This is an early one, normally we don’t get a driving situation video until about halfway, maybe three-quarters-way through the month. This month is different, obviously.
The video is presented without comment. You know, other than to say “OH SHIT.”
-M, out
p.s. Great job on the auto-generated thumbnails YouTube. PERFECT.
So, I recently acquired a Parrot Bebop 2 (the FPV variant!) and I finally got to fly it for an extended period.
Let me tell you: this thing is GREAT. It is responsive, fast, has a huge range, and has VR First-Person View.
I can’t record the First-Person View, but here’s the footage from flying around Sabella Park on Saturday.
There’s a bunch of different tests.
I’m really impressed with the auto-track features, the GPS flight features, auto-stabilization, and constant camera view.
The controller has an integrated 2.4Ghz wireless antenna, which makes the max flight distance a little over a mile.
If you ever want to try flying it, let me know!
-Mike
This morning on the way to work I encountered an idiot driver.
This idiot properly signaled their turn and initiated said turn properly.
That being said, they stopped their car as soon as they hit the drive way and just sort of stayed there.
Right in the middle of the road.
Yup.
Presented here, because I can.
Fun on a bun!
-M, out.
I know, I know, I know, I feel like I’ve covered this topic a million time at this point but it really ticked me off this morning and so I’m going to talk about it again: driver’s in NJ are just terrible.
In the past I’ve talked about how bad NY and PA drivers are, but after driving out through to Michigan and beyond a few times I really just need to say it: NJ drivers are just terrible, horrible, horrific, assholes. Anyone who has driven in or around NJ will probably secretly agree.
People from NJ probably won’t, because they largely think everyone else is just horrific and they’re just driving to deal with it.
I wholeheartedly disagree.
A lot of stuff has been on my mind lately, and I’m just gonna rant and ramble a bit more like I did last week. Some of it is tech related. Most is not. Variety is the spice of life.
Once again NJ Senators and Legislators (indeed, even the glorious leader Chris Christie) are after our hard-earned money (or whatever is left of it after we pay our inflated tax bills).
As some may know, I love to fish. Absolutely love it. I’m not amazing at it, but I’m not horrible at it either. Last year, every time I went out I caught SOMETHING. Maybe not a keeper, but definitely brought a fish up, took a picture, measured it, and put it back in the water.
All that being said, other than my two trips to the Manasquan Inlet this year, I’ve had pretty crummy luck. I didn’t catch many fish at all this year. All my usual fishing spots were taken. Even when I went to Michigan I didn’t get so much as a bite. It was a very frustrating year. I honestly began to question any ability at fishing I thought I had. It all started when I broke my main fishing rod. Everything went downhill from there (between using a hand me down,
Until yesterday.
Yesterday was perfect. Joe and I got to spot near Kingston and did some fishing in the Millstone River around 6:30am. Joe and his dad had fished that spot a lot, a long time ago. He said there were carp, catfish, even some bass. We’d been to this spot twice before today this year, and caught barely anything. Last year we had better luck at that spot, but this year it felt dried up and empty. Yesterday turned it around.
Following some advice from r/fishing I went out equipped and intending on catching panfish (sunnies, crappies, rock bass, etc) on a light cast line, while setting up my (new!) main rod for it’s maiden fishing trip for catfish.
Success!
After casting my main rod out (with hot dogs) I turned my attention to second light rod. I put some Gulp Hawg on a small hook with a bobber waited. Within a minute, I saw the bobber dip. And dip again. And then took off. I yanked in hard, and felt resistance. Fishie! I reeled it in, and was thrilled to see an 8″ crappie on the end of the line. It wasn’t the one in this picture (which is maybe 6″) but nevertheless, here’s an example. We initially thought it was a rock bass, but it was a white crappie in hindsight.
Mission accomplished. I was happy. I caught a fish. I put it back in the water and could have walked away happy at that point.
The Millstone had other plans.
Ring, ring, ring. The bell on my main line began to jingle. I ran over, yanked (not hard enough) and felt resistance. I began to reel in. The resistance disappeared. Fish gone. Bait gone. Sad.
I put more hot dog on the hook, cast off, and went back to the other line.
I cast, and within a minute: a sunnie.
It was an even better day. This continued for about two hours, before even the crappies and sunnies stopped biting. Oh well. I decided to give the main line some attention. As much as I enjoyed hearing the bell ring and find no fish on the end of it, I was getting tired of it.
I cast with fresh hot dogs, and waited. I was standing around talking with Joe when I felt a tug. It went away immediately. A minute later, another tug. I yanked hard on the rod, and felt a twang. The line stayed taught. The line started to move. I had a fish. I started reeling in. It took about 2 minutes to pull it in. I got tangled in Joe’s line. He grabbed the net.
Catfish!
3lb, 18″ catfish. That’s going in the keeper bucket.
It’s now in the fridge. Well, it’s filets are in the fridge anyway.
Things picked up right after then. Joe switched to the Gulp Hawg and caught some crappie and some sunnie too.
When all was said and done we had caught:
What a great day, a great way to end the summer, and a great way to spend the Labor Day weekend.
-M, out
Let’s talk NJ. If we’re talking NJ, you know what we’re talking about: Taxes.
Taxes, taxes, taxes.
Today I went to the NJ DMV (Never will I ever call you the MVC, you are the DMV, deal with it and the negative connotation that DMV implies; you deserve it) fully expecting to get my license renewed. It’s the first Tuesday in the month of June, it’s 4:45pm, they don’t close til 7:30pm — it’ll be fine.
How wrong I was.
Ugh. I woke up this morning, content to run a little late since I got to work half an hour early yesterday and stayed almost an hour and a half late (meaning I had nearly two hours to make up on). I took a nice long shower, I made a cup of coffee, and I strolled out of my apartment at 7:15 (normally 6:45). It was raining, but not too heavily. It was a nice morning. I thought to myself: It’s going to be a good day. I’m going to have a nice, relaxing drive in to work since I have no reason to rush. I’m going to get that project done at work. I’m going to be super productive. It’s going to be a good day.
I was so very, very wrong.