Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

andres3

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

interesting about the paddles. last week, was driving the RDX, and doing something that had my hand near the downshift (left) one, and I accidentally bumped it and dropped a gear when not expecting to. Somewhat annoying, by no harm done. Just thought it was funny that it happened right after all the discussion here.

I don't drive my wife's GLK very often, but one day I did. I reached for the wipers and hit the paddle....went down about 3 gears. Quite a bit of engine racing until I figured out what went wrong. I could live very nicely.....without paddle shifters.

Doesn't MB have a "paddle delete" order option?

I would think with the average age of a MB owner, they'd allow for things like that.

I know when the '06 A3 came out with the first mass market DCT, if you got the very base model, you could go without paddle shifters. The premium package got black plastic paddles, and the sport package came with aluminum paddles.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:

While I was on vacation the subject of paddle shifters came up.

I have a paddle shifter story myself and I told this story a while back.

I told this part of the story when I did the test drive before signing on the line for Mrs. j’s 2012 Subie Legacy Limited 6 cylinder in November 2011. Son #1 went with us to Columbus where we got the car:

Mrs. j: What are those silver things on the steering wheel?

Son #1: Don’t worry about those. They’re for when Dad and I drive the car. You just put it in Drive like any other car you’ve had and you’ll be just fine.

Mrs. j : Just curious, but they must be there for a reason.

That’s the part I told when we got her car back in November of 2011.

Now fast forward to after she drove the car for a week or two when Son #1 came over to the house with his family for dinner one Sunday (this is also a repeat of my paddle story):

Mrs. j: OK, I ask this before, maybe I can get an answer this time. What do those silver things do that are on the steering wheel of my car?

Son #1: I guess it is better to show you rather than try to explain it. Get your coat and we’ll go for a ride. Dad can come along if he wants to.

We get to the car in the driveway and my son says, “I’ll drive. You get in the passenger’s seat and Dad will sit in the back”. When we are in the car, he says, “see the + sign on this paddle, that’s for up-shifting. You probably won’t use this paddle very much because of the way the transmission operates in this car. See the – sign on this paddle, that’s for down-shifting. Down-shifting is for when you want the car to go into a lower gear, like when you’re passing someone. It does the same thing as when you step down on the gas pedal a little harder for when you want the car to get up to speed quicker. When you use this paddle you don’t have to push on the gas pedal, you just pull on the paddle. Let’s go and I’ll show you. It’s very simple”.

We get out on a clear road and he goes through the demonstration mode several times. Then he says:

Son #1: See, that’s all there is to it.

Mrs. j: And you expect me to play with those things when I’m driving? I’ll just leave it in Drive like you said before. That’s the way I have always driven, so I’m not going to change how I drive a car now. You guys can play with them all you want. Let’s go home so I can get dinner ready.

Both my Son and I got this HUH look on our faces and she said again, “did you really think I was going to use those things”? More HUH looks and we went home for dinner.

Now that was a wasted test drive.

That is the full repeat story.

Every now and then I use the paddles on both my Genny and her Subie just to see if they still work and when I want to play around. I'm not into getting the car ready to take a curve but I can understand how those that like this sort of thing can appreciate paddles. Years ago you could not do this with the older automatic tranny's (at least not down-shifting to a few lower gears without killing the tranny).

Today if you have an automatic transmission that has the shift-tronic feature you can do it that way too but the paddles can be easier and it allows you to keep both hands on the wheel.

FWIW, the Subie does not have a shift-tronic transmission it only has paddles but my Genny has both. So in the Subie I have to use the paddles whereas in the Genny I can do it either way. But like I said, that is only when I want to play around.

I guess you can say today that you don't have to mash the peddle to increase your speed. It can all be done with some simple finger-flicking now.

jmonroe

My old Eclipse had the manumatic shifter and I used it a lot more than the paddles on the Mustang. Maybe it was because it gave you the feeling of rowing the gears. I miss that car, if only it had 100-200 more horsepower.

While I was a the dealer today I stumbled upon a Mustang GT 350 R. 5.2L flat plane crank 526hp. $68k+. About twice what mine cost but boy did that get my fantasies going.

I have to admit that if I was in the market-and had the disposable income -I would be VERY hard pressed to decide between a GT350R and a M2...

And I bet at least half of those sold get locked up in a garage and hardly ever get driven let alone tracked.

Locked up in the garage is one way to keep it out of the shop.

Mr_Shiftright

dino001 said:

berri said:

Personally, I think this whole 401K thing in place of pensions is going to blow up a few decades down the road, as well as the habit in Congress of using social security and medicare deductions for other things. Look for a new version of the great depression "new deal" when it happens.

Should we get gold and guns now or can we wait couple of years?

Forget gold....buy SPAM, lots of it.

Mr_Shiftright

Maybe it's like those old Isettas--the front of the car is the entryway.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

carnaught said:

Unless I'm mistaken, LTC insurance policies give "x" amount of money to extended or rehab. situations for "y" amount of time. When it's used up, you're on your own, financially speaking. Nursing home insurance, on the other hand, pays a good percentage of indefinite length nursing home stays.

Here in NY the state make a deal that if you purchase LTC insurance that covers you for 2 years they will give you Medicaid without making you spend your own money.

The trick is getting it. Dad had atrial fib so they wouldn't cover him. Mom was accepted but never used it. The people who need it most can't get it.

"The trick is getting it. Dad had atrial fib so they wouldn't cover him. Mom was accepted but never used it. The people who need it most can't get it."

Well that is exactly the U.S. health insurance business model. The sicker you are, the less they want you, so they either deny you or chase you away with horrendous premiums. It's a locked down monopoly.

Horrendous premiums are the problem with every type of insurance, including auto insurance.

I think the problem in the US is that the healthy young people don't want to subsidize the sick old people.

It's bad enough they are bankrupting Social Security.

driver100

I think the problem in the US is that the healthy young people don't want to subsidize the sick old people.

One day they will be sick old people!

andres3

carnaught said:

I disagree and think you have to figure future expenses about the same as current expenses. Don't forget the possibilities of inflation and unexpected or catastrophic situations which could increase your cost of living expenses. It's a worse case senario approach, but I think that to be safe, you can't count on your total costs decreasing. Estimating future expenses on the higher side is better than running out of money as you get older.

But if you get SS and/or a pension, you never really run out. You just might be poorer at the end of your life than expected. At least you lived!

andres3

driver100 said:

I think the problem in the US is that the healthy young people don't want to subsidize the sick old people.

One day they will be sick old people!

True, and if ran like SS maybe I'll get 77 cents on the dollar for my health care too. At least that's the figure I remember from my last SS statement as a projection of what will happen with the status quo.

dino001

driver100 said:

I think the problem in the US is that the healthy young people don't want to subsidize the sick old people.

One day they will be sick old people!

It's in the Constitution that all people are young, beautiful and healthy. Wait, it is not? Why nobody told me???

stickguy

driver100 said:

Stick, Did you get my message about Hop on Hop Off Bus? I got acknowledgement Edmunds received it but don't know if you did.

Last message was a link to trip advisor for attractions. Nothing came rough about the bus, but I think we definetly want to do that. So info appreciated!

driver100

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

I think the problem in the US is that the healthy young people don't want to subsidize the sick old people.

One day they will be sick old people!

It's in the Constitution that all people are young, beautiful and healthy. Wait, it is not? Why nobody told me???

I think it says all people are born equal (born with an equal opportunity).....no guaranty's after that!

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

suydam said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

If invested modestly it should earn $50000 a year at 5%.

Don't get me started on that. I was looking at my small retirement account on the weekend and the various mutual funds have all given back all the gains they made over the last 8-9 months, so the return is zero. I'd be happy with 5% but I can't find where to get it.

5% is an average....some years equities will rise 10%. 5% is actually fairly modest. The Dow is up 9.5% this year!
Also, you may need some dividend paying stocks, and a few high paying bonds....some of those run at about 5%.

Our financial advisor told us it was safe to take out 4% per year, which we do. We also have Social Security. Our condo is not close to being paid off, we just leased one car, we took a trip to Prague this summer, and we live in an expensive area. On the other hand, we massively downsized so our utilities are very cheap, we refinanced our mortgage at a very low rate, we don't spend a lot of money on daily activities, and we're doing fine. As @houdini1 said, don't let them scare you.

That's the standard "safe" withdrawl level I guess. I just started having all the dividends sent as a check instead of reinvesting. That is just about 4%. It's nice getting cash every month with a bump on each quarter.

My property and house was paid for the day we moved in and as you know my hooptie collection doesn't cost much. We both get DB pensions and social security which just about equals our pre retirement income.

Our only enemy now is legacy planning.

Speaking of SS, they sent me a letter today asking how much more I plan on making from work this year. Hello! I'm retired! What part about that don't you get? Then they want me to tell them how much I will make from my job NEXT year. Huh? How are you supose to report income you don't have from a job you may or may not ever have?

Sounds like they are keeping the postal service busy and subsidizing them by purchasing postage for those useless letters.

Mr_Shiftright

driver100 said:

I think the problem in the US is that the healthy young people don't want to subsidize the sick old people.

One day they will be sick old people!

EGG-zzzaxactly!

driver100

stickguy said:

driver100 said:

Stick, Did you get my message about Hop on Hop Off Bus? I got acknowledgement Edmunds received it but don't know if you did.

Last message was a link to trip advisor for attractions. Nothing came rough about the bus, but I think we definetly want to do that. So info appreciated!

Stick, I did return it but it goes to Edmunds and they automatically sent a reply - thank you, got the message.

So, here it is:
Toronto is a beautiful city and visitors are impressed. We try not to go....just too busy, parking is impossible, and then there are all those guys who want to wash your windshield.

A bus tour, like a Hop On Hop Off like this;
https://www.citysightseeingtoronto.com/

is a great way to get an over view of the city and there are some interesting things to hear and see. Walking tour is supposed to be good too, but you will only see a small area.

There are a few things listed for that weekend on this link, including the Air Show
http://dailyhive.com/toronto/things-to-do-toronto-labour-day-weekend-september-2-5

Good Luck

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

I think the problem in the US is that the healthy young people don't want to subsidize the sick old people.

One day they will be sick old people!

It's in the Constitution that all people are young, beautiful and healthy. Wait, it is not? Why nobody told me???

I think it says all people are born equal (born with an equal opportunity).....no guaranty's after that!

Ha ha leave it to a Canadian to know the U.S. Constitution better than most Americans.

And here I thought it said right to life, liberty and 400hp.

suydam

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

driver100 said:

Stick, Did you get my message about Hop on Hop Off Bus? I got acknowledgement Edmunds received it but don't know if you did.

Last message was a link to trip advisor for attractions. Nothing came rough about the bus, but I think we definetly want to do that. So info appreciated!

Stick, I did return it but it goes to Edmunds and they automatically sent a reply - thank you, got the message.

So, here it is:
Toronto is a beautiful city and visitors are impressed. We try not to go....just too busy, parking is impossible, and then there are all those guys who want to wash your windshield.

A bus tour, like a Hop On Hop Off like this;
https://www.citysightseeingtoronto.com/

is a great way to get an over view of the city and there are some interesting things to hear and see. Walking tour is supposed to be good too, but you will only see a small area.

There are a few things listed for that weekend on this link, including the Air Show
http://dailyhive.com/toronto/things-to-do-toronto-labour-day-weekend-september-2-5

Good Luck

We found public transit in Toronto was wonderful.

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h-LFt8fjy7U

explorerx4

Gotta love VW group. How low can they go?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/no-one-seems-to-know-why-audi-shipped-thousands-of-cars-with-the-same-vin/ar-AAqBpJl?li=BBnb4R5

andres3

explorerx4 said:

Gotta love VW group. How low can they go?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/no-one-seems-to-know-why-audi-shipped-thousands-of-cars-with-the-same-vin/ar-AAqBpJl?li=BBnb4R5

Maybe the diesel-gate fines are tied to a cost multiplied by the number of VIN numbers.

explorerx4

or like article speculates, recall numbers.
Either way, despicable.
Of course, could be 'fake news', but I doubt it.

qbrozen

Wow

fordfool

@andres3 wrote: Horrendous premiums are the problem with every type of insurance, including auto insurance.

That's going to be a problem with any third-party payment scheme. The insurer pays the bill and passes the cost on to the insured without any incentive to hold down costs. Unfortunately, there is no alternative to third-party pay as with any method of shared risk. Insurance companies must be made to control their costs through some type of incentive scheme or else the government will become the third-party insurer, not a pretty alternative either.

Canadians come to the States to receive quicker treatment while Americans go to Canada for less expensive treatment and medicines. (Bus trips from Buffalo to Ontario for seniors seeking treatment and medicines are common.) There has got to be a more efficient method. But unfortunately our elected government officials are bought and paid for by lobbies including the insurance lobby.

oldfarmer50

A frustrated stand up comic selling a car. Funny stuff until you see the price .

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-geo-tracker-convertible/6264675170.html

driver100

suydam said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

driver100 said:

Stick, Did you get my message about Hop on Hop Off Bus? I got acknowledgement Edmunds received it but don't know if you did.

Last message was a link to trip advisor for attractions. Nothing came rough about the bus, but I think we definetly want to do that. So info appreciated!

Stick, I did return it but it goes to Edmunds and they automatically sent a reply - thank you, got the message.

So, here it is:
Toronto is a beautiful city and visitors are impressed. We try not to go....just too busy, parking is impossible, and then there are all those guys who want to wash your windshield.

A bus tour, like a Hop On Hop Off like this;
https://www.citysightseeingtoronto.com/

is a great way to get an over view of the city and there are some interesting things to hear and see. Walking tour is supposed to be good too, but you will only see a small area.

There are a few things listed for that weekend on this link, including the Air Show
http://dailyhive.com/toronto/things-to-do-toronto-labour-day-weekend-september-2-5

Good Luck

We found public transit in Toronto was wonderful.

It is....great system of buses and subways and ubers.

stickguy

we will figure out what works best once we get there and decide which activities we are doing, so know where we have to get to. One hassle is that there will be 7 of us, so no just grabbing a cab or an Uber.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

A frustrated stand up comic selling a car. Funny stuff until you see the price . https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-geo-tracker-convertible/6264675170.html

What does a low mileage wife go for?

qbrozen

Leaving Sunday for Costa Rica. 6am flight. Ouch.
Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there.

stickguy

We are going to Toronto a week from Friday. 8:30 flight, but I have to drive all the way up to Newark so leaving at some silly hour too (4 maybe?). Darned too early. But should beat traffic on the turnpike!

Enjoy CR> supposed to be a really cool place.

suydam

stickguy said:

we will figure out what works best once we get there and decide which activities we are doing, so know where we have to get to. One hassle is that there will be 7 of us, so no just grabbing a cab or an Uber.

Really the subway is probably the best bet.

stickguy

works for me. that and walking.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

Leaving Sunday for Costa Rica. 6am flight. Ouch.
Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there.

Enjoy your vacation & travel safely!  What do you have planned?

breld

@qbrozen and @stickguy - have a great time on your vacations!

qbrozen

Thank you!

Plan to zip line through the canopy, go on a volcano tour, and whatever else tickles our fancy. Taking my sister, BIL, and niece along, so 7 of us total.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

A frustrated stand up comic selling a car. Funny stuff until you see the price .

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-geo-tracker-convertible/6264675170.html

Great ad!

driver100

breld said:

@qbrozen and @stickguy - have a great time on your vacations!

+1

(I'll be watching the Toronto News to make sure there aren't 7 guys caught doing something wrong)

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:

While I was on vacation the subject of paddle shifters came up.

I have a paddle shifter story myself and I told this story a while back.

I told this part of the story when I did the test drive before signing on the line for Mrs. j’s 2012 Subie Legacy Limited 6 cylinder in November 2011. Son #1 went with us to Columbus where we got the car:

Mrs. j: What are those silver things on the steering wheel?

Son #1: Don’t worry about those. They’re for when Dad and I drive the car. You just put it in Drive like any other car you’ve had and you’ll be just fine.

Mrs. j : Just curious, but they must be there for a reason.

That’s the part I told when we got her car back in November of 2011.

Now fast forward to after she drove the car for a week or two when Son #1 came over to the house with his family for dinner one Sunday (this is also a repeat of my paddle story):

Mrs. j: OK, I ask this before, maybe I can get an answer this time. What do those silver things do that are on the steering wheel of my car?

Son #1: I guess it is better to show you rather than try to explain it. Get your coat and we’ll go for a ride. Dad can come along if he wants to.

We get to the car in the driveway and my son says, “I’ll drive. You get in the passenger’s seat and Dad will sit in the back”. When we are in the car, he says, “see the + sign on this paddle, that’s for up-shifting. You probably won’t use this paddle very much because of the way the transmission operates in this car. See the – sign on this paddle, that’s for down-shifting. Down-shifting is for when you want the car to go into a lower gear, like when you’re passing someone. It does the same thing as when you step down on the gas pedal a little harder for when you want the car to get up to speed quicker. When you use this paddle you don’t have to push on the gas pedal, you just pull on the paddle. Let’s go and I’ll show you. It’s very simple”.

We get out on a clear road and he goes through the demonstration mode several times. Then he says:

Son #1: See, that’s all there is to it.

Mrs. j: And you expect me to play with those things when I’m driving? I’ll just leave it in Drive like you said before. That’s the way I have always driven, so I’m not going to change how I drive a car now. You guys can play with them all you want. Let’s go home so I can get dinner ready.

Both my Son and I got this HUH look on our faces and she said again, “did you really think I was going to use those things”? More HUH looks and we went home for dinner.

Now that was a wasted test drive.

That is the full repeat story.

Every now and then I use the paddles on both my Genny and her Subie just to see if they still work and when I want to play around. I'm not into getting the car ready to take a curve but I can understand how those that like this sort of thing can appreciate paddles. Years ago you could not do this with the older automatic tranny's (at least not down-shifting to a few lower gears without killing the tranny).

Today if you have an automatic transmission that has the shift-tronic feature you can do it that way too but the paddles can be easier and it allows you to keep both hands on the wheel.

FWIW, the Subie does not have a shift-tronic transmission it only has paddles but my Genny has both. So in the Subie I have to use the paddles whereas in the Genny I can do it either way. But like I said, that is only when I want to play around.

I guess you can say today that you don't have to mash the peddle to increase your speed. It can all be done with some simple finger-flicking now.

jmonroe

My old Eclipse had the manumatic shifter and I used it a lot more than the paddles on the Mustang. Maybe it was because it gave you the feeling of rowing the gears. I miss that car, if only it had 100-200 more horsepower.

While I was a the dealer today I stumbled upon a Mustang GT 350 R. 5.2L flat plane crank 526hp. $68k+. About twice what mine cost but boy did that get my fantasies going.

I have to admit that if I was in the market-and had the disposable income -I would be VERY hard pressed to decide between a GT350R and a M2...

If you want a GT350 you could attend the Saratoga Auto Auction in September. My Mustang buddy and I just got our tickets.



https://www.saratogaautoauction.org/vehicles/84/1968-ford-shelby-gt-350?utm_source=68+Shelby&utm_campaign=Auction+Consignment+emails+&utm_medium=email

ab348

fordfool said:

That's going to be a problem with any third-party payment scheme. The insurer pays the bill and passes the cost on to the insured without any incentive to hold down costs. Unfortunately, there is no alternative to third-party pay as with any method of shared risk. Insurance companies must be made to control their costs through some type of incentive scheme or else the government will become the third-party insurer, not a pretty alternative either.

Canadians come to the States to receive quicker treatment while Americans go to Canada for less expensive treatment and medicines. (Bus trips from Buffalo to Ontario for seniors seeking treatment and medicines are common.) There has got to be a more efficient method. But unfortunately our elected government officials are bought and paid for by lobbies including the insurance lobby.

Our system here in Canada manages health care by rationing it via budgets. In my example of the heart valve, they told me they only do a small number of these procedures each month. Part of the reason is that each valve costs them $26,000. Now, I have no idea what goes into that number but they are a bovine valve that is then worked on by the producer - the mock up I was shown looks like it was not $26K worth of work. Who knows for sure though.

I also waited 18 months for my previous open-heart surgery back in 08/09. And wait lists for things like knee and hip replacement are years long here. So there is a lot of suffering and reduced quality of life for folks afflicted.

Not sure there is any perfect solution, but there is big money being made by some in health care both here and south of the 49th parallel..

bwia

explorerx4 said:

Gotta love VW group. How low can they go?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/no-one-seems-to-know-why-audi-shipped-thousands-of-cars-with-the-same-vin/ar-AAqBpJl?li=BBnb4R5

Sounds like an innocent mistake. Since this process is fully automated it would be hard to catch on simple inspection unless someone was specifically looking for that anomaly.

imidazol97

houdini1 said:

That $100,000. legacy gift to your alma mater would probably be used for a pay raise to an already overpaid professor, etc. whereas, it might be more meaningful to your remaining family members. Not second guessing, just my opinion.

My opinion too with the social engineering and extravagant pay for biased professors and administrators. Money would probably end up in the athletic program at some schools and there's already too much of that. A legacy left to a specific department, such as the physics department or a specific engineering department might work.

I'd think more of a local scholarship to help deserving students who are potential contributors to society get to college and stay there. I learned that a fellow who graduated from high school a year behind me who was in the band has a scholarship for students from the high school. I suspect the school staff does the picking. I learned when our son was at the awards ceremony graduation from high school that two friends of ours had a scholarship fund for students of our local high school. They'd never mentioned a word. Since he was a coach I suspect the scholarship targets athletes.

If I do a scholarship, it would be targeted to students based on potential rather than their being low income or families with no history of college, and support would go to students who were not athletes but who showed promise in a field of study to benefit mankind. Athletes are already over-glamourized here in Ohio. There are other activities such as band, science olympiad, and mock trial where students excel. And even students who don't excel there show classroom promise to be scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematicians.

abacomike

qbrozen said:

Leaving Sunday for Costa Rica. 6am flight. Ouch.
Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there.

My twin brother and his SO are in Costa Rica now. My brother has a dear friend there who built a huge house just off the beach and above the cliffs.  He goes there 2-3 times a year and loves it.  One of the few places in Central and South America that is true resort living.

fintail

To be fair, in the US it's not like one can stroll up to the ER, say "I'd like a heart valve and a bionic knee, please", and be told "that'll be between 30-45 minutes, please wait here". Although in the latter, they might offer you medical bankruptcy papers to complete while you wait

No system is perfect, but one might create less overall hardship than the other.

ab348 said:

Our system here in Canada manages health care by rationing it via budgets. In my example of the heart valve, they told me they only do a small number of these procedures each month. Part of the reason is that each valve costs them $26,000. Now, I have no idea what goes into that number but they are a bovine valve that is then worked on by the producer - the mock up I was shown looks like it was not $26K worth of work. Who knows for sure though.

I also waited 18 months for my previous open-heart surgery back in 08/09. And wait lists for things like knee and hip replacement are years long here. So there is a lot of suffering and reduced quality of life for folks afflicted.

Not sure there is any perfect solution, but there is big money being made by some in health care both here and south of the 49th parallel..

fintail

I like how he detailed it and made it look like a mint low mileage car for the ad. Nice comprehensive pics too, he's anything but lazy

oldfarmer50 said:

A frustrated stand up comic selling a car. Funny stuff until you see the price .

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-geo-tracker-convertible/6264675170.html

fintail

I wonder if that has been verified via physical VINs, or just something on paper. Sounds like it could be an Excel copy/paste-autofill glitch.

explorerx4 said:

Gotta love VW group. How low can they go?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/no-one-seems-to-know-why-audi-shipped-thousands-of-cars-with-the-same-vin/ar-AAqBpJl?li=BBnb4R5

stickguy

Ab, my thoughts on health insurance is that government supplied should work like that. Basic essentials. People then are free to pay extra (oop or via private insurance) to go beyond that. But everyone should have access to core care. Just have to accept the fact that everyone doesn't get the latest and greatest immediately.

stickguy

I would like to go to that farmer. Certainly will if I move up there! Nice color on that one, but more of a mustang restomod. Doesn't really qualify as a Shelby at this point, regardless of what the shell started out as.

driver100

Went to Cruise Night last night. It was a really fun night, they even had an Elvis guy who was pretty good. Saw lots of huge 50s Cadillacs and about a 60 Lincoln Continental...it was humongous.

Saw one of these in this color.....remember The Judge;


Also saw one of these, Cadillac XLR

The Cadillac XLR is a luxury roadster that was marketed by Cadillac, assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Intended to be Cadillac's flagship sports car, the XLR was based on the Chevrolet Corvette's Y platform. The XLR featured its own unique styling, interior, and suspension, and power-retractable aluminum hardtop, along with the Cadillac Northstar engine. The XLR ended production after the 2009 model year.

The car was based on the all-new Chevrolet Corvette (C6). Cadillac introduced the XLR at the 2003 Detroit Motor Show and began production in the 2004 model year

Lots of nice T-Birds, Mustangs, and Corvettes. They don't make them like they used to.

bwia

imidazol97 said:

houdini1 said:

That $100,000. legacy gift to your alma mater would probably be used for a pay raise to an already overpaid professor, etc. whereas, it might be more meaningful to your remaining family members. Not second guessing, just my opinion.

My opinion too with the social engineering and extravagant pay for biased professors and administrators. Money would probably end up in the athletic program at some schools and there's already too much of that. A legacy left to aspecific department, such as the physics department or a specific engineering department might work.

I'd think more of a local scholarship to help deserving students who are potential contributors to society get to college and stay there. I learned that a fellow who graduated from high school a year behind me who was in the band has a scholarship for students from the high school. I suspect the school staff does the picking. I learned when our son was at the awards ceremony graduation from high school that two friends of ours had a scholarship fund for students of our local high school. They'd never mentioned a word. Since he was a coach I suspect the scholarship targets athletes.

If I do a scholarship, it would be targeted to students based on potention rather than ones in low income or families with no history of college, and support would go to students who were not athletes but who showed promise. Athletes are already over-glamourized here in Ohio. There are other activities such as band, science olympiad, and mock trial where students excel. And even students who don't excel there show classroom promise to be scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematicians.

Your gift to a university may be targeted but it must be large enough to be classified as a restricted endowment fund. Small amounts (less than $100k) usually are commingled with other unrestricted funds.

In my case, my future gift is to a small private catholic college that is tuition driven, where any amount in excess of $10k makes a significant difference to the survival and legacy of the college itself. Some people give to their church, library or museum; I give to support the development of human capital- 'cause a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

qbrozen

fintail said:

I wonder if that has been verified via physical VINs, or just something on paper. Sounds like it could be an Excel copy/paste-autofill glitch.

I am wondering the same thing. If every data plate on each car was duplicated, it would be far more suspect.

dino001

Healthcare is a mess everywhere in the world, just a different kind mess in each place. It all stems from the fact it's a rare good, where demand permanently outstrips the supply (for every supply increase, like new and better treatment options, demand increases even more). Our kind of mess is rooted in several fundamental causes:
1. People believe it should be free. All of it. They have no problem paying for bread, television, or cigarettes, but a bill for a doctor, or medical procedure is somehow outrage.
2. People believe that everybody should receive the newest and greatest available treatment at all times, regardless of actual expected outcome. Add that to Item 1 and you have a toxic mix of excess spending in areas where there is very little hope or progress. Any attempts of rationalizing such attitudes, imperfect as they may be, are immediately blasted and branded with charged and manipulative names, such as death panels, or whatever.
3. Medical delivery companies have zero interest in price transparency. They want to maintain a jackpot system, where majority pays x, but a few unlucky suckers can pay even 10x, or even 100x for the same treatment.
4. Insurance is a solution for the problems with pricing, but its very presence deepens the pricing problems. The mechanisms can be very well observed in side markets, such as veterinary care of pets, where somewhat increasing costs created demand for insurance, which in turn accelerated the costs and de-rationalized attitudes toward what makes sense. Since now people have pet insurance, they no longer care how much it costs so save the Fido. Before you know, you'll have to have pet insurance to have care for your pet.
5. Seniors often believe they're entitled to unlimited care because they all paid for it in Medicare taxes. Unlike most, I actually read my SS and Medicare statement, which lists all taxes I paid over my lifetime. Projecting forward to the day I retire and file for Medicare (assuming it's still there), the money is a joke vs. possible costs. And mind you I'm currently near SS gross income cap, which is substantial. The math simply doesn't add up and it's not even close. To cover all of what current and future seniors expect in Medicare, we would probably need at least tripple the tax instantaneously, and keep rising it ever since.
6. Finally, current political system is simply insular to any change, even smallest one. It's not because of corrupted politicians (as they invariably are), but because of us, the voters. We simply don't want to hear the truth. We want an assurance that this guy across the street will pay, not us. We want to hear that we are paying too much, receiving too little, we are all fine and best, most exceptional people in the world. We want a promise to be "left alone", but boy, do we want to tell our neighbors how tall their grass should be, what kind of sunshades they can use in their windows and how they should raise and feed their children. The politicians are product of our own preferences. They lie, cause we don't want the truth.

dino001

stickguy said:

Ab, my thoughts on health insurance is that government supplied should work like that. Basic essentials. People then are free to pay extra (oop or via private insurance) to go beyond that. But everyone should have access to core care. Just have to accept the fact that everyone doesn't get the latest and greatest immediately.

It should be the exact opposite. Basic essentials is what we can pay for ourselves. The government should pay catastrophic items. We can buy up perhaps cutting edge, or maintenance care, the way we do maintenance packages, if we wish to. The poorest of us could get "free clinic" access from charitable doctors, if they can't afford even the basics.