Random Thoughts Thread

[trinacriabob]

49 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

My sister used to have a pair of Siamese cats--a red point and a blue point.  I liked them alot..they got along w/ the dogs she had at the time, though the dogs liked to chase them.

Siamese is another good breed.  Many of them "talk" constantly.  I don't know how much would be too much.

I am aware of 4 Siamese varieties - blue point, lilac point (maybe the red?), chocolate point, and seal point.  We see the beige types more often.

I would prefer that the dogs didn't chase the cats!  I hear it's mostly a matter of which animal came into a household in which order, and at what age.

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, trinacriabob said:

Siamese is another good breed.  Many of them "talk" constantly.  I don't know how much would be too much.

I am aware of 4 Siamese varieties - blue point, lilac point (maybe the red?), chocolate point, and seal point.  We see the beige types more often.

I would prefer that the dogs didn't chase the cats!  I hear it's mostly a matter of which animal came into a household in which order, and at what age.

Yes, chocolate was what I meant..he had a reddish-brown coloration.    By the time she added the first dog (came w/ husband #3), the cats had been with her 5-6 years.  Then another dog a year later, then another 2 years later...all stubborn, intense Westies.  As they got older, sometimes the cats (esp. the female blue point) would curl up next to one of the dogs and sleep.. 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

You know very little will, just like all of the other riots in the last few years... unfortunately. 

Exactly. 

 

 

[Robert Hall]

8 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Exactly. 

 

 

Wowza...300+ in a 'street' car...must have some incredible tires and brakes..

[trinacriabob]

5 hours ago, David said:

 

Love this story and all the pictures about the Luxury years of Flying in a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser! Who knew that it only held 100 people, had beds and had a social lounge along with made to order French food. Cool read for those that would love to live and fly in the 50's. Boeing Stratocruisers were retired in 1961 as they made way for the faster and more capacity of people and freight Boeing 707 and 737.

 

That photo over Manhattan - more realistically over the Hudson River - is wild.

It did pave the way for the 4 engine Boeing 707.  Immigrants to the U.S. were then arriving by 707s and ships, until transoceanic passenger ship service basically became extinct because of the 747.

Among current commercial aircraft, I admit to being a big fan of the Airbus 340 ... the only Airbus plane I like.  In -200 and -300 form, it's the closest modern aircraft to a 707.  I'm talking about its size, its 4 smaller engines, and overall look.  The only thing is that it had to be a twin aisle plane or it would not have made sense when it was released in 1991.

The most flattering photo of one I could find is of a Lufthansa one.

Here's one that was flown by Olympic.  If you look at its name in the nose cone, you can say "it's Greek to me."

[trinacriabob]

Yikes.  I see that demerits (down votes) are being doled out because conscientious C&G folks are showing their objection to disturbing and serious national events that just happened, the perpetrators of these events, and their cronies.

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, trinacriabob said:

Yikes.  I see that demerits (down votes) are being doled out because conscientious C&G folks are showing their objection to disturbing and serious national events that just happened, the perpetrators of these events, and their cronies.

And as always, it's the usual suspect doing it...

[trinacriabob]

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

 

 

This car has a commanding look and an interesting silhouette.  It would be nice if some of this could be incorporated into a mass production vehicle on U.S. soil.  This would make for a good Pontiac, for example, from looking at the divided effect up front.

Edited January 7, 2021 by trinacriabob

[ocnblu]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

This car has a commanding look and an interesting silhouette.  It would be nice if some of this could be incorporated into a mass production vehicle on U.S. soil.  This would make for a good Pontiac, for example, from looking at the divided effect up front.

Yes it would

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

 

I can totally see myself trading the Ranger for this when the time comes. This is one of my favorite full size trucks.

[balthazar]

‘Boo’, 8 1/2 yrs old now : 

[daves87rs]

[A Horse With No Name]

10 hours ago, balthazar said:

‘Boo’, 8 1/2 yrs old now : 

I love black cats. 

 

 

 

[trinacriabob]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

‘Boo’

Cool.  The one cat we did have when I was a kid was just like this - all black, medium length coat, great personality (from constantly being played with by us kids)

He seems sure of himself and looks like he owns the place.

Does he live in the past?

[balthazar]

Boo is a good boy.
He's not a lap-sitter, but he does sleep on our bed at night and in the winter, frequently comes under the covers between us for a bit. Has his own rigid routines; likes to spend the morning/early afternoon in the basement, likes to look out my study window late at night. He has a 'compound' I made him in the backyard; about 3' wide x 12' long, and has an 'upstairs' block with shelves- he loves hanging out in it in the spring-fall.
There's also these two girls in the mix, but they & Boo have to be separated; Boo's not ready to share the same space with them, even after 11 months of being under the same roof.

[balthazar]

I've never been to Rob Ida's shop, it's only about a half hour away. He does incredible, tier 1 work. That '40 Merc is amazing, exactly the detail level I would put into a custom build. When I have my custom torpedo coupe built, I'll go to him. 

I've thought about contacting him RE painting the B-59; I don't know if he does 'small' jobs like painting a car or not, nor do I have any idea what sort of prices he'd charge. Will have to check into it- the guy who did the bodywork/put my car into epoxy primer had a bad accident and lost a bunch of his fingers (electrocution)- he used to work in bodywork professionally but I doubt he's painting anymore.

Edited January 8, 2021 by balthazar

[A Horse With No Name]

3 minutes ago, balthazar said:

I've never been to Rob Ida's shop, it's only about a half hour away. He does incredible, tier 1 work. That '40 Merc is amazing, exactly the detail level I would put into a custom build. When I have my custom torpedo coupe built, I'll go to him. 

I've thought about contacting him RE painting the B-59; I don't know if he does 'small' jobs like painting a car or not, nor do I have any idea what sort of prices he'd charge. Will have to check into it- the guy who did the bodywork/put my car into epoxy primer had a bad accident and lost a bunch of his fingers (electrocution)- he used to work in bodywork professionally but I doubt he's painting anymore.

You are going to kill me but I think the B 59 would look fantastic with home sprayed matte black. Easily repairable if something happens to the paint, which it will. All of the fabrication and restoration work is too cool on the B-59 not to see some serious road and track time. Could see driving it cross country on the power tour. 

Matte Tan, like a Desert camo tan, would look killer also with flawless chrome and a black interior. 

But then again, killer paint would rock also. 

 

Neat British model railraod. 

 

[balthazar]

5 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

You are going to kill me but I think the B 59 would look fantastic with home sprayed matte black.

No; that’s been tossed around here. Still no decision made. I’d seen a black B-59 in person but didn’t like the presentation. Then I see cars like this: 

[Robert Hall]

Another trend instead of Matte Black would be bedliner material..would be a unique look. 

Wraps are popular, but I imagine a wrap on a '59 Buick would be a challenge because of all the contours and creases...

[A Horse With No Name]

33 minutes ago, balthazar said:

No; that’s been tossed around here. Still no decision made. I’d seen a black B-59 in person but didn’t like the presentation. Then I see cars like this: 

Yeah....and they look better in person. 

You could run  amtte black for a feww years, work the bugs out,m and think ahrd on what you want the final finish to be. 

I see some kind of non  flashy color for it though. color can't compete with the Chrome and the style of the car. Maybe a greyish blue like my kids Impala. 

 

[trinacriabob]

Model trains and cats sort of go together ... sometimes ...

 

[Robert Hall]

12 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Model trains and cats sort of go together ... sometimes ...

 

This reminds me of a buddy of mine who is huge model train fan...his whole basement is full of layouts.  He and his wife have no kids, but a pair of Siamese..as far as I know, the cats get along ok w/ the trains...

 

 

[balthazar]

A bedliner ‘painted’ car would be a bit too ‘Alabama’ for me. Wraps are what- $1500 and last like 3 years (regular use)? 

Maybe just leave it in primer. Nah.

- - - - - 
Apparently this is a brand new Goodyear feature. Why not until 2020?? 
 

[Robert Hall]

That’s a neat deet on that tor.  For the mathematically challenged that can’t measure tread depth.  

[David]

ALERT

GM has rolled out a New Company Logo to go with their drive to become a pure EV Company.

Quote Press Release:

General Motors is debuting a new marketing campaign as part of the company’s comprehensive efforts to accelerate mass adoption of electric vehicles. The “Everybody In” campaign is a call to action meant to reflect a movement that’s inclusive and accessible. The company is also evolving its brand identity as GM transforms itself to deliver on a vision that creates a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.

As GM amplifies its EV message, it has also created a revitalized brand identity designed for a digital-first environment. The new logo builds on a strong heritage while bringing a more modern and vibrant look to GM’s familiar blue square. The new brand identity extends to technology brands including Ultium. The team of GM designers tasked with creating the new logo considered how to balance the history and trust inherent to the existing design with GM’s vision for the future.

According to Sharon Gauci, GM executive director of Global Industrial Design: “This was a project our team took so personally, not just for ourselves but for the 164,000 employees this logo represents. At every step we wanted to be intentional and deliberate because this logo signifies creative and innovative thinking across the global General Motors family.”

The new GM logo features a color gradient of vibrant blue tones, evoking the clean skies of a zero-emissions future and the energy of the Ultium platform. The rounded edges and lower-case font create a more modern, inclusive feel. The underline of the “m” connects to the previous GM logos as well as visually representing the Ultium platform. And within the negative space of the “m” is a nod to the shape of an electrical plug.

To Advance Zero-Emissions Future, GM Invites ‘Everybody In’

 

[ocnblu]

LOL just totally reinforces the idea that EVs are children's toys.  Totally Fisher-Price.  WHAT A SHAME.  FIRE MARY BARRA!

The whole internet is LOL over this craptastic turn for the worse.

[balthazar]

I saw this elsewhere- what’s unclear to me is if this is a 2ndary logo, or a replacement. If it’s a replacement- how utterly tragic and stupid. 
 

The ‘zero crashes’ goal is moronically out-of-touch. No one alive today will ever see that come to pass.

[ocnblu]

God, so embarrassing for a company that was once so mighty. The WORST. Reinforces the idea that EV are children's toys. A disgrace to GM history... the richest history in the automotive world... squandered, balled up and thrown in the trash.

[ocnblu]

Cool to see the new Maverick "spy" photo taken on a pilot assembly line.  Shaping up to be a cool little truck, although I am still fingers crossed for a regular cab, or at least a Super Cab version.

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, David said:

ALERT

GM has rolled out a New Company Logo to go with their drive to become a pure EV Company.

The new GM logo features a color gradient of vibrant blue tones, evoking the clean skies of a zero-emissions future and the energy of the Ultium platform. The rounded edges and lower-case font create a more modern, inclusive feel. The underline of the “m” connects to the previous GM logos as well as visually representing the Ultium platform. And within the negative space of the “m” is a nod to the shape of an electrical plug.

 

Pluses and minuses here:

Yes, the color is more electric but the standard GM dark blue has withstood the test of time.  Couldn't they use that and give it the different gradations like they did here so it looks as dynamic?  

I immediately saw the electric plug and "E" turned sideways.

I don't know what to think of lower case fonts.  In the past, they have been trendy and then they go out of style.  For such a big company to entertain a logo change, they had better think it through such that it's not a fail and then have to resort to changing it or reverting to the previous one.*

* The LaCrosse was badged the Allure in Canada from 2005 to 2009 because of the potentially humorous Quebecois double entendre, but the next two generations of the model did use the LaCrosse name in Canada ... all across Canada.

 

Edited January 9, 2021 by trinacriabob

[balthazar]

Graphically, lower case lettering is generally view as 'weak' or submissive. It's not remotely 'inclusive', no matter how the designer chooses to define that.

I knew they were trying to force something with the 'm', but it doesn't come across.

What GM should do is fork over a billion or so, and swap corporate ID's with General Electric.

[balthazar]

^ I was being facetious.

- - - - -
Speaking of which tho- this is how you do Corporate ID :

[ocnblu]

I heard that General Electric is being sold to the Chinese.  That better damn sight be fake news.  If true, it is a suicidal breach of national security.

[David]

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Pluses and minuses here:

Yes, the color is more electric but the standard GM dark blue has withstood the test of time.  Couldn't they use that and give it the different gradations like they did here so it looks as dynamic?  

I immediately saw the electric plug and "E" turned sideways.

I don't know what to think of lower case fonts.  In the past, they have been trendy and then they go out of style.  For such a big company to entertain a logo change, they had better think it through such that it's not a fail and then have to resort to changing it or reverting to the previous one.*

* The LaCrosse was badged the Allure in Canada from 2005 to 2009 because of the potentially humorous Quebecois double entendre, but the next two generations of the model did use the LaCrosse name in Canada ... all across Canada.

 

These are the 3 colored logos that will be used.

[balthazar]

#notmyGM

- - - - -
 

[riviera74]

1 hour ago, David said:

These are the 3 colored logos that will be used.

This logo is positively LAME.  Who approved this logo?!

[daves87rs]

I think the B would look great in Matte black....would really bring out the chrome.

As far as that logo, it looks quite cheesy. I’d have to agree with Ocn on this one-it has a Fisher Price look to it. Though I do like the color choices.......

[A Horse With No Name]

13 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Cool to see the new Maverick "spy" photo taken on a pilot assembly line.  Shaping up to be a cool little truck, although I am still fingers crossed for a regular cab, or at least a Super Cab version.

I did check out the Bronco Sport yesterday while I was getting an oil change and tire rotation at the dealership. Neat little rig, looking Forward to maverick myself. 

9 hours ago, riviera74 said:

This logo is positively LAME.  Who approved this logo?!

The sign of the future. 

Good old Fashioned ICE off road for a Saturday morning. 

[Robert Hall]

Interesting....the new logo is different.  I guess the new look is a attempt to make the company seem more 'youthful' and 'hip' instead of old and stodgy, to attract Gen-Z and Millennial appliance shoppers...just marketing BS...expensive to change if you think about everywhere the logo appears.

Edited January 9, 2021 by Robert Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

12 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I heard that General Electric is being sold to the Chinese.  That better damn sight be fake news.  If true, it is a suicidal breach of national security.

But of course we are selling ourselves out, we ahve been doing it for decades. 

 

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

This channel is interesting, this guy has been to every country in the world. 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

The Irony is unreal. 

[David]

Hard freeze after rain this morning and the water freezing patterns are amazing. This was on my Suburban.

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, balthazar said:

^ I was being facetious.

- - - - -
Speaking of which tho- this is how you do Corporate ID :

In 1934 and 1969, the final stroke of the E curls a little more.  In 1986 and 2003, it curls less (no serif?) but I don't see a difference. 

The current one is about a color change.  I've seen this one on the nacelles of engines of commercial aircraft. 

It's a known quantity.  I'm just wondering how it will hold up over time since I hear kids are no longer being taught cursive writing in the school system, unless it has recently returned.

- - - - -

directed elsewhere:  can we skip the sensationalistic conspiracy theories?

[balthazar]

The beauty of the GE logo RE cursive is- you don't actually READ it, you just recognize it. That's why companies bother with logos- to instill recognition.

Mad kudos to Ford for retaining it's founder's signature logo for 117 years.

[Robert Hall]

I miss Chrysler’s Pentastar logo.  

[balthazar]

^ Direct your comments to :
Daimler AG
70546 Stuttgart
Germany

[A Horse With No Name]

20 hours ago, David said:

Hard freeze after rain this morning and the water freezing patterns are amazing. This was on my Suburban.

It looks like an over flight of Antarctica....

8 hours ago, balthazar said:

^ Direct your comments to :
Daimler AG
70546 Stuttgart
Germany

There is a song for that, sung with a pretty voice by a pretty woman....Ironically the first time I heard this song I was riding in a Chrysler as a boy. 

 

You can't make this stuff up. 

I just ordered a Medium Shoulder plane for my woodworking shop, which should come close to completing my collection. It is used to true up joints before final assembly. I got the good PMV 11 blade, which stays sharp for a really long time.