A Horse With No Name

Almost in a very bad traffic accident this morning, someone in a silver Acura blew a red light at twilight, almost missed them and pulled out into the intersection...had I pulled out, they would have T boned me in the drivers door. Not good. Wife gasping in the back seat when she happened to glance up was the only thing that stopped me. Wife this morning was livid that she had gained ten pounds... and then realized the family cat was standing behind her on the scale. Bother in law had a tumor removed, they are not sure if it is cancerous or not. No one in the Buffalo hospital system can figure out what it is...sending sample off to Harvard medical. NOT the way you want to go to Harvard. he is my age...not good...additional growth in his abdomen will require surgery. they think he might have additional growth in his chest, they are doing ultra sound and MRI to figure WTF is going on. Daughter is going to model UN as part of high school project...I am headed to Michigan to coach/judge in a debate tournament at Hillsdale College in about an hour. Getting out of Columbus will be a bear.

I have a 21 year old daughter and a 24 year old son who both ahve fantastic jobs, daughter is making north of 50K son is making north of 60K, both are being priced out of local amrket because house prices in Columbus are going off the chain. My house has gone up in value $25k in the last two years.

My house is probably worth $230K...two story colonial, 16 years old. Ranch homes can be really comfortable.

I love Art Deco architecture. And furniture...and the Art Deco Look in locomotives and trains. Delta had an art decoish looking series of tools back in the day also. Love the Bernie sign in the yard a year and a half after the election.

I am pro immigration but it is creating a lot of problems in a lot of places. I currently have an exchange student from Denmark and apparently the number of young men who are immigrants with knives up to no good is rather high. I bet Italy has a lot of good kids, I have always admired Italy in a lot of ways. Irony of Irony, my student from Denamrk shared a flight with a girl from Italy when he arrived in Columbus in August. Property tax cheap here in Ohio, $1800 a year for me...2000 square foot house on a quarter acre lot in a decent subdivision. Nothing if one is an OOmpah Loompah. Charlie says he wants the Canyon metallic Ecosport from the other thread back at the factory, pronto.

I am going to play grumpy old man here. Enjoying the freedom of just one car in my personal life...so just three here. Golf R current gen. Nicely equippped Wrangler current gen with a few mods maybe wheel and tire upgrade. Nicest used Cadillac CTS I can find.

Agree. Zero plans for this to disgrace my driveway. Would prefer a Camry myself. Not better enough for sixty payments from me. Actually one more to follow. I would add a Wrangler.

I would so give my eye teeth for those trucks.

...and the resale on both keeps tanking...

Only a small minority of kids are doing this...it is just an odd fad. And yes, I think we are in for some rough times in the auto industry. I wonder how SUV sales will go in terms of imports-I see fewer and fewer domestic SUV's on the road all of the time it seems.

Obviously interested by the news of the weird today...

On a more serious note, good read on how scientists try to visualize prehistoric life... https://www.lrb.co.uk/v40/n04/francis-gooding/feathered-furred-or-coloured Good Vox article on why coal is in permanent decline. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/10/19/16494472/trump-coal-futile

For a hundred grand, a flat earth travel vacation to...the end of the earth... https://journeytoedge.wordpress.com/ Televangelist Jim Baker considering another Civil War... https://www.nova-magazine.net/jim-bakker-if-president-trump-is-impeached-christians-will-rise-from-the-shadows-to-start-another-civil-war-video/?utm_content=buffer58ab8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Solar Eclipses not caused by Moon....who knew? https://krishna.org/astronomy-debunked-solar-eclipses-are-not-caused-by-the-moon/ Fahrenheit is caused by the devil himself, apparently... https://imgur.com/a/KISKQ

America is seeing a rise in flat earth belief...father of one of my daughters friends is a devout proponent of the flat earth... http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/12/31/rapper-b-o-b-bill-nye-needs-to-read-more-books-to-understand-the-flat-earth/ Seven natural ways to become a virgin again... http://borlem.me/7-natural-simple-ways-become-virgin/?1=1&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=93&sc=rnmiq&vi=7904385

Remington is in financial trouble; https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/13/remington-bankruptcy-guns-trump-slump-sales In news of the weird, Florida considering outlawing child marriage; https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2018/feb/06/it-put-an-end-to-my-childhood-the-hidden-scandal-of-us-child-marriage Arizona moving towards renewable energy, a good thing. https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/16/arizona-implement-huge-energy-storage-mandate-aim-80-renewables-2050/

The Italian equivalent to built by elves in the Black Forrest...maybe built by Guido in an alley? Offshore wind farms that are not tethered to the sea bed are doing much better than expected...significant because a whole lot of wind energy is available offshore in waters over 60 meters deep. Link; https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/16/hywind-scotland-worlds-first-floating-wind-farm-performing-better-expected/ Also, global sea levels rising much faster than expected...] https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/news/articles/extreme-weather/global-sea-level-rise-us-flood-rain-nasa-el-nino-la-nina-pacific-climate-melting-ice-greenland-fossil-fuel/95694

Probably rusted before they hit dealers...Vegas were really bad... Tesla is wildly over valued.... This has to rate as one of the five or so best looking post war American cars. I almost bought one when I bought my 66 Mustang fastback years ago.

It is a real commentary on what is built now that we are all jumping back decades to the cars we really want to own. For a modern car...hmmm...what else for Balthazar? Why not get a Colorado extended cab 4wd? #1. Good looking, #2. good resale, #3. good for the New Jersey winter, #4. GM reliability and parts availability, #5. could be used for your business in a pinch, #6. could still haul your boys, #7. would tow maybe an Airsteam Bambi or some other trailer if you and the Mrs. wanted to travel, #8. could also tow a boat if you wanted a toy for the summer, #9. could haul parts for the interminable B-59 project, #10, similar driving dynamics to the jeep your wife likes, sits up high so the Mrs can see well in traffic, #11. You liked your F150, this would be much more modern and much more fuel efficient, and drive much better than that. #12. Masculine vehicle, think of how much fun you can have laughing at Blu when he buys that toy like Ecosport! Besides, New Jersey must be getting a little boring at this point. A truck would allow you to explore Montana and the great American west...you could use a change of pace.

Yet anyways.... Right now garage space is the biggest impediment. If my son moves out and I could move my workshop to the basement, that would help issues immensely.

I have such fond memories of 50's, 60's and 70's American iron from my childhood. I know vintage four doors are anathema to you, but I would love to own one...I miss those old cars every day I walk on this planet. LOTS of good times in the 70's and 80's with these.

I am a fan of a few select brands from Europe America and Asia. Appreciate your sentiment.

Likely your test drive should be done after dark so no one sees you driving it.

Trolling. Lots of 20 year old GM products doing just fine. Got my oil changed in my vee dub at the Audi dealership in Asheville when I was visiting my mother...crowded and they were moving metal unlike the dealership next door. Lots of good car makers in addition to Benz. Escape is actually a Decent looking vehicle. Seems like it would be a good choice.

The more I look at the world outside of my work shop the more itrational it becomes. This vehicle does not seem like part of a rational marketing philosophy.