trinacriabob

Yes, amazing. Large organizations can be scary. I worked for BellSouth in Atlanta and was surrounded by stupid people who couldn't see past the ends of their noses. But they didn't irk me...they were more entertaining. The combination of Southerners from the area, transplanted Northeasterners and South Florida types who were indignant at being transferred to "the ATL," riding up and down in the same elevators, made for "never a dull moment." Plus, I loved the neighborhood I lived in, commuting on MARTA and working close to downtown Atlanta...it helped offset the lackluster abilities of many co-workers. But it pushed me to go to graduate school in another field!

baked

I know BLS releases figures any day now. I always track the Southeastern states. GA and FL are right around 10, SC is around 12+, NC is around 11 and VA is around 8. The good news is that they appear to have peaked and are inching back down. Also, the figures I look at are always statewide figures. I could only imagine that Charlotte is in far worse shape employment-wise than is Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill because the latter area is diversified and has the less cyclical government/university sectors that employ a fair number of people.

Mustang, what does this term (in bold) mean? The figures are always strange, since the parameters are hard to define....do they mean anyone who is capable of working in an architectural firm, do they mean architectural graduates, do they mean licensed architects or do they mean AIA members? And then you hear conflicting stories...I've heard it said newer graduates are more in demand because they are compensated less and then I've heard that more experienced architects are in demand because they can wear many hats and can be autonomous. Who knows...I do know that the density of architects has always been highest in SF, Seattle and Boston. That I believe. I also know that there are many weird turtlenecked, round glasses types in the field that use this external charade as a "smokescreen" for competence. I only like architects who can manage to look and act normal, and STILL do the work. I went to school with some people who had good design and technical skills...and were/are totally normal...you can't typecast them...they can fit into engineering, business, pharmacy, education, IT or any curriculum because they don't buy into "the look." I think the abnormal ones have hurt, and will continue to hurt, the profession since those paying the freight (developers, owners, public agencies, etc.) automatically place them on a lower rung than other types of professionals. Sad, but true. In North Central California, I actually see some firms looking for 10-15 years of experience types for big complicated public work. I'm not in the market, so I just muse "...ok, interesting." I think there is definitely work in places like Austin and Houston. I also think that, in 6 to 9 months, things will really pick up. I think than in 3 years there won't be enough experienced people to do the work. All of this being said, I just came home from our picnic with a headache and had to lay down. Good news, I bolted for 1 hour to get my struts checked and they are under warranty, so I get some new ones this weekend. Bad news, good Gawd, I just realized how many people I work with irritate me, so I got my food and only talked to a few people I like.

Bleh...I know how you feel, so "enjoy" it while you can... Today's our picinic, so that will be interesting. Getting to see everybody make idiots of themselves. I will be steering clear of "Hannibal," who is the consummate geek. The food is generally fantastic, so I'll indulge in the endless varieties of food (and skip dinner) and then disappear in the afternoon to have my (passenger side) struts looked at, since they are under warranty

sombrero

I once drove someone's '83 LeSabre with the 4.1 Litre V6 in...drum roll...St. Paul, MN (the one and only time I've been there) and I was apprehensive because it was February and there were traces of snow/ice on the highways (is it 90 or 94?). The full-size entry-level Buicks were nice enough, so I could only imagine how nice an Electra or Park Avenue could have been. Their boulevard ride was fantastic. Pushing down on the accelerator and hearing the "unfamiliar" sound of an even-firing V-6, instead of the more familiar sound of a small block GM (Olds) V8 in such a car, was "weird"...so it would have been interesting to be inside the cabin of a diesel-powered GM luxury car of that point in time. The DTS seems to be the only thing left that alludes to that era, it seems. But, let's face it, GM 80s sheetmetal is unique in its artistry.

Wimbledon

Yes, it would be interesting to see all the colors. I bet white shows off its lines fairly well. Thus far, I've seen red, silver and yellow (in that order of frequency).

Errrr... ...maybe I'm too structured to the point that I'm not good at diagnostic work. I don't like it. I like working in the "prevent" mode, instead of the "detect" mode. That's probably why I overmaitain my car and make lists/spreadsheets for everything. So, I'm glad there are people out there with diagnostic/forensic type skills.

Credit the 22:1 (+/-) compression ratio. But then, the high compression ratio is part-and-parcel of the diesel engine, regardless of who makes it. Echoing what was said earlier, I am sure you will have a mechanic who is familiar with GM cars and their range of offerings, including the diesels.

Correction on the Toro/Riv color...the name of the color was actually Light Driftwood Metallic and can be "googled" for its image...I thought it was the best color for the '92 notchback-styled Toros and Rivs Sure, I'll add another car. I had an '84 Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe with the 3.8L 2 bbl. V-6 Buick-produced engine. But it was essentially given to me. I would have much rather had an '82 Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe with the 260 c.i. 2 bbl. Rocket V-8 Olds engine....throw in the color "Light Jadestone Metallic," which was a seafoam green, and the same color for the interior...and the alloy wheels which were NOT color-keyed that looked way better than the color-keyed rallys which were both offered that year.

This is hilarious. How about people who stay late to "grandstand" and show that extra dose of "commitment?" Yeah, right. Yes, religion and politics definitely need to stay out of the workplace. For some reason, religion seems to be more of a problem than does politics, since I always steer politics to its quantitative impact on the economy and it ends there. HOWEVER, with all the admonishments in today's work place, people still have the need to cram religion down your throat. I had a co-worker I really liked. He was (still is) a structural engineer. I knew he went to Catholic school in a small town because those of his specific Protestant denomination were not well-represented. He was a very polite and considerate person, who kept religion out of the picture. One night, I'm reading at Starbucks and he walks in with his wife. She was very engaging and outgoing (whereas he is very reserved) and we were having a great conversation. At some point in her life, she converted from Catholicism to some type of fundamentalist grass-roots Christianity. When we all got up to leave, it then got to: "Well, you have to come to our church. I know you would really enjoy meeting our pastor. You really should come." Me: "Thanks for the invitation. I'm really not that religious and know that I only feel comfortable in a Catholic church to begin with. I have a parish I attend" "Oh, no, really, you should come..." Back and forth...you get the idea. If that had happened in a work setting, that would qualify as harassment.

Actually I was paying tribute to the wonderful '80s when EVERYONE and EVERYTHING was "on the rag," including males, cars, fax machines, and anything that was irate or not functioning properly... Response to thread: point

Ha! Great. You're probably right. There is one guy I ALWAYS say "hello" to because, if he ever loses it, I want to be spared!

There is always a PROBLEM here or there. "Office Space" LIVES! In my project area, there is ONLY one person I don't like. His problem is his meddlesome nature. First, he has to get involved in people's financial affairs (he can't manage his own). Then, he always does a "shaking of the finger" when a person gets time off during a crunch (when he's done the same thing). He always seems to be TOO interested in what others are doing, right down to making smart-ass comments about who is or isn't participating in what event at the forthcoming picnic. Except for a few people I like, I couldn't even REMOTELY tell you what others are into. Not only that, he's got the same creepy brow that the dude from "Silence of the Lambs" has. No wonder his marriage is awful and his wife is a workaholic. Nobody seems to like this guy and our consultant groups even ask "Is (insert his name) coming to the meeting?," hoping it's NO! Don't get me wrong, I go to lunch with different people about 3 out of the 5 weekly work days. Those people are FUN and we have our "code words" and "nicknames" for people, places and situations. What I find is that difficult people in the workplace don't "check their issues at the door" and "project" their outside issues on their co-workers.

You're not kidding. The new Taurus is a beautiful car. The ONLY thing I don't like is the console level relative to the seats, making me feel small once inside. (The seating position and console height is much user friendly in the Fusion for those of us of average height). Yes! New Taurus!

Sounds like a "green light" for you ... for me, it would have to be a light metallic color, no vinyl roof and the 5.0L Olds Rocket V8 or the infrequent 4.1L 4 bbl. V6 by Buick for Buick/Olds/Cad (which had some quirks, I've read). But this sounds like it could be a good fit for you. Still, if it's in perfect shape and looks/feels new once inside, you will probably be very satisfied with your purchase. Yes, as whiteknight said, "leverage" the "oh, it's a diesel" factor and work the price down.

What I see as pluses and minuses --- Pluses: - beautiful car - great condition - respectable price - you like it Minuses: - don't like dark colors and a landau/padded top which will invite rust at its edges - is there a "canned program" to swap a 5.7L diesel to a 5.7L gasoline that you can avail yourself of? (I'm sure others have had to perform this "operation," with as many 78, 79 and 89 Olds and Cads I see on the road badged as diesels that don't make the diesel gargling/clattering sound) You'll have to do your "weighted average," assigning your own weights to variables. Good luck!

menstrual period (sorry, couldn't resist)

epic

Biblical

longevity

French Riviera

Magnum