Metzler

German car maker Mercedes-Benz continues to elevate the features of its R-Class. The introduction of the new R 280 CDI 4MATIC und R 63 AMG 4MATIC models, which will become available this autumn, spurred the expansion of the touring SUV's product range to five engine variants. The result is the extended output range of the six and eight-cylinder engines from 140 kW/190 hp to 375 kW/510 hp.

Aside from the quality Mercedes catalytic converter that come along with the car, Mercedes-Benz will also equip the R-Class with additional driver-support systems that will ensure further driving convenience. Other than innovations such as the radar-based DISTRONIC proximity control system, the comfort-enhancing systems will be available with actively ventilated front seats, LINGUATRONIC voice control system and a rear-view camera for safe and easy parking. The driver's stress level as measured by the heart rate is significantly lower in the R-Class than in other rival vehicles.

The R-Class's thrilling level of long-distance comfort evidences, which makes a very important contribution to driver-fitness safety, is provided by scientific studies conducted by DaimlerChrysler Research.

Committed to its role as a trend setter, Mercedes-Benz has built a completely new vehicle concept with the R-Class that blends exemplary traveling comfort and a high level of variability with a huge loading capacity of up to 2385 liters, a sophisticated design and the extremely high level of safety typical of a Mercedes. Having such features, this 4+2-seater gives today's drivers the real pleasure for a car that is ideal for the family, recreation, travel and work - in short, for every use imaginable. Moreover, the touring SUV is also available in two body variants, which differ in their wheelbase dimensions (2980 millimeters or 3215 millimeters) and their lengths (4922 of 5157 millimeters).

The diesel engine range available for the R-Class will be added with a further six-cylinder engine, also equipped with a third-generation common-rail direct injection. Aside from the R 320 CDI 4MATIC (165 kW/224 hp), Mercedes-Benz will also be offering the new R 280 CDI 4MATIC, which can yield a power of 140 kW/190 hp. The result would be R-Class top speed of 210 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in only 9.8 seconds, and this would be made possible due to its powerful torque of 440 Nm (from 1400 to 2800 rpm). Combined fuel consumption is 9.3 liters per 100 kilo-meters. The new R 280 CDI 4MATIC, therefore, can travel for more than 850 kilometers on a tank full of fuel.

Furthermore, the V6 diesel engine features a high-pressure pump (1600 bar), piezo injectors, and a variable nozzle turbine (VNT) turbocharger. With these, low emissions and smooth operation are ensured. Two oxidation-type catalytic converters and a maintenance-free particulate filter are also some of R 280 CDI 4MATICs standard equipments.

Its six-cylinder unit is mated with the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission. This is electronically operated by the driver by means of the DIRECT SELECT lever on the steering column. The R 280 CDI 4MATIC is exclusively available with a 2980 millimeter wheelbase.

Meanwhile for more about your Mercedes catalytic converter needs, check out reliable sources on the net.

Rain Stockton is an engineer by profession. He is a motorsports fanatic, especially F1 and NASCAR. He seldom fails to attend major car racing events. A frustrated race car driver, he spends some of his free time working in one of the largest automotive shops in Indianapolis.

There is nothing like a great sugar cookie recipe. Dont buy the roll of Pillsbury Dough, you can make a superb cookie that will remind you of the days when Grandma made them.

Grandma used to sit by the fire and drink her tea and Grandpa used to sip his coffee made from his French Press, before it was trendy. I loved seeing them sit there enjoying the day. When we walked in the house there were smells coming from the kitchen you just couldnt imagine. The sweet smell of warm sugar cookies invaded your senses. You knew today was going to be a treat.

It was a tradition that we enjoyed every year. The kitchen was filled with flour storms and the counters were sticky from Buttercream frosting. We had tin cookie cutters spread all over the table. I liked the boot best, my sister liked the angel.

Grandma had a special way with those cookies and she handed down the recipe to me. I was to teach my kids how to make these wonderful holiday sweets. It wouldnt be Christmas time without this recipe of Yummy cookies. I am publishing it because I want you to enjoy the best sugar cookie recipe ever.

Grandmas Favorite Sugar Cookie

1 cup white sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
cup corn oil

Cream the sugars and butter together. Mix the beaten eggs, vanilla and corn oil, in. Add the dry ingredients .Mix all the ingredients well and chill overnight. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes.DO NOT OVERCOOK.

We used to make the funniest colors to decorate the cookies, most of them looked inedible. They tasted heavenly, though. We figured if we made them look gross enough, the adults would leave them alone. We were wrong. Everyone knew they were Grandmas famous sugar cookies from her handed down recipe book. This page was splattered with all sorts of colors. I have that book now. I love making these cookies with my kids.

Grandmas Favorite Frosting (dont forget the food coloring)

2 cups of powdered sugar
cup butter melted
1 T Milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla. Add a small amount of milk (1 to 2 tablespoons). Beat until fluffy. If frosting is too sweet add a little more milk.

Try it this season. Enjoy your family and brew some wonderful tea or coffee and relax. Take the time to make memories with your family or neighbors or friends.

Linda Cramer is the Owner of Oregon Gourmet Foods and Gifts. She is also the co-owner of The Baby Gift Basket Company. http://www.oregongourmetfoods.com http://www.babygiftbasketco.com

Today I learned about bankruptcy
And was morally diminished
By the time the professor had finished
For I was left bankrupt in spirit
And no longer could hear it!
Then came a lecture on psychoanalysis,
Which gave me paralysis
Indeed the meat heads lecture was manure
So one student ignored him and drew a picture
Perhaps others in the back of the room were asleep
But I was upfront where the discussion went deep
And by reason of the teachers psychoanalytical preference
I lost my point of reference
Within the morass of ideas
There was no escape, no panacea
Nevertheless he went on and on
As if he were competing for a decathlon
Yet despite his elitist self-opinion
I held my own thought processes
With all dominion
Resisting with all strength
As we carried on
I managed not to uplift him as an icon
For we were deep in the trenches of academia
With no means of escape
He was an intellectual barbarian
His mentor an ape
Yet in the midst of the intellectual masturbation
I boldly raised my hand
To pose a question
A question which pried
A question which tried
A question which undoubtedly said
Sir, to us you have lied.
And oh the laughter that hit the class
As the lid was lifted
From the can of verbiage
That had been spued
As if from an ass!
For many were the intellectual things he said
Yet we did not buy his bread
But we kept face in the center
Of this intellectual discussion
As we were swept away in derision
For he was our all in all
The answer to all our ills
The beginning and the end
For the sake of our grade in his class
Our closest friend
Yet by him we contracted dementia
In the trenches of academia.

Paul Davis is author of Breakthrough for a Broken Heart a book telling us "How to overcome disappointments and blossom into your dreams!" He is a creative consultant, life coach (relational & professional), fitness trainer, minister, popular worldwide keynote speaker, adventure capitalist, explorer, negotiator, mediator, liberator and dream-maker.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has also greatly impacted many in war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His nonprofit organization Dream-Maker Ministries is building dreams and breaking limitations.

Paul's Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Paul can be contacted at: RevivingNations@yahoo.com 407-967-7553 or 407-282-1745

For additional info: http://www.CreativeCommunications.TV http://www.DreamMakerMinistries.com

Anyone who has ever participated in an elementary school gym class probably has some memory of playing floor hockey. This sport allowed both boys and girls the chance to play hockey without having to worry about learning how to skate. Today its reaching well beyond the confines of school curriculum and there are leagues for this fun and faced paced competitive activity in many cities.

For someone familiar with ice hockey it doesnt differ much. Not everyone has the chance or the interest to learn how to skate. Many children live in warm climates where ice is a scarcity. For them the closest they get to hockey is watching an NHL game on television. With floor hockey, though they can go through the paces of a game without having to strap on a pair of skates.

When its played as part of physical education class the only equipment used is generally a stick and a ball or rubber puck. This is because there are understood and strictly enforced rules of no contact. However, if its a league of floor hockey those rules change and in light of that more safety equipment is required.

A helmet is really a must for any child interested in this sport. They may see it as overkill since they are only playing on a floor, but serious injuries can happen when one child is body checked by another. If the league insists on every floor hockey player wearing a helmet, its not even a question that a child will raise.

Knee and elbow pads are a great idea as well. Just as with something like rollerblading or traditional skating, kids can fall forward pretty easily when they lose their footing. This is true in sports including soccer and floor hockey as well. A good set of safety pads under the childs clothing can really reduce the number of bumps and bruises theyll sustain.

You cant play without a stick. Some kids who are already playing the game on ice will be inclined to bring in that stick for playing floor hockey. There are actually sticks just made for playing the game in this setting. Its a good idea to purchase a stick that is a good fit for the child now. Some parents think they can save a few dollars by buying a bit larger stick that their son or daughter will grow into. This isnt a good idea as it can present a safety problem for both the child using the stick to play floor hockey with and the other players. If its too big for them to easily handle it, its not the right stick for them.

http://yoursportspageonline.com
For more on Floor Hockey or any other sports such as baseball, bowling, fishing, basketball, running and much more visit us today!

Managing change begins with understanding that many of our expectations in life will go unfulfilled. In other words, in any given place, on any given day, at any given time, unexpected life change can blow up in our face, leaving us feeling lost, confused, and angry because things didnt go according to plan. Suddenly, we arent furthering anything in our life that we value or cherish. Its not the challenge or life change that kills our progress and causes suffering its our reaction to it, and wed better know the difference.

I learned the difference while working in the explosives business. I was involved in a wildlife project, creating lakes by blasting huge craters into the marsh. As the lead man on the job, I continuously reminded everyone what to do if we were faced with the challenge of being caught in the path of flying debris. The instructions were simple: Dont run. People have been killed while running away because they get hit from behind by debris they never saw coming. Lets stay alert and stay alive!

One particular day, in the instant I pushed the fire button on the blasting machine I immediately knew we were in deep trouble. The marsh shot up and toward us like a giant wall of mud, stumps and trees.

My instant reaction was to run. In fact, I turned and instantly broke into a full stride! Moments later, debris was hitting the ground around me. Unable to dodge what I couldnt see, I stopped and turned around to avoid being hit. Fortunately when the dust settled, I was still alive, and able to take away a valuable insight about change management during times of challenge and sudden, difficult, unpleasant adversity.

Even though I repeatedly said, Dont run. Stay alert and stay alive, my reaction to the blast was to run. Even though my desire was to stay alive, my reaction was leading me to certain death. In the same moment I wanted one thingI was sabotaging my success and creating just the opposite.

Although you may not deal with the challenge of explosions and flying stumps and debris, you likely have your share of adversity and setbacks from time to time at work, home, and in your relationships.

Being your best in the midst of unpleasant life change, requires that you be aware of and accept responsibility for your sabotaging reactions, so you can choose more productive responses going forward.

Although my reaction of running was understandable, thats not the issue here. The issue isnt Are our reactions to challenges and adversity understandable? The most pressing issue is, Do our understandable reactionscreate desired outcomes?

When that answer is No, we can choose a more life-giving change management response to our life challenge. In my case, in the instant I stopped running and turned around to dodge the debris, I went from reacting to my life challengeto responding to it. I went from being completely out of control of my destinyto much more in control of it. As a result, I got more of what I desire and value staying alive!

What challenges have you been dealing with lately? How have you been reacting to adversity? Are any of your reactions understandable, but also unproductive? Do your reactions ever take you farther away from what you desire, value, and cherish? Are you unknowingly sabotaging yourself, your life, work, relationships, health, finances, or future? How could you find out? Who could you ask? From whom could you get feedback that you trust and respect? What could you do to make a turn-around?

In the spirit of creating a life you love with change management, unless you look for self-sabotaging patterns during times of unexpected adversity, youll never be able to find them to make an adjustment.

Copyright 2007

This article content is from Bill Dyer's Award-Winning Book,
How To Bounce Back And Be Happy When Life Blows You Down.
The award-winning book is available at: http://www.bouncebackandbehappy.com

FREE info on "257 Ways To Appreciate This Moment And Create A Life You Love", is also available at the above website by scrolling down to the Time-Out box.

Bill Dyer
Professional Speaker/Award-Winning Author
http://www.billdyer.com
336-379-0777