1972 Merc LP1418

Check this out

I suppose there's first times for everything - this is a screenshot from my computer showing my modem signal strength! Four bars - never had that before!

I just had to post this - I have never had this amount of signal strength on my wireless service at home before.... I keep checking to see if it has changed! Well, I can say this is a bloody terrific surprise!

Crystal Chandeliers - Simon Peters (aka Simon Donegan)

Kevin Collins - From An Island To An Island

This is a wonderful singer from Newfoundland and Labrador named Kevin Collins - Irish by descent but Newfoundland born and raised! These 2 videos are of one of his biggest hits - written by Loyola Hearn, the current Canadian Ambassador to Ireland. It was originally written as The Green To The Green but Kevin titled it From An Island To An Island!

Lyrics:

My father left old Ireland, so many years ago

He left his home in Galway, where the green, green shamrocks grow

He met my darling mother on a boat to Newfoundland

And it didn't take him long before, he won her heart and hand

They both came to this island, as happy as could be

To settle down together, and raise a family

They built a little cottage, and started to combine

The green of the shamrock, with the green of the pine

From an island to an island, from the green to the green

They left their homes to settle in a place they never seen

They exchanged the hills of Newfoundland for the ones they left behind

And the green of the shamrock for the green of the pine

As their family grew around them, their eyes shone bright with pride

They'd go to church each Sunday morn' strolling side by side

Each evening 'round the turf-fire to heaven would ascend

The decades of the rosary for all in Ireland

Now the years passed by so quickly, and death we all must face

We laid our loving parents in their final resting place

Yet they taught me to be thankful for this heritage that's mine

The green of the shamrock for the green of the pine

From an island to an island, from the green to the green

They left their homes to settle in a place they never seen

They exchanged the hills of Newfoundland for the ones they left behind

And the green of the shamrock for the green of the pine

And the green of the shamrock for the green of the pine

The Honourable Loyola Hearn PC, MP - the 28th Canadian Ambassador to The People's Republic of Ireland and, like Kevin, a Newfoundland native and composer of this beautiful song

Volkswagen Amarok Uber Ute

The new Amarok, Volkswagen's first foray into the 1 tonne ute market

This is the Trendline version

I had the opportunity to meet up with a mate on Facebook who happens to be a sales rep at Iverach Volkswagen in Dubbo today and was able to look at the Amarok in more detail.... this fine example of a ute is available now and will be available in four models: Amarok, Amarok Trendline, Amarok Highline and Amarok Ultimate! All standard with RWD or equipped with optional permanant or selectable 4Motion 4WD......

Base model Amarok - easily distinguishable by the steel wheels

The Amarok starts out with a base model - very well equipped, even for a base model.... TDI400 twin-turbocharged diesel (120kW/400Nm), 6 speed manual gearbox, 6 airbags and more. Cloth trim and airconditioning finish the Amarok off, as do steel wheels with 205R16C 110/108T Pirelli tyres. Similar Japs are the HiLux SR, Triton GL, Ranger XL and BT50 DX.

Amarok Trendline

Next up the line is the Amarok Trendline - easily identifiable by the Taruma 16" alloy wheels with Continental ContiContact 245/70R16 111T tyres. Basically the same as the base Amarok but with the alloy wheels and the TDI400 twin-turbo diesel engine (120kW/400Nm)! Specced similar to the GLX-R Triton.

Amarok Highline

The third model to come out at launch is the Amarok Highline - same specs as the Trendline but fitted with dual zone auto climate control, Durban alloy wheels with Continental ContiContact 255/60R18 112T tyres and many more options. This is the one to get if you want specs similar to the HiLux SR5, Triton GLS, Ranger XLT and BT50 SDX.

More updates to come from me - stay tuned!

UPDATE: The Amarok is the only ute to gain the maximum five star ANCAP safety rating - check out the following link for more info: ANCAP Test Results - Volkswagen Amarok 4WD Uber Ute

Irish Country Music Radio

This is an advert for the finest online country music radio station in Ireland, Irish Country Music Radio! Feel free to have a listen at http://www.irishcountrymusicradio.com

My work for sale on RedBubble

AGMates Website - I'm a Member!

Visit AGMates

Golden Oldies Truck Club Helicopter Scenic Flight

What a way to spend about 22 minutes of a wonderfully sunny and cloud free Saturday morning!

This is the beautiful Robinson R44 helicopter, owned by Helicruz Orange, that I was previledged to be the very first passenger for the day in at the Golden Oldies Truck Club Truck & Tractor Show on Saturday August 7, 2010 - the first time in a piston engined helicopter after getting used to a Bell 206B-III JetRanger turbine helicopter. The pilot was really good - shared yarns and I showed him a few things around the town.... like my work, all the odd stuff around North Dubbo and more! Well worth the money if you can do it! Helicruz is a highly recommended company for scenic flights - contact the Orange branch on 0438272441 or go to http://www.helicruz.com.au/ohome.html

ERF EC127 DDEC

Today I thought I would share this photo - it is of a pair of ERF EC127 DDEC's owned by Cawley Brothers of Cludwyr, Ireland.

Both are powered by the extremely popular North American Detroit Diesel Series 60 rated at either 370hp or 430hp with 13 speed RoadRanger transmissions and Meritor drive axles and (in the case of T515 JCC) a midlift steer axle!

Thanks to Dave Gothard for the photo and reply on these wonderful trucks - just goes to show that not just American trucks do not get the S60 Detroit, but the best of the Brits can beat them at their own game!

Business Recommendations

Just a quick post (which will always be added to when I hear more good reports about businesses in Dubbo and diistricts)!

First cab off the rank is a new limousine business in Dubbo: Pristine Limousines. Owned and operated by the Towers family, Pristine Limousines has a distinctive limousine: a $180,000 stretch Dodge Nitro wagon which seats 13 people! Good for a buck's night or things like that, the Nitro is a ideal vehicle in which to travel to your event in style! Also available is another Nitro, this time it's a sedan version! Call Pristine Limousines Dubbo on 02 68854651, email them info@pristinelimousines.com.au or visit http://www.pristinelimousines.com.au/

Next is a fairly new helicopter business based out of Orange called Helicruz - I was fortunate enough to be first passenger in their beautiful Robinson R44 helicopter yesterday and would recommend them to anyone! Helicruz is a highly recommended company for scenic flights - contact the Orange branch on 0438272441 or go to http://www.helicruz.com.au/ohome.html

Subaru Australia's diesel line-up as of June 7th, 2010

Standard models:
Outback Diesel: http://www.subaru.com.au/models/outback/2.0_Diesel/wagon/overview/
Forester Diesel: http://www.subaru.com.au/models/forester/2.0_Diesel/wagon/overview/

Premium models:
Outback Premium Diesel: http://www.subaru.com.au/models/outback/2.0_Diesel_Premium/wagon/overview/
Forester Premium Diesel: http://www.subaru.com.au/models/forester/2.0_Diesel_Premium/wagon/overview/

These two models (in both standard and Premium) are the cars so far to be released by Subaru Australia to have the world's first boxer diesel engine! Stay tuned for a review of both the Outback Diesel and the Forester Diesel as I will be heading down to our local dealer for a look and to get some photos!

Rita MacNeil and Men of The Deeps - Working Man

New widget on blog!

Just thought I would share this:

Sign by Danasoft - Get Your Free Sign

I know what you is up to.... hehehehe!

Joe

Prime Mover Review

Review - Prime Mover
Author: Joe Hupp

Prime Mover is a adrenaline-packed, diesel-charged movie starring:

Michael Dorman as Thomas
Emily Barclay as Melissa
Ben Mendelsohn as Johnnie
Gyton Grantley as Repo Man 1
William McInnes as Phil
Anthony Hayes as Salesman / Mechanic / Business Man / Foreman
Andrew S. Gilbert as Thomas' Dad
Lynette Curran as Mrs Boyd
Jeanette Cronin as Melissa's Mum
Anni Finsterer as Thomas' Mum
Scott McLean as Repo 2 'Jimmy'

All the trucks were sourced in Dubbo or surrounds, as was the service station, the pub and transport depot. How they made the scene of the service station and the transport depot into one continuous item is beyone me - but they did a bloody terrific job!

Dorman, as Thomas McCully (who is a real life pinstriper who lives out at Wongarbon), fills the main character's role easily.... when he falls in love with Melissa, things take an about-turn when she drops the bombshell that she is pregnant.....

Are You Teasing Me - Roly Daniels and Dee Reilly

Utes In The Paddock

This is the latest tourism endeavour in central NSW - called Utes In The Paddock, it epitomises the quintessential Aussie vehicle, the ute! To see more, go to Utes In The Paddock by clicking on the text to the left of this writing!

One of the utes in the collection is "Clancy Stops The Overflow" by Peter Mortimore! Here you can see this ute: http://www.utesinthepaddock.com.au/ute-artists/peter-mortimore.php

4932MO - Langley's of Dubbo Leyland Atlantean #2830

This old bus is another of those memory jerkers - it's a old Leyland Atlantean double decker! I have caught this bus when I was younger as it was transport for our Year 10 formal, the final one for Delroy High as it was known then!

Subaru Legacy Boxer Diesel - a test drive

Further to my post on the Aussie spec Subaru Outback 2.0D from 2 weeks ago today, this is a European spec Liberty, known as the Legacy, with the Boxer Diesel engine.... test driven in The Netherlands!

Enjoy!

Eamon McCann - Livin' On Love

A wonderful Irish cover of Alan Jackson's big hit, Livin' On Love! I am honoured to have Eamon as a friend on MySpace - he has a wonderful cover of Randy Travis's Three Wooden Crosses which he performed live at the NICMA! Will post this one later!