Random Thoughts Thread

[G. David Felt]

Sad that due to Idiot47 and the incompetent administration we currently have, we will loose out on the benefits of entry level EVs from Kia that offer awesome range, performance and interior space.

Kia’s Smallest EV Could Become One Of Its Most Thrilling Performance Models

The EV2 GT model looks real cool and could be a blast, sadly Canada and Mexico will get it before us due to the incompetent administration we currently have.

[G. David Felt]

Interesting read, though they talk about 1 million mile batteries, they do not state which ones actually.

These EV batteries now last 1 million miles – Morning Overview

[oldshurst442]

9 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

Sad that due to Idiot47 and the incompetent administration we currently have, we will loose out on the benefits of entry level EVs from Kia that offer awesome range, performance and interior space.

Kia’s Smallest EV Could Become One Of Its Most Thrilling Performance Models

The EV2 GT model looks real cool and could be a blast, sadly Canada and Mexico will get it before us due to the incompetent administration we currently have.

Chevrolet will give us an Ultium Bolt.  Which is not bad. I wish they would have changed up the styling.  Not jut a refresh but a brand new body to go along with the Ultium battery technology.  

But I see how Chevrolet could keep the price down by just refreshing the body.  

Id like to see if Canadians keep the Elbows Up regarding the automobile industry.  Its hard to boycott as GM, Ford and Chrysler do keep the factories open in Canada.  

It will be interesting to see how Canadians are going to react to the KIA EV2 GT.  Of all the American product boycotting in Canada, GM and Ford are not really targeted.  

[A Horse With No Name]

18 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Thank you for acknowledging the obvious...

But you did ask me a question for me to address.

Gen Z.   1997-2012

2024 (because problems started last last year...)- 21 (drinking age) = 2003 

2018 would be the first year Gen Zers drank whiskey as they came of age to drink. 6 years of Gen Zers drinking but as soon Ticky Tocky told Gen Zers to drink more healthily, than ALL of Gen Z stopped drinking whiskey simultaneously causing all this mess. 6-7 years worth of Gen Zers drinking and THAT is the cause for bankruptcy. Have the Boomers completely stopped drinking whiskey too?  What about Gen Xers?  I dunno how popular whiskey was with Gen X, but I do know that Gen X drank a lot when we were in our 20s.  And from the Kentucky area only as the one from Tennessee aint really complainin' loudly about Gen Z being a problem.  But he did complain about Canada dropping his brand from ALL Canadian liquor stores.   He did laugh and say that Canadian sales do not account much anyway.  But I didnt hear him complain about Gen Z at all in the beginning of this mess...   

So Gen Zers targeted Kentucky bourbon area distilleries only...

 

When this first happened, NO article mentioned Gen Z about a possible problem...  

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/kentucky-bourbon-industry-caught-middle-global-tariff-war/story?id=119675707

https://globalnews.ca/news/11068673/donald-trump-tariffs-us-alcohol-canada/

https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2025/03/07/canada-spirits-rep-tariffs

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/food/spirits/bourbon/2025/02/03/canadas-decision-to-stop-buying-us-alcohol-will-hurt-kentucky-bourbon/78177222007/

https://theconversation.com/u-s-tariff-threat-how-it-will-impact-different-products-and-industries-248824

https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-kentucky-bourbon-trump-canada-europe-11bbb928bcacccb6ba35c31522783e14

 

 

Me thinks American journalism is trying to soften the blow about how shytty Trump really is and trying to lay blame elsewhere.   Yeah. Hard NO to the excuse that Gen Z is causing a 9 billion dollar industry to go bust all of a sudden when its the world actually BOYCOTTING American whiskey BECAUSE of Trump's needless and useless  tariff war. 

 

https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article307948565.html

This articles states that Jack Daniels erased a decades worth of growth.  

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jack-daniels-parent-sees-weight-loss-drugs-cannabis-hurting-liquor-sales-bce7beea

This article blames weight loss drugs, cannabis and Gen Z.  Yeah...coincidentally all those factors stopped a decades long growth JUST to end it on tic tok fads of last year. NOT because Tennessee is a Red State, and that the world has targeted to boycott Red State products.  

THIS is my opinion of course.  You cant really blame me for being skeptical...

Cheers with Canadian Club this time around

 Elbows Up!!!

 

FAFO has hit Kentucky. The bourbon industry can't collapse fast enough as far as I am concerned. 

10 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Chevrolet will give us an Ultium Bolt.  Which is not bad. I wish they would have changed up the styling.  Not jut a refresh but a brand new body to go along with the Ultium battery technology.  

But I see how Chevrolet could keep the price down by just refreshing the body.  

Id like to see if Canadians keep the Elbows Up regarding the automobile industry.  Its hard to boycott as GM, Ford and Chrysler do keep the factories open in Canada.  

It will be interesting to see how Canadians are going to react to the KIA EV2 GT.  Of all the American product boycotting in Canada, GM and Ford are not really targeted.  

Lots of domestics in Canada, lots. But I think outside of trucks American legacy car makers are pretty much cooked. 

11 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Interesting read, though they talk about 1 million mile batteries, they do not state which ones actually.

These EV batteries now last 1 million miles – Morning Overview

Interesting. I have visited NYC a ton, lots of Hybrids with stupid high miles used in Taxi fleet service there. 

11 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Sad that due to Idiot47 and the incompetent administration we currently have, we will loose out on the benefits of entry level EVs from Kia that offer awesome range, performance and interior space.

Kia’s Smallest EV Could Become One Of Its Most Thrilling Performance Models

The EV2 GT model looks real cool and could be a blast, sadly Canada and Mexico will get it before us due to the incompetent administration we currently have.

America is a dying empire, and will be for the next 50 years. Don't expect positive change from DC regardless of party in charge. 

13 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Lets be honest in setting the blame where it belongs, IDIOT47 and the 1% crowd that is only more than happy to do illegal pay offs to get billion dollar deals done. Example is the Paramount deal!

We are in the Decade of Criminal Pay to Play mode!

Paramount Merger Approved After $16 Million Trump Settlement

One reason to boycott everything corporate and US, corporate media included. If I could buy almost nothing American, I would be a happy guy. 

[A Horse With No Name]

19 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah, it's a mixed bag that the tariffs are putting a nail in the coffin for the smaller distilleries. 

Wine in Portland does not seem to have a similar decline. What I am most sad about is that Micro breweries seem to be in decline also. yes, i said that I don't buy many of their products any more, but it also seems small independent breweries went from brewing just good independent beer to brewing stranger and stranger stuff to be original and get attention. 

[A Horse With No Name]

The economy is cooked. 

I ate breakfast at a place that's normally packed Sunday morning, three other people eating. The economic downturn is going to be brutal. 

[A Horse With No Name]

I am really convinced Honda has lost the plot as well, love this Aussie commentator. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

16 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Interesting BBC story on Kentucky Bourbon from Boom to Bust. Spot on.

How Kentucky bourbon went from boom to bust

Yes on the BBC story. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

16 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

https://www.moneydigest.com/1825884/why-walmart-stores-closing-2025/

 

https://www.thestreet.com/retail/walmart-cvs-panera-and-more-quietly-close-more-stores

• Daniel Kline
• Aug 3, 2025 9:08 AM EDT

Reviewed by Celine Provini 

 

These retailers have quietly closed stores in 2025 

While some closures get more attention than others, these have flown under the radar. In most cases that's by design, as companies don't want the negative local publicity that comes from closing until the shutdown process has already begun.

• Walmart
  • Locations closed in July-August 2025 in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania.
  • Often cited for underperformance, crime, or changing local demand.
• CVS
  • Still executing previously announced plan (900 stores over 3 years).
• Panera Bread
  • Some franchisees are closing low-volume locations quietly.
• Rite Aid
  • Bankruptcy-related closures, but many new rounds still being added.
  • Entire company is being shut down.
• Family Dollar / Dollar Tree
  • 1,000+ closures expected by the end of 2025.
• Walgreens
  • Continued "store footprint optimization" through mid-2025.
• Macy’s
  • Closing 66 stores, with 150 total closures expected by 2026. 

 

 

Maybe 154 store closures were in 2016 and Walmart may have completed those by 2024, Walmart is closing an additional 11.  But...that is not the issue here. The issue is that OTHER retailers are closing as well. And its a significant amount.   

I guess Gen Zers are to blame for this as well?

 

At the end of the day, it does NOT matter if Gen Zers are not drinking whiskey.  At the end of the day, Trump's tariffs are killing the US economy ALL AROUND.  Turn a blind eye to it, tell me Im posting misinformation or that Im gullible to not believe what the Kentucky bourbon industry is telling us, call me anything you want...tariffs were called no good for the economy.  And tariffs are reeling the benefits as we speak right now. 

What are those benefits?

You guys have a brain.  Believe what you wanna believe.  God bless America!!!  Just hope he forgives you for turning a blind eye to all those Epstein and Trump victims...

 

 

I shop at CVS for prescription drugs and little else. Rarely shop at the others. I dislike the marketing, product, and management of a lot of American companies. Would not shop at most of these if our government was made up of absolute saints. It goes beyond political to me just not really liking or caring about the companies above. 

Interesting VW test.