Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 23:43:57 -0500
Reply-To: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Friday A couple of things
In-Reply-To: <CAFaJG5oRQT_kdrpr1g5Q+ZeNJswFQxOgMuoJ89yOis_Kxy6NWg@mail.gmail.com>
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Re: Gmail - I only use Gmail as my mail server. Can't stand the web
aspect of the thing. I use an open source email client called Mozilla
Thunderbird that is tied to Gmail. I prefer the way Thunderbird handles
mail.
Re: Driving Lessons.
I taught my own kids to drive in a VW beetle down on the farm. They took
to it like ducks to water, driving that old beetle on all the roads on
the farm, and across the pastures. They couldn't much hurt anything, and
they did build their experience. They could handle the car pretty well
when they finally got on the road to get road to get road and traffic
experience.
In the school year '68/69 I taught driver's ed in Wrangell, Alaska -
basically a bush town/logging/fishing. Wrangell was on the northern tip
of Warngell Island in Southeast Akaska. There were about 10 miles of
road on the whole place - and I taught around 26 kids to drive in a
dodge - don't remember now just what - Automatic, but with NO teacher
controls in the thing. When the kid was in the drivers seat - he was the
driver, no question. Only had one incident. We drove through the winter,
and one day one kid got his right wheel a little to far to the side of
the road into deeper snow and it pulled the car into the ditch. Good
lesson, we got out easy enough. They learned initially on a dock where
the ferrys landed. I made pylons on bases that tiped over easy and had a
little flag on each one, so the kid could see them easily. BEfore they
were ever allowed on the road at all - they had to master driving
zig-zag between those pylons without ever touching one - and they had to
be able to do it driving backwards. By the time we got to the road to
drive - they had good foot control, gas pedal control, brake control,
and a sense of the car in motion. They all got their drivers licence
that year with no trouble. 'Course they couldn't get into to much
trouble in that little town. But I could not help them with the driving
the would eventually do in a larger town. I could only hope for the best.
John
On 5/24/2013 5:40 PM, Aristotle Sagan wrote:
> 1.) Why is Google doing their damndest to drive me away from GMail? Forcing
> a new editor on us that's complicated and hard to use. Still haven't found
> how to change a subject line and hiding the previous sent text isn't a
> great idea either. And do they actually know I have NEVER clicked on an ad?
>
> 2.) The youngest is almost 15 1/2. Means she can get her learners permit
> out here in Caleefornia. While have taken her for a bunch of Saturday or
> Sunday afternoon driving lessons around the local community college parking
> lots, the whole thing makes me nervous. While she is picking up the whole
> clutch thing pretty well, watching how she drives reminds me of how much
> multi-tasking we all do driving. And I mean driving, not drinking coffee,
> checking the radio, etc. The simple act of efficient driving is incredibly
> complex.
>
> So the question is... How do you ever let your young one out of the nest
> with a 2 ton death machine in their hands?
>
> 3.) The itch to get another Vanagon is getting stronger. Anyone want to
> trade for an 88 Chevy 1/2 ton with 88K, no rust, no accidents and just
> about zero emissions? Runs well, 4 liter V6, 3 speed with a Granny.
>
>
> tim (exercising his Friday creative Vanagon list rights) in san jose
> .
>
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