Citroens and a 1950 Mercury

From Tim, who is also tirelessly working on a 300SE ownership interview with me...

Lap of Monaco in a SWB Phaeton (long version of video)

Israel wants Sudanese refugees gone

First, let's be honest.  As progressive and as lofty-minded as we (you, the typical reader of this blog, and me) think we are, we wouldn't want a bunch of impoverished refugees living next door to us.  But it is a bit ironic that many Israelis a) don't want to allow refugees from a war-torn country in and b) complain that foreigners are a menace and have no right to take their land and resources.

Me shaking the printer toner cartridge

Carspotting: Volvo S80 safety car

This is one of those cars that you recognize from a mile away.  With all those yellow reflective stickers, I notice it almost every time I see it when I'm in downtown Berkeley.

It reminds of Alyssa Milano's safety car in Who's the Boss?

It's a small miracle that the car is still alive.  When was the last time you saw an S80, with its transmission and electrical woes?

Lilyhammer trailer

Thanks to Alan and Edvin for bringing this to my attention.  It's a Netflix-produced series and a big hit in Norway.  It's about a New York mobster who moves to Lillehammer.  I've seen two episodes so far and it is definitely a winner.

Tobacco companies spend $40 million fighting Prop 29

The amount of money spent on elections in the U.S. is obscene.

Proposition 29, if passed, would impose an additional $1 tax on every pack of cigarette sold in California.  It should raise over $700 million a year.  Tobacco companies, of course, are not happy.  So they've carpet bombed California airwaves, to the tune of $40 million, in advertising before next month's election.

Soon after this ad aired, the good doctor was removed from a government panel she served on.  Retaliation?

But finally, I saw the first pro-29 ad today.  And they brought out the big guns, i.e. cancer-beating hero/controversial sportsman Lance Armstrong.  But with relatively less money to air the pro-29 ads, it looks like Big Tobacco might win.

Here are the major donors, as of today:

Pro:

American Cancer Society	$7,402,488
Lance Armstrong Foundation	$1,500,000
American Heart Association	$546,256
Michael Bloomberg	$500,000
American Lung Association	$412,086
Volunteers Organized for Community Empowerment	$152,188
ACS Cancer Action Network	$80,000
Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund	$65,000
University of California/San Francisco Foundation	$50,000
Alex Padilla's Ballot Measure Committee	$25,450
T. Gary Rogers	$25,000
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center	$25,000
National Dialogue on Cancer Foundation	$15,000
The Don Perata 2004 campaign fund	$13,504
Tench Coxe	$10,000
Mark Segal	$10,000
Delta Dental of California	$5,000
Malin Burnham	$5,000
James Falaschi	$5,000
Robert Klein	$5,000
Sharon Long	$5,000
Rubio for Senate 2014	$5,000

Anti:

Altria/Philip Morris	$24,029,416
R.J. Reynolds	$9,574,755
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco (Altria/UST LLC)	$2,639,018
American Snuff Company (a Reynolds division)	$1,500,000
California Republican Party	$1,140,909
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (a Reynolds division)	$984,000
John Middleton Co. (via Altria), an affiliate of Philip Morris	$640,001
McClane Company, Inc.	$50,000
Californians Against Unaccountable Taxes	$47,744
International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers	$40,000
Core-Mark	$20,665
Trepco West	$5,200
Prometheus International	$2,500
Tatuaje Cigars, Inc.	$2,500
Santa Barbara Cigar & Tobacco	$1,000

Mercedes SL Icon ad

Powerful Suzuki Samurai sticker

Via Ripituc.

God Bless America movie trailer

Not a fan of gun violence, but this film (written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait) looks intriguing.  Sort of a 21st century version of Falling Down.