Ironic history

A comment from Shabonee about the possibility
of John Deere having plans for a marijuana
harvester got us doing a little research. We
never found proof that Deere had plans for
such a machine nor did we find a denial.

We did learn about the demonization of
marijuana in the 20s and 30s, and the
subsequent Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

General Counsel Herman Oliphant of the
Treasury Department believed that the drug
was the downfall of the youth and the main
reason for violent crime in districts
occupied by ‘Mexicans, Spaniards, Latin
Americans, Greeks or Negroes’.

He began drafting a bill to authorize the
prohibitive taxation of marijuana without
informing Congress or the public.

Oliphant enlisted the aid of Dr. Jules
Bouquet who was supposedly the world’s
foremost expert on cannabis drugs at the
time.

Dr. Boquet decided to base his findings on
his study of cannabis smoking Moslems in
Tunisia.

“The basis of the Moslem character is
indolence; these people love idleness and
day-dreaming, and to the majority of them
work is the most unpleasant of all
necessities. Inordinately vain-glorious,
thirsting for every pleasure, they are
manifestly unable to realize more than a
small fraction of their desires: their
unrestrained imagination supplies the rest.

Hemp, which enhances the imagination, is
the narcotic best adapted to their mentality.
The hashish addict can dream of the life he
longs for; under the influence of the drug
he becomes wealthy, the owner of well-filled
harem, of delightful cool gardens, of a
board richly supplied with exquisite and
copious viands; his every longing is satisfied,
happiness is his. When the period of
intoxication is over and he is again faced
with the drab realities of his normal
shabby life, his one desire is to find a
corner where he may sleep until a new orgy
of hemp brings him back to the realm of
illusions.”

This led to his belief that the use of pot
caused abandonment of work, a propensity to
theft, and the disappearance of reproductive
powers.

My how the times have changed. We now have
a Moslem loving president who admits to
smoking pot often in his youth.
Comments are always welcome.

Things to do

Since we’re coming to the part of the
week where the days still end in ‘day’,
but some people get off work, here are
some ride related events.

This weekend is the 39th Annual Back to
the 50s hosted by the Minnesota Street
Rod Association. It runs June 22-24 and
is held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds
in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more info go
here.

June 22-24 is the Barrett-Jackson Orange
County, California auction.

Friday and Saturday, June 22, 23, is the
5th Annual Heartland Nova Reunion held at
the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, 3184
Highway 22, Riverside, Iowa. This event
is for Novas only.

Saturday, June 23 is the Classic Rod and
Custom Car Show and Flea Market at the
Ohnward Fine Arts Center, 2701 E. Platt St.,
Maquoketa, Iowa from 12 to 6 pm. This event
is free. For more information call
563-652-9815.

Also Saturday, June 23, is the Fast 6 Car
Show and Drag Race at Cordova Dragway Park.
Gates open at 2 pm and racing starts at 3.

Sunday, June 24 is the Freedom Celebration
Car Show held at the Hennepin Canal Parkway
in Colona, Illinois. Show runs 8 am to 4 pm.
Club website is here.

Also Sunday is the Railroad Days Showcase
of Cars in Standish Park, Galesburg, Illinois.
The show runs 7:30 am to 3 pm. For more info
call Neil Detmers at 309-341-0563.

And Sunday the Lake Davenport Sailing Club
will again be holding races at 1 and 3 pm.
For more info go here.

There are enough events this weekend to
keep a cruiser cruisin’ or a poser posin’.

Comments are always welcome.

Gone too far rant

A recent comment got us thinking that we
haven’t done an honest-to-God rant in a while.
The reason for this is simple, we haven’t
had much of anything to get worked up
about.

Until now. We read an article about the University
of Minnesota-Duluth and an ad campaign
they are sponsoring, and all bets are off.

The college seems to believe that because
I was born “white”, I’m privileged. It
also seems that they believe our society
was setup for us(whites) and is unfair to
our minorities.

Get a life. I’m privileged? Where were
you when I was working 16 hours a day,
six days a week, to get what I have?

Where were you when I tried for eight
straight years to get a government job,
being told I scored the highest on the
Civil Service exam and was the most
qualified but couldn’t be hired because
I wasn’t a minority.

I will not now, nor will I ever apologize
to anyone for my skin color. Minorities
may feel we are privileged, and that is
fine. The problem we have is that they
don’t want to work for our level of
success.

Instead, because they feel slighted, they
feel the monies should come from us. If
you want what we have do what we did and
work for it!

It’s hard to see racism when you’re white?
We see it every day. Directed at us. The
problem with our country isn’t racism. It
is the fact that a growing number of our
citizens have come to believe we owe them
living because they were born here.

Your Un-Fair campaign is the biggest pile
of cow patties we’ve seen in quite a while.
Comments are always welcome.

‘Who got the shaft?’ rant

On Jim Fisher’s show Tuesday, someone
called in and said his neighbors car got
stolen while he was on vacation.

When he called the Police he was told
that the car had been impounded for
not being moved from its parking spot.
And when he asked, he was informed it
would cost $375 to get his car back.

This is exactly why we are against any
laws being passed about where we park,
why we park where we do, or how long we
stay parked.

For those of who live in the affected
SOLO area, it’s time for the Bix at 6.
Because of this non-event, the detour is
going to get a detour on Thursdays.

We expect hot days, hot tempers, and hot
drivers trying to figure out how to get
home. We also believe runners will be
out messing up traffic as early as 3 pm.

And now, once again, it is your turn to
rant. If she got the gold mine and you
got the shaft, comment.

If you feel the Police Department should
be renamed the City Uniformed Revenue
Department, have your say.

If you feel you’ve been screwed, go
ahead and comment.

Want to get something off your chest?
Here’s your chance.

It won’t take long, it doesn’t cost
anything, and you may just feel better
after you do.
Comments are always welcome.

A correction

We made an error in our recent post called
“Unbiased media?” We stated that Obama was
heckled because he is an incompetent,
egotistical, boob.

With the 20/20 of hindsight we decided we
were wrong. He is being heckled because he
is an egotistical boob.

He has done most of what he said he would
do if elected, but few of us listened. He
ran on Hope and Change and most people who
voted for him thought he meant their brand
of change.

Since he never got specific during the
campaign, he went with his own brand of
change after he was elected.

He claims he deserves to get re-elected
and we think he doesn’t. We should think
the same way with our Congress.

We say that because when he overstepped
his powers with his recent illegal alien
amnesty, Congress should have at least
spoken up, if not tried to impeach him.

How quickly we forget. Andrew Johnson was
brought up for impeachment for doing the
same thing Obama is doing. In 1868 he was
tried on charges that included violating
the tenure of Office act.

If one vote had gone the other way
Johnson would have been impeached.

And yet Obama continues to burn the jet
engines out of Air Force One travelling
to convince us that Romney is evil and
Republicans want dirty air and water.
Comments are always welcome.

Hot day time killers

We are going to list some stories,
links to pictures and videos, and
a few non hobby related things.

If you are staying out of the heat,
you could spend an afternoon with
these links.

In what has to be the closest drag race
ever, the difference between the
winner and loser was 0.0000 seconds.

If you plan a visit to Nice, leave
your older ride at home.

Have you heard of the electric Superbus?
Tops out at 155 mph and can carry
23 people.

A lot slower news is the Honda butt-steered
Segway with Uni-Cub rolling stool.

Mind over Motor had a recent piece on a suede shoebox.

Great pictures at 500 px.

Here is a video of
the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show.

Earlyrods has
enough pictures to test you patience.
We think that is a good thing.

Legendary Finds has some really nice
rides for sale posted on the
site.

If these don’t keep you busy, we can’t help you.
Comments are always welcome.

Reader rant

A friend at the NorthPark cruise-in had
a suggestion for the blog. We talked a
bit, went our separate ways, and I
thought it over.

We decided it was worth a shot and the
result is this post.

Today is your turn. Feel free to rant,
rave, praise, or comment on just about
anything.

Have an idea about a post? Comment. Mad
at City Hall, Public Works, speed cameras,
or anything else? Comment.

Think Chevys are junk, or on a quiet
night you can hear a Ford rust? Think
a Mopar starter sounds weird? Comment.

Want to give accolades to your 7th
grade Geography teacher? Comment. The
topic is up to you as long as you follow
a few simple rules.

All we ask is that you don’t use profanity
or browbeat those who disagree. If you
wish to state an opinion, please state it
is an opinion.

That is about it for the rules. We may
add a few if something becomes obvious.

Consider this post a trial forum for the
things you are thinking about. If it works
out we will make it a regular feature.

You have been reading our rants, opinions,
and the occasional praise we give to others,
and now it is your turn.
Comments are always welcome.

A few things

We made it to the cruise-in at NorthPark, but didn’t get
any pictures. We did stop and chat with friends and took
some ribbing from other friends.

One of the conversations got us thinking, and because of
it we will try something different on the blog. Monday we
will do a post that will explain it.

We want to wish all the fathers out there ‘Happy Father’s
Day’. Happy Father’s Day to all the Mom’s out there too.
We couldn’t be Dad’s without you.

Our plan of the day is to go over to Dad’s for a little
cook-out and spend some time with him. Then we’ll go
to the in-laws for a visit. And when we get back home
I can go out to the shop and tie up a few lose ends.
Comments are always welcome.

Unbiased media?

This post may be offensive to some. If
you are one of those who believe in the
politically correct mantra this may not
be for you.

We were going to mention the meltdown
during Obama’s speech. However, after
reading about Julian Epstein’s comments
that Obama would not be heckled if he
were white, we decideded to go to
plan B.

We have some problems with that
comment and will address them here.
If we have the claims right, Obama
was born of a black father and a
white mother in an Hawaiian hospital.

Wouldn’t that make him an American-born
Mulatto? If so it would make him biracial
and not black or white. Good for diversity,
bad to lay any special claims.

And to say this president has been a
victim of heckling is laughable. We
have noticed that when he is distracted
during a speech he starts sputtering
like Mel Tillis.

He is not heckled because of his race.
He is heckled because he is an incompetent,
egotistical, boob. He is heckled because
he is not in touch with the middle class,
or the majority of Americans.

He is heckled because talk is cheap, but
at some point you have to put up or shut
up and he cannot do either.

We can only advise him to live the high
life while he can, come November and he
will be looking for a new place to live.
Comments are always welcome.

Odds and ends

On Friday, June 8, 2012, Iowa lost a popular
racer in a crash at Columbus Junction Speedway.
Tim Sands, 45, lost control and turned sideways
in front of the field during th first feature
of the night.

He was transported to Trinity in Muscatine
by ambulance and later airlifted to Iowa
City where he died later that night. The drivers
agreed to cancel the remainder of the races
for the night after the crash. Our condolences
to the family.

On another note, we are going to plan C. We
checked all fluid levels on the ’40, aired up
the tires, topped off the radiator, got gas,
and hooked up the battery.

If you’ve ever tried to start an older car
after it sits a while, you know to save some
gas to prime the carberator. Sometimes it
takes a little bit for the gas to get from
the tank to the carb.

After priming it 4 or 5 times I had a
revelation. The car has an electric fuel
pump and I couldn’t hear it running. Looks
like time to repair or replace the lazy
pump.

Now a few events:

Ongoing for most of the weekend is the 18th
Annual Mississippi River Motorcycle Rally at the
Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport.
Hours- Friday noon to midnight
Saturday 10 am to midnight.

Friday, June 15, is the Cruise on down to
Advance held at the Advance Auto Parts store
at 902 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport. Things
should get started around 5 pm.

Saturday, June 16, is the Dwyer & Michaels
Car Show at the Mississippi Valley fair
grounds in Davenport. Hours are 8 am to
4 pm.

Saturday, June 16, is the Rollin In The
Oldies cruise-in at Northpark Mall in
Davenport. Starts at 5 pm and there is a
suggested $2 donation. Should be a good
turnout.

Saturday, June 16, is the Mississippi
Valley Mustang Roundup at the Hy-Vee at
201 W. 10th Avenue in Milan, Illinois.
Hours are 4-9 pm.

Sunday, June 17, the Lake Davenport
Sailing Club will hold races at 1 and
3 pm off the levee. For more info go
here.

And lastly, if you have ever used rat
rod and Lamborhini in the same sentence,
here is a video
from an episode of Roadkill.
Comments are always welcome.