Friday, March 28, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Eric Holder's Shakedown Of Toyota
The following was initially posted March 20:
AG Eric Holder has announced a $1.2 billion settlement of a lengthy - and fruitless - investigation of Toyota. It is a shakedown of the company.
UPDATE - The CATO Institute looks at the shakedown.
AG Eric Holder has announced a $1.2 billion settlement of a lengthy - and fruitless - investigation of Toyota. It is a shakedown of the company.
UPDATE - The CATO Institute looks at the shakedown.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
The Proper Size Of Government
Obama thinks he can't get "reforms" through Congress because the debate about government's size is getting in the way of reform. The problem as usual is he doesn't know what he's talking about - the research shows again and again that the issue is government needs to be retracted and disbanded.
Fontana Goes Fast And - Slower
The California 400 at Fontana proved a newsier weekend than a lot of people might have expected. Coming a year after Denny Hamlin's bad wreck there, it was natural a lot of reminiscence of that 2013 race would be uttered; making it even weirder was Hamlin's illness that knocked him out of the race before it began, putting Sam Hornish into the JGR #11.
There turned out to be a striking level of rules debates, first with NASCAR's acknowledgment that it is working with manufacturers toward a modest 100 HP reduction for 2015. There was also considerable discussion of race distances and whether races should be shorter.
The case for shorter race distances failed long ago, because longer races produce more passing, more switches in outcome, and are an overall better test of racecars and racers. 500 miles is the optimum distance for races such as Fontana and Pococo. Indeed since switching to 400 mile distances Pocono is showcasing why its 500s were better - the racing at Pocono is enjoyable, but the lack of the extra 100 miles is denying that track the swings in outcome and extra passing that 500 miles provide.
NASCAR has needed to put start times to earlier, not later. 12:20 area time is the right time to throw the green flag for these races so they can be run in optimum time.
The argument about reducing horsepower is laughable because it's so little being proposed and it's been two decades overdue to permanently restrict the horsepower; the performance levels between safety and quality racing have done nothing but prove they are beyond the level they ought to be. The superior racing the Busch Series and Trucks - with restrictive engine spacers - provide is the ultimate indictment of the high horsepower mentality.
-------------------
The most striking aspect of the Fontana is that while the Busch Series 300-miler saw the draft work - when he wasn't bitching about how much "better" the racing is on worn-out asphalt and how new pavement takes away ability to pass (and never cited one example of such, because they don't exist) Rusty Wallace was talking about how the draft was working - the California 400 was another case where the cars were scrambling to avoid the draft. That is surprising in that the larger spoiler makes the draft more effective and that is what the goal needs to be - make the draft more important than handling.
The 400 also saw another fit of Goodyear tire-itis (Junior weighed on on it afterward). The worn-out asphalt certainly is a problem, but we see Goodyear fail repeatedly over the years with its tires. Each season sees several races where Goodyear's tires are worthless and of course in its arrogance Goodyear blames "aggressive setups" instead of admit it has a problem. Goodyear has been nothing but a tiresome (sorry) company and NASCAR needs to accept real on-track tire competition with Firestone, Hoosier, etc.
------------------
Goodyear tire-itis wound up leading to the surpising finish after the Hendrick cars faltered on tires and Clint Bowyer spun late, setting up the green-white-checker finish. Kyle Larson's win in the 300 the day before proved a harbinger of the Fontana weekend's finishas he came out of nowhere to finish second. Larson is now taking control of the rookie race and there's no sign he's going to get any kind of serious challenge.
So with Fontana wrapped up the series hits Martinsville - and one should wonder why a race that is supposed to be in late April is stuck in late March.
There turned out to be a striking level of rules debates, first with NASCAR's acknowledgment that it is working with manufacturers toward a modest 100 HP reduction for 2015. There was also considerable discussion of race distances and whether races should be shorter.
The case for shorter race distances failed long ago, because longer races produce more passing, more switches in outcome, and are an overall better test of racecars and racers. 500 miles is the optimum distance for races such as Fontana and Pococo. Indeed since switching to 400 mile distances Pocono is showcasing why its 500s were better - the racing at Pocono is enjoyable, but the lack of the extra 100 miles is denying that track the swings in outcome and extra passing that 500 miles provide.
NASCAR has needed to put start times to earlier, not later. 12:20 area time is the right time to throw the green flag for these races so they can be run in optimum time.
The argument about reducing horsepower is laughable because it's so little being proposed and it's been two decades overdue to permanently restrict the horsepower; the performance levels between safety and quality racing have done nothing but prove they are beyond the level they ought to be. The superior racing the Busch Series and Trucks - with restrictive engine spacers - provide is the ultimate indictment of the high horsepower mentality.
-------------------
The most striking aspect of the Fontana is that while the Busch Series 300-miler saw the draft work - when he wasn't bitching about how much "better" the racing is on worn-out asphalt and how new pavement takes away ability to pass (and never cited one example of such, because they don't exist) Rusty Wallace was talking about how the draft was working - the California 400 was another case where the cars were scrambling to avoid the draft. That is surprising in that the larger spoiler makes the draft more effective and that is what the goal needs to be - make the draft more important than handling.
The 400 also saw another fit of Goodyear tire-itis (Junior weighed on on it afterward). The worn-out asphalt certainly is a problem, but we see Goodyear fail repeatedly over the years with its tires. Each season sees several races where Goodyear's tires are worthless and of course in its arrogance Goodyear blames "aggressive setups" instead of admit it has a problem. Goodyear has been nothing but a tiresome (sorry) company and NASCAR needs to accept real on-track tire competition with Firestone, Hoosier, etc.
------------------
Goodyear tire-itis wound up leading to the surpising finish after the Hendrick cars faltered on tires and Clint Bowyer spun late, setting up the green-white-checker finish. Kyle Larson's win in the 300 the day before proved a harbinger of the Fontana weekend's finishas he came out of nowhere to finish second. Larson is now taking control of the rookie race and there's no sign he's going to get any kind of serious challenge.
So with Fontana wrapped up the series hits Martinsville - and one should wonder why a race that is supposed to be in late April is stuck in late March.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Paul Ryan Schools The Democrats Again
A New York Times writer compares conservative social policy with the Irish potato famine, because Paul Ryan understands how the real world works instead of the "gang of sentimentalists and opportunists" that oppose him.
Granny Warren Proves Incompetent
Senator Liz Warren has done nothing but showcase she is a fool. Now we see how she got fooled by a phony analysis of Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Dance Between The Raindrops At Bristol
So for the second time in four weeks NASCAR sees an unplanned primetime race, this one at Bristol. NASCAR has been dancing between the raindrops a little too much so far in 2014 and this Southeastern 500 wound up with several angles worthy of comment -
Did anyone show up for this race? - Yes, it was rainy weather all day, yet the crowd was disturbingly small for Bristol. Normally I don't feel bad for Bruton Smith; here I have to because it is never good for the sport when the crowd is that small.
Cue The Rookies - For pretty much the first time this season Kyle Larson and - more quietly - Austin Dillon showcased some legitimate racing moxie.
Mister Danica Patrick - Ricky Stenhouse clawed his way to finish second and had a spirited running battle to get that spot. His girlfriend finished a respectable 18th as well.
Start believing in The King again - It will take a lot more runs like this to believe in Aric Almirola, but finishing third, and showing some fight to get there, is an encouraging sign for Richard Petty's #43.
Carl Edwards remains an enigma - He's won 22 races, yet it remains strange seeing him win, because his consistency has been so erratic - winless in 2009 and 2012, six wins since 2008's nine-win explosion.
Brian Vickers keeps on keeping on - He started at the back and finished ninth - that's the best a Michael Waltrip car has looked so far this season.
The Busches get racetrack indigestion - The Busch brothers had a bad ending, as they combined to lead 101 laps yet neither cracked the top-28 at the end.
A rookie makes a rookie mistake - Timmy Hill's rear-end job on Matt Kenseth will make the season blooper reel for rookie mistakes.
The old Bristol is finally back - For about the first eighteen seasons since it was repaved as concrete instead of asphalt Bristol had been the worst track on the tour because it was one groove. In 2010 with banking changes two grooves suddenly appeared, and despite more recent changes to get it back to the slam-fest it had been, the ability to pass has not been harmed. While passing on the low groove is excessively hard, it's doable, and has led to some nifty battles - and a return of some of the old Bristol vinegar.
It can be lonely at the top - I'm fairly confident tears other than of the crocodile variety were not shed with Jimmie Johnson's mediocre finish.
So that's that, and the series now ventures west to Fontana, and the second test of the new racecar package that got its first live fire test at Vegas; one hopes raceability shows improvement there.
Did anyone show up for this race? - Yes, it was rainy weather all day, yet the crowd was disturbingly small for Bristol. Normally I don't feel bad for Bruton Smith; here I have to because it is never good for the sport when the crowd is that small.
Cue The Rookies - For pretty much the first time this season Kyle Larson and - more quietly - Austin Dillon showcased some legitimate racing moxie.
Mister Danica Patrick - Ricky Stenhouse clawed his way to finish second and had a spirited running battle to get that spot. His girlfriend finished a respectable 18th as well.
Start believing in The King again - It will take a lot more runs like this to believe in Aric Almirola, but finishing third, and showing some fight to get there, is an encouraging sign for Richard Petty's #43.
Carl Edwards remains an enigma - He's won 22 races, yet it remains strange seeing him win, because his consistency has been so erratic - winless in 2009 and 2012, six wins since 2008's nine-win explosion.
Brian Vickers keeps on keeping on - He started at the back and finished ninth - that's the best a Michael Waltrip car has looked so far this season.
The Busches get racetrack indigestion - The Busch brothers had a bad ending, as they combined to lead 101 laps yet neither cracked the top-28 at the end.
A rookie makes a rookie mistake - Timmy Hill's rear-end job on Matt Kenseth will make the season blooper reel for rookie mistakes.
The old Bristol is finally back - For about the first eighteen seasons since it was repaved as concrete instead of asphalt Bristol had been the worst track on the tour because it was one groove. In 2010 with banking changes two grooves suddenly appeared, and despite more recent changes to get it back to the slam-fest it had been, the ability to pass has not been harmed. While passing on the low groove is excessively hard, it's doable, and has led to some nifty battles - and a return of some of the old Bristol vinegar.
It can be lonely at the top - I'm fairly confident tears other than of the crocodile variety were not shed with Jimmie Johnson's mediocre finish.
So that's that, and the series now ventures west to Fontana, and the second test of the new racecar package that got its first live fire test at Vegas; one hopes raceability shows improvement there.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
The Fraud Of Global Warming - What The IPCC Actually Knew
The following was first published on March 4:
The myth of global warming continues getting pushed by The Anointed, even as the actual scientific evidence shows there isn't any.
UPDATE, MARCH 8
Making it worse now is the the IPCC's own information showed global warming never existed, and they decided not to be truthful about it.
UPDATE MARCH 12
The models used for the future we now see do not work when calculating the past, either.
The myth of global warming continues getting pushed by The Anointed, even as the actual scientific evidence shows there isn't any.
UPDATE, MARCH 8
Making it worse now is the the IPCC's own information showed global warming never existed, and they decided not to be truthful about it.
UPDATE MARCH 12
The models used for the future we now see do not work when calculating the past, either.
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