If only he was screaming “Nemesis!” before it went off...

In 2012 I decided it was time for a new car. For the first time I could afford some luxury. My requirements were a manual transmission, practical and comfortable for driving 85 miles a day, and a dash of fun. I drove BMWs, Audis, Acuras, an Infiniti, as well as Hondas, Subarus, Fords, and Mazdas.

Mazda used to have a few interesting colors. A friend/co-worker had a Mazda6 in a nice burnt orange, for instance, which stood out amidst the sea of parking garage monochrome. Something like a Mazda 3, especially in hatch/5-door form might be quirky enough. Even if you can’t find a unique color, the second gen…

At a previous job one of the evening security guards would set up toy cars around the large, circular desk/monitor station. I secretly admired that and imagined his having epic mini races in the lobby at 4AM.

You might have something with a Blackberry partnership. The combined “Not dead yet (despite what they keep predicting) Suretype Shovelhead” edition.

While reading this my brain recalled They Might Be Giant’s “Your Racist Friend,” especially the line, “Can’t shake the devil’s hand and say you’re only kidding.”

Now I want a “Salsa” sticker.

Fantastic photos and reporting, thanks. I was wondering how chaotic it must be with everyone in the pits under red flag. Anyway, it’s been a fascinating race even to watch streaming.

The International/English Nurburgring 24 broadcast is here:

If Goofy pulls you out of a crowd, does a weird shuffle step thing and motions towards you, it’s because he wants you to dance. If you stand there in the heat wondering what he’s trying to do, he’ll give you a kick in the butt back towards the crowd as everyone laughs. He’ll then choose another kid.

I wish them happiness, but I don’t find the thought of being in a small, enclosed space while listening to synth-pop—no matter how well it may be done—and a dude who doesn’t know when to stop self-aggrandizing very appealing.

I feel old (even though I’m probably not much/any older than that guy), as I don’t understand this type of thinking. Being at any game, especially a playoff game, should be fun, and I don’t see anything fun about his behavior. Beyond that there’s the concept of being a guest. Sure, he (or someone) paid to be there,…

I grew up in Ohio, in the middle of the snowbelt, and have never owned a 4WD/AWD vehicle. Decent tires and bold stupidity worked out reasonably well for me.

I humbly nominate Manimal.

I’m irked by how many cars have the passenger and rear seats filled with trash. It’s usually when I get out of my car in a parking lot/garage and glimpse into the next one over. In some cases I’ve even gotten back in to find another spot if my car would be there for several hours.

I’ll take a bit of a different route.

The “Cash for Clunkers” program really existed to remove non-computerized—and thus harder to stop or control—vehicles from the roadways.

Dom: The cars, the speed, the flames. Burn in my mind to drown out the memories. Memories of the kitchen ... incident.

When I was younger and severely financially challenged I thought one day I’d be able to move from economy cars to luxury models. Now that I’m middle aged and can reasonably afford luxury models, I still have an economy car as my daily driver. I was genuinely impressed with it, enjoyed driving it more than more…

I have, twice. Once was just a week ago when I was going to visit a relative in the hospital. The driver stopped to back up and take an exit. The thing was it was an eastbound exit, if s/he’d just went ahead the next one was a westbound exit and plenty of places to turn around.