Blog: October 2005 Archives

With the new car, I had a good chance to seriously try "XM Radio" out. The car comes with an OEM integrated option; and it was going to be a lot more integrated than futzing around trying to hook up an ipod to a deck with no inputs and no tape for a fake input.

XM's music programming is suprisingly decent and diverse.

XM appears to be ran by real DJ's. Some have great taste. A few don't. The music catalog they have to pull from is a ton more diverse than my own (my itunes has something like 40 days of non-repeating music).

I ended up liking it so much, that when I had to take an emergecy 10h trip eastward (and another 10h back westward) I decided to pick up an XM Roady for the wife's car. The radio's $50, and comes with everything you need to hook it up in the car (power, tape adapter, FM modulator built in if you're in an area that can use it, and a few options for mounting the radio). They of course get you with the additional subscription. I paid for a year's subscription for that particular trip, and IMO, was worth every penny.

I even ended up with another Roady for the office. XM broadcasts a terrestial signal in major metropolitan areas; which means, I have *indoor* signal inside the cube farm in Santa Clara, and absolutely no line-of-sight to the satellite. Works great!

My favorites:

• 8 - 80's, mostly hits, some random. Sucks at 5p PDT+ when they put on remix crap. Gets awesome again super late night and throughout the day.
  
• 81 - dance music. lots of remixes. but these are the ones that don't fall under "remix crap".
  
• 46 - "Top Tracks". Classic rock and roll. Reminescent of Sacramento's old KZAP (may it RIP).
  
• 51 - XM Music Lab - progressive rock
  
• 77 - Audio Visions - mostly new age. Hey, everyone needs mellow occasionally!
  
• 221 - SF Bay Area / Sacramento traffic and weather
  

Sigh. So, because, working from when I wake up till I pass out on this big ass move at work doesn't suck enough..

Friday, my wife went out to take the kids to school . She came back in, and notified me that the wheels were stolen. As in, someone jacked the car, detached the wheels, and took'em. Turns out that the Honda price for those is astrofuckingnomical. They also took the rear light assemblies while they were at it (but they were nice enough to not cut the cables, they nicely detached the harnesses - thanks, whoever you are!).

So, naively, I called the Insurance folk. They have the body shop send a truck out, and specifically mention the 0-wheels issue. OF course, the flat bed comes out, and no way to lift the car, short of sliding it on its belly. I declined their services. Insurance agent was suprised; then called their internal tow service. They at least told her up front "no can do". In the end, I had to go deal with buying the new wheels and tires and jack and all that crap, to get the car mobile again. And now it is at the shop, getting checked out thoroughly, and getting the light clusters replaced.

I think my next car needs to have a rocket inside but look like a total beater on the outside.
Bright yellow, of course, but beater.