Friends in Boxes

After what my friends and family say has been a grueling experience for them (I kind of enjoyed it), I have purchased my new vehicle. And the winner is: The Toyota RAV4 Sport 4 CYL 4X4 I picked the RAV4 after almost buying a CR-V. I had to disqualify the CR-V because of the unresolved issues regarding the A/C compressor and Honda's uneven response in dealing with customers . Toyota has the second best reliability in the car market (second only to their own Lexus brand), and I find that somewhat comforting.......I'll try to remember that as I'm making the bigger car payments. My 1998 Mazda Protege is gone. And I am somewhat sad about that. It was a great car and gave me no trouble. Farewell old car.

Ok, since my homies over at the Productopia are having a difficult time getting a post up, I'd like to comment on the Swiffer Sweep +Vac . I bought one of these after looking for a lightweight sweeper (and after my brother found this one for me). I paid about $28 for it, and I must say it appears to work very well. Rechargeable. My only concern is this; If/when this product fades away, how am I going to get the sock-like filters that it uses? Eh...anyway, I'd say get one if you need a decent, inexpensive electric sweeper!

*See the Rav4 update here . Ok, so I've been looking for a mini-suv and I've narrowed it down to the (3) choices above. Here are the Pros/Cons I've found while looking and test driving these over the last few weeks: CRV Pro: Conventional suv styling . Nothing outrageous;likely to stay in-style for a long time Sunroof and side impact airbags are standard on the EX trim Edmunds lists it as #1 as the lowest True Cost to Own SUV for 2006 Constistanly wins Edmund's top awards in champion like fashion Con: Stereo kind of sucks. They have a tape deck in there...this is 2006 you know. A/C compressors seem to be blowing up on a regular basis , right out of warranty (and Honda makes you play Customer Relations Roulette to see if they're going to cover the $2,000 repair). Arm rests are thin, short and pathetic. They're too high to be comfortable (this can be remedied by the armrest console upgrade ). Element Pro: Best stereo of the lot. XM Satellite radio, 270

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs "If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road . CFLs provide high-quality light, smart technology, and design, requiring less energy while lasting longer than typical incandescent bulbs. " It's true...and you can buy them now for about $2 each. Go out and get some. The newer ones produce a light that looks just like incandencent light bulbs. You can even get bulbs that produce a more natural "sunlight" type light (5000 K). Ikea has them cheap too.