To turn back time
So Jesse Helms
has a new book out. The bigoted old bastard has changed his views on AIDS, he says, since “
it had been my feeling that AIDS was a disease largely spread by reckless and voluntary sexual and drug-abusing behavior, and that it would probably be confined to those in high-risk populations. I was wrong.” Guess once he figured out it wasn't just queers and Negroes getting AIDS, he found religion. The part about love thy neighbor he still doesn't get. He's still railing against integration and the "outside agitators" who forced it. Guess Condi Rice won't be invited to give his eulogy. Maybe Joe Biden and his bunch of wimpy so-called Democrats will speak instead. They never seem to find their voice when the GOP bashes their constituencies, but
let a real Democrat speak up and they start squealing. They're more comfortable
putting judges on the federal bench for a lifetime (
site pass required) who say "
In the heyday of liberal democracy, all roads lead to slavery." Coming up next (taken from Salon):
So you don't have to read it in the New York Times after the debate is over, here's the word on Pryor from a recent piece in Salon: "He once called Roe v. Wade 'the worst abomination of constitutional law in our history'; in 2002 he argued in the Supreme Court, on behalf of Alabama and four other states, for states' execution of mentally retarded inmates; he termed the Voting Rights Act 'an affront to federalism and an expensive burden that has far outlived its usefulness'; and he affirmed in 2003 that extending the civil rights of same-sex couples would logically extend to activities like necrophilia and bestiality."Looks like Helms won after all.
2006 BMW 530i: The drive is what matters
Take away the annoying iDrive and the useless cupholders and the 2006 BMW 530i sedan would be, if not the ultimate driving machine, at the very least a damn good ride. But you can’t always get what you want. Not unless the Germans decide that’s what you need.
The Euros have never been big on cupholders. They think, quite sensibly, that when one is piloting a two-ton machine at highway speeds (that’s about 75 in the slow lane on 95), one should be concentrating on keeping said machine away from other such machines with which one shares the highway, given that the laws of physics predict a tragic denouement were two semi-solid objects to attempt to occupy the same space. Especially when such merger would occur at said highway speed. That means distractions like phone calls to one’s real estate agent, application of mascara, or drinking coffee are best not done until one is safely pulled over.
In theory, this is great, and the horrible cupholders in the 530i – two plastic contraptions popping out of the dashboard and capable of holding a cup upright only until the first turn – do tend to discourage drinking of any sort while driving. However, it does seem counterproductive for the driver who will not be deterred from her morning coffee. At the first short stop or sharp turn, said driver may find himself or herself covered in hot liquid. That may take your attention off the road. But so be it. It’ll only happen once.
The iDrive is another matter entirely. This is designed to control just about everything in the car except for the driving (and perhaps the driver). It been the subject of almost as many complaints as BMW’s new styling – and more justifiably – since its introduction. The idea is great – get rid of a million knobs and buttons and integrate them all into one control knob, but to some of the less technically gifted of us, the “i” in iDrive stands for either the idiot who designed it or the idiot savant one has to be to use it. BMW has made it more user-friendly, but I still hate it. The fact that it temporarily “glitched out” on a couple of occasions only made me hate it more.
In the 2006 530i though, it does come with a great new high definition 8.5” screen as part of the optional navigation system upgrade. Splitting the screen between map and controls does add quite a bit to its usability. The navigation itself was accurate and the system reacted quickly.
Wish I could say the same about the parking assist. My 530i’s screen used Star Trek bubbles around the front and rear of the car with varying colors to show how far – or near – one was to an obstacle. It would be a great idea if it worked, but by the time the system went through its boot-up process – it makes starting Windows look fast – and gets its OK to proceed, I was already halfway through the next state. Must have been designed by the iDrive guy.
Some old-line BMW fans think the same guy designed the outside of the new BMWs. The styling, as I previously alluded to, is still the subject of much griping on BMW online bulletin boards. I come down on BMW’s side on this one. The 7-series looked like someone had tried to put Humpty back together again, but with the 5-series, introduced less than two years ago, I think BMW did a good job. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but BMW never was, and whatever else it does, it stirs an emotional response. If I’m paying 50 large for a Bimmer, I’m kinda happy knowing people know it’s a Bimmer.
Now that we’ve whined about the stuff we don’t like, let’s briefly turn to the good stuff –the car itself. The 5-series sedans look and feel great inside. BMW’s materials have gotten exponentially better, and buyers should be pleased with fit and finish as well as quality. BMW’s have always been world-class driving cars. Now the luxury side of the equation is as good as one could want.
Theoretically, the 530i seats five. Unless the middle person in the back seat is Lindsay Lohan, I’d stick with four. But they’ll all be sitting in comfortable, supportive seats with a top of the line sound system – yet another vast improvement for BMW.
The real question, though, is is the 530i the ultimate driving machine? No, but it’s close. That appellation will have to wait till September, when BMW brings out the 8-cylinder version of the 5, probably as the 540i. Until then, however, the 530i is the top of the line.
The 5-series has long had a reputation as the best BMW, providing a luxury sports sedan package that’s hard to challenge, not the full-out luxury of the 7-series nor the brash exuberance of the 3, but the perfect compromise. Even without the 6-cylinder version, the 530i shows why that reputation is deserved. Less than two years after the current 5-series was introduced, the 2006 models have been significantly upgraded.
I could go on and on, but all I really need to say is this: The 2006 BMW 530i is all BMW, down to the iDrive and the cupholders. Fortunately for BMW dealers, who are selling even more cars these days, it’s the drive, not the iDrive you will remember.
2005 Ford Mustang GT Convertible Premium: Find me in da club
No subtlety there, or here, either, if here is the 2005 Ford Mustang GT Convertible Premium. Coming in at just over $30K for my well-equipped test car (base was just under $30K, the V-6 version starts at an extremely affordable just under $25K), this sweet thing is all the bling you need. Like the Chrysler 300C, this is an American icon reimagined and reborn to fulfill its destiny – to be an American idol.
Love is not the first emotion the Mustang stirs. Let’s be honest and admit that one look at those gorgeous flowing lines leads to more lust than a politician at a fundraiser. For those of us who thought the Mustang coupe was the perfect redesign — retro enough to capture the spirit the pony car has always embodied, but modern enough to look to tomorrow, not yesterday — the convertible is a revelation. The best could be made even better.
The Mustang always has the power when it counts. Our test car came with a Tremec five-speed standard transmission fully capable of handling the 300 horses the V8 pushed to the pavement through those gorgeous 17-inch Z-rated tires. Knowing you can head from zero to 60 in just over five seconds is no surprise. Actually doing it is something else entirely.
Once you do decide to let that clutch out, the Mustang GT convertible leaves the line even faster than they’re leaving Ford dealers’ lots. And that’s fast. Ford recently announced it was raising Mustang production well beyond what was initially planned, up about 70% more than last year.
“Its performance on the street and in the showrooms is beating everyone’s expectations,” said Steve Lyons, Ford Division president. “Sales are up more than 45% over last year, and V-8 GT and convertible model demand is so strong we haven’t been able to build enough.”
What they will get will be the best selling sports car in America, one that will finally erase those sad memories of the years when Ford put out barely disguised versions of economy cars like the Mustang II. This Mustang is the real thing, live axle and all.
The back seats brought no complaints from two teenagers on a two-hour drive. Of course, they were so busy saying what a cool car this was, they wouldn’t have complained had I suggested they do their homework and eat their veggies.
The other major point, and this is a stunner if you’ve driven some previous Mustang convertibles, is the body stiffness, or torsional rigidity, as the engineers call it. If you really want to test a convertible, take it over some horrible roads. Find a dirt road, zoom over a railroad track, torture it – that’s the way to find out what a convertible is made of. If the body isn’t stiff, you’ll get shaking and twisting, soon to be followed by squeaks and then screams as you decide you were sold a bill of goods. Not so with the Mustang GT Convertible. Ford says this Mustang convertible has more than twice the torsional stiffness of the previous version. According to Ford, “The 2005 Mustang convertible was designed from the ground up to deliver a more rigid body structure without adding burdensome weight. This was accomplished by engineering it in tandem with the coupe. An added benefit of this process – one that helped meet a goal set for the convertible's exterior design – was that it provided the car with a cohesive, integrated look. It does not look like a coupe that has undergone reconstructive surgery to become a convertible.”
It’s got style, it’s got class, take it on the road and it kicks ass – what more can you want from a car. Whatever it is, unless you’re the diehard minivan type, you’ll find it in the 2005 Ford Mustang GT Convertible Premium, a car with the looks to steal your heart, the power to whisk you away, and a price that seems so little to pay.
