Monday Musings 45

From Carbonhans Blog an article about how GM and Ford have laid out plans to restart their US factories. Steps to protect workers will be a major part of these plans.

 

“Both companies detailed how they would thoroughly clean facilities and allot extra time between work shifts to do so. The automakers said they will also screen employees with questionnaires before they leave for work and temperature checks as they enter a plant or other facilities.”

“Employees who have recently been exposed to someone with the coronavirus or exhibit a high temperature or other Covid-19-related symptoms will be sent to local clinics for testing before they are allowed to return to work.”

“While in factories, employees will work at least six feet apart from one another whenever possible, the companies said. Employee workstations will be separated by clear plastic panels. Workers will also wear surgical-style face masks and clear plastic face shields whenever they’re required to work close to one another.”

 

One question I have is what proportion of these practices will remain in place even after the crisis ends? It actually might be a good idea if most, even all, of the procedures become standard.

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

Some humor for this Monday courtesy of this post from Archon’s Den:

 

OMG, I’m rich! Silver in the hair, gold in the teeth, crystals in the kidneys, sugar in the blood, lead in the butt, iron in the arteries, and an inexhaustible supply of natural gas.

I can’t remember how to write 1, 1000, 51, 6, and 500 in Roman numerals.
I’M LIVID

A man went into the library, and asked for a book on Probability.
The librarian replied, “Possibly it’s on that shelf over there.”

I went on a job interview the other day.
The interviewer said, “It says on your resume that you are a man of mystery.”
I replied, “That’s correct.”
He asked, “Would you care to elaborate?”
I said, “No.”

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

Many of you are probably tired of reading about the search for a Corvette companion/grocery car after the move to the desert. Well, given the timetable for the move may have been sped up a bit, the search has become a little more real and a little less theoretical.

From Curbside Classic a picture of the car that has at least moved into a tie with the 2006-07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS as the leading contender:

 

See the source image

 

This is a 1995 Jaguar XJS convertible. Other than the somewhat unsightly “roof remnant” with the top down (not shown here), the car has a great look.

My wonderful wife likes these cars and she doesn’t care which engine; the inline-6 or V-12 are both fine for her. Part of me wants the V-12, but most of me would be fine with the six.

The XJS (or XJ-S) is one of the least respected successful cars in history. Over 115,000 were sold in its 20-plus year production run. However, because it followed the legendary E-Type this was the car that could not win. (Yes, I have written that before. Doesn’t mean it’s any less true.)

These cars are not expensive to acquire. The one shown above was sold for $13,000 ($13,650 all in on Bring A Trailer) in March, 2018. Maintenance? Well, we have some experience as my wonderful wife owned a 2001 Jaguar XK-8 convertible. Once the warranty expired the car seemed to want to fall apart. Our experience, by the way, might “argue” in favor of the less complicated six-cylinder engine.

We are a little wiser, hopefully, and a little more secure financially, hopefully. We could put an amount equal to 50% of the purchase price in an account to cover maintenance that, hopefully, would last more than a few months.

In general, the search has moved to more modern cars. We want a car for which disc brakes and fuel injection were standard, a car that had at least two airbags. I have dreams, but I live in the real world.

 

Please feel free to submit thoughtful comments, to click on any (or all) of the related posts listed at the end of each post, to sign up to follow the blog, to tell your friends about Disaffected Musings, to click on any ad in which you have genuine interest OR all of the above. Thanks.

 

#MondayMusings

#CorvetteCompanion

#JaguarXJS

#IHaveDreamsButILiveInTheRealWorld

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

If you like this blog please tell your friends and share the blog URL (https://disaffectedmusings.com). Thanks.

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

April 12, 2020

Quickly…I would be remiss if I didn’t note the anniversary of my parents getting married in 1946. It’s well worth repeating that they married in a Displaced Persons camp in Austria, some would call it a refugee camp, the same place where my sister was born.

The current crisis will pass and will not last anywhere near as long as the horror of World War II. The coronavirus is not trying to harm us, of course, as it is incapable of intent. Obviously, that is not the case for the evil forces of World War II and the evil forces that have existed since the beginning of mankind.

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

To those of you observing and/or celebrating today as a holiday, I hope it is as meaningful as possible under the current circumstances.

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

I guess many people discovered only yesterday that Cristy Lee is no longer part of All Girls Garage. (The show is broadcast on Saturday morning; yesterday’s airing was the second episode shown without her.) Once again, Disaffected Musings had a large number of blog views (large for this blog) from people trying to find out where she is and why she is no longer on the show. From cristylee.tv (I don’t think the site is being actively updated), a picture of Ms. Lee:

 

See the source image

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

To rebuff those who blindly criticize American businesses as heartless and avaricious I show this link to a story about General Motors reopening a factory in Warren, Michigan in order to manufacture face masks. This is hardly the only example of such actions by US businesses.

I could use this space to criticize the quarterback of Satan’s Minions…uh, the Dallas Cowboys…for hosting a birthday party yesterday that was attended by 30 people, but I would never do that. To quote Satchel Paige once again, “There are some people that if they don’t know, you can’t tell them.”

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

Despite the emergence of the 2006-07 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS as a strong contender for Corvette companion/grocery car after the move to the desert, a final decision has not been made. However, the fact that my wonderful wife is on board with the project makes the purchase a virtual certainty although, of course, the timing is not completely under our control, as current events strongly demonstrate.

I will almost, notice I wrote “almost,” regret the day we actually purchase another car because the hunt is so much fun. I don’t know if I’ve written it here before, but for me a reason I miss my childhood is that it was a time when almost anything seemed possible. As I have aged the universe of possibilities has narrowed almost into nothingness. I suppose that is a common experience, but as someone who is not the dullest knife in the drawer and someone who has always expected a lot of himself, this narrowing of possibilities is extremely disappointing and even frightening.

Here is a car listed in Hemmings that appeals to both my wonderful wife and to me, a 1969 Mercury Cougar:

 

 

The stance seems off, which could be an indication of trouble, but with an asking price of $9,900 no one should expect a Grade 1 car. The mileage is a little more than ideal (89,059), but the car is more than 50 years old. Ah yes, #somanycarsjustonelife…

 

#April12,2020

#DisplacedPersonsCamp

#CristyLee

#CorvetteCompanion

#1969MercuryCougar

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

If you like this blog please tell your friends and share the blog URL (https://disaffectedmusings.com). Thanks.