Saturday, May 21, 2016

you might get a bunch of laughs from the Service Advisor facebook page




Finance people: They've always have some kinda cure for whatever ails ya! It might be a warranty 'that covers everything', a wheel protection package (only valid if it were raining, on a wednesday, and you were driving under 15MPH...with $250 deductible)... or some type of Peruvian spritsy-spray on paint and fabric treatment that'll allow meteors to bounce off your hood without damage

https://www.facebook.com/serviceadvisormemes

Jules Verne by Michael Kontraros

Friday, May 20, 2016

cool art of David Lozeau... seriously cool imagination and variety of ideas and characters in his "Day Of The Dead" theme, and spot on versions of vintage sports cars and WW2 planes


He is always ready for commission work, like the above "Parts Bin Special" on a Harley tank





Are you as blown away as I am at the content relevant awesomeness of the frames?



http://www.dwrenched.com/2011/12/artsy-fartsy-interview.html







He has an events calendar on his website, http://www.davidlozeau.com/pages/david-lozeau-event-calendar, and will be doing a solo art show in Prescott next week, in in June at the Phoenix Comic Con... in September at the Artist In Residence at Disneyland!


http://www.davidlozeau.com/
https://www.facebook.com/davidlozeau?fref=ufi
http://davidlozeau.tumblr.com/

57-58 Chevy Accessory Flame Out Vacuum Ash Tray


The cannister jar was connected to engine vaccuum in the engine bay, and the lower right gadget was near the ashtray... it sucked the ashes off your cigarette when you pushed a button.

Zona-rapida blogspot nailed it! They posted a terrific gallery of Bernard Cahier (the photobombing photographer)


With Kirk Douglas at Monaco, 1970


the move that really made him famous, passing cold drinks to drivers


http://zona-rapida.blogspot.com/2016/04/fotografia-bernard-cahier.html
http://www.f1-photo.com/

I posted about him 2 years ago, when learning about his silly antics from Denise McCluggage  http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-grand-prix-photobomber.html

photos from the boneyard

traffic camera footage finally released a week after a cop at 90mph smashes through an intersection plowing into a car it hit so hard, the car did four 360degree spins on the tires


http://www.wesh.com/news/ocoee-officer-ticketed-after-patrol-car-crash-fhp-says/39611552

Troopers said Officer Chris Bonner blasted through a red light last Thursday while chasing two armed suspects.

Bonner was allegedly traveling 90 mph when the crash occurred.

Bonner crashed into a vehicle being driven by Yahaira Montalvo, who had the green light. Montalvo was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Paramedics dragged Castro from her car by her broken arms.

Montalvo said she was on her way to work at a Walmart shortly before 5 a.m. May 12 and was going eastbound on Holden Avenue and had a green light to cross Orange Blossom Trail when she was hit by Bonner's cruiser. Bonner was headed north on Orange Blossom Trail.

She and her attorney are preparing to sue the city of Ocoee, saying that it doesn't matter that the officer was pursuing armed robbery suspects with siren going and lights flashing. If the Florida Highway Patrol ticketed him for running the light, and driving in a manner that's unlawful, the officer was at fault and should have slowed or stopped at the intersection.

Officer Chris Bonner, 29, was found at fault and received a ticket for "failing to obey traffic laws" when he ran the red light, FHP said.

He suffered "multiple broken bones" and remains at the hospital, according to Ocoee police.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-chris-bonner-crash-ocoee-police-20160518-story.html

spiders on a plane... two big tarantulas got loose on a Canadian airliner


Catherine Moreau was watching a movie on her iPad on the April 18th flight to Montreal from the Dominican Republic when she felt what she thought was a wire brushing against her. When she looked down she saw a giant, furry tarantula climbing up her leg.

One of the spiders was captured during the flight. The second continued to roam the interior of the plane until the flight landed in Montreal, where it was trapped by a federal agent.

She didn't die. But she acts like she needs a couple million dollars to cope with the memory... the airliner isn't even bothering to put up with her nonsense though http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/tarantula-plane-air-transat-1.3590780

the leadslinger has moved on


If you want to learn some cool stuff, like how at age 17 he opened his own gas station and started leading cars... http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Bill_Hines

Red Bull Global Rallycross will broadcast its races on newly created Red Bull TV.com

Launching with the start of the season in Phoenix in May, fans will be able to watch coverage from ten Red Bull GRC events which will be available worldwide on www.redbull.tv


The shows will run 90 minutes each, with 14 cameras covering each race.

 A dedicated broadcast team will focus on in-depth features and storytelling for the pre-race show, led by racing legend Ricky Johnson.

The shows will be available on demand for up to three months from their original airdate.

Red Bull TV Broadcast Schedule:

Phoenix, AZ: May 21 at 4:00 pm ET
Phoenix, AZ: May 22 at 5:30 pm ET
Dallas, TX: June 4 at 3:00 pm ET
Daytona, FL: June 19 at 3:30 pm ET
The Base: July 3 at 5:30 pm ET
Washington, D.C.: July 30 at 3:30 ET
Atlantic City, NJ: August 28 at 2:30 pm ET
Seattle, WA: September 18 at 2:00 pm ET
Los Angeles, CA: October 8 at 7:30 pm ET
Los Angeles, CA: October 9 at 6:30 pm ET

http://www.redbullglobalrallycross.com/

Drive 2: The Uber Years

St Helena island off the West coast of Africa, finally has an airport an runway... and was set to have a grand opening on May 21st, St Helena Day... but, they forgot the windshear issue, and won't open til they figure out how to cope with it



The remote British island outpost of St Helena ( St Helena is a small volcanic island in the South Atlantic Island, about 2,500 miles east of rio de Janeiro.) has heralded the arrival of the first passenger aircraft to land at the island’s new airport.


The new airport, which cost the British government about £250 million ($350 million) to develop, is expected to open St Helena up to tourism, and set the island on a course to self-sustainability.

A British Airways franchise partner was selected to provide the air service to the island with a Boeing 737-800 configured specifically to serve the Johannesburg-St Helena route.

One outcome of the implementation flight has been the gathering of additional data on turbulence and windshear on the approach to Runway 20 (from the North). As a result of the data gathered and the conditions experienced, it has been decided that there is some additional work to be done in order to ensure the safe operation of scheduled passenger flights to and from St Helena Airport.

http://www.airportsinternational.com/2016/04/st-helena-airport-opening-postponed/17578
http://www.heute.de/ZDF/zdfportal/blob/40878498/1/data.jpg

The Basil Read company that built the runway has a cool report on their website about the feat http://www.basilread.co.za/operations-st-helena.php

Due to the remote location of the Island, Basil Read has shipped some 50,000 tonnes of cargo, including 120 items of construction machinery, cement, steel, explosives and other construction materials including over 16 million litres of fuel. The NP Glory 4 has sailed some 220,000 kilometers, or the equivalent of five times around the world, during the life of the project so far, on its voyages between Walvis Bay and St Helena.

At the start of this massive project, there was no harbour on the island, and Basil Read was contracted to build a permanent wharf, as well.







Thanks Steve! 

another typical office day, guys goofing off looking at cars for sale

how sweet the sound, of karmic justice smacking a loudmouth upside the head for being a preachy SOB. A anti DUI lawyer just got busted drinking and driving in Florida


Anti DUI attorney David J. Maloney faces a DUI charge after he was arrested by sheriff’s deputies in Florida, at 3:30am

One of his areas of practice is suing drunk drivers for civil damages on behalf of DUI victims.

Maloney, whose law firm is located in Mobile, Alabama, is known locally in particular for a commercial in which he declares that he won’t represent DUI offenders: “If you drink and drive, and you hurt someone, don’t call me.”

While driving a Lamborghini, Maloney was pulled over early last Sunday morning for driving 55 mph in a 35-mph zone.

Cops claimed that they smelled alcohol on his breath, but Maloney, 49, denied drinking that night, repeatedly refusing field sobriety testing at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of DUI based on probable cause and booked into the County Jail.



http://www.inquisitr.com/3103800/anti-dui-attorney-arrested-for-dui-in-florida/
http://ktla.com/2016/05/08/lawyer-who-says-he-wont-represent-drunken-drivers-arrested-on-dui-charge-florida-jail-record-reports/

Thursday, May 19, 2016

What are the oldest car clubs in the USA? What were the car clubs that joined together to form the NHRA?

the Downriver Modified car club in the Detroit area was one of the 13 original NHRA clubs... http://www.hotrod.com/features/1511-vintage-drag-race-1932-ford-brought-back-to-life-after-50-years/

But I haven't found any mention of what other car clubs met with Wally Parks to form the NHRA


the Outriders 1932 California (restricted to 50 members)
the Knight Riders of Fullerton formed in 1934 and changed their names to California Roadsters in 1940
Road Runners 1937 (Founded by Wally Parks and Ak Miller)
Gear Grinders 1938
Sidewinders were formed in '39,
the San Diego Roadster Club in '41
Road Devils 1946
Seattle Kustom Klub was formed in January 1946
The Memphis Rodders were formed in 1947.
Prowlers of San Diego 1947
Pandraggers in 1947 Fresno
the Motor City Modified Auto Club 1948,

the very first organized speed trials at Muroc took place on October 9, 1927.


Each member of the Knight Riders club had a hand-painted sheet metal Knight Riders plaque with his number on it. The number was assigned by his roadster’s speed, number one being the fastest.

 By 1936, the ranking of the club’s roadsters by number had become controversial, so in June, the members traveled to Lucerne Dry Lake where a series of timed speed trials settled all arguments once and for all.

 Rules were then established that if a member wanted to advance his number, he must make an official challenge and put up $1. If he won, he got his dollar back and got to exchange plaques with the loser. If he lost, 50 cents went to the guy he challenged and 50 cents went to the club treasury.

The SCTA was formed with the Knight Riders, the Roadrunners, Sidewinders, Throttlers, Ramblers, and Idlers.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/oldest-active-car-club.190757/page-4

the northbound lanes of the May Avenue bridge have collapsed onto Northwest Expressway in Oklahoma City




Police have confirmed that a flatbed semi carrying a "boom lift" driving in the westbound lanes of Northwest Expressway struck the bridge causing the collapse.

http://komonews.com/news/nation-world/bridge-collapses-over-oklahoma-city-expressway

thanks Steve!

who to get a car loan from, besides the car maker

According to third-quarter 2014 data from Experian, the industry leaders, excluding financing arms of car manufacturers, are Ally Financial Inc., with 7.31% of new-car loans, J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. with 5.96%, Capital One Financial Corp. with 4.38%, Wells Fargo and Co. with 3.46% and TD Bank with 2.33%.

In the used-car market, the leaders are Wells Fargo at 6.56%, Ally at 4.41% and Capital One at 4.35%.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/car-loans-see-rise-in-missed-payments-1420768083

it's speed week on Lake Gairdner

Ever wondered why AM radio stations fuzz out when you drive under an overpass? It's the rebar in the bridge, AM signals get blocked by the mesh gridwork of the metal

Not good news... more like, scum of the earth report. An attorney.. need I say more? For the VA... still not out of hate yet... started his own charity for Nam Vets. But wait, it only accepted donations. So, not really a charity, except for the attorney who owns and runs it


The National Vietnam Veterans Foundation... not legit.

Charity Navigator’s, one of the nation’s largest charity watchdogs, has discovered that NVVF has donated less than 2% of it’s income from 2010-2014 to charitable causes that help veterans.

The company’s CEO and founder is a veteran himself. J. Thomas Burch not only runs/owns NVVF but is also a federal employee working as an attorney for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many are wondering how someone who is involved with the VA and has a military background could allow so much money to be misused. Only $122,000 out of the $8.5 million raised in 2014 has been doled out in cash donations to veterans.

Charity Navigator’s alleges that the NVVF has grossly misused the money collected through donations from hard-working Americans. A review of the NVVF’s 2014 tax return reveals that over a quarter of a million dollars was squandered that year alone. Donations were used to fund $133,000 for travel, $21,000 for unnamed “awards”, $70,000 for “other expenses” and more than $8,000 for parking. Only 2% of the total income from donations was sent to causes to help veterans while a large majority was spent on telemarketing for the NVVF.

http://americanmilitarynews.com/2016/05/va-employee-scams-29-million-from-vets-through-fake-vietnam-vets-charity-drives-rolls-royce/

“You can’t go lower than that,” says Michael Thatcher, Charity Navigator’s CEO. “They don’t have an independent board of directors, they actually don’t even have a comprehensive board of directors — only three members on the board at this point in time and some of them are family.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/16/va-lawyer-runs-worst-veterans-charity-speeds-off-i/

Google has patented human flypaper for autonomous cars... so any pedestrians hit will stick to the front of the car



thanks Susan! 

So, who is the woman in the new Top Gear host team? Very accomplished, at many things, and has been racing on the ring probably more than anyone else... she was BMW's driver


Sabine Schmitz is as famed as a motor racing driver for BMW and Porsche is she is famous for driving the BMW 'Ring Taxi' around the Nurburgring race track, for 14 years, where tourists could pay to ride along with a pro driver



She has also been on Top Gear before, in 2004 she competed with Jeremy in a Jag around the Ring, and beat him by 47 seconds... and raced him in a van... yeah, a van, and was only 9 seconds off his pace



skip the first 4 minutes



she won the 24 Hours Nurburgring in 1996 and 97.
She also trained as a hotel manager and sommelier, and she owned a bar-restaurant in Nurburg

And if fast cars weren't challenge enough, Sabine qualified as a helicopter pilot in 2004.

For a good interview of Sabine: http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/most-memorable-threads/39033-answers-sabine-ring-taxi-driver.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3444138/How-Sabine-Schmitz-new-Gear-host.html

Thanks Steve! 

Tolls on trucking in Belgium alone, net 2.4 million Euro a day


http://trends.knack.be/economie/finance/kilometerheffing-levert-2-4-miljoen-per-werkdag-op/article-normal-705133.html

The levy is coordinated by Viapass, interregional entity that regulates the toll and controls for the three regions.

Viapass estimates the number of users of the on-board units (OBU) at 800,000, of whom 150,000 Belgian users.

The OBU will determine via satellite and an integrated card system where the truck (from 3.5 tonnes) is located, and thus determine the charge.

The monitoring will be done through some 40 units mouinted on the roads, which to register using cameras trucks. In addition, 22 mobile control systems will be similar to a mobile speed camera.

http://trends.knack.be/economie/finance/wie-kilometerheffing-aan-zijn-laars-lapt-riskeert-boete-van-1-000-euro/article-normal-613543.html

Only a Ford. Anything else would've ripped the nozzle from the pump.

in the 70s, this probably sold a lot of RVs, but if this ran today, wouldn't it be found too sexist?

Did you hear the one about the town of 184 residents, that had 7 cops? And they shot the fire chief in court... his 2nd time there that day to protest to the judge about speeding tickets. It's all true, and in Arkansas, as you'd expect


on the Tennessee Arkansas border, next to Memphis, 3 miles from the Mississippi River, is a tiny little 5 street town.

With 7 cops, that sat on the small highway 77...  and handed out speeding tickets. It's a 45 mph zone, with a 35 caution zone for curves in the road. A speed trap heaven for cops.



Where was the ticket money going? Police Dept wasn't making the payments on it's cop cars. The Fire Dept had a truck repo'd because city hall hadn't paid it's bill.

But when the fire chief went back to the courthouse to tell the judge what he thought about the 2nd speeding ticket he got that day... all 7 cops were there... and someone shot the unarmed fireman, in the back - in the hip - with a 40 cal.

It was anger over traffic tickets that brought Payne to city hall last week, said his lawyer, Randy Fishman. After failing to get a traffic ticket dismissed on Aug. 27, police gave Payne or his son another ticket that day. Payne, 39, returned to court to vent his anger to Judge Tonya Alexander, Fishman said.

It's unclear exactly what happened next, but Martin said an argument between Payne and the seven police officers who attended the hearing apparently escalated to a scuffle, ending when an officer shot Payne from behind.

Judge Alexander then voided all the tickets written by the department both inside the city and others written outside of its jurisdiction — citations that the department had no authority to write. Alexander then resigned from her position.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32680338/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/cop-shoots-fire-chief-ark-court-over-tickets/#.Vz3deISDGko
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho,_Arkansas


Just days after being released from the hospital, Don Payne was fired as fire chief. His volunteer fire dept of 20 resigned after hearing about Payne’s termination.

Prosecutors say they plan to charge former Fire Chief Don Payne with battery on a police officer. The officer who shot him faces no charges.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2349272/posts

But, as you'd expect... this isn't out of the ordinary in Arkansas... are you ready for this? Jericho was one of 3 small towns under investigation in it's county for money fraud in similar situations. The town of Jennette, also in Crittenden County and also under investigation, exemplifies the gross malfeasance at work in the area. It has a population of less than 150 and cannot account for $24,000 dollars in taxpayer funds. http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/Global/story.asp?S=11637973

Turrell Police Chief Greg Martin entered the home of city councilman Floyd Holmes and threatened him at gunpoint. Yes, the chief of police, sworn to protect and serve, pulling a gun on an unarmed councilman, and his wife, in the councilman’s own home. Why? Money. Just as in Jericho, Turrell’s mayor Franklin Lockhart is accused of hiding city funds. He even fired the city council, though he isn't legally able to do that.

An ABC news article also provided this interesting little tidbit: “This comes just two months after Mayor Lockhart asked a judge to place a lien against the members of town council in the amount of $600,000. The mayor claims council members owe the town because they haven’t performed their duties.”
https://waven.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-jericho/

https://www.facebook.com/CrittendenCountyMuseum/


To paraphrase Albert Nock’s deathless insight, government police forces don’t exist to eliminate crime, but rather to enforce a government monopoly on crime. Coleman Brackney embodies that principle with uncanny fidelity. This is to be expected of Arkansas, where there quite literally are no standards governing the qualifications and performance of police officers.

Practically any hominid who can drive a car, pull a trigger, and emit sounds that vaguely resemble the English language can be stuffed into a government-issued costume and exercise “authority” on behalf of the State of Arkansas.

A cosmetologist must complete a 2000 hour training... to cut and color hair. But a cop in Arkansas? 0 hours training.

"According to Arkansas state law, officers do not have to be certified for up to a year after they're hired," reported the Memphis Fox News affiliate in February 2010 – just a few weeks after Officer Brackney murdered James Ahern. "The Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training says they can get an 8 month extension on top of that. So for almost 2 years, an officer can patrol the streets, by his or herself, and enforce the law without having any kind of training."

http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/2013/03/welcome-to-sulphur-springs-when-police.html

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Ghostbusters hood ornament


"... if people cannot get the color they want, they will not buy the vehicle and they'll change brands and change companies."

Susan Lampinen, Ford Motor Co. group chief designer for color and materials: "We've done market research that shows that if people cannot get the color they want, they will not buy the vehicle and they'll change brands and change companies."

http://autowriters.com/news/04-2016.htm

FoMoCo is the only car company among 131 firms worldwide named A World's Most Ethical Company

Tanya Gazdik of MediaPost reports "the program honors companies that excel in three areas -- promoting ethical business standards and practices internally, enabling managers and employees to make good choices, and shaping future industry standards by introducing tomorrow's best practices today."

http://worldsmostethicalcompanies.ethisphere.com/honorees/

Professional Car Associations

AARWBA           APA            IMPA
 GAAMA            MAMA       MPG
 NEMPA             NWA           NWAPA
 PAPA                 RMAP         SAE
 SAMA               SEAMO      SEMA
 TAWA               WAJ             WAPA

and the only two I even recognize are SAE and SEMA. I can't even tell you what the others are without looking them up. So, as deep into cars and trucks and vehicles as I am, if I haven't heard of these, what the hell are they doing for cars and drivers?

Warner Brothers is rebooting the Cannonball Run movie

they haven't gotten past hiring a writer yet... so there really isn't any news beyond that indication that they are going to remake it

http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/cannonball-run-slated-21st-century-relaunch

Another cool Massachusetts State Trooper (maybe all state troopers should be sent there for training in humanity) found! Cool guy award of the day goes to Luke Bonin!


Seen while sharing lunch with a homeless mother of 4, Trooper Bonin had his photo taken and shared online.

https://www.facebook.com/MassStatePolice/photos/a.227475680669756.55919.218158751601449/1022391021178214/?type=3

Trooper Bonin had just left court when he drove by the woman, who appeared down on her luck. She was holding a sign and asking for help from anyone who would pay attention. Trooper Bonin continued to drive on – directly to a local establishment, where he ordered two meals. He returned to the woman, pulled up, and exited his cruiser. Thinking he was there to remove her from the side of the road, she immediately stated to him that she would leave, that she knew she shouldn’t be there with her sign. But Trooper Bonin told her, “I’m not here to kick you out.” He then extended the two meals and told her to pick one. They then sat, shared a meal, and a conversation.

Yes, Trooper Bonin, we know you do not want or expect publicity. We know you didn’t want to be noticed, but you were, and the job is proud of you. We commend you for your selfless act, and for “doing the right thing” for someone less fortunate than most people.

We have extraordinary troopers on the Massachusetts State Police who conduct themselves honorably, and perform selfless acts, every day. Most times, it goes unnoticed. But not this day.

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/trooper-brings-picnic-lunch-to-homeless-woman-on-roadside/

how to tell it's a stage hand / techy guy's car

Why did Von Dutch move his lathe and other machinery into the bus?

After a controller from the building inspector’s office started bugging Von Dutch for having antiquated machinery in his shop, he decided to move into a 1954 public transportation bus, since there is nothing in the vehicle code that says anything about how old the machinery can be.

https://greaseralley.com/2011/07/13/kenneth-howard-a-k-a-von-dutch/

One of 98 engines made for the Tucker Torpedo sold at auction this past weekend, thought to be the only Tucker engine in Europe not in a car. $35,000


The Tucker Type O-335 horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine was derived from a Franklin designed engine further modified to power air-cooled Bell 47 helicopters for use in World War II.

Preston Tucker acquired the engine manufacturer, Air-Cooled Motors of Chicago, and had them modify the engine for automotive use, including the industry's first fully sealed water-cooling system.

While only 51 original cars were completed, Tucker intended to build more cars and had a total of 98 engines produced. They cost more than he had been marketing the car for... 1500 for the engine, vs his early claims of a car for 1000 dollars.

The remaining new engines were sold at the factory bankruptcy auction and are generally displayed by collectors. The engine sold in Monaco is build number 335-78.

http://www.rmsothebys.com/mc16/monaco/lots/tucker-48-engine-no-33578/1079118
http://www.motortrend.com/news/brand-new-tucker-flat-six-engine-sells-nearly-35000-auction/

One year ago today, the Waco biker massacre by police snipers, 9 dead, 20 more injured by bullets. Has any info been brought out? What is the hold up? Saving face by police who claimed the biker gang (Black Widows) in the Clint Eastwood movie tipped them off?


The official police narrative quickly became that this was an entire gathering of organized criminals who were wildly killing each other and shooting at cops, and the arrest of so many people there was buttressed with initial one million bonds set for everyone. And likely in order to justify that crazy, and soon reversed, decision:

The Texas Department of Public Safety did its part to ramp up hysteria, leaking a “confidential bulletin” to CNN alleging that Bandidos in active military service were arming their chapters with grenades and C4 explosives so that they could retaliate against the police. One of the DPS's sources was a club called the Black Widows, which does not exist except in the 1978 movie Every Which Way But Loose. In response, one biker blog jeered: “Waco Police Now Claim They Are Being Attacked by Clint Eastwood and An Orangutan Named Clyde.”

“The city of Waco is looking at paying out hundreds of millions of dollars,” says Michael White, Wilson's attorney. “I don't think we've ever seen something on the scale of 175-plus people being arrested for something they did not do.” To survive the storm, the city's legal strategy seems to be to pressure the Waco 177 into pleading guilty to minor infractions for time served; this would preclude the bikers from being able to sue for wrongful imprisonment.

The judge in the case, Matt Johnson, is the former law partner of district attorney Abel Reyna. Incredibly, the foreman of the first grand jury to be convened, James Head, is a Waco P.D. detective.

There are over 100,ooo residents in Waco, and they cannot find a Grand Jury Foreman not tied into the prosecutor’s office or the Waco Police Department?

Asked why he'd permit an active police officer to lead a grand jury investigating possible police misconduct, state district judge Ralph Strother said, “I just thought, ‘Well, he's qualified. He knows the criminal-justice system.’ ”

http://reason.com/blog/2015/10/03/waco-biker-massacre-gq-writer-paints-a-p
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Waco_shootout
http://mcatty.com/waco-biker-massacre-latest-updates/
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/waco-biker-massacre-48-indicted/


Houston Chronicle article, May 13th 2016:

No trial dates have been set for the 157 people later indicted, despite pleas from defense lawyers for their day in court.

Authorities still have not spelled out who among the bikers is believed to have shot, stabbed or punched another, and who may have been killed or wounded by police.

The names of the officers involved in the shooting remain secret, and officials won't say if their actions were ever reviewed by internal affairs or a grand jury.

Even where and how trials would be held is unclear.

The first wave of indictments came in November, a federal indictment followed in December in San Antonio, charging the Bandidos' top three national leaders with racketeering and other crimes.

None of those charged was at the Twin Peaks shootout, however, and while the indictment outlines a series of attacks by Bandidos against Cossacks, it does not include the Waco clash.

Houston lawyer Paul Looney, who represents a Waco man facing state charges, said he suspects McLennan County prosecutors are purposely dragging their feet in hopes the cases will be pulled out of their hands and into the expanding federal investigation.

Looney has gone all the way to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court, to force the Waco judge to set a trial date for his client.

There has been no response from the appeals court - not even a request for a briefing, he said.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Mom-wants-answers-one-year-after-Waco-biker-7467774.php