Posts

Showing posts from 2019

Done with Flickr

I'm done with Flickr. Porn is starting to seep into baseball card groups, car groups, and everything else. Group admins can't stop it because there is a hole found in the system and Yahoo does not seem to care to fix the issue.  Additionally, I don't want to see people's cats laying on a chairs.<br />
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I'm going to make my own repository again. Probably not going to use my old code, but start over. Not only am I going to start over with the code, but also the photos and retake them all. I'm going to also have a new naming conventions.<br />
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So the fourth photo of cards from 1960 Chicago Cubs would be named 1960CHC004.jpg
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New Nifty Script

I have written a new "nifty" script for my web site that displays all the cards cataloged per team.

http://mrgibson.com/baseball9.php

By default, it shows the Cubs, but is programmed to show any team of choosing. For the larger teams, the script is rather slow as it processes a large amount of information. One of the coolest parts of the script is that is cross-references the players against two other tables that list players with a career WAR of 9 or greater and a table of Hall of Fame inductees. If the player matches these, a little icon will show by their name.

To see my Cardinals collection:
http://mrgibson.com/baseball9.php?team=card

To see my White Sox collection:
http://mrgibson.com/baseball9.php?team=White Sox

To see my Red Sox collection:
http://mrgibson.com/baseball9.php?team=Red Sox

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Update on Cubs baseball card collection

With the purchase of a 1997 Ryne Sandberg Topps card, I now have cataloged 60 sandberg cards.  All between his rookie card in 1983 and his final card in 1997.

http://mrgibson.com/baseball7.php?name=sandberg

I thought it might be fun at this point to list my 3 favorite Cubs baseball cards for every year from 1960 to 2018. I still don't own any 2019 cards. I don't own enough card before 1960 to do this either for every year. So this does not take for ever, I will post 2 or 3 years each post. Hopefully I can get through this without giving up.

1960 Ernie Banks Topps #10 HoF Mordecai Brown Fleer #9 HoF Walt Moryn Topps #74 1961 Billy Williams Topps #141 HoF Ron Santo Topps #35 HoF Frank Thomas Topps #382
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RH Fedora

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I miss some old habits. Some things are just still better, faster, more fun. So I'm installing Red Hat Fedora. Why? First and for most, to get the tools I need to create a new FVWM Theme "Glassy Blue". Secondly, I miss that environment.

Creating window manager themes are fun. Look for ideas for a really good one, I found out tonight that my old FVWM page is still up and running... and advertised on other FVWM sites. I have no idea how to get to the HTML to even edit the page. But that is another issue all in it's self.

I've started the work on the theme already and it will be a little challenging. I would also like to update an older theme that I created called ruby. I'm wondering how gothic I can make a computer interface :)
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New version of FVWM!

News on new a FVWM release
I'm happy to say that 2019 has a new release of the FVWM window manager! Yes, I'm still a fan and the previous release had not been since March 31, 2018.
FVWM is the Linux, BSD, AIX, or for that matter almost any OS graphical interface that can be anything you want. That is why I love it. The configuration of this window manager allows your desktop and windows to behave and look anyway your imagination...well.. can imagine.
Changes are in the stable release 2.6.9 (not officially released, yet there it is on FVWM site)
Bug fixes: Fix handling of configure’s –enable-mandoc/–enable-htmldoc Note, the changes for the last STABLE release start with release 2.6.0.

See http://www.fvwm.org/news/ for the FVWM release. Also See http://mrgibson.com/FVWM_themes/ for some of my cheesy themes I created for FVWM some time ago.
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Dig Dug port reviews

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Just reviewing versions from old classic systems. Many modern ports are near identical. So here are 8 Dig Dugs they should not have bothered making. And 8 really good ports. First, the list of bad Dig Dugs:#1 Atari 2600 - horrible play, horrible graphics. Rocks are squares. Other than maincharacter, none of the other characters look close to arcade. [Atari 2600 version screen shot] #2 Apple II - bad play, bad graphics #3 MSDOS - accurate and good play, bad graphics #4 Intellivision - expected better from them. #5 VIC20 - good play, not the best graphics #6 Atari 800 - surprisingly bad for that system #7 Atari 5200 - graphics are capable of being better. little effort on design team. #8 TI994A - some of the graphics could have been detailed better Good Dig Dugs #1 Sega Dreamcast - Perfect in most ways from opening screen on. [Sega Dreamcast version screen shot] #2 Nintendo 64 - Perfect. same graphics, play, and development as the Sega Dreamcast. #3 Windows - very good in…
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Centipede 7800

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Just a little blurb about Centipede for the Atari 7800. I like the games so I personally give this version 4 out of 5 stars. Much, much, better looking with improvement over Atari 2600. But... not as much of the feel as the TI994A version to the arcade. Even the Atari 5200 version looks a lot closer to the arcade version. I get it. Just like Asteroids, the Atari 7800 group was trying to add something different like 3d shaded mushrooms. Their goal was to "modernize" the Arcade favorites. Yet looking and playing the game, I feel they still could have done a little better. I have seen what the 7800 is actually capable of.



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First Time....

For the first time I will be selling a large amount of surplus sports cards at a hobbies/craft show in Bloomington IL on December 7th at the Lafeete Club. I will be selling unopened packs of baseball cards, baseball card singles, football card singles, NASCAR singles, Hockey singles, and more. I'm still working on coming up with the giveaway prize.
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Cubs room (progress)

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This is a small update. Yes, there is still work happening in the Cubs room - Although slow. Resorting and distributing thousands of baseball cards is time consuming. Additionally I still have more bins to purchase and raisers. I'm also taking this time to re-photo my collections.

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Update on Cubs HoF collection.

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First on the list, Ryne Sandberg

Hall of Fame / MVP / 10x All-Star / 9x Gold Glove / 7x Silver Slugger /ML PoY
WAR 68.0 / H 2386 / HR 282 / R 1318 / RBI 1061 /SB 344

59 cards between make years of 1983 and 1996

I have not updated the blog recently on Ryne, I have purchased total of 9 Ryne Sandberg cards in 2019 and I'm closing in on completion on my Ryne Sandberg collection.  I currently have 59 cards of which 48 are unique.  Given that I don't have any 1995 cards of Ryne, there are at least 10 cards from 1995 that could be added.

http://mrgibson.com/baseball7.php?name=sandberg


Second, Andre Dawson

Hall of Fame / MVP / Rookie of the Year / 8x All-Star / 8x Gold Glove / 4x Silver Slugger
WAR 64.8 / H 2774 / HR 438 / R 1373 / RBI 1591 / SB 314

40 cards between 1978 and 2012.

I believe I have purchased 2 or 3 Andrew Dawson cards in 2019 bringing up the total to 40 cards.

http://mrgibson.com/baseball7.php?name=andre%20dawson

Next, Lee Smith

Hall of Fame / 7x All-Star / 3x Rolaids …
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Cubs room update -3

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As little time as I have to put towards the Cubs card room, this project looks to be slow going.  So just another small update.

Below is a photo of snaps and blue ribbon to bind the top-loaders of the teams sets that I purchased.


Here is a photo of the new shelving to display team sets and various Cubs art.
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Baseball card room redo - post 2

This is a status update before photos:

1) I have the display shelves ordered and should be here Oct 22nd or 23rd.

2) All walls are painted.

3) All cards have been moved back to the house and back in the room

4) All 60 Cubs team sets have been selected for display out of my over 130 Cubs Team sets.
http://mrgibson.com/CubsDisplay3.htm
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Redoing Cubs baseball card room

I have been quiet on this blog, but I am completely redoing my Cubs baseball card room (and house). Currently, I have pulled everything out of the room. In order to better display my Cubs team cards, I'm going to to make a display consisting of numerous shelves that hold as many team sets as possible on each. Here is the layout that I have been working on:

http://mrgibson.com/CubsDisplay3.htm
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2020 Cubs - End of Era

Here are my predictions. I think it is safe say to these individual will probably not be with the Cubs in 2020:


Pedro Strop - worst year yet in relief and closing. He is a free agent. With a 4.99 ERA in his contract year he is as good as gone.

Steve Cishek - 13 million contract price vs mediocre production. The Cubs will gladly let him enter free agency after his performance over the last two years.

Jon Lester - Continuously declining in performance. His record in 2019 does not show how horrible he truly was. Offense has bailed him out many times.

Brandon Morrow - Nobody cares why he will be gone and will soon forget he played for the Cubs.

Cole Hamels - He was to improve the overall pitching rotation. Cubs will part ways with him.

Nicholas Castellanos - the only player on this list the Cubs should fight for, but probably will not.

Ben Zobrist - Extremely reliable as player, but aged, becoming slow on the bases, and will not fit in future plans.

Ian Happ - 2019.... 'nuff said :(

Addiso…
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Lester

Can you believe Lester got a win today?
Lester gave up:

5 Single
4 Double
2 Walks
1 Triple

This was over 5 innings. Total of 7 runs given up while Lester was pitching, yet he still go the win. Two of the runs were because of errors, but that is not how anyone got on base.  Think if the Cubs had faced a good pitching team and go blanked like so many times have happened this year.  The Cubs just can't afford to have Lester pitch anymore.
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We are social media lab rats

Why we are addicted to social media and people are leaning farther left and right. All by design. “The polarization of our society is actually part of the business model.” -Tristan Harris on the power of Social Media companies.

https://youtu.be/WQMuxNiYoz4
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Cards vs Cubs

As of Sep 5th, 2019 11:30PM. Top hitters between Teams RK Player Team Pos G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS 12 Castellanos, N CHC RF 132 536 83 155 47 3 23 61 37 127 2 2 .289 .338 .517 .855 15 Baez, J CHC SS 133 530 88 149 38 4 29 85 28 155 11 7 .281 .316 .532 .848 24 Bryant, K CHC 3B 131 489 96 137 34 1 26 64 66 126 3 0 .280 .379 .513 .892 29 Goldschmidt, P STL 1B 139 520 85 135 18 1 29 79 60 142 2 1 .260 .337 .465 .803 32 Rizzo, A CHC 1B 129 455 81 133 26 2 25 83 64 78 5 2 .292 .407 .523 .930 40 DeJong, P STL SS 138 505 88 124 28 1 26 70 54 123 6 5 .246 .327 .459 .786 42 Wong, K STL 2B 135 429 54 123 23 4 10 55 44 73 20 2 .287 .367 .429 .796 Top power hitters between Teams RK Player Team Pos G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS 9 Schwarber, K CHC LF 133 448 69 107 22 2 34 81 61 129 1 3 .239 .332 .525 .857 21 Ba…
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Mustang GT500 track video

Here is Footage of the 2020 GT350 and GT500 Mustangs at Grattan. The GT500 was timed on the Grattan race track beating the previous track record by the Dodge Viper ATR with a 00:01:21:66 time. This is raw unedited video.
https://youtu.be/MDIP59Hn4Z4
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Lunduke resources

Here is a plug for Lunduke resources: - BBS - - Telent: BBS.lunduke.com - - Web: http://www.lunduke.com - - SysOp: Bryan Lunduke - Show - - Video YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bryanlunduke - - Video LBRY: lbry://@Lunduke - - Audio: MP3 RSS Feed http://vault.lunduke.com/LundukeShowMP3.xml - - Audio: Google Play Music https://play.google.com/music/m/I3eptvmuqocsoc5qmqj4xcs2dcm?t=The_Lunduke_Show - - Audio: iTunes Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lunduke-show/id1465523928
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Not worried about Cardinals

Why am I not worried about the Cardinals? Here is a list of the best hitters in the NL. What is missing? Birds are missing. Yes, the Cardinals are surging...., but they are not good at the core - behind the plate. Take a look:

RK Player Team Pos R H 1 Marte, K ARI CF 87 163 2 Acuna Jr., R ATL LF 107 158 3 Arenado, N COL 3B 89 155 3 Blackmon, C COL RF 96 155 5 Freeman, F ATL 1B 103 154 6 Albies, O ATL 2B 82 152 7 Marte, S PIT CF 89 149 7 Yelich, C MIL RF 92 149 9 Rendon, A WSH 3B 96 148 9 Castellanos CHC OF 79 148 <- 10 Baez, J CHC SS 87 147 <- 11 Hosmer, E SD 1B 65 146 11 Rosario, A NYM SS 63 146 11 Story, T COL SS 95 146 The next Cardinal? After two more Cubbies
21 Bryant CHC with 135 hits
...
26 Rizzo CHC with 129 hits

all the way to 28th place

28 Goldschmidt, P STL 1B 128 hits <- first for C…
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training log

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Speed Time Date MPH Miles M/S Cal Inc 25 Aug 19 2.3 0.936 25.05 100 0 L 26 Aug 19 2.6 1.053 24.45 108 0 L 27 Aug 19 2.8 1.255 27.00 125 0 28 Aug 19 3.0 1.304 26.05 127 0 * 29 Aug 19 3.1v 1.364 26.28 132 0 30 Aug 19 2.V 1.003 24.04 103 0 L 31 Aug 19 3.2 1.504 27:22 142 0 01 Sep 19 day off 02 Sep 19 3.7 1.301 21:05 120 0 03 Sep 19 3.5-4.2 0.937 18:02 104 0 L 04 Sep 19 V 1.000 ????? ??? V LW 04 Sep 19 3.7-4.5 1.618 25:10 163 0 + 05 Sep 19 day off 06 Sep 19 3.5-4.5 1.667 25:01 215 0 [14:15 mile] 07 Sep 19 3.5-4.5 1.886 27.52 252 0 x 08 Sep 19 day off 09 Sep 19 V 1.085 22.29 128 0 10 Sep 19 Stairs day 20 floors up and down 11 Sep 19 3.0-5.0 1.309 19:37 175 V 12 Sep 19 day off 13 Sep 19 V 1.254 19.09 159 0
I will post my progress on this article.

goal #1: Do 3 mph mile in about 20 minutes. *
goal #2: Very brisk 15 minutes mi…
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Top 10 posts since moving to Google blogger

The biggest topic since I started blogging in 2000 has been Arcade games. I had my largest following. Since then I get a fraction of the traffic I once did. I decided to see what are my top 10 since moving to the Google platform for blogging. Now the biggest pulls are video game consoles and dice.
Entry Date pub Page views PlayStation 1 Classic Game add Jan 1, 2019 321 Making a custom dice box. Part I Jan 9, 2018 132 Making a custom dice box. Part V Jan 14, 2018 97 My dice collections Feb 8, 2018 77 Making a custom dice box. Part II Jan 10, 2018 74 Making a custom dice box. Part III Jan 12, 2018 68 Making a custom dice box. Part IV Jan 13, 2018 67 Day 8 of backyard work Jun 25, 2018 60 1960 Cubs cards Jan 31, 2018 56 PlayStation Classic Controllers Jan 06, 2019 27
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Mustang News.

In April, we learned from Ford that Hybrid Ford Mustang are due out 2020. Then there were other rumors. Now we learn that a Mustang inspired SUV has been confirmed. Additionally, an all wheel drive electric mustang has been confirmed. The AWD version makes the all electric more palatable. Mustang owners love gas engines. But the newer performance engineered car nuts also know the benefits of planting HP over four wheels and what that means for track times.

Plenty of people are upset about high performance Mustangs loosing the manual transmission for increased performance. More people will be upset about an electric Mustang. Even more about a non rear wheel drive Mustang. But then again, there will be people that care more about Physics. My 2 pennies.

There is very little hard facts about either of these cars that Ford confirmed, but I expect there will be in a month or so. That is how Ford operates.

Battery life is going to be something over 300 miles. A front and rear e…
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Cubs power offense

Cubs are having one of their best offensive years ever and yet are in second place and struggling badly on the road.  With the numbers that Castellanos is having, I would like to see the Cubs keep him.  Although Baez is clearly the best hitter and base runner on the team, he has been off track lately and the rest of the team is catching up.

As of August 20th, the Cubs have 9 players with double digit Home runs. In fact the slugging numbers a looking good so far.  Odds are likely the Cubs will have three players with 30 or more home runs this regular season.

Player HR 3B 2B XBH H Baez 28 4 34 66 140 <-- Schwarber 28 1 18 47 92 Bryant 25 1 32 58 128 Rizzo 25 2 25 52 125 Contreras 19 1 15 35 81 Heyward 18 4 15 37 109 Castellanos 18 3 44 65 137 <-- Almora Jr. 12 1 11 24 78 Bote 10 0 16 26 69 Baez and Castellanos lead the team in hits, doubles, triples and in general …
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Best Cartoon Duo

Tell me who you think is the best Cartoon Duo? 1 Ren and Stimpy
2 Beavis and Butthead
3 Zim and Gir
4 Pinky and The Brain
5 Rick and Morty
6 SpongeBob and Patrick
7 Bender and Fry
8 Fred Finstone and Barney Rubble
9 Scooby and Shaggy
10 Daggett and Norm
11 Cow and Chicken
12 Garfield and Odie
13 Chip and Dale
14 Yogi and Boo-boo
15 The Tick and Arthur
16 Pooh and Piglet
17 Phineas and Ferb
18 Snoopy & Woodstock
19 Stewie & Brian Griffin
20 Bullwinkle & Rocky
21 Marlin and Dory
22 Elroy and Astro 23 He-Man and Battlecat
24 Johnny Quest and Hadji I did not included these duos because they are not really duos, but antagonist to each other:
-  Tom and Jerry
-  Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
-  Willie Coyote and Road Runner I did not include these because they never made it to the screen:
-  Calvin and Hobbes
So far on other media I have [I will keep updated]:
2 votes for Scooby and Shaggy
1 vote for Ricky and Morty
1 vote for Phineas and Ferb
1 vote for Pinky and The Brain
1 vote for Tom and Jerry (ev…
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2019 Summer Mustangs

I just posted a new video of various Mustangs that I took photos of in Bloomington IL during the Summer of 2019.  As promised earlier, I really want to start video blogging more.

You can view the video here

I think my next video blog will actually be of some content and I plan on doing something on Route 66 like visiting:

1. Ryburn’s Place on 305 E. Pine Street, Normal IL and getting a photo of my Mustang there.

2. Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup at 5257 Historic U.S. 66, Shirley IL

3. Dead Man’s Curve at Towanda IL

4. Gemini Giant on 810 E. Baltimore St., in Wilmington IL

5. Brick wall in Pontiac IL with mustang car photo.

6. Eat at Park View Inn in Bloomington IL

7. world largest catsup bottle in Collinsville, Il

8. Arcade museum in McLean IL.
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2020 Shelby GT500 info

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Ford submits headline: 2020 SHELBY GT500 ACHIEVES SUPERCAR ACCELERATION WITH 760 HORSEPOWER AND 7-SPEED DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION
So what is Ford bragging about: Ford: "Its 760-horsepower 5.2-liter V8 engine is the most power- and torque-dense supercharged V8 in the world. With 625 ft.-lb. of torque funneled through a Tremec® TR-9070 DCT 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, the Shelby GT500 achieves a 0-100-0 in 10.6 seconds, thanks also to the largest front brakes of any domestic sports coupe (16.5-inch rotors) and available carbon fiber wheels, each wrapped in a Ford Performance-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tire." That is pretty impressive.  What is Chevy saying for the C8?  But a more Interesting bit of information here: Ford: "Power output is transmitted to the 3.73:1 Torsen limited-slip independent rear suspension via a carbon fiber driveshaft for reduced rotational mass and torsional distortion, plus larger halfshafts and a redesigned rear suspension hub for added st…
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Baez Praise, Theo Shame

Just a little Javier Baez praise after I just learned yesterday that the Cubs had tried to trade Javier Baez in 2017. Let's think about that. With the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the Cubs would have fallen on the Cubs' collective face if not for Baez. Theo believed the sole core or the Cubs is Rizzo and Bryant.

Currently, as of Aug 5th, 2019 - Javier leads the Cubs in every offensive stat except Runs and he is second. I'm not sure who was dumber; the Cubs for trying to remove much of the Cubs Offense or the Tigers for not seeing the possibilities.

Yes, in 2017 Baez was not keeping up with Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, but in 2018 and 2019 he performed much better than both.

So far, compared to the two players the Cubs said were the sole back bone:
Year R H 2B 3B HR XBH RBI SB BA OBP Baez 2017 75 128 24 2 23 49 75 10 .273 .317 Rizzo 2017 99 156 32 3 32 67 109 10 .273 .392 Bryant 2017 111 162 38 4 29 …
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comparisons on 440+ HP cars [on going]

Car Engine HP Trans 0-60 Top Speed body ============== ====== === ===== ======= ========= ============ Ford GT 3.5L V6 647 7S-DCT 3.0 sec 216 MPH carbon fiber Mustang GT500 5.2L V8 760 7S-DCT 3.5 sec 180 MPH Steel Chevy Vette C8 6.2L V8 495 8S-DCT 2.9 sec ??? MPH fiber glass Chevy Vette C7 6.2L V8 460 8S-Auto 3.7 sec 185 MPH fiber glass 911 Carrera S 3.0L H6 443 8S-Auto 3.3 sec 191 MPH Car Length (in) Width (in) Height (in) Weight (lbs) ============== ========== ========= =========== ============ Ford GT 187.5 78.9 43.7 3,054 Mustang GT500 4,225 Chevy C8 vette 182.3 76.1 48.6 3,366 Chevy C7 vette 176.9 73.9 48.8 3,298 911 Carrera S 177.9 72.9 51.2 3,382
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SUV mustang

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This was just circulated and I'll leave this here. Not sure if this is a hate or love thing. Not sure if this is real or fake.  There have been rumors of this for a long while now.

Most reactions that I have seen have been mixed.  I think the problem is that the Mustang brand from over 50 years have had some very defined parameters.  Everyone is very uncomfortable about breaking outside of those.
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Manual transmission is terminal

The manual transmission is terminal and will be dead in a matter of a few short years. This is an easy argument to make. First, car companies and customers have always valued manuals in performance cars. Now Chevy and Ford are now abandoning the manual even on their fastest most powerful cars. The 8th generation mid engine Chevy Corvette will be 10 speed dual clutch automatic transmission. The Ford's GT500 power house Mustang will only come in a 10 speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Chevy and Ford claim that no human with a manual transmission can match a dual clutch automatic transmission, and they are correct. Secondly, high performance automatic 10 speed transmissions is not the only reason manuals are dying. The general population no longer wants them. In 1992, 25% of cars sold were manual. In 2012, 6.8% of cars sold were manuals. And in 2018, 3.5% of cars sold were manuals
[Source Donut Media]
Some sources say lower for 2018. Edmunds says manual transmissions …
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Cubs' half season report 2019

Every year I do a half season report, but this year is different. Different Stats: Best Cubs stolen base leaders (>=3 SB) Name S% SB CS Heyward 83% 5 1 Bote 80% 4 1 Rizzo 60% 3 2 Baez 50% 5 5 NL Central best stolen base leaders Name Team SB CS Yelich MIL 19 2 Wong STL 14 0 Marte PIT 13 2 Puig CIN 13 3 Cain MIL 10 4 Ozuna STL 8 1 Senzel CIN 8 3 That is a huge gap between the Cubs and other NLC teams. Cubs Most Hits Name AB H XBH AVG Baez 356 103 48 .289 Bryant 317 94 46 .297 Rizzo 316 86 38 .272 Heyward 289 77 24 .266 Contreras 259 74 33 .286 Error Leaders: Baez 10 Bote 10 Contreras 10 Bryant 9 Schwarber 5 Over all these Cubs are very weak in comparison to the leaders on other teams.
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More thoughts on the 2020 GT500.

Most ridiculous issue in my mind is $10,000 option for stripes on the 2020 Ford Mustang GT500. There is NO OTHER manufacture that charges this price. Not even the exotic 500k cars manufactures...This is Ford saying we don't want to put factory stripes on this car. Have it done yourself for a faction of the price, but if you really want us to do it, hand over another 10k!

Most most overblown non-issue with this vehicle is the 10-speed duel clutch automatic transmission. My take on this is Ford promised their fastest production car ever. You can not achieve this with a manual transmission. No human can outperform this transmission. Yes, people like the control that you feel with a manual, but once again, Ford promised the *fastest* production ford car in their history. They have promised certain numbers that will not be achievable with the manual.

Ford is still getting beat at the line with all-wheel performance sports cars with less HP. I feel Ford still is missing this ma…
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Power sluggers of the NL 2019 season.

At nearly half way through the season (morning of 6/26/2019), here are your National League sluggers sorted by home run rankings:
RK Player Team Pos G AB R H 2B 3B HR 1 Yelich, C MIL RF 71 266 63 91 16 2 29 2 Alonso, P NYM 1B 79 287 52 80 17 2 27 3 Bellinger, C LAD RF 77 275 62 97 17 2 25 4 Renfroe, H SD LF 72 233 35 58 12 1 23 5 Moustakas, M MIL 2B 71 271 49 76 16 0 22 6 Freeman, F ATL 1B 79 312 59 97 21 2 21 7 Bell, J PIT 1B 76 293 57 91 28 3 20 7 Marte, K ARI 2B 76 311 53 97 17 4 20 7 Ozuna, M STL LF 75 285 52 73 13 0 20 7 Pederson, J LAD LF 71 220 45 51 4 3 20 7 Reyes, F SD RF 75 238 31 58 7 0 20 12 Acuna Jr., R ATL LF 79 318 55 92 10 1 19 12 Arenado, N COL 3B 77 298 57 97 17 2 19 12 Baez, J CHC SS 77 310 52 89 19 3 19…
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GT500 Announcement!

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In case you haven't heard, just released on Twitter, the Shelby GT500 Mustang will have 760 horse power! The vehicle will sport a 5.2L super charged V8 and will produce a maximum of 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque. Ford says this is its fastest-ever street-legal Mustang.


Now the world waits for the price. Source: Ford - pictured [Engine for the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500.]
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2019 Car Shows/Meets

2019 Car Shows/Meets
Event: Mustang Club of America "Stampede to the Heartland"
When: Jul 18 2019 / 8 AM
When: Jul 21 2019 / 5 PM
Type: Public Event
Hosted by: Heartland Motorsports Park and Mustang Club of America
Where: Heartland Motorsports Park
   7530 SW Topeka Blvd, Topeka, Kansas 66619

Event: Antique Auto Exhibit
When: Aug 4 2019 / 9 am- 3pm
Type: Public Event
Where: David Davis Mansion

About: Beautiful, historic cars in a beautiful, historic setting – that’s the promise of 22nd Annual Antique Car Exhibition. More than 75 cars from the 1900s through the 1980s will be displayed on the mansion grounds. This year, we will also be featuring the 33rd Regimental Band in a special Civil War era concert on the lawn. There will also be picnic foods and beverages for sale and free, self-guided tours of the mansion will be offered!

Event: Cruise-In
When: August 11 / 4 pm- 9 pm
Where: Uptown Normal

About: A full-scale cruise-in sponsored by the Car Community Automobile Club in …
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Andre Dawson collection as of June 2019

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Andre Dawson collection as of June 2019

Like Ryne Sandburg, Andre Dawson is on of my most collected Hall of Fame Cubbie! As soon as I had started collecting Cubs, I was searching out Andre Dawson. I still remember  buy Andre Dawson's rookie card in a card show in the 80's and how proud I was to own that card.

Here is my collection at a glance:
Year Brand Series Card # Name Team Note . 1978 Topps Standard 072 Andre Dawson Mon Expos rookie card 1981 Topps Standard 125 Andre Dawson Mon Expos 1983 Topps Standard 680 Andre Dawson Mon Expos 1985 Leaf Donruss 421 Andre Dawson Mon Expos 1987 Leaf Donruss 009 Andre Dawson Chi Cubs Diamond Kings 1987 Topps Standard 345 Andre Dawson Mon Expos 1988 Fleer Standar…
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Is there a future for e-Mustang

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Is there a future for an electronic Mustang?

Ford continues to tease about a non-gasoline, electronic, Mustang coming in the future. But I see this a risky future for the Pony line. I'm not a car engineer.  I also don't have an inside track with any car manufacturer's  engineering team.  I just have a few thoughts on this.

First, the majority of Mustang lovers love the sound of a Mustang.  Especially any Mustang in the GT line. Electric cars are notorious for being super quiet.  To the point the blind don't like them for safety reasons.

Then there is weight of electric cars. Currently Ford is making lighter, more powerful, faster cars than Ferrari. In fact, Ford purchased Ferrari cars when developing the 6th generation to ensure they were. The engine itself on the 6th generation 5.0 L engines are at least 12 pounds lighter. But electric cars are heavy. The heavier the vehicle, the more power is lost moving down the road and Mustangs are about performance.

Addit…
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Making the Perfect Layer Cake

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Making the Perfect Layer Cake  Many people think that baking a cake is as easy as buying a box of mix and then adding water and a couple of eggs. True, this will produce a cake, but it will be far from perfect. It’s best to start from scratch. Choosing the proper fresh ingredients and maintaining good technique is key.

Ingredients 
Always start by preheating your oven. A preheated oven is key to even baking. If you throw a pan in an oven that's still heating up, you will end up with a cake that is burned on the top and still batter on the bottom. 

Then choose the ingredients. It's a good idea to set out all the ingredients in the beginning so that you don't end up with a half-mixed batter only to realize you are out of eggs. The kind of layer cake you’re making requires different recipes. Choose cake flour to increase the lightness of a cake or a whole wheat flour to increase the density of a cake. The kind of sugar you use can also make or break a cake. White sugar will m…
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My old stang and my new stang.

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There is nearly 50 years difference between my first red 1967 Mustang and my newer 2016 Mustang.

Completely different cars concerning how they are made and the technology used by each.
Yet, sitting behind the steering wheel on both cars are oddly the same spirit of the vehicles.


The fact you hear the engine. The rumble from their V8 or V6 is something I will miss when cars all go electric.The long red hood you stare over with twin ridges.The three chrome pieces on the steering wheel with the horse in the middle.Round gaugesThe simple way you sit in the seat.The heavy doors that you open and close when you get in and out of the vehicle. Of course the steering wheel, suspension, safety, and power are all better than any Mustang made in the 60s. But somehow Ford makes a Mustang feel like a Mustang and Mustangs makes me smile.

Ford vision, or the DNA of the Mustang, as the following:

Flat front grilleTwin eyebrow dashRound gauges on consoleTri-bar tail lampsShark bite noseHockey stick side…
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My new (to me) 'Stang

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⭕My new toy I got for Father Day/Birthday (a week early). This is my 50th birthday to shut me up about wanting a Mustang again.



⭕This Mustang is a 2016 (6th Generation), Race Red, V6 3.7L 300HP engine, 6-Speed Manual, upgraded rear suspension, aluminum wheels, and factory installed blade spoiler.

⭕Detailed Description:
2016 Ford Mustang V6 in Race Red: Body:         2D Coupe fastback Exterior: Race Red (2016 Ford Race Red PQ M7236) with factory blade rear spoiler (Optional equipment) Wheels: 18" Silver painted aluminum 5 spoke (Optional equipment)Tires: Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 235/50R18W (Optional equipment) Transmission: 6-Speed Manual Engine: The Duratec 37 227.4 cu (Cyclone) 3.7L V6 Ti-VCT 24V300 HP (224 kW) at 6,500 270 lb⋅ft (366 N⋅m) at 4,000 Interior:     Ebony Cloth Bucket Seats Center Con:   Sync Communications & Entertainment System               - 6 Speakers               - AM/FM radio          …
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Location: Bloomington, IL, USA
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My Ryne Sandberg Collection

This will be my second recent post on players I collect. Ryne Sandberg was just a natural choice to collect being a HoF, a Cubbie, and so many different cards made. So far, I have 58 cataloged cards of Ryne Sandberg (including some duplicates). I probably have more in my collection that have not been unsealed.
x Year Brand Series Card# Name(s) Team Note _ 1983 Topps Standard 083 Ryne Sandberg Chi Cubs rc (perfect mint) 1984 Topps Standard 596 Ryne Sandberg Chi Cubs 1985 Topps Standard 460 Ryne Sandberg Chi Cubs 2 1986 Fleer League Leaders 039 Ryne Sandberg Chi Cubs 3 1986 Topps Standard 690 Ryne Sandberg Chi Cubs 1987 Leaf Donruss 077 Ryne Sandberg Chi Cubs 2 1987 Topps Standard 680 Ryne Sandberg Chi Cubs 1988 …
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The Big 3s of the big 3

Cubs/Brewers/Cardinals Player Team Pos G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG Baez, J CHC SS 53 218 37 67 17 1 13 34 15 75 2 2 .307 .350 .573 Rizzo, A CHC 1B 50 190 36 55 10 1 15 42 26 32 2 1 .289 .404 .589 Bryant, K CHC 3B 51 191 43 54 15 1 13 35 33 39 1 0 .283 .403 .576 Cain, L MIL CF 53 224 34 59 18 0 4 24 16 39 5 3 .263 .317 .397 Yelich, C MIL RF 50 179 44 56 7 1 21 45 34 38 10 1 .313 .427 .715 Moustakas, M MIL 2B 51 201 34 54 13 0 15 36 17 44 3 0 .269 .332 .557 DeJong, P STL SS 55 204 41 58 17 1 8 26 29 41 4 0 .284 .385 .495 Goldschmidt, P STL 1B 55 211 36 58 4 0 11 26 29 64 0 1 .275 .365 .450 Molina, Y STL C 50 189 18 50 13 0 4 33 7 17 4 0 .265 .294 .397 The …
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ISU and UofI in NCAA championship baseball!

Illinois State University #3 (34-24) and University of Illinois #2 (36-19) has made it to the NCAA College World Series field of 64!

The 2019 College World Series begins June 15 and runs through June 25/26, and it'll be back at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska — marking the 70th straight year the city has hosted the event.

The CWS consists of two double elimination brackets. The winners of each faces off in a best-of-three finals series.

In the first round, ISU will face #2 Indiana (36-21) and UoI will face #3 Clemson (34-24)
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Larry Jackson (Cardinal/Cubbie) collection

Why I collect Larry Jackson cards:

Silly reasons.
- He played with the Cardinals and the Cubs.
- His card years are in scope with what I collect.
- His cards don't cost an arm and a leg like other good players. This is because most have forgotten him and he is not a HoFer.

Legit Reasons:
- He was popular and a good player. Larry is a 5 time All-Star
- His adjusted earned run average (ERA+) is better than that of a dozen Hall of Famers, including Nolan Ryan.
- He was a game wins league leader in 1964 with Cubs with 24 wins
- He was also a runner up to Cy Young award in 1964
- 1709 carrer strikeouts
- Four top 10 WHIPs years
- - 1957 NL 1.203 (7th)
- - 1960 NL 1.230 (10th)
- - 1961 NL 1.227 (5th)
- - 1964 NL 1.085 (6th)
- He had 149 complete games with 37 shutouts being 1st place in 1966 with 5 shutouts.
- Larry started 38 games in 1960, so he was considered a durable work horse pitcher.

My modest collection:
Year     Brand     Series         Card Number     NameTeamPhoto���…
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Cub's Hitting

Cubs hitting as of May 15th - 40 games in (25 wins - 15 losses): RK Player Pos G AB R H 2B 3B HR XBH RBI BB SB AVG OBP 1 Baez, J 2B 40 171 31 55 14 1 11 26 29 10 2 .322 .357 2 Bryant, K 3B 39 146 32 39 12 1 8 21 26 28 1 .267 .400 3 Contreras, W C 37 119 23 36 6 0 10 16 25 18 1 .303 .410 4 Rizzo, A 1B 37 139 25 35 7 1 10 18 29 21 1 .252 .379 5 Heyward, J RF 38 133 18 32 2 2 6 10 18 21 4 .241 .344 6 Almora Jr., A CF 38 114 15 29 5 0 3 8 11 5 2 .254 .292 7 Bote, D 3B 37 109 16 26 7 0 3 10 16 13 0 .239 .328 8 Schwarber, K LF 36 116 13 26 4 0 5 9 11 20 0 .224 .341 9 Descalso, D 2B 36 95 15 22 5 0 2 7 12 11 1 .232 .308 10 Zobrist, B 2B 26 83 12 20 1 0 0 1 10 14 0 .24…
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Cubs Leaders 5/3/2019

Interesting Fact: Javier Baez and Sammy Sosa are the only two Cubs in the history of the franchise to have 20+ RBI going into May. RunsWins Baez 25 Brach 3 Rizzo 21 Hamels 3 Contreras 19 Quintana 3 Darvish 2 Hits Hendricks 2 Baez 39 Lester 2 Heyward 28 Chatwood 1 Rizzo 27 Strop 1 DoublesERA Bryant 10 Lester 1.73 Baez 9 Chatwood 2.51 Bote 6 Kintzler 2.60 TriplesStrike Outs Baez 1 Quintana 38 Rizzo 1 Hamels 37 Darvish 33 Home RunsWHIP Baez 10 Kintzler 0.66 Contreras 8 Strop 0.83 Rizzo 8 Lester 0.96 RBIs Baez 25 Rizzo 23 Contreras 19 The clear batting leaders for the Cubs are Baez and Rizzo. Not a clear cut leader for Cubs pitching staff yet.
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Illinois Baseball as of April 29, 2019

Illinois Baseball as of April 29, 2019
Vol 1 I 2 2019
Note: WHIP is not tracked for University Teams.Bloomington Titans / Illinois Wesleyan | W Record 18-15 .545 Leaders H 43 Shea, Garrett H 43 Fletcher, Dalton R 33 Ranneklev, Evan HR 6 Shea, Garrett RBI 29 Shea, Garrett AVG .416 Figus, NicK OBP .496 Figus, NicK ERA 1.61 Houghton, Jacob Wins 5 Brune, Nick Wins 5 Gudaitis, Quinn SO 57 Brune, Nick Chicago Cubs / MLB - National League C Record 14-12 .538 Leaders H 35 Baez, Javier R 23 Baez, Javier HR 9 Baez, Javier RBI 22 Baez, Javier AVG .315 Baez, Javier OBP .433 Heyward, Jason ERA 3.16 Hamels, Cole Wins 3 Hamels, Cold Wins 3 Quintana, José WHIP 0.99 Hamels, Cole SO 38 Quintana, José Chicago White Sox / MLB - American LeagueSOX Record 12-14 .462 Leaders H 36 Anderson, …
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Cubs 1961 cards update

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I had previously posted about my 1961 Cubs cards. https://elfstones69.blogspot.com/2018/02/1961-topps-cubs-cards.html I have since have added two new additions: My complete 1961 Cubs set is now: Frank Thomas Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 382 Glen Hobbie Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 264 Jim Brewer Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 317 Sammy Taylor Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 253 Moe Thacker Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 012 Danny Murphy Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 214 Ron Santo Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 035 Billy Williams Topps Chi Cubs 1961 Standard 141 That is four Rookie cards I have for that year. Still missing Ernie Banks.
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Cubs 21 games into the season

As promised, I was going to do a progress check on the Cubs at 21 games. For the most part, the Cubs have come together. There are problems that have been there from the beginning, KB....YD.... and although most players have stepped up the the plate, Baez and Heyward should not be carrying the team on offense. Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG OBP 1 Baez, J 21 89 1928 6 1 7 18 5 27 .315 .351 2 Heyward, J 19 59 1420 1 0 4 11 14 9 .339 .461 3 Contreras, W 20 59 1419 5 0 6 16 12 19 .322 .467 4 Bryant, K 20 77 1317 7 0 1 8 11 19 .221 .341 5 Descalso, D 18 55 917 5 0 1 10 7 13 .309 .387 6 Rizzo, A 21 75 1515 2 1 4 13 14 16 .200 .362 7 Zobrist, B 18 60 715 0 0 0 5 9 9 .250 .343 8 Bote, D 19 44 713 4 0 1 9 5 10 .295 .380 9 Schwarber, K 18 66 813 1 0 3 6 6 21 .197 .264 10 Almora Jr., A 20 52 410 0 0 0 4 5 9 .192 .263 11 Caratin…
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Illinois Baseball

Illinois Baseball as of April 22, 2019Bloomington Titans / Illinois Wesleyan 14-15 .483 H Figus, Nick 38 HR Shea, Garrett 6 SO Brune, Nick 52 Chicago Cubs / MLB - National League 10-10 .500 H Baez, Javier 26 HR Baez, Javier 6 HR Contreras, Wilson 6 SO Quintana, Jose 29 Chicago White Sox / MLB - American League 9-12 .429 H Anderson, Tim 29 HR Moncada, Yoan 6 SO Rodon, Carlos 35 Crestwood Windy City ThunderBolts / Frontier League 0-0 .000 Danville Dans / Prospect League 0-0 .000 Decatur Big Blue / Millikin University 15-15 .500 H Walters, Jon 34 HR Bryan, Frank 5 SO Gross, Connor 53 Evanston WildCats / NorthWestern University 16-20 .444 Joliet Slammers / Frontier League 0-0 .000 Marion Miners / Fronti…
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