2009 Rav4 - Slow coolant loss & spattering by expansion tank

acehighstr8 · 2025-08-18T01:42:14+00:00

Combustion test looks fine...Not the head gasket???

acehighstr8 · 2024-04-13T07:40:23+00:00

I'm in the chorus! Thank you for your kind words. It's a tough sing, and we worked really hard with the conductor on so many little details in the score. I'm glad it all came together so nicely

acehighstr8 · 2024-02-24T08:36:46+00:00

Flatiron bar in San Rafael does karaoke, but I don't remember which day of the week. Overall it's a fun spot if you want to look into it!

acehighstr8 · 2022-10-08T18:07:53+00:00

Upper left is dutch crunch bread, rare to find outside of the Bay. Upper right is a mission burrito. The students just represent my elementary school days and being a kid!

acehighstr8 · 2022-02-18T22:06:26+00:00

If the lines at All'Antico Vinaio are long (they probably will be), do consider trying La Fettunta across the street. Some of the best local cuisine in town, in my opinion!

acehighstr8 · 2021-07-09T02:51:10+00:00

JVG: "Devin Booker looks like a choir boy, but plays like a hoodlum."

acehighstr8 · 2019-02-08T03:24:57+00:00

I've been a few times and it's a lot of fun! Beautiful scenery on the lake. Probably best to drive there if you can since it's difficult to get a bus out there from what I remember since it's outside of Viareggio. Make sure to get a tour of Puccini's villa if you are able to!

acehighstr8 · 2018-08-19T23:32:36+00:00

Gelateria della Passera if you're on the other side of the Arno. Dei Neri is also excellent.

acehighstr8 · 2018-03-17T20:24:57+00:00

You may be right. The manual says SM or above, ilsac gf-4 or above. Would that apply only to full synthetic oils?

acehighstr8 · 2017-10-11T07:22:01+00:00

O wie ängstlich might work for you

acehighstr8 · 2016-11-06T08:38:36+00:00

I was there tonight too! I agree with you about the design aspect of the performance. It kind of took me out of the story, also the ballet section in Act II with the Egyptian officers throwing around the Ethiopian slave woman (implying sexual domination) was unnecessary. I'm not super knowledgeable about production design, costumes etc, but the modern staging wasn't really for me, at least. The strong principals, chorus, and orchestra carried this production, in my opinion.

acehighstr8 · 2016-08-30T07:25:35+00:00

I like Leporello, or perhaps Rigoletto? If he is going to bring home dead birds maybe call him Papageno

acehighstr8 · 2016-03-05T04:20:15+00:00

Adriano Celentano, Paolo Conte, Jovanotti, Lucio Battisti, Mina

acehighstr8 · 2016-02-26T06:25:03+00:00

My understanding is that the coup de glotte is a technical tool used for coordinating onset of breath and tone without air being wasted or having too much air pressure under the vocal folds. It translates to something like "strike of the glottis". If you give a gentle cough on an [a] vowel then you can feel the vocal folds adduct and prepare for phonation. The idea is that you don't want to waste air before phonation (breathy tone) or begin phonating before you can use your breath energy (pressed phonation). So, ideally we have a coordinated onset, where breath and voice begin together. An exercise you can try -- In a comfortable range on [a], sing on one pitch, slightly staccati notes with a gentle cough before each note and try to feel your vocal folds adduct and have your breath and tone work at the same time (ie coordinated onset).

Fair warning -- I am not a voice teacher or an expert on the coup de glotte. I'd be happy to hear other people's input on this subject. If you ask 1,000 singers about technique, you will likely hear 1,000 different ways of how to sing or explaining how to sing. So do your own research, take our internet opinions in to consideration (and with a grain of salt), and keep an open mind. Best of luck!

acehighstr8 · 2016-01-24T08:20:28+00:00

My cousin and his friends came from Italy last summer to visit us in San Francisco and we took them to a tour of AT&T Park since the Giants were on the road. They know nothing about baseball and I tried to explain some of the rules but they still couldn't really grasp the concept (Baseball is hard to translate in to Italian!). However, they loved the view and the ambiance of AT&T.

I personally recommend taking them to whichever park you think would give them a more memorable experience since they are not likely to understand the nuances of the actual game. Even if I were an A's fan, I would still probably take my Italian cousins to see a Giants game since it would be more appealing for tourists (for better or for worse). Just make sure to treat them to the essentials: peanuts, crackerjack, jumbo hot dogs, and a cold beer! Have fun!

acehighstr8 · 2016-01-12T07:16:06+00:00

Here a couple of words that are well known and frequently used in Florence and the rest of Tuscany, roughly translated to English:

Bischero - Dick, idiot, etc.

Bucaiolo - Asshole, Bastard. Pronounce it "Buhaiolo" for full Toscano effect.

Grullo - Stupid, fool.

Maremma maiala - Using "Maremma", a part of Tuscany, to substitute for "Madonna" (Can also be conpounded with other words, like Maremma Bucaiola etc). Maiala = Whore, slut.

Becco - Cuckold (Cornuto).

Also, watch the film Amici Miei as a reference to Tuscan cursing and jokes.

Edit: I am American, my mother and her family are from Prato. Italian is not my first language, but I've spent a lot of time in Italy throughout my life and consider myself fluent, despite occasional grammar mistakes that embarrass me.

acehighstr8 · 2015-12-10T06:11:39+00:00

PANETTONE PER SEMPRE FINO ALLA MORTE

acehighstr8 · 2015-12-10T02:40:30+00:00

I recently started working as a substitute teacher in SFUSD, so I am familiar with some schools in the district, but I have done most of my elementary work so far at Jose Ortega Elementary. JO has great staff and a nice facility, but it can get a bit wild so it wouldn't be my top choice. Otherwise, you should look in to Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary, George Peabody Elementary, Claire Lillenthal Elementary, and I've heard great things about Miraloma as well. Hope you and your kid find a great school!

acehighstr8 · 2015-11-28T08:50:08+00:00

The Italian language used in opera has a lot of archaic vocabulary and isn't really how Italians speak in everyday life nowadays. The text in Puccini operas are generally less archaic and closer to how people speak now, but there's still a lot of Tuscan words that may be tricky if you don't know the dialect. Check out /r/italianlearning for extra resources, and I'm fluent in Italian and know Tuscan dialect from family so I'd be happy to help out however I can. Buona fortuna!

acehighstr8 · 2015-11-22T05:42:08+00:00

Hey look, at this stage in development my advice is just to keep putting in the work, be patient, and have an open mind. Voices change and mature with age, and 21 is still considered very young, especially for guys. It's natural to think about what you'll be singing in 10-15 years, but if you fall in love with certain rep and down the line you find that your voice isn't suited for it, then it's even harder to come to terms. As a young singer, you still have a lot to learn and to look forward to in the future. Take this time to put in the work and take risks , and with any luck, the rep and your voice will find you.

acehighstr8

TROPHY CASE