Just for fun...

[Chargeride]

This is Whitby, I visit often, its very goth all year round, mainly because its derelict Abby was the inspiration for Dracula.
They have a huge goth meet, though it seems a bit more steampunky halloween to me..

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

This is Whitby, I visit often, its very goth all year round, mainly because its derelict Abby was the inspiration for Dracula.
They have a huge goth meet, though it seems a bit more steampunky halloween to me..

Really enjoyed that! What ebikes do goths prefer?

The Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) — also celebrated in early November, and hugely popular in San Diego — seems to speak to the same human need.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

This is Whitby, I visit often, its very goth all year round, mainly because its derelict Abby was the inspiration for Dracula.
They have a huge goth meet, though it seems a bit more steampunky halloween to me..

This guy's a talented documentary maker. Here's another good one of his. Worth going to YouTube to watch.

My two favorite unfortunate place names in Colorado are "Poison Creek Reservoir" and "Faultline Dam". Have found nothing of that caliber in California so far, but I'm sure they're out there.

 

[Chargeride]

Truly the fastest and easiest ebike conversion.
The torque sensor is genius.

 

[Chargeride]

Headline of the Daily fail today.

 

[Roamers]

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

A recent study from the University of Essex showed that the mere act of smiling promotes positive feelings — even when forced with external electrodes! (The muscle stimulation caused no discomfort.)

Of course, we all know that smiles forced by riding an ebike do the same.

The funny posts in this thread and others bring even more smiles. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Prairie Dog]

How about a few food related quirks that we spotted during our recent travels in Japan.

The missus and I had breakfast in this family style eatery in Nippori located in a district of Tokyo that was run virtually autonomously with the exception of the kitchen staff. No kidding. There was only one human out front who would be responsible for cleaning, setting tables and answering any questions. You start by placing an order via a tablet and then wait for your food to arrive which is served at your tableside by a robot that announces its arrival. The only glitch was that R2D2 stopped 3ft from our table so we were forced to retrieve the orders ourselves unlike the customers nearest to us…go figure. Payment is also performed without human interaction as you leave the restaurant using an automated system of touchscreen functions near the exit accepting either cash or card. You can even pay with the same pre-loaded public transportation cards (Suica/Pasmo) used on the rail systems.

Seems like Japan has also done away with the sushi roller conveyors that once wound through restaurants due to sushi terrorism pranks. Apparently, there were cases where food on these belts were being tampered with by other customers. Ugh. Sooo…there has been a revolutionary shift of sorts where now the plates of raw fish, tempura, soup, and anything else you can imagine are made to order and delivered to your table on your own designated track from the kitchen without any concerns over food safety and hygiene. Dessert rolls up a couple of minutes after we punch our selection from the wireless tablet.

You simply stack the empty plates at the end of your table and continue ordering.

Need more hot tea? No problem, a scoop or two from a canister of macha powder and a handy hot water tap fills your cup on the spot.

A mall development with its own frozen food department which carries everything imaginable for the consumer who craves convenience but still demands quality.

Even an Iconic brand of Canadian fries is well stocked here.

Need an insulated tote bag or dry ice to keep your frozen prized dumplings in their chilled state? They’ve got you covered on both counts.

 

[gromike]

Those clever Japanese.

 

[PedalUma]

the mere act of smiling

In some Malcolm Gladwell book that came out about ten years-ago he quoted a study that just holding a pencil between one's teeth upped happiness scores. A forced smile. I am reading his latest, Revenge of Tipping Point. Genuine smiles are in the eyes not the mouth. A local Safeway had a 'Smile Cop' who would give reprimand notice to employees who didn't smile enough, so they would be fired. Doing something nice for someone also hugely boosts happiness. Today I gave bikes to a mom and daughter with some stuff to decorate them for a big group ride. They are super happy and that makes me happy.

 

[il Munduato]

Good movie...

 

[DaveMatthews]

 

[Chargeride]

EV launch for Trail bikes..

 

[Roamers]

 

[Roamers]

 

[Roamers]

 

[Roamers]

 

[Art Deco]

How about a few food related quirks that we spotted during our recent travels in Japan.

The missus and I had breakfast in this family style eatery in Nippori located in a district of Tokyo that was run virtually autonomously with the exception of the kitchen staff. No kidding. There was only one human out front who would be responsible for cleaning, setting tables and answering any questions. You start by placing an order via a tablet and then wait for your food to arrive which is served at your tableside by a robot that announces its arrival. The only glitch was that R2D2 stopped 3ft from our table so we were forced to retrieve the orders ourselves unlike the customers nearest to us…go figure. Payment is also performed without human interaction as you leave the restaurant using an automated system of touchscreen functions near the exit accepting either cash or card. You can even pay with the same pre-loaded public transportation cards (Suica/Pasmo) used on the rail systems.

View attachment 186611

Seems like Japan has also done away with the sushi roller conveyors that once wound through restaurants due to sushi terrorism pranks. Apparently, there were cases where food on these belts were being tampered with by other customers. Ugh. Sooo…there has been a revolutionary shift of sorts where now the plates of raw fish, tempura, soup, and anything else you can imagine are made to order and delivered to your table on your own designated track from the kitchen without any concerns over food safety and hygiene. Dessert rolls up a couple of minutes after we punch our selection from the wireless tablet.

View attachment 186614

You simply stack the empty plates at the end of your table and continue ordering.

View attachment 186613

Need more hot tea? No problem, a scoop or two from a canister of macha powder and a handy hot water tap fills your cup on the spot.

View attachment 186612

A mall development with its own frozen food department which carries everything imaginable for the consumer who craves convenience but still demands quality.

View attachment 186616
View attachment 186617View attachment 186619

Even an Iconic brand of Canadian fries is well stocked here.

View attachment 186621

Need an insulated tote bag or dry ice to keep your frozen prized dumplings in their chilled state? They’ve got you covered on both counts.

View attachment 186618View attachment 186620

No employees, no problems? IDK ...

 

[PedalUma]

Why is dyslexia so darn hard to spell?

Speaking of Lexia I think Taylor Swift should plant the line "Alexa, turn it up" in the refrain of a song, about 20 times and then end the song with the line "Alexa, play Taylor Swift." Not that I am a Swifty, its just that she is the only one who could pull it off. Oh, what if Harris had picked Swift as VP?

 

[Prairie Dog]

No employees, no problems? IDK ...

Japan does struggle with a labor shortage and with an aging population there’s just not enough people to fill positions. This is just one of the methods struggling businesses use to cope with the disparity. Despite the potential for criminal misdeeds, stores are hopping aboard the staffless trend. Even though human contact is becoming less common, Japan’s customer service is still world renown.