Man buys truck with change, LOTS of change

Posted Aug 14th 2008 10:29AM by Dan Roth
Filed under: Car Buying, Trucks/Pickups, Etc., Chevrolet

I once bought an ice cream cone with two fistfuls of pennies. It did not make me popular on that busy summer’s day many years ago, but I got my sugar cone with a scoop of Black Raspberry. A 70-year-old Ohio man recently bellied up to the bar at his local Chevrolet dealer and allowed them to count $8,000 worth of coins as a down payment for a new Silverado. James Jones was badly injured by his last truck, a 1981 Chevy that ran him over when the parking brake failed, so it was time to put the old girl out to pasture. After the dealership spent an hour and a half counting through the various coinage in the 16 coffee cans that Jones presented, he got his truck. The full price of the truck was closer to $16,000, which he and his wife wrote a check to cover the rest. You see, Jones explains that he just doesn’t like banks, and wisely realizes that paper money will burn, so he kept his savings in coins all this time. When he says he bought his truck for pennies, he really means it.

Just thought I would throw that out there!  I’ll have a full update with pics later on.  For now, here is a link to the Flickr NIN pics that Alicia sent me this morning from the concert we (Josh, Alicia, Jason and myself) went to last night in Duluth, GA at the Gwinnett Arena.

Photo: Special to The Times
A 40-by-60-foot banner of the Bear Bryant postage stamp hangs on the University of Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum, facing the Bear Bryant Museum, in 1997. The Hardin Center has organized an event using the giant banner as a slip and slide.

The Great Bear Bryant Slip and Slide. Now there are two terms you never thought you’d hear together.

Bear Bryant: Legendary football coach for the University of Alabama.

Slip and Slide: The summertime backyard fun water slide.

So what’s the deal?

To get ready for the ongoing “Art of Competition” sports exhibit, the staff members at the Hardin Center in Gadsden spent a great deal of time exploring the warehouse at the Bear Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa.

They found many treasures to bring back for the exhibit. And during their visits they often climbed over a crate to reach the other items. Until one day they stopped to find out what was in the crate.

Back in 1997, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled the Bear Bryant stamp as part of the Legendary Football Coaches Commemorative postage stamp series.

The artwork was painted by Daniel A. Moore. As part of the celebration, the Bear Bryant Museum produced a massive 40-by-60-foot banner replica of the stamp that was hung on the University of Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum to face the museum. After the event, the banner was crated and stored in the warehouse.

Not knowing exactly how to incorporate the giant banner into the sports exhibit, the staff at the center brought the banner back to Gadsden. The first thought was to hang it from the building, but it was too large. Later the conversation turned to the comical as someone suggested it would make an awesome, oversize slip-and-slide. The conversation continued, and the fantasy eventually became reality.

Saturday and Sunday, area kids and kids-at-heart adults are invited to come out and take a slide. With assistance from the city of Gadsden, the 300-pound banner will be set up on the grassy area next to Convention Hall.

Those who have visited the sports exhibit since July 15 have been given a ticket to slide. Tickets may be purchased at the slip-and-slide event for $5, and this entitles the bearer to tour the exhibit.

The banner will be moved to the Noojin Building on Walnut Street and will be hung from the eighth floor.

While the event is a little eccentric, the timing is significant. Fifty years ago, in 1958, Alabama was just getting to know its new head coach as he prepared for his first game with the Crimson Tide.

This is when you know times are getting pretty darn hard in this wonderful world of ours:

Mercedes cutting production in Alabama

Posted Jul 25th 2008 5:33PM by Michael Harley
Filed under: SUVs, Trucks/Pickups, Plants/Manufacturing, Mercedes-Benz

As consumer demand for thirsty vehicles continues to wane, Mercedes-Benz is being forced to slow production at the Alabama plant which manufactures their GL- and ML-Class SUVs and the R-Class crossover. Sales of Mercedes domestic trucks fell to 5,090 vehicles in June, representing an 11.9 percent decline from the same period last year. The move marks the first time in more than a decade of U.S. production, that the German automaker has reduced output due to market and economic conditions. The cuts will affect more than 4,000 of the plant’s employees, and unfortunately will trickle-down to hurt the countless other companies who provide just-in-time components to support Mercedes production.

Guess that means no new jobs at Mercedes in T’Town for a good long while.  They will probably end up converting the lines over to smaller car production because two smaller A and B class mercs will be coming out in 2011 in the U.S. because of these astronomical gas prices we are experiencing right now.  Maybe they could even move the C class production here too!  Mine gets around 25-27 MPG City and 30-35 MPG Hwy.

Good thing VW will be building smaller cars at its production facility in Chattanooga, TN!

I had a meeting today in Gadsden with a very nice guy, his wife, and their beautiful baby boy.  As I started to get a handle of their situation and what they wanted to do with the business he just recently started, I noticed he checked on the client intake sheet that he is a Veteran.  I was curious to say the least because he is so young.  By young I mean my age.  He said he just recently got back from Iraq and started his business about two months ago and due to confidentiality and respect he and for my job, I am not allowed to say names, locations, or anything to do with his business.  I was so curious, I asked him questions regarding his service to our country.  He told me he was a Marine.  I asked him what the sitution in Iraq really is and he said it’s nothing like what they tell us here.  I know we all know that is very bad and needs to end.  He told me stuff today that I have never heard before.  I also can’t talk about any of that either.  It just really pisses me off with the situation that we are in with this stupid war.  He also told me that he was one of the first deployed and was in the first wave that went to Iraq when we first invaded them.  I don’t guys, I have never had the opportunity to sit down and talk about Iraq and especially with an actual Soldier of War.  I have a new respect for any person that protects me and the U.S. citizens here and the freedom that we all have.  I also know that I will do everything in my power to help this family out.  Business wise that is and in any capacity that I can.  I don’t know, I’m probaly just rambling with this post but I felt like sharing this experience with you guys.  What we see on TV and what we are told is NOT what is happening over there right now, which is obvious.  When the meeting was over, I proudly shook his hand and told him how greatful I am for what he did and continues to do for our country.

Please everyone check this out and get the word to as many people as possible!

PickensPlan

Thanks!!!

thanks to The Dark Knight at Midnight!  Man I learned this morning that I am not able to do things like I used to do!  Awesome movie though indeed!

*EDIT:  Jason = Bush*

That is how I feel right now.  I’ve started a very rigorous work out routine with Jason and Chad.  It involves lifting weights, running on a daily basis, cardio, and eating the right foods in proper portions.  Starting the 1st week in August, I plan to bike ride the Chief Ladiga Trail at least once a week.  This being the first week of “training” I am extremely sore, tired, and feel like I have been hit by a car.  It’s worth every bit of it though!  I have been out of shape for way to long and I’m trying to get myself back on track.  When I get home from work, it’s workout time.  I usually don’t even have time to watch a 30 minute show anymore either.

I’m stoked about this weekend too!  Saturday, me and Jason are going to the World Deer and Turkey Expo @ the BJCC.