Croc

Perfect. Thank you.

Believe me, I'm very relaxed. I was content to take an indefinite break, but several members wanted me to stay--if that's the case, then I'm going to say my piece. Then change the default skin to one that is readable. But frankly, your "I don't care" attitude is the crux of the problem; no one really gives a $h! about the site anymore, and it shows. REALLY SHOWS. If I had the access to fix it myself, I would. But until then, it's all you, buddy. Not being able to see the thread titles on a MESSAGE BOARD isn't exactly a nitpick, either. Right there with you on the hysterical/nasty environment. But I'm not really sure I'm aware of people acting like you don't belong on the site. Nobody "doesn't belong" on here. If you're getting static from people, then the only thing I can suggest as to why that may be is that your moderating is pretty inconsistent, and sometimes your posts come off really immature. But not always. I don't personally have a problem with you on the site, but that's just something (hopefully) constructive to consider if people have been shutting you down. Of course, you're a mod and they aren't, so I don't get what the issue is. Being a mod involves moderating and inserting yourself in the middle of things to keep the site civil and intelligent. It is NOT a popularity contest, and if being popular on the site is important to you, you're probably in the wrong business. Yup, the moderating "team" has not been a functioning team for quite some time. Of course, it really wasn't back when I was modding. There have always been the mods who do their jobs, then the ones who are too conflict-averse to do anything at all, and actively discourage any real moderating from being done. And kvetch about not having enough time to do it. Yes, it's on a volunteer basis, but there are plenty of people on here who are willing and able to pick up the slack.

This site was at its best when it was focused on being a news source for GM. We got press passes, and Fly tried to make this a legitimate site. Fly had to pursue other things, and no one here gives a $h! anymore. Just look at the thread titles: EVEN AFTER WEEKS, THEY ARE STILL UNREADABLE IN WHITE ON LIGHT GRAY! That is a 2 second fix, by changing the colors. But no, too many people on here are stuck in the past with regards to GM, and looking to blame the unions, our new president (like him or not, he has 70% a approval rating and IS THE PRESIDENT--move on), beancounters, Saturn, SAAB, Opel, Carl Peter Forster, or any other scapegoat. Then there are the tinfoil hat theorists. Guys, we used to have real insiders who came here, but the fanboys drove them out. We are no longer a legitimate source for auto news; we are a conspiracy theorist tabloid of the auto industry. Things need to change, and we need IMO a change in the moderating/admin teams. The current formula is not working, and it will not magically start working without changes. We need someone to administrate the site, we need mods who ACTUALLY MODERATE THE SITE (with the exception of Oldsmoboi, I don't see any real modding going on, with plenty of junk posts that SHOULD be removed or edited), we need people who have the time and inclination to gather news to post in the appropriate news sections, and we need to either scrap the front page entirely or find someone who is dedicated enough to make it happen for real, because it is a joke right now. And I find it laughable how few members here care enough about the site to pay for the premium membership; either many of you are extremely selfish, or as I suspect, we have a lot of preteens who are too young for a paypal account. $12 is dirt cheap. That's less than a night at the movies, and it lasts a whole year. Support the site. Unfortunately, I think the apathy and malcontent has reached a point where it will be damned difficult for us to recover. And I think Satty's child should compose the theme while Satty records it to upload onto youtube.

And with the cheesy post above, and now this post, I think it is time to go on an indefinite hiatus from this site. Consider Croc "shelved," if you will. Reasons: General site malcontent, ineffective/inconsistent/nonexistant modding, apathy toward the site in general, PINGAS!!, tin foil hat zone. Oh, and nobody talks about GM cars anymore, just kvetches about everything there is to kvetch about. Irritating as hell. Ciao.

Fixed

Saturn and Pontiac just aren't differentiated enough for me. SAAB, however, is a premium brand, and they have the history of turbo performance. Both brands with a performance niche, common unifier IMO. Saturn...ugh. I'm not going to think about Saturn.

I've advocated for pairing Pontiac with SAAB for about a year now...they have a lot in common. Saturn IMO should just go away, but hey if that fanatical fan base wants to take on Pontiac and/or other brands, I won't stop them, either.

I actually think a new GNX would be just the thing to get some interest back into Buick. They are the middle brand now, so having a $40-45k flagship sedan or coupe (Zeta?) would be just the thng to bring some enthusiasm back to Buick.

...I'm not biting anyone's head off...??? Yeah, Camino said Buick couldn't ever do performance, and so I mentioned the obvious counter to that, as proof that Buick could have a model or two of "performance." Frankly, though, "performance" seems to nebulous. And it certainly doesn't include the majority of the recent offerings by Pontiac. AFAIK, "performance" includes good handling, tuning, acceleration, braking, economy, and weight balance, among other things. Frankly, every GM division needs performance. Whether a division is paired with top-of-the-line luxury like Cadillac, or made more entry-level like Chevrolet, or somewhere in-between like Buick, they all need a degree of performance. The years where it's OK for certain brands to have floaty vehicles have long since past. Consumers are demanding, and they have been demanding good ride/handling balance, good acceleration and fuel economy, as well as proper steering feel. They want it all.

I don't think anyone here ever advocated in any way that Buick would become anything close to what Pontiac was never able to be these past few years. Nobody.

You're out of line. Nobody is served by taking a flight to FantasyLand.

Pissing on Pontiac? Oh, you mean actually being realistic about this whole situation, which was being telegraphed months ago? I don't appreciate your personal attacks, and at this point I will agree with you that leaving the site--or at least taking a break from it--would do you quite a bit of good, as you don't seem to be that grounded right now. Take a break, get some rest, and maybe return when you've gone through the grief process more. Because right now you're still stuck somewhere between denial and anger.

Never said it was the first thing they were getting, but you better believe they will get some performance eventually. I can't see those Opel transplants handling like floaty boats. It wouldn't hurt Buick, but there's no way I will ever convince you otherwise, so I won't go into it. Buick needs good handling vehicles for its survival. At this point, GM needs to release hit after hit--no room for error. Some performance will likely be added to Buick, and the world won't end, and Cadillac will not be threatened in any way, shape or form. Of course overlap is the enemy, but with Pontiac gone, there is nothing to overlap. I never said Buick would take on lower-cost performance, and Buick will never likely be given all the features available in Cadillacs. Buick will be the middle brand. And middle brands have to have some limited performance.

Yeah, because GN and GNX never happened This isn't 1960. The Sloan model is long gone, and GM is in survival mode. You are going to see traditional divisional lines blur, and you will have to be able to deal with that without your head exploding.

You're gonna need more info than that, dude.

No, that's not what I said at all.

LA would be the most convenient for me, but my pick is Vegas. Nowhere does shows as well as they do them in Vegas. Plus the immediate entertainment and nightlife opportunities are endless...

Bull$h!. GM would have shed brands in Ch. 11, but customers would have been f@#ked with warrenties.

Same. 3 was my limit, and my vocabulary is robust.

Maybe so, but it is still highly disrespectful to the office and serves as a barrier to communicating whatever reasoned and intelligent points the writer may be expressing. It's hard to take someone seriously when they are being snide--they just come off as unreasonable, with a stick up their ass. Or more facetiously--"His opinion in its current expression does not deserve even the most dilapidated soapbox, certainly not one in the venerable WSJ."

Internal temperature never comes close to 160 until medium-well at the least. Remember the big Jack-in-the-Box scare from the 1990s that killed several children? Due to undercooked hamburgers and the presence of E. coli. Not worth the risk IMO. Of course, J-i-t-B now completely chars their burgers to an inedible state.

Well, if they have any desire to minimize their risk of contracting serious gastro-intestinal foodborn illness, they really shouldn't. But it's not like I'm physically preventing anyone from shoving anything in their mouths. If Camino wants to flirt with trichinosis, by god, I'll let him exercise his right to choice by eating undercooked pork all he wants. If E. coli sounds like an adventure, go for the rare ground beef. I won't stop him...but from a perspective of health and avoiding highly unpleasant illnesses, I do not find that choice to be..."the most prudent," shall we say.

No, in bankruptcy proceedings the stock becomes worthless, and when a company emerges from bankruptcy they then become publicly traded again (usually) and new stock can be issued. Buying stock just prior to bankruptcy means you just pissed away $100 you could have invested into other assets.

See, when it comes to politics, I don't have time for the "silly" aspects of it--if someone wants to be critical, keep it objective and policy-based. Starting off making personal insults shows the inherent biases and lack of respect toward the office holder of the writer, and kills whatever credibility they could have had with me.

I couldn't get through this article, just like I couldn't get through any article written during the past 8 years referring to G.W. with a derisive nickname. Immature. IMO, if the quality of the ideas were there, name-calling wouldn't be necessary to sell the article.