You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm talking about you joining the unemployment line, with nothing on the horizon for months and months out, and you getting foreclosed upon. Tell me your homeowner's policy covers that.

Yeah, the good thing in my case was that I was in South Carolina at the time, where cars don't rust. I saw a (very) few in Watertown, New York, in the very early 90s that were literally held together by prayer (which is what you use when not even duct tape works). Most of those prayers were answered with "you really…

I had an '80 Chevette, and I generally agree with you. The main appeal of that car and those that came after was that it was cheap. I'm talking third-world market cheap, which is the only way you could get anyone to buy one after about 1980 or so. That, and it was generally tough as nails; it would take just about…

Now we need to hope that you never remember the Aveo.

OK. Station wagons have more room for batteries, and usually come with a more robust suspension system than a sedan (or a two-seater hatchback). Probably a pretty good form factor for a conversion, especially if you can figure out a way to stick a solar array on that extended roof.

That's what I said. Ten grand for a fully-functional electric car? Here, let me find an early 90s Honda Civic (I miss the old '91 hatchback) and I'll pay the nerd squad ten large to electrify it for me. Those cars were awesome to begin with, and would be even more so with all-electric works.

I was unaware the University of Phoenix had a football team until UofP stadium hosted a Super Bowl. Now I tell this lame joke any chance I get.

Those words mean so much to someone who scrubs garbage cans. - Bill Murray

I never miss it.

I collect dust. My wife collects spider webs.

This is true, but the internal combustion engine works best at a very narrow range of RPMs. Hence the need for multiple gears and a clutch of some sort (or a CVT). Still, most ICEs don't operate at anything close to optimum. So I understand the concept, and no, I'm not a mechanical engineer (my dad is; I'll ask…

What I would expect would be some kind of engine, and it can be a turbine if that's what works best, that does nothing but charge batteries. That's it - don't even connect it to the drivetrain. Let it run, as needed, at optimum power until the batteries are recharged, then shut it off. I suspect, if you do it…

What is it with all these people getting beaned this year? Seems every day somebody is taking one in his ear. Is this some new strategy or something?

As would I. Whether you're a fan of 'big government' or not, the USA is a very large country, with the largest economy in the world, not to mention alliances and national interests that span the globe. It is only reasonable that a government capable of managing all that would be of considerable size. My only…

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People on crack shouldn't be allowed to customize old trucks.

Well, I have two recommendations for you.

I would say above-ground swimming pools are a big equity-killer. I remember looking at one house that had one. It was pretty kosher, but that really fugly pool in back bothered me more than anything. "Take ten grand off so we can have that godawful thing removed and new sod installed," I wanted to say. I never got…

Oh, you've been to my place. I eventually had to have somebody replace two support beams in my garage because of the long-neglected drainage issue. If I were smarter, I would have noticed the rusting going on at the bottom of those and said something when we were buying the place. Ah, how swell it would have been…

For example, you just watched a movie that happened to have gay characters in it. The next day you get all these suggestions for GLBT-themed films in which you have zero interest. Not that there's anything wrong with that.