Though, even if you DO say “it’s a magic technology”, you still need to have some sort of internal consistency about how it’s used, what are its weaknesses, etc (see Harry Potter). Otherwise, you end up with the Sonic Screwdriver and/or Superman effect, giving it a new ability for every “problem of the week”.

Beautiful quote. I’ve never understood ICP or Juggalos (beyond the “Joe Goes” video), but I respect anyone who can grow beyond their biases, and in this case, try to atone for them. Maybe “I don’t like ICP” is a bias I should also revisit...

At first it affected people in California, but I did nothing because I don’t live in California...

My next vehicle purchase will be a pickup, which I will use for towing and cargo. The “percentage of my vehicle operating hours per annum” doesn’t make a damn bit of difference - there WILL be times when I need to get in and out and make small adjustments. I buckle up when driving, and I ensure that my passengers…

You are correct on all points. Except FloridaMan is also correct in his fundamental point: there ARE legitimate circumstances where buckling a seatbelt before moving a few feet is not practical or desirable (towing, cargo loading, juggling cars in lots, etc). And people who are hell-bent on not buckling are already…

Ooh... now I’m conflicted. I hate the seat belt interlock, but LOVE the idea of the turn signal shocker.

So social engineering and automotive engineering are now a dual-major? How about we just enforce a significant penalty: You’re caught driving around unbuckled, mandatory $1000 fine per passenger. Why should I have to buy an over-engineered (and easily defeatable) safety gimmick because someone else can’t be bothered…

A typical backpack is enough to trigger the airbag warning light in my vehicles, though not 100% of the time (it depends on placement and how the weight shifts during driving)

Yes, it is. Seatbelt interlocks are to save those people who are too stubborn and/or dumb to be bothered to fasten their seat belts while driving. I should not have to pay extra for a technology that will force me to fasten my seatbelts in every circumstance, and conceivably disable my car in the event that it fails…

No way any of these are marketed as Ice Cream. I mean, the headline says Ice Cream, but the containers don’t appear to have the word “Cream” on them anywhere.

Lucas hinted pretty strongly in the prequels that Palpatine could survive death in some way, and that he may even be Darth Whatever (I forget the name of his dead master). I don’t have a problem with him being the big bad for all 9 movies. I just have a problem with the amateurish way Disney handled it. And that…

Not sure where you get that info. What I keep hearing is that the jump in hospitalizations have mostly been amont the unvaccinated. Sure, being vaccinated, we can carry and spread the virus for a period of time, but we’re much less likely to end up seriously ill. It’s also reasonable to assume (though I haven’t seen…

Maybe not all companies can mandate vaccinations (though based in comments it seems that some do). But insurance companies certainly can adjust their rates based on risky behaviors, as tobacco users know. I’m surprised they haven’t already started jacking up rates for anti-vaxxers even before covid.

Yeah, his face kinda morphed from being vaguely McCartney-like to being almost like a more angular Ringo, to just some random dude. I’m guessing the dancer they filmed didn’t have a compatible facial structure.

Take your damn star and get Audi here!

I can personally attest that 2016 BMW 2-series have wiring that attracts mice like Reeses Pieces attract stranded aliens, because they ate through multiple wiring harnesses. While, in the same driveway, a 2G Pilot only attracted them to a single harness and a fuel line. (This was early during Covid while the BMW sat…

It’s just like on old Google Maps, where if you plotted a route to Europe from North America, it would route you through NYC, then show the dotted line with the step “Swim across the Atlantic”. Which was at least funny, but some snarky article must have complained. Probably beause nobody wants to be routed through NYC.

Yes, but when speed limits are appropriate to road conditions (no pedestrians or bikes on restricted highways), vehicles are driven in a predictable and consistent manner (passing on left, trucks and slower vehicles to the right), and vehicles are safe and driven within their limits, speed is simply not a problem. See…

Agreed. I like watches, but haven’t seen a single smartwatch I would wear. I don’t want a “bold visual break” or a giant wall of glass. But one that can pull off a panda Speedmaster look from a few feet away?  That could work.

My old VFR750F just had a little over 100 hp. Nice and tame enough for ordinary riding, but up around 10K rpm, it had PLENTY of juice.  I still kinda miss that bike...