Are cars really so necessary?
I've been switching NRW RTCs clubs a few times by car (lifts). For example, it has happened that from Grimberg (Gelsenkirchen) to Venus (Duisburg), about 25 kms, it took some 75 minutes. By public means of transport I may even take less time, anyway not much longer.
Frankfurt-Duisburg by ICE takes 90 minutes. No worries about traffic jams, accidents, fines, parking, etc.
Will Ruble Crash = More Russian girls?
The fluctuations were crazy this past week. One article I read put it in perspective quite well, using a brand new Audi as a frame of reference. In early November one would have needed to convert $52000 USD into rubles to purchase this car at a Moscow dealership. Earlier this week, one only needed to convert $27000 USD into rubles to purchase the same car. Consumer pricing still has to catch up to the currency fluctuation. But next week, the Ruble pricing for most goods will be adjusted and the cost of living for Russians will skyrocket. Reminds you of those stories about how German's in the 1920's needed a wheelbarrow full of currency to purchase a loaf of bread.
Too bad Russia isn't EU or Schengen!!