My youngest daughter was on a trip to Kansas City and called to tell me her car was having trouble starting and that the check engine light was on. If she was in town, I would direct her to take it to my favorite mechanic shop and get the problems resolved. But she wasn’t, and my mechanical aptitude is of minimum value. My advice: If the check engine light isn’t flashing, and if you can get it started, drive it home so we can get it in the shop.
Fortunately, she has a friend in the auto mechanics world, and he was able to help her out. Ultimately, it was a sensor of some sort that we bought for $100 and he swapped out. Problem solved. At least I think so. The truth is that I don’t have any idea what that sensor did or what putting a new one in fixed, but the car starts and the check engine light is off.
This process made me think of the discussions between young car guys and old car guys. The old guys yearn for the days when engines were simple and a car could be worked on without hooking up a computer to it to explain what is wrong. The young guys love the technology and seem to crave for more. I just want my car to run properly, but we must all admit that we have become accustomed to the modern “power” gadgets that we now take for granted.
Power steering. Power brakes. Power windows. Power locks. Those are givens today.
So are automatic transmissions, all-wheel drive, cruise control, back-up cameras and Bluetooth connections.
Then there are the truly amazing features like adaptive cruise control, parking assist, head-up displays, driver drowsiness detection, gesture and voice controls, autonomous driving, blind spot warnings, heat and massage functions and ambient lighting. If you don’t know what these are, you will soon, along with many more.
Just expect to continually replace more of those $100 sensor things.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
View Shane Goodman's archived columns from past issues here. |
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| CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | CITYVIEW announced its 2023 Best Of Des Moines® readers' choices Jan. 31. You can find all the results from the poll in the February issue of CITYVIEW magazine!
Best local place to catch a flick
1. The Palms Theatres & IMAX – Waukee
2. Flix Brewhouse
3. B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 & B-Roll Bowling
SEE BEST OF DES MOINES® EVENT PHOTOS HERE... | | | Read More |
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Your Clear Mortgage forecast
One or two late-day and early-evening showers are possible the next two days, but most of us will miss out on rain and enjoy nice temperatures. A warming trend carries us to the end of September.
For help with preapprovals or refinancing, get in touch with Carrie at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Featured home for sale | | | |
$349,500
377 S. 49th St.,
West Des Moines, IA 50265
Let me count the ways... to love this 3BR/2.5BA home on a large corner lot with mature trees and a picket fence. A two-story entry opens to the living room which features a handsome fireplace, oak floors, and wide trim. A spacious dining area has views out back plus a slider door to the deck.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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Anheuser-Busch (AB) is fighting back ironically. After self destructing and losing 30% of its Bud Light market by trying too hard to sell that formerly top-selling beer to transgenders, AB reeled. For poetic irony, U.S. anti-trust authorities forced AB to sell their U.S. rights to sell Modelo and Corona. Those brands took the markets Bud Light lost. Now AB is moving to take advantage of their foreign rights to those brands, particularly in Mexico. (Wall Street Journal)
Not wanting another fight over activist pressures, AB also gave in to animal rights activists and agreed to stop cutting the tails off their Clydesdales. (WSJ)
Sully's Irish Pub (110 Grand Ave., Des Moines) has two for one domestic drafts on Thursdays and $4 imports and crafts on Tuesday.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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Cornelison’s collection keeps growing
Long-time fascination with KISS sparks hobby.
By Rich Wicks
Many people can fondly tell the story of their first kiss. Randy Cornelison of Adel recently shared the story of his first KISS…album. With face makeup and pyrotechnics, KISS is one of the most well-known rock bands of all time — and Randy’s favorite band. Upon inviting a guest to view his KISS collection, the first comment Randy makes is, “This is not everything. I have a lot more. I’ve been told more than once I can open up my own little museum. If we ever have a house again, I will fill it.”
“I grew up in Earlham, and they were a release,” he says of his obsession with the band. “It was my world getaway, because Earlham is a small town. It kept me out of a lot of trouble, and it got me through a lot of times.
Read the rest of the story in the latest issue of Adel Living magazine. |
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FROM KCCI: Human skull found in wooded area of Des Moines
DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines police say human remains were found Saturday in a wooded area on the city's east side. Officers responded late Saturday morning to the wooded area southwest of SE 36th Street and Vandalia Road to a report of the discovery, according to a news release. Officials said they confirmed the discovery of the human skull but did not release any other details Monday morning. ... READ MORE FROM KCCI
FROM WHO-TV: 24 years later the Iowa State Capitol gets a 23.75-karat gold facelift
DES MOINES, Iowa — Every 30 or so years, the gold leafing at the Iowa State Capitol building needs to be redone. The last time the gold was redone was in 1999, costing almost half a million dollars. ... READ MORE FROM WHO-TV
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: AP Top 25: Iowa and Colorado both drop out of poll after blowout road losses
The Ducks' blowout of Deion Sanders' Colorado team knocked the Buffaloes all the way out of the AP Top 25 from No. 19. ...READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5 |
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| Birthdays and notables! | | | These celebrities were born on this date:Ben Shenkman, Bryan Ferry, Cesar Rosas, Christina Milian, Linda Hamilton, Serena Williams, Shawn Stockman, Zoe Perry
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle:
What happened after the rock musician messed up in the middle of a number? HE HAD A TEMPO TANTRUM! Or, He was Rolled off the stage! - Gail Tomlinson
Today's riddle
How can you catch a drummer?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in this daily newsletter, contact Jolene Goodman at jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com, or call 515-953-4822 ext. 319.
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www.biggreenumbrellamedia.com. Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to get it delivered to your inbox for FREE! |
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