Thursday, June 18, 2026
I regretfully report that a USD student has died, killed by a marked cop car, 130 am, on Linda Vista Road between Goshen and Brunner streets.
The estimated cost of the improvements was $111,000.
In order to save money, the improvement to increase pedestrian safety next to a major university was ignored.
The damn city should be sued for ignoring it's duty, and responsibility to safety, after it conducted an investigation of how to prevent pedestrian deaths, and was informed that a crosswalk overpass walking bridge would get students off the road
Hell, the university is also liable IMHO for not insisting that the city build the walking bridge
And HOW does a cop in a cop car STRIKE and kill a person? Probably using a cell phone or the unit laptop... which the state decided wasn't "unsafe" for cops, just illegally unsafe for all the rest of us.
So, yeah, the city of San Diego, the SDPD, and USD, I'd say they all ought to line up across the court room from the plaintiff, and try to weasel out of the jury's focus.
related news item,
In fiscal year 2026 alone, SDPD settlements and judgements reached a record $42 million.
“An SDPD officer was alleged to have visited the home, and contributed to the abuse by directly supplying wooden paddles, not paddle, paddles to the family,”
$30 million went to the family of Konoa Wilson, the 16-year-old shot and killed by a San Diego police officer last year while running from gunfire.
A cop shot Konoa in the back.
SDPD Annual Budget is 32% of San Diego's total General Fund expenditures.
The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) operates on an annual General Fund budget of $703.5 million,
police-related settlements and judgments have average about $42.5 million annually
ACLU data indicates that SDPD payouts are roughly 15 million higher than the settlements paid by all other city departments combined.
thanks to Tom, I learned about the 65 Falcon Ranchero just now... here's some interesting info
the two-tone paint included the side spear
the 1964-style “hashmarks” on the rear of the quarter panels are correct for two-tone Rancheros for 1965
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-for-sale/1965-ford-falcon-ranchero-deluxe-for-sale-rare-289-four-barrel-four-speed-combination/factory bucket seats
F code 2.80:1 Limited-Slip Axle
A code 289 4 barrel 225 HP
A code 289 4 barrel 225 HP
Four-speed manual transmission
no power steering or power brake
The top engine choice in the Falcon was the C-Code 289 two-barrel, but Ranchero and Sedan Delivery variants were available with the A-Code engine.
Currently auctioning on BAT, at 13k for the moment, with only 18 hours left... so, ends around noonish
the current owner acquired the car on BaT in April 2022
Thank you Tom!
a claw hammer, a borrowed Ford truck, and no patience left, meet Sophie Zielinski and the Moving Crew, circa 1932
Sophie Zielinski was 44, Polish, a landlady on Chene Street with six cold-water flats, three of them already empty because nobody could pay.
She had a claw hammer, a borrowed Ford truck, and no patience left.
On January 12, 1932, after watching the Kowalskis across the street get put out with a baby six weeks old and a coal stove still warm, Sophie walked across with that hammer, knocked the new lock off with three swings, and carried the stove back in herself, with Mrs. Kowalski holding the door.
By February there were twenty-two women, Polish, Black, Italian, Hungarian, wives, widows, factory girls laid off from Briggs, all with hammers, all with a list.
On January 12, 1932, after watching the Kowalskis across the street get put out with a baby six weeks old and a coal stove still warm, Sophie walked across with that hammer, knocked the new lock off with three swings, and carried the stove back in herself, with Mrs. Kowalski holding the door.
By February there were twenty-two women, Polish, Black, Italian, Hungarian, wives, widows, factory girls laid off from Briggs, all with hammers, all with a list.
They called themselves nothing at all.
The newspapers called them the Moving Crew.
For two winters they followed the bailiffs.
For two winters they followed the bailiffs.
When an eviction went out, the crew went in that night. Locks knocked off, furniture carried back up three flights in the dark, stoves re-piped, windows stuffed with newspaper against the cold, a pot of soup left on to warm, so the children coming home from school would find home still home.
They moved two hundred and eleven families back in, between January 1932 and March 1933. They lost count of stoves. Sophie kept count of hammers broken, seven, notches cut in the handle of hers for each one.
The police arrested Sophie twice. The judge dismissed both times. The second time he told the bailiff, off the record, to stop calling, he was tired of seeing Mrs. Zielinski in his courtroom.
When work came back in 1934 the evictions slowed, then stopped. Sophie went back to collecting rent when people could pay, and not collecting when they could not, which was most of the time for another three years.
She kept that claw hammer hanging behind the kitchen door until she died in 1961, seven notches deep in the hickory handle, head worn smooth on one side from knocking off locks.
Her great-granddaughter has it now, in Detroit, in a toolbox. She used it last winter to hang shelves in her first apartment. It still pulls a nail clean.
They moved two hundred and eleven families back in, between January 1932 and March 1933. They lost count of stoves. Sophie kept count of hammers broken, seven, notches cut in the handle of hers for each one.
The police arrested Sophie twice. The judge dismissed both times. The second time he told the bailiff, off the record, to stop calling, he was tired of seeing Mrs. Zielinski in his courtroom.
When work came back in 1934 the evictions slowed, then stopped. Sophie went back to collecting rent when people could pay, and not collecting when they could not, which was most of the time for another three years.
She kept that claw hammer hanging behind the kitchen door until she died in 1961, seven notches deep in the hickory handle, head worn smooth on one side from knocking off locks.
Her great-granddaughter has it now, in Detroit, in a toolbox. She used it last winter to hang shelves in her first apartment. It still pulls a nail clean.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
"Capt. G.W. Eldridge at age 105 going to the 3/4 century Baseball game in St. Petersburg Florida" in 1937 to perform his umpire duty! thank you Steve!
interesting back seat!
The 1908 Franklin Model G Runabout is not his.
The car was 29 years old when this photo was taken at the 1937 Three-Quarter Century Club baseball game.
C.W. served as home plate umpire.
He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on June 29, 1831 and came to America at the age of 10. By age 14 he was at sea, where he worked his way up to captain his own ship - hence the honorific and the hat.
He served as a private in the 2nd Maine Cavalry during the American Civil War, and at the time of this photo was the commander of the Kit Carson Post No. 26, Grand Army of the Republic veterans organization in St. Petersburg.
In December 1938 he suffered a fall in his home, resulting in broken ribs. Pneumonia set in and despite an early positive prognosis, he died on December 17, 1938.
The Half Century Club was open for member between the ages of 49 and 74.
The Three-Quarter Century Club was for members 75 years old and up.
Jeremy Clarkson revealed he was diagnosed with 'aggressive' cancer in May 2025, and he underwent surgery and remains optimistic about his recovery and hopes to return for future seasons of Clarkson’s Farm.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15906127/Jeremy-Clarkson-reveals-cancer-diagnosis.html
The upside of this, is he can afford the best medical care ANY where in the world, and prostate cancer can be surgically removed.
it's either lazy, or stupid, to leave your tow truck company info on the tow truck you abandon on a mountain
"Called Milo’s out of Silver Plume offered him a recovery price and he declined and said that he was going to leave it in the woods. So decided to go up get vehicle information and pictures. With some phone calls to Clear Creek PD and Forest service the next couple days he decided to text me that I ratted him out. "
Milo’s is allegedly going to cut it up where it sits and pull it out.. How the forest service is going to allow an open flame torch on the side of a dry mountain is crazy to me. He has had a year and a half to do it and has drug his feet long enough.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
The Freedom Train stops at Naval Air Station, Miramar, CA 1976
Built in 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works, it is a GS-4 class 4-8-4 Northern type locomotive.
It was repainted in red, white, and blue livery specifically for the United States Bicentennial celebration.
The locomotive is currently on display at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland.
At the conclusion of its journey, the American Freedom Train had traveled 25,833 miles over 21 months and stopped at 138 cities.
A California startup says it has found a cheaper way to turn cow manure into sustainable aviation fuel, potentially opening a new pathway for airlines racing to meet emissions targets.
The six-month pilot transformed methane-rich gas from a California dairy farm’s manure digester into jet fuel that meets ASTM standards for commercial aviation.
The company estimates that commercial plants using its technology would cost roughly one-fifth as much as comparable facilities currently being developed in Europe.
According to the company, the pilot operated continuously for thousands of hours using untreated biogas composed of roughly 65 percent methane and 35 percent carbon dioxide. The process produced finished jet fuel that can blend with conventional Jet-A fuel at concentrations of up to 50 percent.
According to the company, the pilot operated continuously for thousands of hours using untreated biogas composed of roughly 65 percent methane and 35 percent carbon dioxide. The process produced finished jet fuel that can blend with conventional Jet-A fuel at concentrations of up to 50 percent.
The company projects commercial installations could cost less than $100,000 per barrel per day of installed capacity. Those economics could allow SAF derived from dairy waste to compete directly with fossil-based jet fuel prices. “The hard part of this industry was never designing a theoretical plant that could make SAF,” said Dr. Stephen Beaton, founder and chief executive officer of Circularity Fuels. “It was proving you could do it continuously, from real biogas, at a cost that pencils.” He added that the company has now demonstrated the technology using “real feedstock from a real dairy farm.”
JCB's hydrogen-powered land speed car has begun testing in the UK ahead of a Bonneville bid to set a new FIA world hydrogen speed record.
The Staffordshire manufacturer said its Hydromax car had completed its first test runs under hydrogen power at RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire, ahead of a planned record attempt in the US in August.
The 32ft-long vehicle has been built to beat JCB's existing diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph, which was set in 2006 by the firm's Dieselmax car.
Powered by two hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines, producing a combined 1,600bhp, the Hydromax was unveiled at JCB's headquarters in Rocester in May.
The company plans to transport the car to the United States next month in preparation for Speed Week, the annual gathering of land speed racers at Bonneville. Following that event, JCB will pursue officially recognized records sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's governing body.
"Twelve months ago, this car was a set of drawings being discussed by a room full of engineers," Bamford said. "Today it is a reality and on wheels, running and being tested in the UK."
The Hydromax project has moved from concept to test track in just over a year. The first technical meeting involving engineering partners Prodrive, Ricardo and Xtrac took place in June 2025. Almost exactly one year later, the completed vehicle rolled onto the tarmac at RAF Wittering under its own hydrogen power for the first time.
"Twelve months ago, this car was a set of drawings being discussed by a room full of engineers," Bamford said. "Today it is a reality and on wheels, running and being tested in the UK."
The Hydromax project has moved from concept to test track in just over a year. The first technical meeting involving engineering partners Prodrive, Ricardo and Xtrac took place in June 2025. Almost exactly one year later, the completed vehicle rolled onto the tarmac at RAF Wittering under its own hydrogen power for the first time.
the story of a life of a C 131
Peru days anti narcotics.
It was an LBJ plane.
The U.S. State Department used a specific Convair 580 (also designated as a VC-131H) for counterdrug and logistics operations in Peru, operating under the bureau of international narcotics affairs.
This aircraft, registered as N7146X (serial number 54-2815), was transferred to the Peruvian National Police in 1990, where it was registered as PNP-025.
Registered as N8448H before delivery to the USAF as C-131D 54-2815 in 1954.
Converted to a CV580/VC-131H in 1966 then to the US Navy in 1978.
To the Department of State Bureau of Narcotics as N7146X then to Policia Nacional del Peru as PNP-025 in 1990.
Returned as N7146X and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ in 1993.
Left in 1996. To the United States Marshal Service as N723ES then to the IFL Group in 1998.
Converted to a fire bomber for the Province of Saskatchewan as C-GSKQ in 2008. Still operational in 2025.
Original Airframe: The plane began its life as a U.S. Air Force C-131D.
Conversion: It was heavily modified into a turboprop CV-580 (VC-131H) configuration.
Original Airframe: The plane began its life as a U.S. Air Force C-131D.
Conversion: It was heavily modified into a turboprop CV-580 (VC-131H) configuration.
State Department Service: Operated under the Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs) in the Andean counterdrug theater, after which it transferred to Peruvian police operations.
Later Usage and Status
After being returned to the United States in the mid-1990s, the aircraft was subsequently used by the U.S. Marshal Service (registered as N723ES) and eventually underwent conversion to become an aerial firefighting tanker in Canada.
scams are out there, and so are thieves, and the cars for sale are high dollar targets... so, here's some advice on how to prevent seeing your sale turn into a fake check, fake buyer, and total loss of your car and it's dollar value
that's the car that was for sale, and now - stolen.
that's an obvious fake ID... notice the weight and height? Now compare those to the linebacker in the photo.
Notice the age of the photo, vs the birthday - that's not a 58 year old.
Then google the address... this one is an empty lot
Make your transaction weekdays between 9am-5pm and meet in a public place rather than your home. Also have a friend there with you.
2. If there is a test drive involved, always ride along.
3. NEVER accept a cashier’s check. They are worthless.
2. If there is a test drive involved, always ride along.
3. NEVER accept a cashier’s check. They are worthless.
Inform the prospective seller of this before you meet.
Even if the cashier’s check seems legitimate, the buyer can issue a “stop payment” order through their bank (claiming the check was lost, etc.) after they take your car.
The ONLY safe form of payment is a bank-to-bank wire transfer.
The ONLY safe form of payment is a bank-to-bank wire transfer.
Period.
Once a wire transfer is made, it cannot be voided or reversed.
Make it clear to your buyer about your terms of sale before you meet, and they can arrange the wire transfer with their bank.
Once they see the car and are ready to buy, they can call their branch and instigate the transfer of funds to your bank. In the U.S. a wire transfer usually takes only about 20 minutes before funds appear in your account.
Set-up a separate bank account just for the sale transaction to isolate the incoming funds and your account number from the sale account.
Talk with your bank and they can advise you of the safest way to conduct the transfer of funds.
4. NEVER release the car or title until funds have cleared and are in your bank.
Any legitimate buyer will respect these simple terms of sale. Never let a buyer push you or make demands to do things “their way.”
4. NEVER release the car or title until funds have cleared and are in your bank.
Any legitimate buyer will respect these simple terms of sale. Never let a buyer push you or make demands to do things “their way.”
Monday, June 15, 2026
It's amazing how few years it takes for tech to become so commonplace, no one remembers how recently it came along, like the traffic light, or, the internet
Not so long ago, they had to have mass communication awareness campaigns for traffic lights (1965) and zip codes, for example
British Airways provided hotel rooms to cabin crew near London Heathrow airport when doing short overnights as part of longer trips... and now the British govt wants the taxes, all 7 million dollars worth!
but these are London stays for flight attendants based in London.
They could have just gone home. So the expense isn’t deductible.
The government says that the rooms were a taxable employment benefit, rather than a necessary business expense.
BA provided something of value by reason of employment.
BA provided something of value by reason of employment.
The travel subsistence exemption is only allowable if the employee could deduct the same cost if they were the ones paying.
London Heathrow is their permanent workplace or base.
Accommodation at or near a permanent workplace is not deductible business travel.
Ordinary commuting and private living costs aren’t deductible.
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs department treated the hotel stays as taxable. British Airways disputed that.
When British Airways scheduled back-to-back trips where they spent the night in London, BA paid for a layover hotel rather than treating the crew as simply off duty at home. This is important because flight attendants need minimum rest between flights, which amounts to time ‘behind the door’ and commutes eat into this.
https://viewfromthewing.com/british-airways-put-up-flight-attendants-in-london-hotels-now-the-u-k-demands-7-8-million-in-tax/
When British Airways scheduled back-to-back trips where they spent the night in London, BA paid for a layover hotel rather than treating the crew as simply off duty at home. This is important because flight attendants need minimum rest between flights, which amounts to time ‘behind the door’ and commutes eat into this.
https://viewfromthewing.com/british-airways-put-up-flight-attendants-in-london-hotels-now-the-u-k-demands-7-8-million-in-tax/
good news, UPS met the deadline for the 1st step of retrofitting delivery vans with air conditioning, but wow, they had to be FORCED to install air conditioning... wtf? How do the UPS boardmembers in their airconditioned penthouse suites not comprehend that they only have jobs because of drivers in vans delivering packages... and AC is required to prevent heat stroke!
UPS in October agreed to modify 5,000 delivery vehicles in hot zones with air conditioning systems after the Teamsters publicly called out the company for dragging its feet on commitments to purchase or retrofit 28,000 sprinter vans and package cars with in-cab air conditioning by the summer of 2027 to protect drivers from excessive heat conditions.
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