dbloom

Not to mention people whose spouses/partners work at a different company!

If you're sending an even slightly significant amount of money, there are potential tax implications too. You might need to do a 1099.

This is a good point.

Two counterpoints though:

1. I posit (without evidence, because I'm lazy) that most people who buy "fast" new cars are more concerned about image than the actual performance specifications. For example, I suspect that the vast majority of original owners of Corvettes never take their cars to the racetrack. And in terms of image, number of cylinders and liters of engine displacement are much higher priority than dyno readouts.

2. More combustion chambers in an engine = higher power, higher manufacturing cost, and lower fuel economy. If you have less than $2000 to spend on a car, and you spend it on a 1980's V8, it's probably going to be slower than a three-cylinder 1.0L 2016 Ford Focus. But it's still probably the fastest option in your price range, so it's a good representation of how much you value performance in the car you choose to buy.

This is a great explanation. I'd add one small clarification:

> Back to four stroke engines: Momentum and the firing of other pistons keeps the whole thing cycling back around

The firing of other pistons helps, but really, momentum alone is sufficient. There are tons of single-cylinder, 4 stroke motorcycle, scooter, and off-highway engines out there.

There are LED bulbs on the market that have great compatibility with all dimmers. I hope that market forces eventually weed out all of the less compatible LED bulbs. At that point, LED bulbs should be truly interchangeable with incandescents for lighting (heat generation, not so much).

Killing the battery isn't a bad idea either, actually :)

(Usually there's a recessed traditional key in the fob that you can use as a backup)

Your microwave oven is likely a better choice, since its faraday cage-like behavior is required for both safety and regulatory reasons.

I bought my Prius used for much less than 20k, and it has this system. (And when you buy a used car, you don't choose what features you get!)

For those of you not in the loop, these "keyless" systems let you walk up to your car and open your door without getting your key out of your pocket. There is a proximity sensor under the door handle (similar to proximity sensor on your smartphone). When the proximity sensor is triggered, it searches for a nearby key fob and then instantly unlocks. You can also usually start the car (with a push-button start) without getting out the key. And you can lock the doors (from outside the car) by pressing a button on or near the door handle with the fob in proximity. Basically, you never have to get your keys out for any reason.

Anyway, fortunately, I can never find street parking near my apartment for my Prius anyway. But I'm still going to find a small faraday cage I can leave by my bed to put my keys in before I go to sleep...