"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article
. net,
says...

"Tamaroak" wrote in message
. ..
More people are living in cardboard boxes in this country than
ever
and
these fat cats are making more and paying less taxes than
ever.
And
we
are
STILL cutting taxes while the deficit skyrockets. How can
these
people
call themselves conservative?

The deficit fell from '04 to '05...and its expected to continue
to
fall
through at least '09.

In the past 30 years we've gone from:

Biggest importer of raw materials and exporter of finished goods

to

Biggest exporter of raw materials and largest importer of
finished
goods.

China and Japan own a large percentage of our currency,
corporations
are
allowed to operate offshore to avoid taxation and more of our
currency
is flooding into the mid-east than ever before.

I just had a meeting with some very nice folks from the mid-east
who
don't mind us being in Iraq at all. Their friends are making
money
hand
over fist supplying goods and services to our troops.

Not only are we sending them tankerloads of oil money, we're
paying
them
seven different ways for supplying our country with goods and
services.

Something wrong with this picture? Why are we so damned
near-sighted???

The biggest danger to our country is allowing jobs to escape to
countries
that are not our allies. China is our biggest threat...and
corporations
have bought into the Chinese government horse and pony show that
paints
such
a rosy scenario over there. It's a facade...and China's recent
restrictions
placed on Google are a perfect example of how screwed up things are
over
there right now.

For the first time in the last half decade, I decided to buy an
American
car
again. I would hope you and every other American would consider
doing
the
same. For a very long time, American car manufacturers had their
problems,
and you were right to stay away. But I can assure you that in
their
latest
entries to the market, the American auto maufacturer's quality and
engineering is on par with the best of them again.

Awhile back you stated that if a car manufacturer made an
all-wheel-drive
sport sedan that is comparable to what you were driving at the time
(an
Audi
Quattro?), you'd buy it. So now I'm going to hold you to your
word:
go
drive the Cadillac STS AWD or the Chrysler 300M AWD and buy
whichever
you
like better. Either should fit your needs nicely. I went from an
Infiniti
G35 to a Cadillac STS and have been very happy with the choice.

Are you claiming to be a good American or a good investor?

I don't think the above suggestion would satisfy both criteria.


I leased the car. 39 months, $422/mo (includes tax), $1850 out of
pocket.

The Chrysler is ugly.

$18,308 to have the privilege of driving a Cadillac for 39 months. I'd
rather make payments on a boat or summer cabin and have the 2nd home
write off.

Name me a single car with an MSRP over $40k that you could drive for less
than $18,500 over 39 months. Don't forget to include tax!

That's dependent on leasing. Most people don't lease.

Driving a vehicle over $40k for 39 months isn't a function of the value
of the car, it's a function of how many they've sold and how aggressive
the financing rates they're willing to offer to get you in the car.

The real value in a car is after you've paid it off and drive it another
50,000 miles. That's when the cost/mile goes down. Your cost/mile has
to be astronomical.

How long do *you* keep a car?



And, in order to purchase that car post-lease, you'd be buying a car
that's worth 2/3 of the residual. Cadillac will have to write off the
loss when it's incurred.

Correct. But GMAC takes the hit. And I go buy another car.

In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article
. net,
says...

"Tamaroak" wrote in message
. ..
More people are living in cardboard boxes in this country than
ever
and
these fat cats are making more and paying less taxes than
ever.
And
we
are
STILL cutting taxes while the deficit skyrockets. How can
these
people
call themselves conservative?

The deficit fell from '04 to '05...and its expected to continue
to
fall
through at least '09.

In the past 30 years we've gone from:

Biggest importer of raw materials and exporter of finished goods

to

Biggest exporter of raw materials and largest importer of
finished
goods.

China and Japan own a large percentage of our currency,
corporations
are
allowed to operate offshore to avoid taxation and more of our
currency
is flooding into the mid-east than ever before.

I just had a meeting with some very nice folks from the mid-east
who
don't mind us being in Iraq at all. Their friends are making
money
hand
over fist supplying goods and services to our troops.

Not only are we sending them tankerloads of oil money, we're
paying
them
seven different ways for supplying our country with goods and
services.

Something wrong with this picture? Why are we so damned
near-sighted???

The biggest danger to our country is allowing jobs to escape to
countries
that are not our allies. China is our biggest threat...and
corporations
have bought into the Chinese government horse and pony show that
paints
such
a rosy scenario over there. It's a facade...and China's recent
restrictions
placed on Google are a perfect example of how screwed up things are
over
there right now.

For the first time in the last half decade, I decided to buy an
American
car
again. I would hope you and every other American would consider
doing
the
same. For a very long time, American car manufacturers had their
problems,
and you were right to stay away. But I can assure you that in
their
latest
entries to the market, the American auto maufacturer's quality and
engineering is on par with the best of them again.

Awhile back you stated that if a car manufacturer made an
all-wheel-drive
sport sedan that is comparable to what you were driving at the time
(an
Audi
Quattro?), you'd buy it. So now I'm going to hold you to your
word:
go
drive the Cadillac STS AWD or the Chrysler 300M AWD and buy
whichever
you
like better. Either should fit your needs nicely. I went from an
Infiniti
G35 to a Cadillac STS and have been very happy with the choice.

Are you claiming to be a good American or a good investor?

I don't think the above suggestion would satisfy both criteria.


I leased the car. 39 months, $422/mo (includes tax), $1850 out of
pocket.

The Chrysler is ugly.

$18,308 to have the privilege of driving a Cadillac for 39 months. I'd
rather make payments on a boat or summer cabin and have the 2nd home
write off.

Name me a single car with an MSRP over $40k that you could drive for less
than $18,500 over 39 months. Don't forget to include tax!

That's dependent on leasing. Most people don't lease.

Driving a vehicle over $40k for 39 months isn't a function of the value
of the car, it's a function of how many they've sold and how aggressive
the financing rates they're willing to offer to get you in the car.

The real value in a car is after you've paid it off and drive it another
50,000 miles. That's when the cost/mile goes down. Your cost/mile has
to be astronomical.

How long do *you* keep a car?

It depends. My A6 is on a lease and I'll probably purchase it this
September. Our '95 Cherokee was paid for 6 years ago and has 75,000 on
it. I also have a '68 Chev c-20. I tend to keep 'em longer.


And, in order to purchase that car post-lease, you'd be buying a car
that's worth 2/3 of the residual. Cadillac will have to write off the
loss when it's incurred.

Correct. But GMAC takes the hit. And I go buy another car.

I'm astounded that you don't recognize the folly in your statement.
You're all for it given that the big, stupid company will, in the end,
take it in the shorts.

It's this "pass-the-buck" mentality in America that's got us in so much
economic trouble.

Deficit, military spending, oil, China, jobs.

There's a string that connects them all.

jps

"jps" wrote in message
...


Deficit, military spending, oil, China, jobs.

There's a string that connects them all.

jps

Speaking of the bitch-du-jour, and manufacturing going overseas, I've got
something to contribute: You can't even get a good night's sleep any more.
The most basic need, sleep, is now in the hands of foreigners. I've never
seen Consumer Reports handle a product category with this much negativity.
And in this case, they're right. Here's what happens when we shut down
textile factories where people knew what the hell they were doing:


August 2005
Sheets: Wake-up call
Silk pillowcases that shred in the wash? Linen sheets so wrinkly after
laundering that you might as well not bother making the bed? Sky-high thread
counts based on creative calculating? Note to the makers of sheets in our
tests: Stop sleeping on the job.

Much has changed in the bedding business. Tried-and-true names such as
Cannon and Charisma are largely gone, a result of company bankruptcies.
High-quality percale sheets--the kind we have recommended--are harder to
find, too.

Instead, consumers are faced with high prices, unfamiliar brands,
poor-wearing fabrics, and marketing that wrongly places a premium on the
highest thread count. Standard sheets used to last years; some of those we
tested don't even come close.

In short, we didn't find much to like among the 19 queen sheet sets we
tested, which are priced from $30 to $385 and are found in bed-and-bath and
department stores and online. They included trendy weaves such as sateen and
satin, and nontraditional fibers such as polyester and modal, a cellulose
fiber made from wood.

Unsuitable fabrics. In 20 launderings following the manufacturer's
directions, the Domestications Washable Silk pillowcases were in shreds. The
Linens 'n Things Home Brilliance Jersey knit sheets shrank so much after
just five washings that they no longer fit the bed. Then there was the
Cuddledown Heirloom Voile set, which is sheer. Who wants to see through to
the mattress pad or pillow protector? Even the percale sheets in our tests
were only fair for strength, typically a standout feature for percale.

Almost all the tested sheets needed ironing to look their best. Some of the
unusual fibers require even more care. Silk needs delicate laundering.
Sateen can rip on a toenail or cat's claw; satin can snag even on chapped
hands.

Poor quality control. Fresh out of the package, a Bed Bath & Beyond sheet,
now discontinued, was 10 inches shorter than it should be. With other sets,
we discovered missing or torn components.

What-were-they-thinking design. Buttons on the DKNY Play pillowcases allow
you to fit king-sized or queen-sized pillows. But you might greet the day
with button imprints on your face. With the Domestications Washable Silk
set, unseemly seams down the middle of the fitted sheet could haunt a
restless sleeper.

Questionable claims. Some manufacturers use creative math to boost thread
count (see Thread counts). Likewise, some sheets are labeled organic. But
that simply means that the material is grown without pesticides. Federal
regulations don't exist regarding the processing of the raw material, so all
kinds of environmentally unfriendly chemicals could be used. "Natural" or
"green" labeling may indicate that harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde or
chlorine aren't used in processing. Without standards, though, there are no
guarantees.

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article . net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article
. net,
says...

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article
. net,
says...

"Tamaroak" wrote in message
. ..
More people are living in cardboard boxes in this country
than
ever
and
these fat cats are making more and paying less taxes than
ever.
And
we
are
STILL cutting taxes while the deficit skyrockets. How can
these
people
call themselves conservative?

The deficit fell from '04 to '05...and its expected to
continue
to
fall
through at least '09.

In the past 30 years we've gone from:

Biggest importer of raw materials and exporter of finished
goods

to

Biggest exporter of raw materials and largest importer of
finished
goods.

China and Japan own a large percentage of our currency,
corporations
are
allowed to operate offshore to avoid taxation and more of our
currency
is flooding into the mid-east than ever before.

I just had a meeting with some very nice folks from the
mid-east
who
don't mind us being in Iraq at all. Their friends are making
money
hand
over fist supplying goods and services to our troops.

Not only are we sending them tankerloads of oil money, we're
paying
them
seven different ways for supplying our country with goods and
services.

Something wrong with this picture? Why are we so damned
near-sighted???

The biggest danger to our country is allowing jobs to escape to
countries
that are not our allies. China is our biggest threat...and
corporations
have bought into the Chinese government horse and pony show that
paints
such
a rosy scenario over there. It's a facade...and China's recent
restrictions
placed on Google are a perfect example of how screwed up things
are
over
there right now.

For the first time in the last half decade, I decided to buy an
American
car
again. I would hope you and every other American would consider
doing
the
same. For a very long time, American car manufacturers had
their
problems,
and you were right to stay away. But I can assure you that in
their
latest
entries to the market, the American auto maufacturer's quality
and
engineering is on par with the best of them again.

Awhile back you stated that if a car manufacturer made an
all-wheel-drive
sport sedan that is comparable to what you were driving at the
time
(an
Audi
Quattro?), you'd buy it. So now I'm going to hold you to your
word:
go
drive the Cadillac STS AWD or the Chrysler 300M AWD and buy
whichever
you
like better. Either should fit your needs nicely. I went from
an
Infiniti
G35 to a Cadillac STS and have been very happy with the choice.

Are you claiming to be a good American or a good investor?

I don't think the above suggestion would satisfy both criteria.


I leased the car. 39 months, $422/mo (includes tax), $1850 out of
pocket.

The Chrysler is ugly.

$18,308 to have the privilege of driving a Cadillac for 39 months.
I'd
rather make payments on a boat or summer cabin and have the 2nd home
write off.

Name me a single car with an MSRP over $40k that you could drive for
less
than $18,500 over 39 months. Don't forget to include tax!

That's dependent on leasing. Most people don't lease.

Driving a vehicle over $40k for 39 months isn't a function of the value
of the car, it's a function of how many they've sold and how aggressive
the financing rates they're willing to offer to get you in the car.

The real value in a car is after you've paid it off and drive it
another
50,000 miles. That's when the cost/mile goes down. Your cost/mile has
to be astronomical.

How long do *you* keep a car?

It depends. My A6 is on a lease and I'll probably purchase it this
September. Our '95 Cherokee was paid for 6 years ago and has 75,000 on
it. I also have a '68 Chev c-20. I tend to keep 'em longer.


And, in order to purchase that car post-lease, you'd be buying a car
that's worth 2/3 of the residual. Cadillac will have to write off the
loss when it's incurred.

Correct. But GMAC takes the hit. And I go buy another car.

I'm astounded that you don't recognize the folly in your statement.
You're all for it given that the big, stupid company will, in the end,
take it in the shorts.

To some extent I agree with you. When auto manufacturers lease cars at
ridiculously inflated residuals, they don't make as much money over the long
run as if they'd sold it, or leased it at a true market residual value. But
in a highly competitive market, sometimes half a loaf is better than no
loaf.

They make their profit up front on the sale of the vehicle. They depreciate
the vehicle over the life of the lease, and take the tax writeoff at the
end.

They aren't really "buying" the vehicle at the residual value. That's a
number that matters more to the consumer.



Regardless, they accomplished their goal:
They got a young professional to buy a GM car again (after owning 2 Toyotas
and an Infiniti), and changed his mind about American cars for the better.