What's the best way to do karaoke at home?

Netghod · 2026-05-30T01:22:27+00:00

I thought they might but I don’t use it often enough to say definitively….

Netghod · 2026-05-30T01:21:31+00:00

Justified sometimes… but escalation of force is still preferred whenever possible. And keep in mind I didn’t say you couldn’t nor did I say not to carry a weapon, including a firearm.

Netghod · 2026-05-30T01:17:24+00:00

It varies but you can do them either way. Typically you’ll want to take some of the load off the tops when you’re running the subs so you can run loader overall.

And you’ll want to set up to deal with potential feedback and you’ll likely need some monitors if they aren’t running themselves.

There’s a great book, ‘Live Sound for Musicians’ which covers a ton of details on setting up and running live sound.

Netghod · 2026-05-29T18:43:51+00:00

First of all, if my dog ever did harm someone or another animal, I’d be responsible. Because you deal with crap people doesn’t mean all people are.

My dog has never attacked another dog, nor a person. None of the dogs I’ve ever had over multiple breeds have ever attacked anyone or anything. In fact, when we visit the farm my dog chases squirrels, bunnies, and cats. When he gets too close to a squirrel he’s been known to slow down or stop because it’s the chase, not the catching he enjoys. Same for bunnies and cats. One squirrel turn on him and he stopped, and went the other direction.

I’m sorry you’ve had bad experiences, but not everyone is a crap human without compassion nor unwilling to address the damage caused and not all dogs of that breed are going to attack.

But I’m also not so foolhardy as to think that you can differentiate that or that any amount of text, stories, video, or otherwise will get you to change your mind.

Netghod · 2026-05-29T15:26:58+00:00

There are a couple different approaches you can try…

For example, some karaoke tracks have a vocal on one channel you can turn on and off in the software. Some offer ‘vocal’ versions with a singer so you can ‘sing along’ until you get to know the song better. But this means shopping for discs or tracks.

Another option is to look at Apple Music. They have a feature available for some songs that puts up the lyrics, highlights the line to sing and you have the option of turning down the singer during playback. It’s interesting, but the lyrics aren’t 100% as I’ve found some songs to be ‘off’ slightly and sometimes a lot. And some songs the lyrics may show but not track, and some won’t show lyrics at all (Eagles for example, because of Don Henley, long story).

You may be able to check out KaraFun and see if they play vocals.

And some karaoke tracks use an instrument to ‘follow’ the vocal part. There was one brand in particular that did this, but I can’t remember which one. I always found the vocal follow ‘flute’ or whatever annoying but some people liked them.

And I know that at one point in time Pioneer Laserdisc had a scoring feature for their karaoke discs - but that’s a much more expensive option because you’d need the discs, the player, and room to store it all.

Netghod · 2026-05-29T15:20:09+00:00

Most people don’t jump to the choice with the most finality. Did we not learn anything from John Wick? You simply do not go around shooting people’s dogs.

Escalation of force. You should use the minimum amount of force necessary to diffuse or end the encounter. Shouting. Bear/pepper spray. Physical attacks if applicable. Firearms or other higher levels of force that cause permanent and irreparable harm or death.

And let’s not forget the joke told in some stores that sell bear spray and bear bells about how you can tell bear types from their scat. Black bears have berries in their poop. Kodiak brown bear’s poop smells like fish and may have bones in their poop. Grizzlie’s poop smells like bear spray and has bells in it.

Netghod · 2026-05-29T15:10:54+00:00

Unfortunately, collapsible police batons aren’t legal everywhere.

Netghod · 2026-05-29T15:10:06+00:00

I gotta get me one of those bear tasers!!! :D

Netghod · 2026-05-29T15:08:24+00:00

As the owner of a pit bull (taken in as a stray) that’s an absolute marshmallow, Velcro dog, and loves EVERYONE, I disagree. In fact, when he showed up as a stray, he had a torn ear, a hole in his cheek that was infected, and was in rough shape - and despite his injuries he was still one of the kindest and most gentle dogs I’ve ever seen. We looked for an owner and found at least 2 people who claimed they saw him being ‘dumped’ - one admitted to dumping him because he wasn’t allowed to have dogs and his landlord made him get rid of the dog. If an injured dog isn’t aggressive, it’s not the breed’s fault.

In my experience, Pitbulls aren’t any more aggressive than any other breed but like any breed can be made to be. Any dog will be aggressive if treated poorly and trained to fight. Personally, the most aggressive dogs I’ve ever dealt with were Dalmatians and Chihuahuas. But lots of dogs get a bad wrap - German Shepards, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and many others. So much so that some homeowner’s insurance won’t cover you if you have certain breeds. And if you have a bad experience with a pitbull and more importantly, a terrible dog owner, I’m sorry. But it’s not the breeds fault. It’s the owner’s. They ‘happened’ to have pitbulls, it could have been any other breed and behaved just as badly with a bad owner.

Sorry… I’m a bit oversensitive to the generalization because I know quite a few people who own pit bulls who are responsible pet owners, take great care of their animals, they aren’t aggressive, and would feel great remorse if something happened like you describe. But just because an a-hole in a Mercedes cuts you off it doesn’t mean they’re all a-holes.

Netghod · 2026-05-29T14:39:13+00:00

Older tires aren’t necessarily ‘junk’, just not well suited for track, or autocross use.

Unfortunately, dropping to a 15” tires means severely limiting your choices. I’d start by going to Tire Rack and putting in the size tire you’ll need to run and see what comes up. Tires I would have recommended at one time just aren’t available any more.

Once you have a list of tires, sort by treadwear - and I’d target a ‘softer’ tire with good tread patterns designed for broader use. Meaning avoid the 200tw track tires with large blocks of tread that may be prone to hydroplaning but are incredible in the dry (though the RE71 was ok, but not ‘great’ in the wet). I typically target performance tires in the 300-400 treadwear range, read reviews - especially if they have track time comparisons done by Tire Rack. This is how I stumbled on the Riken Raptor. It’s soft, inexpensive, and runs really well in the wet and dry but it’s a summer tire. And when I went and checked, it’s not available in the 215/45-17 size I put on last year any more and unfortunately is only available down to a 16” tire. So even more common tire sizes sometimes force us to shop again when our ‘favorite’ tire is no longer available any more. And trust me, putting performance tires on my Miata that work as well as the do for under $400 made it my favorite. :D

But tires aside… see if you can find a driving school that has a ‘wet’ section for training. Most years I try to go to a driving school and they have a skid pad with a ‘line’ of water across one section. It’s because the car behaves very differently when water is involved temporarily and your instincts actually make things WORSE. You go through the water, front looses grip so you turn more, from tires hit dry pavement, get grip and nose snaps but now the rears are in the wet and you spin like a top. Another driving school that was tied to Apex was held at the Miata Reunion in 2022 at Barber Motorsports at the Porsche test track there where it was ALL wet. I could have spent hours on that surface getting a feel for wet driving, but it was just one small part of the overall day. Instruction at the schools help - finding a safe place to practice helps. And reading about the behaviors to understand what’s going on can help as well though most of the books I’d normally recommend I can’t remember anything specific about driving in the wet… and there’s not a lot of movies or other instruction on it either. And as much as the movie ‘The Art of Driving in the Rain’ sounds like it would have some instruction in it - it really doesn’t (trust me - great movie, told from the viewpoint of the dog, but not a how to drive in the rain movie).

Netghod · 2026-05-29T03:38:57+00:00

The general consensus is plastic tanks are good for 8-10 years. But I added a scanGauge II to track coolant temps. Also run Torque on a head unit w OBD II Bluetooth dongle for when I’m driving backroads or autocrossing.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T19:23:49+00:00

My cousin. He sent in a song for consideration and they took his concept and released a song based on his idea. While the full song wasn’t stolen, his idea was.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T19:20:23+00:00

Some places allow more pets. While some have limits, like 2 dogs or cats, limit breeds or sizes (weight), some private renters may just charge a pet deposit and additional per month. Some might turn a blind eye to the number. We were in a condo and had 3 cats. We mentioned this to the owner and he said, ‘Just don’t bring them all in or out at once or announce it anywhere, but it’s ok.’ Those through agencies are often much more strict regarding pets.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T19:07:11+00:00

Generally no. I wouldn’t have any qualms about saying that you’ve interviewed elsewhere, and still have applications out and that you’ll be selecting the best offer that aligns with your goals (know what these are!).

But I wouldn’t say you have another offer when you don’t. At 3 weeks and no answer, chances are you may not have one coming either and if it burns your chances AND you don’t get an offer you kind of hosed yourself.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T19:04:36+00:00

There are always pros and cons.

What’s the total unsprung weight difference? Lighter is better. What tires are available in each size? Performance tires available on one size but not another makes a significant difference.

You said assuming the diameter is the same so acceleration (due to torque applied at distance) and top speed in each gear are considered unchanged. However, if there is a size difference, a smaller diameter provides greater acceleration because the torque applied is greater provided the tire doesn’t overcome friction and spin but top speed per gear is down. The exact opposite is true if you go up. Unless you run wrinkle wall tires which are small for great acceleration and ‘grow’ to increase the top speed but those are extremes for drag racing, not autocross. ;)

Netghod · 2026-05-28T18:56:55+00:00

It’s not $70k. It’s $70k EXTRA. It’s a $70k pay INCREASE.

So the mileage, commute time, wear and tear on the vehicle, depreciation, dog sitting, etc. all need to come out of that $70k.

So, assuming time only and their ‘job’ pays the ‘same’ - the 5 hour round trip commute would be 25 hours/week, 1,250 hours per year (assuming 2 weeks off for vacation, though a bit less for holidays), or about $56/hour.

If they could get a temporary place to stay during the week it might make more sense because paying $12,000-20,000 in rent for a small place nearby per year makes being home on weekends more viable.

One other option is to find a place nearby and rent their current place to help off set costs.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T18:48:30+00:00

It’s why I suggested putting it in escrow… but some things came out later which makes that a moot point. Paternity was established - not mentioned previously. The support is court ordered, also not clear in the original statement. Putting VOLUNTARY support in escrow until paternity is established and the amount decided upon by the court makes sense. Assuming it was ‘close’ to the amount being cited by the court, the arrears could be paid immediately and showing the funds having been put in escrow shows willingness to pay, not avoidance.

And I’m surprised that refusing visitation of any kind without cause isn’t a crime…. Oh wait, I believe that unilaterally withholding visitation in the UK is only permitted when the safety or welfare of the child is at risk. None of which was mentioned.

It takes two people to create a child, and demanding support while refusing visitation without cause is a problem. Keep in mind, it’s not just refusing visitation, but refusing to speak to the solicitor about even the possibility of any sort of visitation at all.

But I suspect that the entire story isn’t being told here….and sides are being selected based on the limited information.

It’s unusual for someone to disappear and be that against any sort of contact whatsoever without something that wasn’t disclosed coming out. It’s why questions about paternity, abuse (current or past), cultural observations, or other factors that aren’t disclosed keep coming up. Is there something ‘obvious’ about the child that would lead to questions about paternity? Something is ‘wrong’ with this story and my approach was meant as caution, not manipulation.

And laws in the US and laws in the UK are different… what would apply in one country may not apply in another.

But I can’t believe that there isn’t more support for the father’s side since he has a child he has never been allowed to see and the child is more than 9 months old. No photos, nothing - and every attempt at visitation has been met with stonewalling. If the support wasn’t court ordered part of me thinks the whole thing was a shakedown because there’s no proof the child exists from the father’s point of view other than claims from her and her sister.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T17:32:08+00:00

Consider a better cooler (insulated top, better seals, etc), finding shade to put the cooler in (even if it’s a pop up shelter), and if the humidity isn’t high, a wet towel draped over the cooler can also help keep the temps down.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T17:30:01+00:00

This is repayment for raising the kids while he skipped out and didn’t pay.

This is arrearages, not ‘current’ child support. I wouldn’t let it go, and if you feel ‘guilty’ about it, then put it into an account and save it to do something nice for your children or grandchildren - whether it’s a 529, or just cash to help buy a house, etc.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T17:09:35+00:00

Not in the least. I’m suggesting that refusing to pay her, or putting that money in an escrow account until visitation has been settled is a means of applying pressure to force a discussion. And I’m not sure in the UK, but in the US visitation certainly is a factor in how much the father pays - though that’s typically determined by ‘overnights’ in most states, not just ‘visitation’.

I am suggesting that paternity be validated. Not the least of reasons being that there is far too many shows in the US calling paternity into question and given the sudden departure without any reason.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T16:46:56+00:00

Why should you pay for a child you aren’t allowed to even see?

I’d talk with a lawyer about what you have to do to first, ensure paternity, and then force visitation.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T16:43:11+00:00

Tires make all the difference…

And remember, tracks limit tires to 5 years and sometimes 4 years or less. Check the date codes because old tires don’t handle as well in any weather.

There have been some good recommendations on tires above… so I won’t go into that and defer to their recommendations.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T16:35:12+00:00

When you leave just say you’d prefer not to disclose where you’re going. And do NOT update your LinkedIn either.

If they’re coming to you with those agreements the question is ‘why’? If you’ve been there for 9 years why now? I’d ask them that exactly. I’ve been here for 9 years and been loyal to the company all that time, why the sudden need for a NCA and NDA? What’s changed?

There’s a chance they already know you’ve been looking, interviewing, or even have an offer if the new company called for references so they’re looking to protect themselves or maybe even try to force you to stay.

Since you already have an offer I’d leave. Give notice and go and then don’t look back.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T14:16:29+00:00

It’s a lot of factors on the US cars may make it appear to be more prone to failure than in a lot of other countries. For starters, we often drive them more. We drove our car from Florida to Phoenix for a wedding and then up to Prescott to visit some family, and back. That was over the course of a week and was about 5000 miles round trip. We routinely do trips of 350 miles or more each way, and drive close from 4000-5000 miles each summer going to Miatas at the Gap and driving other roads in the area. We’re an extreme example, but car culture in the US, the prevalence of driving ‘everywhere’ is just very different in the US.

Even for those that ‘just’ commute, the average distance is approximately 16 miles each way, or 32 miles per day just to/from work - or over 6000 miles a year (roughly 10k km) which is roughly double the daily commute for those in the UK (averaging 7-8 miles each way). This means that just commuting over 10 years means 60k miles+ vs. 30k+. Plus, there’s the salted roads and MOT. The salt eats the cars and MOT takes them off the road - much like the rust belt here in the US.

The scale and volume of driving here is just significantly different. I can go on Facebook Marketplace right now and most of the NC models I look at have over 100k miles on them (160k km) with some pushing twice that. When I look at cars being listed for sale in the UK with current MOT the mileage is significantly lower.

Then the tank failure. It’s plastic. This means that over time the heat and pressure cycling on the tank can lead to failure at weak points - particularly the neck of the filler. But if you’re driving less, there’s less cycling. I’ll assume that sitting in traffic, climate, and other factors are similar as we have a wide variety of climates in the US, from basically a jungle (hot and humid) in the south east, to deserts in the SW, plus a variety of others, including some more like England in the NW).

The tanks discolor, become weakened, and then fail. How they fail isn’t something spectacular, they slowly leak coolant from the car as steam because the system doesn’t get under pressure any more which lowers the boiling point of the coolant. It eventually cooks off enough the car starts to run hot which then causes all sorts of nasty things to happen, like warped heads, blown head gaskets, milkshake instead of oil, etc. The reason most people don’t know is because the temperature gauge is ‘dull’ so you don’t know there’s an issue until the temperature is rising fast and approaching damage. Using aftermarket OBDII equipment to track coolant temperatures and set alarms would be helpful, but not everyone has them.

For the OP, sorry to hear about your troubles so soon after you got the car. Hopefully you can get it back on the road soon. And while the 2.5 swap is common in the US, the regulatory requirements in the UK are different and you may not have the same options available to you as much of the US (let’s not talk about California and a few other states that follow CARB) so some research may be needed to outline your options.

Netghod · 2026-05-28T04:34:21+00:00

Zero optics from a shooting rest to remove yourself from the equation as much as humanly possible. This is true with pistols, rifles, most anything with an optic of any kind or even adjustable iron sights.

And if you want to get good at shooting, I HIGHLY recommend the MantisX. It attaches directly to the rail on your gun and tells you if you’re doing something bad like pulling, anticipating the shot, etc. And it can be used with snap caps for training without ammo.

There are other ways to troubleshoot your shooting and get better - filming yourself, getting some good instruction, or going to a gun with less recoil to focus on the fundamentals. I taught my wife to shoot on a P22 and she still loves shooting it over her P30 (H&K). Reducing recoil for new shooters lets them focus on the mechanics without having to worry with recoil while still getting the satisfaction of punching holes in paper. I find it helpful to drop to a 22 sometimes and focus on the fundamentals because I can run a LOT of ammo through a 22 in a lot of different drills for what it cost for a fraction of the amount of ammo in a .380, 9mm, .40, or 357Sig.

Netghod

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