The Accord thing frustrates me no end.  I have 3 kids in carseats/booster seats.  There is no way my whole family could fit into a Prius.  I'm currently driving a 12yo Accord and we just barely fit, with me having bought the narrowest carseats I could find.  It will likely need to be replaced in the next couple of years.  I care deeply about gas mileage.  I was so looking forward to the hyrid Accord coming out, because it seemed like finally there would be an energy-efficient car that would fit my family.  I was so disappointed to read that its gas mileage is no better than what I'm getting right now.  Now I'm waiting for the hybrid Camry to come out, but will it be fuel-efficient like the Prius, or a performance car like the new Accord?  And will my current car survive long enough for me to find out?  (since I'm unlikely to be able to afford to buy new)  Ack!

Posted at July 21, 2005 3:50 PM in response to Energy Independence Follies

'Bout time they drafted those NRA members.

Posted at June 28, 2005 10:48 AM in response to What to Call it ...

This is fascinating, because I lived in Australia until I was 11.  Curse words were absolutely taboo, and I pretty much never heard them.  I'm not saying Australians don't curse, but they didn't around me (in white, middle-class suburbia).  Then we moved to Singapore where we became part of the American expatriate community there.  I couldn't believe the language I was hearing from the (American) kids around me, including the 5-year-old boy in our apartment building.  So I have grown up thinking of Americans as cursers.  It's interesting to hear that you consider them comparatively clean-mouthed.

Posted at June 20, 2005 11:28 AM in response to Bad words and poetry

If that's all they're suggesting doing, then I find nothing objectionable.  We have a HELOC that we use as our rainy day fund -- we don't draw on it unless we need it (which we do periodically),  and then we pay it back.  It means that we can use any extra money we save to pay down the principal on our first mortgage, without worrying about having to keep some in reserve (because we can always borrow some back if needed).  I've also debated the merits of saving for the kids' college with some special fund, or just putting it all into our mortgage (guaranteed 5+% return).  Knowing that I can always draw on that money later means that I don't need to anguish so much about where I should put it now.

Posted at June 14, 2005 2:03 PM in response to Home Equity Roulette

Are you serious about the Southern book?  I had to read it in college (20 years ago), but just reread it in the last year or two because I'm on a bit of a medieval kick.  I wouldn't exactly call it gripping!

 I don't read much US history, so I haven't done much in the way of comparison, but I very much enjoyed Founding Brothers.

Posted at June 8, 2005 4:06 PM in response to History