The Information Super-Frog

A New Car! Not for me though.
Beth asked me along for support and company as she bought a new car. She'd researched well, and was conflicted between getting the Honda Fit and the Honda Civic Hybrid. The Hybrid is significantly more expensive and smaller, but hey, it's a hybrid, which Beth found a strong inherent draw. The fact that she couldn't fit her bike in it was what finally made her decide to go for the Fit. She likes how it drives better as well. Beth has driven her 1990 Toyota Corolla which she bought new for 17 years; I said by the time she's ready for her next new car the hybrid technology should be more common and less expensive. She didn't seriously consider the Toyota Prius because of the high tech digital dashboard; if the computor goes out there, nothing works.

The new Fit seems well designed; I'd be tempted to get one were I in the market for a new car. I've never bought new; my Mazda is the first car I've had which dated from the current decade. --No wait, now I recall that's not quite true; for a short time in the late '70s I drove an early '70s AMC Gremlin. That was after an old lady plowed her Mercedes into my early '60s Chevy. They had to tow the Mercedes away; the Chevy looked like an accordion but still drove. Without major accident, I bet that early '60s Chevy would still be driving today-- but when was the last time you saw an AMC Gremlin on the road? Folks who wonder why the USA started gobbling up Japanese cars need look no further than the junk Detroit was turning out in the '70s.

Celebrations
This week I celebrated my birthday. Beth had suggested a pool get together, but as it was raining, I took a rain check and saw "Sicko" with Hollie, then Beth and Hollie treated me to dinner at Lebanon's Cafe. I felt very content on my birthday.

Bastille Day I went to Laurel Street Bakery and had quiche for breakfast. In the evening was the Bastille Day Tumble (illustrated in previous post). We honor the day by playing music going from bar to bar in the French Quarter, with a stop to play the Marseillaise at the statue of Joan of Arc.

Moving Day
Sunday I went to a friend's moving sale. Dana is another victim of rising post-K living costs. After almost 2 years of trying, she reluctantly now can't support herself adiquately on similar work to before the Federal Flood Disaster, so she was getting rid of pretty much everything that she can't fit in the car, with plans to drive out and try to find a better life somewhere else, location to be determined. Sorry to see her go. Good sangria at the moving sale.

Also
I dove into consumerism myself this week, and joined the iPod People. I also got a cable infotainment superhighway hookup.

Later today we may be redeeming the rain delayed pool splash.

ragtimematt recently wrote "It was 1947 at my house today."

I think part of my neighborhood had that beat by at least 20 years earlier today.

A bunch of Ford Model "T" s were lined up for some movie they're filming in the Carrollton neighborhood, and an old style rotating "stop/go" sign was set up on the corner.

I took a couple of quick pics on my way elsewhere. Sorry I couldn't get any shots without modern traffic.

It's good to see them filming around here again. (Parts of the recent remake of "All The King's Men" were filmed in this area as well. I'm sad to hear that the film didn't turn out as well as expected, but I'll be sure to rent it when it comes out on dvd to see the neighborhood scenes if nothing else.)

( The Pre-Depression Era Returns to Carrollton Avenue: 4 photos )