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I'm pleased to say that a new law in Illinois (where abortion is safe and legal) prevents providing vehicle license plate information to any state if the request is due to an attempt by said state to prevent a woman to coming to IL to obtain an abortion.

It’ll be New Year’s in Helsinki soon; I’m not there, but I’m sure someone is… so happy new year everyone! Wendy P.

Yeah you’ve never made an incorrect prediction about the future of EV’s. Where was Tesla stock at the last time you declared with certainty that they were on the way out? You’re so dead set on this not being a viable option, you’re telling Seth he’s wrong when he’s saying that it works for him!!!! Happy New Year Brent….as they say, “Out with the old, in with the new”

Kudos to John Raney, who put an end to school vouchers in Texas by introducing the Raney Amendment to a Texas education bill that basically prohibited vouchers. At issue was a compromise. Abbott wanted vouchers for all Texans, which would have effectively ended public education in Texas. Raney was willing to support a voucher program for poor and disabled Texan kids, as well as Texan kids that were in very poor school districts. But Abbott was unwilling to budge, and thus one of his #1 priorities goes down in flames. Public education in Texas survives for now.

Seen elsewhere: 'The question isn't "When did the world become 'Woke'? " ' It's 'When did your outlook become so evil and twisted that 'Woke' seems abnormal?'

Valid opinions. A lot to comment on, but I’ll keep it to just a few. The Village Voice ad is in the book? Isn’t that enough? If we were able to independently verify the ad was in the VV, how would that impact your thoughts? Book reviews. I have not collected all of the ones I’ve seen, but to me they seem generally negative, and the more positive ones say it’s good fiction or some sort of comment like that. Not great reviews if you’re a writer. Now I can’t verify for sure that Gunther was unhappy with this, but according to Dave Lipson, a former radio host who I have been chatting with for years, he thinks Gunther was unhappy. He spoke to him a number of times. Martin actually did a podcast with him. This is one comment Dave wrote me back in February of 2020. I had several subsequent conversations with Max; one was at a book seller convention in Los Angeles. He told me that he was convinced that his phone was being tapped and that even his personal mail was being read. Dave was under the impression that the FBI wanted more info from Max and that Max did not want to give it. Read into it how you will. In terms of the FBI being contacted by Gunther. If we found info in the files or other places that he did contact the FBI, how would this affect your thinking? The cabin is a fantastic story. Too fantastic. Hiding out somewhere maybe, but a single woman finds a guy right after the hijacking and takes him in and marries him? I think we have to look for more concrete clues in the book. As for a new theory on the hoaxer. I’m looking forward to it. More discussion on the book is fun. One more point. On the name In the notes Gunther says Dan Collins. I need to check and see if Paul Cotton is in the notes. In the book it is Dan LeClair and Paul Cotton My theory is that Gunther may have gotten a potentially real name and changed it some or was keeping it from the FBI. My main theory is that Smith wanted to use Dan Clair and may have even given that name or said LeClair. I realize some people don’t like that approach. In 1982 it would have been very hard to match up anything like we can today. We also don’t have all the notes. We may never get those.

Only 7% of pickup truck owners (and far less sedan drivers) tow "frequently." 75% of pickup truck owners tow one or less times per year. For sedan drivers, it is much less frequent. If you spend most of your time driving long distance, you might save some time "fueling" by using gasoline -- otherwise, your total "fueling" time per year will be less with electric. I drive a gas car. If things go as they should (no wrecks and no premature engine or transmission disasters), I will never replace my car. I had my previous one 21 years, and it still ran/shifted/drove like new. One exception is that if cars become truly self driving, I will buy buying one.

Wendy just gave you some sound advice. Another great option is to find another line of work. Getting paid to do something tends to fuck the fun right out of whatever you're doing. Figure out how to pack, if you're not in jail or dead from drinking/drugs in a year, you'll have a great idea of what the next step will be.

Help wanted and position wanted posts normally go into the classifieds. Yours is general enough to leave in here, because it's not much different from the "Should I cut away and go live on a DZ" posts that used to be here all the time. Get a rigger's ticket, learn how to fly your canopy to the max (i.e. by studying and talking to coaches, not by downsizing as fast as possible), learn all about the gear. First jobs at DZs is usually packing mains for other jumpers. You need to either have a rigger's ticket, or be under the supervision of a rigger (i.e. there's one there who can take a look whenever). College will help nearly any job that's not something like packing -- business manager for a DZ or a gear manufacturer, etc. Welcome to the sport. Hope you stay a long time. Wendy P.