Mini Mania

I've had my new Mini Cooper S for 2 weeks now and I love it. We are still in "break in" mode so I have not yet exercised its true potential as far as the "speed and quickness" part of the performance equation, but the handling is fantastic! It is easily the most agile and responsive car that I have ever driven, including my 2 Triumphs and my Sprite. Driving has become fun again, rather than a chore to be endured. I could go on and on with cliches containing the words "go kart" and "on rails" but I won't. And let's not forget the "creature comforts" that were (or are) lacking in the aforementioned sports cars. AC that works, power mirrors, sound deadening, cruise control etc. make for a more pleasant driving environment, especially on a long trip. Yeah, I admit it, I've "gone soft" (and not just around the middle) but at this point spartan (unless you're talking about MSU) is not superior. What is superior is the amount of fun I have behind the wheel of this little rocket. So as the Mini motto says, Let's Motor!

I Remember

I remember when we all thought we lived in the greatest, strongest country in the world, a colossus astride the globe, second to none. I remember watching the news or reading the paper and thinking how lucky I was to be here, and not where the facade of civilized society had been torn yet again by senseless violence. I remember when many of us thought that firefighters had a pretty cushy job with all that time off in exchange for spraying water on burning buildings. I remember when my biggest worry when flying was if there would be room in the overhead bin. I remember a Manhattan skyline, viewed from across the Hudson River, that ended with an improbable double exclamation point. I remember a morning with an azure blue sky...