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Question of the Month...(July 2015)

I agree, we're fed what "they" want us to have. It's heavily filtered and controlled and every day there are likely hundreds if not thousands of stories we never receive.

Even so, what we do have is far greater than without the access.

The issue of data mining and storage, bulk collection without a warrant and getting around it by "requesting" service providers collect the info so that its essentially a third party transaction circumventing constitutional law, is of concern. But at this point everyone here should be aware of what's happening. No one is being forced to use the technology so there are a couple ways to look at it;
You can be willfully oblivious, or
You can say screw you government, I'm going to say and do what I want because I'm exercising the liberty granted by God and not by man and you can only take it away if we collectively peacefully allow you to.

Yes they hold the reins but like the mustang, we retain rugged individualism only if we keep bucking, we otherwise fade into obscure autonomy.
 
Several posts on this site and replies in this thread are giving me a measure of hope, I must admit. You guys probably have the right way to look at all this.
 
It occurs to me I chose the wrong word above.

I intended anonymity in place of autonomy.
 
I think cars are overall way better now than in the past. I got my first used car in 1982 (1972 Chevelle) and cars back then, even with maintenance, were usually dead mechanically or rusted out (or both) around 100,000 to 120,000 miles. Most needed a tune up once per year. Much of that is technology but also better engineering. We traded a 2000 Pontiac in a year ago with 195,000 and it still had 4 original spark plugs, the original starter, water pump and power steering pump. It was very common when I was little to see many cars on the road in various stages of rust, primer and blowing smoke from leaky valve seals. I remember new Chevy trucks and Blazers in 1974 had such cheap steel that the bodies were gone in 2 years for people that lived at the shore. On the plus side the styling was better back then and I wish they made some no frills pick up truck now.
 
You're absolutely right about that!

It isn't uncommon anymore to buy a 10 year old car with 100,000 miles on it and be totally ok with it. I'm driving an 05 jeep, just turned 172,000 miles, plenty of dents dings and scrapes I've put in it and no rust, no leaks, no smoke and I've only done general maintenance.

On the other side of that though is that some vehicles are way more difficult to work on if something does go bad. I had to put my wife's Chrysler in the shop for a water pump. Without a garage and professional tools, there was no way to do it myself.
 
My issue with modern cars, aside from their blah design by committee, is that they (like much of our environment) have been infected by information technologies and electronics. One, who knows whether a TCU for a 2003 Dodge will be available down the road when it craps out (good luck then if it isn't), and two, we went from an analog world to a digital one. Cars were less reliable and needed more frequent tuning back in the day, but they usually gave you signs that something was wrong and kept going. Now they just die without warning, from 1 to 0. We have also invited a whole new host of programming gremlins in the myriad of things that can already make a mechanical device fail. Spend enough time on car forums and you'll see that way too many threads are about mysterious and erratic behavior from on-board computers or sensors. The mechanical interfaces we used to have with the world have been replaced by more ethereal/virtual/electrogizmotic ones (like a fly-by-wire throttle), and this can turn troubleshooting and maintenance into nightmares. Not to mention the absence of feedback and the lags.

Then there's Pandora's box. The outside world has been invited in. Right now and as far as I know, someone has to pop the hood to access a car's Event Data Recorder (cough, snitch), but many cars can be scanned and unlocked remotely by thieves or opened by services like Onstar. How long before they communicate our direction and speed to roadside readers or satellites? Before they can be stopped from a distance? All this can sound convenient or pro-law enforcement (and is sold that way), but think of a smart gun and I don't have to tell you how potential malfunctions and misuses of the technology give me the creeps.

I drive a '13 Dodge Challenger, a sexy car to most people, and while it was the right choice for a 20,000 miles a year commuter and it's largely trouble-free... it doesn't hold a candle to a 1970 one when it comes to looks and character. So were I retired I'd drive a restored classic and enjoy doing most of the maintenance and tuning myself, knowing that my baby is as 'stupid' as a hammer or a gun. I just can't stand smart tech - no privacy or independence is possible with it.
 
I drive a '13 Dodge Challenger, a sexy car to most people, and while it was the right choice for a 20,000 miles a year commuter and it's largely trouble-free... it doesn't hold a candle to a 1970 one when it comes to looks and character.

Does it still have the evil "pistol grip" like the pre-ban* model?!? :eek: ;)

*leaded gasoline
 
Haha! No, it's an auto so I have a T-handle instead. Lots of guys do the pistol grip mod on their manuals both because of nostalgia and the thumbed nose to political correctness. But I gotcha! :D
 
That's easy, my first are United States Army, United State Navy, The United States Coast Guard, The United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corp. Our citizen warriors of all services in the Guard. Local Police, Firefighters and EMT's. Our children are light years ahead of my generation, I'm 72 years old. The Liberals have damaged our liberty and economy, but We are Americans and we will fix it. I remember what my Parents endured in the Depression and WW ll. What do I like today? Our future.
 
Yeah, online shopping for things I can't get locally, now if the USPS would work a little faster LOL.. I'd have to say it is nice to have info at your fingertips too...
 
"... Back when a hoe was a hoe/ a Coke was just a Coke/And crack's what you were doin', when you were crackin jokes/Back when a screw was just a screw/The wind was all that blew/ And when you said I'm down with that it meant you had the flu/ I miss back when/ I miss back wheee heaeaea en!!"
 
Then there's Pandora's box. The outside world has been invited in. Right now and as far as I know, someone has to pop the hood to access a car's Event Data Recorder (cough, snitch), but many cars can be scanned and unlocked remotely by thieves or opened by services like Onstar. How long before they communicate our direction and speed to roadside readers or satellites? Before they can be stopped from a distance? All this can sound convenient or pro-law enforcement (and is sold that way), but think of a smart gun and I don't have to tell you how potential malfunctions and misuses of the technology give me the creeps.
I wrote that not even a month ago and now this breaks: http://autoweek.com/article/recalls/fca-issues-recall-fix-jeep-cherokee-software-hack

Of course, since I am a technophobic old dog I refuse to have nav (saw this crap coming from a mile away) so my Chrysler vehicle isn't affected. It's the price to pay for some, but I see it as too high. Behind the wheel is a sanctuary where I don't wanna be bothered and/or controlled. At my house I no longer have a phone line (gotta have cell and internet, unfortunately) and I don't have cable or network TV either. Trying to live in the past (like the '80s) as much as possible. The day the SHTF and we have to crawl into in spider holes with guns, ammo and MREs cold the adjustment will be fairly minor for me. :D
 
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