Meet the newest member...

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of the family...an inferno red crystal pearl pickup truck named Brian. I've just brought him home from the dealership with a whopping 47 miles on him. I'll post some pics and his stats up as soon as I get the chance, but for now he and I have some male bonding to do on the open road. ;)

The Hunt is On!

So now that Justin is gone, it's time to begin searching for a suitable replacement. I had toyed with the idea a few months back of going toward a smaller vehicle...specifically a Toyota Prius for fuel economy. Justin was beautiful and powerful, but that power came at a price. There's no denying Justin was pricey at the pumps, but Justin was also something else that a Prius would not be...big...and safe. After getting rear-ended at what appears to be 40-45mph, there's no denying that had I been in a smaller vehicle, I would have suffered much more severe injuries than the ones I received. So after all that hunting for a smaller, more economical vehicle, I think I've decided to get another Dodge Dakota. The more than 115,000 miles of safety, power, and quality that didn't need a single major repair means a lot.

In Memoriam - Justin - 2001-2005

Well, it's official. Justin has officially been totalled out by the insurance company. We've come to a settlement and I'm signing the papers tomorrow morning to finalize the transfer of ownership to the insurance company. They had already reached $14,000 in total repairs for just the exterior appearance body work....they hadn't even started on the inside mechanical problems that were sure to be there. Luckily the settlement is enough to almost completely payoff Justin's loan, so that's one good thing. But after over 115,000 miles and 4 years of fun, Justin is no more. I fully expected to drive that truck another couple years, but I guess it was just not meant to be.

Parallels

Movie:
Democratically Elected Chancellor of a Republic fabricates his own war to gain Emergency Powers in the name of peace and security. Chancellor eventually dissolves Senate and transforms the democratic republic into a Galactice Empire with himself as it's oppressive leader for life.

Real Life:
Democratically Elected President of a Republic fabricates his own war and claims, through prior legislative approval, to have broad reaching powers to preserve Peace and Security. ...Can you guess what's going to happen next?