Personally I think this is a really interesting discussion. I am an engineer at Honda R&D near Columbus, OH. At my location, there are over a thousand white collar workers, mostly technical. Within a hundred mile radius of me, there are a 4 Honda assembly plants, employing around 10,000 people. At other sites in the US and Canada, there are probably another 15,000 workers. Each of these plants is turning out thousands of new Hondas per day. Nearly every Honda/Acura sold in the US (by volume) is made in the US. The engines, transmissions, every major component. Furthermore, Honda actually *exports* cars from the US, something that the Big 3 can barely talk about. Sure, there are niche cars like the S2000 roadster that are 100% Japanese, but that is a tiny part of our market. I think these are pretty impressive numbers, especially if you consider that Honda is only something like the 7th largest market share in the US. Its been here since 1979, I'd wager that in those 27 years Honda has contributed significantly to Americans and their way of life. There are a lot of secure $25/hr plus full benefits jobs available in Ohio because of Honda. The US auto industry lost their way in the oil crises. They haven't been able to turn it around since then. They concentrate too much on short-sighted markets like giant fuel-guzzling SUVs. Its not that the Big 3 makes bad cars, its that they make cars that aren't in demand. Compare a Focus to a Civic. A Taurus to an Accord. Sure, those Fords might last 200k miles, but I'd much rather spend that time in a nice Accord than a hard plastic Taurus. I would rather support the thousands of American workers who build Hondas than support a few suits in Detroit and drive a Mexican Dodge. That said, my garage: 1980 Lawn Boy 7229 1996 Stihl trimmer 1997 Honda Accord (shocking, right?) 2002 Triumph Speed Triple (mc) 1976 Honda CB400F (mc) 1976 Suzuki GT550 2-stroke (mc) 1948 Johnson Sea Horse (outboard) 1949 Evinrude Zephyr (outboard)

I didn't read all the way through this thread. But I love Ford and Chevy trucks. Will never buy a Dodge product again. I currently have a Toyota Sequoia (essentially the same thing as a Tundra) and I adore it. My DH has a 96 Tacoma that he's had since brand-new, and it is an amazing little truck. That said, it's little. I'd personally never want a little truck. I know that's funny, being a female, but I *love* trucks. Lol. I would buy a F350 in a heartbeat if I could justify it, having to haul four kids around. My uncles, all farmers, always had Ford or Chevy trucks. I had a Chrysler T&C Van (Dodge product) and as a result, will never buy a Dodge product again. Worse purchase of my life. I know I said that already, but I can't say it enough. Get what you love. Perhaps look at used vehicles, cause I think that's where the real deals are. My DH knew I wanted a Sequoia with all my heart, and when I found one used at Carmax, he gave his blessing. I've had it now for over 2 years, it's a 2003, and no problems except for one, which the extra warranty I bought covered.

I agree with Dcarch, give yourself sometime to get used to with your new kitchen. Then, do more research. I did just this. I used inexpensive pots and pans for awhile when I first moved in this home. After a few years, I knew how I wanted to fixed up the kitchen. I got it refaced and fixed it up to be more wheelchair accessible. After almost a year later, I began to research and shop for decent cookwares. I've learned that plain stainless steel (SS) cookware is not good enough. I've learned about multi-ply such as tri-ply and 7-ply cookwares. I narrowed down to Calphalon SS tri-ply. I purchased a set because it was more cost effective. However, I chose a small set and a set that included most of the size cookwares that I know I'd be using. I've actually been using them all. Then, I began to add with the individual pieces that I need further. I later added another non-popular brand name SS tri-ply set that were made in 1 piece of tri-ply as the Calpholon's. That set worked well too. When using the SS cookware correctly, they do fairly well with non-stick including making sunny-side-up eggs. As for extra non-stick and thicker pans, I chose cast ironed pans. All of these satisfied my budget and my cooking needs. They still are after 5 years of using them.

This thread came to mind today when I read a story in the Chicago Tribune by a columnist, Eric Zorn. He wrote that car manufacturers are gouging people as much as $500 for a replacement key. A consumer group complained, and as a result, in some states a licensed keymaker can obtain the key code from the manufacturer and create a new key for about half that amount. A side element in the story was a report from AAA that said they 'rescued' about four million people nationwide who were locked out of their cars in 2012. They said the number has been constant over the last five years. Considering that I can't lock my car without the key fob...doesn't that seem like a lot of 'lost' keys? I wonder just how AAA 'rescues' these folks? The FBI reported a 43% drop in auto thefts between 2003 and 2012, which they credited to the 'smart keys'. Can a car that responds to an electronic signal even BE 'hot-wired'? Houstonmom...I think you have a problem.