Would You Sell One Testicle For A 370Z?

Hmmm...I dunno...I'm done having kids (two kids are plenty!) but it still feels right to keep my god (small g) given body intact.  The guy in the story below is trading his testicle to medical research for $35K which he is using to get a 370Z.  That's not even a top end 370Z...

Man donates testicle to buy 370Z...

That said...I might be willing to part with an extra organ or two in exchange for a copious amount of cash or a really nice Nissan.  So let's play the organ for Nissan game shall we?




Kidneys:  I'd trade a kidney for a nice Nissan Titan.  The Titan is a bit outdated of a vehicle and a bit of a gas hog.  Then again, a kidney isn't that big of a loss.  So I'd have to pee more often and my ability to filter stuff would be a bit compromised...meh...I can adjust.  Seriously....I think I'd donate a kidney today if it got me a vehicle to tow my race vehicle with.

Lungs:  Hmm, this one is a bit tougher.  Without a lung I assume my ability to perform physical actions would be compromised.  Plus I feel as if I'd end up leaning to one side or the other as the absence of a lung would mean a pretty big weight imbalance wouldn't it?  That said, I could use to lose a few pounds and getting into actual decent shape would help mitigate the loss of the lung.  I say a lung is what I'd trade for a 370Z which is a real nice sports car but not something ridiculously valuable.

Testicle: Now we get into some serious stuff...though the loss of a testicle doesn't present any obvious outwardly visible signs I just feel like it would change how I would walk around...a little less swagger in my step so to speak.  A loss of manhood, even just 1/2 of it requires a big return and a mere stock 370Z just wouldn't cut it.  Something classic, something race, something with a great deal of value, if not monetarily then historically.  A fully restored Datsun BRE 510 from the Baja perhaps??

Eye:  This would be near the top of my value list for dual organs.  The others mean losing something but being short of breath or having to pee more often is more of an inconvenience than an actual LOSS of something.  Losing an eye however...now that's big.  Depth perception is gone, range of vision is cut in half...plus you have to decide to go the Stuart Scott route or look like the Governor from the Walking Dead...neither is a good look.  I'll need something truly special and one off.  I'm going with the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona winner R91CP which thoroughly destroyed the field finishing nine laps up on the closest competitor and finished more laps in the 24 Hours of Daytona than anyone ever before or since.

That's my list and I'm sticking to it...anyone know a good surgeon??

Man Saves Cat in Middle of Benghazi Battle!

While the rest of the world has moved on to other events--Syria, Egypt (again), typhoons, flaming Teslas, etc. Libya remains an unmitigated disaster.  When the fall of Gaddafi occurred there was talk of Western nations and companies rushing into the country to begin divvying up the oil and other resources that were now open for plundering.  There was also talk of the coming democratization of the country and its acceptance into the modern world at large.

Sadly none of that has happened.  Instead you have what is but one of a growing number of failed states (Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Egypt to an extant, CAR, Angola, Western Sahara--Sensing a theme here??) where you have a state of civil war mixed with ethnic and religious zealotry fighting for control.  Ahhhh...progress!

That said...there are good people to be found in even the most wretched of circumstance.  Pictured here is one such individual.  In the middle of a firefight in Benghazi (yes, that Benghazi) we have a brave and caring young man taking his own life in his hands to attempt to rescue a kitten from beneath a burning car.  The photo was posted earlier today by Shabab Libya which calls itself the voice of Libyan Youth seeking Social Justice, Democracy, Free and Fair Elections via civil resistance.  I am asking Shabab if they have a photo of the heroic "Catman" and said cat from after the rescue.  I will update if there is a response.  Well done sir!!!  Well done!!

2015 Nissan Murano Spy Shots

The Nissan Murano is in its 2nd Generation with its current iteration coming in '09 and the original being produced back in '02 as an '03 model.  The Murano itself has been extremely successful as it was introduced at the perfect time to bridge the period between body on frame gas guzzling SUVs of the 90's and the trend toward soft-roaders and CUVs we've seen in the '00s and beyond.

While the 2nd generation carried over a great deal of the style and lines of the initial Murano, the third generation is projected to be a sharp departure in a number of areas.  These are the first spyshots of what will be the '16 Murano.  The rectangular dual exhaust reminds me a bit of the Porsche Cayenne as does the rear spoiler.  Not a ton can be gleaned from these shots given the heavy camouflage but the windshield looks substantially more raked that previous versions and the overall profile appears much more like current Infiniti CUV offerings than prior Muranos.  The bulbous rearend also lends to this impression.  More to come soon on this in the near future--but could we get a diesel engine here as well??  The Euros already get a 2.5L diesel equipped Murano so given the recent proliferation of diesel vehicles in the US, might we see that as an option?

Film Review: The Imposter

Here was a small, independent film that we watched pretty much out of nowhere that was really good.

The Imposter is a documentary, though it does contain some fictional recreations mixed in with archival footage and numerous slices of interviews with the major players.  Though the film gives away the end result of the events the film covers in the first few minutes, the filmmakers are able to keep up the tension and mystery as to WHY the events occurred the way they did, throughout.

The story itself is, to be cliche, one of those where if you didn't know it was true, you wouldn't believe.  A boy who is missing from his San Antonio home for three years sees his identity stolen by a completely random, serial imposter from Spain.  The family of said boy, the Spanish authorities, American counsel employees and more are somehow "fooled" into thinking this 23 year old man is the 16 year old boy that has been missing for over three years.  All this despite his different color eyes, hair and inability to speak English without an accent.

Each party has their own reason for "believing" that this is the missing boy and the cascading party of errors ends with the "boy" living with his family in San Antonio until the farce is revealed with the perpetrator (?) of THIS crime ending in jail and then being returned to France.  Following along with this story you shake your head in disbelief numerous times, though in this modern world we've all seen stranger things.

Its a relatively short film, coming in at about an hour and 40 minutes with no fluff.  Its an excellent examination of social engineering and human motivations in an extremely strange but true story.

NISMO Stuff's Man of the Year 2013: Satoshi Nakamoto

The last "Man of the Year" I announced was back in '10 as since then I haven't felt I've encountered anyone or anything truly revolutionary or worthy of the designation.

My choice of Elon Musk at that time looks quite prescient now--he was just named Fortune Magazine's Businessman of the year for '13, Tesla has a market cap $15B, Solar City (another Musk founded entity) has a market cap of near $4B, SpaceX has exceeded all expectations and is on a path to bring people to Mars and beyond and Musk has brought to the forefront the idea of a superfast Hyperloop transportation system.  Musk's ideas and companies are truly transformative and will be impacting not just individuals but in fact the entire human race as we move forward.

You might not know the name of Satoshi Nakamoto yet but his creation will, if not itself, its derivatives, impact everyone in the immediate future.

No one knows who Nakamoto is or even if he is real.  He may be a fictional amalgam of a a number of people or may be an obscure mathematician at your local university.  Truth is, it doesn't matter.  Back in '08 "Nakamoto" published a paper on the internet titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System".  Shortly thereafter the digital currency "Bitcoin" was created using a peer to peer network and outside the control of any government or regulatory agency.

Bitcoins are a bit hard to explain to people and, truth be told, I don't 100% understand their creation and details myself.  Some things that are simple to describe Bitcoins however are its anonymity (due to encryption techniques, Bitcoins can be bought, sold and used without the ability to track or identify the user or holder.  Bitcoins are also outside any governmental control, no financial authority can create more in order to pursue a fiscal policy.  They are a wonderful way to route around international sanctions, runaway inflation and capital controls.  Oh yeah, and they're a great way to buy drugs.

That's probably where you have heard of them--if you have.  The online marketplace "The Silk Road" was a forum in which you could exchange your BitCoins for drugs 100% anonymously.  Earlier this year the creator of The Silk Road was arrested and charged with various crimes (including trying to hire a hitman to kill people) but NONE of the thousands of individuals buying and selling drugs over the network have been arrested or charged...the nature of the currency prevents any attempts to ID the participants.

Right now the BitCoin is a niche product used by a VERY few people for typically shady or silly transactions--but this is rapidly changing.  This week alone the largest university in Cyprus announced it will begin accepting BitCoins as payment and Virgin Galactic (Richard Branson's space tourism company) accepted an individuals BitCoins for payment of a trip to space.  Additionally, more and more retailers are beginning to accept them--Foodler, OK Cupid, WordPress, etc. and even Gyft where you can buy giftcards to places like Amazon, Gamestop, Target and others with BitCoins.  Hell, there's even a BitCoin Black Friday event.

So what's the big deal with all of this?  The creation and acceptance of BitCoin takes the government's and any other Fiscal entity's, control over your wallet out of their hands.  No one can ID who has what money nor to whom its going or for what.  Imagine the US where the government has no ability to create, destroy, track or control wealth.  Or beyond that, imagine a single anonymous world currency.

The Feds are scared of it.  So scared that they aren't trying to control it at the moment.  At hearings in Washington this past week it was all lovey dovey between the politicians and BitCoin experts.  Why??  Because if the US gets in the way of the development and use of BitCoins the Chinese will dominate.  Already the largest BitCoin exchange is located in China.  Imagine that...China, home to the largest and most reliable source/exchange of the world's first completely decentralized monetary network.  Which is really what this comes down to...if the US doesn't lead the way in the development and acceptance of cryptocurrency the it will go underground and overseas and the US will lose any/all influence on what minimal controls they may be able to implement around it. 

I don't fully understand all the repercussions surrounding BitCoin, nor how its use will turn out, I do know that creating a currency that can't be printed/created or destroyed,can't see rules imposed upon it, is easy to transfer, easy to secure, verify and divide, is limited in supply, anonymous, easy and cheap to transfer, non Bank controlled and more widely accepted by the moment--will change the world.

If You Can't Wait For The Nissan IDx There's Always This...

 The Nissan Sentra NISMO edition.  Though "technically" a concept vehicle, that appears to be in name only.  This vehicle appears to be production ready right now and I'm betting it being a 2015 model released in mid-late '14.

Housing a turbocharged version of the Sentra's 1.8L engine it has been boosted to 240 hp AND 240 ft. lbs. of torque.  That's a whopping 110 increase in hp over the standard version.  Almost as importantly is the addition of a limited slip for the front end, working to get that power to the ground.  Interior upgrades include Recaro seats and an Alcantara steering wheel as well as other accessories.  Handling is improved with a NISMO tuned suspension and of course there is the requisite additional aero package and aggressive exterior accents.

The changes incorporated into the NISMO Sentra truly take it from one of the most boring of economobiles to a reasonable pocket rocket.  Given how great the IDx NISMO concept looked, if they're not coming out with that for another 3-4+ years, this is an attempting alternative and might be a decent successor to the early 90's Sentra SE-Rs.  Keep the pricing reasonable and I'd be a buyer for sure (though really I could do without the fuzzy steering wheel and such as I'd be sorely tempted to turn it into a tarmac rally car).  Look for a production announcement in Q1 of '14.

Nissan's Answer To The BRZ--REVEALED!!

Just now at the Tokyo Auto Show!!  Yup, its RWD.  Yup its small (couple inches smaller than the BRZ).  Yup it looks a bit like the old Skylines.  Yup the NISMO version of the concept is AWESOME looking.

Further photos and video are below.

Early indications this is already fast tracked to production to be released as a '16 model.  SOOOO hope they make a NISMO version in the first batch.
I'll be in line from the moment they start taking orders...put some rear view mirrors up front on that thing...WOW...cannot wait...another year and a half is too long.

And OK, yeah, it LOOKS like a concept vehicle--a bit too angular and non-production looking aspects but please remember how the Juke was said to never be a production vehicle too and look where that ended up--design queues toned down a bit but the big aspects were kept.  I think you'll see the same here...

The concept's name is the Nissan IDx and the hopped version is the IDx NISMO

Anyone want a slightly used Rally Truck for sale in about mid 2015??

Truck Jumps Spectator at Baja 1000

Now this isn't the first time I've seen this stunt.  I think I even posted a video of it here a year or two ago when a male spectator did it previously.  This is the first time I've seen a female be dumb enough to do it and the first time I've seen it on Instagram.  The proliferation of cell phone cameras just makes drunk and stupid people do ever more stupid things.  That's approximately 6000 pounds running at 80+ mph.  They'd be mopping this individual up with a squeegee if there had been any hesitation on the driver's part.  And the driver would be scarred for life for no reason....Idiots...

Movie Review: The Challenger Disaster

This was a TV movie that was broadcast this past Saturday evening on both the Science Channel and the Discovery Channel as well as earlier this year on the BBC as this latter network was one of the producers.

It covers the research into the terminal failure of the Challenger space shuttle from the perspective of physicist Richard Feynman.  I knew of Feynman for a long time as my father had mentioned him in the past as a brilliant man from NYC whom he had the pleasure of taking some classes/lectures with.

It is only of late that I have come to know Feynman and his work in general in an expanded nature.  To say he belongs with luminaries such as Einstein and Hawking is not hyperbole and in bringing the understanding of physics to the unwashed masses he may have no equal.  Few scientists could imagine their lives being bookended by such remarkable events as Feynman--in his VERY early 20's he was a principal scientist on the Manhattan Project rubbing shoulders with Oppenheimer, Bohr, Bethe, Teller, etc. and at the end of his life his work on bringing to light the causes of the Challenger Disaster put him on TV in front of millions looking for an explanation as to the single most psyche searing event in American history since the JFK/MLK assassinations 25 years earlier.

Its this last event in Feynman's life that this film shows.  As a decided outsider and lacking in societies "niceties" Feynman isn't concerned with his own career or standing in Washington circles.  He amongst all the individuals of the commission tasked with looking into the event was willing to look into the cracks (literally) and crevices of the shuttle program where money and politics mixed into a cauldron of indecision, cronyism and failure.

The film is well acted by William Hurt as Feynman, Bruce Greenwood as General Donald Kutnya and Brian Dennehy as William Rogers (head of the commission) and while not an "intense" thriller it does move along and capture the tension between the multiple interests represented by all sides--military, NASA, Washington politicians, manufacturing industry, etc.  The stress is built up until at the optimal moment, it cracks and the truth is forced to the surface and revealed on national TV.

Well paced, extremely informative and touching--watching Feynman struggle for solutions to the questions raised by the Challenger disaster while pissing blood and missing his family as his cancer ridden body fails him, is good stuff.

If you have a chance to watch this film in either its rebroadcasts on Discovery or the Science Channel or on demand or streaming online, I recommend it highly.  Its not "Hollywood" whiz-bang film making but its definitely worth your time and interest.

Tesla Service Vehicle...

Tesla provides probably the best service of any auto brand--and thay have to given the cost of their vehicles and the intense scrutiny they are under with their electric car technology.

Today was the first time I've seen one of their service vehicles.  Spotted at the Best Buy in Salem, NH with MA plates and parked along with all the rest of the customers the Ford F150 was unattended but looked fully prepped for work.

In the bed of the truck and strapped down under a mesh cover were about eight mounted Tesla wheels and tires.  This shocked me a bit as thats about $3200 worth of wheels and tires just sitting out in the open for easy pickings...given the clientele in Salem I know I wouldn't leave my gear in the open like that--a tonneau cover or cap would be a good idea if Tesla is going to keep their valuables out in the open.

Inside the cab of the truck were the tools necessary for the usual roadside assistance--a jack, hand tools, fluids, etc.    There were no Teslas in the parking lot that I could spot so I'm still not sure what he was doing there nor why they would leave their expensive gear in the open...but what do I know...

New 2015 Nissan Titan Spy Shot

Why we don't have more shots from this encounter??  I dunno...but at least they got one of the Cummins powered mule that is out testing in Arizona and Michigan currently.  While the photographer got a shot of the Cummins logo on the truck for the first time, the photos of the business end of the truck where the diesel has been shoehorned into somewhat modified sheetmetal are missing.  If there was any question that Nissan would try to market its new Titan around the Cummins powerplant, I think its gone now.

I would anticipate the production version to carry similar and multiple LARGE Cummins logos and tags as the Cummins name is far more marketable to American truck buyers than "Nissan" is at this point.  As I said before...expect these shots to come out more and more frequently as time goes on...

2015 Nissan Frontier and Xterra??

Automotive News is one of the most well connected, serious and reliable sources of information within the auto industry.  They are about as dry as dry can be, making the Wall Street Journal seem like Playboy in comparison.  So it is if they report something, I generally take it as gospel.

Which is why I am pleasantly surprised to see them report that yes, the Nissan Titan is being redesigned for 2015 by Nissan but that the Frontier and even more shockingly, the Xterra will be "refreshed" for 2015.  Multiple reports have claimed the demise of the Xterra is imminent.  Its sales have dropped to levels as poor as the Titan and has not seen an update (like all of Nissan's body on frame offerings) of a serious nature since '04/'05.  The Frontier can soldier on respectably as it is the only small/medium pickup on the current market other than the Tacoma and is seeing increased sales to over 60,000 units a year in '13. 

Hearing that they will continue with the Xterra through '15 makes me think that either Nissan believes they can scavenge some sales from Toyota when the FJ ends its production in '14 or that they really are going to produce a next generation model.  My only disappointment is that Automotive News says that the '15 Xterra and Frontier will only be "refreshes" meaning smaller changes to sheetmetal, body cladding and interior options--no major redesign like the Titan.  This is bad news for the Frontier as not only will it continue to have the Tacoma to compete against but the new Chevy Colorado that is being introduced at the '13 LA Auto Show.

Regardless of how good the Frontier and Xterra were back in '04/'05 they are both showing their age--particularly the VERY low mpg Xterra and both need some serious attention from Nissan and they need it now.
2015 Xterra and Frontier...

Most Interesting Entry at This Years Baja 1000?

If not, its certainly the most unique...

The Quigley Motor Company of Manchester, PA has been creating hard core, 4x4 van conversions for over 35 years and been passed down from father to son.  Currently Quigley builds conversions for Ford, GM and Nissan vans.  These vans have been all over--from 4x4 parks in PA to your typical Moab rockcrawling adventures.

Running a Quigley LIFS system (Lifted Independent Front Suspension) on a GM G2500 Express Van, though not likely the wheels shown in these pictures and will be attempting to run this weekend's Baja 1000 in the Stock Full class which contains entries such as Joe Bacal's Lexus LX570 (LandCruiser) and a pair of F150s.  This class is a fairly limited class in terms of vehicle modifications which makes them vulnerable to mechanical breakdowns.  Additionally with the Quigley team coming from PA, I'm assuming prerunning and Baja experience is a tad limited.  They do look to be using Quigley vans for their support/chase vehicles as well, so at least those should be quite durable for their purpose.

Tracking the Baja is pretty easy as is listening in on the race...so if you get the chance and so desire, following along with the Quigley team is pretty easy.  Now you just have to dedicate some 40 hours or so to following along as that's likely about the time limit for the event and I'm betting if Quigley finishes the race, they might be quite close to that limit...

Quigley 4x4...

Baja 1000 Site and Coverage...

America's Stonehenge

Days off from work and school often provide an opportunity to explore the various sights and scenes of my local region.  Having exhausted various museums, zoos and playgrounds we are now onto the more obscure activities.

Like "America's Stonehenge" in Salem, NH.  Having passed the location numerous times and always wondering just what it is, today was the day to find out.  A supposed location of stone structures built by unknown individuals prior to the arrival of Columbus--Were they Vikings??  Sailing Irish Monks? Phoenicians?  Aliens?  Who knows!?!?

Some carbon dating of campfire ashes from the site reportedly dates back to some 2000 BC but that's certainly not the same (if THAT's even true) as people at 2000 BC being responsible for the stone formations found in this location.  In fact the original name of the place, the oh so cliche "Mystery Hill" tells you this was more than likely a typical tourist trap of the early 1900's when people of Boston first began to venture out in droves by car from the more southern cities.  Later owners would discard this name in favor of its current "America's Stonehenge" though there is no connection between the to sites.

Now some stones here do evidently line up with sun and stars at various times of the year (solstice, equinox, North Star, etc.) but none of these were "found" until the 20th century and even the history of the site notes that these stones had been set up in their current locations due to them having previously fallen down.

Historical records do indicate that the site was used as a sort of YMCA in colonial times with the homeless and destitute given use of the place for shelter in times of need.  Additionally there appears to be SOME indication that the site may have also been used to hide escaped slaves as part of the underground railroad--though seemingly every cave and old house in New England was part of the underground railroad at this point (a bit of "we can't be racist!!  we were part of the underground railroad!!" mentality amongst modern New Englanders?).  But of true evidence for this site being the creation of some wayward Norse explorers or other ancient, unknown builders, nothing really exists.

Even the supposed, sacrificial stone seen in the photo here has a far more likely explanation--colonial farmers would create lye from wood ashes for use in soap with such a setup.  But the general population of hippies and new agers who frequent this site (on the day we visited there were several van loads fruitcake women and their children exploring the site with giant gongs a banging and hippie clothes a dragging) don't let actual facts get in the way of their beliefs.  And that's OK.  Every community needs its myths and legends and this hokey Mystery Hill/America's Stonehenge site is one that has national recognition.  If it creates a few smiles, gets people out of the house and using their imagination...it can't be all bad...

Final Group of Nissans at SEMA 2013

Well, this is it...

A fairly weak showing for Nissans and Datsuns at SEMA 2013.  While Nissan has introduced a number of new models in the last 24 months none of them have really captured the interest of the aftermarket.  The Altima, Sentra, Rogue, Versa, etc. aren't exactly high on the enthusiasts wish lists.

Hopefully that will change in the next 12 months or so with a new Titan, a next generation 200SX model, a hybrid GT-R, a new Z and others.  Though I am surprised there weren't some modified Nissan Juke's there as its small displacement turbo and radical styling seem targeted at the culture SEMA represents.  At least there was one Titan and a short course Nissan present.  We'll take what we can get.

Movie Review: Killing Them Softly

Oh, boy...

For those of you who have been reading here for some time you'll know that I watch a fair number of films.  Over the past four or so years of writing on this blog I have only left only a single film unfinished once I began watching.

Now make it two.  45 minutes into this film I my wife turned to me and said "Uhhh....the Bruins should still be playing shouldn't they?" and off went the film and on went the hockey game.  Maybe the film improved greatly in its last hour and fifteen or so, maybe not.  I'll never know because the first 45 were so poor I couldn't take watching any more.

The story supposedly takes place in Boston but was filmed in New Orleans and New Orleans really doesn't look anything like Boston.  The characters were supposed to have Boston accents but had versions about those as bad as those of the Californians trying to do Boston accents in those Newman's Own Organics coffee commercials.  Brad Pitt only appears in about 3 total minutes of the first 45 and thus lends no assistance here while Ray Liotta plays a giant bloated version of himself and/or his Goodfellas character.

The other characters introduced early on are forgettable and the story tries to be darkly funny (one of the criminals is involved in a stolen pure breed dog for sale racket in which he transports a group of dogs to Florida from Boston in a cramped station wagon--hilarity ensues...) but ends up being a pale imitation of good films like Layer Cake or The Departed.

There is also some attempt here at connecting gambling, the 2008 economic crisis, the '08 election and America being a crooked business vs. a country.  George Bush, Obama, and Bernake are all played in the background of various scenes talking about the crumbling financial industry at that point.  This is mixed in with the director trying to seem edgy by using Johnny Cash and Velvet Underground songs as a theme.  All of it seems a mess, not working to make legit connections or impart a mood.

So though I am generally a big fan of Pitt's films as well as dark, modern, crime dramas...this is one to skip, not just in part but entirely.

Now THIS is More Like It...

Just a clean, quality example of a classic Japanese sportscar.

This is a 1974 Nissan Skyline GTX 2000.  It is the spiritual ancestor of the modern GT-R.  The white paint and black accents are classy, leaveing you to view the bodylines without being distracted by any gaudiness.  This SEMA vehicle can be seen at the Toyo display.



1974 Skyline GTX at SEMA

SEMA Horror Show...

This is the Nissan GT-R Radzilla...Why is it Rad you ask?  Cause it has tons of LEDs bro!!

Looking like a mashup of a GT-R and a Hyundai Veloster front end mixed with a Cree LED factory, this is an example of some of the worst that the tuner culture can create...Holy crap...But if you wnt to see it...head out this week to SEMA in Vegas...just bring your barf bag with you...

SEMA GT-R Radzilla...

I Want One of These to Tow My Race Truck...

 Nissan ceased selling its UD1400 commercial truck a few years back and all that are left are fairly heavily abused used models with in excess of 200,000 miles on them.

Nissan is introducing a new Cabstar with two diesel engine choices in overseas markets however!  And boy do I want one.  Think loading this puppy up with my rally truck and not needing a trailer would be super cool.  Dreams...lovely dreams...

2014 Nissan Cabstar Spy Shots...