Category Archives: Automobiles

Live long and…you know the rest

Posted on May 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

StarTrekIntoDarkness_FinalUSPosterIf Star Trek Into Darkness opens in your city today, I encourage you to see it.

I saw it yesterday in IMAX 3D, and it was amazing…especially the new enemy of the Federation portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch.

You know Sherlock on BBC?  He’s the one.

But if you can’t get to the movie theatre today or even this weekend — I understand there are people who can actually wait weeks and even months; go figure — take a look at the “Star Trek Challenge” Audi spot featuring Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto.

It’s too much fun.

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Posted in Advertising, Automobiles, Cars, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Movies, Shopping, Television, TV

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Twinkle twinkle

Posted on November 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

Christmas lights seem to go up earlier and earlier each year.

I’ve seen them here in New York City for a couple of weeks already, and on the posts of friends on Facebook, too.

But here is one display that I would enjoy seeing year round…

Think they plug into the cigarette lighter?

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Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Design, Holiday, Humor, Life, Photography

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Look both ways

Posted on August 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m en route to New York City from Boston — Rory, I’ll be home soon — and we just passed the ubiquitous…

Deer crossing sign

Goodness knows they are a legitimate safety reminder.  Deer certainly seem to be attracted to roadways.

But it got me thinking (because I’m bored) –

Are there no other animals that cross the road?

Of course there is the ‘chicken who crossed the road’ joke…but what about other wildlife who might mosey across the highways and byways?  Don’t they deserve their own bright yellow sign?

Turns out they do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny — suddenly I’m a lot less bored.

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Posted in Animals, Automobiles, Cars, Design, Humor, Life, Travel

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Color wheel

Posted on August 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

Eric Stonestreet, aka Cam on Modern Family, tweeted just this morning:

Can’t take your road rage seriously, mr. yellow car driver man.

He left the details to our imagination — dangerous in and of itself — but he brings up an interesting point:

Do we assign character traits to drivers based on the color of their cars?

Studies show that red cars get more tickets, so apparently police officers believe these drivers are inherently up to no good.  They watch them closer, and the tickets follow.

But what of the other car colors?

Eric didn’t take the enraged driver seriously because his car was yellow. I have personally shook my head in wonder at bright orange vehicles — not that I don’t love the color in my salty snacks and diet soda and an occasional saucy top or two –

But to drive it down the street every day?  Even I have some dignity.

What car colors do you consider taboo?  Share in the comments section and perhaps save a reader from making an expensive mistake at the dealership.

This. Very. Day.

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Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Celebrities, Commentary, Design, Humor, Internet, Life

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Trending topics

Posted on August 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Dear Celebrity Reader (and I hope I have at least one):

If you ever find your name under ‘trending topics’ on Twitter, one of three things has occurred:

  1. You are the victim of a death hoax.
  2. You are dead.
  3. You were arrested for DUI.

If you are trending due to reason #1, congratulations!  You are popular enough to be hated by a significant portion of the population.  The rest of the Twitterverse will jump to your defense…or at the very least be reminded of your presence on this earth.

Either way, you’ll score a ratings bump.

If you are trending due to reason #2, you will also get a ratings bump.  “RIP” will start trending, too.  Sadly, you won’t be around to enjoy the good will…but your ancestors will enjoy the associated bump in sales.

If you are trending due to reason #3…

YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

This is one instance where celebrities are NOT ‘just like us.’ Regular people would hire a car if they could afford one, day in and day out.  But celebrities with their ginormous salaries and homes?

Nope.  They drive drunk and wasted and get DUI after DUI after DUI.
You know who you are.  And if you don’t…

Check Twitter.

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Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, transportation

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Park these cars

Posted on June 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

I was sad to hear that Tom and Ray were retiring after 25 years on Car Talk.

Then I felt incredibly lucky to know them.

I worked on the Car Talk website for two years.  On paper, the job was everything I loved rolled together.

The Internet.  Writing.  Humor.  Radio.

But Tom and Ray took the job to a whole other level.

Click and Clack are, in person, exactly who their listeners have heard on the air for over 25 years.  They are funny and cantankerous and smart and sweet and stubborn and incredibly generous.

They know who are, how they want to live their lives, what they do and more importantly do not want to do, and have managed to turn that into an amazing life for themselves and their families.

We should all be so lucky.

Enjoy being even lazier, guys.  No one deserves it more.

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Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, News

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Smelly cab

Posted on March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine gets in the cab that reeks of killer B.O.?

The smell stuck to her clothes — was even in her mouth — long after she got out of the taxi.

I can do her one better.

After being out of town all week — four cities in four days, two missed flights, and more airplane boxed meals than I care to remember — I excitedly jumped in the cab to get home to my dog.  And what was there to greet me?

KILLER FARTS

I say farts (plural) because it wasn’t just one that faded away as I sat there.  No, the odor was constant and cloying and seemed to invade every pore of my skin.

Elaine, if you’re out there in your imaginary world, I’m pretty sure farts trump B.O. — I win!

Which means I lose.  Oh yes, I lose BIG TIME.

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Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Commentary, Entertainment, Friends, Humor, Life, Television, TV

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Rise of the machines

Posted on March 4, 2012 | 2 Comments

Robot skeleton army, unite!  Or should I say…

Get in your car and drive?

Robots can now apply for a drivers license in the state of Nevada.

I guess it’s not surprising that the state that legalized gambling and prostitution would also be one of the first to let robots legally rule the road.

The lack of human driver won’t be the only clue.  Robot cars will bear a red license plate during the testing phase, and then switch to green once proven road worthy.

If this all isn’t space age-y enough, know how Nevada governor Brian Sandoval was convinced to sign the licensing bill into law?

A Google campaign.  The Internet convinced the humans to give robots equal rights.

Geoff Peterson, take note…

You are winning!

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Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Technology, transportation

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Please. Stand. Still.

Posted on February 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

I spent a lot of my childhood motion sick.  Cars, boats, planes, you name it — we just didn’t get along.

But what if the very floor could give you vertigo?

Don’t laugh.  It’s happening.

Researchers in Jersey City, New Jersey have found that high contrast black-and-white carpeting is making people sick.

We’re talking headaches.  Visual distress.  Even seizures in epileptics.

Man…that boat trip is sounding better all the time.

They aren’t exactly sure why a high contrast repeating pattern can give the illusion of motion and make viewers sick.  But based on their findings, researchers do recommend that you give carpet more than a quick glance before you make any purchase for your home.

Your home?  I think this information is even more important for all the planes, trains, and automobiles out there.

Talk about a double whammy!

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Posted in Airplanes, Automobiles, Business, Cars, Commentary, Design, Furniture, Health, Home, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel

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Travel tips

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

Have you spent the morning after the 4th perusing your friends’ vacation snaps online?

I know I have.

I stayed in Manhattan this year, but many folks left the city to find their bliss.  The question is: how did they decide whether to drive or fly?

I found a nifty calculator on BeFrugal.com that helps you compare the cost and time of both modes of transportation, so you can make the best choice for every trip.

Just enter your starting and ending destinations, the length of your stay, even the estimated price of hotels along the way if you were to drive.  The calculator will show you the relative cost of the trip by car and plane in dollars and hours.

It even tells you the carbon footprint for each — my, they’ve thought of everything!

Well…not everything.

Which is why I would like to propose my own travel calculator….which I believe simplifies things quite a bit.  You only have to answer two questions.

  1. Who is paying for the trip?  If the answer is “me,” proceed to TRAIN  or BUS.  If the answer is “someone else,” proceed to PLANE.
  2. How long will it take to drive?  IF the answer is under 2 hours, proceed to TRAIN.  If the answer is more than 2 hours, proceed to PLANE.

I hope this has been helpful.

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Posted in Airplanes, Automobiles, Cars, Commentary, Family, Finances, Green, Holiday, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel, Vacation

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