SeeTheHour.Com http://www.seethehour.com Blogging. Videos. Photos. Creative Writing. Everything Themed with an Hour of the Day. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:18:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Hills Music Video http://www.seethehour.com/2011/11/30/hills-music-video/ http://www.seethehour.com/2011/11/30/hills-music-video/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:17:47 +0000 Connor http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1401 http://www.seethehour.com/2011/11/30/hills-music-video/feed/ 0 The Best High School Lip Dub Ever! http://www.seethehour.com/2011/11/05/the-best-high-school-lib-dub-ever/ http://www.seethehour.com/2011/11/05/the-best-high-school-lib-dub-ever/#comments Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:12:11 +0000 Connor http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1396 ]]> http://www.seethehour.com/2011/11/05/the-best-high-school-lib-dub-ever/feed/ 0 Sanitary Love http://www.seethehour.com/2011/08/15/sanitary-love/ http://www.seethehour.com/2011/08/15/sanitary-love/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 01:21:37 +0000 Connor http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1388 ]]> http://www.seethehour.com/2011/08/15/sanitary-love/feed/ 1 The Pirate Bay, and you’re false impressions on torrenting. http://www.seethehour.com/2010/09/08/thepiratebay/ http://www.seethehour.com/2010/09/08/thepiratebay/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:08:53 +0000 Tyler http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1367 http://www.seethehour.com/2010/09/08/thepiratebay/feed/ 1 Lomography Redscale ISO 50-200 http://www.seethehour.com/2010/09/06/redscale/ http://www.seethehour.com/2010/09/06/redscale/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:54:11 +0000 Atticus http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1313 http://www.seethehour.com/2010/09/06/redscale/feed/ 1 Super DIY Pinhole http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/24/pinhole/ http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/24/pinhole/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:36:02 +0000 Atticus http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1251 http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/24/pinhole/feed/ 1 Z-Fest 2010 (A Zelda Festival) http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/17/z-fest-2010-a-zelda-festival/ http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/17/z-fest-2010-a-zelda-festival/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:10:07 +0000 Connor http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1282 http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/17/z-fest-2010-a-zelda-festival/feed/ 0 Best Summer Ever! Makajawan 2010 http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/15/best-summer-ever-makajawan-2010/ http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/15/best-summer-ever-makajawan-2010/#comments Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:08:33 +0000 Tyler http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1268 http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/15/best-summer-ever-makajawan-2010/feed/ 1 The Death of the Stick Shift http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/07/the-death-of-the-stick-shift/ http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/07/the-death-of-the-stick-shift/#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:13:46 +0000 Dan http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1238 Lame. That's what this post was going to be. Lame. There are hundreds of people who have written posts bitching about how paddle shift gearboxes are taking over the sports car and manual gearboxes are becoming a way of the past. This meaning that we've lost the only true way to "be a part of the driving experience." This post was going to be another one of those posts, but here's the problem. I've never driven a stick shift in my life. I've never done it, I don't know how to do it, and I'm about to write an article stating how sad I am that they're dying out? No, I refuse to blindly write a post based on the popular consensus without actually having experienced the thing that I'm going to miss oh so much once it has gone away. I am undoubtedly a huge motorhead. I love all things cars. I enjoy seeing them, hearing them, photographing them, and now driving them. I've driven one sports car in my life: The 2010 Bentley Continental Supersport Convertible. It was an incredible experience. A $250,000 car, all to myself. I drove it up to about 105mph on the highway, but I could tell it wanted more. The sound was incredible, the drive was incredible, and that 20 minute test drive flew by in an instant. But, like most new cars, it had a paddle shift gearbox. Stick shift was not even an option. Paddle shift is easy, so easy that a wide-smiled sixteen year old kid like myself could hop in and drive the thing like they've been doing it all their life. You push "up" to up shift, and "down" to down shift. Simple as that. No clutch, no physical shifting of the gears, just buttons. I quite liked it, but then again I had never driven a stick shift before. So today was the day, time to finally see what stick shift is all about. My friend Jake took me out in his shiny, red 2006 VW Beetle. (Don't laugh) It had the all sacred 5 speed manual gearbox that I had heard about for years. I was ready to give it a go. For those of you who don't know how a stick shift works, you're about to get a little lesson. First off, Jake picked me up at my house around 3pm. I hopped into the passenger seat and we then took off to find an open parking lot. "The school parking lot just down the road should do just fine," said Jake. As we drove, I watched him. I remember thinking, "What a piece of cake. Clutch down, shift and you're good to go." He made it look effortless, working his way up to fifth gear and then crusing at a solid 45mph. We arrived at the parking lot, and I got behind the wheel. He told me to start the car, push in the clutch and turn the key. I did. Then, I threw it into first gear. He told me to let off the brake, push down the clutch, and slowly ease off the clutch and on to the gas. I tried, and failed. I let off to quickly, the car jerked and came to a dead stop. "You killed it," he said. At this point, I became a little more nervous. I had failed at simply putting the car into first gear. We started the car back up, and I was extra careful and eased off much slower. We were off, and it was time for the first gear change into second. Clutch down, shift, eased off. "Killed it," he said again. The day was not looking very successful at this point. "It's all about finding that sweet spot in the clutch where you know you you can shift without a hitch." We spent about an hour, circling the parking lot over and over. With each go around, I began to get more and more used to it. "I've only taught stick shift to a few other people, but you're my best student," he said. I was getting the hang of it. I was not to the point where I could do it effortlessly. My concentration was 100% focused on shifting. "Brake, clutch, turn, shift, ease off, ease on the gas." I would repeat this to myself every lap we did. At one point we started talking about music, when all the sudden, my concentration had shifted towards conversing. And predictably, "Ah, ya killed it!" Jake only said this three times to me throughout the day, which I didn't think was too bad. By the end, my skill level had reached to the point where I could drive a stick shift if my life depended on it, but I would not feel comfortable driving someone's Ferrari. In fact, I was invited to do just that. I was recently offered the chance to drive a 1977 Ferrari 308 GTS. Yep, just like Magnum did. That was my real motivation to finally learn how to drive stick shift. However, I think I'll have to politely decline the offer. I'm just not ready for it. Jake said it best,"You need to have a car with stick shift that you can practice on every day. The first month I had it I spent stalling at stoplights and hiccuping in between shifts. You eventually get the hang of it, but repitition is key. Finding that sweet spot, developing that effortless muscle memory." It's true what they say, you really have to know your car to drive a stick shift properly. So different than the paddle shift gear box, where anybody can hop in and drive it like a pro. So at this point you're thinking, "Good. Now he can finally write an honest post about how the stick shift shouldn't die." Well, you'd be wrong. I think it should die. Well, maybe that's a little harsh. I'll put it this way. Stick shift is very hard to master. It truly is an art, a skill, a talent. But what about me? Say I'm the average millionaire guy who wants to buy a Ferrari to have some fun. (LOL!) I don't want to have to fuddle around with a clutch and finding the right balance of easing off of it and onto the gas. It's a lot of work and concentration. And for what, so you can "feel the car more?" A 360 Spider is going to take you from 0-60 in under four seconds with the top down and the wind in your hair. THAT is feeling the car. I don't need a third pedal to feel the car. And the majority agrees with me, which is why manufacturers like Ferrari have completely killed off the manual gear box. It's all paddle shifting from now on. Why? Because there simply wasn't enough of a market for the manual gear box. Paddle shift is the way of today. It's like a video game, in a way. It's quicker than a manual, more efficient than a manual, and much much easier. Here's my honest opinion on the whole situation. Stick shift is not for me. (yet) I need practice, and every first timer does. It's not my favorite driving experience, but a lot of people love it. So here's the question. Why can't we have both? Ferrari claims they can't keep it around because there isn't a big enough market for it. If that were true, new Ferrari buyers wouldn't complaining that they can't get a 6 speed on their new 458 Italia, but they are. It's not right for me, but stick shift is the preferred way for a lot of drivers out there. Seriously, Ferrari has made a mistake. Am I sad that the stick shift is dying? No. Am I disappointed that the stick shift is dying? Yes.]]> http://www.seethehour.com/2010/08/07/the-death-of-the-stick-shift/feed/ 2 Happy Birthday Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling! http://www.seethehour.com/2010/07/31/harry-bday-2010/ http://www.seethehour.com/2010/07/31/harry-bday-2010/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:49:57 +0000 Connor http://www.seethehour.com/?p=1225 Ahh yes, July 31 is here again. Harry Potter has turned 30 today! Happy Birthday! Hopefully he plans to do something special with Ginny and the kids. Also, to those of you who don't normally give out birthday wishes to fictional characters, it is J.K Rowling'sBirthday as well! She is turning 45! Hopefully not too old to get to work on a Harry Potter encyclopedia....or even better...book 8!

Happy Birthday guys!

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