Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
International protest of Uber by cabbies last month, London,Paris, Madrid, Berlin... and in San Fransisco, a taxi cab president predicts cabs will be out of business by 2016
More than 30,000 drivers from London, Paris, Madrid, and Berlin blocked access to airports, shopping districts, and tourist centers, in hopes that the demonstrations would convince regulators to apply stricter rules to Uber. The biggest turnout is in London, with an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 drivers of black cabs and private hire cars converging on Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square, snarling traffic in a "go-slow protest."
On the other side of the globe, taxi drivers in Rio de Janeiro also disrupted traffic to protest Uber ahead of the World Cup.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3031779/most-innovative-companies/on-two-continents-cabbies-protest-uber-by-bringing-traffic-to-a-st
But why are they protesting, what are Uber and Lyft if not just other taxi services? (answer...honest)
.... San Francisco's taxi system is notoriously horrible, with too few cabs on the road, too many cabbies who lie about having broken credit card machines so customers will pay cash, and problematic drivers.
A look at 1,700 customer complaints by the Bay Citizen reveals all sorts of issues, including cabbies smoking, texting while driving, falling asleep at the wheel, and just being rude.
In some cities, ridesharing services like Lyft, Sidecar, and Uber are just starting to take hold. But in San Francisco, they're already clobbering the taxi industry. The president of DeSoto Cab Co., one of the biggest cab companies in the city, said in a recent interview that he would be surprised if San Francisco's cab industry survives another 18 months.
It's not that ridesharing services are perfect, but when getting a cab is nearly impossible, apps promise quick rider pick-ups, online payments, and these new rideshare companies have two-way driver/rider rating systems.... and taxis? Don't.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3031448/heres-an-idea/head-of-san-francisco-cab-company-predicts-lyft-and-uber-will-put-the-industry
On the other side of the globe, taxi drivers in Rio de Janeiro also disrupted traffic to protest Uber ahead of the World Cup.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3031779/most-innovative-companies/on-two-continents-cabbies-protest-uber-by-bringing-traffic-to-a-st
But why are they protesting, what are Uber and Lyft if not just other taxi services? (answer...honest)
.... San Francisco's taxi system is notoriously horrible, with too few cabs on the road, too many cabbies who lie about having broken credit card machines so customers will pay cash, and problematic drivers.
A look at 1,700 customer complaints by the Bay Citizen reveals all sorts of issues, including cabbies smoking, texting while driving, falling asleep at the wheel, and just being rude.
In some cities, ridesharing services like Lyft, Sidecar, and Uber are just starting to take hold. But in San Francisco, they're already clobbering the taxi industry. The president of DeSoto Cab Co., one of the biggest cab companies in the city, said in a recent interview that he would be surprised if San Francisco's cab industry survives another 18 months.
It's not that ridesharing services are perfect, but when getting a cab is nearly impossible, apps promise quick rider pick-ups, online payments, and these new rideshare companies have two-way driver/rider rating systems.... and taxis? Don't.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3031448/heres-an-idea/head-of-san-francisco-cab-company-predicts-lyft-and-uber-will-put-the-industry
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
new concept for parking signs... simply with good design
One small snag, colorblind people have trouble with green and red.
Sylianteng has been going around Manhattan and Brooklyn hanging up rogue revamped parking signs. “A friend of mine called it functional graffiti,” she says. She’ll stick a laminated version right below the city-approved version and ask drivers to leave comments. In that way, Sylianteng’s design is still a ways away from being a reality, but so far, she’s gotten pretty good feedback. “One person wrote: ‘The is awesome. The mayor should hire you.’”
Found on http://www.wired.com/2014/07/a-redesigned-parking-sign-so-simple-youll-never-get-towed-again/
instead of training wheels... a gyro for added balance and stability in kids first bikes and old people's last bikes
The secret is a quickly-spinning disc inside the front wheel, which uses gyroscopic force to automatically balance the small bike whenever it starts to wobble. For kids, it’s a way to learn how to ride a bike in an hour or two.
But unlike using training wheels, it starts teaching the art of balance from the beginning; if you lean too heavily, the bike will tip over.
We found a sweet spot to provide a lot of stability to give the child confidence, which is sort of half the battle with kids learning to ride.”
Sometime next year, the company plans to introduce an adult version as well, intended mostly for older riders who have balance issues or those with disabilities.
"So you would have an adult who might be more or less wobbly, depending on the speed and their abilities and their height, and the Jyrobike would automatically compensate for that until they become stable." The company is working on research now with the government in the Netherlands, where 70% of trips happen by bike.
(interesting... of course, getting a 3 wheeler first gets kids used to steering without dealing with the balance issue. Baby steps idea to learning to ride 101)
Found on http://www.fastcoexist.com/3031873/fund-this/no-more-training-wheels-this-bike-for-kids-just-wont-fall-over?utm_campaign=home&utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=exchange&partner=tumblr
Monday, July 14, 2014
Bertone is bankrupt, it's assets are going to get auctioned off
Bertone's wonderful concepts are for sale, but only in their entirety: the collection is classified as Italy's "historic national heritage," and must remain intact. Other than that, it's a few buildings, some land, possibly a production facility—and not even the name or logo, whose rights expire at the end of the year.
For the whole article: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140711/CARNEWS/140719980
For the whole article: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140711/CARNEWS/140719980
youngest ever
Phoenix Arizona native Matt McMurry, youngest to ever start Le Mans, age 16 years, 202 days. The previous record was 17 yr old Pedro Rodriguez in 1959.
His dad had raced in LeMans, and both father and son were team-mates with Chris Dyson.
Monday, July 7, 2014
meanwhile... in auction news, it turned out to be a waste of time to store a '95 ZR1 since day one of ownership
19 years of storing a ZR1 and not driving it... it had 60 miles on the odometer, was proven to be a mistake at the May 13th Mecum auction, when the latest investor/owner auctioned it off and got zero profit. They should have just driven it home and finally enjoyed the car they been storing. For 19 years. 19 years of hoping to profit from it, and they sold it for $64,800. They paid at least the $68,000 that Chevrolet asked for it.
So, if storage is a factor, and time is worth money... and that sure had to be a gut punch to discover that they'd either sold too soon and not kept it until the value went higher... or realized that it never will, because a new Corvette is only worth about 60 thou, and a 20 year old one isn't going to draw the same money as a better one that's new and doesn't need new rubber hoses and what not to be driveable but not as competitive, but looks about the same.
So, if storage is a factor, and time is worth money... and that sure had to be a gut punch to discover that they'd either sold too soon and not kept it until the value went higher... or realized that it never will, because a new Corvette is only worth about 60 thou, and a 20 year old one isn't going to draw the same money as a better one that's new and doesn't need new rubber hoses and what not to be driveable but not as competitive, but looks about the same.
no daytime speed limit of Montana, what happened to that? Answer - one asshole cop (Ken Braidenbach) pulled over guy (Rudy Stanko) who challenged his speeding ticket for 85mph in an unsafe area
Neither Nevada nor Montana had a daytime speed limit before before the the 1974 action that made 55 the federal speed limit... and when the double nickel was repealed in 1995 reverted to the original anything goes at your own risk... Rudy, who is easily found by Google due to his frequent legal problems was driving 85 mph. No big deal, I do it a lot. But he was in some area with no shoulders, narrow, and had frost heaves (according to the asshole cop qwho had to come up with some reason to arrest the driver) was hilly and curvy, and the cop and the judge who dissented from the majority of the rest of the judges on the case found that driving over hills and around curves is inherently unsafe because you can't see over hills and around corners. Appearantly, the judge and cop never do so. Saints among us, just absolute angels. (assholes)
So driving on a 2 lane in March 1996, in a 1996 Camaro with new tires, in full daylight, with no traffic and no other discernable elements to make his 85mph "unsafe" caused an asshole cop to pull over the Camaro. Damn cliche!
You can read the entire case, and it's effing great to read the legal brief that explains the appeal to the speeding ticket based on the vague nature of unconstitutional, but in brief, the cop, and the effing attorney general of the state of Montana could come up with no reason to arrest and ticket the driver Rudy. SO :
¶ 28 It is evident from the testimony in this case and the arguments to the Court that the average motorist in Montana would have no idea of the speed at which he or she could operate his or her motor vehicle on this State's highways without violating Montana's “basic rule” based simply on the speed at which he or she is traveling. Furthermore, the basic rule not only permits, but requires the kind of arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement that the due process clause in general, and the void-for-vagueness doctrine in particular, are designed to prevent. It impermissibly delegates the basic public policy of how fast is too fast on Montana's highways to “policemen, judges, and juries for resolution on an ad hoc and subjective basis.” Grayned, 408 U.S. at 109, 92 S.Ct. at 2299, 33 L.Ed.2d at 228. -
¶ 29 For example, the statute requires that a motor vehicle operator and Montana's law enforcement personnel take into consideration the amount of traffic at the location in question, the condition of the vehicle's brakes, the vehicle's weight, the grade and width of the highway, the condition of its surface, and its freedom from obstruction to the view ahead. However, there is no specification of how these various factors are to be weighted, or whether priority should be given to some factors as opposed to others. This case is a good example of the problems inherent in trying to consistently apply all of these variables in a way that gives motorists notice of the speed at which the operation of their vehicle becomes a violation of the law. For all practical purposes, there was no other traffic on the highway at the time that Stanko was arrested, the condition of his vehicle was excellent, the surface of the road was dry, and the view ahead was unobstructed for a distance of at least 249 to 374 feet. On the other hand, the road was narrow, there were hills and curves which presented some degree of obstruction to the view ahead, and there was an occasional frost heave on the surface of the road. A reasonable speed under these circumstances would require a calculation of sight distances and stopping distances for the particular vehicle. These functions are normally provided by engineers employed by highway departments who then post signs indicating when it is necessary to reduce speed on a curve or hill crest in order to safely operate a motor vehicle. It is not the kind of decision that the average motor vehicle operator is qualified to make, and not the kind of decision that policemen or highway patrolmen should be called upon to make. Most importantly, for constitutional purposes, even if law enforcement officials were qualified to make those kinds of judgments, the statute would not satisfy the requirement that a motor vehicle operator of average intelligence know what conduct is prohibited and when his or her conduct is going to be subject to criminal penalties. -
I learned about this from Car and Driver magazine, August 2014, page 66. They really should have reprinted the legal brief, http://caselaw.findlaw.com/mt-supreme-court/1110919.html it's fantastic.
And so, they had to put up speed limits in Montana because cops aren't able to use better professional judgement to give speeding tickets.
So driving on a 2 lane in March 1996, in a 1996 Camaro with new tires, in full daylight, with no traffic and no other discernable elements to make his 85mph "unsafe" caused an asshole cop to pull over the Camaro. Damn cliche!
You can read the entire case, and it's effing great to read the legal brief that explains the appeal to the speeding ticket based on the vague nature of unconstitutional, but in brief, the cop, and the effing attorney general of the state of Montana could come up with no reason to arrest and ticket the driver Rudy. SO :
¶ 28 It is evident from the testimony in this case and the arguments to the Court that the average motorist in Montana would have no idea of the speed at which he or she could operate his or her motor vehicle on this State's highways without violating Montana's “basic rule” based simply on the speed at which he or she is traveling. Furthermore, the basic rule not only permits, but requires the kind of arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement that the due process clause in general, and the void-for-vagueness doctrine in particular, are designed to prevent. It impermissibly delegates the basic public policy of how fast is too fast on Montana's highways to “policemen, judges, and juries for resolution on an ad hoc and subjective basis.” Grayned, 408 U.S. at 109, 92 S.Ct. at 2299, 33 L.Ed.2d at 228. -
¶ 29 For example, the statute requires that a motor vehicle operator and Montana's law enforcement personnel take into consideration the amount of traffic at the location in question, the condition of the vehicle's brakes, the vehicle's weight, the grade and width of the highway, the condition of its surface, and its freedom from obstruction to the view ahead. However, there is no specification of how these various factors are to be weighted, or whether priority should be given to some factors as opposed to others. This case is a good example of the problems inherent in trying to consistently apply all of these variables in a way that gives motorists notice of the speed at which the operation of their vehicle becomes a violation of the law. For all practical purposes, there was no other traffic on the highway at the time that Stanko was arrested, the condition of his vehicle was excellent, the surface of the road was dry, and the view ahead was unobstructed for a distance of at least 249 to 374 feet. On the other hand, the road was narrow, there were hills and curves which presented some degree of obstruction to the view ahead, and there was an occasional frost heave on the surface of the road. A reasonable speed under these circumstances would require a calculation of sight distances and stopping distances for the particular vehicle. These functions are normally provided by engineers employed by highway departments who then post signs indicating when it is necessary to reduce speed on a curve or hill crest in order to safely operate a motor vehicle. It is not the kind of decision that the average motor vehicle operator is qualified to make, and not the kind of decision that policemen or highway patrolmen should be called upon to make. Most importantly, for constitutional purposes, even if law enforcement officials were qualified to make those kinds of judgments, the statute would not satisfy the requirement that a motor vehicle operator of average intelligence know what conduct is prohibited and when his or her conduct is going to be subject to criminal penalties. -
¶ 30 For these reasons, we conclude that that part of § 61-8-303(1), MCA, which makes it a criminal offense to operate a motor vehicle “at a rate of speed ․ greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation” is void for vagueness on its face and in violation of the Due Process Clause of Article II, Section 17, of the Montana Constitution.
¶ 31 We do not, however, mean to imply that motorists who lose control of their vehicle or endanger the life, limb, or property of others by the operation of their vehicle on a street or highway cannot be punished for that conduct pursuant to other statutes, such as § 61-8-301, MCA (reckless driving), or § 61-8-302, MCA (careless driving). We simply hold that Montanans cannot be charged, prosecuted, and punished for speed alone without notifying them of the speed at which their conduct violates the law.
I learned about this from Car and Driver magazine, August 2014, page 66. They really should have reprinted the legal brief, http://caselaw.findlaw.com/mt-supreme-court/1110919.html it's fantastic.
And so, they had to put up speed limits in Montana because cops aren't able to use better professional judgement to give speeding tickets.
in a rare unique situation, a train derailed and dumped planes into a river. Probably has never happened before, ever
Made in Kansas and transported to Washington... because how does that make sense? anyway, the train derailed in Montana... and now these are probably ready to scrap. Who would risk buying them?
Found on http://gentlemint.com/ via http://failuremag.com/failure_analysis/article/bnsf-plane-train-fail/ and a gallery of more images can be found at www.imgur.com/gallery/EJVBCzL
Thursday, July 3, 2014
The most expensive motorcycle sold at auction, 1910 Winchester, $580,000
Found on http://thevintagent.blogspot.com.br/2014/04/the-worlds-most-expensive-motorcycle-or.html
Winchester, the legendary name in American guns, and for a very short while (1909-11) sold motorcycles under its badge, using single-cylinder Marsh-Metz engines. The Winchester was clutchless with a flat belt direct-drive, and a total-loss battery ignition; motorcycling at its most basic, yet still selling for a very expensive $160.
Apparently around 200 Winchesters were produced under contract by the Edwin F Merry company in San Francisco,
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
33 years later, a stolen Corvette is returned to it's owner
George Talley, a 71-year-old Detroit man was informed by AAA and the Michigan State Police that his stolen Chevrolet Corvette had been found... after 33 years in Hattiesburg, MS.
That's when General Motors Executive Vice President Mark Reuss heard the story on a local news station, and offered to have the car shipped back to Detroit so Talley could be reunited with it.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/01/gm-reunites-corvette-owner-car-stolen-33-years-ago-video/
That's when General Motors Executive Vice President Mark Reuss heard the story on a local news station, and offered to have the car shipped back to Detroit so Talley could be reunited with it.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/01/gm-reunites-corvette-owner-car-stolen-33-years-ago-video/
stats about the recalls from GM
According to TheDetroitBureau.com, via http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/01/yearly-auto-recall-record-demolished-in-6-months/ the US recall total has hit 39.85-million vehicles to surpass the previous record of 33.01 million in 2004.
Perhaps more surprising, with over 26 million repairs pending, it's still quite possibly that GM could recall more vehicles by the end of the year than the 27.96-million unit total of the entire US auto industry last year.
For a full look at GM vehicles recalled: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/06/30/gm-recalling-8-million-cars-ignition-problems-official/
Perhaps more surprising, with over 26 million repairs pending, it's still quite possibly that GM could recall more vehicles by the end of the year than the 27.96-million unit total of the entire US auto industry last year.
For a full look at GM vehicles recalled: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/06/30/gm-recalling-8-million-cars-ignition-problems-official/
7,610,862 vehicles in North America being recalled for unintended ignition key rotation. 6,805,679 are in the United States.
1997-2005 Chevrolet Malibu
1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero
1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am
2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala
2000-2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
A second group of vehicles* are being recalled for a slightly different ignition key rotation issue (more details below). 616,179 of these vehicles are in North America, with 554,328 found in the United States.
2004-2006 Cadillac SRX
2003-2014 Cadillac CTS
Additionally 20,134 North American vehicles are being recalled because "insulation on the engine block heater power cord (if equipped) may become damaged during very cold conditions." 2,990 of these vehicles are in the United States.
2011-2014 Chevrolet Cruze
2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic
2013-2014 Chevrolet Trax
2013-2014 Buick Encore
2013-2014 Buick Verano
117 vehicles in North America "may not have had a 'Superhold' joint fastener torqued to specification at the assembly plant." 106 of these vehicles are in the US.
2014 Chevrolet Camaro
2014 Chevrolet Impala
2014 Buick Regal
2014 Cadillac XTS
12,002 vehicles in North America are being recalled because "an overload in the feed may cause the underhood fusible link to melt due to electrical overload, resulting in potential smoke or flames that could damage the electrical center cover and/or the nearby wiring harness conduit." 9,371 of the affected vehicles are in the US.
2007-2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD (with auxiliary battery)
2007-2011 GMC Sierra HD (with auxiliary battery)
Finally, 188,705 SUVs in North America are being recalled due to "a possible electrical short in the driver's door module that could disable the power door lock and window switches and, in rare cases, overheat the module." Here, 181,984 of these vehicles are in the US.
2005-2007 Buick Ranier
2005-2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
2005-2007 GMC Envoy
2005-2007 Isuzu Ascender
2005-2007 Saab 9-7X
2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT
2006 GMC Envoy XL
Monday, June 30, 2014
hilarious, and terrific. Finally with women getting into pro racing in various sports, they're putting a spin on the normal nonsense
Ana Carrasco who is the first to be riding among the boys in Moto3 class, and yet another exciting revolutionar she brings into the GP is a hunk grid guy
Found on http://twowheeltwinkies.tumblr.com/ via http://racermaniac.tumblr.com/post/90238463752/we-love-ana-carrasco-as-we-know-that-shes-the
Friday, June 27, 2014
In other news, an official Mexican government helicopter crossed into the USA in Arizona, and fired two rounds of ammo
5:45am, Thursday June 26th. No reasonable explanation for doing either was given. http://time.com/2933940/mexico-us-border-patrol-helicopter/
I'm filing this under: news, helicopter, law enforcement
I'm filing this under: news, helicopter, law enforcement
It's official! A Rally Fighter is in the new Transformers movie!
Pretty damn cool to see an independent car company get some terrific product placement in a summer blockbuster legacy movie!
http://www.local-motors.com/
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/06/local-motors-rally-fighter-in-new.html for a couple screen shots and the movie trailer
Thursday, June 26, 2014
container ships... not very good at keeping things onboard. This would have been the 18th SLS to hit the Americas
Full story on http://autoblog.com.ar/2014/06/alas-mojadas-la-historia-del-mercedes-sls-que-cayo-al-rio-de-la-plata/ but in short, it was floating half submerged for 5 days before it was pulled out of the ocean.
Via http://www.carcrushing.com/waterlogged-sls-amg/
H&H (Mike Herman's flathead engine company) has grown by acquiring two other historic companies
He started by buying Navarro
Now Mike has added McCulloch Superchargers and Sharp Speed Equipment
That is pretty cool
Learned about this in Rod and Custom Magazine
Now Mike has added McCulloch Superchargers and Sharp Speed Equipment
That is pretty cool
Learned about this in Rod and Custom Magazine
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
News flash... mass firings at Source Interlink, and magazine distribution is going down the drain
75 positions were eliminated, some good and expensive ones. Compare the cost of So Cal (El Segundo is the office location of Source Interlink) with the lower peninsula of Michigan (Ann Arbor is home to Automobile Magazine). That probably explains the trouble of being profitable in So Cal. This doesn't explain the relocation of Automobile Magazine to El Segundo, but.. it's likely they decided to move it all under one roof. Less rent and cost of two offices. http://autowriters.com/ Jean Jennings, president and editor of Automobile Magazine (a favorite of mine) opted out, was fired, or decided to not uproot her life to stay with the magazine. Since magazines aren't doing so well, it's a good time to move on.
Source Interlink Media is shuttering the print editions of Popular Hot Rodding, Rod andCustom, High Performance Pontiac, Custom Classic Trucks, 4 Wheel Drive and SUV, Mud Life, 5.0 Mustang, Modified Mustangs and Fords, Camaro Performers, GM Hi-Tech, Import Tuner and Honda Tuning. http://adage.com/article/media/source-interlink-media-folds-lays-100-employees/293469/
I can tell you Popular Hot Rodding has sucked for a while. It was pretty good last year, but I doubt I spent 10 minutes an issue the last 6 issues
Automobile's circulation in the last six months of 2013 averaged 569,671,
Print ad pages have declined 4.3% through June from the equivalent six months a year earlier, according to Media Industry Newsletter.
Motor Trend, which has a circulation of more than 1.1 million, saw ad pages fall off 15.4% during that time.
And it seems the highest ranked car websites (Autoblog, the Truth About Cars, Leftlanenews) are maybe having a bit of trouble.
The writer of the referenced article below is pretty rough on blogs, most magazine writers and publishers seem to be snobs and elitist regarding blogs vs magazines. Must be the dilution of the ad revenue, and no one feeling job security.
http://dailykanban.com/2014/05/30/the-buff-books-are-dying-and-the-car-blogs-are-right-behind-them/
One of the country’s largest magazine wholesalers officially went bust on Monday — one month after losing its largest customer. The parent of Source Interlink Distribution, which trucked magazines from warehouses to retailers for Time Inc. and others, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection after losing money for years.
While Time Inc., which publishes some of the best-read magazines in the country, like People, Sports Illustrated and InStyle, was the hardest-hit by Source’s shuttering, the entire industry felt the blow and some retailers could see a magazine shortage this summer as the industry looks for other companies to fill the void.
Source is owned by Golden Tree Asset Management, a hedge fund, with an 82 percent stake. JPMorgan owns 9.3 percent and GE Capital has a 5.7 percent stake.
The parent, Source Home Entertainment, owes Time Warner Retail Sales $53,776,843, according to court papers. Time Inc., in a filing, said it expected Source’s shutdown will decrease operating cash flows by $12 million.
Curtis Circulation Company, a national distributor for other magazine publishers, is owed $49.1 million, while CoMag Marketing Group, which is the national distributor for Condé Nast and Hearst titles, is owed $32.8 million, court filings show.
The latest Chapter 11 filing does not involve Source Interlink Media, which publishes special interest magazines including Motor Trend, Automobile and Hot Rod. Source owners had split the company in two earlier this year with separate boards.
http://nypost.com/2014/06/24/time-inc-feels-blow-after-source-files-for-chapter-11/
Source Interlink Media is shuttering the print editions of Popular Hot Rodding, Rod andCustom, High Performance Pontiac, Custom Classic Trucks, 4 Wheel Drive and SUV, Mud Life, 5.0 Mustang, Modified Mustangs and Fords, Camaro Performers, GM Hi-Tech, Import Tuner and Honda Tuning. http://adage.com/article/media/source-interlink-media-folds-lays-100-employees/293469/
I can tell you Popular Hot Rodding has sucked for a while. It was pretty good last year, but I doubt I spent 10 minutes an issue the last 6 issues
Automobile's circulation in the last six months of 2013 averaged 569,671,
Print ad pages have declined 4.3% through June from the equivalent six months a year earlier, according to Media Industry Newsletter.
Motor Trend, which has a circulation of more than 1.1 million, saw ad pages fall off 15.4% during that time.
And it seems the highest ranked car websites (Autoblog, the Truth About Cars, Leftlanenews) are maybe having a bit of trouble.
The writer of the referenced article below is pretty rough on blogs, most magazine writers and publishers seem to be snobs and elitist regarding blogs vs magazines. Must be the dilution of the ad revenue, and no one feeling job security.
http://dailykanban.com/2014/05/30/the-buff-books-are-dying-and-the-car-blogs-are-right-behind-them/
One of the country’s largest magazine wholesalers officially went bust on Monday — one month after losing its largest customer. The parent of Source Interlink Distribution, which trucked magazines from warehouses to retailers for Time Inc. and others, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection after losing money for years.
While Time Inc., which publishes some of the best-read magazines in the country, like People, Sports Illustrated and InStyle, was the hardest-hit by Source’s shuttering, the entire industry felt the blow and some retailers could see a magazine shortage this summer as the industry looks for other companies to fill the void.
Source is owned by Golden Tree Asset Management, a hedge fund, with an 82 percent stake. JPMorgan owns 9.3 percent and GE Capital has a 5.7 percent stake.
The parent, Source Home Entertainment, owes Time Warner Retail Sales $53,776,843, according to court papers. Time Inc., in a filing, said it expected Source’s shutdown will decrease operating cash flows by $12 million.
Curtis Circulation Company, a national distributor for other magazine publishers, is owed $49.1 million, while CoMag Marketing Group, which is the national distributor for Condé Nast and Hearst titles, is owed $32.8 million, court filings show.
The latest Chapter 11 filing does not involve Source Interlink Media, which publishes special interest magazines including Motor Trend, Automobile and Hot Rod. Source owners had split the company in two earlier this year with separate boards.
http://nypost.com/2014/06/24/time-inc-feels-blow-after-source-files-for-chapter-11/
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