The big Ash Tray

I really have no respect for people who toss their cigarette butts or any other trash out of their cars. But my biggest pet peeve is actually folks who dump their complete ash tray at an intersection in the "big ash tray" earth. Would it be so hard to dump it at home in a trash can?

My Mini Cooper S

Last summer I decided to replace my 1984 Diesel Chevy Suburban with a slightly smaller everyday car and bicycle transporter. Basically I didn't really need any inspiration to do so but I really like to say that Bill Maher inspired me. In one of his skids he mused about all the yellow ribbons on big SUVs in support of the troops in Iraq. He then said "Well people who drive those SUIVs are actually the reason why we are in Iraq. If we all sold our cars we currently have and each got a new car with 3 miles a gallon better fuel econmy, we would be pretty much independent from foreign oil needs."
Hmmm.
After some back and forth I eventually decided on a MINI Cooper S and am very glad I did so. It is amazing fun to drive and it gets about 25 miles to the gallon average even if I drive it really hard. That is almost 12 miles to the gallon better fuel economy than my Suburban and allows me to save fuel for 3 folks who'd never consider worrying about fuel consumption and pollution. :-)

The South

I grew up in the South, but not in the South of the USA, my South is the South of Germany. But although these 2 Souths are an ocean apart, there are some interesting similarities.
People in Northern Germany feel smarter than their Southern German counterparts and Southern Germans also have a funny dialect (speak funny) which further helps the idea that people from that area can't be that smart. People in Southern Germany also are a bit more friendly and less reserved, and life as a whole seems a bit slower too.
Does that sound familiar?