Can Someone Loan Me $9,000 Interest Free Over A Really Long Time??

 Cause that's what it would take for my wife not to kill me if I brought this home...but it doesn't make it any less tempting.

Not that this truck is ready for Baja or anything but it certainly would make a nice and clean platform on which to base a vehicle for a NORRA race.  Add a cage, tech it with a Rally organization and go racing.  Likely would need some strengthening to its suspension and some other "toughening" but it would also make a nice classic vehicle just to drive around for fun and look old school cool...

Would love to find a 1969 Datsun pickup and restore it to look like one of the original Datsun pickups that won in Baja in those days...but this might be as close as you can get right now.  Those Jim Conners trucks were great for a long time in desert racing in the late 70's to mid 80's.  Wonder how someone in MI came to so lovingly recreate one?

Datsun Desert Racing Replica...

Australasian Safari 2013--Vehicross, Forester and Sidecar Oh My!

The 2013 Australasian Safari has an additional reason for hype this year as one moto and one "car" entry will win a free entry into the 2014 Dakar based on their performance.  Outside of this, the largest offroad rally in Western Australia is one of the longest and toughest in the Southern Hemisphere. The event has drawn a number of entrants from around the world over the years including ORMHOF (Offroad Motorsports Hall of Fame) member Rod Hall and his team of Hummers in recent years.

While one of the world's classic offroad races, due to its remoteness, like the Taupo 1000 in New Zealand it does draw a number of grassroots and more obscure competitors in addition to those at the top of the industry.  Along with these more grassroots entries comes some of the more interesting vehicles out there racing today.

Example #1--The 1998 Isuzu Vehicross of Andrew and David Travis.  The Vehicross is an iconic SUV of which few were produced, so to see one out racing is remarkable.  I believe this is only the second one I've ever seen in offroad competition and that it is doing so some 15 years after its production is awesome.  Coming into the last day of the event (Leg 7 of 7) the bright yellow Vehicross is sitting 3rd in the event some hour and 20 minutes out of first place.

Example #2--The 2008 Subaru Forester of Robert Herridge and Sam Hill.  The Forester is not exactly your typical offroad racing vehicle but it seems to be holding its own, sitting in 4th place in the event, 2 hours and a half hours out of the lead (25 entries in the "car" class this year).  Given how rocky and sandy sections of this course are, the fact that a Forester (a supposedly "road" oriented SUV) has done this well is impressive.

Example #3--The KTM 525 GPR of Max and Sam Hutchesson.  Yup...a KTM sidecar.  The only sidecar in the event the pair seem to have a great deal of experience as a quick Google search of them picks up numerous photos of them racing and of their various race results in enduros and other offroad motorcycle events around Australia.  Their entrance ends a 17 year absence of sidecars from the Australasian Safari.  They sit some 10 hours adrift but are still in the event and putting on a fantastic show.

Lastly we'll throw in a couple of Nissan Patrols to represent the Nissan's in the field.  There are two Nissan Patrols remaining.  One sits in 6th place three hours and eight minutes adrift and the other sits in 12th, 17 hours back.

One day of racing remains before the event's conclusion.

Condolences are due to the family and friends of biker Ivan Erceg who lost his life on 9/25 during the first stage of the day.  Vaya Con Dios Ivan.

Nissan Sentra at Black River Stages 2013...

Unfortunately I did not make Black River Stages this year.  I have a soft spot for the event as it was my first stage rally back in '11 and was also the site of my only DNF in '12 as well as the location where I picked up one of my rescued housecats.

At least there was one Nissan present at the event though.  The Nissan Sentra (SE-R I'm pretty sure) of Nicholas Martinez and Jeff Hagan entered the event and though some internet postings by Jeff seemed to indicate that this was Nicholas' first stage Rally, he and his Sentra have been at other stage rally events (I believe I've even met him before) such as Rally West Virginia and Sandblast.  So unless there is a 2nd Nicholas Martinez racing a Sentra SE-R he did have some experience.

Regardless, Nicholas and crew avoided being one of the 15 DNFs out of 39 entries and finished 10th of 24 2WD entries and 18th of the 39 overall.  The "in action" photos here are of the Goose Pond stage and one of its many jumps.  The black duct tape contraption is an improvised air duct to divert the air coming in the roof scoop to the windshield which was fogging badly given the cool and wet weather!!

Nissan Wins the Taupo 1000!

 

Well, a Nissan engined vehicle at the least...

In truth Nissan may have won a number of classes at the Enzed Taupo 1000 two weeks back but the New Zealand racing sites don't post the type/engine of the vehicles involved like most sites/series do.  Still, the winning buggie of Clim Lammers was powered by a Nissan V6 as many of the buggies in both New Zealand and Australia are.  The event drew a record 125 entries and were an exceedingly eclectic mix of near the equivalent of Class 1 and Trophy Trucks to your more typical Class 9 buggies to a stock Subaru car and stock Kia Sportage/Suzuki (??) and a number of "Rock Racer" style, short wheelbase SUVs and pickups.

Of particular interest to me were the number of Nissan Patrols entered (still wish we had these available here) and the modern V6 Cooper Tires Nissan Pathfinder of Jared McGilvray.  Really up armored and impressive for its heft and "stock" nature, Jared and his Pathy would finish 4th in class and 31st out of 125.

Also of note here is that despite these photos, which were all taken near the finish line, the course was actually single track for the majority of the race, heading through tight forests and mountain paths.  Truly beautiful territory.  And one to which I have a standing invitation to race in during the 2015 edition of the Taupo 1000 (an event held only once every two years).  World class in nature the Taupo runs 1000 kms for the top competitors and is recognized as being in the same class as a Baja or Dakar or similar top flight event.  The Taupo Facebook page is where the results and TONS more photos and videos can be found.  Video shown here is a cool, rearview shot so you can see the conditions and terrain.

Orbital Launch This Morning...

Only about an hour and a half till Orbital Sciences begins its attempt to be come the second private company to launch a docking capsule to the ISS.  SpaceX performed the feat about a year ago and is continuing to do so on behalf of NASA while Orbital has taken a different tack and is just now completing its final demo flight.

The Antares rocket to be launched this morning at 10:50 AM (hopefully) will carry with it about 1/2 its "normal" payload and contain only non-essential items.  If this launch and docking is successful, NASA will clear Orbital to begin full missions later this year.  This would give NASA (and the US) two separate options for getting equipment/supplies/experiments to the ISS and one (SpaceX's Dragon system) for returning items safely.

The differences between the two systems is striking.  Orbital uses a Russian derived rocket that is propelled by only two engines while SpaceX's design uses nine.  The SpaceX design allows for the shutdown of two of the engines and can still complete its mission--not so with the Orbital design.  In fact, the design of the Orbital engines dates back to Russia's ill fated attempts to compete with NASA's Saturn rockets.  Additionally, while the SpaceX system can actually dock and return items safely to Earth, Orbital's design is not reusable and is designed to burn up on reentry (though this does allow for garbage disposal missions from the ISS).

Two very different ideas but one goal--to get the US back on a regular scheduled with the ISS.  I have one favorite company in my heart and one favorite company for my bank account (I own some Orbital stock) but I'm rooting for both of them to succeed.  Photos here are of (above) Orbital's Antares rocket on the Wallops Island site preparing for today's launch and a rendering of Orbital's capsule approaching the ISS.  The launch can be watched on Space.com

Old Xterras Never Die They Just...

just get sold for $1100 to a new owner and then spray painted, sold to a used car dealer and sold for $6000...

Or at least that's what has happened to mine.  I sold my 2000 Xterra about one year ago for $1100 to a private buyer who said he wanted a winter vehicle for his girlfriend.  At the time it did not drive though it did run.  I estimated at the time that it needed about $3000 worth of work to really get it on the road and inspected again.  The work required would be new brakes, rotors and drums all around, new tires all around and some serious alignment work.

A year later (I have grown to believe in some kind of purpose driven fate as I've seen too many instances of random happenstance result in a seemingly predestined outcome) I am picking up Chinese food for dinner and the order is delayed so I sit down and randomly begin perusing one of the free auto flyers listing local dealership inventory.  Flipping through, on the third page (I would never have seen it if the ad was on the 10th page as my order was ready fairly quickly) I spot a black 2000 Xterra for sale for $5995.  Hmmm...it has big tires...Huh...it has a winch bumper....Wow...it has fiberglass front fenders....Hey!!  That's my old truck!!

Looking it up online at the given dealership it appears to have received a small amount of work to get it inspected and up for sale and it "looks" really good--shiny with good paint and great offroad setup.

I assume the brakes have been repaired as the rotors where broken and the pads shot and truck undrivable at the time I sold it.  But outside of that, little has changed.  The tires on it are still the old ones that I had on there that are COMPLETELY shot and exhibiting massively uneven wear.  It does look like someone has spraypainted the wheels and rear bumper to hide the rust on the steel, have added blacked out corner lights on the fenders, put in a new passenger side front seat (as I had removed mine and tossed it) and removed waterproof seat covers as well as adding a high lift mount on the hood.  So I'd estimate that they've put some $1500 worth of work into it and are now trying to sell it for some $6000.  With some 146,000 miles and a TOUGH life having gone to Labrador, Kentucky, the beaches of North Carolina and numerous HARD offroading trips (as well as some significantly "custom" suspension work, I would have a very hard time paying more than say $1500 for it as you are going to near immediately have to dump another $1000+ into it for new tires.

Good luck to whoever buys it (if someone buys it) and I'm glad to see it still out there and running...but this just shows me the ridiculous nature of typical used car dealership pricing and  reinforces my decided lack of sellers remorse.

My Old Xterra For Sale...

Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Well I guess this makes three of the 2013 Best Picture nominees that I've see so far along with Zero Dark Thirty and Argo.

Silver Linings Playbook is certainly the most cliche of those I've seen so far.  It contains all the usual Oscar tropes that you would expect.  Everyone is damaged in some way--from Bradley Cooper's unemployed bipolar-ism, to Jennifer Lawrence's character who has lost a husband tragically to Robert DeNiro's anger problems and sports obsession.  The true message of the film seems to be that everyone is damaged in some way and we all have to deal with it the best we can.

The film is well put together and well acted, it just follows many of the same plot lines we've seen over and over and over and over...Boy loses girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl again, boy realizes he's been with the wrong girl, boy gets back with the right girl who has been there all along, they live happily ever after.  Seriously after watching the first ten minutes of the film (or even just the previews) who didn't know how the whole thing would unfold?

Direction wise, David O. Russell has likely inked a number of deals on the back of this film due to it being such a huge financial success but it really is unremarkable from that aspect and I haven't truly liked what he has put together in his career other than Three Kings.  Silver Linings Playbook is a decent throwaway film destined for endless reruns on TNT or other cable outlets as its so harmless and retread as to equate to baby formula.  Watch it with your wife/girlfriend...she'll likely enjoy it, and forget about it two days later.

Book Review: Of Dice and Men

The additional part of the book's title is "The Story of Dungeons and Dragons and the People Who Play It".  This should give a better idea of what the work is about.  I had to very clearly enunciate the "d" in "dice" when asking my local book store if they had a copy on the day of its release for fear they would think I was looking for Steinbeck's work and send me off to the classic literature section.

I did procure my copy without issue (it was located in the role playing games section in with all the rulebooks and manuals) and read it with ease.  Owing much to a Malcolm Gladwell or Michael Lewis style of reporting, its author also writes for Forbes magazine as his "day job".  David Ewalt (the author) is about my age and so many of his cultural references hit home and his exposure to Dungeons and Dragons mimics mine in large part (though I've never returned to its gameplay outside of videogame versions after I turned 17 or so).

I am admittedly a geek by nature though not by intellect so I enjoyed this book but didn't love it.  Those not familiar with or with an interest in Dungeons and Dragons would likely put the book down out of lack of interest and insider jokes about half way through.  For those who do have an interest in the subject the book provides a humorous look at the development of the game, the wranglings between its creators and owners and its place within the history of games.  D&D's influence on culture, movies, literature, TV, the internet, etc. is wide and deep and this book gives the reader an idea of the reasons behind this.

Alternating with the history of the game, Ewalt covers his own experiences with the game covering his discussions with various founders and developers as well as his own role playing campaigns and brief foray into LARPing.

In all I came away from the book more knowledgeable about the game, its history, its influence and am more aware of its place within the world of "games" (I didn't know about Kriegsspiel and how it influenced D&D and Steve Jobs until I read this book) across the globe.  The book was worth it to me and was entertaining to me as a geek.  How much it might really resonate with people outside the geek community I'm just not sure.

Where Old ICBMs Go to Die...

This was the first launch for Orbital Sciences Corporation's Minotaur V rocket.  Launched from Wallops Island off the coast of Virginia it was visible over much of the east coast.  Like many of Orbital's rockets it is derived older military rockets of both US and Russian design.

The Minotaur V is a derivative of the Peacekeeper ICBM and uses many of the ICBM's parts in these current rockets--recycling at its finest.  The Minotaur V can put almost 1,000 pounds into Lunar orbit and looks to have done so successfully with the LADEE NASA probe.  It is on its way to the moon (arrival date scheduled for 10/6) to study the Lunar atmosphere (really??) and dust conditions on the surface (again....really??)  Ahhh...leave it to NASA to spend billions looking for answers to questions that don't need answering...Regardless...nicely done by all parties involved.

Lac-aux-Sables Rallye 2013 Results...

 Once again, its been a few weeks since the event and I'm just now getting around to recapping it.  Its not that I wanted to avoid writing about it, its a combination of wanting (hoping?) some more photos and video might come out of the event and also just trying to let it all sink in.  Honestly when I get back from a rally it takes me a bit to decompress and figure out the good and bad.

For Lac-aux-Sables 2013 I would be partnering with a new co-driver, one Anthony Burden who I had come to know through other rally events.  Traditionally a driver only, Lac-aux-Sables would be a new experience for Anthony as well who was looking to see things from the silly seat side of things.

The truck was in great shape having actually taken it out for an extended shakedown just one week prior to the event and all systems seemed to be operating as normal.  We actually got a good start on the trip mid morning on Friday, go the truck loaded and were on our way.  The rain New England had been seeing for about a week tapered off as we headed north and Anthony's big Ford van towed everything with ease.  We arrived in the early evening in the tiny town where tech and the start of the event would take place (several hours North of the St. Lawrence seaway and way out in the middle of nowhere), got tech'd with no problem and then headed off for our "hotel".

Our "hotel" (graciously set up for us by the organize of Lac-aux-Sables) turned out to be someones house which had been turned into a bed & breakfast of sorts.  Beds (or should I say "bed") were provided while breakfast was not.  Fortunately the hardwood floor of the bedroom was clean for Anthony to lie upon (as were the sheets where I, the driver!!, slept) and the hosts were friendly.  Still, it was a bit odd for me--we rally people are generally smelly, dirty, and prone to drip vehicle fluids wherever we go--staying in a place with doilies on the bureau and a decor like my grandmother's.

Race day dawned bright and pleasant and we scrounged up some food at a local grocery store (one thing I think my co-drivers have come to realize is that on race day I generally live on a meager amount of food consisting of a couple granola bars and that's about it beyond a one gallon jug of water) and we were off for recce.  I've come to wish more and more for a second vehicle in which to do recce as I hate using the race truck for "practice" on race day--gods forbid something goes wrong to a perfectly running vehicle while we're just trundling around making notes, but we completed the run through and prepared to begin.

Of the 32 entries in the event we were relegated toward the back given my relative slow finishes at the first two events of the year.  This doesn't have much impact on us as we're not concerned about debris being stirred up or anyone needing to "sweep" the road in front of us.  It was evident early on that this event would suit the NISMO Stuff Frontier more so than the prior two events in '13 with two vehicles dropping out on the first stage and a third on the second stage--in fact (though we didn't know this at the time) the first three cars to DNF on the day were all ahead of us in the standings for the year).

Vehicles continued to drop out all day long with 2WD cars taking an especially hard beating.  We offered assistance where we could, spotting a vehicle on fire at the end of one stage and Anthony leaped into action using both of our vehicle's fire extinguishers to put it out (no one was hurt fortunately) and coped well with the roughest terrain I've seen so far in the Quebec series (I love it!!!).  Some sections reminded me of a Baja style goat trail with lots of softball size rocks littering the course and a section where the cars had to route around a particularly rough area while we just pinned it and straightlined it up the hill.  Perhaps not my favorite "roads" thus far in Quebec, but by far my favorite terrain.

This is not to say we escaped unscathed.  On that particular rough section, one of the aforementioned rocks is thought to have been kicked up and clipped the right, rear brake line.  I would have thought the stainless steel braided line to be able to fend off such a blow but I was soon smelling what we first thought was an overheating engine.  Shortly we realized that we would only smell this odor immediately after pressing on the brakes and theorized that a line was squirting the brake fluid onto the hot rear brake area where it was being cooked off.  A full push on the brakes confirmed that we had lost pressure and would be challenged to bring the truck to a reasonable stop.

Finishing the stage at about 70% normal speed I was generally comfortable with pumping the brakes multiple times to create pressure as a similar experience when a banjo fitting had come loose at Rally West Virgina had prepared me.  This time however we (Anthony really) was able to cobble together a solution via some borrowed vice grips and some zip ties by which he pinched off the line and mounted the grips securely underneath the truck.  We would have three points of brakes for the remainder of the event but at least we were still running!

We also ran into some timing issues of our own creation that would turn out to bite us harder than we would have first imagined.  Suffering two minutes of penalties by the end of the event due to checking in early on one stage in combination with becoming lost in our notes and running most of the stages for long sections without their benefit didn't keep us from finishing but did keep us from finishing on the podium.

Perhaps the most unique stages of the event came right at the end of the day were, as dusk is rushing on, the event runs a kind of "super special" down a fast, two mile section of road with multiple train track crossings at which the whole town seemingly turns out to watch the vehicles jump.  Having spectators this close to the race course was a new experience and hard to ignore.  I am not sure the tracks were abrupt enough, nor the speeds obtained, high enough to overcome the trucks near 18"s of suspension travel but we sure did try!

The NISMO Stuff Racing Frontier, sponsored by BodyArmorOutlet.com would finish the event in 19th position of 32 entries and finished 4th of nine in the John Nichols Cup class.  Third place and our first podium of the year eluded us by only 32 seconds, far less than our two minutes in penalties (the team ahead of us had none).  We were so close.

Regardless, we had a good run, put in some good work and finished yet ANOTHER rally.  Most notably is that with this respectable finish and 4th place points the team moves up into a tie for third overall on the year in the John Nichols Cup standings with one event remaining in October.  Consistency is always my friend running this truck.  So in the end it was as most rallies are--a bit of good, a bit of bad, a bit of what might have been.  But when you bring the vehicle home in one piece, you had a good time and you experienced a bit of adventure that is so absent from modern life one can't really complain...

Ride Apart's Honda Grom Review

OK so this bike looks juvenile, silly, perhaps a bit stupid even.  From the moment I saw it however I wanted one.  A small bike I could throw around, get back and forth to work on and get 130 mpg for under $3k?  Sign me up.

These are evidently in BIG demand too.  Saw a new-ish (50+ miles) one for sale locally for $4k this weekend, a 33% markup from sticker and from reports there is a waiting list for them and they sell practically as soon as they hit the floor.  I'm also betting there will be a huge aftermarket for them as well.  Anyone buy up that "HondaGromOwnersClub.com" website yet?

Ride Apart's Review of the Honda Grom...

Book Review: Leviathan Wakes

Written by the combination of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under the pen name of James S.S. Corey (why?), Leviathan Wakes is one of the first large form Sci-Fi books I've written in quite some time and one of the most entertaining I've ever read.

Make no mistake, this isn't "hard" sci-fi.  You won't be getting into multipage descriptions of the technological minutiae of a propulsion drive or the math required to calculate the force necessary to move a heavenly body out of its orbit.

What you do get is a fully formed and eminently believable "world" in which the story functions.  Extrapolating from today's space technology, political machinations and corporate expansion, Corey weaves an extremely detailed pathway for his characters to ride.

Corey also does a fantastic job of literally weaving the story together--taking two characters and alternating chapters between them until they come together later in the story and then towards the end returning to the alternating perspective as the characters again are separated.  The convention works well and lends itself well to holding the reader's attention.

The story itself involves the hunt for a missing woman and the eventual conspiracy that is uncovered as being responsible for her death (? here as I'm not sure she really "dies").  You have all the typical features of a great sci-fi story with space battles, weird creatures, items floating around, the danger of space's vacuum, etc.  In fact, much of the story carries familiar aspects that we've all encountered elsewhere--whether its in Alien, Blade Runner, 28 Days Later, Outbreak, etc.  Corey is not exactly breaking new ground in terms of storytelling but he has wrapped together a number of genres into a very entertaining package.

With Leviathan Wakes being the first novel in a trilogy, it does what it sets out to do--which is to get you looking for the next chance you get to buy the followup.

Book Review: Ishi In Two Worlds

Published first in 1961 popular work recounts what came to be known about "Ishi" the last "wild" Indian in North America.

Walking out of the Northern California forests at the age of 49  in 1911 and arrested for trying to steal some meat, Ishi had spent the previous three years alone after the last of his tribe (Yahi) had either been killed or driven into extinction.

The book covers the long downward spiral of his tribe and northern California Indian tribes in general facing threats such as smallpox, land encroachment and just pure extermination by some of the Western settlers.  That Ishi and the Yahi hung on as long as they did was amazing and his brief incorporation into "modern" society in San Francisco is just as stunning.

The work doesn't have a lot of first hand material to work with.  Ishi could speak only minimal English before his death and no other Indians spoke his language (parts of, yes, but wholly? No).  Instead what material Theodora Kroeber had to work with were the recordings, writings and recollections of her husband Alfred Kroeber and other scientists and workers around the UCSF museum that he made his home during his brief stay in modern America.

The book is well worth the read covering a very interesting period in American history when the last vestiges of what we think of as the "old world" before the white man arrived, disappeared or mutated into reservation constrained perversions. In truth, to me the more interesting parts were those covering the decline of Ishi's tribe and culture vs. Ishi's efforts to eke out a life in modern society which, while necessary, are a sad denouement to what was a brave and remarkable life.

New Garmin VIRB Action Camera

As the owner of a Replay XD action camera and a constant observer of GoPros and other action cams I'm always interested in new and affordable, high quality video recorder that can take a beating.

Garmin (the company known for all its GPS related devices) is attempting to diversify itself with its Garmin VIRB action camera.  Likely a good idea as GPS information is becoming ubiquitous in seemingly every device that we own and turn by turn directions are available on nearly everyone's phone.

Though I haven't used the VIRB personally, I will say that upon initial impressions I'm not sure this is going to offer Garmin a new, viable, revenue stream.  For one thing its price point is too high at $299 and $399.  With middle of the road GoPros and Replay XDs going for significantly less and WiFi capabilities being built in on other models, the VIRB doesn't offer that much extra to justify the higher cost.

Secondly, it just LOOKS big and bulky right down to its attachments.  While the Replay XD is downright miniscule and unobtrusive and the GoPros have sleek mounting units (comparatively) the VIRB looks like it belongs mounted on some sort of crane or boom at a movie shoot and not on your head or bike.

Lastly, the video footage that Garmin has put up on their site is, well, less than impressive.  While GoPro has the marketing aspect of their product down tight (LOVE the videos of surfing in Hawaii or boarding at Mt. Hood or on a baby's head in the kitchen) with just gorgeous TV advertisements making everyone think "Wow, I could look that cool in my own video.  Look at the colors and clarity!!" the videos on the Garmin site reportedly from the VIRB look drab and boring without emotion or humor.

Again--I haven't used this camera myself so it could certainly surprise me...It just screams that it is a first effort from a company that has traditionally been focused on satellites rather than producing more fun and artistic products.

Wired GadgetLab on Garmin VIRB...

2015 Nissan Armada Will NOT Get Titan's Diesel Engine...

It would have seemed like a no brainer...but I guess it isn't...

It was revealed today that while the 2015 Nissan Titan will get the V8 Cummins Turbo-diesel and its SUV sibling, the Nissan Armada, will be redesigned at the same time and use the same frame and other underpinnings as the new Titan, much as it does today, it will not be offered with a diesel.

This is kind of odd as I would imagine the SUV will get at least as bad gas mileage as the truck version but maybe Nissan's internal info says that families and others more likely (soccer moms?) to buy the SUV over the pickup truck have no interest in a diesel option. This is about the only thing I can think of at the moment...

The new Armada will remain a body-on-frame truck based vehicle and will remain LARGE in size. Nissan plans to use lightweight materials and aero-packages (active aero?) to hopefully eke out whatever mileage improvements they can.

Next Gen Armada NOT to get diesel engine...

Lac Aux Sables Rallye -- More Video...

This is the event's official video, recapping nearly all vehicles twice and at multiple locations. For the NISMOStuff Racing Frontier this means an appearance at about 5:10 and 10:05 of the video. Nothing too exciting here but it does show that we were there! My much belated report on the event as a whole to come shortly.

Juke-R Crash on Video...

Well, this sure sucks...though more for whoever is going to be taking a hit to their pocketbook to repair this vehicle.  With a Juke body laid over a GT-R driveline this vehicle is in excess of $500,000, exceedingly rare and it appears to have been quickly driven by its customer directly into a cement wall.  Reportedly the driver walked away but the passenger is in the hospital and the car (which is almost entirely custom from top to bottom) is a disaster...

Nissan Juke: Star Wars Edition??

For some reason the Nissan Juke seems to attract Star Wars fans/comparisons.  There have already been a number of Star Wars themed You Tube videos with Stormtroopers in them over the past couple years and it appears as if Nissan corporate has gotten on the bandwagon.

Teasing some sort of Nissan Juke Star Wars linkup, Nissan has just released a number of screenshots with a red and white Stormtrooper hyping the "Nissan Juke: The New Story" as well as the video you see below.  Some of the language, including that of the original poster of the video, is in Japanese so is this a Japan only announcement?  Have Disney (now owners of Star Wars/Lucas Arts) made some sort of marketing arrangement?  I honestly don't know but it appears as if 8/26/13 is the date we will find out.

Nissan Titan Diesel Details!!

Are you ready for this!?!?  It appears the next gen Nissan Titan will have not just one diesel choice but two!!  Details are still coming it but it appears that there will be a turbo diesel 4-cyl as well as a monster eight cylinder Cummins diesel!  First numbers I've seen flying around are 500 ft. lbs of torque and 300 HP.  Very nice!!  We will continue to update!!

Update: Link to the Nissan release below and there is no mention of a turbo 4-cyl...just the turbo 8-cyl which will be 5 liters in size produce OVER 300 HP and have "mid 500" ft. lbs. of torque...

Nissan Announces Turbo Diesel Titan... 

Nissan Titan Flying Off Freeway...

Looks like some people are using the Titan the way it was intended, airing it out over huge jumps with no regard for human life...While pulling a landscaping trailer and equipment no less!  This Vine video was captured recently and shows what looks to be a silver Nissan Titan taking the decidedly wrong way down a highway.  Enjoy!!

Cummins Confirms Diesel Engine for Nissan Titan

Confirming what has long been suspected/rumored, Cummins is announcing today their agreement to produce diesel engines for the next generation Nissan Titan.  Rumored to be a 4 cyl. turbo diesel we may get more details later today and perhaps they will be producing a large mill as well.  This is big news as Nissan will have beaten Toyota to the punch to being the first foreign manufacturer to embrace the torque, towing and mpg possibilities that oil burners provide.

Given the way public companies work I would envision that this announcement means that the  Nissan bound diesels will be rolling off the assembly line within the next 12 months, indicating that the '15 Titan should be on dealership floors in Q3/Q4 '14.  More details to follow as they become available.

Gimme my Nissan Titan diesel NOW!!

Cummins confirms production of diesel engines for Nissan...

Movie Review: Argo

Finally got around to seeing this film.  I've liked Affleck's other directorial works including The Town and Gone Baby Gone.  Argo continues Affleck's solid directorial resume.  While none of these three films will blow you away with storytelling, editing, acting or directorial chops.  What all will do is entertain the viewer.

Argo entertains the viewer with far fewer bullets and explosions than most films of similar ilk and there is little "action" as it were, in the film.  Almost all of the suspense and action here takes place in the minds of the viewer and characters.  Tension isn't hard to develop given the circumstances (escapees from the Iranian embassy takeover in 1980 hiding in the Canadian embassy) surrounding them as the risk of instant death at the hands of religious zealots awaits any mistake.

In a case of "if it weren't true, no one would believe it" the plot revolves around an American CIA effort to extract said escapees from Iran under the guise of a Canadian science fiction movie location shoot.  That such a scheme actually worked says a lot more about the lax airport security and overall lack of intelligence oversight during that period of time and place than it does about the quality of the plan (please see my review of The Skies Belong to Us for an insight into airport security during this period).  That said, it still took someone(s) with great courage to pull off the mission that successfully extracted those six American citizens.  Doing double duty, Affleck, in addition to directing, also takes on the role of Tony Mendez, the CIA agent who leads the American extraction effort.  While saddling him with a damaged marriage falls into the realm of cliche, luckily the film does not dwell there.

In truth Argo isn't a GREAT film.  Its merely a good one.  One that tells its story without getting in the way or playing its hand too heavily.  It might even be called "restrained".  Certainly other directors would have spruced up the story with more chases, more gunplay, more "gotcha" moments (even Affleck adds in a chase scene that never happened in real life toward the end of the film), but as a bit of a throwback to older "thrillers" Argo comes off fresh compared to something like Die Hard 4 or other set pieces for demolition crews.  While not deserving of its eventual Best Picture and other Oscar nods (there is nothing here that really grips you emotionally or that blows you away artistically), Argo is a good film not for what it is, but instead for what it isn't.

Movie Review: The Book of Eli

Some people hate bad movies.  I, in fact, hate, bad movies.  The Book of Eli however reminded me why you can come to love bad movies.  Make no mistake about it, The Book of Eli is a baaaaad movie.  It is a stinking pile of poo movie.  It does, however, make you appreciate all the things you enjoy about GOOD movies.  That is the best thing that can be said for it.

The film makes little sense, is poorly filmed, and is poorly acted.  The Hughes Brothers directed this sham and continue to find work as some sort of Hollywood affirmative action program.  They were blessed with some fine actors for the film--Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis are A list actor but are completely wasted--Kunis in particular.

In a post-apocalyptic world where women serve only as chattel and playthings, Kunis (as Solara--in a world somehow burned to a near crisp) appears as a walkoff from your local Prada shoot whining her way through the film as a dumb, powerless, waif.  Denzel plays a blind man (your welcome for revealing this spoiler so you don't have to watch the film) who is walking across North America in order to deliver the last remaining copy of the Bible to a place where it will be cared for.  Oldman (as Carengie--notice the juvenile naming conventions?) is a small town master controlling the local biker gang thugs.

The film plays out in a straight line--Denzel (as Eli) enters the town, has to kill some bikers, Carnegie wants the book Eli carries and Solara tags along with Eli...blah, blah, blah.  With the first half of the movie being filmed about 50% in sloooooow-motion (we get it, Eli is supposed to be a badass---oooooooo) the film seems interminable.  Then when Carnegie realizes Eli isn't going to hand over the Bible (really??  Every single one has been burned??  The bikers find copies of Oprah's magazine but can't find a Bible???) and the "chase" begins we get into a bad rendition of The Road Warrior.  The washed out look of the film and crispness of the shots just brings attention to the ridiculousness of the characters.  Even the big "twists" to the film feel forced and contrived---Really??  Eli is blind and able to walk around slicing and dicing bad guys, yeah, that's believable.  And Solara taking on Eli's role as a road walking tough out to find her mom and clear the world of evil scourges??  She gonna do that in her high heels, 110 pounds and manicure??

As bad as the movie is, I'd recommend watching it just to remind yourself that yes, bad movies are out there and sometimes they're even populated with good/great actors.  Bad direction and bad writing cannot be overcome, not by anyone.

Lac-Aux-Sables Rallye 2013 -- Video

This isn't the official video of the event which should be coming out in the next few days but it does capture a few passes of many of the vehicles.  Included here in three instances (one at the 11 second mark, a second at the three minute mark and lastly at the 4:25 mark) of the NISMO Stuff Racing Frontier.  Once in a still shot awaiting the beginning of a stage and two at higher speeds including one of the train track jump.  From what I can see the suspension was certainly drooped coming over the jump but I'm not sure if the truck ever left the ground.  If it did, it wasn't by much...

Found: A New Species of Carnivore!

And a mammal to boot!  As I always say--I love this stuff!  Just makes you realize, we don't know everything that is out there and there is still more to be discovered, if only we look and explore for it.  Plus the thing is so damn cute!!

New carnivore discovered in South America...

Brilliant: SpaceX Grasshopper Conducts Lateral Flight Test

Awesome to see the Grasshopper making consistent progress!  Here we have the first lateral flight test for the VTVL rocket where it moves some 1000+ feet away from its landing/launching pad before returning to ground zero.  Of particular note here is that it was on just such a test as this that the NASA Delta Clipper experimental vehicle had a catastrophic failure thus ending that program in the mid 1990's.

Mr. Musk's programs continue to impress (as well as his engineers who appear to be the best in the world currently at developing space/rocket technology---Oh what I would do to work there!!)

How to Repair Paint Chips...

As a rally truck owner, driving on gravel is a frequent occurrence.  With the gravel comes flying rocks.  With flying rocks comes lots of paint chips.  Now I'm not one who needs my race vehicle to look like a detailer's dream but I would like to keep it relatively presentable and keep rust away (from the body parts that are still metal at this point).

I've done some touchup of chips myself but always found the results lacking.  This video however seems fantastic for the proper instruction and tools necessary to get the job done right.  Now to go get some more tools and supplies!

Video of the 2013 Lac Aux Sables Rallye, Stage #7, Rang 3 #1

This is the only video I took from the event (which I will recap shortly).  It is of the shortest stage of the race, a stage we ran twice at the end of the day.  This is the first run down this stage and the slower of the two.  There were three train track crossings and three big jumps on the stage which had lots of spectators along the road.  I haven't seen any video of the truck going over the jumps so I don't know if it got off the ground or not.  I have a feeling on the second and faster run that it did but I am not 100% sure.  Its hard to tell with the softness of the suspension at speed.  I also need to figure out how to post these videos at a higher resolution on YouTube.  They are being filmed in 720 HD but are only going up on YouTube at 480...Here it is for your enjoyment (or not!)

Fuck You China!

Well, here's about the biggest middle finger I can think of that anyones given China in a while.

What we have here is the newly commissioned (yesterday 8/6/13) Japanese "destroyer class" Izumo.  It is classified as a "flat top destroyer" but if you're like me (and the rest of the sentient world) this looks much more like a carrier.  And it will be used as a carrier--just as a helicopter carrier only (supposedly) for now.

The 14 helicopters and "destroyer" will be used for anti-submarine, surveillance and disaster relief duties for now.  Correct me if I'm wrong however but typically you want your anti-submarine ships to be fast, small and nimble--not the lumbering, conventionally powered (the Japanese seem to still  be averse to nuclear power within their armed forces) bullseye that this ship represents.  You don't invest the capital required (some $1.2 billion) in a ship and staff it with some 1,000 crew to go hunt submarines.

While China has been busy buying old Russian carriers and trying to refurbish them and put them into service, Japan has just leapfrogged China's capability to project power in the region.  Though satellite shots show China having just begun construction on its first home built aircraft carrier this week (full construction to take about five years).

Though not nuclear powered, Japan doesn't seek here to project power across the globe and a conventional ship such as this can easily ply the waters around Japan and the South China Sea.  With the F-35B on order by Japan being a short/VTOL aircraft, the Izumo instantly becomes a massive thorn in China's side and one which they really have no counter to at the moment.  Oh, and Japan has the build of a second one of these "destroyers" already underway.

For comparison's sake here is the size of the Izumo (the largest Japanese military ship put into service since WWII)

Izumo (commissioned 2013):
Length--820 ft.
Beam--124 ft.
Weight--19,500 tons (empty)
Crew--970
Speed--30 mph
Aircraft--14 Helicopters

Gerald Ford Class American SuperCarrier (to be commissioned 2016)
Length--1,106 ft.
Beam--252 ft.
Weight--100,000 tons
Crew--4,300
Speed--35 mph+
Aircraft--75+

Kuznetsov Class Carrier (China's current carrier bought from Russia, commissioned 1990)
Length--1,001 ft.
Beam--236 ft.
Weight--43,000 tons
Crew--1,500
Speed--30+ mph
Aircraft--35

Honda CB500F Review

I seem to be getting more and more interested in motorcycles.  Not pure street bikes necessarily, I don't want a crotch rocket but something of the two wheeled variety would be nice.  So I head over to the Ride Apart website frequently to see what new and interesting bikes they are reviewing as their writing and West Coast location for testing fits my interests to a T.

Here was an interesting one I ran across today that looks great for an entry level road bike for me.  The Honda CB500F.  For about $5500 this bike looks and sounds like a ton of fun for someone like me and without the poser day-glo paint or graphics and with a more upright stance.  It actually looks like an adult's motorcycle and not something you frequently see slid underneath a SUV with a local ambulance parked nearby.  One item I did not see covered in the article however was whether or not the $500 upgrade to ABS brakes is worth it.  I'm familiar with ABS in my cars and I hate it but I assume its a far different scenario on a bike and would be curious as to the difference.

That being said, if I was in the market for a road only bike right now, I would definitely be looking at one of these given my lack of experience and tastes.

Ride Apart Honda CB500F Review...

Book Review: The Skies Belong to Us

As a long time fan of Wired magazine (I was a subscriber from issue #1 for many years before my interest in all things computer related waned but have been following them more closely again as they have branched out into so many other areas) seeing that the author of this book possessed some Wired pedigree got me beyond just viewing the front cover as I knew it would be well written and interesting.

I was not disappointed. Brendan Koerner uses one airline hijacking in particular to delve into the whole skyjacking phenomenon prevalent throughout the 60's and 70's. From the reluctance of the airlines to submit to passenger screenings to the sometimes off the hinges methods behind the skyjackings, Koerner covers it all with humor and insight. This is not to say the the book is funny, its not. Its just that its overall attitude is an off the cuff, slightly irreverent one that I enjoy.

One comes away from the book understanding why skyjacking rose in prominence and frequency during this period and why it is nearly extinct today. In today's world of undressing, full body scans, explosive material wipedowns, confiscation of water bottles, etc. it seems downright amazing that in 70's individuals were allowed to board unscreened, unsearched and virtually unquestioned. Carrying a loaded gun onto a plane?? Sure, have at it!!

Not only that but the policies in place by both the airlines and the federal government virtually ensured via their complete capitulation to the hijackers on all terms and conditions (a million dollars?? Sure!! Here you go!) that the numbers and severity of the instances would only increase.

While the book focuses on the hijacking of a plane in California by a Richard Holder (African American, Vietnam Vet with delusions of the many and varied kind) and Cathy Kerkow (a white, hippy, moron--are there any other kind?) and its resulting attempt to free a communist philosophy teacher from her murder charges while absconding with $500,000 at first to North Vietnam and when that didn't work out, to Algeria where they would join the Black Panther leadership in exile and eventually gain asylum in France where they were lauded by all sorts of left wing sympathizers (Jean Paul Sartre as one amongst many).

The story of these two wanna be world changers ends with more of a whimper than a bang (best thing to be said of them is that they never directly injured anyone during their escapades) but by that point you are satisfied with the book because you've learned so much. The advent of modern day airport security, the end of hijacking as we knew it (until 9/11), the collapse of Cuba as a haven for American terrorists, the virus spreading like nature of skyjackings, etc. It is shocking to someone of my age to find out that during the late 60's and early 70's that there could generally be said to occur a skyjacking on American soil every week. Compare that to the 1990's where there wasn't a single skyjacking in the entire decade and you realize the massive change that has occurred. Prior to reading this book I thought the famed case of DB Cooper (the guy who got a ransom and then parachuted out of a plane with said ransom into the wilds of the American Northwest, never to be found) was a one off instance--turns out it was one of MANY instances where hijackers commandeered an airplane, received money and jumped from the plane with a parachute (to one level of success or another). I was dumbfounded. You mean there was a time in recent history where people were routinely taking over planes, obtaining six figures ransom sums and parachuting out all around the country?? That's insane! And sometimes it takes a quality bit of reporting and storytelling to bring the craziness of our recent, overlooked history to light.