I had the opportunity to take the current Navigator on numerous long drives but came away with very different impressions. I was primed to like it because of its looks and gorgeous interior, but beneath the skin I found a floaty, trucklike conveyance that bobbled constantly over pavement imperfections. Combine this…

The “I don’t even know what this is” van is a modified Hyundai Starex.

Oh, for Pete’s sake. Why can’t they just use regular vans like other countries?

My simple reaction is ... Why? What was the point of all that? Surely no one involved could possibly think it would end well. Then why would they take part in such behavior?

GM used Daewoo to engineer and build its small cars and spearhead its Asian production, but now it wants to ditch Daewoo and use its SAIC joint venture in China for the same purpose. The problem is, the engineers and technology of the former Daewoo lend a bit more expertise and quality to their company’s products than…

Why do the wheels look so small? I thought we were in the era of huge rims. Perhaps because the car itself is so large ...

Subways are much better because they are not vulnerable to traffic. Living in a large, traffic-choked metropolis, I have no idea when I’ll arrive if I take a car, taxi, or bus, but I can estimate to the minute when I take the subway. Another good point: Studies have indicated that rail lines tend to catalyze…

I don’t know why there aren’t more comments questioning the very notion of “emotional support animals.” This was not even a thing until about five minutes ago, yet somehow people seem to feel an instant entitlement to take them everywhere, in any situation.

A few years ago I worked in a bank. We had a no pets policy,…

After living in a prosperous Asian country over a 17-year period, I can tell you exactly why this happens.

First of all, yes, there are plenty of native English speakers around. But due to the insularity of these societies, the suits in a corporate board room don’t know how to get in touch with a qualified one at any…

Why do the shops in Delaware have German signs? :)

That’s exactly the problem. There are currently lots of native-born Americans who can’t earn enough to make ends meet. If you “can’t find Americans to do the job,” then it means you’re not paying enough. Undocumented workers willing to work for peanuts distort the compensation structure of the U.S. economy. They may…

Such systems are ubiquitous in South Korea, where I live, but they have wheel stops on both sides or that extend across the length of the platform. I’ve never had an issue. On the other hand, this one-sided wheel stop design seems much less safe. Also, the car stackers in Korea tend to have warning buzzers and red…

It would only be your personal hell if you had been on the ship. You weren’t, so it’s your personal idea of hell.

This is what a real estate investor had to say about the Auburn Greens condominium complex:

I bought a used BMW 530i in South Korea. A few weeks later, it developed a massive shimmy and gyration at highway speeds. Turned out that the unscrupulous dealer had jerry-rigged the front suspension by spot-welding in an old Hyundai ball joint and tie rod.

It always used to astonish me that Logan Airport would close for a few inches of snow - happens every year - when airports in Russia and Scandinavia routinely deal with such conditions. Then I learned that Logan has snow insurance.

The problem is that I have tried to use in-flight WiFi various times on various airlines and have NEVER been able to get it to work. The connection was so slow that even simple emails failed to send. So what am I supposed to watch on my screen??

If it keeps happening, there must be something specific about that location - the speed of the traffic, the grading of the road allowing films of water to form, etc.

Interesting. For me, 200 horsepower and/or 0-60 times under 8 seconds are my “fun” threshold. Most people drive quite lackadaisically, so I’ve been able to outrun anyone I wanted to just by keeping a heavier foot on the gas pedal.

Here are the cars I’ve owned:
1997 BMW 323i - 168 hp, 0-60 = 7.6 seconds

“It’s fair to say that some of the cars on Ron’s property probably belong in the scrapyard ...” Yes, and they’re already there. That’s what Ron has: a scrapyard.