Among the things that I do, that most here do not know, I am Vice-Chair of one of the Democratic Clubs here in the Coachella Valley, Desert Stonewall Democrats. Of the 7 clubs here in the Valley, we are the only one with an LGBTQ focus. My Chair and I, along with the local representative for Equality California, were invited to participate in a podcast done by local media personality Nicholas Snow, an openly gay man and AIDS survivor. I’ve known Nicholas for most of the time that I have lived here in the Coachella Valley. He’s a good fellow and well respected here. Whenever I see him, I often say “I must be in the right place because you are here!”.

So, to see the video, go to YouTube and use this search string:

promohomo tv desert stonewall democrats advancing equal rights for all people

The video should be at the top of the results list. The duration is essentially 45 minutes. Let me know what you think!

Let’s face it, we don’t live in a financial bubble by virtue of being transgender. Nope, unless by some strange twist of fate in that we are self-sustainable, we have to use currency in some form or fashion, to provide for our daily needs. Be it, getting paid for our work, or a retirement or pension if we are at that stage in life, or through our ability to invest what we have to make more. And that last point brings me to this…. It seems that no matter what investment path we take we can find some sector, or group, of society that these investments are borne on the backs of. If the nation credit rating is downgraded, the government bonds wind up paying higher interest and I make more. If armed conflicts rage on, I make more in defense related investments. Depending on which direction our desires go for the preferred mode of transportation, I make more on energy or mining investments. The list goes on and on. There does not seem to be any direction one can go, that does not harm something, someone, somewhere. Life is not a bed of roses, and apparently neither are our paths for investing so we can gain more financially. As I have gotten older, this has been more and more on my mind, and I worry that this makes me that bad person…

Please share your fitness goal. Is it to loose some weight, gain some weight, cut out sugar? Sharing goals make them more likely to succeed.
How are you going to reward yourself?

Yesterday word came down that Parnelli Jones had passed away. These days, I think, the term “legend” is often over used, But, make no mistake, legend does specifically apply to Jones. He was a rarity in that he was successful (make that Very successful) in just about every racing series where he competed.

I was fortunate to meet Parnelli at Laguna Seca some years ago. Toyota brought him, Derek Bell, Emerson Fittipaldi, Bobby and Al Unser and Ove Andersson to compete in a Pro/Celebrity sedan race during the Monterey Historics Weekend. Afterwards they did an autograph session. Of all of the events that I’ve attended over the years, this one was clearly a standout. Sadly, only Bell and Fittipaldi are still with us.

So:

https://racer.com/2024/06/04/parnelli-jones-1933-2024/

As an aside, the sprint car that Jones is about to go race in the photo is the very successful and legendary Fike Plumbing Special. It was the first Chevy V-8 powered sprint car. Nearly all sprint cars at the time were powered by 4-cylinder Offenhauser engines. Interesting how great drivers and great cars attract one another.

Autograph from “Indianapolis 500 Chronicle”:

https://web.tresorit.com/l/xIc5a#DHhR-XQUGH4pEsfuKn05aw

Those of us, of a certain age, will remember the ABC TV show, Wide World of Sports. As a kid, on Saturday afternoons, it introduced me to such far flung sports as Acapulco Cliff Diving, the Cresta at St. Moritz, Curling, Cross Country Skiing and Logrolling. I was fascinated by all of these, and others, as they were so foreign to my experience. While I never did any of these things personally, it contributed to my sense of what went on in The World and what captivated others.

People will also remember that the opening line of the program was: “The Thrill Of Victory And The Agony Of Defeat” and this brings me to what I wanted to discuss. What we know is that in any competitive endeavor, there will be those who win and those who do not win. While the level and intensity varies from person to person, I suspect that we all have at least a touch of competitiveness somewhere in our DNA.

So, a couple of days ago was 2024 edition of the Indianapolis 500. It was the 108th running of the event and over the years, the concept of the “The Thrill Of Victory And The Agony Of Defeat” is always on display. Some have been elevated by circumstances to take the victory. Still others have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The 33 starters included 8 former winners of the event. From my estimation, roughly half the field had a legitimate shot to win the event. One by one, the potential contenders fell by the wayside. Around Lap 150 to 160 (out of 200) the real contenders began to emerge. As the lap count continued, contenders would fall away until the event came down to the final 2 with a handful of laps to go: Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden. With about a lap to go, Newgarden made a daring pass for the lead and took the victory.

From these 2 photos it is easy to tell who won and who did not.

I think the message is that as hard as you practice and as hard as you analyze, and as thoroughly as you prepare, sometimes it just isn’t your day. At that point, the choices are clear: quit or pack up, get down the road and analyze where things went south. One thing that I have learned from watching motorsports for over 60 years is that very competitive people do not quit. They regroup, they analyze, they reconsider, they soul search and they come back. They will do nothing less.

Recently at the annual Cannes Film Festival:
Trans Actress Karla Sophia Gascon Makes History!

Here’s a state specific thread for all things Virginia. Land of the Cardinal and the Dogwood; the ocean beaches and the Appalachians….. So feel free to reply away…. hugs

https://www.queerty.com/trans-auto-racer-charlie-martin-on-her-love-for-top-gun-being-a-role-model-nearly-dying-behind-the-wheel-20240307?unapproved=1562035&moderation-hash=dfed76ae6ea8e78c1c3ebb156cc2ed28#comment-1562035

What would you like to see here? Something not covered that you would join? Suggestions welcome! Add your thoughts here.

• This topic was modified 4 months ago by Alexandria (AKA Alex).

I have a lifelong fascination with machinery of all kinds. While the engineer in me has an appreciation of the technologies involved, but in many cases, the sights and sounds are an entity unto themselves. There is something very special to me about a machine doing what it was designed to do at the edges of its performance envelope.

In 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese auto manufacturer to win the LeMans 24 Hour endurance race. Not long after, the rules changed such that rotary engines were outlawed. That means that it is highly likely that no rotary engines will ever compete in the future.

The 4-rotor Wankel rotary engine that Mazda built for the 787b produced a maximum of 900hp, but for the race it was limited to about 700hp in the interest of reliability.

The drivers were: Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and Bertrand Gachot

20 years later, Johnny Herbert did a commemorative lap around the LeMans circuit. The following link will take you to the video of 5:40 of glorious full throttle sound around the course. It just SINGS!