Yes, this was part of it. I’ve heard larger numbers. Thanks for the link!

Well, it’s all in the context of North Carolina politics. Duke has a lot of political juice here and they’ll back just about anyone’s play as long as they stay out of Duke’s business (their CEO backed having the DNC national convention in Charlotte, for example). The legislature has gone whole-out Tea Party Republican…

Can’t make this stuff up:

Film incentives? How about two weeks of legislative time wasted on women’s nipples? Sheesh. Don’t get me started either....

In order to maintain southern civility, the good state of North Carolina had all their charging stations (placed at rest stops along various interstates) removed. They had been installed under the previous (D) governor and the current (R) governor decided that they were “too costly” although the feds paid for them to…

Ashes to ashes.

Eh, trust me, he knows. He’ll wait patiently for you to fess up or just suddenly it’s 30 years later and he’ll say “Remember when you trashed my pickup?” oh so casually. I speak from experience.

Volvo. If you care about comfy, this-beats-my-living-room seats, you want a Volvo.

Very short answer: when I bought my M5 I could do a lot of my own work. A couple of surgeries later, it’s not such a hot idea. I also need something reliable and more comfortable for regular 8-hour drives to help with my elderly parents. I’ve looked at the F30 3 Series and the only one I really liked was the (I think)…

North Carolina. The only dealer in the state worth a crap is in Raleigh since they have a nice customer base in the stock options crowd and people moving from way more expensive places to live.

You are planning a “moron” list, no?

Because I can’t get an M235i at Costco....

Every BMW dealer in my neighborhood charges $79.99 for nitrogen in the tires. On top of that one has a blatant “ADM” charge of $499 (that’s “Added Dealer Markup”) and another has added the following items:

Well, you need someone better in chemistry than I am (was, this was a couple of jobs ago). But it’s way past “agitated asthmatics” and a high ozone concentration really sucks to live in. A lot of large cities (LA is the poster child but Nashville and Salt Lake City are as bad if not worse) are built in geography that…

Seriously? I hope you’re kidding. Having been smacked in the face by a (steel, pre-airbag) dashboard I promise you an experience you’ll never forget. Hint: we’re not talking about “Sport” mode.

You can’t make this one up...

In the end we got yet another crowded debate that was very light on facts and explanations but very high on hyperbole. Everyone wants the most powerful military in the world, and the fact of the matter is they will already have it when they step into office. Nobody even mentioned reforming the Pentagon or areas within…

The U.S. Idea of winning is that when the dust settles, they control the resources and economy of the conquered state either overtly or covertly.

“Everyone had access to a shelter?” No, not really. As a student of nuclear weapons and the cold war that drove them I can safely tell you that in an all-out hot nuclear exchange we would have nuked several tens — if not hundreds — of Soviet citizens into the great hereafter. And they to us. A few thousand might…

<cough>Remember these?</cough>