If you own a vintage auto built between 1919 and 1942 near San Francisco, you could take part in the Gatsby Summer Afternoon by the Art Deco Society of California at an extravaganza of a picnic on the secluded grounds of the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, where everyone dresses in period style.

http://www.gatsbysummerafternoon.com/gallery/

the incredibly wealthy, they do buy nice cars...

Lynn Park, a recognized expert in Cobras, is prepping CSX 3346 for Pebble Beach. It has less than 3000 miles on it, and has been treasured like King Tut's sarcophagi for since it was first bought in 1968, in the few last few dozen of the original production run. If anyone had ever enjoyed it, they would have driven it.

Now owned by Evan Metropoulos, brother of Daren, who had Chip Foose build the Terracuda and bought the Playboy Mansion, son of C. Dean Metropoulos, 2 billionaire who convinced rockabilly hot rodders that Pabst was good tasting, and who bought up Hostess when they went bankrupt.

CSX 3346 still has its initial invoice, most of its original belts and hoses, factory spark plug wires and engine compartment and drive train markings, plus the same Goodyear Blue Dot tires it left the production line on.

The New York Times says that Evan will be making a car museum in Van Nuys.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/29/automobiles/collectibles/at-pebble-beach-where-rare-is-common-a-shelby-cobra-stands-out.html

new California law will result in temp plates and get rid of the slip of paper in the window for new car purchases

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Monday requiring that newly purchased vehicles display temporary license plates.

The bill aimed to stop toll-road cheats and ensure law enforcement officers can identify vehicles on the road. California currently requires only a small notice of sale, which can't be read or photographed from a distance, to be displayed on a vehicle while the owner is waiting for permanent plates.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/New-law-will-require-temporary-license-plates-California-388173862.html

Drivers were cheating at toll plazas by driving through with no license plates or Fastrak units, so there was no way to make the drivers pay. Using data obtained from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the reports showed that uncollected tolls were resulting in more than ten million dollars in lost annual revenue for the state.

The old method of temp registration paperwork taped to the inside of the windshield also posed a public safety hazard according to police frustrated by cases where criminals were able to commit crimes and then get away from law enforcement officers with no license plate to track.

Anyone who buys a car from a new or used dealer in California will get their vehicle with a temporary paper license plate already put in place and linked to that specific vehicle. Each year, about 2 million new vehicles are purchased in California.

The new law is expected to take effect January 1, 2019.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/181512505-story

Fifteen states, 3,000 miles, one bike path from Florida to Maine. 30% complete, and slowly growing. Might be done in 15 more years. The biking equivalent of the hiker's Appalachian Trail

the Greenway Bike Trail, is being built by the non-profit organization East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) is already 850 miles long, or about 30 percent complete, with another 200 miles expected to be completed in the next four years.

The project has been underway for 25 years so far, and that equals only 34 miles per year.
They are building different segments of a trail that relies almost entirely on local volunteers to ensure the path is up to code, and linking together sections of other trails.

The trail is intended to be completely off-road once it is finished, though currently it uses interim on-road sections.

The trail connects several existing bike paths such as the trail following the length of the Hudson River in New York, and a 25-mile-long path along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

As it winds down the coast, the East Coast Greenway passes through 450 communities in 15 states,  mostly following the rivers and old train tracks connecting the cities and towns along the coast.

Each of the Greenway-designated sections conforms to standard trail requirements: The material of the path must be strong enough to support a touring bike, and the lanes have to be wide enough so people can safely pass, about 10 feet wide.


http://www.simplemost.com/new-3000-mile-bike-trail-will-let-bike-maine-florida/
http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2016/06/a-bike-path-for-the-entire-east-coast/489155/

Last July the robot mech challenge was issued and replied, and now we are finally getting closer to full human-piloted battle robots.

they made it to CES 2016, but weren't allowed to shoot down drones.. so, they ended up demonstrating some box smashing. Ho hum.  If they were ready to shoot down drones, or dop anything spectacular, there would be a you tube video of it, and they would be getting sponsors like Red Bull and Go Pro to jump into the arena of bot fighting.

and concept art for the Mk II is this star spangled, eagle head gatling gun bedecked, chainsaw heaving - supercharged engine powered idea:

If you put a small block in each forearm to power the chainsaw and hydraulics, this would be epic

It's been a year since the 12 month deadline challenge, and nothing is even close to getting half way to being bolted together, not the plans, not the bots, and not a clue as to if the Japanese are even still committed. I looked, and they have zero on the internet about a bot even in planning stages.

If they kick this off, and get some publicity to help along, and some other crazy bot teams to enter, this is very likely the next UFC, and the newest billion dollar sport, like WWE, UFC, and Nascar. All 3 make over a billion a year.

If they don't show up to San Diego Comic Con they are fools... the free publicity at SDCC can't even be dreamed of

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/07/lets-get-ready-for-rumble-of-robot-wars.html

http://www.techtimes.com/tags/megabots

https://www.facebook.com/megabotsinc/
https://www.facebook.com/suidobashijuko/

http://suidobashijuko.jp/#bto

http://www.cnet.com/pictures/these-giant-real-life-anime-mechas-do-battle-for-your-amusement/

http://www.gizmag.com/kuratas-suidobashi-megabots-giant-robot-battle-2016-gundams/38352/

https://www.megabots.com/

http://www.businessinsider.com/megabots-at-new-york-comic-con-2014-10

Newsflash: terrorists strike France again, 84 dead. Dozens wounded. Truck used at high speed to run over crowd celebrating Bastille Day

A truck driver plowed through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day (its national day—July 14) in Nice, France, killing dozens.

What we know:
 - At least 80 people are reported dead and 18 critically wounded
 - The driver of the truck fired shots
 - The driver was killed when police fired on the vehicle
 - The truck was loaded with weapons and grenades


A truck driver barreled for more than a mile through Bastille Day revelers thronging the famed seaside promenade here Thursday, killing scores of people and sending a terror-scarred nation reeling again.

The driver slammed the massive vehicle, which an official said was loaded with explosives and weapons, into a crowd packed with families that had come to see the celebratory fireworks, leaving bodies in his wake.

The rampage in Nice came less than two weeks before Mr. Hollande planned to lift a national state of emergency imposed after Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris. The emergency status had been extended twice since then.

After Thursday’s assault on the Riviera, he extended it for another three months, and said 10,000 soldiers would be deployed to help police and gendarmes bolster security throughout France.

“The whole of France is under the threat of Islamist terrorism,” the president said. “In these circumstances, we have to show complete vigilance and a flawless determination.”

http://www.wsj.com/articles/truck-attack-kills-dozens-in-nice-france-1468544903?tesla=y&mod=e2fb

http://abcnews.go.com/International/nice-lockdown-amid-fears-terror-attack/story?id=40590537

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3691019/Several-people-injured-truck-crashes-crowd-Bastille-Day-celebrations-Nice.html

Iowa 80 Trucking Museum will host a 100th Birthday party for its 1916 Mack AC truck on Friday, July 15th at 2:30 pm.

The event will coincide with this year’s Walcott Truckers Jamboree, July 14-16. The public is welcome to attend the celebration.

“We are fortunate to have this Mack AC. It is the first one built of the 40,299 that were manufactured between 1916 -1938”, says Dave Meier, museum curator. “It was actually shown at the Boston Auto Show when it was new and then sold to an ice delivery company. We purchased it from Harrah’s Casino in 1981 and had it professionally restored in 2002.”

https://www.facebook.com/iowa80truckmuseum/
https://iowa80truckstop.com/inews/press-release-iowa-80-truckstop-restores-the-first-mack-ac-truck-ever-built/

you can buy seat time in the pilot chair if you have $25thou, and maybe a pilots license, maybe not - in a Martin Mars today. Biggest plane of it's kind existing

The massive Martin Mars water bomber is scheduled to fly over Vancouver Island today, and the public is encouraged to come out and take photos of the iconic aircraft.

Owner Wayne Coulson said it could be the last time people will get a chance to see the mammoth machine above Vancouver Island as it prepares to head to a Wisconsin air show.

"We've had such great support from the various communities on the island," Coulson said. "Now we need to find a new home for it. That's the reason we're taking it to Oshkosh."

http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/look-up-iconic-martin-mars-to-circle-victoria-s-inner-harbour-today-1.2987116

Coulson Aviation has invested $1-million to fly the aging air tanker to the world’s largest airshow in Oshkosh, Wis. later this month. Visitors to Port Alberni have been stunned to see the plane parked on Sproat Lake this week as it prepares for the eight-hour trip on July 23.

“This is a big undertaking for us,” said Coulson project manager Mayco Noel. “We’ve been working on the aircraft for the last 90 days, with some engine repairs, some sheet metal. So it’s been, definitely, a big investment for us.”

Built in the 1940s and with a wingspan of 61 metres, the Mars is the largest aircraft of its kind still flying today.

Aviation enthusiast Kermit Weeks, who owns one of the world’s largest private vintage airplane collections, (and I just posted him flying a P 51) is footing the $40,000 gas bill in exchange for piloting the mammoth machine south of the border.

http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/martin-mars-takes-flight-again-but-are-its-days-numbered-1.2986078

https://www.facebook.com/coulsonflyingtankers

“This was the largest airplane built during World War two, the largest sea plane in the world next to the Spruce Goose so with anyone wanting to say they’ve flown the Martin Mars we’re giving people that opportunity” he added.

But the opportunity will not come cheap. A chance to sit in the cockpit, with hands on the controls in the air will cost $25,000 US.

“Day one we’re going to be doing some water taxiing, so get the feel of the airplane on the water, how we dock the airplane, doing some high speed runs and then day two we’ll actually get behind the wheel and go fly it around Port Alberni for an hour” added Coulson.

http://www.cheknews.ca/martin-mars-flight-can-25000-us-188734/

it's about time... the labor workers at the Philly Intl Airport, they've had enough, and are going to strike during the Dem Natl. Convention.

While police, hospitals and businesses are preparing to work overtime for the thousands of visitors descending upon Philadelphia for next week’s Democratic National Convention, one group is planning a picket line.

Baggage handlers, airport security workers, wheelchair attendants and aircraft cleaners at Philadelphia International Airport have voted461-5 in favor of striking during the DNC. They want to unionize and want higher wages, better benefits and work schedules.

According to service workers union SEIU 32BJ, the airport workers are employed by subcontractors who work for the airlines. You just know they are shafted on pay and benefits.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/airport-workers-vote-strike-philadelphia-democratic-national-convention/story?id=40544272

Flashback Friday gas prices, thanks to Hagerty Car Ins Co. the gas was priced the same as the year of the vehicle that drove up

Hagerty Insurance, as a tribute to the classic cars and the good ol days of cheap gas, gave a few classic car owners in Beverly Hills California a chance to top off their tanks at throwback prices last Friday, from 8am to 11am, in honor of the seventh annual Collector Car Appreciation Day.

Taking over the classic 76 gas station in Beverly Hills, at Crescent and Santa Monica, Hagerty transformed the swooping structure into an old-fashioned service station. https://www.facebook.com/events/1775523609336905/

The cost of each driver's fuel was whatever the average gasoline price was when his or her car first his the road. The owner of one 1970 Ford Mustang, for example, paid 70 cents a gallon to top off his tank. A guy in a '55 Chevy Bel Air, meanwhile, shelled out just 29 cents a gallon.

http://www.thedrive.com/news/4361/classic-cars-were-charged-by-the-model-year-at-la-gas-station-last-week
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1331441866885538.1073741958.114612551901815&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/HagertyClassicCars/?fref=ts

Hagerty also gave away 100 $50 gas cards in a Facebook give away event, selected randomly from everyone who tagged their post @HagertyClassicCars , in honor of Classic Car Appreciation Day.

Out of 700 people that entered for them, that's pretty good odds of winning

If you are wondering about the swoopy roof on this building, it's in the Googie architectural style

The canopy was designed in 1965 for the Los Angeles International Airport. When the airport plans changed, the canopy was installed here for Jack Colker's Union 76 station.

the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension admits breath tests are more than 3 times as inaccurate as urine or blood tests, potentially negating hundreds of pending DWI cases were drivers were close to the legal limit

Yesterday, in court, for the first time, a BCA scientist revealed that they are now willing to share just how inaccurate Minnesota’s breath tests actually are. The number they cited was basically “0.01,” an uncertainty figure that specifically applies to tests around the 0.08 level, and more at higher levels.

Consider this fact, helpfully provided by the Department of Public Safety: annually, Minnesota sees approximately 2,000 drivers who provide a breath sample between 0.08 and 0.09 and get charged with a DWI. With this new information, those drivers are very much "not guilty."

It’s not often that science prevails in a legal battle, especially when government scientists are doing their best to convince judges that the science doesn’t matter.

 Today it matters.

http://www.mndwidefenseblog.com/2016/07/articles/breath-testing/bureau-of-criminal-apprehension-cries-uncle/

2/3rds of California local roads and streets now need major, expensive rehabilitation

According to the AA magazine Westways, and the study 2014 California local streets and roads needs assessment http://www.savecaliforniastreets.org/

This update surveyed all of California’s 58 counties and 482 cities in 2014. The information captured data from more than 99 percent of the state’s local streets and roads – a level of participation that makes clear the local interest in addressing the growing problems of crumbling streets and roads.

and now for something new, DriveTribe. Amazon is conducting something of a global automotive enthusiast talent search

If you shoot, write, film, direct or present, and you have motoring passion in your veins, this is your chance to lead a tribe and share the stage with Clarkson, Hammond and May on their launch in the autumn.

http://drivetribe.com/driven#lead-a-tribe
https://www.facebook.com/drivetribe/
https://twitter.com/DriveTribes

Amazon just revealed that there will be a live studio recording of The Grand Tour in California. Enter now for a chance to win a trip to be part of the studio audience.

The Grand Tour is hitting the road this autumn to film shows in the UK, USA and Germany. To celebrate we're giving away tickets to fans in each location so you can come and join us.

Enter the Sweepstakes before midnight Pacific time on July 12, 2016 for a chance to win the opportunity to be in the audience, including travel, accommodation and a chance to meet the guys.

By entering the Sweepstakes, you consent to being placed on a mailing list for promotional and other materials from Amazon.com.

US: http://www.amazon.com/GTtickets
DE: http://www.amazon.de/GTtickets
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GTtickets

The prize consists of:

• Round trip economy class airfare for the winner and one guest departing from a major airport near the winner’s residence (within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia) and arriving at an airport near the destination location in California (the “Airport”);
• 2 nights standard hotel accommodations for the winner and his/her guest (single room, double occupancy) at an area hotel in or near the California destination location to be determined by Sponsor in their sole discretion (the “Hotel”); • Roundtrip ground transportation for the winner and his/her guest to/from Airport and Hotel, and to/from Hotel and Studio Recording; and
• $200 spending cash for winner only (awarded in the form of a Visa gift card) which may be used to purchase food and beverages while on trip.

Subject to talent timing and availability: the prize winner will have the chance of meeting Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May

A random drawing will be held on or about July 13, 2016 from among all eligible entries received throughout the Sweepstakes Period. We will notify the potential winner by phone or e-mail within 3 business days following the drawing

https://www.facebook.com/thegrandtour/
https://www.facebook.com/gtorangutan/
https://www.amazon.com/b?node=14771131011&tag=kinja-20

However, if you can afford to travel to Johannesburg, for July 17th 2016, there isn't any sweepstakes at all, tickets are free, and in less than a minute you can reserve up to 4 tickets, by just registering at Applause.com

After months of deliberation and lots of useful suggestions from the public, for which the guys are very grateful, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have decided that, because they are taking their new Amazon Prime Show around the world, it will be called The Grand Tour, and YOU are invited to join them in Johannesburg for the very first show.

http://www.applausestore.com/book-the-grand-tour

Protestors shut down the I-880 in Oakland, with a sit in. Effective way to get attention real fast, peacefully, if they could just keep people's emotions from running amuck

Demonstrators shut down a major highway in Oakland Thursday night to protest the recent police shootings of black men.

All lanes of Interstate Highway 880 have been reopened early Friday morning following the night of protests.

The protest, called by the groups Live Free and the Anti-Police Terror Project, started at 7 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza with a group of 100 protestors and quickly grew to about 2,000 people.

By 1:15 a.m., all protestors were cleared out and the freeway was reopened.

http://kron4.com/2016/07/08/i-880-reopens-following-protests-in-oakland/

What was a Big Red, is now extra crispy. Fuel rail hardware got loose, gas leaked all over the engine while on the track, and it all went up in smoke

After updates and while testing at Buttonwillow Raceway to diagnose some of the new build's teething issues the cooling problem was seemingly sorted, so R.J. returned to the track for more testing. Then, smoke, flames, and cooking the paint off before the fire and safety team could arrive. It is said to be rebuildable. http://www.hotrod.com/news/big-red-camaro-fire-caused-fuel-system-failure-rebuild-planned/

Just last Nov at SEMA 2015  http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/11/big-red-might-be-most-famous-camaro-i.html

Out at El Mirage in 2013 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/05/i-heard-about-it-before-i-found-it.html

Flop Gear is rid of Chris Evans... shouty man got the message, he quit last night as ratings continue to slide down the drain

He tweeted: "Stepping down from Top Gear. Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough. "I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause." His resignation comes after falling ratings for the show - which hit a series low on Sunday night, with an average of 1.9 million viewers.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36707266

college freshman Joshua Browder has automated the process of contesting parking violations - by creating a computer program which navigates the system for you, and has beaten 160,000 tickets so far, in London and New York

The 19-year-old said he came up with the idea for DoNotPay.co.uk after getting multiple parking tickets in London. “I didn’t want to pay it, so I become an expert in parking tickets,” he told the New York Post. “I started doing it for friends and family, and then I decided it would be a good school project, so I made the website.”

Mr. Browder, a British student attending Stanford University in California, launched the free service in London last year and expanded it to New York City last month. Drivers who receive parking tickets can upload their information to the site and the lawyer bot will do the rest, the teen said. In the 21 months since the launch, Mr. Browder said, the site has taken on 250,000 cases and won 160,000, giving it a success rate of 64 percent, the Post reported. Most of the tickets end up overturned because of a simple mistake in the ticket or signs, he said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/29/joshua-browder-stanford-students-robot-lawyer-has-/

Bucket list completed, 80 year old woman

Over the years, Barbara Salazar has zip lined, parasailed, and ridden in a blimp and a hot air balloon.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california/80-Year-Old-Woman-Fulfills-Bucket-List-A-Cop-Ride-a-long-384929281.html

California attorney general subpoenas oil refiners in gas-price probe

California drivers paid pump prices that have been as much as $1.50 higher than the rest of the nation since last summer.

So California state AG Harris has issued subpoenas to oil refiners as part of an investigation into unusually high gasoline prices in California during the last year.

During the Exxon Mobil Torrance outage in February 2015, California refiners reaped record net income, even as gasoline prices were falling elsewhere in the country. Beyond the Torrance outage, critics of the oil companies blamed manipulation of the gasoline market for exacerbating the price increase. 80 million gallons of gas was shipped to China in Sept 2015 http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/09/todays-new-refineries-in-california.html

Questions include why an Exxon Mobil ship was not used to deliver gasoline to California as inventories depleted as the Torrance refinery’s production level dropped below 20%.

The Torrance refinery can account for 10% of the state’s refined-gasoline capacity, and 20% of the capacity in Southern California, but rarely does, as the annual shut downs to switch from summer to winter blend and back (no idea why that is necessary when the weather doesn't change in So Cal) and when that isn't causing a shut down, the irregular explosions and break downs, and scheduled maintenance seen to take it down from optimum operation once or twice a year.