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On a different note ... ... wouldn't it have been nice to pick up a simple mid century modern ranch when they were mostly ignored or viewed like all the other available ranch homes? I've always liked their triangular transom windows and vaulted ceilings. Also, there was a type of ranch known as a "bird house" that was popular in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley. I believe that one or more of the protagonists lived in one in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," one of the funniest time piece cult movies out there, with the fictitious "Jeff Spicoli." What is a parent to do if mother nature regales you with a kid like Jeff Spicoli?

Me at the Ohio Theater to hear The Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Last one for today, from Palo Duro Canyon in Amarillo. I so want to be back on the road again....with or without a car!

I would love a 71-72 LTD convertible. Not easy to find as few were made and fewer survive. Going with my dad to pick up a blue 71 Country Squire and having a blue Mach one Mustang next to it in the service bay....was the start of my love of cars. Wooden sculpture my friend Scott made.... Bowl that Scott made, about 5600 different pieces of wood in this. On the back of a pickup truck when I pulled into a Thai restaurant for dinner. Evenings go a little bit better with a Buzz and a Woody...

I have way too many e-mail addresses. There are few better feelings than cleaning out 2,000+ unread e-mails and actually deleting them rather than just "mark as read"

A lot of unrest and instability in the world today. I try and ignore the news and focus on things I can directly affect (work, pets, house, etc). Dwelling on the world is just too depressing these days.

Cool theater ... just kidding, but it is, though. You look good ... been hiking and into fitness, I suppose. Crossing Texas just to cross it can be a chore. One night, I was driving west on I-10 late at night in between semesters of school and pulled into a sketchy Motel 6 to get some shut eye, ignorantly not knowing what a dangerous place Beaumont TX was. The next day, I checked out Rice Univ. and UT Austin but had to later duck my Cutlass Supreme under an I-10 freeway overpass in Van Horn TX because of Texas sized hail, huddled alongside a lot of other motorists. That said, I slept in Van Horn that night. I'm thinking West Texas, if you know where to look, has mountain scenery as well as crazy wildlife - rattlesnakes, bears, mountain lions, etc. Years ago, they found a guy not too far west of Dallas - so, not mountainous and atypical habitat - lying in a creek bed and the only likely culprit seems to be a mountain lion. It was always surprising how, every 10 years or so, a healthy and younger cyclist or outdoorsman in the mountains of SoCal would get taken down by a cougar since it was big news and it freaked people out.

My friend Rusty died, sadly... I would love to own one. I hate throwing away broken tools, but I don't have the time to fix everything. Cleaning up my workshop. An old college graduation pic of me... Speaking of 70's Fords, not a huge fan of the alter 70's T birds but this was out and about on a nice November day when I took off for a medical appointment. At this point, anything to break the monotony of modern bland automobiles...the bronco is nice also. Cool woodworking project, not mine. Wooden turntable with record storage.

I'm all in favor of the guillotine part of the cycle at the moment.

See the Carl Sagan quote I posted earlier about America being left behind. There will be jack $h! for charging infrastructure under Trumps administration. I so want to avoid buying another car.....maybe ever. Exotics just don't do it for me. Emotionally, I should care but this might as well be a 25 year old Cavalier with hail damage and Ohio Rust.... Being married, if we moved on a bus line we could keep one car and use it infrequently. Would leave open the idea of a vehicle to go take hiking. ABM....Anybody But Musk. You can buy membership in the Satanic temple for $35 apparently...I would buy a car from the devil himself before I would give Musk a dime. Honda doesn't do it for me too much, but glad they are doing well.

I had to chuckle because liking GM or Chevy (the heartbeat of America) and having ties to Kentucky could be more red than blue. Growing up, I loved GM and, on the Left Coast, this mostly blue person still had to deal with, "Eew, you have an American car," or "Eew, why do you like big cars?" (All the while I was thinking, "Why don't you GFY?")

Montreal mayor madame Valerie Plante and some of her borough representatives wants this to be a thing for Montreal. Life without driving. She is envisioning, but she wont seek a 3rd term on account that her cabinet might be accused for fraud and other stuff, there was and is talk since the summer about some touchy things there so she pre-emptively announced 2 weeks ago that she wont seek a 3rd term, she has another year to go for her term to end, she might want to join Trump's team...but that is for another discussion and Im digressing... She is envisioning a city like a city in Europe where everything is within walking distance and biking distance. And I mean everything. Actually, its a VERY good idea. Montreal was built that way in the beginning anyway because Montreal was a city waaaaay before the automobile. So the older parts of Montreal are still that way. Nothing has changed. Its just that businesses where closed during our 1st and 2nd referendums for separation from Canada which put a huge dent in the city's economic development. Her team revitalised the already green spaces we had, made them bigger, made some renovations to a great amount of public spaces, made those green with grass and trees, enlargened some sidewalks, made bicycle paths everywhere, and made some roads car free. Many drivers hated this idea, myself included, but 7 years of her vision and NOBODY could deny that it HAS become a success FOR the people and FAMILIES LIVING in those areas. And to be real and honest about the whole thing, she did and still DOES want to EXPAND or Metro system but our Premier, Monsieur Legault, he says that Quebec does not have the funds for more Montreal projects and Canada also has OTHER major cities and towns that NEED public funding for their municipal projects. He was not against public transportation to be expanded in Montreal, but lack of funds was the culprit. To be fair to him though, Montreal got a new bridge, because the old one ws about to fall down, the new Champlain bridge. Montreal got a new highway system to accomodate said new bridge. Montreal got a new magnetic train that will enhance Montreal's metro system which has an elaborate path. Montreal will get another new bridge as there is another bridge about to fall down. Montreal gets monies constantly for all kinds of failing infrastructure and other provinces bitch and whine... Wow...what a rant. I needed to say that. All in all, yes, living a life without the need to drive to buy the essentials in life truly is a that is withing walking distance is a great thing. And really, a thing that ALL cities should be striving for. Even new cities that are within the continental United States of America. A car is a car and it does equal freedom. But living a life without a need for a car ALL THE TIME is also another TYPE of freedom that modern humans have forgotten. We need a car for the freedom of travel. But we also need the freedom FROM a car.

Great for Honda and great for GM. 18 000 units through October. https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/q3-2024-ev-sales/ https://insideevs.com/news/737158/us-ev-sales-q3-2024/ Both those links say that EV sales hit a new high record in sales in the US. GM is behind Tesla in 2nd place and Hyundai/KIA/Genesis is in 3rd place. I havent seen any Honda Prologues where I live, in Montreal or in my neck of the woods, but I do see plenty of Blazers and Equinoxes daily. No EV Silverados or Sierras. But I have seen 6 (in total) Hummers. 2 in my neighborhood and 4 on the island of Montreal. 1 downtown and 2 in Dorval and 1 on the highway 20 in Montreal. I see quite a few F150 EVs though. But not as nearly as much as I see Blazers and Equinoxes. The Blazer is a recent addition in the line-up I think up here in Quebec and already in my neighborhood Ive seen at LEAST 10. Ive only seen 1 Cybertruck. On the highway 20 in Montreal. (Different days from the Hummer) and I must admit that it looks very rad in the wild. But I guess its because vehicles today are just soooooo damn bland that anything different is actually a GOOD thing. Even if its the Cybertruck... Tesla Model 3s are ubiquitous. But so are the Hyundai/KIA EVs. And the Equinox is fast becoming that common too. And the Blazer looks like it will join that club. The article from insideevs states that 10% market share is within reach. I remember discussing this with a good internet friend by the name of @balthazar, which I miss dearly, he stated that it will take a loooong time before we reach 10% EV market share let alone 50%. I do not remember what exactly was the timeline he was suggesting, but not to put that on his nose, just wanting to say that there IS a STRONG want for EVs in the US and Canadian market. Its just that those that do NOT want EVs have a very very VERY loud voice about denouncing them so they spread FUD and mis/dis information purposelly AND purposefully... I also wanted to point out, because PLENTY of us here was saying this to deaf ears, that WHEN OEMS FINALLY offer a DIVERSE option of EVs that actually CATER to the physically needs of consumers, then consumers WILL consume EVs. The lies spread about range and charging times delayed the EV purchases, but BECAUSE the PUSH for EVs was slightly MORE relentless, and THIS is what we got now. That little hiccup last year was because of delayed production due to various reasons, fear of FUD was one of them, but 10% in market share for 2025 is a GREAT place to be. Too bad for DJT as THAT might put a kink in that growth. Wait and see what happens next.

And, then, the deplorables will not blame him for inflation because something else must be causing it. Also, he doesn't "do" anything. He knows some, but not a lot. The puppeteers make all these calls. He has an econ degree from Penn for which he won't let the transcripts be publicized. The puppeteers often have graduate level schooling in economics, law, and policy and that's what they've habitually done for a living. He just flaps his gums and talks tough.

My whole family has stopped going to Starbucks except when on a road trip as they know what they will get, due to the cost here, it is crazy to spend the kind of money they are asking for drinks when you can make it at home for such a fraction. Example is a venti black coffee is $7 here in Seattle, my wife makes her own blend at home and has it for 70 cents. No reason to go to Starbucks and give them so much money.

This ... ... is what makes me very happy. And when the biggest worry was that there would now be a catalytic converter under your car. This is a '75 outside of Saint Louis that they wanted $ 9,995 for. I think it's spoken for. Beautiful Salon version of the Cutlass coupe with the tall burgundy bucket seats. Not LG, as in "life's good," but, rather, "life was good."

Its unreal. I want to explore the world....

Love this Green Ford Torino, awesome car and reminds me of the Clint Eastwood movie about the car. The POP has been connected with many pedophiles during his control of the church, and he refused to do anything about it. One Pop that can rot in hell for the abuse against kids. Everyone has a right to believe or not in divine deities, but for me, after decades of studying, have come to believe they do not exist and was created by man to control man. If 3,000 years ago some advanced race visited our planet, they would have found us to be primitive to a point that we would have seen them as deities, but in this regard, I feel we have allowed religion to ruin life for many due to manipulation of many by the few that crave power to control. We are entering interesting times with ignorant people being given positions of power by a Narcissist that hates democracy, freedom and the love of humanity. I truly hope I end up wrong but am seeing too much of the fleecing of the American taxpayer by those that want to kill off government agencies to privatize the services at a higher cost to all, pushing us into a caste system again. Funny that Texas wants to not have anything to do with illegals in their state, but now will happily rent out 1,400 acres near Austin Texas to house illegals till they can be processed and sent back home. Fleecing of America!!! Texas agency buys ranch for Trump's border wall, mass deportation Trump offered 1,400 acres by Texas official for deportation End of line... Back to our normal scheduled auto discussion.

Watch Canada have an anti immigration fury just like the USA. This won't end well for anyone. And not just Canada. This conflict will not end well either.

There is also a Packard museum on the other side of the state...Dayton area IIRC. I want to visit that one also.

Speaking of Packards, can't recall if I posted about this here, but I went to the National Packard Museum in Warren (OH) last month...some really neat exhibits and cars. The 40s and 50s models had so much neat detailing.

Okay, I lied, this is the final one. Cool vintage video!

The '72 Gran Torino is one of my favorite early 70s Fords..love the Sportsroof fastback roofline. I also really like the '71-72 Galaxies and LTDs..huge cars with very crisp lines.

Balthazar never liked them, but the early 70's Torino is a good design... Without a doubt.... When the Irony meter gets pegged... Listening to new music, kind of a bit hip hopish but she has an amazing voice!

Hope you heal quickly. We are all falling apart like an Italian sports car, without any of us having a classical Italian good look...except for one member in particular who is actually Italian... Interesting philosophical take. D Felt, looking for other parts that are no longer functioning properly in addition to his knee.

Freedom from a car is kind of what I want at the moment. At the same time, love having one to drive all over the country to hike. My dislike of American cars is entirely political, in terms of so many things our government has done that I despise. Yes, I know every other government on the planet is effed up, but Americans have been given more than anyone else, it is ENTIRELY fair to hold the American public and American government to a higher standard. This is sad, and there is a loss of life, but I think I hear a muffled "Boeing" right after the impact and fireball. What I just said about Americans being given more and held to a higher standard applies to American companies also. Hence, "GO AIRBUS" Although I think this might have been pilot error rather than mechanical malfunction. However, an A 320 is born to replace this dearly departed 737 and that is a good thing. Thinking of going to Europe, will avoid Ryanair as they are an exclusive Boeing Only company. Just like I love the crews, pilots, and prices of Southwest but prefer to fly other airlines if I can book on an Airbus.

Ok, I see. Yes, for an active person, it's not easy. Even though a few covid episodes were mild (thanking vaccination and boosters), 4 or 5 days of laying around was not to my liking and got me down. There are some things I won't do anymore and haven't done for a while. One is messing with free weights ... I want the weight machines to restrict and regulate any movements. Parenthetically, "regulate" was one great Dr. Ruth Westheimer "rrrr" word (where she rolled that "r" in an unmistakably Germanic way). The other is that I no longer swim in a saltwater body of water. And some warm, turquoise ones really beckon. Wishing you a speedy and very satisfactory recovery!

Glad you are healing just fine. Pretty soon you'll have to do knee exercises, squats... When I read about link about the Lambo I was "yeah, no big deal. Insurance will pay and Lambo will repair." Thinking it was a brand new Lambo... Yeah...not a good thing. They dont make those no more. Insurance money is ok, but parts are hard to come by. So not a good thing.

This is cool, modern Hurst that is Green! The Chevrolet Silverado EV Would Make A Great Hearse | American Cars And Racing Honda seems to be nailing it with the Ultium platform for their first EV. Honda's first electric SUV is already a top-selling EV in the US — here's what's driving interest

After years of Body building, PowerLifting from the Age of 12 and Slalom racing from the age of 5 here in the PNW, my body finally caused my right meniscus pad to rip in two, if it was a partial tear in the front where the blood vessels are, it could have healed on its own taking it easy for a year, sadly the full tear does not heal in the back and causes pressure on the nerves causing my leg to fail due to extreme pain when I pinch the nerve. The doctor here popped my knee apart, went in with orthoscopic tools and stitched up the meniscus pad and then popped my knee back together. Up and moving around in small stints as I Ice and let the swelling go down, 7 days of minimal movement to allow everything including the two access points to heal up. Hardest ever as I am such an active person, this sitting is driving me nuts. Still sleeping allot, but been ages since I slept like this, so probably good for the whole body and mind. From a usual 5 to 6 hours of sleep a day to about 12hrs now, but will probably end back up to my normal once things heal. OUCH, this sucks as it happened here in Washington. Good thing the trucker has insurance. Lamborghini Diablo Falls Off Truck During Failed Delivery

I wouldn't mind retiring to somewhere walkable where I don't need to drive, but can drive when I want to..

IDIOT 47 just announced on his Stupid social media site that on his first day in office he will sign a presidential directive to charge Canada and Mexico a 25% tariff on all products coming into the U.S. Trump's Tariffs Will Likely Hit Prices in These Seven Industries Consider getting stuff now that can last on the shelf for these industries: Automobiles and Automotive parts Agricultural Products Electronics Mineral fuels and oils Plastics and Plastic Products Machinery and Industrial Equipment Aluminum and Steel Products So if your a foodie who enjoys cooking, I looked up, consider getting ziploc freezer bags, aluminum foil, cooking utensils, etc. get ready for a 25% increase in cost. Reynolds Aluminum company has already said that they will pass along the full 25% tariff cost to the consumer affective the week the tariff goes into effect.

It used to be nice to visit Stbx every now and then. Their prices may not be prohibitive, but, now, they are ridiculous. A medium hot tea was $ 2.45 or $ 2.65 and it's now $ 3.75.