Interesting Thought

Couple nights back I had dinner with Tech Support II, who was in town for some geek convention or other, and in the course of our (long) evening together, I asked him what car he was currently driving, and was not really surprised when he said “Tesla SUV”.

Of course he would drive a Tesla (because he’s a techie), and of course an SUV (because he has a family).

But along the way something really interesting came up.  He’d recently driven the Tesla (with the family) from Florida to Houston (because he’s also a space geek, duh).  The interesting part is that by his estimation, he didn’t drive about 90-95% of the 1,600-mile drive at all;  he simply left it to the Tesla’s auto-drive program.

When I asked why, he said simply, “Because the Tesla is a better driver than I am.”

The thing about the Tesla self-drive function is that every trip made by every Tesla is recorded and uploaded to their system at headquarters (or wherever they store it).  What that means is that Tesla can not only combine all that data into a global “behavioral” database, but they can also create subsets of that to, say, a “Florida-Houston” drive, with all the characteristics of said trip — choke points, places where accidents frequently occur, speed data and so on — all combined to make the next Florida-Houston drive trip all the safer for any Tesla driver because those characteristics are then folded into the Tesla self-drive computer in the car.

All very interesting, especially for an old retired data geek like myself.

But what TS said next is what stopped me in my tracks.  When I asked him why he’d elected for the self-drive, he admitted quite simply, “Because the Tesla is a better driver than I am.”

He’s not a bad driver, just so you know;  in fact, he’s an excellent driver.

I myself have admitted on these very pages that at age 70, I’m no longer as good a driver as I once was when I was, say, 30 or even when I was 50.

And it makes me think:  would I not be better off by delegating the driving to someone (or something) else?

Of course, this isn’t limited to owning a Tesla (because #Duracell car), and in any event in my case this is purely a hypothetical “If I won the lottery dream” because I could afford neither a driver nor a Tesla.

Nevertheless, it’s a different and quite disturbing thought for me, because it goes against a whole bunch of personal philosophies, viz.  distrust of electric cars, not being in control of my driving, losing my independence of action, being spied on as I drive — to name but some.

And make no mistake:  this would not be an action born of conveeenience, but of safety concerns.

As I said, it’s an interesting thought, even if nothing ever comes of it.

Generation Divide

If ever you wanted to see how different generations operate, take a look at these two pictures of actors (Sean Connery in 1964, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster in 2024) both taken when they were 34 years old.

The 1964 man played James Bond, effortlessly.  The 2024 man couldn’t play Bond if he tried.

All The Cool Kids

…are going to be looking at what’s new in the zoo for their 2025 handgun needs.

Boy, are we in trouble.

First off, I’m going to ignore anything chambered in 9mm, whether Parabellum or Short (.380 ACP).  Why?  Because 9mm DA pistols are like men’s hairy assholes:  they’re fugly, and every man (except Your Humble Narrator) has one (the gun, I mean).  Additionally, I can’t tell the difference between them without a score card, save for the Springfield XD which is recognizable only because it’s been on the market for so long.

Then there’s this horrible thing from Century:

A handgun (yeah, right) in .308 Win/7.62×51Are you fucking kidding me?

Then, to add insult to injury is Ed Brown’s .45 ACP “Kobra Karry”

…which will doubtless find favor with the Kardashian coven because of that obsessive need to start every name with a “K”.  And only a Kardashian would be able to afford this 1911 variant anyway, at over $3,000.

And speaking of 1911s, try the new Wilson Combat Project 1 (in 9mm yet):

I’m going to go out on a limb and state that this may be the ugliest 1911 ever made… and it sells for a piddling $4,000.  Bill Wilson must have been on vacation when this blingy design was approved.  It’s cheaper than the Nighthawk Double Agent (also in 9mm) by a couple of grand:


…but then all 1911s are cheaper than the Nighthawk.

Fach.

Okay, I’ve slagged off these “new” guns enough.  Now for the question:

If your rich old Uncle Elmer offered to buy you any gun under $2,000 on this list, which one would you accept as a gift?  (I promise to make no comment or criticism of your choice because #FreeGun.)

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Basic Needs

This article got me thinking.  A short excerpt:

When that computer-equipped vehicle begins to run badly or not run at all, a diagnostic check is in store, by plugging an electrical device into the receiver under the dash, and it produces a code.  That code number correlates with a symptom, such as 02 bank sensor, or cam positioning sensor, or ignition module, or sometimes vague terms that confound the most experienced mechanics.

The fix begins by purchasing the parts and installing them to determine if that fixes the problem.  If not, more guessing, parts, and labor, only to have that problem or another reappear again a few days or a week later.  Dealerships run their mechanics out at about $200 per hour, and the independent mechanics are not far behind.  The auto makers have figured out that if it is made complicated enough, and if expensive software and computers are necessary to diagnose the problems, the customer has to return to a “Factory Authorized Dealer” to correct the problem.  Not to mention some specialized tools necessary to access the problem.

If the vehicle is over ten years old, chances are, it will not be repaired, and it goes to the scrap yard to be crushed, and the low-income people are faced with the dilemma of how to get to work and transport the family.

Why has this happened?

All of this electronic stuff in cars has been done in the name of global warming and saving the planet — while ignoring a large portion of the average and lower-income population. We are a sophisticated society here, but we must do better.

As with almost all legislation nowadays, laws have been proposed by, passed by, and supported by people and organizations who are basically inured to the consequences thereof.

There is of course a solution, and it’s one near and dear to my heart.

It may be time to allow the auto industry EPA laws to lie fallow for a year every five years* and produce vehicles that are as easy to repair as my 1956 Chevrolet, without the computers or electric windows or door locks. Let’s produce vehicles with a simple heater and an air-conditioner, with inexpensive freon and an AM/FM radio. Produce these vehicles with four- and six-cylinder engines without fuel injection. The vehicle should sell for less than $10,000 and should last twenty years if not more. Teach auto shop in the high schools, and the family can learn to fix their own cars with inexpensive parts.

*Not every five years;  forever.  And not just EPA laws and regs;  the stupidly-excessive safety ones too.

Here’s what I want for myself.  A 1.6-, 2- or 2.5-liter internal combustion engine producing about 100-125hp in a smallish, light-framed car.  If I still had a family of kids, then a 3.0-liter engine producing about 175- to 200hp in a passenger car or smallish SUV.  If I wanted a small truck for routine household jobs (carrying fertilizer, sod, boards or planks for example), then a 2.5-liter engine producing 150hp, and if I needed a larger truck for serious work, a 4- to 4.7-liter engine generating 300hp.  (For the latter two groups, sufficient torque to tow a boat or small trailer.)   If I wanted something sporty, then go back to the first two groups of vehicle above and boost the power in a smaller (e.g. two-seater) car.

Here’s the commonality between all these vehicles:  no computer chips, no “engine management systems” or anything like that.  Forget those crappy little touchscreens while we’re there.  The electrical system needs to power the instruments, the lights, the windshield wipers… and that’s it.  Forget fuel injection, remote starting, power windows, power truck latches or power anything that is not directly related to the car’s primary function.  If you want to have GPS or any kind of emergency capability, use your damn smart phone.  If you can’t live without all those electronic conveniences, then by all means buy a “modern” car, SUV or truck with all those geegaws — but be prepared to pay a super-premium price (which one could argue is already in place, when a new-model Ford Bronco [!!!!!] can cost over a hundred grand).

I know I’m going to face one of those reductio ad absurdam arguments:  “You basically want us to all drive Trabants or Yugos!”  which is arrant nonsense.  Modern manufacturing techniques and metals have come a long way, and there’s no reason why “inexpensive” should mean “shoddy” anymore.

Here’s an interesting fact.  Do you know which groups of cars are seeing the greatest price increases?  Rebuilt and/or resto-modded cars from the 1960s and -70s that predate the electronic era.  And I’m not just talking exotic sports cars, either.  I recently saw for sale a restored 1965 Mercedes 230 SL (W113) for nearly two hundred thousand dollars, and it was gone within a week.  But that’s a sports car.  A 1964 Mercedes 220 SE is asking $68,000.  (My Dad had one of these back then, and he sold it with over 150,000 miles on the clock — and the next owner added another 100,000 or so before selling it, still in perfect running condition.)

It’s a little more difficult with U.S.-made cars of that era, because most have been Dream Machined and muscle-carred into the stratosphere.  Even a reconditioned-to-original-spec Chevy C20 or K5 model truck will run you about $90,000 (which is insane).

Look none of this is easy.  Life nowadays seems to be horrifyingly complicated and over-technical (battery-operated electric toothbrushes?  FFS), and I know that what I’m asking for is probably too much.

But I’m allowed to dream;  and I dream of a simple mechanical vehicle that even I — the most un-mechanically-minded man in the Western world — could fix with a simple instruction manual.  (And really, that manual does not have to warn me not to drink the battery water;  I already know that.)

I once helped a buddy fix his Mini-Cooper’s suspension, with nothing more than a few basic tools and a good repair manual, I replaced my Fiat’s exhaust pipe all by myself — and I once worked with a couple of guys to replace a universal joint on an old Land Rover, with no repair manual — so I’m not completely helpless.  Would I want to do the repairs on one of my dream cars?  Hell, no.  But if push came to shove, I’d like to know that I could.

And of the car cost less than $10,000 as mentioned in the article above, that would leave a lot of money to pay repair bills, you betcha.

Here are a few examples of what I’m talking about;  just picture them with more modern shells, better electrical systems (e.g. no Lucas) and modern rustproofing, and you’ll get the idea.

1967 BMW 1600

1974 Datsun 620 pickup

Peugeot 504 Ti

1975 Mazda B1600 pickup

And one more:

1976 Mercedes 300 D wagon

…and even that’s starting to get too complex — but it would last forever, as many did.

Feel free to suggest alternatives, or argue with my basic thesis, of course.

Feelin’ Groovy

This is one of those boffins’ studies which ordinarily make my eyes glaze over (MEGO):

Drawing on data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, the findings reveal that today’s older adults demonstrate better physical and mental functioning than their counterparts of earlier generations at the same age.

…but in my case, I have to say that I agree with the thing’s conclusion, just by comparing myself now to myself back then.

I not only feel the same as I did when I was 60, a decade ago, but I actually feel better.

In no small degree, I think this is because I’ve lost so much weight (thank you, Ozempic) and my health stats seem to have massively improved.

My mood has improved since November 2024 too (for obvious reasons) but beyond that, I feel as though I haven’t aged at all.  Hell, sometimes I think I’m better off now than I was at fifty.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the range.  (No, not to the gym;  the hell with that shit.)

HOW Much? (Part 2)

Never checked my email over the weekend because I had other stuff to do.  So I opened  the program just now, to find this in my Inbox:

It’s not the sale price that offends me (that much):  it’s becoming increasing difficult to find a decent rifle for less than a grand nowadays (sigh).

But two grand (regular price)?  For a Marlin lever rifle?

Has the world gone fucking crazy?

Then again, there’s this:

…which seems too good to be true.  (I don’t know who “SDS” is, but whatever.)  If I were to guess, that might need a few hundred bucks in gunsmithing to make it acceptable, but I could be wrong.  (I do like the lanyard ring, by the way.)