Castro's funeral car is a UAZ

Old school: Check.
Military motif: Check.
Communist: Check.

What's that troop transport truck in the front? Is it Chinese?

Pac Man reimagined

Via Reddit.

4 McNugget shapes and how they are made

I should have figured this out after enjoying them for decades, but I was too busy enjoying them.

And here is a very sanitized PR video from Cargill (a food conglomerate) and McDonald's Canada on how McNuggets are made.

Felipe Massa tribute video

Support Standing Rock with a donation

They are trying to build an oil pipeline through native lands in North Dakota. And people are taking a stand. If you are so inclined, please make a donation to the medic team for an ATV that can carry wounded protestors out in a stretcher. Please also share this on social media. Thanks!

Unique POV of Egyptian pyramid

Honda Ridgeline truck bed audio

Neat!

Rosberg wins

Just think, if you're the Monaco-raised son of a millionaire former F1 champion, you too can be F1 champion!

Danke Mama und Papa ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/2h9qZLbjve

— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) November 27, 2016

Eating the Globe update

68 countries done.

Africa will be difficult.

Per @halifaxf1fan's suggestion, when I eat Danish food, I will also mark off Greenland on the map. I already marked off Svalbard and Jan Mayen as Norway.

When I run out of restaurants, I will seek food from local churches and consulates.

Future eateries are listed below. Let me know if any of these interest you, locals!

*Denotes meal planned there already

Uzbek http://www.yelp.com/biz/eurasia-richmond

*Honduran http://www.yelp.com/biz/restaurante-el-paisa-san-francisco

Nicaraguan https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-tazumal-san-rafael

Austrian https://www.yelp.com/biz/leopolds-san-francisco-2

*Bangladeshi https://www.yelp.com/biz/bongos-fremont

Cameroonian https://www.yelp.com/biz/a-taste-of-africa-oakland

Senegalese https://www.yelp.com/biz/bissap-baobab-oakland-oakland

Ecuadorean https://www.yelp.com/biz/poquito-san-francisco-2

Iraqi https://www.yelp.com/biz/jannah-san-francisco-3

Jordanian https://www.yelp.com/biz/petra-middle-eastern-cuisine-livermore

Icelandic https://www.yelp.com/biz/katys-kreek-walnut-creek

Romanian https://www.yelp.com/biz/sauls-restaurant-and-delicatessen-berkeley

Tunisian https://www.yelp.com/biz/sauls-restaurant-and-delicatessen-berkeley

How to get to Azeri exclave of Nakhchivan

I'm reading a Lonely Planet travel guide that briefly covers every nation on Earth. I was on Azerbaijan and wondered how Azeris travel from the "mainland" to its exclave of Nakhchivan, since they're separated by Public Enemy Number One-- Armenia.

So I asked our resident Azeri, Tarlan. He tells me that the Azeri government has heavily subsidized air tickets from Baku to the exclave for $30-$35US one-way. The plane does not fly over Armenian airspace. And if you prefer to travel by land, there is a roadway through Iran that connects mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan.

Incidentally, Tarlan is working as a marshal this weekend in Sector 2 of Abu Dhabi near the pit exit. This is the third race he's worked in 2016 (Bahrain and Azerbaijan being the first two)!

Eating the Globe: Bulgaria and Georgia

Greetings, Earthlings. I'm back. We spent the first half of the week in Napa, celebrating the discovery of the gender of our baby (boy!). We spent the rest of the week with family in Las Vegas.

On our last night here, I picked up food from a Spanish tapas/Bulgarian joint with an eclectic menu.

I had the Bulgarian mixed grill, which consisted of very salty sausages. We shared this Adjarski khachapuri. It's Georgia's national dish and it's delicious. It's bread with cheese and an egg on top.

I'm up to around 68 countries now and I think I can do another 10 to 15 by spring 2017.

Countries tried so far:
Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa
Asia: Afghanistan, Armenia, Burma, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Europe: Bosnia, Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden
North America: Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, USA
South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela
Oceania: Australia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga

Xi Jinping in an old E-Class in Chile

Arribo del Presidente de China Xi Jinping a La Moneda @biobio @CNNChile @Emol pic.twitter.com/E1fdTiurk2

— Macarena Sepúlveda (@macasdp) November 22, 2016

Trump/Clinton America map

H/t to Peter.

Trump's

Clinton's

Support for an EU army (2015 survey)

African traders in China

This documentary follows a Congolese woman whose family restaurant burned down. She is in China getting prices on kitchen equipment and furniture.

I'll be living in The Bubble starting Jan 2017

Honda Prelude INX had fixed headlights

TIL you could get the 3rd gen Prelude without pop-up headlights. They called it the INX, and all are RHD. pic.twitter.com/smBvgqfbct

— Antti Kautonen (@julkinen) November 19, 2016

Banned 2010 Sweden Democrats ad

58 countries Obama has visited as President

List here.

Removing sunken ship carrying 1400 cars

The logistics and engineering.

Pencil carving

Cooper's 51 friends

Going to visit four California counties this weekend

With this loop, I will have been to Butte, Yuba, Sutter, and Plumas Counties.

After that, I still have to visit Trinity, Alpine, and Modoc Counties.

Hesco military barriers

Apparently these are easy to set up and you just fill them with dirt.

Sweet Heathrow holiday ad

Jay Leno drives an F40

And here is the F40 owner's garage. Son of a jewelry retailer.

Globe making in 1955

Renault 18 Argentina ad

H/t to ANF.

Angola presidential compound

Charles in NatGeo Antarctica documentary series

Our very own Charles! Here he is, looking like a scientician, in a helicopter. Congratulations!

Details here.

British people before/after 30+ years

More photos here.

Erasure Chains of Love

I have stopped listening to the news in the car. It's now 50% Mexican music and 50% 80s hits.

How does this Erasure song not have 1m+ views?!

Russian aircraft carrier arrived in Syria

Here is a description of the ship.

Uber in 14 African cities

They are:

Egypt: Alexandria, Cairo

Ghana: Accra

Kenya: Mombasa, Nairobi

Morocco: Casablanca

Nigeria: Abuja, Lagos

South Africa: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, Port Elizabeth

Tanzania: Dar Es Salaam

Uganda: Kampala

Source.

No more Anti-Football Runs

The annual January 1 event is no more. I will miss it not only because of the cars, but it was a great way to hit reset with life, act as navigator, and shoot the shit about everything for hours on end.

2016:

Old Bristol.

In a Citroen XM. I think PS was telling us about some peacenik Cold War room exchange program.

2015:

In a Porsche 930.

Taking a break and watching the cars zoom by.

2014:

In a 1981 Honda Accord.

Alfa Romeo diesel van.

2013:

I rode in this M5.

2012:

Rode in this GTV6.

2011:

I can't remember if I attended. I did ride in a modified E9 BMW at some point.

2010:

I believe this was my first.

Shopping for a BMW i3

With all global warming-restricting regulations and tax incentives on their way out, I have decided to get the BMW i3 over the Toyota Land Cruiser. It's the responsible thing to do, environmentally. With a leased i3, I believe I get a $2,500 rebate from the State of California. There is a $7,500 federal tax credit too. The manufacturer gets that credit and passes the savings onto me via lower lease payments.

I just requested an extended test drive, which allows me to test an i3 for two days. I am interested in examining the room in the back seats as well as the trunk. Parents out there-- How often do you have a stroller with you in the car? I'm not sure a stroller will be able to fit behind the back seat. The TSX wagon will be the primary baby hauler, but we may have to use the i3 once in a while.

Another issue I want to check is how the car transitions from all electric to gasoline-powered range extender. Will the power loss be substantial enough to constitute a safety issue?

If I do get the i3, it will be with the range extender and Tera package (leather seats) and tech package (navi).

I've never heard of this Alex guy before but his review is clear and comprehensive.

Crash tests!

Life goes on

I think I'm in a better place now.

From a big picture point of view, every great civilization must come to an end. I was lucky enough to live in the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s and had a great time. And even today, life is not bad.

I'm vowing to live a more positive life. More time with my growing family. More time reading books. More time interacting face-to-face with friends. A lot less time on Twitter. And I'm going to try to not read any news for the next four years. Maybe ignorance is bliss.

I really hope that out of sheer incompetence and laziness, nothing sinister is done by the Trump administration.

How baby planes are born

Via Reddit.

8 Filet O Fish sandwiches in 60 seconds

I have not checked the news or Twitter all day. I am still in shock. In the meantime, here's a guy eating a lot of food real fast.

Game over

I blame the Democratic Establishment for foisting upon us a nominee that was not only unliked and unlikeable, but had a long track record of promoting war over peace, free trade over decent paying domestic manufacturing jobs,....

We have utterly failed the working men and women of this country (of all races, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientation).

Trump and son

This picture is everything. pic.twitter.com/m9Blodj90f

— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) November 8, 2016

TFW you're an insecure manchild just like your father.  pic.twitter.com/3D5VHyNVVw

— Mark Byrne (@markwby) November 8, 2016

A feel good election ad, from a dog food company

Citroen BX in rat poison ad

Lada Niva on Fifth Gear

I want one! So simple.

Lada Niva assembly video

Mesmerizing.

The end is nigh

This is my prediction.

Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

V.I. Poo

Has anyone used this? Does it work?

British Library map exhibition

Link.

ARJ21, China's first airliner

Eight years behind schedule. But an important first step. CCTV not only did a story on the first plane delivered, but the second one as well. Wiki write-up here.

But then, in my research, I discovered the Shanghai Y10. This promo is fascinating because it shows China in the early 1980s, when it was poor and underdeveloped. The footage of Lhasa and its airport is positively pre-historic. The disclaimer at the end states that the plane IS NOT A COPY of the Boeing 707. Wiki write-up here.

New Williams driver Lance Stroll

Young Stroll will be replacing Massa next season. His father, a Canadian billionaire, has spent $80 million on his son's racing career so far. From Autoweek:

The report claims his father, the fashion mogul and billionaire Lawrence Stroll, bought the Prema F3 team and installed well-known Ferrari engineer Luca Baldisserri to oversee Stroll's rise. Young Stroll was then the clear No. 1 driver this year, benefiting from F1 engineers seconded to his F3 campaign and a special simulator installed at Williams' Grove base.

He also embarked on a round-the-world test program with a 2014 Williams, supported by a staff of 20, five Mercedes engineers and two engines prepared specifically by Mercedes. Stroll's F1 test program went to Silverstone, Hungary, Monza, Austria, Barcelona, Abu Dhabi, Austin and Sochi.

Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one/report-lance-strolls-father-spent-80-million-get-son-f1-seat#ixzz4P9g2x2AD

Map of solar system on Earth

American police bumper grappler net

This invention is quintessentially American.

Ship on fire in Pakistan ship-breaking yard

For sale: Armored 1990 Bentley Turbo R with 3,593 miles

It weighs 8,200 pounds. H/t to Uri.

Fake Australian golf pros in North Korea

Balls.

Modified Land Cruiser for top speed

Via Jalopnik. This ought to be good.

1978 Moody Park riots in Houston

1977: Houston police picked up a belligerent drunk named Joe Campo Torres, a Mexican-American. He resisted arrest so the cops beat the shit out of him. When they brought him to jail, the jailer refused to admit him and told the cops to take him to the hospital first.

The cops didn't. Instead, they took him to the bayou, kicked the shit out of him again, uncuffed him, and threw him in the water. At trial, it was revealed that one of the cops shouted out at the scene that he wanted to see if a wetback could swim. Torres's body was found two days later.

Two cops went on trial. They were each fined $1.00.

1978: On the one year anniversary of the death, there was a Cinco de Mayo celebration at Moody Park. An anti-police riot ensued.

This news piece is fascinating.



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