Below are the 8 most recent journal entries recorded in Jon's LiveJournal:

Sunday, February 19th, 2006
4:51 pm	More from the 2006 Chicago Auto Show Here are more pictures I took at the auto show. I wish I had been able to see more, but oh well. Here is a photo of the front of the Hyundai Sonata that I had in the first post. Like I said earlier, this car is all new for the 2006 model year, and has received acclaim from the press. This is a pic of the Sonata's engine. It is all aluminium V-6, and it is the first in Hyundai's new Lambda engine family. It displaces 3.3 litres, and produces 235 hp. I think it looks cool, too. This is a shot of the interior of the Hyundai Azera, which is their new flagship sedan. I am not the biggest fan of the wood on the steering wheel, but it is pretty nice nonetheless. The dash reminds me of about a 12 year old Lexus. I am not trying to be mean, as I like older Lexus cars. Here is the sedan version of the Civic Si. I think it is neat that Honda will (or is thinking of offering) offer this combination. I myself would prefer that powertrain in a regular EX model. I am not the biggest fan of the 'tuner' looking cars. Like I said before, I do not give the concept cars a whole lot of attention, but I think this one is interesting. It is the Chevy Camaro. I can see them bringing this back, like the Challenger over at Dodge. I realize it is a concept, but I do not see the need for the 20"+ size wheels. That is a trend that has been influenced by style, but it really does not improve the performance of the car in the way of handling or ride comfort. Those wheels are a lot of unsprung weight and are easy to damage. I would bet those weigh 80 pounds or more each. That's it for me. (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 16th, 2006
3:47 am	Chicago Auto Show 2006 I got the chance to go to the auto show this year. Unfortunately, I did not see all I would have liked to, as I arrived late. I did see most of what I wanted to look at, though. I did bring my camera... I did not take a bunch of pictures of the concept cars, as I feel they are photographed enough in my opinion. I like to look at cars that will make good daily drivers. These virtues consist of (for me) good quality, value, and decent or better than average fuel economy. Here are some of my picks from the show that fulfill these requirements. The Toyota Camry Hybrid. This is the hybrid version of newly redesigned for 2006 Camry, which is the one of the best selling cars in the country. It is for good reason, from its outstanding reputation for quality and dependability. This hybrid model achieves excellent mileage, in excess of 40 MPG in the city while having the performance of the six cylinder model. Toyota's hybrid system allows the car to drive around on electric power only, with the gas engine turned off for extended periods of time. This helps the car to achieve its exceptional economy, in addition to many other engineering strides. The Toyota Corolla. This car achieves great mileage without the help of a hybrid system. It proves that good fuel economy does not mean sacrificing comfort or performance. It has good power from its small but well designed engine. Its light weight makes the most of the engines' power. Its interior is roomy and the quality of materials is outstanding for this class of car. The Honda Accord Hybrid. This sedan, like the Camry hybrid, achieves its economy boost with a hybrid system. The Honda hybrid system does not allow the car to drive around on electric power only as extensively as the Toyota system does. It is no slouch, nonetheless. Unlike the Camry hybrid, the Accord has a more powerful V-6 engine. It has a combined output of 253hp. It achieves a very good 29 MPG city and 37 highway. Unfortunately, it is the most expensive Accord, around $30,000. The Hyundai Sonata. This car is all new for 2006. It is the first Hyundai to be assembled in North America. It has an impressive array of standard equipment including electronic stability control, and front and rear side impact airbags. It has a new all aluminium V-6 engine that is also built here. I am really amazed at how much Hyundai improves their cars with each generation. This car is a good deal, at about $23,000 loaded, and it has the best warranty in the industry. It has been well received in the press, too. The Hyundai Elantra. This small sedan, like the Sonata, has a lot of equipment that costs extra on many cars. It has a fairly powerful 4 cylinder engine that unfortunately does not get quite the same mileage as the one in the Corolla. However, the car is well appointed and and affordable at about $ 17,000. loaded. At that price it has leather seats. Last thing. I saw this kiosk at the Saturn exhibit. It looks like Saturn got together with Apple on this one. Maybe there will be future collaboration... Perhaps a iON or iVUE. I am not sure about this... If they try to come up with the answer to BMW's IDrive, the results may be scary. "You must undock the comfort and convenience panel to use the defroster." or "The control for the radio presets is docked in the 'trunk release' menu" or "With Saturn airport iKey, the car starts automatically when iKey is brought within 15 feet of the car." "To shut off the engine, simply throw the iKey out of the window." That is all. (Comment on this)
Monday, December 26th, 2005
12:49 am	Merry Christmas Hello everyone, it has been quite some time since I have last updated this journal, but I thought now would be a good time. I got a digital camera for Christmas, and I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my photos from our Christmas gathering... Here they are. This year, they decided that instead of the traditional turkey or ham, they would go with homemade pizza and spaghetti. It was very good. A merry belated Christmas and happy new year to everyone! The dough the pizza started with... Its alive! The pizza with everything, and the kitchen sink... Another pizza, with less toppings. This was the spaghetti, mostly eaten. And for fun, a truly meaningful picture... For dessert, my aunt made a ice cream cake. Like everything else she made, it was very good. Here is the aftermath of the dessert... Here is the tree at my uncles' place. My uncle remodeled the bathrooms at his place, he installed these awesome Serbian shower heads. From what I've heard, the Serbians are fanatical about their showers. Current Music: Genesis That's All (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 1st, 2003
10:12 pm	It's been a good holiday season so far. That is, uneventful.I am awaiting a shipment of parts for the Alpaca Monitors. I am looking forward to the completion of my speakers. The preproduction prototype research program has proved to be invaluable. Hopefully, the enjoyable results of the prototype will be preserved and improved upon. Future projects on the horizon will most certainly be a powered subwoofer made to complement the Monitors in the bottom half octave. The speakers' -3dB point is around 62 Hertz, which is more than adequate for most types of program material. The subwoofer will extend the speaker's range to slightly below 40Hz. The only other project I can think of will possibly be a grown up version of the Alpaca. The speaker will stand on the floor and have an extension of its bass and output capabilities. It will maintain the distinctive qualities of the stand-mounted Alpaca. More importantly, it is the New Year. May all of God's blessings of health, happiness, and success be bestowed upon everyone in the New Year. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 14th, 2002
2:19 pm	Poll #53581 Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6 Does this work? View Answers (Comment on this)
Friday, August 9th, 2002
10:23 pm	It has most certainly been an interesting day. I was involved in a minor fender-bender, but I wasn't injured. All in all, it was a quasi productive day. Carried about 1.5 tons of roofing shingles for the house. However, I'm lucky enough to not have to carry them onto the roof. Soon enough, I'll be able to assemble the cabinets for the Alpacas. The Alpaca bass lives. Also, I heard that the Bud Billekin Parade is this weekend. Oh Joy!!!!!!!!!! I simply can't wait to go? Hopefully, the weekend will be productive: to a point. Current Mood: numb Current Music: Tchaikovski: Marche Slave (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 6th, 2002
8:09 pm	Just a boring average day. Almost shocked myself, but a average day. Finished the Alpaca crossovers: found that infrasonic filter schematic listed in the sixth ed. Loudspeaker Cookbook by Vance Dickason is line level, rather than speaker level. It seems to work a little better when one uses a design the way it was intended to be used. I will start to assemble the cabinets soon. they will utilize 3/4" thick sides and back, while the front panel uses a 1.5" thick front baffle to help minimize vibration induced coloration. The finish is yet to be decided. It will most likely be cherry veneer or possibly maple veneer. The crossovers seem to work well, which is a good sign in my book. Current Mood: shocked Current Music: Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 30th, 2002
8:20 pm	Like Wowwie Kazowie! It's so cool to be on LJ I work in my family's construction/remodeling business. I usually help with everything ranging from landscaping to electrical. Well, we have been doing some remodeling on an old Victorian era house. We are currently rehabing the bathroom of this old building and low and behold, I got to help the electrician. I learned some of the do's and don'ts of electrical. Do:be careful. Don't: touch live wires to your tongue.(just kidding!) But all in all, it was a pretty ordinary day. I love music, and since I am completely not musically inclined(I can't chew gum and whistle at the same time? Is that how it goes)so naturally I would enjoy listening to music. However, I cannot afford the kind of stereo equipment that I find musically satisfying. Therefore I have entered the hobby of homemade high end audio. For me, it is the perfect combination of thriftiness and quality. Today I received shipment of parts for my current project. I have been waiting for these parts for about a week. My current project is an affordable highish end minimonitor. It in theory is phase and time (to a point) coherent. It is a quasi 4 ohm speaker but it should'nt be difficult to drive for it has a fairly constant impedance throughout its frequency range. It is called the Alpaca I. It combines a five and one quarter inch mid-bass from Peerless and a tweeter from Morel. I am looking forward to assembling my crossover network this evening. More updates will be added as they occur. Also, it is cool to be writing my first LJ post. Current Mood: Cautiously Optimistic Current Music: Stravinski;The Rite of Spring (Comment on this)