Robert Hall

Tried Daphne's today at lunch..had that combo plate with the gyro and chicken skewer...pretty tasty. It's only 4 miles from my office, I had mis-read the google map the previous time I looked for it, I was on the wrong side of the 101 freeway.

One of my favorite older shows for use of contemporary music was 'Miami Vice'..loved that show when I was in high school and living in S. Florida. Not sure if Michael Mann was the first to do that, but he really elevated the use of music in a TV show..fit the MTV era perfectly. My favorite theme song and opening credits in recent TV history in 'The Sopranos'... the show also used music effectively in each episode. Another recent one I liked was 'The Wire'...I like how they had different remixes and covers of the same song each season. I watch very little network or even cable TV these days. Other than Top Gear, some news on MSNBC and a couple shows, I mostly watch DVDs when I watch TV.

I assume it's part of the plan to give Chrysler access to a credible subcompact with a car that may capture some of the Mini's cachet here....i.e. a stylish, premium subcompact rather than just another styleless generic like the Aveo.

It looks like it's a FWD CUV trying to pose as a RWD SUV or truck.

I like Chicago, quite a bit....not sure if I could adjust again to those winters, though, having lived in dryer, sunnier climates the last 13 winters. I have a number of friends there, try and visit every few years.

Yeah, since 1980 the population of the PHX metro has gone up by about 50%. My sister first moved out here in '80 after college, I remember coming out here to visit as a kid then also. Second only to the Las Vegas area in the 90s for growth rate. Wild to have this many people in the desert. It's like a little LA but hotter w/o an ocean. Sprawl, sprawl, sprawl.

The intersections in PHX I've done this at a few times has a Checkers auto parts w/ a huge, empty parking lot and the other has a shopping center w/ several restaurants I frequent. Phoenix has these two streets, 7th St and 7th Ave that have reversible 'death lanes' in the middle that during rush hour have no left turns for the lane that otherwise would be the turn lane. I used to commute on them every day, 4 lanes in one direction and 3 in the other, then the reverse in the evening into and out of the downtown.

Hmm...reminding me of the Audi 'sudden acceleration' story from the 80s..

Ah, the jughandle functions like the trick I've used occasionally on a couple intersections that have no left turn during rush hour--I go through the intersection, make a right turn into a parking lot and another right turn onto the street I would have made the left turn on had it not been rush hour..

Not sure if I've ever encountered one of those...are they a Jersey exclusive? Is that like an exit ramp that loops around and down to another road (w/ an underpass)? I like rotaries/traffic circles...getting more and more of them on new freeway exits and in subdivisions out here..

I like the side profile the best...one thing I've noticed is that directly from behind, they look kind of narrow...I don't get that same impression looking at them head-on.

If there is no turn arrow, I don't go left (unless the street is completely deserted). I use the 3 rights to make a left technique that UPS uses. One thing that's driven me crazy in Phoenix and LA are all the intersections w/o turn lanes or turn arrows, or a turn lane w/o a turn arrow, or the turn arrow not active at some times of the day.

Yes, I drove SUVs for 14 winters NE Ohio, SE Michigan and Colorado. I'd want an SUV for a winter daily driver anywhere that gets snow and nasty stuff...I like the ground clearance and traction. Rob

Z as in Datsun Z? I haven't seen an older one in ages...but I remember the first time I came to Arizona (1980) seeing a lot of them..between '80 and '90 my sister had 4 of 'em... ('77, '81, '85, '90).

That I didn't know about Goat. I assumed Lamb and Sheep meant two variations.

Lamb's like a baby sheep, right? Haven't been. On their website, they list one near my office, but I went there and it's gone..a 5 and Diner there now. Will have to try one of the other locations.

One thing I see occasionally is some rectum sitting in the left turn lane at a busy intersection w/ their right blinker on, the arrow for the turn is green, but they are just sitting there, because they got in the turn lane by mistake, and the 2-3 through lanes are currently red....

Never tried sheep. I've had some Middle Eastern and Indian dishes w/ lamb, can be quite good... I'm fond of Rogan Josh in particular.

The Lumina came out for MY '90, I thought. '87 would have been the Celebrity, equally dull and mediocre as the Lumina. Those cars were below average, not as good as the Taurus or others midsize FWD of the day. The '96 3 series was pretty nice, btw (I used to have a '96 M3).

You would probably appreciate the VTEC more if you had 'Type R' badging, a single yellow wiper, some lighted windshield washer nozzles, the special large tail pipe tip, and a wing or two...

torn

Interesting developments this week may lead me eventually to Irvine, of all places. I've been steadily moving further west from NE Ohio since '94, maybe the OC is where it's at.

When did cars start offering turn signals and when did they become standard on most cars? I've seen old cars with semaphores, but that's a different animal. I'm guessing late 40s, maybe? It seems cars had parking lights before turn signals..

I've had jobs where the interviews went great, got a good offer, started, and within a few weeks it was like 'WTF was I thinking???'..totally hating the place. I've had others where the interview went great and I never hear back from the recruiter.

Besides the usual Dice and Monster, I'd check out SoloGig.com also..good for freelance work.