Such incremental pickup hasn't gotten the Outdoor Channel near the distribution of its closest rival, Comcast's Outdoor Life Network, which is available in 41 million homes.

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The results, published this year in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, didn't bode well for pickup line devotees.

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Last week, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy expanded at a 1.5% annual rate in the second quarter, and private economists don't predict much of a pickup in the third quarter.

WSJ: Economy Adds 163,000 Jobs but Unemployment Rate Ticks Up

So if they don't work, what do we do with all these terrible pickup lines?

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They will have big but relatively fuel-efficient engines that can shut off cylinders when not needed. (Ford and Toyota engines don't do this.) They will also have lavish new interiors and safety features not normally found in pickup trucks, like side curtain air bags.

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