| | rant 232: yes, Billy, it's okay to lie.
I only wrote one xanga blog in May. I'm going to get this one in before midnight, probably, so that will make it two. Still a dry month by most standards. I'd like to lie and say I've been superbusy, but ma told me to never lie, except for that one time when the cops showed up asking questions. Other than that, it's truth or silence.
I've never really been a car enthusiast - I guess I skipped that day of "guy school" - but I can't help but be occaisionally captivated by pictures and lore of old automobiles. Today I wound up spending a good 40 minutes on Jay Leno's Garage (http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/cars/index.shtml), where he showcases his impressive car collection while providing some splendid information (now I know what a rotary engine is!).
The best video I saw was probably the one about his '67 Chrysler. I'm sure there's others, but I'm not watching all of them. Sheesh. Highlights: "This car has four cigarette lighters...you can drive yourself to the cemetary." "This car is a hybrid. You put gas in it, and then you get out on the freeway it needs even more gas." "When my dad went to buy his Ford Galaxie, the salesperson showed him how to hide the seatbelt by tucking it into the crease of the seat. Not like you'd ever need to use it or anything."
Honorable mention would be that one of his Lamborghinis came with a hammer under the seat as a "safety feature" so you could hack out the windshield.
One thing I saw that really made me respect Jay more was that his first purchase in the collection was a '55 Buick that he bought when he first went to Los Angeles and didn't really have a lot. It was his only car and he drove it everywhere. I have to give someone major credit who is so much into their hobby that they do something like that when their funds are limited. I actually feel happy for him that he found a lot of success and money, because I feel like he's actually doing something he loves with his money rather than being a dope who just snaps up the latest high-concept sports cars.
Anyway, it reminded me I used to not mind going through car shows. Never cared much for the engines, but the looks of classic American cars will never be replicated in style, while British Justin prefers the class of old Austin Healeys and Jaguars.
It's an odd coincidence that thinking about Jay Leno's last show led me to go to his site to check out his car collection and reminisce about various American automobiles. GM files for bankruptcy in a few hours, loses its place in the Dow Jones, and probably will never be able what it once was, despite hippie administrations' fancy views of emerging from bankruptcy. So now our industry strength is a car company whose patriarch family can't put a winning football team on the field. Go figure, eh?
I didn't mean to write about cars. Just turned out that way, as not a lot else is going on. I'm happy summer rapidly approaching. I can't wait to go back to school. Yada yada.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbbJmsRYrnc
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| | Posted 6/1/2009 1:31 AM - 5 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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