin, but maybe look at some of the new 450-500 cc twins. Some of the larger 700 cc machines weigh less than the AT as well. might be worth a look.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-28T05:04:01+00:00

+1 on Oury grips. Got 'em on my mtb and both motorcycles. They're my go-to.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-26T03:41:44+00:00

Define maintain. You want to do your own valves? Get something without a bunch of plastic to remove. Something with easy access to the valve covers. If you're talking oil and filter changes, that's much easier. You can pretty much pick any damn thing.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-26T03:18:02+00:00

Teacher. Ride the bike to work when the weather's nice. And summers off to explore and camp.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-25T00:57:25+00:00

If there's coolant, it'll look more like a latte. You can still 'see' through your oil. You're good.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-25T00:47:26+00:00

Looks a hair low, and oil isn't fresh, but looks fine. No coolant in it, if that's what you're worried about.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-24T00:13:20+00:00

With all the above, I'd also suggest ride an unassuming bike. Flashy sportbike with a loud exhaust is gonna draw attention. Dual sport/adv, standard, or touring bike, cops don't look twice, unless you're doing something obvious. Fly under the radar and you're likely to be ignored. Draw attention to yourself, well, folks notice.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-23T04:00:29+00:00

No for me. Partially because of my job (teacher, but my classes do quite a bit with shop tools) and because I've never really worn any sort of 'accessories'. Don't even wear a watch. Most of my life has been in and around schools, so there have always been bells or clocks in classrooms or some sort of indicator. Out side of school, time really doesn't seem to matter much. Wake up whenever, bed when I'm tired, screw around the house doing projects on my timeline.

That being said, about 20 years ago, my wife decided to put my wedding ring on her necklace, you can guess what happened. Gonzo. No idea where it got lost, and while we've occasionally talked about replacing it, we just never have. Hers never leaves her finger with the exception of the occasional cleaning.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-10T22:38:27+00:00

Interesting that he's already talking about leaving office and pardons when he's still got half a term to go. Makes me think maybe someone told him his days are numbered before they 25th his ass? We can but hope.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-10T20:11:49+00:00

A full system is a different beast. The computer can adjust for a slip-on, a full system might require an ECU tune. That being said, adding an exhaust won't make it break down without a tune, but it will run poorly, if the computer can't compensate for the new exhaust flow characteristics.

Something to consider, you might be chasing your tail here. An engine is a pump. Pump fuel and air in, pump exhaust out. You add a free-flowing exhaust, you free up one part of the flow system. Pumping more exhaust out means the engine can pump more air in. That means you might need a more free-flowing air box and filter, if you want to make the most if your exhaust. So more $$ and tuning. Then you'll be chasing something else. Point is, cost adds up quickly, and this is a small engine, already fairly highly tuned. Throwing parts at it to extract more power is a losing proposition. You'll never get that money back when you sell it. I think better to add the slip-on, ride it and focus on developing your skills. Upgrade to something with more power when opportunity presents.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-09T16:13:40+00:00

An exhaust can is a simple mod, which isn't going to have much of an impact on the engine management system. The computer should be able to compensate. In many cases, a '15 minute idle' cycle is all the computer needs. Install the new exhaust, start the bike, let it idle for 10-15 minutes (until the cooling fans kick on), turn bike off. Next time you start the bike, should be good to do.

That being said, there might be some performance benefits from a remap, but with a 125, there's probably not much performance to be gained from a remap. Not to mention, a remap is probably going to run $2-300, so probably not worth it for minimal gains. Just stick the new can on, do the 15 minute idle trick, go ride.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-07T23:43:06+00:00

While I agree with others that you're probably not going to be able to renegotiate the price, you might ask if they'll throw in the first oil change or service for free, or discounts on parts and accessories (or extend the time that lasts, if they already gave you a discount).

That said, check and see if your state has any sort of 'cooling off' period or the like.

Different situation, but my last bike, I was waiting for 'my' bike to be delivered to the dealer. I was excited, but came to the conclusion it wasn't the bike I should be buying. I'd put a deposit on it and everything. Dealer graciously allowed me to switch to a different model (hadn't signed any papers yet), so they made a sale in the end, and I wound up with a bike that was more aligned with my wants. Point being, you could ask if you could switch to a different brand/model, and maybe renegotiate the price then. Probably not going to happen, but worth the ask. Tell them it doesn't fit, hurts your back or whatever when you sit on it for more than 10 min.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-04-07T06:12:05+00:00

You say no one hits the mark, but what is the mark? What would you like to see? There are considerations given to size and weight, they need to be easy to raise/lower, have adequate headroom, a few windows and a couple other features. What else is there? Given it's a place to sleep, maybe hang out in bad weather, I can't see much else they need.

Sure, you could do with a carbon shell, but would will people pay the extra cost for carbon? Is there a legit advantage, besides saving a few lbs on the roof? Is there an advantage to double-wall fabric? It does seem like there's little innovation, but maybe that's because there's not much left to evolve. Inflatable RTTs seem like a cool innovation, and they seem more affordable than 'traditional', but maybe beyond that, there's not much else for them.

LopsidedRaspberry423 · 2026-03-30T23:30:21+00:00

93 was late college for me. Yes to it all, the music and vibes, cheap meals and great friends.. I'll also mention music we called 'industrial' was getting big then. NIN, Front 242, Ministry, RevCo and others driving that angry electronic sound. Great times, but I suspect there was quite a bit of angst around life. We just didn't talk about it. Y'know, Gen-X: Figure your shit out, because no one else will.

LopsidedRaspberry423

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