Kevin-

With any luck, you'll be hit by a bus next time you leave your house.

hooray...my $300 squeezebox does almost everything that does except empty my wallet!

Seriously...audiophiles have a need to pay a lot to feel like they have a high-quality product. Cheap stuff, no matter how good, simply doesn't enter their calculations.

Also, as for pre-loaded music. Classical music is really cheap (Naxos records charges

They need to be custom fitted, because they're so prone to uglifying scratches and dents. Check Rimowa luggage one time, and suddenly you'll be feeling sill about your investment.

I do like the motorcycle engines. I'm surprised they aren't used more often by small-scale manufacturers.

no one understands yen...SPEAK AMERICAN!!!

I can't wait to hear the excuses, but...

to be fair to Apple, several people have recommended to me that I keep my laptop off my lap (or, even worse, a soft surface like a bed) because of the risk of blocked fan exhausts and the like. Clearly, a product of such immaculate design as a Mac laptop shouldn't have this problem, but it may not be thaaat farfetched.

It's weird that Brad Isaac is into this, since he's such a Pocket PC advocate. After all, if you're going to have access to the same system (be it a laptop or pda or whatever), why not keep things like a calendar, address book, and email archives offline, in case you're out of wi-fi range?

Wow, Scott. What a beautifully human and sharply insightful way of looking at the issue.

First, you're comfortable with the idea of abridging the freedom of speech/assembly of LEGAL immigrants? Sure, there were illegal immigrants involved in those protests, but the idea that we should deport any immigrant who isn't "happy with the work or living conditions" is profoundly un-American.

Second, let's go ahead and deport all of the illegals. Give them a couple days, and they'll be back.

Finally, while I acknowledge the violence perpetrated by the immigrants in this case, I fail to see the wisdom in adopting the labor and immigration tactics of a despotic principality. This is more than just a democracy vs. monarchy debate, it's also a big-ass country vs. city-state debate. What works in one is unlikely to work in the other.

If you're actually interested in looking at the facts regarding immigrant life in Dubai instead of just bitching about the cushy life of illegal immigrants in the US, check out the washington post's special report: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/29/AR2006042901457.html

good to see her parents putting their feet down.

"Paris, if we ever see you in that one specific casino again, we shall be very cross with you."

They should. Screw caps seal better than cork, they cost less, and they eliminate the risk of tainted bottles. Cork is sentimental, nothing more. I certainly don't want to be the one going out and forking over big money for an undrinkable bottle of wine.