Personal Top Lists & Rankings

Adam Moore said:I actually had him as a professor back in college, and honestly? The guy isn't some legend. If anything, he’s the exact opposite. Don't get me wrong, he didn't fail me—I pulled a decent B in his class, and we all know why because the guy's a total idiot...

I can't speak to that part, but as a journalist? He's the real deal. I haven't missed a single column on Italian politics in twenty years. Even if he hasn't quite hit the heights he did when transitioning from the late eighties into the nineties, he's still hands down the best foreign correspondent out there...

Honestly, his "know-it-all" attitude just rubs me the wrong way, especially how he leans into it in his articles. I’ve always been a bit put off by journalists who let their personal opinions bleed into their reporting, you know? That said, I have to admit, he writes some damn good pieces.

amberskipper452 said:so what makes Siljo 🤔 huh?

Siljo is a Bloodhound.

Siljo:


Bloodhound (Saint Hubert's dog):

Adam Moore said:It really gets under my skin when journalists drop their own opinions outside of the comment section, you know?

Well, if that’s how you feel, maybe just skip my stuff if you ever stumble upon my articles in any car magazines. Look, my whole philosophy is journalism with an edge. I’m all about having a stance. This whole "neutral and objective" news thing? Honestly, it’s kind of pointless. I believe in pairing information with a real opinion—always, no matter what. Luckily, I don't deal with straight news these days, and my current niche basically demands a bit of subjectivity anyway, but even back when I was grinding away at a daily newspaper, that's how I always wrote.

As for him being full of himself... look, I don't know the guy personally, but you can definitely tell from his writing, and I totally get why he might be annoying. But we're talking about a guy whose description of a session of the US Senate back in the late eighties was something I actually had clipped and taped into my notebook (can't remember which specific issue, though)... and honestly, I still think it’s the best piece of foreign policy writing I’ve ever read. So, even without knowing him, I can forgive him for being a bit much...

Man, I’m totally with you on loving subjectivity when we're talking cars or music. Honestly, I don't even mind if someone mixes their opinion with actual info in the same article (that's just how I write), but when it comes to politics? Just give me the facts. I like thinking for myself, you know? 😬

Look, Bešker was trying to lecture me, saying you need to know music theory or have some basic formal training just to be a decent critic... stuff like that. But honestly, what really gets to me is how sexist he is. Like, seriously bad. Don't get me wrong, he wrote some great pieces—I'll give him that.

stormyviper11 said:Exactly.
Unfortunately, this list features cars from famous manufacturers that were never actually produced—according to the Wolf, at least.

Hey stormyviper11, do you happen to know where I could track down a small scale model of a Vespa? I know it's not a car, but since you're always browsing those collector sites, maybe you've stumbled across something? 🙂

Susan Clark10 said:Hey stormyviper11, any idea where I could track down a little Vespa model? I know it’s not a car, but since you’re always lurking on those collector sites, maybe you stumbled across something? 🙂

Honestly, you can find them everywhere lately in local shops. Pretty much any place that stocks toys has a whole line of them, ranging from the vintage classics to the modern ones. Check out Nam, the Small box, Tintilinić, or even the Turbo grinder... or just hit up one of the big shopping malls. You'll definitely find some; I've spotted them in plenty of spots (though I haven't wandered through downtown stores in forever, so I can't tell you which specific shop in the city center has them right now). I actually picked up a cute little green one myself a few months back...
I think Euro handles the imports, and they supply a lot of those independent newsstands and private Tobacco shops, so that’s probably your best bet.

Adam Moore said:Look, I’m all for subjectivity when we’re talking about cars or music, honestly. It doesn't even bother me if someone mixes their personal take with actual data in the same article (that's how I usually write), but when it comes to politics? Give me nothing but the facts. I like to think for myself... 😬

Listen, Bešker tried to lecture me about how you need to know music theory or have some basic conservatory training just to be a decent critic... whatever. But the biggest issue for me is the sexism. He’s terrible about it. And yeah, I’ll say it again, he actually wrote some solid pieces once in a while.

Noted. 👍 That whole thing about needing music theory is pure nonsense, and I won't even get started on the sexism.

I might actually agree with you regarding politics, if we weren't talking about Italian and Vatican politics—which are basically just soap operas anyway. Because of that, Bešker's style actually fits perfectly...

stormyviper11 said:You can find them everywhere in our local shops lately. Pretty much any place that carries toys will have the whole series, from the early versions to the newest models. Check out Nam, the Small box, Tintilinić, or even the Turbo grinders... or just hit up one of the big shopping malls. You’ll definitely find them; I’ve seen them in plenty of spots (though it’s been a while since I wandered through downtown stores, so I’m not sure which specific ones in the city center carry them right now). I actually picked up a cute little green one myself a few months back...
I think Euro handles the imports, and they supply a lot of those independent newsstands and private Tobacco shops, so that's another great way to track them down.

I saw a gorgeous pink one at the Turbo grinder recently 😍, but it’s really just meant for kids to ride around in... such a shame I don't have any little ones 😬
I'll make sure to check out those shops then, thanks! 👍

Let’s be honest: objective journalism is a myth for the weak... 🙂

And subjectivity is easily the worst part 🙂

Drew Adams58 stormywolf39 said:Let's be real: objective journalism is for wimps, and honestly? It doesn't even exist. 🙂

I wasn't trying to be subjective; I was just stating the facts. To me, being "objective" means a journalist presents the facts without providing any context. Like I said before, I prefer to think for myself.

You really need to provide some context for those beans.

For sure. A journalist could handle that, but honestly, any reader could do it too. I’m leaning towards the second option.

Susan Clark10 As I was saying—and I do mean this with absolute conviction—it’s become increasingly clear that we aren't just looking at a minor hiccup in the system, but rather a fundamental breakdown of the very principles we claim to uphold. It’s exhausting, really. You see it happen time and again: people make these sweeping, half-baked assertions without ever bothering to look at the underlying data or, heaven forbid, consider the long-term implications for the average American citizen. I remember back when I was working a similar project in Chicago—a completely different industry, mind you, but the logic remains the same—and we ran into this exact same wall of incompetence. We thought we had accounted for every variable, only to realize the entire foundation was built on sand. It’s the same pattern here. People jump to conclusions, ignore the nuance, and then act surprised when the whole thing falls apart. It’s frustrating, frankly, and quite frankly, beneath the standard we should be aiming for if we want any semblance of progress in this country.
Hey stormyviper11, do you happen to know where I might be able to track down some kind of miniature Vespa model? I realize it’s not exactly a car, but since you’re always scouring those hobbyist sites, I figured you might have stumbled across something during one of your deep dives. 🙂

Nisam dmj, ali znam gdje sam nabavio svoj modelić. U Metrou. Iako je bio izvorno bljakasto blijedozelene boje, malo znanja i vještine ga je dovelo do prekrasnog metalik tamnoplavog izgleda sa kromiranim (tj. "kromiranim") detaljima... Taman da me podjeća na moju staru '64 GSicu... 😍

mod king 🙏

Raymond Barrett12 said:I'm not stormyviper11, but I know exactly where I picked up my model. I got it at the Subway station area. It started out as this dull, pale green, but with a little bit of work and skill, I turned it into a stunning metallic dark blue with chrome-style details... It reminds me just enough of my old '64 GSS... 😍

I’ll take the liberty of giving you since you've certainly earned 😁

Look, Bešker has his strengths and he has his flaws. He’s easily one of the most educated journalists working in America today. People call him a sexist, but honestly, I haven't seen it—unless you count those dirty jokes of his with sexual undertones, which are actually hilarious. If anything, his actual views are often the complete opposite of what a true sexist would promote. Anyway, if you ask me, any kind of takedown of music critics is a win in my book. Personally, I think people who insist on being "music critics" and act like their job is some vital contribution to society deserve to be handed a rope to hang themselves with, or just get a bullet to the back of the head. And that goes for anyone who still clings to the delusional myth of objective journalism, too.
Bešker definitely has his issues, but that's not really the point...

Yo momma... said:I'm not stormyviper11, but I know exactly where I picked up my model. I got it at Costco. It was originally this pretty dull, pale green color, but with a little bit of work and some skill, I turned it into this gorgeous metallic dark blue with chrome-style details... Just enough to remind me of my old '64 GSA... 😍

Hey, do you actually need one of those membership cards to buy stuff at Costco? 🤔

American intelligence is at it again 🙏 😬