Reagan had nothing to do with the negotiations with Iran to release the hostages, though later he did sell arms to Iran and had the CIA bring cocaine into America to raise money for the Contras.

Carter is responsible for the release of the hostages, and Iran was so pissed at him, they decided to release the hostages on Reagan's inauguration day as a final "fuck you" to Carter

Yes, that was nice. I haven't been back to Germany since the wall was still there. The last time I went to Germany was 1987. I wish I had gone during the World Cup though and wanted to go to the Love Parade so many times, but never got to.

Just the idea of scooting around Germany in a VW Bus is appealing. What I wouldn't give to have one of those babies in mint condition. Well I wouldn't give to much but it is a nice thought.

http://www.cartype.com/pics/297/full/vw_bus_draw_59.jpg

http://static.squidoo.com/resize/squ...dow-vw-bus.png

Did you hear about the VW Van in mint condition that was stolen 35 years ago and just recovered?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/06/....vw/index.html

:driving:VW ~ Virtually Worthless.

People driving VWs, back in the day, were like people driving Priuses today, always in the way. :haha:

Doesn't Volkswagen own/manufacture Audi? Now those are great cars. I love the Audi A8, and I really love the Audi R8. I wish I could afford either of them.

I did hear that story. Crazy.

@Bruce. You crazy man?!?! My VW bug was never in the way, nor was it like a Pussyrius. :D

I did a complete pan up restoration of a second one in 1993 of a 78 Super Beetle. Great car, hauled ass.

Don't know about the Priuses, but it's true about the old VW's. Although on my parent's last jaunt to Europe, they bought a VW Synchro (that's a 4WD) Vanagon that had a retrofitted Porsche engine in it. That one was able to keep up on the autobahn.

Ok, maybe about the old buses but my bugs always scooted around nicely. We did own a VW Vanagon new in 1985 and loved it but as a fourbanger, like it's ancestors, pick up lacked. Heaven help you if you were going up a steep hill. :lol:

They were fine, unless you had 6 people in the bus and a bunch of luggage and you were going over the continental divide. Then you were going 45 on the highway. Usually, there would be a truck chugging up the hill too, and you could slip in behind it and blend in.

It is also a time to remember the leaders of the grass roots pro-democracy movements that were born and flourished at the time....leaders like Baerbel Bohley in East Germany, Lech Welesa and the solidarity movement in Poland, Vaclev Havel and the Czech intellectual movement and even that drunken Russian fool, Boris Yeltsun.

It was at great personal risk that they and their followers contributed to the fall of Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain.

One of my quick rules of life: never trust any government whose soldiers goose-step.

Mind you, one of my other rules is never trust any government at all, but it goes double for the goose steppers.


Yes, I remember watching the wall come down, one of the greatest, most amazing, feel-good events in history. And we got to watch it unfold practically live. Awesome.


Keep in mind, Volkswagon also own and make the Bugatti Veyron. 1,001 horsepower, max 407kph. No, you cannot afford one. The tyres alone cost over $20,000 for a set, and at top speed, will last around 15 minutes.

15 is enough, the gas tank is only big enough for 12 minutes... seriously.

I was on vacation with Pete's New Hampshire family including her very well read Navy Vet uncle. We drank a lot, talked a lot, and worried a bit because of the potentential for chaos if any of the East Block true believers decided it needed to stop. I don't know how much emphasis this event was given in schools. It was a spell-binding moment that lead to a completely different world which many cold warriors still can't get a handle on.

True, I guess that is kind of a safety feature. :right:

Now, as for the cost of refilling that gas tank ... :eek: