I am writing to you, not your arrogant Toyota engineers who did not ensure fail-safe acceleration, brakes, steering, computer/sensor control. This is an open letter to you and Ray LaHood of the United States government agency responsible for car safety.
To get to the point: On September 27, 2009, I was driving my "safe" 2006 Toyota Tacoma when this Toyota suddenly and without warning accelerated like a jet plane and smashed into a guardrail at over 100mph. This Toyota was demolished. Police report, car insurance etc. documentation is available.
I know of a man in a similar Toyota-acceleration wreck killing 3 people, Koua Fong Lee, who is serving an eight-year prison term for "vehicular homicide".
I replaced the demolished 2006 Toyota with a new 2010 Toyota Tacoma immediately, as I must drive 70-100 miles daily to help provide adult supervision to my teenage orphaned grandchildren 30 miles away.
Each day now, I learn of similar Toyota-acceleration wrecks, some dating back several years, not investigated by arrogant Toyota engineers unbelieving that Toyotas accelerate out of control. I know it can happen to me again, or to a nearby Toyota killing me as it accelerates out of control.
Toyota engineers can learn from aircraft engineers who went through similar crises when airplanes eliminated direct mechanical linkage (from "fly by wire" to "fly by wireless"). Aircraft engineers learned to shield each and every sensor/computer unit from wireless signals (laptops, GPS, cellphones etc.). That Toyota engineers can not now re-enact Toyota-accelerator surge means the cause has not been found yet, not that countless Toyota drivers "lost control "including highly-trained police. Your public relations managers can no longer "spin away" many, many more Toyota-acceleration wrecks being uncovered daily .My Toyota-acceleration wreck should be investigated. The demolished Toyota is impounded by my car insurance company.
You have indicated when you testified to the United States Congress, that perhaps a computer diagnostic device, a "black box", may be necessary to establish reason(s) for still-unexplained acceleration surges that diehard Toyota engineers claim are not possible in "safe" Toyotas. In the meantime, investigation of each and every Toyota-acceleration wreck is required. Many wrecks like mine are ascribed to "Driver Lost Control". No longer!
May I have the courtesy of a response from you, an honorable man proud of Toyota's reputation, but in your first year in charge of Toyota's engineers and public relations managers.
Sincerely yours,
Philip R. Drumm 427 Crooks Av.B17 Paterson NJ 07503-1046
Email: prdrumm@gmail.com Text: 609.933.4930 (text cellphone for Deaf)
This website began slowly, reaching carvers both worldwide and from local northern New Jersey in USA, a marriage of worldwide carving and carving learned first-hand in USA NJ roots.
Editor and carver PR Drumm puts other carvers' works on this website to show the world, to encourage creative, intricate carving that is not just decorative but innovative, fascinating, and stimulating to carvers worldwide.
Google technology enables a computer user to receive this USA website in home language specified. For example, an Asian or European or Peruvian carver can click onto 'whittledwhimseys.com ' and get this website in home-language - truly worldwide Instant Information!
Now an Asian, European, Peruvian, etc. carver wherever in the world, city, village, or yurt, can email pictures of whittled whimseys comparable to these already shown, to 'whittledwhimseys.com ' We can all see and benefit from comparing notes on intricacy, innovative techniques, tools, sealers and finishes, etc. What area doesn't now have a computer somewhere?
An exercise of the imagination
and woodcarver’s skill, carved wooden whimseys are an art
form in every sense of the word. Intricately carved balls-in-cages,
puzzles and chains are the pinnacle of the whittler’s art.
Today’s collectors and scholars recognize the imaginative
power of these unique objects and value them as folk Art.
The pages to click on to: NEWS, CATALOG, ABOUT THE ARTIST, OTHER ARTISTS, E-BOOKS AND ART EDUCATION, and CONTACT, illustrate 20 examples of PR Drumm's interactive sculptures and tell how he carved them, with more to come.
Works by Teri Hislop are are shown and Teri tells how she carved them and how she teaches young people. Works by young artists are shown, and how they are learning is told in text and pictures that "pass the torch to the next generation".
This is a generation of instant virtual information games and today's children are starved for things they can MAKE, things that utilize the opposable thumb that we primates inherited, the increasingly skilled use of which makes us not only handy, but crafty, canny, inquisitive and able to use sharp tools, an invaluable skill best learned early under skilled supervision.
Virtual information keyboards/games and text messaging pattern the mind in surprising ways we are learning. We already know from the works of outstanding artists what happens when good tools and good minds make stunning creations saved for us in museums to look at with awe. Awesome results are coming!
Browse through this website from wherever you live worldwide, whatever language you instruct your computer to use. Enjoy this new Age of Instant Information Worldwide. Send your comments and pictures, You may be our next featured artist!
Challenge us worldwide!
PATTERNS, No Charge:
Historically, patterns have been drawn and redrawn for woodcarvers back
through the ages. If a pattern shown here has been copyrighted or
patented with proof that no prior pattern exists, it will be withdrawn.
Novice and Expert Woodcarvers are encouraged here to use, swap and
submit old and new patterns without charge. Each innovation adds fun and
expertise to woodcarving, our worthwhile objective
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: In North Jersey, for wood call John Wickenheisser
(201) 991-1331
