Month: August 2008

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Interesting Listening

While driving through Chattanooga last week I tried a local radio station with a talk show underway. It was interesting to hear someone besides the big mouths like Rush for a change. This guy, Neal Boortz, was funny, had strong opinions, and made good conversation.

I don’t get his show on any local radio stations. That sucks. Wish I could find a way to listen online – it would be fun to hear a few more of his shows, especially now that the conventions are about to happen and the race for President takes off seriously after Labor Day.

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Love the new Challenger

Read about the return of another muscle car from the past – the Dodge Challenger. The retro craze also has brought us the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro is coming out in 2010. But I love the new Challenger.

The new Challenger has three trim and transmission packages that dramatically affect the price:

  • Challenger SE at $21,995
  • Challenger R/T at $29,995
  • Challenger SRT8 at $39,995

Of course, I go for the most expensive model, and at almost $40 grand this car is worth every dollar. It has the muscle under the hood with 425 horsepower in either an automatic or six-speed transmission, and it most definitely has a dramatic retro styling to make heads turn.

  • The SE model gets 17 mpg in the city and 25 highway.
  • The R/T gets 16 mpg city and 25 highway for both the automatic and manual
  • The SRT8 with the extra horsepower gets 13 mpg city, 19 highway with the automatic, and 14 mpg city, 22 highway with the manual transmission.

I want a red one!

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Dog Days of Summer

Well the heat wave finally hit here. It’s hot. very hot.

Had to go to a funeral yesterday and stand out in the hot sun for about a half hour for the graveside service. It was 110 degrees and no shade trees in the cemetery. It was a typically bleak western cemetery. A lot of dirt and rocks with a few rows of headstones, some dating back to the 1800’s. It was a very sad day and the cemetery was no comfort for the mourners standing there in suits and black dresses.

We could use some rain – everything has turned brown and grey. Even the creeks and ponds have dried up. Good thing August only has 31 days and then we have Labor Day weekend to flag the end of summer.

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Builder of Sand Castles

Read an article on Wiki about sand castles that lead me to “World Grandmaster Sand Sculpting Champion Rich Varano” and his web site.

He’s from Florida, so I’m sure he has a lot more access to sand to practice and ply his trade than most people. Evidently he travels all over the world to compete in sand castle building competitions. The photos on his website are awe inspiring. Check it out for inspiration before you head to the beach this summer. If you need lessons, he gives them!