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I Kept a Key

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

My parents and I recently said goodbye to our 2001 Ford Escape after a relatively catastrophic transmission failure. It gave us 92,000 mostly trouble-free miles, and even though it was “just a nine-year-old SUV,” I do miss it just a bit.

We collectively decided to avoid a transmission repair after discovering the cost of a new (not remanufactured) trans would be $4,200. On a vehicle valued at $4,500, it’s tough to justify the expense. Well, it’s cheaper than a new car… but there’s an underlying issue. The early Escape was very …

So, Let’s Talk Cars.

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Those who know me well know that I essentially live and breathe cars/motorsports. I’ve decided to finally take my miscellaneous, rambling thoughts on the past and present happenings, and write them out to share with the world… or whoever it is reading what I write.

With college life being as it is, I can’t promise any frequency of writing. Hopefully what I do write will be interesting, though. Please feel free to comment on the posts!

For future reference, all car-related posts can be found here.

In Reply to @ScottMonty

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Scott Monty – the social media brain behind Ford Motor Company as of recent – just tweeted. He linked to an article about the new Ford Taurus account on Twitter, and how all the posts are currently automated until they find adequate staffing resources.
Should interns get the keys to the social media machine? Weigh in here: http://scottwesterman.com/?p=1288
The public reply by Scott Westerman makes perfect sense, and I have to agree with the points he makes. To make things more simple, I figured I’d outline my take on my own blog, versus a comment on Scott’s.

I’ve had …

Halfway. Really, already?

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Yes, that’s what the email from Yolanda, the college recruiter at AOL, said sometime this past week. The smattering of interns working with AOL this summer are all halfway through their jobs and thus, their summers – myself included.

I’ve neglected to keep my own website up-to-date this summer. Work really plays a part – when I get home, I don’t want to sit down in front of my computer after spending eight hours at a computer. Either way, I have a free weekend, so I’m posting this and doing some work tomorrow, too.

I want to upgrade to WordPress 3.0, and …

Done and Done.

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

As I write this, my reel-to-reel conversions have finished and I am wrapping up my last two-hour session of lab help at 6. I get my first half of the two SMAD paychecks tomorrow, which will be a welcome addition to my bank account.

It’s time to pack up and clean up at Pheasant Run for the rest of the summer. Get rid of old food in the fridge and freezer, vacuum, do some laundry, and disconnect the internet among other things.

Working with newly-admitted SMAD students has been a lot of fun – kind of similar to my time at Apple …

Summer 2010: What’s In The Works

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Considering the things I’m doing this summer, I suppose I’d be remiss if I didn’t keep the online world up-to-date through my blog. Since Twitter’s popularity has increased, I’ve used my blog less and less. Interesting how that happens.

I’m currently down in Harrisonburg, where I’ve been working two jobs for SMAD throughout Maymester. Maymester – for those not versed in all-things JMU – is a four-week class session where students may take one or two classes. The workload is much more intense, but it’s a great way to stay in town a bit longer, and earn class credit …

Perspectives: Dr. Wright Writes Back

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Following my email sent on Wednesday regarding Springfest, I was very impressed to see Dr. Wright reply back by 9:20 that evening. I’m pleased with his response – generally – and will likely reply later today as a follow-up.
Dear Mr. Thiewes:

First, let me say that your letter is elegant and compelling. I hope you are receiving an A in the class.

Second, I hope my response is coherent, because I’ve spend eight hours on the road today. However, I felt you deserved a response this evening.

Third, I write this knowing you may share it with your class. …

My Perspective on the “Faculty Perspective”

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Following the events of April 10 and “Springfest” at JMU, our award-winning newspaper has been chock-full of great content. Guest editorials are rampant – one such editorial comes from a WRTC professor, Dr. Kenneth Wright. Read the full editorial by clicking here.

Dr. Wright makes several blanket claims that frankly, are disappointing. While I understand his perspective, his bold statements come across as somewhat immature. As one classmate said, it’s as though he’s a parent that pulled the “ungrateful card” on their child. Following round-two of some intensely intelligent discussion in one of my classes, I felt compelled to …

So Remember When We Were Driving

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

driving in your car, speed so fast I felt like I was drunk?

Well we weren’t drunk, but this weekend was full of driving and great music. Joey, Chad and I packed up and left Harrisonburg on Saturday morning. Chad and I dropped the top on the Miata and relentlessly began the pursuit of Joey’s M3. The intended route was to take I-81 south to Buena Vista, then hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway from there. Well, the Parkway was closed due to icing. So, we took Route 11 and got on the Parkway further south. Drove into Roanoke and met …

Jeff’s E34: Not Busted, Less of a Pile

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

The first post about Jeff’s E34 left us with a mildly improved, but still rough, engine and idle. The door pull cable was still in shambles and both windows on the driver’s side didn’t work. Thankfully, we have made some progress.

In driving the car around town, I noticed the idle getting progressively lumpier. Acceleration was taking a similar hit – the car felt like VTEC was kicking in and was surging badly. Yes, the M50 motor in the car does have Vanos (BMW’s term for variable valve timing) but the variances should not be noticeable to the driver. This was …

Welcome to The Archives.

Archive for the ‘Home Page’ Category

I Kept a Key

So, Let’s Talk Cars.

In Reply to @ScottMonty

Halfway. Really, already?

Done and Done.

Summer 2010: What’s In The Works

Perspectives: Dr. Wright Writes Back

My Perspective on the “Faculty Perspective”

So Remember When We Were Driving

Jeff’s E34: Not Busted, Less of a Pile