Grandpa, tell me bout the good ole days............

[tallyho8]

(removed) may be a learned New Yorker with an affinity for using a Justin Wilson type accent but I have to agree with him on most points he makes. His referral to "Crotch of Enginitwits" (Core of Engineers) is precisely what many people think about a group of engineers in a "think tank" trying to think up an engineering marvel that will make them famous (or infamous) without proper thought of the negative results of the project.

Just in my New Orleans area alone, I can think of billions of dollars wasted creating projects that caused untold billions of dollars of damages, not to mention loss of lives, from these "educated" people. I'm sure most of you can also list many billion dollar failed projects in your areas.

Just a few of my list of failed projects:

1. Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Canal. Billions spent on a project very rarely even used but responsible for flooding New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and many more dollars spent trying to close it off afterwards.
2. Two major interstate highway bridges and intersections built on I-10 in New Orleans East in the swamps where engineers believed a future city would be built. Never used and Katrina proved these swamps would never be built on.
3. Major tunnel built in advance under Canal St. area in New Orleans where engineers had planned to build a Riverfront Expressway through the French Quarter. Wiser planners later shut down the project before it destroyed the French Quarter after the $$$$$$ tunnel was built.
4. Another expensive tunnel built under the runway at New Orleans Louis Armstrong airport with the engineers anticipation that "one day we might need to put a road there". Many years later, no road there, not much chance of ever having a road there and inflicting major damage on the runways that cost millions to repair every few years as the runways are built on swampland that slowly sinks and the expensive tunnel does not sink making that part of the runway poke up and unusable until the rest of the runway is once again raised to make it level again.
5. The collapse of the unfinished Hard Rock Hotel in downtown New Orleans over a year ago and Canal St and other major streets in New Orleans still closed causing hardship and untold millions of dollars in losses to businesses in the area while contractors try to devise a way to demolish the building without causing further destruction to other historic buildings in the area.

And these "mishaps" are minor compared to some of the ones in other areas of the country.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
How much did you bid.........

I didn't. That's one of those trucks which are nice to look at but rather impractical for my use. Besides, it would cost another 3K or so to get it to this side of the continent.

 

[Frankenkubota]

A few months ago I stopped by U.S. 30 dragstrip just to look at the weeds. Sad.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Great Lakes Dragway.

Heard it a million times

 

[Frankenkubota]

(removed) may be a learned New Yorker with an affinity for using a Justin Wilson type accent but I have to agree with him on most points he makes. His referral to "Crotch of Enginitwits" (Core of Engineers) is precisely what many people think about a group of engineers in a "think tank" trying to think up an engineering marvel that will make them famous (or infamous) without proper thought of the negative results of the project.

Just in my New Orleans area alone, I can think of billions of dollars wasted creating projects that caused untold billions of dollars of damages, not to mention loss of lives, from these "educated" people. I'm sure most of you can also list many billion dollar failed projects in your areas.

Just a few of my list of failed projects:

1. Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Canal. Billions spent on a project very rarely even used but responsible for flooding New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and many more dollars spent trying to close it off afterwards.
2. Two major interstate highway bridges and intersections built on I-10 in New Orleans East in the swamps where engineers believed a future city would be built. Never used and Katrina proved these swamps would never be built on.
3. Major tunnel built in advance under Canal St. area in New Orleans where engineers had planned to build a Riverfront Expressway through the French Quarter. Wiser planners later shut down the project before it destroyed the French Quarter after the $$$$$$ tunnel was built.
4. Another expensive tunnel built under the runway at New Orleans Louis Armstrong airport with the engineers anticipation that "one day we might need to put a road there". Many years later, no road there, not much chance of ever having a road there and inflicting major damage on the runways that cost millions to repair every few years as the runways are built on swampland that slowly sinks and the expensive tunnel does not sink making that part of the runway poke up and unusable until the rest of the runway is once again raised to make it level again.
5. The collapse of the unfinished Hard Rock Hotel in downtown New Orleans over a year ago and Canal St and other major streets in New Orleans still closed causing hardship and untold millions of dollars in losses to businesses in the area while contractors try to devise a way to demolish the building without causing further destruction to other historic buildings in the area.

And these "mishaps" are minor compared to some of the ones in other areas of the country.

I been to NO many many times but didn't know about Hard Rock. 6 Flags site is quite the picture! Jungle takin it back!


the list of wasteful projects is pretty much the definition of infinity. The sad part is it's never ever gonna change, it just isn't. Talk about vested interests. I know that's what makes the world go around but with govt. involved, you lose any sort of natural controls, no down side to them.

I grew up in Wi and we had a great senator, Proxmire I believe, and every month he gave an award for wastefulness in govt spending. That's probably where the $500 toilet seats come from. Ever hear any politician even question the budget anymore? It's pretty much, how fast can we print this money? and what voting block will be the best investment.

Unless it's coming directly out of peoples pockets, people might care, just not enough to do anything about it.

I've read for years medicare/medicade wastes an additional 50 cents for every dollar they spend. Nobody cares because it's free! I tell my friends, every time you spend a dollar, cut another one up and throw 1/2 down the toilet, it ain't free.

Unless we change govt. nothing's gonna change and, we ain't gonna change govt.

I've always believed the only way a person is going to reform anything is if they feel pain, sometime hard pain. I know that's the ONLY way I ever learned. so.........

I suggest that, if anyone in a household earns any kind of living off the govt, you and your entire family are required to follow these rules.....

1. Your family is allowed to go to the VA for medical attention, and only the VA. Your kids got cancer? get in line senator, someone will see you after they take their break. (i have the utmost respect for medical workers right now, in desperate times people respond, thank goodness)

2. Your children go to a govt school and only a govt school. And in uniforms, stop all this status symbol BS! You WILL attend PTA meetings senator.

3. When you go to court, you get a court appointed lawyer, probably your old fraternity brother.

4. Your pension is social security and only that and you pay income taxes, no capitol gains taxes.

5. Anytime you have to deal with an apathetic bad attitude govt employee, you must do it, face to face, stand in line, or sit on hold endlessly.

6. Do their own taxes.

I think if we make them use the Va, go to PS XYZ on the South side of Chicago and make them wait for their SS checks every month, their wives will make them so miserable that maybe then they reform the system. Or vice verse.

Good luck with that!

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Guess that video shows modern Chevys are better.......

They should go to jail for trashing that '59.

 

[Oaktree]

One feature on newer vehicles I hate but am probably in a very small minority, is the dome light which shuts itself off after a period of time. I turn it on because I want it on; and off because I want it off. That's a very simple process which people have been doing ever since the light switch was invented.

I don't really mind that feature, no need to have the light stay on if you're doing some work inside the vehicle that requires leaving the door open. Generally if I need additional light, I'll have a flashlight, droplight, etc., the courtesy lights aren't much good for that anyway.
I do wonder why most modern vehicles turn on the headlights for a couple minutes when you get out of the car. Doesn't seem to serve any purpose. Ditto for turning them on when you unlock the doors.

Another feature I really dislike is the "left your keys in the ignition" chime. Drives me nuts if I want to have the radio on with the door open. Oddly, there's an option to disable the "fasten seatbelt" chime, but not the key chime.
I guess kind of moot today with pushbutton start, but I don't own anything that new.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

59 Bowtie flat SUCKED, whole rear end went where it wanted in turns. Knew a man dang near got burned up cause 59 Bowtie broke out in turn and stopped between 2 trees den lit itself.

Jeep Crotch of Enginitwits had bunch of in WW-2 wid air compressors & jackhammers in back, also bunch wid Hobart Bros welding machines. Trench saw and 3 point along wid PTO came along after war tryin to sell Jeeps to farmers. PTO came off transfer case, other machines drove off split drive shaft to rear wheels sorta like pumper fire truck to get full power to machine. Trenchsaws had downpressure dozer blade on front too for backfilling. Most Jeep mount machines made by shortline companies like Go-Fer Digger. Chainsaw stop whole machine when it met rock bigger den softball, good in sand, miserable in rocky dirt.

First car phones around 52, operator driven, called MTS - Bell System. Second generation called IMTS put dial wheel in car, operators went on nap. 13 channels wid automatic selection by de radio in trunk. Pilot Motorfreight had em in lot of flat fender Dodge PowerWagon mechanic trucks. Engine had to be running to talk less you had startall in back of truck. Battery killer. Tell you one thing for true, dat fat man wid phone in left hand about to hit someting. Dem cords had strong attraction to steering wheels. Around 85 cellphone come along and ruint whole world.

If you're referring to the old wive's tale that the '59 rear tail fin design caused it to lift and become unstable, that's been debunked a long time ago. After all, didn't Jr. Johnson win a NASCAR race averaging over 150 mph in a '59? Here's some test data too...

https://www.motortrend.com/news/c12-1959-chevy-impala-windtunnel/

 

[Jstpssng]

On newer GMs I can shut the dome light off, and as I mentioned before the relay seems to draw as much juice as the dome light... or it did on my '98, which I had to boost one morning because the relay killed the battery.

 

[Oldpath05]

They should go to jail for trashing that '59.

I agree but maybe that 59 was a 3d printed replica. Dont I get upset and cringe when ever I see a classic car get trashed in an action movie, especially one from the 50s and 60s those are my favorite cars and trucks....

 

[Oldpath05]

I didn't. That's one of those trucks which are nice to look at but rather impractical for my use. Besides, it would cost another 3K or so to get it to this side of the continent.

How can a full size pickup be impractical. 3k to get it here, wow, good thing my bid was a $1000,00, still waiting for a response from my very generous offer.........