1st?

I hope we can change the culture to be fuel efficient. I for one am ready to go for it! I would even use mass transit...

We were talking car models with my kid this weekend and I was stumped to come up with a single currently produced Ford car. I just mumbled that they sure sell lots of those F-series trucks.

The game we were playing was to name cars named after astronomical objects. We came up with Nova (or "won't go" in urban legend espanol), Galaxy, Mercury, Aires, Saturn, Taurus and a few others.

I note that the folks at Saturn are paying some attention. They've just announced a whole line of hybrids, including their sport roadster, the Sky. When the trusty Miata finally turns its last, that may be the replacement.

Good morning, friends. Some of those cars and truck look like cargo vehicles. I have a Corolla (Toyota), and it's old. The wind from some of the cars and trucks on the highway nearly knock me over. And I just can't imagine what they pay at the pump with gas prices so high. Probably more than I spend for groceries. And much of the time one only sees one individual riding in those monsters.

JA, I don't know how to bring this up, but, ah, you remember that sign you gave me that announces you blog here? Well, I have it on this morning, but it's getting a little stringy and there are a couple of holes in it. I was just wondering if you maybe have some more, like new? And maybe in another color? Maybe a color that kind of grabs you, like lime? Of course, the size is the same. Thanks, a lot. You can email the particulars.

Well, I'm out the door. No work this week. I'm loving it already. Have a great day, folks. Mine day is starting at the washroom. It doesn't matter, one always needs clean clothes.

What's up, Mudge, Slyness, and where is Scotty? Morning all. *waving* How's it going, Martooni?

Bad Sneakers, I hope your friend is doing well. I read your comment, just forgot to get back with you. I keep all you here in my prayers, and ask for help with whatever is going on in your lives.

God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesus Christ. Peace.

I don't feel so badly for Yao-Man any longer. He made a good choice no matter the outcome. Why would a smart, intelligent person, as he most obviously is, want that gas guzzler anyway!?
He obviously doesn't need the million, or whatever is left over after taxes, either as he's already achieved what he needs in life. I not wish him the pain of being president, though I thnk he would make a damned good one.

I don't feel so badly for Yao-Man any longer. He made a good choice no matter the outcome. Why would a smart, intelligent person, as he most obviously is, want that gas guzzler anyway!?
He obviously doesn't need the million, or whatever is left over after taxes, either as he's already achieved what he needs in life. I not wish him the pain of being president, though I thnk he would make a damned good one.

With my coloring, lime is going to really grab you and not let go. It will be like striking up the band.(smile)

The 40:1 ratio of Ford sales would be more relevant if it included production figures as well. If you raise 40 hogs and one goat you're going to sell more hogs.

The last time Joel and the boodle were car-talking, I waxed nostalgic about my first car, a Toyota Carolla with a 1.2 liter engine. It also would cross lanes in stiff breeze and dared not leave the truck lanes on I-40. It was truly unsafe going from Atlanta to Hunstville in it.

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2007/05/yesterday-joel-achenbach-blogged-about.html

My son's hand-me down Camry has a 4 cylinder 2.0 liter engine. Both of our other cars have six cylinder engines with over 3 liter displacements. Three liters is less than 200 cubic inches, so these are far from 70s era muscle cars, but they have plenty of power.

Engineering is just one tool. The market, as influenced by politics, makes the real decisions. CAFE standards destroyed station wagons and invented SUV's. The law of unintended consequences in full flower.

Shiloh, I guess Warren Brown would say that the car companies are producing what sells. There are some elements of the chicken-and-egg question here. If they offer hybrids, will they sell? Maybe, if gas goes to $5 a gallon. Wish it would, to get us up off our butts and do something.

Surely Ford raises all those hogs knowing the American public generally won't eat goats, even if it's part of a delicious vindaloo.

Relevant to cars, an interesting opinion piece in WaPo this morning, especially considering the authors:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/20/AR2007052001059.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

I'd like to see the effect of simply eliminating the insurance penalty for having a 2nd alternate or hybrid vehicle. That doesn't require any fancy technology!

My friend in the Suburban would've switched to the Mazda for a lot of his driving if it was just the vehicle cost, but the carrying costs of a second full-boat insurance policy while his Suburban sat in the driveway nixed it.

Money quote from the WaPo Ahnuld opinion Dooley linked to:

"Another discouraging sign came just last week, when President Bush issued an executive order to give federal agencies until the end of 2008 to continue studying the threat of greenhouse gas emissions and determine what can be done about them."

End of 2008 sounds like they have a mandate to drag their feet until the last gasp of the Dubya Debacle (Administration is such an insufficient term). The resource extraction industries continue to get their water carried by the failed well-digger.

I've thought a lot about cars in the last year or so. For many years, the Yoki family had one vehicle; for most of the past 15 years it has been a minivan because we need to haul two kids and three large dogs and the van is the only vehicle that has that sort of room and is low enough to the ground that a Bernese Mountain Dog with degenerative joint disease can get in and out of it with minimal difficulty. The minivan is a practical animal for the way we live.

When we were living in the mountains, we drove a 4x4 SUV. It was a necessary evil there, as we absolutely needed something that could both haul stuff and get us through avalanches/mud slides. As soon as we moved back to Calgary, I took against the Durango in a big way. I could hardly bear to look at it. We rapidly reverted to a minivan.

The renewed urban life made it clear we needed two cars, so I bought myself a used Civic. It is an excellent commuting car; pretty fuel efficient, peppy enough to take evasive action when necessary. I'm quite fond of it, not least because of a sort of one-downsman-ship; it has crank windows, the dash is about as ugly as they come... it makes a nice contrast to all the overly tricked-out 'luxery SUVs' driven by most of my peers.

However, in the last six months or so I have come to feel increasingly vulnerable on the road. With all the money that has floated around the oil patch in the last 18 months, my fellow Calgarians, even those who are suburban Mums, seem to have gone on a spree of buying the biggest, most powerful SUVs they can find. I don't get it. And as a Boodler said above, the culture of speed and tailgating means that I could be mushed in a single moment of inattention.

Half the time during my daily commute, I can see hardly anything, so hemmed in am I among monster trucks. The pressure is certainly there to consider a larger more evenly-match vehicle, just in self-preservation. I won't submit, but I do keep hoping that concerns about GHG emissions and the price of gas will put an equal and opposite pressure on others.

Got a bit of a typo there, Joel, in the 11th graf: "His wife drives a Honda Civil hybrid." It's a Civic, I do bleeve. But having owned one my own self, I'd agree they are quite civil.

My maternal grandfather's car was his last link to youthful virility. Sure, he was frail and a prisoner to his emphysema. But by gum, he could still climb into his El Dorado and knock off 200 miles through the high desert in a single afternoon.

And don't you ferget it.

One of the things I like about my Prius is that it has enough airbags to keep the Hinderburg aloft. The insurance on it is outrageous, though, especially compared to my Explorer (which I use for work!)

Good for you Yoki -- real needs, real cars.

I hear you on the emotional aspect of cars, RD.

I don't want to be the thought police or car police. However, we are very mixed up when we substitute a car's "poetry of advertizing" for real values.

EF is right about the insurance piece and flexible uses.

I have not moved to something smaller, for two reasons 1) silly to not use the car that I keep in good working order (I tend to drive cars for 12-15 years and many miles; same mechanic since 1982) 2) and some of us parents are the designated driver, as in we haul 'em because of personality and flexibility.

I am a bit sick of this, however, one key to parenting teens is to be the driver, to be the host-house, to own the drum set, to encourage the eating of food, the shooting of baskets, the lie on the front lawn on blankets with popcorn.....to be there.

Bsides, the gift of biking to work and walking to errands, helps me out carbon-footprint-wise.

Marketing hybrids, a Cheverolet Chevon or Ford Cabrito, on gas economy, operating cost and ecological benefits is possible if the failing American auto industry put its collective mind together. A couple of years ago I asked a friend in England, VP of a major industry, what Europe saw as the future of the American auto industry. He said, "In 10 years there won't be an American auto industry."

From previous kit: Thanks for the heads-up about the Cutty Sark, EF; I saw the story on the news this morning and was heartbroken. I visited the Cutty Sark in Greenwich when I was in London 25 years ago, and always had a personal attachment to her, since I built a model of her when I was a kid. From the brief view of her I saw on the news, it looks to me like she can't be saved. The worse part is, they are talking about arson.

I have always liked small cars. I used to own an MGB and, despite having an electrical system created by sadists, it was a delight to drive. The sensation of accelerating to 55 while seated about six inches above the pavement beats anything I have ever felt in a larger car. And when your body weight makes up a significant percentage of the total vehicle mass, turning corners becomes a true adventure.

So I look forward to a future in which small cars are the norm, and I have very little pity for those who feel they have a Constitutional right to twelve cylinders. I figure that anyone who really feels the need to drive a tank should just join the Army.

A belated follow-up to the other boodle this morning.

"...so I'm paying an extra 20% more for gas for the comvenience."

Don't forget the externalities.

Increased demand for gas raises the price, and everybody else has to pay that, too.

If you use 20% more gas, the car takes in 20% more air in order to burn it, and puts out 20% more exhaust aka pollution.

There's an additional tax of about $1 per gallon to support our military and foreign aid in the middle east. Given the current political situation, we don't actually pay that tax (borrow it from China instead), but someone may have to pay eventually.

My 2001 1.8T Passat averages 30 mpg (1/2 miles on freeway), which seems like a good combination of comfort, performance and economy. Of course if I needed a truck I would have to say YMMV.

>since I built a model of her when I was a kid.

I did too Mudge. Damn cat ripped apart the rigging.

>very little pity for those who feel they have a Constitutional right to twelve cylinders

RD, I'll bet a ride in a BMW 6 series might change your mind. :-)

Again, that bit about irrationality...

You're a man after my own heart, Padouk. I've owned four MGs (still got one) and one TR6, and was always a small car buff. Would love to own a Honda S2000 or even a Miata among the modern set, and always wanted a Fiat Spyder--always thought they looked classy. Don't get me started on MG-TDs, or the early Jags like the '55 Roadster, and of course the one that got away: a Morgan 4+4 Cabriolet. And I almost once bought a brand new Triumph Stag convertible--and chickened out. No guts, no glory.

G'Day Joel,

I sure do hate it when you media-types put spoilers in your columns with no warning.

Just last night my wife and I watched the first episode of the latest Survivor season - the one set in Fiji, with Yau-Man. Now, thanks to you, I have to watch the rest of the season with my wife, while knowing that A) Yau-Man nearly wins it, but ultimately doesn't, and B) that I have to appear interested in it so that my wife doesn't twig to the fact that Yet Another show has been spoiled for me by an online Media-Type.

Look, I'm not asking you to not post anything about it at all. I'm just asking that spoilers not be included in the headline or the lede, and for a spoiler alert at the top of any column that does reveal this kind of thing.

I know, I know, it isn't the most important thing in the world, but junk tv is a welcome escape from the woes of the world.

For your (and all other online Media-Types) information, the first two W's in WWW stand for WORLD WIDE!!!

Yeah, hybrids are great, but they are simpl not an economic alternative for some of us single-income civil servants. In fact, sometime in the next six months I may be in need of a good fuel-efficient commuter car, and I'll probably have to go used. And cheap. Any recommendations as to model?

I guess I'll repost the link to my blog item here (since it's a riff off of JA's Outlook item and this Kit), and note to EF and yellojkt that I've updated it a little.

http://www.10thcircle.com/10/?p=184

I would add here that my daily driver is an 8 year old small german sedan with a 2.8L 6 cyl. engine, manual transmission and almost 140,000 mi. on the clock, bought used to let someone else eat the depreciation. I'm getting 28.6 mpg combined city/highway, and it does not use a drop of oil or coolant (though I've clearly just jinxed myself).

bc

Hey, Falco, whatcha been doing since you gave up football? (I sure hope the wife you spoke of was that hottie head cheerleader who owned the bar.)

D.Falco, I feel your pain. I hate spoilers. In this case it seems like it's been about 8 days since the Survivor season ended and the idea that there are people just now starting to watch it didn't cross my mind. What time zone are you in??? Did you know that G.W. Bush beat Kerry in 2004? That rotary phones have been replaced by these newfangled "touch-tone" things?

Ed Sullivan: Not only is he not on television anymore, I'm sorry to say he's dead.

RD, I would commend a used Miata to you for a daily commuter car. They're wonderful to drive (nice communicative steering, brakes, and one of the nicest gearchange arrangments in any car), cheap, easy to fix, and will make you happy with the top down and the sun shining.

I'm a car guy, so I've gave in to driving a Triumph Spitfire some years ago (aka "the Summer of Woe"). TR6s are sweet, but I'm partial to the earlier TR 250 (though I don't want to pay for one), and speaking of unreliable minimalist lightweight cars - Chapman help me, I love Lotuses. I'd drive a Lotus 7 - basically a 4 wheeled motorcycle that clocks in at about 1200 lb. - in a minute, but I don't think that many of the people I care about would be interested in being a passenger in such a contrivance. Someone offered me a beat-up Europa recently for a reasonable amount of money, but I don't have the time or the inclination to invest heavily in it.

Tiumph Stag. Cool.

bc

Spoiler alerts only apply to television events before they air. This causes problems on the web because different countries get tape delays. That is why I intend to watch "Heroes" in real time tonight. I watch other shows on tape to avoid commercials and you really can't spoil "How I Met Your Mother" or "Studio 60."

For movies, I feel that six weeks or when the DVD comes out is plenty of spoiler black-out. If you don't know the "twist" to "Sixth Sense" or "Citizen Kane", you should. It's pure pop cultural heritage.

Back when ST:II came out, I thought it was common knowledge what the plot was. As I walked out the theater someone in line asked how it was. I shrugged my shoulders and said "Spock dies." The entire line groaned. I felt bad, but so it goes. They should have gotten tickets to an earlier show.

As far as carbon footprint goes, I don't feel bad. I drive a 20 mpg SUV, but my commute is under 25 miles round trip. That beats someone with a Prius driving 40 miles each way. My wife's car also gets 20 mpg (which seems to be the sweet spot for most mid-size sedans) and her drive is about one mile. I also live in a center unit townhouse so my combined gas/electric bill rarely exceeds $200. My 12-year-old condensing unit is only an SEER of 10, but I'll get something better when it burns out.

RD, we would have probably bought a Yaris if it had been available when we bought our Prius (we could only afford the Prius because we found one used). The Yaris is much cheaper, and mileage apparently in the 40's.

'Morning, all. Busy weekend. My wife celebrated her 46th birthday yesterday. She wanted hydrangia plants to put in the beds around our porch so on Saturday, to save time, I bought some at a local greenhouse. I was a hero until she pulled the information card from the plant that clearly said DWARF on in. By this time, the afternoon had nearly expired, with no time to buy real hydrangias instead of the dwarf wannabe. I made amends by baking her a cake yeaterday. I did ok until I frosted it. The formerly white frosting became rife with devil's food crumbs and looked something like cookies and cream by the time I had finished. Frosting is like sheetrock mud. Glom it on and don't play with it too much, unless you really want to mess it up.

RD, I'd have to 2nd bc's Miata recommendation. Closest thing you'll get to an old MG feeling and a darn sight more reliable.

A Lotus 7... ahhhh. I may have to go watch the title sequence of The Prisoner.

bc - seriously? A Miata? Wow, I never even considered one of those. I will definitely give them a look in the fall. Thanks!

Spock DIES???????????????????????????????!

Hey, our Joel has turned into a political reportin' one-man Teddy White (don't try to parse that): he's got a piece on Bill Richardson at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/20/AR2007052001407.html?hpid=topnews

Curmudgeon,

Wrong Falco - I haven't played football since high school, and my wife was never a blonde, but she does have this little cheerleader oufit she wears some nights...

Joel,

I'm an expatriate yank living in the Eastern Australia Standard time zone. What year it is depends on many things. For example, the PM here is a prime example of time travel - he's the PM now, in 2007, but somehow makes all his decisions from the 1950's.

We're well aware of who the Decider is - after all, the PM here is his second biggest toadie. We do have touch-tone phones, and most of us even have indoor plumbing, though once you get out of the bigger towns, the number of flush toilets drops radically.

One last note on time travel - we're actually a few hours in your future, but something seems to make us blank out on things like when the latest season of Survivor should start and end. Maybe it has something to do with how hard we have to concentrate to keep from falling off the botom of the earth, or maybe it's the staggering amount of beer the average Aussie drinks per year. Nah,it couldn't be the beer...

Howdy. No spoiler complaints here, though I am sad to hear about Ed Sullivan. I rely on the Kit and Boodle for all my reality-show information, as I have never seen a reality show all the way through and see no need to start now. I've never seen "Survivor" at all. However, now my life is richer for the name "Yau-Man", and his sensible stance on giant pickups.

I feel your pain, Yoki. I drive a Honda Accord (V6, I do a lot of highway driving), purchased when my VW Passat fell apart. Here in the Heartland I am often surrounded by giant pickups, plus giant SUVs. Backing out of a parking space is often a leap of faith. The car I'd really like sometimes is a 1970 Ford LTD -- I bet it could take a Yukon or Navigator and drive away. Those things were ugly but indestructible.

MG story circa 1977. I moved from Montana, the land of Ford 350 trucks, Plymouth Fury IIIs, and Ford Country Squires to Central CA.

As the new kid and country rube at that, I did not understand a thing in this Malibu Barbie/Surfer Ken land.

I said to a high school high-ranking fox that his car looked like the one in the opening sequence of "Get Smart."

Which is what the car was, I believe (can I get a confirming nod from the gallery?).

But, a 17 year-old dude does not really want to channel Maxwell Smart.

His look was withering.

I am still in recovery.

byoolin,
It's okay. He gets better. If you got that distraught over Spock, I'd stay away from plot summaries of Star Trek: Generations.

What about Ed Sullivan? Does he get better too?

I agree, Joel. But I'll add that, living in rural Virginia, the utility of owning a pick-up truck is hard to overstate. (The F-Series, by the way, is the best-selling line in the U.S. and tons of those sales are for fleets, construction companies, public works departments, etc.). You live out in the sticks, you most likely have to haul your own trash to the dump. You can't get stuff like furniture delivered. If you need a new load of mulch you've got to deliver it yourself. When you go shopping, you try to do it all at once and have a ton of stuff. When you're an hour from the nearest Lowe's or True Value, try doing the smallest renovation project without a pick-up and you'll about send yourself to the asylum.

So maybe the issue is people who drive the F-350 around town, and wash it three times a week to keep it gleaming (and pollute the Bay with their soapy wastewater), and keep a nice collection of Calvin-peeing-on-whatever stickers. Now those people tick me off.

For the record, I don't own a pickup. I just know the frustration of NOT having one for all the situations listed above. A '97 Jeep Cherokee helps, and gets much better mileage, but it's not as big as you'd think.

Dad's lamest car was a '66 or '67 red Opel Kadett. It wouldn't do over 60. His brother had better taste and had a green AMX about the same time.

You know what this country needs to solve its gas-guzzling woes: Trabants for everyone!

Joel writes:
A couple of months ago a reporter in Washington asked Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson why he thought he could do well next year in the California primary. Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, paused for a moment, stared at his questioner, and then ran through a comprehensive, policy-oriented list: Western governor, strong on environment, solid on immigration, pro-growth to please the Silicon Valley folks, and so on.

(Is Richardson a vanilla name or an Anglo name? If you've done any baking lately, you'll know that vanilla is dark brown. Add cream and you get ice cream--vanilla ice cream. *w*)

Whom would Yau-Man pick for president? Berkeley is pretty close to Silicon Valley--East Bay--but close. The smart money is on Gore. To suggest that Yau-Man should run for president is "The Assault on Reason"! *l*

http://www.planetsave.com/ps_mambo/The_News/Current_News/Some_in_Silicon_Valley_still_dream_of_Al_Gore_2.0_for_president_200705218853/

Written by LAURA KURTZMAN
Monday, 21 May 2007

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP)

Even with 18 presidential candidates to choose from, it is Al Gore who draws the allegiance of many high-tech elite.

(Lots of interesting grafs here in the middle of Kurtzman's article.)

Gore has close ties to three of Silicon Valley's biggest names: the venture capitalist John Doerr, who was instrumental in Clinton's 1992 endorsement; Apple chief executive Steve Jobs; and Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.

Sorry about the mix-up, Falco. But welcome to the Boodle. You're our second Aussie; we've got one living in Hong Kong.

On the pickup truck thing, I don't think anyone is crioticizing someone who buys a big pickup or SUV and actually USES it regularly as intended. I think the criticism goes to people who buy them and then don't really use or need those features. Go to any commuter parking lot or any urban/suburban business parking lot and you'll see hundreds of cars and trucks there that don't make sense as one-person commuter vehicles.

The Boy has a Hot Wheels Trabant, in a particularly ugly shade of light green. I don't know why Hot Wheels (or whoever the other little car folks are) made a Trabant -- Pitiful Cars of the World Series? -- but I swear it is true. He never understood why it is my favorite of his cars.

byoolin, Ed Sullivan was dead when he was alive, so I don't see that it makes much difference.

A Prius costs nearly twice as much as a Yaris ($22,175 MSRP (and try to get off the lot after a waiting list for that little) versus $11,250 for the Yaris. Due to the gaming of the fuel economy tests the Prius gets 60 mpg city/ 51 highway, while the Yaris is 34/40 city/highway. At $4 a gallon, it's five cents a mile cheaper to drive the Prius. Which means all that hybrid technology pays for itself in just a little over 200,000 miles. YMMV.

If you really want to reduce the carbon footprint, buy two Yaris for the price of one Prius and give the other one to someone still driving a 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis.

Take away the Berkeley angle to Yau-man, which automatically dilutes the message, the little dude has it dead-on right. I, too, see absolutely no point to these things. If we want to weave our personalities into the kind of car we drive, then I would suggest the typical F350 driver in my neighborhood projects moe an image of insecurity about their manhood than anything.

Whatever happened to small trucks, like the Chevy s10"s. They were a great second vehicle. Hauling and reasonable consumption.

New vehicle Canadian tax levies and tax rebates for efficient and non efficient vehicles.

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whatsnew/items/list_veh-e.pdf

http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/ecotransport/ecoauto.htm#2007vehicleeligibility

bc, if you find that perfect car (lots of power, comfortable, great gas mileage, under $20K), let me know. I want one, too. Quick acceleration is a must-have for making a left out of my neighborhood.

The first car I purchased as an adult was a Datsun B-210. I believe the engine was 1200 cc. You couldn't get up a hill without downshifting at least twice. It shuddered mightily if you went faster than 60 mph. It got something like 35 mpg highway, but it was an ordeal.

I would be terrified to drive a car like that these days. An accident with a Navigator would squash it like a bug. With the drivers around here, you really do have to consider The Law of Gross Tonnage.

Because Flaco is a day ahead of us in the US, I will wait until tomorrow to respond to his posts.

A long running gag in Car and Driver had Motor Trend naming the Trabant Car Of The Year in exchange in for enough advertising dough. This article is slightly less tongue in check, but not much:

http://www.therockalltimes.co.uk/2002/02/25/trabant.html

Falco

Just 11 minutes before Joel's chat, and I haven't got a thing to wear!

Ivansmom... you remind me of a car controversy that really hasn't had enough attention: Hot Wheels vs Matchbox.

Matchbox cars used to be made in England and were replicas of cars you actually found on the road. My son was obsessed with cars when he was little; he could identify any car on the road when he was 2 years old. I am not exaggerating. He loved the Matchbox cars because they were real cars to him.

Oh, he loved his Matchbox LMCs (what he called his Little Metal Cars). He always had one in his hand and I could count on him never getting bored if he had a few to play with. (It was obvious that he was raised in Northern Virginia: his favorite way to play with his cars was to play "parking lot" or "traffic jam" and line them up.)

Mattel's Hot Wheels, on the other hand, were made up cars; sports cars that looked like dragons or bugs or just wacky hot rods that you would never see in real life.

At some point in my son's childhood Mattel bought Matchbox and suddenly there was no difference between the two brands. Matchbox cars became Hot Wheels cars in Matchbox packaging. They were no fun anymore for a car kid like my son. He had no interest in a car that could fly or had teeth.

It's been years since I've bought an LMC, but I was looking at them the other day and it seems like there are a few Matchbox cars that replicate real cars now. I hope they have reverted back to their old design tradition.

Raysmom,
Your B210 was the cousin of my Corolla. 1200cc just doesn't work anywhere with a hill and that includes on-ramps. The Yaris which seems more like the spiritual descendant of the Tercel has 1.5 liters. I don't know of any vehicle with four wheels on the market today as underpowered as those 70s era rice burners.

>Go to any commuter parking lot or any urban/suburban business parking lot and you'll see hundreds of cars and trucks there that don't make sense as one-person commuter vehicles.

True enough Mudge but again, you're only seeing them at one part of their day when you make that judgement. All the bells would go off if you saw my man in the Suburban on his commute, but nights/weekends it was entirely appropriate. Unfortunately $3k extra a year in insurance (plus the car cost) blew the avantage of going to a small car for the commute.

>Because Falco is a day ahead of us in the US, I will wait until tomorrow to respond to his posts.

Hey Shiloh, if his wife's wearing a cheerleader outfit he may not be waiting around to see it.

Welcome D. Falco! Can I assume you're not the guy who did "Rock Me Amadeus"?

Couple of quick items before the discussion.

CP, I think Maxwell Smart had several cars in the opening sequence: I think one was a Sunbeam Tiger, one a Karmann Ghia, and I think he had an Opel GT, too.

TBG, without looking too much like a complete and utter dork, I will say that the Matchboxes are much better small scale models than Hot Wheels. Good details, good relative scaling. However cartoonish Hot Wheels typically are, they are much better in action on a wood floor or the old orange plastic Hot Wheels tracks.

On the other hand, I always had a soft spot for Johnny Lightings after Al Unser Sr. won the 1970 and 71 Indy 500s in the Vel's Parnelli Johnny Lightning Special.

bc

"I don't know of any vehicle with four wheels on the market today as underpowered as those 70s era rice burners."

They will be the standard again one day. Look at Europe -- of the cars you see on the street many are smaller models not sold in the US, and for those that are sold in the US, the European version likely has a 20% smaller engine. Somehow the people manage, and their trucks are just as big as in the US.

Reminds me that I think the most important safety devices are the steering wheel, pedal connected to anti-lock brakes, accelerator pedal, and transmission, which can get you out of trouble, rather than having a lot of mass. Air bags are good, too.

One difficulty factor in shrinking the average US car is the truck-based SUVs are going to last a long time -- takes a while to rust through all that metal -- and, having spent all that money, people may be reluctant to get rid of them.

Seems to me that most people form their view of the ideal car around high school age, when the most important factor in decision-making is peer pressure.

I began a long post on why U.S. drivers like more engine power than Europeans, but decided it was painfully obvious. More distance, less public transportation.

HotWheelsMatchbox did have a great line of tiny construction vehicles. As a toddler the Boy could distinguish backhoes, front loaders, etc., and we had the whole set. We put them in a planter inside by the door, as a sort of child magnet.

Got a hunch Joel needs help on the chat. Everybody go submit a question, please.

RD, Ivansmom, I got a Subaru Impreza Outback a little over a year ago, somewhere around $19500 new--AWD, standard, premium package. Used ones appear to hold value well so I couldn't find a recent one much cheaper than new.

Day in, day out, 24-25 MPG on a 52 mile/day commute, more than half of which is bumper to bumper. Good pick-up, even with me and 150 lbs. of dogz on the highway. I've been pretty happy with it.

My last vehicle was a Jeep Cherokee '96, which needed a major repair at 200K, so I sold it to my mechanic. I hope to get at least 10 years out of the Subie too. If there'd been a smallish, affordable 4 or AWD hybrid, I would have bought that!

Raysmom! All through high school and I drove my mom's moss-green Datsun B-210. I once tried to pass another car. The memory still makes me break out in a cold sweat.

Mudge, this wasn't you? :-)

"Your coverage is no longer "fair handed" or "neutral" but rather a reflection of the
conservative media conglomerate's domination of our free press."

Yes, bc... that's where the difference used to be. But when Mattel bought Matchbox, they just packaged Hot Wheels cars in Matchbox packaging. No difference in build or design.

Before Mattel took them over, those Matchbox cars were sturdy and had great suspensions. They could outrace the Hot Wheels easily because of their weight.

And they had doors and trunks that opened, some had seats that reclined. The dashboards even had great detail.

My son loves cars from the design and marketing aspect. How they look, how they're advertised and marketed. Not necessarily how they drive. When he played with them as a little boy, he set up car dealerships and parking lots. He thought he was driving the car, parking the car, selling the car... etc.

You can picture the little fellow, head tilted, face in total concentration, with his little fingers carefully holding the Little Metal Car, placing it in line with the other cars, or driving it carefully over the folds and bumps of the couch or parent's leg he was using for a "road."

Yes. I raised a total dork and I'm proud of it--and of him!

Surely you jest, byoolin. No, I was "Boodlevania." And I submitted a second one that hasn't come up yet.

If Joel isn't getting questions, it could be that I'm not the only one getting Page Not Found messages. Ratzafratzin' Post servers...

I'm getting "Page not found, too," R-mom.

Ratzafratzin' reminds me of Fillerami packalomer. And, Blast that [what was it?]. Remember? A golfer trying to get out of a deep bunker. Paper-Mate pens. Long ago.

OK, I have to admit to having an SUV. But it's small(er)! It gets 18/23 mpg!

I bought it when I was working with dog rescue because you just can't put a dog crate in the back seat of a Sebring. So I settle for driving it as little as possible--use public transit, combine trips, etc. I rationalize by saying that if I sold it to buy something more fuel-efficient, someone else would end up driving it anyway. OK, that's a logical hole you could drive a truck through, but it works for me.

I know what you mean about passing with the old Datsun. I used to drive Rt 15 in central PA a lot. It had 3 lanes, with the center lane a shared one for passing. I had a few heart-thumping moments watching a car come toward me as I willed the hamsters under the hood to kick in.

Matchbox cars were much cooler when they were made in England. Although, if my son's collection is any indication, they are still better built and more detailed than Hot Wheels. Although the orange tracks with the loop-the-loop still rock.

I'll third (or fourth, or whatever) a used Miata. I've had mine for three years and it's been pretty trouble-free, reasonable mileage (28-30), and I have yet to pop the top and not smile.

However, if you attend an autocross and get bit by that bug, the cost can get alarming pretty quick....

(I just got a top to replace the seven-year old one- ungaraged convertables have this problem. This could turn in to one of those projects where my wife keeps asking me why I don't have someone else install it for me.)

People will start buying the cars they need when they stop looking over the fence to see what cars their neighbors own.

TBG -- Everything is a road, in the tender years of small cars. I will have to check on the brands, since we mostly inherited other peeps' beloved collections.

Lines from those days:

"Which car will God like best?" (to take to Mass)

"Mom, I am tired of making motor noises. Can you do some now?"

To another child who moved his stuffed animals with motor-noises, "Percival, the rules say that cars get motor noise, animals growl."

"Can I take all my cars to the 'hosiball'? I need them." And he did, in the hospital days.

"People will start buying the cars they need when they stop looking over the fence to see what cars their neighbors own."

When polled, people insist they aren't swayed by advertising or herd effect, and make up their own minds.

Percival's introduction to polymorphism.

I'm convinced that a lot of the allure of big gas guzzler vehicles is the snob appeal. It shows you are successful or trying to keep up with your successful neighbors or co-workers. My ex always drove (and still does drive) whatever says "look at me, I make more $ than you do." His first sports car was an MGB GT. I did love to drive that car, although it was pretty funny when we put both little kids in what passed for a backseat. I shudder to think of it now, no seatbelts, no chance at all if we'd been in an accident. For 6 years in my present life I had a Miata as strictly a summer car. It wasn't a practical choice here to drive yearround. I would have hated to see what it was like in snow, although it had a great heater. I loved that car and plan to get another one when I retire, as "S" figures that one and one half cars will be plenty then. Les, you are so right about popping the top and smiling, nothing like it for stress relief. Meanwhile I drive a Mazda 3. Good mileage, fun to drive but I do feel the breeze every time something larger goes by me on the highway. "S" drives a Subaru Forester, has a long commute and gets decent mileage.

Of course there are people who truly need a larger vehicle, large family, frequent load hauling, etc., so there will always be a market for this, but most of us could do very well with something smaller. If there is a need a few times a year for a larger car, renting would probably be cheaper in the end.

Thanks for the good thoughts for my friend, Cassandra. I haven't seen her yet but we've spoken and she is doing well.

Martooni, you're doing great, keep it up!

One more car-ish link. This guy is really funny:

http://psychotoddler.blogspot.com/2007/05/all-options.html

PTA night in HoCo makes the elementary school parking lot look like a used mini-van lot. We had a Caravan or a Grand Caravan until we no longer needed to cart around a half dozen cub scouts at a moments notice.

When I was a little kid, my mom promised my brother and me a matchbox car each if we were good the whole day. As an adult I finally realized how cheap I was selling myself for. We had every HotWheels piece of track imaginable. We would gravity start those things as high as we could reach and zip them around the room.

Now all the hot wheels tracks come with powered accelerators which turn those little cars into rail gun munitions.

I'm taking a brief break from work to say two thing (in case anyone anywhere could possibly be interested):

1. Joel Achenbach's magazine story was exceptional. I am awestruck and dumbfounded. He has killed any ambition I may have had of being a writer by raising the quality bar to Olympian (Promethian?) levels. Swoon.

2. Large trucks are a reflection of the average American man's fear of being perceived as being "gentle," or "effete," or "impotent." Just sayin'.

Have a wonderful week, all.

One final thought on this weighty topic. Although Matchbox and Hot Wheels were fun and an icon of my youth, Darda cars rule. My son and I spent many delightful evenings during the Clinton Administration playing with them.

http://www.liveandlearn.com/toys/darda.html

Good to hear from you again, CowTown.

Les, if you think autocrossing is expensive, try road racing.

At least in drag and oval track racing you get paid a bit to offset your costs.

Yellojkt, a version of those Hot Wheels accelerators have been around for at least 35 years.

BTW, thanks for the use of "ratzafratzin',"
Raysmom. I can just picture Pa Bear muttering that right now...

bc

Back in my youth we used to play with Match Ox toys, and Hot Tumbrils.

I think Joel pulled off a very nice chat considering the large number of hysterically partisan submissions he doubtless received. I liked his observation that we probably end up with the same candidates as if we relied on the "smoke-filled rooms" of yesteryear. But this way is much more entertaining.

I am most impressed at the level of MatchBox/Hot Wheels literacy here.

Boodlevania, MD?

I didn't think Loomis, bc, "eldoobeht" and I were hysterically partisan, Padouk.

BTW, anybody wanna fess up to being "Eldoobeht"?

Error Flynn> Welcome D. Falco! Can I assume you're not the guy who did "Rock Me Amadeus"?

Thanks for the warm welcome all, except for Shiloh, who I'll thank the day after tomorrow!

Nope, not that Falco either - which is a good thing since he is currently well-placed to appear on the Afterlife version of the Ed Sullivan show.

My 'nym is derived from Marcus Didius Falco, the protagonist of the Lindsey Davis series set in ancient Rome. I've been using Didius Falco as my online name for over a decade now, and have yet to run into another one on the net. My wife is an Aussie, I'm a Yank that's lived here in Oz for ten years. Anyway, enough about me...besides, I have to go find a copy of "Rock Me Amadeus" to listen to and then grab couple hours of sleep.

I was "Helpme, Wash" - which I actually submitted as "Helpme, WA" - guess I was edited.

That was a lovely chat. By the time I figured out how to read it, of course, it was long over. I can't imagine being coordinated enough to submit a question, but I was glad to see the Boodlers who did.

Error, reviewing the recent comments I am somewhat disturbed to realize that my automotive area of knowledge, if not expertise, lies in HotWheelsMatchbox cars. This probably explains why I don't understand car commercials.

We still have all Ivansdad's old orange Hot Wheels track. Old Matchbox cars really do outperform the newer Hot Wheels "imaginary" cars. Except for the Trabant. It always loses.

Looked in the vat of small cars: Mostly Matchbox -- does that match up with Rep or Dem voting patterns?

Bu also, a fabulous blue convertible with peeps inside (Tomte-Norway soft vinyl car) and two Viking-Plast fire trucks, again soft. These are great for boys who insist on sleeping with their cars. I think these were from my family growing up.

A small Tootsie toy or two
Tiny Tonka backhoe (beloved)
some Galoob Micromachines (ouch to step on those in the dark; double ouch to tiny Lego bits)

and of course, many knock-offs made in China.

Thanks, bc, for the guide to opening scene cars for Get Smart...

Joel's synopsis on Richardson got snarked on Wonkette.

http://wonkette.com/politics/still-jenny-from-the-block-dept%27/bill-richardson-did-you-know-that-he-is-mexican-262146.php

Just ignore the lame comments by yours truly.

Mudge - I was not criticizing the posts! Far from it. Rather, I was referring to the fact that I assume Joel had to wade through many hysterical submissions to get to the high-quality ones he posted. Just a guess on my part. Maybe he received nothing but great comments and questions.

Ivansmom, the key for me with the chats is to submit the question early. I've found that sometimes if you're too cute with the location name, or too long with the question, you don't get picked.

On the subject of cars that do not arouse thoughts of manliness:

One of my students shared that she had heard that my car (avocado-green 2001 New Beetle TDI) was voted coolest car for a girl to have. I said thanks, that's great, but I'm a man. Sigh...

By the way, it gets between 35-40 mpg and I have a four-mile commute to work. This means that I have no idea what the price of diesel is, as I only refuel every three weeks or so.

OMG --YJ, your avatar is in the comments. Is that what the WaPo wants us to do with the comments linked to articles.

Curiouser and curioser....what a tangled web of identities,icons, avatars, boodle-handles, personas, knicknames....

CP, we have a bumper crop of rhubarb here, and I only tasted it for the first time last week other than in strawberry-rhubarb jam.
The rhubarb-strawberry pie and cobbler were pretty good, but I'm definitely open to ideas how to eat it without all those strawberries.

As for cars, I've owned a SUV and a station wagon. Of the two, I miss that used station wagon far more. Good visibility, didn't feel about to topple over on corners, and it'd be dead perfect for Wilbrodog nowadays. And I was able to get amazingly good mileage on it by driving wisely.

OTH, there's nothing like how softly a new SUV's engine purrs and the smooth pickup in the speed. It felt like driving a boat. However I'm with Yau-Man. Rent when you need it, and use that parking space for other purposes.

BTW-- I'm not bc and I'd count myself as a car fool, but I was taught by somebody like BC.

I learned that to get better mileage, there's a very simple rule-- don't gun your car, don't brake hard. You'll almost always get above "average" MPG that way. But if you have a lead foot, you'll kill your MPG considerably as all that gas goes in acceleration and deacceleration. Also, it'll wear out your brakes faster and eat into your engine life-span.

Which is why city driving eats more MPG than highway driving does. And it also eats up the nerves too.

All that stop and go, stop and go. It's like a bad case of irritable bowel disease. (And now you know why they call the 295-495 interchange the mixing bowel, too.)

I use that same image and handle as many places as I can. It's all about brand identity.

I moonlight as GawkerMedia commenter, but my heart belongs to the Boodle. Heaven forbid WaPo ever opens up the avatars to user selected images. I shudder at what some of the more rabid readers would come up with.

Gomer, the torque of a diesel trumps the avacado green Beetle exterior.

Consider yourself still chromosomically XY, there, dude.

bc

I live in Eldoobeht, but then I'm a little backwards.

I hate to consider where a green Saturn Ion ranks on the stud-muffin automobile list. Even though it does have those wicked running lights and all.

Ah, suspected that might be you, TBG.

Here's a conundrum: if one were a guy who wanted to buy a car to attaract the chicks, would one buy one of those flashy Testosterone Z-2000 cars--or wouldn't it be smarted to buy a so-called "chick car" like omni's green V-Dub? Methinks guys have going about this all wrong for many years (so what else is new?).

bc, as regards the cost of road racing, I shudder to think. I am now the proud owner of four shiny new R compounds (my first) that were purchased after a serious intake of breath when I realized what this would cost me. And now I know that even though I'm still DFL in class, the tires aren't the cause.

In determining if a car is road raceworthy, I liked most the comment I heard asking a guy if sheet metal is negotiable.... If not, don't bother.

yello... the Wapo article comments sections do have personal avatars. Of course, as Linda pointed out, the generic ones are male. I suggested to someone at wapo.com that they change that, but apparently to no avail.

We told my son from a young age that the "caliber" of the car was usually directly opposite the, er... caliber of the driver's.. uh... "manhood."

He's very happy with his standard-transmission, roll-down windows, pull-up door locks Ford Focus.

Mudge... I may have answered your conundrum with my 2:31 post.

'Mudge, not the car to attract but perhaps a amber-gold cocker spaniel puppy at the airport, park, mall, etc.

(One brother swears by the hold-a-puppy stance.)

Of course, men bearing rhubarb will not be turned away from my door.

(Raysmom! If you go north to the Raspberry Queen that is your mother for 'barb, let me know.)

Wilbrod: I like plain rhubarb with the least sweetening possible. I made a batch last week with Newman's Limeade as the liquid and sugar. (We go through vats of Newman's Lime- and Lemon-ade, no matter the price, since the inhaled steriods that fight pollen leave a horrid taste in the mouth.

That rhubarb batch was pucker-perfect. Pair your rhubarb sauce -- warm is nice -- with expensive vanilla ice cream. Terp ice cream is the best, but you should be able to find something great in MinneMOOOTA....

The Matchbox on my desk is a blue Land Rover Series model.

Thinking of that sort of thing, in the fairly recent past, north Floridian guys were inveterate hunters, which meant driving in the woods (which was a recreational activity and test of one's skill in its own right). Stopped at a traffic signal in Tallahassee or St Augustine, you were likely to see a fairly battered, functional four wheel drive, back when those didn't sell in large numbers elsewhere. Anyway, talking to a Gainesville local a few weeks ago, it turned out we agreed that the little old boxy Ford Bronco had been an extraordinarily useful vehicle--it could sneak around obstacles and mud holes that the big trucks had to wallow through.

The gentleman I was talking to now owns a four wheel drive Honda Element, which he says is perfect for vacation trips to the Colorado Rockies. It draws dirty stares from the guys with "real" 4X4s. Driving skill matters.

Indeed, TBG; we've all known for some time (and especially since we BPHers met him) that your son is intelligent and perceptive far beyond his years and peers. You done good.

TBG, I noticed Eldoobeht.
Su fo eno saw ti derugif I.

Saturn Ion, not so high on the stud-muffin scale but at least Ion is a cool name.

CP, you're welcome, though it's possible I may have missed a Fiat or something.

Another item to note: I (along with Mudge, I think) dig the Honda S2000, especially the early ones with the smaller displacement engine and the 9000 RPM rev limit (that's not a typo).

Back to one of the original topics of the Kit, one of my favorite Survivor moments ever was when Yao Man decided to make a counterfeit Immunity Idol and buried it where he found the original. I'd been saying for years tht someone needed to try that.

bc

Mudge, to attract the chicks just have a lot of chicken feed. The car won't matter.

NOW ya tell me.

Frosti, you got me reading Monkeygirl's blog and I just saw this:

I'm reading a book called That's Not In My American History Book by Thomas Ayres. (No, I'm normally not that big of a nerd, but my husband is, and he said I would like it.)

"Politics and political mudslinging have been around almost from the day prehistoric man discovered mud. .......One of the strangest campaigns ever waged was the one by George Smathers against Claude Pepper for the U.S. Senate in Florida in 1950. In his campaign speeches, Smathers began referring to Pepper as 'a known extrovert.' He spat out the words with such disdain, many in his audiences assumed the worst of Pepper. While Pepper was trying to figure out how to respond, Smathers revealed that his opponent's sister was 'a thespian.' He then accused Pepper's brother of being a 'practicing homo sapiens.' He then charged that while attending college, Pepper 'matriculated on campus,' and that he 'engaged in celibacy' before he was married. Smathers won the election."

If Smathers lived where I live, he'd still win. There ain't no rocket scientists 'round here!

Posted by MonkeyGirl at 07:33

I would have discounted this story as apocryphal, but I'm too lazy to check. Amusing, though.

Have fun talking about cars, folks! I'm getting back to work.

Nothing gets by Joel. He immediately figured out that Eldoobeht was near Tralfamadore. My discussion location of Fo, MA has been translated to Fo, Mass. before. I don't know what is with the old skool state abbreviations. We should get Joel to bugt Gene to ask Liz why that is.

My dad must have been to cheap to ever let us have one of those Hot Wheel spinners. It would have been great for shooting the dog.

Does anybody remember the cute little plastic "pull-back" cars made by Tomy in the early 1990's? My son still remembers them from when he was about 2.

omni's green V-Dub???Am I confused for someone else???

The Claude Pepper slanders are probably apocryphal, but this Mad Magazine speech approaches the general gist of most of the attributed passages:

http://gis.washington.edu/~phurvitz/outgoing/bustagut/Non-SlanderousPoliticalSmearSpeech.htm

We ought to see if these slurs would pass muster today.

gOMer might be the green VW guy who is obviously secure with his y-chrome

I was having a senior moment.

Smathers' classic speech is probably a fabrication, but represents him pretty well. I assume there's a bronze plaque bearing its text in a prominent location at the Smathers Library at the University of Florida. The WP obit provides the text.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/21/AR2007012100143.html

Er, Mudge, having been around guys with very expensive cars, I can say that there are plenty that some women find fascinating.

Mainly very expensive Italian equipment...

On the other hand, I do too.

bc

Smathers also said Pepper was "an admitted philatelist." His stump speeches in rural Florida are legend.

My son frequently laments that all the really cool cars are only driven by old bald guys. We explain that they need them.

Oh. My equipment is neither Italian, expensive...or functioning very well.

CP, Mom is coming down here next week. How long will the 'barb keep? 'Cuz she's stopping at my sister's for a few days first.

She says Sis likes rhubarb cooked with tapioca. Ever try that? 'Course, this is the sister who made lasagna with pineapple cottage cheese, so I don't know whether to recommend it or not.

I posted on Joel's chat, too. The snarky comment about cut-and-paste.

I refer to my MGB, of course.

Mudge, would you describe your British lawn art as a chick magnet? (presuming chickens haven't roosted in there. yes, I've seen that before. in a Mini COOPer, of course)

bc

"Smathers also said Pepper was 'an admitted philatelist.'"

Ooh, who wants to be stamped with a label like *that*?

-Bill C

I like to think of it as West Virginian objet d'rust, bc. As for its magnetic properties, so far it seems to be in repulsion mode. Perhaps I have the polarity reversed.

Well bc, for my money it's a lot better than being called a numismatic.

Pa Frost-in-law drove a Ford Bronco over 300,000 miles on a real working ranch in CA where much of the work was still done on horseback. Driving skill does matter indeed DotC.

What others have said in recommending the Miata x10. My "Bess" stays in the garage most of the time, just 32,000 miles in 6 years, but was well worth foregoing jewelry and other useless tokens of affection that Mr. F could have chosen to commemorate 70 years of marriage (we count in dog years). The Miata has a Environmental Defense/Yahoo Autos green rating of 70 (on a 1-100) scale. Not too bad for all that fun.

Hey! I'm out here in Wild Wonderful West Virginia, and we take our yard art seriously.

Numismatics can be treated with psychotropic medication if they have the money to pay for it.

Is it still lawn art if it's on cinder blocks?

bc

Must remember to water the impatience planted around the cinder blocks holding up the...oh wait.

I'll bite: exactly what do you have up on cinder blocks there LiT?

BTW, "impatience," nice pun.

bc

I don't like to think of them as "cinder blocks." I like to call them "Pedastals of Glory."

Mudge, just think of the rust as a chemical lightening process. It'll be lighter and more lively when you put it back on the road.

But make sure your tetanus booster is up to date.

bc

I forget...is it great minds think alike, or psychotic ones?

It's not "rust," bc. It's the "climatic-induced patina of yesteryear."

Just for the record, my '93 Miata got 34+ mpg on the trip up to Valley Forge and back this past weekend. Only real problem with the car is its use of oil. About a quart per 1,000 miles. No blue smoke, and it doesn't seem to be dripping out anywhere.

The first car I bought myself was a 1960 Dodge Lancer with push-button transmission. Paid $400 bucks for it at the used car lot. Had 68,000 miles on it, and I put another 50K on before selling it to another sailor up in Iceland for $120. Had the classic Slant-6 engine, which was virtually indestructible. Only problem was breaking a valve rocker arm, which I replaced myself in the auto hobby shop on the base.

Hey Yau-Man, if you're reading this (if not, you should be), hopefully you won't have to ante up income tax on the truck, even if you gifted it away, you were "rewarded" with a prize... And, remember, you're dealing with the IRS. Check with your accountant.

bc will probably gasp in horror, but my favorite car ever was my 1990 Ford Probe. 3.0 liter engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. That thing could move, but miraculously got 28+ mpg. And there was enough cargo room to transport a small village. It never demanded a thing of me maintenance-wise. I sold it at 115K miles, with its original clutch intact.

Patina, indeed, Mudge.

Some minds think alike, psychotic or not.
But at least you know you're not alone.

ebtnut, how many miles on that Miata?

Well, gotta run, I'll pick up with ya'll later this evening.

bc

>or wouldn't it be smarted to buy a so-called "chick car" like omni's green V-Dub?

Mudge, I can't know if my choice of chariots has ever stopped a woman from going out with me on the basis of those over-compensating assumptions, but the ones that do tend to like it just fine.

The car too.

Cracks me up that so many people impute such psychological and physical motives against the simple of joy of vicious acceleration and awesome handling.

Shows the importance of the way you drive. The 1990 Ford Probe 3 litre manual is listed by US DoE as 19-26 mpg.

I guess along with weight, automotive engineering counts too -- the new 2 litre turbo Passat is rated 1 mpg higher than my 6 YO 1.8, city and hwy.

Love reading the postings and boodles.

"Unless you have a business where you need to haul 15 tons around, I don't see why you need something like that," he said. he said sometimes, when he's doing yardwork, he wishes he had a pickup.

And do you mean Honda Civic (not Civil)?

LTL, that mileage was achieved before I moved here and developed some atrocious driving habits.

I was told that the Probe was a chick car. Tell that to Raysdad who got a big s**t-eating grin the first time he hit the accelerator.

Love reading the postings and boodles.

"Unless you have a business where you need to haul 15 tons around, I don't see why you need something like that," he said. he said sometimes, when he's doing yardwork, he wishes he had a pickup.

And do you mean Honda Civic (not Civil)?

bc: The Miata just turned over 194,000 miles. I got it 5 years ago with 98K on it. Paid a nice lady over in Vienna $4K for it. Best car deal I ever made!

yello writes at Wonkette:
Bill is really working that bolo tie. Nothing says faux-western like some turquoise bling.

Nothing says faux-Western like some Eastern dude writing about faux-Western. *l* Bola ties now the official state neckwear of Arizona and New Mexcio.

According to: Cowboys and Indians magazine:
"In 1949, Victor E. Cedarstaff designed and created the first bola* type of necktie -- a triangular slide that he patented as a "yoke." Cedarstaff initially called his design a "piggin necklet," naming it from the piggin-string that the cowboys use for tying the legs of a critter. Later, he was visiting with a friends who had just returned from Argentina. The friend had brought back a device called a "bola" that was used by the gauchos (South American cowboys) to catch livestock and wild horses. The bola had three balls attached to the end of three thongs of braided leather or rawhide, which in turn were joined together at their common ends. The similarity of Victor's tie design to the bola prompted him to rename his piggin necklet as the "bola yoke tie," now commonly referred to as the bola tie.

In 1988, bola aficionado John Caccia entered into the profession of "bolosmithing" (a description he coined for himself to mean a craftsperson that has a working knowledge of leather as well as gems and precious metals) and started Idaho Bolo, etc. Since then, "JC" has designed and created hundreds of bola ties and taken the art of bolosmithing to new standards of design and function.

* Although it is probably most historically accurate to use the name "bola tie," many people refer to it as "bola," "bolo," western slide tie," "string tie," etc. All appellations are acceptable as long as they are spoken with a friendly smile.

"Subaru" is the Japanese for the Pleiades constellation, aka the Seven Sisters, in case yellojkt is still playing that car name game. Does that count, even though it's a make, not a model?

I thought Richardson had declared his candidacy already - why was he part of the debates if he hadn't? I'm so confused.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/21/AR2007052100146.html?hpid=topnews

I like him a lot - thought he looked great on the horse. (Love turquoise, too, and always thought it was "bolo tie".) Add his language ability, and it doesn't get much better than that for me. But I really like Obama and Edwards too.

Has anyone heard from, Kbert?

I've always owned small cars. I think at one time I had a Chevy Impala,real old, it was big as a tank, and just as hardy. And the color was green. Some guy rammed the back of it, and his front end nearly ended up in his face. That was one tough car. I think it had real metal in it. Now cars are made from plastic, and auto makers really believe they should charge more for them. I don't get that.

I hope none of you are taking that diabetic drug that has been found to increase one's risk of heart attack and strokes. The numbers are quite high. Drugs are suppose to make us better, but in the last couple of years that has not been the case. And I have no idea what the FDA's job is. Is that a government department or an arm of the drug companies?

kbertocci mentioned going on a camping trip - so I'm guessing that's where kb is now.

Boy Cassandra, are you ever right about plastic cars and the FDA. I remember when cars had chrome bumpers. Those things were solid protection in an accident. And I am very thankful that I don't take any prescription drugs, cure one thing, cause another.

None of my (three) diabetes meds is that one, Cassandra, fortunately. How about you? Have you been tested for diabetes? At your (our) age you have to be careful.

"Choice of chariots" is a great phrase, and reminds some how of "breakfast of champions."

Knowing that that Subaru is the name of the Pleides makes me very happy, in the way of having names for delightful phenoms, like those seven darling stars.

What made me happiest when driving? (driven by my big-hearted cowboy of a dad) In the flatbed of copper-brown Ford 350, off-road, on the way to the cattle-round up, in Cascade Co, MT. The way back was colder but the stars were above and I lay nestled in blankets with the best dog in the world, who became ours because she was not so good with cattle.

Bringing home three bundles from the hospital: singing "You are my Sunshine," which is an official family welcome-to-our-world song.

Worst drives? For two of said children, in active labor on the Beltway in rush hour. Child Two born 6 minutes, count' em after I tumbled out of the car. Child Three waited a cool ten minutes. For the record, I kept my seatbelt on, but under duress.

Well, at least the kids didn't wait until the last minute, CP. The down side is you don't have any of those great guilt-inducing horror stories to tell your kids, about how you were in labor for 97 hours or some such.

Maybe it was all that rhubarb.

Hey Cassandra! Plastic cars, indeed, and I second your question about the FDA -- government watchdog or drug company poodle. Two incisive comments in one post. I can go days without even one.

Once I was interviewing for a job working on the same level as my current boss. Of the 12 people in the room, one of the guys asked if I wouldn't just be my boss's poodle. Boy was I startled. I got the room on my side when I replied that I'm pretty short but have never been mistaken for a dog.

There are little trailers you can buy to occasionally haul stuff around with. It doesn't take a truck.

I could use a little plastic in my truck. The hood seems to weigh about 100 lbs. If it closed on my head during a dipstick check, I would be dead. This dipstick would be checked out!

Funny, I went to junior high with a kid who claimed to be Claude Pepper's illegitimate son... Who knows if that was true.

Anyway, I wondered why "wiki" is wikiwiki becoming the thing. So, I went to
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wiki

Hey, Ivansmom, it is a supreme complement to be someone's poodle. Hey,I am CeePee's poodle and CeePeeBoy's poodle. Love the gig.

Ivansmom, I think I would have been insulted by that question.

As always, Cassandra owns the common sense comment section of the boodle.

Matchbox cars, what a topic. My brother loved his, and one of my nephews was like Son of G in his devotion to his collection. I think he had thousands of little vehicles. My husband has an entire set of Tonka farm equipment, tractor, plow, combine, etc. He played with them as a child; my mother-in-law had them redone for him as a Christmas present. He cherishes them. The very best, though, his his Farmall pedal tractor, also restored. It has place of pride in my sunroom.

Okay. I mentioned the "Miata" word to my wife. She will eventually stop laughing.
Evidently she was envisioning a car with more than two seats.

Perhaps I should just keep the Ion and buy my son a car for the last two years of high school. You know, safe and large, but with high mileage and no need for collision coverage. Something basically disposable.

I wonder if I can still find one of those Chevy Impalas.

>There are little trailers you can buy to occasionally haul stuff around with.

Somehow I don't think the roads would be safer with a bunch of little trailers with stuff falling out. When they stay attached to the car that is, and assuming the owner never attempts to back up.

RD, two seats are a FEATURE, not a bug. Once your boy is driving there should be another larger car for the times you need it. By the way, being able to grant access to the Miata for the night might pay off big time once he's gotten his driving chops to a point where you're comfortable.

EF - excellent point that. Excellent point indeed.

Ivansmon, I had to laugh, not at you, but at that comment regarding the poodle. I think you may be taking RD out with that dry humor. I agree with Slyness, that head should have rolled.

Mudge, I do keep a check on the glucose readings because my dad is borderline diabetic, but did not get that way until up in age.

My daughter had to rent a car while her car was being fixed, and she got one of those Chevy things, I don't know the name of it, and it was just hard plastic all over. I know if one went to the car dealer for such a ride, the price tag would give heart burn or worse, heart attack.

I have never been camping. It is probably fun, but it's in the woods, right? No way.

RD--we are imaginary friends, therefore, we offer imaginary cars. So, tell him you are buying a used Ford Focus, then spring for the Saturn Vue--ain't that a glorious compromise?

Of course, I can tell my children about the Ford Econoline Van. And the bike: I am riding the same bike since 1979.

You get the Miata when Mudge opens his Eytalian Paisano School.

Oh, jeez, CP, the paisano school. I sooo need that edumacation! Gotta remember to ask when applications are due, and when the next term starts.

In re plastic cars...I once rented a car in Italy that had a distinctive recycled-coke can sound when you closed the door. Not very reassurring in a country where lanes are a suggestion.

Someone recently gave me 2 kayaks and a nice tailer to haul them with. I am taking them to the river tomorrow. But as for backing it up, I am lost. I can never get it to go the way I want.

Mudge, It wouldn't be west by god if we didn't have a little yard art. But mine stills has wheels on it. I aint gonna waste a perfectly good cinder block holding up the car. I need that for the house. LOL

We understand dbG's grandfather only had granddaughters, and fondly called each of them *poodleka*. We didn't know she grew up with poodles!

SCC- Trailer

Happy Victoria Day !!(Don't tell byoolin she's no longer with us)

I've enjoyed the posts on the various cars boodlers have driven, driven in and been driven over the edge by. The worst drive I've scariest drive I've ever experienced was on the highway, during a North Ontario winter in a Skoda. Pure evil.

RDPad - What you're looking for (for the kid) is a late 80's-'90-ish Buick LeSabre, or one of its cousins. There are apparently a thousand of them running around in the D.C. area (most of them seem to be light blue in color), and they can be had for a song. I bought one in 2000 for $1000, sold it two years ago for $200 to a buddy who needed transportation quick, and it's still running around just fine. It is, however, definitely NOT fuel efficient! But it's definitely one of the dying gasps of good ole "Detroit Iron". Not quite as big as the old Impala, but still solid enough to handle misfortune with relative equanimity. Even Hummer drivers know not to mess around with someone driving a cheap land yacht like the LeSabre!

Here's a picture:

http://www.carspace.com/buickboy92/Albums/Hearses/87'%20buick.jpg/page/photo.html

(OK, this particular model has been modified slightly!)

:-)

Here's one at auction online for under two grand (at the moment):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-Buick-Lesabre-Limited-58700-original-miles-Nice_W0QQitemZ290119112727QQihZ019QQcategoryZ6138QQcmdZViewItem

Of course, it's incoveniently located in Michigan, but there are a whole bunch of 'em out there.

RD, here's one for your wife:

1) Get the Miata with no back seat
2) Get the Buick with big back seat

Observe when he prefers to take a girl out in the Buick... :-)

Error - I was going to mention something precisely along those lines, but figured that RD would have to discuss those trade-offs with his wife!

: )

Sweet dreams in good places. Love in everything. Good night, boodle.

Good night, Cassandra. See you soon!

Yep, I like that LeSabre idea. Maybe not that exact model, but something kinda like it. Something he can drive to school and back as well as to sundry social events for the next two years.

Then we can sell it for scrap.

ebtnut-I'm glad my Bess is in Tampa where she can't read about miatas with 194,000 miles on them. Having just turned over 32,000 in 6 years she hopes to be inherited by someone who will think quite highly of Grandmere Frosti. (Is anthropomorphizing vehicles a major personality flaw?)

Little columbine leafies poked their heads above the ground today and I got the rain barrel installed just before the current storm hit. ("rain barrel installed" being a highfalutin way of saying I moved a 50 gallon garbage can under the eaves)

Corgi

You guys going to bed so soon? I've got to head out to Dulles in a little while to pick up my niece who's been traveling around Peru.

Ever heard of Taca International Airlines?

I note the following on the great caricature accompanying the retail politics column:

a) Obama, Easter Island totem.

b) McCain, what's going on with that right hand, he almost looks ___? (not that there is anything wrong with that *crossing his arms in front of him*)

c) Hillary, braying mule.

I'm sure I've offended half the world but, hey, it's only Monday.

TBG - Look for my roommate. I get the distinct impression that she'll be departing on the same plane that your niece is arriving upon. She's planning to be at Dulles at around 2:30 for a flight that leaves at around 5:00.

Evenin' all...

Speaking of yard art, here's Stella when her paint was fresh and her chrome was all sparkly:

http://www.thehandyhippie.com/images/my70bus.jpg

Fast forward five neglectful years and God knows how many fifths of whiskey consumed by her driver:

http://www.thehandyhippie.com/images/stella.jpg

I'm thinking an amend to the old girl is in order here.

Gotta do storytime before Bean flips out...

Peace. :-)

If only he'd asked for lawyers, this headline would have been a Warren Zevon song:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/21/lebanon.haddad/index.html

Loved the album he did with the REM musicians, "Sentimental Hygiene"

A better telling of the Richardson story from the Albuquerque Journal:

http://www.abqjournal.com/richardson/531611nm01-21-07.htm

Richardson is commonly referred to as the son of an Anglo father and a Mexican mother, but the mix is much richer.

Richardson's mother, Maria Luisa Lopez-Collada, was the daughter of a mother from an intellectual family from Oaxaca and a blond-haired, blue-eyed father from northern Spain.

Richardson's father, after whom he was named, was also half-Spanish. His father, an Anglo biologist from Boston working in Nicaragua, met his mother, Rosa, as she got off a boat from Spain.

Richardson's father ended up in Mexico City after postings in Italy and Cuba for First National City Bank of New York, called Citibank today. He was sent to Mexico City in 1929 to open a branch of the bank and remained its vice president and manager for 29 years.

The union that produced Bill and his younger sister, Vesta, was not love at first sight. The American banker lived next door to the Lopez de Collada household, and Maria Luisa and her sisters knew of him only as the eccentric American neighbor.

He gruffly called the police on the girls when their suitors came around and serenaded them at night. And he wore a homburg hat everywhere he went, even when he rode his horse down the middle of the famous Avenida de Reforma.

Oddest of all, he owned a misbehaving chimpanzee. The chimp knew how to open the refrigerator door and peel the top off the milk bottle, turn the bottle up and take a drink.

Maria Luisa and her sisters would peek through the gap in the wall and say, "Look at the gringo loco!" ...

They married in 1936, and 11 years later William Blaine Richardson III was born. But not before his mother decamped to Pasadena, Calif. The birth on American soil was partly due to his mother's hypertension and a doctor's suggestion that she spend the last months of her pregnancy at sea level and partly due to his father's wish to have children who were American citizens.

Well, if we're all doing new