Ze Germans seem especially good at running the trains on time.

THERE'S THAT YANKTON ASSHOLE! WU! FEED HIM TO THE PIGS! cocksucker....

For the most part the other bus drivers here were OK. Some tried to game the system, but that wasn't an issue. When I mentioned the other drivers, I was referring to the traffic on the road. They are beyond ignorant here. I just couldn't imagine driving a bus in the snow.

Where in the world do union reps word with elected officials? They are on opposite sides of the fence. Maybe once upon a time when housing prices were high and the county had lots of money to spend. But those days are long over. Now it's a pitched battle between the two.

Just curious, where did you drive? How civilized are the drivers and passengers where you worked?

In South Florida, the mortgage is only part of the issue. The other is outrageously high windstorm and flood insurance premiums. If I pay my mortgage off, then they are no longer mandatory. If I can sock those premiums away for three years and not have a major, damaging storm in that time, I have enough to pay for…

The train union is paid by the transit employees to represent them. If they are are negotiating sweet contracts with the municipality (which I doubt is the case in the last few years), your beef is with the elected officials who approved and signed them.

NOT Miami.

I should point out that in order for that guy to make 100 g's, he LIVES behind the wheel, working his ass off. Don't begrudge someone for taking the opportunity to work hard and get ahead. And driving a city bus SUCKS. Been there, hated that.

More for me.

Pedantic much?

If there's someone in your life that you would prefer never to see again, lend them money.

And get off my lawn while you're at it.

You sound intelligent, yet you bring such a childishly faulty premise. I'm also OK with hammers, although some people get killed by them. Because the vast majority of hammer users aren't murderers. But the percentage of bottom-feeders that would use technology to exploit the defenseless vs those who would use it…

In communist Cuba, Castro pees on YOUR head.

Negative. Lots of newer Peugeots and Citroens and others. Mostly belonging to foreign missions and their employees. And they watch American television and movies (pirated by the government and shown on national TV), so they have been exposed to much.

Very true. It's hard for an audiophile out there. We have a tendency to listen to our gear instead of listening to the music. I have some old recordings which sound terrible, but are worth listening to for their historical value. You just have to accept it.

That's why I seek higher resolution files from sources like HDTracks and their ilk. Going through a decent DAC or receiver that can play those files at their native bitrate and using a good pair of cans results in some glorious sounds being pumped into your brain.

Your point about iPhones and other portable devices having trouble driving high-end headphones is worth mentioning. I recently purchased a set of NAD Viso HP50's ($300), and one of my criteria for the purchase was that these cans are more efficient than most, meaning that a lower-powered amp (like in iStuff) can…