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UK investigates WW2 shipwreck looting claims BBC World News / August 19, 2018 The UK will investigate allegations that British World War Two wrecks in Asia have been targeted by scavengers, the defence secretary says. Gavin Williamson said he was "very concerned" to hear claims that four shipwrecks off the Malaysian and Indonesian coasts had been looted. The Mail on Sunday said HMS Tien Kwang, HMS Kuala, HMS Banka and SS Loch Ranza were targeted for their metal. They are thought to be the graves of Royal Navy sailors and civilians. It comes after six wrecks, including Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse, were reported to have been damaged or destroyed by thieves. The UK government "absolutely condemns" the unauthorised disturbance of any wreck containing human remains, Mr Williamson said. "I am very concerned to hear any allegations of incidents of Royal Navy wrecks being plundered in the Far East," he said. "We will work closely with the Indonesian and Malaysian governments to investigate these claims." Submarine chaser HMS Tien Kwang and auxiliary patrol vessel HMS Kuala were carrying hundreds of evacuees when they were attacked by Japanese bombers near the Indonesian Riau Islands in February 1942. That same month the cargo ship, the SS Loch Ranza, exploded in a Japanese air raid off the Riau Islands, killing seven men. HMS Banka, a minesweeper, sank after hitting a mine off the coast of Malaysia in December 1941, killing its crew of four British officers and 34 Malay sailors. The HMS Prince of Wales, where Churchill and Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter, which defined the Allied aims for the world after the war, and HMS Repulse both sank off the Malaysian coast, on 10 December 1941 and are the last resting places of more than 830 Royal Navy sailors. The ships were found to have been damaged by scavengers in 2014. .

Share this with anyone caring for infants. Dangerous levels of heavy metals in infant/toddler foods. Gerber and other manufacturers did not dispute the test results, rather their own testing confirmed it to be true. Two-thirds of the food contains cadmium, arsenic and/or lead. What a way to start your life. A shocking display of corporate irresponsibility. https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/heavy-metals-in-baby-food/

Ford produces milestone 500,000 Rangers in South Africa Engineering News / August 14, 2018 Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s (FMCSA’s) Silverton assembly plant, in Pretoria, has produced its 500 000th Ford Ranger. “The current Ford Ranger has been a remarkable success story for FMCSA, and we are delighted to have reached the 500 000 mark for this vehicle programme,” Ford Middle East and Africa Operations VP Ockert Berry said on Tuesday. The Ranger has been one of the top-selling vehicles in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment in South Africa, as well as in the overall sales charts. Its highest domestic sales figure of 3,333 units was achieved in July 2017. In terms of export volumes, 8,062 units were shipped from Silverton to customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in April this year. Combined local and export volumes for the month topped out at a record-breaking 10,434 units, making the Ranger the highest volume LCV model produced in South Africa. The half-millionth unit – a Wildtrak 3.2 Double Cab – was painted in the model's distinctive Pride Orange, and signifies the Ranger's legacy since production started in 2011, Berry added. “Early next year, we are set to launch the Ford Ranger Raptor, which will add a new chapter to the Ranger's legacy in South Africa and across the region,” Berry highlighted. Ford invested over R3-billion in its South African operations for the launch of the Ranger in 2011 to cater for the South African market and exports to over 148 markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This was followed with a further R3-billion investment in 2017 to expand production capacity to meet the growing worldwide demand for the Ranger, Berry added. “This reaffirms our role as an integral part of Ford's global manufacturing network with world-class operations at the Silverton assembly plant and at the Struandale engine plant, in Port Elizabeth, which produces the Duratorq TDCi engines for the Ranger.” The Ranger has introduced a range of safety, comfort and convenience features, including three generations of Ford’s SYNC infotainment system, as well as advanced driver assistance technologies, such as Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping System, which are standard on the Ranger Wildtrak. The performance delivered by its 2.2L and 3.2L Duratorq TDCi diesel engines has equally contributed to its popularity, while the introduction of sophisticated automatic transmissions across a range of models and engine capacities has reshaped the buying patterns of customers in the pick-up segment, noted Berry. Traditionally long model-cycles associated with the LCV segment have been reduced with the Ranger, as regular feature and equipment upgrades over the past seven years have ensured that Ford's pick-up range remains up to date. “The Ranger received a comprehensive update in 2015 that saw the debut of more muscular styling, along with technology and feature enhancements that included SYNC3 and the subsequent addition of embedded navigation on high-spec models,” he said. .

The US now buys wheeled armored vehicles from Italy, and Australia from Germany. I can still remember the day Ted when the US built its own, and Oz bought US goods or designed/built in-house.

Australia orders 211 German “Boxer” wheeled armoured vehicles Defense Blog / August 17, 2018 Australia has awarded Rheinmetall an order for 211 Boxer wheeled armoured vehicles worth a total of €2.1 billion (AUD3.3 billion). The contract was signed at Parliament House in Canberra today by the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull and the Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia Gary Stewart. Delivery of the advanced 8×8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRV) will take place between 2019 and 2026. The selection of the Boxer CRV ensures Rheinmetall will play a key role in the comprehensive modernisation of the Australia’s armed forces. Mr Turnbull first announced his government’s intention to order the fleet of Boxer vehicles in March 2018. Rheinmetall AG Chief Executive Armin Papperger said it was a great honour for the company to be chosen as a partner by the Australian Government at such an important time for the ADF. “This demonstrates, in no uncertain terms, the continued successful cooperation between Rheinmetall and the Government and Armed Forces of Australia,” Mr Papperger said. “As a company, we are extremely pleased to have secured one of the biggest orders in the recent history of Rheinmetall.” The Boxer vehicle is already in service with, or being procured by, the armed forces of Germany, the Netherlands and Lithuania. The ADF will introduce several variants of the Boxer with the reconnaissance variant – accounting for 133 of the 211 vehicles – equipped with Rheinmetall’s cutting-edge Lance turret system and armed with a 30mm automatic cannon. The Boxer CRV was selected after rigorous trials conducted by the ADF. Under Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 2 selection process, the Boxer CRV was chosen in 2016 as one of two candidates for Risk Mitigation Activity trials where the 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicle performed convincingly in the categories of survivability, mobility, firepower, and command & control. Rheinmetall is co-operating closely with Australian defence industry, having established a strong, highly effective team in the country. A significant share of the industrial value added during production of the Boxer will take place in country. More than 40 Australian companies will be included in the programme. Head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Division Ben Hudson said the Boxer CRV is the most capable, survivable and adaptable field-armoured fighting vehicle available today. “The Boxer CRV is highly protected against both asymmetric threats that have been faced by Australian soldiers in recent operations, while also being highly protected against conventional battlefield threats that our soldiers may face one day in a conventional war-fighting scenario,” Mr Hudson said. “We look forward to building on our successful Land 121 program and extending the trustful partnership we have with the Australian Government and our Australian suppliers and partners into Land 400 to deliver an outstanding combat vehicle to the Australian Army.” Mr Stewart said production of the Boxer vehicles would take place in a dedicated new facility in Queensland in partnership with the Queensland Government. “This will allow us to establish as sovereign military vehicle industry in Australia that will underpin the enduring partnership with the Government to design, manufacture, deliver, support and modernise this world-leading capability,” Mr Stewart said. .

The Autocar appears to have begun life as a 4x2 tractor.

Beautiful rigs.....wonderfully done video.

DAF Trucks Press Release / August 15, 2018 German company Hans Wormser AG provides the highest quality and safety in transport and logistics on a daily basis. With its unique DAF fleet of 170 trucks, the company mainly transports food and construction materials in local and long-distance transport. Founded in 1945, the company employs 500 people at eleven locations in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Their flagship is the 60,000 square meter logistics center at the headquarters in Herzogenaurach. Here, Wormser Qualitätslogistik handles many services for the automotive industry. They store and cleans reusable containers and assemble packaging. In addition, the company-owned truck workshop has been an official DAF partner since 1974. Watch the video and learn more about Wormser Qualitätslogistik’s relationship with DAF and their new DAF trucks. .

As a kid, I was a huge Quisp fan. I recall Quaker Oats had two companion products, Quisp and Quake. Billions of parents have given their kids Cheerios as a convenient and healthy (???) snack when they're on the go/traveling. And now you hear it contains Roundup's key ingredient glyphosate. Just lovely. However it got there, General Mills is wholly responsible for the product they produce and sell.

VW's Diess learned about emissions software months before scandal Edward Taylor, Reuters / August 18, 2018 FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen AG CEO Herbert Diess was told about the existence of cheating software in cars two months before regulators blew the whistle on a multi-billion exhaust emissions scandal, German magazine Der Spiegel said. Der Spiegel's story, based on recently unsealed documents from the Braunschweig prosecutor's office, raises questions about whether VW informed investors in a timely manner about the scope of a scandal which it said has cost it more than $27 billion in penalties and fines. Volkswagen's senior management, which has denied wrongdoing, is being investigated by prosecutors in Braunschweig, near where Volkswagen is headquartered, to see whether the company violated disclosure rules. U.S. regulators exposed VW’s cheating on Sept. 18, 2015. Responding to the magazine report, Volkswagen reiterated on Saturday that the management board had not violated its disclosure duties, and had not informed investors earlier because they had failed to grasp the scope of the potential fines and penalties. Citing documents unsealed by the Braunschweig prosecutor's office, Der Spiegel said Diess was present at a meeting on July 27, 2015, when senior engineers and executives discussed how to deal with U.S. regulators, who were threatening to ban VW cars because of excessive pollution levels. Diess, who was VW's brand chief at the time, became CEO of parent company Volkswagen AG in April this year. Volkswagen also owns the Scania, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Ducati brands. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had found unusually high pollution levels in VW's vehicles and was threatening to withhold road certification for new cars until VW explained why pollution levels were too high. Diess, who had defected from BMW to become head of the VW brand on July 1, 2015, joined the July 27 meeting with Volkswagen's then-CEO Martin Winterkorn to discuss how to convince regulators that VW's cars could be sold, a VW defense document filed with a court in Braunschweig in February, shows. Volkswagen on Saturday said both Winterkorn and Diess declined to comment given the ongoing proceedings. Following this meeting, Winterkorn asked Diess whether BMW too had installed “defeat devices” in its cars, Der Spiegel said. In the United States, legal engine management software is described as an "auxiliary emissions device" while the term “defeat device” is used to describe only illegal software. Diess is said to have answered that BMW had not made use of such software, Der Spiegel said. Credible witnesses? Volkswagen said on Saturday: "The contents of the discussion, where Martin Winterkorn and Herbert Diess were present, cannot be fully reconstructed, because the recollections of the people who were present partially deviate." [VW took steps to ensure that] Volkswagen further said it was the task of authorities and courts to evaluate the conflicting statements and to assess whether individual witnesses were credible. Diess and Winterkorn left the July 27 meeting taking a presentation with them, Der Spiegel further said. A VW employee intervened and cautioned the managers that it would be better if they were not in possession of the presentation, Der Spiegel said. Volkswagen said on Saturday the purpose of the July 27 meeting was not to discuss whether Volkswagen had broken U.S. law, but how to resolve the issue of whether new models would be given regulatory clearance. Volkswagen argued that it had struggled to understand whether its software was in fact illegal, the defense document filed with the Braunschweig court shows. On July 31, 2015 Volkswagen hired a law firm to help the company understand its regulatory troubles, and lawyers were unsure whether the software would be deemed an illegal “defeat device” in the United States, VW said in the court filing. The court filing further said that Hans Dieter Poetsch, Volkswagen's finance chief at the time, on Sept. 14, 2015, believed the potential financial risk from regulatory penalties tied to emissions would be around 150 million euros ($172 million). Hans Dieter Poetsch is now Volkswagen's chairman. VW response Volkswagen on Saturday reiterated that it had not violated disclosure rules and had informed investors in a timely manner about the financial scope of the scandal when it published an "ad hoc" disclosure notice on Sept. 22, 2015. Volkswagen said that although it had admitted to using defeat devices to regulators on Sept. 3, 2015, it had assumed that penalties would not exceed 200 million euros, based on the size of fines imposed against rival carmakers who had committed similar regulatory breaches. Because the company had already accrued sufficient provisions for vehicle recalls, there was no need to inform investors that profits could take a further hit before September 2015, Volkswagen's court filing said.

U.S. Naval Institute Blog / July 9, 2012 He won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Marty (1955). And his many screen roles include Sergeant “Fatso” Judson in From Here to Eternity (1953), General Worden in The Dirty Dozen (1967), and Dutch Engstrom in The Wild Bunch (1969). But he is perhaps best remembered as Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale, the title character in television’s madcap sitcom, “McHale’s Navy” (1962-66). The congenial “real McHale” talked recently about his decade in the U.S. Navy and his film work with Naval History Editor Fred L. Schultz. Naval History: What made you decide to enlist in the Navy rather than any of the other services? Borgnine: I’m what you call a Depression sailor. I got a job immediately after leaving high school; I was lucky—three dollars a week and all I could eat, working on a vegetable truck. I had never thought of it as a career, but that was all I could find in those days. You were lucky to get off the streets. One day while riding on the truck, I saw a sign that said: “Join the Navy, See the World.” So I went to the recruiter, unbeknownst to my mother and dad, and said I’d like to join the Navy. They put me on a waiting list and asked if I’d be ready to come when they called. I said, “Absolutely!” So I got the call and, believe it or not, got in on another fellow’s case of the piles. He failed, and I made it. I believe at that time only 11 or 12 of us made it out of 12,000; that many people were ready to go into the service, simply because they wanted to get off the streets. It wasn’t that we were bums. We just wanted to help our families, as I did, and also wanted to get out there and learn something. So I joined the Navy and went to the Newport, Rhode Island, Training Station in September of 1935. It was a whole new experience. I’ll never forget the advice my dad gave me the morning I left. He said, “You know, son, you’re not going to be tied down by your mother’s apron strings any more.” He said, “You’re going to have to go out and do it on your own.” I remember one day—I still get a little choked up about it—I was on board a ship, the four-stacker destroyer Lamberton (DD-119), and the crew was celebrating Mother’s Day by listening to a program about it on the radio. That hit me in such a way that I sat under a ladder and cried. You can’t imagine how hard I cried. And after it was over, I suddenly realized I had cut the apron strings. But it made a man out of me. And I have never regretted one day, not ever. Naval History: What was your most memorable experience in the Navy? Borgnine: I’ll never forget the day in San Diego I was put in charge of the captain’s gig. I polished that thing until it gleamed. And then word came that we were going to take the captain ashore. Well, I brought the gig alongside smartly, with my engineer down below, handling the controls. I put one foot on the gangway and one foot holding the boat. The captain came on board and said, “128th Street Landing!” I said, “Yes, sir!” and started to push off. As I pushed, my foot slipped on the deck of the boat, because I had polished it to such a high degree. My other foot slipped off the gangway, and I went straight down into the water, between the boat and the gangway—straight down. Then I came straight back up. As I was getting my hat back on my head, he looked down at me and said, “No, 128th Street!” That was in the Lamberton, when we were towing target ships. I remember one day, instead of firing at the targets, somehow or other one plane miscalculated and began firing at us. You could hear the shots whistling between the stacks. And the only thing that saved us was the chief radioman, who got on the radio and told the pilot to stop. I also remember vividly having to go out and resurface some of the tows. Sometimes they’d turn over, and we would have to go and try to turn them back up again. At that time the Navy didn’t want you to get your feet wet, so they would put boots on you—not small boots, but big hip boots. I said, “Wait a minute. If those boots fill up with water, we’re going to sink like lead.” We were informed that this was the way the Navy was going to do it. Well, the first chance we got, we cast them off, threw them away. We also towed paravanes for mine-sweeping. That was a risky job, because paravane wire could cut metal. It was really something to watch those things work. Unfortunately, on another ship one time, the wire broke as an ensign was straddling it and cut him right in half. Naval History: What was the biggest difference between the four-stacker destroyer and the converted yacht you served in during the war? Borgnine: The yacht, the Sylph (PY-12), had been owned by old man Murphy, who made Murphy Beds—the ones that folded out of the wall. I had my own private stateroom. I was a first-class gunner’s mate, but the captain used to knock on my door before entering. Talk about having it made! We really did. Of course, we weren’t supposed to bring booze aboard, but in this certain ship, it seemed we always got our share. How? Several of us would go ashore at night and buy milk. We would then paint the bottles white and fill them up with booze. When we came back, the watch officer would meet us at the gangway and ask, “What do you have there, men?” We would say, “Milk, sir, and hamburgers. Would you like one?” He’d let us by and we’d go down below and get roaring. Talk about “McHale’s Navy,” this was it! So there was all the difference in the world. The destroyer was a fighting ship, built for war. The Sylph was a fighting ship, too, but there weren’t very many things that you could do with a yacht. We had a 3-inch/50-caliber gun that we were afraid to shoot because of the wooden decks. We also had six .30-caliber air-cooled Brownings, but they were like mosquito bites against the skin of a submarine. We had a Y-gun to shoot off the depth charges because we couldn’t go fast enough to let them roll off the stern if we met up with a submarine. Naval History: Did you ever encounter any U-boats? Borgnine: Yes, we did. We met up with one, and according to the skipper, we had him dead to rights. We were guarding an oiler, and he was going like crazy. We just couldn’t keep up. Our propulsion was sufficient just for going in and out of harbors slowly. But there we were, out to sea, trying to keep up; but we just couldn’t. That day, we did manage to snag onto a German submarine; there were a lot of them out there. We were like sitting ducks, though. Only three ships were guarding the entire Atlantic coastline when the war started. The others were the Zircon (PY-16) and the Sapphire (PYC-2). When we made contact with the U-boat, the old man said, “Gunner, when I blow the whistle, you let that Y-gun go.” I said, “Yes, sir!” So we got all set, and he blew the whistle. I pulled the lanyard, and boom! Off she went. Everybody said, “ooh and ahh” as they watched the things go. It was the first time they had ever heard an explosion. I started kicking them in the behind, saying, “Come on, come on! Get it reloaded!” And we’d load it up again, pull the lanyard, and off she’d go. The whole time, I was listening for detonations—there were no detonations. We shot off 20 depth charges—no detonations. Finally one did go off. I was standing there with the lanyards in my hand and said to myself, “I know I set them right—75 feet, just what the skipper ordered.” Because they didn’t go off, I could envision my carcass hanging from the yardarm. Believe me, I was scared stiff. Well, we came back into port, and sailors came aboard and started taking off the depth charges, when one fellow said, “You got a chippin’ hammer, gunner?” I said, “Yeah, I got a chippin’ hammer.” We took off about 147 coats of paint from one of the depth charges, and it said, right there on a nice little brass plaque: “Manufactured in 1917.” That’s how we went to war. Naval History: What is the difference between your Navy and the Navy of today? Borgnine: I’ve been to a number of places and seen for myself the caliber of people who are in the Navy today—in all the services for that matter. This is an altogether different bunch. These people of today are really bright, young, good people. We had bright young men in our day, too, but we did not have the equipment they have today, either. Even radar was unheard of when I first went into the service. Then suddenly, they started putting bedsprings up on the tops of ships. We wondered what the devil they were doing, as these great big bedsprings were rolling around. We wondered what they did. Finally, the word came out: “It’s a secret. These can pick up and find all sorts of things floating through the air.” I said, “Come on, you’re crazy. Nothing can do that.” But they did! Naval History: What experiences from the Navy did you borrow for some of your screen roles? Borgnine: I had occasion once to make a picture called The Vikings (1958). The Navy stood me in good stead at that time, because, unbeknownst to anyone, I had pulled a bow oar in my whaleboat crew on the Lamberton. That’s one of the hardest places in the boat to pull an oar, because you’re sitting up forward and you’re almost a down-stroke. It was tough. When we went to Norway to shoot this picture, the very first thing they asked me to do was to go out on the boat. I was dressed up in my civilian clothes, but I jumped right in. We were pulling 14-foot oars and going along pretty good. Then, up went the beat, a little higher, a little more. Well, when we finished, I had impressed the rest of the fellows there so much that they would have killed for me, because I proved I was one of them. I became their man. It was marvelous, thanks to the Navy for having me pull that bow oar in the whaleboat. I’ll tell you what I did with “McHale’s Navy.” I wanted to do everything that I couldn’t do in the real Navy—like ski behind my ship. I did everything that you could possibly imagine, while always maintaining a good rapport with my troops. I made up my mind I was going to run this navy the right way. You see, Quinton McHale had been captain of his own tramp steamer before the war. Nobody knew this, of course, but it was written in the screenplay before we started. And they don’t reveal that in the show. As an old tramp steamer captain, McHale was a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve, so when the war started, naturally he went into the Navy. They had no other place for him, except to put him in a PT-boat. I wanted to continue “McHale’s Navy” as a series and had some people at Universal interested in it, too. My idea was to have him wandering around New York after the war, when suddenly he hears, “Hey, skip!” from one of his old sailors. They eventually get the whole crew back together and seek out McHale’s old ship, which is owned by a woman who turns out to be another Captain Binghamton [played by Joe Flynn in the original series]. McHale becomes the skipper of the ship, which carries passengers but turns out to be a spy ship for the CIA. Universal said, “Let’s do it!” But nothing ever happened, and they let it go by the board. But it was fun to think about, and I thought it could have made a heck of a good series. Naval History: Nothing ever came of it? Borgnine: The man at Universal said, “This is the best thing I’ve seen since cut bread.” But he never did a thing. Naval History: So it’s written down somewhere? Borgnine: Oh sure, I have it at home, all written down. It would probably have made a good picture, too. Naval History: Do you think the Navy might be a little better off today if it had more McHales and fewer Binghamtons? Borgnine: Absolutely. But I don’t think too many Binghamtons are around anymore. The Navy has changed a great deal. Not that the officers of my day were bad, because I served under a lot of good officers, believe me. But there were a few bad ones, too. I remember one gentleman, a lieutenant commander, when I first reported to the Sylph. He was captain of the ship. The morning I was brought to him to be introduced, he was still in bed, in his cabin. The fellow who brought me down knocked on his door and said, “I have the new gunner’s mate aboard.” The captain opened the door, and he had his hand underneath his pillow. I thought that was odd, and I said, “Good morning, Captain. How are you, sir? I’m reporting aboard for duty.” As we left, he made a move, and I saw that his hand was holding a pistol. Very odd, indeed. Now, this gentleman used to have the hardest time docking that yacht that you ever saw in your life. The tugboat captain in New York would come down and watch him land, just for the laughs. Two of our fellows always came up out of the engine room to watch, too. One chief carpenter’s mate on board hated this captain. And every time he went ashore, he’d get drunk and abusive, come back to the ship, and yell down the pipe: “You no good so and so!” He kept on putting in chits for a transfer and finally got one. Two weeks later, the captain got one, too—to the same ship. As I understand it, they went to a huge transport ship that was getting ready to go overseas to Britain. Just before they took off, this carpenter’s mate threw his sea bag over the side and followed it. He said, “I’m damned if I’m going with you.” I heard later that the ship and all hands were lost in a 100-mile-an-hour hurricane off Nova Scotia. Naval History: How do you think “McHale’s Navy” would play on TV today? Borgnine: Are you kidding? People love it. It’s always playing somewhere in the world. Universal owns it, so it plays only occasionally in this country. They’ll put out shows like “Gilligan’s Island,” but they hold off on “McHale.” On Labor Day in Oakland, California, they had a big “McHale” to-do, and it went over tremendously well. It’s crazy, but I’ve had people come up to me and say, “You know, Mr. Borgnine, you’re the best baby-sitter in the world.” I say, “How do you figure that?” And they say, “When our children are watching ‘McHale’s Navy,’ we always know where they are.” Naval History: What was the better duty station—Taratupa or Voltafiore? Borgnine: Actually, I didn’t want “McHale’s Navy” to move to Italy. Our producer had tried to do it with “Sergeant Bilko,” but the Bilko people said they didn’t want to go to Italy. So he took it out on us, and we went to Voltafiore. Unfortunately, it didn’t last very long. I think the show could still be going if it had been left on Taratupa. I’ll tell you something. Secretary of the Navy [John] Warner called me one time when I was in Washington. He wanted to see me. He said, “I want to tell you, Mr. Borgnine, that you have done more for the U.S. Navy with ‘McHale’s Navy’ than I’ve ever seen any recruiter do. People want to come into the Navy just to join McHale’s Navy.” That was quite a tribute to me and my troupe. Naval History: What was a typical day of shooting like on the “McHale’s Navy” set? Borgnine: We had a lot of fun doing it. In those days we used to start, anxiously, at eight o’clock in the morning. Well, by a quarter of eight, we were ready to go, all hands. And I guess we broke the mold, because now they start shooting at six-thirty. By noontime, we would have at least 12 to 14 pages of dialogue and action in the can. Then we’d take it easy, laze around, blow up a few fireworks, and scare a few tourists coming through. Naval History: Do you keep in touch with the old cast? Borgnine: Oh, sure. A few of them have died, you know. But I see Tim Conway [Ensign Charles Parker], and Carl Ballantine [Torpedoman Lester Gruber] is still around. He’s older than the hills, but he’s still around. Naval History: How would you rate Hollywood’s portrayal of the military in general, and the Navy in particular, past and present? Borgnine: I’ve found that in the past they were quite good. Of course they always took liberties. They had to put in the love interest and how it affected the man in his work and all that pertained to it. The majority of the time, though, they were quite good. We had a naval advisor on “McHale’s Navy.” After the first day of shooting, he said, “Ernie, what the devil are they shooting here?” I told him it was “McHale’s Navy.” He went storming off and said, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.” He really left us in the lurch. He wouldn’t have anything to do with us, because we weren’t portraying the real Navy, his Navy. Then, the show suddenly began to blossom, and he started bringing people around to show them his “McHale’s Navy.” From that point, the Navy began treating us well. Naval History: Do you think today’s films on military subjects may suffer a bit because fewer film makers actually served in the military? Borgnine: Definitely, yes. There is always something lacking. But they try to get it as best they can. Naval History: What were some good naval-oriented films? Borgnine: Away All Boats (1956) was a pretty good naval picture. And I did a submariner picture with Glenn Ford [Torpedo Run (1958)] that was quite good. One thing we found while making that picture is that you can’t go horizontally with a Momsen Lung (an early underwater breathing device). You have to go vertically, straight up, or straight down. And they wanted us to go horizontally because of the camera angle. You can’t do it. You’ll fill up with water. Naval History: We hear a lot today about too much violence on television and the movies. As one of the stars of The Wild Bunch, which came in for some criticism to that effect, where do you think we should we draw the line? Borgnine: They asked the same question in Jamaica when the picture was first shown. And I kind of got up on my high horse, because if ever anyone knew the West, it was [director] Sam Peckinpah. He told it like he saw it and like he knew it. Of course, he hadn’t been alive in the days of the Old West, but based on what he had worked on and knew from past experience and reading, this was a hard, hard time. If you didn’t keep your wits about you, you were dead. It was that kind of a violence. And he tried to show the violence. What I said at the time was, “Would you rather have the violence on your screen, or would you rather see it on your city streets?” The key lies in the people who do not teach their children properly by saying, “Look, this is a violent picture, and it’s violent because man is violent, and people do violent things to other people. This is what you must not do.” But people don’t train their children that way anymore. Naval History: So you’re saying it’s not the fault of movies and TV—it’s the parents’ fault? Borgnine: Partly. It’s also the fact that they’ll do and redo anything that sells on TV or in the motion pictures. So we have rape, violence, explosions, and everything else, and kids sit back and say, “Man, isn’t that great? It must be, because we see it so often.” But is it? It sells. That’s the thing. And as long as it sells, they’re going to do it. I thought that The Wild Bunch, which later went on to become a classic, was done in a way that showed the terribleness of the situation, what these men lived through and died for—which was no good, because they died. Period. Naval History: How important is history? Borgnine: Very important, I think. They say history repeats itself. I think everybody should know their history. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t. I had a line in a show I was doing not too long ago. I was to say, “I was playing tennis in Corregidor,” and so on. I had a college graduate come up to me and ask, “Ernie, what’s a Corregidor?” . .

Ernest Borgnine explains at 1:38 how compulsory military service creates more well-rounded people. .

BBC / August 17, 2018 The bodies of missing Colorado mother Shanann Watts and her two daughters have been located inside a fuel tank days after they vanished. Her husband Chris Watts has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his entire family. His arrest came one day after he appealed for their return. The tanks were nearly full when Mr Watts hid their bodies there to conceal the odor. The couple had financial troubles, and she suspected her husband was cheating. Mrs Watts, 34, who was 15 weeks pregnant, and the couple's children Bella, four, and Celeste, three, went missing on Monday. The bodies were found inside oil and gas tanks on the premises of a petroleum company where Mr Watts worked. He was fired from the company - Anadarko Petroleum - on Wednesday after his arrest. Mr Watts is being held on suspicion of three counts of murder and tampering with evidence. Police have until Monday to press charges.

Trump Asks SEC to Look Into Frequency of Corporate Reports Associated Press / August 17, 2018 NEW YORK — President Donald Trump says he’s asking federal regulators to look into the effectiveness of the quarterly financial reports that publicly traded companies are required to file. In a tweet early Aug. 17, Trump said that after speaking with “some of the world’s top business leaders,” he’s asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to determine whether shifting to a six-month reporting regimen would make more sense. The SEC requires such companies to share profit, revenue and other figures publicly every three months. Some believe that executives are making decisions based on short-term thinking to satisfy the market at the expense of the long-term viability of their companies. There are also tremendous expenses tied to preparing quarterly and annual reports.

Exactly. Today you're told to get lots of fiber and food products promote it, but I read man historically did not consume such amounts of fiber and it's unhealthy. A low-fiber gluten-free diet is supposed to be far better for you.

Paul, Volvo gave up on selling its arms merchants. They would have lost the Renault sale to Canada. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/47595-volvo-gets-rid-of-the-arms-merchants/

Volvo Group, with its new Arquus brand, now bills itself as “the historical partner of armies”.

Renault Trucks Defense renamed Arquus Andrew MacDonald, IHS Jane's Defence Industry / May 29, 2018 Renault Trucks Defense, an armoured vehicle subsidiary of Volvo Group, was renamed Arquus on 24 May, as part of the launch of a new strategy for the business. Renault Trucks Defence, which produces wheeled armoured vehicles and is also responsible for the Panhard and Acmat brands, had been targeted for divestment from Volvo for close to a year, until efforts to find a buyer were dropped in October 2017. The company’s rebranding and new strategic plan come just months after the company failed in its bid to win a contract for France’s Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Léger (Light Multirole Armoured Vehicle, VBMR-L), a replacement for the Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (Forward Area Armoured Vehicle) platforms it supplied to the French Army from the 1970s onwards. Arquus Website - https://www.arquus-defense.com/

Volvo Construction Equipment (VCE) has the worst after-sales support in the US market. Ask most any construction company who has tried Volvo, and they'll say they ultimately stopped buying Volvo because of the poor after-sales support. I like Deere and Komatsu, but CAT has the best after-sales support. Remember, most of the board wants to offload VCE because it generally isn't a money maker. And it lost millions in China with bad loans, millions, that put the overall group in financial dire straights (the explanation for the low-budget jury-rigged common rail on the old unit pump block). Remember they were forced to sell "Volvo Rents", their failed attempt to compete with CAT in the US, to raise cash.

Jim, VW does give Scania full autonomy. They realize the truckmaker is arguably the world's best. However, VW watches MAN closely due to their low profitability. MAN builds a superb truck.........the profitability problem is due to the German government (The VW car brand also barely turns a profit, for the same reason).

Australia Paul, I see my apricot Weet-Bix is not on the list. Good on Sanitarium.

Cheerios, Quaker Oats, other breakfast foods contain ingredient in weed killer The Morning Call/Detroit Free Press / August 16, 2018 A number of popular breakfast foods, including cereals, granola bars and instant oats, were tested and found to contain potentially dangerous amounts of cancer-linked glyphosate, the main ingredient in weed killer. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental advocacy organization that conducted the study, said Wednesday that glyphosate was found in all but five of 29 oat-based foods that were tested. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, the most heavily used pesticide in the United States. Every year, according to the EWG, more than 250 million pounds of glyphosate is sprayed on American crops. The World Health Organization has determined that glyphosate is “probably carcnogenic to humans” and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a safety level for the potentially dangerous chemical. Just last week, Monsanto was ordered by a court to pay nearly $300 million to a man who claims his terminal cancer was caused by exposure to Roundup. Hundreds of other cases are working their way through the courts. Monsanto strongly disputes the finding that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen and notes that over four decades, the EPA has consistently supported the safe and effective use of glyphosate. The company notes on its website that on Dec. 18, the EPA stated the following: “The draft human health risk assessment concludes that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. The agency’s assessment found no other meaningful risks to human health when the product is used according to the pesticide label. The agency’s scientific findings are consistent with the conclusions of science reviews by a number of other countries as well as the 2017 National Institute of Health Agricultural Health Survey.” The products tested by the EWG showed levels dramatically lower than current EPA standard for glyphosate. For example, the amount allowed in grains is 30 parts per million. Most of the products tested by the EWA showed glyphosate levels that measured in parts per billion. Yet California, which is known for its robust cancer warnings, has determined there is a one in 100,000 risk of cancer from glyphosate when more than 1.1 milligrams is consumed per day. EWG says it has calculated a one in one million risk if more than 0.1 milligrams is consumed and a similar risk for children if even 0.01 milligrams is consumed daily. The worst offenders were Quaker oat products, which regularly clocked in at 400 or more glyphosate parts per billion — meaning they would be dangerous for children if even 27.5 grams were consumed daily. A single packet of Quaker’s dinosaur eggs instant oatmeal contains more than three times EWG’s daily safe limit for children. Kellogg products largely passed muster — of the two evaluated, only one of the Michigan-based cereal company’s oat foods came anywhere near dangerous to children and neither posed a threat to adults. The full list of products tested and their results is available below: — Potentially dangerous to children Back to Nature Classic Granola Quaker Simply Granola Oats, Honey, Raisin and Almonds Nature Valley Granola Protein Oats ‘n Honey Giant Instant Oatmeal Original Flavor Quaker Dinosaur Eggs, Brown Sugar, Instant Oatmeal Great Value Original Instant Oatmeal Umpqua Oats, Maple Pecan Market Pantry Instant Oatmeal, Strawberries & Cream … Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal Lucky Charms (without marshmallows) Barbara’s Multigrain Spoonfuls, Original, Cereal Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran oat cereal … Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars, Oats ‘n Honey Quaker Steel Cut Oats Quaker Old Fashioned Oats Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats … — Contains safe amounts of glyphosate Back to Nature Banana Walnut Granola Clusters KIND Vanilla, Blueberry Clusters with Flax Seeds Kellogg’s Nutrigrain Soft Baked Breakfast Bars, Strawberry Nature’s Path Organic Old Fashioned Organic Oats Whole Foods Bulk Bin conventional rolled oats Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats — Contained no glyphosate in any tests Nature’s Path Organic Honey Almond granola Simple Truth Organic Instant Oatmeal, Original Kashi Heart to Heart Organic Honey Toasted cereal Cascadian Farm Organic Harvest Berry, granola bar 365 Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats … This product underwent multiple tests and tested above the dangerous level in one or more and below the dangerous level in one or more.

Great freight company, great truck and exclusively sold in the United States by...........American-owned Freightliner Corporation.

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / August 16, 2018 Volvo Trucks North America recently welcomed home the very first Volvo truck model to roll off the assembly line at its New River Valley assembly facility in Dublin, Va. Donated by the Wilson family, founders of the former Wilson Trucking Corporation, the 1982 Volvo F7[US] model will reside at the Volvo Trucks Customer Center, adjacent to the plant. Volvo and Wilson Trucking enjoyed a long-standing relationship beginning in the 1970s, when Wilson Trucking purchased the first Volvo F86 model sold in the U.S. In 2011, Wilson Trucking took delivery of the 500,000th U.S.-built Volvo truck model. .

Next generation of advanced safety arriving Neil Abt, Fleet Owner / August 16, 2018 During June, DTNA showed some of the future capabilities of its Detroit Assurance 4.0 suite of safety systems. That and other advanced safety systems for trucks have arrived at—or are nearing—new and enhanced functionality that can offer even better protection. DTNA conducted a platooning demonstration featuring two tractor-trailers. Using vehicle-to-vehicle communications, the company's system successfully stopped the first truck from hitting a stationary object, and simultaneously stopped the electronically linked truck in the back from crashing into the back of that lead truck. Kary Schaefer, DTNA's general manager of marketing and strategy, said about three-quarters of orders for the new Freightliner Cascadia are being spec'd with the Detroit Assurance 4.0 systems. That figure is a bit deceiving, she noted, because that system requires a Detroit engine and DT12 automated transmission as part of the package. When factoring in orders for non-Detroit safety system for customers choosing other powertrain options, that 75% figure moves even higher. Meanwhile, Jon Morrison, WABCO's president of the Americas, said studies have found its OnGuardActive system can result in an 87% reduction in rear-end collisions. The system alerts drivers to potentially critical driving situations and can also take corrective action to mitigate or prevent collisions. Last fall, WABCO said it was rolling out OnSide, a radar-based blind spot detection system that provides a 160-degree field of view and coverage for up to 65% of a standard 53-ft. trailer. When used in conjunction with OnLaneASSIST, OnSide can provide active collision avoidance, the company said, with OnLaneASSIST applying a correction torque to the steering wheel to return the vehicle towards the lane center. Among WABCO's other offerings include the trailer anti-lock braking system and OptiFlow aerodynamic tail with automatic deployment and retraction. In an interview with Fleet Owner, Morrison stressed the importance of the recent acquisition of R.H. Sheppard, offering the combination of active steering with braking, stability control and advanced driver assistance systems. Instead of warning-only system, active steering will help prevent trucks from drifting out of their lane and help keep it centered between road markings. Bendix also offers a variety of existing systems and is planning several enhancements during the second half of 2018. Its Wingman Fusion systems uses radar, camera, and the vehicle's brake system to alert a driver and decrease the vehicle's speed. Fusion offers enhanced rear-end collision mitigation and braking on stationary vehicles, along with lane departure warning, and overspeed alerts. Its older generation Wingman Advances is a radar-only system, but offers many similar features. Fred Andersky, director of customer solutions and controls for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, said that company is nearing the launch of its next generation "Blind Spotter 2." It will provide a much wider field of view, helping to catch smaller passenger vehicles "that have a tendency to evade mirrors" and potentially lead to sideswipe accidents, Andersky said. He hinted the next generation of the Fusion system could be available before the end of the year. It will use the same camera and radar, meaning some feature will be retrofittable for customers. Also before 2018 is out, demonstration on advanced steering control will get underway, and Andersky said safety technologies for trailers are also attracting more attention. Jim Nachtman, on-highway heavy marketing director for Navistar, said a majority of orders for the company's LT series model trucks are being built with collision mitigation systems, and that there continues to be "very significant" year-over-year growth. He added safety systems are one part of a holistic safety approach in the LT series that includes lowered step heights, better visibility around the vehicles, mirrors moved further forward, LED headlamps, and optional roll side air bags. Even the fleets that waited on the sidelines several years ago as other fleets conducted trials have seen enough data to realize they too need to invest. More medium-duty trucks are ordering these technologies as well. For example, at the start of 2018, Kenworth Truck Co. announced it would begin offering the Bendix Wingman Fusion system as a factory-installed option on its T270 and T370 models. Kenworth Marketing Director Kurt Swihart said the manufacturer began offering factory installation of Wingman Advanced, and it was not long after inquiries about Wingman Fusion began. Another supplier in this space is Bosch, which is working on a lane keeping system that uses a video camera that is activated at 35 mph. The camera tracks the truck's position and detects road markings. The system intervenes when the truck does not maintain minimum distance from the marking. The system is initially targeting the European market and is likely to be offered in North America in the future. It is developed from Bosch's electrohydraulic steering system, which was part of a larger demonstration day during May in Michigan highlighting its Mobility Solutions division. .