Charlie, The 92-Year-Old Hot Rodder
At 92, Charlie didn’t walk so much as swagger—albeit slowly—with a cane carved from the axle of his first 1940 Ford. Every Sunday, the suburb of Centennial would hear the unmistakable growl of his bluebird Pontiac, rebuilt from the ground up with a new LS3 engine and flames licking the sides like it had just outrun the devil himself. Charlie didn’t drive it for show; he drove it like he meant it! His leather gloves gripping the wheel and aviator shades shielding eyes that had seen war, heartbreak, and the rise and fall of rock ’n’ roll. Kids would line the sidewalks, phones out, waiting for the moment he peeled out of the diner parking lot like a man half his age and twice as alive.
But this Sunday was different. Charlie entered the old road where he used to race in the ’50s, which was now cracked and overgrown. He parked the hot rod at the intersection, stepped out, and looked down the faded stretch of asphalt as if it was a portal to every thrill he’d ever chased. With a grin, Charlie climbed back in, revved the engine, and let it rip—tires screaming, wind howling, memories flooding back in bursts of speed. He didn’t stop at the end. He just kept going, disappearing into the horizon like a legend who knew the road never really ends.
Why Restoring Old Cars Should be Illegal
Restoring old cars may seem like a nostalgic hobby, but it poses significant environmental and safety concerns that justify calls for its prohibition. These vehicles often lack modern emissions controls, meaning their restoration and continued use can contribute disproportionately to air pollution and carbon output. Additionally, sourcing outdated parts and materials encourages inefficient manufacturing practices and waste. The trade in old car parts can also fuel illegal activity, such as vehicle theft and unregulated salvage operations. From a safety standpoint, vintage cars typically fall short of current crash standards, putting drivers and others at greater risk on the road. Rather than romanticizing the past, we should prioritize sustainable transportation and innovation that aligns with today’s ecological and public safety needs.
Should Gearheads Be Put in Prison?
Whoa—let’s pump the brakes on that one ???? Gearheads, by definition, are just people who love cars, engines, and all things mechanical. That passion alone definitely doesn’t warrant prison time.
Now, if you’re referring to specific behaviors, like illegal street racing, reckless driving, or modifying vehicles in ways that violate safety laws, then yes, those actions can lead to legal consequences. But it’s the behavior, not the identity, that matters. Loving cars isn’t a crime; breaking the law is.
If you’re coming from a place of frustration, such as noisy neighbors revving engines at 2 a.m., I totally get it. Want to talk about how car culture affects communities or explore the ethics of street racing? I’m all ears.
SO NOW YOU ASK . . .
“Who wrote this garbage?” The correct answer is that no one wrote it. I did not write it, but I am responsible for it. I used ChatGPT, which is an artificial intelligence program, and I spent about five minutes getting these robotically written, perfectly spelled and punctuated results in answer to the questions I asked.
I find this to be alarming as from this moment forward I have to look at everything that is written and wonder how it came to be. Whose ideas got stolen, and who is actually responsible for the message? Any idiot can now publish words that impact multitudes of people. Some of it can be good, some of it can be bad, and some of it is downright poisonous. That new song that you are listening to may have no actual composer, but is the result of the answer to a one-line request by a knucklehead.
We now all have skin in the game of how this must be regulated. Colorado has a tentative law on the books that will be debated in the upcoming special session of the legislature. I sincerely hope that they do not get bought off by the big tech companies that have billions at stake in this revolution. You and I really do need protection!
Charlie
Is it (AI) Artificial Intelligence or (AI) Artificial Ignorance??