I Haven't Done a Car Post in Forever!

I have been looking for a car, as I have a car that is dying (but hanging on: do not go gently into that night), and my options (read:budget) is limited, but in a search for VWs here locally, an Audi TT Convertible showed up in SearchTempest and I went "oh, I like that."

I mean, who wouldn't? (This isn't the one that caught my eye, but it's for sale in Miami for cheap $3700) (posting expired)

This was maybe 2 months ago. Like 3 days later, a co-worker pulled up to unload some stuff for a baby shower in this:

A 2005 Audi TT Convertible. Well, I drove it the other day, and I have to say, it's a fun car.

He's been driving it a lot lately, now that he's got the wheels he wanted on it, and has blacked out the badges and lenses. All the reports on the car are that:

1. It's an Audi, so when the timing belt and water pump need to get fixed, it'll cost you.
2. Everyone who has one loves it.

Well, that's a wrinkle. I've been saying for like 8 cars that my next car would be a convertible. I've been on the Thing bandwagon for years, but I need a car that I can drive daily. This could be that. BUT the cars that I can afford are not much newer than my 98 Camry, so that's not cool. Also, these are 2 seaters, which is fine most days, but some days I need to transport more than one other person. Argh.

One of the other cars that caught my eye when looking locally on Craigslist for "convertibles" was a cute little Fiat, but it's gone now. The reviews (my wife's boss had one) were "meh" but at least it has a back seat! 

Ok, I'm not posting pictures of each of these, and they will get sold and the links will die, but here's a roundup of some Audis as a pricing baseline:  **all the links are dead, sorry I didn't post pictures, but that takes forever****

2003 asking $3900

2003 asking $4900

2008 asking $6900

2003 asking $5995 (gone)

2005 asking $5190 (I like the dark green!) ($5090) ($4900!!)

2002 asking $5400 in yellow ($4600!!!!!!)

2006 asking $6888 which is a weird price.

2002 for $4000 (have you noticed a lot of silver cars?)

This is a little expensive locally, and this is on my radar as one I want to buy.  This is scary cheap, but again, it's a 2001 (the rear window has duct tape). That place has a Mini Cooper I'd rock for $4900. (posting expired)

Ok, now for the real car I want. Best of the lot, in my view, is this one for $7000.

I'd hate to bring it up here in the snow and road salt.

Cheapest of the lot is $2000. You can see why. (posting expired)

"For the most part the car is complete

Has dents dings and some rust. Overall the car is solid! Floor pan is rusted where the battery sits. Has engine and tranny. It is not running."

As I've said, I need a car I can drive back and forth to work, and a 73 or 74 Thing isn't a good choice for that. Nevertheless, here's what's on The Samba.

Here are the rest of the links:

$3500 needs help (expired)

$5220 with rust and a scary doll

$8000 and not enough photos to prove their claim of niceness. (deleted)

Interesting with winch for $6950 (expired)

Of course, if you want, you can spend a lot more. I've seen them for sale at prices like this (all over ebay), but never seen confirmation of ones actually selling for that price... LOL


Lastly, nearby in Indy, here's an actual good deal on a VW camper: $5000. (deleted, so likely sold)

It's Enough To Make You Curious....

I know that this is merely coincidence, that because of the conversations I had with my college freshman about going to see this last night that I was primed to spot this, and that's all (see cognitive biases stories, natch), but it's still weird.  **maybe it’s real: Your Phone Is Listening **

So, yesterday, my son calls and asks about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as there is a showing/performance happening this weekend (including last night) that he was invited to. Funny conversation ensues, and I encourage him to go and drag his roommate (who needs to loosen up a bit, in my opinion) as well. His roommate has a photo of Reagan hanging in the room, which is fine, but he's a little tightly wound, even for me, Mr. Conservative.

He went, enjoyed it enough as one might, and that's that.

I didn't search for showtimes, or my usual internet sleuthing about what the cast is up to these days, and yet, it's like our devices were listening to us... of all the random crap Yahoo suggests as "stories" (that are more like ads to get you to go to dumb sites like this one), what are the chances that today one of the suggestions is:

Yup, that's just weird.

Speaking of cognitive biases, this Jim Acosta thing...

There was an almost-good article on Yahoo (they do occasionally accidentally perform acts of journalism, but usually it's just PuffHost crap) about how people are seeing what they want to see in the Acosta-brushing-the-intern's-arm-away video, and it comes very near, among all the loaded words and clear bashing of the infowars guy, to making a salient point: if you are on Trump's Team, it's clear that he pushed her arm down so he could keep the mic: if you are on Team Acosta, he "brushed her arm." Those are the literal words in the article, stated as fact, not as opinion, which is why I say that it is "almost-good" and that it "comes very near."

Update, when I just searched my history to find the link, I see that it's actually from Time, and I now stand by all the accusations about an accidental act or journalism.

Scott Adams went live on Twitter as he does (Periscope, I think, actually) and explained very well how Acosta is playing the same game Trump is, from a communication/persuasion perspective, and they both got what they wanted out of the exchange. He also pointed out, and I agree, that during a presser, in the White House, Trump gets to run the event, and that Acosta doesn't.

Here's my actual take: Acosta gets to do what he did (ask whatever he was trying to ask) AND Trump gets to tell him, that's enough, it's someone else's turn. It's his presser. Watch the whole video, Trump answered him. He did keep the young lady from taking the mic. Or am I just seeing things through biased eyes?