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Hey Jip, that is so cool. I use a Babalot Overdrive 110...I like the Euro feel of the Babalot. Before that I had a Head racket.
We have about 16 guys who show up when they can...there is a core of about 8 who show up each time, including me. Some are excellent players, some good medium and some just below medium. I am in the middle. I always say I don't want to get too good or I won't have many players to play against.
Did you watch the Australian Open? My favorite is Federer, but I like Djokovich a lot too.
Tennis is a great game. I wish I had taken it up when I was younger, then I would play a lot better now. Oh well, I can't imagine life without tennis.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Unbelievable that particular person became an executive of a big company - must be a relative of the president. I guess if some idiot politicians who don't think before they speak can make it then so can ignorant business people. I was hoping you would stand up for Andy, he's brighter than the soft drink exec.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I remind you of the good old days when you had all those incorridgable kids.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
We have 16 as well. In what they call a "ladder league". Top two doubles players that win the most games move up a court, the bottom two players move down. During the summer we move outside to play on the clay courts, which I like as my knees and ankes take less of a pounding.
Did you watch the Australian Open? My favorite is Federer, but I like Djokovich a lot too
I watched quite a bit of the Australian Open this year. The Warwinka (sp) match against Djokovich was amasing. Felt sorry for Warwinka, who played fantastic, but lost in a 5 set heartbreaker. Federer is the best I've ever seen play the game, but Djokovich is probably my favorite.
Should get more interesting when Nadal returns, though I really don't care to see him picking his underwear out of his rear between every point during a match. You'd think he'd try to get therapy for something like that. Definitely not what I'd want millions of people seeing me do. :P
My wife and I like Nadal, but we never hope for him because of his obsessive compulsive disorder of grabbing the pants from his rear. The fact he has to touch both ears and his nose etc. is bad enough, but the pants thing is a deal breaker. He even has to turn his water bottle the right way.
Another player who is good but has a serious flaw is Murray. He hides his anger better these days because of his excellent coaches, but when he misses he still yells at someone....I'd love to know what he is saying.
I saw that Warwinka match and that was sensational. Another player who is always exciting but never wins the big ones is Ferrar. That guy tries his heart out, and never gives up.
At home we play on hard courts and we use a heated bubble in the winter. In Florida we play on har-tru courts....much better on the knees.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I was thinking about my spelling during the night and then it came to me.
When I was in elementary school I was an excellent speller, probably one of my best subjects.
Then I went to teachers college and they taught us that spelling wasn't that important. Students should be encouraged to be creative and should not be penalized for bad spelling....that would only discourage them from using words and phrases they may have used.
I guess expressing ideas became more important than the actual spelling at that point. Actually, I think it is true...the worse my spelling the more creative I get. Don't have to worry about details, just convey ideas.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I understand your point. When teaching creative writing, here is how I would deal with the problem. I would tell the students to attack the topic creatively in the beginning---get your thoughts on paper first. This was draft #1. Draft #2 was refining the thoughts into flowing sentences and paragraph formations. Draft #3 was to clean up the grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The final result was a well written paper which was correctly done. Unfortunately, many of today's teachers don't follow through with draft #3.
In my attempt to be more flexible as time passes, I could forgive some spelling errors in a really creative piece of writing. As for personal and business letters, business reports, news articles, etc., I feel that we need to adhere to the best spelling practices possible. Though it may not seem important to some, there has to be a standard for most practices in life. Without standards, rules, and good practices, the world becomes a "free for all" existence and civilization ends up being the victim. When we tend to over look the little things in life, they often become bigger objects that aren't very attractive.
Richard
That is very true. One example would be when a person submits a resume. I read that one spelling mistake or grammatical error pretty well ruins your chances for the job, and your resume goes immediately to the circular file...or I guess shredder these days.
There are rules in tennis and there are rules for grammar. It would be a mess, or as you say uncivilized without rules.
This is what could happen if we didn't teach proper spelling:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Those fools. They put the "O" upside down.
LOL We've had some funny comments recently.
I hope they don't increase our dues to cover the extra cost of entertainment.
O's? I thought they were zeros.
Silly me.
LOL! Priceless!
Richard
Reminds me of a joke that is insensitive to the fair haired demographic of our population:
Why was the blond fired from the M&M factory?
She kept throwing away the W's!!
I'll be here all week. Try the veal. Don't forget to tip your server.
lol
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
lol
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
lol....but, aren't you the one questioning people sensitivity to various social groups?
Since this is a slow day here I will relate this true story that happened many years ago.
A few guys went to the bar after volleyball and I told my joke. What is the difference between a blond with an IQ of 175 and a Sasquatch?
Give up? The answer is, there have been some sightings of a Sasquatch.
There was a group of young ladies at the next table and they asked us what was so funny. So we told them the joke.
They all laughed except for the blond....she asked, "What is a Sasquatch?".
And that was even funnier than the joke.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Move over VW. Coke now has the spot. Their Super Bowl ad features an Arab and a camel. The American Arab community is up in arms, and the feeling is spreading to Arab countires.
Perhaps next year, all ads should be void of any people. They can just use objects like cars, beer bottles, etc. :sick:
Richard
Only when it's openly offensive.
That's what I like to hear, none of this overly diplomatic polite talk. If you are going to be a bigot or racist or whatever then just come out and say it!
Personally, I'd rather know what I am dealing with.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Yes, seems Coke out did VW in making an unnecessarily controversial ad.
But, I think Mercedes wins the "bad taste" prize for 2013...at least so far.
Mercedes Superbowl ad 2013
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
have nto seen the Coke ad though.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
BTW, a MB for under $29k? not bad.
Richard
Keep in mind that the CLA is front-wheel drive.
Stephen Colbert did a good segment about the MB ad. He looked at it and said, Hmmmm, looks like they are aiming this ad right at their target group of buyers....14 year old kids!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Yeh, (I mean "yes" sir) I thought the car actually looked pretty good! I wasn't sure about those air vents though, they looked like they came off or an 1972 Pontiac Phoenix.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Edmunds says that it is also expected to be offered in all wheel drive. MB says that the CLA will not be stripped down and that its size will equal that of the C-Class models. It's about $6k less than the C-Class, so it has to be missing some features. Debut is scheduled for this summer. Should be interesting to see.
Richard
I wasn't sure about that indentation covering the two doors on each side. It looked like an attempt to copy the side design on a Mustang. They must be trying to appeal to the 20 somethings.
Richard
Guess that would explain the reason for the ad with the young kids washing the car, and the other inuendo I saw going on...unless that was just my mind playing tricks on me.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Management and dealership owners cutting back payplans and bonuses and taking away what little is left in commissions on the already tiny profit margins of new cars.
I've had some luck moving up into management but for the most parts it seems like friends of dealership owners and managers get promoted regardless of whether they have thew skills to run a sales team or not (even though I find that's common in many businesses these days).
And to top it off, dealerships hire more salepeople than they need, regardless if there are enough customer traffic to warrant the sales staff increase, which in the end results in less overall deals for each salesperson and less money to bring home.
It's been a fun ride but I think I'm ready for a change. That is unless I can get a sales management position, and even then I'd think twice before taking it, but no more car sales for me, at least not for now.
I'll try to stick around here now that I'm working on my own businesses and have some extra time and things settled down at home. MY wife's father passed away a few months ago at only 58 years of age from cancer so it was difficult for us (she lost her mother to cancer 10 years ago as well). But now I really look at life differently and value a stress free living much more than a nice job title or material posessions, and I feel much more relaxed.
Hope everyone's been well.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Richard
I can understand the reasoning behind your career change. I'm sure that it has been pretty tough the last couple of years. I wish you much luck in your new ventures. It's great having you back here.
Richard
Yeah my wife is still having a tough time adjusting as she was close to her dad and it happened so quick that nobody expected him to pass away. He was very healthy, eating right, not smoking, in shape. Within 6 months from when we found out that something was going on he passed away.
My son is good, turned 3 a few months ago, he's such a car guy it's unbelievable. Before he could identify all the colors, he already knew most of the car brands just from looking at logos. Now at only 3 and few months he can identify pretty much all car makes, and many models without even looking at the badges. He remembers shapes very well I guess.
Yesterday I took him for a drive in our 2007 Miata MX5 that I recently bought and it was a joy for him as he got to ride in his car seat in the front (2 seater). Of course I turned off the passenger airbag, but he had a blast.
Otherwise car business is getting tough. A lot of guys I know are getting out of it because it's just not worth the stress for the pay. Most new cars pay a $150 commission, so even if you're good and sell 10 a month, you end up with $1500 minus taxes to live on. Not very enouraging pay.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
That is too bad it didn't work out boom...I know you would have been an excellent car sales person. Those kind of jobs are tough these days. I do know a guy who said he preferred selling used cars because there was a lot more flexibility as far as pricing and commissions.
Also, it might not be as competitive in some areas, such as smaller towns, but you know better than I do about that.
I was downsized out of a job I loved and had for 16 years. It was very difficult, the job was a big part of my life and identity. I worked for 3 years for another customer and then got downsized again. The last job lasted just 10 months and then the company folded. I was 46 and no one was hiring. Went to work for myself, found a niche market, got a few lucky breaks, and getting canned 3X was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Enjoy my own business much better and earn much more than I would have from the company....and though I had some excellent managers when working, I sometimes got idiots too.
If you are working for yourself just work harder than your competition and you can make a much more rewarding for you and your familty.
btw how old is the baby now...about 5?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Used-Lexus-400H-Hybrid-All-Wheel-Drive-Sport-Util- - ity-4x4-SUV-We-Finance-4wd-4dr-/370744873948?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item56521dd3- - dc
All done, they got tired of me bidding in the 15-16k range and just put it in as a classified ad for $20k+. How's a guy supposed to get into the hybrid game when they start higher than I want to spend to experiment? Guess I'll stick to V-8 power. No battery packs to buy here.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
It's not that it didn't work out, for the most part I had a fun time and made decent money, learned a lot, met some great people (co-workers and customers alike). But it's just been much harder making any good money lately and I think it's time for a change.
I like change and new opportunities anyways, couldn't imagine myself at same job for 40 years.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Having viewed it 47 times, I feel eminently qualified to do so...
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Richard
Kirstie smacks me around a lot... she has seniority..
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Demanding more ads!
To be honest, I like the "Devil's contract" ad more, but Kate definitely makes for a compelling argument. Without her, though, it's just an okay ad.
The CLA is looking REALLY good. I'm not a fan of the circular air vents inside, but everything else is beautifully designed. Nice to see automakers offering attractive, quality small cars like Europe has had access to for so long.
Well, boys will be boys. I like watching it myself, but, you would think when it costs $4 million to place a 30 second ad, the guys who make these ads could come up with something more original than that........they took the easy road to creating controversy.
I understand, the idea now is to create buzz and get people to check out their website before the ad is even shown.....getting a double affect buzz.
I like watching the ad, I just think I may take the car more seriously if they mentioned some compelling reason to consider buying one.
I can just see it now.....I tell my wife I like the new Mercedes CLA and I am considering buying one. She says, "There's no way you are going to buy one of those....what, were you influenced by those idiotic ads....have you lost your mind?" "No dear, I just happen to like that car..... :sick: "
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I don't think it's going to be missing features. The cost savings is from sharing the platform with the A and B class and assembling it in Hungary which produces the B class. If it's successful, I wouldn't be surprised to see the assembly moved the the MB plant in Mexico which assembles the B class.
And I bet FWD is not much of an issue, since the majority of buyers see the badge and don't care about the rest. Though they have been programmed to be deathly afraid of RWD in much of the country, and I am sure the majority sold already have the front wheels driving also (AWD).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Most of America will see it Sunday night in a commercial.
Ah, so it is an A or B Class but looks like a car instead of a mini-bus. Clever!
It looks like a performance vehicle, but is that just to make it look mean.
btw...for those who recommended seeing Silver Lining Playbook, thank you. I don't know if I would have gone if "the guys" hadn't suggested it, it was good and my wife really enjoyed it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
If she passes on the first try I'll be 4 for 4.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Richard