Cars, Security and a Peek into my Life
Friday’s are always heavy, but tomorrow is stacked five deep oh boy.
But then at 5pm the best thing happened – found out I’d got a due date wrong, and one deadline isn’t actually till next Friday niiiiice.
Still though, I am drowning in work… mmm, it’s been a while since I posted my help wanted ad, let’s try again hang on, I’ll go dig it up….
Have a good Thursday night, best night of the week! TTYT
Me last night at the cocktail reception that was held… outdoors (aside – think my camera is degrading, again.)
I lasted as long as it takes to inhale a coffee, and take one photo.
A few hundred kilometres today through Quebec ski towns and little villages.
Our tour included a stop at 1 of 3 Canadian Benedictine monasteries.
Neat eh. Of course I loved how quiet it was inside #LoveSilence. Should’ve told them my theory – put a monk in a race car.
They’re master cheese makers, that’s how they make money WAIT – they sell cheese to make cheese! Guys I’m tired.
Back on the road, drive drive drive.
My review will be online at Autonet very soon.
I will be recommending to spend the extra $2,200 for Mercedes’ 4MATIC All-wheel drive system, it makes a massive difference in handling.
That works out to another 7% of the total price. Exactly.
Then my flight was delayed, and delayed again, then those green loops are the plane circling for more delays.
Won’t go on, because travel stories are so very boring.
Picked up this week’s car at the airport – 2015 Infiniti Q70 – and now it’s 11pm and I’m home, the end.
Flew out at 8am, here till late tomorrow night.
This is my first Mercedes anything, both trip and test car.
Hi hi from the Olympic Basin, where we tested the car’s 4MATIC All-wheel Drive system on the ice.
New 2015 CLA 250s.
My drive partner (who requested anonymity) was so kind, he’s done this 500 times so let me do all the driving, which I did with a huge grin permantley.
Favourite moment was when I made a rooster tail, coating the passenger side with snow, I look to my right and my partner is covered, his window had been down.
1 – all hard buttons and dials, no touch nonsense; Mercedes isn’t into it either
2 – sharp looking vertical quilting on the seats eh
3 – what we’re testing – 4MATIC and ESP
Filmed a quick bit for Motoring TV (I’m back there now, just haven’t told you about it yet.) You know these guys – that’s cameraman Paul Reid in the back, and Russ Bond in the front.
My ending line was my best line:
Motoring – what about winter tires, Keri?
Me – If you don’t know by now you need them, you are beyond my help.
When departing the basin, we drove through the finish line of Canada’s only F1 racetrack.
Above is me crossing the finish line.
Got asked so many times about my skirt & tights, “aren’t you cold?”
I’m always cold regardless, so there’s that. But tights are surprisingly warm, that’s why soldiers wear them beneath their fatigues in the field, and why any good Canadian girl owns at least 5 black pairs.
Now we’re in some mountains, which is where I’m typing this hi hi.
kk early start to tomorrow, night TTYT
Blog tag = Mercedes
It’s Buick’s all-new 2015 Regal.
They’re trying their guts out to delete the badge’s old-man-stigma, and have fully-refreshed most of their lineup.
2014 Buick Regal
2.0 L Turbo
259 hp and 295 lb.-ft.
6-spd automatic / 6-spd manual
Starting at $34,895
Turbo comes standard and I repeat, comes in MANUAL.
The white is the standard Regal, the red is the sports version, the Regal GS.
Different dashes too – top is standard, bottom is GS.
There’s great detail in the interior’s finishings.
Look how the wood trim runs all the way across the dash.
Standard features include: heated seats and side mirrors, back up camera and rear pack assist, dual-zone automatic climate control, Cruise control, keyless entry, Bluetooth, SiriusXM and USB, all riding on 18″ aluminum wheels.
A clean, symmetrical interior.
For the longest time in China, if you drove a Buick you had arrived. Not a BMW or Benz… a Buick (the Emperor’s chose to be chauffeured in one is why.)
Top right – that’s a sharp door, and it doesn’t scream old man does it.
I was assigned to its launch in Cincinnati – review for the paper here, and here’s the Regal inside the world’s largest neon sign museum.
1 – it’s almost all large, hard buttons, none of this touch nonsense
2 – USB and power ports are easily accessible (you’d be surprised how often they’re not), cell sits on top
Buick is trying their guts out to re-invent themselves, add the Regal to your “To Test” list and give them a chance because…
… this is a sleeper of a sedan, built in Canada.
Metadata and EXIF data – information and data attached to a photo.
This data can be used to make educated guesses about the sender / poster, and their behaviour.
1 – time stamps – is this a fresh photo or is it canned? How old is it then, hours or weeks?
If there is no time stamp, the photo could be a screenshot, so why send a screenshot instead of the original?
2 – what was used to take the photo, a camera or phone? What make and model?
3 – is it the original or was the photo edited? What part, and why?
4 – what image number is it? Check against the number of the last photo(s) posted.
5 – is geo-location on or off? Use the coordinates to map it. Confirm they are where they said they are. Can a pattern of movement be determined by mapping the posted photos? What about cross-referencing against the time stamps?
Important to remember – it’s a guide, not an exact science, because EXIF data can be altered, or technical glitches can happen.
This is good way to find patterns, not exact facts.
