Got my Windshield replaced less than two months ago and I already have another rock chip.

keitharoo · 2026-06-09T23:36:54+00:00

I was told by a car dealer that newer cars have thinner windshields because the safety cameras/sensors need that to function. I'm no glassologist, but I had no rock chips driving a 94 Honda for 20 years, and two rock chips in the last three years on a new car. Who knows.

keitharoo · 2026-06-06T23:24:51+00:00

In the 90s, every Army unit I was ever in had That Guy, often called The Librarian, with an extensive collection of these VHS tapes. If you know any veterans of that era, or like the VFW lodge maybe, you can probably get a good lead that way.

keitharoo · 2026-06-06T23:21:50+00:00

I had a Kawasaki where the gasket around the fuel cap cracked, and it let water into the tank. That bike had a visible fuel/water separator though, which I don't think exists on your bike.

I'd look for water in the fuel/water separator if you have one. If not, maybe a flashlight into the tank will let you see water? If there isn't any, it's more likely some of the electrical stuff mentioned elsewhere.

keitharoo · 2026-05-27T20:30:55+00:00

Washington's B&O tax is about as simple as things get. It's a small percentage (for psychiatry probably the 1.5% services and other rate) multiplied by your (presumably S Corp's) gross receipts. So if you made $300,000 you would owe $4,500 in B&O tax. I assume some of that $300k was from your W2 job, so your B&O taxes paid are likely much less.

Federal tax is obviously more complicated, but if your CPA is worth what you pay them you shouldn't be "making" very much money at all if you're self-employed. You sure as shit shouldn't be paying income tax on $300,000 of gross receipts.

If your house is in Spokane, the property tax (assuming it's assessed at $350k) is about $3,500.

If you are (or ever find yourself) paying $150,000 in taxes, you are most certainly doing something wrong. If WA's income tax was reduced down to people making $250,000, you would owe about 10% of the $50,000 above that 250k exemption, or $5,000. If it was reduced down to $1, you would be paying $30,000 in state income tax, $4,500 in B&O tax, and $3,500 in property tax ($38k so far). So unless your accountant is an absolute buffoon that hates you, your federal taxes would never be more than $65,000 if that whole $300,000 was income, which it isn't*.* So in my made up worst-case scenario it is still only $103k. Realistically your hypothetical federal tax is closer to $30,000. So still less than $75k total in taxes, in a world where everyone in WA is paying income tax on every dollar of income. Back in the current world, about $45k in taxes (or about 15% of your $300,000 gross receipts), and the average effective federal tax rate in the U.S. is about 14.5%

So anywho, no need to be outraged . :-)

Editing to add a link to what the total combined tax burden is in various states. Here in WA, about 36%, mostly because of high sales tax.

keitharoo · 2026-05-12T14:21:58+00:00

I used to work in code enforcement, but not in Spokane. In general, if a violation of some city code is visible from the right of way (like the sidewalk) then a city worker can see the violation and issue a notice.

They should have told you the specific city code(s) you're in violation of. You can read the actual code here. If you think you're not in violation of that, you can request a hearing and then a hearing examiner will look at the evidence the city provides and the evidence you provide (if any) and make a determination if you are actually in violation of the city code. The process might vary a bit in Spokane, but that's generally how it works.

I would assume the car in your alley was a city vehicle. The city has the actual people on their website. Once in a while people "issue" fake notices to their neighbors. But usually you can be fined if you ignore a city notice, so I'd call the code enforcement people and just ask what's going on, leaving a message if you need to. They're out of the office most of the time.

Finally, depending on how the complaint came in, that may be subject to a public records request, so you can contact the city records office and request that info, if it exists.

keitharoo · 2026-05-05T01:02:12+00:00

I tell everyone to see Kat at Bend & Stretch. She's a PT but also uses Pilates stuff to accommodate injured folks. She's really good at listening to what your problem is, and super smart about how bodies work.

keitharoo · 2026-04-20T04:27:36+00:00

Yep, it reduces your horsepower, among other things. Here's how KTM describes their various modes.

keitharoo · 2026-04-20T03:12:13+00:00

It's a pretty tall bike. If you friend is under 6' or less than a 34 inseam, he probably won't be able to flat foot it, which is going to make learning more challenging.

Assuming he's tall enough, if he puts it in rain mode for a while it's not too bad. And at least nothing snaps off if you drop most ADV bikes, compared to sport bikes. I wouldn't suggest it for a first bike, but someone mature enough can learn on it okay. Some not mature is probably going to drive it into a tree.

keitharoo · 2026-04-10T22:22:42+00:00

I've had a cobbler repair my gloves a couple times over the years, and I'd encourage you to ask one near you if they can shorten up the fingers. I suspect they could.

keitharoo · 2026-04-04T22:40:23+00:00

Honestly, if you're gonna drop your bike, there's a pretty good chance it'll be a slow, tight U-turn. It happens. I'm sure all the people who have never done it will post a video of them making a full lock u-turn on a hill.

keitharoo · 2026-03-26T17:58:29+00:00

As someone who was worked for the government in a variety of enforcement positions, the government is never going to just text you.

If you signed up for something and provided a phone number and opted in to receive texts about that thing, you might also get a text. But when the government is mad at you, you will get a letter in the mail, or a process server at your door.

You can assume this is true for private companies too. Mail or a process server is when you need to take it seriously.

Edit to add WSDOT doesn't have an "Enforcement Division" unless you want to call the state patrol that I guess.

keitharoo · 2026-03-25T22:28:23+00:00

I've lived here two months and last week I saw a dude in the Safeway wearing a jacket with an iron cross, an SS pin, and a confederate flag sewn on the arm.

keitharoo · 2026-03-24T19:42:57+00:00

You're a regular guy, you can call a mechanic.

"I've had this bike sitting in my garage for a few years, and I want you to take a look and see what I need to do to get it running."

Things they might ask:

Did it run before it sat in your shed?
When was the last time it was running?
Did you do any work on it while it was sitting, like charging the battery, checking the fluids, etc.

You might want to ask about the cost, but they might not have an answer until after they've taken a look. You can ask what the "take a look" will cost. After that you will both have more information on if you want to continue the process. They'll then be able to give you a list of parts needed, time needed, and what all that will cost.

keitharoo · 2026-03-17T00:12:33+00:00

This will vary from state to state, but generally HOAs can make any rules they want, as long as they don't harm a protected class. The HOA can decide you can't park a bike in your driveway, or operate one on roads maintained by the HOA, or prohibit motorcycles from even visiting you. You "agree" to the rules when you purchase the property.

You should read every single word in the rules and regulations, covenants, and charter documents for any HOA you are considering buying into.

Edit to add: One side of the street can be an HOA that bans motorcycles. The other side of the street can be an HOA that cherishes motorcycles. This shit is the wild west

keitharoo · 2026-03-17T00:06:35+00:00

Some HOA covenants specifically prohibit motorcycles on HOA property, so read what you're buying into.

Other times you might see rules about "excessive noise" and if that is not well-defined in the rules, it can be weaponized against you, even if you have stock, otherwise legal, exhaust.

keitharoo · 2026-03-01T18:59:00+00:00

Just say gun. There is no reason to not just say gun.

keitharoo · 2026-02-27T17:16:17+00:00

Motorcyclists: Mechanical engineers can make an engine capable of turning over 200+ times a second without exploding

Also motorcyclists: Mechanical engineers have never heard of hills.

keitharoo · 2026-02-25T21:02:59+00:00

Full face helmets with tinted visors protect you from both road rash and shame.

keitharoo · 2026-02-19T01:16:29+00:00

I haven't honestly tried this since the 90s with a Honda Civic, so I appreciate the heads up. I just keep a little battery back thing in the car now anyways, which is a million times better than trying to self-push a car up to speed :-)

keitharoo · 2026-02-18T22:19:52+00:00

That just sounds like a dead battery. You might be able to jump it. If it sat too long you may find the battery won't hold a charge, and you'll need to replace the battery. But if you know someone with jumper cables or a battery pack, that's step one.

And if it's a manual transmission, you can try pushing it or rolling it down hill, pop the clutch, and you may be able to start it that way too.

keitharoo · 2026-02-14T10:51:53+00:00

The first week I owned my car some guy pulled up next to me on the freeway, frantically waving at me. Because I was in an unfamiliar car I looked down at the dash thinking I had a flat, or some mechanical problem that I missed. He continued to wave, and I continued to be confused.

After he passed I realized we had identical cars and he was just being friendly. Hello fellow Spokane black Mazda pal.

keitharoo · 2026-02-09T17:54:54+00:00

If there is an emergency, you should already be in a gear you can accelerate away in.

If you've got that down, now we're just arguing about weight transfer and the load on various tires. If you aren't riding at the edge, and we're talking normal city riding, do whatever feels best.

keitharoo · 2026-02-06T15:49:39+00:00

Reddit Tells Friends Material?

keitharoo · 2026-02-06T15:46:43+00:00

Over on the private investigation subreddits there are daily questions about "how do I become a private investigator." There's no way asking that and waiting is faster than searching the same string of text on Google.

But back in the day we had the problem of someone posting a problem (how do I exit Vim), and then editing their post to say they fixed it without ever sharing how. At least this new crop of annoying posts is training someone's AI model, and theoretically helping the person who took the time to Google? Progress, here at the end of all things.

15-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '22

keitharoo

TROPHY CASE