|uly 16. 2008
Page A9
]Porfland GL s e r v e r Auf© R evuew
News and reviews on new motor vehicles
2008 BMW 128i
Convertible
Droppin’ the
Top and Soakin’
Up the Sun
K athleen C arr
Ah, sum m er tim e to drop the top
and soak up some sun. If you’re
looking tojoin the convertible club,
BMW has added a model to the mix
with its I Series, w hich is new to the
U.S. for 2 0 0 8 .1 tested a 128i con­
vertible with the 230-horsepow er
inline-six-cylinder engine.
The 128i is everything you'd ex­
pect from BMW. It offers a robust
engine, engaging rear-w heel-drive
dynamics and com municative steer­
ing. It also com ports itself well as a
convertible (a coupe version o f the
I Series is also offered). W hat's
b o u n d to m ak e b u y e rs g a sp ,
though, is the price tag for this pint-
sized ragtop, w hich can reach
$40,000 easily once som e basic
options are added.
The 1 Series convertible has a
standard pow er-operated cloth top,
as opposed to a pow er-retractable
hardtop I i ke the B M W 3 Series con­
vertible. O ne o f the advantages of
a retractable hardtop is that it lets
the convertible keep the sleek lines
o f its coupe counterpart. As you
might expect in a convertible, rear
and over-right-shoulder visibility
with the top up isn't as good as it is
by
R unning O ur
N ation Into
the G round
con tin u ed
fro m A 4
Bush, a self-styled war president,
‘the normalization o f w ar’ was thus
established."
W hat’s more,Carroll writes, un­
d er form er D efense S ecretary
Donald Rum sfeld, the Pentagon
in 2002 em barked "on the stun­
ning project o f developing a new
generation o f nuclear w eapons in­
cluding a burrow ing device de­
signed to go after underground
targets and ‘m ini-nukes’ to be used
in concert with a conventional
attack.”
T he effect o f all this, C arroll
w rites, "is to leg itim ize nuclear-
b ased p o w er p o litic s , g iv in g
o th e r n atio n s, frien d and foe .
alik e, co m pelling reaso n s to a c ­
q u ire a nuclear ca p ac ity , if only
for d eterren ce, and prom pting
them to behave in sim ilar w ays."
C arro ll says the U .S. return to
n u c le a r d e v e lo p m e n t w as to
sp u r Iran and N orth K orea to
b ecom e n u clear-cap ab le and to
m ake states that ren o u n ced the
ato m — such as B razil, E gypt.
South A f r ic a - - rethink that d e ­
cision.
M eanw hile, Carroll says, Rus­
sia, China, Israel, India and Paki­
stan “are all furiously adding to
their nuclear arsenals" and "The
Pentagon has becom e the engine
o f proliferation."
If the public hasn’t figured it out
yet. the United States of America
cannot go on this way forever, !
spending nearly half o f every tax
dollar on war. It is being run by a
criminal enterprise, just as surely as
if some family of M afia gangsters
occupied the W hite House and ;
decided to loot the world.
The Bush regim e is in Iraq to
steal oil, to sw indle taxpayers, to
give lucrative defense contracts
to its friends, to fleece m otorists,
to explode radioactive am m uni­
tion, to test new w eapons, and to
intim idate the world.
And the tyrannosaurus Rex in j
the family room sm ashing ourdo-
m estic tranquility is the military
in d u strial co m p lex . P resid en t
Eisenhow er had the guts to warn
us o f it. Sen M cCain is a traveling
salesm an for it. And Sen. Obam a,
w ho seem ed to be the last best
hope for checkm ating it, appears
in his July 3 call forexpandingthe
m ilitary, to have sold out to it. j
W hat now, peace-lovers'.’#
Sherwood Ross is a Miami-
bused writer formerly employed
as a reporter at the ( 'hieago Daily
News.
Specifications: 3.0-Liter DOHC, 230-hp @ 2 00 Ib-ft. torque, 24-Valve Inline 6-Cylinder engine: 6-Speed manual transmission; 18-City
28-Highway MPG: $41,950. MSRP
in the coupe, but it's not terrible,
either.
If you're looking at the 1 Series
convertible prim arily as a car for
Sunday drives, the 230-hp, 3.0-liter
inline-six-cylinderengine in the 128i
should provide m ore than enough
thrust. The inline design o f the
engine yields im pressive sm ooth­
ness, and the engine also provides
quite a bit o f low -end pow er that's
appreciated in city driving.
I'm not a huge fan o f BM W 's
e x tra -ta ll m anu al tran sm issio n
shifters, but I'd definitely favor the
greater control and slick overall
operation o f the standard six-speed
manual to the autom atic. You also
pay a small highway gas mileage
penalty with the autom atic; it gets
18/27 mpg city/highw ay, compared
to 18/28 mpg for the manual 128i.
BMW recom m ends prem ium gas.
B M Ws are known for exceptional
handling, and the 1 Series contin­
ues that legacy. The rear-wheel-
drive 128i rewards the driver with
nicely balanced cornering perfor­
m ance and a chassis that's entirely
com fortable pow ering out o f a turn.
Contributing to the sporty driv­
ing experience is the steering sys­
tem. which offers good feedback
and requires a little m uscle to steer
thecar. Som e people might not like
the extra effort needed to turn the
F or Y our H ealth
L arry L ucas
Sum m er is a sea­
son o f celebrations.
G raduations, family
reunions and h o li­
days provide oppor­
tunities for catching
up with friends and
lo v e d o n e s . F o r
many, these special
occasions also m ean parties filled
with lots o f delicious, yet high-
calorie, food. But with the National
Institutes o f Health reporting that
more than half o f all African Ameri-
by
readily available to treat a
w hole host o f diseases, in­
cluding many that are linked
to obesity, such as type 2 dia­
betes. But prescription m edi­
cines are not the solution to
the obesity crisis - lifestyle
changes are.
In fact, being overw eight
can impact the effectiveness
o f y o u rm ed icin es. A recent study
by W ake Forest U niversity found
that participants who were obese
had h ig h er blood pressure and
blood sugar levels and m ore abrior-
wheel — it's not one o f those steer­
ing wheels you can easily spin with
a fin g er— but I like this setup, and
I imagine the enthusiasts that BMW
caters to will like it as well.A big
concern with convertibles in gen ­
eral is structural rigidity, which is
com prom ised when you remove the
roof. In the 128i convertible, though,
there's no noticeable flex in the
body, and the convertible's w ind­
shield pillars only shake slightly
when you hit a large bum p in the
road.
The 128 i convertible 1 tested fea­
tured the $1.300 Sport Package,
which features 17-inch wheels shod
with perform ance tires, sport seats,
D on’t Let Summer Sabotage Your Health
For exam ple, w hile it’s w onder­
ful to say y o u 're going to “eat
healthier," a better goal would be to
“eat five servings o f fruits or veg­
etables five days a w eek." This
holds you to a clear standard, but is
also flexible.
For our kids, sum m er vacation is
a particularly important time to rein­
force good eating and exercise hab­
its.
A study published by the A m eri­
mal cholesterol profiles than did
norm al-w eight participants, even
though the form er group took more
m edications for these conditions
that are com m on heart disease risk
factors.
I know w hat y o u ’re thinking:
"Som e people ju st aren’t built to be
tall and thin," or, " I ’m big boned!"
Yes, genetics play a part. But it's
the things we can control - like diet
and exercise habits - that primarily
contribute to obesity. T o start rein­
ing in yourdiet and kicking up your
exercise, it’s important toestablish
goals that are m easurable, specific
and attainable.
can Journal o f Public Health found - indulging in a piece o f cake at
that one m easure o f obesity rose your daughter’s graduation party
more than twice as fast when kin­ is okay! W hat is im portant is to
dergarten and first-grade students exercise more often than not, and to
wereon summer vacation than when fill most o f your diet with fruits and
they were in school. D on't let these vegetables, w hole grains and lean
be the lazy days o f sum m er - try meats. These changes w o n ’t just
taking them to the park instead of help you look better - y o u 'll feel
play ing video games, and give them better too.
Larry Lucas is a vice president
water instead o f soft drinks.
M anaging your weight this sum ­ fo r Pharmaceutical Research and
mer isn’t about depriving yourself Manufacturers o f America.
____________THE____________
SPINACOUJMN
Being overweight isn’t
just about vanity - it’s
staying alive.
can adults are overw eight o r obese,
we need to learn how to celebrate
without a side o f sweet potato pie.
B eing o v erw eig h t is n 't ju st
about vanity - it’s staying alive.
O besity steals years, and in some
cases whole decades, from your
life. A ccording to the NIH, young
African A m erican men w ho are
obese lose up to 20 years o f life;
African A m erican women, up to 5.
W hen you think o f it that way, it’s
a lot easier to say no to the hot dogs
and yes to lean m eats like chicken
at the next cookout!
W e’re lucky to live in an age
w hen innovative m edicines are
a sport suspension and different
trim. Even with this package the
ride was tolerable on rougher pave­
ment. W ith the top up, the cabin is
well-isolated from its surroundings,
but with the top down at 60 mph it's
a little windy in the driver's seat.
Simple elegance is the name o f
the gam e with BM W 's interiors,
which have a modernity to them
that isn't found in all luxury cars.
The 128i convertible's cabin is a
good exam ple of this design con­
cept, as it features mostly plain
surfaces splashed w ith upscale
accents, like gray poplar wood trim.
The 128i convertible is a fairly
small car, but there's enough room
in the front seats for taller people to
get com fortable, and headroom
with the top up is good. Leather
seats are optional, and the sport
buckets provide com fortable cush­
ioning and have side bolsters that
grip the sides o f your torso, which
is ap p re cia ted w hen co rn erin g
quickly.
T he co u p e has six stan d ard
airb a g s, in c lu d in g sid e -im p ac t
airbags for the front seats and side
curtain airbags. An electronic sta­
bility system and antilock brakes
are also standard. The convertible
loses the side curtain airbags, but
keeps the side-im pact airbags and
features popup roll bars.
T he 1 S eries a lso c o m e s w ith a
full co m p lem en t o f tech n o lo g y :
B luetooth for the phone, USB
co nnection for the iPod and S irius
satellite radio, HD rad io and a
prem ium sound system for the
audiophile.
W hether due to higher gas prices
or an iffy econom y, many car buy­
ers are considering sm aller, less
expensive alternatives to what they
might have purchased ju st a few
years ago.
Despite the other m odels in its
price range, the 128i convertible
still seem s like a lot o f m oney for
such a small car. C onvertibles are
often play cars, though, where price
matters less than it w ould in an­
other segment. If that's what your
convertible will be, then the driver's
seat o f a 128i droptop seems like a
great place to pass the spring and
sum m er months.
An ongoing senes of questions and answers about Americas natural healing profession
Dr. Billy R. Flowers
Part 25. Chiropractic and Fitness:
The way to wellness in the eighties
: I continue to hear that diet well as alcohol. Get plenty o f exer­ entire chem istry. Finally, always
and exercising are helpful cise. For most people it only takes keep a healthy nervous system.
an hour or so a week to stay fit. C hiropractic is especially suited
in m aintaining a strong body. But
w here do I begin? There is so W alking at a brisk pace with g<x>d for understanding the effect o f
much literature and when I ask my arm swing isexcellent. Rest is para­ stress on the nervous system and
doctor he seem s unconcerned. mount. Everyone feels better after how to elim inate it. Total fitness
a good nights sleep. In C hiroprac­ can be only a cal I away and worth
How can I get started?
: A good way to begin is with tic, w e wi II often recommend relax­ so much more than just another
the basics. Since 1895 C h i­ ation exercises as well. Have a jo y ­ pain prescription. Isn't it tim e you
ropractic has been the leader ful
in spirit. Scientists know now that stepped up to safe effective C h i­
our
attitudes actually affect our ropractic?
teaching the basics o f health to
our society. G ood health must
include proper nutrition. A gen­
eral rule o f thum b is that foods
2124 N.E. Hancock Street, Portland Oregon 97212
high in fiber are best for you. Limit
P h o n e : ( 5 0 3 ) 2 8 7 -5 5 0 4
your meats and refined foods as
Q
A
Flowers' Chiropractic Office
Stay In Touch with Your Health
Saturday, August 2,2008
8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
A Day of Wellness for Women of Color
Join us for a m orning of educational talks by
trusted health professionals, with screening
tests, information, tasty healthful eats and fun
activities related to your well-being!
Hormone Therapy and Menopause
• I leart 1 lealth - blrxrd pressure, body tat
measurement, cholesterol testing, bhxxl
sugar analysis
8:30 a.m.
Presented by Dr. Linda Mixire, OB-GYN
• Stroke Screening
assessment
Keeping a Healthy Colon
• Colonvtal Screening - take home kits to test
for blrxxJ in stool
9:30 am .
Presented by Dr. Angela Iewis-Traylor, surgeon
Cancer Risk Reduction: Screening, Lifestyle
and Nutrition
10:30 am
Presented by Dr. Nathalie Johnson, surgeon, and
Marti Reed, RD, I D, dietitian
Legacy Cancer Services
FREE!!
REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
Call 503-335 3500 to register.
For m ore inform ation, call
503 413 7284.
with stroke risk mini-
Information and activities related to a variety
of health topics and com m unity resources
will be offered, including breast health, can­
cer prevention, chair massage and exercise*.
Participants include the African American
Health L oalltion, Susan G. Komen for the
Cure, the Breast & Cervical Cancer Program
and the American Cancer Scx’iety.
I egacy Health System, a n o n profit orqanizatton, includes F manuel Hospital A Health Center, F manuel ( hi Wren's Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital A M edwal C
M ount Hood Medical ( enter, Salmon Creek Hospital I egacy Climes and C areMark, Managed Healthcare Northwest PPO
2008 CHF 0 0 Î9
I
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church
Family Living Center
8725 N. Chautauqua Boulevard
Portland, OR
The following screenings and blood tests
will be offered:
www.legacyhealth.org
Funded by the
Good Samaritan Foundation
r, Meridian Park Hospital,
Legacy Cancer
Services
LEGACY
Hr Tilth