Exactly — I’ve got a Korean-owned corner store near me and they stock some badass ramens, including those. They’re way more expensive of course but at $2-3 a pack, ramen is still ridiculously cheap eating.

Sawtelle, eh? Couple great ramen spots there nowadays. First time I’d ever seen ramen as “cuisine” outside of Japan was along that awesome little bit of Japantown. 

Counterpoint: Food is and always has been a blend of cultures and localization/Americanization (or just a couple localized options) is pretty fun eating. I’m not saying we should put avocados in ramen in LA or brats in Chicago but...mayyyybe?

Precisely. And you guys have a few more rough roads to get to the good trails. In California and Oregon (my locales), it’s often a perfect parking lot or just a small fire trail to get to the best spots.

Nope. (j/k) 

Exactly! And similarly, the best backpacking vehicles I ever had to get to trailheads up and down the Sierras were an E46 wagon and — get this — a track-ready Miata. Both fit a couple packs, were fun to drive the winding stuff to the rally point, and almost never needed clearance or 4WD even on dirt roads at 95% of…

Amen. The “I am emasculated and desperately want to project virility even though I’m weak and insecure,” crowd loves “rugged looking.”

This. Fucking THIS. I’m so, so tired of everything trying to look “angry” and every truck looking like some impotent-rage compensation tool. Even minivans aspire to intimidation.

FFS, people. Stop buying networked shit that doesn’t need to be networked. Yes, that includes pretty much everything; Your kitchen, your car, your locks, your thermostat. It’s just creating a market incentive for hackery.

Nonsense. It’s Elrond Hubbard and his Elven space magic...

When “the sausage mcmuffin machine is broken, ma’am”, I’m in trouble.

Nonsense. Everyone knows we’re just trying to make them sexy, which means:

Though true, these products are specifically designed and engineered to overcome good decision-making via our base human impulses.

Because his base are also the core pickup target; angry racist white guys afraid of being emasculated by ordinary people wanting simple equality.

Because his base are also the core pickup target; angry racist white guys afraid of being emasculated by ordinary people wanting simple equality.

So true. What a great, purpose-focused, and honest vehicle.

The answer is, as always and yet again, Miata.

Try it with E46 lights. A slight, though attractive resting bitch face is always preferable to the angry appliance all cars have become.

Had a 2001 E46 wagon (with a manual no less!) — It was goddamn sublime. Long roadtrips with camping destinations were the best.

This. I’ve had a few BMW’s and the only one I remember fondly was my E46 — Dignified, smooth, beautiful ride-handling balance, and *different* from all other cars of its time.