Bought Something

So after quite a search I bought this:

A 2012 E350 4Matic Sport Black/Black

The wheels are optional 2011 that are only offered as a upgrade in 2012.  Looks much better than 2012 default sport wheels.

Negotiating tactic act like you could care less about what they have once you have proved you are buying.  One salesman was impressed with my simple comparison chart where I overtly laid out on their desks as I went from dealer to dealer.  I knew I got a good deal when one dealer got mad at me and I had to hang up on him.

Back in the MB family we'll see how it goes this time.  I mean the last time when I had this:
 

Weekly 12/5

Cain Calls it Quits
So I guess no non establishment option is out there anymore.  I had hoped his new ideas would shake up the presidential race.  No its more of the same self enriching, self protecting, politics as usual. 
Ravens Beat the Browns
The Ravens beat a division rival.  No road game let down this week.  It seemed harder than it had to be, but we will see how they fare in the next few weeks.   
Looked at cars (used no discount vs new 15%) whats going on?
This was at a particular dealership that sold new and used cars. I know there are incentives on new cars, but showing an unwillingness to budge on price on a used are seems sort of weird.I did find a new left over 2011 very similar that is advertised at $1000 less than the negotiated price for a 2012.  I had hoped to beat the 2012 price by more than $1000, but I am not done yet.  I have mixed feelings about playing dealerships against each other.  When it comes to saving money anything is on the table for me besides lying outright.   

Weekly 11/28

This weeks blog is going to be random thoughts:

Ravens beat the 49ers on Thanksgiving.  That is a quality win against a 9-1 team.

I finally took my boat over to Sunset harbor Sunday.  I still need to pull the batteries oh and the auto fogging actually worked.

My neighbors garage was opened (5 am Monday morning) and a skateboard was almost stolen (the person dropped it on the way out), need to keep aware

Decided to buy a car.  I don't think I am getting the G37 convert. coupe anymore too impractical, probably a used sedan.  I really don't know what I will get, but I am going through a process.

I am buying a car becasue I have spent in the last 2 months:
$200 on a drive shaft seal
$115 on a diagnostic at a deal to tell me the next two (done at an independent shop) 
$750 on a caliper, rotors and pads
$550 on a new wheel bearing
$1615 total

I've had this noise/vibration for a year or more that got intolerable which lead to these things.  Oh the noise isn't gone.  I don't doubt these needed to be done and were real problems, but it still isn't fixed. 

Weekly 11/21

Thanksgiving week
Last week my company made a mistake (and the mistake for my productivity standpoint) of giving me a smart phone.  Wow. I thought I know what I was missing and it wasn't much, but I was wrong.  To have real features and apps that work and not just gimmicks is truly useful and cool.  I mean yeah I could get on the internet and I could take pictures and I could email and text with my blackberry and other cell phones, but to get it all on a decent sized screen and at speeds that really work I couldn't imagine how I made out without it before.  (Before I forget I need to get the app that would let me blog).  So I mostly just email and play games, but I have found some neat apps and am discovering new stuff everyday.  

So the Ravens beat the Cincinnati Bengals (who were in first place).  It was a quality win and without Ray Lewis on the field.  The defense gave up a lot of yards, but they got 3 turnovers which was great.  The offense was actually balanced and even had some explosive plays.  All in all a pretty good game against a quality opponent. I hope they can keep it up Thursday vs. the 49er's. I wonder how my barber is getting along.  A niner's fan in a Ravens world.

I need to take my boat over to get pulled this weekend.

 

Weekly Update 11/14

Last week this whole Penn State scandal came out.  Ugly stuff pointing to something I see much of these days.  I don't like the hero worship (of Joe Pa) and institution worship (of Penn State).  He is just a man.  Worthy or respect sure, but not of a godlike status.  But let's take this farther, the reasons for the cover up were to preserve the status the institution and the public figurehead.  I believe that if these legends and myths weren't perpetuated and furthered the actions of this man would have been stopped and innocent people's lives would not have been ruined.  No one would have stopped and thought about the appropriate action to take.  The proper authorities would have been called and this would have been brought to an end.  Unfortunately those that heard the stories stopped and considered, how will this reflect on our institution and what are the impact on it before they thought what is the danger to others from this man.  Obvious comparisons can be drawn to the Catholic church scandals and the institutional cover up which led to the victimization of thousands of people.  the scale is much different but the lesson to be learned is the same,  More damage was done to the reputation in the wake of the cover up then if the crimes were confronted head on. The church seemed to stand for something greater than man thus trust worthy, which made the betrayal worse. When a man and a school are held in that regard the damage is still significant when they betray that trust. Would I support a school sure and respect a coach ok, but not enough to make the mistake that they are infallible.   

Ravens lost again.  I am glad I was in Delaware in a hanger working on an airplane.  I didn't waste 3.5 hours that's the good news.  The bad news is the Ravens are schizophrenic as I thought they were. They beat the Steelers in a good game, well executed.  Then they struggle against Seattle?

At the barbershop on Friday evening, one of the busiest times, I was sitting in a chair getting my hair cut.  I looked at the waiting area and every person, teen aged through middle age, was white.  I guess Harford county is reversed integrated.