Oracle of Delphi

Ha, well I am not Republican! Since I vote in two countries (I have dual citizenship), in Germany I am a member of the European People's Party or in German it's called Europäische Volkspartei. In the US I am more left leaning.

Or himself!

Exactly!

Should have asked me DF, I've had Zune like forever. The title for you new Desktop should be either the "The Open Road" or "Route 66".

Well Mr. Sunshine, let's hope not. Since I am fit, and ride my bike 10 miles per day. Damn dentist, canceled my appointment yesterday for today, he's going to be out of town until Monday. But I now have pain meds that last until next Thursday of next week.

Here in Europe we get a wagon version, don't know about that for the US.

There was a time it was pronounced Peking.

When times were good, Detroit's Big Three minted cash with big gas guzzlers and protested fuel-efficiency mandates. Now gas prices are soaring, customers are turning their backs and efforts to retool may be too little, too late. By Ernest Beck, MSN Money The news from Detroit just gets grimmer. With gas prices soaring, sales of fuel-guzzling SUVs and trucks are plummeting. The Big Three that once ruled the industry -- General Motors, Ford and Chrysler -- are cutting costs, shuttering plants and laying off workers. GM's share price is hovering near its lowest point in half a century; the company announced a whopping $15.5 billion loss in the second quarter of 2008. How can US automakers survive? But at GM's Advanced Design Center in Warren, Mich., Bob Boniface is surprisingly optimistic about the future as he shows off a clay mockup of the company's Chevy Volt, a mass-market, electrically propelled vehicle that his crew is developing. "Business as usual just doesn't work for us and our customers anymore," says Boniface, design director for the Volt. "Our natural resources are limited, so we have to stay ahead of the technological curve." Behind the scenes: GM's Volt Set to debut in 2010, the Volt is a bid by industry bellwether GM to restructure its lineup with advanced technology that is less dependent on fossil fuels. Along with hybrids being developed by Ford, these cars are a clear signal that U.S. automakers are starting to move away from vehicles like the gas-hogging Hummer, which captured consumers' lust for big, eye-catching vehicles and contributed mightily to the bottom line. See Ford's new plug-in hybrid But Detroit -- once the world's industry leader and an example of America's economic might -- has already lost much of its luster. Now the question is whether the automakers' retooling is too little, too late. "Clearly, product and strategic planning have failed miserably," Sean McAlinden, chief economist at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., says about the Detroit automakers. Noting that the Honda Civic is now the best-selling car in America and that Toyota is chasing GM's leading market share, aiming to take over as No. 1, McAlinden bluntly adds, "Management flubbed it." How U.S. automakers got into this mess Detroit's troubles can be attributed to several factors. One is the new energy environment: The surge in gas prices seems to have taken the U.S. automakers by complete surprise. Another was a cultural resistance to change: Unlike their more nimble Japanese rivals, managers at the American auto giants have traditionally required a strong business and financial case even to consider new vehicle development. (Stronger fuel-efficiency mandates might have made such a case, but U.S. automakers also lobbied loudly, and successfully, against them.) Finally, the U.S. giants were hobbled by a focus on the short term: While Toyota began in the 1990s to develop a car for the 21st century (it eventually became the Prius), companies like GM were happily building highly profitable trucks and monster-size SUVs and ignoring the smaller-car market. As a result, foreign ... Article continues: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Inves...Automakers.aspx

By Laura Schaefer Women have puzzled over it for years—why the heck do men do the things they do? Why do they profess their love for you one minute, then ignore you the next (say, when an Attila the Hun special turns up on TV)? Why can they not remember our birthdays? Let science explain some of these conundrums—and help you rev up your relationships! Be patient with his memory The hippocampus, where initial memories are formed, occupies a smaller percent of the male brain than the female brain. If on your first date he can't remember where you work, even though you told him all about it when you met, just remember that size matters … hippocampus size, that is. Don't take it personally. (Oh, and don't be surprised when, months down the line, he has no clue you've just changed your hair.) Don't expect him to get hints Have a crush on him? You may have to put it out there, because men aren't as skilled at women at reading subtle emotional cues. As Dr. Larry Cahill of the University of California at Irvine puts it, "We have been assuming that the ways in which emotions are organized in the brain are essentially similar in men and women," but they aren't. Parts of the limbic cortex, which is involved in emotional responses, are smaller in men than in women. Additionally, scientists at McMaster University have found that guys have a smaller density of neurons in areas of the temporal lobe that deal with language processing. That's why it's probably a good idea to tell him straight-up how you're feeling ("I'm kind of hurt that you forgot I hate sushi"). Expecting him to infer from your hints could leave both of you scratching your heads. Don't take conversation lulls personally Fact is, guys in general just aren't as verbally adept as women are. Large parts of the cortex — the brain's outer layer that does a big part of recognizing and using subtle language cues — are thinner in men than they are in women. A study led by Dr. Godfrey Pearlson of Johns Hopkins University has shown that two areas in the frontal and temporal lobes that play an important role in language processing are significantly smaller in men. Using MRIs, the Johns Hopkins scientists measured gray matter volumes in several brain regions in 17 females and 43 males. Women had 23 percent more volume than men in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and 13 percent more volume than men in the superior temporal cortex. "Women," explains Dr. Cahill, "excel in being able to come up with appropriate words, given cues." Men — not so much. Don't expect him to chatter with you on dates with the skill of a girlfriend, and don't assume he's not interested in you if he occasionally lets the conversation lapse. Think of it this way: He's simply basking in moments of quiet companionship. Appreciate his naturally upbeat nature Does he seem to be "up" most of the time? It's not your imagination: Male brains produce 52 percent more serotonin (the chemical that influences mood) than female brains, according to a study done at McGill University. And studies show that fewer men than women suffer from depression. Guys may also have an easier time rolling with life's big stresses. If he tells you he recently lost his golden lab or suffered a job loss and doesn't get all teary, it doesn't mean he's heartless; rather, he has healthy stores of serotonin. Don't expect his take on your relationship history to match yours He may be incapable of seeing your shared past the way you do. Brain images have started to show that men and women use their brains in vastly different ways. For example, women use the left part of the amygdala — the part of the brain that creates emotional reactions to events — to put memories in order by emotional strength, meaning that something emotionally important to them (like a great first date a couple of months ago) will be ordered in front of what they ate for breakfast yesterday. Men, however, use the right part of the amygdala to put memories in order. Traditionally, the right hemisphere of the brain is associated with the central action of an event, while the left hemisphere is associated with finer details. Translation: You'll both remember your first date, but he might not remember the color of your sweater or the light rain that was falling that night. It doesn't mean he was checked out; it just means he's a guy. Remember his brain is his largest sex organ In males of several species including humans, the preoptic area of the hypothalamus is greater in volume, in cross-sectional area and in the number of cells. In men, this area is more than two times larger than in women, and it contains twice as many cells. And what, say you, does this have to do with the horizontal mambo? Plenty. This area of the hypothalamus is in charge of mating behavior. This small structure connects to the pituitary gland, which releases sex hormones. So if your bf wants to get intimate all the time and you feel like Ms. Low Desire, remember: You're just experiencing normal, brain-based differences. Link: http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/art...0&GT1=32023

So you're saying you are going to buy one? Please do, please support the Bö®gÉr retirement fund!

The only 09 it's on is the Pontiac Vibe, at least that's my understanding.

Harry Stoffer Automotive News August 20, 2008 - 12:15 am ET WASHINGTON -- Crash tests of eight small crossovers and SUVs produced clear winners and losers, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group for auto insurers. The institute gave its "top safety pick" label to four vehicles that got "good" scores in all test categories: front impact, side impact and rear crash protection. They are the Volkswagen Tiguan, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape. The results also apply to the Escape's siblings, the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute, and the hybrid versions of all three models, the institute said. The institute assigns test scores of good, acceptable, marginal and poor. Getting lower, mixed scores were the Suzuki Grand Vitara, the Jeep Patriot and Wrangler, and the Chevrolet Equinox -- plus the Chevy's twin, the Pontiac Torrent. The tested Tiguan and Escape were 2009 models. Other rated vehicles were 2008 models. In a statement, institute President Adrian Lund singled out the Escape for significant improvements. But he rebuked the Wrangler. "We've rarely seen a vehicle go in the wrong direction and get a worse rating after it has been redesigned," Lund said. The Wrangler was tested without optional side airbags. It got the only "poor" rating in the latest round of tests, for the side-impact crash. Otherwise, Lund applauded the industry for big safety gains, especially by adding side airbags and electronic stability control to vehicles. The institute's frontal crash is at 40 mph into the corner of a barrier. For the side crash, the institute drives the nose of a trucklike object into the test vehicle at 31 mph. Seats and head restraints are evaluated for the rear-crash score. The institute's latest results were made public today. Full details are at http://www.iihs.org . Link: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...p;rssfeed=RSS33

Not true, the Pontiac Grand Prix from 1997 - 2003, the sedan looked better than the coupe, in fact the two shared the same roof line. I don't even think the coupe made it all the way to 2003.

Well, some researchers thawed out what was in the freezer. It turned out to be a rubber gorilla suit. :rotflmao:

Ahh that was it, I'm bad with movie names.

I was told today it will start at 40K US, and may move higher than that. Time will tell.

I tried on my kilt last night. I asked my wife, Does this kilt make my ass look fat?. :rotflmao: I can't tell you what she said in mixed company, but it made me blush!

Pssst! I already am back, and I did arrive safely, thanks for all for the safe wishes.

3.6 for you Camino?

That truck reminds me of the truck in the American classic horror movie Scarecrow, where Scarecrow tries to drive the teenage couple off the road that were driving the 59 Chevy. I think that movie was called Scarecrow.

Gesundheit!

I don't know if it's the carnival like atmosphere, or if it's because they only come around every 2 years, but I just love the Olympics. I love the Summer Games more than the Winter Games, but it might just be that I enjoy seeing all that naked flesh in the Summer Games more than what I see in the Winter Games. I want to say I really enjoyed the Women's Beach Volleyball teams this year.

This tooth is killing me, and I was just at the dentist last week having my teeth cleaned. I've always suspected that they damage them while cleaning just to bring you back in.

:rotflmao:

Get ready for those Walmart prices to rise! Video: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26296147#26296147