Quality Weenie

Yummy Workmen We're putting in

Yummy Workmen

We're putting in a new assembly line at work, so they have an electrical contractor here running the electrical lines for the new assembly line.

The guy they sent to do this is extemely yummy looking and he is wearing work boots and snug jeans. I can't believe people still haven't figured out why I'm spending so much time out on the plant floor the last couple days.

I'm in heaven *sigh, work boots, sigh*

Another Family Member? I've been

Another Family Member?

I've been reading this site for a few months now, Smokin6 is a Marine on the East Coast.

He has said here that Mike the Marine inspired him to blog, so wouldn't that make Mike the Marine his Blogpop? And wouldn't that make Smokin6, Harvey's Bloggrandkid? Isn't he another Bad Example Family member?

Go read him, I bet we could get him to tell us some good stories about Mike the Marine.

He just moved off blogspot, here is his old blogspot site.

Today in Automotive History 1954

Today in Automotive History

1954 The Last True Hudson

The Hudson Motor Car Company was founded in 1909 by Joseph L. Hudson, and by its second year ranked 11th in the nation for automobile production. Although rarely a top-seller, Hudson was responsible for a number of important automotive innovations, including the placement of the steering wheel on the left side, the self-starter, and dual brakes. In 1919, the Hudson Essex was introduced, a sturdy automobile built on an all-steel body that sold for pennies more than Ford's Model T. Hudson production peaked in 1929 with over 300,000 units, including a line of commercial vehicles. During the early 1930s, Hudson became increasingly involved in motor sports, and the Hudson Essex-Terraplane cars set records in hill climbing, economy runs, and speed events. After World War II, the modest automobile company set its sights on stock racing, launching its new Monobuilt design in 1948. The Monobuilt design consisted of a chassis and frame that were combined in a unified passenger compartment, producing a strong, lightweight design, and a beneficial lower center of gravity that didn't effect road clearance. Hudson coined this innovation "step-down design" because, for the first time, passengers had to step down in order to get into a car. Most cars today are still based on the step-down premise. In 1951, Hudson introduced the powerful Hornet, a model that would dominate stock car racing from 1952 to 1954. In 1952 alone, Hudson won 29 of the 34 events. A key factor in Hudson's racing success was the innovative step-down design of its cars. Because of their lower centers of gravity, Hornets would glide around corners with relative ease, leaving their clunky and unstable competitors in the dust. During this period, Hudson hoped that its stock-racing success would help its lagging sales, but the public preferred watching the likes of Marshall Teague racing around in a Hornet to actually purchasing one. In 1954, the Hudson Motor Company and the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation merged to form the American Motors Corporation, and Hudson, which had been suffering severe financial problems, signed on as the weaker partner. Soon after, it was announced that all 1955 models would be made in Nash's facilities, and that most of Hudson's recent innovations would be discontinued. On this day, the last step-down Hudson was produced. Although the Hudson name would live on for another two years, the cars no longer possessed the innovative elegance and handling of models like the Hornet of the early 1950s.

Today in Automotive History 1918

Today in Automotive History

1918 The Origins Of Tatra

The company later known as Tatra constructed its first automobile in 1897, a vehicle largely inspired by the design of an early Benz automobile. Based in the small Moravian town of Nesselsdorf in the Austro-Hungarian empire, Tatra began as Nesselsdorf Wagenbau, a carriage and railway company that entered automobile production after chief engineer Hugo von Roslerstamm learned of the exploits of Baron Theodor von Liebieg, an avid Austrian motorist who drove across Eastern Europe in a Benz automobile. The Baron himself took the Nesselsdorf Wagenbau's first automobile, christened the President, on a test drive from Nesselsdorf to Vienna. He was impressed with the design and pushed von Roslerstamm and Nesselsdorf Wagenbau to enter racing. The company put its faith in the talented young engineer Hans Ledwinka, and under his leadership the Rennzweier and the Type A racers were produced, demonstrating modest racing success and encouraging the beginning of large-scale production of the Type S in 1909. The company continued to grow until 1914, when, with the outbreak of World War I, it shifted to railroad-car construction. On this day in 1918, just two weeks before the end of the war on the Western front, the Moravian town of Nesselsdorf in the old Austro-Hungarian empire became the city of Koprivnicka in the newly created country of Czechoslovakia, necessitating a name change for the Nesselsdorf Wagenbau. Soon after the war, Hans Ledwinka and the newly named Koprivnicka Wagenbau began construction of a new automobile under the marque Tatra. The Tatra name came from the Tatra High Mountains, some of the highest mountains in the Carpathian mountain range. Ledwinka settled on Tatra in 1919 after an experimental model with 4-wheel brakes passed a sleigh on a dangerously icy road, prompting the surprised sleigh riders to reportedly exclaim: "This is a car for the Tatras." In 1923, the first official Tatra automobile, the Tatra T11, was completed, and Ledwinka's hope for an affordable "people's car" had come to fruition. The rugged and relatively small automobile gave many Czechoslovakians an opportunity to own an automobile for the first time, much as Ford's Model T had in the United States. In 1934, Tatra achieved an automotive first with the introduction of the Tatra 77, an innovative model that holds the distinction of being the world's first aerodynamically styled automobile powered by an air-cooled rear-mounted engine.

Today in Automotive History 1980

Today in Automotive History

1980 Tough Times in Detroit

The early 1980s were tough times for American automakers. Sales had hit the skids and companies were quickly losing money. The situation took a turn for the worse on this day, when General Motors announced that it had lost an incredible $567 million during the previous quarter. While this was the biggest quarterly drop ever posted by an American company, the magnitude of the loss was somewhat blunted by GM's tax credits. According to the Wall Street Journal, the auto giant's pre-tax losses for the quarter topped out at a whopping $953 million. With the economy and the auto industry both mired in protracted slumps, GM executives were hard-pressed to see an end to the crisis. Perhaps they took some comfort from predictions that arch rival Ford was about to announce even larger losses for the quarter.

P.S - Contrast those loses with todays loses. Visteon just announced a 3rd quarter lose of $1.36 billion dollars. Shows how much the Automotive Industry has grown in just 20 years.

I got a Troll, I

I got a Troll, I got a Troll

Yep, I have me my very own troll, He-witt. Of course he came out of hiding to answer my "What would it take to get Kerry Re-elected" question. And he couldn't see through his Bushitler thinking haze long enough to read the entire question because he answered with the usual "Bush stole the election, republicans are stupid" mantra.

And Blogpop Harvey is jealous because I got one before he did, na na na na na na.

Today in Automotive History 1902

Today in Automotive History

1902 Oldfield And Ford Race Into History

Racing was in Barney Oldfield's blood long before he ever had the opportunity to race an automobile. Born in Wauseon, Ohio, Oldfield's first love was bicycling, and in 1894, he began to compete professionally. In his first year of racing, the fearless competitor won numerous bicycling events and, in 1896, was offered a coveted position on the Stearns bicycle factory's amateur team. Meanwhile in Dearborn, Michigan, the entrepreneurial inventor Henry Ford had completed his first working automobile and was searching for a way to establish his name in the burgeoning automobile industry. In the early days, it was not the practical uses of the automobile that attracted the most widespread attention, but rather the thrill of motor racing. Recognizing the public's enthusiasm for the new sport, Ford built a racer with Oliver Barthel in 1901. Ford himself even served as driver in their automobile's first race, held at the Grosse Point Race Track in Michigan later in the year. Although he won the race and the kind of public acclaim he had hoped for, Ford found the experience so terrifying that he retired as a competitive driver, reportedly explaining that "once is enough." In 1902, he joined forces with Tom Cooper, the foremost cyclist of his time, and built a much more aggressive racer, the 999, that was capable of up to 80hp. On this day in 1902, the 23-year-old Barney Oldfield made his racing debut in the 999's first race at the Manufacturer's Challenge Cup in Grosse Point. The race was the beginning of a legendary racing career for Oldfield, who soundly beat his competition, including the famed driver Alexander Winton. The cigar-chomping Oldfield went on to become the first truly great American race-car driver, winning countless victories and breaking numerous speed and endurance records. But Oldfield's victory in the 999 was also Ford's first major automotive victory, and together they went on to become the most recognized figures in early American motoring--Ford as the builder and Oldfield as the driver.

Holy Crap, Lion Tours! Somebody

Holy Crap, Lion Tours! Somebody Shoot Me!

You preferred Kerry's statements 56% of the time You preferred Bush's statements 44% of the time Voting purely on the issues you should vote Kerry Who would you vote for if you voted on the issues? Find out now!

Lifted from Parkway Rest Stop

Sneak Peak - 2006 Hummer

Sneak Peak - 2006 Hummer H3

Mid-sized Hummer H3 to go on sale next year

General Motors Corp. is readying production of the third Hummer model, the mid-size H3. Smaller than the H2, the upcoming H3 debuts next year as a 2006 model. The H3, which was previewed earlier this year at the Los Angeles auto show, shares its underpinnings with the Chevrolet Colorado pickup. It reportedly will be powered by a twin-cam 3.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine. The four-door SUV will feature oversize, all-terrain tires and standard four-wheel drive. Styling is reminiscent of the rest of the Hummer family, with specific cues - notably the trademark chrome vertical-bar grille - borrowed from the H2.

Even more pictures and information:
The 2005 H3 will be powered by a straight six, and will be priced nearly $75,000 less than the H1, and $15,000-$20,000 less than the $50,000 H2. The H3 should be a relative bargain at the $30,000-$35,000 range when it arrives at dealerships in mid-2005.

What would it take to

What would it take to get Kerry Re-elected?

Ok, lets say, by some perverse chance, that Kerry won and becomes president.

In 4 years what would Kerry have to have done to get the democrats nod for candidate for the democratic party? Because with all the talk about the democrats supporting Kerry just because "he isn't Bush" and the only democrat left running that didn't have a melt down (yet) and with Hillary, Obama and the other up and coming democrats wanting to run in 2008, which would be the election Kerry would be trying for a second term, would the democrats really give Kerry the nod or would they try to get someone else in there?

I would think that Kerry would have to have done something spectaucular to get the nod in 2008, something like after the terrorist attack that is bound to come if he is president he just went out and kicked some serious terrorist ass.

So what do you think Kerry would have to do to get that re-election nod from the democrats?

Dream fortells Reality? I dreamt

Dream fortells Reality?

I dreamt last night that my car ran out of gas and had to wait for a tow truck to bring me gas, so I was late for work.

This morning on the way to work I notice the "low gas level" warning is showing up, so I look at the gas gage and it's leaning on the E.

While I did not run out of gas, I will have to get it before doing anything else in the car.

Kind of freaky, eh?

UPDATE: Went to the gas station at lunch and got gas, pulling in with 5 miles to empty on my gage.

Holy Crap, Lions Tours! when did gas get so expensive? I paid $2.15 (mid-grade) for gas.

Today in Automotive History 1987

Today in Automotive History

1987 Trans-Americas Drive Completed

Canadian Garry Sowerby and American Tim Cahill completed the first trans-Americas drive on this day, driving from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in a total elapsed time of 23 days, 22 hours, and 43 minutes. The pair drove the 14,739-mile distance in a 1988 GMC Sierra K3500 four-wheel-drive pickup truck powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 Detroit diesel engine. Only on one occasion did Sowerby and Cahill trust another form of transportation to their sturdy Sierra: the vehicle and team were surface-freighted from Cartagena, Colombia, to Balboa, Panama, so as to bypass the dangerous Darien Gap of Colombia and Panama.

Today in Automotive History 1891

Today in Automotive History

1891 Birth Of The Nashville Speedway

On this day, a one-mile dirt track opened for harness races at the site of the present-day Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville. Harness racing proved a popular event at the annual Tennessee State Fair, but it was nothing compared to the excitement generated by the fair's first automobile race, held at the fairgrounds in 1904. For the next 50 years, motor racing events were the highlight of the annual state fair, drawing top American drivers to compete, and launching the careers of others. In 1956, the track was paved and lighted, and the tradition of weekly Saturday night racing at the fairgrounds was born. And in 1958, NASCAR came to Nashville with the introduction of the NASCAR Winston Cup to be run on a brand-new half-mile oval. The legendary driver Joe Weatherly won the first Winston Cup, beating the likes of Fireball Turner, Lee Petty, and Curtis Turner in the 200-lap event. Between 1958 and 1984, the fairgrounds hosted 42 NASCAR Winston Cups, and Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip were the overall leaders in victories, with nine and eight Winston Cups respectively. The last Winston Cup race to descend onto the Tennessee State Fairgrounds was a 420-lap event won by driver Geoff Bodine. But despite the departure of the Winston Cup, the Nashville Speedway continued to improve on its racetrack, and illustrious racing events such as the Busch Series are held on the historic track every year.

P.S. - I wonder if Grover Cleveland got the Nascar vote in the 1893 Election?

Capitol Workers to get Flu

Capitol Workers to get Flu Shots

I heard about all Capitol Workers getting flu shots regardless of their age this morning on the radio.

I will be writing my Senators and Congress people later today, urging them not to get it if they are not high risk.

Why am I so pissed about this, well because it looks like I will not beable to get a flu shot this year. Due to the medication I am on for my arthritis, my immune system is compromised. Which means if there is a bug out there I'm not only getting it, it will take me twice as long to get rid of it. I also have Asthma, which means when I do get the flu I have a higher chance of it becoming Bronchitis or worse, not to mention what effect it will have on my heart problem (due to my arthritis).

Hopefully this "scare" will die down in November and I will beable to find a flu shot somewhere. But I do encourage you to write you Senators and Congresspeople and ask them not to take the flu shot unless they are in the high risk catagory.

Today in Automotive History 1965

Today in Automotive History

1965 End Of An Era At Volvo

The Volvo PV544 was first introduced in 1958 as an updated version of its popular predecessor, the PV444. Like the PV444 with its laminated windscreen, the PV544 featured an important safety innovation--it was the first car to be equipped with safety belts as standard fitting. But the PV544 was also a powerful automobile, boasting a 4-speed manual transmission option and power up to 95bhp. Shortly after its introduction, the 544 became one of the most successful rally cars, dominating rally racing into the 1960s. Yet, the PV544 was also affordably priced, and its first-year sales put Volvo over the 100,000-exported automobiles mark. The PV544 was successfully reintroduced every year until 1965, when it was decided by Volvo that production of the model would cease. On this day in 1965, the last 544 was driven off the Volvo assembly line at its Lundy plant in Sweden by longtime Volvo test driver Nils Wickstrom. Gustaf Larson, the engineer who had co-founded Volvo with businessman Assar Gabrielsson in 1927, was present at the ceremony. An impressive total of 440,000 Volvo PV544s had been produced during its eight-year run, over half of which had been exported.

Stepping on Toes Ok, opinions

Stepping on Toes

Ok, opinions please.

I think I've mentioned before about the new guy at work not wanting to do his job but my job instead. Well he's only gotten worse and now it's really beginning to bug me.

Today I was waiting on getting some trial parts to measure and inspect before sending them out. Just about an hour ago I saw my boss in the lab and went to ask when they were going to be done. Turns out they have been done for a few hours and the lab guy (new guy) had already started to measure and inspect them, without telling me (it's my job). He just took it upon himself to do it. I was wondering why earlier he came looking for some calipers from me. He has helped out with large trials, but only because they were large and we only had a little time to do them in. Now bossman didn't say anything to lab guy about taking it upon himself to inspect and measure, but I feel lab guy is just stepping all over me.

My yearly review is coming up and I don't know if I should say anything to bossman about my feelings on what lab guy is doing or if I would just sound like a whiney person who can't share?

Suggestions, opinions?

My 5 Free Pass Men

My 5 Free Pass Men

Since everyone else is doing it ...

Actually it isn't that hard and like most everyone else hubby and I have our lists too, except mine keeps changing. So this is my most recent list:

Derek Jeter (I mean come on, who wouldn't tap that?)
Gary Allen (Just yummy)
Mark Harmon (I never miss NCIS)
Mel Gibson (the now a day look)
Kirk Maltby (hockey, money and looks, and as yahoo says "unbelieveable lower body strength")

UPDATE:
Harvey (swoon)

I Voted I am done,

I Voted

I am done, finished, through, complete.

Filled out my absentee ballot over the weekend and put it into the drop box at the Township office.

Now I get to sit back and relax, not really having to pay attention to the election brewhaha anymore.

Today in Automotive History 1982

Today in Automotive History

1982 The Fall Of An Automotive Star

John DeLorean began his automotive career with Packard in the 1950s, and was recruited to Pontiac in 1959. A rising star at Pontiac, DeLorean pioneered the successful GTO and Grand Prix, and by the late 1960s had risen to the top position in a company that was behind only Chevrolet and Ford in sales. In 1970, DeLorean was moved to manage the Chevrolet Division, and by 1973 Chevy was selling a record 3,000,000 cars and trucks, with DeLorean seeming a top candidate for General Motors' (GM) next presidency. But in late-1973, he walked away from his $650,000 job at GM, boasting he was "going to show them how to build cars." After raising nearly $200 million in financing, DeLorean formed the DeLorean Motor Company in 1974, and constructed a car factory in Northern Ireland. Interest in DeLorean's sleek and futuristic DMC-12 car was high, but by the early 1980s the company was in serious financial trouble. Failing to find additional investors, the proud DeLorean became involved in racketeering and drug trafficking in a desperate attempt to save his beleaguered company. On this day in 1982, after being caught on film during an FBI sting operation trying to broker a $24 million cocaine deal, DeLorean was arrested on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. But two years later a federal jury ruled that he was a victim of entrapment, and DeLorean was acquitted of all charges. Nevertheless, the debacle ruined his credibility, and John DeLorean's fall from the top of the automotive industry was complete.

Today in Automotive History EDISON

Today in Automotive History

EDISON DIES:October 18, 1931

Thomas Alva Edison, one of the most prolific inventors in history, dies in West Orange, New Jersey, at the age of 84.
Born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847, Edison received little formal schooling, which was customary for most Americans at the time. He developed serious hearing problems at an early age, and this disability provided the motivation for many of his inventions. At age 16, he found work as a telegraph operator and soon was devoting much of his energy and natural ingenuity toward improving the telegraph system itself. By 1869, he was pursuing invention full-time and in 1876 moved into a laboratory and machine shop in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

Edison's experiments were guided by his remarkable intuition, but he also took care to employ assistants who provided the mathematical and technical expertise he lacked. At Menlo Park, Edison continued his work on the telegraph, and in 1877 he stumbled on one of his great inventions--the phonograph--while working on a way to record telephone communication. Public demonstrations of the phonograph made the Yankee inventor world famous, and he was dubbed the "Wizard of Menlo Park."

Although the discovery of a way to record and play back sound ensured him a place in the annals of history, it was just the first of several Edison creations that would transform late 19th-century life. Among other notable inventions, Edison and his assistants developed the first practical incandescent lightbulb in 1879, and a forerunner of the movie camera and projector in the late 1880s. In 1887, he opened the world's first industrial research laboratory at West Orange, where he employed dozens of workers to systematically investigate a given subject.

Perhaps his greatest contribution to the modern industrial world came from his work in electricity. He developed a complete electrical distribution system for light and power, set up the world's first power plant in New York City, and invented the alkaline battery, the first electric railroad, and a host of other inventions that laid the basis for the modern electric world. He continued to work into his 80s and acquired 1,093 patents in his lifetime. He died at his home in New Jersey on October 18, 1931.

P.S. - I know your thinking, what does Edison have to do with the Automotive World. But I thought I would take you to the personnel side of the Auto World today. You see, Edison and Henry Ford were best of Friends. They did a lot together and Edisons Menlo Park Lab is located in Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford complex.

If your ever in the Detroit Area it's almost a must see. I prefer the Village myself, it's outdoors and I feel a better sense of History because they have a lot of hands on stuff and different themes over the summer.

Today in Automotive History 1966

Today in Automotive History

1966 The Worst Driver In American History

On this day in McKinney, Texas, it was reported that a 75-year-old male driver received 10 traffic tickets, drove on the wrong side of the road four times, committed four hit-and-run offenses, and caused six accidents, all within 20 minutes. It is ironic that the record book's worst driver is a native Texan, because Texans, especially residents of Houston, are consistently ranked as the best drivers in the nation. On another record-breaking bad driver note, Mrs. Fannie Turner of Little Rock, Arkansas, finally overcame her driving demons this month in 1978 when she finally passed the written test for drivers--it was her 104th attempt.

P.S. - Don't you think it's kind of funny that the worst recorded drivers in History are both from the South? Well, I'm just saying.

That's the Problem with Men

That's the Problem with Men in your Office

I have mentioned before that I now share my office with 2 others, men to be exact. This office is about 25' x 10', small for 3 people to be sharing.

I'm out and about in the plant, head back to the office to get something, walk in and nearly drop over dead.

Yep, one of the pigs men farted. A real smelly one. We have no ventilation in the office. It smells like hell in here. My little Glade airfreshener has given up, it can't compete with that smell.

I think I am being punished for something.

Sometimes I really hate pigs men.

The Fall Look So, since

The Fall Look

So, since I'm getting the hang of this HTML stuff I thought I would give my blog a Fall look to it.

Today in Automotive History 1899

Today in Automotive History

1899 Miscalculated Prophecy

In the early days of the automobile, many doubted that owning a "horseless carriage" would ever be within the reach of an average citizen. Indeed, some critics of the noisy and expensive invention went so far as to prophesize its eventual demise once the wealthy got over the novelty of owning one. On this day the Literary Digest declared that "the ordinary horseless carriage is at present a luxury for the wealthy; and although its price will probably fall in the future, it will never, of course, come into common use as a bicycle." But what critics of the automobile failed to foresee were the types of revolutionary manufacturing techniques that would be developed by Henry Ford and others. Less than a decade after the Literary Digest predicted that the automobile would remain a luxury of the wealthy, Ford revolutionized the automotive industry with his affordable Model T built for the average American. Ford was able to keep the price down by retaining control of all raw materials, and by employing revolutionary mass production methods. When it was first introduced, the "Tin Lizzie" cost only $850 and seated two people, and by the time it was discontinued in 1927, nearly 15,000,000 Model Ts had been sold.

Dilbert describes my Company No

Dilbert describes my Company

No really, this is what a lot of the line workers are like here. Sometimes I just bang my head against the wall because I get the same results when I try to explain quality matters to them.

Today in Automotive History 1997

Today in Automotive History

1997 Thrust Breaks The Sound Barrier

Less than three weeks after breaking the elusive 700mph land-speed barrier, British fighter pilot Andy Green set a new land-speed record in the Thrust SuperSonic vehicle, jet-powering through the sound barrier along a one-mile course in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Coached by previous land-speed record-holder and Thrust team leader Richard Noble, Green roared across Black Rock Desert at 764.168mph, or 1.007 percent above the speed of the sound. An hour later, Green flashed across the dusty desert floor again, moving 1.003 percent faster than the speed of sound. The second run was required before the feat could be officially entered into the record book, a requirement that may have prevented past records. In 1979, at Edwards Air Force Base, American Stan Barrett is reputed to have reached 739.666mph, or Mach 1.0106, in a rocket-engined three-wheeled car called the Budweiser Rocket. But the speed was unsanctioned by the United States Air Force, and the official record remained unbroken until Green's historic run. Appropriately, the first official breaking of the sound barrier by a land vehicle came on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the first supersonic flight, achieved by American pilot Chuck Yeager in 1947.

Speaking of Dead Bugs Men

Speaking of Dead Bugs

Men & women compliment each other by the unique traits we were each given:

WOMEN:Women have strengths that amaze men. They carry children, they carryhardships, they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. Theysmile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They crywhen they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They are childcare workers, executives, attorneys, stay-at-home moms,bikers, babes, & your neighbors. They wear suits, jeans, and they wearuniforms. They fight for what they believe in and they stand up against injustice.

Women are honest, loyal and forgiving. They are smart, knowing that knowledge is power. But they still know how to use their softer side to make a point.Women want to be the best for their family & their friends and themselves.Their hearts break when a friend dies. They have sorrow at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

Women do more than just give birth. They bring joy and hope. They give compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends and all they want back is a hug, a smile and for you to do the same to people you come in contact with.

MEN:Men are good at lifting heavy stuff and killing bugs.

Today in Automotive History 1993

Today in Automotive History

1993 Toyota's One-Millionth Camry

The Camry was first introduced by the Toyota Motor Company in 1983 as a replacement for its Corona Sedan. Hoping to follow in the path of the popular Toyota flagship, the Cressida, the roomy and durable Camry immediately proved a best-seller, faring well against the likes of the Honda Accord and domestic U.S. compacts. In the late '80s, the Camry, now Toyota's most popular model, saw an upsized redesign, boasting a new twin-cam 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine with 16 valves and a much greater horsepower potential than the previous model. In 1992, the Camry was again stylishly redesigned, approaching mid-size while maintaining its original efficiency. On this day, a decade after it was first introduced, the one-millionth Camry rolled off a Toyota assembly line. Four years later, in 1997, the Toyota Camry became the best-selling car in America.

The Yankee Air Museum The

The Yankee Air Museum

The Yankee Air Museum, a museum that housed Vintage aircraft and aviation artifacts burned to the ground over the weekend. The estimated damage is between $5-7 billion.

They were able to push 3 vintage planes out of the hanger before the fire got to intense to save any more planes. The planes saved were a B-17, B25 and a C47. The hanger was constructed of wood during WWII when metal wasbeing rationed. The hanger is at the Willow Run Airport, which is next to the Willow Run Factory which produced bombers during WWII.

The fire was a 7 alarm fire, started around 6:30pm and the museum is a total loss. People reported seeing the smoke from the fire as far away as Toledo, the museum is located in the far eastern edge of Ypsilanti, Michigan. I live about 4 miles as the crow flies from the airport/museum. I took pictures of the smoke as seen from my house.

People Love to Eat Me

People Love to Eat Me

You are glucose. People feed off of you. You are
sweet, caring, and a source of energy for
everyone around you. You can inspire others
with your creativity and depth, and you can
keep people alive when in times of famine.
People love you...or at least the way you
taste.

Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Mobs in Jammies Found this

Mobs in Jammies

Found this story on Yahoo just now, it talks about bloggers and their mob mentality.

Just a couple highlights:

The U.S. presidential campaign between George W. Bush and John Kerry has prompted a frenzy of gossip and conspiracy theories among Internet bloggers, hybrid online sites that blend news, gossip and opinion.

Experts say much of the gossip on the Internet is as loony as supermarket tabloid stories claiming Elvis Presley lives, but that it still has a role to play in the campaign

"Blogs probably pretty accurately reflect the level of polarization and paranoia and frustration among everyday Americans that the entire campaign reflects," said Vanity Fair media critic Michael Wolff, characterizing the new form of overtly-biased journalism as "the voice of the mob."

The MSM is still trying to discredit blogs, even though there are many blogs out there that have proven themselves to be more than just "online sites that blend news, gossip and opinion".

Sneak Peak - 2006 Toyota

Sneak Peak - 2006 Toyota Super Sports Car

Looks like Toyota is jealous of all the new Super Sports Cars, like the Mustang GT because it looks like they are throwing their hand in and giving it a try.

Toyota has been eyeing Nissan's success with the revived 350Z - and apparently, from spy pictures nabbed this week, it's been a little jealous of supercars like the Porsche Carrera GT, too. Toyota 's been caught testing what some insiders are calling the "TXS," a limited-production exotic that might be powered by a V-10 engine worth 500 hp.
Pictures show the TXS with enough cladding to disguise much of its shape, but clearly, this is no Celica or MR2-sized sportscar. Insiders suggest the car will tip in at less than 3000 pounds, giving its 500-hp powerplant (with 370 lb-ft of torque) a serious chance at catching the likes of the Porsche and Benz supercars. Top speed could reach 190 mph, the same league as the 550-hp Ford GT. Whether the drivetrain offers any version of Toyota 's hybrid technology is unknown.
Whether the final vehicle is sold as a Lexus or as a Toyota , it's likely that a limited production run of about 10,000 units is in order. Expect a debut at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show and an on-sale date soon after - with a price tag well over $100,000.

hattip: The Car Connection

Today in Automotive History 1928

Today in Automotive History

1928 Birth Of A Royal Racer

Spanish racer Don Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, Carvajal y Are, the 17th Marquis de Portago and 13th Conde de la Mejorada, was born on this day in London, England. Better known as Marquis Alfonso de Portago, the Spanish nobleman became interested in motor racing as a young man, soon finding his way into some of the world's most prestigious and dangerous racing events, owning more to his social standing than his racing skills. For a two-year period beginning in 1956, the reckless Marquis Alfonso drove for the Lancia Ferrari team, managing to rack up four points in five Grand Prix starts, but failing to win any race. In 1957, Alfonso brought tragedy to the classic Mille Miglia event, a 1,600-kilometer race from Brescia to Rome and back, when he lost control of his Ferrari and plunged into a crowd of spectators. Alfonso, his co-driver Ed Nelson, and 10 spectators died in the accident, bringing to an end the 30-year tradition of the Mille Miglia. Twenty years after the Marquis' tragic run along the course, the event was revived, and to this day the Mille Miglia attracts thousands to the streets of Italy to watch a nostalgic run of classic racing cars.

P.S - Happy Columbus Day, especially for all you bank type people who have the day off!

Comment Party There's a comment

Comment Party

There's a comment party over at Lee Ann's view. It's for her blog redecorating and shes having a Superhero/Black&White movie costume party.

So get a costume and head on over to the party. Warning though, it's not for the faint of heart because it tends to get a little rowdy and a little messy, because of the redi-whip and all.

My Costume you ask? I'm the Scarlet Witch with super powers of being able to change probabilites.

Today in Automotive History 1997

Today in Automotive History

1997 Recall Costs Chrysler Millions

A Federal jury ordered Chrysler to hand over $260 million to the Jiminez family, whose son, Sergei, was killed after being jettisoned from the third seat of a Chrysler minivan. The accident happened in 1987 when the Jiminez's Dodge Caravan was hit by another vehicle travelling along at just five miles per hour. During the impact, the minivan's rear liftgate malfunctioned, and the back door flew open, allowing the boy to be ejected on to the pavement. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. The Federal government reported that between 1984 and 1994, thirty-seven deaths could be traced to faulty liftgate latches on Chrysler's minivans. The automaker was hit with 100 lawsuits related to the faulty liftgate, but the government still held off on mandating a recall of the latches. A day before the ruling, however, Chrysler recalled 1.1 million minivans, a decision estimated to have cost the car giant roughly $30 million. Surprisingly, this move, coupled with anticipation of the Federal jury's decision against Chrysler, caused just a small decline in Chrysler's stock, which closed on October 7 at 34 15/16, following a 3/16 drop.

Today in Automotive History MOVING

Today in Automotive History

MOVING ASSEMBLY LINE AT FORD:October 7, 1913

For the first time, Henry Ford's entire Highland Park automobile factory is run on a continuously moving assembly line when the chassis--the automobile's frame--is assembled using the revolutionary industrial technique. A motor and rope pulled the chassis past workers and parts on the factory floor, cutting the man-hours required to complete one "Model T" from 12 1/2 hours to six. Within a year, further assembly line improvements reduced the time required to 93 man-minutes. The staggering increase in productivity effected by Ford's use of the moving assembly line allowed him to drastically reduce the cost of the Model T, thereby accomplishing his dream of making the car affordable to ordinary consumers.

In introducing the Model T in October 1908, Henry Ford proclaimed, "I will build a motor car for the great multitude." Before then, the decade-old automobile industry generally marketed its vehicles to only the richest Americans, because of the high cost of producing the machines. Ford's Model T was the first automobile designed to serve the needs of middle-class citizens: It was durable, economical, and easy to operate and maintain. Still, with a debut price of $850, the Model T was out of the reach of most Americans. The Ford Motor Company understood that to lower unit cost it had to increase productivity. The method by which this was accomplished transformed industry forever.

Prototypes of the assembly line can be traced back to ancient times, but the immediate precursor of Ford's industrial technique was 19th-century meat-packing plants in Chicago and Cincinnati, where cows and hogs were slaughtered, dressed, and packed using overhead trolleys that took the meat from worker to worker. Inspired by the meat packers, the Ford Motor Company innovated new assembly line techniques and in early 1913 installed its first moving assembly line at Highland Park for the manufacture of flywheel magnetos. Instead of each worker assembling his own magneto, the assembly was divided into 29 operations performed by 29 men spaced along a moving belt. Average assembly time dropped from 20 minutes to 13 minutes and soon was down to five minutes.

With the success of the magneto experiment, Ford engineers put the Model T motor and then the transmission on moving assembly lines. On October 7, 1913, the chassis also went on the moving assembly line, so that all the major components of the Model T were being assembled using this technique. Ford rapidly improved its assembly lines, and by 1916 the price of the Model T had fallen to $360 and sales were more than triple their 1912 level. Eventually, the company produced one Model T every 24 seconds, and the price fell below $300. More than 15 million Model T's were built before it was discontinued in 1927, accounting for nearly half of all automobiles sold in the world to that date. The affordable Model T changed the landscape of America, hastening the move from rural to city life, and the moving assembly line spurred a new industrial revolution in factories around the world.

P.S While Henry Ford is considered the Father of the Automotive Industry he is more well known and accrediated with the moving assembly line. As the information above stated "the moving assembly line spurred a new industrial revolution in factories around the world"

I consider Henry Ford one of my role models and Hero's. I worked for Ford for 8 years and learned alot about the companies History and Henry himself. He was very innovative and learned that the middle class was the one that would be advancing this country and he played off that by offering cars at prices they could afford because if they people making your product can't afford it why make it.

Michael Moore Bribing Voters to

Michael Moore Bribing Voters to Vote for Kerry?

Seems Moore is making the rounds at Michigan Colleges this week and essentially bribing students to vote for Kerry.

First, Michigan Republicans called Tuesday for the prosecution of filmmaker Michael Moore for handing out free clean underwear and ramen noodles to college students who vote on Nov. 2. Moore even offered to clean students' dorms if they vowed to vote during his "Slacker Uprising Tour" at Michigan State University and other campuses in Michigan and around the country, where he exhorted crowds to oust Bush.

Seems the GOP doesn't like that and is asking Michigan Counties to prosectue Moore for Bribing people to vote.

Update: I checked out Michigan States student Newspaper from Oct 1st (he visited Campus Sept 30th). Sure sounds like he was trying to bribe students to vote for Kerry

Known for his controversial films and criticism of the Bush administration, the filmmaker told MSU students Thursday to care about politics for just one day and vote for Kerry.
"Come out and give voting a try, just this once," he pleaded with the crowd that almost filled the Auditorium. "A large turnout is disaster for George W. Bush."

So he's resorted to begging people to vote for Kerry?

Moore tried almost every method to convince MSU students to kick President Bush out of office. He showed several of his own unofficial, satirical commercials against Bush. He showed six minutes of film taken in Iraq weeks before U.S. bombing to "put a human face" to the suffering Moore said Bush caused. He told students four more years with Bush in office will lead to a military draft.

But if that didn't work, Moore also threw out a few packages of Ramen noodles and underwear to students who just promised to vote for either candidate.

Ya, he added that "vote for either candidate" at the end because he knew it would get him in trouble for saying just Kerry.

Although the speech focused more on criticizing Bush than promoting Kerry, Moore said afterward that he has a deep respect for the Massachusetts senator. Moore said he saw Kerry in Detroit in 1971 when he spoke against atrocities committed by Vietnam soldiers during the war

"I remember thinking this was a brave person, a person of conscience," Moore said. "I believe Kerry would make a great president."

Moore really shows his colors now by agreeing with Kerry about speaking out against and making up stories about fellow veterans.

Hope the Michigan Republican party follows through with trying to get him prosectued.

I'm not Easy I always

I'm not Easy

I always made them buy me dinner first.

Today in Automotive History 1866

Today in Automotive History

1866 Steaming Around Connecticut

In the first use of a steam car to garner national attention, brothers Henry and James House transported a party of men in their House steam car from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Stratford, Connecticut, on this day. With the assistance of his brother James, inventor Henry House had constructed the House Steamer, one of America's first steam cars, earlier in the year. After testing their invention in and around Bridgeport for several months, the brothers approved the first official journey for the House steam car - a six-mile trip to Stratford to watch a vessel launching.

P.S. I wonder if this is how the urban legand of the car that runs on water but the automotive companies don't want us to know about it got started?

Sneak Peak - 2006 Charger

Sneak Peak - 2006 Charger

The Charger will make its official debut at the North American International Auto Show inDetroit, and arrive at dealerships next spring as an early 2006 model. Published reports state that Charger will be powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 or the optional 5.7-liter HEMI, but insiders expect the 6.1-liter HEMI to follow

hattip: The Car Connection

The Harbor Report The Harbor

The Harbor Report

The Harbor Report is out for 2003. The Harbor Report is a report in the automotive industry that shows the time it takes to build a vehicle, from shell to rolling off the assembly line.

This is one area that the American "Big 3" do reasonably well in and all 3 showed improvement over the previous year.

This is a big deal because the shorter the time it takes you to build a vehicle, the more vehicles you can put out and less time factory resources are being used. Using less time of factory resources shows you have made improvements in using technology.

TOP TEN VEHICLE ASSEMBLY PLANTS
(Hours per vehicle)
1. Nissan Smyrna Altima 15.33
2. GM Oshawa #1 Midsize 16.40
3. GM Oshawa #2 Midsize 17.03
4. GM Lansing M Compact 18.09
5. GM Lansing C Compact 18.09
6. Ford Chicago Midsize 18.24
7. Ford Atlanta Midsize 18.40
8. Nissan Smyrna Small SUV 19.08
9. Nissan Smyrna Maxima 19.45
10. Toyota Georgetown #2 Midsize 19.50

Ever wonder how long it takes to build a sports car?

SPORTS CAR
1. Ford Dearborn 23.38 (ed. note Mustang)
2. GM Bowling Green 44.45 (ed. note Corvette)

Did you know building a Mid-Size car takes a shorter time, 16 hours, than a Compact vehicle, 19 hours, or a Subcompact vehicle, 20 hours?

Recent Visitors Here's one visitor

Recent Visitors

Here's one visitor to my blog that gave me a heart attack:

irs.gov @ 10/5/2004 8:15:37 AM
Domain Name irs.gov ? (United States Government)

Guess the government is keeping close tabs on bloggers in jammies!

I've got a Dirty Secret

I've got a Dirty Secret

This secret is dirty, I mean reallllll dirty. Those of the weak of heart should probably skip this post.

I love to clean. Yep, there I said it. I love cleaning the house on Saturday's. It's even better if hubby is at work.

I know, I know, your like "What the #&%".

You see, cleaning is an aerobic activity for me. I put on the tunes and be-bop around cleaning and dancing and singing for a couple hours each saturday. I usually start off with something simple like county or soft-pop, then I move up to Rock or Pop. When I'm good and warmed up I go for the Disco or 80's Pop.

This is my way of releasing the stress of the week. My moment of Zen, the moment I can just shake my booty and not worry about people pointing and laughing.

And yes, I have dirty danced with the vacuum cleaner. But he doesn't say anything to my hubby about it, it's our secret.

Today In Automotive History 1919

Today In Automotive History

1919 Enzo Ferrari's Racing Debut

On this day, 21-year-old Enzo Ferrari made his racing debut, finishing 11th in the Parmo-Poggia di Berceto hill climb in a Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali (CMN) vehicle. Ferrari became a professional driver after World War I, and joined the CMN in Milan as a test and racing-car driver in 1919. The following year, Ferrari moved to Alfa Romeo, establishing a relationship that lasted two decades and a career that took him from test driver to the director post of the Alfa Racing Division. In 1929, he founded the Scuderia Ferrari, an organization that began modestly as a racing club, but by 1933 had entirely taken over the engineering-racing division of Alfa Romeo. In 1940, Ferrari transformed the Scuderia into an independent manufacturing company, the Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, but construction of the first Ferrari vehicle was delayed until the end of World War II. In 1947, the Ferrari 125S was introduced to the racing world, and it won the prestigious Coppa Enrico Faini in the same year. Thus began an impressive 40 years of racing success under the leadership of Enzo Ferrari, a tradition that saw Ferrari vehicles earn 25 world titles, and win over 5,000 events at race tracks around the world.

Today in Automotive History 1983

Today in Automotive History

1983 The End Of America's Speed Domination

After nearly 20 years of domination by Americans, Briton Richard Noble raced to a new one-mile land- speed record in his jet-powered Thrust 2 vehicle. The Thrust 2, a 17,000-pound jet-powered Rolls-Royce Avon 302 designed by John Ackroyd, reached a record 633.468mph over the one-mile course in Nevada's stark Black Rock Desert, breaking the 631.367mph speed record achieved by Gary Gabelich's Blue Flame in 1970. Previous to Gary Gabelich there was Craig Breedlove, the American driver who recorded a series of astounding victories in jet-powered vehicles during the 1960s, breaking the 400mph, 500mph, and 600mph barriers in 1963, 1964, and 1965, respectively. In 1997, Breedlove and Noble returned to Black Rock Desert again, this time in a race to break the elusive 700mph barrier. On September 25, team leader Noble watched as British fighter pilot Andy Green set a new land-speed record in their Thrust SSC vehicle, jet-powering to an impressive 714.144mph over the one-mile course. But the greatest victory for the British team came on October 13 of that same year, when Andy Green roared across Black Rock Desert at 764.168mph, or 1.007 percent above the speed of sound. Appropriately, the first shattering of the sound barrier by a land vehicle came on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the first supersonic flight, achieved by American pilot Chuck Yeager in 1947.

The Presidential Debate Here's my

The Presidential Debate

Here's my 2 cents worth

1 - I think Bush took this one
2 - It bugged the hell out of me that Kerry wouldn't look at the camera when answering the questions, Bush did most of the time
3 - What the hell was wrong with Kerry's cheeks?
4 - Kerry didn't answer one question directly. I don't even remember him answering one indirectly. He used a lot of "I would do it better or I have a plan" but would never expound on how he would do it better or what his "plan" was.
5 - Kerry used a lot of big words
6 - Bush did stubble quite a few times and had some dead air time, but I don't think that hurt him.
7 - Kerry mentioned his Vietnam service quite a few times, no surprise there.
8 - I loved it when Bush corrected Kerry on the Iran contract not being signed by Bush's administration.
9 - How embarassing for Laura Bush to wear the same thing as Teresa. I mean, shouldn't there people have communicated or something?
10 - I liked that Bush used statistics and examples when answering questions, something Kerry didn't do, not once.
11 - I think Jim Lhear did a pretty good job, except I think he needed to ask more questions pertaining to what Kerry has said and done instead of questions pertaining to Bush's actions.

Today in Automotive History 1908

Today in Automotive History

1908 An American Legend Goes On Sale

Beginning in 1903, Henry Ford and his engineers struggled for five difficult years to produce a reliable, inexpensive car for the mass market. It wasn't until their 20th attempt, christened the Model T after the 20th letter in the alphabet, that the fledgling Ford Motor Company hit pay dirt. On this day, the Ford Model T was introduced to the American public, and Ford's affordable revolution had begun. Affectionately known as the "Tin Lizzie," the Model T revolutionized the automotive industry by providing an affordable, reliable car for the average American. Ford was able to keep the price down by retaining control of all raw materials, and by employing revolutionary mass production methods. When it was first introduced, the "Tin Lizzie" cost only $850 and seated two people, and by the time it was discontinued in 1927, nearly 15,000,000 Model Ts had been sold.