Saturday, September 12, 2026
The Ariens Company was officially born on this date in 1933, the year that Henry Ariens and his three sons developed America’s first rotary tiller in Henry's garage in Brillion, Wisconsin.
Many commercial tiller models followed, all aimed at improving output for vegetable growers around the country. AriensCo introduced the more compact Model B Tiller, the Roller-Tiller, the Multi-Tiller Tractor Tiller, the Jitterbug single-row front rotary tiller and the Tillivator RC for celery growers in Florida.
It's still family owned, and family run!
What you might not have learned about the Union Pacific in the mid 1800s - The Crédit Mobilier scandal
the directors of the Union Pacific owned a lot of construction companies, and those were the companies that got more than 1/2 of the govt contracts to build the cross continent railroad... at exorbitant rates, were 94 million dollars worth, by 1869.
Those construction companies for the Eastern portion of the transcontinental railroad were in a front company created by the UP directors, called Credit Mobiler, whose stock profits they used to buy senators, congressmen, cabinet officers, a future president, and two vise presidents.
The railroad cost only $50 million to build (equal to $1.2B today), Crédit Mobilier billed $94 million and Union Pacific executives pocketed the excess $44 million. (1.1B)
The ballooned costs swindled millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed funds, which went straight to the company's investors and directors
Within 3 years, those who owned shares of Credit Mobiler shared profits of 33 and 50 million dollars... in 1870s dollars
Congressman Oakes Ames sold discounted Crédit Mobilier stock to powerful Washington politicians to prevent a congressional investigation
When news of this reached the public in 1872, it resulted in the impeachment of two congressmen and a financial panic that brought on a nationwide depression
A congressional inquiry implicated high-ranking officials, including Vice President Schuyler Colfax. The event became a defining symbol of Gilded Age political corruption
The depression of 1873 as well as the one in 1882 and the one after that in 1893, resulted in layoffs and wage reductions that, in the railroad industry, were invariably challenged by workers, who formed unions and went on strike. Whenever possible the railroads broke up these strikes by hiring desperate men from from among the the most recently arrived group of immigrants.
Though Part of the excess cash and $9 million in discounted stock was then used to bribe several Washington politicians for laws, funding, and regulatory rulings favorable to the Union Pacific.
Train and Durant aimed to present to both the government and to the public the appearance that an independent corporate enterprise had been impartially chosen as the principal contractor and construction management firm for the project.
In fact, Crédit Mobilier was created to shield the company's shareholders and management from the common charge that they were using the construction phase of the project, as opposed to the operating phase, to generate profit.
Because the conspirators believed they could not expect conventional profits from the operation of the railroad, they created the sham company so they could charge the U.S. government extortionate fees and expenses during the construction phase.
In 1867, Crédit Mobilier replaced Thomas Durant with Oakes Ames, a member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts.
Ames, being a member of Congress, distributed bribes in the form of cash and discounted shares of Crédit Mobilier stock to fellow congressmen and other politicians in exchange for votes and actions favorable to the Union Pacific
As I mentioned when commenting on a post last week, you can't tell when or where you might stumble across the little bit of info that results in an interesting research post, this came from the forward of a book about photography that I finally found cheap on Ebay, that I'd mentioned years ago when I learned of Angel Rizzuto's photography https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2022/02/im-guessing-one-kid-lost-bet-coin-toss.html
Friday, September 11, 2026
1963 Corvette Rondine Concept Pininfarina, a unique design by Tom Tjaarda
dichotomy
a Datsun Cherry 120A Coupé prepared for Group 5 touring car racing, sponsored by Aannemersbedrijf J.G. Winter Zandvoort and driven in Dutch national races at Circuit Zandvoort
good idea for a low budget camera car
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1969289213782606&set=gm.2366001157260425&idorvanity=804065043454052
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Monday his department is shutting down 110-plus driving schools after they issued driver's licenses to more than 5,000 individuals who failed ELP exams.
The department is also launching a nationwide audit of third-party commercial driver's license (CDL) skills testers and states' oversight of those testers
the UK hates, and has outlawed, bikes that can go faster than 15 mph... so this highly modified one really pissed them off when they caught it going 30 mph (and not paying for vehicle registration and insurance)
the bike had a scooter motor roughly wired to a battery held on by tape. The rear wheel had also been replaced with a smaller solid wheel.
Grass Valley, California, is one of the many cities that has ended its contract with Flock and removed all cameras from the city, the Flock reinstalled at least two of them without permission
the Grass Valley Police Department said that Flock Safety was following the maintenance provisions of its contract despite receiving a letter canceling the contract on August 11. GVPD said it continually takes down any reinstalled cameras and monitors other locations.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Only a week after posting Jim''s Comet, I found this Cyclone, with an old fashioned fuel tank solution (probably for weight transfer) - fishing boat, outboard fuel tanks, which I've never seen in any car, not even a rat rod
the Hi-Risers '65 Mercury Comet Cyclone. the Hi-Risers were a group of Ford employed engineers who raced on weekends, and set the NHRA B/XS national record for elapse time in September of 1966 at Ubly Michigan by going 10.24 at 136.75.
One for water, one for gas
interesting photo from Airstream's facebook page, a bas relief of Shapur I, who triumphed over the Roman emperor Valerian, in Iran, in 260 CE... the first time a reigning Roman emperor was captured alive in battle (photo from 1964)
In the summer of 1964, an American caravan arrived in Iran with its ambitious “Around the World” tour. Although founder Wally Byam (inventor of the travel trailer) had passed away earlier, his dream of global overland travel lived on through this extraordinary journey.
One unforgettable stop brought the caravan to Naghsh e Rostam, the ancient necropolis near Shiraz, Iran, dating back to around 1000 BC. Here, travelers stood before millennia of history carved in stone, including the relief of Shapur I’s triumph over the Roman emperor Valerian.
The Battle of Edessa (260 CE) was a dramatic encounter between empires, where the Persian king defeated and captured the Roman ruler, a moment which echoes +1750 years later as modern voyagers stay in awe of this timeless site.
One unforgettable stop brought the caravan to Naghsh e Rostam, the ancient necropolis near Shiraz, Iran, dating back to around 1000 BC. Here, travelers stood before millennia of history carved in stone, including the relief of Shapur I’s triumph over the Roman emperor Valerian.
The Battle of Edessa (260 CE) was a dramatic encounter between empires, where the Persian king defeated and captured the Roman ruler, a moment which echoes +1750 years later as modern voyagers stay in awe of this timeless site.
California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton says he wants to eliminate the DMV and lower vehicle registration costs (if he's elected) to a flat $73.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton Tuesday unveiled a proposal to abolish the California Department of Motor Vehicles as a stand-alone agency and reduce annual vehicle registration costs to a flat $73.
Hilton announced the proposal while appearing outside a DMV office in West Hollywood Tuesday as part of his "Califordable" campaign platform.
Under the proposal, the DMV would undergo a three-month audit before being eliminated as a stand-alone department. A smaller state operation would remain responsible for driver's licenses, fraud prevention, REAL ID and other records and safety functions, according to Hilton's campaign.
Routine vehicle title, registration and renewal services would be shifted to county offices and certified local service centers. Hilton's campaign said no DMV field office would close until an equivalent or better in- person service option was available nearby.
"California does not need a better DMV line. It needs no DMV line," Hilton said. "This is the miserable symbol of this bloated nanny-state bureaucracy, bossing people around while charging a fortune for the privilege."
Hilton also proposed capping annual vehicle registration costs at $73, which his campaign said would reduce state registration revenue from about $11 billion to $2.7 billion.
Hilton announced the proposal while appearing outside a DMV office in West Hollywood Tuesday as part of his "Califordable" campaign platform.
Under the proposal, the DMV would undergo a three-month audit before being eliminated as a stand-alone department. A smaller state operation would remain responsible for driver's licenses, fraud prevention, REAL ID and other records and safety functions, according to Hilton's campaign.
Routine vehicle title, registration and renewal services would be shifted to county offices and certified local service centers. Hilton's campaign said no DMV field office would close until an equivalent or better in- person service option was available nearby.
"California does not need a better DMV line. It needs no DMV line," Hilton said. "This is the miserable symbol of this bloated nanny-state bureaucracy, bossing people around while charging a fortune for the privilege."
Hilton also proposed capping annual vehicle registration costs at $73, which his campaign said would reduce state registration revenue from about $11 billion to $2.7 billion.
Tuesday, September 08, 2026
there must be new management at Hagerty Ins Co, because today's experience was clearly not up to their usual standard of simple, clear, easy, and friendly.
I get a statement in the mail, that my renewal will be about twice the amount I was charged last year.
Since there is not a SINGLE thing that has changed, to my credit rating, my zip code, my driving record (Unless you count another year of trouble free and ticket free driving as IMPROVING my over all average years vs claims numerical factor, in my favor) not my cars indicated value, nor it's garage location or status (still in the garage, it hasn't moved in about 2 years, it's on jack stands)
So I had to call to ask why.
Feliza answered. And wouldn't give me a simple straight forward &^Y%*! answer.
That's right, I'm swearing... because I had to ask about 4 times to get enough clues from what she didn't say, and wouldn't state, to ask the right question that she couldn't dodge.
340 last year, became 650 this year. Why? I haven't yet sent in a written mileage estimate of how many miles I'll drive this year, and they do NOT carry on from the last written estimate as something they will believe in perpetuity, in fact, after 12 months, they do not remember what my driving mileage has been, will be, ever was, or averaged. (less than 50 a year for about the last 10 years) (because I can't afford it, and did a BIG improvement that I went 3x over budget, and am paying down my credit card for)
So, regardless of the annual photo sent in once a year of the speedometer, and it's garaged status, and the 20+ years of being a customer that they can look at the mileage and average it numerically... they instead, quoted me for 3500 miles. Which there is no logical reason for, and no evidence of my having driven my 69 R/T for, in over a decade, maybe, even in two decades, that car hasn't went more than 400 miles... total.
But they went with %$@$^! 3500 miles of premium - about $650, and not the 341 they charged me last year, and the year before, for less than 100 miles.
And they do not have a Non Op insurance for garaged cars, unless you change your registration status with the DMV (waste of time) to Non Op
So until they receive a documented hard copy of an indication starting now that my previous 12 months of coverage is up, that I intend to drive it less than 100 miles, like the past couple of years, they simply send out a bill for 3500 miles of some cockamamie notion they decided is financially viable for THEM.
Lawyers, in laws, used car salesmen, and insurance people. Very difficult to get along with unless you have stupid amounts of money you simply don't care about, and gladly throw away
Louis Vuitton has been sponsoring racing since at least 2012
The car, driven by Gianandrea Redaelli, was one of 22 exceptional classics that completed the four-day journey from Venice through the Dolomites to Monza.
