Whoo, SlimDX is starting to grow up a little bit. I'm pushing it a little while limiting the publicity right now; the real marketing push will come around November when the next DX SDK drops. Lots to do until then. I'm exhausted today and can't concentrate, so I'm just going to throw up this fairly random entry. I'll go back to technical stuff...later...

Car Watching

I enjoy watching what cars are on the road. Naturally, seeing all the various sports cars is cool, and there are plenty out here in Silicon Valley. There's plenty of cars to be noticed just because they're out of the ordinary. And it's interesting to see how common various cars and brands are.

When it comes to the nice and expensive cars, these are what I've seen so far in this area:
* Acura NSX -- This is a bit of an odd one, and I didn't expect to see one, let alone two. Still, it's a supercar in its own right.
* Chevy Corvettes -- Lots and lots and lots of Corvettes. C5s and C6s are all over the place, and I've seen a couple C4s, C3s, and even a Stingray. I never expected to see a Stingray in person, just out on the road.
* Shelby Cobra -- At least it looked like a Shelby Cobra. I have a hard time believing that somebody is driving around a Cobra on the weekends, even out here. Anybody know any cars that look like Cobras but aren't?
* Mercedes-Benz -- So many Mercedes of so many models. I don't even like these cars, but they are expensive luxury cars after all.
* Ferrari F430 -- I've seen at least one of these, possibly more. Since they're all red, I don't know if I see the same one every time. Absolutely beautiful car though.
* Maserati -- I don't know Maserati models, sorry. I'm don't really even know anything about these, but I never really expected to see one.
* Bentley Continental GT -- Another high end luxury car I never expected to see. Again, I don't know much about them.
* Lamborghini Gallardo -- I love these cars, and I would love to drive one.
* Lotus Elise/Exige -- I've seen one of each, and only one of each. I know they're not the most roomy or comfortable cars around, but I thought they'd be more popular. There were a number around Redmond last summer, so I don't know what's with the lack of love for them here.
* Aston Martin DB9 -- I've seen two of these so far. Another car I absolutely love, and one of these was parked, so I got to take a fairly close look. I actually wish they'd given that poor DBS more driving time in the last Bond movie.
* Nissan 350Z -- Another favorite of mine. Plenty of these around, too.
* Infiniti G35 Coupe -- Slightly uglier, slightly slower versions of the 350Z. Not really worth noticing, but there's a fair few out there.
* Honda S2000 -- Same thing, although I'm not sure how loud the engine is in one of these. They are fairly high revving.
* BMW Z3/Z4 -- These bore me.
* Lexus -- Again, all boring.
* Subaru Impreza WRX -- There's a lot of these on the road. A LOT. They're powerful, snappy, hideous cars, but I'm amazed that there are so many. They're not at Mustang levels of saturation, but damn.
* Porsches -- Lots and lots of Porsches. Finally saw a few Caymans in person, along with the usual crop of Boxsters, Carreras, 911 Turbos, and Cayennes. I like them (except the Cayenne), but you can only see so many before you stop caring.

Notable omissions from the list:
* Dodge Viper -- Especially the 600 HP version, I'd love to see that tearing down the road.
* Ford GT -- Sure they're hideous, but apparently they drive nice.
* Audi R8 -- Ok, I don't even know if these are out yet. But god damn, I want to see one.
* Rolls Royce Phantom -- I think they're ugly, but I was hoping to see one anyway.
* Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren -- Same as the Phantom.

The strangest thing, though, is how many vintage cars I've seen. I don't know vintage cars at all, but I can recognize one when I see it. I don't really even understand why people drive these things. Remembering their own childhood or something maybe?

I used to be one of those people that didn't really care about cars. I kinda wish I still was, since I have a tendency to be obsessive in my interests. Still, it's fun to see what's out on the road and it gives me something to do when I'm out walking or on the bus.