Croc

It's really mainly for trucks. As it is, CA can only really regulate emissions because any other requirements would violate the Interstate Commerce Act.

CA has very little manufacturing. The vast majority of air pollution is generated getting Americans their imported goods from Asia and elsewhere. If you look at smog maps, it's concentrated down at the ports, along the main trucking routes (110, 710, 605, 15, 5, and 10 freeways), and then some concentrations in the basins (duh, geographic features that capture and accumulate smog). Downtown LA has some fierce smog, but virtually no manufacturing.

No, not entirely. The positive effect on attention and concentration, as well as the appetite-suppressing qualities were fairly well-known. The nerve-calming thing was also well-known. Did marketing take this and play it up? Of course. But people have been smoking for millenia, and only in the past 50 years has anything started to change.

Yes, and originally the S-series was going to be the first of the architecture replacing the J-bodies, hence the styling similarities.

False. I'm smoking my way to a 6-pack. It's also a mean stress reliever, and when combined with coffee, a mean metabolic booster. It can also boost alertness during the day, as well as do amazing things to your singing voice. I'm certainly not advocating smoking, and I'm not disagreeing that it's a bad habit, but the argument in your post is simplistic and ignorant. Remember, until the whole lung cancer thing came about, smoking was considered "healthy" and "beneficial" for your continued health--that didn't come completely out of nowhere.

Just talk to her. Don't stress about what to say--JUST TALK TO HER. She'll appreciate it, and the conversation will take its course. As for not seeing her--by all means do what you can to travel down to visit her. Presidents' Day is coming up soon, so maybe you can snag some cheap airfare on Southwest or something. You're going to regret it if you don't.

I used to be very much against this kind of governance, but after living in California for the past several years I see the necessity of it. See, CA has to suffer some of the worst pollution in the country. I say "suffer" because the vast majority of the air pollution is a direct result of the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach--the ships that until recently idled, the idling filthy diesel trucks that receive the imported goods, the belching diesel locomotives that ship the goods across the country...to where? Oh yeah, all 47 other contiguous states. California has come so far since the 1970s when smog was so bad you couldn't even see downtown from a mile away, or the tops of skyscrapers when you were right next to them on the Harbor Freeway. That said, there's a lot more improvements to air quality that need to be made, and also a social justice aspect as well--poor people who can only afford to live next to the freeway shouldn't have to be plagued with noxious air. Their children shouldn't come inside from playing in the backyard covered in diesel soot. Hell, you can't even park your car outside for an hour without it being covered in filth. It's for reasons such as these that the current standards are not strict enough for many states. If California wants to regulate its emmissions with tougher standards, then I have no problem with it because of all the good that will come out of it. The fact that 14 other states want to join on, though, speaks volumes to me of how what I have seen and observed out here more than likely is mirrored across the U.S.

It isn't always so poorly executed, though. See, this Buick looks fantastic except for that chrome strip, which IMO makes it look like a Hyundai. Cadillac does their big chrome strip across the back of the CTS better. It just seems to me that the chrome around the taillight surrounds on the Buick is just fine. On the CTS, the chrome strip works because there is very little chrome on the rear; on the Buick it is just overkill.

I really want to know who designed and authorized that chrome strip across the back because I seriously question their taste level.

Please don't get my hopes up.

I don't do eastern Europe...sorry, no dice.

Video confirms it: that chrome strip is just tacky.

Whoa. I wish she sat next to me in 10th grade! But no, I had a fat nerdy lesbian chick

And good thing they cordoned it off...otherwise we'd have to suffer through pictures of Kris deconstructing the dash

No worries. It isn't a national holiday or anything...yet.

Ah yes, I was at the Peterson. Well I'll have to check this place out in El Segundo. Address?

That bling across the rear incorporating the logo is just tacky, marring what otherwise would be an impeccable exterior.

Word to this. For the first few years I could stop whenever I wanted to. Now...not so much. I have to be VERY OCCUPIED to be able to ignore/not feel the withdrawel symptoms when I'm around non-smokers all day long. But when by myself at the end of the day...I just NEED ONE NOW. It's sick.

Looks good!

Video didn't load for me, but voted 5. Where is the museum? I've been to an old car museum in LA, but they didn't feature sitting in the vehicles...

Happy birthday!

Yeah...that's pretty bad. I was all over the place, too...but I don't recall ever doing anything like that--and no one has told any stories, either! I just remember whenever I'd visit my grandmother when I was little, I'd go into the kitchen and stack the spices all up on the rotating cabinet they had, and SPIN IT!! Every single time I'd freak out the nurse she had during the day at the condo. Fun times. My dad was a total enabler, too.

And I'm sure you did that just to get the moron to shut up for 2 seconds, right? haha

Obviously whoever it was decided to do it as an immature ploy for attention. Knowing that you are above that and he is being immature...well there you go. I mean you just said it had nothing to do with politics and it was obvious he was just being a smart ass, presumably to get a reaction out of someone. Why give him what he wants? And if that is what he wants to communicate about himself, then that is his right. Really, I'm not agreeing with him, but I think your "If my girl didn't need to attend this school he would be going to f@#king hospital right now" is just a wee bit of an overreaction.

Why quote yourself? Nothing in the bolded text shows any malicious intent per se. Your addition of the running commentary, however, does demonstrate that whoever it was was not just being ignorant. Still, though, I don't see the need for violent urges.