Category Archives: Wheels or Wings

Get Your Car Loan Before Car Shopping

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Eventually the only cure for a bucket of bolts is to retire the old Nelly and get a new car. The problem with getting a new car is figuring out how to pay for it. After all these years, I have figured out some of the better ways to do that.

When I have a good idea what type of vehicle I want to get and what the ballpark purchase price might be, I shop around for the car loan before I ever step foot on the dealer’s lot. It strengthens your negotiating position to have your financing arranged before haggling with the dealership. I used to go to my bank and the big finance companies to shop for a new car loan, but they have gotten harder and harder to deal with over the years.

Put it in a Box

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The first time I confronted the very idea of Shipping Containers was when I went to Bermuda and the taxi driver was telling me about how everything has to be shipped to the island in containers, therefore all supplies had to be ordered in advance and scheduled for shipping to maximize the efficiency of the cost and logistics involved in container shipping.

I had never thought of that, but of course it makes perfect sense. Such a different way of life for us spoiled Americans who can just run out to the mall or pick up the phone and have anything we want within minutes, hours, or at the most, a day of our first desire.

Once my curiosity was raised, I learned quite a bit about shipping containers and I’ve noticed them in my other travels when I’m in a port city. There are several different types, included refrigerated, insulated, open tops, and more. And then there are specialty containers, like the ones made specially for use in the Antarctic where the University of Wales is building an observatory. These specially insulated containers were custom made in Australia and then it still took over two months to get them delivered to the Antarctic site. Interesting project!

Cobalt Commercial

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Funny commercial on the History Channel tonight was for the new Chevy Cobalt. The scene starts with a car parked at the gas pump. The pump hose disengages itself, reaches down and deflates the rear tire of the car. Then the words, “Gas Pumps Hate Us” show on the screen. The car’s owner comes out of the convenience store with chips and drink and goe sto get into his car when he notices the flat tire. Then the words “Chevy Cobalt . . 36 MPG” come on the screen.

Makes you stop and think, could I downsize to a Cobalt for the sake of the better MPGs?

Ice Road Truckers

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Tried to get all the honey-do chores done today in time to catch the “Ice Road Truckers” on the History Channel tonight. At 7:00 is a re-broadcast of last week’s season premiere, and then at 8:00 is the new show of the series.

I’m totally hooked on this show. I am fascinated that these men take their lives in their hands to drive trucks over the frozen rivers and frozen ocean in the Arctic. They are modern cowboys with true grit.

Road Rage Linked to Bumper Stickers

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Read a cool article in the Washington Post yesterday about a study that has linked drivers that have a problem with road rage to their use of bumper stickers on their cars.

A recent study by Colorado State University social psychologist William Szlemko concluded that:

Drivers of cars with bumper stickers, window decals, personalized license plates and other “territorial markers” not only get mad when someone cuts into their lane or is slow to respond to a traffic light, they also are far more likely than others to use their vehicles to express rage —by honking, tailgating and other aggressive behavior.

And you may be interested to know that I do not have any bumper stickers on any of my cars. I think they look trashy. But I have seen a few that made me laugh. Last week I saw this one on an old Humpty:


“If you are going to ride my ass . . .
. . . at least pull my hair.”