As a father of four, I would love to own a 2010 Nissan Armada.  They look great, and I love the idea of having a brand new vehicle, though my wallet hates it.  I won't ever be able to afford this vehicle, but maybe you can.  I may pick up the 2010 in 2025 when I can handle the sticker.  The Nissan Armada features towing and hauling ability, a powerful standard V8, a long driving range, and a long list of standard luxury and convenience features.  Enjoy the video!

 

Check out this article for getting great deals on last year's models. 

In keeping with the last post, and for your enjoyment, read here for an interesting article on the anatomy of a monster truck. 

Recently a friend and I took our boys to see a monster truck rally.  I went with expectations stemming from my naive experiences with monster trucks as a child.  I left with my entire worldview shattered.  It was a bit like returning to your elementary school and being shocked by how small it is.  Here are some observations:

1.  The Arena: The arena was about the size of a high school gym (see picture), and 8 monster trucks were crammed in there.  Have you ever seen teenagers playing on a kids playground at the mall?  Its pretty awkward isn't it?  That is exactly how I would describe the setting.  There was hardly any room for the trucks to manouver. I realized then that the arena was small because the market is small.  There are only so many males out there with 5 year old sons.  

2.  The Return of Big Foot: I'm not sure where he went, but this event supposedly marked Big Foot's return to the circuit.  Big Foot (the truck) has an almost mythical quality in the mind of every American male.  It seemed that the entire event was rigged to perpetuate this very idea.  Big Foot won the awkward 20 yard dash over 4 cars, and the driver gave a rehearsed speech talking about how well all the trucks were running and how privileged he was to be among all of the great drivers out there.  He also had a power mullet.  Of course he did!  

3.  Exhibition: For some naive reason I thought that monster truck racing was like NASCAR, with standings and points and so on.  I'm not sure why I thought this.  As it turns out, it appears to be nothing more than Harlam Globetrotters in huge, loud trucks.  An exhibition if you will.  That's okay of course, but I felt like I'd discovered that Santa Claus didn't really exist, all over again.  These guys are just trying to make a buck!  Again, nothing wrong with that.  It was just a jarring discovery for some reason.  

4.  Marketing: While I was disappointed, I came to the shocking realization that I am now 32 years old, and that while some appeal to watching alcholol fueled trucks run over unsuspecting cars remains, I am not the demographic they are marketing to.  My son absolutely loved it.  He loved the fire coming out from the exhaust.  He loved that he had to wear ear muffs to pretect his ears.  He loved that one of the trucks blew out a tire when he almost flipped over.  He loved the crushing of the 1992 Isuzu Rodeo.  He loved talking about the possibility of machine gun mounted monster trucks when we got home. They hit their mark with my boy, and if he is happy, (most of the time) I'm happy.  

All in all it was a good time.  If you get a chance to take your kid to a monster truck rally, and you have the means, it will be a memorable experience.  Just don't go with any naive assumptions like I did.  Remember you are not 5 years old anymore.  Your kid is.  Big Foot, like the mythical creature, is a name and a legend.  That is all your kid really cares about anyways.  He doesn't care about points, standings, and so on.  He wants action, and that is what he will get.  

Did you know that when electric cars become available to the public, that you will only own the car, and not the battery?  Read about it here.  What do you think about not owning your ENTIRE vehicle?  

There was a time when I made fun of people who drove minivans.  I would call the women "soccer moms" and considered the men, well, less than manly.  All of that changed when we started having children.  Putting a child in a car is like getting shot in the knee.  At some point, for the sake of sanity, it is necessary to trade convenience for cool.  This is where the minivan comes in.  They aren't cool.  They just work.  Even better...they are for the most part very affordable and very safe.  

I introduce to you the Dodge Caravan, our very first minivan, a fine vehicle that served us well for years.  

Black Friday is the time of year for amazing deals in the area of electronics and other consumer goods.  But did you know that this was also true of automobiles?  Check out this article.  I realize that black Friday has passed, but you still might find some great deals out there.