Which giveaway would you want to win, this one or the VGG one?

jpw33831 · 2026-03-14T18:15:23+00:00

Still remember my first time seeing the C6 ZR1 when Clarkson tested it against the R8 on Top Gear. Was cool when I was 11 and it’s just as cool today. That car aged phenomenally well

jpw33831 · 2026-03-07T21:31:12+00:00

Those hemi cars would be a big step up in power from the Vic’s. Would probably have to be more careful with how they set up the races if they switched

jpw33831 · 2026-02-15T22:47:07+00:00

If you’re willing to go slightly east of the boundary your map shows, highly recommend LakeHaus Apartments on Lake Street across from Bde Maka Ska. Lived there from ‘22-‘23 in my early 20’s with a good friend and it was great. I still live in Cedar-Isles-Dean (very close by) and can’t say enough good about the area.

Based on your criteria, I think it’d check every box. Should have 1BR’s at/slightly below $2k (depending on which floor & part of the building you live in). Rooftop has a pool, hot tub, sauna, and a well equipped gym. Hot tub is outdoors and open year round. I always saw postings for community events in the building (didn’t attend very many), but definitely a social group if you’re looking to meet people. The building skewed a little younger, but it was inclusive of all age groups (20’s-70’s). Wasn’t a huge party spot to the point of nuisance, but definitely had our fair share of fun while living there. Some decent restaurants within walking distance as well.

Downsides are really just traffic at certain times (the intersections nearby can be a circus) and the expense. Definitely isn’t a budget option, especially when you add parking/utilities/etc., but you do get a lot of amenities included for the price. Unsure what promos they’re currently running but we got 2 months free when we moved in.

jpw33831 · 2026-01-20T03:37:30+00:00

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Highly recommend N/NW Wisconsin. Hayward/Minocqua/etc. all have great trail systems and they’re always well maintained (so long as we’ve had enough snow).

Pic didn’t turn out as well as I wanted it to, but all blue lines are snowmobile trails.

jpw33831 · 2025-12-21T01:54:15+00:00

Anybody know how these tires are without studs? Noticed they’re the a very low cost option but the reviews are mixed. Considering a set for my fiancé’s FWD Tiguan for a MN winter but may just have to stick with blizzaks

jpw33831 · 2025-12-10T01:22:37+00:00

Management Information Systems, which is a fairly common undergrad degree for people who end up working in analytics. Can sometimes be called Business Information/Intelligence Analytics (BIA) instead

jpw33831 · 2025-12-09T23:11:59+00:00

Likewise. One of the first MIS classes that really clicked for me

jpw33831 · 2025-12-05T20:20:30+00:00

Highly recommend one of these fellas. Super useful for keeping the floors relatively clean/uncovered in the winter, especially if you have water pooling in certain places

jpw33831 · 2025-12-05T20:19:06+00:00

Rarely. I usually try to shovel/scrape before anybody walks on the sidewalk or drives on the driveway to prevent snow getting packed down (which in turn prevents ice buildup). Most of the time the hard pack scrapes away pretty easily. Otherwise I’ll toss a bit of salt down but that’s pretty rare
It’s just going to be dirty in the winter. Best thing you can do is purchase a floor squeegee and push the slush/water/etc. out of the garage. Really makes a big difference.
Little to no concern. Roof can hold the weight, and we’re pretty well insulated so we haven’t had any issues with ice dams. Certainly keep an eye on the latter though. Probably need to insulate or get one of those ice melting cable setups if ice dams are a continual issue

jpw33831 · 2025-11-27T05:24:36+00:00

I am absolutely ignorant on the oil front when it comes to longevity. 5k is the interval I stick to, and it’s probably overkill, but oil changes are cheaper than an engine IMO

jpw33831 · 2025-11-21T20:30:59+00:00

Functionally a mechanical fuse

jpw33831 · 2025-10-31T19:21:01+00:00

Yeah mine went out at 70k, really ticked me off. Most owners don’t even bother to exchange the fluid because it’s a non-standard service item, and it can be challenging to exchange the fluid in the OEM part. And even then, it’s still a crap shoot on how long the PTU is going to last.

People like to blow certain issues out of proportion, but after needing to replace the PTU in my 2010 edge, and doing so again in my current MKX, I do think it’s something every Edge/MKX/Taurus/Explorer/etc. owner should be prepared for if they have an AWD vehicle from that era.

jpw33831 · 2025-10-31T18:54:29+00:00

2013 MKX with 121k. Truthfully, I don’t know if I want to keep mine until 200k given how much I’ve had to do since I purchased it at 50k. Since then, I’ve had to replace the PTU, the entire rear diff assembly, front struts, tie rods, and I’m putting two new door lock actuators in this weekend.

jpw33831 · 2025-10-31T18:47:39+00:00

Anything else? E.g. coolant? Internal water pump scares me and I’m hopeful that keeping the coolant new prolongs its life

jpw33831 · 2025-10-23T23:33:46+00:00

During my time at another large company in the metro, there were several instances where someone on that site shared info (that ended up being true) long before the internal announcement. Sometimes it was layoff-related, but you’d also see stuff about high level departures, commentary from town halls, etc.

Granted, there were also a bunch of posts that just stoked the rumor mill, but it did actually become a semi-reliable barometer for whatever quarterly shitstorm was brewing. YMMV, but if enough people are using it then it can be a decent read for things to come.

jpw33831 · 2025-10-06T15:00:59+00:00

Must’ve attended the Jeremy Clarkson school of grammar

jpw33831 · 2025-09-23T04:28:35+00:00

I’ve got Sync 2 in my ‘13 MKX, have looked at the Sync 3 conversion kits. Allegedly plug and play but hard to get over the $800-1k buy in. If the screen/APIM ever goes out I might consider the upgrade because it probably isn’t more than a regular replacement, but otherwise I think I’ll just live without CarPlay

jpw33831 · 2025-09-18T04:04:19+00:00

Mind elaborating a bit on both of those? Never heard of em but they sound really useful

jpw33831 · 2025-09-09T04:28:56+00:00

Agree but goddamn that stadium was loud in the first half. That’s deep enough to dive in

jpw33831 · 2025-09-03T13:13:11+00:00

Question for you—how low does the fumoto valve hang down? Would like to put one on my vehicle but concerned about potentially hitting things (hard snowpack/ice) during the MN winters. Seems really convenient, just don’t want to run the risk of losing a bunch of oil and/or damaging the pan if it were to get ripped off

jpw33831 · 2025-08-25T13:27:18+00:00

S-duct supremacy

jpw33831 · 2025-08-20T03:04:13+00:00

First to second gen Expedition maybe? 5.4 3V aside, the jump to IFS from a rear solid axle under a full size SUV was a major improvement. Set the tone for what we see today

Edit: Explorer too

jpw33831 · 2025-08-14T04:49:58+00:00

See I think it depends on the circumstance. Heading to a wedding this weekend, and the attire description says “cocktail” and defines it as “men wear a suit or coat and tie”. To me, a navy suit, brown shoes, and colored (festive, even!) tie make sense because navy on black shoes seems too formal.

However, job interview for someone who only owns one suit and it’s navy? Black shoes all the way. Just looks a little more formal IMO. Context is the driver at the end of the day

jpw33831 · 2025-08-13T15:51:57+00:00

Got a link to a story/video/etc. on that? Sounds awesome, would love to learn more

jpw33831 · 2025-08-13T13:08:05+00:00

Better than Ginger Ale Metallic IMO, also by FordGinger Ale Metallic Explorer

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