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Apparently, car batteries aren’t supposed to last seven years. Who knew?

Half a day and a hundred dollars later, I now know.

Comments

  1. 1

    Divine justice Goldy. Lemme guess, a piece of shit German car or maybe a Volvo? Too bad, maybe a DUI from drinking liberally someday? I’d hope Roger Rodent would get one too, but I don’t believe they take food stamps for cab rides….

  2. 2

    Although I drive a Ford right now, I’d rather drive an import. Better built (ironically, most of the major Japanese and Korean brands now build many of their cars here, as well as several European manufacturers – but would you really want a Mercedes that was built in South Carolina?), more efficient and usually cheaper. And considering that the Big Three are all in deep economic shit, and not just because of the medical insurance for all their retirees (getting lazy and making shitty cars on and off since the 60’s is more like it) the concept of ‘The American Car’ is very close to a paradigm shift. Think of it, Mark: our grandchildren could quite possibly become drivers in a world where an ‘American’ car IS a Honda, Toyota, etc., and Ford, Chrysler, and GM are just quaint memories. All due to those most Rethuglican of ‘values’, corporate greed and inflexibility.

  3. 3

    BTW Goldy, I tend to put in a new battery every three or four years, regardless of of condition. Just a good rule of thumb I’ve developed.

  4. 4

    Somehow reminds me of some lyrics from the white stripes:

    Why dont you take the day off and try to repair
    a billion others dont seem to care
    better ideas are stuck in the mud
    the motors runnin’ on tuckers blood
    dont let them tell you the future’s electric
    cause gasolines not measured in metric
    30,000 wheels are spinnin’
    and oil company faces are grinnin’
    now my hands are turnin’ red
    and i found out my baby is dead

    The big three killed my baby

  6. 6

    If you’re getting exceedingly short life from a battery, check your charging system. It may be prematurely killing your battery.

  8. 8

    IMPOSTERS!! CENSORSHIP!!! SHOCKING DOINGS at Sound Pravda.

    I am shocked, shocked. Someone claiming to be me has posted over at SP. What is the world coming to??

    WORSE, when I tried t reply, the Schwanzen there have closed the thread!

    Anyhow, the faux SJ (using my American given name) said reasonable things .. and she tyoes better than I do too!

    BUT .. when I went back to SP to link the post there? IT HAD BEEN DELETED.

    Hmmm… maybe the blog ought to be renamed SSP …Sound Soviet Pravda????

    Well anyhoo ..

    the thread is about Tobey Nixon endorsing Romney and I respondd that MR is the bhest of a sad bunch ..over at SeattleJew..

  12. 12

    SeattleJew @ 8

    “…and she tyoes better than I do too!”

    Is that a subtle reference to some sort of bathroom behavior?

    :-)

  13. 13

    Darryl:

    HEY! It was one of the FEW sentences he’s typoed in here that I could actually decipher!!

  14. 14

    Darryl

    Indubbitably Indubitly indubitally Indubitably so.

    Persoannly I think Craig should be left alone and the Senate should mandate marking all restrooms to indicate the yellow zone.

  15. 15

    chadt

    Since this is a liberal blog, I claim potection under the Americans with Disability Act.

  16. 16

    Hey, do you care about our soldiers? They’re not getting the mental health care they need; the care we owe them!

    Got to http://www.thisisforthesoldiers.org/ and sign the petition. I’m lookin’ right at you, Marvin.

    Statement of petition:

    Dear Congressman Filner,
    1.5 million people have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Almost one-third of them will have a serious mental health problem – like depression, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. That’s why I’m supporting IAVA and Drowning Pool’s “This is For the Soldiers” campaign to make sure the mental health needs of our troops are a top priority.

    We know you’re a strong supporter of the troops. You co-sponsored the crucial Lane Evans bill, which would get veterans the counseling and support they need. But without your leadership, this bill will continue to just sit in committee.

    We hope you’ll join us and bring this bill before the committee. With your help, we can get this bill moving and get troops the care they deserve.

  19. 19

    From what I can see so far, he was a pretty inoffensive guy, and it’s unfortunate, both from the human perspective and because if a publican were gonna bite it, there are far more worthy candidates.

    I believe that the Gov of Ohio is Demo, so that makes for an interesting appointment drama….

  20. 20

    @19
    I could be wrong, but I think it’ll be a run-off election. That’s what happened with the seat that now belongs to Mean Jean.

  21. 21

    So…aren’t we fighting “them” Over There so that we don’t have to fight them Over Here?

    I’d call this (Seattle Times) close enough to Over Here for me.

    Denmark, Spain, London (twice)…how come nobody calls Bush on this bullshit line of his?

    -OM

  22. 22

    “Apparently, car batteries aren’t supposed to last seven years. Who knew? Half a day and a hundred dollars later, I now know.”

    They usually don’t. If you got 7 years out of a car battery that you probably didn’t pay $100 for 7 years ago, that’s less than 4 cents a day. You did okay.

    Maybe you can talk Mark the Welsher into buying you a new one.

  23. 23

    Just a story, no point intended….

    A few years ago my wife called me, in a panic. The car wouldn’t start. She had the kids in the car, and was stuck at the Dairy Queen at Meadowdale. She even called a friend, a mechanic, who came to help her, to no avail. I get off work early and arrive, by which time y wife had been stuck for over three hours, and wasn’t in a happy mood. Our mechanic friend had deduced that the battery was dead, and was worried that even if he got it jump-started, if the car died she would be stuck again (a valid point – that car would die at every traffic light and have to be re-started).

    As he mused about going back to his home, about thirty minutes away, where he had several old batteries on a shelf which “might” work, I looked behind me, at – Schuck’s Auto supply. Walked over, paid about $60 bucks for a battery, and while they were still talking over the options, had it installed and the car fired up. “Oh!” the mechanic exclaimed. “You went and bought a NEW battery???? I never buy them new, I can get as many old ones as I want for free, when I buy a car for parts!!!!”

  24. 24

    2 Uhhh…Ford? Lessee, they recently closed the plant in Ontario where they made the “big” cars, which has the police departments and taxi companies North America scratching their heads about alternatives. What we mere mortals are supposed to be happy with instead is some further beautified version of the Taurus, with its long and sad history of blown head gaskets and broken transmissions.

    Meanwhile, having acquired Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar and tinkered with them for the last ten years (Christ! A V-8 Jag was bad enough, but a V-8 Volvo???!?) they’re trying to foist off what’s left of those brands on someone else. Word has it the leading bidder for Jag is Russia’s Gaz, which has been building strange-looking characatures of automobiles for the last 75 years.

    How the hell Al Mullally managed to get himself involved in such a clusterfuck is beyond reckoning.

  26. 26

    25 Agreed, but watch out for some of the knuckle draggers they hire as installers. I’ve seen someone in their back shop attempt to change a battery with a pair of pliers.

  27. 27

    From Newsweek, via MSNBC:

    Larry Craig, the Democrats’ Best Friend
    The GOP hustled the Idaho senator off the stage as soon as news of his arrest in a Minneapolis airport men’s room came to light. But Craig isn’t going gently. The fallout could help the Dems win the White House next year.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20...../newsweek/

  30. 30

    Using Daddy Love’s methods:

    “Critics say Mr. Murtha, 75, is squandering taxpayer money, giving away federal dollars to handpicked businesses and projects without competitive bids or independent oversight.

    “Murtha is a poster child for what is wrong with Congress,” said Leslie K. Paige, spokeswoman for Citizens Against Government Waste, a group targeting mismanagement in Washington. “There are shenanigans going on behind the scenes, and it leads to corruption.””

    http://www.washingtontimes.com.....40070/1001

    Earmarks? Dems like Earmarks? I thought they were the “2007 ethical bunch”?

  33. 33

    Texas Startup Says It Has Batteries Beat
    An Austin-based startup called EEStor promised “technologies for replacement of electrochemical batteries,” meaning a motorist could plug in a car for five minutes and drive 500 miles roundtrip between Dallas and Houston without gasoline.

    http://www.smh.com.au/news/Tec.....94245.html

  36. 36

    @22 Rodent:

    Or maybe you can buy Goldy one as a gift. But, wait; I forgot they don’t take food stamps at Shuck’s.

  37. 37

    @36 If you can’t do better than pathetic shit like the above, you’d better dig a burrow yourself.

  38. 38

    @37:

    Just mimicking Roger Rodent’s mindless mouth-spewings and jabs at above. Guess you’re in that club now too there Chaddy-boy.

  39. 39

    ArtFart @ 35:

    Here is a better article describing the chemistry and whatnot behind the storage device:

    http://www.technologyreview.co.....086/page1/

    (You can read the patent application as well, here, but the chemistry is beyond me)

    http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi.....er=7033406

    The glitches in this are:

    a) Capacitors traditionally do not store as much power per kg as batteries. A capacitor bank with this sort of storage capacity is incredible.

    b) Ultracapacitors tend to discharge if they’re not used. Thus, the main applications of them in vehicles has been to convert braking energy to electricity. You have a situation where it charges on braking, discharges once the vehicle is in motion, etc. etc. If you charge up a capacitor, park your car, and try to start it in the morning, you may find all the electricity has vanished into the aether.

    EEStor filed their patent application in April of 2001, their patent was granted in April 2006, and fits and bits of information has come out since then. Unfortunately, no working models have been demonstrated, which makes me believe there may be some fundamental bugs in the system.

  41. 41

    24:

    Well, we just couldn’t pass it up. The Exploder…….uh, Explorer was just what we needed for our trailer, especially the 4WD, and carries the five of us just fine, and as an added bonus, had an aftermarket XM radio installed. You have no idea how good satellite-radio is until you drive from Reno to Port Angeles. It saved my sanity!

  42. 42

    @40:

    That wasn’t my intention, but if you truly are I’m sorry for your lack of self-confidence. One of those sensitive guys right?

  48. 48

    @47 ATJ

    Well I have Cleo Patra and Max Iavelli, although Max is actually a Bagel (beagle-basset).

  49. 49

    Eleven public officials in New Jersey were arrested Thursday in a widespread FBI corruption investigation, officials said.

    Among those charged were two state assemblymen, the mayor and council members in the city of Passaic, and local Board of Education officials from southern parts of the state.

    Investigators said the officials were demanding and taking cash bribes in exchange for official favors and help in awarding government contracts.

    NewsChannel 4’s cameras were in place as the suspects were arrested, including Passaic Mayor Sammy Rivera and Orange Mayor and State Assemblyman Mims Hackett.

    The early morning arrests also included numerous current and former Board of Education officials from Pleasantville. Current board President James Pressley, board member Rafeal Velez and former board members Jayson Adams, James McCormick and Pete Callaway were charged. Callaway is currently serving as a member of the Pleasantville City Council.

    Also in Passaic, former council member Jonathan Soto, council member Marcellus Jackson and Assemblyman Alfred Steele were charged.
    http://www.wnbc.com/news/14056446/detail.html
      
    More arrests for corruption.
     
    Since the article left out political affiliation, that can only mean one thing, democrats.

  50. 50

    @49
    The article on CNN had them identified as Democrats. And yeah, that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering that a lot of these areas have large numbers of minority voters. People in both parties can be corrupt. The Pope is Catholic. Bears shit in woods. And Marvin Stamn is still an idiot.

  51. 51

    Hillary Rolls On: Are Netroots a Paper Tiger?

    Despite being overwhelmingly opposed to the nomination of Hillary Clinton, the Netroots have so far done little to slow down her coronation. Boosted by celebrity-worshipping corporate media (and a maximum donation from Rupert Murdoch himself), Hillary Clinton keeps rolling on – allied with the corporate lobbyists and Democratic insiders loathed even by moderately liberal bloggers.

    Several factors may explain why most Netroots leaders are not taking stronger action:
    1) They “misunderestimate” the potential hazards of another Clinton White House.
    While progressives desperately want a Democratic president, the last Clinton in the White House subverted the progressive agenda. Eight years of Clintonite triangulation caused the Democratic Party to decline at every level of government. Hillary today is surrounded by the same staff and would likely appoint the same corporate types to top jobs as Clinton I, where big decisions were often corrupt and calculated toward moneyed interests.
    The toughest brawl Bill Clinton was willing to wage (besides saving his own hide from impeachment) was against the Democratic base: for the corporate-backed NAFTA. Through the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Bill brought us far more media conglomeration than George W. He pardoned well-connected fugitive financier Marc Rich, while leaving Native American activist Leonard Peltier to rot in prison despite pleas from Amnesty International and others.

    2) They want to be Democratic “team players.”
    In truth, MoveOn leaders have gone beyond refusing to publicly criticize Hillary Clinton – actually finding bizarre excuses to praise her on some of her worst issues, like Iran and Iraq. During the 2006 Democratic Senate primary in New York, it was not a shock that MoveOn’s leadership would not help Clinton’s antiwar challenger, Jonathan Tasini, an under-funded long shot. But what purpose was served by not criticizing her when she brazenly refused to even debate Tasini on the war – or by lauding her for a McCain-like critique of Don Rumsfeld’s war “mismanagement”?

    3) There’s no Dean campaign to unite them – just “Edwama.”
    In the last three months of DailyKos reader polls, Edwards and Obama have combined for more than 60 percent of the vote – as against only 8 percent for Clinton.

    Reporting the results of his July straw poll in which Edwama outpolled Clinton 7 to 1, DailyKos founder Markos gloated that he was among the 5 percent who voted “No Freakin’ Clue”: “I’m enjoying the campaigns without any emotional investment in any of them. It’s quite liberating. I wish more of you would give it a shot.”
      
      
      
    It’s sad watching the democrats turning on themselves. The country needs three viable parties.

  52. 52

    Ex-lab chief’s work is under a microscope

    Cases involving her testimony checked

    Potential criminal charges against the state toxicology lab’s former manager are prompting courtroom challenges and leading prosecutors around the state to review whether any cases in which she testified — from drunken driving to murder — are in jeopardy
    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/.....source=rss
      
    Another proud government employee.

  53. 53


    Former Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne left federal court on Wednesday barred from voting or holding public office, unable to own a gun and required to submit to random urine tests.
 
It was a humiliating end to a 35-year career in public service that made Jenne the county’s top law enforcement official and a political powerhouse.

    http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ne.....b01_layout
      
    No mention of his political party. That only means one thing, he’s a democrat.

  54. 54

    @51
    It’s sad watching the democrats turning on themselves. The country needs three viable parties.

    Which is it, dumbass? Are Democrats all the same, or are they hopelessly diametrically opposed? Can’t you at least keep your bullshit straight?

    @52
    Another proud government employee.

    Nice!!! And I’m sure turning this over to the free market would fix everything. Hahahaha!!! Please keep running with this theme, Marvin!

    @53
    No mention of his political party. That only means one thing, he’s a democrat.

    You, mean, like in this article:

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19124161/

    They don’t mention Sheriff Lee Baca’s party affiliation. Must be a Democrat, right?

  55. 55

    Marvin,
    Do you have any shred of self-respect left? I have to admit, I’ve done this to a number of trolls before. I’m sure you’ve figured that out already. A few have lasted as long as you before realizing that they were wasting their time, but I’m always amazed at how long the denial mechanism can override everything else in the human mind. You obviously know that the only person who was going to read these comments is me, and the only reason I’m reading them is because it gives me good material for EffU. What is compelling you to continue here? What’s in it for you?

  56. 56

    Longtime Bexar County Sheriff Ralph Lopez on Tuesday decided not to fight criminal charges he took a free trip to Costa Rica from a private company that obtained a lucrative jail contract he’d ramrodded.
    He pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor charges related to the all-expenses-paid golfing and fishing trip he received in August 2005 from Premier Management Enterprises, a private Louisiana jail contractor now running Bexar County Jail’s commissaries.
    His plea gives him immunity from further state prosecution and shields his wife, Nancy, from any potential state charges.

    Though the resignation letter said it was effective immediately, Lopez agreed to stay on until commissioners choose a successor Sept. 19.
    Until then, Lopez will continue to draw his $91,680 annual salary, county officials said. His pension won’t be affected.
      
    The article doesn’t mention his party affiliation.
      
    That only means one thing, he’s a democrat.

  58. 58

    Lawmaker Arrested On Drunk Driving Complaint

    HUGO, Okla. (AP) — State Senator Jeff Rabon was arrested on a drunken driving complaint Monday evening after a multi-car accident, authorities said. Choctaw County Sheriff Lewis Collins says Rabon was booked into the Choctaw County jail and released on a $1,000 bond.

    In 2005, a state trooper was disciplined for not investigating whether alcohol was involved in a Labor Day weekend accident in which Rabon’s truck ended up in a ditch.

    Last year, Rabon authored a bill to impose stiff jail sentences for repeatedly selling alcohol to anyone under 21 years old. The bill allowed prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to $5,000 for servers or clerks caught repeatedly selling beer or other alcohol to minors.
    http://www.kotv.com/news/topstory/?id=134915
      
    No mention of party affiliation, what does that mean… yup, he’s a democrat.

  59. 59

    Councilwoman Hague apologizes, but won’t admit to DUI
    SEATTLE – The King County Council member arrested for drunk driving in June is making a public apology.

    The veteran Republican council member says she has written letters to the officers on the scene apologizing for her behavior.

    http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/.....77e80.html
      
    Of course being a publican, her party affiliation is reported in the article.

  60. 60

    @56
    So, here’s an article from a news story I’ve blogged about:

    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286419,00.html

    No mention of party affiliation. Do you want to bet me that he’s a Democrat?

    @57
    So what. If you do it for “Lee Baca”, it returns 86. If you do the search for “Lee Baca Republican”, it returns 2.

    @58
    No mention of party affiliation, what does that mean… yup, he’s a democrat.

    Here’s another one:

    http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/11.....index.html

    No mention of party affiliation. Democrat? Repubican? Or are you finally going to grow up and admit omitting party affiliation goes both ways?

  61. 61

    @59
    Of course being a publican, her party affiliation is reported in the article.

    That’s a county council seat, which (if you’ve been following this blog, dumbass) is a partisan race (a frequent commenter here switched from being a Republican to a Democrat recently and is running against her).

  62. 62

    Hey, found another one!

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20622619/?GT1=10357

    “I am certain Sgt. Lovejoy has suffered greatly from leaving his police dog in a sweltering car,” Sheriff Joe Arpaio said in a statement. “I do not relish the idea of compounding his sadness. However, Lovejoy must be treated like anyone else in similar circumstances.”

    Lovejoy said Wednesday night that he is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 25 and that his lawyer advised him not to comment further.

    “With the sheriff railing on me right now, it’s kind of hard to say anything,” Lovejoy said.

    Chandler Police Chief Sherry Kiyler said in a statement that the department respects and supports the criminal justice system and its processes, and that an internal investigation has been launched.

    No affiliation listed. Must be Democrats, right?

  66. 66

    Well, at least he has no readers left. Are you really a closet masochist, Lee?

    At least his style makes scrolling easier.

  68. 68

    @66
    I guess so. Apparently, other people find it weird that I’m so entertained by the dementia of others.

  71. 71

    Amongst Republicans, being subhuman is not considered a handicap; it’s an asset for administrative positions.

  73. 73

    Puiddy says:

    Chadt: It’s an open thread dumbASS!

    What the hell are you talking about? Where did I say it wasn’t?

    Which dimension are you in today?

  74. 74

    @70
    Lee: Yeah, but Puddy crosses that line where it feels like making fun of the handicapped.

    @72
    Puddybud: Lee@70 when did I make fun of your handicap?

    I rest my case.

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