From this past weekend, what with Scoopin' Genesee (that is so lame) to just checking out the traffic around the county, certainly $4.25 per gallon for gasoline is not the tipping point. If we reach $5 by Labor Day, will that make us curtail our motoring passion?
Who knows, but The Hound doesn't see any letup of folks just cruzin' around in their vehicles, passing the time and continuing to do what Americans do best: Wasting precious resources. Ah, but let's not get too down at our fellow motoring enthusiasts. At least they're out and about and not at home playing video games or tampering with their new iPhone.
Yet, The Hound is all a twitter today what with the beginning of a new season of "Top Gear" the absolutely fabulous car nut programme offered by the BBC-America channel on the cable box. How come we don't have a great car program like this made in this country, especially with our stubborn love affair with the gasoline-powered engine? We're stuck with the fuddy-duddy "Motor Week" on public broadcasting, Speed Channel and NASCAR on Fox.
These "Top Gear" guys --- Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May --- are car lovers who don't take themselves too seriously, nor the products they pound around race tracks. When's the last time Cadillac let somebody redline a STS in a test drive?
The Hound is unsure when "Top Gear" is on. That's what Tivo is for. It just records it. Similar to the way "The Stig" drives. Fast.
Tune in. If you're a gearhead, you won't be disappointed. The Hound guarantees it.
Hey, if you had been scoopin back in the 1960's you wouldn't call it "lame"! We all loved to party on Genesee St.!!!!
Due to the poor economy & high cost of gasoline I did not attend my 40th WTHS 1968 class reunion. Had to stay here in Florida! I understand Scoopin' was a feature of that event. I am sorry that I missed it!
Don't get me wrong, I am not in favor of wasting our resources. The 1960's were a different time. Of course that is also when they began to invent alternative energy for cars, etc. Too bad the government didn't step up to the plate back in the late 60's / early 70's and listen to the environmentalists. Remember, the very first Earth Day began back then!
THE HOUND SAYS: Teri, perhaps you misunderstood The Hound's meaning. Scoopin' isn't/wasn't lame, just the name, Scoopin' Genesee. Seeing that Waukegan has iced out North Shore Rods, which owns the Scoop the Loop licensing, officials had to come up with the lame, Scoopin' Genesee. Some people actuallly are confused and believe it is about scooping Genesee, N.Y. You are most correct about Earth Day and the Big 3 (or four as AMC was still in business back then). But then, consumers still bought big-block engines, leaving Detroit to keep building big cars, trucks and SUVs. Remember the Chevette, the Vega and the Pinto?
The Hound doesn't pay too much attention to the TV does he? He asks why we don't have a show like Top Gear on American TV. Well Hound, Top Gear American version is on in the next television season on NBC. It will be hosted by Adam Carolla (The Man Show) and co-hosted by Eric Strommer and Tanner Faust. It will be formatted exactly like the BBC version. I'm sure we'll all act like it isn't as cool as the BBC version, but they do things a lot different in the UK. Give it a chance and we'll see how it goes.
THE HOUND SEZ: How does one assume The Hound is a he? Of course The Hound does not pay too much attention to TV. Who does? Besides, that's what The Hound has such as Daddio --- didn't that go out of style when "77 Sunset Strip" went off the air? --- to alert The Hound to what's on the Boob Tube (did
Kookie use that term?). Knowing that Adam Carolla ("Dancing with the Stars") is hosting the U.S version of "Top Gear" should give one pause on how committed NBC is behind the latest BBC program we've ripped off. Who's his two sidekicks?
Never heard of these two mopes.