I don’t recall anyone actually using the term “Thanksgiving Eve” to describe the day before Thanksgiving. Sounds OK to me…
The slide in the equity markets has me worried. I believe Jim Cramer of CNBC is right when he says that the Fed’s seeming intransigence regarding rate hikes and the US/China trade situation are combining to slow earnings growth and to reduce confidence. Whether I am lucky or just experienced, I liquidated a decent amount of our equity holdings on Wednesday, October 3, the day before the slide started. Of course in hindsight I wish I had sold a little more.
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Happy 49th Birthday to Ken Griffey, Jr…can he really be 49?! Did you know that Griffey and all-time great Stan Musial were both born on November 21 in Donora, Pennsylvania?
When I worked for the San Diego Padres we shared a spring training facility with the Seattle Mariners, Griffey’s team for most of his career. I remember one day when none of the star players wanted to travel to Tucson for the “A” game, most of the players stayed behind in Peoria to play a scheduled “B” game on a side field at the facility. Kids just pestered Griffey for his autograph all day (this was before we all had cameras in our pockets) and he graciously signed every one.
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Do any of you care about the Carlos Ghosn (pronounced Goan) story? He is the Chairman of the Nissan/Renault/Mitsubishi alliance who was recently arrested for “financial misconduct” including under-reporting his income to tax authorities. Repeat after me: all human beings are flawed. Repeat after me: power corrupts.
For what it’s worth I think almost all Nissan vehicles are boring. Of course, my tastes are much different than those of the vast majority of the vehicle-buying public.
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Was this the real first muscle car?
From specialtysales.com a picture of a 1962 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova. Yes, most car “experts” believe that the Pontiac GTO, introduced in 1964, was the first muscle car. Given my first car was a 1967 GTO I have no innate desire to defrock the car. However, I believe in facts above all else.
According to standard catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 by John Gunnell (once again, standard catalog is in lower case) from their introduction in 1962 (as a response to the very popular Ford Falcon compact car), the Chevy II was available—although apparently dealer-installed at first as opposed to factory-installed—with either a 283 cubic-inch or 327 cubic-inch V-8 with outputs up to 360 HP. In Encyclopedia of American Cars by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide® no 360 HP V-8 is shown as being available for any Chevrolet except the Corvette. However, that book shows a 327 V-8 AND a 409 V-8 as optional engines for all Chevrolet models.
Anyway, imagine a 327 cubic-inch V-8 with 300 HP/360 LB-FT of torque in a 2,600 pound car like the 1962 Chevy II. That sounds like a muscle car to me. Perhaps the technicality of only being available as a dealer-installed option “disqualifies” the car, but still…
What do you think? By the way, I have now posted 50 of the last 51 days. It is 50-50 that I post tomorrow (Thanksgiving). Happy Thanksgiving to all!
#somanycarsjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
Disaffected Musings 
I agree with you that most Nissan cars are boring! It seems they’ve lost their way again like they did in the ’80s. That’s too bad about Ghosn. His crime, to a degree, is a function of living in France where the Socialist government punishes success by taxing people to death. • I’ve never been a “Chevy man” and had forgotten about the dealer-installed V8 option on the Chevy II. Now that you’ve reminded me of it, I recall one of those in the town I lived in when I was in high school. It was the fastest car in that small town! • Best wishes to you and your bride this Thanksgiving! 🙂
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Thanks, 56packardman. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
In response to a story about French citizens creating roadblocks to protest increases in fuel taxes I wrote this:
– Hmmm…people don’t like to pay more taxes. I would have never known…Money that I have legally earned, legally saved and legally invested belongs to me. Government does not have dibs on a country’s wealth so it can “fix” income/wealth distribution. Government exists to protect property rights, not to usurp them. –
HOWEVER, I do not believe in zero government and zero taxes. Too many people all over the world want government benefits without paying for them. The private sector cannot efficiently supply all goods and services.
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