Matthew Parij

One format change of a radio station that I applaud is when KMET-FM in Los Angeles became KTWV-FM. The station had changed from playing weirdo, garbagy music to good, wonderful; and fabulous music.

In the Arthur movie for adults, in the area where the Catholic boarding school where the mainstream kids attend and live in; there’s another fictional radio station with a format change modeled exactly after that of KTWV. This fictional radio station, too changes formats from Rock music to New Wave/Smooth Jazz. This fictional radio station, too also brands itself as “The Wave”.

The nuns, teachers, school principal, Dean of students, and the ‘house moms’ in the living quarters of the Catholic boarding school each laud the format change to New Wave/Smooth Jazz while the kids (especially some of those who listen to the station when it had a Rock music format) poo poo the format change. The personnel at the Catholic boarding school even listen to a standard AM-Mediumwave/FM radio set turned to the Rock turned New Wave/Smooth Jazz formatted radio station.

A Buick-branded GM B-platform station wagon driving through Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.

Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, and Grosse Pointe Woods are each located in Wayne County, Michigan just north of Detroit city proper.

In the early 20th century, Grosse Pointe was used as a dumping ground for garbage/refuse from residents of Detroit city proper. Many homes were built on top of these former refuse dumping grounds.

The Ford family also has a residency in Grosse Pointe-the mansion of Edsel (Henry’s son) and his wife Eleanor. Like with Henry & Clara’s mansion in Dearborn, Michigan; Edsel & Eleanor’s mansion is also available for public tours.

I’ve already written a post earlier about some bad dreams and nightmares that I’ve had about NASCAR drivers https://mparij.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/more-bad-dreams-and-nightmares-about-nascar-drivers/

I still do not like how almost all current NASCAR drivers having began (let’s continue calling it the Winston Cup) careers as either single and childless or married and childless and starting families throughout the course of their careers. This includes Jimmie Johnson.

I’ve had another bad dream where Jimmie Johnson and NHL player Shane Doan were driving in a minivan together with their children, and both men were dressed to the nines. I don’t like either men being fit and muscular, either men being highly devoted to their families, and I don’t like Shane Doan’s sons also being involved in (icky, yucky) Hockey. Both men were born in 1976.

I pull up in a School Bus, get off the School Bus; and I lecture Jimmie Johnson about how he should be fat and overweight instead of being fit and muscular, that I don’t like his interest and participation in swimming and triathlons ever since he was in High School (and had graduated in 1993), that three things that had happened in 1993 that were more important than Jimmie Johnson graduating from High School were when I had purchased a 1985 diesel Golf and a 1985 C3 Audi 100 station wagon (both cars were 8 years old at the time I had purchased them), and Mercedes-Benz having introduced the M111 4-cylinder engine in 1993; that I don’t like Jimmie Johnson having begun his NASCAR career as a single man and over time, having gotten married and have children because I still think of him as this brand-new Winston Cup racer (as of 2002) who should not have displaced drivers such as brothers Rusty & Kenny Wallace, the Bodine brothers, Lake Speed, Sterling Marlin; and Ricky Craven to name a few that NASCAR should forevermore remain the same as it was during the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s; that NASCAR should never change with the times; and I refuse to accept any change in NASCAR.

I am aware of Jimmie Johnson’s career in the Busch series prior to 2001, that had begun in 1997.

I lecture Shane Doan about how he too should be fat and overweight instead of being fit and muscular, who gives a damn about Hockey (or any other sport, for that matter), that School Buses are more important than icky, yucky Hockey; that I don’t like Shane Doan’s long, gelled hair; and as I have an interest in Canada being a country that is a formerly a part of the British Empire and is now a part of the Commonwealth-that it matters to me which one of Shane Doan’s ancestors had immigrated to Canada from Scotland, and I’m also aware of the indigenous Canadian side of Shane Doan’s ancestry.

I lecture both men about how I don’t give a damn over how important to them dressing to the nines is to them, I loathe dressing to the nines, never will I ever dress to the nines; and for the rest of my life, I will avoid dressing to the nines at all costs.

I close my argument by stating to both men that that I don’t like new additions to families such as in-laws and children.

I’ve also had a bad dream where NASCAR drivers Elliott Sadler, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth and his son Ross, Formula 1 drivers Nick Heidfeld and Jenson Button; and NBA players and brothers Pau, Marc, and Adria Gasol were all playing icky, yucky Basketball together. The only ‘sweet’, as I put it; part of this dream is where I pull up in a School Bus and ruin the sporting event for all of those people.

Only if NASCAR drivers remained true car guys rather than being ball-playing athletes who had to find another career.

Two more episodes of Phil McGraw’s talk show about a teenage girl and her lover. Her lover, who I shall refer to as a ‘squeeze’.

I do not like Matt Kenseth and his son Ross wearing their hair like how the boyfriend of this teenage girl in these episodes of Phil McGraw’s talk show.

Yes, I know I had written a post earlier about the time when Matt Kenseth had long hair https://mparij.wordpress.com/2015/12/08/the-time-when-matt-kenseth-once-had-long-hair/ and I still don’t like him having long hair either.

One of the last buses that Carpenter had ever produced before they had gone out of business in 2000.

This one happens to be a conventional style School Bus on the International chassis & cowl with the DT466.

KE – 2000 IHC / Carpnter Handicap school bus for parts only Bus 15 – Ohio Schools Council Surplus

Source: Public Surplus: Auction #1538739

I still stand by what I had said about Phil McGraw being a wonderful human being in this earlier post https://mparij.wordpress.com/2015/12/24/phil-mcgraw-the-human-being/

Episode of Phil McGraw’s talk show about a sleazy man, his wife, his mistress, and their so-called “Love Triangle”.

Another episode about a similar situation, with another sleazy man and his so-called “Love Triangle”.

I personally do not like the husband in this episode that’s the subject of this situation shaving his head, and he should be required to wear a wig. I don’t have any problem with Phil McGraw being naturally bald as he does not shave his head, and has the hair on the sides and back of his head. I go by the motto that some men who are naturally bald go by: “have your full head of hair, and be proud of it”. I also support the use of Rogaine and the clinical and surgical procedures that exist in this day in age to restore hair follicles and a full head of hair.

An episode about a man in his early 30’s that has ugly muscles and is obsessed over his bodybuilding and his appearance. I’d take this guy to the hospital to have his tattoos removed, prevent him from shaving his body if I could (just like how Formula 1 and NASCAR drivers Nick Heidfeld, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, and Elliott Sadler; and U.S Army Ranger/television personality Tim Kennedy should be banned from shaving their bodies); and I’d make this man wear a fat suit. I’d transform this guy from being fit and muscular to being fat and overweight if I could.

It’s sad that a fairly young hoodlum producer of some nonsensical television show on cable and satellite television show had to appear on Phil McGraw’s talk show, and be rebellious and disrespectful towards Phil McGraw to the point where Phil had to have the television studio’s security escort him out of the studio.

It’s disheartening that Phil McGraw had to tolerate this sleazy young hoodlum with a buzzcut haircut who is accused of murdering another teenage boy, while as a guest on his talk show.

Video of NBC’s coverage of the 1992 Wimbledon Tennis event.

I never thought in a million years that Bud Collins would ever wear a full facial beard. Bud Collins, who had originally worked as a Sports writer for the Boston Globe, had then moved to television, having worked for CBS Sports (my personal favorite television network sports department); and had moved to NBC Sports in 1972.

I personally think that Bud Collins was nuts for wearing a full beard.

Bud Collins had worked for CBS strictly as a Tennis commentator for their coverage of the U.S Open Tennis event (not to be confused with the PGA Tour event of the same name), and has since worked for NBC Sports strictly as a Tennis commentator for their coverage of the French Open and Wimbledon Tennis events.

During the rare times that the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) ever televised a sporting event, mostly Tennis events; Bud Collins had also worked with Donald Dell to call the handful of Tennis events that the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).

NBC had used the same on-screen lettering and graphics that they had used for all the other sporting events that they had televised during this time (such as the PGA Tour and AVP Volleyball events that I had posted about in other posts) during their coverage of the Wimbledon Tennis event from 1991 up until about 1999.

As I have mentioned in prior posts about “Early Life And Continuous Livelihood”, some of Mary Ann’s children, who are into Tennis; watch this event when they, along with their mother Mary Ann and their grandmother Marie “Mimi” come over to the Detroit area to visit with us and my paternal grandmother. And this on-screen lettering and graphics that NBC Sports had used as of this time is seen on our television screen.

More videos about the Mercedes-Benz R129.

Not only is this my personal favorite generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster, it’s also the generation that Arthur and his parents buy in the Arthur movie for adults with the M104 inline-6 gasoline/petrol engine.

This car was based off the Mercedes-Benz W124, and it’s floorpan is a shortened version of that of the W124 to that of the length of a typical roadster.

This generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster was the very last to be overbuilt and overengineered. Each generation of Mercedes-Benz model produced around this time was the last to be overbuilt and overengineered as Daimler-Benz adopted a new strategy where quantity over quality was the name of the game, no matter how shoddy the quality of each vehicle produced from that point forward would be.

Daimler-Benz found themselves in a weaker state to compete against Toyota, Nissan, and Acura’s luxury car brands Especially when Toyota had developed a very high-tech, precise; and lower-cost way to produce each Lexus LS that had rolled off the assembly line in the Tahara, Japan assembly plant, thus; forever revolutionizing the way luxury automobiles would be produced.

As you may be aware of if you’ve been following this blog, personally, I’d rather that Daimler-Benz continued to overbuild and overengineer their cars as they always have until the late 1990’s.

Videos with the many retired School Buses that the Irish-Catholic school in Seattle that Colin & Sheila send their sons to-O’Dea High School had acquired second handedly and repainted in them.

Some of the many buses featured in these videos are a Rear Engine Thomas Safe-T-Liner, a Thomas Safe-T-Liner C2 conventional style School Buses, and a Front Engine Blue Bird TC/2000; all repainted a different color.

Personally, I don’t agree with Colin & Sheila sending their 3 sons to this Irish-Catholic school; and I’d rather that they send their sons to a Public School instead.

I also don’t like seeing this Private School owning numerous School Buses repainted a different color.

A CBS News report from 1978 on their television program 60 Minutes, reported by Dan Rather; about Disco music. And particularly, the famous Studio 54 nightclub, which, just prior was CBS’s own Studio 52 Radio & Television studio. CBS had put it up for sale in 1976.

CBS had purchased the building in 1943 for use as a radio studio, and with the advent of television; had served as a dual-purpose Radio & Television studio. Under the building’s ownership by CBS, it was known as ‘Studio 52’, assigned in the sequential, numerical order of when they acquired each building for use as a radio and/or television studio; example: “Studio 1, Studio 2, Studio 3, Studio 10, etc.”

CBS had used the location from the 1940’s up until the mid-1970’s that housed such Radio & Television shows as What’s My Line?, The $64,000 Question, Video Village, Password, To Tell the Truth, Beat the Clock, The Jack Benny Show, I’ve Got a Secret, Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour; and Captain Kangaroo. The soap opera Love of Life was produced there until 1975. In 1976, CBS moved most of its broadcast operations to the Ed Sullivan Theater and the CBS Broadcast Center, and CBS had sold Studio 52.

Now, the buildings use as a nightclub does not at all interest me. Only the building’s use by CBS as a Radio & Television studio interests me. Although I do like the music from this time period.

WHAS-TV’s (then a CBS affiliate, would later become an ABC affiliate a couple years later in 1990) breaking news report of the Carrollton, Kentucky School Bus accident in 1988.

I wish WHAS-TV remained a CBS affiliate instead of switching affiliations to ABC.

The School Bus, a 1977 Superior conventional on the Ford B-Series chassis & cowl, where the chassis & cowl was built at the Louisville Medium & Heavy-Duty truck assembly plant just 9 days before the regulation where all School Bus chassis must have a cage surrounding their fuel tanks went into effect.

The body was built by Superior of Lima, Ohio and mounted on the chassis as a complete vehicle on March 23, 1977 (stripped chassis, chassis & cab, cutaway; and chassis & cowls are referred to as ‘incomplete vehicles’). Other safety regulations for School Buses that went onto effect on April 1, 1977 were that the seats placed just before the rear emergency exit door had to be shorter in width than the rest of the seats on the bus to allow for the best possible access through the rear emergency exit door and multiple windows that serve as emergency exit positions throughout the bus. The bus was ordered by the Kentucky Department of Schools in 1976, as part of an order of over 600 units for districts throughout the state. The bus was delivered in time to begin usage during the 1977-78 school year and was in service for the following 10 years.

The church had acquired the retired School Bus as surplus from the Meade County, Kentucky school district. It’s likely that either the Meade County, Kentucky school district wanted to rid their fleet of gasoline-powered School Buses as soon as possible or this school district didn’t hold onto their buses any longer than 10 years.

By 1988, the bus had been owned by the church for a year; was used daily for short local moves on school days, had made several other long trips; and had successfully made the same round-trip to Kings Island in July, 1987. It was checked over regularly by mechanically-inclined church members (including a civilian motor pool supervisor from Fort Knox, Kentucky).

Two new truck tires had been installed a week before the ill-fated trip, and front end suspension and steering parts were examined at that time. By all indications, the bus was in good mechanical condition as of May 14, 1988.

During the fateful usage of this bus, the bus was driven by John Pearman; a part-time associate pastor of the church, who was also a local court clerk. The group left the church early that morning and traveled without incident to the park in Ohio. They spent a good portion of the day at Kings Island, boarded the bus; and then began traveling out of Ohio and back into Kentucky toward Radcliff. About an hour afterwards, they stopped to fill the 60-gallon fuel tank with gasoline and then resumed the trip southward back to Radcliff.

Just before 11:00 P.M, while heading south on Interstate 71 outside of Carrollton, Kentucky; the bus collided head-on with a U.S spec Toyota HiLux, which was traveling the north in the southbound lanes at a high speed on a curved stretch of the highway. The U.S spec Toyota HiLux was driven by a man whose name was Larry Wayne Mahoney, a 34-year old factory worker who was driving under the influence of alcohol.

The right front of the U.S spec Toyota HiLux hit the right front of the retired Conventional School Bus on the Ford B-Series chassis & cowl, breaking off the Ford B-Series’ suspension and driving the leaf spring backward into the chassis & cowl’s fuel tank, which was mounted behind an exterior panel but outside the heavier frame; which, in turn; was located just behind the step well for the front door, and thus; rendering the door inoperative. Leaking gasoline from the punctured fuel tank was ignited by sparks caused from metal parts of the suspension scraping on the pavement alongside the road. As the seat covers and the highly flammable polyurethane foam padding ignited, the temperature inside the retired School Bus rose to an estimated 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit; and a thick cloud of noxious, pernicious smoke had also encircled the interior of the School Bus body built by Superior from the ceiling down to the floor within a minute or two.

When fire first broke out immediately after the collision, John Pearman, the driver of the bus; tried to put it out with a small fire extinguisher while passengers began to evacuate through the center rear emergency door, squeezing through the narrow opening between the two rear seats and jumping approximately 3 feet from the location of the window on the School Bus body to the ground.

As previously mentioned, the front door was blocked by collision damage; but there were no emergency exit windows or roof hatches, as found on commercial buses and some school buses of the time; and passengers had to break open the glass and break off the window frame in order to escape from the damaged, blazing retired School Bus. Merely one adult, a woman who was of small stature had managed to escape through a 9 inch opening side window. When she looked back up from the ground upon escaping, the window opening was filled with flames. The other 3 adults aboard, including John Pearman, had died.

Many of those who made it to the area adjacent to rear door were wedged in so tightly that passersby helped pull children out from the human jam at the rear emergency door by force. Conversely, within four minutes or less; the entire bus was on fire, and soon the exodus of passengers stopped. At that point, the passersby who had stopped to help could not reach those still aboard due to the raging fire, and had no choice but to turn their efforts to tending to the crowd of 40 staggered and mostly injured survivors.

Today, the State of Kentucky now requires all School Buses to have a total of 9 emergency exits; more than any other federal or state standard. This includes front and rear doors, a side door, 4 emergency windows and 2 roof exits. The bus that crashed at Carrollton had only front and rear exits, and 11 rows of 39″ seats, including the crucial area near the rear emergency exit door. School Buses owned and operated by School Districts in Kentucky must also have a cage around the fuel tank, a stronger frame and roof to resist crumpling on impact and rollover, high-backed seats, extra seat padding, a fuel system that slows leaks, flame-retardant seats and floors, reflective tape on all emergency exits; and strobe lights on the exterior. School districts in Kentucky also must have a diesel-powered fleet because Diesel isn’t highly flammable, as compared to Gasoline.

Last, in 1991; the State of Kentucky had Kentucky enacted stricter drunk driving laws.