EZEtoGRU

I believe Tesla has the highest recall rate of all car brands. So I would be careful with that. 
 
I tend to stick with American-based car brands for patriotic reasons. My last three vehicles have been the Chrysler 300. It’s large, very comfortable, and none of them have given me an ounce of trouble. Chrysler stopped making the 300 late last year but you can still find some models on dealer lots. 
 
I bought mom’s Honda Accord from her two years ago as she doesn’t drive anymore. I use it as my second vehicle to knock around town and run errands. It too as been very reliable but I really hate the car.  It sits far too low to the ground for me and it’s a tight fit when inside. Also a loud and rough ride. I personally would never get another one. Having said that, lots of people love the Accord and it sells well. 
 
with so many people driving pick-ups and SUVs (that sit higher up) you don’t want to be in a vehicle that sits too low. 
Happy car shopping!!

As I mentioned here a few weeks ago, I had a run in with a deer and despite my best efforts to have the insurance company fix the car, I relented to their request that the car be totaled.  So now, I have to buy a new car in a bit of a hurry.  
I am renting a Honda small SUV which seems to be a nice fit.  I had a Chevy Cruze which I now realize was too small for my comfort though I liked it well enough.  
I have little interest in a car other than it be reliable, and comfortable enough to fit a fat old man.  I had only 30000 miles on my 5 year old car which was totaled and a mere 70000 miles on my car before that which I had for 9 years.  
As far as cost, I want to buy new, have 16000 from the totaled car and would prefer not to spend more than 45000 total.  
Friends have suggested a Tesla which could work in view of my low mileage but really it seems like too much hassle to get set up and used to finding electric stations.  So my requirements are  new, comfortable, relatively inexpensive, reliable, probably gas and readily available as I have only a week or so of insurance paid car rental.  
No other requirements   
Anyone happy with a car that will fill my limited needs?

I'll be visiting Johnson's this week starting tomorrow.  

January inflation numbers have been released today.  They show continued improvement but came in a tad higher than expected.  The market is down as a result.  We were due for a sell-off as stocks have been quite frothy so far this year.  Overall, the trend is still in the right direction.  Annualized January inflation numbers are less than half of what they were one year ago.  
I continue to believe there will be no interest rate cut in March.
US consumer inflation cooled down in January, but less than expected | CNN Business
WWW.CNN.COM Price hikes eased off less than expected in January, but still offered a hint of relief for Americans who have suffered through some of the steepest price hikes in four decades.  

Recessions are a long time in the making.  Some investors started sounding alarms about the economy way back in 2003, 5 long years before the Sep 2008 bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. 
Dimon argues that recession is likely because "the consumer is in good shape. But the extra money that they got during COVID, trillions of dollars, that's kind of running out… It runs out this year.  The government has a huge deficit which will affect the markets."  Some disagree with Dimon because they don't see the government debt as that dire and are confident that the Fed can manage a soft landing.
 

January inflation numbers have been released today.  They show continued improvement but came in a tad higher than expected.  The market is down as a result.  We were due for a sell-off as stocks have been quite frothy so far this year.  Overall, the trend is still in the right direction.  Annualized January inflation numbers are less than half of what they were one year ago.  
I continue to believe there will be no interest rate cut in March.
US consumer inflation cooled down in January, but less than expected | CNN Business
WWW.CNN.COM Price hikes eased off less than expected in January, but still offered a hint of relief for Americans who have suffered through some of the steepest price hikes in four decades.  

State of emergency declared in Rio.
Brazil Has a Dengue Emergency, Portending a Health Crisis for the Americas
WWW.YAHOO.COM Brazil is experiencing an enormous outbreak of dengue fever, the sometimes fatal mosquito-borne disease, and public health experts say it is a harbinger of a coming surge in...  

Takeda’s Qdenga 2-dose (prime; boost 3 months on) vaccine is approved by EMA and EU for all ages and may be available in up to 17 European nations at this point, if Infectious Diseases / Tropical Medicine programs have incorporated it for Travel Market product portfolios. It may be stocked to some extent but on limited basis, and obviously demand will soar. For example health care workers taking contracts abroad may have wanted it to date and it was authorized 14 months ago, or general travellers visiting high dengue prevalence regions may have sought it.
It is not available in any other countries where dengue is non-endemic, except the UK where it is also approved, and apparently accessible in the Fleet Street Clinic.
In the EU you would need to check the relevant nation’s protocol. 
——-
The problem with Carnival is that folks are in very close proximity to one another, outdoors, and the transmission vector chain is infected mosquito to person, person to mosquito and so on. 

State of emergency declared in Rio.
Brazil Has a Dengue Emergency, Portending a Health Crisis for the Americas
WWW.YAHOO.COM Brazil is experiencing an enormous outbreak of dengue fever, the sometimes fatal mosquito-borne disease, and public health experts say it is a harbinger of a coming surge in...  

State of emergency declared in Rio.
Brazil Has a Dengue Emergency, Portending a Health Crisis for the Americas
WWW.YAHOO.COM Brazil is experiencing an enormous outbreak of dengue fever, the sometimes fatal mosquito-borne disease, and public health experts say it is a harbinger of a coming surge in...  

"Cacciatore" is Italian for "hunter."  Hunter-style means a dish made wit hunter sauce - no matter the country hunter sauce has mushrooms.  In France, sauce chasseur is made with brown sauce and mushrooms.  In Germany, Jaeger sauce is made brown sauce, mushrooms, usually bacon.  In Italy, cacciatore sauce is made from tomato, onion, bell pepper and mushroom. 

Even better with rabbit. I don’t use “jar” or “can” of anything! Fresh tomato, pepper, etc.

I remember a time when I enjoyed watching a great female athlete compete as a man...

and the richest country on Earth also produces new medicines and develops new treatments that are enjoyed by the rest of the world. 
 

Let's fix that:
People form their opinions on the health of the economy based on the constant drumbeat of the media -- even if it doesn't reflect their own experiences. No government report will change that.
That's why people who are doing pretty well in the current economy will nevertheless "think" that the economy is still bad for others. 

People form their opinions on the health of the economy based on their personal financial situation.  No government report will change that.  No matter how much you scream "the economy is GREAT!!", if a person's rent & groceries have increased 25% but his salary only 8%, he's gonna have a dim view of the economy.
Personal bankruptcies surged 18% in 2023, car insurance increased 19%, credit card debt hit an all-time high, and the percentage carrying a balance is up to 47% (39% in 2021). 
Go ahead & sis-boom-bah about the economy all you like, but don't expect the guy with a maxed out credit card & a $1200 car insurance payment due to agree with you.

Any objective policy analysis has to commence with the verity of this statement.  In fact, as recently as last December 6 in 10 Americans said they felt like we're in a recession. Such emotional proclamations are objectively inaccurate, to be sure.  The economy is growing quit nicely.  What to make of this vexing question?  That's anyone's guess.
My guess is that when you're pumping gas, you're not thinking about how much more your home value or retirement account are up.  But beyond that, even if you are one of the 2 in 3 Americans who own a home, inflation probably did cut into your income in 2021 and 2022 pretty much no matter where you live in the US.   Or on the planet Earth.  2023 and 2024 are a different story. Wages are now outpacing inflation.  And have been for a year.  Maybe that's just starting to register. 
As shitty as many people feel about the economy, 2 in 3 expect to be better off financially in 2024.  Huh?  That doesn't sounds like an imminent recession to me.  It seems like at some point as income and net worth rise for Americans at all income levels optimism has to break through.  Although I think this thread proves that, regardless of net worth or income, there is a segment of Americans, especially older ones, who exhibit a profound and soul-stirring allegiance to pessimism.
And speaking of pessimism:
Fed’s Powell: ‘Urgent’ for US to focus on debt sustainability
Now admit it, guys.  Our sage @augustus and I nailed it, didn't we?  From our keypads to Jerome Powell's lips.
Based on a complex statistical analysis, I would argue the chances of US federal debt causing a recession in 2024 are between "no chance whatsoever" and "absolutely fucking zero".  The more interesting question is how long will the vast majority of Americans who realize this is toxic for economic growth and our investments allow leaders to kick this can down the road while we bicker?  The answer to that is somewhere between "I don't have a clue" and "way the fuck longer than it should take, if we were acting like good investors."
Powell is right that sooner is better than later.  This thread and many more like it document the salutary effects of savings and investment. And the commitment of many posters here to basic financial apothegms.  It would also be salutary if the 83 % of Americans (including 85 % of young Americans who will be saddled with massive debts and high interest rates) could cut the bickering and focus on getting our leaders to compromise and do something about the debt. 
That's certainly one way to avoid a recession.  In addition to making common sense, it has worked in the past.

Carville was and is right, again.  The bond vigilantes are back:  
 

You're conflating two very different reactions to the current economy.
The polls tabulate what respondents are thinking.
But you say that the polls show what the respondents are experiencing. 
Maybe you simply don't see the difference? 

...and then there's this.  Fox News hosts acknowledge that the economy is really good.  Even they recognize things are going really well in the US economically speaking.  It seems the 2-3 posters on here are the last ones to see the reality of what's happening in the heartland.  
Fox hosts forced to grudgingly admit Biden economy's booming
NEWS.YAHOO.COM Fox cable hosts are doing the job of the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Jared Bernstein, by admitting that the economy under President Biden is... Full disclosure:  This video is largely about the economy rather than politics.

...and then there's this.  Fox News hosts acknowledge that the economy is really good.  Even they recognize things are going really well in the US economically speaking.  It seems the 2-3 posters on here are the last ones to see the reality of what's happening in the heartland.  
Fox hosts forced to grudgingly admit Biden economy's booming
NEWS.YAHOO.COM Fox cable hosts are doing the job of the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Jared Bernstein, by admitting that the economy under President Biden is... Full disclosure:  This video is largely about the economy rather than politics.

and again last night (Saturday).  I’ve been going to Thermas for at least 15 years and this is the best I’ve ever seen it - in terms of the men.  It has definitely changed for the better imo.  Depends on your taste, but if you like masculine Latino men early 30s, then this is the pace for you.  
It feels like because of the private parties and everyone knows they’re leaving by 10:30p, it’s much busier much earlier.  I got there about 3;30p - by 5p very busy. At 6p it’s packed.  No waiting for rooms because they have so many.  
If I didn’t know exactly where I was, I’d swear it’s a Brazilian sauna in São Paulo. It’s that good without any of the downside. 
The guys who owns Thermas is relatively hands-on and he is visible.  Very handsome man in his 40s.  Whatever he is doing works because the men there are consistently friendly, there is no pressure and they are honest.  And they do what they say they will do & more. I recognized a couple guys from RM and other apps, yet at Thermas they all charge 50euro.  I think it’s a great setting to meet someone & go elsewhere if you want more time.  For me, 4 hours at Thermas is enough and back to hotel.
If you haven’t been, add Barcelona & Thermas to your list. If you indulge in this hobby, it’s a must. 

 

There are lies, damn lies, and then there are statistics.  Counted as 47,000 jobs "created" last quarter were simply striking autoworkers and actors returning to work.  In other words, some very creative accounting is producing these sunshine & rainbows jobs reports.
While reports keep saying the economy is great, most Americans keep thinking it's lousy.  A recent Pew poll shows only 28% of Americans think the economy is good or excellent while 72% think it's fair or poor.  Low (official) unemployment and lower inflation are the biggest factors cited by those who think the economy is good/excellent whereas high inflation and high cost of living most worry the other 72%.  The percentage who think the economy will be worse a year from now is 33%, down from 46% last April.
While those numbers arent awful, there is a clear disconnect between what government says about the health of the economy vs. what Americans are actually experiencing.

I was at Thermas last night.  They had one of the private parties last night so they had a soft closing at 11p, meaning nobody was asking people to leave, but almost all working guys were gone by 10:30p and major clean-up had begun.  They advertise the parties start at 11p and go until 3p the next day.  
I don’t think there is much overlap between the two crowds that go the the night parties and regular sauna hours.  The guys really had no complaints about the parties, they just adjusted and seem used to it.
I arrived yesterday about 3;30p and it was very active - more so than I remember at same time on previous visits.  It seems like the guys have almost completely changed with many of the regulars either have gone back to home countries for a bit or have just moved on.  Only a few familar faces compared to last visit a couple months ago.  And the guys there now seem to be consistently a bit older, more masculine/macho types.  I didn’t see any early 20s, it was more like most were early 30s or appeared that way.
There seems to be confusion among staff when parties are being held - a few weren’tsure there was one happening last night.  After a few minutes back & forth they got it straight.
it seems more clean than before too - the parties seem to have forced a more thorough cleaning protocol.
the men were friendly as usual, all quoted 50euros for their time and it was great.  Still the best sauna imo in terms of quality & quality of men, costs, safety/security and ease of access.  The parties don’t really change much for vast majority of clients although I always liked the late mornings & afternoons there.
Mainly Brazilians yesterday with a Venezuelans, Colombians and a few Dominicans in the mix. 

Further to the above, the November/December2023 jobs numbers previously reported were increased by a whopping 126,000 jobs combined.  So a truly spectacular three months of jobs reports.  An analyst in the attached article repeats my prediction yesterday that a March interest rate cut is almost certainly off the table now.  Things are just going too well for the US economy for interest rate reductions in the near future.  
Also, they comment that recent layoff announcements by companies such as UPS are a minor factor in the grand scheme of the larger job market.  Basically, just a blip.
Things are just going too well with the US economy right now.
 
MSN
WWW.MSN.COM  

Another massively positive jobs report was issued today busting through expectations. With such a strong economy, robust jobs picture, and upbeat consumer sentiment…there is clearly no recession on the horizon. 
 
Labor market grew 353,000 in January, soaring past expectations
STOCKS.APPLE.COM The gains were roughly double economists’ predictions of 177,000, reinforcing that the economy...