zhawk

How many buttons and controls do you NEED in that thing? The controls in a C-17A seem friendlier to use.

...

That is too cool. Thanks!

But it sounds like TuRD. Get his point?

On the same note, maybe you should stick to retail and keep out of the business of building cars. WCCPSGM, most of us here are just tired of the broken record that is BM. All he ever seems able to do is badmouth GMs management. Most of us know and understand that GM is still struggling but can see the progress being made. If he would concede that just possibly Rick & Company just might be doing the right thing but things could be improved, more people would be willing to listen to him. But to continue the insults and insisting that only his plan can save GM is old and will continue to erase whatever credibility he might have once had. Further to even suggest that an investor like Kerkorkian has GMs long term future in mind and those working at GM want to destroy it is disingenious. But, he'll continue as long as he lives. I can easily see him walking down the street mumbling to himself, "It's the Plan, the Plan is right, the Plan is good, Wagoner is evil, I know it, now to find the mind control crystal."

I have to agree with Captainbooyah on this one. Summer in the Pacific Northwest is definately it. I live near Olympia and our seasons are exactly the same.

This was a real eye opener for me. I just added up my wife's and my wages and we just barely bumped over 90K annually. Of course I just started working another part time job and my wife hasn't been working long either so we haven't had time to get used to seeing that money. And right now we are sending most of that out to bills that we have accumulated, either by just living or helping family out. I hate being in debt! Most of the wages come from my Civil Services job (aircraft mechanic for the Air Force) and the next biggest chunk is from my Air Force Reserves position (which I have to keep to maintain my main job. Then both of us are working for our kid's school district. I average between 55 and 65 hours per week plus my reserve weekend and annual tour. My wife has 25 hours per week normally but gets asked to work another 12-15 hours almost every week. Needless to say we are busy. Still, as long as we can find (or make) time to spend with each other and the kids, its all going good.

Well, last week won't happen again. I got a phone call from the supervisor and offered a permanent 4 hour a day job. No more long shifts at the schools. A slight increase in pay. And a bunch more stability. I'll actually be working at the school my daughter goes to. So between the two jobs I'll have either 55 or 65 hours per week plus my reserve weekend. Definately doing over the long term. And the extra money will be nice.

I always hate to hear about tragedies like these. Unfortunately, they are become way too much a part of our lives. I really hope that boy gets the counseling he will need and if medication is part of his treatment, it is used intelligently. A good doctor (therapist) knows the time and place of medication. It should be used as only part of the treatment, not as the main treatment itself. I am glad to see this hasn't become an anti-gun thread. I do not own any guns myself but I know the rights we have and our responsility to maintain the right to bear arms. Guns themselves are not the problem, not being responsible with them is what causes tragedies like that young man's. Education and safety are too often lacking. As for those who commit suicide, that is always a horrible thing as well. If it wasn't for the gun, it would have been something else. And worse, noone saw the signs. Razor and Mustang, you could not expect to see what those closest to them missed. So, please, don't think I am putting anything on you. But, there are almost always signs that someone is contemplating taking their own life. And far too often we miss those signs and wonder what happened. So please, watch out for those around you and be willing to help if you see anything. People are far too precious. And always remember, what someone does is NOT your fault. Take care everyone.

I'm with Camino on the reliability of the sources. The French quoting Saudi intelligence based on some other source? Of course, if it is true, we won't know for sure for a long time. Bin Laden's people will hide his body and then keep putting out information supposedly coming from him.

galaxy (I'm thinking the C-5 airplane but take it anyway you wish)

Well, that week is basically over. I had a 75 work week plus my reserves (another 16 on the weekend). Got off duty at 4PM and back at work at 11PM (same night). I'm going to sleep good today. I am on lunch right now at my normal job and feeling real awake. The substitute supervisor asked Tammy if I could work 8 hour shifts again this week and thankfully, my wife was watching out for me. So, I will be pulling 4 hour shifts at the high school and then showing up at the regular job. To make things better, it is my short week. I normally work one week with five 9 hour days and the next week with three 9 hour days and one 8 hour day. This is that easy week. So, I will only be working 55 hours this week and then have a nice weekend off. Oh, as for driving, I drive 35 miles to work. The schools are only between 7 and 11 miles from my house but the base is a ways from home. I guess being activated last year got me used to long days. A deployed work day usually ran about 14 hours and some of the days I was working as a flying crew chief were well over 24 hours. Caprice, I know what you mean about time and money. Family is expensive Anyway, I am looking forward to an easier week and then spending time off with Tammy and the kids. We have a car club meeting coming up on Saturday in Federal Way and those are always a blast. Hmmm, that reminds me, I need to update the club's event calendar.

At the beginning of the school year for my kids, my wife was talking to one of the district supervisors and was told that they don't have enough people to take care of the custodial positions within the district. I thought about that for a bit and decided to help out. The idea was that I would work as a substitute custodian doing the 4 hour evening shift and then head up north to work my normal 9 hour graveyard shift working on airplanes. It started out working pretty well, the district substitute coordinator had me working most everyday like that. Then, last week, she called me at home and asked me to work on of the 8 hour shifts at one of the schools. She was pretty much desperate since there wasn't anyone to do it. Being tired (I had just gotten home), I wasn't thinking and agreed to work 7 hours Tuesday and Wednesday (since normal quitting time is 11PM and I have to be at McChord at that same time) and then 8 hours on Thursday and Friday. Thursday was a half day for the school and I started an hour early and Friday I have the night off from my normal job. OK, now to make it more interesting, there is supposed to be two people working the school in the evening, one 8 hour person and one 4 hour person. Last night, Thursday, there wasn't anyone to work the 4 hour shift so I wound up cleaning the whole school by myself. Now, its Friday morning and I am about out of steam. One more night of this and then I won't be working the 8 hour shift anymore. Never again. Oh, and I have my Air Force Reserves this weekend. So no days off. Am I nuts or what? Hey, at least I know the kids have a clean place to learn.

I am sorry that you have so little faith in other people as to think that they (in this case, I) would lie or make up numbers for mileage. But, believe what you wish. It doesn't change the truth. Maybe its because of the roads I drive around here in Western Washington, maybe not. Or maybe its because I have to watch the speed limit more here with the cops around my home area and on the bases (one highway between home and work passes through an army base). Anyway, I'm done with that argument. I firmly believe that things are changing for the better within GM, and that's for all of its divisions. Will it all work out? Only time can tell. In my opinion, we are better off making sure GM knows that there is major interest in all of its brands, then complaining when this brand gets this and that brand doesn't.

Ummm, that isn't a search engine. Its a page from the House of Representatives Ways and Means committee.

Hey, I'm a blonde, I represent that remark. This is just another BS lawsuit that will clog the courts with no benefits to anyone. Meanwhile, people outside of California will wonder how stupid that state is while its not the people it's extremist politics.

OK, Razor, my fuel log books provide plenty of counterarguments to your numbers. My 96 Metro averages 47MPG with 209K miles on it. Not sure what was wrong with your Sprint. Heck I was getting better than 30MPG in a old 89 Metro when a spark plug wire was bad and only 2 cylinders where firing correctly. My 99 Silverado averages better than 17MPG, reaching 19 if mainly driven highway miles on a tank. (mostly driven by my wife who accelerates aggressively) The truck has a 5.3L V8. My old 2000 Grand Prix GTP averaged 28MPG with mixed mileage, better than 30 (as high as 34) if driven mostly highway. Nothing special done to any of my cars, just maintained properly. We log each time we fill the tank to watch for noticeable drops in fuel mileage. I know you aren't going to trust my numbers but they are real world. I am not sure that people are crying over the legacy costs. It seems that they are only noting that these are a drag on the profitability of GMs cars. Its a fact and that's all. Now, it seems that things are coming to a point that GM can pay out the costs and still profit off their small cars. There's a huge difference between being a blind fanboy and being positive about what is going right. Just as their is the same differerence between noting where GM needs to improve and constantly bashing everything they do. I, for one, tend to be optimistic about where GM is heading. There's still a ways to go but it looks like they might be on the right path.

Read the article again. GM is only putting out 100 of these to study how well they operate in the real world. There will be other improvements before they start to sell them regularly to the public. BTW, I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just thought you might have missed the limited production and use of these vehicles.

I, for one, never said that everything is all candy and roses, but the picture is nowhere the bleak image that Flint and BM would have you believe. These guys, and people like them, keep saying the same old thing is happening when in fact, things are changing. With costs at GM coming under control so that small cars like the Cobalt now turning a profit, the massive rebates pretty much a thing of the past, and more good products coming out, I don't think that the downturn that GM has seen in truck sales will kill them. Heck, I've shown a couple of the guys here that were in the market for a new truck the GMT-900s and they are going to check them out. And these were guys who swore they wouldn't ever buy GM. If Toyota can sell that Tundra, GM won't have to sweat selling Sierras and Silverados.

This is just another opportunity to cry the sky is falling. Flint, like certain others who will remain nameless (at least for this post) will only take whatever information supports their chosen conclusion and ignore everything else. Besides, if gas prices on their way up, and all the dire predictions of $5 a gallon prices by this month, didn't trash the truck market, I don't think that the current trend of prices dropping would.

Dang, Fly, it sounds like Toyota is sending people after you. Nah, he'd just be able to sit back and watch the Toymotor try to run into itself.

Maybe they'll but a Control/Alt/Delete setup on it so you can reset this thing.

Wow, the import apologists are getting more obvious everyday. I trust real world mileage numbers a lot more than a standardized test. I know what I've driven and the mileage those vehicles have gotten.

First thing I'd cut is Buickman's salary. He seems unable to understand that GM is on a road to recovery and that things are getting better. Oh yeah, now I remember, GM can't possibly save itself without his PLAN. yeah right. But being a good snake oil salesman, Buickman will continue to tell us all how he knows how to fix everything wrong with GM, and possibly the world next. Dude, you ever for just a minute think that you could be wrong?

That's priceless. I love it.