Random Thoughts Thread

[balthazar]

[Robert Hall]

The dead house w dead cars reminds me of many places I’ve seen in the Upper Ohio Valley when I’ve driven down Rt 7 along the Ohio River around Steubenville and Wheeling.  

[ocnblu]

8 hours ago, balthazar said:

I assume this is a state-wide mandate?

I just pay the fines.  Looking for a '59 Buick though, so I can save that money every month. 

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I just pay the fines.  Looking for a '59 Buick though, so I can save that money every month. 

A '99 Buick will work just a well, and there are probably more dead ones than '59s around.. 

There is a scruffy house in a small town along Lake Erie I drive through often that has a weedy side yard full of dead 2 seat GM products..will have to take a pic next time I'm through there.  Last fall I saw 2 Allantes, a C4, a Reatta, and a couple Fieros there. Wonder if they have added an XLR since then. 

[G. David Felt]

12 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

The dead house w dead cars reminds me of many places I’ve seen in the Upper Ohio Valley when I’ve driven down Rt 7 along the Ohio River around Steubenville and Wheeling.  

So this is what happens in Ohio when the kids move away for tech jobs rather than farming? ? ?

[Robert Hall]

16 minutes ago, dfelt said:

So this is what happens in Ohio when the kids move away for tech jobs rather than farming? ? ?

And all the steel and coal jobs went away, etc.   Driving through the depressed areas I’m reminded of the old Simon & Garfunkel lyric ‘nothin but the dead and dying in my little town’.  
 

 

[balthazar]

At the same time; having a bank, nail salon, dollar store, pizza shop & 7-eleven on every. other. corner doesn't necessarily 'feel better' or even less depressing.  There are some unique folk living out in the boonies, many whom are of a preferable stripe than the Starbucks/Alexa/BMW stripe.

I live in suburbia, but I prefer small town/rural, especially since there's a lot higher chance of vintage iron out there.

[Robert Hall]

I’ve done boonies/rural, so boring out in the sticks and too many weird rural people. 
  I prefer the close-in burbs and being within a couple miles of major freeways, a level 1 trauma center, excellent doctors, good Thai, Mexican, Indian, etc cuisine delivery, gigabit internet, and a short drive to the big city amenities like the symphony, concert venues, museums, great restaurants, etc.   Wouldn’t want to be in a metro area smaller than this.  

[balthazar]

I don't do most of those things (symphony, museums, Thai, Indian, food delivery, high dollar restaurants); I'm low maintenance. The ideal would be to live in a rural area only 30 mins from a strong suburbia/hospital. It's definitely doable...

[G. David Felt]

Suburbia is a requirement for me. Wife wants to be close to shopping malls, our kids, etc. No rural even though I could enjoy living rural but my job does require gigabit Ethernet connectivity. So Suburbia is it. Lucky for me, 1hr to 1 1/2 hrs to the mountain passes to ski, camp etc. Love everything being so close.

[ccap41]

I think I'm about where @balthazar is talking about, small town of 10k people, surrounded by fields, 30 minutes to downtown Stl. Louis(west) or 20-30 minutes to other shopping areas(more south than west).

I think it's about perfect. Access to city-stuff but small town-ness. 

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I think I'm about where @balthazar is talking about, small town of 10k people, surrounded by fields, 30 minutes to downtown Stl. Louis(west) or 20-30 minutes to other shopping areas(more south than west).

I think it's about perfect. Access to city-stuff but small town-ness. 

Dial up modem.  

[Robert Hall]

Internet speed is definitely a concern outside the metro area.. I am thinking long term about buying a vacation home/condo on Kelley's Island or South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay) out in Lake Erie...I love going there in the summer...but the connectivity isn't that great.   Or I may buy a vacation house on the mainland right on the coast in one of the small towns about 20-40 miles from Cleveland.. still close to civilization.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Robert Hall

[frogger]

We like the city life.. Not quite downtown, quiet street, but still a short walk to the subway line.  Walk the kids to school, walk to the bakery, library, grocery, etc.  Eventually will be in a condo closer to downtown as we plan to spend a lot of our retirement abroad for months at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ccap41]

59 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Dial up modem.  

Hell nah! We're not THAT far away from things!

[Robert Hall]

7 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Hell nah! We're not THAT far away from things!

On my family farm 90 miles south of here (where my brother lives, the property I co-own), I think dial up is still all that is available..pretty rural out there...scenic, but rural..  the house, guest house, barn, garages, etc are in the woods at the center of this pic, taken from the end of the driveway 3/4 of a mile away..hard to see w/ all the summer growth.    Spent my childhood there, but now dread going there.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Robert Hall

[G. David Felt]

53 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

On my family farm 90 miles south of here (where my brother lives, the property I co-own), I think dial up is still all that is available..pretty rural out there...scenic, but rural..  the house, guest house, barn, garages, etc are in the woods at the center of this pic, taken from the end of the driveway 3/4 of a mile away..hard to see w/ all the summer growth.    Spent my childhood there, but now dread going there.

I grew up in a little town called Darrington, Washington. I can totally understand how you feel, even today, dial up modem is the only way, no radio other than the local church. In between multiple mountain ranges so even getting greater seattle TV over the air is next to impossible. Here is a current picture of the town now. Winter wonderland.

Love it there, as my parents had us in a log cabin on 5 acres on the outskirt of this town. As you can see lovely sun sets and a weird triangle intersection is the core of the town. Great fishing and hunting. One can easily get off the grid here.

[Robert Hall]

Nice...if my brother wasn't there, I could go and enjoy the property...unfortunately, with him living there I can't enjoy it...my Dad bought it in 1968 a place to retire to, my folks enjoyed it for 30 years until his passing in 1999.  150 acres in the woods, 2 large ponds (he stocked them w/ fish), 1859 vintage house, 1830 vintage guest house (log cabin), huge Amish barn from 1884, two 2 car garages, etc.  Very tranquil out there...

This pic is from 30 years ago, the two Fox Mustangs I had at the time w/ the Winnebago and barn in the background.

[balthazar]

'38 Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupe.
Bed slides in & out; when stowed a typical decklid closes over it.
A modern interpretation of this concept would be very interesting (if even possible).

Edited February 10, 2020 by balthazar

[oldshurst442]

I have always been a city slicker.  I dont think Ill ever change.

Im a suburbanite now, because family. I dont think Ill ever go back living in the city, but the suburbs is as far as I want to go away from a city.  Where I live now, Im only 20 minutes(no traffic) away from Down Town. And THAT is what I prefer.  But even the suburban town I live in, it aint small. Its got people hustlin' and bustlin' and everything you get Down Town, you get here. Well, the professional sports teams of Montreal are Down Town...but only 20 minutes away.  OK...40 minutes with traffic. 

I dont like the rural life. Too quiet.  Its scary.  I mean...

My mom's village in Greece is kinda like a rural environment.  In the 1970s, there werent any street lamps either.  So...at night, hearing the wind, the night as dark as dark could be, not seeing your hand a foot in front of your face, its scary AF.  Today, its not like that obviously, but its still quiet...too quiet. Its still scary AF.   I like to hear noise.  Maybe not as much city noise anymore, but suburban noise is good enough for me.

However, dead quiet on vacation in Greece on an island listening to crickets and birds and bats or the waves on a secluded beach is heavenly. But I only want that 3-4 weeks out of the year...

 

[balthazar]

I believe on average, one has far more chance of bodily harm from other human animals, than from animals.
IOW; tho the woods at night might be scary; the trees aren't going to thump you on the skull and steal your cell and your wallet.

[oldshurst442]

12 minutes ago, balthazar said:

I believe on average, one has far more chance of bodily harm from other human animals, than from animals.
IOW; tho the woods at night might be scary; the trees aren't going to thump you on the skull and steal your cell and your wallet.

I didnt mean it that way. LOL

yes. Of course trees wont kill you. Unless of course you are drunken truck driver in the middle of a desert... (true story. Tree of Ténéré) LOL

I meant it as I do not like quiet. I need noise.  But...when its super quiet and you could hear the wind howling and the trees rustling...its total isolation.  And when you are not used to that because you are a city slicker and people...lots of people...is a way of life...with jack hammers and car horns and engine and tire noises and police/fire truck sirens always going off...its scary because you are all...alone...

Of course a human has the potential to be more harmful than anything in nature does, but its also comforting to know that you are not alone... 

I dont like being alone.   For too long anyway. 

[Robert Hall]

Despite being suburban and a couple miles from a couple busy freeways, my 1967 vintage neighborhood is very quiet.  No streetlights, lots of wooded lots, houses relatively close together but not like a modern subdivision.    I enjoy the quiet.  
 

For sleeping, I love the sound of the ocean.  The constant roar of the surf.  The night I was in Daytona Beach last week I slept really well.  Even 8 stories up I could hear the surf.  I need more beach time.  

[balthazar]

Mean lookin!

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

I didnt mean it that way. LOL

yes. Of course trees wont kill you. Unless of course you are drunken truck driver in the middle of a desert... (true story. Tree of Ténéré) LOL

I meant it as I do not like quiet. I need noise.  But...when its super quiet and you could hear the wind howling and the trees rustling...its total isolation.  And when you are not used to that because you are a city slicker and people...lots of people...is a way of life...with jack hammers and car horns and engine and tire noises and police/fire truck sirens always going off...its scary because you are all...alone...

Of course a human has the potential to be more harmful than anything in nature does, but its also comforting to know that you are not alone... 

I dont like being alone.   For too long anyway. 

I actually HATE the city. Too noisy, too many people, stench of Urine, Dirty, decay smelling. Hate the waste of tax dollars on Billionaire sports teams. I honestly see very little value in the City. Love the woods, the peace, natural sounds.

I do not get how my son and daughter can have music blasting or a movie while trying to work or study. Very weird to me.

I go into the city enough as my job is there at least 3 days a week and work from home 2 days in the quiet of my home office.

As I have posted before, if I could do my job from a river front home in the woods of Alaska, I would.

[oldshurst442]

6 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I actually HATE the city. Too noisy, too many people, stench of Urine, Dirty, decay smelling

Montreal is pretty clean     Even Down Town.  And we have a homeless problem the last decade. But no urine stench for the most part.  We do have alley ways in the older parts of that part of the city, so I imagine there would be a problem...

7 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Hate the waste of tax dollars on Billionaire sports teams.

That dont bother me (for my environment).  There are some billionaire sports team owners that give back to the community. The Montreal pro sports teams do plenty of charity work and funding for our community. Schools, hospitals...

10 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I honestly see very little value in the City.

I do sympathize with your POV though. As also how Balthy's  view regarding city life as he states it in the quote below.... 

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

There are some unique folk living out in the boonies, many whom are of a preferable stripe than the Starbucks/Alexa/BMW stripe.

I hate those types myself...and Ive got plenty of my Greek friends that are unfortunately...like that.  I try to stay away from them nowadays. 

19 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Love the woods, the peace, natural sounds.

Balthy's, Robert's and your love for peace and quiet...I can appreciate that.

I love nature myself. Like I really really love nature.  But for recharging my batteries when I need to check out and go on vacation.  (Im really not scared of isolation as I put it...well...I was when I was a kid...that much was true. The howling wind and rustling of the olive branches on the shutters and the annoying buzzing of them pesky mosquitoes kept me up at night numerous times) But like Robert, the sounds of the waves on the beach is really soothing to me. 

Birds sometimes get on my nerves though. Not the crickets....

27 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I do not get how my son and daughter can have music blasting or a movie while trying to work or study. Very weird to me.

I also needed  TV/songs for me to concentrate on doing  homework.  I could relate to your kids. My daughter is the same way. My son a tad less. 

I feel at home with city noise.   I want rural peacefulness on vacation.  

 

 

 

[G. David Felt]

@oldshurst442 I understand your POV and totally agree with relaxing at the beach!

[G. David Felt]

Seems Jeep Gladiator could be in trouble. According to the web site The Truth about Cars, they reviewed the first year sales and said on average, Jeep moved 5000 Gladiators a month. Yet now in 2020, Jeep is putting $9,000 on the hood of a discount with some dealers going even higher to move Gladiators.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/02/big-discounts-could-mean-big-trouble-for-midsize-jeep-gladiator/

The biggest problem seems to be that mid size truck segments have all the competition starting at $10,000 less than the base bare bones Gladiator truck starting at $35,040.

Could Jeep have over estimated their brawny Gladiator is better than the competition and was worth $10,000 more for a base bare bones 2wd truck?

[ocnblu]

[ccap41]

9 hours ago, dfelt said:

Seems Jeep Gladiator could be in trouble. According to the web site The Truth about Cars, they reviewed the first year sales and said on average, Jeep moved 5000 Gladiators a month. Yet now in 2020, Jeep is putting $9,000 on the hood of a discount with some dealers going even higher to move Gladiators.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/02/big-discounts-could-mean-big-trouble-for-midsize-jeep-gladiator/

The biggest problem seems to be that mid size truck segments have all the competition starting at $10,000 less than the base bare bones Gladiator truck starting at $35,040.

Could Jeep have over estimated their brawny Gladiator is better than the competition and was worth $10,000 more for a base bare bones 2wd truck?

It makes sense. It's a mid-size truck priced like a half-ton truck. You can get heavily discounted and very well equipped F150's, Silverados, and Rams for 40k all day long. The only REAL appeal to the Gladiator is the styling(obviously subjective) and it's off-road package in the Rubicon. Outside of that, it's ridiculously overpriced.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=537902194&zip=62249&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D62249%26listingTypes%3DNEW%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26maxPrice%3D41000%26incremental%3Dall%26firstRecord%3D0%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26modelCodeList%3DF150PICKUP%26makeCodeList%3DFORD%26searchRadius%3D200%26driveGroup%3DAWD4WD%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse&listingTypes=NEW&numRecords=25&maxPrice=41000&firstRecord=0&modelCodeList=F150PICKUP&makeCodeList=FORD&searchRadius=200&clickType=spotlight

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=540909248&zip=62249&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D62249%26listingTypes%3DNEW%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26maxPrice%3D41000%26incremental%3Dall%26firstRecord%3D0%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26modelCodeList%3DCHEV150%26makeCodeList%3DCHEV%26searchRadius%3D200%26driveGroup%3DAWD4WD%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse&listingTypes=NEW&numRecords=25&maxPrice=41000&firstRecord=0&modelCodeList=CHEV150&makeCodeList=CHEV&searchRadius=200&makeCode1=CHEV&modelCode1=CHEV150&digitalRetail=true&clickType=listing

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=538646406&zip=62249&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D62249%26listingTypes%3DNEW%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26maxPrice%3D41000%26incremental%3Dall%26firstRecord%3D0%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26modelCodeList%3DRM1500%26makeCodeList%3DRAM%26searchRadius%3D200%26driveGroup%3DAWD4WD%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse&listingTypes=NEW&numRecords=25&maxPrice=41000&firstRecord=0&modelCodeList=RM1500&makeCodeList=RAM&searchRadius=200&clickType=spotlight

Why would you consider a Gladiator at MSRP when these deals can be had at the half-ton level? 

[Robert Hall]

The Gladiator is a novelty more than anything else.  Basically a better riding Wrangler with a large trunk.   Not a lot of market for it compared to a regular pickup. 

[balthazar]

Frankly; 5K a month is better than I would’ve  guessed; Jeep should take it and run. Can’t even put a 10-spd bike in the bed.

Edited February 11, 2020 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

Seems VW is not wanting to loose anymore money like Honda does on their Ridgeline pickup. As such, according to the story, VW is killing the Tanoak CUV based pickup.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/32166/volkswagen-doesnt-want-the-honda-ridgeline-problem

VW points to the loyalty of the American buying public for trucks and says even Toyota has not been able to crack the Truck Nut. Having 1 or 2 percent of a market does not justify the R&D to get the product done.

VW does say with the EV Trucks, this is what they see as a potential RESET of the Truck market and while there will still be strong loyalties, he says VW might come in with a competing AWD / RWD Pickup EV.

[G. David Felt]

Drop Dead Sexy, Fords New Liquid Carbon GT. ???

 

[daves87rs]

23 hours ago, dfelt said:

Seems Jeep Gladiator could be in trouble. According to the web site The Truth about Cars, they reviewed the first year sales and said on average, Jeep moved 5000 Gladiators a month. Yet now in 2020, Jeep is putting $9,000 on the hood of a discount with some dealers going even higher to move Gladiators.

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/02/big-discounts-could-mean-big-trouble-for-midsize-jeep-gladiator/

The biggest problem seems to be that mid size truck segments have all the competition starting at $10,000 less than the base bare bones Gladiator truck starting at $35,040.

Could Jeep have over estimated their brawny Gladiator is better than the competition and was worth $10,000 Imore for a base bare bones 2wd truck?

I know a few folks with them who loved them and love to take them off road...

That said- the Gladiator is starting to show the major issue with Jeep in general- way overpriced. Jeeps were never meant to be a luxury item, as it started as a everyone’s daily off reader. And they wonder why the diehards are starting to walk away...there is not even an affordable model to get people roped into the Jeep family. All a Jeep is now is a status item, like Ugg boots and a North Face fleece...

Sad that you could customize any base truck and still be cheaper then a Jeep.......

[G. David Felt]

@balthazar Thought you would like this. Citroen built to spec a new 1922 Sahara Half-track.

https://jalopnik.com/citroen-recreated-one-of-its-legendary-sahara-crossing-1841610315

Pretty Cool

[balthazar]

Quaint.

[G. David Felt]

9 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Quaint.

At least it is not your shake n bake current cars or CUVs. ? 

[Robert Hall]

8 hours ago, daves87rs said:

 ...there is not even an affordable model to get people roped into the Jeep family.  

They have 3 affordable cute-ute models to get people into the brand, though...Renegade, Compass, and Cherokee..

[riviera74]

10 hours ago, daves87rs said:

I know a few folks with them who loved them and love to take them off road...

That said- the Gladiator is starting to show the major issue with Jeep in general- way overpriced. Jeeps were never meant to be a luxury item, as it started as a everyone’s daily off reader. And they wonder why the diehards are starting to walk away...there is not even an affordable model to get people roped into the Jeep family. All a Jeep is now is a status item, like Ugg boots and a North Face fleece...

Sad that you could customize any base truck and still be cheaper then a Jeep.......

Maybe Jeep should cut prices by $6K across the board.  Better still, also bring in a higher-branded Jeep, much like Honda did with Acura.

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

 Better still, also bring in a higher-branded Jeep, much like Honda did with Acura.

Well, that's what the Overland, Summit, Trailhawk, Rubicon, etc trims are for...

[daves87rs]

4 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

They have 3 affordable cute-ute models to get people into the brand, though...Renegade, Compass, and Cherokee..

Not when the models start near 30k.

And they need an affordable Jeep itself to rope both the younger folks and people ready to give it a try ....

It’s how you get loyalist.....start them with bare bones but fun model....and watch the fall in love with them... ? 

[Robert Hall]

On 2/10/2020 at 11:36 PM, oldshurst442 said:

Montreal is pretty clean     Even Down Town.  And we have a homeless problem the last decade. But no urine stench for the most part.  We do have alley ways in the older parts of that part of the city, so I imagine there would be a problem...

That dont bother me (for my environment).  There are some billionaire sports team owners that give back to the community. The Montreal pro sports teams do plenty of charity work and funding for our community. Schools, hospitals...

 

Every city has problems w/ the poors..  not sure what the solution to it is.  But I love the culture and energy of large cities..Cleveland has a vibrant downtown, lots of good bars and restaurants, the natural beauty of the lake and beaches, the river, the theatre district (2nd only to NYC in size), the symphony, great museums and universities...I love spending time in the city but love living in the burbs.  And it's way cheaper here than Chicago or other larger cities..

 Rural is ok for vacations, but couldn't do it full time..my Dad loved living on the farm, but I find it really, really dull out there.. not to mention it is very high maintenance and the isolation. 

 

Edited February 12, 2020 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

Compass and Renegade start at $22,095 and $22,275. That's hardly "near 30k". 

[daves87rs]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

Well, that's what the Overland, Summit, Trailhawk, Rubicon, etc trims are for...

Yep,  they can still have quite a few trims.....just make it a broad range.....  ? 

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Compass and Renegade start at $22,095 and $22,275. That's hardly "near 30k". 

True- but I barely ever see a sport trim model......

And it’s still at least a grand just for an auto trans.... ? 

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, daves87rs said:

Not when the models start near 30k.

And they need an affordable Jeep itself to rope both the younger folks and people ready to give it a try ....

It’s how you get loyalist.....start them with bare bones but fun model....and watch the fall in love with them... ? 

The Compass and Renegade are well under 30k.   Jeep got me hooked when I was 29... my first new SUV was my '00 Grand Cherokee Laredo--the entry level GC, right around 30k....20 years later still driving Jeeps. 

Edited February 12, 2020 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

@daves87rs Renegades can be had pretty damn cheap...even new. 

These are all automatics, FYI. 

Edited February 12, 2020 by ccap41

[G. David Felt]

@daves87rs I think you need to go to another market if you do not find any Jeeps in the mid teens. Here in the Greater Seattle area, I did a search on AutoTrader and found 197 AWD/4WD Jeep Renegade Sport and Latitude models all from $16 to $19k.

Here is just the first few in the long list.

[G. David Felt]

HAPPY DARWIN DAY!  

[daves87rs]

9 hours ago, dfelt said:

@daves87rs I think you need to go to another market if you do not find any Jeeps in the mid teens. Here in the Greater Seattle area, I did a search on AutoTrader and found 197 AWD/4WD Jeep Renegade Sport and Latitude models all from $16 to $19k.

Here is just the first few in the long list.

Dang, maybe I really need to shop out of my area for Jeeps.....

When I was looking with the wife, there were no deals around here to be had. ?  It’s funny you mention it, as I checked your area with the Compass as well and got some of the same results...cheaper for them there too.

Guess I might have to visit some car friends so I can get a good deal on a Jeep... ? It is interesting, as it’s not hard to find a deal on a Ford or GM product......