All of my car-owning buddies used to kid me because I never had a real hot rod. Well, a little over a year ago, a guy named Randy Grubb showed up at my garage. He was hauling a trailer with a car on it that he and a pal of his, Mike Leeds, had built. Unfortunately, the car had no rear brakes, headlights or turn signals and was far from road legal. However, it did have a 190-in. wheelbase and an engine from an M-47 Patton tank. Naturally, it got my attention.

So I handed over shopping bags full of $20 bills and the car was mine. And, it stopped all of that no-hot-rod nonsense I was hearing--in a hurry.
...
This engine is an AV-1790-5B and it's 1792 cu. in. It has overhead cams and Hemi heads. Since it was designed to move a tank, it puts out 810 hp and makes 1560 ft.-lb. of torque. But you can't just hit the local neighborhood NAPA store for replacement parts on one of these. Fortunately, a fellow by the name of Roy Smith has a surplus company in Augusta, Ga., and he has piles of them sitting there.

To be Leno - a real car guy

k wrote:

]
] He can be a dick, but you gotta admire Moore's tenacity. -k]

Moore pretty much *is* a dick and if your viewpoint counters his, stay the hell out of his way. Of course, generating outrage is his biggest appeal IMO. It's looking like this whole thing was nothing more than a publicity stunt.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=518901

RE: CBS News | Disney Blocks Anti-Bush Film | May 5, 2004 10:07:58

WASHINGTON, DC—John Ashcroft, the tough, no-nonsense U.S. attorney general famous for his refusal to take orders, was assigned a rookie trainee Tuesday.

"John's taking it well," President Bush said, introducing Ashcroft's new partner, Deputy Attorney General Nate N. Burnhard, to the press. "He threw a couple chairs around the office, and he broke the two-way mirror in the Department of Justice squad room, but I'm sure it won't be long before he comes around to the idea of showing Burnhard here the ropes. It's about time John came in from the cold and started playing along with the team."

Lone Wolf Ashcroft given rookie partner

A valet trying to park a sports utility vehicle accidentally hit a parked BMW, sending the unoccupied car halfway off a deck and dangling over the street and a parked SUV below.

The incident took place about 2 p.m. Wednesday inside and part-way outside a a Midtown Atlanta parking garage at 230 Spring Street. No injuries were reported.

The SUV and the front end of the BMW were intertwined in the collision. Emergency crews were able to pull the BMW safely back into the garage without incident.

How not to park a BMW

Florence, Italy - Historians have found convincing evidence that Leonardo da Vinci developed the first search engine. Recently uncovered Da Vinci diaries describe how he collaborated with his neighbor, Googlio, to enable a renaissance in searching.
...
After Domini's overcharged him for a pizza one Friday night, da Vinci wondered if Googlio could find the best prices in town. By this time Googlio was too busy with other searches, but suggested his brother, Frooglio, might be able to help. Frooglio determined that Piccolo Caesar's had the cheapest pizza in town.

Da Vinci Credited with Developing First Search Engine

Dear Annie:
A while back I read that the average starting salary of MBAs in my home state was $77,000, which sounded pretty good. So I enrolled in an MBA program that isn't Ivy League caliber, but accredited and very demanding. Now, having spent $37,000 and 2 1/2 years of hard work, I have received zero job offers. Was going to business school a costly mistake?
Disillusioned

If you have to ask...

Was Getting My MBA a Waste of Time?

Police in New Jersey have seized items of Michael Jackson memorabilia, including a pair of Calvin Klein underpants.

Police say the items might be used in the child molestation case against the beleagured pop superstar.

Monmouth County prosecutor, Robert Honecker, said the items had been secured by forensic unit detectives in early March.

The seizure followed a request from the district attorney in Santa Barbara County, California, where Jackson lives.

The memorabilia belonged to Henry Vaccaro who, according to Honecker, acquired the items several years ago as part of a lawsuit settlement.

Used underware as a lawsuit settlement? WTF ?!?! Why do celeb trials have to be such a freaking spectacle?

POLICE GRAB JACKO'S UNDIES

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- A federal drug agent shot himself in the leg during a gun safety presentation to children in what police describe as an accident. His bosses, however, are still investigating the incident.

Irony I ro ny
1. Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs: “Hyde noted the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated” (Richard Kain).

2. An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity.

Gun safety presenter shoots self

Decius wrote:
] So newspapers all over the planet are blaring these pictures
] today on the front page, but the issue seems to be 3rd page
] news in the domestic American media and the pictures are very
] difficult to locate online. Here they are. This isn't all of
] them but its enough.
]
] The soldiers explanations about having not gotten proper
] guidance from management seems ridiculous in light of the
] photographs. It should be obvious to anyone that this behavior
] is inappropriate.
]
] In case you haven't seen the stories, the individual on the
] box has been told that if he falls off the box he will be
] electrocuted...

Despicable, Deplorable and Abhorrent! I can only hope the full weight of the UCMJ is thrown at the participants and that they are made to be an example that justice can be served upon those who abuse privilege.

It never ceases to amaze me how easily normally "good" people can be corrupted to put their morals aside when a mob mentality takes over. Regardless of why those prisoners were in our custody, there is no better time than the current to apply the golden rule, esp when the world is watching.

RE: The Abu Ghraib Prison Photos

Hollywood, CA - Paramount announced that it had released the long awaited service pack for the original Star Trek series. Entitled Star Trek: SP1, the patch includes fixes for technical goofs and other errors, which have nagged fans for decades.
Paramount used the latest in digital editing technology to correct the errors and scoured newsgroups and interviewed fans to find all the problems they needed to correct. The service pack is available in DVD, VHS or in digital format from the Paramount website.

Paramount President Franz Pike said, "We fixed everything, from obvious errors like the glaring differences between Shatner and his stunt double to more obscure fixes like removing Spock's 'third ear' in 'The Immunity Syndrome.' We think fans will be pleased."

BB Spot: Paramount Releases Highly Anticipated Service Pack for Star Trek