The Sunday Re-Run

I've been thinkin' about mo'sickles a LOT of late.  I dunno exactly why that is and it seems middling strange to me, mainly coz it's usually in the Spring when a young man's old geezer's thoughts turn to love of the two-wheeled sort.  But lately it's been bikes, bikes, and more bikes.  This lil exchange over at our favorite (former) Nasal Radiator's place is of a piece:

Quartermaster

November 13, 2011 at 4:46 am · Reply

Most other bikes are better than Harley. On this side of the pond, back in teh 70s, we used to have a saying, If you like to ride buy a ___(insert your favorite 70s era rice burner). If you like to push, buy a Harley.”
Harley-Davidson has improved a lot since AMF days, but it’s still the same basic bike.

• Buck

  November 13, 2011 at 9:33 am · Reply

  As a longtime sportbike rider (Yamaha RDs… i.e., RD-350, RD-400, RD-350LC… in the past and then a Suzuki Duck clone of late) I like to twist the tails of Harley riders from time to time. Especially since my SN1 is a Hardley-Ableson kinda guy.

OK, that comment was self-serving but it DID fit, no?  And I went looking for a particular EIP piece apropos of that comment, just so I could post it again.  Herewith a couple o' my all-time favorite rides:

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Fast Times At Ridgemont When I Was High

High on LIFE, Gentle Reader... high on life.  And mo'sickles.  There were a few previously unpublished pics of mo'sickles-past lurking in the pages of those photo albums I brought home from SN2's place.  You know I'm gonna post those, so we might as well get started.  First up: my old RD350LC.  Here she is up against the wall, a position we rarely found ourselves in, metaphorically speaking.

If that pic looks somewhat familiar it's only because it is.  We previously posted this pic of the happy couple:

And then there's this, taken on the same day as the above but in a different place.  The day would be the day I sold her in June of 1983 (she wasn't street-legal in the USA and I was going home) and the place is High Wycombe Air Station where I lived during my three-year all expenses paid (courtesy of the USAF) vacation in London.

I kinda like that shot because you can read the tee shirt I'm wearing in the full-size version of the pic, to wit:

That 350-cc number prolly sounds laughable to Americans who routinely think "Harley" and big-ass 96 cu. in. (1600 cc) motors when they think of bikes, which is rarely (unless you're a biker).  But lemmee tell ya, those 350cc's made mince-meat out of many a cruiser back in the day and sport bikes twice its size, too.  That was one hella quick and fast mo'sickle and it could carve a corner like few others.  Fast times, indeed.

Here's the best bike I ever owned... it edges out the 350LC by only the tiniest of margins... my RD400D.  The first pic is the bike in box-stock configuration, the second is in its current mildly-modified condition:

Stock

Modified

I spent the winter of 1978 in my garage working on that bike.  Most of the mods were bolt-ons, which is to say after-market shocks, new handle bars, rear-set foot pegs, a brake/shifter kit, electronic ignition, and better tires.  The cognoscenti will note the expansion chambers on the bike and those were part of the minor engine mods I did.  I didn't want to build a hand-grenade motor so I just added expansion chambers, larger carbs, and K&N air filters to improve the bike's breathing.  I also polished all the cylinder ports to improve air flow.  And that was it... but the finished product really wailed.  I should also mention coastal Oregon was a danged fine place to own a back road burner like the RD, too.  Even more fast times.

Here's a previously posted and MUCH prettier pic of the stock RD:

 TSMP and Stock RD

I tried to get her to pose in her bikini but she wasn't having any of that.  (sigh)

Lastly... the RD400 is still in the family, sitting in the back of SN2's garage.  It still runs but is suffering from a leaky rear master cylinder.  Sam keeps telling me "one of these days..."  Heh.

And now a moment that's said to be good for the soul.  Here's part of an exchange I had with Occasional Reader Laurie a couple o' days ago:

Don't tell anyone, but I've been lookin' at Sportys for about a month or so.  I'm only six months removed from getting rid o' Miss Zukiko and find I'm missing her.  Terribly.  I'm too old and decrepit to go back to sport bikes, but I'm thinkin' I could deal with a Sporty, even with my infirmities.  So, we shall see....

The Apocalypse truly must be near.  Me?  On a HARLEY?  Aiiieee.

19,615,456 Views Before I Get Around to Posting It

EIP: Always a day late and a dollar short.  Always.  But cute.

―:☺:―

It's not a nice day here on The High Plains o' New Mexico:

Warm ain't everythang, yanno?  We've had gusts over 40 mph today, so I'm thinkin' it'll be an indoor Happy Hour.  But mebbe not.

Veterans Day 2011

VETERANS DAY, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Today, our Nation comes together to honor our veterans and commemorate the legacy of profound service and sacrifice they have upheld in pursuit of a more perfect Union. Through their steadfast defense of America’s ideals, our service members have ensured our country still stands strong, our founding principles still shine, and nations around the world know the blessings of freedom. As we offer our sincere appreciation and respect to our veterans, to their families, to those who are still in harm’s way, and to those we have laid to rest, let us rededicate ourselves to serving them as well as they have served the United States of America.

Our men and women in uniform are bearers of a proud military tradition that has been dutifully passed forward—from generation to generation—for more than two centuries. In times of war and peace alike, our veterans have served with courage and distinction in the face of tremendous adversity, demonstrating an unfaltering commitment to America and our people. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the country they loved. The selflessness of our service members is unmatched, and they remind us that there are few things more fundamentally American than doing our utmost to make a difference in the lives of others.

Just as our veterans stood watch on freedom’s frontier, so have they safeguarded the prosperity of our Nation in our neighborhoods, our businesses, and our homes. As teachers and engineers, doctors and parents, these patriots have made contributions to civilian life that serve as a testament to their dedication to the welfare of our country. We owe them a debt of honor, and it is our moral obligation to ensure they receive our support for as long as they live as proud veterans of the United States Armed Forces. This year, as our troops in Iraq complete their mission, we will honor them and all who serve by working tirelessly to give them the care, the benefits, and the opportunities they have earned.

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to our veterans, to the fallen, and to their families. To honor their contributions to our Nation, let us strive with renewed determination to keep the promises we have made to all who have answered our country’s call. As we fulfill our obligations to them, we keep faith with the patriots who have risked their lives to preserve our Union, and with the ideals of service and sacrifice upon which our Republic was founded.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation’s veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2011, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

Thanks to all who served and those still serving.  God Bless you all.  And to our friends and allies throughout the British Commonwealth -- we remember and honor your fallen on this Remembrance Day.  Thank you.

Not Your Father's Air Force XIV

From the Usual USAF Source...

(From left) Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, Capt. Nicholas Tsougas, Lt. Col. Dylan Wells, Capt. Leigh Larkin, retired Lt. Col. Donald Cornwell and National Aeronautic Association Chairman Walter Boyne.  (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Tiffany Trojca) (click for hi-res)

F-15E Aircrews Presented Mackay Trophy: Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and National Aeronautic Association Chairman Walter Boyne presented the 2010 Mackay Trophy to the four members of "Dude Flight" for their heroics actions last year in the cockpits of two F-15Es during a mission over Afghanistan. Now-retired Lt. Col. Donald Cornwell as well as Lt. Col. Dylan Wells, Capt. Leigh Larkin, and Capt. Nicholas Tsougas received the trophy, which recognizes the most meritorious flight in a given year, during NAA's fall awards dinner Monday in Arlington, Va. On April 6, 2010, these airmen, flying in F-15Es with call signs Dude-01 and Dude-02, performed show-of-force passes and subsequently deployed six joint direct attack munitions to protect a task force of some 30 coalition troops under attack by approximately 100 Taliban fighters in Bala Morgab. Their attacks killed more than 80 Taliban, saving the task force members' lives. (SAF/PA report by SSgt. Eric Donner) (See also NAA Mackay Trophy webpage.)

Congratulations to Colonels Cornwell and Wells and Captains Larkin and Tsougas.  This isn't the first time the Mackay trophy has been awarded to a female airman... I think the first female aircrew member was awarded the trophy in 2000... but it certainly gets the attention of the old geezers among us.  

I just can't imagine having a conversation with the wife that goes sumthin' like this:  

"How was your day, Honey?"  
"Oh, just the usual... knocked off 80 Taliban that were giving our guys a hard time..."

But I think it would be pretty cool.

Oh, and Capt. Larkin?  Square away those wings.  Ma'am.

Why I Smoke Cigars

For the female troglodytes, of course.  Just look at her melt.

Image from here, via the Shoebox blog.

Oh, NOES! They Just Keep Comin' Out o' the Woodwork!

"Get some settlement money."

Harley Riders...

...ain't too very smart.

(h/t to Occasional Reader Deb for this and other images)

Ramirez Does GOML and Radars

From the Usual Source...

Yup.

―:☺:―

A blast from the past from the Usual USAF Source:

Igloo Upgrade: The Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin $46.8 million in contract options to upgrade its Atmospheric Warning System radars throughout the US and Canada. The contract covers initial planning and design work to modernize 29 AN/FPS-117 long-range surveillance radars, which were initially built by Lockheed in the 1980s under the Seek Igloo North Warning program, according to a company release. It includes 15 radars in Alaska, 11 in Canada, as well as individual sites in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Utah. The solid-state L-band radar is capable of continuously covering airspace out to 250 miles using unmanned operations that are reliable even in harsh Arctic climates. Lockheed expects to be awarded follow-on contract options to update the radar's signal and data processing, extending the network life-span through 2025, states the release. The company already has completed similar work at sites in the UK, Germany, Romania, and Kuwait.

That would be a COLD blast from the past.   A lot o' you Gentle Readers know that I spent 16 years in the long-range air defense radar bid'niz, with a couple o' tours off for good behavior which I spent on the periphery o' the Once and Current Evil Empire.  Said tours weren't much of an improvement, actually, when it came to geographic locations, but there were other benefits.

I didn't much like the radar biz, mainly coz it ain't nice living on top of mountains or in close proximity to same, USUALLY out in the boonies somewhere... but not always: there were USAF radar sites in Palos Verdes in El-Eh, Mt. Tamalpais in SFO, and Montauk Point on Long Island, just to name three desirable sites (at which I never served).  So it pleases me to read the current radars use "unmanned operations," which I take to mean minimally attended.  There really isn't such a thing as unmanned ops; maintenance must be performed on a regular basis.  That maintenance is better performed by contractors than Blue Suiters, sez I, coz I know what it means to do that sorta thang.  In environments like this:

I spent one year, three days, eight hours and ten minutes there.  Not that I was counting.

From the In-Box

An Occasional Correspondent sends along the following...

'I haven't left my house in days.
I watch the news channels incessantly.
All the news stories are about the election;
All the commercials are for Viagra and Cialis.
Election  -  erection  -  election  - erection
- - - either way we're getting fucked!' 
-- Bette Midler.

You GO, Bette!

I haven't left the house in hours but I'm getting ready to motor over to The Big(ger) City™ to give The Green Hornet a bath and see if the Clovis MVD is more user-friendly than their P-Ville counterpart.  We've assembled a few pieces of paper with our Social Security number emblazoned prominently thereupon (plus other required pieces of Very Important Paper) and we shall attempt to do what must be done without an actual Social Security card... for the fun that should be in it and to satisfy our misguided need to tilt at windmills.  If this second effort fails I'll admit defeat and go from the MVD to the Social Security office to get the requisite letter.  But until that time it'll be "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more..."

Update, 1430 hrs:  Success!

Well, sorta.  The Green Hornet is registered and titled in New Mexico but I still don't have a New Mexico driver's license, seein' as how I failed the inter-agency check.  It further seems like I owe the state of New Yawk 25 Yankee Dollars for failing to return the NY license plates on ECMdP when I registered her in Texas back in 1999.  And New Yawk will NOT be denied what she is owed.  It only took me 24 minutes and 16 seconds of working through IVR Hell to reach a person who (a) knew what the problem was (all I got from the NM MVD was "call this number, you failed.") and (b) gave me explicit instructions on where to go and how to rectify the problem.  Oh, and give 'em 48 to 72 hours after I pay the fine to fix all the records.

Oh and BTW... I got all this done at the P-Ville MVD.  The lady there was very nice and professional after she consulted Higher Headquarters to find out that, yes, a USAF ID and a Medicare card would suffice for proof of Social Security.

Yays!  We WIN!  For once.  Sorta.

Cheesy Videos XXIII

It's been a while since we got the Mino HD out and recorded a Cheesy Video for your entertainment and/or enlightenment, Gentle Reader.  But!  Wait no more!  Here it is... new and mebbe improved!

Or mebbe not so improved.  We're still All Cheesy, all the time.  Watch in HD if'n ya have the bandwidth.

So now it'll be football until around 1700 hrs (with the teevee's volume turned up an extra six clicks to overcome the wind noise), at which time we'll turn to Center Ice to see if the Woeful Wings can snap their SIX GAME LOSING STREAK.  Aiiieee.

False Start

So... I got off the dime today and went down to the DMV to get my new driver's license, register my vehicles, yadda, yadda.  But I should use the proper term, since it's called the MVD in New Mexico.  That ain't irony; it's appropriate.  The story...

In order to get my driver's license/new registration(s) I need (a) my current license (check), (b) two pieces of paper to prove residence (semi-check: I had one on my person), and (c) an actual Social Security card (no check: I haven't had an actual Social Security card since sumthin' like for-fuckin'-ever).  I asked if my USAF ID card would do, since my Social Security number is my serial number and the number is right there on that official lil blue United States gub'mint document and the answer was "no," I must have an actual Social Security card OR an application for a replacement card... validated by the local Social Security office, which is in The Big(ger) City™.  So we must drive over to Clovis and apply for a new card.  But not today.

I also found out that to get NM titles for my vehicles I have to drive said vehicles to the MVD for a VIN validation.  That's no problem for The Green Hornet (obviously) but I'll have to do a shuttle operation to fetch El Casa Móvil de Pennington to the MVD for its inspection.  I do believe we'll register and title TGH next week, but ECMdP will wait until her Tejas plates expire next February, if she's not sold by then.

Fucking bureaucracy.  I hate, hate, HATE it.

Beer me! 

It Turns Out the Answer ISN'T 42...

... it's 50.  50 grams.  If it had been up to me I'd have left the weight of the inter-tubes at 42.  Just for the poetry that's in it, yanno?

Too geeky?  You prolly don't watch Nova either, do ya?

Unclear On the Concept, In Two Parts

That would be me, for item Numbah One.  Which, specifically, involves my defective Kindle I wrote about here.  I mentioned that Amazon was MOST responsive to my complaint and had put a replacement Kindle in the mail (well, UPS... mo betta) on the very same day I informed them of my issue.  I received the replacement in two days time, fired it up, transferred my content, and was Good To Go.  Oh, and I mailed the broken Kindle back to Amazon, too.

I was under the impression that my replacement Kindle was a loaner until such time as my device was (a) repaired and (b) returned to me.  Not true, that.  I just got off the phone with Amazon and was informed that my new Kindle is mine to keep... we're done now that I returned the broken Kindle.

How about that?  Ya just GOTTA love service like that.

Unclear On the Concept, Part Two, involves the City of Portales, specifically the city's water department.  I'll make this as quick as possible: I received my first water bill day before yesterday and was literally shocked at the amount: 121 Yankee Dollars, 75 of which was for water and the rest for garbage collection, sewer, and various service fees and taxes.  "This CAN'T be right" thinks I, so I hie myself off to City Hall and protest mightily.  The very nice lady (no sarcasm intended, she was very NICE) agreed the water charge seemed excessive for a guy who lives alone and filed a trouble ticket with the Public Works people, instructing me to phone back the next day to see about the outcome.  So, I called back yesterday and was informed there are no leaks in my water line but my meter had been misread and the revised bill was ONLY $108 (and change).  Happy now?

Well, no.

I called my landlord, explained the situation and inquired if the landscaping watering system might be hooked up to my meter, perhaps?  Amanda, the (once again) very nice lady at Homespot Properties said she didn't think so but she would look into the situation.  Further investigation on Amanda's part reveals the landscaping water meter is reading zero at this point in time, which kinda-sorta indicates things ain't exactly right.  I learned this when Amanda rang me back yesterday, she further informed me that there would be a four-way discussion today between the contractors who built the apartments, the landscapers, the city, and Homespot.  Further information should be forthcoming this afternoon.

So my water bill hangs in the balance... and I don't have any ideer how much I actually owe the city.  Just for comparison's sake, my neighbor's bill was around 40 Yankee Dollars, and there are three people living in HER apartment... herself, her roomie, and her baby girl.  You just know two wimmen and a baby consume more water than an old geezer, that much should be indisputable.  Sumthin' ain't right here.

Update, 1500 hrs:  Fixd, bill paid.  It turns out the landscaping contractors broke a water line during construction and the resulting spill was billed to me.  Homespot and I are splitting the difference; my bill is now $53.98 instead of $108.00.  I think that's still a bit high but I can live with it.  BIG kudos and thanks to Amanda at Homespot for running this issue to ground.  Quickly, too.  I think I'm gonna like livin' here.

Harassment

 From the Usual Source:

I sure am glad I'm not working any longer.  Or running for office... ANY office... for that matter.

I Went Lookin'...

... for a teevee ad that Chevrolet is runnin' in the Dee-troit market and came up empty.  But I did find this, which Occasional Reader Virgil might enjoy:

No continental kit, but it IS a pristine '58 Bel Air.  Nice!

Wuss!

I was gonna saddle up and head down to the DMV to become a New Mexican this afternoon.  Until I looked at the WX:

I'm thinkin' I'll wait until tomorrow... or mebbe Friday.

Just Sayin'

At least one Gentle Reader was perplexed at my Wegman's comment on last night's post and one other Gentle Reader from Rochester got it.  For the record: buying groceries at Wegman's is an experience unto itself... a GREAT experience.  I've been around the block a few times and have lived and shopped ALL over this great country, from border to border and sea to shining sea.  There are no better food markets than Wegman's anywhere... and few equals... period, full-stop.  I'm not alone in making this statement; herewith some evidence.  First, from GMA:

Sept. 2, 2006

Shopping for groceries can be an exercise in frustration, fraught with experiences you'd rather avoid.

The ideal? Lots of checkout lanes, wide aisles, and consistently fresh meat and produce -- like at Wegmans, one of several stores which got top ratings in the October issue of Consumer Reports.

[...]

The Rankings

The top ranked stores were Wegmans and Trader Joe's. Top regional chains were Wegmans in the Northeast; Publix and Harris Teeter in the South; Raley's in California; and Hy-Vee in the Midwest.

"All of these stores, especially the regional ones, did well because of their selection and their produce and their convenience," Kleman said.

From a 2010 readers' survey in Daily Finance:

TOP 5 FAVORITE GROCERY STORES

No. 1: Wegmans

Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Wegmans was founded in 1916 by the Wegman family. Wegmans operates 75 stores: 48 in New York State, 13 in Pennsylvania, 7 in New Jersey, 6 in Virginia and 1 in Maryland.


Sample Reader Comments:

sweet sue 14218 says:
"Wegmans is absolutely the best food store I have ever shopped in. [It has] lowest prices, friendly and helpful staff and the store is always spotless. Another good thing is they have plenty of cart corrals to put your empty cart in to keep them from hitting anyone [else's] car."

Neesko says:
"One of the highlights of visiting my son and family in Rochester, N.Y. is going to Wegmans. [On my] last visit, I [took] the tour of the [flagship] store. Wegmans, please come to Virginia -- especially Virginia Beach!" 

Another thumbnail sketch (there's a slideshow of great markets at this link):

Wegmans, which originated in Rochester, NY, is a gastronome's Mecca. This supermarket of all supermarkets offers more than 70,000 products from the every corner of the world. From basics to the authentic sweets developed by one of France's top pastry chefs, Pierre Hermé. The fresh fruits and vegetables max out at over 700 varieties and are picked daily (sometimes twice) and delivered directly to the store.

Not to be missed: The bulk food section. Barrels of everything from candy to nuts to baking flour and can be purchased in various quantities.

More here, and at The Wiki.  Weggies really IS all that and a bag o' chips; my local Wegman's even had a sushi bar and the fish was EXCELLENT.  As Small-Tee said in comments below: "If you never been to one, you'll never understand."

Dinner

Sometimes we be lazy... and it's good to be able to go down the block to the local grocery store and pick up dinner and dessert in a bag.  Like this:

OK, so it ain't Weggies.  But then... what IS?

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

We're listening to "The Very Best of Linda" this afternoon...  and the tune below is but one of the cuts on this most excellent album.  I love Linda's singin' but I can't handle her politics.  It's a great good thang that I can keep her singin' and her politics separate, innit?  But we digress...

It's so easy to fall in love
It's so easy to fall in love
It's so easy to fall in love
It's so easy to fall in love
Oh-ooh It's so easy to fall in love

No.  No, it's not.  You don't know what the f*ck you're talkin' about, Darlin'.

I'm Beginning To Take This Personally

So... I mentioned in these pages that I'd never had one single trick or treater in the nearly nine years I spent in Beautiful La Hacienda Trailer Park and that I was expecting better this year.  Guess what?  Not one single trick or treater.  I now have about a six month supply of small Kit Kat bars on hand... but at least I was smart enough to buy candy that **I** like.  Do ya think it was all that "get off my lawn!" stuff I've posted?

―:☺:―

Last night wasn't a total loss; we did have a nice sunset:

Note that my new westerly view isn't as nice as it was in BLHTP.  But I have a classic view of the ENMU water tower.  It's lit up at night, too.

Update, 0940 hrs:  This is why I'm beginning to take it personally: The Things You Don’t Always See.

I Don't Often Do This...

... but here's a post from the Shoebox blog in its entirety.

This is not a spoiler, it’s in the trailer and it’s pretty key to the whole movie: in the future (which sucks, btw) everyone kind of freezes at 25, then you have a year to live unless you buy extra time. So… your mom can be crazy hot. Your mom. She’s gonna look 25, same as you. But she’s your mom. This would not be easy to deal with.


Navigating the fact that everyone kind of piles up and the rich get richer and time is literally money in kind of Occupy Wall Street, the movie, is absolutely real actor Justin Timberlake. And this is his mom.  In the movie. In real life, this is his mom.  She seems nice. But not nice. I hope the future does not turn out like it did in this movie. I could not act like it’s OK that this is my mom. Also, no jet packs.

Longtime readers know that I'm not a movie guy and that's putting it kindly and gently.  I could pull a Jack Nicholson and tell ya what I really think about movies but you prolly couldn't stand the truth. Yeah, a quote from a movie.  I'm into irony.  

All THAT said, I love the Shoebox "Tiny Little Movie Reviews" on a number of different levels.  First and foremost, they're TINY and there are no long-winded expositions on anything, let alone the nuances of this actor, that special effect, or the other bullshit.  Second: they're always funny.  Always.  Third: the reviews tend to validate my feelings about movies, in general.  I guess I'm kinda un-American in that regard, but I really don't give a Big Rat's Ass.  I'm of the opinion Hollywood lost whatever relevance it had 30 years ago.  At least.

Two Posts In One!

Politics and Halloween!

From the Usual Source.

100 Years

From the Freep:

Some brands transcend commerce.

Through an alchemy of great products, good timing and sheer magic, they acquire meanings that reach far beyond their original purpose.

Levi's. Coca-Cola. Apple. Chevrolet.

Sometime during 100 years of carrying families on vacation, hauling hay wagons, winning races and hosting nervous first dates, Chevrolet became the vehicle of our memories, dreams and hopes as much as it is a line of cars and trucks.

Chevrolet created emblems for American eras. Chevy measured our national mood -- from the pastoral postwar '48 Suburban, to the pastel '57 Bel Air, space-age '63 Corvette Sting Ray, self-assured '69 Camaro, diffident '76 Chevette, back-to-work '99 Silverado and electrifying 2011 Volt.

Those were just a few of the Chevrolet icons that packed the Woodward Dream Cruise in a pre-centennial drive-in this summer. If you forgot to get a gift then, there's still time. Chevy's actual 100th anniversary -- 100, what's that? Platinum spark plugs? Radial tires? -- is this Thursday.

I've owned a few of those icons (by model year, not the year(s) I owned 'em): a '64 Impala (well, it actually belonged to The First Mrs. Pennington, but I had privileges), a '67 Chevelle SS396,  a '72 Nova, a '92 Vette (above), and a '96 Impala SS.  Oh yeah, and one of those gotdamned Chevettes, which was known as The Winter Vette when I lived in Dee-troit.  THAT was an eminently forgettable and hated little car.

But.  Chevy and I go back quite a ways.  Not the whole 100 years, to be sure, but enough time to firmly establish the marque as an icon in MY world.  Happy Anniversary, Chevy... here's to another 100 years!

You'll note Chevy was celebrated at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise this past summer, and there are some cool Camaro pics on their home page.  Speaking o' the Dream Cruise... I drove in the very first Dream Cruise, all the way from Ferndale (where I lived) to my Buddy Greg's house in Birmingham, where we did some on-the-spot repairs to this beast (a 1954 Cadillac Sedan De Ville):

The repairs were needed in order for The Second Mrs. Pennington and I to get the thing home.  That was also our first summer with "The Smokin', Drinkin', and Partyin' Car," named as such by TSMP.  From an old post:

TSMP christened the car “The Smokin’, Drinkin’, Partyin’ Car” and she most certainly was that. The best story about that car can only be told in “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” terms and involved TSMP and I splitting the upholstery in the Caddy’s back seat. Or, to put it another way…we were exuberant and the upholstery was old. In our garage. On a Saturday afternoon. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

Good times.

Broadening Our Horizons XXXIV

We're just in from the local beer emporium where we picked up a couple o' sixers to get us through the weekend.  Like this:

What you see is a good ideer from that lil ol' brewery in Shiner, Texas... which is a sixer of six different beers from Spoetzl, two of which... the Kosmos Reserve and the Brewer's Pride... will be new to me once I get around to drinking 'em.  Variety packs from breweries ain't exactly a new thang, but ya usually see 'em in 12-packs, not sixers.  And those 12-packs almost always have two bottles of sumthin' you don't like so I usually give 'em a pass.  But a sixer?  Yeah, I like that ideer... coz if I don't like one of the beers it ain't no biggie.  Are ya listenin', Sammy Adams?

But that said, our broadening exercise today is Alimony Ale, a name which intrigued me seein' as how Mother's Day is fast approaching (you know: pay this mother, pay that mother, yadda, yadda, not the least o' whom is the Mom of the adult boys, who gets a sizable chunk of my USAF retirement every month.  But we digress.).  And it's an IPA, of which there are very few of those I've met that I didn't like.  One of the Bros... Jason, specifically... likes it:

Presentation: 12oz brown. Turn of the century cartoon of a small man, big mouth character holding a sign. On the sign it states, "The Bitterest BREW in America."

Appearance: Very dark with ruby edges and a nice looking thin lace that retains.

Smell: Big and malty with caramel and rum notes.

Taste: Extremely smooth, rich malt sweetness that transforms into a roasted grain dryness becoming almost tart. Hop leaf flavours finish at the end, mixing well with the complexity of malt afters.

Notes: Not the bitterest brew, but, very malty and complex. The malts definitely reign in this brew. Very unique and enjoyable.

He gives the beer a B+ and I'm in agreement.  The beer is plenty bitter enough, though.  And now it's time to take this show out to the verandah where we can actually enjoy Alimony.  And a cigar.

Clarkson On Open-Air Motoring

That's the title of Jalopnik's Number Three choice of Jeremy Clarkson's Ten Best Lines, ever... and here's the quote, quoted:

3.) Clarkson on the joys of open-air motoring

Suggested By: AJ Supera

Why it's brilliant: "My epiglottis is full of bees!" Clarkson may have really gotten Top Gear going with his early review of the Ariel Atom, and it was lines like this, and, well, whatever flapping noise his face was making in the wind that got the world hooked.

And the video from whence it came:

I can relate to the above... speaking as a guy who rode sportbikes for over 40 years.  While we're on the subject I think I'd like to have an Atom; but with that said I'll stick with The Green Hornet.  TGH doesn't have NEAR the power of an Atom but it provides all the sensations of open-air motoring along with a kick-ass stereo AND air conditioning.  OK, so I am compensating.  What of it?

If you love cars and bon mots you can waste well over an hour at the Jalopnik link above; there's some seriously GOOD stuff there.  Mr. Clarkson can certainly turn a phrase.

Heh

"Leverage.  Portfolio.  Fiduciary."  Heh.

Getting Ready For Spook Nite

How d'ya like me so far?  I think it's an improvement over the usual me.

You can do this too... and here's a brief vid about how.

What's GOOD About "Inequality"

From last night's PBS Newshour:

Watch Does U.S. Economic Inequality Have a Good Side? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

A couple o' excerpts from the transcript, just in case you don't wanna watch the video:

PAUL SOLMAN: What's good about inequality?

RICHARD EPSTEIN: What's good about inequality is if, in fact, it turns out that inequality creates an incentive for people to produce and to create wealth, it's a wonderful force for innovation. So let's just go and take somebody like Bill Gates again or any entrepreneur.

Guy earns $50 billion, right? How much consumer welfare has he created by selling products? We can estimate the amount of gains to purchases, because everybody who buys one of his products or one of Steve Jobs' products, in effect, values it more than he receives.

The social gain from inequality to consumers of those goods probably dwarfs the entrepreneurial gain by a factor of 10-1 or 20-1.

PAUL SOLMAN: So you mean the incentive for great wealth had Steve Jobs and Bill Gates create products which created so much value that it far outstripped the compensation to them?

RICHARD EPSTEIN: Yes.

And one of the fundamental mistakes about the egalitarians is they're so interested in trying to minimize differences that they don't understand the completely adverse effects that it has on the size of the pie.

[...]

PAUL SOLMAN: In the period in which the American economy grew most vigorously, the United States had higher marginal rates, much higher, higher capital gains rate, and more prosperity and greater economic equality.

RICHARD EPSTEIN: No.

First of all, the highest marginal tax rates were also accompanied with tax shelters for everybody in those rates. The second thing is that the monies that were being spent in those days were being spent in much more intelligent ways. That is, if you go and you look at either state or federal budgets and see the amount of money that is spent on what we would call standard infrastructure improvements, and spent well, like the interstate highway program in 1956, that was very high.

The money that is spent today on infrastructure improvements of a good variety is a tiny fraction of what it was then. And the amount of money that is spent essentially on transfer payments has mushroomed enormously.

The fundamental truth is, the tax system is more redistributive than it was before, which will lead to a reduction in efforts, and the regulatory burden on the economy is vastly greater, and we would expect lower levels of growth.

Mr. Epstein... a Libertarian law professor at New York University of Law...  slays a few more liberal sacred cows and guts pet arguments for redistribution in this brief piece, which is well worth watching.  Or reading, your choice.  The whole thang is pretty refreshing.

Snowbirds...

... outside my front door:

And a clean and dry Green Hornet:

No outdoor Happy Hour today, methinks.

Still More Thievery

From the Shoebox blog:

Hit “random” in the lower left corner until you find a cool place.  Then hit “Rorschmap” in the upper right corner.

That's just pretty danged cool!

Say WHAT?

Aiiieee...

Snow?  Seriously?  Already?  (Insert al-Gore joke here)

Again?

Yeah, again.  It's hard to stay off OWS when fully half of the 'toons at the Usual Source are about this subject.  Here's but one...

I recognize that feeling... but I had a valid excuse for my behavior: it was the beer goggles.

―:☺:―

Speakin' of "again"...  We've fallen back into old habits, which is to say stayin' up well into the wee hours and sleeping half the day away.  I keep tellin' myself "no harm, no foul" but I really hate it when I do this sorta thang: half the damned day is gone and I haven't even poured my second cup yet.  Type A behavior never dies... it just keeps strange hours.