mlincoln

Dear Tech-Law

As any introductory economics text (e.g., Samuelson) points out, the "costs" of one's actions can be divided into internal costs and external costs, or "externalities". The classic case is the common grazing area. Without regulations, the overgrazing of a greedy few harms everyone. Governments therefore rightfully regulate individual and corporate behaviors when those actions impose unwanted and harmful external costs upon others.

The reason for all that prologue is to better explain my position: I don't have a care in the world if you or anyone choses to sit next to an operating jet engine for days on end without ear protection. As a physician I see stupidly self-inflicted diseases every day. However, someone else's cat bypass and straight pipe impose external costs upon me: these devices pollute my city and annoy me. Furthermore, these are external costs that I am not required to bear: In fact so many people agree that virtually all jurisdictions (including, I suspect, yours) have enacted laws against removing the catalytic converter and running overly loud exhaust systems on the street.

I don't intend to belabor this point, and, as I said in my initial post, I did not mean to offend anyone. However, if some readers end up putting put one and one together to make two, i.e. illegal mod + harms my health = I won't do this, then I'll be a bit happier. If you are an attorney (presumption based upon the monikor "Tech-Law") then I assume you already know most of this. Furthermore, if you are indeed an officer of the court and member of the bar, then you have probably sworn to uphold these and similar laws. Or should someone only obey laws they personally support, and only at those times when it suits them to do so?

--Mike

motion

mlincoln - Do us all a favor and PLEASE keep your self-inflicted aversion to all things non-conformist to yourself. We really don't give a $hit about your opinion, in case you haven't figured that out yet.

Jeff - Sounds like you have similar tastes to my own . I should be receiving my Fabspeed Maxflows any day... will let you know how they sound!

mlincoln

Motion, if you are so bothered by a different viewpoint that you feel obliged to make profane attacks in lieu of a genuinely thoughtful response, then I belive a PM would be more appropriate (and save everyone's bandwidth). As I said at first, I was offering my opinion, and I'm not interested in a rant, nor in offending any reasonable person.

--Mike

hatchy

The plane that tows your Grob Twin Astir sailplane doesn't have cats, and it probably burns leaded fuel. These are external costs that I am not required to bear. Please destroy your sailplane.

mlincoln

Dear Hatchy,

I sometimes fly the towplane when I'm not gliding, so I'm familiar with it. It is a Cessna 182-L, and it burns 100 LL like most SEL aircraft. And yes, it has no catalysts: virtually no aircraft do. Of course, both aircraft are certified with standard airworthiness certificates, and maintained and operated in compliance with FAA rules. Therefore you do not bear unwarranted costs. My 993 is operated under similar conditions: a personal choice. If you have a constructive comment, please make it. If you have a petulant comment, a PM will save everyone else's time.

--Mike

hatchy

So it is fine for you to pollute because the FAA is too lame and slow to tell you otherwise? Get off your soapbox Mike, when you fly your little plane, the exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulphur dioxide, Benzene, Formaldehyde, etc just like cars without cats. And if you are concerned about peoples bandwidth, how about trimming your life's story from your tag line? No one is going to jerk off to your glider besides you.

Randy M

Best, Randy

motion

Hey mlincon - I have an idea for you. Take your rant about excessive noise and how it affects your quality of life over here: http://www.v-twinforum.com/forums

Be sure and tell them your full name and where you live. I guarantee they won't be as tolerant as this group.

Randy M

THAT is hilarious
Although they may wear the same helmet:

fbfisher

Part of the value and the fun of these boards is the opportunity to express diverse opinions.

Example: In a recent thread there were opinions expressed about whether or not a person got ripped off by the tech who replaced the a/c and oil cooler resisters. Some thought he did, others thought he didn't. Each was justified in their interpretation. No flames were thrown.

I know that MLincoln takes many hits (some deserved) but let's leave room for diverse opinions. After all, this isn't the GT2/GT3 forum.

Also, reading these threads where Mike throws in a line and you all jump at the bait are like a bad accident, you don't want to look but you just have to - I think I would miss them if they went away.

mlincoln

Dear FB,

Thank you for the kind words. To the board: I am not trying to be excessively rigid by sometimes commenting on noise/speed/pollution issues. I am not against the occasional (relatively safe) burst of speed, nor getting a nice motor sound (within limits), and so forth. After all, even Alan Greenspan is probably subject to moments of "irrational exuberance"!

Therefore, I have tried to limit my occasional comments on such threads to episodes of what I'll (tongue in cheek) term "egregious exuberance", such as running 110+ mph on urban expressways, unduly carping about police officers who have given someone a deserved ticket and who in general spend a greater proprotion of their time saving lives and solving crimes for surprisingly low pay, and extreme noise pollution such as running with straight pipes in a street car.

I agree that the repartee has sometimes gotten out of hand, and that I've sometimes gotten deservedly flames for ad hominem attacks on _my_part. For this reason, I have previously apologized to the board.

So in summary, please excuse the occasional "irrational verbal exuberance" on my part, and I'll try to be more continent with my words. But I also agree with FB Fischer that a valuable part of this board (in addition to comraderie, information, group buys, etc) is the ability to sample diverse, respectful opinions expressed by the Porsche faithful.

Best, Mike

motion

PM from my buddy mlincoln:
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how frustrating!

Dear Motion,

How frustrating it must be for you to be so inarticulate! I suggest we go fly some inverted aerobatics as an icebreaker. I'll have you begging to land after the first loop. Actually, we probably won't even get that far. Just circling at 2 "G's" in a 60 degree angle of bank as part of a normal climb to altitude will almost certainly make you puke. If your eye-hand-mental skills match your presumably absymal verbal SAT score, then I think you'd better stick to pressing that right foot and pointing your car. I doubt you could handle a truly challenging sport, like flying...or a truly challenging mental activity, like expressing yourself in a civil manner. But what to expect from a guy with rainbow hair...?

Best, Mike

__________________
Mike Lincoln
1995 911 C4 sunroof coupe: Midnight Blue Metallic, stock, no radar detector
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I didn't think my English was THAT bad... oh well, can't please everyone. And by the way, Mike, quit ****$ING PMING ME, YOU MORON. Thank you.

adsc4s

I have seen Mike's previous run-ins with previous posts and no doubt some of the backlash is deserved. However, I believe he has every right to share his opinions as the rest of us.

IMHO, a loud exhaust is nothing compared to the smoker puffing on a cigarette in the booth next to me, a rude adult using profanity in the presence of my two young kids, etc.

PM's are PM's.

Rick

ADSC4S,
You're 'spot on' with your comments; Mike is completely free to comment in any way that he wants to and to some degree I agree with his opinions - I'd like to get a little bit more volume out of my car but I'm not interested in raising it the volume level of some of the Harley's or coffee-can muffled cars that cruise up & down my road. I really don't care for their obnoxious noise and I won't do that to others.
The issue is that seems to get Mike in a pickle from time to time is the way in which he chooses to communicate - it's crass and at times juvenile which only gets people irritated. He’d have much better chance of getting people to see his point (& perhaps agree) with better communication skills.
BTW - I wouldn't agree any more with your last comments; they're at the top of my list of pet peeves.
Cheers,
Rick

Rob993

Hey, open pipes would probably start an avalanche where I live! Two days ago I was getting the car ready for the season and now snow - that apparently won't stop until the weekend. (Picture shot 10 minutes ago)
I can say one thing, read'n the board is better than anything else on TV!
Rob