The Mayne Objective: Clean Desk and a Clear Head

Schoolchildren are not the only ones in transition this time of year. For automotive journalists, the post-Labor Day period signals time to prep for auto show season, which begins late this month with the Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris.

To this end, I've been cleaning my desk (and my cluttered mind) of unused information. Such as:

"Seventy percent of Land Rover all-terrain vehicles, first built in the U.K. in 1948, are still on the road." -- Ripley's Believe it or Not, 2010.

"Women of a certain age who wear skirts will not like these seats." -- my wife, as she clambered over the bolsters of a Recaro-equipped Lancer EVO.

Am I the only one bothered by the premise of those Grand Theft Auto video games?

"Sebring is a legitimate contender in the industry's defining segment ... graceful, quiet and jam-packed with cutting-edge technology." -- me from a 2007 review Chrysler planned to feature in its advertising. The ad never saw the light of day. But if I could go back to 2007, I'd say the same thing.

"I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year." -- 2004 e-mail from Jackie Stewart. (OK, so I'm a name-dropper.)

Is there any technology friendlier to mankind than ventilated seats?

Canadians would "sooner surrender junk food, credit cards, cellphones, coffee, Internet access and even sex" before giving up their cars for public transportation. -- Canwest News Service. ... Sex? Really? That's cold. Even for Canada.

The country code for Yugoslavia (home of the Yugo!) is/was 38. -- my Rolodex. (Wonder if it still works?)

Is there any technology friendlier to your back than Chrysler's Stow 'n Go minivan seats? Think about it.

ME: "How do you find the brakes on our Taurus?"

MY DAUGHTER: "Right next to the gas pedal."

(For the record, my daughter is on the Dean's list.)