Saturday, October 28, 2023

The 110 freeway between LA and Pasadena is being turned over to pedestrians this weekend


The 8-mile stretch of cement is known as the 110 freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway, the Pasadena Freeway or State Route 110, was formally opened in 1940, becoming — by most accounts — the first-ever freeway in America.

For the first time in 20 years, pedestrians, cyclists, roller skaters and anyone else on non-motorized wheels will be able to traverse nearly the entire stretch of the 110 freeway between downtown LA and Pasadena. Dubbed ArroyoFest, the family-friendly event seeks to reclaim one of Southern California’s most scenic and historic stretches of road. Kicking off at 7 a.m. sharp on Sunday, October 29, ArroyoFest will allow for four hours of uninterrupted pedestrian and cyclist access to the freeway.

The 185-year-old “Rocket” now occupies a spot at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, after 90 years at Franklin Institute (Thanks George!)


the oldest surviving Reading Railroad locomotive.

“The Rocket was built for use at the opening of the line between Reading and Pottstown in 1838, and it faithfully served the Reading Railroad for more than 40 years. In March 1879, the Rocket was retired after having traveled 310,164 miles over the course of its career.

“The Rocket was shown at the World’s Columbian Exposition — Chicago World’s Fair — in 1893, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition — St. Louis World’s Fair — in 1904 and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s Fair of the Iron Horse in 1927.

17-year-old senior at West Boca Raton High School started Ground School in 2020 going into sophomore year, and just got her pilots license

The School District of Palm Beach County paid for Nathalia to get her Private Pilot's License through their Aviation Academy.

The district originally offered the private ground course to students as an elective, before becoming an official academy in August.

The academy has 125 students from freshmen to seniors. They work on block schedules and have the academy every other day for two hours. On top of classroom work, students get to work with state-of-the art simulators and drone practice.

With the Private Pilot’s License, Nathalia can fly anywhere around the country solo or with passengers if it’s not compensated. Her ultimate dream is to become a commercial airline pilot or fly pilot jets.


No, nothing says how much it costs to go to Boca Raton high school, or what that aviation class would cost anyone else, or how much the flying lessons cost. But Av gas is about 7 dollars a gallon around here, and 88 hours of flight time, that's got to be 3 or 4 gallons an hour. So, just in gas alone I'm guessing 1500. 

I've never heard of the Trans Am Victory edition Javelin


Any Javelin SST built between October and November 15, 1972 could have been ordered with the package. They were heavily optioned from the get-go and included unique “Javelin Winner Trans Am Championship 1971-1972 SCCA” fender decal, and 8-slot rally styled steel wheels.

80s teen actor Andrew McCarthy had a 2nd career as a travel writer, published in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and Nat Geo



McCarthy, who made a name for himself in the '80s starring in movies such as "Pretty in Pink," "St. Elmo's Fire" and the Philly-shot "Mannequin," has been to numerous countries, not just as an actor, but in his second life as a travel writer.

McCarthy wrote a book, The Longest Way Home: One Man's Quest for the Courage to Settle Down 

In the book, McCarthy talks about how travel makes him more introspective. The question McCarthy sets out to answer with his book is how you can nurture bonds - with your spouse, with your children - while satisfying an overwhelming desire to spend time alone.

McCarthy still acts, and he's added directing to his resume as well. He shows up on TV regularly, pulling guest spots on shows such as USA's "White Collar" and "Royal Pains," and has been in a smattering of low-budget movies.

 Molly Ringwald, who will forever be culturally attached to McCarthy as his "Pretty in Pink" and "Fresh Horses" love interest, also released a book recently, a novel called When It Happens to You. 

Acting seems to have become more of a way to make some money, as his prominence as a travel writer has grown. He's an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler, for example.

McCarthy said he's consistently amazed that every time he is sent on assignment by magazines or newspapers, the real journey he finds himself on is an emotional one. "Travel changes people; travel obliterates fear," McCarthy said. "That's the bottom line."

McCarthy's memoir about his life and career in the 1980s, titled Brat: An '80s Story, was released in May 2021

McCarthy served as an editor-at-large for a dozen years with National Geographic Traveler magazine and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Irish Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Time, Travel+Leisure, Town & Country, Men’s Journal, Bon Appetit, and many others. He has received six Lowell Thomas awards, and been named Travel Journalist of the Year by The Society of American Travel Writers.

Ok, who guessed that supreme court justices went around in luxury RVs gifted to them by other rich people looking to influence and leverage a fortunate court ruling? Not me. But it's indicative of how nice it is to be rich, or powerful, and how they don't live like the rest of us. Zero connection to reality


The US supreme court justice Clarence Thomas received a “sweetheart deal” to borrow more than $267,000 to buy a luxury motorhome, a Prevost Marathon Le Mirage XL, a Senate committee found. 

The existence of the $267,230 loan, made by the businessman Anthony Welters in 1999 and forgiven in 2008, was first reported by the New York Times. 

Yesterday, the Times quoted Michael Hamersley, a tax lawyer and congressional expert witness, as saying: “‘This was, in short, a sweetheart deal’ that made no logical sense from a business perspective”.

(loan, that was forgiven? That's simply avoiding the gift tax, and the legalities of gifts to judges) 

The Senate finance committee said it has now seen documents that showed an annual interest rate of 7.5% and only annual interest payments of $20,042. The committee also said it had seen a note from Thomas promising to abide by the terms.

“None of the documents reviewed by committee staff indicated that Thomas ever made payments to Welters in excess of the annual interest on the loan,” the panel said.

As described by the Times, when the loan came due, in 2004, Welters granted an extension, then, in late 2008, Mr Welters simply forgave the balance of the loan, according to the committee’s report. 

A contemporaneous note, the committee said, showed Welters saying Thomas’s “interest only” payments exceeded the value of the RV. But evidence did not back up this claim, with Welters having given investigators only one copy of a canceled check from Thomas, for the annual interest amount. (paying about 8 years, at 20k, leaves about 100k in debt forgiveness)

Hamersley said the Internal Revenue Service would treat any such gift as taxable income.

Ron Wyden, the Democratic chair of the Senate finance committee, said: “Now we know that Justice Thomas had up to $267,230 in debt forgiven and never reported it on his ethics forms.

Things I didn't know, and just learned... Ann Margaret liked a Falcon, and her dad had one too, that he drove her to the '62 Academy Awards in. She had hers slightly upgraded by Barris


In her 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint convertible. At 23, her Ford Falcon was her first car.

After purchasing it, she brought it to George Barris who repainted it pink. He also added a Muntz Autostereo tape deck. Barris said of her Falcon, "It was the hot rod Falcon with the 260 V8, and she really liked to make it scoot".

Margret was discovered by George Burns in 1960 while performing with her group, the Suttletones. By 1961, she was recording with RCA Victor and had also signed with 20th Century Fox for a seven-year film contract. Margret's Falcon was initially red. 

instead of walking in a residential area, today, I was walking in a commercial business district... and didn't see cool old cars. But the variety of abandoned expensive cars that weren't driven home after work is really weird

the Lincoln is abandoned... the amount of muck that has accumulated in front of the front tire is evidence. The nasty looking rear rim is another.
 





this dually is clearly a homeless person living off the grid, but not moving the truck for a long time, the leaves are built up under it near the back tire. All the tires were bald. 


this Scat Pack has a flat back tire, and a lot of filth, just general pollution, that has been building up. Probably stolen and left here after a joy ride


this Mini has remained in place so long, that weeds have grown in the muck that has accumulated in front of the back tires