Robert Hall

She's in CSI New York now and is from Akron Ohio! Another really striking Greek woman is in CSI Miami--Sofia Milos--Greek-Italian, was in a memorable episode of the Sopranos.

Hmm..Allyssa Milano obsession...been there, done that...I remember as a kid having a thing for Eric Gray in 'Buck Rodgers in the 21st Century', the blonde on Facts of Life, Lauren Tewes (sp?)--the blonde on 'The Love Boat' (I swear my first GF in jr high looked like a younger version of her), the first female cop on 'ChiPs' (brunette), and a TV movie actress w/ the most incredible eyes--Lisa Eilbacher (anyone remember her from the late '70s-early '80s)? She was in 'Beverly Hills Cop'.

Nah, it's the 101 Loop around Phoenix..the Price Freeway section in Chandler.

About the tall bodies, it's amazing how high the top edge of the decklid of many of today's cars are...the top of the trunk of a typical current sedan (like the CTS) looks to be about 2 feet higher than a sedan from 30-40 years ago.. I know part of it is the larger diameter tires of today, but the bodies seem to have gotten narrower and taller in general in the last decade or so..

IIRC, light rail in Denver runs until midnight also... of course, Friday and Saturday nights were/are about the only time I ever stay up that late, since I get up at 5:30 during the week to get encube by 7:30.

That's one of things I miss about living downtown like I did for a while in Denver or when I was living in a college town (Ann Arbor, Kent). I had some of that also when I was in the Denver burbs (Greenwood Village). I'd drive less than 5 min to the light rail station and head downtown for the evening for a baseball game, hockey game, concert, restaurants, bookstores, etc. Very convenient. To do any thing fun in the Phoenix metro requires plenty of driving...

I assume some of it is tapering for aerodynamics...and they look narrow because the bodies of most sedans today are relatively tall relative to their width.

Yeah, been out to LA and Orange County maybe 10 times over the last 15 years...I usually stay in Santa Monica....I've stayed w/ a friend's wife's parents in Rancho Palos Verdes before, beautiful area there. Been to San Diego to the beaches almost as many times.

A buddy of mine that lives in the Denver burbs now used to work in Aliso Viejo and live in Laguna Nigel. I've never been to Disneyland and Anaheim...about the only places I've been in Orange County are Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Laguna Beach, San Clemente... From what I've read, Compton up in LA sounds like it would be a charming area to live.

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.