Few Regrets on Lexus: Jim Lentz

I had to chuckle because liking GM or Chevy (the heartbeat of America) and having ties to Kentucky could be more red than blue.  Growing up, I loved GM and, on the Left Coast, this mostly blue person still had to deal with, "Eew, you have an American car," or "Eew, why do you like big cars?"  (All the while I was thinking, "Why don't you GFY?")

Ok, I see.  Yes, for an active person, it's not easy.  Even though a few covid episodes were mild (thanking vaccination and boosters), 4 or 5 days of laying around was not to my liking and got me down. There are some things I won't do anymore and haven't done for a while.  One is messing with free weights ... I want the weight machines to restrict and regulate any movements. Parenthetically, "regulate" was one great Dr. Ruth Westheimer "rrrr" word (where she rolled that "r" in an unmistakably Germanic way). The other is that I no longer swim in a saltwater body of water.  And some warm, turquoise ones really beckon. Wishing you a speedy and very satisfactory recovery!

Montreal mayor madame Valerie Plante and some of her borough representatives wants this to be a thing for Montreal.  Life without driving.  She is envisioning, but she wont seek a 3rd term on account that her cabinet might be accused for fraud and other stuff, there was and is talk since the summer about some touchy things there so she pre-emptively announced 2 weeks ago that she wont seek a 3rd term, she has another year to go for her term to end, she might want to join Trump's team...but that is for another discussion and Im digressing...  She is envisioning a city like a city in Europe where everything is within walking distance and biking distance. And I mean everything.  Actually, its a VERY good idea. Montreal was built that way in the beginning anyway because Montreal was a city waaaaay before the automobile. So the older parts of Montreal are still that way. Nothing has changed. Its just that businesses where closed during our 1st and 2nd referendums for separation from Canada which put a huge dent in the city's economic development.  Her team revitalised the already green spaces we had, made them bigger, made some renovations to a great amount of public spaces, made those green with grass and trees, enlargened some sidewalks, made bicycle paths everywhere, and made some roads car free.  Many drivers hated this idea, myself included, but 7 years of her vision and NOBODY could deny that it HAS become a success FOR the people and FAMILIES LIVING in those areas.  And to be real and honest about the whole thing, she did and still DOES want to EXPAND or Metro system but our Premier, Monsieur Legault, he says that Quebec does not have the funds for more Montreal projects and Canada also has OTHER major cities and towns that NEED public funding for their municipal projects.  He was not against public transportation to be expanded in Montreal, but lack of funds was the culprit.  To be fair to him though, Montreal got a new bridge, because the old one ws about to fall down, the new Champlain bridge. Montreal got a new highway system to accomodate said new bridge. Montreal got a new magnetic train that will enhance Montreal's metro system which has an elaborate path. Montreal will get another new bridge as there is another bridge about to fall down.  Montreal gets monies constantly for all kinds of failing infrastructure and other provinces bitch and whine... Wow...what a rant. I needed to say that. All in all, yes, living a life  without the need to drive to buy the essentials in life truly is a that is withing walking distance is a great thing.  And really, a thing that ALL cities should be striving for. Even new cities that are within the continental United States of America.   A car is a car and it does equal freedom.  But living a life without a need for a car ALL THE TIME is also another TYPE of freedom that modern humans have forgotten.  We need a car for the freedom of travel. But we also need the freedom FROM a car. 

Great for Honda and great for GM.  18 000 units through October.   https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/q3-2024-ev-sales/ https://insideevs.com/news/737158/us-ev-sales-q3-2024/   Both those links say that EV sales hit a new high record in sales in the US.  GM is behind Tesla in 2nd place and Hyundai/KIA/Genesis is in 3rd place. I havent seen any Honda Prologues where I live, in Montreal or in my neck of the woods, but I do see plenty of Blazers and Equinoxes daily.  No EV Silverados or Sierras.  But I have seen 6 (in total) Hummers. 2 in my neighborhood and 4 on the island of Montreal. 1 downtown and 2 in Dorval and 1 on the highway 20 in Montreal.     I see quite a few F150 EVs though.  But not as nearly as much as I see Blazers and Equinoxes.  The Blazer is a recent addition in the line-up I think up here in Quebec and already in my neighborhood Ive seen at LEAST 10.  Ive only seen 1 Cybertruck.  On the highway 20 in Montreal. (Different days from the Hummer) and  I must admit that it looks very rad in the wild.  But I guess its because vehicles today are just soooooo damn bland that anything different is actually a GOOD thing. Even if its the Cybertruck...  Tesla Model 3s are ubiquitous. But so are the Hyundai/KIA EVs. And the Equinox is fast becoming that common too.  And the Blazer looks like it will join that club.      The article from insideevs states that 10% market share is within reach. I remember discussing this with a good internet friend by the name of @balthazar, which I miss dearly, he stated that it will take a loooong time before we reach 10% EV market share let alone 50%.   I do not remember what exactly was the timeline he was suggesting, but not to put that on his nose, just wanting to say that there IS a STRONG want for EVs in the US and Canadian market. Its just that those that do NOT want EVs have a very very VERY loud voice about denouncing them so they spread FUD and mis/dis information purposelly AND   purposefully...     I also wanted to point out, because PLENTY of us here was saying this to deaf ears, that WHEN OEMS FINALLY offer a DIVERSE option of EVs that actually CATER to the physically needs of consumers, then consumers WILL consume EVs. The lies spread about range and charging times delayed the EV purchases, but BECAUSE the PUSH for EVs was slightly MORE relentless, and THIS is what we got now. That little hiccup last year was because of delayed production due to various reasons, fear of FUD was one of them, but 10% in market share for 2025 is a GREAT place to be.  Too bad for DJT as THAT might put a kink in that growth.  Wait and see what happens next. 

Glad you are healing just fine.  Pretty soon you'll have to do knee exercises, squats...     When I read about link about the Lambo I was "yeah, no big deal. Insurance will pay and Lambo will repair."  Thinking it was a brand new Lambo...   Yeah...not a good thing. They dont make those no more.  Insurance money is ok, but parts are hard to come by.  So not a good thing.