trinacriabob

City

I'm beginning to prefer cooler weather. It doesn't wear you out. I do have dash covers which match the (burgundy) interior over the dashboard and over the rear shelf. No cracking. I think it's separating at the bottom because that's where I've done some work (changed the blower fan, etc.) over the years.

surfboard

I agree. I love the "sculpted" dashboard and the wrap-around feel of the dash/console combo, without being that confining. However, the materials, where you could "rat-tat-tat" many components, were cheap. Cheap. Too bad, because the dash was more interesting than that in the 97-03 vintage. The seats were also uncomfortable and the protruding bolsters were useless, because it wasn't a Recaro seat anyway. The seats in 97-03 models were much nicer. So, of the cars that I know, the last-gen Grand Prix had some disappointing ergonomics for its price point. (But, mechanically, it's probably rock solid.)

groan

bitch

I saw this thread and needed more than a few seconds to go to it. The most offputting trait in a boss is arrogance. There is a difference between arrogance and confidence. Arrogance means you think the people that work for you are the "plebes." They forget that, without these people, things wouldn't get done and they couldn't sit on their lofty perch. Yes, I know you're not supposed to be buddy-buddy with your subordinates, but sending out signals that they are a notch below is toxic. Even though I took more of the number-crunching courses when I studied business, the "soft" courses about organizational behavior and human resources are eye-opening. At opposite ends of the spectrum lie the hierarchical organization and the matrix organization. I found that I work much better in a matrix organization, which is a community of peers and you are there to get the job or project done without a lot of formalities/titles/red tape. BellSouth (now AT&T Southeast) was hierarchical...people were too busy worrying about titles, kissing ass, and posturing to move up...and some of them had neither the know-how (neither practical nor academic) to be where they were. A second trait would be incompetence. Let's face it, there are people in high(er) positions that have their jobs because of numerous inadequate reasons. Eventually, most of them are "smoked out," but many people are inconvenienced until this occurs. In my specific case, I would say that I've run into some scrapes with bosses when there was not much of an age spread and I had more credentials and/or had gotten my license prior to them. They appeared to be threatened and were way too defensive. I would say that I've liked it better when I've been sort of a "mini-firm" within a firm, where I've had projects assigned to me, either solo or along with a few people, and we just get down to work. I think I've been fairly well-liked as a supervisor. At least, that's what I've been told (and one of the people working for me e-mailed me the link to "Canadian interview gone disgustingly wrong.") Most of the time, I was at the same level as my co-workers and got promoted because I was fairly organized...and they didn't want that level of accountability, so they didn't resent it. But it's weird going from the lunch time pizza/once-a-month-Greek restaurant or happy hour thing to being someone's supervisor.

complicated

Yep, good sample. Maybe this then alludes to the question of whether people believe in handwriting analysis...experts have studied this for years...

I understand how technology has improved our world. However, I don't think any and all "older" methods of communication should go the way of the dinosaur. Most people still walk into a meeting with pen and paper. Whether they block print or do cursive is up to them.

I think he's thinking "Palmer method" placards placed around the classroom.

Yeah, it's all kind of a sad statement....there is no craftsmanship left and tasks which people should know how to do have been supplanted by the computer.

Wow! But first and foremost, I have to tell you that the color of your G8 is fantastic! Beautiful! Oh yeah, the reason I picked this picture to reply to: there's a clear reflection of a mid-80s Regal coupe in mint condition in the background!

That would have been interesting...that was the first year for the Pontiac 4.9 L V8 (or 301 cubic inch). If I'm not mistaken, the base Catalina might have even come with a 3.8 V6 as standard. Do you remember those 3.8s shoved against the firewall, with enough room for a picnic in front of them?! Saw the weirdest car, but I'll save that for when I get it off my camera. However, in terms of more conventional cars, I saw a dark green Subaru Forester wagon with the oval LL Bean logo and a personalized plate that said: "4EST WMN," or "Forest Woman" Well, she looked more like a plump Rod Stewart. But I was driving, so I couldn't take a picture.

The South

I couldn't imagine having anything other than a white car if one lived in the desert.

Yep, +1, and draftsmanlike printing as well. A couple of things: (1) the nuns made sure you practiced your handwriting, and (2) in Europe (well, I can speak for Italy) there is little, if any, gender-stereotype association made with penmanship as is idiotically done in America. I've stumbled onto foreign letters written to my parents from a wide cross-section of people and their handwriting is excellent, if not fairly uniform in appearance (it looks "European"). So, then, handwriting, in that culture, is indicative of good-breeding and education, from what I can see. Also, look at the Declaration of Independence, what a showcase of good penmanship!

smell

Well, she was a unique ship that passed in the night here on C&G, so there were TWO reasons (no pun intended) which "required" a birthday post: (1) it harkens back to the ridiculous jug shots as her claim to fame, and (2) if someone really cared, they could let her know we are still fond of her

smokescreen

Since it has McPherson struts (I assume) like my car, pushing down on the car should give virtually no bounce-back, making it almost seem stiff. Even though it might appear stiff, the ride is fine...it feels planted. Pushing down on the car and being able to get a rocking momentum going (albeit a mild one) means the struts may be gone, from what I've experienced. This kind of stuff is tricky since one never wants to "volunteer" stuff to service writers or repair salespeople. Rather, one wants to let them do the talking, then let them show you what is going on, and then you can decide if the fix they are suggesting is reasonable.

chain

Ouch!

The vinyl on the dashboard has begun to separate at the bottom of the dashboard...i.e. above the emergency brake pedal on the driver's side and, on the passenger side, below the glove box, where it sweeps back into the area where the lower a/c ducts are located. I can tell there was some old glue between the vinyl and the dash because I can feel the bumps with my fingers. It's only noticeable to me, since most people wouldn't look at the bottom edge of the dashboard...and the car is 17.5 years old. A few questions: How do I reattach the vinyl that is beginning to separate? What is the name of the type of adhesive that is used? Where do I get it? Any tips on the preparation for, and actually doing, this procedure... Thanks!

The 1992 Regal has had a slight shimmy for quite a while. By rotating the tires often, they are wearing exceptionally well despite the shimmy (6/32 after almost 40,000 miles). The shimmy was weird in that it was really noticeable between 55 and 65 mph, and then, by minute adjustments of the steering wheel, it might go away. A long time ago, I told a West Coast chain about this and they identified the tie rods as the probable culprits. They fixed these, when I had front struts put in, and everything seemed better...but not perfect. Within the last couple of weeks, there was a popping sound in the front passenger side, accompanied by too much bounce by pushing down. The struts were under warranty, so I got new ones today. They also replaced these strut mounts (about $25 each), which is a rubbed/metal cup the top of the strut goes into. They were worn, and the one on the passenger side was the worst of the two. With the new struts and the new strut mounts (the most likely culprit), the shimmy has gone away, the car tracks beautifully and the ride is as smooth as glass. From looking at an exhibit they have, shimmy on FRONT WHEEL DRIVE cars is caused by: (a ) struts (b ) strut mounts (c ) tie rods, and (d ) bushings, at various places These and/or OTHER components might cause the wandering or the uneven wear. For me, the answer to a long-standing shimmy problem was (b), which was probably overlooked.