Category: cars

The Festival Dream

Young again, as it often happens in my dreams, my wife and I were at a three-day festival. We knew a few people there casually, but most were strangers. We were making acquaintances, though.

I’m not sure what the festival was about. It was partly outside and inside, on different levels, but was very easy to get around. Some areas were set up with drinks and other areas had food, dancing, and demonstrations.

After wandering around some, my wife and I went to explore different things. I ended up in the company of a young charismatic man with thick, dark curly hair. He was the de facto leader of a social group there and invited me to be part of that group. I had a lot of fun with them.

Then there was a quiet time for resting. He invited me to find them the next day. I ended up borrowing his car. First, it was a silver blue. Then, it was red. Both times, it was a small car, convertible and sporty but nothing familiar. Yet, with the second car, I thought that I remembered them. Very red and small, it still seated four. I recalled that a panel could be put over the rear seats to give the car a racier look, but that could be removed for seating, which I thought was clever.

I drove the car a bit but had trouble parking it. Misjudging an angle when I turned into the garage, I had to wait until people walked around the back of the car before I could reverse, widen my approach, and park in the space.

After that, I began to drift through the festival, eyes open for my wife or my new friends. I ran into my wife. We talked for a moment but she went on.

The festival was thinning out. A woman who had been with my wife approached me as I looked at a menu board. She asked if I wanted something. Her way of talking confused me and I politely declined and walked away. She re-approached with a large bag of potato chips. Giving them to me, she lectured me a little, telling me that I should accept offers when they’re given. Then she finished, “We Americans need to stick together and help each other.”

She seemed to indicate that we were the only Americans at the festival. Her remark confused me. I came across my wife again and offered her some chips. She declined and went off again. I gave the chips to someone else and went to watch a demonstration of fire department teams showing their skills doing different things.

One woman led a team. She was very impressive with how she went about rolling hoses, wielding axes, and other things. Growing drowsy, I laid down to watch her from a platform. Others were there. I could hear them talking about the same woman who impressed me. After a bit, one of the other people jostled me. Faking indignation, I turned around and demanded to know who was disturbing my sleep.

I was surprised. It was my sister. She was her ‘real age’, that is the age she is now. Her youngest son, also in his current age, was with her, along with a few other people who I didn’t know.

I was now my real age. Telling them, “I’ll see you later,” I decided it was time to leave the festival and went off into a large warehouse lit with yellow lights to find my wife. Behind me, I heard my nephew say, “That’s how he is. Watch, he won’t be back.”

Dream end.

3

Trump’s Backwards Thinking

It’s more of here we go again, the same damn thing after another.

Today’s political headlines are about Trump rolling back CAFE regulations to lower car prices.

Trump approves new fuel economy rules, says car prices will fall

Trump says he approved new fuel economy standards ending Biden-era electric vehicle mandate

Yes, let’s pause to consider the logic of this. Gas prices are high and will probably go up more with current global variables, so let’s gut the mileage requirements for new cars.

It’s not a surprise that this comes from the same Trump logic that declared that prescription drug prices would be reduced 100% or more, the same fine intelligence that claims elections are stolen without presenting evidence, the same weak thinking that pushes raising tariffs on products won’t affect prices because other countries, companies, manufacturers will pay for them.

Right.

Let’s file this under Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL!

It’s another Trump attempt to distract people from how poorly things are going for them under Trump. Previous Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! actions include demolishing the White House East Wing to build the ballroom and distract people from Trump’s relationship with Epstein. Trump then tried distracting We the People with a summer of celebrations, much as Hitler used the 1936 Olympics and Rome used games in the coliseum.

This phase of Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! specifically targets several favorite MAGA and Republican areas: regulations, electric cars (and ‘green’ initiatives’), and car prices, specifically how manufacturers wring their hands and declare, “Woe is me, we could make much cheaper cars if it wasn’t for those darn regulations!”

From what I read, these regulations will require three to seven years to get merged into the design, manufacturing, and sales of cars. So these are no immediate savings as Trump is insinuating.

Meanwhile, Trump claims it will save people buying new cars about $810M. But industry experts say that high gas prices will cost more than double that in the meantime.

As a result, Trump is trying for cheap headlines and distractions from the affordability crisis and the war with Iran. Trump’s war with Iran goes on; oil, gas, and diesel prices remain high because of that war. Trump has no clearcut objectives or timelines, and no exit strategy.

Hence, a distraction.

Ultimately, these Trump moves will move the United States further out of step with the rest of the world. As EPA standards for clean air and water are dropped, our air, water, and land quality will decline, affecting the tourism industry. Respiratory illness will probably increase, causing a decline in student and worker health, lower productivity, higher healthcare costs, higher insurance costs, and increased absenteeism.

We know these things will likely happen because we experienced it before. By paying attention to history and facts, we can predict the outcome of these actions. Or, equally effectively, we can look at other nations who lack these regulations, and how it affects them.

We know that’s not what will happen. Trump is taking the United States back in time. As the US pivots back to fossil fuels in its power plants and internal combustion engines, led by China and Europe, the rest of the world will race forward with electric cars and green power initiatives.

And Trump and the oligarchs will grow wealthier.

That’s why voting blue in the 2026 midterms matter.

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An Aston Martin Dream

Young again, middle-aged, I was with my wife and others in this place with blue carpets. I don’t know why the others were present, but I was there to see a doctor. The doctor, young, White female, with, with short, dark hair, briefly saw me.

“You need surgery,” she said, indicating my neck. “We’ll do it today.”

That pleased me although I was surprised that my neck was to be operated on. I waited for the my scheduled time to arrive. I noticed the others began dressing up. My wife emerged wearing a dark suit with a white shirt. From overheard snippets, I realized that everyone else was waiting for surgery as well.

I was taken back; I’d not seen the doctor examine any of them. As people came out dressed up, the doctor began telling people when she would see them. Hastily I dressed like the rest, in a black suit with a white shirt and tie, but laughed at it as I did, thinking, this is silly.

Then – poof – the surgery was completed. I didn’t notice a thing but I knew it was done. It’d been so quick and simple, it was completed in an eyeblink.

I encountered my sister-in-law. She and I went off to await everyone else finishing off. I began helping some children drawing with crayons. I ended up with crayon on my white cuffs. While wondering how I was going to clean those off, my SIL showed up with a similar problem. I then took a paper towel and blotted the colors off. I shared what I was doing with her and she started doing the same.

We talked while we did that. I asked when she was going home and how long it would take her. Then I remembered that she lived in Florida. No, she answered with surprise. “I live just an hour and a half away. I’m taking my boyfriend’s train him.”

I hadn’t met her boyfriend but I knew of him. My wife arrived. She and I talked with my SIL and my wife and I announced that we would go get my SIL and her boyfriend some food for their trip home. We went out and bought very large sandwiches with French fries. We ate while we were there.

Then we rushed back to give them their food. They were already gone. We looked down the track to see a three-car train pulling away, which amused me and my wife.

We then needed to go deliver a package. I jumped into my car, a gorgeous and expensive Aston Martin roadster, green, with a white interior. I raced down the highway at very high speeds, overtaking many cars. Then, seeing a line of cars breaking, I slowed down and moved left.

Good thing I did, I told myself, as we overtook a long line of cars and trucks pulling travel trailers. They were stopped. I worried that we wouldn’t be able to mail my package.

Then I pulled up to a booth. Jumping out of the car with my package, I told him what I was doing. He was short, solemn, round Black guy. He listened and worked as I apologized for the state of my package and for not having it correctly prepared.

He shrugged that off, saying something like, “No problem.” I thought the packaging needed to be replaced. He consulted with a co-worker. They agree, it just needed a new clear plastic bag. He put that on, then grinned and told me, all down.

I laughed, surprised at how easy it went. Returning to my car, I prepared to drive away.

Dream end.

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Thursday’s Theme Music — Distractions

Ashland, southern Oregon — Thursday, July 30, 2026.

Clouds and sunshine is mixing it up in our valley. 75 F at this point, the high is expected to top off in the upper 80s today.

The air remains clear of wildfire smoke, as well, knock on wood. A little rain would be welcomed.

Trump continues to slog through a summer of bad news. More light came to be shed about Trump’s reasons for attacking on Iran, I think.

US economy slowed more than expected as the Iran war took hold

The United States economy slowed more than expected as an inflation surge took hold over the early months of the Iran war, a government report on Thursday showed.

The economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.5% over three months ending in June, marking a slight slowdown from 2.1% growth recorded in the previous quarter. The figure came in lower than economists’ expected.

Still, the latest data outperformed 0.5% annualized gross domestic product (GDP) recorded over final three months of 2025.

The period covered by the data release followed a historic global oil shock set off by the Middle East conflict.

Trump’s war with Iran makes more sense to me now. Trump attacked Iran because the economy was weak. He needed a distraction, cover for why inflation was not going down. Besides that, the Epstein files are still out there, waiting to be released. Also, polls were showing that Trump and his policies were becoming more and more unpopular, a trend that’s still going.

Trump’s approval rating plummets near George W. Bush levels – Daily Kos

Of course, Trump ignorantly thought the war with Iran would be a cakewalk. Instead, whoa, half a year has gone by.

Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! is another Epic Trump Failure.

On top of these things, Trump has been trying to drum up fears about election being stolen! Election fraud! Oh, no, commies are coming!

States are pushing back.

Florida ‘has not been hacked’: Trump election claim crumbles as states start to speak up

Facts, truth, history: these are anathema to Trump, who much prefers ignorance, lies, wealth, and idolization.

Your Trump Quote of the Day:

Trump loves tough talking. Especially when he’s sending others in to face danger, and it is others who are being killed.

Today’s theme music emerged from the headlines.

Noah Kahan rips White House, Trump for using hit song in video of prez touring GM plant

I wasn’t familiar with the song. Once I heard it, it struck me as a really weird song choice for visiting a factory. But that aligns with Trump and his Trumpions’ thinking. “American Cars” is the song title, and that’s all they needed.

I was pleased that Noah Kahan pushed back against Trump’s use of the song.

“Kahan wrote Tuesday, according to Variety, “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration.””

His writing partner, Noah Levine, was more to the point: “You fat f–k, this song isn’t for you.”

Love you, Noah Levine!

Hope your day is wealthy with friendship, good health, and good times.

Cheers

3

Saturday’s Theme Music – Rambling

Ashland, southern Oregon — Saturday, July 25, 2026.

July is romping to an end, but summer is cranking it up. Cooler today. 89 F is our high

It’s fire weather season, not just here in the US, but around the world. Calm here today but wildfires are burning in Spain and France. Hundreds of thousands of people are threatened and evacuated. Yet climate denial continues.

A paper last year in Nature concluded that the odds of encountering extreme, climate-driven fire years have risen by 88% to 152% globally compared to the pre-industrial era. Further, studies aided by supercomputers have concluded that many of the extreme weather, including these enormous wildfires, would not have occurred without human emissions.

Trump and his administration have responded by rolling back protections. Yet, Trump thinks he’s improving the world, because he and the billionaires are getting wealthier.

Your Trump Quote of the Day:

Gas was averaging $3.10 a gallon at that time, although some regions were much higher, almost to $4 a gallon. Now gas average $4.11 a gallon, and threatens $5 a gallon in some regions.

Trump is cunning. Trump is not very bright, though. Trump made a big deal about the United States drilling oil. Doesn’t make us energy independent, does it?

No. One, it always depends on the kind of oil and coal taken from the ground. Not all of it is equal.

Two, this is a global situation. Because the US lacks the refining infrastructure and raw material to create the gas and diesel we need, we’ll continue to be dependent on others.

Three, building new infrastructure is hampered by rising costs, which are pushed up by Trump’s tariffs — because the US steel industry doesn’t make the steel needed. Additionally, climate change and extreme heat is driving the need for technical change. But the costs and climate change are also driving up insurance costs.

Additionally, the rising gas and oil prices make construction more expensive. So does the greater demand for energy being generated by AI and Data Center construction. Yet, Trump cut other, more sustainable energy technology, such as solar and wind.

Then Trump started a war — after promising not to, of course. The war drives up oil and gas consumption and demand while increasing oil and refining costs but also decreases supplies.

Yet, Trump continues ignoring climate change and disasters. What a genius — NOT.

It says a lot more about Trump’s supporters and Republicans that he can lie, break promises, promote his backward foolish logic, and still get away with it.

Trump’s failures are MAGA’s failures.

Trump’s failures are the GOP’s failures.

Today’s song in the morning mental music stream is “Ramblin’ on My Mind”. It’s an Eric Clapton cover of a Robert Johnson song. Saddens me some; Clapton used to be a performer I enjoyed and admired. But he and Van Morrisson made a lot of comments during the COVID-19 pandemic that depressed me.

This song came about because I read that Trump made a long, boring, rambling speech at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner last night. Many said that Trump bombed. Anyway, thinking about him and rambling and his flailing mind inspired The Neurons in my own wobbly mind.

Have a peaceful, safe, and restful weekend.

Cheers

0

The Sisters Dream

I was with several of my sisters. We were all younger than now.

Don’t know where we exactly were. Outside. Mostly flat and sort of muddy to start.

I’d been off doing something and then returned, looking for them, as it was time to go. I found them by a large broken cement sewer pipe coming out of the base of a dirt hill. Multiple bottles and trash was there.

One of the sisters asked, “Michael, can you help us? We want to clean up these bottles but we don’t know how.”

They had two large plastic containers with a spout on top. Way too small to put the bottles in. So I tore the top of the plastic away. They thanked me and we loaded the bottles up, often breaking them. Some bottles were already broken. As they warned me to be careful, I picked up the bottles and put them in the plastic. Then I carried those away, depositing them somewhere safe.

I was ready to go, so I began walking. My sisters were several hundred yards away. I wanted time to myself. Deciding to avoid them, I began running. My sisters called my name: I ignored them, running faster.

I crossed the muddy plain and then ended up on a highway’s wide shoulder. Traffic was heavy to my right. Dusk was coming. Left was a lot of new constructions: houses and stores were being built, but was suspended for the night.

I thought, wow, that’s a lot of construction. The construction and changes threw me off. I hadn’t been in the area for a while. Confused about where I was going, I decided to go back to my sisters.

Turning around, I gawked with some amazement. I hadn’t realized how far and fast I’d run. Running back, my speed amazed me even more.

I reached the spot where I’d last seen my sisters. They weren’t visible. I called them; no answer.

Then I found them, along with their previous husbands, and more of my family. I looked for my wife but she wasn’t there. I saw my younger sister’s ex-husband, JJ, and said hello to him, adding, “Good to see you.”

The group told me we were going to Sharon and John’s. She’s my sister and that’s her husband. Then the group kind of wandered around, dawdling. Impatient, I went to Sharon and John’s house.

It was a small place. In the dining room was a large oval, polished wood table. Arrayed in front of it on one side were three rows of seven baby highchairs. They were different colors and ages. Each had a placard on it.

I was mystified. Like, what’s going on here? Is this where they expected us – adults – to sit? We wouldn’t fit in those chairs. No, they seemed to be set up for something. Classes for children?

Then the chairs rearranged themselves. Many disappeared. Matthew Perry was seated at one of the tables. Reprising his role as Chandler Bing from “Friends”, he did a few scenes. Except, he was the size of a baby.

John came in. I said, “How was that done,” gesturing to Perry/Bing in a highchair. John explained, “Oh, that’s Matthew Perry. He was in “Friends”.”

I answered, “I know all that, but that’s not him. That’s the size of a child. Is that a puppet? Animation?” It was completely lifelike.

We went back and forth, with John explaining the same thing in almost the same ways. I kept asking questions, trying to clarify it, but never got an answer. My sister came in, interrupting us to announce that there were sandwiches in the other room.

Dream end.

1

The Naha Dream

Another dream from last night found my wife and I arriving on an island – not deserted but civilized, part of a nation.

We were younger, in our thirties. Don’t know why we were there, but we were returning.

After disembarking from a red and white ferry, we found our car, got in, and began driving home. Leaving the port parking area, we were behind a small, old, Army-green bus. I knew that the driver – a man about my age – had been on the same boat as me, along with a group of quiet, sullen children.

Both of us drove over and parked at a little office to get cleared to go. I arrived there, went in, got my paper and got clearance.

Back in my car with my wife, we prepared to go on. Watching that slow-moving old green bus, I said, “Oh, no, don’t get in front of us.”

He did, pulling slowly onto the narrow, paved road. The road had a few potholes and high berms where the shoulders had crumbled and the dirt washed away. The green bus belched dark smoke.

I figured I was in for a long, slow trip behind that bus. My wife and I talked about the bus. But the bus pulled over to the right. Getting out of the bus, the driver waved us down.

He asked, “Do you know how to get to Naha?”

“Naha?” My wife and I were surprised, taken aback.

He continued on his own, explaining, “I’m going to go fishing there.”

I thought, fishing at Naha? “Yes,” my wife and I answered, talking at the same time. I took the lead. “Keep going on this road. There’s a intersection where you go right. There’s a brown sign that says ‘Naha’ on.”

“Is it a big sign?” he asked.

I laughed. “No, it’s one of those little military signs.” He looked military so I guessed he would understand that. “It’s brown but it’s by itself. You won’t miss it.”

He walked away and my wife and I drove on. “Fishing at Naha?” we said back and forth, wondering, is he taking the children to go fishing at Naha? We could think of better places to go but that was his business.

Dream end

0

Trump Optimization: Breaking Down

I’ve been reflecting on Trump’s threats, lies, and broken promises.

I know that I’m on a loop with this. Partly blame my curiosity for checking the news each morning, a memory that pretty reliably reminds me of what happened in the past, and the constant news barrage about Trump. As POTUS, he and/or his administration are often suing and being sued. He keeps breaking political norms which served the nation well and does so on airy, fantasy fueled whims and desire for more power and control.

Yet, the power and control he exercises is often flawed and grows out of control. Trump consistently proves he’s a shallow thinker, with little thought or interest in collateral and secondary impact — unless they’re enriching him, or increasing his fame. His is a narrow spectrum of thought.

He makes and breaks promises with regularity that rivals the setting and rising sun. These are easily proven because of modern technology. We don’t need to pour over journals, records, ancient manuscripts, or dig through bones. Search engines verify them with a few fingerstrokes and clicks. Only those who are using his agenda to further their interests or those who want to willingly accept him as their golden leader pretends otherwise.

Trump is aware of his shortcomings on one level and tries to hide them or compensate. This has led to an ongoing, widening series of provocative declarations and impulsive actions which I lump under the umbrella of Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! Trump counts on people being easily charmed by him. He counts on being able to menace and bully people through power and wealth. His strategy leans heavily on people having short memories, being too busy to pay attention, or lacking the mental faculties and critical thinking to parse what he’s done and their impact.

His strategy is working on a smaller and smaller percentage of people.

That makes Trump more dangerous, because as he flails, fades, and fails, he seeks greater confirmation that he’s powerful, beloved, in control, and that all is going great, and that all is going great is due to him, and his leadership. Now, desperate to remain in power because he knows the consequences of not being in control will be accountability, Trump is fighting hard to control the upcoming elections.

Screaming fraud and stolen elections for years, he’s never proven any of his claim. On the contrary, investigations show the voter fraud is impressively small.

Nevertheless, Trump has gone after every facet of voting that he can. The Constitution specifies that states handle the voting mechanism, including time, place, location. States also determine voter eligibility and register voters. They decide how the voters are legally handled and counted. This has been going on as nation for almost 250 years, and has been under almost constant scrutiny and improvement.

Trump, however, is trying to increase the Executive Branch’s direct control over how the states register people, let them vote, and count the votes. Beyond his usual executive decrees and flawed texts and speeches about voter fraud, Trump has employed Federal money to bribe and coerce the states. He’s trying to curtail how ballots are counted by limiting when they must be received and counted. Trump is going after the state voter rolls themselves. Some states are pushing back but too many, led by GOP governments, are rolling over to Trump’s demands like well-trained pets.

All of Trump’s actions align with the Unitary Executive Theory, which gives the president and executive branch more power while sidestepping Congressional input and authority, and curtailing the judiciary’s impact and influence. We the People speak primarily through our elected officials in Congress.

With the UET in place, our voice is effectively muted. Congress can pass laws and establish agencies and dictate what’s supposed to be done and how the mechanics of government is supposed to work, but if Trump decides, “No, that’s not what I want,” then he ignores all of those limitations and legal requirements and does as he desires.

Trump’s approach becomes bifurcated, then. His financial policies and blueprint typically favor himself and the wealthiest in our nation. However, he leans on his shrinking base and Project 2025 for support, which means he advances policies to reduce business oversight and regulations for all aspects of working and living in the US.

Right now, aided by the Roberts Court and a compliant GOP in Congress, the Trump administration is trying to consolidate power. It all reminds me of the ECU problem.

Back in the late last century, computers were introduced to cars to manage engines, something called the Electronic Control Module. With it in place, car engines were constantly monitored for knocks and performance. The ECU then adjusted different aspects — fuel/air mixture, timing, advance, etc. But sometimes, by rigidly focusing on fixing these things toward one optimal goal, they ended up stopping the car from running. Mechanics then had to tear it all apart and rebuild.

Likewise, the Soviet Union, through Gosplan and central planning. Yet, when the data didn’t match the expectations demanded or expected, data was falsified, classic Cover Your Ass behavior.

Sound familiar at all?

Trump tends to fire those who don’t give him the news he wants. This will remove him further and further from contact with what’s really going on. So, like that ECU, he’s trying to overoptimize the system to the point that it will be rigid and then break under its own mechanism.

The questions are, where will we be then, and how will we adjust?

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