Random Thoughts Thread

[G. David Felt]

Ford has announced additional production shutdowns due to the chip production shortage. Seems we will see 6 plants shut down multiple times between now and June affecting their Truck and SUV production as well as cars. Ford is Expecting Billions in losses due to the production shutdown.

Ford Says Chip Shortage Forcing Production Halt at Several Plants - WSJ

[balthazar]

Looks like my truck will just squeak out before the shortage (I expect) hits GM truck plants.

Gotta get these critical fundamentals back & manufactured in the home field.

[oldshurst442]

Gotta get many other things back and manufactured in the home field.  ESPECIALLY away from China. 

But Id be happy if we (as in the USA...but for Canada too) could get the essential fundamentals back if it only BE just that.  

[A Horse With No Name]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Looks like my truck will just squeak out before the shortage (I expect) hits GM truck plants.

Gotta get these critical fundamentals back & manufactured in the home field.

I agree. While not meaning to be political, I do think the previous adminsitrations rhetoric about bringing jobs back is a huge step in the right direction. I also think the current adminsitrations infrastructure plan and a reliance on domestic products for it is another step in the right direction. 

This is one of the reasons I bought the Ranger, if you want American manufacturing here, at some point you need to vote with dollars and buy American products. Still as frustrated as ever about American foreign policy regardless of the adminstration....but at some point you just need to vote with $ and buy American. 

From Scioto Grove, the park where I hike nearest my house. This spot is especially tranquil. 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[G. David Felt]

Happy April Fools Day Everyone!

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, David said:

Happy April Fools Day Everyone!

The day we are reminded what we are the other 364.

[daves87rs]

Crazy drivers out there....almost got hit by a GMC Yukon...with extra bright leds......

[Robert Hall]

Interesting story I saw the other day out of NM....15,000 bees in a Buick Century at a grocery.  One thing that wasn't mentioned in the article was when they thought the bees got in...did it happen spontaneously while the owner was in the grocery, or had they been driving around for a while w/ a bee hive growing in the car?

 

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/04/01/bee-hive-overtakes-car-buick-century/

 

[balthazar]

^ Appears they just moved in in that 10-minute span; following the queen.

Man, is that a tired-looking Century.

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Man, is that a tired-looking Century.

I saw a lot of cars that looked like that when I lived in the Southwest  ..oxidized paint, black trim faded to whitish gray, no rust,]very tired and worn out looking, yet still running...

Edited April 2, 2021 by Robert Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

12 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Crazy drivers out there....almost got hit by a GMC Yukon...with extra bright leds......

I almost got run over by a mack truck merging onto US 23...

39 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I saw a lot of cars that looked like that when I lived in the Southwest  ..oxidized paint, black trim faded to whitish gray, no rust,]very tired and worn out looking, yet still running...

Half the car rusted away you have Vinton County Ohio. 

2 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Interesting story I saw the other day out of NM....15,000 bees in a Buick Century at a grocery.  One thing that wasn't mentioned in the article was when they thought the bees got in...did it happen spontaneously while the owner was in the grocery, or had they been driving around for a while w/ a bee hive growing in the car?

 

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/04/01/bee-hive-overtakes-car-buick-century/

 

If it had been 70 years ago and a woodie, termites. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Suddently it's 1970 again...

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Interesting buick content at the nine minute mark. 

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

Shadbush trail at Salt Fork State park, where Kim my wife and I are hiking tomorrow. 

[Robert Hall]

^Salt Fork—about 20 miles from my family farm.  Used to go there often as a kid. Pretty area.  

[balthazar]

1st check engine light ever in 204K miles.

[trinacriabob]

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it, and happy weekend. 

And, even if you don't, you can still make sure you eat well (aerial view courtesy of the Chicago Tribune).

Edited April 2, 2021 by trinacriabob

[balthazar]

Deviled eggs!! ?

[oldshurst442]

Greek Easter...next month.

Will be boring again as no gatherings will be allowed...again.  

 

[G. David Felt]

15 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Greek Easter...next month.

Will be boring again as no gatherings will be allowed...again.  

 

Better Safe than sick! Have a healthy safe weekend my friend.

[oldshurst442]

8 minutes ago, David said:

Better Safe than sick! Have a healthy safe weekend my friend.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!   

You too.  Safe week-end! 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

Greek Easter...next month.

They rarely coincide on the same Sunday.

Ha.  I just came back from a Greek Orthodox church where I bought Friday night's baked cod dinner!

[oldshurst442]

3 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

They rarely coincide on the same Sunday.

Ha.  I just came back from a Greek Orthodox church where I bought Friday night's baked cod dinner!

Did you have the skordalia too?

I LOVE skordalia. Dont like the cod tho...

[trinacriabob]

30 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Did you have the skordalia too?

I LOVE skordalia. Dont like the cod tho...

No.  The plates featured cod (or fried fish), rice, and vegetables.  I did get some baklava.  I have been to some festivals where they have the pasta frola with apricot filling, but it was not here tonight.  I'm a big fan of Greek desserts.

[oldshurst442]

12 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

No.  The plates featured cod (or fried fish), rice, and vegetables.  I did get some baklava.  I have been to some festivals where they have the pasta frola with apricot filling, but it was not here tonight.  I'm a big fan of Greek desserts.

I had figured since the 25th of March was last week  that fried Cod (Bakaliaros) would be served with skordalia.  Traditional food that is eaten on this day.  

1. Evangelismos

2. Greek Independence FREEDOM Day   

(everybody including us Greeks say independence day...Greeks and Greece were ALWAYS independent.  As a people we was always infighting with each other...but were ALWAYS independent.  We fought for our FREEDOM against the Ottoman Empire...)

Baklava, galaktoboureko.   Cant go wrong.    

 

A little token of appreciation of you and your Italian backround! 

I feel like we could be bestest of friends if we ever met in real life! 

Bromance in effect I think!  

[Drew Dowdell]

If one person tailgates you, they’re a douchebag. If a whole line of cars is tailgating you, you’re the douchebag.

[G. David Felt]

11 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

If one person tailgates you, they’re a douchebag. If a whole line of cars is tailgating you, you’re the douchebag.

This is so true!!!

[daves87rs]

5 hours ago, balthazar said:

Deviled eggs!! ?

[balthazar]

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

1st check engine light ever in 204K miles.

Truck fixed itself; no light all the way home from job.

Have to talk about the GMC out of earshot of the Silverado...

[Drew Dowdell]

7 hours ago, balthazar said:

Truck fixed itself; no light all the way home from job.

Have to talk about the GMC out of earshot of the Silverado...

Gas cap loose?

[balthazar]

It wasn't, was at 1/8th tank, but removed/retightened anyway.
Light illuminated briefly upon start, then went out. About 20 min ride home.

Edited April 3, 2021 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

So you trading the Silverado on the Sierra or keeping it for a winter beater? 

[balthazar]

Dealer doesn't want it, it's too old to even sell to a wholesaler, so they'd basically give me scrap value for it (maybe around $600). I'm going to sell it privately, it's worth about $7500 I think. Not a bad investment- I paid $24K and drove it 158,000 miles (it has 204K on it- bought it at 46K). I have a handful of folk that have expressed interest.

At some point it's going to start demanding money, and believe it or not, I don't have the garage space to store the GMC over the winter (even with 6 bays here). ?
May not matter; the Silverado doesn't fit thru my garage doors even with the mirrors folded. GMC is 1.5" WIDER, but not sure how the totally different mirrors fold on it yet. Silverado has power-extendable towing mirrors.

[G. David Felt]

3 hours ago, balthazar said:

It wasn't, was at 1/8th tank, but removed/retightened anyway.
Light illuminated briefly upon start, then went out. About 20 min ride home.

Possible any oxygen sensor on your truck or other electric sensor that could be getting flakey?

Just in the last couple of weeks, one of the oxygen sensors on the SS causes the light to trip, read the computer and it is the same sensor, works, then does not, then works. Gonna plan to replace them as I am at 160K miles now.

[balthazar]

Yeah- could be. I know a couple folk with scanners, will see if the light generated a code & what it is.

[G. David Felt]

22 hours ago, balthazar said:

Deviled eggs!! ?

Man these variety sound so good!!! ?

15 Best Deviled Eggs | Allrecipes

So Many Options

[balthazar]

Wild that it's not fenced at all. 

[Drew Dowdell]

My contribution to Easter Dinner. My entire pod is fully vaccinated now so we were able to gather for the first time in a year.

Strawberry cheesecake, everything is homemade.

[balthazar]

Well, I've already eaten 4 deviled eggs, and there's 3 more trembling victims in the fridge that aren't likely to see the light of dawn.

- - - - -
 

[Robert Hall]

Had some ham, biscuits and gravy, and Cadbury eggs...

[balthazar]

[daves87rs]

Able to hang with almost all the the fam today. Wife and I just kept our distance. Everyone is vaccinated. Still a great time outside with the nice weather. Wife and I get our vaccines this week.....

[balthazar]

https://news.yahoo.com/street-racing-theyre-fast-atlantas-230413872.html

[A Horse With No Name]

On 4/2/2021 at 3:21 PM, Robert Hall said:

^Salt Fork—about 20 miles from my family farm.  Used to go there often as a kid. Pretty area.  

It was epic hiking, we clocked just over 13 miles, 32,000 steps. 

18 minutes ago, balthazar said:

https://news.yahoo.com/street-racing-theyre-fast-atlantas-230413872.html

Yeah, that really sucks. One of the worst part of being a dad is how irresponsible my son is as a 27 year old on the street. 

8 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Able to hang with almost all the the fam today. Wife and I just kept our distance. Everyone is vaccinated. Still a great time outside with the nice weather. Wife and I get our vaccines this week.....

2nd shot Friday for me. 

 

14 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

My contribution to Easter Dinner. My entire pod is fully vaccinated now so we were able to gather for the first time in a year.

Strawberry cheesecake, everything is homemade.

Looks fantastic. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

On 4/2/2021 at 7:00 PM, oldshurst442 said:

Greek Easter...next month.

Will be boring again as no gatherings will be allowed...again.  

 

I went to a greek Orthodox church with friends for Easter. Old callendar, so they were not celebrating easter. 

[trinacriabob]

It is going to be challenging to go through the check-out at the supermarket in the next few weeks with all that DEEPLY DISCOUNTED Easter chocolate in close proximity.

[balthazar]

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

It is going to be challenging to go through the check-out at the supermarket in the next few weeks with all that DEEPLY DISCOUNTED Easter chocolate in close proximity.

Except that if I gain more gut, it will make it harder to work with my hand tools, hike, have sex, ride a motorcycle, and fit my work uniforms. I have a strong disincentive to avoid the stuff. 

24 minutes ago, balthazar said:

32-34 Ford to the left maybe?

Neat old T Bird!

 

[balthazar]