So the garage shows me the old latch assembly and says “See, it stopped working, we don’t know why” and I examine it.  The bar that ends in a hook, the part that makes it go “latch,” is curved and barley moves at all in the assembly.  It’s SO obvious that someone slammed the hood down on top of it and bent it.  You can see a sort of tool mark on the top of the steel point, and looking sideways the whole thing is curved, whereas a new one is straight and travels freely.  Good news, they didn’t try to charge me.

They also didn’t charge me for the two new sway bars and the oil change.  So, I’ll forgive them but I doubt I’ll bring my car back there.  They could have just told me “Hey, we slammed the hood on the latch accidentally and it bent, we need to replace it.  Our bad.” I would have laughed it off and been happy to wait.  Instead, I get this crazy runaround and they lose my business, which with an older Ford could have been considerable.  :)

She’s driving like she’s new though, so thats nice.  Alignment, new sway bars, new struts, tires filled properly, oil change...all she needs now is a tune-up and the magic cleaning faeries to come and clean out the inside and it’ll be like 1992 all over again.

I’m actually quite surprised every time I drive her how much zip she has for a fleet-vehicle-style car.  Those Tauruses (Tauri?) were deceptive. They feel like luxury cars (in that they have a smooth ride) when riding along, but handle like heavy sports cars in turns.  I do so wish she was a SHO though.  Then she’d have real balls.  Which could lead to gender identity issues, bt she’d be fast enough to outrun them.  :)

Ok, so why my car is named Svetlana.  There wasa show, a reality dating show called “Shipmates.” Donna and I watch all that crappy stuff, watching people in agonizingly uncomfortable situatons rules. 

So anyway, they had this Russian woman named Svetlana on the show.  She acted insane the whole time, she treated her date badly, she did some kind of a ribbon dance that looked like a mental patient waving some string around the room, and when her date expressed his total mystification as to what the hell was going on, she proceeded to repeat, like a mantra..."Vy are yu commentink on me?  Vy?  Vy are yu commentink on me?”

So when it came time to name the car...I always name my cars...I actually heard, in my head, as we were discussing the various merits of the vehicle, a female voice tat said “HEY!  VY ARE YOU COMMENTINK ON ME?”

And so she is named Svetlana.

If you laugh, I swear I’ll kick you in the hoo-hoo.

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Forget the Hummer. The new SmarTruck III built in partnership with International Truck and Engine Corp. for the U.S. Army sounds like a sci-fi fantasy, but it can:

- detect airborne bio-hazards and alert authorities
- spot and track illegal trespassers in complete darkness
- sense an oncoming missile and knock it out of the sky

Designed for use in a war zone or for personal security, the SmarTruck is equipped for the military with a weapons station featuring a remote-controlled machine gun and smoke and tear gas canister launchers.

Outfitted with Level III ballistic protection, the truck includes armor flooring to dissipate the energy from a ground explosion. The surveillance capabilities of the truck include a periscope camera and laser range finder, which can capture a 360-degree scene.

Each of the rear seat passengers can operate a 20-inch tough screen to monitor the SmarTruck, which incorporates high-speed satellite Internet access and satellite TV.

I’d drive that thing to the next Earth Day celebration in Washington just to see the looks on their faces.  ;)

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The Jeep® Rescue concept

Designed for the most extreme situations and unforgiving conditions, the Jeep® Rescue concept is not only the ultimate type of search and rescue vehicle – it’s the ultimate execution of a Jeep off-road vehicle.

Combine legendary Jeep off-road capability with state-of-the-art search and rescue technology, the Jeep Rescue is designed to reach areas in the harshest, most daunting mountainous and desert areas.

“Jeep Rescue is the supreme trail search and research vehicle – one that only Jeep could build, “ said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Chrysler Group Design.

Classic Jeep Design Taken to An Exciting New Dimension and Extreme

Starting with a modern interpretation of the timeless, classic Jeep, the Rescue not only hints at a future design direction for a large Jeep – it builds on the rugged Jeep heritage to forge an exciting new dimension for the Jeep brand.

The Rescue can be configured to run almost totally “open” – with folding front windshield and a retractable backlite, a sliding glass sunroof in front, a fold-forward canvas roof in the rear, plus, all four doors are removable.

A Rugged Foundation

Featuring all-new body-on-frame construction with hydroformed frame rails and riding on an 80-inch wide chassis with 123-inch wheelbase and 37-inch tires, the Jeep Rescue is built for anything thrown its way. The front hydropneumatic suspension combines with the heavy-duty link-coil rear suspension to give the Rescue its solid footing on all terrain. The suspension has adjustable ride height and an additional 4-inch lift available for fording. The aforementioned 37-inch tires feature an MTR tread and run-flat capability, negating the need for a spare. On-board tire pressure control has the ability to “tune” tire pressures for maximum traction on all surfaces.

Unequalled Rescue Capability

Powered by a Cummins Diesel and featuring seating for five, the Jeep Rescue’s primary mission is rescue capability, and its list of rescue and safety equipment is impressive:

* AC electric power (10 kW) generation in the field
* 3-D topographical mapping software and topographical navigation system
* Under- chassis, point-of-view cameras for avoiding danger in its path
* Passive, infrared (thermal) cameras for search and rescue
* Satellite telephone; VHF radio, digital video recorder with satellite transmission capability
* Retractable 4-point harnesses for vehicle occupants
* Exterior perimeter lighting
* White LEV lighting for long distance visual search and reduced power use
* Folding seats in rear compartment of vehicle
* Remote control winch – front and back

“The Jeep Rescue is Jeep capability taken to maximum extreme and that, being Jeep, is unmatchable,” said Creed. “It is everything the Jeep brand represents – in a vehicle equipped for unequalled search and rescue service.”

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