Unofficial Off Topic Thread

[sk47]

MSN

Hello; This is the story of a WWII P-38 which crashed on the ice. A banker in my hometown, Middlesboro KY, formed an expedition to recover the plane decades later. They found it deep in the ice. Recovered it and brought it to Middlesboro to be restored. I visited the hanger during restoration a few times. Took years. It was restored to flying condition. For several years it was flown during the fall festival until the banker died. Was a sight to see. The wife sold it and it is somewhere else now.

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[sk47]

Hello; First a word of caution. This is a correlation only. Had Newsmax on in the background. Finnery show. A Dr. Rose is talking about a correlation between the mRNA vaccines and cancer. Early stage of looking into this so may be a false flag. First i heard of such.

 

[sk47]

Mechanic imprisoned for violating Clean Air Act | Watch

Hello; Mechanic in prison for doing something to diesels.

 

[Skye]

Mechanic in prison for doing something to diesels.

I felt the need to add a wee bit of context.

The Clean Air Act was initially ratified in 1963.

Watching the video, one is left to believe this grampa-looking figure was just trying to help a guy out.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr/...company-sentenced-conspiring-delete-emissions

Troy Lake was the Owner of Elite Diesel Inc. Mr. Lake was popular because he and other mechanics working for him were actively disabling or masking problems associated with heavy truck emissions systems. Troy collaborated with eight other businesses in several states.

Endrizzi Diesel LLC of Bolivar, MO

Pro Diesel Inc. of Des Moines, IA

McDermid Sales & Service Inc. of Oconto Falls, WI

Hammes Repair Inc. of Seneca, KS

Crossroads Repair Inc. of Jamestown, ND

ATP Oilfield Services LLC of Fort Lupton, CO

Beatty Bodyworks Inc. of Oklahoma City, OK

Perkins Diesel LLC of Strafford, MO

"According to the plea agreements, between approximately January 2017 through December 2020, Elite and Lake instructed Elite employees to disable the computerized on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems on at least 344 heavy-duty commercial trucks. OBDs are required under the Clean Air Act to monitor emissions control hardware on vehicles to ensure that they are functioning properly. Elite’s co-conspirators, companies that operated diesel truck garages or diesel truck fleets, had disabled the emissions control hardware on these trucks and hired Elite and Lake to manipulate the OBDs so that the OBDs would not detect the malfunctions. This violated the Clean Air Act’s prohibition against tampering with monitoring devices, 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)."

The EPA investigation took place from 2017-2020. The DoJ brought charges in 2024. Troy Lake pled guilty, then did less than a year in a federal lock-up. He's now out on probation.

Part of the story advertised Troy's hope of receiving a pardon. He can file a petition if he hasn't already.

https://www.justice.gov/pardon/apply-clemency

 

[sk47]

I felt the need to add a wee bit of context.

I welcome the context. A question becomes how low will the EPA go? For some time my thinking has been to look for classic vehicles older than 1969. Reason being that was when the first emission equipment was put on at the factory. What a nightmare if classic car owners had to have engines & emission equipment to factory specs of the date of MFG. Same for catless cars and other common mods.
I do not like the "rolling coal" diesels on one hand but have been generally concerned with alphabet agencies which have morphed into what is essentially a fourth branch of government.

 

[Skye]

I did a general check on emissions parts for classic cars and it doesn't seem to be an issue. Countless people want to keep their classic or muscle car on the road. The replacement and reproduction industry is meeting the need. I found several sites with emissions-related bits that were direct OEM replacements. These companies are in addition to Ford and big box stores. Most of these parts are not vehicle specific, but engine specific, an engine type that's been placed in hundreds of thousands, if not millions of vehicles. Some of these vehicles will need engine refreshing (rings or stem seals). It's as much an oil control and performance issue as it is emissions. The majority of the people I've met with cars from the 70s and earlier have pulled their engines for refresh/rebuilds. Some states do exempt cars from testing once a certain age.

If people are removing or modifying devices in a state that requires emissions or safety inspections, they'll need to do something to meet the state standard. While 19 states require emissions testing, 31 don't. Mods are still possible. The replacement parts industry has responded with things like high-performance cats. Tuners and others have found methods to tune the vehicles, while still passing inspection. Virtually every concern or problem has an existing solution. Yes, there's always going to be someone who has modified their vehicle and cannot pass inspection in that state.

If Troy had been doing the occasional one-off or something more low-level, it would have been stopped at the county or state level. Often, a letter, dollar fine or temporary suspension by a state agency is enough to stop it. But Troy was actively defeating systems in vehicles for companies in multiple states; that's what got the feds involved: Inter-state crime. Single state offenses can directly involve federal agencies, if the offense is large enough in scale or severe enough in violation. Otherwise, it's often not worth the expense pursuing from the federal level.

The story as aired painted Mr. Lake's as one of the heavy boot of the GOV coming down on the neck of a small business owner just trying to do the right thing. I disagree. Fleet owners were catching on to what Troy was doing. Instead of maintaining their aged heavy equipment as required, they were working with Troy so they didn't have to.

For those who disagree with my thoughts, there is hope: The Diesel Truck Liberation Act.

https://www.lummis.senate.gov/press...lies-and-small-businesses-from-epa-overreach/

- Prohibits the federal government from requiring manufacturers to install or maintain emissions control devices or onboard diagnostic systems

- Removes EPA authority to enforce Clean Air Act requirements related to vehicle emissions controls

- Individuals cannot be prosecuted or sued under federal law for tampering or improving emissions equipment

- Vacates existing prison sentences for emissions-related violations and expunges criminal and civil records related to these offenses

 

[CrazyHippie]

I remember growing up in Washington DC before the Clean Air Act had any impact. I had terrible allergies and asthma and suffered for my entire childhood. I distinctly remember the smell of photochemical smog - its something that's pretty unforgettable. They also used to spray the elm trees in my neighborhood with Lord-knows-what pesticides to kill bugs. In places like that, where there's a high density of people and vehicles, emission controls and air quality regulations make sense, as does focusing on commercial diesel trucks. While I believe that the environmental regulations have gone too far, I am certain that in the 60s, something had to be done and there has been a major air quality improvement as a result. Far be it for me to support lunatic fringe climate alarmists, but I do believe that we should avoid polluting when there is a clear problem and an effective solution is possible. I have no sympathy for businesses who intentionally circumvent successful regs to make money while knowingly ruining our environment.

 

[sk47]

I did a general check on emissions parts for classic cars and it doesn't seem to be an issue. Countless people want to keep their classic or muscle car on the road. The replacement and reproduction industry is meeting the need

Hello; I appreciate the effort done to determine that emissions parts are available for older cars. Those owners who desire stock restorations or are trying to keep an old car stock such is good news. I did not go into enough detail so failed to distinguish another aspect of classic car culture. I see that most old cars at car shows do not have stock running gear or engines. I doubt many could pass emissions tests, yet most likely run cleaner than the original stock product. I suggest a quick search on this forum for threads/posts about late model Mustang owners not passing inspections.

Mods are still possible. The replacement parts industry has responded with things like high-performance cats. Tuners and others have found methods to tune the vehicles, while still passing inspection. Virtually every concern or problem has an existing solution.

Hello; My experiences are likely out of date. Back when KY had inspection requirements the techs simply looked for parts in place. Tailpipe testing was not yet common. A few guys who had removed smog pumps and such were failed. I do get your point and like the idea of testing actual emissions which could mean a modern engine swap runs cleaner than the original.

A recent thing the EPA did was to set future ICE requirements to be so onerous as to be nearly impossible to meet in any practical manner. The underlying intent appeared to me to be to enhance the move to EV's by handicapping ICE production. Those are the disturbing realities.

 

[sk47]

I remember growing up in Washington DC before the Clean Air Act had any impact.

While I believe that the environmental regulations have gone too far, I am certain that in the 60s, something had to be done and there has been a major air quality improvement as a result.

I have no sympathy for businesses who intentionally circumvent successful regs to make money while knowingly ruining our environment.

Hello; At 78 years of age, I also experienced the pollution before the clean air act. No doubt there have been improvements. That river in Ohio no longer catches on fire for one example. There was the awful decade or so of the 70's & 80's before decent fuel injection and computer nannies made ICE decent again.

In addition to government agencies putting a ham fist on the scale for EV's they have swung the pendulum much too far. It is my take a modern ICE vehicle has fewer emissions than a common lawnmower. Had the agencies stuck to emissions the current situation might be more tolerable. To use a cliche they have the bit in their teeth.
A good deal of the complexity. weight and expense of new cars is a direct result of mandated equipment on vehicles. Some of us already had a go around about air bags. I questioned the decision to put explosive devices inches from our skulls. The initial responses were that I am nuts for questioning those safety devices. Then one member posted about how he is permanently disfigured due to an air bag deployment which damaged his hands. Then there is the Takata air bag fiasco.
One easy to relate outcome of alphabet agency influence is the current cost of vehicle insurance. Have a mild fender bender or break a windshield and the cost can total some vehicles.

 

[sk47]

Gardener paralysed trimming tennis court trees loses £1m case

Hello; Posted this link mostly because it seemed unique to me. A guy fell off a ladder and was paralyzed. He sued a wealthy couple for a million pounds. The irony being he lost. Read the link to get the details.

 

[sk47]

Hello; Seems New York City could be in for some interesting few years. I do not mean this comment to be about the newly elected mayor. More about a phenomenon which has been on the way for some time. Not a new concept to be sure. I have made comments on this before.
Over time the percentage of the population which goes to work and makes enough to actually pay net taxes has shrunk. The population which does not work or has a low wage job has grown.

For some time, I suspected the percentage of people who get by on other folks tax dollars has been equal to or greater than those who actually net pay. By net pay I mean those who only pay out taxes and do not get subsidized. I have known a few who technically file tax forms each year but wind up getting back more than they pay in. Went to public school with a fellow whose grandparents took care of him financially all his life. They set him up when they passed with a nice paid for house and a large bank account. He did odd jobs around his neighborhood and turned in for tax purposes only what was paid by a check. He would brag to me every year about how the government sent him back a check far above the modest amount of tax he paid in. This is one example of someone not paying net taxes. Perhaps there is a better term than net tax.

I get that young children, the disabled and the elderly do not generally pay taxes. This leaves able bodied adults to be taxpayers. I was a public-school teacher who never made more than $42K as salary for a school year. The average was in the mid $30K. I did take second, third and sometimes fourth jobs to make ends meet. I made it thru my adult life without taxpayer funded handouts.
I do have a modest pension from the state of KY. Taxpayer funded to be sure, but I leave it up to readers to decide if my pension is a handout or rather something I earned. At 65 I started getting SS benefits from those extra odd jobs done while teaching. My earned SS benefit was reduced greatly for around 12 years, from 65 years of age to 77 years of age. I drew around $200/month those 12 years. Starting last spring, I began to get the amount actually earned of around $700/month.
I do not know how it will work out this tax year after the no tax on SS benefits is rumored to be the rule. But I have been paying federal tax on my SS for the last 12 years. I think the no tax on SS is on a scale and is not absolute. I will know in a couple of months or so. Point of this long dialogue is to make the claim I have paid net taxes my entire life.

Back to the gist of this post. As a person born in 1947, I knew life before the welfare state was created. As a public-school teacher, I came to know entire families for whom government checks became a lifestyle.
Now in NYC it appears enough folks voted for "free stuff" in large enough numbers to make it happen. It will be interesting to see what happens. Will the net taxpayers who can move leave with their good paying jobs and take the tax base away? Will the "free stuff" actually happen?

I am pleased to live in TN. I already have met plenty of folks from NYC, California and such places. Glad i bought my house nearly 17 years ago as the new residents have driven housing way up. My area is Appalachia not far from my KY hometown and only 50 miles away from where I spent my adult life as a public-school teacher. We already had plenty of folks on a check lifestyle. Largely they did not bother to vote. I do suspect there could be enough numbers to vote in nationally for more "fee stuff". In case anyone has not cabbaged onto it, yet I do not think there is any "free stuff". Some of us actually have to pay for it.

 

[sk47]

Hello; About our phones deciding a call is potential scam. I have a CD maturing in a few days. Went in to the bank yesterday to talk about my options. The bank had sent a letter reminding of the maturity date.
During my talk with the bank officer turns out he had tried to call me on my dumb cellphone. I did not answer because the phone declared his call was potential fraud. I gave him my land line number so he can leave a message on the answer machine.
So my question is about how to trust the phone. On my landline I get up to 20 or more calls most days. 99% of the time if I answer it is someone trying sell me Medicare and the like. So I have been waiting for someone to start a message on the landline.
I got a fiber optic cable internet around a year ago and use that for my landline service now. The phone announces who is calling out loud now which helps some.

 

[sk47]

Cattle Must Be Fed Chemical Additives to Reduce Flatulence Emissions To “Save the Planet”

Hello; The link ought not come as a surprise to those who were active in any of the not too long-ago climate discussions. That the officials who have the authority to make such a decision actually have tried to modify a cow's digestive system with modified feed fits the narrative.

I do not know much yet of the biological mechanism attempted so my early comments will be guess work. maybe can get into the details when I learn more. That the cattle fed with the chemical additives are having side effects also is not a surprise.

Cattle are herbivores which feed on plant matter with lots of cellulose. Cellulose is very hard to digest. Both cattle and termites have a symbiotic deal with bacteria. The deal made over millennia is the cattle provide a place for the bacteria to live (a portion of the gut) and in return the bacteria breakdown the plant matter into nutrients the cow can absorb for food.

Of course, the bacteria give off methane gas as a byproduct of the process. Similar bacteria do the same thing in the deep mud of a pond or lake. Most anywhere there is no oxygen and organic matter. (anerobic bacteria) Happens in the deep oceans. Happens in coal seams/mines in no oxygen pockets. Happens in landfills. Happens in wild grazing herbivores with similar digestion to cattle. Likely that termites make more methane overall than cattle. Best i can recall the biomass of termites is bigger than all grazing animals.

Back in the 70's & 80's I knew of pig farmers who would pump pig manure into large rubber bladders. They sealed the bladder off and let the bacterial make methane gas. The bladders swelled up like big ballons. The methane was used as a fuel.

My take is the notion is along the lines of trying to turn a house cat into a vegetarian because the human owner is a vegetarian. On that point I just put out some chicken skins and parts for the stray cat which took up in the neighborhood. I use to not like the outdoor cats because they killed the robins which nested in my carport. I have since worked out a way to keep the birds safe. Now i want the cat to hang around in hopes it will run off the mice that ate my truck wires.

 

[sk47]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peo...1&cvid=6914e932484f4bafbb5a769f1277f546&ei=49

Hello; Over the years I have tried to fill up at a gas pump on the end of the line of pumps. I also do not pull up close behind a car already at the gas pump. Have seen too many with a lit cigarette pumping gas.

The linked video illustrates at least two things. One that the fumes from the underground tank were spread along the ground. Not sure why other than maybe being colder than the air.

The other thing ought to be that the air + fuel mix was just right.

 

[CrazyHippie]

Cattle Must Be Fed Chemical Additives to Reduce Flatulence Emissions To “Save the Planet”

Hello; The link ought not come as a surprise to those who were active in any of the not too long-ago climate discussions. That the officials who have the authority to make such a decision actually have tried to modify a cow's digestive system with modified feed fits the narrative.

I do not know much yet of the biological mechanism attempted so my early comments will be guess work. maybe can get into the details when I learn more. That the cattle fed with the chemical additives are having side effects also is not a surprise.

Cattle are herbivores which feed on plant matter with lots of cellulose. Cellulose is very hard to digest. Both cattle and termites have a symbiotic deal with bacteria. The deal made over millennia is the cattle provide a place for the bacteria to live (a portion of the gut) and in return the bacteria breakdown the plant matter into nutrients the cow can absorb for food.

Of course, the bacteria give off methane gas as a byproduct of the process. Similar bacteria do the same thing in the deep mud of a pond or lake. Most anywhere there is no oxygen and organic matter. (anerobic bacteria) Happens in the deep oceans. Happens in coal seams/mines in no oxygen pockets. Happens in landfills. Happens in wild grazing herbivores with similar digestion to cattle. Likely that termites make more methane overall than cattle. Best i can recall the biomass of termites is bigger than all grazing animals.

Back in the 70's & 80's I knew of pig farmers who would pump pig manure into large rubber bladders. They sealed the bladder off and let the bacterial make methane gas. The bladders swelled up like big ballons. The methane was used as a fuel.

My take is the notion is along the lines of trying to turn a house cat into a vegetarian because the human owner is a vegetarian. On that point I just put out some chicken skins and parts for the stray cat which took up in the neighborhood. I use to not like the outdoor cats because they killed the robins which nested in my carport. I have since worked out a way to keep the birds safe. Now i want the cat to hang around in hopes it will run off the mice that ate my truck wires.

Yep! I, too, am at war with mice, chipmunks and red squirrels that chew my car wiring. Apparently, car manufacturers use wire wrapping/ insulation that's soy based and critters are attracted to chew on it 'cause it smells like food. The fix is to wrap the wiring with tape that's infused with capsaicin at a cost of approx. 50 bucks per spool of tape! What happened to using good old-fashioned rubber and plastic for wiring? (Probably another aspect of saving the planet.)

And yes, you can light up a fart.....

I think that George Carlin had a bit about saving the planet that was rather profound in some ways.

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