kscarbel2

Originally, the event was just Saturday. Now, I assume out of respect for folks coming great distances. they're promoting it as Friday and Saturday. Mark, will you put the Citation down at LNS?

Reuters / September 30, 2018 China has canceled a security meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis that had been planned for October, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday. “The tension is escalating, and that could prove to be dangerous to both sides,” the official said. The U.S. State Department refused to comment. Officials at the White House refused to comment. The Department of Defense refused to comment.

This is a nation founded in 1776 on the Rule of Law..........as interpreted in arbitrary fashion by the aristocracy that runs business and government, then and now.

I want to say its shocking, but we're talking about the crowd that spent US$500 million on the HN80 and then turned around and sold America's best new heavy truck (at that time) to the Germans for just US$200 million. I guess.......Ford had $300 million to burn. Seemingly, Ford doesn't want its 58 remaining U.S. truck-only Ford Truck dealers to know they're back in the heavy truck business in a serious way.....in the global market.

Turkish President Erdogan opening a new Islamic mosque in..............Cologne, Germany. What's wrong with this picture? .

http://www.gerhartmachinery.com/about/gerharts-all-mack-truck-event/

These were a popular seller, along with the glasses.

The 8MY324 R-model shifter boot mounts on top of the floor pan with a rectangular metal retainer atop it.

No special promotion. The Mack Shop sold many items like this from the time of the Hansen era, at his request. He made the bulldog a symbol of the company, a symbol of America, that we could all be proud of.

Michael Strong, The Detroit Bureau / September 28, 2018 Does Tesla have another competitor in the battery-electric semi truck arena? Maybe. Ford Motor Co. took the wraps off an electric semi truck concept called the F-Vision at the 2018 IAA Commercial Vehicles expo in Hanover, Germany. The company’s vision is similar in many ways to Tesla’s offering with a high level of autonomy and a sleek exterior design. However, it would appear that Elon Musk and the gang in Palo Alto can breathe easier – at least about this anyway – as Ford says the new F-Vision is only a concept. Unlike auto shows, generally when a maker says something is a concept, there is some lag time between denial (i.e. “It’s just a concept”) to voila! (i.e. “You can put your deposit down now”). Obviously, Tesla is the biggest exception to that “rule.” The F-Vision concept is Ford Trucks’ vision on electrification, autonomous and connected drive, lightweight and zero carbon emission products. It cares about humans’ priorities both inside the cab and on the road, as well as the load being carried, and aims constantly to connect with the environment and users and communicates, the company notes. Ford's global design and engineering center for heavy trucks and engines, Ford-Otosan in Turkey, created the F-Vision concept. Not only is the exterior futuristic looking, but the actual vehicle possesses some features one might not expect. Of course, it’s autonomous and can link automatically with its trailer. It can convoy with other vehicles. However, if also features cameras in place of side mirrors, and an automatically tinting windshield. It’s said to be capable of automatically linking with its trailer, as well as operating in a linked-together convoy mode. If Ford does bring it to market, it’ll not only have the aforementioned Tesla truck to contend with, but also Volvo. The Swedish truckmaker is working furiously on its Vera electric semi concept. The truck has no cab at all because it’s entirely autonomous. Additionally, other companies in the segment, like Freightliner and Cummins, aren’t just sitting idly by. Ford may also need to inspect its new F-Vision closely to ensure it’s not too much like Nikola Motors entry into the segment. Nikola sued Tesla earlier this year and could be awarded up to $2 billion in damages if it finds in favor of the company’s suit. Nikola’s case, however, isn’t looking too good. Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office found that the two designs differ enough to award separate patents. If Nikola fails to win in court against the troubled Tesla, its odds of successfully suing Ford would be even smaller still. .

Yes. I used to have a cupboard full.

The "P" lever is parking brake control. Not all (global) trucks have a trolley brake lever. I still like it, but with today's advanced electronic braking systems, there less need for it. From the superb chassis "packaging" to the lower center instrument panel with two large pull-out drawers, the F-MAX is an impressively engineered truck.

A photo gallery of the DAF exhibit at IAA 2018. https://product.360che.com/photoexpc_big/260560.html

A photo gallery of the BMC "Tugra" launch at IAA 2018. https://product.360che.com/photoexpc_big/260462.html

A great photo gallery of the new Ford F-Max launch at IAA 2018 (81 photos). https://product.360che.com/photoexpc_big/262129.html

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Kenworth Trucks Australia certainly doesn't peddle any tacky rubbish like this.

Kenworth Launches Long-Hood Conventional W990 John G. Smith, Heavy Duty Truckling (HDT) / September 28, 2018 Kenworth’s W900 has become a staple of the show ‘n shine circuit, its long hood and gleaming accents seem to guide drivers down the highway. The look has had a starring role in movies and been immortalized in belt buckles. Now it has been re-imagined in the form of the W990. “We’re celebrating the legacy of the W900 and the introduction of the next generation,” said Kenworth general manager and Paccar vice-president Mike Dozier, during a customer launch party at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “A lot of passion, a lot of pride, have gone into what we think is a really special product.” The W900L remains available, he stressed. “But we’re planning for the future.” Redefining a model like this is no small matter. The W900 has, in one form or another, been a staple of Kenworth’s lineup since 1961. The W is even a nod to Edgar K. Worthington, one of the company’s founding fathers who gave the brand its "worth." “Redesigning an icon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a design team,” added Jonathan Duncan, Kenworth design director. Trucks like Kenworth’s T680 on-highway tractor and medium-duty models are important, he said. But they’re different. “They don’t sing songs about those. They don’t put those trucks on belt buckles necessarily.” The Las Vegas event was the first opportunity most people outside of the Paccar family have had to soak in the truck’s unique profile. Marketing teams have been keeping the truck under wraps for months, shrouding the distinct hood as it moved to photo and video shoots. “The driver’s view over the hood, that’s a huge part of the appeal,” Duncan said. “It’s really designed to accentuate the hood … All this creates kind of an emotional connection to the driver.” Specifications Measuring 131.5 inches from the bumper to the back of the cab – 1.5 inches longer than the W900L — the W990 comes as a day cab, with a 40-inch flat top sleeper, and 52- and 76-inch mid-roof sleepers. It also comes standard with a proprietary Paccar powertrain with a 510-hp/1,850 lb-ft MX-13 engine, 12-speed automated transmission, and 40K tandem rear axles. It’s all built on the same cab platform used in the T680 and T880. Sitting up front is the largest cooling module found on any of Kenworth’s on-highway trucks, Duncan said. And the shape is 6-7% more aerodynamic than a W900L, although he admits that won’t likely be the main driver for most buyers. Much of the appeal will focus on the appearance. The grille at the front maintains what’s described as a “cathedral shape”, with inset surfaces to define a tailored look. The “wind-split” raised section at the top of the hood itself is meant to accentuate its length as drivers look over the dash. Stainless steel air intakes wrap over the top so they can be seen from the driver’s seat, too, and against some colors they’re said to look twice as deep as they actually are. Inside, final touches come in the form of a limited-edition cab and sleeper interior, and the W990 Driver’s Studio Package. The interior itself is black, accented by door and dash trim elements made in a glossy ravenwood. Blue accents can be found in the double-stitched diamond door pads, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the backing for driver and passenger seats that have suede charcoal inserts and perforated leather. For living quarters, the W990 Driver’s Studio features the passenger seat that swivels 180 degrees and a rotating table for two, drawer-style refrigerator, and space for a microwave. The premium audio package includes a 320-watt amp, 10-inch subwoofer and eight speakers; swivel TV mount for up to a 28-inch flat screen TV; and optional EpicVue pre-wire for satellite TV. There’s an 1,800-watt inverter including a connection for shore power and four standard 120-volt sleeper outlets. The LED lights shine over it all. The ever-important storage amenities come in the form of a full-size wardrobe, storage drawers, and storage space under the bunk. While it offers a nod to the company’s heritage, the W990 also comes standard with the latest TruckTech+ remote diagnostics, and the seven-inch color in-cab NAV+HD display for navigation, audio controls, blind spot camera inputs and more. Paccar Parts was also involved in the process to create aftermarket enhancements like a special LED lighting package and stainless trim. “They’re going to want to customize their trucks,” Duncan said, referring to early buyers. “We’ve given them a great place to start.” The truck will visit 20 dealerships in the U.S. and Canada in October and November. .

I had to reconsider my position on this, as it was another time and place with differing attitudes. This happened when a good woman feared telling her parents. Some parents cared more about burying it, lest neighbors, relatives and friends learn of it, to their embarrassment, than they did the daughter’s mental trauma of being raped, and heaven forbid impregnated. Am I wrong? This is all assuming she’s telling the truth. For the record, and I’ll be candid as usual, I don’t care for most wealthy people (Mark being a rare exception), particularly if they spoil their children. I’m a public school boy with a dislike for private, prep, boys and girl’s schools.

Or, is this but one of an ongoing line of distractions targeted at the massed designed to lure their attention away from other matters? "Distract the masses" is one of the oldest plays in the Book of Government. And governments around the world have got it down to a science. Remember that classic movie line, "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain".

I don't have a Facebook or Twitter account. There are far more ways to productively utilize my time. Sharing your life on social media would have to take up most of one's time. I suppose focusing their mind on an actual job is out of the question.

I remember most events in my life from 36 years ago, the major points, but I certainly don't remember every detail.

The video was published April 27, 2016. I liked the all-wheel-drive spec, shown on pages 31 thru 37, 46 and 52. http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/content/Caterpillar/C10781420

I think Piers Morgan nailed it............ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are the words I originally wrote after Christine Blasey Ford finished testifying to the US Senate today: ‘I believe her. It’s as simple as that. For four hours, I watched Christine Blasey Ford testify to the US Senate and I found her to be an extraordinarily powerful, compelling and credible witness with regard to the sexual abuse she claims to have suffered at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. I was not alone. Twitter blew up with people from all sides of the political and social spectrum saying THEY believed her too. TV news anchors from CNN to Fox queued up to say they found Ford extremely convincing. And thus I imagine the vast majority of the tens of millions of Americans watching agog from their homes believed her as well. Because the bottom line is that she was cool, calm, collected, and utterly believable. Her tears, when they came, felt real. Her testimony felt real. SHE felt real. I stopped writing when Brett Kavanaugh walked in to begin his testimony, but this, I felt certain, would be the theme of this column. There was nothing Kavanaugh could surely say or do that could possibly alter this impression? I was wrong. Kavanaugh’s performance was one of the most stunning, raw, breath-taking displays of raw, raging fury that I have ever seen on live television. He was surging with passion and indignant anger, and emotion; SO much emotion. He cried, he sighed, he sniffed, he snorted. And he ranted. This was a man right on the edge, exploding before our very eyes at what he perceived to be the horrific injustice of what has befallen him. Kavanaugh’s not just any man. He’s one of America’s most experienced, respected judges; so a man who until two weeks ago, was considered to be someone of total integrity, someone beyond reproach. And by the time he’d finished, I believed him too. His tears, when they came, felt real. His testimony felt real. HE felt real. But they can’t both be telling the truth, can they? The bottom line is I don’t now know whom to believe, and I defy anyone else to either. Ford and Kavanaugh were both equally convincing. They both came over as decent, civilised, eloquent people. They both were inherently believable. The facts of this case remain unsubstantiated, disputed and debatable. It comes down to whom you believe most, and I just don’t know the answer to that question. Who can say, honestly and with any certainty, where the truth lies? I can’t, can you? What I can say though is that this was one of the most disgusting, disgraceful things I have ever witnessed. For these two previously unknown people to be dragged through such a revolting public court of gladiatorial barbarism for the delectation of a mass TV audience was painful, so painful I could barely watch at times. Yet it was an absolutely inevitable consequence of the way Washington has spiralled in recent years into a vile cesspit of extreme partisan bullsh*t – fuelled by rampant, vicious social media. Today was a dark, tragic day for America. It was a day when the whole country, and indeed much of the rest of the world, tuned in to see two people tortured and humiliated. I get that Supreme Court nominees have to be vigorously vetted, and have to be held to a different standard of behaviour to the rest of us. Brett Kavanaugh could be sitting on that court for 30-40 years, making the most important decisions in American law that could have far-reaching effects on the lives of 320 million people. He HAS to be a man of unimpeachable character. So yes, he has to be investigated. And it’s perfectly right and proper that if a woman like Christine Blasey Ford believes she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh when she was just 15 years old, then her allegations should be thoroughly examined. As should any other serious allegations. But what we watched today was nothing short of a circus - a long, disturbing, wretched circus; a circus watched by a baying global mob, most of whom decided long before the hearings began whom they believed. Kavanaugh looked unhinged today – perhaps too unhinged to ever sit on the Supreme Court - but if I’d been falsely accused of the stuff he’s been accused of in the past fortnight, I’d probably be pretty damn unhinged too. He was fighting not just for a place on the Supreme Court, but for his reputation, his dignity, his family. To see his loyal wife silently weeping throughout his testimony was agonising. She knows that everything her husband has worked for in his entire life is now imperilled. Every security she took for granted about their family life is now threatened. If Kavanaugh is guilty, then he deserves to be duly punished. But what if he’s innocent? What if Ms Ford, who was just a young teenage kid at the time, has got the wrong guy? I don’t think she’s a liar, but maybe she made an honest mistake. How do we know for sure? How will we EVER know? Where are the cold hard FACTS? There aren’t any, there can’t possibly be any after 35 years. What we’re left with is a stinking, horrible mess. Many feel America has never felt so bitterly divided, and this ugly farce today will just pour fuel onto that blazing partisan fire. I saw people on Twitter gleefully tearing both Ford and Kavanaugh to pieces all day long, all doing so from a politically partisan perspective. If the situation was reversed, and Kavanaugh was a Democrat nominee, then all those screaming blue murder against him would be screaming in support of him, and all those currently supporting Ford would turn on her like two-faced rattlesnakes. It’s not about any attempt at fair justice. It’s about politics. The Democrats, led by Senator Dianne Feinstein, timed this bombshell to cause maximum damage to the nomination process, and to exploit the inevitable scandalous headlines to influence the vital midterm elections in just 40 days time. Feinstein knew about Ford’s allegation two months ago. The right thing to do would have been to publicly demand an immediate investigation – including, if necessary, by the FBI. Instead, she held it back, waiting to strike when the potential political gain was at its most timely. In doing so, she behaved in exactly the same reprehensibly partisan self-serving manner that Republicans have behaved over previous Democrat Supreme Court nominations. But that makes her just as bad as them. Shame on Senator Feinstein, shame on the Democrats. That such an important moment in American history should be reduced to this horrific bear-pit is as absurd as it’s unacceptable. Every American who genuinely cares about their country should share my outrage about what they watched today. At one stage, Kavanaugh was actually grilled about flatulence - in the United States Senate by a serving United States senator. Think about that for a moment. The whole thing was a complete and utter disgrace. Or as Senator Lindsey Graham put it today: ‘The most despicable thing I have ever seen in politics.’