Thanks for your pleasant vote of confidence...

I have a '77 Chevy truck. What I love about it is the simplicity. Minimal plastic (upholstery), AM radio, simplicity of service.

What I don't like is that it's old and everything needs to be replaced.

My wife has an '05 Xterra, and work just gave me a 2012 F150. I appreciate the smooth suspension and handling of the newer vehicles, but I prefer the lack of complexity in my old truck.

I guess my dream vehicle would be a small SUV, 4X4, solid front axle, exposed metal interior. Something like the old Samurai. Diesel would be a nice option. Perhaps I should go buy a jeep.

If I could buy a car today with no features, minimal upholstery, nothing more than a chassis, powertrain, and seat... available in flat black paint... I'd buy one so fast your head would spin.

I picked up an Acer Revo a while back because it had a fiber optic audio connection to the amp, and sat nice and quiet next to the TV.

Fast forward a year, and now I'm surfing the web reclined on the couch.

I could go 6 feet that way and sit at a more powerful computer on a desk, or sit up and use a more powerful laptop, but... I'm sitting at the lowest powered machine in the house whining when it chokes on something. Sucks to be lazy...

If I didn't know any better, I'd guess Microsoft is trying to realize their dream of owning a closed platform. The only thing they're missing now is an "office" package.

Do it. That will make it a whole lot easier to drum up some outrage at the next election.

I'm jealous. That'd be so much easier and cooler than finishing my renovations and selling my house. My insurance policy says I'm covered for "acts of God". As long as nobody's hurt of course.

Today I did a perfect banana peel toss! It landed in the middle of the lane, point up! Tossing banana peels is an art form.

My work truck is an F350 loaded down so much that a fat co-worker and a full tank of gas would put you over the legal GVWR. The back window is blocked by the tool box, and so the rearview mirror is harmlessly pointed to the roof. We had a spring safety meeting where the focus was on driving safety, and how it is company policy that if there is a passenger present, he must get out and direct you back. After the meeting we all jumped in the trucks and took off. Not one guy directed the truck out. We got to lunch and the boss had a big vein sticking out of his neck while he yelled at us. We all hung our heads in shame appropriately. Still don't do that though. If you have situational awareness, and back in to a spot, it's no problem.

I hear ya. When you have real weather from one extreme to the next, it seems you need a different pair of shoes each month. I agree on the hip waders. Got rain? No prob. Too hot? Go stand in the lake/river. Too cold? Neoprene is warm. Wife trying to drag you somewhere fancy? Show up in your waders and you might get off the hook.

I have dress shoes, old running shoes (for dirty work) medium aged running shoes for walking around town, new running shoes for... running, casual shoes, slip on steel toe boots (great for mowing the lawn or stepping into the garage), winter work boots, summer work boots, over boots (go over the winter work boots when the work boots alone don't cut it) sandals for the beach, sandals for the river, sandals for drinking in the backyard, hiking boots, gum boots, snowboard boots, slippers, and last but not least, the neoprene waders.

I tell the wife that if I didn't have so many responsibilities, I wouldn't need so many pairs of shoes! I keep them in small groups of 3 or 4 pairs so it doesn't look so bad.

Totally agree! I saw one of these on a $65M USD world class yacht that I was installing a navigation camera on. Beautiful system that is almost as convenient as ripping the bloody movies, but goes to GREAT length to accommodate the "law" as it stands.

Who wants to be the lucky dog to tell the billionaire owner of the yacht that he has to now switch DVDs like the rest of us because he isn't "allowed" to have the disks pre-loaded on his Kaleidescape that he paid $40,000 to $80,000 for? While I was working on the yacht, I remember the Captain getting a box of DVD's from a crew member to catalog and put into the cargo hold. It was understood that if the movie is loaded into the system, the disk has to stay on board. I was shocked that they'd even care, but I guess if you have deep pockets you become a big target? Funny way to treat your customers, especially seeing as these are the guys who'd sign a blank cheque to just buy one of every movie in case they ever get the urge to watch it.

I returned an un-opened set of sockets to Canadian Tire once. The sockets were still in the original shrink wrap, and the clerk cut it open in front of me before she gave me a refund. When I asked her why, she said that they've had people return socket sets full of rocks.

Not surprised really.

Those rare circumstances when you need something from the start menu, it's not going to be fun trying to find it.

I feel the same way about livingroom furniture. I don't care how it is, just don't move ANYTHING!