Thursday, January 10, 2019
1200 employees were laid off last month in Valencia when "Goodyear Venezuela has been forced to cease operations.” was the sign they found on the door.
As part of the severance deal, redundant workers received ten tires each
Not so bad when you consider that inflation will raise prices on everything, but, those tires will be perfectly good to use, or hold on to, for years, and be trade goods everyone can understand the value of, and need.
Pirelli shut down it's tire manufacturing in Venezuela a couple months prior, in August
https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/goodyear-pays-redundant-workforce-in-tyres
Not so bad when you consider that inflation will raise prices on everything, but, those tires will be perfectly good to use, or hold on to, for years, and be trade goods everyone can understand the value of, and need.
Pirelli shut down it's tire manufacturing in Venezuela a couple months prior, in August
https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/goodyear-pays-redundant-workforce-in-tyres
To be clear, the officer used siren to get people to move out of way, so he could park at hydrant
https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1030490490154696704/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1030490490154696704&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.statter911.com%2F2018%2F08%2F17%2Freporter-tweets-about-police-blocking-hydrant-in-nations-capital%2F
https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1030490490154696704
https://www.statter911.com/2018/08/17/reporter-tweets-about-police-blocking-hydrant-in-nations-capital/
How Goliath the Fire Horse became a hero in Baltimore's Great Fire of 1904
Goliath was the lead horse of the three horse team, pulling the Hale Water Tower into position on Liberty Street. The other two percherons, named Decoration and Electioneer (this name is actually hysterical if you understand that voting districts used to revolve around fire houses and street gangs), had already been unhitched from the rig and were standing nearby, leaving Goliath still in position at the curb, and still hitched to the 65 foot, 5 ton tower.
(to get an idea of what a "water tower" was, I can offer that I photographed one in the Hall of Flame fire fighting museum in Phoenix, though it's been adapted to be pulled around by a Christie front wheel drive unit https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/02/very-interesting-1897-toledo-ohio-fire.html )
Because they had broken in using a crowbar (there was no watchman in place to let anyone in), and had given what had probably been a long smoldering fire fresh oxygen, and could see flames on the ceiling and smoke heading toward the elevator shaft, what most likely occurred was a backdraft. The ensuing explosion literally blew the roof off the building and blew out the windows, knocking Captain Kahl and 4 other firemen (Guy Ellis, John Flynn, Harry Showacre and Jacob Kirkwood) back into the street.
John E Hurst Building
It was a 6 story dry goods company, almost everything inside was flammable. The other firemen inside were able to escape without injury, however, the lead horse for Engine 15 was severely burned.
The enormous, 1 ton, white percheron, named Goliath, the head of the three horse team, was pulling the Hale Water Tower into position on Liberty Street when the building exploded.
The remains of the Hurst Building. One of the teams of horses used to pull the engines is visible on the left.
Brick and stone fell onto the stations’s engine sitting on German Street, crushing it and flames went everywhere, shooting out the front door of the business, right into the three horses standing on Liberty Street. All three animals were injured, along with the teams driver, Eugene Short, who either didn’t notice, or didn’t realize at the time that his burns were that bad.
Goliath was seared from neck to flank because of his position at the curb (the lead horse always had the curb position to keep the engines or whatever they were hauling away from the curb and out of the gutter), but despite his horrible injuries, he quickly veered the tower away from the falling debris (the entire roof came off the building), saving the 4-5 firemen still on the tower’s wagon, the driver, and pushing Decoration and Electioneer out of the way at the same time.
If he hadn’t reacted as he had, all would have been crushed. Now the only horse hitched to the tower, he strained to free the trapped fire apparatus and steer it through an obstacle course of falling, fiery, wood, brick, glass and rubble. Unable to maneuver forward, driver and horse worked against time to attempt the impossible, a u-turn in the tight confines of Liberty Street, in order to save the tower and get it away from the toppling building.
As soon as horse, man and tower had cleared the corner at Liberty Street, what was left of the already crumbling Hurst building finally collapsed. Eugene had Goliath rushed immediately to the Fire Department’s vet on West Lexington Street.
Goliath survived his injuries, although he spent 6 months under the vets care. He went back to being a fire horse, but became a favorite with children at parades. His burn scars would be visible for the rest of his life and he lived for another 9 years. When he was retired from service in 1906, a resolution was passed by the city council so that he would remain in the care of the City Fire Department to prevent him from being sold to a huckster, a heavy teamster or worse, destroyed. He was the only horse in Baltimore to be so honored by the Mayor and the City Council.
It was deemed to be the nations third worst fire, after the Chicago Fire and the San Francisco Fire following the earthquake.
All in all, an 86 city block area burned in just 30-31 hours. Over 1500 buildings were leveled and 1000 were left with severe damage. 2500 businesses were gone. 22 banks were destroyed, although all of the banks vaults held – 11 trust companies, the chamber of commerce, the stock exchange, all but one newspaper office, the railroad office, a church, hotel and business buildings of every kind, new and historic were decimated.
The damage was estimated at close to $100,000,000.00.
35,000 people were at least temporarily out of work. By some miracle, no civilian lives were lost and no homes were lost – the destruction was just in the business district, which was blissfully closed because it was Sunday. Over 50 firemen were injured and others involved would later experience complications from smoke inhalation, pneumonia, and other lung diseases.
Federal hydrant standards were to be put in place just two years later because of the hose coupler issues that the out-of-state fire companies had with Baltimore hydrants. Baltimore very quickly rebuilt, but the old colonial city was forever changed. Narrow streets were widened, electrical was placed underground and a plan was put in place to separate the storm drains and the sewage drains and to treat industrial and human waste before returning it to the bay.
Sources of info:
“Great Baltimore Fire” – Wikipedia
Sun archives: The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-baltimore-fire-begins
“Lost In The Great Fire” by Carl Schoettler, February 5, 2004, The Baltimore Sun
“The 1904 Fire and the Baltimore Standard”, by Bruce Goldfarb, Welcome to Baltimore Hon!
Ancestry.com
FindAGrave.com
“Where The Nineteenth Century Lives On: At Stoneleigh House Almost Nothing Has Changed Since The 1870s”, November 1, 1953, The Baltimore Sun.
“All Vacancies Are Filled: Fire Commissioners Make A Number Of Promotions”, June 7, 1901, The Baltimore Sun.
“Firemen are Promoted”, October 23, 1901, The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore County Public Library & it’s archived records of the Baltimore Sun
“Fire Department Horses and Their Peculiarities”, January 5, 1908, The Baltimore Sun
The Fire Museum Of Maryland “The Great Baltimore Fire” by Peter E. Petersen, pub. 2005
http://www.dyingtotelltheirstories.com/home/2018/2/6/how-goliath-the-fire-horse-became-a-hero-in-baltimores-great-fire
“Your Maryland” by Ric Cotton, pub. 2017.
“Goliath’s Last Alarm” June 13, 1913, The Baltimore Sun
“Two More Horse Heroes” June 15, 1913, The Baltimore Sun
“Horse: King For A Day” May 31, 1914, The Baltimore Sun
“Goliath: Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire” by Claudia Friddell, pub. 2010.
“Goliath” by Ric Cotton, WYPR, February 2, 2016
The Ordinances of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore #27 – Resolution to provide for the retention by the city of the horse “Goliath” in recognition of his great services at the Great Fire February 7/8 1904.
United States Department of The Interior, National Park Service, Stoneleigh Historic District, Baltimore County (BA-2974), pg. 96.
“First Man On The Scene” by John Kahl, BCFD Retired, February 7, 1954, The Baltimore Sun
“Recalling The Great Fire” Feb 6, 1984, The Baltimore Sun
“Cheers And Praise For Firemen On Parade” September 14, 1906, The Baltimore Sun
“Details Of The Parade: Hon. Gallant Laddies Formed and Swung Along – The Route”, September 14, 1906, The Baltimore Sun.
Personal knowledge of Helen Margaret Miller DeVier (1898-1985) as told to Suzanne C. DeVier
Maryland Historical Society
https://www.dyingtotelltheirstories.com/home/2018/2/6/how-goliath-the-fire-horse-became-a-hero-in-baltimores-great-fire
https://www.flickr.com/photos/48443821@N02/
https://dubhodharsbaltimore.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/goliath-baltimores-horse/
https://dubhodharsbaltimore.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/the-baltimore-fire/
https://whatweekly.com/2013/01/30/remembering-the-great-baltimore-fire/
http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2014/02/great-baltimore-fire-of-1904-110-years-later/#30
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
funny movie line
FBI Boss: Can you ride a bike?
Michael Pena's characer: Why a bike?
The bad guys ride bikes. Can you?
Michael Pena's characer: Oh, I dominate anything with a motor!
Don't get cocky. I'm serious
Michael Pena's characer: I'm not cocky either! Dude, gimme a snowblower and step the fuck back!
Michael Pena in CHiPS 2017
Why doesn't Michael Pena have a solo starring movie? This guy is damn good, and hilarious
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493405/?ref_=tt_ch
and Big Red the 1969 Camaro is in the movie in the beginning. Michael Pena drives it in Florida.
http://imcdb.org/vehicle_1049114-Chevrolet-Camaro-1969.html
Michael Pena's characer: Why a bike?
The bad guys ride bikes. Can you?
Michael Pena's characer: Oh, I dominate anything with a motor!
Don't get cocky. I'm serious
Michael Pena's characer: I'm not cocky either! Dude, gimme a snowblower and step the fuck back!
Michael Pena in CHiPS 2017
Why doesn't Michael Pena have a solo starring movie? This guy is damn good, and hilarious
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493405/?ref_=tt_ch
and Big Red the 1969 Camaro is in the movie in the beginning. Michael Pena drives it in Florida.
http://imcdb.org/vehicle_1049114-Chevrolet-Camaro-1969.html
I guess the larger your car collection gets, the less you care for ordinary vehicles
this 75 Cadillac is slightly styled after Isaac Hayes' car: https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2017/07/isaac-hayes-gold-cadillac-at-stax.html
Some of the more unusual vehicles in the collection/museum of a billionaire member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family
https://www.instagram.com/shhamadbinhamdan/
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/07/billionaire-sheikh-who-carved-his-name-island/353098/
bad time to choose to block a fire hydrant? Right before a fire fighter chooses to make a tunnel through your car's back windows
I delight in seeing, and sharing, photos like this.
https://twitter.com/bsg_mdsfm1/status/1066018964122288128/photo/1
https://www.statter911.com/2018/11/24/baltimore-county-firefighters-give-hydrant-parker-something-to-remember-them-by/
I just read that there were only two parts that interchanged between the specialty Daytona Charger and Super Bird Road Runner aero parts... the flip up headlights and the nosecone
Of course, all the drivertrain, suspension, etc parts were interchangeable... but I'm specifically referring to the wings, fenders, fender scoops, rear windows, A pillar aero, and fender legs
http://motorlands.net/11-crazy-things-you-probably-never-knew-about-u-s-muscle-cars/
so, having told you what that source had to say, since I don't just make shit up - I relate to you what I find other people have said, and then I give you a link to them so you can tell THEM what they don't know, and have gotten wrong, I also will show you what was just sent to me, that the nosecones are different, though possibly still interchangeable - but the Super Bird has a peaked center.
This then reinforces what I read in Muscle Car Review, https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2019/01/unrestored-daytona-with-only-20904.html that only the flip up headlights are the same parts.
Notice, I'm still telling you what I found, and what source. Again, I'm not making this up, I'm telling you something that I've found other people stating, and letting you go tell them what you think about it.
and now with this Super Bird image to compare to the blue Daytona above, it's easy to see that the Bird's beak is peaked in the top center.
And the grill is not the same in the different nose cones. Are they interchangeable? I don't know. Will they bolt onto the wrong car? I doubt anyone has tried to find out.
http://torqueaddict.com/1970-plymouth-superbird-vs-1969-dodge-charger-daytona/
I think that brings this issue to a close, and unless anyone has a side by side comparison of the bolt patterns of the Daytona and Super Bird nosecones, there isn't anything else to say about their interchangeability... if they can be swapped probably isn't anything anyone will have an article or first hand experience with
Don't play this if you have medical conditions that are triggered by increased heart rate, blood pressure, stress, or anger. The situation was handled and over before this woman showed up and tried to intervene
If you wisely choose to skip the reaction you'll have to this woman, I can tell you she's very rich, and got appointed to the Port Authority Commission.
In the background of the scene, you'll see there is no port. There are no ships, no tug boats, and no sailors. Yet, she's decided to get involved in an impounding of a car with illegal window tint, lack of insurance and an expired registration.
Later, around the 4 minute mark, you'll find that this woman is the mother of one of the passengers, not the driver, not the owner of the vehicle about to be impounded.
but at 8:21, she tells the nice cops to "you may shut the fuck up"
I'd say the cops were very patient. That's remarkable for New Jersey.
At the 11 minute mark she was nearly ready to leave, then decided to talk more shit. At the 12 minute mark, she says " you have a smug ass look on your face" to the cop.
Turns out, she resigned after this got publicity. It's going to be fine though, she made sure to mention that she has 3 homes.
https://www.statter911.com/2018/04/24/must-see-video-a-really-bad-case-of-do-you-know-who-i-am-disease/
the brilliance of Drew Sheneman, a political cartoonist for the Star-Ledger.
Welcome to internet immortality.
https://twitter.com/starledger/status/989868379593883648
https://www.statter911.com/2018/04/27/political-cartoonist-perfectly-captures-caren-im-commissioner-turners-16-minutes-of-infamy/
https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/04/new_jerseys_newest_viral_star_sheneman_cartoon.html
wedding ring found in a 1972 Olds 98 junkyard car's engine that was getting pulled to stuff into a drag racing Olds in Iowa (thanks Gary!)
“[Frye] was looking for an engine for that particular car,” Ray Schmuecker explained. "This is the engine my car had in it, so he bought it, and when he dismantled it he found this ring on top of the engine.”
The previous owner, Ray, is now 93 years old, remembers why he bought it brand new back in 1972.
"My wife got cancer and that's when everything kind of fell a part," he said.
Schmuecker first saw the car on his way to and from Iowa City for his wife's chemotherapy appointments for her breast cancer, and purchased the Oldsmobile because he wanted a nice car to drive his wife to her cancer treatments in until she passed away.
He loved the look of the car, and wanted a smooth ride for his wife, so he bought it for around $4,000.
"Had a lot of good times and a lot of bad times in the old car," he recalled, each of his three kids learned how to drive in that, "and took it out on their dates, and run into the ditch and what have you," Schmuecker fondly remembered.
The car also took the family of five on their last vacation before passed away.
The Schmuecker family was happy to sell the car to Frye, who would get good use of the motor and help their mother's memory live on.
However, they didn't expect that he would find their dad's lost wedding ring, which he remembers losing in 1973-74!
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/wedding-ring-lost-45-years-ago-found-in-car-engine
https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-recovers-diamond-wedding-ring-lost-45-years/story?id=60230752
https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Wedding-ring-lost-for-decades-found-in-unusual-spot-returned-to-owner-504030521.html
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
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