trinacriabob

Right. I know about the holdback but if I get a decent deal, I can live without $ 150 in my pocket...or the equivalent of 4 tanks of gas.Thus, based on your analysis, I would be paying tax and license on $ 22,500 (per above) and both the bonus cash and the GM card would be deducts/credits from that. I guess I was trying to ascertain that the discount from negotiating and the GM cash allowance (of the day, or week, or month) come from 2 different pockets, so they are mutually exclusive to making the deal. It sounds like they are.

T.O. = the tundra? I don't assume that, especially with my last purchase...$ 16.9 K on an $ 18.7 K car...without even muttering a word? (I know that margins have tightened since 1992). I guess it's because I went in there knowing what I wanted and was very knowledgeable, so he wasn't going to do "a dance" with me. That dealer, in general, is a very nice place to do business. Their waiting lounge is peppered with letters from customers saying how much they like the outfit. Incidentally, that particular salesperson is now a homebuilder in the scenic parts of Central Oregon. For a $ 100 or $ 200 either way, on a car that I would keep a while, I'm not too concerned. Most importantly, I want to give my money to a salesperson that is polite, informed and helps me consummate a purchase. It's real easy to tell early on if you have the right salesperson helping you.

Oooh, yeah, thanks for letting me know....I'LL WATCH IT. (You started this thread just for me, right, Reg?)

The last car (and my only new car) I bought is my 1992 Regal. I still have it, as most of you know (** as you scream Cheapskate! **) The MSRP sticker was $ 18,736 and I got it for $ 16,900 without even saying a word. I went in there with a typed list of all the codes and MSRPs...I guess they don't see that often. So, on 5-16-92, right after getting back to Portland from Champaign IL (bleh!), I took delivery of the car. Now, the MSRPs on the sleds I am currently looking at are in the $ 23,500 to $ 24,500 range. Some have incentives of $ 1,000 or $ 1,500, for example. In your mind, that means that you should be able to get the initial deal (the dealer's "issue" - what they sell to you versus their invoice) and then get this "other" money (because it's from GM). Is that right? Then, that leads me to wonder if they will try to crimp on their deal because that GM incentive exists. And, on top of that, you don't want to let on that you have GM Card money until the very very end. OK, how about this calculation? GM W-body (duh) car MSRP $ 24,500 Less: Discount negotiated with dealer 2,000 GM Incentive cash 1,000 Equals: Selling price $ 21,500* Less: GM Card redemption 2,000 Equals: Final price $ 19,500 Plus *Tax and license probably based on this number Does this look reasonable?

Naples is the veritable armpit of Italy...it is the most corrupt and (petty) crime-ridden of the Italian cities. Most Italians' (from other places) hair stands up on its ends being there. True, it is the jumping off spot for all those places that are worth seeing but, while there, do not have anything remotely valuable on you nor papers/documents you want to lose. I hate the 'effin place...and I have relatives (Sicilian, but assigned to a government job in Naples) who I won't go see. Stick to your group and don't dabble much in Naples. Glad to hear you are having fun.

Yo, Dan, slumming it, I see. I have relatives who live in Easton and in Norwalk, the first have some really nice digs, the latter have so-so digs, but the lot is big. For the ones in Easton, you get off the Merritt Parkway on Gun Hill or Sport Hill...something like that...gorgeous Cape Cod styled home. Now, do you really think one of us paupers on here can pop for that house? Yikes. Still, that's a better price than what you'd need to pay for that size house and lot in a nice area of Los Angeles County, for example. Are they downsizing or moving to Florida?

I can't help you with the song but this is unbelievable. You went to Bracciano which is on the lake about 15 to 20 miles northwest of Rome? If so, you probably noted another lake town called Anguillara. My cousin, who commutes to Rome for work, lives there. Feels so removed from Rome out there, doesn't it? Well, it looks like you found your song.

annulled

Eagle Scout

car window

sweeper

"Gloria" interesting coincidence...that's what I was listening to as I work and tuned in to C&G

horned toad

Shame on you! What are they teaching you at that school?

A chick I grew up with in LA and now lives in Oregon was accepted to UNLV and was planning to study accounting. She did not go. However, her writing is flawless (both the penmanship and the construction) and so is her logic. The biggest dumb$h! among my friends has a BA in business. He can't write to save his life and his logic is typically faulty. But I've known him since we were kids in LA, so he's still my friend. Your point holds water. However, I'm a bookworm, so I tend to be "degree-prone."

In what field? Educational administration?

disposable

I think PA did ok, actually, because VA was in the top 10 list...so a big difference from W VA.

And it was in Portugal, no less...what a jackpot in more ways than one!

OK, which state has the most degreed population? Probably not a surpise. It's Massachusetts. 35.8 % of the adult population holds at least a bachelor's degree. (Heck, they have Harvard and MIT across the street from each other). In general, the most degreed areas are the Northeastern states. In the list are three outliers, somewhat Western, probably because of their progressive nature or yuppie appeal...these are Colorado, Washington and Minnesota. The least educated state is West Virginia, with 17 % of the adult population holding a degree. That's where Clarice from "Silence of the Lambs" is from. That's less than half that of Massachusetts. In general, the Southeastern states had less folks with at least a BA. Absent from the list was Georgia, probably because of the extreme yuppie factor in Atlanta. The one western state on this list should be no surprise...Nevada...chicks don't need a BA to lie on their backs to make a living at the Mustang Ranch or other cathouses, just supple pouty breasts and a firm ass that shows no hints of cottage cheese. Posting this for no other reason than the fact that it is interesting and because I love population demographics. I could look at population numbers and stats all day long and not get bored. Any opinions?

bikini

Ditto in Uruguay. I was there in November 2005. There was a Chevrolet dealer by the Montevideo International Airport. Where'd you go in Brazil? I was there once...in Rio. Stunning city but my hair stood up on its ends at all times...it FEELS to dangerous. Uruguay and Argentina, by contrast, are so peaceful and more like standard issue European cities that I didn't feel as uptight.

I spotted the fact that it's KC's birthday (see, ocn isn't firing on all cylinders), way up in the land up north. Hope it's a good one. Any plans? HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ENJOY!

Hey, Mustang, I hope you are having a great time...and stay away from those gypsies in the piazzas! It's always fun to see our cars over there, though they are few and far between. I generally don't notice Ford or Chrysler products (they're invisible, you know) but I notice GMs. Last time I was there (summer 2005), I noticed a deep burgundy mid 90s Sedan de Ville in impeccable condition to the east of Venice and an 1989 or 1990 Pontiac Bonneville in Trieste (snuggled up against what used to be Yugoslavia). However, the closest analysis I ever did was of an (actual) Pontiac Trans Sport mini-van in Torino in 1998. I saw that it ran with a 2.3 Litre 4 cylinder and that it had this obnoxious long shift lever for the MANUAL transmission. It was an ugly light olive green with a beige interior. Where are these GM cars that are SO modified built? Keep us posted on how things are going for you!

Evil Knievel (sp?)