Random Thoughts Thread

[daves87rs]

On 2/2/2021 at 1:37 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

This Gorgeous yellow convertible belonged to my friend Mark. I knew him from the buckeye Miata club where we spent a lot of time racing cars together....SCCA and a bunch of other venues....also a member of Central Ohio Wood Turners. He just sadly passed away from a heart attack. 

 

My 8 year old niece Holly got thrown from a horse, she is pretty banged up but will be Okay. My Cousin Linda is about my age, she passed away a couple of days ago from breast cancer. 

 

One of my very best friends from High school has Covid and she is not doing real well. 

 

Been a week! And it's only Tuesday. 

Picture of my friend Mark...I will miss him!

 

 

So sorry.... 😞 

[trinacriabob]

CREATE

a

PLATE

The California DMV has special interest plates options including one series called "plates for kids."

The symbols are 1) a hand (hello), 2) a heart (love), 3) a star, and 4) a plus sign (to do some math, I guess) - they take the place of 1 character

Examples of them might be:

Possibly: "Hello or hi SHYS"

Definitely: "I love Cal State Univ. Long Beach" (I don't know why someone would)

- - - - -

So I thought of one:

"(hand for hello or hi) NOW GFY"

Peace.

[balthazar]

Brawler ~ 

[A Horse With No Name]

British Columbia, Canada. 

[balthazar]

Lot of phosphorus in the waterways there?

- - - - - 

 

[David]

4 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Lot of phosphorus in the waterways there?

Canada and the PNW steams all have that lite bluish or a turquoise glow as it is all glacier water. The sediment suspended in the water with light from the sun reflecting causes this affect. Good but basic explanation here:

Why Are Glacial Lakes Blue? - WorldAtlas

[David]

Reuters news is reporting that Toyota and Fiat Chrysler have dropped their support and lawsuit against California carb and joined the global auto industry in supporting CARB and EVs. This takes Hyundai Motor, Kia Motor, Mitsubishi Motors, Mazda Motor and Subaru who had signed onto the dual joint lawsuit filed by Toyota and Fiat Chrysler firmly into the support of the current administration and California with it's right to enforce their CARB mandate.

The National Automobile Dealers Association also reconfirmed their original support with Ford Motor Co, Honda, VW and BMW who originally in 2019 struck a voluntary agreement with California on CARB disagreeing with the federal administration in office at that time.

At this time no automotive company is fighting California and their CARB board and all have committed to building EVs and Hydrogen auto's in support of changing over to green energy auto's.

Toyota, Fiat Chrysler drop support for Trump effort to bar ... (trust.org)

[David]

UK new auto sales plummet 40% in January 2021 due to Covid-19.

UK new car sales slump around 40% in lockdown January (trust.org)

EU electric and plug-in hybrid new car sales pass 1 million for 2020. This is a big change from the 387,808 sales in 2019 to 1.046 million reported in 2020. Petrol sales fell 37% and Diesel sales fell 32%, yet petrol based auto's still make up 48% of EU sales.

EU electric and plug-in hybrid car sales jump to over 1 ... (trust.org)

[David]

German Company MAFI which is well known globally for their yard Goat T230 Diesel tractors that have been used to move freight containers around has introduced the T230e all electric yard goat. MAFI states that the new T230e has all the same standards as the diesel T230 but even more comfort for the driver, no noise or emissions so it is better for the food industry and can operate during the night as well as near residential areas where the lack of noise will enhance it's operation. It retains the same tight small turning radius and with a 177 kWh battery pack can run all day under heavy load without having to recharge till the work shift is done much the same way that the Diesel have been used. This will allow shipping companies to remove diesel fueling systems and holding tanks as they phase out older T230 for new T230e.

MAFI did state they will continue to build for orders that come in the T230 diesel version, but will be focused on transiting to EV versions for the future globally.

Charged EVs | MAFI introduces new electric terminal tractor - Charged EVs

[balthazar]

^ Aren't these better posted in the 'Alternative fuel' section?

- - - - -
"The sediment suspended in the water with light from the sun reflecting causes this affect."
There's no sunlight in that photo.

[David]

The latest Morgan Stanley report on the US Power Generation by source is predicting that Coal will be a dead industry in the US for power production by 2033 due to submission of decommission applications to the US Energy Administration. While Coal will still be taken from the ground, it will be for use to China and other countries that are still dependent on coal for electrical production.

The report goes on to say that 55% of US electrical production will be from Green sources of energy such as Solar, Wind, Hydro and the rest will from from Natural Gas and Nuclear. 

Why is this important to the auto industry, easy with the change over to EVs, the electrical production industry is planning for the need for redundant power sources to fuel everything from EVs to cell phones, homes and businesses.

Coal will be gone from US power by 2033 – Morgan Stanley - Electrek

2 minutes ago, balthazar said:

^ Aren't these better posted in the 'Alternative fuel' section?

- - - - -
"The sediment suspended in the water with light from the sun reflecting causes this affect."
There's no sunlight in that photo.

First it does have to do with the existing and still in production of T230 Diesel versions and now they have Electric versions that are expected to replace diesel.

Sunlight still comes through the clouds and reflects off the suspended particles. Light is light.

[balthazar]

4 minutes ago, David said:

First it does have to do with the existing and still in production of T230 Diesel versions and now they have Electric versions that are expected to replace diesel.

yeah, like I said; better suited to 

 

[daves87rs]

26 minutes ago, David said:

UK new auto sales plummet 40% in January 2021 due to Covid-19.

UK new car sales slump around 40% in lockdown January (trust.org)

EU electric and plug-in hybrid new car sales pass 1 million for 2020. This is a big change from the 387,808 sales in 2019 to 1.046 million reported in 2020. Petrol sales fell 37% and Diesel sales fell 32%, yet petrol based auto's still make up 48% of EU sales.

EU electric and plug-in hybrid car sales jump to over 1 ... (trust.org)

Makes me wonder if they just can’t really shop right now, or if they are waiting to see what happens to the car market.....

[David]

13 minutes ago, daves87rs said:

Makes me wonder if they just can’t really shop right now, or if they are waiting to see what happens to the car market.....

I work with a team in Cork Ireland and with the lock down, only a single family member is able to go out once a day to shop for needed items. They said if it cannot be delivered to you via Amazon or some other company shopping is pretty much dead right now and a good chance that there will be an extension of the lock down due to the mutation of Covid-19 that is killing more than the old one did there. The team says they are all waiting in their homes, working where they can till the gov comes to their home or directs them to a site for vaccination. Crazy, but seems to be really bad. Some of the guys said that so many ignored the warnings and went about doing xmas as usual and that just spiked the infections.

Scary times for sure.

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Lot of phosphorus in the waterways there?

- - - - - 

 

I will see you your Riviera and raise you this beauty...love both cars....in a Buick state of mind today. 

 

25 minutes ago, David said:

I work with a team in Cork Ireland and with the lock down, only a single family member is able to go out once a day to shop for needed items. They said if it cannot be delivered to you via Amazon or some other company shopping is pretty much dead right now and a good chance that there will be an extension of the lock down due to the mutation of Covid-19 that is killing more than the old one did there. The team says they are all waiting in their homes, working where they can till the gov comes to their home or directs them to a site for vaccination. Crazy, but seems to be really bad. Some of the guys said that so many ignored the warnings and went about doing xmas as usual and that just spiked the infections.

Scary times for sure.

Rural Indiana, Rural michigan, Rural Ohio it is going insane right now. And a lot of people get sick with secondary effects after they get over Covid. Cannot wait to get vaccinated. 

43 minutes ago, daves87rs said:

Makes me wonder if they just can’t really shop right now, or if they are waiting to see what happens to the car market.....

It's going to have a very long shadow over the whole international car market. 

58 minutes ago, David said:

The latest Morgan Stanley report on the US Power Generation by source is predicting that Coal will be a dead industry in the US for power production by 2033 due to submission of decommission applications to the US Energy Administration. While Coal will still be taken from the ground, it will be for use to China and other countries that are still dependent on coal for electrical production.

The report goes on to say that 55% of US electrical production will be from Green sources of energy such as Solar, Wind, Hydro and the rest will from from Natural Gas and Nuclear. 

Why is this important to the auto industry, easy with the change over to EVs, the electrical production industry is planning for the need for redundant power sources to fuel everything from EVs to cell phones, homes and businesses.

Coal will be gone from US power by 2033 – Morgan Stanley - Electrek

First it does have to do with the existing and still in production of T230 Diesel versions and now they have Electric versions that are expected to replace diesel.

Sunlight still comes through the clouds and reflects off the suspended particles. Light is light.

One can hope. Coal is such dirty polluting energy in so many ways. 

1 hour ago, David said:

German Company MAFI which is well known globally for their yard Goat T230 Diesel tractors that have been used to move freight containers around has introduced the T230e all electric yard goat. MAFI states that the new T230e has all the same standards as the diesel T230 but even more comfort for the driver, no noise or emissions so it is better for the food industry and can operate during the night as well as near residential areas where the lack of noise will enhance it's operation. It retains the same tight small turning radius and with a 177 kWh battery pack can run all day under heavy load without having to recharge till the work shift is done much the same way that the Diesel have been used. This will allow shipping companies to remove diesel fueling systems and holding tanks as they phase out older T230 for new T230e.

MAFI did state they will continue to build for orders that come in the T230 diesel version, but will be focused on transiting to EV versions for the future globally.

Charged EVs | MAFI introduces new electric terminal tractor - Charged EVs

I agree with Baltazar this is better suited to Alternative fuels random, but i also think commercial use like this will drive the move to EV. 

[USA-1]

On 2/1/2021 at 4:05 PM, ocnblu said:

Watched that episode, Cody is a NUT!! Destroys all his really nice trucks and cars in many different ways for his YT channel content.

[David]

Seems the semiconductor chip shortage that started last year and hit German and Asian auto companies are now hitting all companies including gm as they report the need to shutdown plants.

Quote: 

“Semiconductor supply for the global auto industry remains very fluid,” he added. “Our supply chain organization is working closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impacts on GM.”

Affected GM vehicles include the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Cadillac XT4 SUV, Chevy Equinox and Trax, and GMC Terrain SUVs and the Buick Encore small crossover vehicle.

All auto companies have reported that production plans are being scaled back due to chip shortages.

EXCLUSIVE-GM hit by chip shortage, to cut production at four plants | Reuters

[A Horse With No Name]

Monet....

 

Another form of art....nice big old American 'vert, out for a drive in the Florida sunshine. 

 

[David]

Dodge Challenger racing Tesla 3 causes crash and all caught on the Tesla cams.

 

[David]

13 minutes ago, David said:

Seems the semiconductor chip shortage that started last year and hit German and Asian auto companies are now hitting all companies including gm as they report the need to shutdown plants.

Quote: 

“Semiconductor supply for the global auto industry remains very fluid,” he added. “Our supply chain organization is working closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impacts on GM.”

Affected GM vehicles include the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Cadillac XT4 SUV, Chevy Equinox and Trax, and GMC Terrain SUVs and the Buick Encore small crossover vehicle.

All auto companies have reported that production plans are being scaled back due to chip shortages.

EXCLUSIVE-GM hit by chip shortage, to cut production at four plants | Reuters

Ford is now also having to cut production on their most profitable item, the F150 due to chip shortage. The plants are now closed till Feb 15th when they expect to return to 3 shifts per plant, but that can change depending on supply constraints.

Ford F-150 production cut due to semiconductor chip shortage (cnbc.com)

[A Horse With No Name]

Kea, Alpine Parrot...

 

[balthazar]

Just talked to my salesman today- GM is doing a run of 3.0L TDs starting 2/25, but are building Denalis and AT4 first (small batch, then building Elevations/SLTs). At GM, the chip shortage is not, presently, affecting the truck plants.

[daves87rs]

7 hours ago, David said:

Seems the semiconductor chip shortage that started last year and hit German and Asian auto companies are now hitting all companies including gm as they report the need to shutdown plants.

Quote: 

“Semiconductor supply for the global auto industry remains very fluid,” he added. “Our supply chain organization is working closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate impacts on GM.”

Affected GM vehicles include the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Cadillac XT4 SUV, Chevy Equinox and Trax, and GMC Terrain SUVs and the Buick Encore small crossover vehicle.

All auto companies have reported that production plans are being scaled back due to chip shortages.

EXCLUSIVE-GM hit by chip shortage, to cut production at four plants | Reuters

Talking to a few people- this might end being a long term thing........

[trinacriabob]

13 hours ago, balthazar said:

 

In a weird way, this Riv looks good from that angle.  I don't know why.  This model of Riv photographs differently from various angles.

The same holds true for the '92 Riv, for example.  This same angle for that newer Riv looks very good, as do several others, while others look just ok.

IMHO, it's sad that the artistry of sculpting sheet metal to make for interesting vehicle silhouettes has dwindled.

[balthazar]

[A Horse With No Name]

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

Just talked to my salesman today- GM is doing a run of 3.0L TDs starting 2/25, but are building Denalis and AT4 first (small batch, then building Elevations/SLTs). At GM, the chip shortage is not, presently, affecting the truck plants.

Good to know. 

 

Good Morning, everyone. 

[A Horse With No Name]

"Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are." - José Ortega y Gasset

[A Horse With No Name]

This should play with everyone's mind. 

[balthazar]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[balthazar]

Bluefield WV ~

[A Horse With No Name]

Bench, waiting for me to get home from work....

 

[A Horse With No Name]

I love this guys work, some really good tree removal and heavy log moving in this video. Matt mills a lot of lumber for people, and builds things out of lumber he mills himself. 

 

 

[trinacriabob]

God, I love some good grated parmesan/romano cheese over a nice plate of al dente pasta with a tomato-mushroom sauce.

[Robert Hall]

11 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

God, I love some good grated parmesan/romano cheese over a nice plate of al dente pasta with a tomato-mushroom sauce.

Good cold weather comfort food.    I'm going to try and make one of my favorites this weekend--meatball heels using Italian bread, meatballs, pasta sauce.   It's a specialty of Naples Spaghetti House in Steubenville, Ohio..one my childhood favorites from living in the Ville in the 70s.

[David]

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I love this guys work, some really good tree removal and heavy log moving in this video. Matt mills a lot of lumber for people, and builds things out of lumber he mills himself. 

 

 

Very cool Video, what is the white stuff you think he painted on the cut areas?

[trinacriabob]

6 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Naples Spaghetti House in Steubenville, Ohio

I'm going to guess that the proprietorship had some ties to the area around the Bay of Naples or they wouldn't have named the place that.  Neapolitans make the best thin crust pizza.

Here's an interesting tidbit:  among Italian comedians who use Italian life as a basis for their jokes, about 75% of their material is based on the dialects and antics of Neapolitans and Sicilians, for being way out there compared to central and northern Italians.  And, thankfully, the subjects are not at all uptight about it ... the Neapolitans and the Sicilians know they're goofy and really eat up this type of comedy.

[David]

11 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Good cold weather comfort food.    I'm going to try and make one of my favorites this weekend--meatball heels using Italian bread, meatballs, pasta sauce.   It's a specialty of Naples Spaghetti House in Steubenville, Ohio..one my childhood favorites from living in the Ville in the 70s.

I am gonna try this recipe, sounds and looks so good.

I Tried Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce | Kitchn (thekitchn.com)

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I'm going to guess that the proprietorship had some ties to the area around the Bay of Naples or they wouldn't have named the place that.  Neapolitans make the best thin crust pizza.

 

Yep, it was established in 1923 by immigrants from Italy.   One of the oldest restaurants in an old Ohio River steel town that had a lot of Italians, Greeks, and other immigrants.   My folks lived there for a decade when my Dad was superintendent of the city school district. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Robert Hall

[David]

For those in the Mid-West, STAY WARM. News here says your supposed to have below freezing temps all weekend with wind chill in the 30-50 below zero range. 🥶

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, David said:

For those in the Mid-West, STAY WARM. News here says your supposed to have below freezing temps all weekend with wind chill in the 30-50 below zero range. 🥶

Sunny and 23 here now...looking at the forecast it's going to be cold over the next week with the coldest (nights around zero) on the 12th and 13th.    Only a little over 6 weeks until Spring, though...

[trinacriabob]

14 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Yep, it was established in 1923 by immigrants from Italy.   One of the oldest restaurants in an old Ohio River steel town that had a lot of Italians, Greeks, and other immigrants.   My folks lived there for a decade when my Dad was superintendent of the city school district. 

Steel towns and coal mining towns equal tough lives.  No doubt.  But, my God, being surrounded by homemade and authentic Italian, Greek, Polish, and Slavic food would be way too tempting for me.

[Robert Hall]

5 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Steel towns and coal mining towns equal tough lives.  No doubt.  But, my God, being surrounded by homemade and authentic Italian, Greek, Polish, and Slavic food would be way too tempting for me.

Yeah, it's a special place to me... I haven't lived there in 40 years, but have managed to visit at least once a year and go to some of my favorite restaurants (incl. a great pizza place called Di Carlos) from 2015-2019.    Went a couple years ago for a dedication of a plaque at the high school dedicated to my Dad and his name on a brick downtown. 

[balthazar]

Montpelier-cabbed Dodge COE ~ 

[A Horse With No Name]

3 hours ago, David said:

Very cool Video, what is the white stuff you think he painted on the cut areas?

It's wood sealant. It keeps the end grain from cracking because it dries out more rapidly.

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Steel towns and coal mining towns equal tough lives.  No doubt.  But, my God, being surrounded by homemade and authentic Italian, Greek, Polish, and Slavic food would be way too tempting for me.

Ohio has a lot of great food. Awaiting ungodly spicy thai at Erwan Thai food here in Columbus. It's right down the street from where I ate with Robert Hall about seven years ago.

15 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Montpelier-cabbed Dodge COE ~ 

I love it.

3 hours ago, David said:

For those in the Mid-West, STAY WARM. News here says your supposed to have below freezing temps all weekend with wind chill in the 30-50 below zero range. 🥶

It's going to get nasty.

3 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Good cold weather comfort food.    I'm going to try and make one of my favorites this weekend--meatball heels using Italian bread, meatballs, pasta sauce.   It's a specialty of Naples Spaghetti House in Steubenville, Ohio..one my childhood favorites from living in the Ville in the 70s.

Bad italian food is like bad sex....it's still wonderful. Good italian food....

3 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

God, I love some good grated parmesan/romano cheese over a nice plate of al dente pasta with a tomato-mushroom sauce.

Sounds fantastic.

[David]

9 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

It's wood sealant. It keeps the end grain from cracking because it dries out more rapidly.

Ohio has a lot of great food. Awaiting ungodly spicy thai at Erwan Thai food here in Columbus. It's right down the street from where I ate with Robert Hall about seven years ago.

I love it.

It's going to get nasty.

Bad italian food is like bad sex....it's still wonderful. Good italian food....

Now this is a perfect example where like Slack instant messenger, you can post multiple emoji responses.

The First line earns - 🏆 Thank you, very interesting to know.

Line 2 & 3 - 👍

Line 4 - 🔥 Stay Warm

Line 5 - 🤣

[oldshurst442]

For @balthazar

[oldshurst442]

For @balthazar x2

 

 

 

 

[trinacriabob]

More so than what kind of car to get next, I have been giving more and more ... and MORE ... thought to getting one of these:

[daves87rs]

Annoyed....had the dealership take care of my Equinox , and clean it all up for me. (No more oil mess in engine) I literally have a few miles home, trying to avoid the salt mess in the other lane. I try very hard to keep salt off of it, as I use the Cobalt for that in the winter.

Dude sees that my Nox is all clean, speeds up in the other lane to hit a huge slush/salt pile in the next lane. Completely covers the Nox in salt!  Then threw a cup out the window towards my car laughing about it.....

Trying to stay chill about it, tough when your a car guy. I know that it doesn’t really hurt the car unless it is above freezing (not during the polar vortex!) but if the roads dry up nicely I’m running the poor car to the nearest automated car wash...might be the only day we still get above 20 degrees for almost a week....

Thank you for letting me vent.......

Edited February 6, 2021 by daves87rs

[A Horse With No Name]

6 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Annoyed....had the dealership take care of my Equinox , and clean it all up for me. (No more oil mess in engine) I literally have a few miles home, trying to avoid the salt mess in the other lane. I try very hard to keep salt off of it, as I use the Cobalt for that in the winter.

Dude sees that my Nox is all clean, speeds up in the other lane to hit a huge slush/salt pile in the next lane. Completely covers the Nox in salt!  Then threw a cup out the window towards my car laughing about it.....

Trying to stay chill about it, tough when your a car guy. I know that it doesn’t really hurt the car unless it is above freezing (not during the polar vortex!) but if the roads dry up nicely I’m running the poor car to the nearest automated car wash...might be the only day we still get above 20 degrees for almost a week....

Thank you for letting me vent.......

People are rather sadly assholes.