The CNET guy and his family? The news reports mention that he managed
to get stranded on a Bear Camp Road in SW Oregon. They were trying to
get to the coast using a shortcut. Well here is the map of the area:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Galice,+OR&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=10&ll=42.6086…

So this Darwin award winner was trying to get directly from I-5 to US
101 using the Merlin-Agness-Gold Beach route which is a mountain forest
road in winter!

What about the conditons on Bear Camp Road? From
http://www.goldbeach.net/maps.htm

"Regarding Bear Camp Road (also known as Merlin-Galice Road, Forest
Service Road 33); This is NOT a highway and is not a maintained
thoroughfare! Although on some maps it may appear to be a more direct
route to Gold Beach, it’s not a highway in any sense. It’s a forest
service road, closed in winter, and is mostly one-lane with no fog
lines, no guard rails, no shoulder, and plenty of wash-outs, mudslides
and potholes. Cell phones don’t work in much of that area and after you
pass the Agness turnoff, there is nothing but wilderness until you get
to the other side of the mountain range at I-5. "

So…how fucking stupid do you have to be to take that kind of
‘shortcut’?! And the media portrays him like some sort of hero.

 Horns that beep anytime the vehicle is backing up. You see (hear)
them on dump trucks and the like all the time.  So many idiots don’t
look when backing up.

Years ago i had a vehicle in which i rigged up a switch so the horn
would  stay on continuously.  I used it when backing up or when
driving thru a congested area.  Worked  real well though it prolly
wouldn’t if everybody had one.

http://tinyurl.com/yynloz

The short if it, homocidal teens toss a 14KG+ boulder off an overpass
and a bus driver on the road beneath is killed. Teens get slap on the
wrist for their crime.

Lets hope that any ideas of annexing Canada into our once great nation
are forever suppressed.

–
"This country is full of nitwits and assholes."
                         –George Carlin

- — -

Geoff  Miller wrote:
> What’s the purpose of those amber clearance lights that
> semis (or "big rigs," in today’s parlance) and the
> occasional heavy-duty pickup on them?  Are they for the
> benefit of the driver, providing just enough of a glow
> that he could lean forward in his seat to check for
> clearance over the roof of the cab?  Or are they for
> that of somebody outside of the truck?

> They seem kind of pointless on semi tractors, since the
> trailers they haul are usually taller than the cabs are.

> As for the ones on trailers, they’re out of view of the
> driver and so of precious little use when, say, driving
> under a freeway overpass — not that most truck drivers
> would ever slow down for an overpass in the first place.
> And for good reason: they’re of a standard minimum height.

> And as far as people on the ground go, aren’t places like
> truck terminals and weigh stations typically well lit?

> What’s it all mean, Mr. Natural?

> Geoff

Maybe they’re there to help avoid low flying aircraft, like
crop-dusters, from crashing into them at night?

- Peter

Hi All,

Pictures of Highway Shields, a Calrog.com component, has added photos from
the states of Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey Ohio, Pennsylvania and
Vermont.  Many thanks to Chris Elbert for his contributions, denoted below.
The same goes to Paula from District 5 of the Ohio Department of
Transportation; she helped pinpoint the geographical location for OH-11 @
Milepost 84.

http://hwy-shields.calrog.com (Interstates 68 and 270, by Rogers)
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com#md (Maryland State Routes)
   –Elbertian photographs:  MD-198
   –Rogerian photographs:  MD-58, -85, -144, -355, and -615.
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com#ma (Massachusetts State Routes)
   –Elbertian photographs:  MA-2, and -198.
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com/nj-168.html (New Jersey State Route 168, by
Elbert)
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com/oh-11.html (Ohio State Route 11, by Elbert)
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com#pa (Pennsylvania State Routes)
   –Elbertian photographs:  PA-252 and -407.
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com/vt-100a.html (Vermont State Route 100A, by
Elbert)

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Carl Rogers
********
Calrog.com, http://www.calrog.com :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An integrated media arm in Turn-of-the-Century PC Development, International
Highway Research, and Interpersonal Psychology.  Has served your home
country and ninety-three of its worldwide neighbours since 2000, through
Internet downstream and published works.
********

On the way in to work, got stuck behind some dullard in vehicle owned
by the local cable company. The local cable company’s office is
between a block and two blocks away from the city police department’s
fuel depot, for those of you who read last week’s adventure.

I "caught up" with Bob the retarded cable guy about 6 blocks away from
his home office. I speculated that Bob most likely was on his way in
to work, as he was in the left hand lane and had to turn right when he
arrived at his destination.

Since Bob the moron wasn’t situationally aware, he was being
pico-passed by some more South Carolina retards on the right. Given my
speculation, I decided to take the right lane before Bob, and I took
it about two blocks from Bob’s place of employment. I didn’t bother to
allow enough space between the RLB and myself for Bob to cut me off,
so as we neared his destination he slowed and pulled in behind me.

After he successfully obtained his proper position, I hit the brake,
and began creeping along at 10mph through this 35mph zone.

For some reason, Bob didn’t seem too happy. He couldn’t pass me
because the line of traffic he had clogged up behind him when he was
in the left lane wasn’t about to allow him back into that lane. Even
if it did, I would have sped up to prevent him from passing me, but I
digress.

For some reason, Bob must have been very happy that I took the time to
slow down and enjoy the view; when I looked back he was alternating
between waving with both hands, and occasionally he’d offer me a nice
California wave like in the "Beverly Hillbillies" movie. I just
returned his salutation and went about my business, although not
before kicking the accelerator as we approached his turnoff.

I hope Bob has a nice day, and I hope he doesn’t do society any
disfavors by procreating.

December 6, 2006
EPA May Drop Lead Air Pollution Limits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration is considering doing away
with health standards that cut lead from gasoline, widely regarded as
one of the nation’s biggest clean-air accomplishments.

Battery makers, lead smelters, refiners all have lobbied the
administration to do away with the Clean Air Act limits.

A preliminary staff review released by the Environmental Protection
Agency this week acknowledged the possibility of dropping the health
standards for lead air pollution. The agency says revoking those
standards might be justified ”given the significantly changed
circumstances since lead was listed in 1976” as an air pollutant.

But Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the incoming chairman of the House
Committee on Government Reform, called on the agency to ”renounce
this dangerous proposal immediately,” because lead, a highly toxic
element, can cause severe nerve damage, especially in children.

”This deregulatory effort cannot be defended,” Waxman wrote EPA
Administrator Stephen Johnson.

Soon after lead was listed as an air pollutant 30 years ago, the
Carter administration began removing lead from gasoline. Other big
sources of lead in the atmosphere are from solid waste, coal, oil,
iron and steel production, lead smelters and tobacco smoke.

Exposure to lead can also come from food and soil. Lead is one of six
air pollutants the EPA is required to review every five years to make
sure the health limits are protective enough. The others are ozone,
soot, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides.

The EPA has repeatedly missed the deadlines set under the Clean Air
Act, incurring the legal wrath of environmental groups.

The health standards for air pollutants are intended to protect
children, elderly and other ”sensitive” populations, keep up
visibility and limit damage to animals, crops, vegetation and
buildings.

Bill Wehrum, who heads the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, said the
agency is ”committed to continuing to significantly reduce lead
emissions in this country. That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

John Walke, a former EPA lawyer who is now the clean air director for
the Natural Resources Defense Council, disagrees.

”The Democrats just took over the Congress, and they’re talking about
something as dangerous and idiotic as eliminating the national health
standard for air pollution?” he said. ”It just doesn’t add up.”

<snip>

Dealership got me a 06 VW Jetta GLI while they service my car.  Wow.

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/volkswagen/jetta/100544996/specs.html

It has GREAT handling, great power, no turbo lag, and for only about
24K (that’s MSRP) you get alloy wheels, HID lights, sunroof, heated
exterior mirrors, XM radio, 6-CD changer. What an amazing car! It is
the first German car I ever drove (I know, I’m pathetic). I wonder if a
Cooper or a BMW or an Audi would handle even better. Hard to imagine!
To think that I chose to drive only American and Japanese cars all this
time

Goddamit – All beaners are drunk drivers. I say NO mexicans legal or
illegal in america!!!!

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53192

DUI illegal kills Marine home on leave from Iraq

4 times legal limit: Mexican driver cited
for earlier accident but charges dropped

Posted: December 2, 2006 1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

One week after he slammed his Nissan Sentra into a car waiting at a
stoplight, killing a U.S. Marine and his female passenger, Eduardo
Raul Morales-Soriano, whose blood alcohol level was measured at .32 –
four times the legal level in Maryland for intoxication – has been
identified as an illegal immigrant by the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Office in Baltimore.

Marine Cpl. Brian Mathews, 21, of Columbia and his date, Jennifer
Bower, 24, of Montgomery Village were killed Thanksgiving night,
shortly after 10:00 p.m. when Bower’s Toyota Corolla was hit from
behind by Morales-Soriano, 25, of Mexico. Mathews and Bower were on
their second date and were planning to take part in the June wedding
of friends who had introduced them to each other.

Mathews had served 8 months in Iraq and completed another tour of duty
in the Pacific. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and had
come home to Maryland for the holidays. He was scheduled to leave the
Corps in June 2007.

Police said Morales-Soriano’s blood-alcohol level was .32 after the
accident, four times Maryland’s legal limit.

(snip)

Morales-Soriano used a North Carolina driver’s license issued Feb. 5,
2004, to obtain a license in Maryland on July 8, 2005, according to
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. WND has reported on the
popularity of North Carolina as a destination for illegal aliens
seeking easy access to a driver’s license.

The state’s requirements to obtain a driver’s license are weaker than
those of many surrounding states, according to a performance audit of
the licensing process.

Court officials in New Jersey, for instance, have complained that the
requirements are so weak that busloads of illegal immigrants get on
I-95 heading south and drive to North Carolina to obtain licenses
fraudulently.

The audit, administered by the Department of Transportation and the
Division of Motor Vehicles, said documents considered acceptable for
proof of residency in North Carolina are easily forged, or the
information provided by applicants is not verified.

Morales-Soriano joins a growing list of illegal immigrants who have
not only ignored U.S. immigration laws, but state laws against
drinking and driving as well, killing innocents on the highways in the
process.

Hi All,

This afternoon, some new highway photos from eastern Kentucky have been
added to Pictures of Highway Shields (PHS), a Calrog.com component.  Come
see pictures of an Interstate, a US Federal Route, twenty-three numbered
State Routes, and one lettered State Route in the greater Boyd, Carter and
Elliott Counties:

http://hwy-shields.calrog.com (Interstate 64, top lefthand column)
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com#us (US Federal Route 60)
http://hwy-shields.calrog.com#ky (Kentucky State Routes)

BTW, did you know there’s a relatively quick way to find all your favourite
PHS photos?  When logged onto PHS, simply (1) type in "CTRL+F" in Internet
Explorer/Firefox, or "Apple Control+F" in Safari.  Then (2) type in the
American state’s abbreviation, a hyphen, then (3) state route number (e.g.,
IL-53 for Illinois State Route 53).  For Interstate and US Federal highways,
use the patterns I-xx and US-xx in step (2), respectively.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Carl Rogers
********
Calrog.com, http://www.calrog.com :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An integrated media arm in Turn-of-the-Century PC Development, International
Highway Research, and Interpersonal Psychology.  Has served your home
country and ninety-three of its worldwide neighbours since 2000, through
Internet downstream and published works.
********