bhtooefr @bhtooefr@mastodon.social

I guess I should do an #introductions, given the influx of new people.

I'm Eric, I live in Ohio (it's approximately as bad as it sounds), I throw computers at people for a living, and I have a varied set of interests:

* #retrocomputing is a big one for me, I post about it over on @bhtooefr
* #transportation, including #cars, #bicycles, #trains, and #planes
* #sustainability, #solar, #renewables
* I have opinions on politics. Not very left by Masto standards, off-the-scale left by US standards.

Things that I'm happy to CW:

* Politics (including Fedi politics)
* Religion/spirituality
* Common traumatic events
* Discussion of bigotry
* Intoxicants
* Lewd content
* Some controversial figures/organizations

If there's something not in the list below you'd like me to CW, or I forgot to CW something, please ask.

Things that I will not CW:

* Food
* Tech (except for tech pol)
* Swearing

If you do not wish to see this in TLs, please mute or block me.

Inside the GM plant where nooses and 'whites-only' signs hung: https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/16/us/gm-toledo-racism-lawsuit/index.html

Suit alleges Mercedes cheated on diesel testing: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2019/01/14/suit-alleges-mercedes-benz-cheated-diesel-testing/2572425002/

#diesel #cars #pollution

imagine having to use web technologies to shitpost

this post made by "using an Exchange DL to shitpost" gang

@coryw @calvin

I would argue that as a whole, the USA is not a developed nation.

There are thriving parts of the US that I would call developed states, but as a whole, no.

Chevrolet Pulls 'Most Reliable' Ad After Being Challenged By Toyota: https://jalopnik.com/chevrolet-pulls-most-reliable-ad-after-being-challenged-1831800283

(Also challenged by Ford and Honda.)

An e-mail I saw in my inbox, from NAIAS.

...sounds about right from what I've read. (Could be worse, could be last year, where it was all trucks, all the time.)

There's usually something interesting there, and I'll probably post it - honestly, I have a suspicion that it'll be at Mahindra's booth.

They're apparently showing the Roxor - a licensed clone of old post-war Jeeps, being sold as a side-by-side off-road vehicle, which I'm not really interested in - but somewhere I saw something saying that they were going to bring what they make in Michigan.

...what they make in Michigan is the GenZe e-bikes and scooters, which I haven't seen in person.

#cars

Oh, and there's a new diesel Ram with 1000 lb-ft of torque and 35,100 lbs of towing capacity, to compensate for the most Trumpian of micropenii.

There's some hotter trims of the Mustang and the WRX STi, if your micropenis isn't Trumpian, but still needs compensation.

There's three vaporware electric crossover concepts meant to try to Osborne Tesla (it won't work), and one of them didn't even last long enough to drive on stage.

There's also some new ICE crossovers. Yawn.

#cars

In any case, I'll be finding out what it's like in person on Saturday - some old VW TDI friends still go to Detroit every year for the auto show.

I know last year I wasn't that impressed - the most exciting car at the show was the frickin' Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (which had first been shown two years prior), and the story of the show was TRUCKS (Silverado!), TRUCKS (Ram!), and MORE TRUCKS (Ranger!)

This year... the big story is the new Toyota Supra. I... I don't care about it?

#cars

Looking at the Automobili-D floor plan (https://automobilid2019.mapyourshow.com/7_0/floorplan/?navbarlink=1), the basement actually looks decent.

I mean, it's your usual mix of suppliers (some Tier 1 that didn't want to be on the main floor, some lower tier), various contract manufacturers, and university projects, but there's sometimes some interesting shit down there (and IME, it's a good place to retreat to after the show floor gets packed with people around 11:00 or 12:00, at least on the first public day).

#cars

RK Rally - basically a douchebro wannabe Gumball Rally thing - has been there for the past few years (having replaced DUB), but they were always stuffed in the basement.

The food court was always either outside of the show floors entirely, or in the basement - this year, it's actually on the show floor.

There's a *local used car dealer* on the MAIN SHOW FLOOR. That's the kind of shit that's usually out front, before you even have to have a ticket.

*T-Mobile* has a main floor booth.

#cars

The 2019 Detroit Auto Show Filled the Void in Its Heart With Tuner Cars: https://jalopnik.com/the-2019-detroit-auto-show-filled-the-void-in-its-heart-1831773327

Seriously, when I saw the floor plan for the 2019 NAIAS (https://naias.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Public-Floor-Plan.pdf), I was amazed at the level of crap that was on the main show floor, that used to be downstairs.

I've gone almost every year since 2008 (I think I missed 2009), but in past years, it was actual automakers and Tier 1 suppliers on the main show floor.

#cars