Category Archives: car

Mar2

wrist-twist.

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not sure i would have wanted this in my car

the wrist-twist isn’t my thing

i would have preferred

one of those big old round steering wheels

you could turn with one hand

but the hair is amazing

like judy jetson

in the cockpit

piloting a speeding jet

can’t say that i’m totally surprised

this concept never got off the ground. 

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Ford introduced the “Wrist-Twist” steering system for cars in 1965. Despite better visibility, a roomier cabin and allowing you to drive with your arms on armrests it never went beyond the testing stage. You can see a two-minute promotional film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWWYkxQCFfQ

 

 

 

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source credits: ford motor company, midcentury fashion

 

 

Dec12

ahoy!

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inside my car at the car wash

music on

relaxing

feeling that underwater seaweed or giant squid on my hood vibe

yet the highlight

is getting to the end

 seeing the ‘theme’ setup in a corner –

captain’s wheel, the bluest water, navigation devices

understanding why it is called

‘the lighthouse’

performance art at its finest and my clean car is merely a bonus

it’s really an immersive sensory art experience on the cheap.

—

“told you. everything sounds better in a car wash.”

-sarah dessen

 

Dec3

control.

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when having snow tires put on my car

had an early appointment

brought my laptop and a giant coffee

to settle in for an hour and a half or so.

while waiting

i planned to write and read and catch up on things

knowing there is always something going on

with any group of fellow ‘waiters.’

i sat at a high table to make for easy typing

 most everyone else sat in the lower, more comfortable chairs

quite soon after my arrival, the ambiance changed.

on the left side in front of me

a woman sat down

in the seat next to the remote control for the tv

meant to help the time pass, amuse, and distract everyone.

she immediately took control of the controller

switching whatever channel had been on

to fox news.

the woman in the family to my right

politely asked if she would mind changing

the channel from fox to something else.

she said yes and all good

in no time

we were all watching baywatch reruns

in high def, on the big screen, 90s music pumping

those red bathing suited beauties

running on the beach, boating, emoting, doing pull-ups, rescues, looking hot, and whatnot

and david hasselhoff, the hoff.

the workers at the tire store desk were mesmerized

some young enough to never have seen it before

some old enough to have had the poster and remembering.

i refilled my coffee

 the channel was not changed again

throughout my entire (now 2 hour), wait.

new customers coming in had mixed reactions

what an early holiday surprise!

“of all men’s miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have control over nothing.”

-herodotus

Nov20

oh, deer!

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notice posted by the sebastian county sheriff’s office as a reminder to drivers (and deer):

We have received a few reports that some deer, for whatever reason, are not using the designated deer crossing areas along our county roads and state highways.  If any deer follow our page, please know that we put these signs up at some expense to the taxpayers.  We’d appreciate you crossing at the designated areas.  To our motoring community, please watch for these deer that are blatantly disobeying the law.

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“a small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. is there a way i can get reimbursed? please call.”

-dave barry

Aug7

drive.

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not my actual grandson or car, but similar, especially if you didn’t have your glasses on

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my eldest grandchild

got his

*Level 1 Learner’s Driver’s License

this week

how is this even possible?

 

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* teens with a Level 1 License may only drive with

a licensed parent, guardian or designated licensed adult age 21 or older.

(soon to be a fully licensed independent driver within a year or so)

 

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“it’s kind of major, learning to drive. i feel like it kicked up other stuff in my life.”

-noah baumbach

 

Jun3

i’ve got the music in me…

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(not me, and i don’t have a dog, but how i imagine many passengers react (inside) to my car singing)

 

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during my weekday commutes

i spend my time

listening to books, radio, podcasts

and

singing along to a wide range of music

with mixed reviews.

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“music doesn’t get in. music is already in. music simply uncovers what is there, makes you feel emotions that you didn’t necessarily know you had inside you, and runs around waking them all up. a rebirth of sorts.”

-matt haig, how to stop time

 

 

 

 

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photo credit: google images

 

May26

getting ahead.

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when approaching a yellow light

i generally slow down and stop

but during those situations when it’s unsafe to stop

it’s safer to speed up and drive through

i recently noticed

that when accelerating under the light

i lean into it, with my head forward

i’m not exactly sure how or why i started doing this

it’s as if i was crossing a finish line in an very important race

and i just needed that extra few inches.

is it just me?

am i drafting the wind?

is it making my car accelerate faster?

 is it my defense when i get pulled over?

“officer, my head was over the line when the light changed, you can check your dashcam to confirm.”

“people love to see you get ahead –
so long as you don’t get further ahead than they are.”
-carol plum-ucci

 

 

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image credits: department of motor vehicles, sports illustrated – tokyo olympics

Feb27

road rally.

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*mongolian rally car (not us, but similar situation)
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okay, so it was not an intercontinental road rally
that speeds through tough terrain
in a variety of countries over a number of days
but
i went on a nighttime road rally scavenger hunt
that went through a few cities for a few hours
 (or more if you got lost or had an inside track on where to find something)
a wonderful adventure with a great team and lots of laughs
including:
a marriage proposal, a virgin mary statue, a condescending best buy nerd,
a welcoming fast food worker, a parking lot dance-off
swinging on a swing set with a group
ending with a dinner with people i had never met before.
no bumps in the road, just pure fun.
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“there is always strength in numbers.
the more individuals or organizations that you can rally to your cause, the better.”
-mark shields

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*The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia. The rally originally ended in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. However, to avoid punitive costs and taxes associated with vehicle imports and disposal, the rally now passes through Mongolia and ends in Ulan-Ude. The principal launch is from Goodwood Circuit in the United Kingdom, with subsidiary starting points in the Czech Republic.

Dec29

just stop.

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for those who may be unsure

i’m going to just go ahead and say it:

a stop sign in not meant to be a suggestion. 

(good thing there’s a backup here for a second chance to get it right)

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‘if you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”

-orson welles

Aug28

first one.

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just got my license plate renewal notice in the mail

wish i could get this one.

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A rare, first-of-its kind Chicago license plate, ‘the holy grail’ is up for auction

A black-and-white aluminum plate stamped with just the single numeral “1” gives bidders a chance to earn a piece of automotive history. The plate was made in 1904, the first year that Chicago made metal license plates, and the only year the city made plates from thin, stamped aluminum.

“Only a handful of these were made,” said Mike Donley of Donley Auctions. “And it’s number 1. It doesn’t get any lower than that.”

Before Illinois began making statewide license plates, Chicago issued its own plates between 1903 and 1907, Donley said. From that era, auctioneers said, those made in 1904 are the rarest. For the next few years that followed, the flimsy and damage-prone aluminum plates were replaced with heavy-duty solid brass. Even more rare, this plate is graded “VG,” or very good condition.

This particular plate was issued to prominent Chicago lawyer and art collector Arthur Jerome Eddy, who in 1900 became the first person in Chicago to receive a license badge for a motor vehicle. Before plates were distributed, license badges, meant to go on drivers’ coats, were issued to drivers as a way to tax city residents for funding road projects, Donley said.

Eddy was an early adopter of automobiles, Donley said. He set an auto distance record in 1901 by driving 2,900 miles from Chicago to Boston and back over two months, The New York Times reported. He even published a book about it the following year — one of several he authored — titled Two Thousand Miles On An Automobile.

Eddy also helped found the Chicago Motor Club in 1902, to advocate for driver rights and promote safe vehicles and roads. That club has since evolved into the American Automobile Association (AAA). He’s also credited with putting Chicago on the map of the modern art world, according to auctioneers, by drawing interest to the Art Institute of Chicago.

More recently, this plate belonged to Lee Hartung, a well-known collector of motor vehicles, who died in 2011. Much of his personal collection was auctioned off years ago but, when his partner was preparing to sell their house, she found a stash of more auto memorabilia — including the No.1 plate.

Donley estimated the plate will sell for around $4,000 to $6,000 at the auction, which ends today. But the intrigue it has garnered could hike up the bids. The auctioneer took the plate to a license plate show over the weekend, where he said the item attracted collectors from out of state to see the plate and gauge its authenticity. “There’s a lot of interest in this,” Donley said.

as close as i can come, is owning this foam fan finger

 

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“you have to be odd to be number one.”

-dr. seuss

 

 

 

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credits: emma bowman, npr, donley auctions, new york times, cpr news