The Absurdities of Malcom Smith Case

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After hearing about the Malcolm Smith corruption case, I had think how absurd and delusional can one be about running for office.

1) Malcolm Smith could have become a Republican prior to Election Day in 2012. He could have dropped off his change of registration form on Election Day, and nobody would have ever noticed until the election was over. This way, he could have avoided needing the Wilson-Pakula, as he would be registered in the party that he wanted to run in the primary for their seat.

2) Malcolm Smith wasn’t likely to win the Republican Primary in his battle for City Mayor. The reality is that Joseph J. Lhota and John Catsimatidis were favored to win the Republican primary. Many republican leaders had come out in favor of those two candidates, so the idea that a Democrat running as a Republican could snap up the primary vote, just seemed absurd.

3) Even if Malcolm Smith went on to win the Republican primary, he would be running against the very popular Democrat, Christine Quinn, the Speaker of New York City Council. Malcolm Smith would have been a weak candidate, at best, running in a city that is overwhelmingly a Democratic city.

Basically, I can’t think of a way that Malcolm Smith could have reasonably expected to win the mayorality of NY City.

How to Care for Your Car’s Differential – Popular Mechanics

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Changing the differential oil—it’s one of the most-overlooked maintenance tasks on non-FWD light trucks, SUVs, and passenger cars. Because the differential is at the rear and under the car, it gets none of the star treatment that the engine up front does. However, if lubrication in the differential fails, you won’t be getting very far for very long. Fortunately, you only need to change this oil every 30,000 to 50,000 miles (as always, check your owner’s manual).

The differential is a component in all cars and is designed to compensate for the difference in distance the inner wheels and outer wheels travel as the car goes around a corner. In a rear-wheel-drive car, the differential has its own housing and lubrication, a thick, dark oil usually heavier than 80 weight. Front-drivers typically integrate the differential in the transmission housing and share the same fluid. The differential oil lubricates the ring and pinion gears that transfer power from the driveshaft to the wheel axles. If your car is fitted with a limited-slip differential, it also keeps all the moving parts in that assembly healthy. Changing this oil is just as important as changing your engine’s oil, and for the same reason. Metal-to-metal contact wears down surfaces and creates heat from friction, which inevitably weakens the gears and leads to failure. Checking and changing the differential oil in a light truck is actually pretty easy, and it’s only a bit more difficult in a car. In either case, this small procedure can save you a big headache down the road.

via How to Care for Your Car’s Differential – Popular Mechanics.

Untangling the Arrests in the N.Y. Corruption Case – Graphic – NYTimes.com

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Interesting infographic.

State Senator Malcolm A. Smith arranged payments to get on the ballot of the New York City mayoral race, according to federal prosecutors. Mr. Smith, a Democrat, wanted to run as a Republican, and needed approval from Republican leaders. A criminal complaint detailed transactions that led to the arrests of six officials.

via Untangling the Arrests in the N.Y. Corruption Case – Graphic – NYTimes.com.