Ready, lights, ACTION!

Well, another round of tap dancing and singing “pick me, pick me” is over and done. I dashed out of the office and drove down 101 to Silicon Valley and did a relatively quick job interview (90 minutes) this afternoon. No matter what anyone tells you, interviewing is never, fun, it’s not relaxing, [...]

Comparing Prices Online

I am one of those people that shop around before finally purchasing an item. Recently I found out how important price comparing is when shopping online. In an Magazine article a women said after she had bought something online her friend wanted one too so she told her friend where she got it online. [...]

Forsythe Team Won’t Make the Jump to IRL

A high profile casualty of the IRL/Champ Car merger has been announced, as Forsythe Championship Racing said yesterday that it would not compete in the upcoming 2008 IRL season. Forsythe was the home of 2003 Champ Car World Series winner Paul Tracy. Tracy had signed a long-term contract with the team, and was expecting to go racing this season.

Forsythe’s vice president of operations, Neil Micklewright, said “After 13 years of competition in CART and the Champ Car World Series, the team has been unable to secure the necessary sponsorship to be able to compete in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series in 2008.”

Forsythe has struggled to gain sponsorship attention, since it lost its long-time backer, Player’s, after anti-tobacco legislation forced the company to pull out in 2004.

The team has plans to make the Champ Car finale in Long Beach its final event.

+ Autosport:: Forsythe team to close down

If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com

And into the lead... @ $$$ The Daily Sail $$$

Bundock and Ashby turn on the gas and take pole with one day to go at Tornado Worlds Direct Link

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MOFA RACER-POSTMORTEM

German scene group POSTMORTEM released a minor gaming title Mofa Racer. It’s almost impossible to find any English info about this game, but although it’s mainly Deutsch game, it contains other languages including English as well. Anyway, if you like motorcycles and racing, this could be a simple game to kill some time. I was [...]

[$139.99] 2008 DeMarini F3: DXLF3LE8 Youth Limited Edition by JustGrandSlams

Special deal on the 2008 DeMarini F3: DXLF3LE8 Youth Limited Edition at $139.99 each. This deal is for the 2008 DeMarini Youth F3 Baseball Bat Limited Edition New for 2008 Limited Edition DeMarini leads the industry again, this time with the new, Half amp; Half double wall design, youth F3 baseball bat. The Half amp; Half design of this bat gives it a carbon fiber handle which increases both the performance and durability of the bat while keeping the aluminum barrel. The Half amp; Half construction makes you stronger by adding distance to your hits because of its exceptional design. The Half amp; Half technology is combined with the new Carbon Reinforced Carbon fiber handle and Demarini...

Sunny Side UP please!

  It's that time of year when even my EGGS better be sunny!
  Ask ANY Michigander and they will tell you that they are pretty much SICK of winter and need sun!
  Thankfully the past couple of days (in between a big snowfall) we had some Sweet, glorious SUNshiney rays.
  We spent a good part of Sunday outside, and even though it was around 35 degrees,  the sun was out, and so were we.  it was like crawling out of a cave into the light,
we definitely needed that.
We walked around Kensington Park, if you live local and haven't been there,  you should check it out,  It's HUGE!
They have an outdoor skating rink on the lake that is groomed and has music piped out on it so you can skate to some nice tunes.  very old school,  i like it!
   The trails are groomed, so it's nice for walking the dog, or just going for a walk your self.
  In fact the day was SO beautiful I couldn't bear to be away from the sun,  so I made Ian pack up the kids and take me for a country drive so I could watch the sun set.
  (i know that's not very enviromentally conscious to be driving around.....but it was very mentally needed!)
  I love that not even 5 minutes from our house you can see large fields and barns......







sunny shadows were cast on silos and 
the sky was so amazingly blue....

it just made your eyeballs feel good just looking at it!

it left us with a last little glow of cotton candy pink before it finally went down.
  So the past couple of days I've tried to re-create that sunny feeling and surround myself with sweet springy fabrics,  because I just NEED it.
I even bought myself a little patch of grass at the local market because I also NEED a little bit of green!

unfortunately even though I was surrounded by fabric-loveliness, I only managed to make 4 pillows!
I am definitely stumped creatively at the moment
(even though for the past 2 nights in a row I have woken up at 4 A.M. with my thoughts racing over projects! UGH!)
So here are my 4 little pillows.....
it's a start

the pretty Heather Bailey, and Amy Butler fabrics are just so yummy.

just working with them makes you feel all springy inside!

these pillows would look so nice on MY bed,  but I am faithfully bringing them down to the shop today.
lumpy and all!
(my pillows aren't perfect that's for sure, they're handmade, so i guess that's part of the package, RIGHT?)
:)

but collectively, I think they look O.K. together, So
please forgive them of their sins won't you?

i DID pay a lot of attention to detail in other areas!
now honestly, I can't remember life without the B.S.R. foot!  (the bernina stitch regulator)  it allows you to sew free-form.  I am totally in LOVE with this product.
Mind you,  I still need lots of practice,  but I've gotten my toes wet,  and I LOVE it!
  Well,  on that note,  I should end this post,  gotta get the kids dressed...and head to work.
  I will be bringing the Birds back to the shop today for all of you locals who missed them.
Pierre and Tulip will be finally back to the shop to chirp and sing for your pleasure in their new deluxe cage.
I can tell even THEY missed being there and having people talk to them.
  They definitely give the shop a springy feeling.
Enjoy your day all!
xoxoxo
c.



 

Ford Model A

Many people are surprised at the number of original Model A specimens that still exist, primarily belonging to members of car clubs. Replacement part are also still being manufactured; one former aerospace engineer has actually redesigned the engine with five (one extra) main bearings, pressure lubrication and more strength near the cylinder top, and is trying to put it into production!
These engines were for years modified and used in racing cars, to great effect.

Tuner advice: Brenspeed, Bamachips, or suggestion?

For a while, I had been considering a local tuner (great guy, not a ton of experience w/S197s) for a custom dyno tune. Now, I'm leaning toward one of the more experienced tuners out there (Brenspeed, Bamachips, etc). My setup is nothing out of the ordinary (JLT CAI, JBA LTs, JBA shorty H, JBA axel-back) so I figured that these guys have probably already tuned many cars with this exact profile. So, I'm looking for recommendations on who I should work with. Also, I see that the Xcal-3 is now out. Should I stick with what's been tried and proved (the Xcal 2) or go with the latest?

Say Goodbye To Dr. Jarvik As He and His Stunt Double Row Into The Sunset [Departures]

Weary of all the "fake rowing" controversy, Pfizer has canned Dr. Robert Jarvik (the inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart) as a spokesperson for their blockbuster cholesterol drug, Lipitor.

The "way in which we presented Dr. Jarvik in these ads has, unfortunately, led to misimpressions and distractions," Pfizer's president of world-wide pharmaceuticals, Ian Read, said. "Going forward, we commit to ensuring there is greater clarity in our advertising regarding the presentation of spokespeople."

Jarvik, who wore a white coat in the ads even though he isn't a licensed physician, and used a stunt-double for the rowing scenes in one commercial, isn't going quietly. He's issued a statement of his own. In it, Dr. Jarvik defends his use of a stunt double (The insurance company made him do it! Really!) and mourns his lost job:

I spent most of my summer vacation time during high school on the water, sailing, rowing, fishing, and scuba diving. At the time the ad was filmed, I was certainly fit enough to row for the shoot. I trained to row for it, and I intended to do so. But at the last minute, I was informed that the insurance carrier for the shoot would not permit me to row because the water temperature in the mountain lake at that time of year was about 40 degrees -- so cold that if I had an accident, I could drown within minutes because of hypothermia. So the production company hired a rower experienced with that kind of racing shell for the distant shots. It never occurred to me that anyone would consider this dishonest. The message remains: heart health.

Recently, Pfizer chose to stop running the ads, through which I was able to appeal to so many viewers to pay attention to their heart health and to ask their doctors about Lipitor. My message has been sincere and correct -- Lipitor can indeed help prevent heart disease in many millions of people, a great many of whom are not presently taking any cholesterol-lowering medication.

The full statement is can be read at the WSJ Health Blog. We've yet to hear back from as to why Sally Field (also not a licensed physician) is qualified to shill Boniva. And hey... do those Valtrex people really have herpes? The Consumerist respectfully declines to investigate.

Jarvik: My Credibility Was Justified and Fairly Represented [WSJ Health Blog]

We've Got a Smart Car! (Part II)

And wait we did, through the rumors that Mercedes had finally decided that maybe Americans weren't so small-ophobic after all. Through the selection of Penske as the importer. Through the online reservation program and the painfully slow wait for local dealers to be named. (Was there ever any doubt it was going to be your local Mercedes shill?) Through the long, supply-chain-unoptimized delivery process, which included an extended campout in Long Beach waiting for the car to clear 9/11-enhanced customs procedures.

And finally, here it is, waiting for us in all it minuscule, Pink Pantherized glory, ready to make anyone with an SUV, a tight schedule and a home or job in a tough parking neighborhood grind their teeth. Oh, I can't wait to start pissing people off! A much better emotional payoff, in my book, than Prius smugness.

Stay tuned for further impressions once honey and I take delivery, including a full-fledged review.

Geneva 2008 Preview: 440HP Maserati GranTurismo S Unveiled

Maserati has officially unveiled the new S version of its GranTurismo coupe that will make its first official appearance at the Geneva Auto Show next month.

The GranTurismo S is powered by a 440 horsepower 4.7L V8 engine which is mated to an electro-actuated gearbox. The coupe also uses the brake system that was developed with Brembo and first introduced on the Quattroporte Sport GT S.

Inside the seats are upholstered in Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara.

Pricing has not been released.

Related Stories:
2008 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT-S Revealed

PRESS RELEASE:

Maserati presents the GranTurismo S

Modena - February 26th, 2008. A year after the unveiling of the GranTurismo, Maserati will be back at the Geneva International Motorshow with yet another world premiere, the GranTurismo S. The ultimate expression of the Trident coupé's sportiness shifts the emphasis onto performance and driving enjoyment.

Two main novelties are at the heart of the new Maserati: the 440 HP V8 4.7 engine and the electro-actuated gearbox with fast MC-Shift arranged in the Transaxle layout typical of high-performance sports cars that represents the technological DNA of all Maseratis.

The GranTurismo S makes use of the high-performance brake system developed in collaboration with Brembo and introduced for the first time in the automotive field on the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S. The system features front brake discs made with dual-cast technology - a dual casting of cast iron and aluminum, paired with aluminum mono-bloc 6-piston brake calipers, ensuring optimized braking performance.

On the exterior the Maserati GranTurismo S is characterised by a number of aesthetic modifications that, although discrete, are highly effective and make the car body appear sportier without abandoning the sleekness of the lines masterfully designed by Pininfarina.

The interior upholstered in Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara reflects the sporty flair of the Maserati GranTurismo S; the figure-hugging front and rear seats are distinguished by their new dynamic design with horizontal piping on the seats and seatbacks.