If you think about going back to Chicago in the near-ish future, you better be prepared to be hit by a whole lot bigger Taxi as the truck of the year – Ford Transit - has high hopes to make a debut as a Taxi within the next couple of years.
Begs the question, is this a cab or a limo?
The Transit Connect Taxi goes into production this year and will available as a 2011 model.
Danke Schoen!
Thank you everyone who has helped Karen & I apply to be Ford Fiesta agents for the #fiestamovement. We have not heard anything yet, but according to www.FiestaMovement.com, February 22 will be a big day.
Either way, THANK YOU! Thanks to those who helped our #fiestamovement campaign and extra thanks for those of you who I do not know but are helping us out anyways! I was completely left in awe and shock of the overwhelming support from people I do not know. Also, what’s up with you people enjoying the part where Karen punched me?
That being said, I want to offer you something. I want YOU to give me challenges. 20 challenges to be exact (because there will be 20 Fiesta teams). Remember how Liz & I did the blogger scavenger hunt? Give me a list of 20 things that I have to find in Chicago.
The Rules:
Now to up the stakes, if Karen & I are chosen to be Fiesta agents, then we’ll up the mileage to 100-150 miles.
If anyone is extra motivated, we can raise all stakes by making it into a social media game. I won’t know what my next clue will be until I find the current. The catch, the clues are all delivered to me via social media. Each person will be in charge of a clue. Once I find it, I will contact the person in charge who will direct me to the next clue. Are you up for it?
It may be a little ambitious, but hey, I’m game. So leave a comment below what you want for me to find for you in Chicago.
And once again, thank you.
Today’s post is the first of many for my List of Retro Retailer’s. What is a Retro Retailer? A “Retro Retailer” is either an online store or actual store that sells vintage, retro, dated, evocative, in period style, nostalgic, old world, old-fashioned, out-of-date, passe, or period specific merchandise that is either new, original, or old. If you are looking for retro items to spice up your kitchen, office, or wardrobe, this list will help you in finding the item you are looking for and also few items you can’t live without. (if you have any stores you want to recommend please contact me and let me know you can email me here)
Retro Retailer #1The First store on my list is a little store called “8Ball“.
8ball is located in the city of Burbank also known as, “The Media Capital of the World”. They have a store front that is located at:
3806 West Magnolia Boulevard
Burbank, California 91505
They are open:
Mon – Fri: 11am – 7pm
Sat: 11am – 6pm
Sun: noon – 5pm
They have a little of everything. They have clothing, items for the kitchen, for the bar, for the bath, for the bedroom, for the living room, for the Office, magnets, Picture Frames/Mirrors, Tiki decor, Hula and Hawaiiana, For the Garden, Lamps and Lighting, and much much more. They have some really awesome items. I am planning to purchase these items my next pay check or maybe when my tax return comes in.
First Item is a set of bar glasses with retro patterns on them:
The description reads: Give your drinks a fifties kick with the retro-inspired Boomerang Glass Set. Each set comes with 4 colorful glasses–blue, green, pink, and red–that hold 13 ounces of your favorite beverage. Maybe a milkshake or a Grape Nihi? The Retro Boomerang Glass Set comes attractively boxed for gift giving–or receiving!
The second item I want to buy is the Classic bottle opener:
The description reads: This classic wall-mounted metal bottle opener evokes instant thoughts of cold beers and soda pops. A must-have for any bar or kitchen! The Classic Metal Opener measures 3″ in width and has enameled lettering.
The final item I plan to get are these awesome Tiki Salt and pepper shakers:
The description reads: Meet Pa’akai (salt) and Nioi (pepper), two quirky tikis that will add a dash of character–and flavor!–to your decor. The 4″ tall ceramic shakers are designed by renowned artist Shag, and the attractive display box is decorated with his signature artwork.
So please drop by their website (http://8ballwebstore.com) or their store (address listed above) and take a peek at all the awesome retro items that make them eligible to be a “Retro Retailer”. Once I buy from them I will do a full review of my experience with them.
Thanks for reading,
Skrach
There was a time when the Ford F-150 was the king of the road. In fact, the Ford F-Series nameplate ranks number 2 on the all-time best-selling automobiles list, just behind the Toyota Corolla. Although sales have flagged lately, it has more to do with the high-price of gas than any quality issues. These trucks are built Ford Tough, and they certainly live up to that namesake.
If you’re interested in making even bolder moves in your F-150, you need to scrap your restrictive stock air box and upgrade with a high-flow Volant cold air intake. Check out these 2 options for eleventh-generation trucks:
Volant part 19754—Fits the 2004 (New body style) – 2008 Ford F-150 with the 5.4L V8
First and foremost, Volant part 19754 is fully custom engineered for a flawless fit under your hood. Not only do you get a smooth-flow intake tube, but you also get a fresh air box with Volant’s signature polished aluminum lid. All of the clamps are made from marine-grade stainless steel, and the cotton gauze Volant Pro 5 Filter strips out impurities without restricting airflow.
Volant part 197546—Fits the 2004 (New body style) – 2008 Ford F-150 with the 5.4L V8
The only difference between Volant part 197546 and Volant part 19754 is the air filter. With Volant part 197546, you get the cutting-edge PowerCore air filter, a high-flow, low-maintenance upgrade over the classic Pro 5 Filter.
Curious about how this Volant CAI will look under your hood? Check it out:
Finding something worthwhile from Jada Toys is a hit and miss adventure. Their Battle Machines line is mediocre at best there is one or two pieces that are cool. And those I grab.
Their recent assortment of 1:24 diecast cars floated a 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept. This car was badass in The Transformers 2 movie and I have waited for it since Jada announced they had the rights to the diecast versions. I finally came across one in the store and bought it.
Ford’s been pretty impressive considering what’s been going on in the last 12 months. Ford’s turned out to be the last American automaker standing with no government support with impressive car sales to boot.
Then, I saw this and started to wonder if I should worry about Ford’s long term outlook (disclosure: I do not own the stock). The entire sales increase came from fleet orders and with retail sales actually seeing a 5% decrease from a year ago.
The highlights were much more revealing. Ford and Lincoln saw the biggest increases in sales, while the Mercury brand only saw a 6% increase in sales. Also not sure how true this is, but Ford claims that the projected resale value of its vehicles increased by $1,300. That’s a good positive to go by.
Tylenol recall because of poison pills. 7 Dead. (old news)
Ford Pinto/Pento explodes when hit in the back because a pin punctures gas tank, causing explosions. (old news)
Toyota finally has a solution to the cruise control/braking problems! www.Cars.com (NEWS UPDATE)
Starbucks CEO, Howard Shultz, found his importing opportunity in Italy. He transformed a coffee shop in Seattle to mimic the European cafes. (old news)
Micron got dumped by South Korean company’s microchips. A company from South Korea brought microchips to the US & sold their products for less than it cost them to make them in an attempt to put Micron out of business. Micron sued, won some lawsuits, and in the end, Micron merged with the other company. (old news)
McDonald’s franchises – Did you know the McDonalds in Germany serve beer with their burgers?
Photocopy joint venture. Hewlett Packard invented the laser printer. They started a joint venture with Canon to produce the copier. Canon made the equipment for the product. HP made the intelligence/software for the printers. (old news)
First color laser printer to come out was not a Canon. Caused problems with the joint venture between Canon & HP. (old news)
Bribery is illegal in the United States, but some countries expect bribery in business transactions.
Political disagreements can lead to embargos, like the U.S. embargo against Cuba. Their government controls everything, so the U.S. embargoed against them in an attempt to collapse Cuba’s economy and force a rebirth of their economy. (old news)
