Black Beauty Comes to Town

So I get this email from Lindsay Lanier from Allied Integrated Marketing who tells me that Black Beauty is coming to Memphis for a couple of quick stops for one day and she has invited me out to take a look at this thing and even drive it, if I would like to.  Hot Dog!  I am so there.

 If the car looks kinda familiar to you, it should.  This is the Chrysler Imperial used by The Green Hornet and Kato.  One of the onlookers said that this appeared to be a one in a million car.  Actually, it's a one in thirty car since there were about that many made for the upcoming Columbia Pictures film opening Friday, January 14.  More specifically, there were only a two or three cars made that were actually drivable.  And this is one of them and is actually in a few scenes in the movie. 

Lindsay was kind enough to send me the low down on this car:

“Black Beauty” is a 1964-1966 CHRYSLER IMPERIAL that features: GM PERFORMANCE ZZ454 500HP CRATE MOTOR, RACE TRANS TURBO 400 MANUAL VALVE BODY TRANSMISSION, MOSER FORD 9 INCH REAR DIFFERENTIAL W/4.56 GEARS & DETROIT LOCKER, 4 WHEEL 12 INCH DISC BRAKES, TWIN CALIPERS IN REAR FOR STUNTS, SPEEDWAY ENGINEERING FRONT & REAR SWAY BARS, ART CARR SHIFTER, HOOKER HEADERS, FLOWMASTER MUFFLERS, COYES 20X10 REAR WHEELS 20X9 FRONT, GOODYEAR TIRES, OFF ROAD UNLIMITED REAR DROP SPRINGS, TUBULAR PANHARD BAR AND TRACTION BARS, REBUILT FACTORY FRONT SUSPENSION DROPPED 3 INCHES, 12-GALLON JAZ FUEL CELL, DEMON 750CFM CARBURETOR, K&N AIR CLEANER, MSD DISTRIBUTER AND 6AL BOX, BE-COOL ALUMINUM RADIATOR, TWIN OPTIMA BATTERIES, AUTOMETER GAUGES, GRANT STEERING WHEEL, TOMMY LEE STEERING BOX, MARCH ENGINE ACCESSORY DRIVE SYSTEM, EARLS TRANSMISSION COOLER, PAINT AND BODY WORK BY JACK’S AUTO BODY, CLEAR GLASS FROM ALLEN AUTO GLASS, and INTERIOR BY REUBENS AUTO UPHOLSTERY.

 
 If you'll notice, this car is a Chrysler Imperial but it is composed of several Imperials, from 1964 to 1966.  The front doors are suicide doors and there has been some chopping here and there to get the look they were after.  For the fun part, here's what Black Beauty has to offer:

WEAPONRY FEATURED ON “BLACK BEAUTY”

•     2 hood mounted, retractable .30 Caliber M1919 Browning Machine Guns - cartridge-fed

•     8 FIM-92A Stinger Missiles - front bumper loaded

•     1 M2 Grill mounted Flamethrower – modified

•     2 Benelli M2 20 Gauge Shotguns loaded with non-lethal, kinetic impact munitions rifles (rubber bullets / beanbags) - mounted in the light bezels

•     4 FIM-92A Stinger Missiles - rear bumper loaded

•     1 .30 Caliber M1919A6 Browning Machine Gun on tripod mount – trunk

•     2 Retractible front wheel anti-riot spikes

•     6 AR-15, 12 Gauge modified door guns - inset 3 per front suicide door

 

 Just so you know.  Everything inside this car is pure fiction.  My flipping of switches and pushing of buttons yielded no explosions or anything of the like.  However, it did not take away from the fun of driving this thing.  It handles much like you would expect a car of this age would.  It's a bit sluggish off the start takes big sweeping turns.  To me, the amusing thing was that for some reason, people in this city weren't too concerned with the two machine guns mounted on the hood.  It was as if people had seen them all their lives.

The movie is going to be released in 3D and looks to be a lot of fun.  Especially since this car seems to play a rather large role in the story.  Here's a little teaser.



And because you are good people... here's another.



Stay Tuned!

C'etait un Rendez-Vous

A friend an I were talking about a film made in the 70's which shows a guy driving through Paris in a Ferrari at incredible speeds. I remember seeing it sometime ago and now it seems to have disappeared. Until now.

Here's the story:

In 1976 Claude Lelouch claims he mounted a gyro stabilized 35mm motion picture camera onto the bumper of a Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9. He had in mind a route that would take him through Paris at a speed nearing 140 MPH. He basically had one shot since the camera only held 1000 feet of film. Which explains the nine minute film you are about to see.

So, at 5:30AM, he took off and shot the film. In one take. No effects except for one. He dubbed in the sound of his Ferrari 275 GTB to match the gearing and speeding of the Mercedes. After shooting with the Mercedes, he drove the same route with the Ferrari recording the audio for the overdub. Nevertheless, this is one hell of a ride. The red lights are real and so are the pedestrians. He could not secure a permit to close any of the streets for this shoot, so he shot it illegally.

After watching this film a couple of times, I'm more under the impression that he likely did this only once with the Ferrari. Matching the audio to the film would have been a little tricky in some parts. Besides, why risk the danger more than once? BUT...

He also makes the claim there was an assistant with a walkie talkie near the Louvre archway who was acting as a spotter, looking for pedestrians. This was because the one turn he makes there is blind. Claude said after the fact, the radios had failed and he would have never heard the warning had there been one.

Other claims made after the fact include the reasoning behind the Ferrari overdub was to give the viewer a greater sense of speed. Calculations by some independent groups claim Lelouch never exceeded 85 MPH. Keep in mind, the Mercedes he claims he used as the camera car is certainly capable of 140MPH. However, some people state the route he took is only 6.48 miles and in the 7 minute 57 second run time, that would give him an average speed of 48.86 MPH. Hardly the speed demon he's presenting in the film. I don't know about you, but the route seems longer than what is being disputed here.

The route he took is here. It starts to the left. It starts near Port Dauphine and takes him through the Louvre, the Arc d'Triomphe and along the Champs-Elysees. He ends the run at Mont Marte overlooking Paris, and a hot blond woman.

After the drive, it is rumored Claude (who says he actually drove the route) was arrested and released but was ticketed for the stunt. It's also rumored the mayor of Paris at the time, tore the ticket up as it was not known, at the time of the film who exactly was the driver. Claude merely admitted to being the filmmaker.

It would seem Lelouch was downplaying the production of the film as it was said that he was on the receiving end of massive criticism for the stunt. Whatever or however the film was produced is of no real consequence though as it is undoubtedly a thrill to watch.

There is a DVD of this out with a making-of documentary and it is highly recommended for those of you who like this sort of thing.

It is recommended you watch this in full screen with the volume up. Then go find the DVD. The footage on it has been remastered.

The thumbnail here takes you off the blog to another site which is hosting the film.



Short Movie Rendez-Vous of Claude Lelouch, in Paris in 1976

What do you think?

This is what it's like for me when I am late for work at 4:30AM.

Stay Tuned...

Res Ipsa Loquitur

Five years ago (tomorrow as of this posting) marks the 5th anniversary of the day Dr. Hunter S. Thompson took his own life. Much has been said about that event and all those the things which surround that day.

Whatever you take is on the good Doctor. One thing is certain, he did leave an indelible mark on the literary world through his larger than life persona and all he wrote about.

I can't and won't expand on Thompson as I could do him no justice, at least none he would be pleased with, so I leave it with the following video. Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride.

Stay Tuned...

Dolph Lundgren

After seeing what I am about to share with you here, I have to admit, I was torn. The first thought that came to mind was Dolph Lundgren is a tool. An ass kicking tool, mind you, but a tool nonetheless. Then again, taking in the context of what this video actually is, from Swedish TV, you have to marvel at the entertainment value. In fact, one thought that comes to mind is Mel Brooks' monster from Young Frankenstein (brilliantly played by Peter Boyle), specifically the Puttin' on the Ritz number.

Now, you are going to have to be a bit patient with the beginning of this video, it being in Swedish and all. But I promise there lies within this video some of the best entertainment the internet and Swedish TV can provide.

There is something in here for everyone. From Elvis, to dancing go-go girls, to an ass kicking demonstration and some fairly competent work on the drums.

The only thing missing, is his display of brains. After all, the man does hold a masters degree in chemical engineering. With a reported IQ of 160, you have to wonder what is going through the man's mind here. Then again, maybe not.

Sit back and bask in the glory that is the "talent" that is Dolph Lundgren...




If only I could be this entertaining.

Stay Tuned...

Mona Lisas

If you ever get to see the real Mona Lisa in the Louvre. You'll be shocked at just how small the thing really is. It's about the size of a standard piece of paper.

The one on top you probably have not seen. Left is the famous one hanging in the Louvre.

Leonardo's masterpiece still holds some strange allure after all these years. But, who was she? Mona Lisa del Giocondo, wife of a Florentine nobleman. At the time of the original painting, she was mourning the loss of her baby and was wearing a transparent veil during the sittings.

It took da Vinci four years to finish the painting, and when it was done, he gave it to the Giocondos as a gift. Now, ol' Leo had a habit of making more than one painting of the same subject. Because it might come in handy. In fact, there are some sixty known Mona Lisa's out there and all are cataloged. All of them just a bit different.

Apparently there was one done for Guiliano de Medici which is a portrait of his mistress at the time, Costanza d'Avalos. Now, this lady had an uncanny resemblance to Mona Lisa del Giocondo. Leonardo nicknamed the piece "La Gioconda"- which means, approximately, "smiler". Sadly, when it was finished, de Medici ran this woman off and married someone else. So, Leonardo took the painting with him to France where it eventually found it's way to London and ultimately became the property of Dr. Henry Pulitzer.

Then came this:



This is La Belle Gabrielle and at one time was in the collection of Lord Spencer of Northamptonshire, England and has been attributed to the school of Leonardo da Vinci. The topless Lisa, as she has come to be known was recently found after apparently being lost for some time. It was hidden behind a wall for nearly one hundred years. Now, obviously this broad looks NOTHING like the other two broads and had to have been a piece Leonardo did for some extra cash or for whatever reason.

So it seems, Leonardo would keep the same idea for these paintings and just swap out the face. Sort of the Photoshop of his day.

Not much is known about La Belle Gabrielle, but she has made a return to the public by hanging in a museum in Vinci, Italy, Leonardo's home.

I bet you never thought you would ever read a bit about art history here, did you?

You never know what is going to show up around here so,

Stay Tuned...

Facebook

I must admit, I dragged my knuckles into the 21st century in some respects and walked upright and faced this brave new world like a somewhat evolved ape-man in others. We made the plunge into HD TV as soon as it was practical. I "monkeyed" with Twitter long enough to realize it wasn't all that bad.

Then came Facebook.

All the questions, wherever I went... "Are you on Facebook? When are you going to get on Facebook?" Etc. Then I did it. Went and opened an account on Facebook. After earlier answers to the above questions had been tossed off with, "Not for me. It just seems rather pointless."

You know, those answers may very well be accurate, now that I am on Facebook. Nevertheless, I am on it a bunch. Although, not much of a contributor there (go figure), I do find it wildly entertaining to read what people say about their lives and the little comments that are posted in response. In a way, it surprises me the things some people will actually post on that thing, for all to read.

It brings to mind the old adage an old journalist once told me. Speech, by and large, disappears as it is spoken. But the written word can be and often is, eternal.

One must be careful as to what one posts on such a site. As is this blog, too. Lest someone takes what you say as an affront to their sensibilities and uses such words against you. For example, the internet is certainly not the place to go to openly bitch about your job or whatever it is life that has you peeved. Those words you wrote can, and will, bite you in the ass.

Plus, I am finding it interesting that some people will post some of the most private details of their lives to random strangers. As if those reading were to have some vague notion of the subject being posted. Yet, when it comes to privacy issues, these people tend to get worked up over private details that are found on the internet... posted by them.

It would seem to me, if you are the least bit concerned about what is and what is not private, why are you telling everyone about yourself that some would consider as private? Fascinating.

Could I live without it? Sure. Do I like it? Sure.

It's like being given the key to the door that everyone wants to know what its hiding.

Happy Facebooking and...

Stay Tuned...

Lost On The Air

Yeah, it's been awhile since the last update... yet again. Not there was never really any GOOD reason to neglect the ol' blog here. But let's be serious for a moment, I have been a bit busy. To the point of being somewhat lost.

I can hear it now, "Busy? You? Puh-leeze!"

Okay, maybe not in the traditional sense of being "busy". I haven't been out there re-tiling bathrooms (well, there was the one I did in my own home). I haven't been out there trying to save the world or running errands. I have just been busy, you know, preoccupied.

Maybe preoccupied to the point of neglecting some of the things I could be doing, like updating this little blog.

When i created it, like everything else, I had this somewhat lofty goal of contributing on a more consistent basis and have since fell into a more comfortable archiving mode with it. Whis is all well and good. Since there is no real obligation associated with it. All well and good. But the other reason to have this page was to spread a little point of interest here and there. Some of the things I don't do on the air. Hence the name of the blog.

Things were going along swimmingly until that day in October when my on air partner got sick. What a roller coaster that has been. Not just for me but for everyone around him and yours truly. Sometimes you have to let go of the world around you and sit back and watch and focus your energies on things that are truly more important.

I would say something poignant about "... trying to maintain sanity..." which those of you who know me know that is a lost cause. I embraced my insanity a long time ago. But the mere act of trying to stay mentally occupied with things to prevent other things from leering over you like some horrible specter is the way to go at times.

Things are returning to some sort of sense of normality. Bad Dog is doing better and things around the radio station, sometimes difficult as they can be at times are gaining more stability now that Dog is back on the air. We are all breathing a little easier now.

The ever present questions from people asking "So how is Bad Dog really doing?" have subsided, thankfully. Not to sound callous, but these were people asking who seemed heavily negative about his situation. It's one thing to inquire about his condition, it is quite another to insinuate there was some dark secret about his condition I was somehow withholding. As I have stated before on and off the air, Bad Dog and I have been nothing but honest about this entire chapter in our lives. So, thankfully, that has come to an end of sorts.

So, I am back, lurking around the web again, popping up in strangely odd places for me like Facebook. Which I'll devote more time to later.

Until then, thank you all for the thoughts and prayers for Bad Dog. And thanks for those who have been considerate to all of our needs around the station and the weird family that is radio. You people are wonderful.

So, shortly, I'll add something strange and amusing to the blog, in the meantime...

Stay Tuned...