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Another (Road) Sign Of The Times

Drive Time

Ready Dusty sends me a link to an excellent website, on which appears this lovely little piece:

An unprecedented thing is happening – and it isn’t the attempt to inject every healthy American with “medicine” (sic) their health doesn’t require.
It is that used cars are . . . appreciating.
Normally, they depreciate – a fancier way of saying they lose value. Traditionally, almost immediately – and ongoing. As you drive, the less it’s worth.
All of a sudden, used vehicles are increasing in value – or rather, cost. To a degree never seen before. The Manheim used car index – which works kind of like the consumer price index applied specifically to used vehicles – notes an almost  50 percent jump in the indexed value of the average used vehicle over the past year.

…and he goes on to analyze the situation, although Loyal Readers will know the depth of my agreement with this statement:

Part of the reason for the not-liking, arguably is because of the over-the-top electronic nannying that comes standard with practically all new cars. It has reached a degree of insufferability that is almost intolerable. Like having a horse fly constantly buzzing – just the right word – around your head.
Lane Keep Assist. Brake Assist. Park Assist. Blind Spot Assist. Pedestrian Detection Assist. Speed Limit Assist.  Soon – probably – Diaper Assist.
Older cars lack “advanced driver assistance” technologies. They don’t attempt to countermand your steering or apply the brakes on your behalf or automatically shut off the engine every time the car stops moving. They don’t put the transmission into park because you tried to back up with the door open – in order to use your eyes rather than a camera and beeping electronics to see where you want to go.

As it happens, I’ve picked out the (secondhand and affordable) car that I want.  It’s not an SUV, but a small-ish passenger car, with tada!!!  a stick shift, very low mileage, and an extreme paucity of electronic doodads (rearview camera and traction/cruise control only).  Also, it’s a known quantity:  I’ve owned a couple of its like in years gone by, and it has acceptable performance (>150hp).  There’s only one downside, but I can live with it.

Watch this space.

Important Question

Gratuitous Chick Pics

The Sun  asks:

I’m going to go out on a limb, here, and say, “You can never have too much boob”, with but one (important) qualification:  “It really depends on the owner thereof”.

There’s Salma:

   

…of whom we can safely say:  “You can never have too much.”

And then there’s, say, Kathy Griffin:

   

…of whom we can say with equal safety:  “Dear God, no.”

Sorry:  here’s Carol Vorderman, to restore everyone’s good humor:

   

…who (if I may make a teeny criticism) doesn’t show us enough boob.

And this being the Sun, there’s a followup.

Not Aintree

Good Stuff, Train Smash Women

We are all familiar with Train Smash Women Central (i.e. Liverpool’s racetrack for the Grand National — just search this site for “Aintree”), so it comes with some relief (mixed with regret) that Royal Ascot seems to have been wonderfully devoid of such creatures this year.  Some examples:

   

Here’s the always-lovely Charlotte Hawkins:

…although of course, while exquisitely dressed, she had That Thing on her head — and there were likewise more than a few examples of regrettable millinery:

 

 

Which leads me to the rather cruel conclusion that the only upside to the Covid face-diaper is that it spares us from the sight of British Teeth.

Oh, and while looking admittedly dapper, comedian / musician Bill Bailey still holds the title of “He Who Is More In Need Of A Haircut Than Any White Man In The Entire World”.

Go there and see for yourself.

Amazing Doesn’t Even Cover It

Heroism, House & Home

i know I said there would be no math, but you have to look at these.  Sue Radford:

  • is 46 years old
  • has been married for 28 years (to the same man)
  • has 22 (twenty-two) kids
  • looks like this:

Now to be honest, she hasn’t looked like this for (probably) 27 years — because she’s been pretty much pregnant most of that time (maybe with a couple months off for good behavior, here and there).  Here’s the family’s chronological listing:

Chris 32, Sophie 27, Chloe 25, Jack 24, Daniel 22, Luke 20, Millie 19, Katie 18, James 17, Ellie 16, Aimee 15, Josh 13, Max 12, Tillie 11, Oscar 9, Casper 8, Hallie 6, Phoebe 4, Archie 3, Bonnie 2, and Heidie, 1.

And apparently they have taken not one penny of government support, ever.  As the title of this post suggests…

Read all about it.

Afterthought:  I know what you’re thinking.  Don’t go there.  If her hubby is satisfied, then that’s all we need to know.