Talk about a road trip! On this day, 100 years ago, Amundsen became the first explorer to reach the South Pole.

Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott.

Amundsen, born in Borge, near Oslo, in 1872, was one of the great figures in polar exploration. In 1897, he was first mate on a Belgian expedition that was the first ever to winter in the Antarctic. In 1903, he guided the 47-ton sloop Gjöa through the Northwest Passage and around the Canadian coast, the first navigator to accomplish the treacherous journey. Amundsen planned to be the first man to the North Pole, and he was about to embark in 1909 when he learned that the American Robert Peary had achieved the feat.

Amundsen completed his preparations and in June 1910 sailed instead for Antarctica, where the English explorer Robert F. Scott was also headed with the aim of reaching the South Pole. In early 1911, Amundsen sailed his ship into Antarctica's Bay of Whales and set up base camp 60 miles closer to the pole than Scott. In October, both explorers set off--Amundsen using sleigh dogs, and Scott employing Siberian motor sledges, Siberian ponies, and dogs. On December 14, 1911, Amundsen's expedition won the race to the Pole and returned safely to base camp in late January.

 

Courtesy of History.com

When it comes to the military, Chevy runs deep.

IN HONOR OF THE TROOPS AND IN CELEBRATION OF THE  ARMY-NAVY GAME PRESENTED BY USAA, WHICH AIRED SATURDAY, CHEVY PROUDLY PRESENTS THE STORY OF THE ACHILLES FREEDOM TEAM OF WOUNDED VETERANS AT THE THE DETROIT FREE PRESS / TALMER BANK MARATHON.

“AT ABOUT 20 MILES YOU HIT A WALL.” The athlete pauses, staring pensively through the immense glass wall of the Winter Garden; south across the river toward Canada. His thoughts drown in the zip-zop of ratchets and the whizzing of free-wheeling gears. It’s eight in the morning, the day before the Detroit Free Press Marathon, and the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans is hard at work prepping their handcycles for tomorrow’s run. Corporal Justin Gaertner, USMC, a young marine with boyish good looks, spiky ginger hair and a patchwork of military tattoos, rests on his cycle after a quick shakedown. He wears two prosthetics above the knee, but you probably wouldn’t know it if you saw him on the street. His left arm is still physically recovering, only recently gaining enough strength to row the gears without taping his hand to the grip.

Justin is humble. He doesn’t see himself as courageous. However, surrounded by the flurry of activity, it’s obvious that his uncommon courage is a trait each and every one of the athletes share. These are men who know comebacks. It’s why they ride. It’s also why Chevy chose to help bring them here, to Detroit. To a city that knows what it means to be down and what it takes to rise again. Surveying the hardworking riders scattered amongst the oddly out-of-place palm trees of the Winter Garden, in the shadows of the aptly named Renaissance Center, the home of Chevrolet Headquarters, it quickly becomes clear that no matter what Justin says, there are no walls here.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE ACHILLES FREEDOM TEAM AND CHEVROLET HAVE CROSSED PATHS. In 2009, Chevy was working closely with Cell Phones for Soldiers and the Travis Manion Foundation, but they wanted to do more. So when word got out about the Freedom Team’s participation in marathons across the country, Chevy jumped at the chance to help. Most visibly with the contribution of a new Silverado Heavy Duty pickup and a national television ad honoring the athletes during the 2010 Army-Navy Game. Given that Chevy’s military tradition goes back nearly a century, from before World War II’s Arsenal of Democracy to today’s GM Military Discount, there’s little surprise that they’ve gone all in with Achilles.

Dan Akerson, Chairman and CEO of General Motors, presents the Achilles Freedom Team with a new Chevy Silverado Heavy Duty during halftime at the Annual Army-Navy Game.

Founded in 1983 by Dick Traum, the first man to complete the New York City Marathon — or any marathon — with a prosthetic leg, the original Achilles Track Club was created to enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics. In their words, “to restore sense of mission, enhance self-esteem and lower barriers to fulfilling life.” It’s a noble goal, but one that really came into focus with the influx of wounded veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq. The flood of injuries was overwhelming the system, and the troops needed a way to move beyond the struggles of their individual situations. Out of this adversity, in 2004, the Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans was born.

Some of the athletes run. Most handcycle. They are introduced to handcycling early in recovery, either at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the East or at Balboa Naval Hospital in the West. From there, Achilles provides the support and training to take on a new challenge: 26.2 miles of blood, sweat and gears. That’s where Chevy shines, the Silverado Heavy Duty hauling handcycles to and fro across the country — just the right kind of support to get the right hardware where it’s needed most. For today, that place happens to be right here in Detroit.

IT’S 5:00 A.M. IT’S DARK. IT’S COLD. AND, FRANKLY, IT’S ELECTRIC. 10,000 runners, an epic event in any city, let alone Detroit, form up in a massive snake behind the starting line. At its head, rock music pounds from massive concert speakers, spotlights stab the sky and steam pours in thick columns from street grates as the handful of Achilles riders coast their handcycles into position. The intensity is evident. Burning from their faces; their eyes. Justin stares intently at the road ahead, completely in the moment. Others gnash gum and shake the chill out of their arms, checking their handcycles in practiced pre-race ritual. A moving prayer issues from the speakers. A race official flicks on the digital starter clocks. Suddenly, time freezes, as if mired in molasses. 3… 2… 1…

At the klaxon the riders leap ahead, tearing en echelon into the darkness, leaving the bright lights and enthusiastic cheers of the starting line behind. They dash through the streets. Over the bridge at sunrise. A brief Canadian visit, not long enough to stamp a passport. Then back through the tunnel beneath the turbulent gray waters of the Detroit River, emerging into tentative morning sunlight beneath Chevrolet Headquarters in the Renaissance Center.

Sprinting through downtown, 20 miles comes and goes. Some riders slow, visibly straining with effort. Pushing deeper into themselves with each turn of the crank, driven on by the cheers of the ever-growing crowds. Standing at the thunderous finish line, where the klaxon sounded just hours before, the first man appears through the steam in the distance. Then another. And another. One by one they slip across the finish line into the heady reality of victory. 

Justin arrives mid-pack, and coasts to a shaky halt. He tears his helmet off revealing a sweaty spike of close-cropped ginger hair and a broad, exhausted smile. In the heat of the moment, Achilles crew members slip a medal around his neck and press water into his excited hands. No walls. No stopping. No giving up. Just one more successful story in the Achilles Freedom Team book. And just one more example that, from one challenge to the next, Chevy Runs Deep.

Courtesy of Chevrolet

Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Tari! Congratulations on your new car!

"Jake made my first real all-by-myself "buying a new car" experience straight forward and relatively simple.  Best of all, I love my new vehicle!" -Tari

Chevrolet Volt - Winter Driving Efficiency

Larry Laws, the Energy Integration Engineer for the Chevrolet Volt shares some ways drivers can maximize their efficiency when temperatures drop.

Green Bay Packers sell stock, first time since '97

MADISON, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers' latest stock sale got off to a fast start Tuesday as fans snatched up more than a thousand shares in the opening moments.

Packers President Mark Murphy said the team received 1,600 online orders in the first 11 minutes of the sale. The team website received so many hits that some fans were complaining about the wait and Murphy found himself reassuring people the site was working.

"It's just a question of volume," Murphy said. "Fans are excited about this opportunity. We just encourage fans to be patient."

The team has put 250,000 shares up for sale at $250 apiece, plus a $25 handling charge per order. Murphy said the team hopes to generate at least $22 million to help defray the cost of a $143 million renovation project at Lambeau Field. Plans call for adding 6,700 additional seats, new high-definition video screens and a new entrance by 2013.

The sale marks the fifth time in the Packers' 92-year history that the publicly owned team has offered stock, though it's really not an investment in the traditional sense. The value doesn't increase, there are no dividends and it has virtually no resale value. But it does qualify the buyer as a team owner and conveys voting rights. It also qualifies the holder to attend the annual stockholder meeting at Lambeau each summer before training camp begins. They also get access to a special line of shareholder apparel.

Murphy said the timing for the sale is excellent given the Packers are coming off a Super Bowl victory and just clinched their division last weekend at 12-0.

"First and foremost, (buying stock is) a way for them to support and help the team," Murphy said. "And it does give them bragging rights. They can say they're the owners of a Super Bowl champion team."

Before the sale, there were 112,205 shareholders who own a total of 4.75 million shares. The sale runs through Feb. 29, subject to an extension. Stock can only be purchased by individuals, not businesses, and there's a 200-share cap, a figure that includes any stock purchased during the last sale in 1997.

Being a shareholder won't help when it comes to the season-ticket waiting list, which has more than 81,000 names. The offering was also limited to people with addresses in the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Soldiers and U.S. residents who are currently overseas have to use their U.S. addresses.

The Packers have been a publicly owned nonprofit corporation since 1923. The team held its first stock sale that year, followed by sales in 1935 and 1950 that helped keep the franchise afloat even as other small-market teams were sinking.

At the time of the most recent sale 14 years ago, then-team president Bob Harlan was looking for ways to cover stadium renovation costs. He recalled that other owners balked, worried that the Packers would use the money to compensate their coaches or improve their roster in a way other teams couldn't.

It was only after Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney argued in favor of the idea that the proposal passed. Rooney said the Packers deserved unanimous support because they were a vital part of NFL history.

Some 400,000 shares went on sale that year for $200 apiece. About 120,000 were sold, raising $24 million.

The Associated Press via USA Today

 

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Oil Changes

An oil and filter change involves draining out the old motor oil and replacing it with fresh, new motor oil. The oil filter also gets replaced at the same time.

Should I do this service when it's recommended?

In general, yes. Changing your vehicle's oil is one of the most important things you can do to avoid bringing large bags of money to your mechanic later on.

However, there's a lot of controversy about exactly when engine oil gets old and how often it should be replaced with new oil. Because there are many factors at work -- how you drive, the condition and age of the engine, the external environment you drive in, and stop-and-go versus highway driving -- it's an inexact science. Owner's manual recommendations for oil and filter changes vary from 3,000 to 10,000 miles.

We recommend that you change your oil and filter every 5,000 miles. That's our best estimate. It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few, but for the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe, old age.

You may want to consider changing your oil more frequently if:

• You drive like a knucklehead: jackrabbit starts, heavy acceleration or high-speed driving
• You live where the climate is extremely hot or cold
• You often drive on dirt roads
• Your engine is old and burns oil
• You frequently carry heavy loads (several mothers-in-law or other cargo)

Why do I have to do this?

Oil undergoes thermal breakdown due to high operating temperature. When this occurs, the oil becomes less effective as a lubricant. And without a good lubricant (read: expensive), parts of the engine rub together and wear each other out.

Oil also contains additives that have the ability to neutralize acids. Over time, these additives get used up and stop being effective.

Finally, oil can absorb water, dust and combustion byproducts and also hold them in suspension. Eventually, the oil gets saturated with this stuff and can't absorb any more. Then that stuff remains in the engine and can cause corrosion.

What happens if I don't do this?

Your engine won't last as long as it could. Oil serves many crucial functions, and clean oil performs those functions better than dirty oil. Oil is relatively cheap, and changing your oil every 5,000 miles is a very cheap insurance policy against major repairs down the road.

Courtesy of CarTalk

Bill Destler – An evangelist for the Volt

Chevrolet once had an ad campaign that sang about baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet. Dr. William Destler has his own personal campaign that includes banjos, blogs, the environment and the Chevrolet Volt.

Destler is an unapologetic believer in environmental sustainability. He is president of the Rochester (NY) Institute of Technology (RIT), and he told us that “RIT is probably the world leader in what I would call industrial sustainability. That is, helping companies improve their bottom line by using less materials, using less energy, reusing materials and remanufacturing products.” When asked about the concept that such environmentally-focused steps might cost jobs, he vehemently disagreed. He said, “That’s nonsense. In reality, the average company that we work with actually increases its profit margin as a result of these activities, and that helps to grow the business, and that usually results in the hiring of more people as well.”

Bill drives a Chevrolet Volt. When we asked him if he drove it because it was more environmentally-friendly than some other vehicles, he replied, “It’s very simple. The Volt is the most technologically-advanced automobile in the world, and being an American engineer and the president of one of our largest engineering schools nationally, I think the fact that this was designed by American engineers and produced by American workers is something to be proud of. So I drive one with pride.”

That covers the last two items in Destler’s campaign, but how about banjos and blogs? Destler explains that he has a collection of more than 150 banjos, plus a few other stringed instruments such as guitars and mandolins. He said that the collection started innocently enough. “I started playing the banjo in graduate school and when I was looking for one to buy – one to learn on – I had friends who said ‘Don’t try to find a new one they’re no good. Try to find an old one.’ That was the worst piece of advice I ever got because I searched around antique shops and flea markets. Then I found one made in the 1890s, and that started me on a collecting habit that has gone on to this day.” You can see more on his Bill’s Banjos Web site here.

On the blog front, Bill has been writing a number of articles about his experience with his Volt. He’s not compensated for spreading the word about the Volt; he just wants to share his learnings with a wider audience. He said, “My first article was why the Volt gets such good equivalent mileage, because people think it’s because electricity is cheap. It’s the same price as gas (Editor’s note: Depending on fuel prices and electricity rates in your area.) It’s because the electric drivetrain is so much more efficient.” He wrote a couple of follow up articles. One compared his Toyota Prius to his Volt, and another discussed the Volt in cold weather, and strategies for using it in cold weather.

“Banjos, blogs, the environment and Chevrolet Volt” may not sound like music to your ears, but Bill Destler is singing a happy tune with an engineering program focused on developing sustainable solutions for industry and a vehicle that he describes as “practical transportation meeting everyone’s needs while reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

Courtesy of Faces of GM