trinacriabob

20250903_172749.heic Greetings from a few days ago ... a few minutes after clearing the Verrazzano Br. and now out of the harbor

The problem is that all 3 big NYC airports are complicated and expensive to get to. I don't like Chicago all that much (blame that on experiencing Champaign-Urbana and its connectedness to Chicago), but both O'Hare and Midway are accessible by regular CTA subway car rides from the city.

This is a challenging one. For me, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin are a big "no," as would be other smaller metro areas. For some reason, I have some affinity for the Houston area. Part of it is that the tree canopy is similar to that of the Atlanta area. I love Southern pine. People are super nice for a big metro area but, proporionately, not the sharpest tools in the shed. There are some ugly industrial areas and unchecked sprawl. While people may be nice, they are wickedly aggressive on the road. I like that it has Galveston. Whether it's the pier, the small dowtown with NOLA French Quarter* style covered sidewalks, or watching big cruise ships come and go, it can be a good time. * "Fillet of Soul" ... that is beyond hilarious ... it was a front for drug laundering or something like that New Orleans's motto as they might state in French would be (~) "laissez les bon temps rouler"

Dallas-Fort Worth of course. Haha

Yesterday would have been Pussy Galore's 100th birthday. Not exactly, but that of Honor Blackman. I was surfing Bond trivia and clicked on this actress's bio. Feminists who have an axe to grind go as far as to waste their time in decrying Bond's seduction of her, as in lacking consent. From what I recall, she gave in rather easily.

Good morning ...

Interesting that this was in an Escape. The mid-2010s Focus and Fiesta, which I have enjoyed as econobox rentals, were vilified for their dual clutch automatic transmissions. None of mine in rental cars acted up, except for one. And it acted up in a big way. I took it from Portland to Seattle to Vancouver BC and back. On the return trip, there were serious shudders in the automatic 1 to 2 shift, which is typical of one on the fritz. It's too bad. Dual clutch automatic is sort of standard for the VW umbrella overseas. They quote crazy prices to replace transmissions. I had a leaflet for GM Mr. Goodwrench factory rebuilt R&R units laying around. This was for 4-speed THM 460 (E) transaxles, just to know my options. The prices were palatable. Fortunately, I never had to fix a transmission. I did fluid changes every 30,000 miles. These cars trans' remained in the pink for their entire service lives.

Their situation has improved. Twenty years ago, it was bad like Venezuela is today. I have a friend who is married to a woman from here. I bet he regrets it because he also "married" her very large overbearing Colombian family with very poor boundaries.

A very unique car ... best in white. What could be a (Grand) Le Mans BUT with a funky front end, vaned triangular "opera" window, and the squashed down rear trunk. Thankfully, the great dashboard is the one shared with the GP. (Located in soulless Chicagoland suburbs that go on forever.) We had a neighborhood family with this car in white. They were never friendly to us. I don't think they liked foreigners (like my parents). They were transplants from Iowa ... the dad was a blue collar guy and the mom was the customer service desk lady at a nearby supermarket. I'd laugh ... the kids in our family have more than one sheepskin to their names and look and act Americanized. How about their kids? Maybe some token community college courses? I would never bring up this sort of stuff except that they were borderline white trash and a-holes. They were the only people I ever knew with a first-gen Grand Am. Condolences on the loss of this good friend ... he was taken from us way too soon. He was apparently a brilliant and impressive individual.

Our gruff German villainess had no idea she was giving a lift to a major horndog who wanted to boink all those girls residing at that clinic-institute.

When movies were stellar: I love this scene ... I've put it up before ... it totally plays in to stereotypes about Germans ... not only that, the scenery, the plot, the music

Thought I'd share ... This is how we came back to the U.S. when I must have been all of 4 feet tall. The ship, Italy's biggest transatlantic ever, built with a lesser known twin, was 902 ft. long. They only served for 10 years. This sort of experience changes how you view life and the world. An architectonic dream per the footage at 3:05 * * they have to pile on the cabins today and make them big and boxy ... these were made to look like big yachts

Just noticing that you're further east than I thought. I'm kidding ... because I hated Champaign-Urbana. It was like pulling teeth.

Again, I have no problem with the brand. I just want a vehicle that doesn't make statements or is about groupthink. That said, only their Legacy sedan qualifies and its interior (including the dash) is very nice. Is it that their CVT is one that hasn't gone through teething or you just don't like CVTs? Most people don't. I'm just thinking back to that era when one could drive a silver American boulevardier with a plush burgundy cloth interior on a scenic country road in the Sierra Nevada or the Cascades and stop in a funky place for coffee and a pastry. That's not about conformity and making statements. That's about pleasure, serenity, and comfort. That's what I have sought in my vehicles.

Very random thought: I wonder what percent of Subaru owners voted for Agent Orange. I bet it's low. (this is an automotive, demographics, and marketing research issue)

This is one of those weird hippie songs and, compared to other counterculture groups, they allowed themselves to be goofy. This song really wouldn't stand out anywhere as much if it wasn't for that horny sounding lady speaking Spanish in the background. It's almost like the protagonist would have had to avoid as much as bumping into her or she would get pregnant.

You could commute to "Cham-bana" from there ... maybe I just saw a Nissan Armada ... a black one. Most of them are black. I only see one each month or two. Is it any wonder? It's one of the more overwrought bombastic vehicles in recent times. (I see more old Intrigues and Aleros.)

I hear you. It eventually becomes exhausting. I've lived in 8 states and 1 foreign country. Two (or three) states and 1 foreign country would have been courtesy of my parents.* * today would have been my dad's birthday ... he didn't have much of a filter, usually making what would be considered politically incorrect observations about most things he saw ... from the car, on TV, etc. and said under his breath and/or in another language ... and, guess what, most of the time he would hit the nail on the head.

First time I've driven with such a steering wheel ... I sort of like it.

It's a very sad thing that school and shopping center shootings just seem to run together in one's memory these days ... or you miss knowing about some from the news. It used to be that they were rare and very shocking that you remember them very clearly, meaning where, when, etc. I'm talking Columbine, for example. Last night, someone visiting SoCal from Reno told me there was a shooting in the valet area of the GSR, formerly the MGM Grand Reno, where he had moved to from SoCal. I hadn't even heard of this. I just looked it up. Sadly, it's a true story.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend. Greetings from "the 213" ... not a flattering view, but it's from Amtrak approaching Union Station ...

Another one ...

Love the "percolating" instrumentals on this one

Random indeed: A get-away car for Ghislaine ... ... could be a Ford Fairlane

I don't see much in the way of new product, so I'm wondering what's up with Tesla's cash flow.