Tamerlane's Thoughts

26 Honda Accords ad

2012-01-28T09:36:00.001-08:00

Kyrgyzstan prisoners sew lips together

2012-01-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, in Kyrgyzstan,

Foie gras loco moco at Animal (LA)

2012-01-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

Foie gras, SPAM, Niman Ranch hamburger patty, quail egg, Sriracha infused gravy. Menu here.

2011 sales figures for American cars sold in Japan

2012-01-27T04:36:00.000-08:00

Photo source.

Jeep: 3,154
Ford: 3,469
Chevrolet: 1,268
Cadillac: 1,392
Dodge: 1,106
Chrysler: 611
GMC: 117
Hummer: 159
Pontiac: 12
Buick: 11
Saturn: 1
Total: 11,300

For comparison's sake, Porsche sold 12,978 Cayennes in the United States in 2011.

Heidfeld has a job!

2012-01-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

Rebellion Racing (FIA World Endurance Championship) has hired Heidfeld. He will race in Sebring, Spa, and Le Mans.

Has anyone here been to Sebring? How are the track, facilities, and town?

Australian PM whisked away in a Holden

2012-01-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Protestors surround the PM outside a restaurant. Mayhem ensues. Shoe is lost. This was apparently over some insensitive remarks made by opposition leader Tony Abbott. Perhaps our Australian friends can shed some more light on the controversial statement (and why the PM's car is always white).

1963 Corvair Testudo by Bertone

2012-01-26T03:06:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Stipistop.

Audi 100 Coupe S and Audi A7

2012-01-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

Via Jalopnik Opposite Lock

North Korean news lady

2012-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

She's just a nice, old lady. 'Tis all.

The clip is in Mandarin and Korean, but is worth watching even if you don't understand it. Here is an English description.

H/t to rchen.

As Newt surges, Obama is more likely to be re-elected

2012-01-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

This is why Republicans are worried. As Newt pummels presumptive front runner Romney, Obama's chances of winning in November rise. Newt is so disliked by the general electorate, and especially by women, that he stands almost no chance of winning any swing state.

David Coulthard flying in zero gravity

2012-01-24T07:49:00.001-08:00

An Idiot Abroad-- Trans-Siberian

2012-01-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

Is this guy for real?

2012 VW Eos hardtop convertible

2012-01-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

It's the only convertible with a sunroof function. The roof has 470 parts. *Gulp*

Newt Gingrich Plymouth Prowler

2012-01-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

Ugh.

Price limit at gas pumps

2012-01-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

I thought it was an urban legend-- That in order to mitigate credit card fraud, gas pumps shut off at $75. This one shut off at $74 this morning. The Popemobile needed another couple of gallons for a fill-up.

After 2 1/2 months of ownership, the car gets about 15 mpg (6.4 km per liter) in the city and 22 (9.4) on the highway. It is best at a constant 70 mph. It is worst in the streets of San Francisco.

Audi Quattro Moby Dick ad

2012-01-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

This reminds me. Moby Dick has gone unread in my Kindle for almost a year now.

Emeryville

2012-01-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

"TAG McLaren" motorcycle

2012-01-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

Almost forgot. Saw this at Red Rock Canyon's parking lot outside Vegas.

Carspotting: Bradley GT II

2012-01-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

I was doing my husbandly duties this morning at 7 when I went to get an oil change for my wife's car. In exchange for my act of kindness, I saw this gullwinged VW kit car parked on the side of the road. This will complement the GT I saw in Nevada. Time for another Hooniverse post, me thinks.

Wet California:

Dry Nevada:

Public Enemy and Anthrax: Bring the Noise

2012-01-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

Citroen 2CV factory video

2012-01-20T18:15:00.001-08:00

This was shot at a Portuguese factory in 1990.

Via Flavio Gomes.

Bentley Continental R mule/test vehicle

2012-01-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

H/t to Jagvar.

Wide Berth

2012-01-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Volvo military truck, before and after

2012-01-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

Before:

Source.

After:

Source.

Native American revenge

2012-01-19T08:06:00.000-08:00

Karma is a bi&ch. Through tricks, smallpox, and violence, Native Americans lost everything. In addition to all the land and bounty, millions of Americans suffer from diabetes (due in part to the proliferation of high fructose maize syrup), lung cancer (tobacco), and billions of dollars are lost at soul-sucking Indian casinos. Now, Native Americans are getting into the arguably usurious unsecured loan business. Just check out the 234% rate. And a $500 "fee" on a $1,000 loan!

Mystery car

2012-01-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm writing a piece about this vehicle on Hooniverse.

I've modified the right column of Tamerlane's Thoughts. As you can see, I've posted links to my latest Hooniverse articles. Today's post is about a Fisker Karma I saw in Sin City.

VW Phaeton, sans W12 engine

2012-01-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

Via PanEuropean at VW Vortex.

Diecast collector Ozmac interview

2012-01-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

Tamerlane's Thoughts commenter and diecast collector Ozmac was recently interviewed by Scale143.com. Check out his wonderful life story and incredible car collection!

Carspotting: Unimog van conversion

2012-01-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

Spotted this on the Las Vegas Strip Saturday night.

Specs here.

Las Vegas Weekend

2012-01-15T23:09:00.000-08:00

1. David Spade is bigger than Jacque Villeneuve.
2. Celine Dion is a freak of nature.

Kim Jong Un documentary

2012-01-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

This blog is taking the long weekend off. Here's an hour long documentary for your viewing pleasure. I have only seen snippets but it looks like the Young One's official ride is an S-class Mercedes. If you find something interesting, feel free to share it in the comments!

Also, check out this North Korean expert's minute-by-minute analysis of the movie.

Over 100 years of Chicago Auto Show pictures!

2012-01-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

This is the mother lode, ladies and germs. Pictures from every single Chicago Auto Show. The following is just a small sampling from the 1985 show. It was someone's job to sift through boxes of old photographs, scan them, and caption them.

Newt's attack ad: Romney speaks French!

2012-01-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

There is no greater insult in American politics than to accuse your opponent of being cultured and multilingual.

Honda Civic animated ad

2012-01-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Via Japanese Nostalgic Cars.

Mitt Romney's Mexican cousins

2012-01-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

Corruption in China, a case study

2012-01-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

Chinese sanitation worker pay stub. Monthly net income: 1,061.08 RMB = $168.14. Source.

Chinese government and Communist Party officials are a bit extravagant with their car purchases. For example,

a $560,000 chocolate-colored Bentley registered in Beijing to the CCP,
the People's Liberation Army has a $330,000 black Maserati, and
about 20,000 Audi A6s are owned by government officials.

So the well-meaning central government wants to curb excessive spending by limiting the cost of the cars and their engine sizes. So what happens as a result? There is a run on "2.0 liter" badges to downgrade the luxury cars. And what's worse? The corrupt officials demand inflated receipts on these badge purchases to pad their expense accounts. Un-f'ing-believable.

Source.

Mossad blows up Iranian Peugeot

2012-01-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

No doubt.

Chinese skaters in Mongolia

2012-01-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

If the CCP is trying to slow down the Westernization of its citizens, it's failing. This is pretty hilarious.

"Where do we Land?" (Full Length) Converse China trip to Mongolia from Patrik Wallner on Vimeo.

Replacing a VW Phaeton transmission, the saga

2012-01-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

A 2004 V8 Phaeton owner on VWVortex had to have his transmission replaced and posted these photos.

The guy bought the car in April 2010 with 80,000 miles on it. By 94,000 miles, the car started acting funny while shifting from 1st to 2nd. For a brief moment, the engine would rev up a couple hundred RPM, as if the transmission was in neutral, before engaging into 2nd. The tech diagnosed it as a "flare shift" and concluded that it was only going to get worse.

Fortunately, the guy bought a service contract/extended warranty. The warranty company offered two choices: the company would pay for a used 70,000 mile transmission or the owner would have to pay an extra $2,000 for a rebuilt transmission (that's the cost differential between a used unit and a rebuilt unit). He opted for the rebuilt transmission. His research revealed that a rebuilt transmission cost around $4,500.

Here is the mechanic disconnecting all the fluid lines.

Disassembly instructions.

The engine and transmission will be lowered onto this table. Note that it is in two pieces, for when the engine and transmission are separated from each other.

They forgot to unhook an oxygen sensor wire.

Old transmission.

New transmission.

Do we need these extra parts?

These pictures were taken in June 2011. Within a couple of months, the new transmission was experiencing the same problem, only between 2nd and 3rd gear. The shop updated some software, and it ended up shifting even worse. The owner then waited two weeks for a valve body from Germany. After installing the valve body, the flare shift was still there.

The saga continues.

Jon Huntsman rides to victory (motocross ad)

2012-01-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Now that's a presidential candidate!

Gingrich Super PAC's Romney attack ad video (trailer)

2012-01-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

That millions of dollars are being spent by the surrogates of the various presidential candidates is astounding. Gingrich's Super PAC is spending up to $5 million to air this half-hour "documentary", attacking Romney's record in the private sector. The $5 million is from Sheldon Adelson, the 16th richest person in the world. He owns the Venetian Casino in Vegas and Macao.

Huntsman surge in New Hampshire?

2012-01-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

As background, Republican presidential candidate Huntsman served as U.S. ambassador to China under the Obama administration. At last night's debate, front runner Romney criticized Huntsman for that. This clip is from this morning's debate (yes, there were two debates within 10 hours of each other).

If enough New Hampshire voters watched this morning's debate, Huntsman may do well in Tuesday's primary. Romney is going to win with 40-something percent of the vote, no matter what. But if Huntsman can finish second in the 20 percent range, that will definitely help the moderate's struggling campaign.

1990 Lotus Elan review

2012-01-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

Over on Hooniverse, there is a discussion about the Isuzu-powered, front wheel drive, Lotus Elan. Has anyone here had any experience with the car?

Ferrari v. Lotus

2012-01-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

From ShantJ.

New science fiction book, Fahrenheit 451

2012-01-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

Amazon and big box book stores destroyed hundreds, if not thousands, of small, independent book stores. Now, Borders is closed and Barnes & Noble is about to die. What a shame. This picture was taken today at one of the three remaining Barnes & Noble stores in the Bay Area.

Portlandia opening theme

2012-01-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

McCain endorses Obama video

2012-01-06T08:02:00.001-08:00

Celine Dion Chrysler Laser ad

2012-01-05T22:59:00.000-08:00

Can't believe I just got a pair of Celine Dion tickets. Oh lord, help me!

VW Phaeton oil filter/cartridge

2012-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Phew, what a relief. The Phaeton's cartridge is actually sort of normal (although I am more familiar with the spin-on filters) and easily obtainable. It basically fits most (but not all) Audis and VWs with the 4.2 liter V8 or 6.0 liter V12.

Detailed oil change instructions for the Phaeton here.

How to warm up and start an F1 car

2012-01-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

This is a 1990 Leyton House. What a production.

Via Flavio Gomes.

Mongol Rally 2012

2012-01-05T05:32:00.000-08:00

Who's doing this?

Bentley Continental Flying Spur / VW Phaeton interior comparison

2012-01-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

As you may know, 2005 and 2006 Flying Spurs were built alongside the Phaeton in Dresden. So how similar are these two cars? The biggest difference is the engine. American Phaetons came with 4.2 liter V8s or normally aspirated 6.0 liter W12s. The Bentley came with a twin turbo 6.0 liter W12.

But looking at the interiors, the layouts are virtually identical. It's just that the Bentley has a lot more leather and chrome. I've gathered some interior pictures of the four-seat models of the Bentley and the VW as well as saabkyle04's comprehensive videos of each car.

Bentley front:

Phaeton front: (Note that the vents are behind the wood dash paneling.)

Bentley back:

Phaeton back:

Bentley dash:

Phaeton dash: (The gauges are identical, except the VW also gets oil temp and volt readouts.)

Republican presidential candidates' entourage size comparison

2012-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

The New York Times created this neat little graphic. Here is the full version. Iowa results are at the bottom of this post. As you can see, the size of the entourage has no correlation whatsoever with how many votes are garnered.

2012 Iowa Caucus results:
1. Romney 30,015 votes 24.6%
2. Santorum 30,007 votes 24.5%
3. Paul 26,219 votes 21.4%
4. Gingrich 16,251 votes 13.3%
5. Perry 12,604 10.3%
6. Bachmann 6,073 5% (She dropped out today.)
7. Huntsman 745 votes 0.6%

Facebook, circa 1984

2012-01-04T06:44:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge.

Source.

Obama's 2008 Iowa Caucus victory speech video

2012-01-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

After months of hilarious jockeying, the Iowa Caucus is finally here. It's hard to imagine that just four years ago, Obama beat Edwards and Clinton there. His victory speech is worth listening to, if not just for nostalgia's sake. Though some progress has been made since Obama became president, some of his supporters have been left disappointed. The biggest failure has been his inability (and the Republicans' unwillingness) to work together on anything substantive.

Mercedes CLK DTM gear lever

2012-01-03T07:01:00.001-08:00

From Alan.

Carspotting: Edsel Ranger

2012-01-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

2012 Anti-Football Run photos

2012-01-02T03:17:00.000-08:00

Now, I just gotta find the words.

Testing...

2012-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

...

Parking lot photos

2012-01-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

Two more shots taken this morning.

Petaluma Creamery: That's a Talbot, two Porsches, a Miura, a Mini, and a Pantera!

Sausalito lot: Two tanks.

2012 Anti-Football Run

2012-01-01T12:26:00.001-08:00

Much more soon.

Oakland airport sign

2011-12-31T18:03:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Carspotting: Rolls-Royce Phantom

2011-12-30T05:52:00.000-08:00

Thar she blows!
Man the harpoons!

Carspotting: 2 beige luxury SUVs

2011-12-29T12:12:00.001-08:00

Spicy!

East Coast Chinese takeout requirement: duck sauce

2011-12-29T04:26:00.001-08:00

Carspotting: Triumph TR6

2011-12-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

2011 Tokyo Motor Show Tomica display

2011-12-28T03:34:00.000-08:00

Courtesy rchen. In the last photo, the dude is custom making Tomica buses.

Individually wrapped heirloom tomatoes

2011-12-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

Is this SW Florida or Japan?

Mark I RX7 + C3 body kit = Corvetty

2011-12-27T02:57:00.000-08:00

Source.

The most valuable commodity in the Eastern Time Zone

2011-12-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

E's 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE

2011-12-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

E was kind enough to share these shots of his red Esprit and his thoughts about the car.

Pros:
1. The intellectual pleasure of driving a 4 cylinder car which, at the time of its launch, went quicker to 100 km/h than a 911 Turbo (6 cylinders), a Ferrari 328/348 (8 cylinders), and a Lamborghini Countach (12 cylinders).
2. Handling. No hype. Julia Roberts was right. It does drive like it's on rails.
3. Looks. It is stunning from any angle.
4. Value for money. Where can a normal car guy buy into the supercar league?
5. Bonus: Fiberglass body means no rust!

Cons:
1. Not suited for tall people.
2. On-off nature of turbocharging.
3. Mundane sound and feel at normal speeds.

Mele Kalikimaka, everyone!

2011-12-25T01:04:00.000-08:00

Piilani Highway, Maui, Hawaii

Mercedes in the snow

2011-12-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Courtesy: Swine of Opposite Lock.

All I want for Christmas...

2011-12-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

1. A diecast V8 Supercar.
2. A win in the Iowa Caucuses.

Top 10 James Bond chases

2011-12-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

Another post on Hooniverse. Check it out.

Visiting a Saab dealership

2011-12-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

With all the eulogizing this week after Saab's bankruptcy, I thought I'd visit the local Saab dealership.

There were nine new Saabs there: three 9-3s, two 9-4Xs, and four 9-5s. I scooped up one of every brochure they had left. The employees there were surprisingly upbeat, holding out hope that the Chinese would buy what's left of Saab. The new Saabs do not come with warranties, despite pleadings to GM to cover the 2010 and 2011 models.

This 1967 Sonnett II is for display purposes only and belongs to a local enthusiast.

Carspotting: Lotus Esprit

2011-12-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

Saw this engineless Esprit on Sunday. Thinking about writing it up for Hooniverse. Aside from our Swiss reader, does anyone else have any first-hand knowledge about this car? TIA.

Kim Jong-Il funeral motorcade video preview

2011-12-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! This was his father's funeral motorcade. American limos, black W140s, green W123s, UAZ's, an old Merc Pullman, and lots of motorcycles, all in the formation of an arrow.

The video cuts between the motorcade and screaming Koreans. The volume should be turned down.

Kim Jong-Il's hearse is a Lincoln?

2011-12-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

Speculation is rife about the make and model of Kim's funeral car. Something Communist, like a ZIL or a HongQi? Or maybe German, like a Mercedes or a VW Phaeton. An archival search revealed that his father, Kim Il-Sung, was transported atop an American Lincoln limo during his 1994 funeral.

Source.

Bad year for despots

2011-12-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

In 2011, we saw the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, al Qaeda, Libya, Yemen, and now North Korea unceremoniously "go". With 11 days left, perhaps the technically retired Fidel Castro will "go" as well.

Am looking forward to Kim's funeral car. Maybe they're converting his Phaeton into one as we speak.

Icelandic Mercedes Sprinter 4x4

2011-12-19T19:01:00.001-08:00

Via Stipistop.

Mourning Kim's death (video)

2011-12-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

The residents of Pyongyang are the most loyal (and best compensated) of North Koreans. Perhaps the mourners are upset that their relatively nice apartments, jobs, and perks are in jeopardy.

The Announcement

2011-12-19T07:56:00.000-08:00

No, I did not have anything to do with Kim Jong Il's passing.

Rather, starting today, I'll be a contributor to the car blog Hooniverse. It's exciting because it will give me a chance to reach a larger audience.

The plan for now is to contribute one to two posts a week to the Universe of Hoons. Tamerlane's Thoughts will continue as-is, with no changes.

I hope you will visit Hooniverse more often, not only to read my posts, but the posts of other like-minded car nuts. Though I'm new there, I can attest that Hooniverse is a labor of love, in its purest form.

Plus, you get a peek at my miniature car collection.

Thank you for your years of support and words of encouragement. You are the all the best!

Announcement tomorrow

2011-12-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

Check back Monday around 7:30 a.m., Pacific Time. Thanks.

Citroens and Concorde

2011-12-18T09:33:00.000-08:00

To quote the great Quagmire: Giggity!

Last U.S. and Soviet troops leaving quagmires

2011-12-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

U.S. leaving Iraq and crossing into Kuwait:

U.S.S.R. leaving Afghanistan and crossing back into Soviet Central Asia (skip to 34:18):

Three (3) Ferrari 400i's for sale in Bay Area

2011-12-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

Holy cow! They're everywhere.

1. 1983, mileage unknown, auto transmission, $30,000.

2. 1984, mileage unknown, auto transmission, $17,000.

3. 1984, 10,000 miles, auto, $27,500.

Two-thirds of them were equipped with GM's Turbo Hydramatic (3-speed). Over six years, a little over 700 LHD automatics were sold.

Mercedes CLK 55 AMG promo video

2011-12-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

The cheesy promo shows a CLK 55 beating a private plane from SoCal to NorCal. During the housing bubble in California, these coupes were everywhere. I'm sure it's a very competent car, but I just didn't see its appeal. It seems like Merc just got lazy and decided to stuff the "55" AMG engine in everything. Was there ever an A55 or B55 AMG?

Romy and Michele's Jaguar

2011-12-16T22:11:00.001-08:00

Am doing research for an article and came across this:

Protests in Wukan, China

2011-12-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

1. How the heck did the BBC get the interviews and video footage?
2. The civil patrols at night are akin to what's going on in Syria.

Short BBC News clip here.

Writer's block!!!

2011-12-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

KAW FS Hybrid Concept = New Toyota Century?

2011-12-14T23:02:00.000-08:00

Rchen shared this shot he took at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Here's what I found online and on Youtube (skip to 4:05).

Phaeton HVAC trivia

2011-12-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

I was looking for a picture of a diesel car with smoke coming out the back end but found this instead. Isn't it much cooler?

Outside the horse track yesterday, I was following an old W123 sedan. It was accelerating and spewing out tons of black soot. I held my breath, but then realized-- outside air wasn't coming inside the cabin. The Phaeton had automatically switched to recirculating air.

1. The Phaeton is equipped with an air quality sensor (G238). It's right next to the fresh air intake. When it detects pollutants outside, it closes the air flow flap and opens the air recirculation flap.

The sensor contains an oxide mixed with tungsten. The compound changes its electrical properties when it comes in contact with oxidisable or reducible gases.

Oxidisable gases include carbon monoxide, benzene vapors, petrol vapors, hydrocarbons, and unburned/incompletely burned fuel components. Oxidisable gases absorb oxygen and bind it. When the sensor comes into contact with an oxidisable gas, the gas absorbs oxygen from the mixed oxide. This changes the electrical properties of the mixed oxide in the sensor, and resistance falls.

Reducible gases include nitrogen oxides. Reducible gases pass oxygen to other elements or compounds. When the sensor comes into contact with a reducible gas, resistance rises.

If the measured resistance deviates from the default value, then the air conditioner control unit concludes that the ambient air is contaminated and starts up the automatic air recirculation function.

2. Every time the Phaeton is shifted into reverse, the recirculation function is turned on automatically so that exhaust gases do not enter the cabin.

3. And here are all 25 of the motors used to circulate air inside the cabin:

Air conditioner

- air flow flap control motor

- defroster flap control motor

- air recirculation flap control motor

- control motor for front cold air flap

- control motor for front warm air flap

- control motor for left footwell flap

- control motor for right footwell flap

- control motor for front right shut-off flap of defroster and chest vent

- control motor for front left shut-off flap for defroster and chest vent

- control motor for rear right centre console warm air flap

- control motor for rear left centre console warm air flap

- control motor for rear right centre console cold air flap

- control motor for rear left centre console cold air flap

- control motor for right B pillar and footwell shut-off flap

- control motor for left B pillar and footwell shut-off flap

Dash panel

- control motor for right defroster/chest vent flap

- control motor for left defroster/chest vent flap

- control motor for indirect ventilation air flap

- front left centre vent

- front right centre vent

- control motor for left design panel

- control motor for right design panel

- control motor for centre design panel

Rear distributor housings

- rear right footwell/defroster flap control motor

- rear left footwell/defroster flap control motor

Lambo model bloat

2011-12-14T08:35:00.001-08:00

A Phaeton and a GoPro

2011-12-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I'll post a piece about the car's HVAC system.

This is the 3.0 liter V6 TDI version.

Monaco:

Alps:

Interior shot:

Underbelly shot:

American Humvee in Iraq

2011-12-13T00:18:00.000-08:00

After almost a decade, we're finally pulling out of Iraq. This 2007 video succinctly summarizes the occupation.

Why political reporters have no business describing cars

2011-12-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Source.

In yesterday's New York Times article about Romney's thriftiness:

"Soon after Mitt Romney handed out eye-popping bonuses to top performers at his private equity firm in the early 1990s, a young employee invited him to ride in his brand-new toy-- a $90,000 Porsche 911 Carrera.

Mr. Romney was entranced by the sleek, supercharged vehicle...." (Emphasis added.)

To his credit, Romney drove a beat up Chevy Caprice station wagon with red vinyl seats.

Worst song of 2011

2011-12-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

This man-made disaster is horrible. The Hague is looking into bringing crimes against humanity charges as you read this.

The following version is slightly NSFW. Skip to 1:00.

Dollar Tree Frosted Flakes

2011-12-12T03:59:00.000-08:00

Meet Tony the Tiger's deeply discounted, generic cousin, Albert the Albino.

Female candidate in Egyptian Salafist Al Nour party

2011-12-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

The ultra-conservative Al Nour party had a female candidate on its party slate in the recent election. Here is the campaign poster.

Can't find her picture? She's the rose, at the bottom. Al Nour actually doesn't want a woman to win, because running a government is supposedly a "man's job". So why was she running then? The law requires every party to have at least one female candidate.

Surely, birthers and their like-minded allies will see the uncanny similarity between Al Nour's logo and Obama's logo. But in reality, Al Nour's graphic designer was probably just lazy.