Economic (Dis)Indicators

So I needed a steno refill pad for in my work portfolio, and I took Moonshine ("Adventure! Yay! Vrum!") to Morristown to the shopping center that includes Hobby Lobby and Ross. They also have a Dollar Tree, where I got the steno pad.

Well, on the way there, I saw a Bradley GT in somebody's back yard and thought Well, so somebody bought it. Load off my mind. But just the same, I decided to return the long way through the neighborhood were the one was for sale--and it hadn't moved AT ALL.

TWO Bradley GT IIs within ten miles of each other? What are the odds?

Still, my Mad Scientist labcoat wants to be put on and set me to making monsters. I noticed from Westfield's website that the XTR works would fit in the body shell (thanks _eljefe_!) but they don't offer the kit anymore. Hmm. SOMEBODY must be doing something likeable, closer to the Manor and cheaper to boot.

Meanwhile, the recovery isn't recovering worth a darn. I counted four major properties on the west side of Morris Boulevard in Morristown that were sitting empty and forlorn. I won't consider this place out of recession till one of those gets a business tenant again.

Wishlists, Mathematics, And Other Strange Stuff

For my Week 4 entry in the Wishlist sweepstakes at Amazon.com...over on saferacer.com I found the version of Alpine Stars driving suit that The Stig wears on Top Gear. They're on special this season, but I'll never be able to afford to buy one myself. I could probably get a huge chunk of my existing Wishlist for what this one article of clothing costs!

For somebody who can't exactly watch the show I'm becoming a big fan.

As for the Power Lap project, I did a little research. I'd done an estimate from the drawing I had here earlier that it was probably around 1.5 miles around--and then I found a source that told me it is 1.76 miles. If so, completing the circuit in exactly 60 seconds makes the average speed just over 105 mph.

Actually, this makes sense as there are no places to really go flat out, and a lot of hard braking and cornering is involved.

So a little cribsheet to compare to the numbers for The Stig's runs and Celebrity In A Reasonably Priced Car:

Speed to Lap Time
170 km/h = 0:59.7
100 MPH = 1:03.4
160 km/h = 1:03.5
95 MPH = 1:06.7
150 km/h = 1:07.7
90 MPH = 1:10.4
140 km/h = 1:12.5
85 MPH = 1:14.1
130 km/h = 1:18.1
80 MPH = 1:19.2
75 MPH = 1:24.5
120 km/h = 1:24.6
70 MPH = 1:30.5
110 km/h = 1:32.3
65 MPH = 1:37.5
100 km/h = 1:41.5

And anything slower than that, is not important. (To paraphrase Raul Julia in The Gumball Rally)