Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

I have had many, many GM cars & light trucks...but of all the changes, I shall miss Pontiac the most.
I adored my 1986 Grand Am, and I drive a Pontiac van these days.

Wow, you're bound to get a lot of memories recorded in this thread, so I'll just share one shorty:
My buddy Larry and I , cruising the root beer stand in his shiny blue '55 Chevy , blasting Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison tunes out of his radio speakers, giving the girls a ride around the courthouse square, and stopping off for a great pizza at the only pizza place in town then. No fuzzy dice; we meant business, but never conducted any, if you get my drift!

MARK TWAIN: "The calamity that comes is never the one we had prepared ourselves for."
- Letter to Olivia Clemens,
August 16, 1896

The best vehicle I ever bought , I paid $25 dollars for. I was after the snow tires on her. And all the other parts. I had 4 of these things already.
She was a 1954 International Harvester 1/2. ton. With the 220 "Green Diamond " in her. She had an electrician's box on the back , but that didn't come with her. So I made a flat bed out of her, with oak stock racks . She ran like a top . I took her to Texas from Salida 3 times. I converted her to 12 volt instead of 6 volt.

Sold her to the woman I'm Share Croppin with for $400. She was yellow and black with geodesic domes painted on the doors. I painted her with a brush. 25 miles to the gallon.

Gas was 50 cents in Colorado at the time.

lol @ Cbob, I had a 66 IH Travelall. Damn thing was tough. Ugly squared off shaped tan color. Drove the wheels off of it.

Craig, you always make my day...and night.

I watched 'them' build the Ford, I think it was, office building in Detroit. They built each floor at ground level and hydraulically lifted each one up.

My first babysitter got a degree in engineering at MIT. He chose the car biz. His thinking 30 years ago was he'd always have a job as the car biz was solid. Wonder how he fared? I'll never know.

My father who worked in steel mills, when they were in the US, used to say that the economy of the country was tied to the tail pipe of a car. I think I've said this before.

Dementia.

Now China will make Hummers.

Interesting.

tt

International Harvester made the best trucks from 52 to 56 , that was my thing . All the parts mixed and matched . The steel in them , was the best America ever made. I never twisted - off bolt on one. The door latches were perfect, a Chevy from that time, you had to wire the driver's side door shut. All my hippie friends had "Jimmys and Chevys ". except for J.N. Bates .... he was a Studebaker man. Ever hunt parts for a 53" Studebaker half ton pick-up ? They were rare even in 73'.

Best car I ever had was a 1972 Monte Carlo. It was gold with a white, crinkly top. Back then you could request that one be made on a specific day for you. At least you hoped the sticker for Wednesday was correct.

I still love the simple, sleek lines of it.

tt

The '72 looked something like this.

*sigh*

http://tedvernon.net/72montecarlogoldthumb.jpg

tt

Rez -
My 1954 Travel - All , 4 wheel drive :
Her name was Nadine , she had a jump seat & a fan on the dash -

http://colorado-bob.blogspot.com/2006/10/jose-nadine_28.html

I had a 65 Travel-All as well, turquoise. It was a pig. Did the same thing with her. The king pins were shot when I sold her. She'd shake the teeth in your head when you hit 35 mph.

Tip , I'll bet you looked pretty good in that ride

The Frame Construction
Made our first cuts today starting at 3:30 this afternoon .

http://cbsolaroven.blogspot.com/

Aidos

Cbob, Nice photo of Nadine. Those travelalls with the all the windows reminds me of a sawed off school bus. lol. yeah I had my teeth shook too.

nadine, is that you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMJzMiiRWfc

That '72 is a hot car, Bob....

china buying/producting the hummer brand seems somehow consistent with poisoned pet food, baby formula and meds....
as browning would say, "all's right with the world"

"The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his Heaven -
All's right with the world!"
[pippa's song]

the death knell tolleth

"Last month Murdoch told reporters that the entire internet business model for newspapers was changing, as the current model was "malfunctioning".

Murdoch predicted that the classified advertising that was leaving print and migrating to the internet would probably never return and that the "traditional newspaper business model has to change, even though the present situation is greatly exaggerated by the current recession".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/03/sunday-times-website

good morning, patsi, please forgive my dour, dreary, depressing and distressful mumblings on this otherwise beautiful day. hope all is well with you in bookland. will you tour?

no newspaper is an island.......

sturge, j donne speaks this morn:

"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me...."

"china buying/producting the hummer brand seems somehow consistent with poisoned pet food, baby formula and meds....
as browning would say, "all's right with the world"

LMAO! Too true.

Remember when W had the good will of the world? Remember when he exploited that good will & dragged us into the muck?

Prez Obama has all but expended his good will now. I can't explain it, but I feel an internal shift that tells me his fight against what may be equated to domestic, economic terrorists, has been pushed as far as he can go. If he keeps it up, he is not going to have that good will to help him get elected for a second term.

No pat -- I have a few signings but no real tour. But by the time it's over I'll probably have done 75 or so radio interviews....to country music stations.

Craig, Is your entire house just filled with toys & chachkis, or, does CQ give you a video budget?

Seriously, a great one today...but it got stuck when the cheerleaders were piling into the car. All you were lacking was a Hot Wheels track to Thelma & Louise that car off of. (Yep, ending in "of" because it makes more sense that way. Buy American??? Talk American? Yep.)

http://www.motorbookcase.com/rare_motoring_books/1900-1919/html/the-auto-guest-book-of-mobile-maxims.html

THE AUTO GUEST BOOK

BEING THE MAXIMS OF
PUNBAD THE RAILER
GA RAJA OF THE PUN-
JOB, VICE-ROYSTERER
OF NOTSOPOOR

RENDERED INTO
THE VERNACULAR AND
HIGHLY DECORATED

BY
ETHEL WATTS-MUMFORD GRANT
# RICHARD BUTLER GLAENZER
PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY
SAN FRANCISCO AND NEW YORK
Copyright, 1906
fey Paul Elder and Company

The text:

http://www.archive.org/stream/autoguestbookbei00graniala/autoguestbookbei00graniala_djvu.txt

The chariots shall rage in

the streets, they shall justle one

against. another in the broadways;

they shall seem like torches,

they shall run like the

lightnings.

Nahum ii: 4.

Craig, Is your entire house just filled with toys & chachkis, or, does CQ give you a video budget?

Seriously, a great one today...but it got stuck when the cheerleaders were piling into the car. All you were lacking was a Hot Wheels track to Thelma & Louise that car off of. (Yep, ending in "of" because it makes more sense that way. Buy American??? Talk American? Yep.)

Bob, Rez

I had a 72 Travelall. I drove the dickens out of it. Even took it to England and used it when we went antiquing. It was one of the fancy models, 2wd and auto.

It was one of the two most comfortable cars I've ever owned, the other being our Jaguar Mk-10. When we went back to the States, we sold the Jag and kept the Travelall.

Made the mistake of giving it to Toots when she desperately needed wheels--her Camaro went belly-up on her.

She couldn't keep the IH in shape herself, so she ended up selling it for a pittance :( But, it got her through the rough patch she was in.

The front seats were _so_ comfortable. Almost like sitting in the living room. And, I could see everything all around us.

A great truck that we still miss.

remember the edsel.... a call to arms like "remember the maine"....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel

Sorry about the hiccough. Did the Chinese get into this place, too?

My favorite rifle, an M-1 Garand, was made by International Harvester.

that wiki link re edsel has an interesting blurb on robt mcnamara's role in it.
also noteworthy is this line: "The brand is known best as one of the biggest commercial failures in the history of American business." move over, edsel, there's a bigger biggest now.

One of my older sisters bought a white Edsel convertable....I thought it was the hottest thing I'd ever seen.

patd -- I thought that wiki article was very interesting, especially about the company not figuring out Edsel's place in the market. We Americans seem to be very concerned about whether something is a step up or a step down....

Wow, Craig's observations this morning do bring back good memories.

I would bet that many here can still identify with the "American Grafitti" story.

I grew up when having your own car was really a big deal.

Here you either were a GM or a Ford lover, with a few Chrysler lovers (Mopar back then)---Really Corvette v.
Mustang.

My first car was a 1969 silver Pontiac GTO (but not a stick shift--I still can not drive a standard-- one of my ex's found that out when I had to drive his 1984 Vette).

My GTO was a great car---& pretty fast. The speedometer even went up to 120!

One of my dumber mistakes back then was when I wanted a new car & instead of buying a 1963 Corvette split window coupe, (midnight blue- for $5,000--I still have a photo of me standing next to it---courtesy of one of my dear friends--we were at a big Covette show outside Phily) I bought a new 1973 Buick Century--it had air conditioning the vette did not!

"..by the time it's over I'll probably have done 75 or so radio interviews....to country music stations."

patsi, can't help but picture this scene from "o brother"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krwywj_gIjk&feature=related

patsi, not only were they hot, but those babies could really go. had the honour of driving an edsel convertible (red and white) all around florida one season... felt like isadora duncan with her long scarf fluttering femme fatale (or was that fatally) in the wake.

Yes! I know that Isadora feeling the Edsel convertable had....she had it before they were discarded and became a joke. My sisters and I thought it was the Ritz. (I was only about 13, and felt TERRIBLY cool to be with my older sisters in a white convertable.

Unfortunately, pat -- the little privately owned funky stations are now part of Clear Channel, et al.

To all facebookers here on TM,

I am not ignoring you all. I don't do facebook for my own reasons. Thanks for "adding" me but it is a waste of time. As I told Patsi the other day I have serious "intellectual properties" issues with facebook and will not deal with them. So, Thanks but no thanks.

dooty

http://twitter.com/common_squirrel

In honor of that squirrel twitter that Jamie linked last night, I think I might start a meow twitter. Daily twittering would be easy, as there wouldn't be a lot to say. Maybe someone could start a dog, bird (I guess tweet bird is already taken) but, another animal or plant. Heck, we could start a blue corn twitter.

Sorry I had to leave so abruptly last night, but I did just finish last nights thread, just not this morning thread yet. I'll be back to do that... we're hitting the road for a few hours.

mornin'

OK, I'll bite. Coolest 2 cars we ever had were a 64 Olds Cutlass - 2-door coupe, Maroon with white top and white interior - 330 C.I. V-8, bucket seats, and a '65 Buick skylark convertible. Maroon with black top and interior - 330 V-8 with 4 on the floor. Unfortunately Dad got rid of the Skylark before I got my license, but the Cutlass was Mom's, and I had many memorable dates in that car.

Like HD, I don't facebook, either. It's not supported here and I don't have the time for such stuff at home.

Well, in defense of FB, let me say that I thought it would be about as dumb as Twitter....but my publisher wanted me to be more active so I did. In the process, I've reconnected with some music journalists who I'd lost touch with and who have been very helpful in my new book rollout. So it depends on what you want from it. Also caught up with a lot of college friends...but that's aside from the networking. Doubt if FB would do a lawyer any good, though, Pogo,...heh heh

I don't blame Doots for now wanting his photography up, if that's what he was going to use it for....anytime a photograph is on the net it isopen for grabs. Anywhere -- even on websites. Anyone can grab a copy.

My first car was a 52 Dodge given to me for graduation in 1961. She was all power with lead foot Lucy doing 90 down Highway 10 on her way to Mount San Antonio and destiny. (Eat your hearts out all you folks on the freeway parking lots; it was a new empty road then). The boyfriend, soon to be huz and later to be ex, drove an equally fast 1952 Chevrolet.

Talk about a more innocent world. In August of 1962 we were driving in the wee hours after being married the night before in order to drive up to San Francisco when we were pulled over by a cop wanting to know what he was doing with "that young girl at this hour of the morning?"

Let's hear it for empty freeways, 25 cent gas, big back seats and really stupid teenagers. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4j_XhXR-DI

Here is the full quote from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) as it appears in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's latest "House panel wants new review of BPA safety
Congressmen ask FDA to assess closeness to chemical industry"

"Instead of spending money to manipulate the legislative process through fear tactics or slick PR campaigns, I suggest these companies ramp up their research and development, ensuring that only safe alternatives to this dangerous substance are used in food and beverage containers,"
http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/5585

Oh, I remember those old Dodges. Straight-6 engine with a gyromatic transmission that you could drive either as an automatic or shift gears like a regular car. But _slow_!

Off to the docs for routine stuff.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/temporary-bailout-or-allout-so.html#comment-232889

Dark Lord,

You asked for Isaac Asimov recommendation. Here is a bibliography. What is your life expectancy?

http://www.asimovonline.com/oldsite/asimov_catalogue.html

You must start somewhere, so have a go at "Foundation" and its sequels.

Asimov was an excellent editor as well as writer, so you might consider the anthologies he edited.

If you are new to science fiction, the Hugo Award nominees and winners are always a good idea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award_for_Best_Novel

For pure comedy all of Spider Robinson's Callahan series. The do get into all sorts of trouble at the Cross Time Saloon.

The first car I bought was a 73 Toyota Celica... I LOVED it....
but my favorite car I've owned was the one before what I drive now..... it was a 01 Ford Escape.... I had it for 6 yrs.... it never gave me any trouble and it was a blast to drive.... but I hated that gas milage.... only 16-17 mpg....

Rick still talks about the 72 Red Volkswagen Beetle he owned when we got married (I had the Celica)....

Craig... I LOVE your toys...... :0)

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-232946

Jamie, hear, hear!!

I had a Dodge that looked a lot like this one when I was in high school....also had an Olds if i can find one that looks like mine did...

http://www.carnut.com/cgi-bin/mopar.pl?/show/hay97/hay097.jpg

Obama is making a lot of sense in terms of what he wants to do on the Middle East trip.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/opinion/03friedman.html?_r=2&ref=opinion

I was also struck listening to MoJo this morning. They had on some biographers of Reagan.

(Despite what you think of his domestic policies - he made some real progress internationally.)

Anyways, it is so ironic how similar his approach was to foreign policy is to Obama's. He believed in sitting down and talking to people. (And he also pissed off the NeoCons...) I just wish all these people who worship Reagan could see these parrallels - but alas - partisanship is terrible for people's eyesight....

My Olds looked like this:

http://www.oldsads.org/postcards.htm?tid=65&image=976

OK - sorry - back to car talk.

My first car was a third-generation '86 Toyota Cressida - originally owned by my grandpa. I bought it from my uncle for one dollar and we had a one page sales contract that he drew up on a sheet of paper torn out of a notebook.

That car served me well and got me up and down the coast from FL to NJ several times.

(Although it would start to shake anytime I got up around 85 mph...)

I used to call her "Old Blue"

Renee, almost everyone who ever owned a Beetle is hard to shut up when they start reminiscing about it - I have to confess. Mine was a '64 that dad bought for a song in about '74, paint was awful, so we sprayed it in the carport - blue, and not a bad job, either. Needed new interior - ivory vinyl, J.C. Whitney, $50.00. When all was said and done, it was a great car - got 27 mpg - he drove it for about a year then gave it to me to replace the shitbox Vega I had at the time. I drove it for two years, sold it before it dropped the No. 3 exhaust valve if it ever did, then bought a bus because I was huge into canoeing and backpacking and needed the space. That Beetle began my life with a series of VWs - two busses, a KG convertible, and my last VDub was a Jetta (which ironically is the only new car I ever bought). The one that got away was the 1965 K-G coupe my dad bought in 1980 - white over beige with ivory interior. Absolutely beautiful car. 1300 cc engine that ran like a top. He sold it without giving me a chance to buy it off him - if I had, I'd still have it.

RR

I also owned a celica and loved it. Although in SF it was known as the Chinese youth gang car.

Cars? The goal for the "new" GM is to sell 10 million
cars/vehicles annually to return to profitablity----keep
wondering what is the car/vehicle that is going to
entice Americans to buy GM again?

Particularly, since it is predicted that automakers will sell just 10 million new cars/trucks this year.

I'm driving a gm car now. A 93 Saturn Station Wagon. Not much oomph but great mileage and low maintenance. Although I never went to the round-ups and thought the push to make Saturn a cult car was dumb.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-232948

Flatus,

Maybe mine liked Califrnia sunshine. She did 90 with no problem. I know because that was my cruisin' speed. Loved the shift or automatic option.

Here is my first car - but think green instead of black and 2 doors instead of 4. Ugly, no? Bought it from my grandmother for $250,, paint was completely faded so we painted it really ugly green (the same color as Crayola green) interior was sun rotted and had to be replaced (J.C.Whitney again), But it had a big V-8 and ran like scalded dog.

http://1960plymouth.com/

That's funny, Warren....I had a big old blue Olds back in the '80s....my kids called it the Blue Whale.

And reality check---this is an all too familiar tale of
the plight of many homeowners---

"Promised help is Elusive for some Homowners"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/business/03mortgage.html?pagewanted=1&hp

Every good car should have a nickname.

Pogo -- now THAT is a cool car!

My first car was a white 1984 Monte Carlo SS. Bought it as soon as I graduated from college. 15% interest. It was great. That car looked great and was scary fast......

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-232945

Hi Patsi, I was not trying to keep people from using and enjoying FB. It's just me and I thought I owed an explanation for my seemingly rude position and ignoring them. Your publisher is probably right about the exposure. BTW, I found one of your books in 1/2 price books last Saturday.

Back to cars----this is a pretty sarcastic view, but truth be told, I just might be one of those looking for a "bootlegged" car--in the not so distant future.

"Obama v. The Beach Boys"---Daddy's taking the muscle-car culture away.

"Tthe cars and their culture were a manifestation of what made the U.S. really different. The cars, like the country, were big, fast and unfettered.

Now, it looks like we're being asked to throttle down to govt approved survival.... We'll see what happens when people walk into auto showrooms (if they exist) & every car has a wheelbase of about 100 inches.

Maybe they'll bolt. Maybe the car culture will revert to where it began, when the whiskey runners in the South ran from the revenuers. This time the cars themselves will be bootlegged---fat, fast & gas-powered...."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124346903426760553.html

I bought a 1954 Chevy Delray Coupe from my dad in 1961 for $100. He had bought it new in '54. I drove it for about 5 years. Then I bought a 1957 2 door hardtop for about $450. Kept it until I went in to the service in '66. The rest of the autos I have owned are just cars and just transportation.

ok, Patsi, (now if I want sarcasm, I can go home to get it). :-) Seriously, maybe now it is, but in 1967 when I got my driver's license, cool is not a word I would have associated with that car. My friends referred to it as the Batmobile. But it did have it's appeal - particularly the fact that it was as close to a perfect dating car - size-wise re: the seats - as one could ask for. Plus it had some , ummm, unique features - It had a rectangular steering wheel that was clear plastic with metalflake flecks, had a pushbutton transmission, and had A/C with vents on the dash that resembled periscopes.

HD, hardtop - haven't heard that word in years - I guess it's been supplanted by Coupe. Bet you wish you still had that '57 - talk about a collectible car, the 2 door 57 Chevy hardtop (Bel Aire) is one of the most collectible cars out there, and to a large extent is IMHO about the coolest car (aside from a few of the Corvettes, such as the one Coreen let get away) Chevy ever produced.

Sotomayor - Gingrich - racist remark - weasel

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/03/gingrich-takes-back-sotom_n_210713.html

"BTW, I found one of your books in 1/2 price books last Saturday."

Not surprising....book stores and especially online people are in a panic now.

Ha, Pogo....it still looks cool to me....

Cool is in the eye of the beholder. A couple of my friends thought my sister's '64 Falcon (flesh colored) was cool. She was mortified at first when the 'rents got it for her. I thought it was cooler than the Belvedere.

Pogo,

I do sometimes think of that car. It was a two-tone (salmon pink and white) It was a Bel-Aire. Nice car. I see a few of them nearly every Friday night at some hamburger joint (mini car show).

Before the 54 Chevy I drove a spare pickup truck we had around the place. It was a 49 Chevy 3 window pickup truck. It had the most dents in it that anyone could imagine. Nearly indestructible. It was that awful dark green color Chevy painted trucks for several years. I always wanted one of the pickup trucks like the Ford Ranchero or what I really wanted was the Chevy El Camino. My dad (mr practical) always pointed out that if you had a truck like that you could never haul rocks in it.

I was right to ignore you on FB, Dooty. LOL! Actually, I always prefer that someone asks me to be their friend first. Makes it less awkward, in case they say "No!"

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-232966

Coreen, now who could ever have predicted this?

Pogo,

2-door hard-top---that is the car I keep trying to find again--with all wheel dirve.

My ideal car would be the size of my 2002 Jag x-type , but a 2 door "coupe" with all wheel drive--not a 4 door which I drive but I really do not like 4-door cars.(I guess I have not really ever grown up)

I keep waiting for the car mfrs to realize there is a market.

Meantime, I will continue to hold on to my
1990 Buick Reatta coupe---which has 18,000 miles
& still runs fine---but I do not drive it much as you can
see.

Fn bloodsuckers.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bank-america2-2009jun02,0,4121940.story

Every car I ever owned: (lol)

56 nash rambler
56 chevy convertible
60 pontiac bonneville
64 Caddy
3 V W busses
78 Alfa Romeo sedan
82 chevy caprice
70 Olds
70 Caddy
82 toyota
66 GMC pick-up
89 GMC pick-up
93 Chevy 4 dr Doolie

First car was a 67 Buick Riviera. Had it up to 130 mph once and ran out of road. Automatic, accidentally dropped it in reverse at 35 mph and it went, burning tires but no grinding at all.

I still like my 2000 Saturn coupe. Well engineered. The way they build the trunk I can put a 10' 2 x 6 in and close the hatch.

Another fun Sci-Fi series if you like quick conversation is The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison.

Pogo,

That is why my pet peeve with the Obama administration continues to be with his failue to really
push for the legislation to allow bankruptcy judges to modify loan terms---which would really put pressure
on the banks to do something---not just pretend they are offering real assistance.

Patsi,
I'll bet that the stores are in a panic. My wife bought me an Amazon Kindle for my birthday. Incredibly addictive.
I can see real problems for print booksellers.....

Coreen, there are AWD 2 doors starting to come back on the market - but finding a hardtop could be a problem - almost all of them are sedans now.

sturg, with a '64 Rambler as your auspicious start into automobile ownership, you could only go down from there. :)

Lessee,

60 Plymouth Belvedere
56 Chevy pickup
68 Fiat 850 coupe
70 Pontiac Grand Prix
64 VW Beetle
68 VW Bus
72 Karmann Ghia convertible
73 VW Bus
77 Toyota Corolla
88 VW Jetta
91 VW Jetta
88 Audi 5000
94 Isuzu Trooper (inherited from Mrs. P - still have both)
98 Audi A8 (serious short timer)

sorry, sturg, typo - 56 Nash Rambler.

My Grandad had Nash Rambler from sometime in that era. I remember it as a decent car, but then I was just a kid.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-232918

Patsi,,,let us know where and when your radio interviews are on,,,,,I would love to hear what you say,,,but I would really love to hear your voice.

My favorite car,,,,Sugar Bear,,,,what a babe magnet,,specially in Wisconsin,,,I was known as Chico back then,,,we all had nicks,,and not real names HA! it was a 65 blk,,on blk,,on, blk convertible Pontiac Bonneville,,,,it had leather bucket seats,,and the dash looked like an airplane cockpit,air cond.,,and attracted a lot of attention,,I was the only one in my crowd that had a car,of my own,,I loved that car,,,,,I even had it ,,at North Carolina,,

After we was discaharged from the service,,I picked up my buddy at Virginia,,and we took turns driving home.....John was driving at the Pen,,turn pike,,,,,there were no guard rails,,,on the mountain highways,,,and could see the tree tops,,and below,,,,it was raining pretty hard,,,,when sugar bear began an S curve,,,don't know ,till this day what john hit,,some animal?,,but it sent us going side ways on the S turn,,,there,,,I was reading a book,,The portrait of Jennie,,,,will never forget,,,,,,and told him to hang in there and not too panic,,and ride it out,,,,,,we were reported dead,,,I guess from some one that seen us,,,,,we never said another word,,,half way down that S curve, we were away from the drop off side,,and made it all the way down,going side way's HA!,,and when we stopped a t the bottom,,we got out,,no damage,, at a gas station for gas,,down there,,,we still did not talk about it,,,,the reason that we knew that we were reported dead,,was that the clerk,,,asked us if we saw anything of a car going side way's down the pike,,,John,,,asked me why I didn't say anything going down side way's,,,,,I told him that ,,that was the best driving I had seen him do,,he was one of the shitiest drivers i have ever seen,,,and still is. I sold it after the engine wore out a year later,,,,,,,,that was a big mistake,,,I should have gave Sugar bear,,another heart,,,,she was worth it,,I still kick my self in the ass,,,for selling her.,,Craig shoulda done this thread on Friday,,or Saturday night,,,,would have been able to woop it up,with a cpl of drinks,,and a lot more memories,,,,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqYehSZQBJY#

My Dad loved cars. When he was younger, he bought a new car every 2 years. The cars I remember from time I was born on were:

68 Chevy Impala- Tourqouise...My all-time fave.
73 Chevy Vega- Biggest mistake!
76 Cutlass Supreme
81 Buick Regal
82 Mercury Cougar
88 Pontiac 6000 Sport Edition
92 Mercury Cougar
92 Oldsmobile 88
00 Chevy Impala- My Dad's last precious car
02 Chevy Malibu

Crap - I forgot the 72 Vega - just before the Grand Prix (which my Dad gave me when the Vega was getting ready to bite the dust.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/chevrolet-vega2.htm

Second picture was mine - same color, the works.

Some music for the lunch hour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AslwSKbymPg&feature=related

Patsi,

Just ordered your book from Amazon. It will be a while before I see it since "if you add $8 more to your order you can get free shipping". So I did and they did, but it won't show up for about nine days.

If an when we ever get together for anything, I'll bring it for an autograph.

Jamie, It never takes nine days. With free shipping, I normally get things in 3 or 4 days.

"My wife bought me an Amazon Kindle for my birthday. Incredibly addictive."

Jax -- a lot of my friends are using that and loving it.

Dark Lord had a '77 H-D Sportster, a '68 Cuda, and a '93 5.0l Lincoln Mark V(?) and destroyed all three at high speeds. He drives a nice, safe, Japanese car now.

I remember looking nostalgically at the train set my father gave me when I was 4, the day nixon nationalized passenger rail service.

Thought for the day :
" They know enough who know how to learn. "

1804 Richard Cobden founder Anti-Corn-Law League

1098 Christian Crusaders seize Antioch, Turkey
1539 Hernando De Soto claims Florida for Spain
1918 Supreme Court rules child labor laws unconstitutional
1921 A sudden cloudburst kills 120 near Pikes Peak, Colorado
1948 200" (5.08 m) Hale telescope dedicated at Palomar Observatory
1948 Korczak Ziolkowski begins sculpture of Crazy Horse near Mt Rushmore
1949 Dragnet is 1st broadcast on radio (KFI in Los Angeles)
1964 Rolling Stones begin 1st US tour (with Bobby Goldsboro & Bobby Vee)

Does it contain lead in the paint? Just don't chew on it. Like the government believes toddlers chew on motorcycle batteries & mini bike's.

All I could afford for my first car was a really antique 1970-something AMC Hornet.

The back-up lights didn't work and I promised my dad I would never put the car in reverse if I didn't have to spend the money to get them fixed. That didn't fly, so fortunately it was a cheap fix.

Drove the Hornet about 2 years and then bought an 1989 Olds Cutlass with a digital dashboard. Looked cool but was always a piece of crap; recall notices from day one.

Is American going to be like Cuba? Folks trying to keep their old American cars running?

pogo....
the love of old Beetles must be a guy thing.... I know several other women who think just like me.... didn't like them at all .... and of course ...... being female we were all at a distinct disadvantage when one needed to stick their arm out of the window so they could scrape while driving in a snowstorm because the f**king heater/defroster never worked....

shortly after we were married in 75, Rick wanted me to sell the Celica..... which was gold with red racing stripes and a vinyl roof.... I had bought it brand new out of the show room.... he wanted to save money by going down to one car....

there was no way I was gonna part with my ST (saki teriyaki) and drive that Red piece of crap... but I'd never call it that in front of Rick.... :0)

buford - LOL. Ridiculous, no?

Newtie orders some humble pie :

Sotomayor a racist? Newt Gingrich takes it back
The former House speaker had joined Rush Limbaugh in calling Sonia Sotomayor a racist in regard a speech she gave in 2001. Gingrich now says his words were 'perhaps too strong and too direct.'

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-sotomayor-gingrich4-2009jun04,0,6710122.story

OMG! This column is hysterically funny.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/01/charlie-brooker-women-men-power

Renee, maybe. Although I did date 2 women back in the Beetle years who drowe them, and they both lovved them. Of course heat isn't a huge issue in Tuscaloosa, AL, but you are right about the ventilation system. I drove to Burlington, VT with a couple of friends in '76 for a ski trip in a Beetle that had no heat. Once we got past about DC, we froze our tookuses off. At the time I wasn't overly versed in the finer points of VW heaters - I later found out that the two fan tubes were rotted out (they always were) and would have cost $2 each to replace - and it would have taken about 2 minutes each to do that.

The Celica ST was a far superior car in many respects than a Beetle. Faster, more comfortable, had heat, safer, more reliable - aside from that I can't imagine why you wouldn't give it up.

When I was stationed in Germany I went with several guys to a Formula I race in the German mountains at a place called Nürburgring Racetrack. It rained the whole week we were there. I had a GI issue pancho and to tell the truth it was so humid in the pancho that I was just as wet as if I had not worn the damned thing. We had tents but it was too wet to put them up. The four of us slept in the VW bug sitting up for six days. Most miserable trip I have ever had.

Patsi. Tht article is entirely untrue. Well, really it's not entirely true. OK, OK, it's true, but it DID leave out ONE particular but critical fact about WHY men do as we do - everything we do is done to get laid.

nash ramblers were cool cars. I rode to high school one year with a guy that had one. Front seats laid down flat. This is some forward thinking by some guys in the design dept. What a car for the drive in movies.

Also, Emmy Lou Harris had a backup band that was called The Nash Ramblers. Jon Randal and Sam Bush were notables from that band.

Sorry Patsi, I missed the announcement. What is the name of your book?

I was stationed in Turkey in the 70s. Turkey had bought all the equipment to make 57 chevies. Brand new 57's were being driven all over the place. That, mercedes trucks and chekoslovakian motorcycles that had a top end of 35 mph but would carry an entire family.

addendum to my post about nash ramblers...see pogo's post right above it.

"everything we do is done to get laid" nothing more to say about that.

Oh Corey

I loved the 81 Buick Regal. That was my business use car for two years. The company had a fleet of them and whenever I had to go out of town to Western Region events, that was my car. It was just beautiful to drive.

Yep, beer, sex, explosions. power equipment to enhance any of the above is great.

Gender-based stereotypes are hilarious! Can't get enough...

One of my most "interesting" cars was a 1956 Packard Clipper we bought in 1965

http://www.automotivehistoryonline.com/packard1956.htm

This was the last Packard before they sold out to Studebaker. It had hydraulics so if you sat on one fender you got an elevator ride as it balanced out. Unbelievable gas hog, huge power, and a comfortable ride unless wallowing whales around corner bother you.

That was the same time I was driving my MG on Highway 17 from San Jose to Santa Cruz

Talk about one built for comfort and another for speed.

Have we conclusively proven that Americans are car crazy and if Detroit had been paying attention to what people actually wanted or needed, they wouldn't be in the shape they are in now?

DLB - that one is within the lines - a guy making fun of guys.

Jamie:

I think a bigger issue was marketing. As long as I can remember - there has been this notion that Japanese cars are better than American cars, which are pieces of crap.

I am sure this is based a bit on actual facts - and then on a lot of spin. Once that became the conventional wisdom, American car companies were screwed. I mean anytime you had a problem with an American car - how many times would you hear from others that "American cars are junk."

(Anyways, now that Obama has taken over GM - maybe more Democrats will buy American ; )

Packards - a fond memory. Childhood friends' father had one sitting in front of their house out on the street after it gave up the ghost as if it was just parked there - for a few years. Best I can tell (my memory being, ummm, compromised) from looking through Packard pics,I think it wa a 1951. Ennywho, this was in the early 60s- it'swhere the olderof the 2 brothers kept his collection of Playboy mags - and where we were all introduced to naked women, and we were never the same. Who would have thought that the road to ruin began in a broken down Packard?

jamie, I don' tthink that America is car crazy like it used to be. Suburbanization and long commutes have gone a long way toward killing that car love. But you are right about Detroit not paying attention contibuting to Detroit's own downfall.

Warren, one could say Consumer Reports killed Detroit - it was largely their annual auto issue that put all those black dots on American cars and all the red ones on Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans.

Kinda interesting re: Sonia's infamous quote (looks like it was not the first time she said some like that):

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/exclusive-sotomayor-made-same-wise-latina-comment-in-1990s-and-no-one-objected/

pogo:

So I guess we should blame it all on that anti-American zealot Ralph Nader.

(just kidding Ralph!)

Cool. GM's keeping Corvette.

http://www.examiner.com/x-11235-Corvette-Examiner~y2009m6d1-Corvette-assembly-plant-untouched-by-GM-bankruptcy

"Automatic, accidentally dropped it in reverse at 35 mph and it went, burning tires ..."

Don, heard about this guy who bought a Chrysler 300 back when they first started making them and they were the screamingest machines on the road.

In any case he told the story about how he trashed his brand new car--less than 2000 miles on it.

He was at a stop light and this guy with a Chevy BelAir comes up beside him revving the engine and all that stuff,

So the guy drops the 300 into 'L' for Leap, then floors it. When he got to about 50MPH he slips it into 'D' for Drag and is really moving until at 80, he slams it into 'R' for Race...

warren, nah, Ralph just helped make infamous a small, cute car that had a penchant for slip-sliding and turning around to give the driver a good view of where he or she had just come from and killing its occupants in crashes as a result of it having no safety equipment. (And pointing out that style and marketing were more important to Detroit in the 50s and 60s than safety was) Folks across the street had a '64 Corvair that sat parked in their carport over an even bigger pool of oil than my '68 VW bus. I always liked those cars - even after I head about Nader's book.

I am shocked that two Trailmixers have owned IH Travelalls.
I, too, owned a 1965 Travelall...drove it a couple months and traded it even-steven for a 1968 Karmann Ghia.

While the United States continues to make some efforts toward reconciliation with the Iranian government it has treated as a mortal enemy, President Barack Obama has made comments which may serve to dramatically alter US policy toward the nation’s nuclear program.

In an interview today, Obama conceded that the Iranian government may have some right to seek nuclear energy for civilian purposes, labeling them “legitimate aspirations.” Previously US officials had said it was unacceptable for Iran to have any access to nuclear technology.

At the same time, Obama cautioned that we wants to see a “serious process” of negotiation with Iran by the end of the year. He made it unclear what the consequences would be of failing to attain that process, but officials have previously called for additional sanctions against Iran.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov promised earlier in the day that his nation would ensure that Iran was using its nuclear program purely for civilian purposes. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has likewise affirmed that none of Iran’s uranium is being diverted to non-civilian use.

"Give us our toys and our daily bread and permit us to lie on the sofa for 10 whole years, like snoozy, spluttering pigs. We get to loll around contentedly, you get to save the world."

dearly beloved drones, so what's new?

pogo, he did acknowledge that but in heavily accented english....

solar, that was quite a memory. thanks for sharing it. and now, a toast to sugar bear. may she rust in peace.

pat, well, he said "We're lazy and we like blowjobs." (true, and true) and "This one wants a shag." (we all do). He was just a little too subtle for my liking. :)

I watched the teasers for the Brrokaw interviews with the prez. It really bothered me seeing the two of them riding in the back of his limo without seat belts. And it also bothered me the way he was careless with his diction.

Maybe I'm just being overcritical, but I expect more from the role model-in-chief--especially on the seat belt thing.

pogo....
we have a subscription to Consumer's Report.... and it isn't just it's annual car edition.... I was reading the latest issue this morning with breakfast....
they had an article critiquing SUV's..... they had check marks next to Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mercedes Benz and Subaru (which is what I presently drive).... the only American car with a check mark was Lincoln...

reading it made me think of Tony and Corey.... and it made me sad....

patd.... yeah... some great car stories today.... I really liked Dooty's Germany story...

How long did you keep the Ghia, Dex?

The car that made you feel really, really important - As in "look at me, I'm somebody".

The 1976 Bicentennial Edition of the Cadillac Convertible. There were only 200 and each one carried a plaque identifying it's number. The last one off the line is in the Cadillac museum. All White with red and blue striping.

The one I rode in all the time belonged to a friend who lent it out to politicians for parades as it had a full sound system with microphone for their use.

http://www.bicentennialeldorado.com/images/eldo_15.jpg

flatus, imagine how jon corzine felt when he saw them without seatbelts..... bet there'll be a little finger wagging at the prez by the nj gov.

"everything we do is done to get laid."

ROFL, Pogo!

Renee, Yeah, they do something on cars every month - and until lately when Buick started to look better, if you wanted those little red circles you pretty much had to go Japanese. (I have to admit I'm leaning toward a Hyundai right now as I consider getting myself out of my love-hate relationship with my Audi).

Well, lots to do here in the latter part of the day. Later, folks.

patsi, sorry if I was momentarily completely honest. ;-)

my first cars were stude-ies...folks bought me a very old, very used '50 coupe from a mechanic friend which looked weird (the car not the grease monkey) like the one pictured in the link below with howdy doody driving it. when that bit the rust, they got me a well used '53 starliner hard top coupe from the same mechanic. now that was a car, beautiful, designed by raymond loewy... pictures towards end of link. hated to see that one fall on bad times but the floors rusted out.

http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/Studebaker/TheEnd.html

Good use for "gag me with a spoon" ... first Newt and now Rush back peddling when they suddenly discover their racist rants are actually hurting Republicans - uh duh hypocrisy R us

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23290.html

correction, the 2nd car was a '55 studebaker president speedster... black and cream (probably white originally)

I thought the Studebaker 'Hawk' series was pretty cool. Another car worth talking about was the Hudson. Back in the early '50s they raced well on the local stock-car tracks.

I am finally proud of Obama,,,for his stand against Neten-Yhoo,,,he reiterated his stance,,to the Arab world,,,that Israel,,,must recognize a Palestinian State,,,and give up occupied lands,,,,thats my first impression

My second is that,,,if he already made a covert deal with Israel,( and all of this is just for show,,,),so that they give up,,,a meaningless piece of occupied lands,,then the fix is in,,,and they will continue on to the lituni river,,,we won't ever be forgiven by all of the ME,,,I think that it is a ruse,,but?
he will just be another

Patd,,,,thanks,,,,sugar bear will always be remembered kindly.

My Dad bought the 81 Buick Regal from a car dealer. It was a used car. In good condition. Although, he later found out that it may have been used as a Driver's Ed car. He wasn't too happy about that. My sister's one brother-in-law has always bought foreign cars. They currently have a Madza Miata, a Subaru Forrester and a Honda CR-V. As well as owning VW's in the past. His philosophy has always, "If I don't keep buying foreign cars, what's going to drive American companies to build better cars?"

Jamie...
when Rick and I went to Sedona for our 25th anniversay (I wanted to ride in a hot air balloon over the desert).... Avis upgraded our asked for Impala with a Cadillac DeVille.... god that was one smooth ride.... was even amazed at how a car that size hugged the corners going up to Jerome....

we briefly considered getting one.... but neither one of us likes cars enough to consider paying $45,000 for a piece of transportation....

but i always wanted one of these..... Mercedes-Benz 250SL roadster
http://searchchicago.suntimes.com/autos/research/jedlicka/633052,srch-clas-DJ110507.article

"sorry if I was momentarily completely honest. ;-)"

Sorry Pogo -- you just blew your cover.....so to speak....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-233059

That's fair. Almost everything we do is to "get married".

And the war goes on ... fun vs. security.

corey, believe it or not, the UAW , in the 1970s for a short time encouraged members to buy foreign just to shake up management. This was a time where there was pure hatred between management and the union ranks.
I understood the argument, and I bought a new 1977 Honda CVCC hatchback. I loved it until
1) the seat began to unravel
2) as soon as the temp dropped below freezing, the fuel line froze, and I had to add gas line antifreeze every tank
3) a big Pontiac T-boned it while my wife was using it to haul kids to school, sending my baby daughter to the hospital. End of Honda.
For years I would not ride in a subcompact, then I bought a Chevy Citation. Months later it was cut in two by a Chevy 2500 pickup truck, and only my seatbelt saved my life. That car looked live a race track wreck. Nobody believed a body could have survived that horrible crash, but I just crawled out of it. WEAR YOUR SEATBELT, PLEASE!!

corey, believe it or not, the UAW , in the 1970s for a short time encouraged members to buy foreign just to shake up management. This was a time where there was pure hatred between management and the union ranks.
I understood the argument, and I bought a new 1977 Honda CVCC hatchback. I loved it until
1) the seat began to unravel
2) as soon as the temp dropped below freezing, the fuel line froze, and I had to add gas line antifreeze every tank
3) a big Pontiac T-boned it while my wife was using it to haul kids to school, sending my baby daughter to the hospital. End of Honda.
For years I would not ride in a subcompact, then I bought a Chevy Citation. Months later it was cut in two by a Chevy 2500 pickup truck, and only my seatbelt saved my life. That car looked live a race track wreck. Nobody believed a body could have survived that horrible crash, but I just crawled out of it. WEAR YOUR SEATBELT, PLEASE!!

WHAT THE HELL!! I musta double clicked!

Hey jack, I found this today in the Washington Times.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/03/al-qaeda-eyes-bio-attack-via-mexico-border/

When I responded to your comment weeks ago that terrorists will never attack the US with WMD, I replied with a post from MEMRI in which this slimball's words were translated. The post included several Liberal Muslims who denounced this "Doctor" and wondered why he had not been arrested. Good question. Polls indicate that more than half of the public does favor harsh interrogations (like what out sepecial ops train with) and the account above portends of things to come.

Yep, GM made some decent products, but somewhere the idea of innovation was lost. Things will get better, but we must re examine our manufacturing base or we will become hollowed out.. With all the man power in the Americas and the fire of our ingenuity, there is little reason we can't head into a golden age in the future.

Maybe the Chinese can get the HUmmer to run on coal. Or better yet, maybe Tesla was right. Maybe wireless energy could power cars. Then all a driver needs is a credit card,,,,

Dark Lord, I hope my reply to your question wasn't TOO long. Short answer: motivation is usually a circumstantial guesstimate. I think a jury would convict -------an American jury.

Solar there is a third option which seems to escape you in the black and white world view.

And Obama won't go beyond Bill Clinton in the new map that is drawn, nor will he ever suggest Statehood comes before complete security arrangement.

Solar you should stop posting things that are not true. A blog is not license to promote misinformation.

Bush offered Iran a US reactor to suspend enrichment until verification of activities has been made by the IAEA and trust restored (disavowing terror groups and threatening Israel). Your claims are absurd.

And I have found more than one thing Obama has made me proud of. You seem well fixed to the very Left with that declaration and I, more supportive of our President than you.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/06/01/automobiles/01GM_USER_SLIDESHOW_6.html

.

Maxtrue,

isn't the Washington Times the newpaper version of Fox News? They used to be a pretty good paper but I think that is in their past.

I didn't have a car of my own till after college - never even thought of having one; I wasn't in the slightest car crazy, and not now. It might be because I'm a few years older than most of you, but probably because I didn't need one. My parents attitude was that if the car's in the drive way, it's up for grabs. One of the nicer policies we had. I drove my buddies and me to basketball games and Steak n Shake afterward.

My dad also had a jaguar two-seater, with the big round front fenders (he was the car nut) and he let me drive it occasionally. I backed it out of the garage and hit a tree that was in the way. At the time, he was sleeping in his studio upstairs in the garage. He opened the window and screamed down that he could do it right in his sleep. He came out, got in the car, drove it back into the garage, backed it out safely, left it running and went back in to sleep. Not one word - I got to drive it to summer school.

That's one reason why I have trouble disliking him as much as I should.

When I graduated from college, he quietly conferred with his buddy who was a bigshot with British Motors, and they set it up for me to buy a 1964 MG 1100, a little red thing. I hadn't even given the topic a thought! My parents paid for it till my first pay check. I suspect that was normal in Webster Groves.

My little sister and I drove it to Florida that first summer to see our sister, her husband and new baby. Next summer we drove it to San Francisco to see them there. Decent memories.

Since then, a '67 cougar, a '74 mustang, an '84 omni,
a couple of junkers and now an '02 protoge, which I really like.

I hated the beetles because it was so hard to get into and out of the back seat. My sister and her husband were with friends and saw one crash and flip over .. My bil said 'Let's get out of here' and his friend started to take off. Mike said ' Let's get out of the car and get those people out of the car.' They did and saved them - another good story about someone I could easily dislike more, as he's no longer my bil. Bronze star from nam, too.

'67 Cougars were pretty sweet!

I think a lot of the recent success Democratics - in terms of message, and especially organization and strategy, is thanks to David Axelrod.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23253.html

I mean just think how much of an impact Rove had. He got W, a flawed messenger to say the least, elected in 2004...

I always thought Axelrod was smart - but now I am starting to think he is a genius. (Kinda like Rove - just not fat and evil...hah, just kidding mr. architect.)

Add that to a smart politician with a great backstory - and you have got quite a political juggernaught.

corey

All COUGARS are sweet. :-)

I've never been car crazy myself. And I do love not needing a car. That is one of the biggest things I miss about NYC.

a car song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-g7Q7hXn7o

Yes, they were, Corey. I don't even remember why I traded it in - could it have been the yen for a new car??????????

My dad even played for sympathy and got me to let him drive it to work once, I think.. he worked nights at McDonnell Douglas. I also loved the sequential turn signals.

"Dark Lord, I hope my reply to your question wasn't TOO long."
Posted by: maxtrue Author Profile Page | June 3, 2009 5:59 PM

What the hell you smokin', boy? The Dark Lord asked you nothing. You're freakin' the Dark Lord out with your crazy talk.

woody guthrie sings his car song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUDtFdnn9oQ

What is with this nonsensical idea by the GOP of just giving away the government's share in GM to "all taxpayers." How the heck does that even work?

Federal lotto? Do we really want the federal government running a lottery....

http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/lotry.html

My current car is a Lexus 330 ES (midnight blue). I always wanted a Lexus "when I grow up" cause it was the first car I ever got into as a kid that had the interior lights fade off when you shut the door.

(I try to argue that I actually "bought American" since I got in from Carmax, which I think is an American company....)

Red Cross Informed Powell About Torture

Powell is quoted as saying, "we are confident of our legal position, (referring to legal adviser Taft's op-ed), but we also know the world is watching us."

Notes of the meeting state that Powell "indicated that he would have to talk to his colleagues [including Taft] on ICRC's issue of access to detainees in Afghanistan and elsewhere."

http://www.truthout.org/060309J

Have you been watching TV Land, Jamie?

roger miller sings his hot rod song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MCLVMX74s&feature=related

Go Hillary!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEmMQOx0Hwk

Middle East engagement. This is the silver lining of W's misguided foray into the Middle East.

There will not be peace in the world until we come to a workable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is the source of many evils.

Warren,,,

here it is from global,,I was going to post earlier,,but I was enjoying the car rides,,,

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton laid down the line in the sand for Israel. The President wants to “see a stop to settlements — not some settlements, not outposts, not ‘natural growth’ expectations,” but all settlement expansion. Period.

Netanyahu hoped he might buy off Obama by taking down the little outposts, usually consisting of a trailer and a couple of tents, which even the Israeli government considers illegal, but often winks at. Indeed a few of them were dismantled, but often in the past the settlers move right back when attention turns elsewhere. In the past Israel has reduced pressure to stop settlements by saying no new ones, we will just expand the old ones to accommodate all the children that are being born.

This time Obama is saying no, but Netanyahu is saying yes. Israel will continue with natural growth expansion. His political base demands it.

The far right does not speak for Israel. It speaks for the hard right faction of Israel.

It does have a little bit to do with religion,,,,

"taking into account that Israel is the apple of God’s eye, but that of course would require that you believe the Bible is even true in the first place. I think that is the basis for American support for Israel but I also appreciate support from those citing issues such as ‘mutual security interests’ or ‘support for democracy’. My personal support for Israel is because the Bible tells me that God loves Israel and also tells us Christians to support her materially. Now, I’m just a normal working guy in Texas and I have no ties to Israel except that I do believe the Bible is true. And because of that, I send much of my monetary donations to Israeli causes. Not just Christian causes in Israel, but even to the Jewish Temple Institute occasionally. “Yep, got my name on that thar donors wall thingy on the Internet” be said while spitting a wad of Beechnut on the dry, dusty Texas dirt. Though the Sword of Islam take my head if that is what it requires, I will not deny Christ to save my life as the Bible warns us not to do; and to me that means Israel IS the ‘Special Relationship’ at the top of the proverbial ladder. I cast my vote accordingly. "

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-233116

No Corey ... just commercials on other channels.

Does anybody here watch much of the kids' cartoons?
I get a kick out of some of them esp the Backyardigans and Wonder Pets. The have a lot of music, and I don't mean screaming electric guitars. One of the characters was singing a tisket- a- tasket type song and the orchestra was fantastic! I'm starting to pay attention to that because our kids like music so much, and they have fun dancing. I know it won't be long till they're into rock, but I want them to know some music from before rock.

What did Scooby used to say - Rort Row

Claire McCaskill from a tweet

clairecmc@jaketapper I have reliable info that in fact up to 20 mill has been set aside for up to 15 Chrysler execs for their efforts on bankruptcy.

TV rots children's brains before they even begin to form, but Koala Bros. are pretty cool.

Dark Lord

They have measured children's brain waves. When they are reading ... massive lights on flashing everywhere.

Watching TV - Nobody's home, parking lights only.

If I were raising children today - The diabolical would come on for Sesame Street with me pointing out letters and numbers and unplugged the rest of the time.

Bethy,
Yes. Backyardigans and Wonder Pets are Emma's favorites. Although we haven't spent much time watching them, since her attention span is still pretty short. But when we do, those are the ones that catch her attention and hold it for a while. Very cute cartoons, and they teach some good values.

Dark Lord, I don't agree with you on the brain rot. As long as the viewing is supervised.

So I really got into it with one of the CSO's on Obama's Foreign Policy.

I usually engage in some light-hearted political talk with all those guys - who are (I think almost across-the-board) Conservative. They give me shit about "spreading the wealth" and "date nite," etc. - and I defend the Administration when I can.

Anyways, the CSO starts questioning me about the Middle East policy and whether Obama is going to back Israel and what he hopes to accomplish talking to fanatics.

So later I hand him this article which I think lays it out pretty well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/opinion/03friedman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

An hour later - he comes back in full-on Hannity mode. Saying this is the stupidest piece of crap he has ever read and that Obama will accomplish nothing talking to those people.

And I used - what I think - is my most effective come back. (Defending the policy is a no-win situation with this crowd.) So I ask - "what is your alternative" - and in the moment of silence that ensues - I say "bomb the Middle East to kingdom come?!?"

Even though they are sometimes reluctant to admit it. That is the end game of what they propose. I say if that is your alternative - then I hope Obama tries whatever he can before it comes to that.

That strategy guarantees unrest - at much worse levels that we have ever experienced in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That strategy results in tragedy for the Middle East and Israel and the US - attrocities that will make Iraq look like a cold war.

I believe it made him think a bit. But he also has me thinking because he keeps talking about Israel making a move in the near future.

Savagely, this is in the far right's political interest. For the Republicans, it means that the economy will suffer and national security will likely be front and center for the 2010 election. It also would be a rebuke to Obama's policies. Even though it would tell us nothing about the merits - since it would be a "crib death."

But I do not think that many in the right - even the NeoCons are so cynical as to sacrifice so many lives for political gain. Instead - I think it is indicative of a mind set: kill or be killed. A mind set that hopefully lose in the battle of ideas so that less will have to suffer.

You know what side I am on...

they keep you doped with religion, and sex and TV......

--lennon

With all our talk of Science Fiction, I checked in on one of my favorites to see what he was doing and ended up getting the RSS for Spider Robinson's web show.

The May 1 broadcast has the following music
Music: Molly Johnson, Elizabeth Shepherd, Roberta Gambarini, Luciana Souza, Esperanza Spalding, Ana Carolina, Seu Jorge, Maria Bethania, Sunny Crownover, David Crosby.

How to describe Spider: Left over hippie in his 60s with guitar and a love of jazz that shows up in all his stories that have earned him milions from writing while currently overseeing a wife in cancer therapy and welcoming a new grandaughter. The writing is unbelievable, the music unbelievable, and the puns overwhelimingly atrocious.

http://www.spiderrobinson.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Robinson

Yes, I know about the idea that tv rots kids' brains, but I also know that the latest study disagreed with that. I think watching tv needs to be a companion sport for kids. I watch with our two boys here a lot and make any comments I feel like making. I remember watching with my mom esp when I was in my teens.
It occasioned many conversations re the past and characters from the past and how things changed.

Wonder Pets explains the efforts to show kids differents kinds of music etc. It's dialogue is often a recitativo, just like grand opera. Alex was walking around singing it when he was three and a half. I don't think that's at all bad.

Sorry, but I don't think for one minute that tv has harmed either of our two boys here. If you could have a conversation with either, I'd think you'd agree.

They have a play structure in the back yard, with swings,slide,monkey bars etc. they run and scream and dig in the mud much more than watch tv. . They have tons of matchbook cars and books. They race each other all the time, on foot or some kind of wheels - Alex occasionally races to
china or Canada or just aroubnd the world.

They don't see tv every day if they've been bad, but when they do it's usually with an adult, and they also cuddle with us while doing so. Some shows they don't get to watch.

We listened to radio shows as kids, except we couldn't listen to the Green Hornet or the Fat Man or Inner Sanctum.

Bethy

It's the interaction that make the difference. Radio forced the brain to make pictures. Books force the brain to make pictures. TV provides pictures to the gap jawed ... not good. If there is an adult there forcing the child to talk, dance, read afterwards etc. then you break up the force feeding, but too many children are placed in front of the hypnotic screen as a babysitter so their parents don't have to parent. There are not enough words to say just how evil this is for future educational development.

Add in calorie loaded fast food and you might as well condemn them to useless for the rest of their lives.

Books I have to buy

Charles Pierce: Idiot America, how stupidity became a virtue.

Rachel just interviewed him.

Posted by: sturgeone 9:03 PM

TV is the real religion in this country, and increasingly in the rest of the world, also.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-233141

Dark Lord

If I weren't currently watching Live From Lincoln Center on TV while writing a blog article while checking on my tweets and seeing who commented on Trailmix and thinking that I should do a run past the email. and face book .... I might agree with you.

The Dark Lord realizes he's fighting an uphill battle denouncing television on the blog of a television personality, but he knows when he's right. No matter.

Also... just so you know, the Dark Lord is as bored with this internet persona he's created as you yourself may be. He made his bed, though...

History channel,,,science ,,,,,geography,,,pbs,,,wise,,,,,,,certain stations on cable,,,c-span' book tv,,,bloomberg,,,, the university channel's (3),,,link tv..world wide,,news,,and songs on it,,,not too much more ,,even if I forgot a cpl,,,,,,local news,,

News papers not much better,,,either are most mags,,,,have to be picky about what you,,,and what you let young people watch,,,and the late night comics,,,like Leno,,Letterman,,,are not much better,,,Bill Maher,,is ,,when he isn't in the tank for someone,,but has very good guest usually..the web,,,,is where to find the best news sources .,...cos you can get new from other parts of the world,,,,from them,,,,not about them,,,but what they are saying,,,about us,,a,nd Obama,,,,and books,,,,books,,,books,,can not be replace,,,,,,

Ps,,,,,you can't beat the do it yourself channel,,,for anything,,,,thanks bob villa for starting this ,,,,,

KoKo Taylor passes away at 80

http://www.comcast.net/articles/music/20090603/US.Obit.Taylor/

Bad Case of Loving You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE6D8WghRkU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE6D8WghRkU

So become a real person and send me an email or tweet with a name

webthings at comcast dot net

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-233145

Solar

All of those outlets are great if you already know how to read and have structured a brain that can absord that material.

Human beings adjust to their surroundings. Can you imagine memorizing a poem with 100 stanzas and then standing up in public and reciting it for the entertainment of friends? That was common and expected by the "literate" 100 years ago.

The military loves gamers simply because their reaction times are so much faster than their parents and grandparents.

The brain starts shutting down after age five. The synapses are laid in for all future learning. How many little brains are we wasting simply because their parents never talk to them.

On Sunday's Judy goes to the Library,,(or sat),,and gets 10 to 12 books for the kids to read along with her,,,,they love the pop out ones,,,well that about covers it,,,,,,except for the occasional Play Boy,,,,"-) hey The Solar man has to have supin to read too,,I just read the articles,,,I don't care for the pop outs in it.

Dark Lord, Late last night I could swear you asked me some questions which I answered. I was not smoking pot......Your post began by asking me if I meant Starre decisis or Starry decisis. Very funny oh Lordie. It was my answer explaining how I can mind read Iranian motives that broke bandwidth barriers.

Solar, I have no time right now to explain how religion has nothing to do with it. You ought to be careful about your facts, especially your comment about the Iranian nuclear program. As far as some interesting facts, try this one....

http://www.mythsandfacts.com/article_view.asp?articleID=100 and that was 86 years ago. The Muslims did not live up to their promise to allow Jews to immigrate or even remain in their lands, but then relgion had nothing to do with that. The Muslim world was divided about this with many Egyptians hoping Jews would bring economic progress and innovation.

Morris on Fox backs Obama's speech efforts. On the other hand others at Fox say this: he is showing weakness and groveling. When asked why AQ is so scared of Obama, they respond: Obama might succeed to convince Muslims. Say what? If he has a chance, then let him take it wish him well. AQ is right for a reason and they are not making contact with Hizb'Allah in a strange new alliance.

If you grant the US ought to make this push now to show our honest attempt to reach out, why would Obama take certain steps now to inflame before he makes the last ditch attempt. That is why BiBi is going along and having his foreign minister dump rumors Israel is about to strike Iran. During the last stages of the Iranian election is NOT the time to talk realism......

So half of Fox supports Obama's tactic and hopes he addresses nationalism, economy and what unites us. He should remind moderates Pakistan is under attack as well as the threats in Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq etc. I would hope Obama does not seat the Muslim Brotherhood as that would surely insult Egyptian leadership.

I hope Obama delivers in a way Muslims come to understand our charity, the blood we spill and the cost we bare in defending allies, moderates and global security. And our principles matter too.

Washington Times Fox? I don't know but this story is not the first one. If you wish, I could link several other reports including a Congressional report that warns of the new network emerging.

"AQ is right for a good reason and they are making contact with Hizb'Allah in a strange new alliance, borne of concern."

'53 Chrysler NYer Deluxe w/wire wheels and gold lettering. That was followed by a '60 nash (amc) rambler, and later, an xp Olds Cutlass, LATER called the 442 - a helluva scary car that I bought used from a pair of terrified oldsters. It was definitely not an oldstermobile.

Bethyboo,
Get into the back seat ??? I had more room just in the front seat of that '60 rambler than the entire vw corporation had in all of it's beetles combined. It was a major spawning shoal. Plus, the revolutionary Push Button Slusho-Matic Transmission, to boot ! (That is, a revolution according to a brain-washed romney.)

dlb,
I'll bet you think that you're the 1st dark lewd ever to tell me he/she/it loves me.

Well, you're off to think I will be caught by the wings of the night.

Yawns echo through the walls of my crypt. It is time to lay out the garlic, uncover the mirrors, and get some shuteye. dlb, when you have mustard your farces, you may do your wurst. ketchup taya later.

Jamie, are you still up? You gotta watch this video. Angry kitties. Good for a laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOqAAdgKyNI&NR=1

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/06/remembering-gm.html#comment-233149

Great post Jamie.

max:

Do you think Muslims will break a promise because you can find examples in history where they have broken promises - or because a significant percentage of policy makers expect, plan and act as if the Muslims will break a promise?

You often get what you expect. Bush expected diplomacy to go nowhere. So he did not put any energy into it. Never spoke as if he believed it would go anywhere. And it went nowhere.

I think Rahm is done after the first term. If reelected - Obama will take on an up and coming Democratic star to groom her or him for the future.

New Topic, but Warren.
Bush really did try to negotiate peace. The good evangelicals shut him down. There was a huge push by Falwell and his ilk to stop the Roadmap.

don

I was thinking of Bush going through the "dipomatic motions" with Iraq before the war and the talks with NK. But your right - he didn't even really try to make any real progress with Israel and Palestine.

But to his defense (sorta) - he had no credibility as an honest broker.

We don't just love cars. We love machines. I never loved anything like my Phaff 545 footing foot needle feed. That Germany sewing machine could sewn any thing. And the Leather Angel took me to the bank to buy it. I was going places.

I sold it to run off to the oil field. I needed every nickle too. I had to take a 40 mile cab ride into the Wasatch Mountains. Man I was a feather on that trip. The oil field saved my life. Funny ain't it ? Big green me .

Welding Steel
I have not welded steel in 30 years.

http://cbsolaroven.blogspot.com/