I have the utmost respect for real-life astronauts. They are bad-ass an incredibly talented people.

But we do not need one to tell us why space movies are wrong. They’re made-up stories for entertainment; pulling back the curtain just ruins the entertainment value.

Any time we take in a work of fiction we’re…

Oh, no. They still have KPIs in terms of visits, device sold, etc, etc. Just there is no such thing as unlimited income potential. The philosophy is basically: you can make a very comfortable living (and put your kids through school, etc, etc), but you’re not going to get filthy rich.

Japanese companies have a considerably different take on compensation than others, especially American companies. They typically believe that compensation should be fair but not excessive.

In the company I work for, one sales person had a phenomenal year by closing a massive deal. The commission made his comp more…

I have a “smart” Samsung TV but never use the on-board Netflix app because it’s so terrible. It doesn’t support the keyboard on the Samsung remote; you have to up/down left/right the UN/PW every time. That takes 5 minutes. It also doesn’t support different profiles; not awesome when you share accounts.

The poor TV expe…

I have the 480 hp marinized version of that motor in my boat. The torque it outputs is obscene. The first time I ran it my son wasn’t holding on tight enough. He slipped and with the acceleration slid all the way to the back of the boat. My favorite part is growl and kick in the pants when the turbo kicks in.  Alas,…

Teams: Please define a “driver aid” so we don’t violate rules.

Not sure I’m following— The US Big Three are now ALL offering “Basic Economy” on even their longest routes. Those are limited amenity, no seat changes, limited legroom.

I can’t get past the fact that the car looks like it had a transporter accident with a hair dryer.  

Diesel around me is priced between midgrade and premium. But you tend to get better fuel economy with a diesel.

The engine will need a lot of oil. The 6.7L Cummins in my boat holds 17 quarts.

I enjoy the Crimson Black paint on my car.  In low light and low angle winter sun, it looks black.  In summer and bright light it takes on a metallic purple tone.  

So, BMW is taking design cues from Hyundai now? The perforated quilting looks nearly identical to the Hyundai Palisade. 

I recently went shopping for an SUV for my wife and rolled through a Nissan show room just to check off the boxes. Looking at a Pathfinder I noticed the center screen, controls, and design are the same as my 2012 Maxima. Which is the same as the 2009 Maxima I had. While the controls work just fine it seems too long a…

And that’s why I don’t want to buy a used car off lease.  There a disincentive to car for the vehicle by the first owner.  

Why shouldn’t Audi try to charge extra for USB cables? I mean, BMW charges an annual subscription for Apple Car Play to function - something much less expensive brands include as a base feature.

Neutral:
My car (‘12 Maxima): the only ‘active’ safety feature in my car is a reverse camera. I use it daily to back out of my garage and also into my spot at work. But I also always turn my head, too. Having used an excellent adaptive cruise control, I wish I had it.

Wife’s car (‘19 Pilot): We’ve turn off most of the…

Different strokes for different folks. I’d take the Volt.  It would not get me all the way to work, but it would get me into the car pool lane and bypass a lot of traffic.  

Pathfinder used to be cool. I so wanted one when in highschool in the early 90's. I nearly got a used one over a 2002 Jeep Liberty when my (now wife) and I got our first car together. She wanted the Jeep.

Pathfinder is just lame now. Look at it for my wife’s new ride and it was pretty horrible. My neighbor has one and…

My office has parking deck with about 30 charging stations and many more reserved for “fuel efficient vehicles”. Therefore we have a lot of electric and hybrid cars. More than once a car in EV mode has snuck up on me. I’ve gotten in the habit of carefully checking behind me before crossing the aisle.

Also, I my…

Perhaps motorcycles don’t have emissions controls comparable to cars?  Like a catalytic converter?  For a long time gasoline powered boats didn’t have cats either.  

I’m always amazed at the specificity of many warranty recalls. That manufactures have records that can determine the exact dates when a problem started and stopped, and the exact VIN range of affected vehicles, is truly impressive.