Shuff's General Chat Thread ... #73 - Talk about anything and everything...  

Long time no see Mark...!

Bloody hell, the times these current crop of Yank cars are running...! GT3 RS? Yeah, what's that? Good lord.

So I'll be moving in July it looks like, pretty much all locked in now.
I will either be getting a 1 year old V12 Vantage S or a new Z06.

If I'm REAALLLYY able to work on the The Committee, maybe both...!

Summernats is my life: 'Bogan Barbie'

Meet Natalie Wardell: Australia's self-confessed Bogan Barbie.

She's got the blonde hair, tanned skin, and drives a candy pink Holden VS Clubsport bearing the number plates "Miss 5L".

It wasn't always pink; she changed it from black because too many thought she was driving her boyfriend's car.

"I've got more a dude's personality to be honest," she admits.

"People judge you on what you look like, so they think I'm this princess and that I'm not into cars.

"And then they see me come out in this car and they go 'Oh god, she's a bogan'."

It's a label she happily accepts.

And so does her family, who travel from the NSW Central Coast every year for Summernats.

Natalie's 20-year-old daughter Jazmyne wants a ride of her own - an HQ Holden, to be exact - and cruises around in the passenger seat of her mum's car, drawing stares, whistles and screams.

But they're not all from blokes.

The pair were waved down by a middle-aged woman for a photo to give her 20-year-old son, who was in hospital after being injured in a car accident.

"Can we get a photo with your girlfriend?" she asks, drawing laughs from mum and daughter.

Natalie has entered her Commodore into Summernats the last four years.

She's spent about $80,000 on it over the past decade, her most recent additions a black blower and new wheels.

The 44-year-old plans to redo the interior next year, and fill the boot with subwoofers.

With the car no longer roadworthy, there's no limit to what she can do.

A veteran of about 20 Summernats, Natalie says she's noticed the event has changed a lot over the years.

More women and kids, less rowdy men - not to mention, more clothes.

"Twenty years ago it was wild," she said.

"There was people walking around with g-strings on and boobs out - I haven't seen any boobs yet!

"I only think it's a bad thing for me ... because I like to come and run amok and do some skids and stuff like that.

"It's our life. We live for coming to the Summernats and we go on car cruises every weekend. It brings us closer as a family. It's great."

No winner of record Powerball jackpot, next draw put at $1.3 billion

No one won Saturday's record jackpot of nearly $950 million in the multi-state Powerball lottery, driving the haul for a winning ticket in the next draw to $1.3 billion - that's A$1.8 billion.

Millions of Americans anxiously checked their tickets for the winning combination of six numbers - 32, 16, 19, 57, 34 with a Powerball number of 13.

"No Powerball jackpot winner," the Texas Lottery announced on Twitter hours after the numbers were drawn.

"Since nobody won tonight's staggering $947.8 million jackpot, it has rolled to an estimated $1.3 billion for January 13," said a statement from officials in California, one of the 44 states, together with Washington D.C. and two U.S. territories, that participate in Powerball.

HARRISON FORD NAMED HIGHEST-GROSSING HOLLYWOOD ACTOR

Harrison Ford is the highest-grossing actor in Hollywood history with his 41 movies taking in over $4.7 billion at the box office.

The 73-year-old actor's 41 movies have grossed a total of $4.7 billion, with Harrison's latest movie, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', pulling in a whopping $770 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Harrison has ousted Samuel L. Jackson from the top spot, with the 67-year-old actor falling to second place.

His 68 movies have taken in a total of $4.6 billion.

Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman and Eddie Murphy round out the top five.

Meanwhile, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' director J.J. Abrams thinks that "certain people" from the movie "desperately" deserve Oscar nominations and while it has been speculated that he means Harrison, he has not given a name.

He said: "There are certain people that I know deserve it desperately. And it would be wonderful if they got it. I feel like the gift of working on that film is such that I don't need any further validation than the movie being out there and people liking the movie. There are people that I will be disappointed if they don't get nominated, because I think the work they did was really exemplary."

I was sent this clip Alpha,and immediately thought of you,with your love of working with timber,and those f'king Gum Trees down the back!Go out and buy yourself a chainsaw.



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Legendary Artist David Bowie Dies at 69

David Bowie has died after a battle with cancer, his rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."

More to come.

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David Bowie, the Legendary Musician, Has Died at 69
By THE NEW YORK TIMES JAN. 11, 2016

The legendary musician David Bowie has died at 69, according to his publicist.

His death was reported in posts on Facebook and Twitter, and confirmed by the publicist, Steve Martin, on Monday morning.

Mr. Martin did not provide a cause of death, but a statement on Mr. Bowie’s Facebook page said the singer had died after an 18-month battle with cancer.

The multitalented artist, whose last album, “Blackstar,” was released on Friday — on his birthday — was to be honored with a concert at Carnegie Hall on March 31 featuring the Roots, Cyndi Lauper and the Mountain Goats. He also has a musical, “Lazarus,” running Off Broadway.

Born David Jones on Jan. 8, 1947, in South London, Mr. Bowie rose to fame with “Space Oddity,” in 1969, and later through his jumpsuit-wearing alter ego Ziggy Stardust. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

In a post on Twitter, there musician’s son, Duncan Jones, said, “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all.”

Mr. Bowie was married to the international model Iman.

His last live performance was at a New York charity concert in 2006, according to Reuters.

I watched that vid,and when I saw it on the open road towing a trailer to the next venue,I thought,No f'king Way,but reading the comments on YouTube, apparently registering something like that is on a par with turning a VW into a Beach Buggy.Fuel consumption,not a problem, they use the same technology as the Chrysler 300,and just unload cylinders,fuel tank,I think it might be the trailer

Best all round bike in my opinion,i'll always have one in the stable. Lets just say the other is a 1000cc naked.

fcuk!!While I was typing that!David Bowie died,hope it wasn't my post,Ground Control,yet another Legend,gone!

It's a bummer when the bombs start landing closer,and closer,but just goes to show,money,lifestyles,fame,when it's your turn, you have no say in the matter,probably except for Mick Jagger,I think he,and Sir Cliff,will probably continue on failing to fall into the age/illness trap

2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus - Jay Leno's Garage
Jay Leno's Garage

Published on Jan 10, 2016
After skipping a year, the R8 has been reinvented. At 610 hp, it's Audi's most powerful production car ever, sharing half its components with the R8 LMS race car.

CCTV shows moment Mt Isa mum allegedly attacked

Shocking CCTV footage has emerged showing the moment a 36-year-old mother-of-two was knocked to the ground, allegedly by a drunk patron who had been refused entry to the Mount Isa pub she worked at.

Melissa Abdoo, from Happy Valley, was yesterday transported from Mount Isa to Townsville in a critical condition.

Her condition has since improved to stable after suffering bleeding on the brain.

Police allege Ms Abdoo, the duty manager at Mount Isa’s The Buffs Club, was working about midnight when she refused entry to a drunk 28-year-old.

She suggested he get a cab home, but police allege the man didn’t take her advice – instead throwing a potentially deadly “coward punch” when her back was turned.

It is believed she was speaking to the accused's wife when she was allegedly attacked.

“The male person has struck her from behind to her face and chest which resulted in her head making contact with ground,” a Queensland Police Service spokesman said.

The pub's manager Karen Graham said staff were heartbroken after the incident.

“We're all devastated, we're completely devastated, this is one of our family,” Ms Graham said.

“She's a great person and a great mum and she doesn't deserve this, nobody deserves this.”

The man, from Parkside, will appear in Mount Isa Magistrates Court on January 11 charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

He allegedly fled the scene and tried to outrun police, but was caught within the hour.

The latest alleged “coward punch” comes in the same week 18-year-old Cole Miller was killed.

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How Aussies can win A$2 billion

Wednesday’s US Powerball jackpot has swelled to an estimated $1.4 billion – or A$2 billion – and Aussies can buy tickets to be in for a chance to win what will be the world’s largest ever prize.

The odds to win are one in 292.2 million. Seventy-five percent of all the possible combinations were purchased before Saturday's drawing and lottery officials expect that enough tickets will be sold to cover about 80 percent by Wednesday – about 95 percent of Powerball tickets have computer-generated numbers.

The jackpot has ballooned since its November 4 starting point of $40 million, and spurred huge ticket sales.

The lottery tickets can be purchased online here by both US citizens and also by anyone outside the US.

“Although there are no authorised lottery retailers based outside of the US, our lottery ticket partner allows you to purchase US state and national lottery tickets from anywhere in the world,” Lottery USA says on its site.

Although a potential win for a non-US citizen is subject to taxation.

“Should a non-US citizen win a lottery prize, they are subject to federal withholding taxes for non-US citizens, which is 30 per cent of their winnings,” the website states.

“While this amount may vary depending on which state the winning ticket is claimed in, the amount that non-US citizens are taxed is very similar to that which is applied to US citizens.”

Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall engaged

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is engaged to former model Jerry Hall.

The engagement notice has been published in News Corp's London newspaper, The Times.

It will be the fourth marriage for Murdoch, 84. Hall has four children with Mick Jagger.