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Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Wednesday 5 July 2017
Tuesday 2 December 2014
Saturday 20 October 2012
Ripped from the headlines
19-year-old Catalina Clouser put her 5-week-old baby on top of her car in his car seat and drove away, apparently forgetting he was there, not even noticing when the seat fell off the car and landed in an intersection, police said.
The baby was discovered in the roadway, uninjured and still strapped in his car seat, by neighbors.
Full Story
I predict that it will soon be learned that Mitt Romney is the baby daddy.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Full Story
I predict that it will soon be learned that Mitt Romney is the baby daddy.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Friday 24 February 2012
Thursday 19 August 2010
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Macabre Map
This happened two days ago about two miles from my place:
Saturday 2:12 p.m.: A blue car going from Steeles Ave. to Hwy. 410 hit a silver Mazda, causing the Mazda to cross into oncoming traffic and strike a tractor trailer. The blue car fled, leaving the driver of the Mazda to die in hospital and her passenger critically injured.
About two hours earlier, I had used that very stretch of highway.
Last year, when I was driving that same highway, I passed an accident scene that had a car that was almost vertical, nose down between two cars.
When I first saw the story of the more recent tragedy, there was a small map of this on the same page. How nice that people can click on accident sites and read the details of the horrible deaths of their neighbours, friends and family members.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Saturday 2:12 p.m.: A blue car going from Steeles Ave. to Hwy. 410 hit a silver Mazda, causing the Mazda to cross into oncoming traffic and strike a tractor trailer. The blue car fled, leaving the driver of the Mazda to die in hospital and her passenger critically injured.
About two hours earlier, I had used that very stretch of highway.
Last year, when I was driving that same highway, I passed an accident scene that had a car that was almost vertical, nose down between two cars.
When I first saw the story of the more recent tragedy, there was a small map of this on the same page. How nice that people can click on accident sites and read the details of the horrible deaths of their neighbours, friends and family members.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Friday 19 March 2010
Sister Mary Ann
Sister Mary Ann, who worked for a home health agency, was out making her rounds visiting homebound patients when she ran out of gas. As luck would have it, a Texaco gasoline station was just a block away.
She walked to the station to borrow a gas can and buy some gas. The attendant told her that the only gas can he owned had been loaned out, but she could wait until it was returned. Since Sister Mary Ann was on the way to see a patient, she decided not to wait and walked back to her car.
She looked for something in her car that she could fill with gas and spotted the bedpan she was taking to the patient. Always resourceful, Sister Mary Ann carried the bedpan to the station, filled it with gasoline, and carried the full bedpan back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into her tank, two Baptists watched from across the street. One of them turned to the other and said,
'If it starts, I'm turning Catholic.'Click here to go to most recent posts.
Monday 7 December 2009
Life in the fast lane
Many times I have bored people with accounts of why I dislike as a group, several professions. They are mostly the usual ones we all have good reason to hate--lawyers, politicians, and despite the dedication and good work of most of them, doctors. This last group because we put our lives in their hands from birth and often right up to death, but some of them cause us more grief than anyone else could given the chance.
Well, today, I'm adding one that I often forget to include. I'm sure you'll agree it is a fine addition to this list of infamy. Mechanics. Not necessarily mechanics per se, but the establishment they work at as a whole. Leaving alone for the time being the shoddy work that sometimes leads to life endangering events, I'm talking about their propensity for unscrupulous recommendations for unnecessary work and gouging both for parts and labour.
Case in point: I was recently stranded and needed a boost to get going. The following day, I took my car to the same place I have been going for about 15 years and to which I have given, as you can imgine, huge sums of money during that time. I figured it was either the battery not holding a charge or else the alternator not charging the battery. I figured if it's the alternator, I'll be looking at a total cost of about $700.
I should mention here that a life truth concerning garages has become evident. "Where there are multiple possibilities of a what the problem is, most of them and others will be found to be the cause."
I got the call--it's going to run me about $600. I won't leave you wondering what I'm complaining about for too long. That price does not include a new alternator. It's for a new battery, to clean up the terminals, replace the alternator belt and doing an oil change which was due, anyway. The bastids charged me $110 plus tax just to diagnose the problem--as if that took more than two minutes and two brain cells to do. With tax, they charged me almost $200 just to replace the damn belt, an item I'm sure costs them about $20.
They also recommended I replace my air filter and all four tires; the latter I said "no" to. I find it interesting that just over a year ago, when I brought my car in to be diagnosed for the smoke that had billowed out from under the hood, they found absolutely nothing wrong (and charged me about $100 for the "good" news), yet when you bring it in for some specific work, they seem to find a whole host of things that need attention, and of course, a sack of money to "fix".
You'd think with so many evil, selfish and uncaring "mechanics" out there, that people would find a good and reputable one and stick with them. The sad truth is that there are so few honest people in the profession, that it's like finding a needle in a haystack. If you're lucky enough to find/have found one, cherish him/her--they are more precious than your soul-mate. In comparison, soul-mates are a dime a dozen.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Well, today, I'm adding one that I often forget to include. I'm sure you'll agree it is a fine addition to this list of infamy. Mechanics. Not necessarily mechanics per se, but the establishment they work at as a whole. Leaving alone for the time being the shoddy work that sometimes leads to life endangering events, I'm talking about their propensity for unscrupulous recommendations for unnecessary work and gouging both for parts and labour.
Case in point: I was recently stranded and needed a boost to get going. The following day, I took my car to the same place I have been going for about 15 years and to which I have given, as you can imgine, huge sums of money during that time. I figured it was either the battery not holding a charge or else the alternator not charging the battery. I figured if it's the alternator, I'll be looking at a total cost of about $700.
I should mention here that a life truth concerning garages has become evident. "Where there are multiple possibilities of a what the problem is, most of them and others will be found to be the cause."
I got the call--it's going to run me about $600. I won't leave you wondering what I'm complaining about for too long. That price does not include a new alternator. It's for a new battery, to clean up the terminals, replace the alternator belt and doing an oil change which was due, anyway. The bastids charged me $110 plus tax just to diagnose the problem--as if that took more than two minutes and two brain cells to do. With tax, they charged me almost $200 just to replace the damn belt, an item I'm sure costs them about $20.
They also recommended I replace my air filter and all four tires; the latter I said "no" to. I find it interesting that just over a year ago, when I brought my car in to be diagnosed for the smoke that had billowed out from under the hood, they found absolutely nothing wrong (and charged me about $100 for the "good" news), yet when you bring it in for some specific work, they seem to find a whole host of things that need attention, and of course, a sack of money to "fix".
You'd think with so many evil, selfish and uncaring "mechanics" out there, that people would find a good and reputable one and stick with them. The sad truth is that there are so few honest people in the profession, that it's like finding a needle in a haystack. If you're lucky enough to find/have found one, cherish him/her--they are more precious than your soul-mate. In comparison, soul-mates are a dime a dozen.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Monday 5 October 2009
Focus, people!
I have seen a lot of strange things in my time. And I have seen a lot of stupid people in my time. But what I witnessed today was one of the strangest and stupidest things I have ever seen a person do.
It has always irritated me when drivers are too ignorant, lazy, stupid, careless or in too much of a hurry to slow down and pull over when an emergency vehicle is blaring its siren for people to get out of the way. Virtually every time there is such an emergency, there are drivers who blatantly disregard the fact that their failure to give way could mean someone loses their life.
On this day, I was approaching the street (as a pedestrian) when I heard a nearby siren. I looked in the direction of the sound and watched an ambulance slowly cross against a red light. As it approached a second traffic light very near me, the light turned red. It stopped at the intersection with its siren blaring away, waiting to make sure the way was clear to proceed. Simultaneously, a teen-aged school girl stepped off the sidewalk perpendicular to the ambulance across the street. All cars and pedestrians had stopped and looked on at the scene unfolding.
The girl nonchalantly strolled across the street seemingly oblivious to the blaring siren and flashing lights of the ambulance stopped not 30 feet away. She did not stop and signal for the ambulance to pass. She did not quicken her pace so as not to delay the ambulance further. In fact, she did not even look up at the ambulance. What she did do, and I imagine it was because she felt all eyes were on her and she was feeling self conscious, was raise a hand to her hair and lightly brush it aside. It was so surreal that it seemed I was having a dream.
As she reached the opposite side and the ambulance finally started on its way again, I wanted to rush up to her and scream "WAKE UP, YOU MORON!"
Here's a visual aid of the scene:
It has always irritated me when drivers are too ignorant, lazy, stupid, careless or in too much of a hurry to slow down and pull over when an emergency vehicle is blaring its siren for people to get out of the way. Virtually every time there is such an emergency, there are drivers who blatantly disregard the fact that their failure to give way could mean someone loses their life.
On this day, I was approaching the street (as a pedestrian) when I heard a nearby siren. I looked in the direction of the sound and watched an ambulance slowly cross against a red light. As it approached a second traffic light very near me, the light turned red. It stopped at the intersection with its siren blaring away, waiting to make sure the way was clear to proceed. Simultaneously, a teen-aged school girl stepped off the sidewalk perpendicular to the ambulance across the street. All cars and pedestrians had stopped and looked on at the scene unfolding.
The girl nonchalantly strolled across the street seemingly oblivious to the blaring siren and flashing lights of the ambulance stopped not 30 feet away. She did not stop and signal for the ambulance to pass. She did not quicken her pace so as not to delay the ambulance further. In fact, she did not even look up at the ambulance. What she did do, and I imagine it was because she felt all eyes were on her and she was feeling self conscious, was raise a hand to her hair and lightly brush it aside. It was so surreal that it seemed I was having a dream.
As she reached the opposite side and the ambulance finally started on its way again, I wanted to rush up to her and scream "WAKE UP, YOU MORON!"
Here's a visual aid of the scene:
Monday 7 September 2009
Switching sides
The Pacific island nation of Samoa has become the first country in decades to change driving sides. And it is likely the first time any country is switching from the right to the left - every other change has been the other way around. About 70 per cent of the world population drives on the right-hand side of the road - just like drivers in Pompeii and other ancient cities did. This is partly due to a larger cultural preference for right-handed activities.
But despite the enormous hurdles – physical, economic and political – that any move to change the driving side has to face, many countries have made the switch to match up with neighbours. Like Canada did in the 1920s and Sweden did as late as 1967. The current change in Samoa is ostensibly to help people get the benefit of cheap, used vehicles from richer neighbours Australia and New Zealand that drive on the left.
But despite the enormous hurdles – physical, economic and political – that any move to change the driving side has to face, many countries have made the switch to match up with neighbours. Like Canada did in the 1920s and Sweden did as late as 1967. The current change in Samoa is ostensibly to help people get the benefit of cheap, used vehicles from richer neighbours Australia and New Zealand that drive on the left.
Wednesday 8 April 2009
You may be already be a winner!
Okay, there's nothing to win here, but read on and you might save a few hundred bucks...
I switched to a new car insurance company a few years ago after my then current company raised my rate to a level that seemed to me unreasonable. I switched to CAA since I was a member (I believe it is the same as AAA in the U.S.), and got an unbelievably lower rate. If memory serves, it was in the order of $450 per year less.
It's up for renewal next month and although the new rate isn't unreasonable, I was thinking of maybe checking out Grey Power whose ads (in this area) can be seen everywhere. It is for safe drivers over 50 and promises savings of $300 or more. I mentioned this to my daughter as we were driving one day and she told me about (How about that--a "Grey Power" commercial has just come on TV at this very moment.) a website that will do the insurance comparison shopping for you.
As soon as I got home, I went to the Kanetix website, entered my information in about two minutes and immediately got quotes from about seven insurance companies. There was only one quote that was lower than the one from CAA, and get this--they provided one from CAA, also, and it was right on to the dollar as the one on my renewal form. The sole lower quote was only about $13 less--not enough for me to go to the trouble of changing. Just so you know, the Grey Power quote was exactly $299 more than what my insurance company is asking.
There are two sister websites--one for Canada and one for the United States. You just enter your Zip/Postal code and off you go.
I switched to a new car insurance company a few years ago after my then current company raised my rate to a level that seemed to me unreasonable. I switched to CAA since I was a member (I believe it is the same as AAA in the U.S.), and got an unbelievably lower rate. If memory serves, it was in the order of $450 per year less.
It's up for renewal next month and although the new rate isn't unreasonable, I was thinking of maybe checking out Grey Power whose ads (in this area) can be seen everywhere. It is for safe drivers over 50 and promises savings of $300 or more. I mentioned this to my daughter as we were driving one day and she told me about (How about that--a "Grey Power" commercial has just come on TV at this very moment.) a website that will do the insurance comparison shopping for you.
As soon as I got home, I went to the Kanetix website, entered my information in about two minutes and immediately got quotes from about seven insurance companies. There was only one quote that was lower than the one from CAA, and get this--they provided one from CAA, also, and it was right on to the dollar as the one on my renewal form. The sole lower quote was only about $13 less--not enough for me to go to the trouble of changing. Just so you know, the Grey Power quote was exactly $299 more than what my insurance company is asking.
There are two sister websites--one for Canada and one for the United States. You just enter your Zip/Postal code and off you go.
Friday 6 February 2009
Classic cars from my childhood
Back in the late 60's, my older brother must have been quite a car enthusiast--probably "nut" is a more accurate adjective...even if it is a noun. He had recently purchased this beauty... (you can read about it here)
...a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396, when he shortly thereafter embarked on an ambitious plan to build a '57 Chevy from the ground up, no less.
I remember him working on that car in the garage, sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend, at all hours, often working in the dark by the light of one of those lamps-on-a-cord-with-a-hook thingees. I can recall the jubilation when the engine first turned over. There would have been high fives all around except I'm almost positive no one had ever done a high five until a decade or two later. Even after that first milestone, there were setbacks. The car would randomly stall, sending my bro back to the drawing board.
The car wasn't one of my favourite colours--plain white, but millions of people the world over consider the '57 Chevy one of the most stylish vehicles ever produced.
Another thing I remember is how loud that street machine was. I don't recall what size engine was in it or what kind of exhaust system/mufflers/resonators it had, but I can tell you unequivocally that it would not be ignored. A slight touch of the gas pedal, idling or not, and heads would turn from a block away. What I do know is that the Chevelle's 396 CID was bigger than whatever was in the Chev.
You may not believe what I am about to share, but I have heard this from my brother on more than one occasion. The '57 was faster off the line than the muscle car Chevelle! The only reason I can think of why this was so, is that the gear ratio must have favoured lower speeds in the '57.
It seems that "the white car" (how my 13 year old brain thought of it) wasn't with us very long. One day while bro was out cruisin' on Yonge Street, he came to a red light alongside a guy on a noisy bike. They glanced at each other and they rev'ed their respective machines. It seems silly to even think that a street-legal car could compete with even a moderately quick motorcycle, but...
The light turned green, the engines screamed, the tires screeched and like greased lightning they were off. In what must have seemed like a split second, driver and rider came to an even faster stop at the next light, the car slightly before the bike. The rider was blown away. He offered to buy the car from my brother on the spot and soon thereafter, I never saw "the white car" again.
To see all posts in this series click here.
Last Kiss music video.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
...a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396, when he shortly thereafter embarked on an ambitious plan to build a '57 Chevy from the ground up, no less.
I remember him working on that car in the garage, sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend, at all hours, often working in the dark by the light of one of those lamps-on-a-cord-with-a-hook thingees. I can recall the jubilation when the engine first turned over. There would have been high fives all around except I'm almost positive no one had ever done a high five until a decade or two later. Even after that first milestone, there were setbacks. The car would randomly stall, sending my bro back to the drawing board.
The car wasn't one of my favourite colours--plain white, but millions of people the world over consider the '57 Chevy one of the most stylish vehicles ever produced.
Another thing I remember is how loud that street machine was. I don't recall what size engine was in it or what kind of exhaust system/mufflers/resonators it had, but I can tell you unequivocally that it would not be ignored. A slight touch of the gas pedal, idling or not, and heads would turn from a block away. What I do know is that the Chevelle's 396 CID was bigger than whatever was in the Chev.
You may not believe what I am about to share, but I have heard this from my brother on more than one occasion. The '57 was faster off the line than the muscle car Chevelle! The only reason I can think of why this was so, is that the gear ratio must have favoured lower speeds in the '57.
It seems that "the white car" (how my 13 year old brain thought of it) wasn't with us very long. One day while bro was out cruisin' on Yonge Street, he came to a red light alongside a guy on a noisy bike. They glanced at each other and they rev'ed their respective machines. It seems silly to even think that a street-legal car could compete with even a moderately quick motorcycle, but...
The light turned green, the engines screamed, the tires screeched and like greased lightning they were off. In what must have seemed like a split second, driver and rider came to an even faster stop at the next light, the car slightly before the bike. The rider was blown away. He offered to buy the car from my brother on the spot and soon thereafter, I never saw "the white car" again.
To see all posts in this series click here.
Last Kiss music video.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Saturday 10 January 2009
Vehicular Assault
Yesterday morning at 9:00 a.m., I moved my car from my building's parking lot to allow it to be cleared of snow (the lot, not the car). I parked my car across the street at a busy shopping mall. I would find out at about 4 p.m. that I had left the vehicle unlocked all day long.
As I approached the car, I noticed right away that the driver's door lock was in the raised position. I was very uneasy as I got in and checked my console and glove box, almost expecting to see something was missing. Though there was nothing of value, anyway, I breathed a sigh of relief that no one had disturbed the sanctity of my car.
If you've never had your car or home ransacked, you wouldn't know the ugly feeling of violation. It's sort of how I imagine a woman would feel after being sexually assaulted, but of course, far, far less devastating. But the thought of some low life who probably has b.o. and bad breath along with a wanton disregard for anybody's property or feelings going through your personal stuff is not a pleasant one.
There was a time when my vehicle would get broken into on a regular basis. I lost jewellery, a briefcase with personal papers inside, and even had my wire wheel covers stolen. When you first discover the crime, you feel like you could kill the bastard if he were right there.
Anyway, the absence of criminal activity on this day made me think of Michael Moore in Bowling For Columbine where he found a number of homes with unlocked doors in downtown Toronto, and commented on the contrast between Canadian and U.S. cities. I don't buy that large Canadian cities are filled with angels as Moore would have everyone believe, but it was a pleasant surprise that even in a busy shopping mall parking lot just outside Toronto, with hordes of young people from nearby schools coming and going, my open vehicle remained unsoiled by strangers' hands.
As I approached the car, I noticed right away that the driver's door lock was in the raised position. I was very uneasy as I got in and checked my console and glove box, almost expecting to see something was missing. Though there was nothing of value, anyway, I breathed a sigh of relief that no one had disturbed the sanctity of my car.
If you've never had your car or home ransacked, you wouldn't know the ugly feeling of violation. It's sort of how I imagine a woman would feel after being sexually assaulted, but of course, far, far less devastating. But the thought of some low life who probably has b.o. and bad breath along with a wanton disregard for anybody's property or feelings going through your personal stuff is not a pleasant one.
There was a time when my vehicle would get broken into on a regular basis. I lost jewellery, a briefcase with personal papers inside, and even had my wire wheel covers stolen. When you first discover the crime, you feel like you could kill the bastard if he were right there.
Anyway, the absence of criminal activity on this day made me think of Michael Moore in Bowling For Columbine where he found a number of homes with unlocked doors in downtown Toronto, and commented on the contrast between Canadian and U.S. cities. I don't buy that large Canadian cities are filled with angels as Moore would have everyone believe, but it was a pleasant surprise that even in a busy shopping mall parking lot just outside Toronto, with hordes of young people from nearby schools coming and going, my open vehicle remained unsoiled by strangers' hands.
Tuesday 9 December 2008
Is this heart-wrenching or what?
A dog is run over by what appears to be two vehicles. Another stray attempts to rescue the already dead dog by dragging him away from highway traffic to the safety of the median.
This pooch is also "dog's best friend" and deserves a medal of valour. It's times like these that the memory of my own deceased pet touches my heart. Sometimes, it's an insult to beasts to describe humans as "acting like animals". Our furry friends are often nicer than our fellow man.
This pooch is also "dog's best friend" and deserves a medal of valour. It's times like these that the memory of my own deceased pet touches my heart. Sometimes, it's an insult to beasts to describe humans as "acting like animals". Our furry friends are often nicer than our fellow man.
Friday 31 October 2008
Q & A's from around the web
Why do visible police cars have to be replaced by ambulances?
Because they can't find the invisible ones to replace.
Because they can't find the invisible ones to replace.
Thursday 9 October 2008
Classic cars from my childhood
I was in my early teens when my older brother came home with one of these beauties one day:
Somehow, it seemed even more beautiful back then to a wide-eyed boy who religiously read his brother's hand-me-down Car & Driver magazines. To me, the car represented awesome power, even if its looks didn't convey it. Only the hood work over the engine gave a hint of what was underneath. That and the diminutive emblem on the front fenders indicating 396 CID.
For the uninitiated, it was a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 (SS signifying "Super Sport", not Nazi). The 396 cubic inch displacement engine packed as much as 375 horsepower. This was the age of muscle cars and this was certainly one of them.
Here's a gallery of pix of that model immaculately restored/maintained: Click here.
As for my brother's car, I will never forget the first time my brother took me for a ride in this machine. We zipped along down Keele Street weaving in and out of traffic, laying rubber in any gear. He entered the circular ramp to the eastbound 401, and as we neared the end of the ramp, I was unprepared for the fury that was about to be unleashed.
Bro switched gears, stomped on the accelerator, and I was driven (literally) back against my seat with a G-force I had never experienced before in my young life, or for that matter, ever since. The front of the car seemed to lift up making me feel like we were headed skyward. There I sat glued for what seemed like an eternity, and feeling like I couldn't breathe as we screamed down the highway, the engine roaring like an angry lion.
That car was a harbinger of things to come. In 1970, the mother of all muscle cars rolled out of Detroit: The Chevelle SS 454. This monster delivered an unbelievable 450 horsepower--more than any other stock car in that era.
While looking for pix, I came across some sale prices for the '67 Chevelle SS396, the highest being an incredible $87,000.
Next, I will review another car my brother actually rebuilt around the same time he had the Chevelle: a '57 Chevy
To see all posts in this series click here.
Last Kiss music video.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Somehow, it seemed even more beautiful back then to a wide-eyed boy who religiously read his brother's hand-me-down Car & Driver magazines. To me, the car represented awesome power, even if its looks didn't convey it. Only the hood work over the engine gave a hint of what was underneath. That and the diminutive emblem on the front fenders indicating 396 CID.
For the uninitiated, it was a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 (SS signifying "Super Sport", not Nazi). The 396 cubic inch displacement engine packed as much as 375 horsepower. This was the age of muscle cars and this was certainly one of them.
Here's a gallery of pix of that model immaculately restored/maintained: Click here.
As for my brother's car, I will never forget the first time my brother took me for a ride in this machine. We zipped along down Keele Street weaving in and out of traffic, laying rubber in any gear. He entered the circular ramp to the eastbound 401, and as we neared the end of the ramp, I was unprepared for the fury that was about to be unleashed.
Bro switched gears, stomped on the accelerator, and I was driven (literally) back against my seat with a G-force I had never experienced before in my young life, or for that matter, ever since. The front of the car seemed to lift up making me feel like we were headed skyward. There I sat glued for what seemed like an eternity, and feeling like I couldn't breathe as we screamed down the highway, the engine roaring like an angry lion.
That car was a harbinger of things to come. In 1970, the mother of all muscle cars rolled out of Detroit: The Chevelle SS 454. This monster delivered an unbelievable 450 horsepower--more than any other stock car in that era.
While looking for pix, I came across some sale prices for the '67 Chevelle SS396, the highest being an incredible $87,000.
Next, I will review another car my brother actually rebuilt around the same time he had the Chevelle: a '57 Chevy
To see all posts in this series click here.
Last Kiss music video.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Wednesday 1 October 2008
Classic cars from my childhood
I was inspired by a preview of a new movie called "Sex Drive" to produce articles on some of the cars I grew up with and loved--no...still love, as they live on not only in my memories, but also preserved in stills and video. Indeed, many of them still run and are the stuff car shows are made of.
Enough with the nostalgia. The car that caught my eye in a commercial for the movie was a Pontiac GTO Judge. It's name was derived from a bit in Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in TV Show where Sammy Davis Jr. was a freaked out judge and the catch phrase was "Here come da judge...here come da judge...". Goldie Hawn got her start on that show as a bikini-wearing, body-painted, lovable, dumb blonde. Oops. I can't seem to keep from dredging up the past. But it's so damn interesting.
The GTO Judge made its debut in 1969, when I was 15 (this would explain why I remember Goldie so vividly). It came stock with a 350-horse power, 400 CID (cubic inch displacement) engine or with an optional 455. I think it is a near perfect combination of pretty looks and an undertone of powerful-looking. What do you think?
The year the GTO Judge was introduced (1969), it was surpassed in sales by the Chevrolet Chevelle SS396, a car my older brother owned and which I'll be featuring in my next article on this topic.
To see all posts in this series click here.
Last Kiss music video.
Another car music video.
More music videos.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Enough with the nostalgia. The car that caught my eye in a commercial for the movie was a Pontiac GTO Judge. It's name was derived from a bit in Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in TV Show where Sammy Davis Jr. was a freaked out judge and the catch phrase was "Here come da judge...here come da judge...". Goldie Hawn got her start on that show as a bikini-wearing, body-painted, lovable, dumb blonde. Oops. I can't seem to keep from dredging up the past. But it's so damn interesting.
The GTO Judge made its debut in 1969, when I was 15 (this would explain why I remember Goldie so vividly). It came stock with a 350-horse power, 400 CID (cubic inch displacement) engine or with an optional 455. I think it is a near perfect combination of pretty looks and an undertone of powerful-looking. What do you think?
The year the GTO Judge was introduced (1969), it was surpassed in sales by the Chevrolet Chevelle SS396, a car my older brother owned and which I'll be featuring in my next article on this topic.
To see all posts in this series click here.
Last Kiss music video.
Another car music video.
More music videos.
Click here to go to most recent posts.
Saturday 6 September 2008
You're in good hands...or are you?
In a recent Allstate car insurance commercial, they explain that they reward their clients with a good driving record by sending them a cheque each year if they did not get into an accident. I have no idea how much the cheque might be for, but regardless, let's think about this, shall we?
Do you believe that Allstate had all this extra cash laying around that they wanted to get rid of? Do you believe that Allstate's premiums are equal to or lower than other car insurance companies and they give away cash to their customers? Let's face it--what they're probably doing is raising rates just a bit across the board, taking that extra cash and redistributing it to the good drivers. That's all well and good if you happen to go year after year without an accident. You can bet your bottom dollar, and you will if you have an accident, that if they are rewarding the good rivers, logic says that they must be penalizing the "bad" drivers by an equal amount just to break even.
Further pondering suggests that not only are you just getting back your own money (if you go accident-free), they've also been kind enough to store it in safe-keeping for you for a whole year. When you get that first cheque, ask them what happened to the interest they earned on your money.
Do you believe that Allstate had all this extra cash laying around that they wanted to get rid of? Do you believe that Allstate's premiums are equal to or lower than other car insurance companies and they give away cash to their customers? Let's face it--what they're probably doing is raising rates just a bit across the board, taking that extra cash and redistributing it to the good drivers. That's all well and good if you happen to go year after year without an accident. You can bet your bottom dollar, and you will if you have an accident, that if they are rewarding the good rivers, logic says that they must be penalizing the "bad" drivers by an equal amount just to break even.
Further pondering suggests that not only are you just getting back your own money (if you go accident-free), they've also been kind enough to store it in safe-keeping for you for a whole year. When you get that first cheque, ask them what happened to the interest they earned on your money.
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