Here Comes The Generator

For much of our time in our “forested” home in the mid-Atlantic I wanted a whole-home generator installed. We lost power multiple times a year, sometimes for more than 24 hours.

When we realized we were moving to Arizona, buying such an item became beyond imprudent. However, I wanted to buy one for whatever home we bought in Arizona.

When I mentioned this desire to people, EVERYONE said, “Oh, you don’t need one here. The power seldom goes out and it never goes out for more than a few minutes.” I should never doubt myself.

Yesterday, in the middle of a monsoon thunderstorm, we lost power for five hours. My wonderful wife has, reluctantly, agreed to the installation of a generator because before we moved here I made her promise that as soon as we had a lengthy power outage we would install a generator.

Of course, the rain (I estimate between 1.5 and 2 inches of rain fell yesterday at our house) was much needed. As uncomfortable as I was yesterday while the power was out–the feeling of losing control is overwhelming for me in those situations–that should never happen again. The company that installs generators is sending a rep on Monday.

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It remains apparent that, just below the surface, I have a layer of unresolved anger and frustration. While my plight for the last decade of not being able to establish a fulfilling post-baseball career is fuel for that fire, the conflagration is decades old.

I cannot exactly pinpoint where this issue began. The fact that my parents divorced in my early teen years is almost certainly a factor. Growing up as the child of Holocaust survivors and understanding what happened to my father is probably a cause.

Another cause is that I was the victim of several physical assaults in junior high and high school, assaults where I never fought back. To tell the truth, these assaults were racially motivated.

In college, a swastika was drawn next to my name on a dorm roster two different semesters. The first time it happened, I almost punched the person who told me, “Oh, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a prank.” Maybe I should have punched him…

Anyway…this unresolved anger will sometimes manifest itself by my lashing out when someone I don’t know well disappoints me. (On rare occasions, it will manifest itself with someone I do know well.) Almost without exception the level of my response is inappropriate for the slight I have suffered. As Bill James has written, the straw that breaks the camel’s back doesn’t have to be as heavy as the other straws.

Something like this recently happened and, in a desire to finally put out the fire, I thought writing about it here might be a good first blast of the fire hose. I welcome thoughts from any of you in a similar situation.

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How many of you have attended a Concours d’Elegance? My wonderful wife and I attended the one in Hershey in 2019, an event that, sadly, has apparently been permanently discontinued. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.

This Hemmings article is about the Audrain Concours event that began in 2019, was not held last year for obvious reasons, but will be held this year. Without rhyme or reason, here are some photos from the 2019 Hershey event, not including any of the dozens I took at the Cars & Coffee the day before the Concours–maybe some other time:

 

 

I was really in my Packard “phase” as the proportion of Packard photos exceeded even the ample number of cars of that make in the event.

 

#HereComesTheGenerator

#UnresolvedAnger

#Concoursd’Elegance

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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One Hand Giveth, The Other Taketh

From the pictures below you can see that my new wheels have finally been mounted, more than seven weeks after they were ordered and paid for.

 

 

For reference, here is a picture with the old wheels:

 

 

Yes, I am very happy with the look of the new wheels. Of course, apparently I am not entitled to have everything run smoothly. I was supposed to take the Z06 into the “speed shop” early next week for parts and tuning that would boost horsepower and torque. Some of those parts (get it?) were to be ceramic-coated racing headers.

I received a call Wednesday that my appointment will have to be rescheduled. Why? The company that the speed shop uses for ceramic coating is way behind in doing its work. What’s worse is that the ceramic coating company is soon to be out of business as its owner is retiring and the headers for my car may have to be coated by another company, which will delay the process further.

I’ll ask no one in particular: WTF?

******************

All that being said, I really like this remark by Henry James:

“Excellence does not require perfection.”

Of course, Voltaire’s “Perfect is the enemy of good” is also applicable. Still, life seems to be very far from perfect and, for the most part, far from excellence.

The speed shop manager apologized to me for the delay and we began a very politically incorrect discussion about what is happening with American companies. Political correctness is fascism.

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According to 365 Days of Motoring (for the nth time not a secure site AND for the nth time, why?), on this day in 1901 American automobile pioneer Ransom Eli Olds was issued a design patent for his “Vehicle Body”, now commonly called the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile. The story that this car wound up being produced because its prototype was the only one saved in a fire is…well, not exactly the truth. While Olds would later say that all company plans and patterns had been destroyed in the fire, and that only one model had been saved by a brave worker–his curved-dash runabout, actually, the runabout and several other prototypes emerged safely from a fireproof vault.

Also, about 300 orders for the Curved-Dash runabout had already been received before the fire. In 1901, only one American company even produced as many as 1,000 cars for the entire year so 300 orders was a large number in the context of the time.

Anyway…the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile is credited as being the first mass-produced automobile, meaning that it was built on an assembly line using interchangeable parts, as opposed to be hand-built with parts made to fit. Henry Ford is often credited with inventing the assembly line for automobiles. He actually began the practice of using a moving assembly line. From the Haynes Motor Museum, a picture of an Oldsmobile Model R, the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile:

 

See the source image

 

This car moved Oldsmobile to the top of the US production chart for 1903 from 1905, inclusive. For example, in 1904 Oldsmobile produced more cars (5,508) than the next two makes combined.

Sadly, Oldsmobile has been defunct for almost two decades. It remains, and will always remain, the only US company that produced cars in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. It built about 35 million cars. This article is titled, “Is Ransom E. Olds The Most Famous Man You Never Heard Of?” He might not be the most, but his legacy is mostly forgotten today.

Have a great weekend…

 

#OneHandGivethTheOtherTaketh

#NewWheelsForMyZ06

#PoliticalCorrectnessIsFascism

#OldsCurvedDashRunabout

#RansomOlds

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Wednesday Whirlwind

Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. I hope Ben & Jerry’s is destroyed by a whirlwind!

 

Speaking of religion, and somewhat ironically, this article is called, “Christianity and religion in general are dying in America…” The piece reports on a study released by a religious organization called the Barna group and an excerpt from the piece is, “If the Barna group raises red flags about the decline of religion in America, you can bet they’re not making it up.”

The first data point shown was the most significant, in my opinion: “First, we have a rise of what both pieces call the “don’ts” in America, a term roughly equivalent to the “nones.” These are, according to Barna, ‘people who say they don’t know, don’t care, or don’t believe that God exists.’ This proportion rose from 10% of all Americans in 1991 to 34% this year.”

I don’t want to speak for religious people, since I am not one, but I suspect some would blame much of the world’s evil on the dramatic increase in lack of “belief.” To me, evil and chaos have existed since the beginning of time, but now we have a 24/7 news cycle, thousands of news “sources” and, worst of all, “social media.” Sex sells, but so does evil.

By the way, my attachment to the Jewish people is one of shared history and culture, not religious practice. When one grows up as the child of Jewish Holocaust survivors, I think that’s a natural outcome.

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I found this ten-year old article from Psychology Today titled, “Popular Culture: Reality TV Is NOT Reality.” Despite its age, the piece is still very relevant, obviously. Here is the key paragraph, IMO:

 

“Reality TV promotes the worst values and qualities in people–and disguises them all as entertainment. Reality TV has made the Seven Deadly Sins–pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth-attributes to be admired. Throw in selfishness, deceit, spite, and vengeance–all qualities seen routinely on reality TV–and you have the personification of the worst kind of person on Earth. Reality TV makes heroic decidedly unheroic values, characters, and behavior.”

 

I have often written that so-called Reality TV is nothing of the sort, anyway. Almost without exception, the TV camera in these “shows” is not an unobtrusive observer of real life, of something that would exist with or without the camera. Most of these shows were created for TV. The participants are acutely aware they are being filmed, are encouraged by the producers to act as outrageously as possible and then the footage is edited to maximize the “tension.”

What the genre should be called is Cheap TV. The production company doesn’t have to hire expensive talent and writers, so even if the shows don’t get great ratings, they can still make money. It is show business. Of course, I believe the term Cheap TV can also be used as in this definition, Cheap: Inexpensive because of inferior quality.

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This Hagerty article is titled, “2021 is shaping up to be the best year, ever, for collector car auctions.” The piece shows a chart, which I was unable to share here, that displays the annual totals for auction sales in North America since 2014 with the 2021 projection–based on results so far this year–exceeding the 2018 “peak” by about 20 percent.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, it is the increase in online auctions that is powering much of the overall increase. Online auctions were not really a factor as recently as five years ago, but based on the chart, and my admittedly unscientific method of measuring it, online auctions will account for almost half of all auction sales this year. Again, it’s the auction business. Online auctions have so much less overhead than traditional ones. Of course, people have grown very comfortable buying anything and everything over the Internet.

Here is the picture at the beginning of the Hagerty piece:

 

 

Dependent on family circumstances, my wonderful wife and I have plans to attend the Mecum auction next month. I have bid on cars using both online and in-person auctions, although the online bids were not too serious. We very much enjoy attending, but it’s not an inexpensive endeavor. Having many auctions here in Arizona will enable us to attend more of them, obviously. It will be nice not having to pay for airfare and lodging.

As always, I welcome your thoughts on today’s post or other topics of interest to you.

 

#WednesdayWhirlwind

#DeclineOfReligion

#RealityTVIsALie

#BoomInCollectorCarAuctions

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Tuesday Trifles

No, today’s post title is not meant to diminish of the significance of this day in 1969 in any way. Of course, that was the day that Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon.

In September of 2002 Aldrin gained more “notoriety” by punching a conspiracy theorist/lunatic who told him the moon landings were fake, staged in a Hollywood studio. I can’t say I blame Aldrin one bit.

From Wikimedia a picture of the crew of Apollo 11:

 

See the source image

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Speaking of space, today Jeff Bezos rode “into space” in a vessel designed and built by his company, Blue Origin. Both his flight and the recent flight of Richard Branson were sub-orbital, but still represent a huge turning point, in my opinion.

It is sickening to me how many cretins on social media think that what Bezos and Branson are doing is nothing more than billionaires flaunting their wealth. In my opinion, the fact that very few people actually know anyone very wealthy creates an antagonism similar to how the fact that few people actually know any Jews creates an antagonism towards them.

I have known very wealthy people and, without exception, they are/were very hard-working. In the same way that most non-athletes cannot comprehend the level of competitiveness among professional athletes, most people who are not wealthy cannot comprehend the work ethic that the majority of wealthy people have. Sorry, but that’s true, as inconvenient as it may be to politicians who deal in the politics of envy and to lazy POS who want to stay home, smoke weed and play video games. My wish for both of those groups is the same: Luzzim Brenna Vee Da Keen!

******************

Yesterday, Chevrolet officially announced that the Z06 version of the current Corvette generation, the C8, will be revealed this fall as a 2023 model year car. The consensus had been that the car would be revealed this month as a 2022 model year car, but given the UAW strike last year, the damn virus and the worldwide computer chip shortage, plans had to be adjusted.

As much as I am loathe to use any part of the Evil Empire (AKA Google), here is a link to a short video about the C8 Z06. The most heard “rumor” about the engine is that it will be a 5.5 liter (about 335 cubic inches), flat-plane crank, naturally aspirated V-8 and will be the most powerful non forced-induction V-8 in automotive production history. The best guess right now is that the engine will produce about 650 HP and 600 LB-FT of torque. It should be capable of revving to about 9,000 RPM. In keeping with the spirit of this part of today’s post, a picture of a (non Z06) C8 Corvette:

 

 

What will the C8 Z06 cost? I’m guessing, and it’s little more than a guess, that it will start at under $100,000, but depending on options could sticker at $120,000-$140,000. In the world of very high performance automobiles, that’s a bargain. Consider that the well-worn, but well-made Nissan GT-R, a car that hasn’t really changed since its introduction in 2009, starts at about $115,000 and costs more than $200,000 for the NISMO and NISMO Special Edition.

Long live the Corvette!

 

#TuesdayTrifles

#Apollo11

#WorkEthic

#C8Z06

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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A Giant Waste Of Time

No, I am not talking about this blog or even my life, although I feel that way some times. Last week, I made an online appointment for this morning with “my” Chevrolet dealer to have the new wheels installed and to get the last oil change before the powertrain warranty expires. It turns out making the appointment online was exactly NOT the way to go.

Because, obviously, all four wheels would not fit in my Z06 my wonderful wife had to accompany me with the two rear wheels in the Cadillac. After I arrived at the dealer, a service advisor met me and asked if I had made the appointment online. When I answered that I had, he said the dealer could not install aftermarket wheels because of the liability, but that they would do the oil change. (“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” – Shakespeare from Henry VI.) I just left and will never return to that dealership.

Uh, you mean no one reads the text of non-standard service appointments made online? My wife had a dentist appointment this morning and we rushed to get to the dealer before my appointment time so she could could get to her appointment on time. Oh, we don’t live within a 5- or 10-minute drive from the dealership.

I just want to scream, but I will probably just hurt my throat. I do NOT want to hear, “Anything worth having is worth waiting for.”

 

See the source image

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Before I blow a gasket, here are some pictures:

 

 

#AGiantWasteOfTime

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Sunday Supplement

I cannot comprehend how anyone can support the “Palestinians” after reading the truth about them. Oh, actually I can; it’s called hateful, ignorant anti-Semitism.

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The fountain in Fountain Hills, Arizona, driven by three 600 horsepower turbine pumps, sprays water at a rate of 7,000 gallons per minute through an 18-inch nozzle. With all three pumps under ideal conditions, the fountain reaches 560 feet in height, though in normal operation only two of the pumps are used, with a fountain height of about 300 feet. When built it was the world’s tallest fountain, a record it held for over a decade.

Although we only saw it run for about three minutes, we were finally successful in seeing it in operation. We had driven to Fountain Hills a couple of times previously and arrived during its scheduled time of operation, but it was not in service. By the way, almost no one else was watching the fountain when we were there yesterday.

We came very close to buying a home in Fountain Hills. I think it’s very likely the house we did buy has appreciated more rapidly than the one we didn’t. Of course, unless we’re going to downsize and move to a place where the real estate market isn’t as hot, then the increase in our house’s value, and our equity, is not really relevant.

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The WordPress editor is, once again, acting up today. Among other things, that makes it difficult to format text and to add media–like pictures–the longer the post gets. I have quite a few photos I would like to share, but will have to save many of them for a day when the editor is more cooperative.

 

 

My wonderful wife and I attended the Pavilions auto show yesterday and, once again, it was sparsely attended. Perhaps it was the light, intermittent rain or the fact that many of the “snowbirds” have left the area. Maybe it’s because the word isn’t out that the show has resumed.

Anyway…this is a restomod 1954 Hudson Metropolitan. The car was basically hand-built by its owner. It has a supercharged small-block Chevy engine and a 700 R4 automatic transmission.

 

 

This is a 1967 AMC Ambassador. Of course, I always enjoy seeing cars from defunct American makes.

 

 

Did I mention that the house we almost bought in Fountain Hills had a 360° view of mountains? We have a nice view now, but it’s not 360°. Oh well…

 

#SundaySupplement

#FuckAnti-Semites

#FountainHillsArizona

#RestomodMetropolitan

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Fast Friday Fricassee

No, I am not going to share a recipe for chicken fricassee, which by the way was apparently a favorite dish of Abraham Lincoln. I am going to share some links to articles, but not go into depth about them.

 

This piece is titled “Facebook and its advertisers are panicking as the majority of iPhone users opt out of tracking.” Here’s more:

 

“With iOS 14.5 released to the public earlier this year, iPhone and iPad users now have the ability to easily opt out of cross-site and cross-app tracking and targeting. New data from analytics firm Branch indicates that just 25% of users are opting in to tracking, which is causing panic in the advertising industry.”

 

Well done, Apple!

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This link is to an op-ed about China titled, “American corporations must stop selling out to China’s brutal regime.” Bill Drexel and Paul Wolfowitz write, “The Chinese government’s ability to decisively influence even minuscule advertising decisions across America should be cause for great concern in a world in which U.S. movies, schools and publishers bow to Chinese fiscal pressure.”

The Chinese government is the opposite of altruistic and China’s “system” should not be a model for any country where freedom is valued.

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This piece has the title, “Legal Aid Society demonizes progressive public defender who criticized racial tribalism.” More: “Why? Because she’s [Maud Maron] in the process of being canceled for writing a letter to the New York Post denouncing the racial tribalism promoted by Critical Race Theory and its everyday interpretations and tenets.”

Critical Race Theory is itself grossly racist. Cancel Culture is the antithesis of freedom of speech. Once again, the author of the linked blog is an American liberal, not a conservative.

******************

Shifting to cars…this Hagerty article is titled, “The most valuable Corvettes from C1 to C6.” Not surprisingly, the most valuable Corvette from the first six generations was one of these (picture from Mecum):

 

1967 Corvette Coupe L88 front three-quarter

 

According to Hagerty a 1967 L88 in excellent condition has an average value of $2.5 million. Of course, only 20 of them were produced. This generation’s most valuable car had the lowest value among the six:

 

2003 Chevrolet Corvette 50th Anniversary front three-quarter

 

This is a 2003 Corvette Pace Car Convertible, with a value of $33,000 in excellent condition. Of course, this is a C5. I personally do not care for cars with writing on them and over the top ornamentation.

 

Hope you have enjoyed today’s post. I may engage in this type of writing on a semi-regular basis if the response is good.

Enjoy your weekend.

 

#FastFridayFricassee

#FackFucebook

#ValuableCorvettes

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Happy 99!

On this day in 1922 my marvelous mom was born. For those of you who don’t know me, you will now have an idea what I look like.

 

 

I wasn’t going to show this photo until next July 15th, but who knows what will be happening then.

I used to call her Mamaleh, Yiddish for “Little Mother.” Some pronounce it Mamalah.

She used to call me Tataleh, Yiddish for “Little Father.” She often said I reminded her of her father, my grandfather. Americans take relationships with their grandparents for granted, but I never knew any of mine. They all died during World War II.

In fact, my existence is a very low probability event. My mother and her parents fled their Polish village (shtetl) mere days before the Nazis burned it to the ground. My mother said her father’s intelligence saved their lives as he knew what was happening and what would happen if they had stayed.

Of course, my father watched his family murdered by Nazi troops. You don’t want to know how he survived. Like I wrote, it’s basically a fluke that I am even here.

This is the 18th birthday that my mother has missed. Sad and most sobering is the reality that she will miss every birthday for the rest of time. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that will be everyone’s fate, eventually.

I am sometimes guilty of wallowing in self-pity as my life lacks the level of engagement I enjoyed for many years. We are all products of expectations and the status quo. In comparison to what my parents experienced, many of the “problems” faced by Americans are not problems, at all. I guess that applies to me, too.

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In 1922, American car production rose sharply from less than 1.5 million in 1921 to almost 2.3 million. A brief, but severe recession affected most of the world from 1920 through mid-1921. I won’t bore you with economic data.

Of course, the Ford Model T was the most popular car in the US in 1922 with more than 1.1 million units sold. Obviously, that means the Model T accounted for about half of all cars sold in America.

What was the number two make? It was Dodge, which edged out Chevrolet. At this point, Dodge was not part of Chrysler Corporation. At this point, Walter Chrysler had just acquired a controlling interest in the Maxwell Motor Company and the business that still bears his name was still a few years in the future.

According to the great work, standard catalog of® of American Cars, 1805-1942, Dodge had two series of cars in 1922 and no separate production breakout exists by model. The best laid plans of mice and men…I had intended to show a photograph of the best-selling Dodge model for 1922. So, from Old Cars Weekly a picture of a 1922 Dodge roadster:

 

See the source image

 

For 1922 Dodge automobiles were powered by an L-head inline 4-cylinder engine displacing 212 cubic inches and producing…wait for it…24 horsepower. Bumpers, both front and rear, were optional. The cars had two-wheel mechanical brakes. The Series 1 roadster was priced at $935, the Series 2 at $850. In 1921 Dodge priced its roadster at $1,235 and the reduction in price for 1922 was caused by the severe recession, which was quite deflationary. The Series 1 price for 1922 “converts” to about $15,000 in 2021 dollars.

 

#Happy99

#MyMarvelousMom

#1922Dodge

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Sacks Away!

If you are not a fan of the National Football League (NFL), then I suggest you skip this part of today’s post.

The NFL has only “officially” counted individual quarterback sacks since 1982. A sack is when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage. Actually, I think if he’s tackled at the line of scrimmage in an obvious passing attempt that also counts.

John Turney and Nick Webster of the Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA)–yes, such an organization exists–have been compiling individual sack figures as far back as 1960, based upon review of official play-by-plays, watching game film, photographs and coaches’ stats. Pro Football Reference has recently added this information to their database.

Here is the new, albeit “unofficial” leaderboard in career sacks:

 

Rank Player Sk Years Tm
1 Bruce Smith+ 200.0 1985-2003 2TM
2 Reggie White+ 198.0 1985-2000 3TM
3 Deacon Jones+ 173.5 1961-1974 3TM
4 Kevin Greene+ 160.0 1985-1999 4TM
5 Julius Peppers 159.5 2002-2018 3TM
6 Jack Youngblood+ 151.5 1971-1984 ram
7 Chris Doleman+ 150.5 1985-1999 3TM
8 Alan Page+ 148.5 1967-1981 2TM
9 Lawrence Taylor+ 142.0 1981-1993 nyg
10 Michael Strahan+ 141.5 1993-2007 nyg
11 Jason Taylor+ 139.5 1997-2011 3TM
12 Terrell Suggs 139.0 2003-2019 3TM
13 DeMarcus Ware 138.5 2005-2016 2TM
14 Richard Dent+ 137.5 1983-1997 4TM
John Randle+ 137.5 1990-2003 2TM
16 Jared Allen 136.0 2004-2015 4TM
Rickey Jackson+ 136.0 1981-1995 2TM
18 John Abraham 133.5 2000-2014 3TM
Carl Eller+ 133.5 1964-1979 2TM
20 Leslie O’Neal 132.5 1986-1999 3TM
21 Al Baker 131.0 1978-1990 4TM
22 Coy Bacon 130.5 1968-1981 4TM
Jim Marshall 130.5 1960-1979 2TM
24 Claude Humphrey+ 130.0 1968-1981 2TM
25 Derrick Thomas+ 126.5 1989-1999 kan

 

It is no surprise that the late, great Deacon Jones has vaulted to #3 all-time. While he never amassed the 27 sacks in a season for which he has unofficially been given credit by some sources, he did have three seasons with 20+ sacks and led the NFL five times in the six years between 1964 and 1969. Remember that Jones only played 14 games a season unlike the 16-game season the NFL played from 1978 to 2020. (Of course, the NFL will play a 17-game season beginning in 2021, no doubt on its way to the eventual expansion to 18 games. More games for TV mean more TV dollars.) From the four-letter TV sports network, a picture of Deacon Jones.

 

See the source image

 

It is good to see Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood get recognition. He played in Super Bowl 14 with a fractured left fibula. The accomplishments of Alan Page, the only pure defensive player to ever be named MVP, are also embellished by the addition of this data.

Here is the new and “unofficial” single-season leaderboard:

 

Rank Player Sk Year Tm
1 Al Baker (21) 23.0 1978 DET
2 Michael Strahan+ (29) 22.5 2001 NYG
3 Jared Allen (29) 22.0 2011 MIN
Mark Gastineau (27) 22.0 1984 NYJ
Justin Houston (25) 22.0 2014 KAN
Deacon Jones+ (25) 22.0 1964 RAM
Deacon Jones+ (29) 22.0 1968 RAM
8 Coy Bacon (34) 21.5 1976 CIN
Deacon Jones+ (28) 21.5 1967 RAM
10 Chris Doleman+ (27) 21.0 1989 MIN
Reggie White+ (25) 21.0 1987 PHI
12 Aaron Donald (27) 20.5 2018 LAR
Jim Katcavage (28) 20.5 1963 NYG
Joe Klecko (27) 20.5 1981 NYJ
Lawrence Taylor+ (27) 20.5 1986 NYG
J.J. Watt (23) 20.5 2012 HOU
J.J. Watt (25) 20.5 2014 HOU
18 Mark Gastineau (24) 20.0 1981 NYJ
Harvey Martin (26) 20.0 1977 DAL
Derrick Thomas+ (23) 20.0 1990 KAN
DeMarcus Ware (26) 20.0 2008 DAL

 

Michael Strahan’s official “record” is somewhat controversial in that it appeared Brett Favre took himself to the ground with Strahan as the nearest defender in the last game of the 2001 season to give the latter the “record.” Of course, this data lists Al “Bubba” Baker as the all-time single-season sack leader with 23 in his rookie season of 1978.

I may write more about this in the next couple of days.

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Statistics tell us that “bad” people must buy lottery tickets and, by extension, “bad” people must sometimes win millions in the lottery. I think whatever reporting has existed on lottery winners is how they are targeted by criminals or go bankrupt not long after their win.

I think these people probably see a lottery win as positive reinforcement for their behavior, which only makes it worse. I grant you that is an opinion unsubstantiated by research.

Do any of you have any thoughts on this topic?

******************

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, recently remarked, “Let me tell you where we are: the data is very clear, if you’ve gotten your two shots of Moderna or Pfizer or single shot of J&J, you have a very high level of protection against all variants, including delta. I have not seen any evidence, so far, that anybody needs a third shot.”

Conversely, Dr. Kavita Patel, former director of policy for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, recently said, “With the threat of the delta variant and potentially other looming variants in the future, it seems like it’s an inevitability that we’re going to need a booster shot.” To be clear, she didn’t say that anyone needs a booster right now.

I think it’s great when qualified people, like physicians, speak about public issues. In my opinion, the somewhat conflicting remarks are simply a manifestation that we are dealing with a pathogen never before seen in widespread numbers among humans.

However, this type of “contradiction” adds to the hesitancy of people on the fence about getting vaccinated, IMO. Obviously, people like Jha and Patel–far more qualified than politicians or entertainers to speak on this topic–are entitled to express their opinions. It does show, though, that science is not always black and white. Sometimes, it’s shadow and shade.

Sorry, no cars today.

 

#SacksAway

#BadLotteryWinners

#Vaccination

#disaffectedmusings

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Monday Musings 75

Happy Birthday to my (i)ncomparable niece!

 

I could have easily titled today’s post “Pictures For A Monday.” I have a lot of photos I would like to share, but I must admit I worry a bit about showing so many pictures of the desert and of automobiles.

I know a blog needs a “hook,” some theme that has a strong appeal to a segment of readers. Still, I have never wanted this blog to be all desert or all automobiles all the time. In that vein:

 

 

This sign sits outside of Andreoli Italian Grocer in Scottsdale. While imported Italian food items are sold there, it is also a sit-down restaurant.

When I lived in Baltimore I ate many, many meals in the Little Italy area. My favorite restaurant there was Germano’s Trattoria and my favorite dish was something called Penne Strascicate. I had never seen that dish offered anywhere else, until I looked online at the Andreoli menu.

Andreoli was featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on The Food Network. My wonderful wife and I watched the episode before we moved to Arizona, but after we had decided we would move here.

As the damn virus has subsided, and we have been vaccinated, we have resumed dining out. A little more than two weeks ago we finally made it to Andreoli. Of course, I ordered Penne Strascicate as did my wonderful wife.

We were not disappointed. I won’t say the Andreoli version of the dish was better than Germano’s, but it was as good. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was an 11. Since it was still the June Of Me, we ordered chocolate mousse for dessert. That was also an 11.

We have been back to Andreoli one more time. Of course, I ordered the Strascicate, but my wife ordered the Gnocchi and said it was fabulous.

Back to the sign…the servers wear T-shirts that have a picture of Andreoli’s owner, Giovanni Scorzo, on the back wielding a large knife and the words, “Mangia e Stai Zitto!” In English that means, “Eat and Shut Up!”

During the damn virus, enjoying a nice meal in a restaurant was one of the few things we actually missed. I used to joke that we were the original practitioners of social distancing. We don’t go “clubbing” or attend large parties. Anyway, it was great to really enjoy a fabulous meal in a restaurant once again.

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Here are some photos:

 

 

According to the owner of that DB11, the exterior color is called Kermit Green and there are only three DB11s in the world in that color. To me, it’s a beautiful car in any color. I mean, I did just include it in my Ultimate Garage 3.0. By the way, the two Ultimate Garage posts are, so far, the two most read of the month and are just one apart in number of views.

 

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