Let us ponder the mysteries of life, such as how someone like Claire Dodd could have lived at the same time as Eleanor Roosevelt without a rending of the time/space continuum.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? Here’s Claire, first as a youngin:
And then in her prime:
Now compare that with any photograph of Eleanor Roosevelt (no, I’m not going to do it, find your own pic), and get back to pondering.
What do you do when you realize that not everybody wants the latest ‘n greatest, with all sorts of shiny geegaws which add flash but no excitement?
Well, in the world of cars, it’s clear that there are a lot of people like me: people who are disinterested in the nanny electronics which purport to make the driver’s life “easier” and driving more “convenient”; except that such ease and convenience comes at the expense of driving control and enjoyment (not to mention bloated prices and happy auto manufacturers’ accountants).
And unlike me, it seems, there are a lot of people who have the money to indulge this preference (and yes, I am jealous), because you’re talking about cars which were great for the time they were made in, but which have deteriorated over the years (decades, even) and therefore just don’t work as well as they used to, or else just don’t work at all.
So how does one of these wealthy nostalgianistes (to coin an expression) go about acquiring, for example, a Mercedes 280 SL “Pagoda” model from the 1960s that isn’t a rustbucket and hasn’t been subjected to the violations of the part-time “restorers”?
Well, you’re in luck because over in Germanland, the independent performance tinkerers at Brabus have expanded their operations from just making modern Mercedes cars into performance monsters, into an entire division which restores old Mercedes models back to their showroom condition. And here’s the story of Brabus Classics, which you should watch before moving on to the interactive part of this post, which is:
If you had the (stupid) money in the bank and the urge to own an older Mercedes car, which one would you order from these maniacs?
My choice is below the fold…
For my long-suffering Brit Readers, who often have to deal with my barbs and jibes:
For my Murkin and Non-Colonial Readers, here’s a brief explanation if this heroic man is unknown to you. We have no such role model, try as the DemSocs may to create one:
Our guy [sic] definitely had the more striking outfit, although it’s probably not the best choice to adopt if one is trying to sneak into a government building.
Via Reader Mike L. comes this nanny article telling us how youngins are drinking themselves to death:
An estimated 1 in 5 deaths of people ages 20 to 49 were attributable to excessive alcohol use in the United States, according to the study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. For people ages 20 to 64, drinking-related deaths accounted for 1 in 8, the study said. The percentage of deaths attributed to alcohol use varied state by state, but nationally it’s a leading cause of preventable death, said lead study author Dr. Marissa Esser, lwho leads the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s alcohol program.
Researchers took national and state mortality data from 2015 to 2019 and looked at deaths either fully or partially attributable to excessive drinking. Those causes of death included vehicle accidents, alcohol poisoning and other health impacts, such as liver disease, Esser said. The data showed that the deaths fully attributable to alcohol have risen in the past decade, Esser added.
Umm yeah. Notice how when you add the 50-64 age group’s numbers, the incidence drops from 1 on 5 to 1 in 8 — which should your clue right there that the BULLSHIT STATISTICS bell is clanging loudly.
Ever wondered why beer company commercials tend to show young people drinking at picnics, beach parties, watching the game on TV and so on, and not old farts like me huddling over a pint in a dark pub?
It’s because the 20-49 age group accounts for most booze sales (from memory, it’s about 70% although that’s an old number). Also, youngins (especially young men) are most likely to do stupid stuff, especially when drunk (“Hold my beer!”) and so it’s small wonder that the death rate is high. Remembering my own misspent youth and narrow escapes, I’m amazed it isn’t higher.
Also from the article is another little snippet which makes me reach for the gin bottle:
“I’m not surprised at the numbers,” said David Jernigan, a professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University. “This is a conservative estimate.”
Health law and -policy? Allow me to bring in a guest speaker for comment:
It’s all neo-prohibitionism, masquerading (as always) under the mantle of caring.
Fuck off, the lot of you.
We’re all getting old…
