Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Only Beck and Masten has Better then Preferred pricing, plus you Keep the Rebates or take 0% for up to 72 months with GM Total Confidence. Don't miss this opportunity to get the new Buick/GMC you've been waiting for in your driveway!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Beck & Masten Buick GMC - Labor Day Sales Event!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday Maintenance Tip: Driving in deep water and flooding
In certain seasons, it is inevitable that You may be encounter some flood water, either as large puddles on the road, or where a river/stream has burst its banks. If there is no way out except driving through, what can you do?
- On encountering deep water, get out and check the depth. Water which comes above the bottom edge of your door can cause problems with the engine. Water can get splashed up into the engine compartment, leading to stalling.
- If some cars have driven through the water, remember the path.
- Keep an eye out for oncoming traffic and vehicles that may approach you from behind too fast.
- If you are driving in water, drive slowly and steady. Put your vehicle in 1st gear or 2nd gear and maintain a slow, steady speed. You should avoid braking and sudden acceleration.
- If you do stall in deep water, do not try starting engine again, or the water will come into engine through the tailpipe. Get someone to tow you out. If you are unsure of the depth of the water, or if it is moving water, stay in the vehicle and await rescue. Use your mobile phone to call for assistance.
What shall we do after fording the water?
- After driving through a flooded section of road or a ford across a river, test your brakes (whilst still driving slowly) and be prepared to drive them off by touching the brake pedal very lightly with your foot.
- Walk around your vehicle looking for any obvious scratches, bumps, cracks or things hanging off.
- Look underneath the vehicle for stuck-on dirt, mud, grass and bits of debris. If you spot any, wash it off as soon as possible to avoid it causing damage to the undercarriage.
- Check your electrics (lights, indicators, wipers) and if any have failed you must not continue.
If you find any problem, have them checked out as soon as possible.
Courtesy of Car-Use.net 
Monday Maintenance Tip: Driving in deep water and flooding
In certain
seasons, it is inevitable that You may be encounter some flood
water, either as large puddles on the road, or where a river/stream has burst
its banks. If there is no way out except driving through, what can you do?
- On encountering deep water, get out and check the depth. Water which comes above the bottom edge of your door can cause problems with the engine. Water can get splashed up into the engine compartment, leading to stalling.
- If some cars have driven through the water, remember the path.
- Keep an eye out for oncoming traffic and vehicles that may approach you from behind too fast.
- If you are driving in water, drive slowly and steady. Put your vehicle in 1st gear or 2nd gear and maintain a slow, steady speed. You should avoid braking and sudden acceleration.
- If you do stall in deep water, do not try starting engine again, or the water will come into engine through the tailpipe. Get someone to tow you out. If you are unsure of the depth of the water, or if it is moving water, stay in the vehicle and await rescue. Use your mobile phone to call for assistance.
What shall we do after fording the water?
- After driving through a flooded section of road or a ford across a river, test your brakes (whilst still driving slowly) and be prepared to drive them off by touching the brake pedal very lightly with your foot.
- Walk around your vehicle looking for any obvious scratches, bumps, cracks or things hanging off.
- Look underneath the vehicle for stuck-on dirt, mud, grass and bits of debris. If you spot any, wash it off as soon as possible to avoid it causing damage to the undercarriage.
- Check your electrics (lights, indicators, wipers) and if any have failed you must not continue.
If you find any
problem, have them checked out as soon as possible.
Courtesy of Car-Use.net
Five-star review on Dealer Rater! We love getting feedback!
"My experience at this dealership was excellent. I given a great price, below TMV. Great finance rate, and exceptional experiance. This exerience ranks as one of my best car buying experiences. Lookining forward to buying from Mr. Wolf again." -kphippsjr 
Friday, August 24, 2012
6 common tire myths debunked
Tires are arguably the most important component on your vehicle. They are, however, among the least understood features. Allow me to list and pop a few common misconceptions about tires.
1. The tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in my new car makes sure my tires are adequately inflated.MORE AT POPULAR MECHANICS
The truth: TPMS isn't required to issue a warning until pressure is 25 percent below the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation. That's "well below the pressure required for safe driving," according to AAA and "barely adequate to carry the vehicle's maximum load," says the Rubber Manufacturers' Association. TPMS is intended as a last-minute warning before imminent tire failure, not as a monitor to make sure your tires are properly inflated.
Buy a quality tire gauge and set your tire pressure to at least the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation, which is found on the driver's door jamb. I'd rather you set your tires 3 or even 5 psi high rather than 1 low. Tire-pressure gauges can be inaccurate, and tires leak as much as 1 psi per month. Higher pressure improves hydroplaning resistance and, if you're like many folks, you may not bother to check your tires again for six months. 2. When replacing only two tires, the new ones go on the front. The truth: Rear tires provide stability, and without stability, steering or braking on a wet or even damp surface might cause a spin. If you have new tires up front, they will easily disperse water while the half-worn rears will go surfing: The water will literally lift the worn rear tires off the road. If you're in a slight corner or on a crowned road, the car will spin out so fast you won't be able to say, "Oh, fudge!" There is no "even if" to this one. Whether you own a front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive car, truck, or SUV, the tires with the most tread go on the rear. Don't believe it? Watch this. 3. A tire is in danger of bursting if pressure exceeds the "max press" number on the sidewall. The truth: The "max press" number has nothing to do with a tire's burst pressure. The "max press" and "max load" numbers indicate the pressure at which the tire will carry the maximum amount of weight. A new, quality tire will not pop at an even multiple of the "max press." I'm sworn to secrecy about the exact burst pressure, but I wouldn't hesitate to double the "max press" of any new passenger-vehicle tire on a new wheel. But hitting a big pothole at super-high pressures may cause a failure. 4. The "max press" is where the tire offers its maximum cornering grip. The truth: If you didn't read the previous point, do so now. Many law enforcement officers cling rigidly to the misconception that the "max press" is secret code for maximum at-the-limit traction. It's a coincidence that many low-bidder tires offer increased grip at 40 or more psi. But that's all it is: a coincidence. If I were going to race a stock ex-cop Ford Crown Victoria on street tires on a road-racing circuit, 45 psi front, 35 psi rear wouldn't be a bad place to start. (The tail would be, in Nascar lingo, too loose for safe street driving.) 5. Low-profile tires fitted on large-diameter wheels improve handling. The truth: The short sidewalls of low-profile tires enhance the tires' response when the driver first turns the steering wheel. That gives the driver the (often false) feeling the tire has tons of grip. But after that initial movement, it's the tread compound—the stickiness of the rubber—that determines how well the tire grips the road. Also, the combination of a large-diameter wheel and low-profile tire is usually heavier than the original equipment. This means the suspension may not be able to keep the tire in touch with the pavement. 6. All tires with the same designation are exactly the same size. The truth: Think all 225/35R19s (or whatever tire size) are exactly 225 millimeters wide and their sidewalls are exactly 35 percent as tall as the tire is wide? Not exactly. And unlike what's commonly believe, these designations are not about production tolerances. All the tires of a specific part number or stock keeping unit (SKU) can be can be slightly wider or narrower than the nominal width and their profile can be slightly taller or shorter than the stated percentage. Why? A wider, taller tire puts more rubber on the ground, which is good for a performance tire. A shorter, narrower tire uses less material, thus reducing costs in a business where profit margins almost never break into double digits. So tiremakers might scrimp a bit here and there. It's a bit like how a 2 x 4 is not, in fact, 2 by 4.Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
SYS-CON MEDIA Authors: David Strom, RealWire News Distribution, Bob Gourley, Scott Kinka News Feed Item Buick Enclave and Buick LaCrosse Named the Official Vehicles of Bon Appetit Presents Chicago Gourmet
CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwire) -- 08/20/12 -- The Illinois Restaurant Association is pleased to announce the 2013 Buick Enclave and 2013 Buick LaCrosse as the official vehicles of Bon Appétit presents Chicago Gourmet, a premier culinary experience to be held in Millennium Park September 29-30, 2012. The new models of the luxury 2013 Buick Enclave and 2013 Buick LaCrosse will be available for attendees to preview on the Great Lawn and on the South Promenade of Millennium Park. Guests can meet with Buick representatives and explore the luxury features of the vehicles.
The new 2013 Buick Enclave advances the award-winning design, craftsmanship and technology that ushered in Buick's renaissance and reintroduced the brand to a new generation of customers. The industry's best-selling three-row luxury crossover features fresh styling, new safety technologies, in-vehicle connectivity and a more refined driving experience. The full-size Buick LaCrosse luxury sedan features the fuel-saving eAssist™ system standard. Using a variety of advanced technologies, it delivers an estimated 36 miles per gallon on the highway and 25 miles per gallon in the city, which rivals -- or exceeds -- that of small cars, but in a full-size luxury package that comfortably seats five adults.
We are thrilled to partner with Buick," said Sam Toia, President of the Illinois Restaurant Association. "The Enclave and LaCrosse's style and sophistication are a perfect match for the discerning tastes of Chicago Gourmet attendees."
"Our customers are extremely interested in culinary arts, which is why we're proud to make Buick a major ingredient in this year's Chicago Gourmet," said Craig Bierley, Buick advertising and promotions director. "We hope attendees will take the opportunity to discover the distinctive attributes of both vehicles throughout the weekend."
About Buick
Buick is a modern luxury brand offering vehicles with sculpted designs, luxurious interiors with thoughtful personal technologies, along with responsive-yet-efficient performance. Buick is attracting new customers with its portfolio of award-winning luxury models, including the Enclave crossover, LaCrosse sedan, Regal sport sedan, Buick Verano sedan and the all-new 2013 Encore crossover. Learn more about Buick cars and crossovers at www.buick.com, on Twitter @buick or at www.facebook.com/buick.
About Chicago Gourmet
Chicago Gourmet was created by the Illinois Restaurant Association in 2007 to celebrate Chicago's culinary achievements and the city as an international epicurean destination. Visit www.chicagogourmet.org.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday Maintenance Tip: Tire Inflation and Safety
Checking tires is quick and easy - and vital to safety
Tires are one of the most important -- and oft-overlooked -- components of our cars. Tires are the only thing that attach our cars to the road, and tire problems affect your car's ride comfort, handling and safety. Here are some simple tire safety tips to help keep you and your car's occupants safe.
Check your tire pressure regularly.
Tires tend to lose air over time. Buy a digital tire gauge and check your tires once a month and before a long trip. Proper inflation pressures can be found in your owner's manual or on a sticker on the car (usually on the driver's doorjamb or fuel-filler lid -- see photo.) Remember to check tire pressure only after the car has been sitting for several hours in order to ensure that the tires are cold -- the friction of driving heats the tires and increases pressure, which can hide an under-inflated tire.
Address under-inflated tires immediately.
An under-inflated tire has more rolling resistance, which increases fuel consumption. It also creates more heat, which can lead to tire failure.
Don't forget the spare.
Getting a flat tire and discovering that your spare is also flat is a miserable experience. Inspect your spare as you would your other tires. If you have a compact spare, the inflation pressure will usually be written on the tire. If your car comes with a compressor and/or flat repair kit in lieu of a spare, check their operation regularly.
Check for tread depth.
Check tread depth by placing the edge of a penny upside-down into the grooves of the tire's tread. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, it's time for a new set of tires. Never buy a single tire -- it's best to replace all four tires at once, but at the very least they should be bought as axle pairs (both fronts or both rears). Rotating your tires every 5,000 to 7,000 miles will help ensure that all four tires wear at the same rate.
Check for even wear.
When you check tread depth, check both the inside and outside edge of the tires. Uneven tire wear is usually a sign that your car is out of alignment. Proper alignment optimizes handling and helps prevent premature tire wear.
Look for tire damage.
When you check pressure, inspect the sides of the tires for nicks, bulges, cracks and cuts. Such damage often cannot be repaired and will require replacement of the tire.
Stay balanced.
If your car develops a shimmy (a back-and-forth vibration, usually felt through the steering wheel) at a certain speed, it's possible that one of your tires has lost its balance weight. Having your tires re-balanced is a fairly inexpensive job.
Buy the right tire for the job.
Most cars come with all-season tires, the tire equivalent of a jack-of-all-trades. If you live in the rust belt, consider a set of dedicated snow tires for the winter; they do wonders for safety. If you live where it's always warm and dry, "summer" performance tires can vastly improve your car's handling.
And most importantly:
Never hesitate to replace a worn or damaged tire.
Tires are not cheap, but they are vital to the safety of you and your car's occupants. Remember, the tires are the only things that connect your car to the road. Advanced safety features such as antilock brakes and electronic stability control can't do their life-saving jobs without four good tires. Take care of your tires -- because whether you know it or not, you're counting on them to take care of you.
Courtesy of About.com Cars
Monday Maintenance Tip: Tire Inflation and Safety
Checking tires is quick and easy - and vital to safety
Tires are one of the most important -- and oft-overlooked -- components of our cars. Tires are the only thing that attach our cars to the road, and tire problems affect your car's ride comfort, handling and safety. Here are some simple tire safety tips to help keep you and your car's occupants safe.
Check your tire pressure regularly.
Tires tend to lose air over time. Buy a digital tire gauge and check your tires once a month and before a long trip. Proper inflation pressures can be found in your owner's manual or on a sticker on the car (usually on the driver's doorjamb or fuel-filler lid -- see photo.) Remember to check tire pressure only after the car has been sitting for several hours in order to ensure that the tires are cold -- the friction of driving heats the tires and increases pressure, which can hide an under-inflated tire.
Address under-inflated tires immediately.
An under-inflated tire has more rolling resistance, which increases fuel consumption. It also creates more heat, which can lead to tire failure.
Don't forget the spare.
Getting a flat tire and discovering that your spare is also flat is a miserable experience. Inspect your spare as you would your other tires. If you have a compact spare, the inflation pressure will usually be written on the tire. If your car comes with a compressor and/or flat repair kit in lieu of a spare, check their operation regularly.
Check for tread depth.
Check tread depth by placing the edge of a penny upside-down into the grooves of the tire's tread. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, it's time for a new set of tires. Never buy a single tire -- it's best to replace all four tires at once, but at the very least they should be bought as axle pairs (both fronts or both rears). Rotating your tires every 5,000 to 7,000 miles will help ensure that all four tires wear at the same rate.
Check for even wear.
When you check tread depth, check both the inside and outside edge of the tires. Uneven tire wear is usually a sign that your car is out of alignment. Proper alignment optimizes handling and helps prevent premature tire wear.
Look for tire damage.
When you check pressure, inspect the sides of the tires for nicks, bulges, cracks and cuts. Such damage often cannot be repaired and will require replacement of the tire.
Stay balanced.
If your car develops a shimmy (a back-and-forth vibration, usually felt through the steering wheel) at a certain speed, it's possible that one of your tires has lost its balance weight. Having your tires re-balanced is a fairly inexpensive job.
Buy the right tire for the job.
Most cars come with all-season tires, the tire equivalent of a jack-of-all-trades. If you live in the rust belt, consider a set of dedicated snow tires for the winter; they do wonders for safety. If you live where it's always warm and dry, "summer" performance tires can vastly improve your car's handling.
And most importantly:
Never hesitate to replace a worn or damaged tire.
Tires are not cheap, but they are vital to the safety of you and your car's occupants. Remember, the tires are the only things that connect your car to the road. Advanced safety features such as antilock brakes and electronic stability control can't do their life-saving jobs without four good tires. Take care of your tires -- because whether you know it or not, you're counting on them to take care of you.
Courtesy of About.com Cars
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
2013 Buick Verano Turbo rated at 31 mpg highway
The Environmental Protection Agency has released official fuel economy ratings for the 2013 Buick Verano Turbo. When equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, the sedan returns 20 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg highway. More importantly, it manages 24 mpg combined. Those figures put it at exactly 1 mpg behind the base model's naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder and its six-speed automatic in every category.
The Verano Turbo also ties the larger Regal GS with the same drivetrain in city and combined mileage, but loses out to its bigger brother on the highway front by 1 mpg. That's despite the fact that that the Regal Turbo tips the scales at a full 371 pounds heavier than the forced-induction Verano. The slimmer waistline on the Verano does pay dividends in the 0-60 sprint, however. The smaller Buick clicks off the run in 6.2 seconds, a full half-second quicker than the Regal GS.Thursday, August 9, 2012
Great Reviews for Beck & Masten Buick GMC
We have made several purchases over the years from Beck and Masten North. The customer service we receive and attention that is given by the entire staff (new and used sales, financing and service) is commendable. No pressure just pleasure to purchase! Tony Camiel and Thomas"Tank" are just great! We have purchased new and used and each time we are treated with respect and honesty. No haggling or deception. From selection to delivery detail is given to our purchase. Trust me you are not overlooked or forgotten, the dealership follows up after purchasing. Keeps us coming back and referring family and friends. - Ma the Car Shopper
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
5 Games for the Road: How to Pass the Time With Nothing But Your Fellow Travelers for Entertainment
Bus and train trips, flights, delays in airports and train stations, hostels without TV or much light; the list of situations where a traveler has time to kill is long. That’s right – travel is not always exciting. There will be dull downtimes, and you may not always be able to read a good book, play internet bingo on your smartphone, do crossword puzzles, play Tetris, or doodle in your journal.
That’s when you need a good repertoire of games to spontaneously play with your fellow travelers. Some will be long-forgotten games from your childhood, and you might be surprised just how necessary they’ll be – and how much fun you’ll have – when you want to fill some of those inevitably empty hours on the road.
A quick confession: I’m a bit of a game geek anyway, and an English teacher to boot, so I’ve been known to start these games even at parties. But I promise that they have all been road tested on a real road, somewhere in Tunisia, Finland, Canada or Germany or any place where I was bored and without a book.
#1 – I Spy
You’ve probably all played I Spy a long time ago, but I recommend dredging it back up from your long term memory. If you can’t, it starts off like this: “I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with A”, and the other players have to guess what object you can see. I’ve played this in hostels (especially those hostel living rooms that have trinkets from all over the world gathering dust there), on train rides and in planes, but it didn’t work too well in the desert. “I spy … sand.”
How to play: I like to limit each person to three or four guesses. Otherwise they’ll exhaust every item in the room that starts with “B” and you’ll soon run out of objects to use. I also like the jet lag variation – play it in a dark room at night when you can’t sleep because your body’s on some other clock, and see if you can actually remember what’s in the room around you.
© Mariano Kamp
#2 – Donna’s Alphabet Game
This is not the official name, but it’s the way I like to remember it after my old school friend Donna got a car load of us playing this on a stop-start motorway in south-west England. It’s simple, as long as you’re traveling on a road with signs (and even better, advertising) and these signs use our alphabet. Don’t try it in the western provinces of China, for example.
How to play: Logically, Donna’s Alphabet Game starts with A. Be the first person to spot the letter “A” in a sign and yell out the word: “A is in motorwAy!” Continue with B and get right through to Z. It sounds easy, but there will be a few tricky letters, and if you’re playing in a non-English speaking country then pronouncing the words will be a lot of fun, too. The way we play, there’s no winner – anybody can scream out the next letter when they see it – but natural competitiveness spurs everybody on anyway.
#3 – Stadt, Land, Fluss: City, Country, River
This game has a German name because my German friends taught it to me – which is also perhaps why it always strikes me as being a bit intellectual, but still a lot of fun. It’s also a highly appropriate game for travelers to play because their geographical knowledge should be a bit better than average.
How to play: Choose three or four categories like the names of a city, country, river or lake. To be honest, I’m terrible with rivers so I always change the river category to something completely different – often food, because I like to talk about food. Take it in turns to challenge another player to think of a city, country and river all starting with a particular letter. If your friend challenges you with “D”, for example, you can win by getting out Dubai, Denmark and Danube in under sixty seconds – or whatever time limit you and your bored mates decide on.
Question Mark Art, Stuttgart Museum of Art © -bast-
#4 – Twenty Questions
An oldie but a goodie, and you can make it topical by restricting the choice of “What am I?” to be something related to the region in which you’re traveling. I did have a friend, though, who would choose objects like “pyramid” while traveling through Egypt or “chocolate” in Switzerland, and then we could have made it just two questions rather than twenty.
How to play: Someone chooses an object, and everyone else asks them questions about it, but the only permitted answers are “Yes” or “No”. (Or in my rules, “irrelevant”, if I think saying yes or no will send the guessers along a completely wrong path … I like to play fair!). If you’re playing with a group, whoever guesses the item correctly can choose the next word.
#5 – For RTW Trippers: Kalgoorlie, Balladonia …
I think it was my father who started this game when our family took a driving holiday across Australia. We were gone about two months and my sister and I, being about ten and twelve years old, needed a lot of entertaining.
How to play: This game only works with your traveling companions, and only on long trips. It’s more of a challenge than a game, but it always works for me. Simply start with the name of the town you stayed in first. On our trans-Australia trip it was the goldmining town of Kalgoorlie. You then try to name every other town you’ve stayed in, in chronological order. My sister and I were experts at this all those years ago, but today I can only remember the first and second stops.
There are tons of other word and guessing games you can play in those bored moments of travel, and you can adapt these games with endless variations, too. And while it might seem like just a way to kill time, playing games like these is something I really love about traveling. It’s almost as if we don’t give ourselves permission to have that kind of fun if we’re at home in our “real lives”.
Anyway, I’m very keen to learn some new games, too, so leave your favorite travel game tips in the comments. I promise to road test them soon.
Courtesy of vagabondish.com
Written by Amanda Kendle
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
2013 Buick Verano Turbo rated at 31 mpg highway
Courtesy of autoblog.com
Monday, August 6, 2012
Monday Maintenance: Cleaning the Interior
#2: Don't vacuum hard to reach places - instead, blow it out by connecting your vacuum hose to the vacuum outlet. It is most effective to rapidly toggle the power switch on your vacuum between "on" and "off." Here's why. If you blow the debris out at full speed, it's going to fly all over the vehicle. Doing it at a reduced power, however, will move the debris just far enough so you can access it, then easily vacuum it up.
#3: Get a paint brush and a toothbrush. These are the two best tools for accessing hard-to-reach cracks, crevices and corners. The paint brush is great for reaching into deep locations. Vacuum with one hand as you brush those hard-to-reach locations, and you'll quickly clean up tricky spots. Leave both brushes in your glove compartment, so you'll have them when you stop by your local car wash and vacuum emporium.
#4: To thoroughly remove debris from carpets and mats, use a sturdy brush and run a vacuum right behind it. Don't get too aggressive with the brush. Mats and carpets are (sadly) poorly made these days, even on high-end vehicles. You can easily cause fraying or other damage by using too much force.
#5: For gum, wax and other materials use chewing gum remover. It actually freezes the gum, so that it can easily be scraped off. Use a dull paint scraper to remove the gum once it's frozen. If you can't find chewing gum remover, you can also use dry ice. Get the gum cold enough so it will crack when you apply light pressure with the scraper.
Chewing gum remover may not be available at your local automotive parts and accessories store. You may have to purchase it through an auto-detailing company or a janitorial supply company.
#6: Skip the ArmorAll on the interior. I find it actually attracts dust. If you do use it, buff it in with a moist rag.
#7: Be very cautious cleaning the transparent plastic on your vehicle's instrument cluster. A lot of these plastics are extremely soft, and will scratch easily. I use Plexus plastic cleaner.
#8: The dirtiest spots in a car's interior are the locations you touch, meaning the steering wheel, seat belt, the shifting knob and the driver's side door panel. The "V" between your legs, where your Egg McMuffin and coffee winds up, can also be very dirty. Locate these components and plan to spend a few extra minutes cleaning them.
#9: When you're cleaning seat belts, only use a diluted, mild laundry soap. This will protect the integrity of the belt fabric.
#10: Windows should be cleaned inside and out with glass cleaner and paper towels. Then, lightly buff the windows with a 100% cotton towel.
#11: The dashboard and vehicle panels should be wiped with a dampened cloth with water. To remove grime, use an all-purpose cleaner, diluted with water. As always, use the mildest soap possible.
#12: Need to get rid of smells? Vinegar works very well, and it's a whole lot cheaper than commercial products. Start with a 20:1 water-to-vinegar concentration, and scrub thoroughly. If that doesn't work, slowly increase the ratio until you have success.
#13: No matter what you're doing to your car, be gentle. Because of manufacturers' interest in saving a buck, and the desire to increase the EPA fuel economy, a lot of manufacturers are using less durable materials. So, whether you're working on the inside or the outside, be gentle, or you may permanently mar or damage your vehicle.
Courtesy of Car Talk
Friday, August 3, 2012
BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF PEYTON MANNING'S NEW 2013 BUICK VERANO COMMERCIAL
Greeneville TN, July 2012: In a new Buick commercial, superstar quarterback Peyton Manning calls an audible.... to his Verano! The spot first breaks on Wednesday, July 11 during the ESPY Awards on ESPN.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
U.S. women define word 'team'
LONDON -- There was no need for a Kerri Strug/Wheaties box cover/"SportsCenter" moment when the U.S. women won their first Olympic team gold medal since the 1996 Atlanta Games. And if Bela Karolyi was going to carry a hero to the podium Tuesday, he would have risked a hernia from carrying the whole American team.
Whether these 2012 gold medalists are the best group of American Olympic gymnasts can be debated -- though U.S. coach Marta Karolyi says they are -- but they are almost certainly the best team.
"That [1996 gold-medal squad] was a beautiful team made up from great individual athletes," Bela Karolyi said when asked to compare the two gold-medal teams. "Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Amy Chow -- all these great kids; but they trained in different ways. When we got them together, it was a beautiful bouquet of individual athletes rather than a team. And that made a big difference tonight."
Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports
After failing to qualify in the individual all-around, Jordyn Wieber rebounded and set the tone for the U.S. women's team win Tuesday.
What also made the difference was the mental and competitive edge the Americans had, an edge exemplified by Jordyn Wieber.
Wieber is the reigning all-around world champ, but she won't get a chance to win gold or any medal in the individual event later this week. A new rule restricts the number of gymnasts in the all-around final to two per country, and Wieber was edged out by Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman after finishing fourth in qualifying.
"She was hammered by a stupid rule, a stupid rule," Karolyi said. "To eliminate the best gymnast in the Olympic final? That isn't an Olympic final, that's an Olympic invitational."
Wieber put aside the qualifying loss, received a pep talk from teammate McKayla Maroney and went out determined to help her team win gold Tuesday.
"She proved she has a very strong character," Marta Karolyi said. "That she's a fighter, and if she has a situation that puts her down, she is able to fight back. She wanted to prove herself that she is one of the highest international gymnasts."
Wieber so wanted to put Sunday's disappointment behind her that she didn't even wait for the arena announcer to finish her introduction Tuesday before she started flying down the runway for her vault in the first rotation. "I was just ready to go," she said. "I just wanted to get the best start I could and ended up sticking it."
She did, receiving a score of 15.933. Then Douglas posted a 15.966. And then Maroney received a 16.233 with a jaw-dropping vault. And when the rotation was over, the Americans had a lead they would not surrender the rest of the event.
"It was definitely a confidence builder," said Douglas, who piled up a score of 61.465 in four rotations. "When [Wieber] nailed that vault, it was contagious. It was, 'OK, I'm going to nail this vault, too.' And we all nailed it. And it's contagious from there. It goes over to the bars, to the beam, to the floor."
Part of the reason the confidence continued was that mental edge again, plus intense preparation. Marta Karolyi and the staff put the team through intense rehearsals leading into Tuesday's competition, even piping in recorded crowd noise at odd moments to simulate competition conditions. "Everything was implemented in preparations," Karolyi said.
So while the other teams were slipping -- 2008 champion China finished fourth behind silver medal-winning Russia and bronze medalist Romania -- the U.S. just kept rolling, with not a single bad routine and only two with a score lower than 15. Bela Karolyi said he has rarely seen such a 12-for-12 performance and not since Soviet times.
Marta Karolyi said she was confident the Americans would win after their strong balance-beam performance in the third rotation, and the gold medal was all but guaranteed when two Russian gymnasts stumbled in their floor routines just ahead of the United States. To stay focused, the Americans were trying their best not to watch the Russians, but couldn't help but realize what happened from the crowd reaction.
"When the crowd goes, 'Uhhhh,' you just know something went wrong," Douglas said. "So we knew."
The U.S. had such a commanding 10-point lead as it started the floor routine that all it had to do was avoid tripping on the mat. The Americans did just that, performing superbly to clinch the gold by more than eight points over Russia. They hugged, they shouted, they celebrated. They were Olympic champions.
"I think this is really important just for a little redemption," Wieber said. "It definitely was a disappointment with the new rules [in the all-around] and it kind of stinks, but in the end, I wind up with a gold medal."
Where the Americans get their mental edge became obvious when the Karolyis talked about how the athletes would not let down following this gold. They will not go shopping, they will not go sightseeing, they will not lose focus until the competition is over here. And even then, they won't let down.
"It's a fantastic achievement, but at the same time, we don't need to get our noses up in the air because you are just as good as you are on your performance day," Marta Karolyi said. "This is the result of a lot of work for many, many years, and if you want to stay competitive, we have to follow with the same level. We can't think, 'Just because we're Olympic [champions], we can relax.'"
After all, the U.S. will need to defend its medal in Rio in 2016. And that's just four years away. Better get back in the gym.
Courtesty of ESPN.com
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