Kim du Toit – Page 209 – Splendid Isolation

News Roundup

May 16, 2023 Kim du Toit Bad News

From the Dept. of Lost Causes:

...irrelevant AND stupid is no way to go through life, son. And speaking of a hopeless cause:

...and I urge our TexGov to permit the shooting of illegals as they’re crossing the Rio Grande. Mine has a better chance of success.

Some good news, for a change:

...keep ’em coming (or rather, going), Izzies.

...keep ’em going, Gov.

...I thought Mayor Betelgeuse had been voted out of office already — oh wait, that was until yesterday. But this is worse — a LOT worse:

...”A grateful nation says thank you for your service — now fuck off and live on the streets.”

From the Dept. of Global Cooling Climate Warming Change:

...so basically, all Britishland’s feeble attempts to cut back cow farts have been just a waste of time, then?

Some Showbiz News:

...ummm let’s see: Elizabeth’s age at her coronation: 25. Charles’s age at his: 75. I’m frankly surprised the old boy stayed awake through the whole thing.

...fair enough, as long as you fegelehs are also banned from playing straight characters.

...that’s okay; I have an emotional support 1911 handgun that I carry whenever I leave the house, too.

…to whit:

…which leads us automatically into other INSIGNIFICA:

…and the last two items segue neatly back to today’s sponsor:

...that’s okay, my darlin’: you keep showing ’em, and we’ll keep looking.

…and that’s a fine way to end all the news that’s fit to uncover.

Keeping The Old, Shunning The New

May 16, 2023 Kim du Toit Drive Time

I’m smack dab in the middle of this trend (for a change — I’m usually lost in any trend’s wake):

Americans Delay Buying New Cars As Long As Possible To Avoid High Prices

The average age of cars and light-duty trucks on American roads has reached 12.5 years, according to a report from S&P Global, a phenomenon that comes as bottlenecked supply chains and elevated inflation continue their toll on households.

The financial analytics firm noted that 2023 marked the sixth consecutive year of increased average vehicle ages. The three-month rise between 2022 and 2023 constituted the largest year-over-year increase since the recession which struck the United States between 2008 and 2009, during which consumers likewise tightened their budgets in response to economic turmoil.

It’s looking increasingly like the Tiguan is going to be the last car I’ll ever have bought, unless some miracle occurs. What sucks is that doing Uber (not an option at the time, by the way) made me put just over 100,000 miles on the car, which means it has a limited shelf life. That 100,000 miles, in terms of my normal driving, was about 12 years’ life. As things stand, the next few years are going to be a lot more tenuous.

Still, I’d rather just pay to get it fixed when things break than get a new car — see the post immediately below for reasons.

A Rental By Any Other Name

May 16, 2023 Kim du Toit Drive Time, Fiscal Leeches, Two-Minute Hate

…smells foul. Try this bastardy on for size:

The growing “features on demand” (FoD) trend in the auto industry is upsetting American car owners, who are growing increasingly displeased with having to pay for extra car features via subscription. 69 percent of respondents to a recent survey indicated that they would probably switch car brands if they were forced to pay monthly fees for features like heated seats.

As far as I’m concerned, they can take their “FoD” and “FOAD” (fuck off and die).

Of course, cars aren’t expensive enough, so the manufacturers have to find other ways to suck blood cash from their customers.

And they can’t be stopped:

Subscription fees have been incorporated into automakers’ financial models and projected future earnings. Wall Street analysts and investors believe these extra funds will increase future profits and stock prices.

So basically, we’re fucked, then.

Unless, of course, we don’t buy any of their cars or if we do, we shun those oh-so necessary doodads like heated seats, GPS and “climate control” (what we used to call heating and a/c). Ditto “smart” key fobs and all the other useless and expensive shit that for some reason, we can’t seem to do without nowadays.

“Oh, you want a steering wheel with our new car? That’ll be $75/month, because you don’t just get a wheel, you also get a built-in gear shift, controls for your FM-only radio, and a telephone (another $25/month for unlimited calls anywhere within your own zip code). What’s that? You just want a plain wheel, no extras? How quaint. Well, we don’t offer those anymore, on the advice of our accountants. Now let’s talk about the monthly cost of ABS…”

Mother fuckers. Motherfucking fuckers.

In fact:

Today’s Earworm

May 16, 2023 Kim du Toit Music

One of my favorites…live on, Sammy.

Secret Advanced Technology?

May 15, 2023 Kim du Toit Marketing / Advertising

I got triggered by this (link):

A couple months back I needed a cooler trunk for a road trip — not a soft-sided freezer bag, but the kind of thing one takes on camping, hunting or fishing trips. I haven’t had to buy one of these things in yonks, so I was completely out of touch with the whole thing, but I thought I’d just get a Coleman because I sort of know the brand and I’ve had good experiences with it in the past. Also, I needed something in the 50-60-quart size.

So off I went to Academy because they’re located next door to my next stop, the Kroger which in turn is next door to my sooper-seekrit mailbox place. (Efficient, that’s me.)

No Coleman. Okay, no sweat; here’s Igloo:

…not bad, but a little pricey, and I want a trunk, not a box.

Here’s Magellan, which is Academy’s sorta-house brand, made (as they all are) in China:

…wait, WTF? $200 for a smaller cooler? Any more Igloos?

…FFS, two hundred and fifty dollars for a fucking cooler with wheels? Does it come with independent suspension and power steering?

But it got worse, oh yes it did. Try this proud Yeti number:

…ummmmm

Okay, I said I’m out of touch with this category, but has there been some massive gain in static refrigeration technology that I haven’t heard about? “Roadie”? Does it come with someone to drag the thing around?

Had I wandered into REI, Whole Foods or a Ferrari dealership by mistake?

What premium-priced hell is this, where people pay this kind of money for what is, after all, a throwaway product that lasts a couple of years before the seals rot and you have to get another one?

Somebody ‘splain this to me, please. I’m clearly just ignorant.

By the way: I ended up getting two styrofoam coolers from 7-Eleven for $15 apiece, just put up with the styro-squeaking for the trip, then tossed them when I got home. Job done.

This, I Love

May 15, 2023 Kim du Toit Bureaucracy, Gummint

It’s not often I chortle just be reading a headline, but this one got me, oh yes it did:

And here’s the story:

Highway chiefs are hunting a phantom pothole filler after an enraged motorist poured concrete into a huge crater that closed the road for months. The work was carried out in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, as the mystery volunteer decided to patch up the road which has been shut since April.

But Cornwall Highways said the work was done ‘without consent’.

Colin Martin, Cornwall councillor for Lostwithiel and Lanreath, said: ‘The latest is that the road has been closed again and will remain closed until it is ‘properly’ repaired by Cormac, but they say this could be weeks away as all available teams have been diverted to filling smaller potholes on roads which are still open.

Here’s the pic of the vengeful road re-closing: