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About Me
As a man thinks, so he is. Some people are never.
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Alternate Route
Turn off the nav system, crumple up that MapQuest printout, and let's find out where the next random turn may take us!
 Well it's time to continue my ongoing series of interviews with the CarSpace forums hosts. Today I spent some time with steve_, the host of the SUVs and Automotive News forums. I was really excited when he said he'd see me on the river. But it turned out he wasn't talking about a poker table!
So, now that you almost killed me... when did you first hook up with Edmunds and CarSpace?
I found Edmunds in the fall of 1998 as I was shopping for my '99 Quest. I joined in the forums and wound up getting more swamped with posting than paddling. I've just about retired my canoes but I'm still hooked on the forums.
Do you have any other hobbies besides cars? ... and pay-per-rescue on the whitewater?
I weave rag rugs on a loom that takes up half the living room, and I like to hike, bike, camp, snowboard and travel.
What do you currently drive and are you looking at a new ride?
I have a creampuff 1997 Subaru Outback Ltd. with 69,000 miles on it that I plan to drive a while longer. The Quest is still running at 129,000 miles but it may get replaced by a hatchback in the next few months.
I understand you used to live in Alaska. What's it like to take care of a car there? And did you ever meet Gov. Palin?
My cars lived for 20 winters outside in Anchorage and they didn't get any special treatment, other than plugging them into the block heater when it got down to 10°F and putting studded tires on for the winter. I never met Palin but the gubernatorial candidate she beat paddled my Blue Hole canoe in the Downhill Canoe Race one February.
Inquiring minds want to know. Just what the heck is a Stickmop?
It's a floor mop, made from sticks and rags. Cheap! I happen to know that you have one Dub that you use for a DiagnoStick.
Thanks for chatting with me. If I ever dry out you can't stop by Dub's Car Repair and Chili Emporium anytime if you have a car problem. Like our slogan says, We may not be able to fix it, but at least you can stop here and get gas.
I just want to Underscore that it's been a pleasure Dub. And switch to canoeing - you know what they say, half the paddle, twice the paddler.
 Time for a bit of a tour of what's happening on the various blogs around Edmunds and Carspace. I enjoy reading these and you might too! If you have created an interesting blog, let me know!
Karl on Cars
Karl is just like the rest of us and very aware of gas prices and how they are affecting the industry. Could it mean the death of the SUV?
Green Car Advisor
Turning algae into crude to yield ultra-clean versions of gasoline and diesel? If it's green, John O'Dell is on top of it!
The Driving Woman
Joanne May is having a less than thrilling experience with her new Nissan Altima hybrid.
Straightline
Where else but Straightline could you find out that Honda offers dog-friendly accessories under a program called HondaDog? Even though this blog is a great source for auto news, I like the way Bob will occasionally veer off into the semi-silly. We all need to relax and laugh a bit every now and then.
AutoObserver
Michelle Krebs, veteran automotive-industry authority, joins Edmunds editors, analysts and data experts to provide news and commentary.
The Big Rigs
KC is a truck guy and if you want to take in the perspective of everything from dual rear wheel pickups to class 8 trucks to the bus that takes you to work, you'll want to check out his blog.
Thoughts from the Curb
Delve into the mind of Edmunds' automotive editor James and learn why Luigi's Classic Dragster (from the new MarioKart game for the Wii) beats out the Toyota Corolla when it comes to electric steering.
The Outside Line
Since common sense seems to be in such short supply, it's always refreshing to find someone who understands things like headlight hooliganism.
 The blogs here at Edmunds are a great way to keep up with the latest in the automotive world. So here's your Sunday newsreel of what's going on.
AutoObserver
Expect some interesting pieces from Michelle Kreb this week as the NY Auto Show swings into gear, with a couple of pieces already up about new, more efficient transmissions and how the economy and not economy cars drew a lot of attention during press days at the show.
Articles on VW sales woes and the struggle to turn Chrysler around should keep you busy and informed as well.
Green Car Advisor
John O'Dell will keep you up to date on the eco-friendly happenings at the NY Show and from around the alternative side of the automotive world. Home fueling of natural gas vehicles was covered on the blog this week, and if you have an idea for a 100 MPG vehicle you might want to check out his story on the X Prize $10 million competition.
Karl on Cars
Karl Brauer has the job you all want. Testing the newest and most interesting things on wheels, sometimes even two wheels. Sure we have to listen to him whine about his speeding tickets, but we still are hoping he'll choose us for "Bring a blog reader to work day".
Karl has tested out some fuel saving tips which could save you some cash at the pumps so be sure to check out his blog. Hey, he even has a "childhood dream cars" entry this week where we can wax nostalgic.
Straightline
Bob Holland's enthusiast-eye-view of the automotive world also heads out to the NY Show this week and I'm looking forward to his first hand impressions from the show. I'm still hoping to sneak up to the show somehow to hook up with him, but it's looking like a tough fit. Send back pictures Bob!
CarSpace Member Blogs
Don't forget to check out what the rest of us are saying. Some you'll find interesting, some will leave you scratching your head, but you can be pretty sure it's never going to be dull. Well, maybe some of it is. But at the very least it should encourage you to get your own CarSpace blog up and running. It's quick and easy to do. Don't worry that you think you don't have anything to say. You'll never know until you start typing.
 So you think you know your stuff about cars?
There are car nut and then there are car nuts, and if you want to see some of CarSpace's masters of obscure auto information in action, you owe it to yourself to stop into the Mystery Car Pix discussion on the Automotive News & Views forum.
What started as a simple challenge to see if enthusiasts could stump each other on the identification of obscure vehicles caught on and almost 14,000 posts later, the group continues to come up with photos and identifications of vehicles that you may have never heard of, but will certainly find interesting and eductaional as well. These guys know their stuff.
There have been a lot of different cars out there and some time, some place, someone took a picture of one. Your job... make the identification.
Car enthusiasts
Keepers of arcane knowledge
Lest the cars be lost
Well Dorothy... we're not in Kansas anymore! In fact, turn off the nav system, crumple up that MapQuest printout and let's find out where the next random turn may take us.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm PF_Flyer, host of the Hybrid Vehicles and Hatchbacks message boards in the CarSpace forums, and also your friendly neighborhood host of our weekly CarSpace chat sessions!
I'm one of those folks who doesn't follow the crowd. If you all are going THIS way, you're likely to find me going THAT way. I like to look at things from odd angles or even completely backwards in an effort to discover something new and interesting.
So let's drop the top, enjoy the breeze, and stop worrying... we'll get to SOMEWHERE eventually!
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