Saturday, March 22, 2025
A group of U.S. Marines rescued a wounded civilian stranded without food and water in the middle of the California desert, waving a green flag from a boulder below, last month
“He had been out there for almost two days, completely out of water and food,” said Young. “When we reached him, he was conscious but clearly exhausted and in pain. He told us he had been hoping someone would see him before it was too late.”
The Marines stabilized the man’s injuries, loaded him into their King Stallion and flew him to the MCAS Yuma, Arizona, where the station’s Yuma Fire Department transported him to the Yuma Regional Medical Center. The man is expected to make a full recovery, according to the release.
the collector car market continues to slump, and sellers have finally lowered their expectations
'02 Saleen Mustang that hit everything but the lottery!
It got a new rear end housing
2 new rear tires
Both front fenders
Passenger door
New Cobro hood
New 2004 cobro cloth top
New header panel
New headlights
New incorrect but still OEM Saleen graphics
and a paint job from Affordable Auto Painting and Body Repair
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9841453742534112&set=pcb.9841458002533686
road side attractions are getting more eye catching! Here's a helo on a fuel station in Europe, that rotates the blades if you put change in the machine! (Thank you Shas!) Orlen is Polish company, heli is Mi-2 designed by Mikhail Mil built on license in Poland and this gas station is in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
the BYD Seagull is one specific model that the CEO of Ford has admitted he’s worried about from a competitive standpoint. It sells for $9,700 in China, and is already slated to be sold in Europe, and a cheaper variant is set to launch in the UK this year, too.
BYD is already enjoying success in the UK, with 62 dealers currently operating and 120 expected to be up and running by the end of 2025.
According to Autocar, the Seagull – which will be called the Dolphin Surf in Europe and the UK – will come equipped with more features and safety equipment in those parts of the world, but it will still be one of the cheapest EVs one can buy when it arrives there. BYD executive vice-president Stella Li said that while the Dolphin Surf might “not be the cheapest” EV one can buy in those markets, it will “be the best value,” with a rumored price tag of less than $25,937
Friday, March 21, 2025
Retired Amtrak conductor Brad Swartzwelter is making headlines for his proposal to use trains to reduce commercial vehicle crashes and congestion along the I-70 mountain corridor in Colorado.
The I-70 mountain corridor presents a number of risks for truckers — severe winter weather conditions, steep grades, brake failure risk, and hazards like rockfalls, fires, and floods. I-70 in Colorado is frequently closed for crashes, many of them involving commercial vehicles.
Trains would use an existing Union Pacific rail line to carry trucks on a nine hour trip through Colorado, taking loads of commercial vehicles up and over the Rocky Mountains as an alternative to taking I-70.
system would involve driving semi trucks onto flatbed rail cars at the onset of the train journey. The truck drivers would then be free to choose to enjoy the trip in a train sleeper car, potentially helping them to maximize their allowable driving time.
Swartzwelter says that the concept is already in use in European countries, with a system in Austria acting as “the model for this whole thing.”
Since 2015, Nissan has issued three safety recalls for the 2013-2018 Altima hood latch, after finding, "...the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash."
The 2015 Altima has a five-star safety rating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
It also has 891 consumer complaints, 53 mention problems with the hood latch, and some of those complaints were made after the recall fix.
A fire at an electrical substation knocked out power to Heathrow Airport for most of Friday, forcing Europe’s busiest hub, and the world's fifth-busiest airport, to shut down for roughly 18 hours
Residents in west London described hearing a large explosion, followed by a fireball and clouds of smoke, when the blaze ripped through the substation.
The airport had been due to handle 1,351 flights on Friday
The industry is now facing the prospect of a financial hit costing tens of millions of pounds, and a likely fight over who should pay.
"You would think they would have significant back-up power," one top executive from a European airline told Reuters.
Heathrow's rep said back-up systems and procedures had worked as they should.
"It is a wake-up call," he told Reuters. "There is no way that Heathrow should be taken out completely because of a failure in one power substation."
Willie Walsh, the head of the global airlines body IATA and a former head of British Airways, said Heathrow had once again let passengers down.
Heathrow said it had diesel generators and uninterruptible power supplies in place to land aircraft and evacuate passengers safely. Those systems all operated as expected. But with the airport consuming as much energy as a small city, it said it could not run all its operations safely on back-up systems.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Space Patrol lead actor Ed Kemmer's 1950s series spawned more than 1000 episodes and introduced a generation of Saturday morning TV viewers (and often their parents) to the wonders of science fiction.
The show also inspired a NASA engineer who when meeting Kemmer, told him that the show had ignited his passion for space.
Kemmer was a war hero having served as a P 51 Mustang pilot, and was shot down on his 47th mission, in June of 1944, just a few days after D-Day, and was imprisoned at Stalag Luft 3 and spent 11 months as a POW. He briefly escaped from the camp for two weeks before being recaptured when rhe Russians got close in January, 1945 and they were marched out to a camp near Nuremberg.
A few weeks later General Patton got too close and they were marched out again and headed for Moosberg. He escaped on that march hoping to reach Switzerland .... Two weeks later he was recaptured and sent to the camp at Moosberg. Only there a few days .... Liberated by Patton's tanks on April 29th.
The camp was the same one from which a breakout occurred that was the inspiration for the Steve McQueen film The Great Escape (1963)
After Space Patrol, Kemmer was a guest star in various prime-time television series, including the classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", in which former space hero Kemmer co-starred with future space hero William Shatner.
He also had roles in episodes of Perry Mason, Maverick, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, All My Children, and As the World Turns and acted out the role of "Prince Phillip" in live action footage that was given to the animators to study for Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959).
HA! How quickly the worm turns
80 Teslas damaged at Hamilton dealership near Lime Ridge Mall on Wednesday, are the largest car vandalism reported in Canada against the U.S. company
tires were punctured, the cars were keyed
a young Sparta Tennessee teen couple disappeared in 2000 when their car missed a corner, went into a river and they died... their car (98 Grand Am) and remains were finally located in 2021, when YouTube diver Jeremy Beau Sides discovered their car
There was no guard rail when the teens went off the road
https://www.facebook.com/jeremybechtelanderinfoster/posts/pfbid0eHnLyfBt2M2btKFsof76EBWJhjscC5LGh3TpgySzjiKFCmQLcosUYWSeH7SkYQfRl
https://www.facebook.com/jeremybechtelanderinfoster
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2022/07/20/erin-foster-jeremy-bechtel-buried-after-youtube-star-finds-car/10068664002/
https://www.facebook.com/jeremybechtelanderinfoster
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2022/07/20/erin-foster-jeremy-bechtel-buried-after-youtube-star-finds-car/10068664002/
it's a little-known fact that there's been a glitch in the tolling system on Washington State Route 167
The highway has never had the technology to scan license plates.
It seems drivers who have no transponder and use the HOT lanes are getting free rides
Indeed, SR 167 is the only toll road that does not have the technology to read license plates. So, drivers who don’t have a Good to Go! transponder can and do ride in the HOT lanes for free.
WSDOT plans to install those license plate reading cameras, but the system won’t be up and running until December 2025.
It seems drivers who have no transponder and use the HOT lanes are getting free rides
Indeed, SR 167 is the only toll road that does not have the technology to read license plates. So, drivers who don’t have a Good to Go! transponder can and do ride in the HOT lanes for free.
WSDOT plans to install those license plate reading cameras, but the system won’t be up and running until December 2025.
Following two days of sometimes violent protests, with blockades that had forced schools and some businesses to close, the Guatemalan President has withdrawn a decree which would have made car insurance compulsory
President Arévalo argued that the new rule was necessary to compensate victims of traffic accidents, but many in Guatemala - where an estimated 55% live in poverty - said they would not be able to afford the extra cost.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the president said he had been elected to bring about necessary changes in the country, some of which could be difficult.
"I remain convinced that a new general transport law is the right way forward for the wellbeing of our country," he said, adding that traffic accidents were the main cause of death in Guatemala.
He said that after talks with representatives of the protesters, the two sides had agreed to set up a technical committee to come up with a plan on how to introduce compulsory insurance within a year.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the president said he had been elected to bring about necessary changes in the country, some of which could be difficult.
"I remain convinced that a new general transport law is the right way forward for the wellbeing of our country," he said, adding that traffic accidents were the main cause of death in Guatemala.
He said that after talks with representatives of the protesters, the two sides had agreed to set up a technical committee to come up with a plan on how to introduce compulsory insurance within a year.
Eagle Field, the WW2 airstrip, and recent annual dragstrip, was sold by it's owner Joe Davis because his health was failing. It's been bought by a flying car company CEO
the drag racing moved to Mendota Raceway Park. The new owner asked for too much money, the drag racing organizers talked to the new owner, but said he wouldn't come to terms with the racers.
Trinity Bridge in Crowland, Lincolnshire, about 650 years old!
It was originally built between 1360 and 1390 to replace earlier wooden bridges spanning the junction of the River Welland and a distributary.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122185047836269902&set=a.122108168822269902
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Whoa! I don't think I've ever seen a Jensen built up for Bonneville land speed racing from an autocross car... but then, I've never heard of one autocrossing either!
I haven't looked at Hagerty's website for a long while... and this popped up on my facebook feed...
The car is one of only 500 made
To reduce drag going over the car, the grille was sealed up. Without any air flowing through the radiator, the car now relies on a 45-gallon water tank to keep it cool during its five-mile runs at wide-open throttle.
Thanks to its big turbo and adjustable wastegate, power can be dialed in from 800 to about 1200 horsepower.
The goal is 200 mph, but electrical and mechanical gremlins have kept the car from getting faster than 184
Doug's car in high school was this 1937 Packard 120CD. It was his daily driver, plus made for great road trips. He bought it at age 15 for $240 from a barn in PA. He owned it from 1964-1992.
How great!
When he mentioned it, the vague memory of someone telling me about a cool classic like this being their high school car, and I couldn't recall if it was a conversation I'd had with Doug, or someone else... but when trying to find that story, I did come across the original story... Gary had a 31 Chrysler in high school, he paid 500 for! https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2020/11/in-1961-gary-had-two-cars-to-chose-from.html
The stuffed animal that went viral on local social media channels has been removed from its perch over I-5 just south of Bellingham Washington
An unknown person had mounted the sloth high up on a tree on the east side of the interstate near Lake Samish just around one year ago.
https://mybellinghamnow.com/news/297792-wsdot-crew-removes-large-sloth-stuffed-animal-from-i-5-roadside-near-bellingham/
Funniest thing I read today, from Bam Bam the Trucker
I looked at that high-tech monstrosity and thought, Let’s fuck myself up today. So I did. French vanilla. Seven shots of espresso. Because moderation is for cowards.
First sip? Brilliant mistake. Only idiots and truckers put this much espresso in their coffee, and lucky for me, I qualify as both. The Yeti mug was a necessity because my hands are shaking so bad, the coffee would've just launched itself into orbit. Pretty sure the cream in the fridge turned to butter just from being near me.
Most people in the office just sighed and accepted their fate. But the new hire? She’s clutching her phone, ready to call 911. I gave her a thumbs-up, but I think it came off more like a distress signal.
Effects so far:
✅ Can hear WiFi signals
✅ Can see the future, but only 30 seconds ahead
✅ Floating slightly above the ground—contact is optional now
✅ Office plugged me into the power grid, and I’m currently running half the building
✅ CB radio? Don’t need it. I am the frequency now.
Regrets? None. Next time: 10 shots. Let’s see if I can break the sound barrier before my shift starts.
Follow up the next day:
But this time, it wasn’t just coffee. It was some new shit that broke the laws of physics. My neighbor (who I now suspect is a Vietnamese coffee dealer of destruction) handed me a pack with a smile that basically said, "This… wake you… up."
Well, mission accomplished, buddy.
See, I didn’t know how many packs to use, so I did what any rational person would do: I guessed. Turns out, five was not the right number. Five was the number that rewrote my DNA.
Current status:
I can see new colors. Specifically, the color of sound.
Time is actually going backward. I think I just high-fived my past self.
I can now thread a needle on a running sewing machine.
My coffee mug self-stirs because I am vibrating faster than molecular cohesion allows.
Sleep? Irrelevant. I’ve got five marathons to run today.
My truck is too scared to start out of respect for my newfound speed.
I have officially met every god from every religion. Buddha, Odin, Zeus—we’re all besties now.
Final rating? I have become Death, destroyer of caffeine tolerance.
If you need me, I’ll be somewhere between the astral plane and the finish line of my fifth marathon, contemplating why this coffee tastes a little too good.... suspiciously good
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May will appear on tv once again, despite announcing the end last year... but it's sounding like a "best of series"
The Not Very Grand Tour is set to be released next month (18 April 2025), according to an announcement by Prime Video.
Described as “a motoring comedy documentary series”, one episode titled “The Glory and The Power” is listed on the site. “In this episode, the team celebrate the combustion engine, with a look back at footage from past adventures and test drives,” reads a description.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) goes even further, suggesting this will be a series with multiple episodes.
In other words, it sounds like Amazon is preparing a series of greatest-hits-style clip shows.
https://www.motor1.com/news/753799/the-not-very-grand-tour-amazon/
Ethel Lee.... simply remarkable! She owned a Cafe in South L.A. and she said it was always her destiny to send a man to the moon... so when she found out about NASA/Rockwell was hiring in Downey, she got a job with them! Next year, is her 99th birthday!
She was instrumental in building NASA's first six space shuttles, reading schematics, working with engineers, and troubleshooting at different aerospace sites. She spent 32 years at Rockwell
And now Ethel is being honored. "NASA Life of Ethel Lee" is currently on display at the Columbia Memorial Space Center. It's a Women's History Month exhibit that honors her aerospace career
https://hall.spacewalkoffame.org/workers/ethel-l-lee
the last surviving pilot who flew during the Battle of Britain, has died at the age of 105. (thanks for the news tip Stephen!)
Flight log Aug. 26 1940 : “Shot down in flames.” This time, by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. He was back flying combat missions two days later.
During dogfights with German aircraft in August of 1940, Hemingway was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricane fighter, once landing in sea off the east coast of England, before returning to his squadron to resume the fight, the RAF said. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry in 1941.
He was shot down four times during the war.
Those who fought in the three-and-a-half-month battle (the Battle of Britain) came to be known as "The Few" after a speech by the then Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill.
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few," he said of their sacrifices in battle.
Hemingway was just 20 years old when he and his comrades in the Royal Air Force took to the skies to fight off wave after wave of Nazi aircraft that sought to pound Britain into submission during the the summer and autumn of 1940.
The RAF said that Mr Hemingway's passing marked "the end of an era"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/03/18/john-paddy-hemingway-battle-britain-dies/
You probably already heard about this "self driving car" test... finding out if the car can tell the difference between a real road, and a picture of a road, in the middle of an actual road... just a flat surface it can not drive through. It's called the Wile E. Coyote Test
Lexus RX-based prototype uses a lidar.
lidars scans the road ahead and detects the wall.
Autopilot’s cameras, on the other hand, rely on what they see, and in this case that’s a road.
But it is noteworthy just how effective the LiDAR system was shown to be in the video, as Tesla has very publicly decided to forgo these sensors in favor of relying entirely on computer vision. The reasoning for this varies depending on who you ask and when, but it usually boils down to LiDAR sensors costing too much, requiring more data processing to use, and ultimately serving as a crutch that slows down the development of computer vision. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has gone so far as to call LiDAR a “fool’s errand.”
Fresno police recently busted a chop shop ring specializing in Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcat and Jeep Trackhawk parts. Including 75 vehicles and parts of dozens more there was about 3 million dollars worth
it turns out, a cyclorama has nothing to do with bikes, or wheeled vehicles... (thank you George!)
and here's how I learned that
I was looking up Albert Champion (spark plug fame of course) and learned:
a building in Boston was commissioned by Charles F. Willoughby's Boston Cyclorama Company to house the Cyclorama of the Battle of Gettysburg, a 400-by-50 foot cyclorama painting of the Battle of Gettysburg. https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/exhibitions/cyclorama/
The central space is a 127'-diameter steel-trussed dome which, when it was built, was the largest dome in the country after that on the United States Capitol building.
In 1889, a new cyclorama painting, Custer's Last Fight, was installed, but by 1890, the fashion for cycloramas had ended, and the new owner of the building, John Gardner converted it to a venue for popular entertainment, including a carousel, roller skating, boxing tournaments (including an 1894 fight of John L. Sullivan), horseback riding, bicycling, and so on.
By the 1890s, it had become an industrial space, used by the Albert Champion Company. In 1907, Albert Champion developed the Champion spark plug thereSo, in a round about way, it was a fad painting style? Which created a place that eventually became a roller skating rink, and manufacturing/research/experimenting offices for the spark plug company.
A Cyclorama is:
a panoramic image on the inside of a cylindrical platform, designed to give viewers standing in the middle of the cylinder a 360° view, and also a building designed to show a panoramic image. The intended effect is to make viewers, surrounded by the panoramic image, feel as if they were standing in the midst of the place depicted in the image.
Monday, March 17, 2025
Dan is a dude with a dream!
He dreamed of a Bonneville Belly Tanker since he was in grade school.
Recently, he started collecting the parts. First, found a tank, then a V8-60, then a vintage sprint car with a Halibrand 101 quick change, another V8-60 with an in and out, steering, and a lot of other very useful parts
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an engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation” pleaded guilty Monday to importing thousands of counterfeit car airbags into the Raleigh area and selling them both locally and online.
According to a news release from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, 31-year-old Mateen Mohammad Alinaghian imported around 2,500 counterfeit airbags from a supplier in the United Kingdom into Raleigh between May 2022 and April 2024.
The counterfeit airbags had markings of Honda, Chevrolet, General Motors and Toyota, according to documents and info presented in court.
The steering wheel airbags were then sold “to unsuspecting customers using Facebook Marketplace.” using the profile names of “Matt AutoParts” or “Medo Smith” on Facebook Marketplace to advertise and sell the items.
The steering wheel airbags were then sold “to unsuspecting customers using Facebook Marketplace.” using the profile names of “Matt AutoParts” or “Medo Smith” on Facebook Marketplace to advertise and sell the items.
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