David Hingtgen

Dodge already has full specs for the 09 Challenger up at their site. The more I look/read, the more I like---much more than the Camaro or any Aussie car at this point. If I can pay off my car a year early, I think I'd like a '11 Challenger. (or maybe if I can find a nice used '10 at that point--it'd be a lot easier to afford) (and it will be blue)

They keep trying to re-invent the baggage system. I don't think any have been successful. If I designed an airport, you can bet it'd have 1980's style baggage handling.

Now it seems they ARE considering making a Pontiac out of the Holden 60: http://www.leftlanenews.com/pontiac-mullin...-gxp-coupe.html I'd much rather see it as a GTO or Firebird, not a FIFTH G8 variant. (We already have the base, GT, GXP, and El Camino) Though of course, using G8 parts would get it over here cheaper--and thus, more likely to come over, period.

Well, he's broken now. And the joint still won't move! I've emailed Hasbro and will bitch at them until I get a replacement. The joint is in pieces, boiled, pulled, pliers, and slicing with an X-acto. And it's still stuck and won't move. Very defective. (There's stuck joints, and then there's this thing) I think I found like vinyl in and around the joint, COVERING the seams between the joint and the arm. It's more than just "a bit of paint" in the joint.

My first Destro ever. Anyways--he can't bend his right elbow. It's REALLY stuck. Any suggestions? I can BEND it almost 90 degrees at this point, but it's just the plastic bending, not the joint rotating. If I could remove his forearm and elbow joint from the upper arm, I think I could free it. But I also think trying to take it apart will simply shear the elbow joint apart.

First KC-45 arrives in Dresden, Germany: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defen...dd-5b52bc2bec8a

Drove out this evening to one of Iowa's many smaller, older, rural Wal-Marts. Often good things hidden away in them. In addition to their "stuffed full of Wii's" video game case, I found a Crimson Guardsman. Yes, I know that's a peg-warmer everwhere else. But not here. First I ever saw. (there are no 25th Joe figures at all in most stores locally--none) Also, snagged Iron Grenadier Destro.

Trade one losing format for another: BetaMax to HD-DVD converter: http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/betamaxhd.html?cpg=70H

Ebay pics of Wave 8 at Hisstank. I *really* hope that Cobra Commander has a chromed face plate---hard to tell--it's definitely reflecting the light better than other releases, but doesn't IMHO look QUITE enough to actually be chromed. Maybe just "shinier silver paint". http://www.hisstank.com/forum/attachment.p...mp;d=1206927112 Roadblock: I'll wait for a cartoon-colors repaint. (Dark green vest instead of bright lime)

No, the Grand Prix is gone. Last one was built in November. The few remaining ones on the dealer lots are the very last of them. And the Solstice is SO not a Firebird replacement. Right myk?

That was given to Pontiac because Chevy already had so many vehicles. Pontiac's lost the Firebird, Grand Prix, and Bonneville in just the last couple years. G8 can't replace all 3. And they just recently said "no" to the Concept 60 coming over here in any way shape or form. (they blame CAFE) (and I want one)

No comments on the many new Camaro pics of RS/SS spoilers/decals/fairings? http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gm-accessor...ro/723879/full/ (last pic's the best, and has a different spoiler)

If Yamato used lead paint, they could use less yellow. Lead is what makes yellow rich and opaque. Non-lead paint leads to many coats being needed. (obvious on anything made from 1980+)

There's going to be a 3-disc "extra" special edition of Top Gun coming---the third disc is going to be about the F-14's and the guys who flew them. No word on if it's DVD or Blu-Ray---hopefully the latter.

More shopping cart stories: Moron (with teenage moron friends) in an SUV sees a cart, and PURPOSELY accelerates and hits it with his giant off-road bumper guard to get it out of his way. He laughs, then goes "oh Sh**" when he sees the cart turn and start heading for a nice new Cadillac. The cart stopped about 1 foot from the Caddy. Local Target employee wrangling up the carts with the little self-propelled thing seems to "lose" the self-propelled thing (she wasn't looking, and just left it by itself for a little bit), and it starts heading towards my car! I was just walking out of the store, and it was too far for me to get there in time--luckily the dumb girl realized that it was out rolling along on its own, and got to it. (though from how/when it stopped, I think that thing must have a timer or something, so that it won't go very far without human input--presumably to prevent what just almost happened)

Northropbus has filed for Boeing's protest to be dismissed. Presumably, Boeing can then appeal the protest dismissal filing...

We had rain/sleet/ice today, so my car's worse than it was. So much for it warming up this week to clean and wax it... PS---had my first encounter with a parking lot shopping cart. %*%&%&! I've got like a "ridge" of paint where it was rubbed/folded up. Going to sand it down, if I'm really lucky I can level it out without entirely removing the color coat. (Clear coat's gotta go). The rest of the bumper's marks are so subtle I really don't think it'd be worth/possible to fix without actually making it more obvious. (you can imagine how carefully I choose my parking spots, weighing time/distance to other cars, doors, and shopping carts---but it was so windy that day that apparently a cart from 50 yards away came at my car---I was in the store for like 5 mins, and there were NO loose carts in the lot when I parked---it either blew out of the corral or someone left it there while I was in the store and it blew into my bumper)

Got my countour molded splash guards (AKA, fancy mud flaps) today. Now I just gotta decide if I want them painted to match or not. From behind, the black looks best and blends in with the well/tire. But from the side, it's really obvious that there's a big chunk of black all of a sudden. Here's my main reference thread: http://www.clubgp.com/newforum/tm.asp?m=33...e=1&smode=1 This is a very similar car, in a similar color to mine, with the molded guards painted to match: http://www.clubgp.com/newforum/upfiles/33768/Ig13792.jpg (though IMHO it's not quite matched---the flap doesn't have nearly the metallic sparkle that the car does)

Hmmn. Would this Saturday be good to drive up there, or is it too soon to be likely to find anything? Even for non-exclusive stuff, my TRU is pretty far behind most places.

Gah. Every Cobra I want is only part of a two-pack. I'm going end up giving away or selling half the stuff I buy. First Copper Head, now an Eel. (I am very picky, and not very fond of repaints--I want to own the one, definitive version of a character---which for me is usually cartoon-colors, or Devil's Due at this point) PS--as my "local" TRU is pretty far away and the worst-stocked in the world it seems when it comes to exclusives, and I usually can only check monthly at best, I'll make my request now for if anyone sees the Cobra Commander/Officer/Trooper 3-pack there. That's the EXACT version of CC I want. (plus I don't have any regular officers or troopers yet, so they'll do nicely).

Found this: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product...amp;mode=retail It's like the exact case assortment of stuff I've missed, but want. Going to wait for that to show up.

I read about him being a Snow Job repaint, but both he and Wild Bill I believe are actually the "intended" version of their molds, with the first releases actually being the repaint. 1. Snow Job's mold works TOO well for Wild Weasel. It's a Wild Weasel mold IMHO, Snow Job simply was released first. 2. Ace vs Wild Bill. Look at the legs. The mold is Wild Bill. Question for ordering online: For the earlier figs (I didn't really miss out, I never ever saw them here), will most places have the "fixed" ones, or are they still getting rid of early ones with poor hip/leg articulation? (I need Beach Head, possibly Flint) PS---we're getting Wild Bill, Ace, Wild Weasel-----but no aircraft of any sort released???? PPS---I hold out hope for a 25th Cobra Moray re-release. They've done it a zillion times the past decade, but I've missed out every time-- awesome toy, best Joe/Cobra toy that's smaller than a plane. IIRC.

Umm, actually the Su-37 couldn't beat anything at all now. It's in a million pieces scattered around Zhukovsky. There was only ever the one. However, the Su-30MKI, is better in every possible way and has every feature the -37 did, and more, and IS in mass production and in service. (The Su-30MKK, MK2, MKV, MKA and MK-anything-else are all inferior to the MKI, in varying degrees of inferiority) I'd put the Su-30MKI as overall superior to anything but the F-22, and possibly superior to the F-22 in agility, and probably superior in speed.

Well, I finally caved in and bought my first 25th Ann figure. Wild Weasel. I can't pass up Cobra's ace pilot. I have NO need for Ace at all---anyone want him? Free! Totally free, not even shipping. Otherwise he's going in the garbage. ::edit:: Sold to the first member that PM'd me. Now that I have one figure, I realize I really should have bought Storm Shadow when I saw him a few weeks ago. Will probably never see him again and have to resort to Ebay. (I'm still really waiting for Lackey Vipers, and a B.A.T.) Wish-list for future figures: Strato-Vipers (male AND female---I think there are more female Strato-Vipers known than all other Cobra females combined) Techno-Vipers (because they wear Decepticon colors)

::gasp:: You go to the Key Publishing forum? That's like, the Robotech.com of military sites... PS--I'm unaware of any category in which the EF-2000 beats the F-22.