Great article! The split rear window in the 50s Beetle is called ‘Brezelfenster’ in Germany. Yes, that’s what it means - ‘Pretzelwindow’.

Ahhh - 94 Cherokee manual. Had one of those - my favorite so far. Sadly, at 270k the engine gave out (plus that rear bench wasn’t really safe for a growing kid any longer...). Wouldn’t mind owning one again.

Ahh - the joys of pumping in Europe: pump first, then go inside and pay. Go back to car and drive off. Makes things easy.

Meanwhile, we’re almost back at $2.95 / gallon in MI - let’s see how the truck/SUV sales do in the longer run...

Don’t understand this. If a bill is correct - why argue? Are we on a bazar in Uzbekistan? (sorry, Uzbekistan - I’ll be happy to bargain if I AM at a bazar there...) 

Thanks for that in-depth answer! My follow-up question would then be about these legality of such ‘covenants’ (which does sound awe-inspiringly biblical!). Similar to when you sign a dodgy purchase agreement, you might be off the hook, because that contract per se was not legally valid.

I’m curious what the legal basis for any HOA is. Could I not - in theory - ignore a HOA, as long as I follow city/town ordinances (like ‘city law breaks neighborhood law’, or so)? Shouldn’t a bunch of good lawyers be able to pull the rug out under such organizations that play vigilantes?

You’re taking a vacuum with you when you go to the loo then, right? (all that dust...)

You’re taking a vacuum with you when you go to the loo then, right? (all that dust...)

...my niece is in her first year of driving and quite definitely still learning the art...

How uncultured! Kissing the hand is what makes you a true gentleman. Please note that, if the woman is married, your lips must not touch the back of the hand; if she’s unmarried, your lips may touch the hand - ever so slightly and fleetingly, of course.

Does it dim enough at night? Having a large white surface in the peripheral visual field wouldn’t make sense. Also: analog speed display or only digital? The latter would also not make sense, because you have to look longer at it than at a analog display (and it’s already in the periphery!).

we’re going again through something similar - this time in form of the ‘autonomous car’ with ‘artificial intelligence’...

Assuming it was tuned ok, it probably was because the driver didn’t know how to drive a diesel - from certain revs upward, it doesn’t produce more acceleration, but only more smoke. Stay below that, and you’re fine.

...but please don’t give them the same crap interior the Fords have.

But then, God forbid, you’d have to regulate some corporations - ewwww...

See, the thing is once you have autonomous vehicles, you aren’t interested any longer to go anywhere special. The autonomous car was invented BECAUSE it allows you to text, phone, post cat videos, swig hot coffee - all during driving. Once you got your nose stuck in portable devices, you don’t need any destination -…

Ha - you must be a spook with the ASIO then. Hobart branch?

You... seem to know... stuff.

The Jeep Cherokee (XJ) - 264k miles on the odometer before that indestructible inline six became an inline 4.5...

What guarantees you that the technological solution is better?