I think capitalism and the global economy first, your comfort second, the EPA third. Remember when all you could buy in a car was from the big three? Remember when a company making 5% profit increase over the previous year was something to invest in? Now they fire the CEO. Money, pure and simple - and FAST OR ELSE. And lest anyone thinks that made in the USA still means as much today as then, look at the car industry. Look at Delta Tools. How much of a tractor is actually made in North America as opposed to assembled here? When I started looking for a LT everyone said 'gotta have a cast iron front axle!' Some Kubota's front axles are steel and look very sturdy. What I'm getting at is that if a company can save $ by buying parts in Asia, they will. There's also no reason that those parts aren't every bit as good IF the buyer insists on the specification and quality and keeps the supplier honest. They can make good stuff; they can make crap. The only way to stop the crap is to not buy it. How can we tell this? We can't always, except in rare cases that cause death or injury and you see it on the news. Magazine reviews and forums like this are one way to share that information but we all have biases. When they show too strongly, it can have the opposite effect. I initially refused to look at John Deere because of the many strong opinions here. I really think we could use a MODERATOR or two! A little off topic; Many here think THE magazine that just did reviews is too easily manipulated by biased feedback from owners. Others think they shouldn't be charged a fee for supplying data to a non-profit organization whose purpose is to help people without a clue wade through the mountain of advertisement, whether print, TV, or religion. We all need to use some common sense when buying anything. Funny how many JD fans dislike the magazine yet they rated the product pretty darn well. Perhaps too much biased feedback? I dunno, but It's what actually got me to consider the product. I looked around, not knowing too much and open to everything. In the end, the collective qualities of the machines, dealers, and the level-headed input from several people here helped me decide. You know, if we had a moderator I couldn't go on like this... ns-gardener

Always remember, the show does what they want--the votes mean nothing more than a general opinion poll (there's a disclaimer to that fact at the end of the show, as a matter of fact). I've watched the show since the beginning, and it's obvious that often they stick someone popular, who the producers like in the bottom three, just to create a 'buzz'. It is Fox, after all--just take it for what it is--pure entertainment, NOT a show where YOU are actually picking the winner. Note, I'm not saying the votes are totally unimportant--the producers use them to find out who the public likes, but they learned early on about picking a winner who is difficult to work with--they won't let anyone win who isn't going to toe the contractual line. Paul--Love him, but he's not there to win, just to promote his band. He's pretty much said that--so there's no way, the show is going to waste the top spot on him. Although, he does have one of the most interesting and unique voices I've heard in a long time. He'll go far--he's already gotten what he entered for--name recognition. Pia is so talented, but she's vastly over-trained (she went to the performing arts high school, as you know)--to the point where she is all technical perfection and NO personality. It's annoying, sometimes to watch her sing, with her practiced hand gestures. Nothing natural about her. Don't think she's got a shot. I do like Scotty--his voice is so mature for a child, and he's finding a way to stay true to his roots and talent week after week. Don't think he'll win, but he'll be around for a lot longer. Casey's wonderful, but with his health problems, he hasn't a shot of winning--the producers aren't going to pin the responsibility of heading months worth of concerts on someone who may miss half of them for health reasons. And he hasn't been growing the past few weeks. Having a mental block here--the kid with tourette's? He's great--even though he's a rocker, he actually has a very, very good singing voice. Haley? There's a part of me that doesn't want to like her, and yet, I almost always find myself fascinated by her performances. She's definitely a unique specimen, isn't she? Lauren is okay. Good voice, but just a little too immature in a lot of ways for this year. It's a little sad that they opened the tryouts up to 15 year olds, because most of them simply aren't seasoned enough. At least the ones they found. Don't care for Jacob's off-key singing. Antonio annoys me--all he went through after being the victim of a drunk driver, then to be picked up for a DUI the next year? I really hope he doesn't win, for that reason alone (and he's not up with some of the others.

Thank you . I miss Maddie but am happy that this is the way she chose to go. It was so sudden , it could have been a heart attack or massive stroke or seizure. In any case, I never even got the chance to call the vet since it was only an hour after she only ate a small bite of food. I remember giving her extra wet food yesterday along with 18 year old Louie, and she ate it all. I always try to give the geriatric cats more food they like since aged cats tend to get skinnier. She weighed 8 pounds normally and weighed only 6 1/2 in the last couple years.I'm making her a cross. I use white pickets and write their names and dates on . Whoever gets this house some day will wonder..I wish too that our animals lived longer but this was easier at least for me than the last one when my other tiger Emma had to be put to sleep at the vets. It was so traumatic for me..and her since she was a feral who only liked me and was in the hospital at the vets alone for three days. I know how scared she was. I held her and talked to her 30 minutes before the vet came and held her in my arms while he gave her the shot. I wish I would have stayed inside yesterday and held Maddie., but I didn't know.

I, too, have a 1974, 2200 SF ranch. I have 6.5 acres and dogs. I have to tell you that you'll use a darned mud room, laundry and open kitchen far more often than you'll set up a bunch of guests for a formal dinner every day. Since you seem to have a bug about what people will say in the future, keep in mind that if they're buying a working farm and you tromp right into the kitchen to sit down at the nice dining room? Someone's gonna wish they had a mudroom to take care of all that mud and grass mess! My house, like many ranches, is linear. If you enter from the garage, you have mudroom (where the dogs have their door to a fenced yard), kitchen, (peninsula) dining area (seats 6 comfortable, can be more). Then we have a wall, behind which is the MBR, then MBR bath. Turn left and you're into the laundry room. Continue turning left and you keep walking back down the house to end up at the den. That was the former "formal" dining room, which doors to the kitchen. So we make a loop. Can you picture this? It's all functional and if you live in the country, it works. Drop boots & coats in the mudroom, then in the MBR, drop dirty clothes in the adjoining laundry. (No one walking nekked thru the house with GIANT windows!) I'd make the mudroom as big as it would allow, while still making design sense. You've got a lot going on in there. Kennels, laundry baskets, folding areas, food, (water? I have a dump sink, thank God!) coats, boots, umbrellas, (kids?) sports equipment, (stop me....!!!!) I wish I had one of those single, deep tub type things to wash my dogs in. That might be in the future. Anyway, it'll look big until you fill it. I highly recommend you go for it. Particularly once you mentioned mud and grass. [LOL] Christine