When they initially announced the SS, they basically said "We don't care if this thing sells, we're bringing it here for NASCAR, and it will be priced accordingly."

Ever check the prices on them? Last I'd seen (a couple months ago), a G8 GXP (the only way to get the manual) with 30k miles was still going for close to $40k. I'd thought about that option, but the cost of entry, used, is way too high.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. While I'd love to buy something that shares lineage with a V8 Supercar (even if that's a fully tube-framed car), the price, plus the mundane looks, and the lack of a manual transmission kill this for me. Sure, the Charger R/T skips the manual, as well, but I can get a pretty…

No problem! It's Chris Martin and and Sean Hennessy from Candlebox, along with Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey from Live. Awesome, awesome band, and a great album/live show!

I remember this show. I can't believe it lasted for four seasons.

Yeah, it was great! We used to live outside of Philly, on the Jersey side, and there were constant shows, and it seemed like every summer, Live would come through with Collective Soul. Even better was the year that Live broke up - we were able to see Live and Collective Soul, then Ed Kowalcyzk solo, and about two…

I also went to a Blues Traveler, Live, Collective Soul show, in Philly, a few years ago. I've seen Live about a dozen times, Collective Soul four or five, and BT the one time. They were great!

Yeah, he's been in and out since they started back up in...2007? I saw him with Velvet Revolver in like 2007, then with STP in 2008 (I think) and he was great. A friend saw STP a couple weeks after me, and said Weiland was awful, back to his rock god antics - showing up late, bad tone, shitty performance, etc. I…

You know, I wanted to hate on the Chester/STP collaboration, but this new song freaking rocks. Chester's voice sounds like a cross between Axle Rose (when he didn't suck) and Scott Weiland, at least in this application, and doesn't come across as whiny or emo like it did in Linkin Park. That said, "Trippin' On a…

No, she was retrofitted for Harpoon, Tomahawk, and CIWS in 1984, then utilized during the Gulf War. The amount of fuel it requires is certainly a consideration, but in today's DoD environment, the number of sailors required to man it, coupled with the fact that it doesn't offer accommodation for female sailors, means…

And I'm pretty sure that the Iowas were reactivated and recommissioned between 1982 and 1986, as part of President Reagan's 600-ship Navy plan, NOT because they were to be used during Desert Storm.

Ugh. Eagles fans.

@BlogsofWar is another great source right now.

And? They haven't been activated since, despite the fact that the US has been involved in a war in Eastern Europe, a war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan, plus additional skirmishes all over Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

No, it's not. They've all been struck from the Naval Vessel Register, and donated to private groups. They're not being reactivated.

So, ships that aren't in service, and won't be in service, ever again.

Well, there was a plan back in the 90s to build a ship called 'Arsenal Ship' that would fulfill a similar role, yet with missiles. My step-mother worked the proposal back then, before I started working AEGIS, but basically, the concept was that you'd have a huge missile ship, that was more or less autonomous, that…

The Iowas aren't a bad idea, per se, they're just extremely expensive to operate. Personally, I think it would be a great idea to modernize the 16" guns and their fire control, miniaturize them, automate them, and put them on a smaller platform for Naval Gunfire Support.

Regardless of the need, the Iowas will never be reactivated, simply because their manpower requirements, as well as the cost of operation, is far too high in today's threat environment. If we (the US) have to invade North Korea, for instance, Naval Gunfire Support is going to be something that's needed, but the Navy…

It's not a question of which munition is cheaper, it's a question of the support infrastructure required to launch each round. The Iowas were the largest non-carrier combatants ever built, and their primary purpose was defeating cruisers and other battleships, while their secondary purpose was shore bombardment. As…