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Two random thoughts: First, there's real inflation and there's inflation that's about gouging If inflation is, overall, running at 7%, some prices have been raised way above that level, by restaurants, retail, etc., and I'm not sure all of it is warranted. At the beginning of the month, I had to renew my P.O. box. There had been an increase of about $10 the year before. This year, my SEMI-annual renewal went from $ 73 to $ 91. That's an increase of 24+ %. Some people in the USPS lobby were not happy about this, either. Maybe it's to make up for the USPS's faltering efficiency. Some restaurant dishes have gone from the usual $14 to $17, for example. A friend and I were discussing that, while there are supply bottlenecks and some inputs for products and services are higher, quite a few merchants are gouging for part of those increases. Second, isn't it great when you find a smaller auto repair shop that works well for you? I think so. However, there comes a time when such a repair shop does a half-arse repair, charges a little higher, and/or is talking smack to you. Typically, this is always in the area of electronics and computerized engine management. It is rarely in the area of mechanical issues, since those are much more obvious to someone who knows cars but not electronics. The stupid thing is that, where they could have kept a customer going forward for years and years, they lose the customer. Maybe they get new ones along the way and they don't care. However, I think it's bad business sense. Meh.

To those who celebrate it, Happy Easter ... and have a good weekend. @oldshurst442 Happy Easter to you for next Sunday ... I checked the calendar to see when it is celebrated.

I find it funny that SMK is teaching German to David. "And S-class is Sonder-klass." I also find it funny that SMK is eluding that E class signifies Executive segment. Pseudo factual but 100% wrong... Im also going to teach German. Before the 1990s, D and E were used by Mercedes to signify D for Diesel and E for Fuel injection. Fuel injection in German starts with the letter E. In the 1990s however, because fuel injection was used in all applications, Mercedes did change the placement of the letter E to the front of the numbers to signify something else, the class below the S Class. Biased fanboys want it to mean Executive class...but it be wrong. Mercedes runs with it, because good marketing, but the narrative is wrong. The W124 would become the E200 in the 1990s rather than 200 E or D 1990s 1980s But nothing executive about it... This photo has back to back generations of E Class cars. Both plebian taxis...

I am truly saddened by this. One of the all time hockey greats passed away at the age of 65. A living legend. A gentle, kind human being. A 4 time Stanley Cup champion. 4 years in a row with the Islanders Dynasty. One of the best snipers in hockey history tied with Gretzky with nine 50 goal seasons. Second player in history to score 50 goals in 50 games. Rocket Richard being the first in 1945 when there will only 50 games in a season. Before Gretzky's 39 goals in 50 games. Before Lemieux's 44 goals in 50 games. Montreal native and Long Island legend. RIP