A Year. A Year? A Year!

On this day in 2019 the 279th and last original episode of The Big Bang Theory aired. To me, nothing is a more stark reminder of the scarily swift passage of time than that fact. I can’t even process that reality in any context except, perhaps, intellectually. I’m actually getting more depressed just writing about it. Think about how much has changed in the last year, but try not to get depressed like I am.

From The Mary Sue a picture of the original cast of The Big Bang Theory.

 

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Quick note on C8 production: apparently, it will re-start on May 26th, but not at full speed. The re-start at GM plants will begin with a single shift and then ramp up to two or three shifts as demand warrants. The obligatory C8 photo, this time from Top Speed:

 

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Does anyone have any idea when the IRS will “re-start production?” For some reason, my accountant of more than 25 years was unable to e-file our federal and state tax returns. Therefore, we had to mail paper copies, which we did in late March. Our state processed our return swiftly and we received our refund in less than two weeks. The IRS? Supposedly they are not “processing” returns at the moment. Obviously, we have not received our refund (an unusually large one for us) nor does the IRS Refund page even have any record of our return. The IRS refund “hotline” is not being staffed at the moment. Yes, I know these are most unusual times and circumstances. Yes, I know the filing deadline was pushed back to July. The situation is still frustrating. Sorry, I’m only human.

I was going to use this situation to note that everything in our “low-tax” state, like road maintenance and processing tax returns, seems to work fine, in many instances better than in the “high-tax” states that surround us, but I would never do that.

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Thanks to Philip Maynard for submitting a car for In Or Out? If you read the comments, and you should, you know what car it is. If you don’t and won’t then you’ll just have to wait to find out.

In the What If? category, on this day in 1952 Studebaker and Porsche signed an agreement for the German company to design a small car for the wagon-makers from Indiana. Only three prototypes were produced.

I don’t know how I feel about that “What If?” or the fact that Studebaker passed on multiple opportunities to be the US distributor for Volkswagen. Studebaker might still be in the automobile business. On the other hand, since they wouldn’t be a defunct American make and might be selling Nazimobiles my feelings about the company might be 180 degrees from what they are. The beginning of a novel that I started writing, but never finished is this, “Nothing is inevitable about life except its end. The prosaic and the extraordinary, the random and the deliberate all contribute to how one’s life unfolds.” Anyway, from Vault Cars a picture of what is probably Studebaker’s most iconic car, the 1953 Commander Starliner:

 

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By the way, this car sold for $28,880 in September of 2018. If that figure doesn’t include the buyers commission, then the price was $30,324 all in.

 

#ScarilySwiftPassageOfTime

#BigBangTheoryFinale

#C8Production

#InOrOut?

#1953StudebakerCoupes

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Frugal Friday, Solstice/Sky Edition

Since last night’s Big Bang Theory series finale I cannot get the show’s theme song or “Soft Kitty” out of my head. I thought it was a good, not great, end to the show. I know it’s TV and I have to “suspend my disbelief,” but Sheldon’s reverting to his obnoxious and self-centered personality after winning the Nobel Prize in Physics only to have an epiphany of selflessness while accepting the prize seemed somewhat forced and inorganic to me. Yes, it’s America and people want a happy ending. That was delivered, for sure. Once again, while no one connected with the show will ever read this I offer my thanks to the cast and crew. I am sad that The Big Bang Theory will no longer be produced.

 

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From Hollywood.com a picture of the cast of The Big Bang Theory.

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A recent photo by yours truly of a Pontiac Solstice Coupe. I don’t think I had ever seen one in person until this. While a Solstice has been featured in a previous Frugal Friday, and I have written about it and its close cousin—the Saturn Sky, I have not featured both of them in a Frugal Friday post.

Obviously I am a big fan of these cars. While they shared the same platform they did not share any sheet metal. I like the looks of the Sky more than the Solstice, but I think both cars are quite handsome.

My wonderful wife and I have both test driven a Sky, although not in Red Line spec. The Sky Red Line and Solstice GXP had a 2-liter/122 cubic-inch, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produced 260 HP/260 LB-FT of torque, which still might be the highest specific output of any GM engine ever. An available dealer installed option was a modified computer tune and two new sensors that resulted in an increased output to 290 HP/340 LB-FT.

 

July, 2020 Update:

Originally I showed a 2007 Solstice GXP with 37,000 miles and an asking price of $14,490 along with a 2007 Sky Red Line with 51,000 miles and a list price of $10,990. Both cars were sold a long time ago so AutoTrader took the pictures and/or links off its website. I’m not going to bother finding generic replacements for the photos. Back to the original post:

 

It’s hard for me to imagine two more interesting cars that are so affordable. For the nth time the average “transaction price” of a new vehicle in the US is approaching $40,000. The list price of both of these cars combined is only about $25,000. A shout-out to David Banner who suggested a feature like this.

Since it is likely I will begin revealing my Ultimate Garage 2.0 tomorrow and since that reveal, along with the cars that just missed the cut, will take about two weeks, Throwback Thursday and Frugal Friday will not appear until after Ultimate Garage 2.0 is finished.

The straw that breaks the camel’s back doesn’t even have to be as heavy as the other straws…

 

#BigBangTheory

#FrugalFriday

#SaturnSky

#PontiacSolstice

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Throwback Thursday, The Big Bang Theory Edition

Tonight the 279th and last episode of The Big Bang Theory will air on CBS. The show is the longest running multi-camera (usually meaning live audience) sitcom in TV history. While in my opinion it is not as funny as it was in the first five seasons or so, it is still an enjoyable half-hour of TV, of which there are very few as far as I am concerned. I have to admit that I am sad that the show is ending.

While no one associated with the show will ever read this, thanks to all the cast and crew for so many wonderful moments over 12 seasons.

 

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From The Mary Sue a picture of the original cast of The Big Bang Theory.

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The Big Bang Theory debuted in September, 2007. Speaking of 2007, this is a picture of my 2007 Corvette. My life was much different then than it is today. Then, I had a successful baseball operations/player personnel consulting business. My wonderful wife and I were living in Texas. The iPhone was first released in 2007; over one billion of them have been sold.

When I sold this Corvette after the collapse of my business in October, 2010 I didn’t think I would ever own another one. Thanks to my wonderful wife and to years of successful investing in the equity and fixed income markets I, of course, am back in the Corvette saddle again. However, the ’07 remains the only Corvette that I purchased new and that may never change.

 

#TheBigBangTheory

#2007

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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