Dream car of the week...

I know no history about this car, but when I found the picture on line I wanted it.

Ummm, ok...

So I saw this in the paper this morning. Does this strike anyone else a just a little weird? I mean I can think of so many more things they could use as a substitute. Did Uncle Sam have this in mind when he posed for that "I WANT YOU !" poster?



(CLICK to enlarge if needed.)

Dark Knight date night...

The tickets were sold out when I checked, but Shannon surprised me with a couple.

Talk about a dark character. I was never really a huge Heath Ledger fan until now - go figure, huh? He is truly pyschotic, as the Joker, in this movie. He had Shannon closing her eyes.

I had heard the movie was too long, but the two and a half hours did not bother me. I also heard it being compared to the Bourne film trilogy, but I didn't see it.

Shannon asked me if I liked this or Ironman better. I cannot pick, because they are two totally different takes on a superhero film.

All I can say is "WOW" - you need to see this flick...























Thanks hunny!

Dream 1932 Fords, aka "Dueces", of the week...

First is George Poteet's newest built by David Lane:



And Larry Roller's:



With video bonus:



Man there is nothing finer than a black Duece - no matter what body style it is.

the Dark Knight...

Wow, is everyone else as excited for this as me? Growing up Batman was my favorite superhero. I think it was because he was just an ordinary guy, but with cool toys.

When the Burton take on Batman came out I "lived" with it, but I wasn't pleased. Then when Batman Begins came out I did not even see it in the theaters, because of the previous films. I did not even rent it on DVD when it was released. It was not until it was on TV that I actually watched it AND even then it sat in the DVR for awhile.

But now that I have watched it I am hooked and I can not wait to go see the Dark Knight. Hey, I wonder if someone will take me, hmmm...

I want to shoot you...

Ok, so it has been 17 years since I have taken a "portrait" of someone. To give you an idea the subject was wearing an ENUF or B.U.M. Equipment sweatshirt, pegged Guess jeans, and wearing a spiral perm. The backdrop was a backlit set of plastic venetian blinds!

My wife has kind of got my interest peaked in it again though. I don't want to make a career out of it, but I like to expand on my interests / hobbies / talents.

So if anyone wants to have a fun picture taken let me know. Just promise you won't compare me to my wife.

So let's see if you pick me we can try artsy if you want, but not like Playboy "artsy".

Ladies I don't have motorcycle for you to straddle or a car you can lay across the hood either.

And guys I have no interest in shooting another "George Costanza".

Engagement pictures are probably not the best. I'm not a fan of the PDA...

I don't know if you should trust me to do a wedding yet either. I shot pictures at my aunt's, but it was just of the kids making faces. I get distracted easy.

New newborns have that slime stuff all over them and I am afraid of breaking older newborns.

I don't know if I should take pictures of young childern - I mean what if the Feds sieze them and get the wrong idea.

Oh yeah, and I am really not into the senior portrait kind of thing, but mainly because I don't have a huge '09 to use for a prop...

Hmmm, so what's left? Maybe this isn't the best idea.

Susie The Little Blue Coupe...

Dick Dean RIP...

You know it's not like I enjoy posting these, but people just keep leaving us.

I just heard that Dick Dean has passed away. You may not be familiar with the name, but I am sure you know what he has done.

Dick built / assisted in the construction of famous Hollywood cars such as:

-the Monkee mobile
-Grandpa's Dragula from the Munsters TV show.
-the Munster Koach
-the original Batmobile
-Black Beauty from the Green Hornet
-the Beverly Hill-Billies truck
-The Flintstones Movie Car
-Power Rangers car
-Ninja Turtles Movie van

just to name a few.

Probably one of his most recent TV builds (if March of 2004 is recent) was when he joined with Bill Hines, Gene Winfield, Fat Jack, and Norm Grabowski to build an "old school" '54 Chevrolet with Jesse James on Monster Garage.

Here is Dick sharing his memories of the Monkees in the original Monkee mobile.

Hey I know this guy...

You know I always heard about how bad those California drivers were. I guess those people never visited Utah. If you live here or have visited you know what I mean...

Dream car of the week...

This week's dream car has to be Coop's 1950 Ford. I dig the white wall tires, Moon discs, and purple guide coat paint job. I have loved this car since the first time I saw it in Street Rodder magazine.

Press credentials...

I received an email today that I have received press credentials / a press pass for Bonneville Sppedweek this year! This may not sound like much to most people, but this is just one more step I believe to obtaining my goal of someday being a regularly published automotive photographer.

It was a bee see...

So I know this guy who decided to take up beekeeping this year. He has a couple of "hives" and bought some bees on line. So today I asked him how it was going with the hive and our conversation went a little something like this:

"How's the bee thing going?" I asked

"Not too bad" he replied

"Good" I said

"Yeah, it was kind of crazy the other day. My sister went out to the hive and said there were a couple of bees 'wrestling'..."

"Huh, really?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't you say you imported the bees?"

"Yeah, they're Italian bees."

"Oh, you know what it was... We live in Utah. It was probably a couple of Mormon bees."

"Mormon bees?"

"Yeah, they probably showed up on the porch to your hive. Knocked on the door and your Italian bees had them in a head lock sayin 'We don't want your bible!' Tell your sister if she sees them again to check if they have little ties on."

Just a bunch of parts...

I recently had a conversation with a very pregnant woman. She was talking about her baby and how big the doctors believed it was growing inside her. They had some belief that her child may be big enough that she might not be able to deliver it naturally. No worries though I soon eased her mind:

"... and they just don't think I am going to be able to deliver naturally."

"Why is that?"

"Because they believe my baby might be over 10 lbs and I am a very petit build."

"Well it's not like the kid comes out all at once."

"Oh I know you have to push them out over serveral tries."

"Yeah I think I would be worried about getting all the parts out. Not how much they all weigh."

"All the parts out?"

"Yeah, the parts... kinda like Mr. Potato Head."

"Huh?"

"Think about it. The dr always says I see a head... oh and there's an arm... and I got a leg... oh and a foot... one more push... there ya go... and... it's a boy."

She looked at me puzzled.

"If the baby didn't come out in parts why didn't he know what you had until the very end?" I asked

She got a little queezy look to her face.

"I am pretty sure that's why they put a sheet over you down there too. Just incase it is a newer nurse and it takes her a minute for final assembly. Think about it."

"Uh - I'm uh gonna go now..."

"Hope I could help!"

Warning...

I like to mess with people's heads. I should have warned you I have no formal psychological training. I'm not a mean person - sometimes you just make it too easy. I appologize if I have caused you to be institutionalized recently...

Independence...

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

What a great piece of poetry. No wonder it was adopted as our national anthem.

I love our country. I took this picture a couple of years ago. I thought the flag and the sky was amazing...



John Adams declared, "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore." Mr. Adams made this statement, because Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain. The United States Declaration of Independence was then adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 - hence the two day difference.

Happy Independence Day everyone. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Dream push / shop truck of the week...

Yes, another truck. I warned you I tend to be drawn to them.

I have always had a fetish for the 1957 - 1960 Ford F100s. I think most people think they are just so ugly that it makes them that much appealing to me. I fell in love with Colby Martin's 1958 Ford the first time I saw it. It was just so out of the norm at the time of what people were building. To this day I still dig the satin black paint, puke green wheels wrapped in wide whites, and the white vinyl interior. I like this truck SO much I own a T-shirt with it's picture! Here is a picture of it, with Jimmy Shine's roadster, doing what it was built to do on the salt a few years back...

Down to 1000'...

NHRA shortens race distance for Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet as an interim safety measure

7/2/2008

As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA has announced that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colo., both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile. This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.

This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams. NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week.

With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.

Over the years, NHRA has implemented many initiatives to enhance safety including measures to limit speeds from increasing, personal protective gear, vehicle improvements, and track enhancements such as sand traps, catch nets and concrete barriers the entire length of the drag strip.

In the wake of the tragic series of events that took Kalitta's life, the following technical issues are currently under investigation: 1) what might be done to reduce engine failures; 2) parachute mounting techniques and materials as well as identifying a parachute material that could be more fire resistant; 3) exploring whether there is a way to increase brake efficiency when cars lose downforce due to the loss of the body; 4) analyzing additional methods that might be developed at the top end of the race track to help arrest runaway vehicles; 5) considering whether current speeds should be further limited or reduced to potentially improve safety.

“The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision,” said its president Kenny Bernstein. “We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. It is not lost on any of us that this constitutes a change in our history of running a quarter-mile, but it's the most immediate adjustment we can make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone's mind. This may be a temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car competition safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times.”

Did you remember...

Today is National "I Forgot Day".

See I told you to write it on the calendar...