Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> Hmm ... you mean like the way our Prez made our most basic constitutional right disappear and then bullied the media (except the Al-Jazeera of the USA, FOX, which would have ignored it anyway) into soft-pedaling it if not outright ignoring it? << <<Are you referring to the wire tapping without a court order?>> No. I was referring to the fact that Americans no longer have the right to legal representation, and that the government can pick you up off the street, call you an 'enemy combatant', fly you halfway around the world (perhaps even to a country where torture is considered acceptable) and never charge you with a crime, allow you no contact with your family or an attorney and hold you indefinitely. I don't care how rightwing you (and I am using the general you) are, anyone who supports this has no clue what being an American is all about and scares the hell out of me.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> Second only to stalking mid-level Disney managers! << <<It's a difficult tehnique to fully learn, but I am trying. It does seem to be quite fun!>> Wait until you get my all new Disney Exec Holiday Stalking Kit Stocking Stuffer ... loads of new features! >> That's terrible. Even right wing rednecks should have rights << <<Some would disagree.>> Some people have no clue that being an American means standing up for the rights of someone to have views that are completely opposed to yours (or not). That's really been lost in the past seven years. >> C'mon. You're smarter than that! You know you can't believe everything you read. << <<You mean someone would print a lie on the internet!>> I know. Shocking, isn't it?
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<That's terrible. Even right wing rednecks should have rights >>> I resent that allegation! I resent the allegator. Well...crocodiles are okay I suppose.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad About cars, really I must disagree with some American quality. I just finished last year, driving a Youkon XL (off the GMC line, same thing as a Suburban more or less) for over 180,000 hard city miles with not so much as a hitch. I sold it to this old guy I know that hangs out down at "Bubba's Chicken and Pones"...and I bought myself ANOTHER identical one, same color, same everything. The first one I had was a 2000 model, (the first of the new body style back then) and the one I now have that is about a year old with already 26,000 miles on her, is the last of that body style (2006). I imagine I will get around 200,000 miles without any problems whatsoever from this one before I sell her to this old guy that hangs out down at "Bubba's Chicken and Pones." Now hold on...my neighbor, 3 doors down, has in his garage a Ford GT. If you know anything about cars, you know I ain't talking about no Mustang. I have driven this incredible vehicle once, and ridden in it 6 or 7 times. He only gets her out on sunny, weekday afternoons. My point is, yes, the Ford GT is a wee bit of an upgrade over my vehicle, but my vehicle is far from crappy, I'm talking comfort, safety, dependability... there is the problem with gas mileage, but that's just the way it is until a hybrid Suburban is made. Yes I know there is a Tahoe, but I need the extra seats for my kids. Really, I drive the Suburban type vehicle because there is no other vehicle that can seat all 6 of my kids and my wife and I, ....not one that I feel comfortable in. I am just lucky that it is a great vehicle I suppose. Okay here ends the blabbering. I should have just said this: I understand quality and I also understand value. I love my American made Suburban. I drive it because I have little if any choice, but even if I had a choice, and had no kids, because I do actually have the money, I would probably still only drive a Tahoe. Or wait, this sums it up even better... The Ford GT is incredible, but for my MONEY, I'd buy a Corvette and save 75%. Hummm...I might get a Lotus of some kind...again you really get a lot for your dollar there. Heck they cost less than an Escalade ESV.
Originally Posted By kennect Everything around here ends up with car talk....I think the initial thing was talk about room furnishings...I think one thing that has to be kept in mind is that a company such as Thosmasville must have a division for the hospitality market, otherwise they wouldn't have pieces in any hotel rooms..That market is so very different than what their retail market would be....So they are producing a discount line for places such as Target...Big deal...Today's market just doesn't spend the money as people use to on furniture...Quality furniture is great and a good investment...But these days there really is no return or value in investing in high end pieces unless you truly have the money to waste...I just picked up some chairs from Mousesurplus that are from the Grand Floridian...I have no clue as to made them since I haven't looked underneath the chair for a label...But I will say I have seen the same style chairs recently selling for a couple of thousand dollars...Did I get that same quality...No way but I am more than pleased with the quality I did get...First off, the chair frames themselves seem to be solid...Second, being second hand they truly look like they are brand new....My cost? Forty nine bucks a chair...Major bargain....Disney, like other hotels, don't put cheap stuff in their rooms...It would never hold up....
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Um.... let me say this. My wife, waaaay back when we bought our first house, and began to make our little family and all...she HAD TO HAVE a King Size sleigh bed from Ethan Allen, and then as if that wasn't enough, we bought Sterns and Foster mattreses and box spring. It was very high priced and we had to actually finance the purchase...this was pfffft 13 years or so ago. It's paid for now, but there is no need whatsoever to replace it. We flip, spin, rotate the matresses and whatnot regularly, nad it really really is still extremely comfortable, supportive, and great. I wouldn't say it's like new, but anyway... It was worth the money. It IS worth the money. I think the quality of your bedding, is one thing that really can have a negative impact on you long term, sort of like shoes. It's amazing that the thing isn't even squeeky at all after all this time.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 ^^^And all those kids!!!! My 4 kids all used our bed as a trampoline, we went through lots of mattresses.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Yeah our kids have certainly added to the wear and tear over the years. We don't get all crazy (like my parents used to do) if the kids jump on the bed. We run them out and what not, but I'd bet cumulatively over the years, it's suvived a lot of jumping kids.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Everything around here ends up with car talk << It's kind of a male bonding thing. >> I imagine I will get around 200,000 miles without any problems whatsoever from this one before I sell her to this old guy that hangs out down at "Bubba's Chicken and Pones." << I wish there was a place like that close to here so I could hang out! >> Really, I drive the Suburban type vehicle because there is no other vehicle that can seat all 6 of my kids and my wife and I, << At the rate your family is growing you might want to look into purchasing a School Bus DVC_dad. >> It was worth the money. It IS worth the money. I think the quality of your bedding, is one thing that really can have a negative impact on you long term, sort of like shoes. << Absolutely, never scrimp on bedding. Your body will thank you for it. >> Yeah our kids have certainly added to the wear and tear over the years. We don't get all crazy (like my parents used to do) if the kids jump on the bed. << My wife gets really mad when she catches me jumping on the bed.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy I get a chuckle out of the way people assess "quality" ratings on cars. For the most part, there is very little difference between any two vehicles. Quality ratings are all subjective and don't rely on any standard method to obtain results. Here's a case in point: Toyota Matrix vs. Pontiac Vibe Both of these vehicles are manufactured on the exact same factory assembly line in California. They share a lot of the same mechanical components with differing sheet metal. However, if you compare "quality" ratings on the vehicles you get different figures for each one depending on which site you go to. One site I visited rated the Pontiac Vibe higher in quality than the Toyota. JD Power gives the Toyota 3.5 out of 5 stars for overall quality, but the Vibe gets only 3 stars. What difference in initial quality can there posssibly be between two vehicles that are essentially identical and builty by the exact same robots and assembly line workers in the same factory?? You find the same anomalies when comparing domestic makes. Why does the Cadillac Escalade get a high quality rating than a Chevy Suburban? Again, they are built on the exact same manufacturing line with the exact same robots and assembly line workers. How is it possible for one vehicle to be spit out of the manufacturing plant with higher quality than the other?
Originally Posted By dshyates I base my quality rating on personal experience. My '89 Pontiac Grand Prix that had the engine literally blow apart and fall out onto the road 3 times, and the paint was coming off in sheets before 60k miles was bad enough. But how GM handled the problem was the icing on the cake. The last time the engine fell out, it was 3k past the warrenty and GMs response was "Sorry about your luck, Buddy." I checked Consumer Reports" and they listed all the problems I was having as common in that model. The following year they stopped using that engine in all their cars. GM will never get my business again. DVC Dad, My family drove Suburbans all my life and they never had a problem, but after trying to help me with GM with my car, they have not bought a GM since then. They took my money and left me hanging with a 2.5 year old car that didn't run and had huge primer spots. And they were aware of their products problems, and stood ther smiling at me as they said, "If your not going to buy a engine ($3600) then you need to leave my office."
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^Those were my experiences as well especially at Ford dealerships, but Pontiac and Dodge as well. They all came off like the lowest form of human life, except for attorneys, you'll ever have to deal with. It was always one big game, and I was the loser stuck with the bill because they built crappy automobiles and never backed them up with any better service. Detroit has lost me, and my family, as customers for life. You just don't get burned that many times and go back to playing with fire. I think my family has owned about a dozen Hondas in recent years and they've all been perfect in terms of needing no work whatsoever. I've had a few Hondas and had the same experience. And my Benz is like driving bliss (and has had no problems either). I don't doubt there are folks who have great experiences with American autos, but I also firmly believe they are the vast minority to those who have troubles. I never knew what it was like to not visit the dealer for anything but an oil change until I bought a Honda.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 Jeep. My husband's is a '96, 121,000+ miles on it. twice got new tires, new battery once, and right now it needs a new tail pipe. I'm on my second Jeep. (My first one didn't have keyless entry, so after 67,000 miles I got one that did) 25 year old son has had a Jeep for last 3 1/2 years.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 < could see the Buick quality because they have been rated highly for years now. I would never buy one, myself. But I'm not sure I'd buy a Lexus either. Not quality issues, more about they don't really appeal to me. < I believe the average age of the buick customer is close to 65 or 70 - that is why they are so concerned long term...I remember reading it is the oldest avg age buyer in the industry - by far actually per the article below it is 68 -- <a href="http://cars.about.com/od/2001/fr/lacrosse_tst.htm" target="_blank">http://cars.about.com/od/2001/ fr/lacrosse_tst.htm</a>
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <^^^ I almost got one of those, a ss396. I ended up with Mach1 a 428 Cobra-Jet. That was a great car. Different people have different experiences, as well as opinions. < Mine is an RS SS Z28 302DZ
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Well Spirit, either you've had incredibly bad luck with automobiles or the dealers just plain don't like you. ;-) I've purchased 21 new cars in my life beginning with a 1970 Ford Maverick. I've had 14 Fords, 3 Mercurys, 2 Mazdas and 2 Dodges. Although I had a few really bad cars in the early-mid Eighties, I have not had any problem with a car since then. The only time they’ve seen the inside of a shop is for routine maintenance. (knock on wood)
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <The Ford GT is incredible, but for my MONEY, I'd buy a Corvette and save 75%. Hummm...I might get a Lotus of some kind...again you really get a lot for your dollar there. Heck they cost less than an Escalade ESV. < you help make my point here on value -- the Corvette is cost effective for the money compared to it's competition ( not as much so if you opt for the Z06 - ) - and the Escalade is just the opposite - can get a lot more quality for that kind of money for a truck. also remember the Corvette is built in 1 plant only - Bowling Green...and they staffed that with the best workers from other plants -- can American's build a good car - sure --- do they still build too much crapola - again yes. How many more lousy reincarnations of the Malibu are we going to see ? And the Impala before last was too embarassi ng to even be a good cab. The new grand Prix looks like it came from the 70's and no tin a good way ( ala Challenger ) - Cavaliers, Neons, Ford zx3 and wahtever other low end barf they put out... $75K Escalades ( heck $60K Yukon Danali's ) etc are just cash cows ....
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Mine is an RS SS Z28 302DZ << That's a great car. If you ever decide to sell it you want have any problems. >>-- the Corvette is cost effective for the money compared to it's competition ( not as much so if you opt for the Z06 - ) -<< That's a lot of car for $71,000.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 add the paint color you want - and convertible and you're closer to $80K than $71 for the 2008 model. Yes, it is a lot of car - but there are a lot of options out there for $80K.( still by far the best car GM makes tho) namely Porsche 911 Carerra C2 and C4 range...for cars with similar functionality ( or lack thereof ) - $80K will get you a 2008 BMW M3 and about a month in Europe to enjoy and watch it be built. ( and even a back seat) My Camaro part of my retirement ( doing better than my market investments - LOL !) - plan. 35K miles - frame off resto in 2003. Black with white stripes ( original paint scheme also)- houndstooth interior...etc. The issue is I am paranoid driving it most of the time because it wouldn't take much to lower the value significantly. Probably will go on the block in the next few years.( before my youngest goes to college).. I've had it since 1988. ( I had one in 1971 which is why I have this one) -
Originally Posted By MPierce My wife's the same way about her 68 Firebird 400 she bought brand new. I have to hold my breath when I walk by it. It never was that fast, but it still has that sweet muscle car sound.
