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A Blog About Cars ... And More |
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Thursday August 31, 2017 AutoSketch: 1956 Mercury XM Turnpike Cruiser - Yesterday's Dream
One of Mercury's most memorable dream cars is the XM Turnpike Cruiser. The XM foretold the styling of the '57-59 production Mercury models. Bold styling was highlighted by 12-inch V-shaped taillights flowing from matching white pearlescent, concave-sculpted, canted rear fender tips/fins. Twin transparent-tint Plexiglas roof panels tilted up when doors were opened to assist entry and exit. Other interesting design details included dual exhaust exiting from the rear fenders, chromed quad bullets in the front bumper, four bucket seats and concealed door handles. The center portion of the three-section backlight could be lowered for ventilation, a feature adapted by the production 1957 Turnpike Cruiser as well as the '58-60 Lincoln Continentals and the 'Breezeway' Mercs of the 1960s. The XM was designed ... (more >>>)
Well, I do feel that summer is being dragged away but I'm determined to get more old car drives in before the good weather comes to an end. Earlier this week, we were having a heat wave - temperatures air kissed triple digits one day - and I dutifully took my '39 Plymouth business coupe to town and fueled up. At 9:00 am the temperature was almost 70 degrees. I took a nice drive afterward. Diversity Gone Wild: A writing conference was canceled recently after people complained about the lack of diversity in the line-up of writers that were going to attend. The organizers of the Loft Literary Center's conference, aimed at teaching people how to write young adult novels, scrapped their plans when they learned that all the twenty-two speakers but one were white. "We have set a goal for ourselves to be inclusive and to work toward equity, and we didn't think the conference would live up to that mission," said Britt Udesen, executive director of the Loft in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Just add this story to the general diversity madness. Diversity is crap. Imagine Smokey Robinson telling The Miracles, "Now fellas, I know we got a tight group but the people are complainin' that its not diverse, So Ronnie and Pete, I've got to let you two go. I'm bringing on a tone-deaf Asian and a fat white flannel-shirted Lesbian to replace you." You don't build success on diversity. You build success on talent and a single-minded, focused performance from your team. That's how miracles are created in any endeavor. Just ask Smokey. Best Phrase Of The Week: Jack Baruth responded to a stuffy Canadian harrumphing about the 'sensible' Great White North's legal restrictions on "hate speech" (and free speech) noting that he "may well be right about the law in Canada, but here in the United States we don't have to follow the rules of Justin Trudeau's Technicolor Dreamcoat." Ha. Book Review: 'Tools Of The Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers' by Tim Ferriss Ferriss is a self-help author, entrepreneur, public speaker and self-proclaimed "human guinea pig" who experiments with drugs, extreme dieting and large doses of nutritional supplements. Although I've read numerous business books and articles, I had never hear of him. Tim Ferriss is apparently a well-known podcast author, although I've never listened to a complete podcast by anyone, so I'm unable to judge the quality of his podcast series. This book's content consists of material from some of his guests on The Tim Ferriss Show podcast. Several reviewers complained ... (more >>>) Quote Of The Day is from Ronald Reagan: "No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth." Tuesday August 29, 2017
Rats. I don't want summer to end. But the days are getting noticeably shorter. Mt. St. Helens was clearly visible on Saturday and it is still a naked and ugly rock. It looks much better when it's snow-covered and it won't be long until that happens. Knowing that the amount of nice weather is dwindling down, I fired up my '39 Plymouth coupe and took a drive. I had the windows down so I could listen to the Glasspacks purr under blue, cloudless skies. Traffic was almost nonexistent; people were sleeping in. The Beach Boys are right about one thing; it's time to have Fun, Fun, Fun - until the weather makes me put my Plymouth away. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy The Warmth Of The Sun.
Volvo wonders why we can't be more like Europeans, most of whom custom-order their vehicles and wait weeks or months before they can take delivery. In an attempt to force us into the European queue-style, Volvo plans to present its revised 2018 V90 wagon as a built-to-order only vehicle in the U.S. "We want to try online ordering to see how it works," said Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, taking it as far as possible while still obeying U.S. franchise laws. "We know there are many people who simply don't like to go to a dealer, and we want to give them an alternative experience." So, Volvo says it will have no classic V90s available at dealer showrooms. To buy one, a customer will have to begin the order process online. They will have access to trained specialists by e-mail, through chat or by phone to help answer any questions. And they will be able to follow a more European style process to specify exterior and interior colors and accessories. "In the end, the final details will still need to be done by the dealer," the Dutch-born executive explained, including making delivery, but the process will come as close to ordering from Amazon as possible and still comply with franchise laws. Asked if Volvo might expand that to other product lines, Kerssemakers said, "Absolutely." Good luck with all that. America is the land of speed. Fast food was invented here. Drive-ins with waitresses on roller skates started here. Quick oil-change shops began in the U.S. Drive-thru banking is an American institution. FedEx got its start in this country. You get the picture. In America, queues are for losers. Because we hate to wait. Marketing-wise, Volvo is in the wrong line. The slow line. Update: Recently, I've added more information and clarification to my online article about the decline of the Pennsylvania Railroad, its merger with the New York Central, the resultant bankruptcy mess and the formation of Amtrak and Conrail. About That 'We're A Nation Of Immigrants' Baloney: No, we're not. "We're a nation of citizens. This country was built on legal immigration, and the ones who made it through learned the language and assimilated." The We Are All Immigrants meme must really piss off the Indians. Of course, they're immigrants too, having apparently crossed the Bering Strait land mass. And then, perhaps, taken light rail to a nearby casino. When my four grandparents emigrated from western Ireland to America - between 1893 and 1906 - they had to arrive with money in their pockets - at least $10 each (about $300 in today's dollars). They had to have a sponsor and a place to stay. They received no welfare of any kind from the government. There were no government-funded 'safety nets' in those days, so my grandparents had to start working immediately. Religious organizations helped them connect with prospective employers. Even though there was church involvement, everything was done legally and above-board; there was no "sanctuary" offered. Just networking. My grandparents worked hard, learned American ways (without forgetting their Irish culture), worked their way up the economic ladder and, in time, became part of the American Dream. Today's illegal immigrant is ... (more >>>) Quote Of The Day is from Robert Benchley: "There are two kinds of people in the world, those who believe there are two kinds of people in the world and those who don't." Friday August 25, 2017
Additional evidence from a recent J.P. Morgan conference where executives at five of the 25 biggest first-tier automotive suppliers downplayed expectations for electric-vehicle sales. "After Volvo Car Group made a splash with its pledge to put electric motors in every new car by 2019 and Musk predicted more than half of U.S. auto production would be electric in 10 years, the parts makers have issued modest forecasts and spoken in circumspect, even defiant, tones." "There's a lot of buzz and a lot of talk about how the world’s going to change to electrified vehicles overnight, and I'm here to tell you it’s not going to happen overnight, and it’s not going to happen for decades," said David Dauch, CEO of American Axle. "I'm a strong believer in the internal combustion engine. I think it’s going to continue to be here for some time." Me too. Magna International, the biggest North American parts supplier, "sees pure electric cars being between 3% and 6% of global new vehicle deliveries by 2025. Chief Executive Officer Don Walker told an industry conference last week that automakers share his skepticism of faster market penetration, but can’t say so publicly." Got Money To Waste? Fiat-Chrysler has priced the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk at $86,995 and up. The 700 horsepower Jeep is more expensive than the 840-horsepower Dodge Demon. You know what they say about a fool and his money, right?
"Many people are simply going to have to work longer, live on less, ratchet down their expectations for retirement or some combination of the three." If one withdraws 4% per year from a $263,000 retirement account that's about $10,000 per year. Add in Social Security and total annual income increases to $30-$45,000/year. That's not high-living money but at least these Boomer retirees won't be dining exclusively on Alpo either. And there's always those reverse mortgages that Tom Selleck pitches on television. Book Review: 'Leading Lady: Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker' by Stephen Galloway This 400-plus page book is a selective biography of Sherry Lansing, who became the first woman ever to be named president of a major movie studio. Unfortunately, the Hollywood gossip isn't very interesting and the chaotic sausage-making look at movie production was a turn-off for me. Yes, there were lots of behind-the-scenes tales about movies as 'Titanic', 'Forrest Gump', 'Braveheart', 'Saving Private Ryan', 'The Sum of All Fears' and other box office hits. But ... (more >>>) Quote Of The Day is from Thomas Sowell: "Some people are so busy being clever that they don't have time to be intelligent." Wednesday August 23, 2017
At this point, foreign ownership may be the only thing that can help Fiat Chrysler survive. Jeep and Ram are probably the only two American brands which have value. The Viper is dead. The Chrysler brand has one foot in the grave and Dodge isn't feeling to well itself. It has never healed properly since its truck division was surgically removed several years ago and given its own Ram brand identity. I guess one might call the procedure a Ramectomy. Jeep is an iconic marque but it's recent line extensions have diluted the brand and its performance in the marketplace is mediocre at best. In the U.S. SUV/Crossover market, the Jeep Grand Cherokee (the top selling model of Jeep's line) was in seventh place in the July sales race. It was outsold ... (more >>>)
I didn't have any Nat King Cole songs playing, although - at one point - 'Ready Teddy' poured though the speakers. Not the Little Richard hit of 1956 but the Elvis Presley cover. Elvis performed the song live before some 60 million television viewers during his first appearance on the 'Ed Sullivan Show'. I rock-n-rolled my way through my back roads drive, which had more traffic than usual. Update: My 1964 Lincoln Continental AutoSketch web page has been revised featuring more details and images concerning the car and the times. Update II: The restored Ghia-bodied 1953 Abarth Sport 1100, which I wrote about here, sold for $891,000 at Sotheby's Monterey Week auction. More News From The Swamp: Republican U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert from Texas has revealed that during the 2016 presidential campaign, House Speaker Paul Ryan told him and his fellow Republicans to give up on Donald Trump's campaign and just focus their energy on keeping "President Hillary Clinton accountable." According to Ryan, the Republicans had no chance at the White House, so at the very least they should try to retain their House majority. Thanks to Rep. Gohmert for his revealing candor. Apparently, Paul Ryan is just another D.C. swamp creature, who represents the Establishment rather than his own party. Vintage & Well-Made: In my toolbox, I keep a big Craftsman screwdriver for big jobs. I bought it in the late 1960s and it's now a bit worse for the wear. In the early 1980s, I purchased a backup which I keep in my other toolbox. It's a Fuller 307, easily identifiable to tool aficionados by its characteristic transparent yellow molded acetate plastic handle with red top.
The 307 model is slotted (aka: standard or flat blade) and has a 7-inch shaft length. Overall length is just over 11 inches. The shaft is hardened chrome-vanadium steel and still retains its original shine. The red top is a little beat up from being hammered - I sometimes use my big screwdrivers as a chisel, even though I have a perfectly good chisel somewhere. I can never find it when I need it. Or, more properly, don't take the time to find the chisel when I need it, especially if one of my big screwdrivers is handy and I'm feeling lazy. Connoisseurs of tools are horrified, I'm sure. Fuller Tools started ... (more >>>) Moon Eats Sun; No Humans Sacrificed: Yes, we experienced the eclipse on Monday morning. The sky was clear and relatively cloud-free, so it was easily visible from the back deck of our house. Our daughter provided us with special viewing glasses. The eclipse reached 99.7% Totality, which meant that, at peak, only a tiny sliver of orange crescent was visible. It did not get dark here; no stars were visible. It seemed like late afternoon or early evening. The birds did stop chirping. Biggest surprise: Nabisco didn't market special Eclipse Oreos. Best eclipse headline was from The People's Cube: 'Fears mount as eclipse may bring Confederate statues to life'. This was the second eclipse I've experienced. The first one was on February 26, 1979 in Corvallis, Oregon. The morning was overcast and the sun wasn't visible. I was at work at our downtown plastics fabrication shop; all of the employees stopped what they were doing and went outside for a look. It got dark enough that streetlights winked on and some motorists put on their headlights. Ask Spain How They Feel About This: This week, Pope Francis "urged countries to greatly improve their welcome to migrants and stop collective expulsions, saying migrants' dignity and right to protection trumps national security concerns." The Pope, who lives in a city with stone walls erected to keep Muslim invaders out, "demanded governments welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants." Meanwhile, the U.S. media excoriates President Trump for "inappropriate remarks." The more sensible religious leader Franklin Graham has urged politicians and other world leaders to "stop insisting that Islam is a religion of peace, when the exact opposite is true." Amen to that. Public Service Announcement: Please do not use your $1, $2, $50 or 100 bills. They have pictures of former slave owners on them. We must get these out of circulation immediately. Send them all to me and I will dispose of them properly. Quote Of The Day is from The Simpsons' C. Montgomery Burns: "I took something called Uber, which I thought would be a Wehrmacht staff car, but turned out to be a ... (groan) Prius, driven by a ... (groan) woman." Monday August 21, 2017 2017 Monterey Week: Last week's annual car festival offered the usual mix of spectacular and fascinating vehicles on display as well as always-interesting auto auction results. Once simply the Pebble Beach Concours, this car-centric, scenic venue has been expanded to include week-long events, including exclusive new vehicle launches by manufacturers as well as numerous track and rally events And humongous traffic jams as people try to attend every event. This year, the Pebble Beach Concours featured a special ten-vehicle exhibit: American Dream Cars of the 1960s Class. One of them was the one-off, Cadillac-powered 1960 DiDia 150, built for singer Bobby Darin.
Darin drove his wife, Sandra Dee, in the befinned, aluminum-bodied car to the 34th Academy Awards in 1961. Other one-off dream cars on exhibit included the 1966 Bosley Mark II Interstate Coupe, 1962 Studebaker Sceptre Concept Coupe by Brooks Stevens, 1963 Mantaray by Dean Jeffries, 1963 Tex Smith XR6 Custom Roadster, 1965 Bugatti T101C Roadster by Virgil Exner/Carrozzeria Ghia, 1965 Pontiac Vivant Roadster by Herb Adams, 1967 Gyro-X by Alex Tremulis, 1969 Farago CF 428 Coupe by Paul Farago and Gene Winfield's 1965 Reactor. BMW unveiled a gorgeous Concept Z4 convertible at Pebble Beach. A production version will go on sale next year. Mercedes-Benz exhibited the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet concept. It is 19-feet in length but carries only two people. It features a 750-horsepower electric powertrain. Land Rover also presented its the Range Rover Velar and SVOs $200,000 ultra-luxury Range Rover SV Autobiography Long Wheelbase SUV. The Volkswagen Electric Microbus concept was seen on the roads around Monterey last week; Volkswagen confirmed that a production version would appear in 2022. The first U.S. Bugatti Chiron - a yellow and black example - was delivered to a customer during the Pebble Beach activities. Price of this Chiron was in the $3 million dollar neighborhood. Then there are the auctions. According to ... (more >>>)
I had the windows down so I could listen to the Glasspacks purr. Forty years after his death and sixty years after he recorded it, Elvis was warbling 'Jailhouse Rock' though the speakers. It was a most enjoyable weekend old-car drive. Never Lick Old Brake Shoes: An article in Hemmings pointed out that Austrailia's crackdown on asbestos has essentially halted collector car imports into that country. "According to an account by Australian collector car importer Terry Healy that received widespread attention across Australia - and that may have prompted the ABF to issue its notice – extensive testing on the 1965 Ford Mustang and 1966 Shelby G.T. 350 he had shipped to Australia earlier this year cost roughly $15,000, caused $12,000 in damages due to destructive testing of samples from the two cars, and led to the seizure of a number of parts found to contain asbestos, among them the brake pads, brake shoes, exhaust manifold gaskets, and exhaust pipe gaskets." Asbestos was commonly found in clutches, brakes, transmissions, and gaskets up until the 1970s. I would point out that our first home, purchased new in 1968, featured asbestos roofing and - an extra-cost option - long-wearing vinyl asbestos floor tile. Book Review: 'The Land Of Enterprise: A Business History Of The United States' by Benjamin C. Waterhouse Enterprise has always been undervalued as a component and driver of U.S. history. Waterhouse's 288-page book attempts to tell the story through the eyes of business people - traders, entrepreneurs executives, bankers and farmers - from colonial times to the present. His tale leaves behind a trail of hits and misses. Early in the book, the author claims that ... (more >>>)
His career had its ups and downs; he was, at his worst, mercurial and hard to deal with. At his best, Jerry was talented, funny and generous. Nevertheless Jerry Lewis was a defining figure of 20th Century American entertainment. He teamed up with Dean Martin in New York; they became famous after an extended 1946 run at Skinny D'Amato's 500 Club in Atlantic City, NJ. Over the years, Lewis raised a lot of money for charities, including over $2 billion dollars for Muscular Distrophy. His antics with Dean Martin made me laugh when I was a kid. I last saw him perform as the Devil in a touring production of 'Damn Yankees' in 1995. Rest in Peace, Jerry. I Bet Every One Of Them Voted For Hillary: Deroy Murdock of National Review did some number-crunching and found that "some 3.5 million more people are registered to vote in the U.S. than are alive among America's adult citizens. Such staggering inaccuracy is an engraved invitation to voter fraud." Yet the mainstream media scoffed last year when Donald Trump proclaimed that the only reason Hillary Clinton won the popular vote was due to widespread election fraud. Bad Pun of the Day: They accused her of stealing the broach but they just couldn't pin it on her. Thursday August 17, 2017
In 1966, I saw a Rolls Royce Phantom V on display at the New York Auto Show. It carried a price tag of $16,500, which is $125,900 in today's dollars. So the latest model is quite expensive by any standard, especially historical ones. On the other hand, it is an improvement over the last iteration. It offers more effective headroom than the last one - accomplished by RR boffins having fettled the door openings to provide increased vertical clearance for a sheik's headdress, a gentleman's top hat ... or a royal's crown. "It's worth noting that this is only the second Phantom produced by Rolls-Royce under its BMW overlords." It's also due to a new - as opposed to simply updated or reconfigured - engine. Rolls gave Phantom VIII a twin-turbo, 6.75-liter, V12 engine turbocharged to 563 horsepower. (This is a change from the previous naturally aspirated, 453 horsepower V12 engine used in Phantom VII.) The twin-turbo facilitates additional low-end power at lower revs, which works wonders to ensure silence at speeds of up to 155 mph. This is a large, heavy car, which will - nonetheless - reach 60 mph from a standing start in 5.3 seconds. Interestingly, the Phantom VIII has a ZF 8-speed gearbox that is "aided by satellite technology to make impeccable shifts for the road ahead at any speed." It also features four-wheel steering - just like Lamborghini or my 1992 Nissan 300ZX - which increases agility and stability around corners. This time the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament can be had in silver, gold or illuminated transparent polycarbonate plastic. "Front-seat passengers are also treated to a new dash experience, The Gallery, which was inspired by Rolls' customer's fondness for putting high-end art in their boats and planes. Nestled into the dash immediately to the side of the instrument panel is, effectively, a shadowbox complete with glass front. This area is designed to be a showplace for Phantom owners to commission bespoke pieces of art that are impressive or important to them." This is the ultra-wealthy equivalent of having a few sports bobbleheads or other tchotkes displayed in your office cubicle. The Phantom VIII is elegant excess at its best. Just for laughs, I think I'll equip mine with a print of Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' on the driver's airbag.
On one stretch of back road, the only other car was a white Fiat 500 coming the other way. I passed a couple of joggers, trying to get their runs in before things got too hot - the afternoon temperature eventually reached the low 80s. The Plymouth ran great - as usual - and I had an enjoyable ride. White House Drama: Last month, I wrote, "For every athlete, there's a competitor. For every nation, there's an enemy. For every political candidate, there's an opponent. And if there isn't, the press will invent one." President Donald Trump has identified his adversaries and makes sure that he needles them every day. Usually on Twitter. The Zman recently wrote, "The key to understanding Trump has always been that he loves drama. The never ending quarrel is what gets him up in the morning. He thrives in chaos and when he cannot find it, he creates it. The reason is Trump is an opportunist. That's his nature. He seeks to maximize what he has in order to leverage it into a chance to catch someone sleeping, so he can get a bargain in his next deal." The continued insane, foaming-at-the-mouth response to Donald Trump's election from those thin, rich, fashionable Elites shows that your so-called Betters are not blessed with better judgment. The Donald has gotten inside their stylishly-coiffed heads. This is a big list, including everyone who appears on MSNBC, writes for Slate, Politico, WaPo or the New York Times, every human drawing breath at the Center for American Progress and 80% of the people who appear under the National Review or Weekly Standard masthead. Zman concluded that things may work out well - Trump "is the destroyer of worlds, because the world of Washington needs destroying." Sure does. Sometimes I Wonder If America Is Turning Into Russia: History is being scrubbed and statues are being "disappeared" faster than you can spell 'Joe Stalin'. Last week's Charlottesville, Virginia riot was over a statue. Reading A bunch of permit-less, leftist 'Antifas', allegedly funded by mega-wealthy troublemaker George Soros, showed up and picked a fight. It escalated into a riot; the police protection promised to the permitted protestors was woefully inadequate and many police reportedly left the area on stand-down orders from command. The Antifas were surprised because they generally pick on elderly protestors who don't put up much of a fight. The bubbas were better prepared and gave these bozo anarchists a pretty good whoopin'. Good on 'em, as they say in the South. A mom-beating, Hillary-loving jerk ... (more >>>)
You know how you go to a party and there's a sudden lull as conversations halt when everyone seems to run out of stuff to say? Here's a way to liven things up: Just ask, "Did you know that Howdy Doody was once in Hitler's car?" More on that later. I had low expectations for this book. A story about Adolf Hitler's Mercedes seemed more suitable for a magazine article than a 350-plus page book. But author Klara is an excellent storyteller and manages to flesh out the pages quite well. The 20-foot long, 10,000 pound Mercedes-Benz 770K armored open touring car, also known as a Großer Mercedes, is an interesting car unto itself ... (more >>>) Elvis Has Now Been Dead For Over 40 Years: The King of Rock and Roll died on August 16, 1977. I'll never forget where I was when I heard that Elvis Presley was dead. I was driving along the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago when the news came over the car radio. I had just finished a business meeting in the Windy City and was headed to northwestern Indiana for an overnight stay and another meeting the following day. I was piloting a rented Buick Century sedan and was wearing a three-piece gray suit with a button-down pink shirt and maroon club tie. I don't know why I remember all these details but they are embedded in my brain like a virus-laden Microsoft patch. Anyway, I left the radio on, because ... (more >>>) Quote Of The Day is from Henry Ford: "If you love an idea, that is good. If you have ideas as to how to work it out, that is better." Tuesday August 15, 2017
Expanding Cadillac's global sales is central to GM's overall profit strategy, and Cadillac has reported an impressive "27% increase in worldwide sales through the first half of the year." Most of that growth comes from China, Caddy's biggest market. In its second-largest market, the U.S., "sales are down 1.6% and combined sales of the brand's four sedan models have plummeted 16.3% through the first half of the year." And so, Caddy's portfolio of offerings must be rebalanced to match current buying habits. "Cadillac will not directly replace the current XTS, CTS or ATS sedans when they end their life cycles in 2019, he said. Instead, Cadillac will use a single new car called the CT5 to appeal to consumers shopping for sedans priced between $35,000 and $45,000. New versions of the CT6 sedan will be offered to customers who want a larger car starting at $50,000." Cadillac will offer more SUVs, starting with a compact model called XT4 (an unexciting name to be sure), followed by a larger SUV with three rows of seats due by 2019 to compete with vehicles such as Volvo's current XC90 model. I wish Cadillac would return to some of its old monikers - DeVille, Eldorado, Biarritz, Seville, Fleetwood, Elegante, Brougham, Calais, etc.
I had a peaceful excursion along mostly-empty roads but, to the south, the clouds were quite dark and it looked like rain was coming any minute. But it didn't and I arrived back home on dry pavement. I have to keep reminding myself that we have cloudy and/or rainy days every August. There has been such a run of good weather lately that I'd forgotten about the variability of summer weather in the Pacific Northwest. Unprepared: Last week, Conrad Black wrote "Senator McConnell's statement ... that Trump was responsible for the almost total failure of the Republican Congress to achieve anything in the past six months was just more self-serving claptrap from a familiar and very tiresome source." McConnell's excuses are as phony as The Dog Ate My Homework. Congress had seven long years to come up with an alternative to Obamacare. The claim is that they didn't do so because they didn't think Trump would win the election. This makes no sense. It seems more logical that they never came up with a plan because they didn't think any Republican would win the 2016 election. If so, this demonstrates how out-of-touch these Beltway boys and girls really are. Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Al Gore's home devours 34 times more electricity than the average U.S. home. "In just this past year, Gore burned through enough energy to power the typical American household for more than 21 years, according to a new report by the National Center for Public Policy Research. The former vice president consumed 230,889 kilowatt hours (kWh) at his Nashville residence, which includes his home, pool and driveway entry gate electricity meters. A typical family uses an average of 10,812 kWh of electricity per year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It gets worse. Last September alone, Gore devoured 30,993 kWh of electricity. That's enough to power 34 average American homes for a month. Over the last 12 months, Gore used more electricity just heating his outdoor swimming pool than six typical homes use in a year."
'My Favorite Year' is one of my favorite movies. It is a light romantic comedy about the behind-the-scenes at a 1950s TV variety-comedy show (think Sid Ceasar's 'Your Show Of Shows'), in which O'Toole played an aging, drunken action film star reminiscent of Errol Flynn. Joseph Bologna portrayed the overbearing, mercurial Sid Caesar-based character, King Kaiser, in the same film. He delivered a very funny, over-the-top performance. Mr. Bologna has died at age 82 from pancreatic cancer. Rest in Peace. "Dynomite!" Former 'Good Times' star Jimmie Walker supports President Trump: "I'm for probably 90% of the things he does." "There's not one positive Trump joke out here," he explained. "No President has been attacked in recent years - because you couldn't attack Obama because he was black … but Trump, they have come out guns blazing against him, but even though I don't like everything he does, why, heck, darn it, I think he deserves some sort of praise … but you can't say that in Hollywood." Question Of The Day: Are Eskimo Pies considered an ethnic food? Friday August 11, 2017
The skies were sunny but there was enough wildfire smoke that I couldn't even see Mt. St. Helens. There were no construction delays and some of the roads on my route were practically empty - mine, all mine. I had a fun ride, playing oldies music through the speakers and listening to the rumble of the Glasspacks. Rain is forecasted for Sunday, which will - hopefully - clear out some of the haze
"The B1 is powered by either a 60- or 100-kWh battery pack a and a pair of electric motors providing 360 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque. It's surprisingly quick, doing 0-60 miles per hour in just 4.5 seconds." "Signs, Signs Everywhere A Sign ..." Recently, James Lileks wrote about an old sign he saw in New York: 'Post No Bills', a frequently-seen sign on walls as well as telephone and electric poles when I was growing up in Philadelphia. It's about as common as ... (more >>>)
Friedman suggested that Democrats need to acknowledge these four issues and respond to them in such a way that makes sense to everyday voters. But they probably won't, given the caustic tenor of the comments below his NYT article. As an aside, in the midst of this North Korean missile crisis, I'm glad that Donald Trump is at the helm. Imagine Hillary's response. Or Jeb!'s. Book Review: 'How The Hell Did This Happen: The Election Of 2016' by P.J. O'Rourke Once upon a time, O'Rourke wrote brilliantly witty books on a variety of subjects. Apparently he no longer does so. Instead, his publisher has released a 256-page compilation of previously-published material about the 2016 presidential primary and election with a few new paragraphs added. This is ... (more >>>) Thought For Today: Once you're over the hill, you begin to pick up speed. Wednesday August 9, 2017
Why? Because Tesla will soon hit the limit of the federal tax rebates, which are good for the first 200,000 EVs sold in the US per manufacturer beginning in December 2009. "In the second quarter after the manufacturer hits the limit, the subsidy gets cut in half, from $7,500 to $3,750; two quarters later, it gets cut to $1,875. Two quarters later, it goes to zero." If you believe Tesla's U.S. sales forecast for its Model 3, it will hit the 200,000 vehicle limit in 2018; by 2019, the subsidies are gone. Removing a $7,500 government subsidy on a $35,000 car is likely a deal-killer for most prospective buyers. And the only Model 3s being delivered at present are the more-expensive, $44,000 long-range models. And, if you want your Model3 in any color but black, you'll have to pay an extra $1,000. But wait - there's more: "The Enhanced Autopilot package costs an extra $5,000, with full autonomy capability requiring a further $3,000, even though the option (which Musk promises) isn't yet a available. Power adjustable (heated) seats, premium audio, tinted roof glass, and other luxury appointments - many would call them "necessities" - are all bundled into another $5,000 package. Of course, you can also choose to upgrade the wheels to 19-inchers. All told, the Model 3 tops out at $59,500 with every option on board, which still places it below the lowest-rung Model S." Almost $60 grand for a compact car??!! Take away the subsidy and it's closer to $70,000. Anyone remember ... (more >>>)
On the way to the library I encountered construction - signs with 'Delays Up To 20 Minutes' messages. I only had to wait five minutes or so: I guess I was lucky. Afterward, I had a ride along the back roads of Clark County. All was pleasant except for some impatient jerk in a black Porsche 911 who wanted to do 80 on this bumpy, narrow 40 mph road. He tailgated me to no avail then blew past me on a double-yellow line, visibility-restricted road segment. Well, you know what they say about the difference between porcupines and Porsches. By afternoon, temperatures reached 93 and the smoggy haze remained.
He was considered by many to be the best 'suit actor' in the long history of the Godzilla franchise. When his acting career was over, Haruo worked at a job at the studio's bowling alley. Fame is fleeting. RIP. In related news, recording artist Glen Campbell has died at age 81 from complications of Alzheimer's disease. In the early 1960s, he was lead guitarist for LA based studio musicians, The Wrecking Crew, and played on recordings by Bobby Darin, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, The Monkees, Nancy Sinatra, Merle Haggard, Jan and Dean, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Phil Spector. Glen also toured as part of The Beach Boys. Listen to the awesome guitar work on 'Viva Las Vegas' - that's Glen Campbell. Campbell's biggest hits were recordings during the late 1960s and '70s including 'Wichita Lineman', and 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix', 'Gentle On My Mind' and 'Rhinestone Cowboy'. He won multiple Grammys. He hosted a music and comedy variety show called 'The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour' on CBS television, from 1969 through mid-1972. RIP. Old New York: Fifty-two years ago this month, my soon to be wife and I visited the New York World's Fair.
I have just revised my 1964-65 New York World's Fair web page with several new photos plus additional explanatory text. Enjoy. Quote Of The Day is from Jeremy Clarkson: "I don't understand bus lanes. Why do poor people have to get to places quicker than I do?" Monday August 7, 2017
Because I was born in 1943, the word 'car' must be replaced by 'vehicle', since passenger cars were not produced that year because of World War II. So, I guess I'll have to choose a 1943 M-4 Sherman Tank with standard rotating turret and 75 mm gun. Anybody tries to cut me off ... Boom! - you're dead. And then, flattened.
The haze has been around for several days and is caused by large wildfires in British Columbia. The smoke has drifted into southwest Washington. It was worse on Thursday and Friday with a distinct smoky aroma in the air. Thanks to my family I had a swell birthday. "Faster Than A Speeding ...." Elon Musk is a Perfect Dreamer but a less-than-perfect implementer. He makes flawed, government-subsidized electric cars, proposed giant battery plants which have yet to materialize and invents reuseable rocket ships which sometimes blow up. Now he wants to built a high-speed hyperloop between LA and DC, allowing people to travel across the country in 29 minutes. "The hyperloop would be built underground," says Musk. And just like that, flyover country will become flyunder country. One might pose the question, "If his rockets occasionally explode and his self-driving cars sometimes malfunction and crash, are you sure you want to step into one of his untested hyper-capsules and travel at 5,000 mph?" Musk is thinking about using the hyperloop to move Important People from coast-to-coast. You can bet that Jeff Bezos is thinking about a hyperloop to move Important Packages quickly. Think of it as Amazon SuperPrime. Amazon could underwrite a hyperloop between Dongguan City and Seattle, so Bezos can sell Chinese-made crap more rapidly than ever. Book Review: 'Agent 110: An American Spymaster and the German Resistance in WWII' by Scott Miller I enjoy reading a good spy novel. Unfortunately, stories about real-life spies often fail to live up to the standard set by novels. Such is the case with 'Agent 110'. Allen Dulles seems to be ... (more >>>) It Reads Like A Headline From The Onion: 'Bogus butt doctor in woman's implant death used Dunkin' Donuts as waiting room.' But it's not parody; it's an actual news story from New York City. "Patients getting work done in the "doctor's" phony medical office in Gramercy Park would wait at a nearby doughnut shop, where a "nurse" would meet them and escort them to the apartment for their silicone injection sessions." No arrests have been made yet. Police are searching for a woman using the alias Dr. Cruller. Quote Of The Day is from G. Gordon Liddy: "A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money." Thursday August 3, 2017
U.S. carmakers continued to slash low-margin sales to daily rental fleets in July as General Motors, Ford and Fiat-Chrysler struggled to curb a slide in retail sales. Automakers this year have been deliberately dialing back sales to rental-car companies, which often generate little to no profit. July is the fifth straight month in which the annual pace of auto sales declined from the same month a year ago. The biggest problem - lack of sales in the 'car' segment of the vehicle market - is not going away anytime soon. Timothy Cain reported that mid-size sedan sales fell 20% year-over-year in July. Hyundai Sonata sales dropped almost 50%. GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler have cautioned that second-half financial results are likely to be lower than first-half results, in part reflecting production cuts in North America and pricing pressures. Industry consultant LMC cut its full-year forecast for new vehicle sales to 17 million vehicles. Automakers sold a record 17.55 million vehicles in the United States in 2016. In July, pickup truck sales fell 4%, led by declines of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. Ford's F-Series sales increased 6% and Toyota's Tacoma increased 5%. Ram sales were flat year-over-year. FoMoCo's July sales dipped 8% to 200,212 vehicles, as it cut fleet sales more than 26%. Inventories fell to 77 days from 79 the previous month. Passenger car sales fell 19% for the month of July. Ford's retail sales were down only 1%. Ford's Fusion suffered a big 42% sales drop, while the sporty Mustang fell 35%. Truck sales comprised just over 40% of all Ford-brand sales in July, and the F-Series pickups accounted for about 35% of total July sales. Ford's SUV sales rose 3% during the period. Sales of the Lincoln brand fell by 3% year-over-year to 8,875 vehicles in July as sales of Lincoln cars rose 3%, primarily on sales strength for the all-new Lincoln Continental (958 sedans). General Motors sales dropped 15% from a year ago to 226,107 vehicles, as the company cut rental fleet sales more than 80%. The automaker said inventories of unsold vehicles at month's end were 104 days, down from 105 days at the end of June. And The General is bragging about this?! Buick sales fell an alarming 30%. Buick LaCrosse sales went off the proverbial cliff - down 56%. The three crossover models, Encore, Envision and Enclave, made up 85% of Buick's total sales. Cadillac sales declined 22% overall; CTS sales steeply declined - dropping 40%. Chevrolet sales slid 15% in July. Chevy's Impala fell a whopping 40% while the rental-car star Malibu fell 11%. Nobody's buying sedans these days. Or coupes. At Fiat-Chrysler, year-over-year, sales dropped 10% to 161,477 units. The Jeep brand posted a sales drop of 12%, as the Jeep Patriot showed a sales decline of 70% and the Cherokee posted a sales drop of 23%. Grand Cherokee sales rose 14% and Compass sales increased by 8%. FCA continues to implement a strategy of reducing sales to daily rental car companies. Rental sales were down 35% year over year. Retail sales fell 6% year-over-year and represented 90% of all unit sales. Ram pickup sales were flat in July at 39,708 units. Sales of the company’s Chrysler brand dropped 30% to 13,303 vehicles as sales of the now-defunct Chrysler 200 fell 65% to 1,899. On the other hand, Chrysler 300 sales rose 31% to 3,090 units. The all-new Pacifica minivan posted July sales of 8,288 (up 5%). The company's Dodge brand sales fell 12% to 31,264 vehicles, as sales of the Dodge Caravan fell 25% to 7,503 units in the month. The Journey compact sport utility vehicle saw sales rise by 7% year over year to 6,800 units sold in July. Fiat continued its long slide into oblivion with a year-over-year sales drop of 18% in July to 2,244 units. Every Fiat model sold worse this July than last; the chubby 500X CUV suffered the biggest drop. Toyota reported a year-to-year gain, with sales up 4% to 222,057 - just 4,000 units behind GM. Corolla sedan sales were down 16%, while Prius sales fell 26% to 9,384 hybrids. Avalon sales declined 24% to 2,859 units. These numbers help illustrate the sad state of cars these days. That's why so many automakers are considering consolidation of their sedan/coupe models and expansion of their soccer-mom-oriented compact utility vehicles. Honda sales were down 1% to 150,980. Sales of the popular CR-V fell 12% to 31,761 utes. The Civic was the best seller with 36,683 car sales, with the Accord at 30,903 units. Nissan sales fell 3% to 128,295. Hyundai sales fell 30% while the more handsome Kia fell 6%. In the past, most Hyundai-Kia customers were price buyers and, when the company raised prices to Toyota/Honda levels, many prospects lost interest. H-K sales totaled 110,106 for the month. Volkswagen sales were down 6%; the Passat sedan fell 22%. Subaru sales continue to climb - up 7% to 56,703 vehicles. Mercedes-Benz sales were flat with 28,667 Mercs finding buyers in July. Lexus sales were up 4% to 28,902 units. Only 402 LS flagship sedans were sold in July, while 313 examples of the pricey LC coupe found buyers. BMW sales declined 15% last month to 21,965 vehicles. Audi sales increased 3% to 18,824 vehicles. About half of Audi's sales are SUVs. Sales of the Infiniti brand were up 9% to 10,840 units Acura sales were up 4% to 14,177 vehicles; 72% were SUVs. Jaguar sold 3,166 vehicles, a decline of 7%. 155 Bentleys found buyers - a drop of 6% from last July. Only 182 Smart cars were sold in July - a drop of over 63% from last year. Smart only offers all-electric vehicles these days; therefore, it should be noted that - on a monthly basis - E-Z Go golf carts outsells Smarts by about 25-fold. I'm just sayin' ... Verdict: Cash For Clunkers Was A Disaster. Three economists have crunched the numbers and discovered that Obama's Cash-for-Clunkers scheme back in 2009 was a failure even by Keynesian standards.
"The 2009 Cash for Clunkers program aimed to stimulate consumer spending in the new automobile industry, which was experiencing disproportionate reductions in demand and employment during the Great Recession. Exploiting program eligibility criteria in a regression discontinuity design, we show nearly 60% of the subsidies went to households who would have purchased during the two-month program anyway; the rest accelerated sales by no more than eight months. Moreover, the program's fuel efficiency restrictions shifted purchases toward vehicles that cost on average $5,000 less. On net, Cash for Clunkers significantly reduced total new vehicle spending over the ten month period."
In related hot-weather news, Portland's TriMet Max light rail system can't handle heat. Whenever the temperature reaches 90 degrees, the trains slow down. TriMet claims it's a "normal safety precaution." The light-rail system was built to run "in a mild climate with an average high of 55 degrees." When things get hot in the summer (Portland routinely experiences temperatures in the 90s every year), riders "should expect delays as TriMet reduces train speeds by 10 mph for all areas with a speed limit above 35 mph." "TriMet is worried about copper overhead wires sagging. Since copper expands more than steel, the Max system incorporates pulleys with counterweights that tug on the wires to keep them tight. Sometimes, TriMet engineers say, things get so hot that the counterweights touch the ground and the wire starts to sag anyway." Who designed this thing anyway - the guy who did the specs for Galloping Gertie, the infamous bridge in Tacoma? I have a ... (more >>>) NAFTA Takedown In 99 Words: A poster with the handle Sseigmund offered a succinct assessment of what the North American Free Trade Agreement hath wrought: "I always find it fascinating to visit San Diego, CA, one of my favorite American cities and look over the river at Tijuana. On one side of the river (is) a shining gem of wealth, prosperity and military might, and on the other (is) a polluted, poor, crime-ridden shithole. It doesn't seem that 23 years of NAFTA has done much to bring the average Mexican to parity with the average American, but it's hard to ignore what NAFTA has done to a lot of U.S. manufacturing towns. Maybe the idea was always to bring America down to the level of Mexico." Quote Of The Day is from George Bernard Shaw: "A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." Tuesday August 1, 2017 FutureWorld: In mid-June, the print edition of The Wall Street Journal contained a special section titled 'Future of Transportation' with contributions and quotable predictions by experts.Naturally, there was an article titled: 'The Future Of U.S. Train Travel'. Alex Trebek might have said, "This one is 'dismal'." Or: "The category is 'Subsidies'." Of course, the article was generally more positive than that with talk of Japanese-style bullet trains, Mag-Lev, Hyperloop and other expensive improbables, financed by "public-private partnerships." Good luck with that. Passenger trains in the U.S. have been money losers for over 70 years. Therefore, I personally believe that the future is Amtrak but with an even more run-down infrastructure. I've made numerous postings about rail travel here. And now ... on to automobiles: The WSJ's headline 'The End of Car Ownership' posited that "ride-sharing and self-driving vehicles are going to redefine our relationships with cars." There was an illustration in which all the cars have ... (more >>>)
Following a positive report from my oncologist, I hopped in my '39 Plymouth coupe as soon as I returned home last Friday. At 11:30 am, the temperature was a most comfortable 67 degrees and the clouds looked like a class project at some Celestial Kindergarten, using several enormous cotton balls glued to a monstrous sheet of pale blue construction paper with humongous dollops of Elmer's glue. I had a very nice drive. By mid-afternoon, temperatures reached 81 degrees. On Saturday morning, at 7:45 am, I took another drive in my ancient coupe. It was 57 degrees outside and the roads were practically empty. The blue sky was cloudless with a little morning haze at the edges. I spent part of the day giving my Plymouth a much-needed washing - no dirt, just two years of dust. (I hadn't felt up to the task until this year.) On Monday, I took another ride - through Battle Ground, past Tukes Mountain and down along some back country roads. At 9;30 am, the temperature was 66 degrees - by afternoon, it reached 92. As usual, the Plymouth ran well and I enjoyed the sunny summer weather. Forecasts are for a hot early August, with temperatures reaching 107 degrees on Wednesday and 110 degrees on Thursday. Now that's hot - California desert hot! Cancer Update: Last week, I visited the Oncology Center for a test, which measures cancer markers - carcinoembryonic antigen - in the blood. Mine is now 1.0, which remains within normal range (0-5.0 µg/L according to my oncologist) and is lower than my last test. Here are my test results ... (more >>>) Facile Verbosity: The Zman wrote, "We make judgments about one another based on our writing skills. It's why gold-plated phonies like George Will can pass themselves off as deep thinkers." Georgie Will is the man standing at the corner of Prolix Avenue and Ponce Street. How's The President Doing? Just fine, thanks. Pay no attention to media hysterics, fake news and endless rumors. Gerard Van der Leun has posted a list of 220 things president Thump has accomplished during his first six months in office. With or without Congress' help, he's Making America Great Again. Book Review: 'The President Will See You Now: My Stories and Lessons from Ronald Reagan's Final Years' by Peggy Grande This 262-page book is exactly as the title promises, with lots of good stories. Peggy Grande, Ronald Reagan's longtime personal assistant, worked closely ... (more >>>) Quote Of The Day is from Winston Churchill: "I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle" | last month | |
Plymouth Poetry: It's hard to believe that August has come to an end. As poet Elizabeth Maua Taylor penned:
'Endless Summer': Unfortunately, that 1974 Beach Boys compilation album name is a lie. At 8:45 am Saturday, the outside temperature was 58 degrees. Summer's coming to an end. Fall is in the air, even if Official Fall is almost a month away.
Hate2Wait: In America, most vehicle shoppers still go to the showroom to negotiate their best price for whatever is on the lot.
Electric Fantasy: Despite all the hype - 90% of it from Elon Musk - about electric vehicles, the truth is - as I've written many times before - is that the internal combustion engine still has a long life ahead of it.
Reduced Expectations: Baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, 
CJ May Soon Stand For Chinese Jeep: Rumors abound that Fiat-Chrysler 
"Roll Out Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Of Summer ..." That Nat King Cole ditty (it was a top ten hit in 1963) came to mind when I saw all the post-eclipse morning haze on Tuesday. At 9:00 am, it was already 65 degrees (the afternoon temperature peaked at 88) and sunny but with a lot of haze. Nevertheless, I fired up my 
Summer Is More Than Half Gone ... but Saturday morning brought virtually cloudless blue skies above with a ring of white clouds around the horizon, looking like the fringe on a bald man. At 9:00 am the temperature was 61 degrees. I fired up my 
Above My Pay Grade: Rolls-Royce has introduced the 
Book Review: 'The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America' by Robert Klara
Caddy Consolidation: Johan de Nysschen, head of Cadillac, said that the brand 
Sunless Saturday: Since it was going to rain - for the first time in two months - on Sunday, I decided to take a drive in my 
"Dying Is Easy. Comedy Is Hard." So said Alan Swann, Peter O'Toole's swashbuckling character in the 1982 movie, 'My Favorite Year'.
Summertime ... And The Cruisin' Is Easy: At 9:45 am Thursday, the temperature was a comfortable 68 degrees (it rose to 93 degrees in the afternoon), so I fired up my 
Four Unshakable Trump Truths: Often-wrong progressive economist, globalist and New York Times scribe 
Lifeline For Tesla: The California State Assembly 
Book Run: Monday morning dawned sunny, smoky and hazy - thanks British Columbia wildfires - and by 10:00 am, the temperature had already risen to 69 degrees. I fired up my 
The Man In The Rubber Suit: You may not know his name, but you've probably seen him perform many times. Haruo Nakajima has died at 88. Mr. Nakajima portrayed Godzilla in twelve consecutive films, from ''Godzilla' (1954) to 'Godzilla vs. Gigan' (1972).
Sometimes I Think TTAC is Running Out Of Things To Write About: After Murilee Martin asked the same basic question 
Another Milestone: Speaking of 1943, on Saturday I turned 74. I began my birthday with a celebratory ride in my 
July Auto Sales: Light vehicle sales were at a 16.8 million SAAR last month, down 6% from July 2016 and up slightly from last month. Auto sales topped out last year and, after a good run, new sales are sliding downhill. There's also a used car glut. Everyone who wanted a new or used vehicle has already bought it. All those incentives, lease deals and cheap, long-term loans can't significantly change things.
All Summer Long: As The Beach Boys used to sing, "Won't be long 'til summer time is through. ... We've been having fun all summer long." And I have been so far, taking lots of old car drives.
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