I am constantly seeing people wearing shorts here in Portland when it’s below 40 degrees and raining. I’m just...why?? You’re outside at a food cart waiting for your food and you’re just in shorts and a t-shirt, and I’m here in my weather appropriate jacket and pants and I’m like ...what’s your deal?

My first VW was a MKV Rabbit.  Fun little car that was a Tardis inside.  We once fit six dining chairs in it.  Not sure how.  We owned that car for 6 years and loved it.  Now I have a MKVI GTI Autobahn, and I’m still happy as a clam.  

I owned a 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP for a year. It was a very fun little car. I think in a decade or so the Kappa platform will be catching eyes at shows. Yes, it was a dumb car, had an impossibly complicated roof mechanism that I was always convinced was about a millimeter away from breaking, had no storage, was…

It was dumb but I had fun with it.

I always try to do this.  :)

Only in the class.  Other than that, I’d only ridden a 50cc scooter.

Seconding the gear recommendation - a waterproof armored jacket and decent waterproof armored overpants with at least some CE rating in the knees will really save your bacon. Also critical: really good boots. Spend money on this stuff. It matters.

Welcome to two wheeled commuting. I’ve been Vespa commuting in Portland for years. Love it. Cornering at highway speeds is hairy, especially when the roads are wet, but the key is to just focus and trust your skills and your bike.

In my mind.  

Yeah, we should pool our money and buy one of these as a Jalop collective. Hire a crew to maintain it, charge a membership fee or something, and just open it up for Jalops to bring their cars and drive them as they were meant to be driven.

This is my “if I won the lottery” thing. I’d buy a racetrack, then a Ferrari to drive on it, then hire a crew to maintain the track and the car for as long as I could afford to pay the crew, and then save the rest of my winnings.

Fuck cancer.

Mieville is a “slipstream” or “weird” author.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipstream_genre

Yep they all take place in the same world but they’re three distinct stories.  You really do want to read Perdido Street Station first though.

Ok this I have to read.

NICK - welcome to the world of my favorite living author!! I’m so glad you talked about Perdido Street Station. That’s the book that also introduced me to the surreal genius of China Mieville.

Oh, can I be edgier than you? Star Wars died the minute George Lucas thought of it and then thought about money.

Have you been bopped on the head?

I’m sorry, how many lights are there?

TJ’s lamb vindaloo is on point.