Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Autos: Do You Own You?


Autos: Do You Own You? 12:00 PM, September 1

Slavery - the idea that one man can own another man - was supposedly abolished by the 13th Amendment in 1865. But laws continue to be passed that, in effect, assert the ownership of the state over our persons. We're not picking cotton or being whipped - but we are being harassed, fined - and even jailed - for defying laws which, at their core, are based on the idea that the state has a claim over our hides.

Consider seat belt laws that empower the police to pull you over and issue you a ticket for not being buckled-up. You haven't harmed anyone - or even threatened to. You might hurt yourself, it's true. But so will being 50 pounds overweight and (for now) no one's being pulled over for that.

It's pointless to deny the merits of wearing a seat belt - just as it is equally pointless to deny the benefits of eating a low-fat diet, maintaining ideal body weight and exercising regularly. The point is not whether a given action or decision is "good for you." It is who should have the final say - you or some busybody with a gun and a badge whose time might be better spent looking for, you know, criminals.

When we turn 18 we're adults as a matter of law and are supposed to be masters of our own destinies. The right to choose (for good or bad) the course our lives will take is the bedrock basic principle of independent adulthood; take that right away and we are reduced to perpetual training wheels - no matter our chronological age.

Not wearing a seat belt may be "unsafe" - but it's not nearly as bad as the suffocating state-enforced infantilism that we get when cops are used not to protect honest citizens from the violence and fraud of dishonest citizens - but to make us do things "for our own good," as if we were little kiddies and they our parents. Even worse, this "for our own good" (or "safety's sake") stuff is purely arbitrary. It all depends on whose ox is being gored.

Not wearing a seat belt can be attacked and punished - but there are far greater threats to safety and well-being. For example, how come it's ok to exercise choice when it comes to diet and exercise - but not when it comes to seat belts?

Perhaps it's because so many of us are overweight, sedentary - and eat like Elvis did during his "husky" period. So, it's ok to be an arteriosclerotic, pre-diabetic, massive health care cost incurring tub of lard - but it's a violation of modern PC orthodoxies not to "buckle up for safety."

It's funny - but the example reveals the hypocrisy and arbitrariness of the way our system works. And how it decides who gets hassled.

After all, there is a clear and definite link between obesity and a steady diet of greasy fast food and an early death from heart disease or cancer. It is an objective "safety" issue with clear ramifications for the general public - since we all get to pay more for health care/insurance and so on because of the totally unnecessary costs imposed by unhealthy, self-destructive fatties who insist on eating themselves into angioplasty.

On the other hand, there is only a potential risk - and a small one, on individual terms - involved with not buckling up. The odds are you won't have an accident - in which case, the seat belt is irrelevant. But when you eat and live like The King - the physical repercussions are much less theoretical. Twenty years of soda pop, french fries and double cheeseburgers will absolutely leave their mark on you; not wearing a seat belt for 20 years may not cost you a thing. No wreck, no problem. And millions of people go their entire lives without ever being involved in a serious accident. Not many people make it through a lifetime of overeating and abusing their bodies without definite consequences.

So, if the measure is going to be "societal costs" - shouldn't we be ticketing weighty waddlers? But I don't support that. The core issue - whether it's what you eat or whether you want to wear a seat belt - is simple: Who owns you?

If my person is my property, then it follows I have the right to use it as I please - so long as no direct harm to others is involved. Not wearing my seat belt falls into that category - doesn't it?

Some might say not wearing a seat belt means I won;t be able to control the car in an accident-type situation where evasive driving maneuvers are necessary. Ok. But the truth is the skill set of the average driver in this country is so low that the concept of "evasive driving maneuvers" is laughable on its face. The typical low-skill American driver is much more likely to freeze, scream - and await the inevitable. Or do the wrong thing. Very few drivers in this country have had professional driver training and are capable of executing accident avoidance maneuvers. It'd be nice - but it's just not there. So that issue's a non-sequitur.

There is the legalistic argument that the roads are public property - and driving a privilege subject to regulation. Fair enough. But so are sidewalks - and fat people can be seen lumbering down them in cities and towns all across the country, brazenly wolfing down their Angus triples and 64 oz sodas without fear of being ticketed. How come the overfed are permitted to flaunt their self-destructive behavior in public, on public sidewalks free of any fear of being ticketed - but it's open season on unbuckled motorists?

The answer is: We're a land of self-deluding busybodies and hypocrites. So long as our sacred cow isn't gored, we don't mind lancing our neighbor's cow. As with the so-called "war on drugs" - which targets some drugs (pot) but not others (alcohol) - it is a matter of laws blowing with the winds of whim. Being fat and unhealthy - or jabbering on a cell phone - is considered ok ... nowithstanding the demonstrable threat to the safety and well-being of "society" both those things represent. But fail to buckle up for safety - and it's a $100 fine.

My first hope is we can repeal all this lifestyle enforcement nonsense - and leave the cops to fight crime. But if we can't have that, I'll settle for fairness. If I have to buckle up for safety - for my own good - then I want to see every person who is sedentary required to show proof of working out at least three days a week. And every person who is carrying more than 20 pounds of lard issued a piece of paying' paper for each pound of excess blubber.

In addition to radar guns and handcuffs, we should issue each cop a set of body fat calipers and a blood pressure/cholesterol meter that could be used at roadside health checkpoints.Fair is fair, after all.

Watch Burning Man Live NOW!!! - via Ustream
I just added a live  burning man feed via ustream for those of us that decided to stay home and avoid the 7 deadly hassles. Cant wait to post more mutant vehicles from this years event.

88 Oldsmobile Garden Art Car
This garden art car is headed to The U.S. Supreme Court that will consider an appeal next month from the owner of Planet K stores over his long-running battle with the city of San Marcos about his right to display it. In 2007 Michael Kleinman paid two artists to transform this salvage special in front of his store into a painted cactus planter art car. City officials got themselves hot and bothered, claiming the Oldsmobile 88 was in violation of a city ordinance declaring such displays public nuisances. The car was removed and Kleinman is appealing a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in February that found the car-planter to be “ultimately a junked vehicle.”  Good luck with that!! via

Its funny I was going to do a garden art car post a while back and forgotten about it until my dad sent me this article two days ago. As you can see these are just a few of the garden cars I found from around the world. Most are intentional, some natural and the last one is purely accidental. If you like these you might also like the Grass Art Cars also on Art Car Central.
Community garden car on Kensington Garden Art Car in Amsterdam VW Garden Art Car
Belgium Garden Art Car Mercedes Garden Art Car Fiat Garden Art Car
VW Garden Art Car Ford Escort Garedn Car in Slough, Berkshire Vintage Garden Art car in Uruguay
Overgrown Motorcycle Moss covered bicycle Accidental Garden Toyota Car

Martini Shaker Penguin Car For Sale Martini Shaker Penguin Car Hood For Sale

This 1985 Mercury Grand Marqui penguin car is for sale for only 1000 bucks, only if you really really really want it now on craigslist. Its claim to fame, a single penguin martini shaker as a hood ornament, and a stuffed one in the back window. I think its time to cut back on the martinis for a while, I don't know, I am just saying.

Mazda Shinari

Many already probably heard that design of cars Mazda will be changed soon. Japanese promised to present this year the first concept, made in new design. And here – in vicinities of Milan Mazda has shown model under name Shinari.

Mazda new design receive name – Kodo. All it's secrets become known a bit later. While we can notice only that the new main designer of company Ikuo Maeda who has replaced on this post Lawrence van der Akera was engaged in Mazda Shinari creation.

The official presentation of Mazda Shinari will pass in the end of September on a showroom in Paris. However when on sale will appear the cars made in style Kodo, it is not known yet. Apparently, the first new design should try on compact crossover CX-5 which will appear next year.

Mazda Shinari

Mazda Shinari

Mazda Shinari

Mazda Shinari

Volkswagen Up

Volkswagen has started road tests of the smallest car which will be called Up!. For the first time concept of this model have been shown three years ago, however all this time a management of German concern reflected over necessity of release the similar machine.

Apparently, the first on the market leaves three-door Up!, which will be equipped with three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. However should appear also electromobile a bit later. Besides, there is an information that simultaneously with Volkswagen Up!will begin assembly similar model under a brand of Skoda which will have hardly more modest inner trim and, accordingly, will cost cheaper. The premiere of the smallest Volkswagen will take place next year.

Volkswagen Up

Volkswagen Up

ford escape hybrid
ford escape hybrid front
ford escape hybrid
ford escape hybrid image
ford escape hybrid
ford escape hybrid interior
ford escape hybrid cars
ford escape hybrid
ford escape hybrid

For 2010, Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner add a host of new features that improve safety and make driving more convenient. Escape and Mariner also become two of the first Ford Motor
Company vehicles to feature SYNC® with Traffic, Directions and Information – helping reduce distractions while accessing important route and traffic information.


The new 2010 Jaguar XJ Luxury Sports Saloon Platinum Concept Car celebrates Jaguar's 75th Anniversary, and highlights the uniqueness of the XJ. Jaguar design team has created the Jaguar Luxury Sports Saloon XJ75 Platinum Concept, a one-of-a-kind design project on display at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance Concept Car Lawn.
2010 Jaguar Cars XJ75 Platinum Concept Car Luxury Sports Salon
The XJ75 Platinum Concept Car is the company's first demonstration of the design customisation potential of the striking new XJ luxury salon, emphasising the Jaguar's dramatic interior and exterior styling themes. "The XJ Luxury Sports Saloon is thoroughly modern, and captures the innovative and daring character that our founder Sir William Lyons built into every Jaguar. And the design team clearly had some fun making their first one-of-a-kind XJ design concept car in that spirit."
The XJ75 Luxury Sports Saloon Platinum Concept centre console houses a bespoke clock developed and designed in partnership with the Bremont Watch Company.
An independent British company, Bremont creates beautifully engineered and designed mechanical watches hand assembled in Switzerland.
2010 Jaguar Cars XJ75 Platinum Concept Car Luxury Sports Salon 
"From a pure design perspective, the XJ75 Luxury Sports Saloon Platinum Concept is foremost about emphasising the striking proportion and presence of the new XJ, with a distilled black and white theme, which conjures up the sense of precious platinum," said Jaguar XJ Chief Designer Giles Taylor. "At the same time, the pure sporting character of XJ is brought to the fore by keeping the car's clean graphic approach and further lowering its stance."
Dominated by striking white and black contrast precious metals platinum theme suggests, the Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept is a high-performance 470-hp supercharged engine 2011 Jaguar XJL with new ground-hugging front, rear and rocker panel is fitted.
Performance on the XJ75 Platinum Concept is derived from its 5.0-litre Supercharged direct-injection V8 with 470 horsepower and 424 lb.-ft of torque. Entertainment is provided by a 1,200-watt Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system with 20 speakers powered through 15 channels and state-of-the-art sound processing technology.
This XJ75 Platinum Concept Car was designed to both celebrate the marque’s past and acknowledge the increasingly personal nature of today’s luxury cars.


The new 2010 Jaguar XJ Luxury Sports Saloon Platinum Concept Car celebrates Jaguar's 75th Anniversary, and highlights the uniqueness of the XJ. Jaguar design team has created the Jaguar Luxury Sports Saloon XJ75 Platinum Concept, a one-of-a-kind design project on display at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance Concept Car Lawn.
2010 Jaguar Cars XJ75 Platinum Concept Car Luxury Sports Salon
The XJ75 Platinum Concept Car is the company's first demonstration of the design customisation potential of the striking new XJ luxury salon, emphasising the Jaguar's dramatic interior and exterior styling themes. "The XJ Luxury Sports Saloon is thoroughly modern, and captures the innovative and daring character that our founder Sir William Lyons built into every Jaguar. And the design team clearly had some fun making their first one-of-a-kind XJ design concept car in that spirit."
The XJ75 Luxury Sports Saloon Platinum Concept centre console houses a bespoke clock developed and designed in partnership with the Bremont Watch Company.
An independent British company, Bremont creates beautifully engineered and designed mechanical watches hand assembled in Switzerland.
2010 Jaguar Cars XJ75 Platinum Concept Car Luxury Sports Salon 
"From a pure design perspective, the XJ75 Luxury Sports Saloon Platinum Concept is foremost about emphasising the striking proportion and presence of the new XJ, with a distilled black and white theme, which conjures up the sense of precious platinum," said Jaguar XJ Chief Designer Giles Taylor. "At the same time, the pure sporting character of XJ is brought to the fore by keeping the car's clean graphic approach and further lowering its stance."
Dominated by striking white and black contrast precious metals platinum theme suggests, the Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept is a high-performance 470-hp supercharged engine 2011 Jaguar XJL with new ground-hugging front, rear and rocker panel is fitted.
Performance on the XJ75 Platinum Concept is derived from its 5.0-litre Supercharged direct-injection V8 with 470 horsepower and 424 lb.-ft of torque. Entertainment is provided by a 1,200-watt Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system with 20 speakers powered through 15 channels and state-of-the-art sound processing technology.
This XJ75 Platinum Concept Car was designed to both celebrate the marque’s past and acknowledge the increasingly personal nature of today’s luxury cars.