This is a long shot/AMA if anybody cares

"E. Julius" (soonerfrommi)
04/07/2015 at 16:52 • Filed to: Spellopnik

Did any other Opponauts compete in the National Spelling Bee? I've always wanted to meet somebody else who has. Here's a photo of a photo I dug up of me competing back in the day:

Be sure to put on your PPE, as high levels of swag are being emitted, even from this copy of the original. /s

DISCUSSION (38)

Textured Soy Protein > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 16:55

I competed in my eighth grade geography bee. I got second place because I didn't correctly name some upper layer of the atmosphere, like troposphere or stratosphere or something. That's not even geography!

E. Julius > Textured Soy Protein
04/07/2015 at 16:56

You were robbed.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 16:58

Sppelinng. Injiners luv eet...

area man > Textured Soy Protein
04/07/2015 at 16:58

I got to the state finals where I was knocked out of the first round by a geology question. Twas some bullshit.

ly2v8-Brian > Textured Soy Protein
04/07/2015 at 17:08

Technically that is physical geography.

ly2v8-Brian > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 17:10

Won the school's geography be in middle school. Didn't go further than that. Got a medal though. So that's kind of cool, I guess.

Klaus Schmoll > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 17:11

Do you plan on getting a car when you get back and if so, what will it be?

jariten1781 > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 17:12

Nope, but I dominated in Quiz Bowl. They kindly asked me and a chick on my team to stop competing and become 'student judges' after we wrecked the Oklahoma state circuit for two years straight.

E. Julius > ly2v8-Brian
04/07/2015 at 17:55

Nice!

E. Julius > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2015 at 19:20

I actually already have one waiting for me! I joined Oppo after I moved to France so I haven't had many opportunities to post about it or anything, but this is my 2004 Honda Civic that I've had for almost four years now.

Kinja'd!!!

A good, dependable car. Not the most exciting in the world, but after 9 months with only a handful of hours behind the wheel I'm eagerly anticipating our reunion. As far as acquiring new stuff though, I am planning on getting a motorcycle! Expect some posts about that for sure.

E. Julius > jariten1781
04/07/2015 at 19:22

Quiz Bowl is the shit. I loved doing that at my school, but the participation was sort of sporadic so we didn't really have a regular team. If we ever meet up we'll have to do a trivia throwdown to see if you're as good as you say you are ; )

jariten1781 > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 19:32

Haha, I'm decent at trivia...maybe top 25%...but there's tons upon tons of folks with more trivia knowledge. My Quiz Bowl domination skills were being a beast on the buzzer and being able to divine what the question was before the judge finished reading it. Toss ups and lightning rounds were all mine. We could regularly get more points in a single lightning round than the other team did in the whole match.

Klaus Schmoll > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 19:57

So that's where your old screenname came from! As you might know, I quite like older Japanese cars for their reliability.

*does mental maths* 0111000001100011001010101000011000010001000111111100010100010

Was it a graduation present?

It's just... you know... hmmmm... how to put it politely... that bra. It's something from the American car culture that never really caught on here. We have lifted Ram Bro-dozers, muscle cars, F&F stuff, stretched Town Cars, you have been around, you know what I'm talking about. Just the bras are REALLY rare. I have seen one or two in Europe over the years, and that includes livivng in Heidelberg.

When I was in Arizona people told me that it was a way to make your car look different. And I also understand that they are meant to protect the hood from stone chips in winter and those nasty insects in summer, but aren't you worried about differences in paint fade and little particles getting underneath it and acting as sandpaper? Just curious.

E. Julius > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2015 at 20:21

Haha yes, and I have a couple other Civic themed names in the pipeline. It's been a good car and I'm pretty happy with it, especially the dependability. My parents never called it a graduation present, but they did buy it for me after I graduated and before I went to school so I guess you could say that.

Regarding the bra: I'll come right out and say that I don't like the way it looks, and I'd probably never buy one myself. It came on the car when I received it in 2011, and as far as leaving it on your Arizonan sources hit the nail right on the head; I like that it makes the car look different. There are a lot of gray Civics of that age out there, and though I can pick out my alloy wheels in a parking lot, it really does help it stand out.

Honestly I've now gotten so used to it that I have a strange fondness for it. Like a mother with an ugly child who still manages to see its beauty because goddammit it's hers! At this point it's just a part of the car, and it looks a bit strange to me with it removed. I take it off every time I detail the car though, and I haven't noticed any uneven paint fading or damage from things trapped under it.

It's designed in such a way that not much really accumulates under it, and it doesn't move around much either. For that reason, the paint is actually in better condition and usually still clean and waxed from the last detailing, so I guess it's doing its job. No uneven paint fade either, and I'm assuming the PO/original owner had it on from 2004–2011, so I doubt any negative effects are waiting to rear their head.

Like I said, it's silly and looks ultra dorky, but it gives my car character while I'm still waiting for the funds to buy something really special.

Klaus Schmoll > E. Julius
04/07/2015 at 21:03

I suggest black plastidip on the wheels. Can be done on a sunny afternoon and looks much more badass than this flycatcher. ;)

E. Julius > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2015 at 21:14

Shots fired!

E. Julius > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2015 at 21:15

I actually have been trying to think of something to experiment with plastidip on. That's a likely candidate.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 09:38

KABARAGOYA

WHAAAAAT?!

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 10:21

You gotta keep your cool in front of the mic.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 11:11

My local Sports Radio has been using both the "WHAAAT?!" and "KABARAGOYA" for funny clips since this happened it's great.

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 11:12

Do you by chance listen to 97.1?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 11:45

Damn right!

Mike is the best

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 11:45

Haha I have spent countless hours listening to that station in the car with my dad.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 11:52

Haha, it's my go-to station on my ride home.

Except during the summer when I have to listen to them bitch about the Tigers until College Football starts.

(baseball is slow and boring to follow, but entertaining in person)

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 11:53

Mmhmm, I love going down to Comerica in the summer.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 11:54

Great stadium. I like going, but I can't do it on TV. In person I don't miss a single pitch all game. TV - channel changed.

Just like golf - can't watch it, love to play it.

But yeah I agree with Mike a lot, we're both Spartans and we're both originally from the East Coast.

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 12:04

At least you're not a wolverine! I miss when my dad listened to Stoney and Wojo, did you ever listen to those guys?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 12:19

Yeah Wojo's voice bugs me. Lol. Pretty bad quality in a Radio guy I guess. Also that Wojo is such a Wolverine fan boy that I get frustrated. So I just turn them off.

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 12:42

Ha well that certainly makes sense. I don't really listen to much sports radio myself, I just know it from being in the car with my dad.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 12:45

So where abouts Metro Detroit are you? I'm over in Canton.

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 13:12

Well my parents live a bit outside the metro, in Fenton (by US 23 and south of Flint and its suburbs). I will be back living with them this summer and working in Rochester Hills, so that's where I'll be spending most of my time. As of right now it looks like my best job opportunities after I finish school will be in that area, so I will probably relocate to the metro or maybe just outside in about a year and a half.

I'm definitely looking forward to meeting up with the opponauts in the area. I know there are quite a few of us.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 13:32

Yeah!

I just did some serious work on the Montego on Monday so I'm hoping it runs better now, we'll see soon.

What are you going to school for?

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 13:45

I'd love to see it someday—I'm suffering from a serious American iron deficiency here in Paris. I'm studying economics, but the type of work I've been doing is only sort of related. Mostly doing business development and manufacturing analysis with a supplier.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 14:29

There's got to be work all over Metro Detroit for someone with your skill set.

Hopefully the Montego is running well, the furthest north it normally goes is Farmington Hills/Novi. Have to fix that Iron Deficiency with a VERY loud Mercury.

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 14:34

There is right now, which is nice. Shouldn't be a problem for me to swing by your area every once in a while. I haven't done too many events before, so I'm looking to maybe start checking out the C&C and other stuff in the metro now that I know people who might actually want to go.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 14:43

I went to one C&C last year at Lingenfelter in Novi. Was cool, met a couple guys there Travis - whatever his extension from his name is this week haha and ZeonTestPilot

E. Julius > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/08/2015 at 14:47

Nice. Lingenfelter is awesome. The collection and the guy.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E. Julius
04/08/2015 at 23:19

yea it's a cool event. You can see into the engine building room too, it's like a strip club for guys like us hahahaha