Recent comments

  • How does the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout affect you?   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I wasn't aware that Fannie Mae dealt with student loans.  Maybe you are thinking of Sallie Mae?  That's a different institution. I think your loan probably wouldn't be affected.

  • How does the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout affect you?   17 years 34 weeks ago

    My husband just got a small loan funded by fannie mae to help pay for his phd. Do you know what would happen with something like this?

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    D'oh - I meant that the BULBs burnt out frequently, not the *battery*. Oops.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    But I was able to replace the driver's side headlight after I removed the battery. It seemed like a lame thing to have to do, especially as my Golf went through batteries at a somewhat alarming rate, but it was doable. Not as easy as replacing the bulbs in my old '93 Sentra, though.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    My acura was the same way.. I had a bad headlight and used to fix it myself from time to time. not too bad .

  • 51 Uses for Coca-Cola – the Ultimate List   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I can't see myself wasting a perfectly drinkable diet coke but I was wondering if it would work as well.

  • Health insurance: Two other numbers to look at   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I will keep the dream alive!

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    So, I asked the dealer if they could disable the DRL. They said it can be done, but they're not allowed to do it. I didn't know there was any law against this, many cars on the road don't have DRL. All I know is, DRL is making my headlights expire 3 times as quickly for no legitimate reason.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    It differs from car to car.

    I know that it is law in Canada for all cars to have DRL's.

    You could probably pull a fuse, but knowing german cars you'd get an irritating warning light on the dash. You could probably then pull the fuse for warning lights, but then you'd get an annoying chime i would imagine..

  • 51 Uses for Coca-Cola – the Ultimate List   17 years 34 weeks ago

    to hose off the floor after getting rid of the stain with Coke. The only time you'd leave Coke down is the sticky floor tip, which is a movie trick and thus they probably wouldn't care too much.

  • Frugalize any recipe   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I certainly couldn't tell you what part of the cow most cuts come from.  But we have plenty of cookbooks (and of course the internet), so for almost any cut, I can almost certainly find a few recipes that will suggest whether it's best grilled or braised or stewed or stir-fried.  Also, pressure cooking can work miracles with the tougher cuts, so I don't need to hesitate over that.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I traded in my '01 Passat on a Honda Civic Coupe last year, because of all kinds of stupid little issues like this. So far, I've enjoyed a year of (relatively) problem-free driving, without these kinds of dumb quirks. German engineering indeed. Parts fell off of that car while I drove down the road :-(

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I drove a 1992 Accord for years, and you can't change the passenger side bulb without disconnecting and removing the battery. When it came to the driver's side, I couldn't get access to the bulb either. I finally just had them change it at Jiffy Lube when I got my oil changed - I had a great time watching them try to remove the old bulb and put the new one in. Of course, in the 9+ years I owned the car, each bulb only had to be replaced once...

  • 51 Uses for Coca-Cola – the Ultimate List   17 years 34 weeks ago

    My only question is...what about ants being attracted to sugar in Coke?

    For instance, I'm all about using Coke to clean oil stains on my garage's floor. But wouldn't ants be attracted to the area?

    Just my $.02,

    C.A.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    ...like Top Gear? Sounds almost the same, I love that show. And great clip Lee, thanks. As an aside, but very related, I discovered that my bulbs wore out more quickly because of the Daytime Running Light feature. The headlights are always on, as opposed to the much more infrequent use they get when you use them for night driving only. Does anyone know how to turn these things off? Car experts, is it just a fuse? And what use are DRLs anyway?

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago
  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    Yup, VW's are a complete PITA.

    In fact there was a story on Fifth Gear a couple of weeks ago comparing this exact issue. Replacing a headlamp bulb, on a Renault though.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I own a '99 new body Jetta and while the headlights have been a bit of a hassle to replace it is possible for me to replace them. The driver's side is a real bear to replace but I can just get my hand in between the battery and the wall to get the old bulb out and the new bulb in. Maybe having smaller hands works, being a girl and all. I also change my own oil. The car has been rather low maintenance over the 7 years I have owned the car (since '01). It does burn a little oil but nothing a quick check at gas up doesn't fix. New muffler, new timing belt, new water pump, new windshield (seems they crack easily), new oil pan (notoriously close to ground), new brakes and rotors, and new strut mounts. I'm planning on running it into the ground so I can continue to sock away money.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    To be completely honest, I don't think this to be all that newsworthy.

    For the last 15 years, cars have progressively gotten more and more complicated and convoluted to maintain. You need an OBDII tool just to figure out WHERE to start looking for a problem.

    The Passat is certainly not the only car that requires you to take a bumper off to replace the light...a good number of cars require you to do that now. Every manufacturer is trying to cram as much stuff into their vehicles as possible, and throw the largest engine they can into the chassis...which doesn't leave much room for anything else.

    Some might rue the day that these changes started happening, but it is not for naught. Closed loop systems like all OBDII vehicles are vastly more reliable, efficient, and tunable than their non-electronic counterparts.

  • To change the bulb, just remove the bumper. Wait, what? - UPDATED.   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I had heard about VW's being high maintenance before and this confirms it. I had been thinking about getting a Jetta soon (a clean-diesel version is supposed to be re-introduced and they get great mileage and could eventually run on biodiesel), so I decided to do some googling regarding headlight replacement. I found this link which confirms the quirkiness of the driver's side headlamp and blames it on the battery placement. I'm curious as to whether newer models have the same problem--definitely something I will specifically look for and ask about if I ever go VW shopping!

  • Frugalize any recipe   17 years 34 weeks ago

    This is definitely something that takes some practice. I especially appreciate the advice on cuts of beef - they're all something of a mystery to me, and I'll happy fall back on lean ground beef if given a chance because the variety of cuts at the store confuses me. I should really take a meat map with me when I'm timidly looking for swappable meats at the store for a new recipe.

    I second the compare-different-recipes approach. I did that recently with a curry dish, comparing 3 or 4 different recipes for approximately the same thing, cross-checking that with my cupboard, and ended up with a tasty recipe I've made 4 or 5 times now.

    My attempt to convert James Beard's rye bread to a bread machine... not so successful. That one will take a few more tries, but I did take notes and make suggestions to myself for the next round (less liquid, or more flour). And next time I'll check it BEFORE it's baked. D'oh.

  • Facebook For Budget Travelers   17 years 34 weeks ago

    You know, I've been meaning to get more dedicated about exploring Facebook. With these travel applications, you may just have given me the final inspiration. Thanks, David.

  • Women Are Responsible For Inequalities in the Workplace   17 years 34 weeks ago

    There's a lot more to the issue than just this study. I recommend reading Susan Pinkerton's "The Sexual Paradox". What I found interesting was the high number of women (versus men) who opt out of high power careers to raise children or to be a caregiver to an aging parent. Her arguments are really quite compelling.

    I also think its dangerous to assume that the experiences of all women are alike. Women face additional discrimination based on religion, race and marital status. As a single woman without children, I am treated differently by management and by other women who have a family (as if that makes them somehow superior).

    As women, it seems that so much of our worth in society is tied to having children -- an attitude I think is perpetuated by women. It's like I've failed the initiation rights for some all-important club. (My male friends and colleagues don't treat me with condescending pity the way like the women do).

  • 51 Uses for Coca-Cola – the Ultimate List   17 years 34 weeks ago

    I don't think tip number 10 is such a great idea. Maybe it wil defrost your windows but then you're stuck with a sticky and dirty windows that's VERY hard to clean.

  • Make Your Own Moon Sand, Dirt Cheap   17 years 34 weeks ago

    Based on the comments on this site "http://www.uberreview.com/2006/03/moon-sand.htm" I am going to go the "safe" route and make my own....