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"The Relay" Online Newsletter
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Why should we care? Because a lot of stuff is being pushed on us to “fix” the climate. Including mandates to buy EVs and stopping the production of gas/diesel vehicles by 2035 (along with all that energy efficient stuff that doesn’t work as well as ordinary stuff). And it’s all crap. Made up crap. Made up to control us and make certain connected people richer.
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Richmond Raceway Facility Rental
My name is Jessica Braum Corbett, and I help to run all the special events at the Richmond Raceway. We had a local car club reach out regarding some rental information for the Raceway, which got me thinking that perhaps other car clubs and groups might be interested in hosting an event here as well. We do several car shows a year, but we always have room on the calendar for additional ones. We have hosted them in out in our parking lots as well as on the infield inside of the track.
I have attached the 2025 RRC Facility Rental Information in case you ever want to consider hosting an event here with us.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you so much for your time!
Jessica
Jessica Braum Corbett
Senior Manager, Event Operations
Office: 804.228.7512 | Internal: 327512 | Cell: 804.305.0879
Richmond Raceway | RichmondRaceway.com
600 E. Laburnum Avenue | Richmond, VA 23222
You can download the information (PDF) at this link: 2025 RRC Facility Rental Information.
California Abandons Regulations Phasing Out Diesel Trucks
From The Epoch Times
Critics of the strict air regulation plan are applauding regulators’ decision to withdraw a waiver request from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Might not be a good idea to have EV fire trucks ~ Fred)
California’s Air Resources Board sent a letter on Jan. 14 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, withdrawing its prior waiver request that would have forced a transition from diesel to zero-emission trucks in the state.
The federal environmental agency responded to the board’s withdrawal request on Jan. 14 with notice that no further action will be taken, and the matter is considered closed.
Regulators had previously requested in November 2023 that the agency approve a waiver to allow the state to enforce stricter rules for automobiles and diesel trucks.
Federal authorities agreed to some of the requests, but such related to the diesel truck rules were not yet decided.
“California has withdrawn its pending waiver and authorization requests that U.S. EPA has not yet acted on,” Liane Randolph, chair of the air resources board, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. “While we are disappointed that U.S. EPA was unable to act on all the requests in time, the withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs to protect public health and the climate and has said will continue to oppose those programs.”
She suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration could challenge the clean air regulations implemented by President Joe Biden.
With federal government approval of more stringent regulations uncertain, the board could pursue other methods of achieving clean air goals by partnering with private industry, as was done in the first Trump administration.
“The California Air Resources Board is assessing its option to continue its progress as part of its commitment to move forward the important work of improving the state’s air quality and reducing harmful pollutants that contribute to poor health outcomes and worsen climate change,” Randolph said. “The waivers and authorizations recently approved, along with other existing programs, will advance essential emissions reductions in key sectors as we assess next steps.”
Some industry representatives applauded the decision and said the regulations were practically impossible and too costly to comply with.
“The California Trucking Association has consistently stated the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule was unachievable,” Eric Sauer, CEO of the California Trucking Association, told The Epoch Times by email. “We look forward to engaging all stakeholders, including CARB and EPA, to continue the trucking industry’s efforts to further reduce emissions in a technologically feasible and cost-effective manner that preserves our state and the nation’s critical supply chain.”
One state lawmaker said the decision to rescind the waiver request would benefit the state’s economy and noted the decision could be one of the other policy shifts seen soon as state agencies respond to a change of power at the federal level.
“I think it’s great news. This is good for everyone,” Republican Leader Assemblyman James Gallagher told The Epoch Times on Jan. 15. “They’re waving the white flag because they couldn’t get the waiver approved before the Trump administration came in.”
Highlighting the integral role trucks play in delivering many of the goods Californians rely on, he expressed concern that if only electric vehicles were allowed, costs would inevitably increase.
The assemblyman suggested the new decision would help mitigate concerns trucking companies had about navigating mandates that some said were “literally impossible” to comply with.
“From the very beginning, I’ve denounced this policy,” Gallagher said. “It makes no sense to force everybody to go electric when we don’t have the infrastructure to support it.”
The existing charging network statewide is inadequate for current demand levels if fleets were switched to electric, according to industry experts.
Acquiring heavy-duty electric trucks for sale presents its own challenges, as the prices are much higher, and maintenance and operational costs are yet to be well understood.
“Nobody has real numbers when we ask for details about maintenance and replacement costs,” Nelson Sibrian, owner of Sibrian Trucking based in Wilmington, California, told The Epoch Times. “With diesel, we know our cost per day to maintain the vehicle.”
Maintenance costs make up most of a trucking company’s operating expenses, he said, and uncertainty about expenditures is problematic.
How far electric semi-trucks can travel before they need another charge is another area of concern. Traditional diesel 18-wheelers can drive more than 1,000 miles before they need to refuel, while industry estimates show similar-sized electric vehicles topping out at about 300 miles before they need charging.
“We need to know all of these things in order to plan,” Sibrian said. “If we don’t know the actual range, it makes it impossible to schedule, and they can’t give me a straight answer on how long [the trucks] will take to charge.”
Jewels Found On Ebay
Here are a couple of hot finds from Ebay Motors.
eBay item number: 167190750948
$7,900 Buy It Now
eBay description: 1959 Autobianchi Transformabile Special
Very complete with original drivetrain (plus an additional transmission).
There is an extensive collection of additional parts.
Original interior panels for templates.
Very rare.
A solid vehicle but does need a rocker panel and some floorboard work.
Comes with rocker repair panels.
I'm not sure what this is but it's not worth 8K. I searched for one online and found one on BAT that sold for $20,500 and it looked like a new vehicle while this one certainly would take more than 20K to make it look like new. No mention of a title in the description which usually means it doesn't have one. Gotta love that "very complete" - and why is the first thing that gets removed from a junk car the headlights?
Next up is another "project".
eBay item number: 146323591346
$3,495 - no bids
eBay description: 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire Coupe
Included with sale of vehicle I Have all of the stainless steel trim to complete in stock.
Have all 4 wheelcovers, steering wheel center two (2) extra tail lamps and more extras.
This vehicle runs and drives. Needs bodywork on right side. Passenger side front fender included in sale.
This Starfire has the Original 394 cubic inch engine with Original Quadrajet 4 Barrel Carb 100% Rebuilt and all original 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire Throttle linkage and paperwork included.
This 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire is a classic car with a beautiful red exterior and a white top. It has a coupe body type and seats up to 5 passengers. The car has a 2-door design and is made by Oldsmobile. The model is called Starfire and the year is 1962. The vehicle title is clean and in hand ready to go. This car is a great addition to any collection or a great gift for someone who loves classic cars. It is perfect for cruising around town or taking a road trip. Check for resale. Selling between $ 18,000 - $ 29,000. Don't miss out on this special Oldsmobile Starfire.
Custom by Crash special for sale here. I've seen several collector vehicles that have been in crashes for sale. It will take a talented body shop and lots of cash to make this one nice again. Best to pass on vehicles that have been hit hard and need expensive and intensive repair work.
eBay item number: 335767461550
$1,500 - no bids
eBay description: The CJ3a is considered by many as the best of the flat fender models.
The body is in very good condition. Has only 1 spot of rust on the passenger side panel. It has a couple of dents and some inexplicable bondo work with no rusted thru areas below. The previous owner took the transmission and the transfer case out, suposedly to replace the clutch. The motor is stuck. The transfercase has the desirable overdrive. It has the T90 trans with the T18 transfercase.
There is a bell housing, no adaptor. The bolt pattern is too wide, but there is plenty of room to drill the narrower hole pattern for the T90.
Did not even think about that since I was told that ex took trans out to replace clutch.
Hope that helps, thank you
It has a nice power steering set up. Has cool period correct aluminum 15" rims. It also has i week made to cage. Passenger side front frame horn needs rewelding.
Someone dropped a SBC into this one and then apparently figured out they didn't know how to connect it to the rest of the Jeep. Gotta love the rock on top of the "flat fender" - ad mentions this is the best of the flat fender models and shows it off by placing a rock on it. This vehicle needs everything and the starting bid of $1500 demonstrates that fact. If you want this you need to bring a shovel to dig it out.
EV, Hybrid Sales Reached A Record 20% Of U.S. Vehicle Sales In 2024
From CNBC
Sales of all-electric vehicles and hybrid models reached 20% of new car and truck sales in the U.S. for the first time last year — marking a landmark year for “green” vehicles but coming at a slower pace than many had previously anticipated.
Auto data firm Motor Intelligence reports more than 3.2 million “electrified” vehicles were sold last year, or 1.9 million hybrid vehicles, including plug-in models, and 1.3 million all-electric models.
Traditional vehicles with gas or diesel internal combustion engines still made up the majority of sales, but declined to 79.8%, falling under 80% for the first time in modern automotive history, according to the data. (That means that 12.8 million gas/diesel were sold compared to 1.3 million EVs ~ Fred)
Regarding sales of pure EVs, Tesla continued to dominate, but Cox Automotive estimated its annual sales fell and its market share dropped to about 49%, down from 55% in 2023. The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 were estimated to be the bestselling EVs in 2024.
Following Tesla in EV sales was Hyundai Motor, including Kia, at 9.3% of EV market share; General Motors
at 8.7%; and then Ford Motor at 7.5%, according to Motor Intelligence. BMW rounded out the top five at 4.1%.
The EV market in the U.S. is highly competitive: Of the 68 mainstream EV models tracked by Cox’s Kelley Blue Book, 24 models posted year-over-year sales increases; 17 models were all new to the market; and 27 decreased in volume.
There’s more uncertainty with how sales of all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will perform this year, pending potential actions by the incoming Trump administration.
Currently, sales of EVs and plug-in electric vehicles are being subsidized by a federal credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of one of the vehicles, which President-elect Donald Trump could remove, along with other support for EVs.
Cox Automotive is expecting 2025 to set another record for EV volume, at about 10% of new vehicle sales. Including hybrids, the company projects one out of every four vehicles sold to be electrified this year.
Virginia State Police Unveil New Safety Inspection Sticker
From WDBJ7
(WDBJ/Virginia State Police Release) - Vehicles in Virginia that have passed safety inspections are receiving a new safety inspection sticker design to go with the arrival of a new year.
The sticker, which is green for the first time, includes some changes from previous version, according to Virginia State Police, who say the changes are designed to make the inspection sticker more difficult to counterfeit.
The new sticker includes a holographic state seal, as well as a dogwood tree flower image. Both images are difficult for counterfeiters to effectively copy, says VSP. The sticker also, for the first time, includes two QR codes. The larger QR code directs people to the Virginia State Police Safety Division webpage. The smaller code is for administrative purposes (I heard that the State Police can scan it to find out who issued the sticker ~ Fred). The expiration month appears on a white background, while the expiration year is placed on top of the dogwood image.
“We want Virginians to have confidence that when they see an inspection sticker on a vehicle that the vehicle has been truly inspected by a qualified professional, and that vehicle is, in fact, safe to be out on the road,” said Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hanley, Interim Superintendent of Virginia State Police. “These new features add an additional layer of security to ensure criminals are not circumventing the safety inspection system.”
Inspection stickers being placed on vehicles in 2025 (expiring in 2026) will be green. Inspection stickers expiring in 2027 will be blue. For 2028 and 2029, the stickers will be red (2028) and yellow (2029).
The Briefs
California Highway Patrol Madera made an unusual arrest on Monday night and confiscated a spider monkey.
A CHP Madera officer stopped a Rolls Royce Ghost on north Highway 99, north of Avenue 17, for excessive speed.
The driver was allegedly driving under the influence and was arrested.
Marijuana was also found in the car along with a spider monkey. It is believed to be 1 month old.
"Primates are illegal to own as pets in California. The monkey was safely taken by Animal Control where he will receive the proper care. Some next-level monkey business!" said a CHP social media post.
The driver was booked for several charges, including possession of an exotic animal.
Tesla shares drop 6% after quarterly results show first-ever annual drop in delivery numbers amid EV competition in China, Europe, and the US; Tesla delivered more than 1.7 million electric vehicles in 2024, down from more than 1.8 million in 2023.
A prediction from 1925: “Horse-drawn vehicles are fast disappearing from our streets, but jackass-driven automobiles will still be with us 100 years from now.”
President Joe Biden issued an executive order banning new oil and gas drilling on more than 625 million acres of U.S. ocean. President-elect Trump said he would immediately reverse the order.
A Calgary truck driver has been recognized as a highway angel for driving three hours to return a purse containing money and jewelry that a woman had accidentally dropped near Golden, B.C.
Truck driver Daljit Sohi made a stop at the rest area on Nov. 29, 2024, when he saw Shailly James, of High River, Alta., inadvertently drop her purse during the stop while assisting her 4-year-old child, according to the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).
As James drove away, Sohi got into his truck and followed, intending to return the purse, which contained James’s ID cards, $1,100, a gold chain, and her credit cards.
James was concerned when she noticed a truck following her, she said in a message she wrote to Sohi’s trucking company later. When she stopped about three hours later to fill up at a gas station in Sicamous, B.C., Sohi took the opportunity to return her purse.
“I was incredibly grateful for his honesty,” James wrote to Sohi’s employer in a note shared with The Epoch Times. “As a token of appreciation, I offered him a $500 reward, but he kindly refused and did not provide his name or any details about his company and left.”
Click the image above for the story.
Oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil filed a countersuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta and several environmental groups on Monday, accusing them of colluding on a campaign of defamation against the company’s plastic recycling initiatives.
The state of Alaska is suing the federal government over the Department of Interior’s alleged “unlawful detour” in restricting oil and gas lease auctions to about 400,000 acres within the 19.6-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Allstate Corporation and its subsidiary, Arity, for allegedly engaging in unlawful practices to collect, use, and sell sensitive driving and location data from over 45 million Americans, including millions of Texans.
The state accuses the company of illegally tracking driving behaviors by “secretly embedding” software in mobile apps, using this covertly gathered data to justify raising insurance rates or cancel policies for Texans.
According to the lawsuit, Allstate has reportedly collected a staggering “trillions of miles” worth of driving data, building what it calls the “world’s largest driving behavior database.” This massive repository is said to contain detailed information on more than 45 million Americans.
The lawsuit claims that Allstate paid app developers millions of dollars to surreptitiously integrate its tracking software into popular apps. These mobile applications include Routely, Life360, GasBuddy, and Fuel Rewards. By targeting apps that already required location information to function properly , Allstate reportedly piggybacked on their pre-existing systems to collect driving-related analytics through its analytics subsidiary, Arity.
Traffic in Manhattan decreased by 7.5 percent in the week after New York City’s congestion pricing plan took effect.
In Beeston, Nottinghamshire, England, locals are perplexed about a monthly offering at the corner of Abbey Road and Wensor Avenue, United Press International reported on Jan. 6. Starting over a year ago, on the second day of each month, a plate heaped high with peeled bananas has appeared at the intersection. Resident Clare Short said she put up a sign reading, "Please, respectfully, no more bananas! The uncollected plates and rotting bananas leave such a mess." But on Jan. 2, a new plate appeared. "I think it's a special thing for someone, and I wish them well," Short said, adding that she has taken down her sign. "But if they could come back and clean up the mess a few days later that would be lovely."
On Jan. 5 in rural Norton, Kansas, temps following the big snowstorm weren't even reaching 20 degrees, and the wind chill was 5 below zero, KAKE-TV reported. That didn't stop two linemen who were trying to restore power to area residents from going above (literally) and beyond: On top of a utility pole, a bobcat and her kitten were frozen to the line and the pole. Dominic Urban and Eric Hartwell worked for about two hours to free the frigid felines. "I couldn't knock them off," Urban said. "(The mother) was frozen down to the top of the pole ... I beat the ice loose then lowered her to the ground. I had to do the same with the kitten." He said the mom and kitten ran off immediately after reaching the ground.
The Summit County (Colorado) Sheriff's Department responded to a call on Jan. 7 on the slopes of Keystone Resort: not an injured skier, but a wayward car that had taken a wrong turn and ended up on the Schoolmarm ski run. United Press International reported that the abandoned car had a note on the windshield, explaining that the driver had been following GPS and ended up stuck in the snow. A tow truck removed the car, which was returned to the owner.
On Dec. 17, California Highway Patrol officers in Madera County shared a photo on Facebook of a Honda Ridgeline truck they had pulled over, Carscoops reported. With an unintentional nod to “The Grapes of Wrath,” the truck was piled to at least twice its height with random items, some of which were flying off into traffic, officers said. “It is important to always secure your load/cargo and not exceed your vehicle’s load capacity,” CHP cautioned. “Flying debris can make motorists take evasive action and potentially be involved in a traffic crash.”
A 20-year-old from Florida has been sentenced to over 12 years behind bars after he crashed a BMW M5 into another car in early 2022, killing six people. He had been starring down a maximum sentence of 90 years in prison if the case went to trial, but decided to strike a plea deal with prosecutors instead.
The widely publicized fatal crash occurred on January 27, 2022. At the time, 17-year-old Noah Thomas Galle, the son of a Wellington attorney, was driving the 2019 BMW M5 he had reportedly purchased with $100,000 in cash. Driving on US Route 441, Galle lost control of the high-powered sedan and slammed into the back of a Nissan Rogue.
The collision was so violent that it crumpled the rear of the SUV into the passenger compartment and pushed the vehicle several feet forward. The Rogue then careened into the center median and rolled multiple times.
This is the invisible hub of the Maserati Boomerang. Within the huge center space are six gauges and some fairly critical switchgear. For decades it was simply the most futuristic steering wheel the world had ever seen.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is exiting a global climate change coalition days before the new Trump administration is set to take power on Jan. 20.
The Federal Reserve had joined the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) in December 2020. NGFS, composed of global central banks and supervisors, aims to integrate climate and environmental risk management into the financial sector and mobilize “finance to support the transition toward a sustainable economy,” according to the group’s website. On Friday, the Federal Reserve announced its withdrawal from the 143-member coalition.
“The work of the NGFS has increasingly broadened in scope, covering a wider range of issues that are outside of the Board’s statutory mandate,” the agency said. Five Federal Reserve officials, including chair Jerome Powell, voted for the withdrawal, while two officials did not vote.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) welcomed the Federal Reserve decision, calling it a “step in the right direction,” according to a Jan. 18 post on social media platform X.
“By pulling out from the NGFS, the Fed sets itself up to reprioritize the needs of American citizens and the U.S. financial system “instead of the wants of unelected, foreign bureaucrats,” he said.
Carmaker Subaru fixes software bug that allowed hackers to unlock and start millions of vehicles via the company's internet network; security flaw also exposed a year's worth of location history.
Biden’s Energy Sec. Granholm approved $22.9B in last-minute green loans, sending nearly 70% to Michigan—home to her donors. The IG ordered her not to send the money, but defied the IG. The media remains silent.
Michigan received $14 billion to develop green energy projects. This was mentioned in relation to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s actions before leaving the White House.
A $1.5 billion loan was provided to Holtec International to restart the 800MW nuclear power plant in Covert Township, Michigan. This was a first in the U.S. for restarting a nuclear plant and was announced by the Biden administration.
The deadly and destructive Los Angeles fires that claimed 28 lives burned with such intensity that electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries melted to the ground, creating hazardous conditions as residents began returning to their communities Jan. 28.
Specialists with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were leading the large-scale cleanup of the batteries Tuesday.
The Palisades Fire burned more than 36 square miles and tore through neighborhoods full of electric vehicles and solar panels after years of state-sponsored green-energy policies.
The size of the Palisades fire and number of lithium-ion batteries left behind make it one of the largest hazardous-materials cleanups that local first responders have seen, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Adam VanGerpen.
“We’ve never seen it on this scale,” VanGerpen told The Epoch Times. “We are talking a very large scale.”
Lithium-ion batteries are used in cellphones, tablets, laptops, wireless headphones, electric cars, and solar panel storage.
Many of the batteries and electric vehicles melted after they were abandoned by fleeing residents starting Jan. 7, VanGerpen said.
“We have to remove the entire vehicle,” he added.
Actor and Pacific Palisades homeowner James Woods said in a post on social media platform X Monday that the melted electric cars were “creating a real problem for safe debris removal.”
“While I am grateful to have President Trump in charge of the federal assistance so desperately needed, we can’t ignore that the electric cars have literally melted into the earth where they stood,” Woods wrote.
Repair Mistakes & Blunders
From Rock Auto
Many years ago, I rebuilt the Muncie 4-speed transmission in my 1968 Chevelle SS396. The installation seemed to go well, but I did have to adjust the linkage of the new Hurst shifter somewhat to align the shifter rods properly into the neutral position. Upon completing the installation, I took the car out for a test drive. When shifting from 1st to 2nd, it felt like a very hard downshift, the rear tires squealed and the engine RPM increased sharply! I then quickly shifted it into 3rd, and it almost stalled. I don’t believe that I tried the top gear, and I managed to limp the car safely home.
I crawled underneath and examined my work while looking over the new shifter installation instructions. I soon realized that I had installed the shifter lever arms upside down on the transmission! This effectively changed the shift pattern from the standard 1-2 : 3-4 to 2-1 : 4-3. So on the test drive I had shifted normally, but due to the upside down levers, I started out in 2nd gear then shifted to 1st and then to 4th. After repositioning and adjustment of the levers the shifter worked perfectly.
If I had read the instructions and looked at the diagrams before installing the new shifter, the additional work could have been avoided.
Rob in Tennessee
2024 Was The Hottest Year Ever Recorded
The Copernicus Global Climate Report 2024 claims that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded since records were kept beginning in 1850. It also reports that it was the first ever above 1.5 degrees Celsius annual average temperature. You can view the report at their website: copernicus.eu/en
The milestones listed by Copernicus include:
? The global average was 1.3 degrees above the 1991-2020 global average and .21 degrees above 2023, the previous warmest year on record.
? The temperature was 2.9 degrees above the estimated temperature between 1850-1900, often referred to as the preindustrial era.
? Each of the past 10 years has been one of the warmest 10 on record.
? A new record-high daily global average temperature was reached on July 22, at 30.8 degrees.
? Every month since July 2023, except for July 2024, was above the 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 C) threshold.
? The only continental regions that did not see their warmest year on record were Antarctica and Australasia.
What is Copernicus? It's the European Union's government agency that monitors the planet like our own government weather agencies do. They both use satellite data and date from temperature monitors to come up with some kind of fuzzy way of making up what the average temperature of the planet is - I'm not sure if anyone knows how they do this stuff.
The photo above shows climate activists from Just Stop Oil painted over the grave of British naturalist Charles Darwin at London’s Westminster Abbey.
The activists wrote “1.5 is dead” in orange over the surface of the white marble gravestone – a reference to recent news that global temperatures in 2024 had exceeded 1.5 Celsius above the pre-industrial era for the first time.
“We have passed the 1.5 degree threshold that was supposed to keep us safe,” one of the activists said. “Darwin would be turning in his grave to know we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction.”
This is what disinformation or misinformation or whatever you want to call it does to some people. I'm willing to bet both of these women drove or rode on something that burns gas or diesel to get to the Abbey (the police car that hauled them away did). And yes I hope their orange paint isn't oil based!
In December 2023 they didn't even wait until January to announce that 2023 was the hottest year on record. At least this year they waited until January to announce that 2024 was the hottest year on record. Yeah, every year from now until the earth crashes into the sun will be the "hottest year on record". And take a look at the people from Just Stop Oil - do they - and their actions - inspire you to believe in their climate religion? Vandalizing a grave in Virginia is a Class 6 Felony - in the UK you can get up to 10 years in jail and a stiff fine for what these people did. They have been arrested and hopefully will be charged.
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter and renamed it X there has been an uptick in posts that say climate change is a hoax. This has occurred because Musk is not censoring things like the old Twitter did. Recently Facebook has changed its content management too. You can see several X posts on climate at this link: Global Boiling- Let’s check in. Why is the article called global boiling? Because to get these high average world temperatures the Pacific Ocean - where no person lives - has to be boiling.
This nonsense that somehow we can control the temperature and weather of earth by paying more taxes and "adjusting" our life styles is ridiculous. But then the news media and the politicos are ready good at lying because they practice it all the time. EV sales are tanking because people don't what to make a big life style change that costs more and is more inconvenient. No one wants to wait an hour for a charge to continue their trip. I predict that as we get more free speech online that more people will realize that climate change/global warming is a hoax.
1956 Packard Clipper Animation
Spot A Scam: 5 Tips To Avoid Online Fraud
We’ve recently noticed a substantial uptick in reports of online fraud in the collector car industry. Would-be buyers are potentially losing a lot of money and we want to make sure you know how to identify these scams so you can avoid them.
Here’s how the scams work: Fraudsters create legitimate-looking classic car dealership websites based off either actual dealership websites or by recreating websites of classic car dealerships that are no longer in business. On this fraudulent site, they’ll list vehicles for sale using information from a legitimate site’s inventory. These fraudulent listings will include all the details from the original dealership’s website. It can be very hard to spot differences because the scammers have taken all of the vehicle’s photos and information — often including the VIN number — from the original website. So, the website and the collector vehicle both look real. The catch? This time there’s no actual car for sale.
Below are our top tips for investigating the situation before making a purchase to avoid these scams:
1. Inspect the website. Look for frequent misspellings and inconsistent or even incoherent information.
2. Reverse image search. Right click on the image and select “Search with Google Lens.” If the same photo, or a suspiciously similar one, shows up on lots of sites, that’s a red flag.
3. Check the street view. Enter the business’s address in Google Maps. Does it look like a dealership? Does the signage match the website? What about visible phone numbers?
4. Check vehicle valuations. If you find a deal that’s too good to be true, let that be your first sign that it probably really is too good to be true.
5. Put eyes on the car. If you can’t travel to see the car, contact national car clubs or other enthusiast groups to see if someone nearby can stop in for a visit.
We believe everyone deserves to buy collector cars with confidence. We hope this information, along with our tips, helps make the process easier, safer, and more fun for you. If you’ve run into any scams, you can report them to the government here.
By Your Friends at Hagerty Insurance
I can assure you this is real. How do I know this? I know because I get calls from people wanting to buy vehicles I sold on Ebay years ago because the people who do these fake website scams are so stupid that they leave my phone number on the ad they copied off Ebay ~ Fred
Miss those Sears catalogs?
Biden, In 11th Hour Action, Bans New Offshore Oil And Gas Drilling In Most Federal Waters
From MSN
President Joe Biden is moving to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, a last-minute effort to block possible action by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling.
Biden, whose term expires in two weeks, said he is using authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and portions of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs," Biden said in a statement.
“As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren," he said.
Biden's orders would not affect large swaths of the Gulf of Mexico, where most U.S. offshore drilling occurs, but it would protect coastlines along California, Florida and other states from future drilling.
Biden's actions, which protect more than 625 million acres of federal waters, could be difficult for President-elect Donald Trump to unwind, since they would likely require an act of Congress to repeal. Trump himself has a complicated history on offshore drilling. He signed a memorandum in 2020 directing the Interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts, and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina until 2032.
The action came after Trump initially moved to vastly expand offshore drilling, before retreating amid widespread opposition in Florida and other coastal states.
Trump has vowed to establish what he calls American “energy dominance” around the world as he seeks to boost U.S. oil and gas drilling and move away from Biden’s focus on climate change.
Environmental advocates hailed Biden's action, saying new oil and gas drilling must be sharply curtailed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. 2024 was the hottest in recorded history.
“This is an epic ocean victory!" said Joseph Gordon, campaign director for the environmental group Oceana.
Gordon thanked Biden “for listening to the voices from coastal communities" that oppose drilling and “contributing to the bipartisan tradition of protecting our coasts.”
Biden's actions build on the legacy of Democratic and Republican presidents to protect coastal water from offshore drilling, Gordon said, adding that U.S. coastlines are home to tens of millions of Americans and support billions of dollars of economic activity that depend on a clean environment, abundant wildlife and thriving fisheries.
In balancing multiple uses of America’s oceans, Biden said it was clear that the areas he is withdrawing from fossil fuel use show “relatively minimal potential" that does not justify possible environmental, public health and economic risks that would come from new leasing and drilling.
A spokeswoman for Trump mocked Biden, saying, “Joe Biden clearly wants high gas prices to be his legacy.”
The spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, called Biden's action “a disgraceful decision designed to exact political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices. Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail, and we will drill, baby, drill.”
Biden has proposed up to three oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, but none in Alaska, as he tries to navigate between energy companies seeking greater oil and gas production and environmental activists who want him to shut down new offshore drilling in the fight against climate change.
A five-year drilling plan approved in 2023 includes proposed offshore sales in 2025, 2027 and 2029. The three lease sales are the minimum number the Democratic administration could legally offer if it wants to continue expanding offshore wind development.
Under the terms of a 2022 climate law, the government must offer at least 60 million acres (24.2 million hectares) of offshore oil and gas leases in any one-year period before it can offer offshore wind leases.
Biden, whose decision to approve the huge Willow oil project in Alaska drew strong condemnation from environmental groups, has previously limited offshore drilling in other areas of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.
What Climate Zealots Don’t Understand About EVs and Winter
From Self Reliance Central
When the temperature drops below 40 degrees, electric vehicles experience a reduction in range and efficiency, with losses of up to 40% when the heating system is in use.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis.—Here in Wisconsin, where fewer than one-tenth of 1% of vehicles are fully electric, it’s rare to see an EV outside the city.
That’s why the latest international climate conference, Conference of the Parties (COP28), which advocated widespread adoption of electric vehicles, should have Wisconsinites concerned.
When the temperature drops below 40 degrees, which occurs over 200 days per year in Eau Claire, electric vehicles experience a reduction in range and efficiency, with losses of up to 40% when the heating system is in use.
My visit to my local automotive shop to have the tires rotated on the family Ram truck was unaffected by the 13-degree Fahrenheit weather.
While the truck was up on the lift, Liz Fox, a service adviser at the shop, told me that while not many electric vehicles come in for repairs, when they do, repairs typically take longer and are more expensive than repairing internal-combustion engine vehicles.
“Switching to EVs is really costly, and it’s going to be really time-consuming.” Fox told me. She cited a recent case where nearly two months were spent troubleshooting and sourcing components on a broken EV, despite having a certified electric vehicle technician.
She’s not alone. A recent report shows that repair costs for EVs are 56% more expensive than traditional vehicles—and purchase costs are often 50% higher.
A new special report by The Heritage Foundation, “Powering Human Advancement,” shows how access to affordable, abundant energy is essential to living. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)
“Depriving people in any society of reliable and affordable energy denies them access to clean water, adequate medical care, affordable transportation, and economic opportunities, which will limit any human advancement, especially in the most vulnerable of countries,” the report states.
Governments and international organizations cannot force renewable energy and electric vehicles before people are ready. That’s a recipe for crisis.
Construction sites in Eau Claire feature battered pickup trucks and SUVs driven by construction workers, who can’t afford EVs. There is no subway in Eau Claire, bus service is limited, and people can’t rely on bicycles due to snowy weather and long distances.
Affordable transportation provides a means to a job, a ride to school, and to take weekend trips and vacations with the family.
In contrast, EVs are popular as second cars with upper-income individuals who have short commutes. Americans value the freedom to choose gasoline-only, hybrid, or electric vehicles, and for that freedom, it’s crucial to have alternative choices. But the organizers of COP28, supported by President Joe Biden, don’t want Americans or residents of other countries to choose which vehicles to buy.
This erosion of choice is not only detrimental to consumer freedom, but also to the livelihood of auto producers and car dealers. Look no further than last month’s letter to Biden signed by about 4,000 auto dealers, who were disturbed at the surging supply of unsold electric vehicles on their lots.
Even with subsidies to car manufacturers and tax credits for buyers, only 7% of new-vehicle sales are electric, well below Biden’s 2030 goal of 60%.
Codifying the recommendations of COP28 would require that America generate an additional costly 1.4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, or 30% of current output, to support the charging needs of a full fleet of electric vehicles.
Over the past two decades, nearly $7 trillion has been spent globally on subsidies for wind and solar energy. Despite this substantial investment, these sources contribute only 2.3% to the global supply of energy. Pairing fully electric vehicles with costly and unreliable electricity is a recipe for disaster.
Wisconsinites appreciate the benefits of affordable energy and the mobility of gasoline-powered cars. As a cold Christmas approaches, they know that COP28 recommendations won’t fly here in the Badger State.
Andrew Weiss is a research assistant at the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment at The Heritage Foundation.
A Smart Aleck’s Guide to Buying a Spitfire
By Sid Bridge from Moss Motoring
I recently bought my first British Roadster—a 1980 Triumph Spitfire. I wanted an MG or a Triumph ever since I was 12, but I never had the guts to buy one given all the warnings I would get from responsible adults.
I’m an adult now. Responsible? That would depend on your definition. I’ve got five kids, I moonlight as a stand-up comic, I have a 1968 Cutlass in my garage that I have fiddled with since I bought it in 1995, and a pretty patient family.
So… how did I pull off buying a Spitfire?
We were getting ready to move to a new house. And for the first time I was finally going to have a two-car garage. I started to feel a sense of “now or never” if I wanted a Spitfire because I could see prices going up for every other Triumph. Plus, I was just plain in love with the Spitfire’s style.
Even with the big rubber bumpers, the Spitfire has lines that just pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. When the bonnet tips forward to reveal the engine, I’m a kid again, knee-deep in matchbox cars.
My kids, on the other hand, wanted something else—a kitten. It wasn’t an unreasonable ask, except that we already have two cats. This would mean three cats, which is a lot of cats. One of our cats had a litter of kittens and they had their eye on Cookie, who looked like a ball of chocolate chip cookie dough with fur.
I didn’t really want another cat—even one as adorable as Cookie—but at least I found an opportunity to weaponize the kids and win my wife over. Half joking, I declared, “They can have the cat if I can have a Triumph Spitfire!”
Immediately my kids became a powerhouse lobbying team for Spitfire ownership. It only took a little time before my wife finally pulled me aside and said the best words an unrepentant car nut can hear from a spouse: “I really don’t care if you get another car.”
The next line of this article was originally going to be “within minutes I was online searching for Spitfires,” but that would be a complete lie. I had been searching for Spitfires well before I got spousal approval. Within minutes I was on to the follow-up call stage.
The first candidate was an abandoned restoration project being sold by a next-of-kin. Sadly, she couldn’t get a title, so what appeared to be a half-assembled car with brand new paint and a freshly rebuilt engine may never see the road again.
Candidate number two was the winner. Previously owned by a mechanic who had a thing for Triumphs (he dailies a Herald!), it was already running with a new carburetor, intake and header. Sure, it needed other work, but “running” wasn’t actually one of my main criteria since I now had a second garage bay.
After a road-trip where I checked it out, test drove it, and inspected it on a lift, we agreed to a fair price and I had it shipped home.
In honor of Cookie the kitten, I’ve been calling the car “Project Kittenfire.” I’m afraid to start taking stuff apart because I’m a little shocked at how well it runs. It starts every single time. It drives fine. It has a few fluid leaks and the gearbox has a couple of issues (whining in third gear and popping out of reverse), but it’s a blast to drive.
Oh, and my wife loves driving it. I don’t blame her. I’m not sure if there’s a scientist who’s looked into this yet, but in my limited Triumph Spitfire ownership experience I’ve noticed that you can’t so much as look at the car without smiling like an idiot. And believe me, I’m the biggest idiot in the room.
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