Tues. Dec. 21, 2021 – 12-21-21 – closer, closer, closer….

By on December 21st, 2021 in culture, decline and fall, ebay, personal, WuFlu

Cool and clear again, and I’ll happily take more of that. Nice sunny day yesterday but not particularly warm. Same for today if I’m lucky.

Plans changed yesterday. I decided not to try wrangling the kids at my worksite, since my wife went into the office. Spent the day getting stuff out of the house. Took a pickup load to storage. Went through some of the stuff and identified some of it.

Took ebay’s suggestions and lowered prices on several listings, which must count as ‘active on ebay’ as the algorithm kicked me a sale shortly after. I haven’t listed in a week, because I didn’t want to try to meet Christmas shipping times. That meant no sales though. Changing prices of existing listings must be nearly as good as actual new listings. The item was only $11, but it’s a sale, it’s out of the bin, and it solves a problem for someone. Now to get back to the point where I’m doing higher margin items and more of them every day…

Today I’ll be picking up from my industrial auction. I bought a bunch of supplies. Cleaners, maintenance and repair stuff, and shop supplies mostly, but all things I use when working on stuff. The pickup is right down the street from the one I couldn’t do Saturday, so I’ll grab that stuff too. I’ll also be stopping at one of the auctioneers who will take some of my stuff, and I’ll try to pin him down to WHEN I can bring stuff by.

It’s all very tedious, trying to get rid of the stuff, and still make money. I was not particularly focused and it shows with the sorts of things I’ve got to sell. Most of them are very niche items and need to find the right buyer (so they need the ebay audience) to bring real money. That is of course why I could buy them cheaply in the general auctions or estate sales, most people do not need or want them. This is also why I’m trying to shift to more widely desirable stuff. The market for golf clubs is bigger than the market for tonometers, even if the tonometer has a HUGE margin, for example.

After that, I’ll head out to my client’s and wrap up some of the stuff I can before taking a break until next year.

And at some point soon, I need to get presents dug out of their hiding spots and wrapped.

I’ve spoken to several friends and acquaintances, and many of them are like me, behind the curve and not really ready for Christmas. Most of them in fact. No idea why but I’m not alone 🙂

Make sure you stack up a few presents for the people you love. Like any other prep, it takes the pressure off, knowing you have something you can pull off the stack when needed.

nick

81 Comments and discussion on "Tues. Dec. 21, 2021 – 12-21-21 – closer, closer, closer…."

  1. MrAtoz says:

    School district dropped another $750 on the benefits card for food for the kids. Everyone in the district gets it, no financial qualifying. F’ing crazy, but this year I’m using it and buying groceries. I paid the taxes, I’m getting some back.

    Absolutely get your tax moneys worth. If idiots like Shot Girl ™ get the reins, you will get exactly "jack shit" back.

  2. Greg Norton says:

    Kavanaugh did get the phone call, but nothing will happen until next week.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/supreme-court-asks-biden-admin-respond-flurry-challenges-osha-mandate

  3. MrAtoz says:

    I beg to differ.  I think Omicron spells the death-knell for the actual dangerous Chinese Communist Party virus.

    I'm still of the mind we would be better off having just let the WuFlu cooties run it's course. We'll never know. And dick's like FauXi aren't helping with his "masks forever" on planes, yet crickets on millions surging over our borders. I was hoping Southwest Airlines would help, but then the CEO get cooties. I would have been great if SWA just said f it, and unmasked on planes.

    Let's Go Brandon!

  4. Greg Norton says:

    School district dropped another $750 on the benefits card for food for the kids. Everyone in the district gets it, no financial qualifying. F’ing crazy, but this year I’m using it and buying groceries. I paid the taxes, I’m getting some back.

    Our property taxes are brushing against $10k this year, half of the bill goes to the ISD. Good Lord do they p*ss away money, but it isn't on that scale.

    The plus side of the incident which made national news where the Superintendent had the parents arrested at their homes is that the Superintendent's extramarital affair was exposed by the arrested couple, rendering him politically ineffective at implementing whatever gets proposed tonight in John Gill's address to the country.

    Whatever works. Petty, but the other side wouldn’t hesitate.

    The Right Reverend "Judge" for the county thoroughly discredited himself early on so, outside of the sliver of Austin extending up 183, masks are pretty much done in Williamson County except on the hardcore faithful. The “Judge” probably won’t keep his job next year but 11 months is a long time in politics.

    The restaurant we were in the other night had the signs back up limiting parties to 8. The notices are common in a cluster of restaurants along I35. I noticed that discouraged at least three potential groups while we waited, all Amish.

  5. MrAtoz says:

    Kavanaugh did get the phone call, but nothing will happen until next week.

    The plugs administrations response will be a bunch of whiny, unConstitutional shit. But, but, but tRump, tho.

    What a chance for SCOTUS to crush this nonsense once and for all. And plugs' mask mandate for Federal property on an EO can't last forever. plugs' just kicks the can down the street two months at a time. We'll end up with a defacto law like Dreamers.

  6. MrAtoz says:

    Welcome to Texas fellow looters:

    Smash And Grab Hits Austin Texas Hellhole

    I love this line "…the innocent patrons now locked in with desperate armed lunatics in order to protect the profits of the blood diamond industry." It's almost if the *journalist* is, well, biased. I'm sure when the lead started flying, the people there didn't give a shit where the ice came from. I can only hope some of the patrons were firing back.

    It seems wise to arm yourself while out and about in Austin.

  7. Greg Norton says:

    School district dropped another $750 on the benefits card for food for the kids.

    I'm guessing that you get ~ $300 in JoeBux on top of that monthly.

    We are still getting the $160 monthly for one child, but the IRS skips the check printing and forces the payments into our bank account. That is somewhat disturbing since they can also force money out, and I never authorized the direct deposit … unless that is in the language on the back of the check somewhere.

    IIRC, one of Manchin’s issues in the “BBB” was $1 Trillion for the child tax credit that funds the JoeBux checks. Of course it is inflationary.

  8. Nick Flandrey says:

    I’m guessing that you get ~ $300 in JoeBux on top of that monthly.

    –wife says Yes. We just got another deposit. That is supposed to be “pre-payment” of a tax credit on 2021 income tax, doled out in installments. The installments should be running out soon.

    WRT property tax, we pay on this house, our rent house, and I pay business personal property on all the junk for my business, like tables and chairs, tools, fixtures, business machines. I’m sure my wife’s partnership pays bbp on their office stuff before the partner distro too.

    All the cash sloshing around isn’t a good thing.

    From junk email

    Recently Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, tweeted the following:

    “The best time to prepare for a crash is before the crash. The biggest crash in world history is coming. The good news is the best time to get rich is during a crash. Bad news is the next crash will be a long one.”

    With the market at all-time high, inflation on the other hand reached a 40-year high as well, marking its highest levels since 1982.

    He may be touting an email newsletter, but he ain’t wrong.

    From one of my former financial advisor’s newsletter…

    Inflation inertia is now getting hard to deny. Since the beginning of 2021, month over month (m/m) CPI inflation has averaged 0.6%, or three times the average during 2017–2019. Even if m/m inflation were to drop back to 0.2% in November 2021 and stabilize at that rate, y/y inflation would still remain above 6% until February 2022, and only in May could it be expected to drop below 5%.

    By then, it will have averaged 5.4% over a full 12 months (June 2021–May 2022). … The U.S. economy has already more than fully made up for the price drops of last year’s pandemic lockdown, and with the passing of every month, it’s rising farther above the historical trendline.

    Suppose that m/m inflation remains at 0.6% for another six months (0.6% is also the average for the past 10 months). In that case, y/y inflation would rise above 7% in December 2021, peak near 8% in February–March 2022, and only drop below 5% around November 2022. In that scenario, inflation would average 5.4% over a full two years, 2021–2022.

    This brings forth another factor: the importance of inflation expectations. For several months, businesses and consumers have been concerned about rising costs and prices. Stubbornly elevated inflation has now begun to impact both inflation expectations and price-setting behavior. Recent surveys, including the University of Michigan and the U.S. Conference Board, show that consumers are increasingly concerned inflation will keep eroding their purchasing power going forward.1

    Meanwhile, firms have been realizing that strong demand conditions give them more pricing power, which helps to offset rising costs and improve margins. There is a growing sense that we are transitioning from an environment of price stability and cost compression to one characterized by rising input costs and output prices.

    That last bit IS inflation.

    In closing, there are still possible macro scenarios ahead: Maybe the economy is about to tank, or maybe it’s about to witness a productivity miracle.

    Sonal Desai, Ph.D., Chief Investment Officer – Franklin Templeton Fixed Income

    —no predictions or advice in the article, but which of his closing options seems more likely? ESPECIALLY with 3 more years of Biddn/Kamel and Faux Xi…

    stack it HIGH

    n

    added — chart is available at https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/team/flightplan-financial-group/insights/inflation-is-alive-and-kicking/

    note the ACTUAL plotted CPI, not the artificial dotted one. It’s REAL steep.

  9. Nick Flandrey says:

    It seems wise to arm yourself while out and about in Austin.

    better to not go to the mall, but yes, not to be super cop, but to  defend you and yours if pushed.   No one in the store was injured, "we came for the bank's money, not yours.  Your money is insured…" 

    Run, hide, fight.

    Run- away from danger toward safety.  

    Hide- only if the threat hasn't seen you, and hasn't found you.

    Fight- like your life depends on it because if it come to that, it does.

    n

  10. Nick Flandrey says:

    39F and 99%RH when I got up.

    Now I've got to get out of the house and start getting some stuff done.

    n

  11. Nick Flandrey says:

    Hey it's National Flashlight Day!  Celebrated on the shortest day of the year, welcoming the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere.    According to Pelican anyway…

    Change the batteries in your FLASHLIGHTS!

    n

  12. Nick Flandrey says:

    Oh, and I finally identified the weird star wars toy I didn't recognize.

    https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Happabore+&_sacat=0&rt=nc&LH_Complete=1

    I still don't know what a "Happabore" is, or where in the movie it occurs, or why you'd want a latex and foam version of your own, but there it is.

    n

  13. ech says:

    80% of the population is naturally immune to Alpha, and Omicron is not dangerous (mostly).

    The estimates based on blood testing as of the end of September is that about 45% of the US population has had COVID.

    Omicron seems to be less severe than Alpha or Delta based on South Africa data, as I posted yesterday. The UK will be a better comparison for the US population. We'll know in a week or so.

  14. lpdbw says:

    The estimates based on blood testing as of the end of September is that about 45% of the US population has had COVID.

    I'll change my statement, then.

    80% of the population is either immune to Alpha, or so unaffected that the only way you can tell they had it is by testing, which is effectively the same as immune.

    Delta and Omicron are more contagious, which could explain the 45% number.

    I remain hopeful about Omicron giving the world herd immunity with reduced mortality.  Which is not the same as saying I'm certain of it, just that I remain hopeful that Omicron follows the normal path for virus evolution:  More contagious, less dangerous.

  15. Greg Norton says:

    I love this line "…the innocent patrons now locked in with desperate armed lunatics in order to protect the profits of the blood diamond industry." It's almost if the *journalist* is, well, biased. I'm sure when the lead started flying, the people there didn't give a shit where the ice came from. I can only hope some of the patrons were firing back.

    Biased journalists? Austin? Where did you ever get that idea?

    The local Faux News took a hard left turn right before the 2020 election. They backed off a bit and the reporterette in charge of what I call "Fear Porn Burlesque" has since disappeared, but they still toe the Dem line on the virus.

    All of the TV stations in Austin are left in some way, but the Faux News rivaled the TENGA (USA Today) ABC affiliate for bias this time last year.

  16. Greg Norton says:

    Omicron seems to be less severe than Alpha or Delta based on South Africa data, as I posted yesterday. The UK will be a better comparison for the US population. We'll know in a week or so.

    The PCR tests will be discontinued in the US at the end of the year. Gotta get the numbers reported now, ahead of the EUA expiration.

  17. Greg Norton says:

    Hey it's National Flashlight Day!  Celebrated on the shortest day of the year, welcoming the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere.    According to Pelican anyway…

    The Daily Mail should be entertaining this week.

    "Death in Paradise" was held back for Boxing Day.

    https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/death-in-paradise-christmas-special-cast-characters/

  18. Nick Flandrey says:

    The linked video is embedded in an INFOwars package.   The reporter is — conflicted.   Blood diamonds, and 'Soros funded DAs' in the same sentence, and some 2A snark.

    n

  19. SteveF says:

    I'm still of the mind we would be better off having just let the WuFlu cooties run it's course.

    Define "we". If "we" means the pharma companies and their execs and stockholders, or the politicians and bureaucrats who are grabbing power, or the commies who want to destroy the USA, or the bed-wetters who hatey-hated Trump so much that any price was worth it to get rid of him, then "we" certainly are better off the way things played out.

  20. Greg Norton says:

    The linked video is embedded in an INFOwars package.   The reporter is — conflicted.   Blood diamonds, and 'Soros funded DAs' in the same sentence, and some 2A snark.

    Helzberg Diamonds, the subject of the smash-n-grab robbery, is a Berkshire Hathaway company.

    Even the local Faux News biased reporting kept repeating that the "gunshots" heard by many were more likely the sound of the cases being smashed open by the suspects.

    Garza is a worthless DA. Real law enforcement in North Austin was the Wilco Sheriff and DA until Sheriff Chody was deposed with Garza’s help in the 2020 “election”.

  21. MrAtoz says:

    Hey it's National Flashlight Day!  Celebrated on the shortest day of the year, welcoming the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere.    According to Pelican anyway…

    I ordered my first "laser" LED based FLASHLIGHT after watching some reviews on the YT channel:

    Matt Smith

  22. JimB says:

    Yes, shortest time between sunrise and sunset today, but we have already gained 4 minutes with a later sunset. The earliest sunset here occurs on December 5, and the latest sunrise on January 5.

    All these dates and times vary slightly each year. They also vary greatly with geographical location. The apparent motion of the sun also varies over the year. All basic astronomy. Look up Analemma.

  23. JimB says:

    MrAtoz, which one? Be interested in your impression after you get used to it.

    I've been interested, but the beam seems inpractically narrow for my normal uses. Still, I could have fun with something that could reach a few miles. My longest view is something close to 80 miles. Even the WWII searchlights have trouble with that distance.

  24. Greg Norton says:

    Yes, shortest time between sunrise and sunset today, but we have already gained 4 minutes with a later sunset. The earliest sunset here occurs on December 5, and the latest sunrise on January 5.

    When we lived near Portland, the TV weather geek would always note that the end of "meteorlogical" winter in the Northwest was late January/early February, as the Spring Solstice approached.

    Of course, we just knew two seasons — Cr*p and August.

    This time of year, it was always dark about an hour after the kids got home from school.

    Of course, it isn't what @Jenny deals with, but I grew up on the West Coast of Florida so I never adjusted.

  25. Pecancorner says:

    Greg was not wrong the other day about how dangerous pigs are.  And apparently, one never knows when or where they will strike!

    Wild boar attacks O’ahu surfer in waters off Kaena Point

  26. JimB says:

    I was born in Pontiac, Michigan, and that was the farthest west in a time zone I have ever lived. That, plus the northern latitude, meant very late sunsets, especially in Summer. In addition, Detroit wanted to be on Eastern Time to align with NYC, even though the western parts of Michigan should have been on Central Time. The Uniform Time Act made all states adopt one time zone, so Eastern it was. Loved it.

    When I mentioned sunset, I have always watched the sunset times. Don't care much about sunrise, probably because Michigan had very late sunrises, even in Summer, and by then I had already been up a while.

    I like observing these kinds of things. One of the best simple apps I have is LunaSolCal:

    https://www.vvse.com/products/en/lunasolcal.html

    Ha, didn't know it is available for Windows. I use it on Android.

  27. Greg Norton says:

    Greg was not wrong the other day about how dangerous pigs are.  And apparently, one never knows when or where they will strike!

    Apparently, so are Bison.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6ZZa-BL_8g

    That area of the park is off limits to guests. The train must be down for some reason.

    I’ve watched them supervise little kids feeding the alligators. Thanks to YouTube, the kids always know their favorite alligator by name.

    The steaks (!) are more interesting to the gators than the kids.

  28. lynn says:

    "The shortest day of the year is Tuesday. Here's what to know about the winter solstice."

        https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/20/winter-solstice-december-2022/8968412002/

    "The winter solstice – which marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere – is Tuesday. It's the precise moment at which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun."

    "The solstice occurs at the same instant everywhere on Earth: Here in the U.S., it happens at 10:59 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 21."

    "At that moment, the sun's rays will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that circles the Earth in the Southern Hemisphere."

    I can never remember if the Winter Solstice is Dec 21, 22, or 23.

    Hat tip to:

        https://drudgereport.com/

  29. lynn says:

    And at some point soon, I need to get presents dug out of their hiding spots and wrapped.

    I’ve spoken to several friends and acquaintances, and many of them are like me, behind the curve and not really ready for Christmas. Most of them in fact. No idea why but I’m not alone

    Make sure you stack up a few presents for the people you love. Like any other prep, it takes the pressure off, knowing you have something you can pull off the stack when needed.

    Christmas is about a year early this year.  And I "pile up" Christmas presents all year long. Well, since people's birthdays.

  30. Jenny says:

    Love Winter Solstice. Our day is about 5.5 hours today however the days start getting longer now. Soon we will be gaining five minutes a day and not long after that it will be light when I leave work. 

  31. RickH says:

    Today being National FLASHLIGHT Day – I got a promotional email from the 'Big River' about FLASHLIGHTS – a 90K Lumen one, for $40. Here, if you are interested: https://amzn.to/3J7Up5u .

    But I already have one similar to that. Not that I *need* another FLASHLIGHT.

  32. lynn says:

    xkcd: Immunity

        https://xkcd.com/2557/

    Heh, circular logic.

    Explained at:

        https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2557:_Immunity

  33. lynn says:

    In honor of of National Flashlight day, here is my current favorite affordable flashlight.  350 lumens on 2 AA batteries for $15 at Big River. "RAYOVAC Tactical LED Flashlight, IP67 Waterproof, Super Bright and Durable Metal Body – Built For Camping, Hiking, Outdoor, Emergency, Batteries Included"

        https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0716D98GQ//p?tag=ttgnet-20

  34. brad says:

    Our day is about 5.5 hours today however the days start getting longer now.

    Yep, it's an important turnaround point for those of us at northern latitudes. Our day today was about 6.5 hours. It would be maybe an hour longer, but the sun is low enough that it hides behind a peak as it rises, and then – boom – full sunshine. So at 5.5 hours you're a good bit farther into the frozen wastes than we are: 61 degrees instead of 47 or so.

    The advantage of northern latitudes is that it is actually light more than an hour before sunrise and after sunset. Still, it will be nice to have the days getting longer now – in about a month it will really be noticeable.

  35. lynn says:

    OK, you want a cheap frugal truck, I have your cheap frugal truck right here.  "2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XL Review" written by Jerry Reynolds

        https://www.carprousa.com/vehicle-reviews/2022-ford-maverick-hybrid-pickup

    "Under the hood is a 2.5-liter inline 4 cylinder that is mated to a continuously variable transmission.  Together they put out a respectable 191-horses and this truck will tow 2,000 pounds and carry 1,500 pounds in the bed."

    "The Maverick handles great, was surprisingly quiet inside, and overall quite enjoyable to drive."

    "We’ve got to talk fuel economy.  Fuel economy is rated at 42 city and 33 highway, but I think that might be underrated.  In one stretch, I drove over an hour at city speeds, but one 10-mile stretch of highway speeds around 65 miles per hour, and got 50 miles per gallon."

    "More interesting, if you fill the 13.8 gallon fuel tank, you can go 500 miles on a tank of gas.  I am more than impressed with the fuel economy on the hybrid Maverick."

    "Total MSRP on my tester is get this:  $21,490 with transportation."

    It is front wheel drive.  And there is a 4WD version but that raises the price.

  36. drwilliams says:

    @Lynn

    ”I can never remember if the Winter Solstice is Dec 21, 22, or 23.“

    It varies according to the alignment of the man-made calendar with the astronomical calendar. 

  37. lynn says:

    Dilbert: Breathing On A Coworker

         https://dilbert.com/strip/2021-12-21

    Oh yeah, I am so glad that I do not work for a large company anymore.

  38. lynn says:

    Our property taxes are brushing against $10k this year, half of the bill goes to the ISD. Good Lord do they p*ss away money, but it isn't on that scale.

    My property taxes are $6K on my house, $16K on my large commercial property, $4K on my small commercial property.  All are out in the county with no city property taxes thank goodness.  2/3rds of the bills go to the school district.

  39. Greg Norton says:

    My property taxes are $6K on my house, $16K on my large commercial property, $4K on my small commercial property.  All are out in the county with no city property taxes thank goodness.  2/3rds of the bills go to the school district.

    I'm in the county. 800 yards away, inside the city limits, property taxes are easily $15k on the same size house.

    In Florida, I paid $4k in taxes for a slightly smaller house, but property insurance from a non-insolvent FL chartered carrier was $5k. Of course, at the time, there was only one non-insolvent carrier — the State's own insurance company.

    Taxes and insurance, however, were not more than half of my house payment, as they are here.

  40. Greg Norton says:

    Oh yeah, I am so glad that I do not work for a large company anymore.

    The HR twerp who was behind my termination is no longer with the previous previous employer.

    The timing of his exit was before my appeal hearing so that may explain why no one showed up.

  41. SteveF says:

    The HR twerp who was behind my termination is no longer with the previous previous employer.

    That's happened at least three times with me, where either someone kicks up a fuss (usually about nothing) and gets me fired or a low-level manager was such a pile of cow flop that I quit. And shortly thereafter the complainer or the manager got fired.

  42. MrAtoz says:

    MrAtoz, which one? Be interested in your impression after you get used to it.

    I got the Ant Man Thor and the Thor III. Because, why not. I imagine they ship from China so it could be after Christmas.

  43. MrAtoz says:

    Today being National FLASHLIGHT Day – I got a promotional email from the 'Big River' about FLASHLIGHTS – a 90K Lumen one, for $40. Here, if you are interested: https://amzn.to/3J7Up5u .

    There is no way that FLASHLIGHT puts out 90K lumens.

    Mr. Ray, comment please.

  44. Greg Norton says:

    OK, you want a cheap frugal truck, I have your cheap frugal truck right here.  "2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XL Review" written by Jerry Reynolds

    I'm sure Ford is still punching out the old Ranger in South America or SE Asia. They would have done better figuring out a way to import those and selling at the same price point.

    Unibody with a CVT and 4 cylinder EcoBoost. Maybe 100,000 miles. Definitely not circa 2000 Ranger value.

    The dealers will be happy. Even the base model is not going to leave the lot for $22k.

  45. Alan says:

    >> Today being National FLASHLIGHT Day – I got a promotional email from the 'Big River' about FLASHLIGHTS – a 90K Lumen one, for $40. Here, if you are interested: https://amzn.to/3J7Up5u .

    There is no way that FLASHLIGHT puts out 90K lumens.

    Mr. Ray, comment please.

    I'd guess maybe 900 lumens and 90K candela.

    Or they're just making up the numbers. Bit it's not like it's chinese junk from Amaz…oh wait, never mind.

  46. Greg Norton says:

    55 MPG by 2026. Yeah, that isn't going to happen so every real vehicle manufacturer is either going to pay Tesla or face "gas guzzler" fines.

    They kinda snuck this one out. I had to scrounge for a source when I heard about it this morning.

    http://ethanolproducer.com/articles/18857/epaundefineds-final-vehicle-emissions-rule-fails-to-address-biofuels

  47. Pecancorner says:

     Like all Mavericks, it has a 4 and a half foot bed, and has 4 full doors.

    Sounds like a very nice economy car with a rather insecure trunk 😉

  48. Greg Norton says:

     Like all Mavericks, it has a 4 and a half foot bed, and has 4 full doors.

    Sounds like a very nice economy car with a rather insecure trunk

    Unibody. It is an economy car with an insecure trunk. If I set cruise control to 65 on my *non-turbo* Camry with the same size engine, I can get 50 MPG with non-ethanol gas going Downtown and back on I-35 absent traffic.

    Ford had to stop selling the Focus, and that's the replacement on the dealers' lots for the low end.

    The lawsuit settlement over the dual clutch transmissions in the Focus and Fiesta could have easily bankrupted the company, but Dearborn caught a break with the courts setting a very narrow window for owners of the cars to file for a refund of their purchase price.

    Ford bought back the cars and sent them to … well, somewhere. The prevailing theory is Argentina.

    Right now, it is still possible to drive a $40,000 F150 off the lot for $500/month in car payments, but that requires a lot of creativity in the F&I room. Like I said, the dealers are going to be happy.

  49. Nightraker says:

    https://everydaycarry.com/best-brightest-flashlights

    The 100k lumen behemoth is a tad bit more than $40.  ;-P

  50. EdH says:

    Did a bit of brick and mortar shopping today here in the Ca. high desert.

    The always heavy and Xmas-season-insane traffic near the mall was…not there.

    Went to Target, Lowe's and Barnes&Noble, and the longest I waited in line was 1 person at B&N.  

    Retail bloodbath this year I suspect.

  51. lynn says:

    OK, you want a cheap frugal truck, I have your cheap frugal truck right here.  "2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XL Review" written by Jerry Reynolds

    I'm sure Ford is still punching out the old Ranger in South America or SE Asia. They would have done better figuring out a way to import those and selling at the same price point.

    Unibody with a CVT and 4 cylinder EcoBoost. Maybe 100,000 miles. Definitely not circa 2000 Ranger value.

    The dealers will be happy. Even the base model is not going to leave the lot for $22k.

    The old Ranger does not meet the new rollover standards (those old cab pillars were wimpy !).  And all of the other new standards.  Just getting the old Ranger certified would cost between $5 million and $10 million (SWAG) for it to fail multiple times.  But there would be massive changes costing billion of dollars to upgrade it, that is why the new Ranger is so massive looking and is 7/8 of a F-150 instead of 3/4 of an F-150 like it used to be.

    I'll bet two cents that new Ford Maverick can go 150K miles.  There is some serious engineering in there.  The dealers are ecstatic, trucks sell and half of the mini truck buyers can always be upgraded to an F-150 with a little sweet talking if the missus is not there.

    Yeah, I don't like CVTs either.  I have only driven one and it was incredibly buzzy.  Of course, I drive like I stole it.  And those oil changes on the CVTs are serious.  But Ford's hybrid technology was co-developed with Toyota and they share all the good patents.  I'll bet that we see a Toyota mini truck hybrid soon. Something like a Corrolla with a four foot bed instead of a trunk.

  52. EdH says:

    Like all Mavericks, it has a 4 and a half foot bed, and has 4 full doors.

    Sounds like a very nice economy car with a rather insecure trunk

    From a friend with a ‘98 Ranger: “They should just call it a new Ranchero”.

  53. EdH says:

    I'll bet two cents that new Ford Maverick can go 150K miles.

    Yep.  Unibody design goes back decades now, and there are even pickups that have used it.  

    Realistically 9 of 10 owners will never put anything heavier than the daughters college furniture in it.

    Lifetime will probably be set by the onboard electronics aging out.

  54. lynn says:

    From a friend with a ‘98 Ranger: “They should just call it a new Ranchero”.

    My grandfather had a 1968 ??? Ford Ranchero.  It had a 390 cubic inch V8 in it …

  55. EdH says:

    My grandfather had a 1968 ??? Ford Ranchero.  It had a 390 cubic inch V8 in it …

    Heh, yeah.  

    I had planned on buying one, a late 50s/early 60s and rebuilding it, but not at current prices.  Too busy with other projects anyway.

  56. paul says:

    The old Ranger does not meet the new rollover standards (those old cab pillars were wimpy !). 

    And yet…. how often have you rolled a vehicle?  Ever?

    New truck has a back-up camera.  It has radar, too.  It's way too easy to just look at the screen and not twist my neck around to actually look out the windows.

    Talk about an instant bad habit!

    The back seat /had/ headrests.  I know why they were there.  I have no and zero plans for anyone to be riding in the back seat.  It might happen and so I left the seat-belts installed  in case they are scared. 

    The headrests though…. can't see anything.  About 15 inches clear between the headrests.  Might as well install a camper shell…. or just drive the stupid Freestar van.

  57. lynn says:

    Lifetime will probably be set by the onboard electronics aging out.

    As is all vehicles.  My 2008 Highlander V6 has a problem with a too long warmup time (60 – 90 seconds) and does not allow the engine to rev above 3,000 rpm or the a/c compressor to run until that time expires.  I do not want to pay Toyota thousands of dollars to fix it so I just ignore it for now.

  58. paul says:

    Oh.  Just the name Maverick brings back memories.

    A friend had one.  Light Puke Green.  Three on the tree.  And he let drive it.  And me, on crutches, trying to work the clutch.  I  can still feel it.  That clutch was heavier than me walking on my leg.

    FYI, using your left crutch to work the clutch doesn't work for sh!t.

    But it was cool to drive.  Fun times.

  59. lynn says:

    The old Ranger does not meet the new rollover standards (those old cab pillars were wimpy !). 

    And yet…. how often have you rolled a vehicle?  Ever?

    New truck has a back-up camera.  It has radar, too.  It's way too easy to just look at the screen and not twist my neck around to actually look out the windows.

    Talk about an instant bad habit!

    The back seat /had/ headrests.  I know why they were there.  I have no and zero plans for anyone to be riding in the back seat.  It might happen and so I left the seat-belts installed  in case they are scared. 

    The headrests though…. can't see anything.  About 15 inches clear between the headrests.  Might as well install a camper shell…. or just drive the stupid Freestar van.

    My sister-in-law rolled their 1965 ??? Dodge station wagon taking a freeway exit at 80+ mph in Abilene, TX.  She was not hurt until her dad got to her.

    Yeah, those backup cameras are an instant bad habit.  My 2008 Highlander does not have a backup camera and it is hard to remember to look behind me when backing up.

  60. lynn says:

    "It's Official: Durham Is Investigating The Clinton Campaign"

         https://www.zerohedge.com/political/its-official-durham-investigating-clinton-campaign

    What happens to everyone investigating the Clintons ?  Yup, this investigation won't last.

  61. Greg Norton says:

    Yeah, I don't like CVTs either.  I have only driven one and it was incredibly buzzy.  Of course, I drive like I stole it.  And those oil changes on the CVTs are serious.  But Ford's hybrid technology was co-developed with Toyota and they share all the good patents.  I'll bet that we see a Toyota mini truck hybrid soon. Something like a Corrolla with a four foot bed instead of a trunk.

    Toyota has the newish Corolla Cross which puts the driver in a higher seat position than the Corolla Hatch and could be used as a car-truck base, but reviews are mediocre on the Cross.

    Toyota is having enough problems teaching the Mexicans to make the Tacoma.

    I'm willing to bet that Ford Did not get the new Toyota CVT with the "launch" gear.

  62. Greg Norton says:

    Oh.  Just the name Maverick brings back memories.

    Yeah, the Maverick used to be the bargain basement Mustang.

    Of course, Ford has compromised the Mustang name with the EV travesty so what's the point in preserving the Maverick's memory.

    Real Mustangs are probably history with the new CAFE standards.

  63. Ray Thompson says:

    There is no way that FLASHLIGHT puts out 90K lumens.
     

    900 lumens tops, measured at the emitter. Takes current, a lot of it, to get 90K lumens. Probably 15 amperes or more.

  64. SteveF says:

    Takes current, a lot of it, to get 90K lumens. Probably 15 amperes or more.

    The lithium batteries in a flashlight might be able to push 15A. For about half a second. Before catching fire.

  65. lynn says:

    Takes current, a lot of it, to get 90K lumens. Probably 15 amperes or more.

    The lithium batteries in a flashlight might be able to push 15A. For about half a second. Before catching fire.

    Note to self: check out the asbestos glove business for high power flashlights.

  66. MrAtoz says:

    MrAtoz, which one? Be interested in your impression after you get used to it.

    I got the Ant Man Thor and the Thor III. Because, why not. I imagine they ship from China so it could be after Christmas.

    Heh. Just got an email that the FLASHLIGHTS were picked up by Fedex in Hong Kong. I get Nitecore stuff from Hong Kong via Fedex. Reliable.

  67. JimB says:

    100 lumens per watt is a good number for LED fixtures used in the home, and which run for hours at a time. LEDs in a flashlight can be pushed way beyond that, but I don't know any good numbers.

    90,000 / 100 = 900 NOPE; even 90 would be a stretch.

    Yes, 18650 and 21700 cells can put out 15A if they are the right kind. I only have experience with protected cells that shut down at less than that.

  68. MrAtoz says:

    Yes, 18650 and 21700 cells can put out 15A if they are the right kind. I only have experience with protected cells that shut down at less than that.

    I'm now buying FLASHLIGHTS only with those two FF batteries. I've got some nice Nitecore chargers that work fine with my solar *generator*.

  69. lynn says:

    "Life expectancy fell almost 2 years in 2020: CDC"

        https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/586844-life-expectancy-fell-almost-2-years-in-2020-cdc

    "COVID-19 ranked as the third leading cause of death with more than 350,000 fatalities, behind heart disease and cancer deaths, which both surpassed 600,000."

    "Life expectancy among men fell 2.1 years to 74.2 years last year, while life expectancy among women dipped 1.5 years to 79.9."

    Both of my parents are beyond those ages.

    Hat tip to:

        https://www.drudgereport.com/

  70. Alan says:

    >> And yet…. how often have you rolled a vehicle? Ever?

    Have seen two this month on the main street (two lanes each direction plus a middle turning lane, speed limit is *posted* as 35 MPH) that is two blocks from our house. 

  71. Alan says:

    >> 55 MPG by 2026. Yeah, that isn't going to happen so every real vehicle manufacturer is either going to pay Tesla or face "gas guzzler" fines.

    Trump will roll them back come January 2025.

    4
    1
  72. lynn says:

    "2021 Hugo Awards announced"

         https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2021/12/2021-hugo-awards-announced.html

    There is a lot of women in that list.  Still making up for the bad old years I see.

  73. Alan says:

    >> Like all Mavericks, it has a 4 and a half foot bed, and has 4 full doors.

    Home Depot will cut those 4×8 sheets of plywood in half at no charge – DONE. 

  74. Nick Flandrey says:

    Lots of rollover crashes now that the 'jersey barriers' are everywhere.   They are designed to roll you over and back into the lane.  And I've personally seen two T bone accidents the caused the struck vehicle to roll over.   Seen the upside down end state several times on the freeway. 

    cause one problem, address that, which causes another, address that, which causes another….

    n

  75. Nick Flandrey says:

    The 2022 WorldCon will be held in Chicago, Illinois and the 2023 event will take place in Chengdu, China, where the Hugo Awards for those years will be announced.

    Even the puppy kickers at the Hugos figured out how to get some of the sweet CCP cash…

    n

  76. Nick Flandrey says:

    First heard this story on American Family Radio news…

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10333305/Arizona-border-patrol-agents-arrest-Saudi-terror-suspect-illegally-crossed-Mexico.html

    Saudi Arabia terrorist is busted illegally crossing the border into the US from Mexico

    • U.S. Border Patrol officers in Yuma, Arizona, stopped a 21-year-old Saudi Arabian man with alleged ties to a terrorist organization 
    • The man was stopped last Thursday night after he illegally crossed the United States-Mexico border
    • U.S. Border Patrol's Yuma Sector said the suspect was identified 'as a positive match linked to several Yemeni subjects of interests'
  77. SteveF says:

    2021 Hugo Awards announced

    There is a lot of women in that list.  Still making up for the bad old years I see.

    -nod- A Mur Lafferty is totally the equal of a Heinlein or a Zelazny. If not for the sexism and racism of the bad old years, those white men never would have won their awards.

  78. SteveF says:

    re rollover crashes, I suspect that any increase in frequency in the US is mostly because of the increased number of pickups and SUVs, with their higher centers of gravity.

    I couldn't find any numbers to support this. Web search showed me others saying the same as my first thought but I couldn't find a table of numbers. Most likely that's a fluke of the search terms I chose … but it might be a conspiracy of silence to conceal the truth!

  79. brad says:

    Trump will roll them back come January 2025.

    I get it, but…geez, Trump will be 79 by then! Someone needs to hit the Republican party upside the head with a 2×4. There have got to be some decent, qualified, charismatic candidates who aren't half fossilized.

    An age limit. And term limits.

  80. ayjblog says:

    yes Ranger

    nope Focus, we have a semiestructurated business with Brazil on cars, trucks et altri, they make a line, we make the complementary and balanced interexchange of cars and parts, seems very difficult

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