About Griffin

Midwestern Honda rider

Recent posts

• Follow Following 1 Anyone else watch Less Than Kind? Griffin asked in Television 1 day ago 2 Answers by Bauhaus , Russ Campbell, NWEBS…

• Comment on Tom's answer…

  0 0 1) you've got an old Honda. It's going to burn oil, so you'll need to stay on top of that. It's got a wet clutch, so you'll need to keep it lubed/greased, and it's got carbs which, while it usually isn't terribly difficult, will require adjusting and potentially rebuilding if the bike has been parked for 25 years with varnished fuel. Chain drive, so you'll have to check the tension and wear. 2) Not sure what kind of clutch this has, but it probably won't leak/burn as much oil as the Honday. It's got fuel injection, so there's no carb futzing. Belt final drive, so you have to check the stretch but with that few miles you've got very little to worry about. Both bikes are air cooled, which is simpler to deal with. Are you thinking of buying one or the other bike? What you should get depends on which is more comfortable for you to ride, firstly, and secondarily your aptitude and patience for mechanical stuff. My father in law would go for the Honda, but he likes to do all his own repairs. However, even in perfect mechanical shape, it won't have the guts of the Suzuki, so not a great choice if you want something for the highways. Bike shops will gladly fix a newer Suzuki for you, if you don't want to do your own work, but you'll pay for the privilege. Either way, should you get a bike, get the Clymer guide or the factory book on it. They're not that expensive and are quite handy. Griffin commented 2 days ago

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  What is the equivalent of the 3000 mile oil change for most motorcycles?

  0 0 I change my oil at the beginning of the season, but that's because my bike is 40 and I don't race it. Other stuff that I do is: grease the zerks on its frame and lube the chain once a season, check the oil (it's old, it burns and leaks, so I check it at least once a week), check the tires (again, once a week), check the brake pads once at the beginning and end of the season, check chain tension when I remember. I wash my air filter socks when they need it, which is wholly dependent on how much and where I've been riding. It's pretty much like a car, except it's much easier to see all the pieces. Bikes are more fuel efficient in that you can get more miles per gallon and thus release less C02, but they release more hydrocarbons, CO, and nitrogen oxides than cars because the engines aren't as efficient, even with catalytic converters. Mythbusters investigated this, and are actually publishing a paper about it. Here's a summary: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/09/mythbusters-motorcycle-emissions.html They declare the bike vs. car thing at best a wash. Bikes are a hell of a lot of fun, though. Griffin answered in Cars & Motorcycles 2 days ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  Where can I get a pet tag that is saltwater-proof?

  0 0 Zip ties. Won't save the tag, but many of those are aluminum anyway. Griffin answered in Dogs 2 days ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  Cat won't stop eating wires

  0 0 Letting your cat try a higher voltage is likely to backfire, as it may give your cat inadvertent electroshock therapy and thus make him forget what he just did. Our rabbits do the same thing, and I can almost see the thought bubbles. "Ooh, a cord! It looks tasty! nom nom "maybe this wasn't a good idea" nom Zzt! "Ooh, a cord!" repeat ad nauseum. Rabbits seem to be drawn to electricity, as I once placed an already eaten, unplugged laptop cable on the floor near them, and they went straight for the live cable. Silly rabbits. Does your cat only eat live wires, or does he eat anything with a plasticky coating? Perhaps try switching your deterrent flavor? Cats do not like citrus, so try switching up your bitter apple with lemon or lime. A switch from regular to lemon-scented SOS pads was the only way we got my childhood cat to stop eating steel wool--he lived to 18 so it didn't hurt him. Griffin answered in Cats 4 days ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  how can i build up my breast milk?

  2 0 I was in the same boat not so long ago. Go talk to a lactation consultant at the hospital where you gave birth for advice, before you do much else. What helped for me was pumping like crazy. I'd pump after my son had gone to bed, I'd get up early before he did and pump, I'd pump while he napped. You get the idea. I strongly recommend getting extra pumping equipment so that you don't have to pump and immediately wash everything. Try to pump for 15 minutes each time you do so (assuming a double pump). Freeze what you can for your baby to take later. Stay hydrated, as you know. And eat. Breast milk has 20-30 calories per ounce, and a baby needs about 3oz per pound of body weight daily. A 10 pound infant thus consumes 600-900 calories a day from you; you also burn some calories by making milk. You have to eat enough for your own caloric needs plus your baby's. I'm guessing that your 8 hour days are work. You should be pumping 2 or 3 times each day while you're at work, so you'll get milk there for your baby to drink the next day. With very few exceptions, employers are required to provide you with break time (although these breaks may be unpaid) and a safe, clean place (not a bathroom) to pump while you are at work. http://www.breastfeedingwa.org/working can help you if you are in Washington. http://www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers/faqBTNM.htm is the federal stuff. Nurse your baby before you leave and as soon as you get home. Pumping and nursing will increase your supply. Good luck. Griffin answered in Pregnancy & Newborn 5 days ago Answer, comment & read 5 more answers »

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  How long can bread dough rise before baking?

  2 0 Oh, ADY isn't the best way to go. It's finicky about the temperature of the liquids in the bread dough and half of the yeast is dead in the packet anyway--it's just what happens to it in the processing. Yeast is a single cell organism, and it will live and grow and make CO2 as long as there is sugar around for it to eat, not too much metabolic byproduct (which is alcohol and CO2, mostly) surrounding it, and the cells aren't too crowded (yeasts make clumps when they divide, and the cells in the middle can die if the clumps aren't busted up periodically by kneading and punching down).How long that is depends on how much sugar is in your dough, the temperature of the dough while mixing and proofing, yeast brand, and so on. Several things to try: 1) Switch to instant yeast. It doesn't care about the liquid temperature as much, most of the cells are alive in the packet, and it's much easier to work with. 2) Use a sourdough starter. There's plenty of sites on the interwebs that will tell you how to start this, or you probably know someone who has a sourdough that they'll share. If you make bread more than once a week, your starter (once created) will last pretty much forever as long as you keep feeding it. 3) Do your rises in the refrigerator. Cold slows yeast cell metabolism, so they get a longer "growing season" as it were, and you won't need to punch down the dough as often. Slower rise=better flavor. 4) Try this method for bread. You add very little yeast and a lot of water and time, and away you go. Griffin answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks 7 days ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

• Comment on Griffin's answer…

  0 0 Yeah, if it's a needle phobia, there's plenty that can be done. Including local painkillers (like lidocaine) so you don't feel the needle, being coached to look away, having another person in the room to hold your hand, and making sure that the best phlebotomist on staff gets to do the honors. If you go in hydrated, you'll have a better time of it because your veins will pop up better, the phlebotomist will have an easier time getting the needle in the vein, and you'll bleed faster so the whole thing will be over more quickly. Nowadays, staff can use a single stick to pull several vials of blood at once, too, so don't worry about getting stabbed repeatedly for each test, should your doctor decide that you need bloodwork. Good luck. Griffin commented 7 days ago

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  Can doctors test for vitamin deficiency with a finger prick?

  3 0 Whenever I get my Vitamin D levels checked (which is annually, as I tend to be deficient), I have to have a single vial of blood drawn. Finger pricks are good for blood sugar and white cell counts, but not so good for quantitative assays, especially if you need several different tests. What do you mean by having a hard time with blood tests? You faint, or your veins are tricky, or you have a needle phobia? If you tell your doctor, s/he can usually help you with those concerns. Tiredness can also be environmental (new street light or loud apartment mate) or a hormonal problem (hypothyroidism). You need to go to a doctor, be upfront about your problem, whatever it may be, with blood draws, and potentially get prescribed a multivitamin and a chat with a nutritionist. Griffin answered in Drugs & Supplements 7 days ago Answer and comment »

• Comment on soundslikepuget's answer…

  0 0 Thanks, but I don't live in Washington. Griffin commented 9 days ago

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