trinacriabob

I get a kick out of reading reviews of hotels overseas on venues like Tripadvisor where people from many countries sound off on their experiences. I seem to run into one common ESL-ism, whereby reviewers comment that "the stuff" was usually really good, or sometimes not so good. In context, it's obvious this implies it's "the staff." However, they're going off of how they would pronounce it phonetically. These reviewers will often be from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, most of the time. I love stuff like this ... in our world that is so far from being remotely monolingual.

I love this lady. She is Lashonda Lester, a Detroit native who moved to Austin and wound up doing stand-up. She is no longer with us, passing at about 41 from cancer. This is what I'm listening to and sometimes do so when I need a good laugh. Her delivery (voice modulation, etc.) are perfect for this sort of gig. (She also has another good YouTube about Russians and religious types coming to the door.) May she RIP.

I didn't know he was a comedian until a friend of mine told me it's the same guy who was in "Green Book," cast as one of the brothers-in-law, I believe. I don't find him as funny as some of the others who did this Italian-American spin on awkward situations because I think he's working off of an already established comedic platform ... and it's not as convincing because he's actually from Chicago and not the NYC area, where they do talk like that.

They did a good job with RTD in Denver, from what I could tell. There are TWO ways out of the airport ... one that goes downtown and one that goes south, pretty much to the Tech Center and passes near some huge lake or reservoir in doing so. There is even a commuter rail interface that takes you up to some northern bedroom communities, probably from Union Station, but it's not RTD per se'. It's all light rail in the RTD part, so that's all faster to put together. I had planned to go but then the pandemic hit. I had planned on getting in and out of DIA using RTD and then picking up a rental car at a suburban location down in the Tech Center. I've probably said this before - broken record: there was a trailer set up as an info booth on the Boulder Turnpike on approach to Boulder coming up from Denver. This was about 25 years ago. This earthy-crunchy chick who was presentable enough (and not the kind who could braid her armpits) was working in it. She was smug and not that friendly - she shouldn't have had a public contact job helping tourists. As soon as a hippiesh compatriot dude she knew walked in, and not even for touristic purposes, she lit up. Ah, yes, she was with tribe! You then wonder what people like this might be like in the present day after some initial slight hitting of the wall. Did she join the establishment, move to the nicer and newer suburbs, and find a husband who would keep her in bon bons ... or is she working at a candle shop in Boulder or Capitol Hill and driving a beat up Subaru wagon? Yes, I do tend to overanalyze things.

This is interesting - to me, at least. Today was the grand opening of the new Metro line from Istanbul's new airport (about 30 miles out, and practically on the Black Sea) into the city center. They opened the new airport - Europe's busiest - in 2019 and fully relied on big coach type buses. The old airport was connected to the city by Metro, and now the old airport has been put to some alternate use. This new high-speed line takes less than 1/2 and hour. It does not yet go into the skyscraper part of the city, but that's on tap and just a few planned stations away. It takes one more Metro train to go into the historical center ... and this high-speed Metro is not intended to ever go there, which is a good thing. This whole situation is analogous to Denver Stapleton flipping over to DIA, which is way the hell out of town. Denverites joke that it's in Kansas. https://www.dailysabah.com/business/transportation/erdogan-inaugurates-high-speed-metro-line-to-europes-busiest-airport Personally, I enjoy riding on different subway systems.

I agree about the color part. On a sportier vehicle, mixing it up with red accents on the dash or even in the seat stitching can be nice. I've seen this on older Camaros and in vehicles like GMC Acadias from the 2010s ... and it worked. It becomes a matter of how much, though. @David @Robert Hall As vehicle manufacturers move their line-ups to EV, one can see, at a quick glance from the home pages of their websites, what the manufacturers offer and where MSRP starts. For (almost) ALL of these EVs, the prices are a huge jump from the equivalent models powered by ICEs in the near past. The price jumps make for some serious heartburn.

Agreed. Spend prudently, save when you can, and invest* logically. * which is almost an "alternate universe" in terms of spending

I heard this in the car. I doubt that, in today's uptight times, a band would call themselves "Hot Chocolate," but that's what makes this era of music all that much quirkier and funnier. I could have sworn this was '80s, but it's earlier than that ... at the very peak of disco. Very spunky song. Also, per some text during the video, this appears to have been a performance in Koln (Cologne), Germany.

It takes money to make money.

Celebrating 15 YEARS of LaCrosse ownership ... not today, but just recently. With a break in the weather around the new year, slightly before the 15 years of ownership, I drove it to Toronto area (the GTA). It ran like a champ. On a full highway stretch outbound, I got 31 mpg. On a full highway stretch returning, I got 30 mpg and it was raining. It's getting the sticker EPA highway fuel mileage ... or better. That means its last tune-up is to spec, the new tires are doing their job, and its 3800 V6 is tight. On the day of it turning 15, the odometer was 120,401 miles that morning. To date, I have only had issues with the stuff other LaCrosse/Allure vehicles of 2005 to 2009 have seen: some suspension components, a few sensors (notably the ABS/traction control one), dashboard and accessory lighting, and the power door lock actuators. As far as bigger ticket items, which would actually be maintenance instead of repairs, I have put on: - 2 sets of tires - both times Michelin - 1 set of struts - Gabriel all-in-one assemblies, which are sort of hard to find considering Gabriel shock absorbers were ubiquitous when I had RWD GM products. - 2 batteries - both AC Delco Gold; the rest of the charging system is original - 1 set of brakes on both the front and rear; the rotors are original, having only been turned at that one brake job That has pretty much been it. It still has its original serpentine belt (looking good, but I will replace it in the spring) and its original cooling system apparatus (I will replace the radiator hoses in the spring, too). Here is the car at Bluffer's Beach and Park in the Scarborough section of Toronto. The locals told me that there should have been snow and ice at the beach, but, instead, people were strolling along Lake Ontario on the sand. Here is the car with another one identical to it (at the left) at the same place, and the driver of the other one was very cool about my taking this photo (I asked him to tilt slightly toward the A-pillar of his vehicle) ... I had to take this photo because this was too funny ... to me, anyway. These first-gen LaCrosses/Allures are all over the GTA, given that they were built out at Oshawa's GM plant, which is at the GTA's eastern edge. I didn't think I'd keep it this long and that it would reliably take me to the places it has been. I haven't a clue as to what I will drive next, so I keep driving it and try not to think about this. Oh yeah, they are much nicer to me at Eastern border crossings, and always have been, compared to Western border crossings (WA state to B.C.). I have wondered why that is. I'll chalk it up to ethnicity that is more in synch with the surroundings.

Talking about the movie "Body Heat" got me going. It's of my all time favorite films. I've seen it about 9 times. It never gets old. A few of my friends and I know some of its great lines. The theme music that they roll the credits to is outstanding. The name John Barry (RIP) might not ring a bell, but it should. He scored most of the James Bond 007 films. He was right up there with the likes of Michel Legrand and John Williams. This is in my music collection along with some other instrumentals to break up the classic rock, '80s and '90s pop, dance music, jazz, etc. This scene is one of the more interesting ones, getting way more R rated after what you see here. Yesteryear's Kathleen Turner worked this guy - played by William Hurt (RIP) - like nobody's business. I haven't seen too many William Hurt movies so, in my mind, he will always be Ned Racine.

I've been to Montreal, and even additional parts of Quebec, such as the capital and the Laurentians, some 11 items. Yes, I like it there a lot!

I'm good right here, with that first steak shown, the hamburgers you're grilling, and, of course, the pineapple upside down cake, which I NOT eaten in some 5 to 10 years. But I love it. You put up some bodacious photos of your cooking. Does your wife (ever) cook?!?

I guess I didn't get far enough into the movie. As far as cool houses go, there was this one on Cape Cod in the Julia Roberts movie from the '90s named "Sleeping with the Enemy." For some reason, I remembered NC (when the movie was more recent) instead of Cape Cod. That's because a lot of the filming took place in beachy places in the Carolinas more so than it did on the Cape. I have not heard of Rib-n-Reef. I just saw it on a more updated 'best in Montreal' list. From those airline in-flight magazines (maybe on AC), I've seen ads for Moishe's Steak House and the Beaver Club in the Fairmount Queen Elizabeth. Moishe's sold to a more corporate owner in the late 2010s and they are supposed to reopen in or around Square-Victoria. It doesn't appear to have happened. I looked at their menu and the saying "if you have to ask the price ..." applies. The Beaver Club (what a name) has also closed and will not be reopening, but it was definitely Canadian haute cuisine, from what I've read, and in one of the city's most famous hotels. Sure, I wouldn't mind having tried any of these places, but I'm even happy eating at Pacini's!

@David For me, Fogo is the gold standard. Whether it's going to be Fogo, Texas de Brazil, or other is sort of hodgepodge. They tend to focus on different cities, or different business suburbs of some cities. I ate next to nothing today. @Robert Hall "Body Double" is tough to watch. "Body Heat" is EASY to watch ... one of the very best in its genre, too.

Nice to hear from you and what you're up to! All healthy things. That looks like a GTO with a bad case of flesh eating bacteria. - - - - - What I really came on here to say: You go to a Brazilian steakhouse buffet, which you don't do too often to begin with, and you quickly learn your eyes are bigger than your stomach AND your stomach is not accustomed to stretching like that. You are zonked for the rest of the evening and most of the next day. You also have no appetite. But, you got enough protein from the many small cubes of filet mignon, flank steak, picanha (top sirloin), parmesan crusted pork loin, and small bacon wrapped chicken breasts that could function as a storehouse of protein for about a week. You also vow not to go back for a long time. My limit on these places is 3 to 4 times a year. Happy Lazy Sunday, folks of C&G.

Some James Bond movie theme song music by Duran Duran ... These never fail to take you back in time, almost as if watching the credits roll for the very first time. Some of them even have a fair amount of instrumental action that ties in to the mainstay James Bond theme that has stood the test of time. And, of course, some title songs from the franchise are better than others.

Yes ... yes ... NO. I prefer stock looks on almost all cars. Most other renditions look too forced. I had forgotten about that fastback late '60s (I think) Riviera ... good proportions, youthful enough, nice rear light bar. Most Rivieras have been interesting and they've taken some bold moves with them. The only misses, IMO, were: - the boat tail Riv, which is about as polarizing as the bustle back Seville - some of the 1979-1984 Rivs if outfitted in bad ways, such as with a padded landau roof and too much chrome - the very first downsized gen of Rivs staring circa 1985, until they enlarged it a little bit and righted that ship They even did a decent job with: - 1974 to 1976, where it was a good compromise that had enough rearward sweep and the big opera window - 1977 and 1978, where, even if safe and uninspiring in the engineering department, sure looked a helluva lot better than its fraternal LeSabre coupe and which now could be powered by an Olds Rocket 350 V8. - the very last Riv of the mid '90s - some great vantage points but with the weak "preying mantis" front end, but a really nice interior cabin and sweeping dash that even melded well right into the doors.

Can't beat the location. I see the Empire State Building and the newer Midtown Manhattan towers that have sprouted, not all of which I like. I'm guessing this is from somewhere along the Hudson River in NJ, no? I love visiting this area. And to the think that we once lived in its suburbs, probably 5 or 10 miles from where this photo may have been taken. Great road trip for you, I'm sure.

Good morning ... Now that I have your attention ... . , , Happy Nixon's Birthday!

My car is 2008 vintage. I don't do my own repairs, since I can't where I live and I don't have the equipment to do that. I don't think I'd want to, anyway. I just replace what I can reach. A few years ago, I went to a GM dealer to have them look at my brakes. The younger service writers were full of crap, as to both the timing of when brakes would be needed and that the car needed new rotors. I then went to another GM dealership a friend uses. They said the brakes would be fine for at least another 10,000 miles (that was the case) and that, when they looked at the time they were about to do the brake job, the rotors could be turned. With rockauto type pricing for good brands, I would have NO issue with new rotors. However, with dealership pricing, I would. I have moved on from using the dealership within the last year. Why should I stay when they want $140 to change a serpentine belt, but the mechanic who did my 4 wheel alignment after putting on the Costco Michelins wants $85? I'll definitely want new rotors the next time, but will be looking at the pricing from regular mechanics. Also, this, again, brings up "keystoning." What I've seen is that one store keystoned off the retail price. I have no problem if they keystone off their wholesale price. They're supposed to, so they can make a profit. If the part costs them $ 75 and they mark up 50%, it's $ 112.50 to me. If the part RETAILS for $ 100 and they mark up 50%, it's $ 150 to me. When you have multiple items that go into the repair bill, that adds up real quick. Watch your backs.

In temperate climate zones, it definitely is, or was. I never replaced the front rotors on either of my first two cars, both Cutlass Supremes and both mostly driven in California. Granted, the front brake pads lasted about 50,000 miles because of the RWD platform's more even weight distribution, but they (mechanics) just kept turning the rotors ... and the drums.

@David How many turns did the rotors on the Escalade (that did not get warped due to freezing) go through before requiring new ones? In a temperate enough climate, and yours qualifies, I've heard the rule of thumb is 2 to 3 turns. - - - - - Roughly on New Year's Day, I put in a new air filter. A little over $10 to buy it. I do it on the 10s on the odometer (the one being removed never looks all that bad) for the easy math, and I just turned over 120,000 miles. Cheap insurance and peace of mind.

I couldn't take a photo. I could see its grille from my driver's side outside mirror and it was moving briskly forward in the fast lane on a rainy freeway. It was circa a 1987 Mercury Cougar. Those were weird looking cars. Ok, the front is fairly tame But, then, it all turns into a $h!tshow! Maybe some kudos are in order for the bold move. You could get a V8, but entry-level power came from FoMoCo's version of the 3.8 liter V6. (The corresponding Ford T-bird of those same years was even more dowdy.) The car I saw was in excellent condition.

@bobo It was entertaining to read your legendary annual write-up which reliably encapsulates everything in a good, concise read. Thank you! While 2022 might have seen a decline in the impact of COVID, it saw the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. I remember exactly where I was when I heard about it. It had a chilling effect on people because this is in the New Millennium and in Europe, where these sorts of things aren't supposed to happen. (Maybe I should restrict that observation or comment to Western Europe.) In the entertainment world, the slap at the Oscars might only historically rival Jane Fonda's acceptance speech when she was all about politics. As for Kanye, he's been off his rocker for a long time. It was sad to see Queen Elizabeth II and Olivia Newton-John pass. As for Kirstie Alley and Barbara Walters, I can't say I will miss them at all. They both racked up a fair number of faux pas, in addition to just being plain irritating. As for Pope Benedict, he made it to 95 and has been the least charismatic Pope in my lifetime. May he, nonetheless, RIP. Electrification is good, as long as the infrastructure to support it is and will be there. I like Buick's new logo. I'm glad that, at one point in time, I got to look through the circular one as a hood ornament while I was driving. However, the KIA logo is not being all that well received. For those who don't know the brand and their vehicles, they are thinking it reads like KN. The most disappointing auto news for me is the curtain falling on the Dodge Charger, especially since it was continuously being fine tuned in the "right direction." The "jeer" I agree with the most is that for Elon Musk. As with anyone who is always in your face, I look the other way because it becomes excessive. That's how I felt about Trump in the '90s, when you couldn't buy groceries without seeing him on the covers of tabloids when at the cash register. And that's how I still feel about him. Happy New Year to you, too!