Finally, a compressed air car is built

French enterprise MDI backed by Cater SA, a Swiss business have taken the concept to the roads, naminf a four wheel vehicle Airpod —to reflect on its engine powered by nothing but compressed air.

The fact that Geneva airport and a few French-speaking Swiss towns have already shown keen interest in Airpod augurs well for the project; not to mention that EU countries have already approved of the project.

It holds that initial production will kick off on Swiss grounds (in Reconvilier) where the first unit should roll out by March 2011

News from http://www.thecartimes.com/

Did you know there was a race to the South Pole in a Biodiesel powered vehicel?

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=929487&page=3

California lawmakers can't pass or balance a budget, but get 5 million dollars worth of new cars annually for their personal use

Don't sweat it... it's the only state that wastes money on rich politicians automotive needs. Well, unless you count free gas and insurance... I bet your lawmakers and politicians don't pay for gas or insurance. I bet they get chauffered limos as a way around your state purchasing cars for them. You likely know they get a lifelong pension better than double your annual income, free medical care you can't afford, and you'd scream to be told the free overseas flights on "fact finding missions" and subsequent luxury hotel accomodations and vacation in overseas countries.

Wankers as the Brits would call them (in polite company)

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2010/12/03/free-luxury-cars-for-lawmakers-amid-calif-budget-mess/ has the following to report about it: (I'm summarizing to avoid copyright BS)

California is the only state to provide rank-and-file lawmakers a luxury perk as the state has a 6 billion dollar deficit.
The state buys cars for lawmakers unlimited use under a decades-old program.
It spent more than $5 million for the latest suite of vehicles, including a $55,000 Cadillac and a $52,000 Lexus.


I listened to this today on KNX am 1070 Los Angeles

Think all of this is nuts? Heard of Speaker of the House Pelosi?
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=231461
"Since 2007, we U.S. taxpayers have paid $2,100,745 for now-outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to make 85 flights aboard a 42-seat Air Force C-32 – which is the size of a Boeing 757"

Segs 4 Vets, Mobilizing America's Heroes

The below seat can be seen at http://www.segseat.com/ and purchased for about 500 bucks

Just check the seating custom changes... this is what enables anyone with leg problems to utilize a Segway and have upright mobility. Both of the seats will flip up or down to get out of the way when getting on or off the Segway.

Seventeen severely wounded warriors received a custom modified Segway, the personal mobility device, at a ceremony on the forward deck of the historic USS Midway.

Segs4Vets recipients use the Segway instead of a wheelchair and say the Segway allows them to stand tall in their prosthetic legs, improves their mobility and lets them appear less disabled in public.

The recipients included nine soldiers, two Marines, two national guardsmen, two airmen and two sailors. They come from Guam , Washington, D.C. and a dozen states, including California. Many are still undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the Naval Medical Center San Diego.
Segs4Vets, a project of Disability Rights Advocates for Technology, a non-profit organization rated as one of America’s best charities, (one of 2,000 out of 1,000,000 charities in America) returned to San Diego for the third time to make the presentation.

The recipients sustained serious injuries which limit their mobility during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Segway dramatically improves personal mobility for military service members who lost limbs to amputation or suffer from spinal cord injuries, neurological injuries and soft tissue damage.

``Those who become disabled while serving our nation deserve the best tools available to live productive and fulfilling lives,’’ said Jerry Kerr, president and founder of DRAFT. ``The Segway has proven its value to more than 400 wounded warriors and we are delighted to provide this device to these brave military service members to help them fulfill their dreams.’’

Several former recipients who attended the ceremony included John Hyland, a former Army soldier and trained opera singer who will sang the National Anthem at the ceremony, and Kortney Clemons who is training for the Paralympic Games at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego. Two of the earliest recipients used their Segways to complete undergraduate studies at Georgetown University and are now attending law school.

More than 33,000 men and women in uniform have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan since the beginning of hostilities. The Segway is not covered by military medical insurance.

Segs4Vets, created in late 2005, is run entirely by volunteers as part of Disability Rights Advocates for Technology (DRAFT), a 501c3 created to represent people with disabilities who refuse to be defined by their disability and whose passionate enthusiasm for participation in life’s activities is supported by Universal Design and new and emerging technologies. The organization is a member of Military, Veterans & Patriotic Service Organizations of America and has been certified as one of the best charities in America by the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence, an honor accorded fewer than 2,000 of the more than one million public charities in the United States.

DRAFT is the only organization to ever receive a blanket waiver from the U.S. military allowing a gift in excess to $1,000 to severely injured active duty military force members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Why doesn't El Cajon have a "Jimmie Johnson Street"?

Is there something wrong with the El Cajon town council, do they have no pride in a native son?

One that is a household name for his achievements in NASCAR while ranked first (season champion) for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009? You may not know that Jimmie is the only driver that has ever accomplished this, in all of NASCAR history.

One that reinvested in his home town with a Chevrolet dealership, and has been invited to the White House, has a charity foundation that helps the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Make a Wish... and so on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Johnson

Want to do something about it? Monday March 22nd at 7pm the planning commission will be having a meeting... lets crash it. I'm planning on being there... this I gotta see and hear!


Support of Resolution No. 10604 - Jimmie Johnson Avenue

Please pass this along to any and all who could write in a short e-mail to the address below or show up on Monday, March 22 at 7:00 PM.

Please show up to the El Cajon Planning Commission meeting scheduled for:
Monday, March 22, at 7:00 pm, at
Council Chamber
200 Civic Center Way
El Cajon, CA 92020

…and wear your Jimmie stuff to show your support


OR IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND :
If physical letters are not possible
to Anthony Sottile,
Chairman – City of El Cajon Planning Commission,

emails of support for Resolution No. 10604,
(Jimmie Johnson Avenue), can be forwarded to:

Melissa Ayres, Director, Community Development.
(mayres@ci.el-cajon.ca.us).

Include first name, last name, email address, and comments in support of the resolution.

(FYI – http://www.ci.el-cajon.ca.us)
Points to mention:
- Agree with El Cajon City Council’s decision to honor JJ with “ Jimmie Johnson Avenue .” (Approved by Council on January 26, 2010).
- Fitting tribute for ON track accomplishments, (i.e. 4-Time NASCAR Champion, Future Hall of Famer, etc.).
- Most importantly, OFF track accomplishments - a true humanitarian who continues to support his hometown.

Thank You again,
Go Jimmie (Johnson Ave.) Go !!!

Tom McGrath from Alpine opinioned that East County road naming is best left alone and chided Union Tribune readers to keep our noses out of it, and stick with North County issues. Boo and hiss to you Tom. 4th story down http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/13/oceanside-rejects-saving-1-million/

this reader had it right http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/25/jimmie-johnson-way/

Is there a city in the South that doesn't have a street named after a stock car racer? Isn't this country founded with ideals of naming locations after important contributors to civic pride? Washington DC, Washington state, Pennsylnavia state, Boone county, Crockett County, and there almost was a state named Franklin... but that is a real history lesson. We even have states named after European royalty... why? Why not rename a state for a hero? Well, if that is too much, then I guess renaming a street for a NASCAR champion is good enough for me.

I've been interviewed, and a newspaper wrote a story about my blog!

http://www.mininggazette.com/page/content.detail/id/509118.html

It's the newspaper from the nearest big city of the little town I grew up in, same county, and it's the only newpaper article I've been in since getting through bootcamp!

Ridelust has a top 25 auto website list (I made their list!) and recommended blogs

I’m entirely moved, wow! Thanks! You’ve paid me an enormous compliment to feel my hobby compares favorably with the likes of Jalopnik, the NY Times Wheels section, wonderful Hooniverse, Dan’s Hemmings blog, Autoblog, Edmunds, Carscoop, B.A.T, … the websites I admire.

Is mine the only no advertising, no pop-up, non job, done after work, camera / laptop / and love of cars operation in your top 25? I’m astounded! Take that high school career counsler!

Long live car porn and the humor we find and post for readers! Many compliments to the 80 sites I recommend in my blog roll, Ride Lust has been one for years!

With admiration for vulcanized rubber and all the uses we’ve found for it, with adoration for affordable tech like digital cameras, laptops, and jacking into neighbors wifi to upload to my blog, with love for the bloggers, photographers, and artists, the hot rodders, the hoons, the metal shapers, the body working masters, the designers, racers, owners, and rich buggers who can afford to keep Foose on retainer, admiration and respect for the lakes racers, salt streamliners, innovators like Navarro, Munro, and Blastolene Bros…

http://www.ridelust.com/ridelust%e2%80%99s-top-25-car-blog-and-websites/ this is the coolest thing to happen since I was picked as the artist of the month for my photography: In related news, in December '09 I was the artist of the month of the Photographer's Formulary company monthly online newsletter: http://www.photoformulary.com/images/2009%20Newsletters%20folder/December2009NL.pdf

Update to Ron Pratte post, the Darryl Gwynn Foundation

As has become a common and admirable occurance at Barrett Jackson auctions, Darryl Gwynn auctions off a remakable historic racecar, Ron buys it, offers it at auction again, it was bought by another collector who matched Ron's generosity, and was bought by a third collector who says it'll be for auction again soon.

Why the buy and sell, and the Gwynn connection? All of the money for the sale of Gwynn's vehicles go directly to the Foundation, with no auction fees, and everyone realizes that this astonishing generosity is to be applauded and continued by some who can afford it. Financially it may be a tax thing, but when over a half a million goes to a kids charity, I dare anyone to pick a bone with it. Respect, applaud, repeat.

For the full story and details: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-gwynn-dragster-scores-triple-header/

For the post about the collector and philanthopist Ron Pratte: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/01/ron-pratte-car-collection.html

You should buy a lotto ticket if you are as lucky as the two guys in the taxi, they dodged a 5 to 25 ton, 50 foot pipe falling from an overpass

images from all over the local San Diego tv stations websites from cell phone photos sent into the news

The trucker was Southbound on the 125 from Santee at 9 am, was taking the exit to the Westbound 8, and was driving TOO FAST! He didn't make the turn, hit the barrier, and the chains that were restraining the pipe snapped, allowing the pipe to fall 75 to 100 feet onto Grossmont Center Dr.

The best coverage was channel 8, and click on the video for a good review of the story: http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11663048 the video has a thumbnail and full screen mode

New information on the 2010 Camaro... No supercharged 650 hp 427cu in for California

CAFE won't allow them to be sold in California, and this is from GM marketing via a car club council meeting member.

So much for getting a GT 500 supercharged Shelby Mustang Cobra competitor in California