Location, The Parapet de les executades i executats 1939-1952, Barcelona
Rider: Ondra Miggisch
Saturday, October 28, 2023
France's TGV set a speed record yesterday of 357.2mph on a new high-speed track between Strasbourg and Paris (thanks George!)
the absolute world record of 361mph was set in 2003 by the Japanese with their Maglev train.
The 110 freeway between LA and Pasadena is being turned over to pedestrians this weekend
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.
I wonder if he measured the shop before the build, and checked to see if a full scale build would fit, or did he get lucky, or did he cut off the tail a bit? It might be brought to Comic Con
by the way, the serial numbers on the sides of these in the tv show, were the birthdays of the actor pilots
Friday, October 27, 2023
I know I'll never remember to post this ON Halloween, so I'll put it up now, and if you want to, you can share it on social media for Halloween
if you read the lower left corner, you'll see such gems as R3D3 1000
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.
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.
The Fiat AS.6 24-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine for the Schneider Trophy seaplane races in 1931was able to roar again after more than 80 years of silence, and 5500 hours of work to get it running again
For the video: https://youtu.be/yJB-iCtt9zw Skip to 3:45 (anticlimatic)
Looks like the front V12 operates in opposite direction of the back V12
Everyone liked the 65-66 Mustang... Moe had one in his carport!
You might remember that I posted that Zeppo Marx had a 60s Mustang https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2021/04/zeppo-marx-owned-this-67-mustang-in-his.html
George Clooney seems to like the '59 Vette he inherited from his dad.
1959 Chevrolet Corvette. His car was purchased new by his father, Nick Clooney, and has remained in the family since
https://www.facebook.com/vintagecelebritycar/posts/pfbid02HdZvGDkT2ybivkUFtCnzwf2ugjPR6qsBmuGpLHGc7mVdmQ7JzEfpXhL68AHz7yuBl
Thursday, October 26, 2023
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.
I have neither seen, nor heard of, the Walking Dead edition of the Tucson
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a collection of Superbirds is coming to auction, 10 of them, and one Daytona, al from one collector
I think Chris has a perfect job now, working as a publicity guy. Good! Good for him.
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.
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."
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 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.
“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".
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
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
