Saturday, February 11, 2023

Some of the coolest aircraft ever built were featured at Carswell AFB, Texas, in 1966... the only public air show in XB-70 Valkyrie history




Some of the coolest aircraft ever built took part in one airshow in conjunction with the Air Force Association (AFA) 20th anniversary convention.

The North American XB-70 Valkyrie air vehicle 2 (AV/2) was the star performer at US Air Force (USAF) biggest airshow in years, making not only its first public appearance, but also its first landing away from home base of Edwards AFB, Calif.

 The 275-ton giant flew from Edwards to Carswell AFB, in fifty-five minutes, piloted by North American’s Al White and USAF Lt. Col. Fitzhugh Fulton. More than 350,00 people saw the 275-ton giant during three-day static display.

 Carswell AFB was to be the only airfield that AV/2 would fly to and return before being destroyed following an accidental mid-air collision on Jun. 8, 1966.

aircraft ID 
Aircraft (no tag) between the F-4 and F-102 is an F-106 – Third aircraft from right is an F-106, not an F-102 Lower left – that is a YF–12A, not an SR–71 — on the lower right the aircraft is a B-26K, not an A-37 — the X-15 is a full-scale mockup — The non-captioned rocket is a Thor Able.

The F-22 that took down China's surveillance balloon used the call sign 'FRANK01' in an homage to a heroic pilot from WWI, Frank Luke Jr., who shot down 14 German balloons during the war.

Pilots use call signs in place of their names when communicating, both for security and identification purposes. The "FRANK" call sign was a reference to a WWI pilot, Frank Luke, the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor after shooting down over a dozen aircraft, including 10 spy balloons, in just eight days during World War I.

https://www.businessinsider.com/wwi-pilot-callsign-signaled-china-spy-balloon-frank-luke-arizona-2023-2

I hadn't heard of a Super Bowl Special until now... it's a passenger train on the normal freight transportation line, used to entertain big customers of the railroad during the days up to the game.

 

in 2016 BNSF ran their train empty to the Port of Oakland, where the train was used by some guests to stay on the train in lieu of sold out or extremely expensive hotel accommodations.

 On the day of the game, BNSF ran the train down to Santa Clara, where all the guests were able to access the stadium.

while you may have heard about the train derailing in East Palestine Ohio, you might not have heard of these components:

Before this weekend’s fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment prompted emergency evacuations in Ohio, the company helped kill a federal safety rule aimed at upgrading the rail industry’s Civil War-era braking systems

Though Norfolk Southern’s 150-car train in Ohio reportedly burst into 100-foot flames upon derailing — and was transporting the deadly / highly toxic chemicals vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride — spilled out after 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailed en route to Pennsylvania.that triggered a fireball when they were released and incinerated — it was not being regulated as a “high-hazard flammable train”

Documents show that when current transportation safety rules were first created, a federal agency sided with industry lobbyists and limited regulations governing the transport of hazardous compounds. The decision effectively exempted many trains hauling dangerous materials — including the one in Ohio — from the “high-hazard” classification and its more stringent safety requirements.

Norfolk Southern officials also fought off a shareholder initiative that could have required company executives to “assess, review, and mitigate risks of hazardous material transportation.”

In 2017 rail industry donors delivered more than $6 million to federal politicians who responded by rescinding the rule aimed at making better braking systems widespread on the nation’s rails.

Specifically, regulators killed provisions requiring rail cars carrying hazardous flammable materials to be equipped with electronic braking systems to stop trains more quickly than conventional air brakes.

Norfolk Southern had previously touted the new technology — known as Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes — for its “potential to reduce train stopping distances by as much as 60 percent over conventional air brake systems.”

So why didn't Norfolk Southern install them on it's railcars? Immediate expenses vs the risk of a billion dollar federal govt fine for a fuck up like this derailment in Ohio, when the railway company is negligent and liable. 

Neither this, nor the last, president have put pressure on the right govt agencies to reinstate the brake rule or expand the kinds of trains subjected to tougher safety regulations, such as the National Transportation Safety Board, the federal agency that is investigating the accident and that had originally called for more expansive rules governing the transport of hazardous materials.


Two of five train cars believed to be carrying vinyl chloride, contained 177,000 pounds, 88,000 tons of the chemical, were likely to have been filled with the gas, and temperature changes could have set it off, officials said at the news conference.

That left leaders with two bad choices: release a gas known for its deadly potential if inhaled and associated with a higher risk of cancer or stand back for an extended period of time with the potential for an explosion.

Authorities said an explosion would come with two dangers, including the same one that comes with a controlled release, exposure to a hazardous material.

"The vinyl chloride contents of five rail cars are currently unstable and could potentially explode, causing deadly disbursement of shrapnel and toxic fumes," DeWine said.




And, did you know what Ohio has, besides this haz mat train wreck (both metaphorically and in reality)?

Erin Brockovich weighing in

Yeah, an environmental activist and law clerk so amazing a movie was made about her in her lifetime, because though she isn't a lawyer, her lawsuit resulted in the largest class action suit in American history, 333 million dollars, from PG&E, on behalf of people who had unknowingly been exposed to toxic waste.

The BMW collection and museum of Peter Nettesheim, part 2 (part 1 was posted in 2017) on Long Island, is technically an art gallery.


as always, skip the 1st minute. But in this case, skip 1:12


Peter Nettesheim owns a Freightliner dealership. Finding all these bikes, restoring them, riding them, and maintaining them, he also keeps every single vehicle registered, tagged, and running is just his hobby.

Nettesheim’s museum isn’t open to the public. It’s an add-on to his house in a quiet residential neighborhood and accessible only by invitation. 


The zoning board was not allowing him to build a museum, as you might understand, Long Island people are not open to a motorcycle museum in their neighborhood, but allowed him to categorize it as an art museum (because snooty New York millionaires are into art galleries) proving that things are possible if you're clever

Brass spotlights from the 1939 New York World’s Fair shine from the ceiling

Nettesheim’s collection is filled with more than 100 classic and modern BMW motorcycles as well as some BMW cars, including a few BMW Isetta microcars. “Basically, I have all of the rare models. I have every model from 1923 up until 1970, and then after 1970 I have another 35 or so more,” said Nettesheim, referring to his motorcycles. 

 Nettesheim has been collecting BMWs for more than four decades. “I’m a restorer, I’m a machinist and I’m a mechanic by hobby. That’s my real passion,” he said, explaining that his collection began not because of a love of motorcycle riding, rather because of “a tremendous passion for engineering and machinery. In BMW, I see the best machining.”


I'm shocked to learn there is a liquor that was made 120 years ago specifically for drinking and driving, and I am not shocked to learn this, from none other than Jeremy Clarkson.



The King’s Ginger, a spirit (liquor) formulated in 1903 for His Majesty King Edward VII by Berry Bros. & Rudd

King Edward VII would endlessly drive his beloved Daimler, whatever the weather. In 1903 the Royal Physician became concerned about the monarch’s health. So, he called on Berry Bros. and Rudd for a solution,
a high strength liqueur that would warm and revivify His Majesty. Crafted from ginger, (for centuries celebrated for its medicinal properties) The King’s Ginger was born.

https://www.thekingsginger.com/discover  via Clarkson's Farm, episode 205

So, alcoholic ginger ale, with a bit of lemon juice. I bet it's damn good. Now I want to taste it. 

Mike Wolfe’s As Found Collection had mixed results, but sold for a total of 2 million dollars.




his highest sale was a $132,000 '36 Harley, period-correct and highly original bike that had been ridden by Wolfe for the last few years. 
The '36 was followed by a 1941 Indian that was a barn find from the western Nebraska/Colorado border, which fetched $115,500.

https://www.bikeexif.com/auction-report-missed-bargains-in-the-mike-wolfe-motorcycle-collection

Friday, February 10, 2023

I just learned that James Cameron draws really damn well, and sketched out a LOT of the stuff that was going to be in his movies, since Terminator (he was a set designer in Roger Corman's film company)


Though James Cameron created and employed advanced filmmaking technologies to realize his unique vision, his process of creative ideation began with pen, pencil, and paints long before he picked up a camera.

Cameron displayed remarkable ability at an early age, filling sketchbooks with illustrations of alien creatures, faraway worlds, and technological wonders. As he grew older, his art became increasingly sophisticated, exploring major themes that would imbue his later work—from the threat of nuclear catastrophe to the dangers inherent in the development of artificial intelligence.

Before he was a director, he was a VFX wizard — a borderline prodigy whose most notable early work consisted of practical special effects and set design. Cameron’s early projects were also not even remotely respectable genre outings — but rather pure schlock, some of it under the guidance of legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman.

 Working in the film industry in his twenties, Cameron supported himself by illustrating theatrical posters and concept art for low-budget films before creating the visionary concept pieces that would help greenlight his first feature, The Terminator.


https://www.hollywoodinsider.com/james-cameron-journey/

you're all going to remember the face, and career, or Mr Whipple, the "Don't Squeeze the Charmin" character. The actor was Dick Wilson, and he had a remarkable history, and was the most recognizeable face in show biz, 3rd most recognizeable in the country

He was born Riccardo DiGuglielmo to an Italian vaudeville entertainer, and an English singer mother, who met in England, and he was born there in Lancashire in 1916. 

His family to Canada when young and grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. He graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, before landing a job designing scenery for a dance school, following his parents into show business – instead of a salary, he accepted dance lessons, which led him into a 20-year vaudeville career under the name Dick Wilson

He joined the Canadian Air Force in WW2 as a fighter pilot, and after the war, became an American citizen in 1954 and found regular employment on screen, usually in one-off character roles. He was seen in popular series such as Wagon Train (1958), Maverick (1960), Perry Mason (1963) and The Munsters (1965), Bewitched and I dream Of Jeannie, before a short run as the Italian Dino Baroni (1965-66) in McHale's Navy. Wilson also took five different roles in Hogan's Heroes, as well as appearing in 18 episodes of Bewitched, often as a drunk.

He was in 9 broadway productions, 37 feature films, and over 50 tv shows. He made 500 commercials for Charmin, in 20 years. 

He worked with Elvis in Stay Away Joe (1968), Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Eden, James Garner, Bob Hope, Sally Field, James Coburn, and Bob Newhart.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dick-wilson-character-actor-760622.html

WW2 Marine Corps pilot Robert Klingman was part of a team that took down a Japanese scout, they used bullets, he used his propeller, because to get the higher altitude, they had to dump fuel and ammo, and they relay raced to damage the enemy plane enough to finish it off




On May 10, 1945, Klingman took to the skies with a flight of three other aviators to intercept a Japanese reconnaissance plane.

This particular plane was flying at 35,000 feet, well above the ceiling of the F4U Corsairs flown by the Marines that day. It set the stage for Klingman to make World War II history. His flight leader, Capt. Kenneth Reusser, was able to climb to 38,000 feet by dropping his fuel tanks and firing off 2,000 rounds of ammunition. With what he had left, he was able to damage the enemy plane and slow it down before running out. Klingman also dropped his tanks and most of his ammo to reach the height.

As Klingman approached the slow-moving enemy, he tried to fire off what he had left – but his guns wouldn’t fire, so he decided to hit the enemy with his own plane. As the Japanese fired at his Corsair from the tail gunner position, Klingman rammed the enemy. He took some rounds from the gunner, but his propeller ground the enemy’s tail from the fuselage after three attempts.

The enemy fell apart on the way down. Klingman went into an uncontrolled dive, but managed to recover. He ran out of fuel on his way back to Kadena, but managed a deadstick landing.

 He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions that day. Despite being shot down once more in the war, he lived until 2004.

cops are one moment away from being criminals, all it takes is getting busted on what they've done

Justin Smith, who also serves as a detective with the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, was the on-duty detective in a county issued vehicle, is now charged with DUI and possession of a weapon while under the influence.
 Smith was also the Wilson County Commissioner. 

Newton Police Officer Nathan Winters and Lt. Christopher Wing pulled over and arrested Tayvin Galanakis for not dimming his headlights for oncoming traffic. 

In a lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 19 year old Galanakis, alleges the city and its police department are guilty of false arrest, civil rights violations and negligent supervision and training.

The cops falsely claimed Galanakis performed poorly on the variety of field sobriety tests although the police body-camera video shows otherwise. 

The cops told Galanakis he had sufficient cause to arrest him based on his inability to find his registration, his bloodshot eyes and the field tests. Galanakis asked for a breath test which showed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.00.

Immediately after the breath test, the cops asked how much “weed” he had been smoking.

“I’ve had no weed tonight,” Galanakis can be seen in the video telling the officers. “Why are you saying — Wait, I blew a zero, and so now you’re trying to say I smoked weed. That’s what’s going on. You can’t do that, man. You really can’t do that.”

“Absolutely I can,” one of the officers responded.

Galanakis was taken to the Newton Police Station where drug recognition test and urine test concluded Galanakis was not intoxicated or showing any signs of drug or alcohol use.

The mayor, the city administrator, the police chief, the police command staff and the city attorney had each reviewed the incident and concluded the traffic stop “was handled according to police departmental policy and according to the law.”


An Ohio police department began Black History Month by unveiling a cruiser that featured a quote attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King. But the quote — “Be the peace you wish to see in the world” — was never said by the revered civil rights activist.


A Redding police officer has been placed on leave after he was seen "forcefully stepping" on a suspect's head after he and other officers arrested him, using a bean bag round, and a dog... THEN his head was stomped on.

The car thief suspect fought with officers, who shot him with a less-than-lethal bean bag round from a firearm and used a canine to subdue the man, Police Chief Schueller said.

"Ultimately, the man was taken into custody after a significant struggle. The end of the video shows one Redding police officer forcefully stepping on the head of the suspect," Schueller said. 


Dijon Sharpe was livestreaming his traffic stop on Facebook Live when police officer Myers Helms attempted to take his phone away because he said livestreaming threatened his safety.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Winterville town’s alleged policy that banned video livestreaming police during traffic stops was in violation of the First Amendment, ruling that if such policy exists that bans video livestreaming, it does violate the First Amendment. 

The ruling states that livestreaming police encounters provides information the same way recording police officers does. “Recording police encounters creates information that contributes to discussion about governmental affairs,” the ruling said. “So too does livestreaming disseminate that information, often creating its own record. We thus hold that livestreaming a police traffic stop is speech protected by the First Amendment.”

in Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Elvis is a helicopter charter service pilot on the island paradise of Kauai. (think TC in Magnum PI knew that?) His partner in a helicopter charter service is the actor James Shigeta, that would star in Die Hard as Joseph Takagi, the head of the Nakatomi corporation


Good heavens those are beautiful women

Elvis was 31 years old in 1966 when this film was released

In 1961 he had the concert to raise money for the Arizona Memorial, he made 27 movies in the 60s, about 3 a year, and the director of this movie, Paradise Hawaiian Style directed 9 of them... and as ridiculously bad as they are, almost every one was profitable - and the ones on location in Hawaii got him on a working vacation

He proposed to Pricilla in Dec '66. They married in 67

At a press conference after a 1969 show, when a journalist referred to him as "The King", Presley gestured toward Fats Domino, who was taking in the scene. "No," Presley said, "that's the real king of rock and roll."  (that's class) 

The beautiful young Chinese woman, Irene Tsu, got her break in a Jimmy Stewart movie, was in 50 tv shows, and 32 movies, and now sells luxury Beverly Hills/Hollywood real estate and teaches yoga. She
was also the TV spokeswoman for Chevron Island Wiki Wiki Dollars which were part of the West Coast duel between Chevron and Shell


Tsu was in most tv shows in the 60s and 70s, My 3 Sons, Perry Mason, I Spy, Mission Impossible, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Rockford Files, and The Wild Wild West.

She dated Sinatra for 2 years




Chevron paid game players "Wiki Wiki Dollars" of $1 to $2,500 for matching segments of game pieces and offered more than $2,300,000 in prizes as part of a "hula" bingo game



looks a lot like Pom Klementieff, who plays Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 


I think that everyone ignored my advice to interview James Garner before he died, as he could have been invaluable to paint the scene of Hollywood in the 60s and 70s, as he was a friend and competitor of Steve McQueen... 

But Irene Tsu? Is probably the most overlooked last connection to Hollywood of the 60s and 70s... she worked with Jimmy Stewart, Elvis, James Garner, Bill Cosby, and dated Sinatra. 

Let's see Hagerty, Hemmings, The Drive, and Jalopnik try and come within a mile of any post as cool as Elvis, Hawaii, Die Hard, James Garner, Sinatra, and Irene Tsu hula dancing on a gas pump


you don't need tech, if you've got technique

https://ogdaa.blogspot.com/2023/02/thursday-gifdump_01864656747.html#more  I remember fondly my days of working with great car guys at the Sears tire and oil change center. Working with car mechanics and tire guys is like eating comfort food, it just satisfies completely