I prefer warmer to colder. The preceding, including the post title, is what I will sometimes tell people who ask me if Arizona is too hot. (In a related vein, sometimes I answer “I’m old and cold” to people who ask how I am.)
For most of November we had well below average temperatures. On at least two mornings the low reached the upper 30s before “sunrise.” (Once again, we do NOT live at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, which is about 1,100 feet above sea level. We are at almost 3,000 feet in elevation. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is about 5.4° F per 1,000 feet in altitude. So endeth the meteorology lesson for the day.) On those occasions–I am often out of the house as early as possible to get breakfast for my wonderful wife and me–I was downright uncomfortable until the car was sufficiently heated.
I used to love Winter, but somewhere in my mid-50s–and, seemingly, in just the space between one winter and the next–I lost my affinity for cold weather. I now prefer 100° to 40° outdoors; the reverse was true previously. Yes, yes…the only constant.
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I have written that a symbol of the decline in the quality of American so-called music is the popularity of Taylor Swift. I firmly believe that no one would have ever even heard of her if she were average looking. I have never been able to listen to more than 10-15 seconds of any Taylor Swift “song.”
This Why Evolution Is True (WEIT) post is titled, “Did Taylor Swift mime her songs in concert?” Jerry Coyne writes, “Videos, by commenter and musician Fil from Wings of Pegasus, analyzes Swift’s live performances on her fabled “Eras” tour, for which tickets could cost thousands of dollars. Using electronic analyses of several of these performances, he proves, at least to my satisfaction, that Swift was lip-synching while purporting to sing live. (The recordings to which she lip-synchs also appear to be autotuned.)…the repeatability of her supposedly live vocals across several concerts cannot be attained by the human voice.”
Of course, Milli Vanilli lost their careers over lip-synching vocals to pre-recorded music, but in their case it wasn’t their voices on those pre-recorded vocals. American music has ceased to be about the music, but is–sadly–about the presentation. Since I can find F# above Middle C on a piano and know the difference between an arpeggio and an archipelago, I think my opinion is valid.
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As reported here and elsewhere, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigned over the weekend, effective immediately. The company itself noted “increasingly different views” between Tavares and the Board of Directors in announcing the resignation.
With the significant recent decline in Jeep sales, Stellantis is struggling in the US market, which as CNBC reports is the company’s “prime cash generator.” Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote, “The credibility of Carlos Tavares had been massively undermined by the collapse in profitability in Stellantis’ North American operations which had caused the group to slash its 2024 guidance on 30 September.”
So, what’s next for Stellantis? Again, while it is hard to believe this could happen, rumors have existed for at least a year that the company could abandon the North American market by selling Jeep and RAM and shuddering Chrysler and Dodge. How many of these will actually be produced?
This is a picture of the EV version of the 2025 Dodge Charger. Of course, Stellantis/Dodge have had to accelerate the production schedule for the ICE-powered version of the car…something about weak demand for the EV version. What a surprise!
It would be quite sad if Chrysler and Dodge were to disappear from the American automotive landscape. I write that as someone who is not a “Mopar Or No Car” person, although I am a big fan of a few Chrysler Corporation products like the second generation (1968-70) Dodge Charger.
C’est la vie…
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