I agree that simulation is very much what 4E D&D has become. I've been playing it for about a year fairly regularly and I recently commented to the GM that at times 4th edition really seems like a tabletop miniature combat first and a role playing game second.

The two systems I prefer are Harp and Rifts. I feel that Harp has a very good set of rules around things and dropped the worst of Rolemaster while keeping the good parts. Rifts rules are ok but the background and details around it are awesome.

What 2003 redesign are you talking about? The production of 4th gen Camaro's ended with the 2002 model. The 5th generation began production in March 2009. Given the response and comments I get on my 2010 2LT/RS Camaro it is safe to say you are in a minority on the looks of the car.

Tractor pulling involves up to 65,000 pounds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractor_pulling

I've found that my upgrades are further and further apart. Largely because there haven't been any huge jumps in requirements. In the late 90's and early 2000's it seemed like every 2 weeks a new video card or CPU architecture was coming out. My last PC went about 3 years with only minor upgrades and I just finished building a nice system that I hope will last 4 years. Of course some game maker could change my plans but I suspect an i7-920, pair of ATI 5850's, 6GB of RAM, Intel SSD and 2TB data drive will be overkill for anything in the next couple of years.

39 * 2 = 78 days for round trip to Mars in the article which is less then 3 months. The 39 days is one way just to get there.

So you have some better project in mind that's "so good" that no one has ever been enthusiastic about it enough to bother trying to write a book for people who need such guidance?

Where I work as a desktop support technician, we've found the most effective upgrade path to be:
    - Clone System disk to external disk and verify clone.
    - Erase original System disk and perform a clean install (in our case, this is done via a disk image with several other applications, but the principle is the same).
    - Use Apple's Migration Assistant to pull user data and applications back from the external disk.
    - Typically follow up with a "Repair Permissions" and possibly a scan with something like Disk Warrior.

With this method, if everything is hosed, you can easily clone your system back from the external disk. Also, you have a clean system install, with less chance of legacy configuration and extension files causing problems with newer versions of OS features.

Middle of Nowhere? And you have broadband? I don't think you know where the middle of nowere is.

At my parents home a few years back:
1: could not get cable.
2: could not get dsl.
3: could not get dialup
4: could not get cell phone service, no towers nearby.
5: could not get a voice land line (oh, the phone company was happy to charge for one, but you could barely hear the dialtone strait from the box outside due to the static).

At my friends house while in college: The cable company promised broadband "real soon" for over 5 years, the phone company did the same. They were IT majors and had a shitload of network gear.

maybe not a bad idea for all those anonymous proxies out there :p

I recently traded my 06 VW Golf TDI in on a new Camaro. Let me tell you, a diesel is far from gutless. Thanks to the low end torque of diesel the car accelerates more like a small V6 instead of a I4. I could comfortable cruise at 80 mph which is 5 over the speed limit on the highway by me. When it comes to automotive performance, horsepower determines top speed and torque acceleration.

If I get to the point that I can afford a 2nd car payment or pay off my new car another VW TDI will be at the top of my list.

It is sad that thanks to decades of brainwashing by rags like Consumer Reports American cars are considered bad. Have you seen the ratings since the mid to late 90's? While on average the big 3 get lower marks then Honda and Toyota the difference is often statistically insignificant. Just check out JD Power rankings.

HP/liter doesn't matter except in size limited racing or where vehicles are taxed based on engine size. Do you know how the small engines get past 100hp/liter? They do it by being high spinning motors. HP is based on torque and rpm, so if you spin a motor to 7,000 rpms you make more HP. One reason that domestic motors have lower output per liter is because they are much bigger motors. How about we compare torque output, those high revving motors have very little torque. All other things being equal if you take a larger motor making the same HP as a smaller one, the larger motor will be more drivable.

Depends on what type of performance you are looking for. Many people who buy Mustangs are still more interested in straight line performance such as drag racing. In those cases a solid axle is much better. The Mustang Cobra's used in drag racing have had problems with wheel hop which can destroy the IRS.

Purely subjective. I know of several people who pre-ordered Camaro's that went with aftermarket stripes to more closely match the movie car. Though based off the conversations and looks I've gotten in my 2010 Camaro, I'd say you are wrong and many people love the looks of the new Camaro.

16,000 pre-orders say you are wrong. The 2010 Camaro has been one of the most successfully new car launches ever for GM, while it has not been problem free it has been far lower then any GM car. For any manufacture this would be considered a good launch. Since production started in March, over 26,000 have been made. Most are not sitting on lots for very long unless the dealer is greedy.

I'm on the forum that generated that list and your interpretation is way off. That list was generated by a board with thousands of posters. Most new Camaro's don't even have one of these problems. A few of them like the battery cable were caught very early and a recall done. Manufacturing was changed and it hasn't been a problem since.

I'd suggest you and other GM doubters check out http://www.5thgen.org/ or http://www.camaro5.com/ , you will find that these cars have been put together so well that people are nit-picking things like no leather cover for the car manual.

That list can be applied to any brand new car. Many new Camaro's including mine have been problem free.

Sure congress is debating health care reform, but until a provision of the system is that all Government health care plans fall under the same system it is doomed. With the current leading proposals the health care for Congress and the President will be separate. If they had a solution to the problem why wouldn't they be included in it? Any reform without this means that the very people planning have no confidence in it. If they don't want to be covered under their reform how can we the people trust it? Talk about elitist attitude that will only push the divide between the haves and have nots.