Author: Kim du Toit

Miss America

Beauty, Drive Time, The Gun Thing

I have to say that I’ve been somewhat dismissive of young Sydney Sweeney before (here and here, scroll down to see).

But then came the American Eagle jeans/genes commercial:

…which had this effect on the Left:


(because rayyyycisssm or something)

…and which had an even-more interesting effect on American Eagle’s stock price:

American Eagle’s stock soared 20 percent this week, sending its market value close to $400 million after a viral backlash from the Left over its “good jeans” ad featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The iconic American retailer got a significant sales boost after President Donald Trump publicly praised Sweeney, following revelations that she’s a registered Republican.

Wait…she’s a Republican?  Hubba hubba.

Then, just to add to the good stuff, it turns out that young Sydney restores classic cars:

Sydney Sweeney is far from your typical Hollywood star. With global fame and expensive roles under her belt, she’s invested much of that into restoring classic Fords. Like her cherry‑red 1969 Bronco and a Brittany Blue ’65 Mustang dubbed Britney. Unlike most celebrity car stories, hers begins with a floor jack, welding torch, and grease‑caked knuckles. Growing up in a mechanic family in Spokane taught her to dismantle an axle before memorizing lines. She documents these builds on TikTok as Syd’s Garage, blending Hollywood glam with wrench turns.

Sweeny’s not stopping at two Fords. She also owns a 1956 Ford F100, gifted by her grandfather, with original patina and plans for a mild restoration, as well as a Sky‑Blue Fiat 500 Jolly, acquired for $68,500.

What’s most compelling is how she marries Hollywood charm with shop-floor humility. She could easily pay others to source chrome parts, but instead she makes tools vintage co-stars: torque wrenches, sanders, and degreasers. With 1.8 million TikTok followers, she’s not playing dress-up but instead teaching thousands to pick up a socket and learn.

Sweeney’s garage is louder than any red carpet, and her fame is fueled by fuel injectors and vintage shine. She’s not preserving history. She’s reviving it with her own two hands, proving that classic muscle cars, and women, can roar in harmony.

Anyone getting interested by now?  Republican, hot, works on classic cars… what could possibly make her more attractive?

Well, there’s this.

Yup, the young lady is a shooter, and a good one (judging by her times and accuracy).

As one commenter put it, that moves her up from a 10 to a 10,000.

Not being much of a jeans aficionado, I don’t know if American Eagle jeans are any good;  but if they are, be my guest — because the better the company does, the more it’ll make liberal heads explode.

Do it for Sydney.

Helping Hand

Numbers & Statistics

In my post last week which pooh-poohed the alarm about relative salaries, I took a couple of wild-ass guesses as to the “disparities” between the 1940s to the 2020s.  I did confess that the numbers were made up — I was trying to make a point that whereas everyday life was affordable back then, even on a modest salary, it certainly isn’t today, at almost any non-Bezos salary.

Helpful Reader Alex S. has some thoughts, and some analysis:

Hi Kim,
It’s much worse:

Basket Comparison: 1940 vs 2025 (USA Averages; all values in USD; % shows increase from 1940 to 2025)

Category                               | 1940 Price     | 2025 Price  | % Increase
————————————–|—————-|—————-|————
Groceries (/month, fam. of 4)  | $25            | $1,200         | 4700%
Gasoline (per gallon)               | $0.18         | $3.70           | 1955%
Electricity (per kWh)                | $0.04         | $0.17           | 325%
Apart. Mothly (1BR, urban)       | $27            | $1,450         | 5269%
Housing Cost (per sq. ft)          | $30            | $225            | 650%
Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)        | $2              | $30              | 1400%
Large Automobile                    | $850           | $50,000       | 5775%
College Tuition (public, annual)  | $150           | $11,000       | 7233%

Notes on Sources and Assumptions
Groceries: Based on USDA food plans and CPI data.
Gasoline: 1940 was ~$0.18/gal; 2025 national average is around $3.70/gal.
Electricity: National average per kWh, adjusted to residential use.
Apartment Rent: 1940 rent: BLS; 2025 rent: Zillow/National Rent Index.
Housing Cost per Sq.Ft: Includes median new home sales prices.
Bourbon: Average shelf bourbon adjusted for inflation and brand quality parity.
Automobile: 1940 was full-size sedans like Buick; 2025 equivalent is a full-size SUV or sedan (e.g., Chevy Tahoe or Toyota Avalon).
College Tuition: In-state tuition at public universities (e.g., UCLA, UGA, etc.).

Now to be fair, one should probably index the dollars to a fixed year, e.g. 1985 (the most common index in comparisons of this nature), but the point is still very valid.

And it sucks.

Rejected (Again), With Prejudice

Old Age

I have told the story before about how, in the days after 9/11, I called up an acquaintance who worked at the Pentagon to see how I could volunteer for the National Guard or similar, to patrol airports or do something equivalent that would involve protecting something or someone.

As it happened, he was busy brushing concrete dust from his hair, in a manner of speaking, and he told me a) that if the ragheads attacked the North Side of Chicago, I’d get a call from him, and b) to fuck off and stop bothering him because he had better things to do than deal with a cranky overweight old fart who couldn’t patrol a living room without frequent rest stops.  (I was 47 years old at the time.)

I mention this tale of woe only because of this development:

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now waiving age limits for new applicants “so even more patriots will qualify to join ICE in its mission to arrest murderers, pedophiles, gang members, rapists, and other criminal illegal aliens from America’s streets.”

Well, even though I’m now a sprightly youngster of 70 — soon to be 71 — that magic phrase “waiving age limits” was like a spur to my civic consciousness, and I thought, “Why the hell not?”

Surely I could do something for the cause, even if it was just working a desk or driving a vehicle, thus freeing up some younger guy to perform, shall we say, more energetic activities?

Alas.  The very next statement from the lovely Kristi ended that little dream:

“All ICE law enforcement recruits will be required to go through medical screening, drug screening, and complete a physical fitness test.”

Ah, shit.  Medical screening:  no problem.  My doctor has assured me that I am, if anything, healthier than I’ve been in over a decade.  Drug screening:  forget that, unless a positive test for BP meds or statins is a disqualifier, I’m good to go.

But a physical fitness test?  Aw, shit.  No way will I get through that, because even though I’ve lost considerable weight (thankee Ozempic), I doubt whether I could do more than a few pushups, and as for running some distance longer than, say, running to catch a bus to the pub, I’m screwed.

As the saying goes:  the spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak — in my case, beyond redemption.

I think I’ll go to the range.

Big Iron

Drive Time

Whoo-ee, this is tasty:

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air (283 CID / 4.6-liter V8)


(click pics to embiggen)

I have to say that the ask of $105,000 is a little too steep, but the seller is probably trying to recoup the restoration costs (protip:  you never recoup your restoration costs).

All that said, if I were a wealthy collector of late-50’s Murkin Big Iron, I might be tempted because this is one Californian that deserves a home in Texas.  What a peach.

It’s three years younger than I am, and I don’t look half as cool.