Aparatchik.

Zizou! Zizou!

2006-07-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

He'll always be a great footballer... Materazzi-thrasher or not!

Engine swapping Part 2

2006-07-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I imagine that this is one of those things that become easier once you've done it once. Because I'll tell ya, the first time is a BITCH! Mind you, my driveway isn't level, which didn't help with stabilizing the hoist. In addition, the hoist did not have a leveler, which also didn't help matters. But all good things take time... old engine's out, new engine's in, just gotta wrap things up. I now feel all sortsa intimate with my automobile.

Engine swapping

2006-06-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

Never done it... I hear it's doable. Swap an M10 in a 1970 BMW 2002. Need to. Mine is dead. My driveway's oily.

defiantly, decidedly, dreadful.

2006-01-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

You wonder, what with all the fuss about American education standards, public schools being crap, slipping rankings internationally, etc...

You wonder.

Well... at least -I- wonder... why the hell the majority of the native speakers in this country can't spell to save their lives! The word is:

DEFINITELY, derived from 'define'.

not:

DEFINATELY
DEFINATLY
DEFINATLEY
DEFENITLY
DEFENATELEY

and definitely not:

DEFIANTLY.

For cryin' out loud, people...

The CultureSluts Podcast

2005-12-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

Damn 'm... Giggin with Shaun R?! Lucky sods!! HALLELUJAH!! :)

Are these earthquake-proof?

2005-11-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

I love the idea of living in a modern home, will all the accoutrements, and the added safety of being on the water. As long as tsunamis stay out, this should be pretty comfy living! Now, how do you get one from Sweden to the West Coast?

Brainwashing, ferreal, yo.

2005-11-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

And here I thought that The Ipcress File and A Clockwork Orange were just figments of twisted imagination, inspired by Cold War hysteria or Moloko-induced madness... As Slate reports in The Birth of Soft Torture, it turns out that there's a lengthy history of government-sponsored experimentation of breaking down the human Self, not only in Nazi Germany, but even in placid, pleasant Canada!

Can I start my wishlist for Christmas 2006 NOW?!

2005-11-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

If so, there's only one thing I want. I know, I know... modesty is a virtue. Please, honey?

Holy Enzo!

2005-11-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

wow.

Fascination of the day

2005-11-04T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today, I like vinyl. As in vinyl toys. Let out the inner child, in a dada sorta way. Want an example?

Kid Robot has this wicked cool 7" tall WTO protester toy. What a sweet way to battle against the New World Order! By buying imported art toys. I love 'm...

How long must I scream?

2005-10-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've been saying for years that I have absolutely no vested interest in internal combustion (save the jokes). If someone had the guts and gumption to build a car powered by chocolate, facial cleanser, or Bozo the Clown, I'd be fine with it as long as it was a fast, well-handling, cool-looking sportscar.

It looks like finally folks are catching on to this, at least on a conceptual level. Case in point: VW 's EcoRacer, presented to the public at the Tokyo Auto Show, which is not only small and agile, but looks the business as well. Can it beat the Solstice for time-to-market? Will it ever GET to market?!

The Science of Spoon-Bending

2005-10-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Thank the Lord (irony intended) that there are still reasonable, rational, people out there who understand the distinction between science and religion, church and state. Over 70,000 Australian scientists (who knew there were THAT many scientists in Australia?!) signed their name to a letter indicating that Intelligent Design "fails to qualify on every count as a scientific theory."

My favorite quote: "To allow the theory to be taught as science would make a mockery of Australian science teaching and throw open the door of science classes to similarly unscientific world views such as astrology, spoon-bending, flat-earth cosmology or alien abductions"

How strict are Oz's immigration laws these days? They've got scientists with humor there!! Go spoon-bending!!

500 pound gorillas

2005-08-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now a doc is in trouble for telling a 5'7", 250lbs woman she was... err... obese. I guess that, with almost two-thirds of the US population now being overweight, a collective ignoring of writing on the wall will reach epic proportions.

In other news... no more beer!

2005-08-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hailing from the Old World, I have a strong affinity for Belgian monastic beers. Unfortunately, I'm not alone in this... After winning the World's Best Beer award, these lucky prayer-brewers have run out of ale! I guess that frees them up to spend more time on their core competency(as they perceive it)...

Ocean's Eight!

2005-08-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

A gang of industrious Brazilian miscreants managed to dig a tunnel the length of two city blocks to relieve a bank of the contents of its vault. It's The Great Escape vs. The Great Train Robbery!!

Story here

There's something about Maaouya

2005-08-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

In that this picture made me realize that Mauretania must have called General Casting and stated: "Give me a dictator like Richard Dreyfuss in Moon over Parador, but without the epaulets!!"

Shopping lists...

2005-07-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

We all need to dream, right? So here's my list of classic street cars I would not mind adding to my (so far imaginary) collection. Who knows, perhaps someday I'll add a second and third list, for competition cars and those more recent/current models I haven't gotten 'round to sorting out yet!

Category 1 - Less than 5 out of 6 on the California Lottery.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce
BMW E30 M3
Jaguar Mk.II 3.8
Lotus Cortina Mk.1 (image from http://www.vsoc.nl/img/cartypeimages/)
Porsche 356 Coupe
Renault 5 Turbo 2

Category 2 - A decent refinance should take care of it.

Alfa Romeo GTA 1600 Stradale
BMW 3.0CSL
Lancia Stratos Stradale
Ferrari 512BB
Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Renault Alpine 110 (image from http://www.privilegetours.com/images/cars/)

Category 3 - Screw it! Sell it all, option off the inheritance!

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale (image from http://nam.x0.com/museo/jpg/)
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
Ferrari 250 GTO
Ferrari 275 GTB/4
Ferrari 288 GTO
Lamborghini Miura P400S
Mercedes 300SL Gullwing

Danny Frikkin Elfman

2005-07-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

You know, I really like Johnny Depp. He's played some pretty cool parts, and seems to revel in the unconventional, the absurd, the odd. So, no wonder he's so well paired with Tim Burton, a guy with a kinky eye.

But WHY... WHY do I have to continue to be subjected to Danny Frikkin Elfman's repetitive, bland, tepid, plinkety-plonkety soundtracks? Beetlejuice, Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas ----> all the way through Sleepy Hollow and Big Fish. Plinkety-Frikkin-Plonkety.

Will this stop me from seeing Charlie & TCF? No, it won't... There's just too much there visually to chew on to -not- go see it. But for Baby Jesus' sake... my 7-month old puppy is more innovative than Danny Frikkin Elfman. Case in point:

Hey Joerg, you've got company!!

2005-07-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Clarkson, of BBC Top Gear fame, has decided to take over the "I'm-a-too-rich-for-my-own-good" baton from the previously mentioned Joerg Winterberg and run the second leg of the first annual Refund My Supercar Because I'm A Twat relay.

This guy gets his dream car, a brand new Ford GT after (as he claims) 35 years of longing. After running into some issues with the, and this is for real... alarm system, he demands his money back from Ford. After one solid month of ownership Ford not only refunds this guy his money, they also give him a loaner Aston Martin DB9 while he considers whether he wants to keep the car or not.

So, I opine: Jeremy... Jeremy, Jeremy, jeremy... You dumb fuck! Here's a tip: pull the fuse! There's 28 of these things in England. It's not like this thing is going to move like hotcakes on the black market; it ain't no Honda Civic! I'm sure that, with your love of the thing, you'll never let it out of your sight anyway, unless it's in your subterranean autovault overnight! Who the hell would steal it?! Even if, WTF is insurance for?!

And please, don't give me that sob story crap about cars with souls feeling abandoned in the warehouse... You're the type of guy who would euthenize his dog because it broke its leg! Pissant! Oh, aren't you the saint, for not wanting to PROFIT off of your elite purchase... Fine, here's a deal... I wire you the exact amount you paid for the car, and take it off your hands, ok? I'll flip it and use the profits to buy myself a tidy M3.

Jeremy Clarkson, you, sir, are a Prick.

ummm... ok

2005-06-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

So Joerg sets out for a leisurely drive and heads out of his garage to the nearest stretch of Autobahn, where he proceeds to firmly mash his right foot down on the accelerator of his brand-spanking new Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale. Soon, as in a 20-seconds-type-of-soon, he's doing 175mph.

Boldfaced, stifflegged, whiteknuckled Mr Winterberg doesn't smile, doesn't feel his palms sweat or his heartrate increase however... Even in the face of the Schwarzwald barreling at him at near-ballistic speeds, his teutonic coolness only registers one thing: A vision of the prospectus for this supercar, in which it was claimed that the car could do 186mph. VERDAMMT!

So, like a good capitalist, Joerg Winterberg sues Ferrari when they refuse to refund his money.

Good idea Joerg... I think what I'll do is hit up my local dealer, sign off on an Enzo, take it up to Sears Point for a track day or two, and then try to return it. Hell, it's cheaper than renting a Hyundai at Enterprise to trash!!

them people can't spell...

2005-06-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Pet Peeve #34... Who in their (not there, nor they're) right mind would ever think to confuse "Should have" or "Should've" with "Should of"... I mean, FFS, I just don't GET it?!

Degenerate

2005-06-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

As in, quickly losing focus... Yes, this blog is quickly degenerating into nothing more than "Things that catch my eye/fancy/scorn"

Today it is the MP3 Blog Krucoff (an amalgam of Kruschev and Fuck Off?), yesterday it was Cakesniffer. The former is focused on powerpoppunkrock, which is quite up my alley, the latter on bodily functions, which... well... is 'fascinating'.

And then there is Blottered... vintage and modern crime from everyday life. Delish!

Grand gestures and bloody thumbs

2005-06-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Michelin decides today to make amends and refund people's tickets for the 2005 USGP. It'll cost the company a pretty penny, but at least they're making the effort.

In other news, Paula Abdul contracts a flesh-eating fungus... and urges the California Senate to fix it.

And yes, I know these two items don't really have any bearing on each other.

Godzilla's such a wimp...

2005-06-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

It's all about Giant Popsicles attacking NYC these days!! Man, what great publicity... and what random fun!

BMW finally will run their own team!

2005-06-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Ok ok ok, I'm focusing a bit much on F1 at the moment; it's just that the schenanigans over last weekend's race has really kept me on the edge of my seat, and that there's finally a piece of exciting news to report from the F1 world... BMW has agreed to acquire a majority interest in Sauber, and will field a BMW team for the 2006 season!