Rides of Heads of State (Part 28.3)

With just seven countries/cars left, I am identifying the cars in indirect ways.

188. Solomon Islands. Toyota Land Cruiser. Derek Sikua has not been in office long so there are not that many pictures of him. There is a picture of him next to a big shiny white Holden, but it was taken in Australia when Kevin Rudd undiplomatically made Sikua wait for him outside the prime minister's residence. The shot below is a recent picture of the Solomon Islands parliament building. The Land Cruiser immediately below the building's crest and entrance has a green license plate, which is different from the other official cars and police vehicles near by. I believe that is Sikua's ride.


189. San Marino. Lancia Thesis. I suspected that the two captains regent and secretary of state rode in Alfas, Lancias, or Maseratis. I leaned toward the Lancia because it is stately but not too ostentatious (Maserati) or too sporty (Alfa). The picture below shows the front of the palace. A Lancia Thesis, with its unforgettable front end, is parked out front. That must be it.


190, 191. Tamerlane is firing his accountants at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In this compilation, we left out Macedonia and Lebanon. For the record, the Macedonian PM and the Lebanese prez ride in S-class Mercedes.

Updated tally:
S-class: 60
Land Cruiser: 20
7 series: 16
A8: 11
Caddy: 7
Maybach: 6
Suburban/Yukon/Escalade: 6
Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero: 4
Phaeton: 4
G-wagen: 4
Holden-Chevy-Opel: 4
H2: 3
Jag: 2
ZIL: 2
Volvo: 2
Touareg: 2
Lincoln: 2
Toyota Crown: 2
Merc E-class: 2
Lancia: 2

One of each of the following: Hyundai, Skoda, A6, Peugeot, Renault, Lincoln, VW van, London taxi, Daimler, Toyota Century, Hongqi, Bentley, Rolls, Ford Fairlane, Aston Martin, SEAT, Ford Expedition, Nissan Patrol, Stutz, Suzuki, Camry, Toyota Sequoia, Proton, Land Rover, Ford F150, Mitsubishi Galant, Hummer H1, Chrysler Imperial, Mitsu L200 pick-up, Mazda truck.

I still need to identify cars from the following countries: Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Kiribati, Micronesia.

I've got five more to go. Just FIVE!

CKY

Rides of Heads of State (Part 28.2)

186. Seychelles. Toyota Land Cruiser. So the latest internet buzz is about cuil, which is supposedly going to make google obsolete like leaded gasoline. Well, I'm not too crazy about the interface, but I did snag James Michel's ride quickly and easily. I just cuil'ed "james michel car" and got a link to an obscure Chinese news article about how Michel (then an incumbent) arrived at the polling place in his Toyota SUV. I'll play around with cuil some more before I make a final judgment.

187. Sao Tome e Principe. BMW 7 series. I expected a humble Land Cruiser for Fradique de Menezes. But I guess with the possibility of the country sitting on top of lots of oil, a BMW is a must.


Updated tally:
S-class: 58
Land Cruiser: 19
7 series: 16
A8: 11
Caddy: 7
Maybach: 6
Suburban/Yukon/Escalade: 6
Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero: 4
Phaeton: 4
G-wagen: 4
Holden-Chevy-Opel: 4
H2: 3
Jag: 2
ZIL: 2
Volvo: 2
Touareg: 2
Lincoln: 2
Toyota Crown: 2
Merc E-class: 2

One of each of the following: Lancia, Hyundai, Skoda, A6, Peugeot, Renault, Lincoln, VW van, London taxi, Daimler, Toyota Century, Hongqi, Bentley, Rolls, Ford Fairlane, Aston Martin, SEAT, Ford Expedition, Nissan Patrol, Stutz, Suzuki, Camry, Toyota Sequoia, Proton, Land Rover, Ford F150, Mitsubishi Galant, Hummer H1, Chrysler Imperial, Mitsu L200 pick-up, Mazda truck.

I still need to identify cars from the following countries:

• Europe: San Marino
• Africa: Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger
  
• Oceania: Kiribati, Micronesia, Solomon Island

CKY

My Tomica Collection

A few weeks ago, we covered some of my favorite Matchbox cars from the 1970s.

Today, we'll cover some of my favorite Tomicas. My Tomica collection can be divided into three distinct phases. In the first phase, friends and family bought them for me in the 1970s when I was a toddler. These toys have seen serious abuse and punishment. The second phase includes cars I bought in elementary school in the 1980s. I pampered these and I consciously selected models that I liked at the toy store. In the final phase, I bought a few Tomicas on trips to Japan during college for nostalgia's sake.

Here are just a few of them.

Phase 1: 1974 NHK TV truck. This van came with a springy suspension and rear doors that opened. The metal piece that made up the headlights on my model disappeared decades ago.

Phase 1: Until I came upon the hello.to/tomica site, I had no idea that this was a Mazda Sigma. Obviously, I did not pick this car out at the toy store.

Phase 1: I never knew what this Nissan Diesel held. I assume it's propane.

Phase 2: I bought this Pocket Car in the 80s because my mom had a four door version of this in real life.

Phase 2: I distinctly remember opening up the package to this BMW 320i but I do not remember why I bought it.

Phase 2: I think I bought this Cadillac ambulance because it reminded me of the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters.

Phase 3: I bought this in the mid-1990s because I liked Skylines. Looking at this displayed on my shelf in college probably caused my obsession with the R32.

Phase 3: There was a point in college when my two dream cars were a Toyota Supra and a Range Rover. Et voila, here we have them.

CKY

Get Well Soon, Alex

Ever since the overlords of reality TV took Dog the Bounty Hunter off the air, I've been looking for a replacement. I found it last year with Ice Road Truckers. I was shocked to find out that I was not the only fan of this show. It apparently has more American viewers than any other show on the History Channel and is huge in Africa (?!).

Any fan will agree that Alex Debogorski is the nicest, most humble, and hardest working man on the show. On tonight's episode, several blood clots in his lungs ended his season. The last news I was able to find of him on the net was from March. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Alex looks this way only because the marketing morons at the History Channel made him.

If watching the ice roads makes you crave for more Canadian adventures, I have two suggestions. Rambo: First Blood was actually filmed in the sleepy, bucolic town of Hope, B.C. I passed by this beautiful town during last October's Arctic campaign. There is even a cut-out that tourists can use to take cheesy photos. The movie is probably the best of the series and shows off rural British Columbia perfectly (except for all that violence and police brutality).


On a lighter note, Strange Brew is a must-watch for anyone who wants to delve into the Canadian male psyche. The McKenzie brothers are a riot, you hosers. So get off the couch and go rent it, eh.


CKY

Rides of Heads of State (Part 28.1)

We're down to the last dirty dozen. Today, I can only offer three discoveries.

183. Papua New Guinea. Given the poor state of this country's infrastructure, I had assumed that Somare would ride in an SUV, probably a Land Cruiser. But I was wrong. His ride, I believe, is the E-class Mercedes in the background at this golf tournament.


184. Marshall Islands. Here we see the ride of the penultimate president of the RMI (Kessai Note)-- a Caddy DTS. It should be no surprise. Until recently, the nation was a U.S. territory. Plus, you'll notice the ROC flag on the car. The photo was taken when Chen Shui-Bien was in town throwing money at the RMI for its loyalty. You'll recall that the ROC President's official ride has always been a Caddy as well.


185. Laos. It seems the Lao government bought a large fleet of Mercedes S-class sedans for its government officials. Sharp-eyed tourists have spotted the leader's black Merc motorcade zooming through Vientiane. Here is a shot of the Merc belonging to the Lao ambassador to Thailand.


Updated tally:
S-class: 58
Land Cruiser: 18
7 series: 15
A8: 11
Caddy: 7
Maybach: 6
Suburban/Yukon/Escalade: 6
Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero: 4
Phaeton: 4
G-wagen: 4
Holden-Chevy-Opel: 4
H2: 3
Jag: 2
ZIL: 2
Volvo: 2
Touareg: 2
Lincoln: 2
Toyota Crown: 2
Merc E-class: 2

One of each of the following: Lancia, Hyundai, Skoda, A6, Peugeot, Renault, Lincoln, VW van, London taxi, Daimler, Toyota Century, Hongqi, Bentley, Rolls, Ford Fairlane, Aston Martin, SEAT, Ford Expedition, Nissan Patrol, Stutz, Suzuki, Camry, Toyota Sequoia, Proton, Land Rover, Ford F150, Mitsubishi Galant, Hummer H1, Chrysler Imperial, Mitsu L200 pick-up, Mazda truck.

I still need to identify cars from the following countries:

• Europe: San Marino
• Africa: Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles
• Oceania: Kiribati, Micronesia, Solomon Island

Help?

CKY

Soviet Symbol of Capitalism

One of the books I am reading is The Alaska-Siberia Connection. It's about how U.S. and Soviet pilots ferried 56% of the Lend-Lease aircraft to the Soviet/Nazi eastern front from Montana through Canada, Alaska, and Siberia.


The Soviet pilots took over the flying at Fairbanks. Due to logistical issues, there was no stencil for the Red Army/Air Force star insignia. A MacGyver prototype working for the U.S. borrowed a stencil from a local Texaco filling station and painted the red star on all the westbound planes.


CKY

Obama: A Brand We Can Believe In

As I watched Obama's plane land in Berlin this morning on the news, I was a little appalled. His plane has his sunrise logo and the mantra "Change We Can Believe In".


Now I have no problem with the chartered plane. But the logo and catchphrase livery cheapen the campaign and the candidate. Obama has officially become the candidate of the Starbucks and American Idol generation. Just the sight of the simple logo triggers a Pavlovian response in our hyper-consumerist populace. We all chant (zombie-like): We must vote for change, change we can believe in.

That reminds me, I've gotta take my Obama sticker off my car.

Auf wiedersehen!

CKY

My Visitors So Far*

This humble blog started in 2006. But it wasn't until a few months ago that I began "tracking" my visitors, i.e. you. Don't worry, you have remained and you will remain anonymous. I just keep track of the number of visitors per day and the countries they are from.


I've listed the countries on the left column. Today, a visitor made El Salvador the 90th country on my list. Obviously, as is the case with my Rides of Heads of State series, I plan to collect them all. And by that, I mean all U.N. member states, plus Taiwan and the Vatican.

I can report that most of my visitors are from the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe. I suspect that a lot of people from "obscure" countries visited this blog because they googled their country's name and the Rides series came up, identifying their leader's ride. Africa, of course, is woefully underrepresented, not only because of poor connectivity, but because people living on less than a dollar a day have more important things to do than to see my review of Maui restaurants.

As of this week, my blog has not been banned by the Chinese Communist Party.

Given one of this blog's major themes, I hope to get visitors from Mongolia and all of the -stans, less Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Thank you, everyone.

CKY

BMW Art Cars 16: Eliasson's H2R

Olafur Eliasson thinks he's innovative. Edgy. Hip.

I think he's a blowhard. Preachy. Full of himself.


He was asked to make an Art Car out of the H2R hydrogen concept car. Instead, he enveloped it in a steel cocoon mesh. His message: car design and global warming go hand in hand. Thanks for the message, pal. Next time, just paint the friggin' car. This Art Car single handedly ruined my 16-part series. Barf.

What lies beneath.

CKY

BMW Art Cars 15: Holzer's V12 LMR

Protect Me From What I Want?! Come on, she's (Jenny Holzer) not even trying.

CKY

BMW Art Cars 14: Hockney's 850CSi

For some reason, David Hockney's 850 looks like a cross between a Porsche 928 and a Lamborghini Miura.


CKY

BMW Art Cars 13: Chia's 3 Series Touring Car

Sandro Chia's depiction of graffiti is, IMHO, pedestrian and uninspired. I've seen more interesting doodles on Pee Chee folders in high school.


CKY

BMW Art Cars 12: Mahlangu's 525i

That this BMW was painted by a woman from Africa (South) is apparent even with a quick glance. Esther Mahlangu was inspired by local, traditional means of decorating one's home.



CKY

BMW Art Cars 11: A.R. Penck's Z1

A.R. Penck's Z1, circa 1991. Think cave painting.



CKY

BMW Art Cars 10: Manrique's 730i

Cesar Manrique's 1990 730i is one of my favorites. It's both bold and subtle. Very clean. Well defined shapes. It's a winner.


CKY

BMW Art Cars 9: Kayama's 535i

"Snow, Moon, Flowers". That is the name of Matazo Kayama's 535i. He used an airbrush and little pieces of gold, silver, and aluminum to create this celestial piece.



CKY

BMW Art Cars 8: Done's M3

Another Aussie, Ken Done, was given an M3 to do up. He wanted to express the speed of the E30 M3 and the exotic-ness (is that a word?) of his homeland. His answer: parrots and parrot fish in a shocking 80s color scheme.


CKY

BMW Art Cars 7: Nelson's M3

Michale Jagamarra Nelson is a prolific Australian aborigine artist. He was given a chance to apply his talent to a jet black M3 in 1989.


To the Western eye, the drawings are just geometric shapes. But in fact, they are traditional aboriginal depictions of kangaroos, emus, and geological features meant to convey myths.

Nelson's Kangaroo, Possum, and Snake Dreaming.

CKY

BMW Art Cars 6: Rauschenberg's 635CSi

Rauschenberg's 635CSi is the most anachronistic of the Art Cars. He transferred photographic images of classical paintings onto the BMW E9. Though it has been shown at the Guggenheim, it would look better at a cheesy Greek restaurant as a backdrop.



CKY

BMW Art Cars 5: Fuchs' 635CSi

It's not clear to me whether Ernst Fuchs has a Porsche rim named after him. What is apparent is that he is a disturbed individual. His inspiration for this 6 series is a dream he had when he was five. Oh my.



CKY

BMW Art Cars 4: Warhol's M1

Andy Warhol took a shot at decorating a BMW. He spent 23 minutes painting this M1 supercar in the late 1970s.

Warhol's overalls, with badge and pinstripe, would probably fetch for a pretty penny at auction today, if it's still around.

Though not my favorite Art Car, this is definitely one of the most bold.

CKY

BMW Art Cars 3: Lichtenstein's 320i

Roy Lichtenstein's 1977 320i is akin to his drawings. The big dots are straight out of his comic strips. He describes his work as follows: I used "painted lines as a road, pointing the way for the car. The design also shows the scenery as it passes by. Even the sky and sunlight are to be seen....you could list all the things a car experiences - the only difference is that this car mirrors all these things even before it takes to the road ."

Blam. Brilliant. Bravo.

CKY

P.S. Most of the background information on the BMW Art Cars courtesy BMW Drives.

BMW Art Cars 2: Stella's BMW 3.0 CSL

The second BMW Art Car was created by Frank Stella in 1976. His inspiration-- graph paper.



CKY

Vanity Fair McCain Cover

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.


CKY