Wednesday, May 27, 2009

My Memorial Day & A Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight

Took my 5 year old nephew to a Marine helicopter raid demonstration this weekend. It was a worthwhile break from all the barbecue's and a great way to meet some Marines both active and retired and show some respect. Below are some photos and videos from the event.

Please excuse the shaky video.










Thursday, May 21, 2009

Frederic Remington



I can still remember the first time I saw it. The Bronco Buster. I was only a kid, but something about that sculpture mesmerized me. My dad had received a copy as a gift and thus began my appreciation for Mr. Remington. Years later I would get out of the elevator at the Ralph Lauren corporate offices on Madison Avenue and there it was, a Frederic Remington statue.


There is no one as influential at capturing the imagery of the Old West other than Frederic Remington.





Born 1861 in Canton, NY, he attended Yale studying Fine Art but did not graduate. He would move west for a short period of time only to return back east to Brooklyn then New Rochelle where he would spend the remainder of his life.




Remington found a career as an artist only after trying his hand a few times as a rancher. His numerous attempts failed and in1886 Harper's Weekly sent him to Arizona to cover the first of many important moments in U.S. history, the U.S. governments war against Geronimo.




1895 would find Remington attempting his first venture in sculpture. The Bronco Buster was born. Tiffany's would sell bronze copies and additional pieces would follow.


His career included forging a life long relationship with a young Teddy Roosevelt, being published in Colliers, Harper's, Cosmopolitan, & the New York Journal, as well as writing numerous novels.
Frederic Remington passed away in December of 1909.




It was extremely difficult to choose which pieces to post, all of them are incredible.


Wednesday, May 13, 2009

"Rambo Lambo" - The LM002



For some reason this bad boy has been long forgotten. If it weren't for Lamborghini's vision we may have not had the Porsche Cayenne, the Range Rover Sport, or any other SUV designed with motoring in mind.


The military always gets the coolest toys first. Case in point, the Lamborghini LM002, or as the prototype was dubbed..."The Cheetah". In 1977 the U.S. military became the proud owner of said vehicle and as the story goes, that same year they blew it up.



Jump to 1986 and the first LM002 was produced. Just over 300 were produced between 1986 and 1993 (the actual number varies from 301 - 328), all with the 12 cylinder, 450 bhp, 5 speed manual transmission & a top speed of nearly 120 mph. The fuel tank held 76 gallons of gas (that's 12 more than Arnold's Hummer H1). It came with an Italian leather interior, power windows, A/C, and roof mounted stereo. The tires were custom run-flats from Pirrelli.



Muammar al-Qaddafi ordered 100 for his army. His had a bullet proof body.




Thursday, May 7, 2009

1963 Corvette Sting Ray






I'm a car guy. I Appreciate every detail...the lines, the sounds, the history. Driving is my escape. Whenever I need to clear my head, just put me behind the wheel. If the top can go down and there's a stick shift even better.

Whenever someone asks me what my "number one pick" is, there is no hesitation. A 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Split Window in Black. Don't get me wrong, there are other Vette's that I desire, plenty as a matter of fact, but the '63 is the most important (in my opinion).

First thing is the name. Sting Ray was introduced with this model year. It was 2 words until '68. This was also the first year for a hardtop, pop-up headlights, leather interior, and most significantly...the split rear window. Unfortunately safety and practicality won over design aesthetic and the next model year the split window was no more.

Today these are extremely difficult to find. Some states outlawed the split rear window leading some owners to remove the bar. If they only knew now...kind of like someones mom throwing out their comic books.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

My Willis & Geiger Backpack



Getting ready for a trip next week means pulling out the luggage in order to pack. As usual, it also means I get to use my Willis & Geiger backpack. This carry all has been through everything. From multiple moves to numerous travels and only gets better after each use.

After seeing their catalog about 15 years ago I immediately began throwing hints to those closest to me that "I must have it". Needless to say the step mom came through and low and behold I was a proud owner of the coolest backpack ever! I have had strangers and friends offer to buy it from me over the years and when the company ceased to exist in 1999 the offers only grew. At this point, nothing will come between me and my backpack.

I was able to find some catalog shots online...