Funkengroovin Wednesday - Another Car Chase

(Below): As you can see one of the windshield wipers is broken, but who needs those here in Cairo, Huh? (That's not the only thing broken on this Beetle.)



(Below): Okay, okay, okay, so we're not chasing them. Sometimes we let them pass us up!



(Below): Now this is starting to look like one hell of a mess!



(Below): Did VB not say potentially unroadworthy?



(Below): And on the other side of the road....



(Below): VB never gets it right - eye - hand movement not quite as fast as camera -car!


NEWS:
Regardless of where you are in the world, what troubles you and your countrymen have, there is a kinship which rises above politics - the love of car. Two of the following articles showcase this kooky devotion, along with the video trailer.

VB's been thinkin' about what to do this summer, when she returns to the States, in two weeks. We could do a variety of things (since our Maine camping trip has been canceled). VB is just wondering if we want to go nuclear on this one - that's all. Sounds a bit freaky? Maybe, but we could visit Dick Cheney's underground hideaway, in Pennsylvania.
Book Review: A Nuclear Family Vacation

"In A Nuclear Family Vacation, a husband-and-wife duo of Washington, DC-based defense reporters takes a journey deep into the nation's nuclear weapons complex. But wait—this turns out to be a surprisingly fun road trip, even though it's led by a pair of Beltway policy wonks. Nathan Hodge and Sharon Weinberger join the small but growing number of nuclear tourists who, like the families that swarm Gettysburg and Antietam each summer, visit Cold War nuclear sites and get nostalgic about mutually assured destruction."

Iraq:
Hot rods are these Iraqis' driving passion
Photo Gallery

"A tricked-out muscle car on the streets of Baghdad can turn heads, tempt carjackers or anger fundamentalists. What's a gear head to do? Floor it.

The fall of Saddam Hussein has enabled them to create their dream rides like never before. Hussein's notorious son Uday and his cronies personally controlled all car imports into Iraq. Uday was also a car freak known for on-the-spot confiscations of any vehicle that caught his fancy.

The end of the Hussein era opened Iraq's borders to an unrestrained flow of new and used cars, along with exotic parts and Western car magazines. The MTV show "Pimp My Ride" is now a popular feature on Arabic satellite television; Bilal Hussein, the Mustang driver who dreams of flaming mufflers, is a big fan.

But the dictator's ouster also unleashed a new era of Baghdad lawlessness that makes owning a head-turning ride a dangerous hobby. In addition to the threat from roving gangs of opportunistic carjackers, there are armed fundamentalists, both Sunni and Shiite, who might view an overly showy car as sinfully extravagant.

"We have the Mahdi Army on one side, Al Qaeda on the other side, thieves everywhere, and we're caught in the middle," said Hussein, who also sticks to safer streets."

The West Bank:
WEST BANK CAR ENTHUSIASTS START THEIR ENGINES

"One of the last cities remaining under the Israeli blockade hosts a rare showing of race cars – some of which predate the second intifada.

And with little disposable income after eight years of war and economic closures, most of the race cars were refurbished old compact sedans. The 49 contestants navigated the course one by one."

U.S.A.
Electrified VW Is 'Liberating' For Boulder Man, (Full story and news video at the link.)
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) ―

"A Colorado man says he has ended his addiction to foreign oil by converting an old Volkswagon Beetle to run on electricity."

Since this week's news seems to be mostly from the Middle East region, VB is foregoing the usual music video for another look at how much the love of cars transcends politics, religion, race, ethnicity, and all that. A big thanks to yb39 who posted a comment, with the link to the video trailer. Question: When will we actually get to see this movie? It's not even listed on imdb yet.


The Beetle - Trailer eng