More Ups And Downs

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Two days ago, my wonderful wife and I decided to have lunch at one of our favorite spots, a nearby restaurant that serves Greek food. We thought we should take the Maserati. Of course, it wouldn’t start–dead battery.

Thankfully, my “car guy” arrived promptly at 12:30 as he promised during our conversation (we drove to lunch in my wife’s Corvette), removed the battery and promised he would return later in the day to install a new one. At 7:30 he returned and finished the job for what I thought was a most reasonable price. (Thanks again, Stephen.)

Yesterday morning, we decided to go to breakfast and take the Maserati. When we arrived at our destination, I inexplicably decided to park next to one of those concrete berms that, supposedly, exist for pedestrians or just to add some greenery to a parking lot, but actually exist just to damage cars. I NEVER park next to one of those, but did yesterday. You can guess what happened: a long scratch low on the front fender in front of the wheel on the passenger side.

I am still bummed out about scratching the car. I have also learned a valuable lesson: my instincts are usually right and are ignored at my peril.

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Score one for justice…this CNBC article reports on a Supreme Court decision, a unanimous one by the way, that hopefully puts an end to jurisdictions seizing properties where the owner owes taxes, sells the property, AND THEN KEEPS ALL OF THE PROCEEDS EVEN ABOVE THE AMOUNT OWED IN TAXES. Believe it or not, only six states (Arizona is one of them) allow private investors to retain equity in properties once delinquent taxes are paid.

The Supreme Court on Thursday revived a 94-year-old woman’s claim that a Minnesota county violated the Constitution by keeping a $25,000 profit when it sold her home in a tax foreclosure sale. The court concluded unanimously that Geraldine Tyler can pursue her claim that such seizures violate the takings clause of the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment, which requires that the government pay compensation when property is taken.

The late Andy Rooney, among others most likely, once said that we need big government as a check against big business. Well, what is going to be the check against the excesses of big government? Although it is obvious to me that the Supreme Court called this one correctly, the court is also not immune from political influences.

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On the other hand, this piece from The Free Press is most disturbing. It is titled, “At High School Debates, Debate Is No Longer Allowed.” It is difficult for me to read this piece without becoming incensed. Here is a “summary” paragraph:

 

“Unfortunately for students and their parents, there are countless judges at tournaments across the country whose biased paradigms disqualify them from being impartial adjudicators of debate. From “I will drop America First framing in a heartbeat,” to “I will listen to conservative-leaning arguments, but be careful,” judges are making it clear they are not only tilting the debate in a left-wing direction, they will also penalize students who don’t adhere to their ideology.”

 

This story leads into words by Robert Zimmer, the late President of the University of Chicago, one of the few institutions of “higher learning” that actually practices institutional neutrality and allows for true freedom of speech.

 

“Mr. Zimmer balked at the notion that unfettered free speech would jeopardize the cause of inclusion because it might upset, among others, some of the people who were seeking to be included. “Inclusion into what?” Mr. Zimmer had wondered in a speech. “An inferior and less challenging education? One that fails to prepare students for the challenge of different ideas and the evaluation of their own assumptions? A world in which their feelings take precedence over other matters that need to be confronted?”

 

Since freedom of speech is a constitutional right, it applies to people with whom you disagree. The “right” never to be offended is not described in the US Constitution.

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I feel like I should add some automotive content today, but I don’t have anything about which to write. I don’t really care that much that the first 24 Hours of LeMans began on this day in 1923, 100 years ago.

How about a picture of a car that has been included in every iteration of my Ultimate Garage, one that I might actually be able to afford one day, unlike its stablemate, the LFA?

 

 

In case you don’t know, [everybody chime in] or even if you do, above are pictures of a Lexus LC coupe and convertible. Unlike the vast majority of cars that I have included in my Ultimate Garages, I have driven one of these. (Hard to believe that was more than five years ago.)

To me, these are a great example of “rolling sculpture.” I could see myself buying one of these as a replacement for both the Maserati and the Mustang, especially if I were to buy an LC convertible. So many CARS, just one life.

 

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