Now we have gone and done it, new wheels for 2011

Almost three years to the day, and 63,000 miles later, Captain Mike is trading in the present GMC SUV and picking up a new one before Thanksgiving. The new set of wheels will be the longer version of about the same car and will be the black color inside and out. The reason, is to have my unit, as the car salesmen call them, available in either of our two diesel GMC 3500HD units has service problems or any other kind of repair. Robin's truck has turned over 300,000 miles and Jeremy's truck that is much newer, has still racked up over 100,000 miles delivery our magazines in Michigan and Wisconsin.

All this came about when poor Jeremy had to have his truck in for service and they gave him a little loaner car, with which was not fun driving around loaded with magazines. We have truly spoiled our on-the-road crew with good equipment, including XM radio, Onstar and Air Conditioning and Heat. Now when they are forced to drive what I heard called . . . "A piece of shit" I knew that action had to be taken to let this never happen to them again.

They will now be able to use the new unit and I will no doubt get stuck with the piece of shit. However, in my case, I will not really go anywhere and wait for my unit to be returned. At least with this unit exchange, both of them will no doubt try to find things wrong with their trucks so they can use mine. At least in my Lady Robin's case, she loves her old truck and calls it "Big Red" and talks about it as her mobile office with the ever changing view. On the other hand, Jeremy keeps his truck spotless and when mine needs cleaning, I will be looking to try to get him to need it, knowing he will clean it all up, inside and out.

Anyway, thanks to Public Service Garage in Marquette, they keep our equipment running in tip top shape and always find their best piece of shit to give us as a loaner if needed.

Portraits of the Fallen

An artist named Kaziah Hancock paints portraits of fallen soldiers free of charge for their families as part of Project Compassion. Video by KARE 11/ Minneapolis/ St. Paul.

Nasty Cold Thanksgiving Week 2010

State College, Pa. -- 10 November 2010 -- AccuWeather.com reports Thanksgiving week for much of the U.S. is looking ice cold as one or more blasts of air spill southward out of the Arctic.

It appears the frigid air will sweep from the northern Rockies and Plains all the way to the Atlantic Seaboard and into much of the South.

The progressive cold and snow building over the northern Rockies now through the middle of November are only the hors d'oeuvres of what may be a smorgasbord of cold air and wintry conditions starting the weekend before Thanksgiving.

The only places that may be spared the arctic cold at its full extent may be Southern California, the deserts, South Texas and South Florida.

The nasty cold may be preceded by a blizzard from Montana to Colorado during the Friday through Sunday period before Thanksgiving.

It is conceivable the snow could cause major travel disruptions for interstate highways including: 70, 80 and 90 during that weekend.

There is the potential for flight delays at Denver's Stapleton Airport, at least for part of that weekend.

Plunging temperatures from the northern Rockies spreading to the northern and central Plains and into the Midwest could lead to a freeze-up with icy roadway conditions and perhaps delays at other major airport hubs including: Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

The first batch of arctic air would reach the Appalachians and the Atlantic Seaboard during the first part of Thanksgiving week.

Over much of the area from the northern Rockies to the East Coast, the abrupt change to cold weather would be accompanied by gusty winds, making it painful to be outdoors for a length of time.

The magnitude of the cold could be so severe from the northern Rockies to the Upper Midwest that actual temperature readings may plunge below zero, let alone AccuWeather.com RealFeel temperatures.

AccuWeather.com first warned you about the potential for a November arctic blast early this week.

If it is any consolation, it appears at least the cold will have already settled and snow will have departed in the big travel days: Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week.

However, there will still likely be heavy lake-effect snow problems in the traditional areas from New York to Michigan, as well as spotty snow along the Rockies.

Rain and perhaps the associated fog may cause travel delays in part of the South.

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com

Tolerance is a Major Part of Freedom and the American Way

You all know that I am basically a fair minded and tolerant person. Because of that I am truly perplexed that so many of my friends are against a mosque being built near Ground Zero. I think it should be the goal of every American to be tolerant.  The mosque should be allowed, in an effort to promote tolerance.

That is why I also propose , that two nightclubs be opened next door to the mosque thereby promoting tolerance within the mosque. We could call one of the clubs (which would be gay) "The Turban Cowboy" and the other being a topless bar "You Mecca Me Hot".

   

Next door should be a butcher shop that specializes in pork and adjacent to that, have an open barbequed pork rib restaurant, called something like “ Iraq o’ Ribs”? 

  

Across the street there could be a very daring lingerie store called Victoria Keeps Nothing Secret with sexy mannequins in the window modeling the goods.

   

Next door to the lingerie shop, there would be room for an Adult Toy Shop (Koranal Knowledge), its name in flashing neon lights, and on the other side a liquor store, maybe call it "Morehammered"? 

  

Then the Muslims could be allowed to show their tolerance. 

Problem solved