How American is your car?

With all the talk about the financial problems of the big three auto makers in the U.S., I wondered just how much of the dollars Americans spend on cars actually supports American and Canadian labor and industry.

I found this chart on the internet that lists the percentage of your dollar that actually benefits our workforce when you purchase a car.  The most recent chart I could find was based on 2007 data.

How much of the cars you drive was made in the country you live in?

Manufacturer	Make and model	Model year	Percent content US/ Canada	Assembled in:
				US/ Canada	Outside
BMW	BMW 3 Series(incl. M3)	2007	5%		Germany
BMW	BMW 5 Series	2007	5%		Germany
BMW	BMW 6 Series	2007	5%		Germany
BMW	BMW 7 Series	2007	5%		Germany
BMW	BMW X3	2007	5%		Austria
BMW	BMW X5	2007	30%	S.C.
BMW	BMW Z4	2007	30%	S.C.
BMW	MINI Cooper	2007	5%		England
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes C Class	2007	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes CLK Class	2007	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes E Class	2007	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes G Class	2007	0%		Austria
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes M Class	2007	62%	Ala.
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes Maybach	2007	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes R Class	2007	62%	Ala.
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes S Class	2007	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes SL Class	2007	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes SLK Class	2007	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Mercedes SLR	2007	0%		England
DaimlerChrysler	Jeep Commander	2007	73%	Mi.
DaimlerChrysler	Jeep Grand Cherokee	2007	76%	Mi.
DaimlerChrysler	Jeep Liberty	2007	80%	Ohio
DaimlerChrysler	Jeep Wrangler	2007	76%	Ohio
DaimlerChrysler	Jeep Wrangler Unlimited	2007	79%	Ohio
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler 300	2007	75%	Canada
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler Crossfire	2006	0%		Germany
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler Pacifica	2006	82%	Canada
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler PT Cruiser	2007	35%		Mexico
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible	2007	31%		Mexico
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler Sebring convertible	2006	82%	Mi.
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler Sebring sedan	2006	77%	Mi.
DaimlerChrysler	Chrysler Town & Country	2006	82%	Mo., Canada
DaimlerChrylser	Dodge Caliber	2007	69%	Ill.
DaimlerChrysler	Jeep Patriot	2007	69%	Ill.
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Caravan	2006	80%	Mo., Canada
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Charger	2007	72%	Canada
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Compass	2007	69%	Ill
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Dakota	2006	77%	Mi.
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Durango	2006	79%	Del
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Grand Caravan	2007	83%	Canada
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Magnum	2006	74%	Canada
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Nitro	2007	76%	Ohio
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Ram Pickup	2007	72%	Mo.	Mexico
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Avenger	2007		Mi.
DaimlerChrysler	Dodge Viper	2006	85%	Mi.
Fiat	Ferrari 612 Scaglietti/F1	2006	0%		Italy
Fiat	Ferrari F430 F1/ Spider F1	2006	0%		Italy
Fiat	Ferrari F430/Spider	2006	0%		Italy
Fiat	Maserati Coupe	2006	0%		Italy
Fiat	Maserati Spyder	2006	0%		Italy
Ford Motor	Ford Edge	2007	95%	Canada
Ford Motor	Ford Crown Victoria	2007	90%	Canada
Ford Motor	Ford Econoline	2006	95%	Ohio
Ford Motor	Ford Escape	2008	65%	Mo.
Ford Motor	Ford Escape Hybrid	2007	65%	Mo.
Ford Motor	Ford Expedition	2007	95%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Ford Explorer	2007	80%	Ky.
Ford Motor	Ford Focus	2007	75%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Ford Freestyle	2007	85%	Ill.
Ford Motor	Ford F-150	2007	90%	Mi., Ky., Va.
Ford Motor	Ford Mustang	2007	70%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Ford Ranger	2007	80%	Minn.
Ford Motor	Ford Five Hundred	2007	80%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Ford Fusion	2007	50%		Mexico
Ford Motor	Jaguar S-Type 3.0 Litre/ Manual	2006			England
Ford Motor	Jaguar S-Type 4.2 Litre/ R	2006			England
Ford Motor	Jaguar XJ/ VDP/ XJR	2006			England
Ford Motor	Jaguar XK8	2006	5%		England
Ford Motor	Jaguar XK8 convertible	2006	5%		England
Ford Motor	Jaguar XKR convertible	2006	5%		England
Ford Motor	Jaguar XKR coupe	2006	5%		England
Ford Motor	Jaguar X-Type 2.5 Man&Auto/3.0 Man&Auto	2006			England
Ford Motor	Land Rover Freelander	2006	0%		England
Ford Motor	Land Rover LR3	2006	1%		England
Ford Motor	Land Rover Range Rover	2006	1%		England
Ford Motor	Lincoln Mark LT	2007	85%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Lincoln MKX	2007	95%	Canada
Ford Motor	Lincoln MKZ	2007	50%		Mexico
Ford Motor	Lincoln Navigator	2007	85%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Lincoln Town Car	2007	85%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Mazda 3	2007	0%		Japan
Ford Motor	Mazda 5	2007	0%		Japan
Ford Motor	Mazda 6	2007	65%	Mi.
Ford Motor	Mazda CX9	2007	20%
Ford Motor	Mazda Mazdaspeed 6	2006	0%		Japan
Ford Motor	Mazda MX-5 Mi.ata	2007	0%		Japan
Ford Motor	Mazda RX-8	2007	0%		Japan
Ford Motor	Mazda Tribute	2008	75%	Mo.
Ford Motor	Mercury Grand Marquis	2007	90%	Canada
Ford Motor	Mercury Mariner	2008	70%	Mo.
Ford Motor	Mercury Mariner Hybrid	2007	60%	Mo.
Ford Motor	Mercury Milan	2007	50%		Mexico
Ford Motor	Mercury Montego	2007	80%	Ill.
Ford Motor	Mercury Mountaineer	2007	80%	Ky.
Ford Motor	Volvo S40/V40 series	2007	2.00%		Belgium
Ford Motor	Volvo S60 AWD	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo S60 series	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo S80 series	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo V50 series	2007	2.50%		Belgium
Ford Motor	Volvo V70 series	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo XC70 series	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo XC90 AWD V8	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo XC90 series AWD	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo XC90 series FWD	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Ford Motor	Volvo XC90 T6 series	2007	1.50%		Sweden
Fuji Heavy Ind.	Subaru B9 Tribeca	2006	45%	Ind.
Fuji Heavy Ind.	Subaru Forester	2006	0%		Japan
Fuji Heavy Ind.	Subaru Impreza	2006	0%		Japan
Fuji Heavy Ind.	Subaru Legacy	2006	55%	Ind.
Fuji Heavy Ind.	Subaru Outback	2006	55%	Ind.
General Motors	Buick Lucerne	2007	85%	Mi.
General Motors	Buick Rendezvous	2007	40%		Mexico
General Motors	Cadillac CTS	2007	75%	Mi.
General Motors	Cadillac Escalade	2007	70%	Texas
General Motors	Cadillac DTS	2007	87%	Mi.
General Motors	Cadillac XLR	2007	85%	Kansas
General Motors	Cadillac STS	2007	75%	Mi.
General Motors	Chevrolet Avalanche	2007	70%		Mexico
General Motors	Chevrolet Aveo	2007	4%		S. Korea
General Motors	Chevrolet Cobalt	2007	82%	Ohio
General Motors	Chevrolet Corvette	2007	85%	Ky.
General Motors	Chevrolet Equinox	2007	50%	Canada
General Motors	Pontiac Torrent	2007	50%	Canada
General Motors	Chevrolet HHR	2007	41%		Mexico
General Motors	Chevrolet Impala	2007	90%	Canada
General Motors	Chevrolet Malibu	2007	86%	Ks.
General Motors	Chevrolet Silverado	2007	90%	Mi., Ind., Canada
General Motors	Chevrolet Suburban	2007	70%	Texas, Wis.	Mexico
General Motors	Chevrolet Tahoe	2007	70%	Texas, Wis.
General Motors	GMC Sierra	2007	90%	Mi., Ind., Canada
General Motors	GMC Yukon	2007	70%	Texas, Wis.
General Motors	Pontiac G6	2007	86%	Mi.
General Motors	Pontiac GTO	2006	20%		Austrailia
General Motors	Pontiac Solstice	2007	66%	Del
General Motors	Pontiac Vibe	2007	65%	Calif.
General Motors	Saab 9-3 Arc/SS/Linear/Aero	2007	1%		Sweden
General Motors	Saab 9-5 Linear/Aero/Arc	2007	1%		Sweden
General Motors	Saab 9-7X	2007	86%	Ohio
General Motors	Saturn Aura	2007	86%	Kansas
General Motors	Saturn Ion	2007	85%	Tenn.
General Motors	GMC Canyon	2007	85%	La.
General Motors	Chevrolet Colorado	2007	85%	La.
General Motors	GMC Envoy/XL	2007	86%	Ohio
General Motors	Hummer H3	2007	86%	Ohio
General Motors	Buick Rainer		86%	Ohio
Isuzu	Isuzu Ascender	2007	86%	Ohio
General Motors	Chevrolet Trailblazer	2007	86%	Ohio
General Motors	Saturn Relay	2007	77%	Ga.
General Motors	Chevrolet Uplander	2007	77%	Ga.
General Motors	Buick Terazzo	2007	77%	Ga.
General Motors	Express, Savana	2007	86%	Mo.
General Motors	Cadillac SRX	2006	80%	Mi.
Honda Motor	Acura MDX	2007	65%	Canada
Honda Motor	Acura RDX	2007	65%	Ohio
Honda Motor	Acura RL	2007	5%		Japan
Honda Motor	Acura TL	2007	70%	Ohio
Honda Motor	Acura TSX	2007	5%		Japan
Honda Motor	Honda Accord	2007	70%	Ohio	Japan
Honda Motor	Honda Accord Hybrid	2006	70%		Japan
Honda Motor	Honda Civic	2007	55%	Ohio/Canada	Japan
Honda Motor	Honda Civic Hybrid	2007	55%		Japan
Honda Motor	Honda CR-V	2006	5%		Japan
Honda Motor	Honda Element	70	65%	Ohio
Honda Motor	Honda FCX	2006	5%		Japan
Honda Motor	Honda Odyssey	2007	70%	Ala
Honda Motor	Honda Pilot	2007	70%	Ala
Honda Motor	Honda Ridgeline	2006	75%	Canada
Honda Motor	Honda S2000	2007	0%		Japan
Hyundai	Hyundai Accent	2007	1%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Hyundai Elantra	2007	1%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Hyundai Santa Fe	2007	35%	Ala
Hyundai	Hyundai Sonata	2007	36%	Ala
Hyundai	Hyundai Tiburon	2007	5%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Hyundai Tucson	2007	2%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Hyundai Azera (XG350)	2007	3%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Kia Amanti	2006	2%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Kia Optima	2006	3%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Kia Rio	2006	3%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Kia Sedona	2006	7%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Kia Sorento	2006	2%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Kia Spectra	2006	4%		S. Korea
Hyundai	Kia Sportage	2006	2%		S. Korea
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Eclipse	2007	51%	Ill.
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Lancer	2007	0%		Japan
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Galant	2007	54%	Ill.
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution	2007	0%		Japan
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Montero	2007	0%		Japan
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Outlander	2007	0%		Japan
Mitsubishi Motors	Mitsubishi Raider	2006	78%	Mi.
Nissan	Infiniti FX45	2006	5%		Japan
Nissan	Infiniti G35	2007	5%		Japan
Nissan	Infiniti M45	2006	0%		Japan
Nissan	Infiniti Q45	2006	5%		Japan
Nissan	Infiniti QX56	2007	65%	Miss
Nissan	Nissan 350z	2007	0%		Japan
Nissan	Nissan Altima	2007	65%	Miss, Tenn
Nissan	Nissan Armada	2006	60%	Miss.
Nissan	Nissan Frontier Truck	2006	60%	Tenn.
Nissan	Nissan Sentra	2006	28%		Mexico
Nissan	Nissan Maxima	2007	60%	Tenn.
Nissan	Nissan Murano	2007	0%		Japan
Nissan	Nissan Pathfinder	2006	60%	Tenn.
Nissan	Nissan Quest	2006	60%	Miss.
Nissan	Nissan Titan	2007	65%	Miss.
Nissan	Nissan Xterra	2007	65%	Tenn;
Porsche	Porsche 911	2006	3%		Germany
Porsche	Porsche Boxster/S	2006	2%		Finland
Porsche	Porsche Cayenne	2006	1%		Germany
Suzuki Motor	Suzuki Aerio	2006	0%		Japan
Suzuki Motor	Suzuki Grand Vitara XV6/XL7	2006	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus ES330	2006	5%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus GS300/430	2006	5%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus GS450h	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus GX470	2006	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus IS250	2007	5%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus LS460L	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus LX470	2006	5%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Lexus RX350	2007	60%	Canada
Toyota Motor	Lexus RX400h	2007	0%		Japn
Toyota Motor	Lexus SC430	2006	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Scion tC	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Scion xA	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Scion xB	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota 4Runner	2006	5%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Avalon	2007	75%	Ky
Toyota Motor	Toyota Camry Solara	2007	80%	Ky
Toyota Motor	Toyota Camry	2007	75%	Ky	Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Corolla	2007	60%	Calif, Canada	Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Corolla Matrix	2007	70%	Calif.
Toyota Motor	Toyota Yaris	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota FJ Cruiser	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Highlander Hybrid	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Highlander	2006	5%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Land Cruiser	2006	5%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Prius	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota RAV4	2007	0%		Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Sequoia	2006	65%	Ind.
Toyota Motor	Toyota Sienna	2007	85%	Ind.
Toyota Motor	Toyota Tacoma	2007	65%	Calif.	Japan
Toyota Motor	Toyota Tundra	2007	75%	Texas, Ind.
VW-Audi	Audi A3	2006	1%		Germany
VW-Audi	Audi A4	2006	1%		Germany
VW-Audi	Audi A6/A8	2006	1%		Germany
VW-Audi	Audi TT	2006	1%		Germany
VW-Audi	Volkswagen Rabbit/GTI	2007	1%		Germany
VW-Audi	Volkswagen Jetta/GLI	2007	6%		Mexico
VW-Audi	Volkswagen New Beetle	2007	14%		Mexico
VW-Audi	Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible	2007	11%		Mexico
VW-Audi	Volkswagen Passat	2007	1%		Germany
VW-Audi	Volkswagen Touareg	2007	1%		Slovakia
VW-Audi	Volkswagen Eos	2007	1%		Portugal

I found another video of Will and Maeva dancing to Boogie Woogie piano music. They are older and the dance is more polished and better choreographed.


This video is the one I posted earlier. They were younger and their dance was more energetic and less controlled.

Which one do you prefer?

For more videos of William Mauvais & Maeva Truntzer, go to their website at:
http://www.williametmaeva.com/

First, a visit to see some amazing striped icebergs.

Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by layers of snow that react to different conditions.

Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with melting water and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.

When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If rich in algae, it can form a green stripe.

Brown, black and yellow stripes are caused by sediment picked up when the ice sheet grinds on land going downhill towards the sea.

Pretty cool (no pun) isn’t it?  

Now for another interesting condition.  Frozen waves!

In these photos, the water froze the instant the wave broke through the ice.  

In the right conditions, the water freezes the instant it comes in contact with the air. 

The temperature of the water is already some degrees below freezing.

Just look how this wave froze in mid-air!!!

Having the Internet means that we get to see something that we may never see or be able to imagine! 

This Great Pyrenees picture was taken from the Pendleton Mills Website promoting the horse blankets they sell.  It’s getting more and more common to see a pyr in commercials and advertisements.
http://www.pendleton-usa.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=41&path=1%2C2%2C6%2C41

We were in our back yard gathering leaves.  Our peaceful afternoon was disturbed by the sounds of an accident and the view of a car sliding sideways down the road in front of our house.

An elderly woman driving north had hit the curb and lost control.  She careened across two lanes and smashed into a car driving south.

The driver of the northbound car turned out to be a recently widowed member of our church.  Luckily nobody was injured. 

The northbound car ended up in the neighbors yard.


The southbound car came to rest in our driveway.


Our dog Josie likes to lay out near the street next to the driveway and keep watch when I’m working in the front yard.  The car that ended up in our driveway was driven across the spot where she usually lies. If we had been raking leaves in the front yard, Josie might have been crushed.

How smart are you really? This is a simple test has been used for tested reasoning and intelligence with great accuracy. If you don’t score high, remember, you can always improve.  Good Luck!

1. What relation is your niece’s brother to you?
        Cousin
        Nephew
        Uncle
        Son
Answer: Nephew                                                                                                                             

2. How many birthdays does the average man have?
        1
        10
        65
        75
Answer: 1 – Just one!                                                                                                                        

3. Some months have 31 days; how many have 28?
        1
        2
        3
        9
        12
Answer: 12 – all of them!                                                                                                                

4. Is it legal for a man in Scotland to marry his widow’s sister?
        No
        Yes
Answer: No – because he is dead!                                                                            

5. Divide 30 by 1/2 and add 10. What is the answer?
        10
        25
        50
        70
        90
Answer: 70 – (30 divided by 1/2 equals 60!)                                                                        

6. If there are 3 apples and you take away 2, how many do you have ?
        1
        2
        3
Answer: 2 – you took them, remember?                                                                

7. A doctor gives you three pills telling you to take one every half hour.
How many minutes would the pills last??
        20
        40
        60
        90
Answer: 60 – Start with the 1st pill, 30 min. later take the 2nd, then 30 min for the 3rd.

8. A farmer has 17 sheep, and all but 9 die. How many are left?
        1
        3
        5
        8
        9
Answer: 9                                                                                                                                 

9. How many animals of each sex did Moses take on the ark?
        3
        2
        1
        0
Answer: 0 – Moses didn’t have an ark, Noah did!                                                            

10. How many two cent stamps are there in a dozen?
        1
        3
        6
        9
        12
Answer: 12 – There are twelve 2 cent stamps in a dozen!                                             

11. You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?
        1st
        2nd
        3rd
Answer: 2nd – You were third. Now you’re second!                                                      

12. Note: This must be done in your head. Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000. Now add 10. What is the total?
        5000
        6000
        4100
Answer: 4100 – Did you get 5000? Don’t believe it? Check it with your calculator!

13. Mary’s father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?
        Nano
        Nunu
        Mary
Answer: Her name is Mary. Read the question again!                                                         

To see the answers, hold your mouse button down and drag across the black bar.

Move the slider on the bottom to adjust the speed

Colors of Autumn

If you want change in Washington, this is a pretty good place to start.

I posted this some time ago.  This is a website that allows you to find out what your download and upload speeds are.  http://www.speedtest.net/