Deep Thoughts

One Down, One to Go

Is ClimateGate the melt down of the Global Warming movement? Seems so.

Last Friday computer records leaked from Britain’s prestigious Climate Research Unit indicated that “…scientists modified data to fit the anthropogenic global warming theory, tried to silence dissenting opinions and reflect a concerted effort to restrict access to climate data possibly by deleting it.” So said the SF Examiner.

For several years I have written that Global Warming is scientifically silly. Harebrained “corrections” will cripple our economy. Nice to see the world catching up. Now on to the next big silliness.

We are in the grip of the worst economic contradiction and job loss since the 1930’s. Yet our country is led by a woefully inexperienced person. He seems to hate the system that made America great. With worsening unemployment, he stakes his presidency on…healthcare reform?

Talk about doing the wrong thing. The Administration should be pushing a crash program to expand private sector jobs. Lower taxes and reduced regulation are the only way to do this.

Instead, The Government gobbles up an increasing slice of our economic pie. It is now over 40 percent.

Current healthcare plans would expand government even further. When our children and grandchildren realize what we have done to them, they will never forgive us.

Is there any hope? The Dean of the Harvard Medical School just gave the health-reform debate a “failing grade,” because it increases taxes, deficits, and medical costs, while reducing lifesaving medical innovations needed to save patients’ lives.

The hope is our elected officials shift their thinking to the dean and away from the Chicago political hacks in the White House.

Here is a link to the Dean’s article.Health Reform Gets a 'Failing' Grade

AARP's Bribe to Washington

Since August, I have criticized the pending abuse of over one-fourth of all seniors on Medicare—the Medicare Advantage participants. Our “elected officials” are gutting Med Adv to pay for so-called health insurance reform.

So why has the AARP—supposedly our advocate—endorsed this harm to seniors? Here is the answer:

“The AARP got a financial windfall in return for its support of the healthcare bill. Over the past decade, the AARP has morphed from an advocacy group to an insurance company. It is one of the main suppliers of Medigap insurance, a high-cost, privately purchased coverage that picks up where Medicare leaves off. But President Bush-43 passed the Medicare Advantage program, which offered a subsidized, lower-cost alternative to Medigap. Under Medicare Advantage, the elderly get all the extra coverage they need plus coordinated, well-managed care, usually by the same physician. So more than 10 million seniors went with Medicare Advantage, cutting into AARP Medigap revenues.

“Presto! Obama solved their problem. He eliminates subsidies for Medicare Advantage. The elderly will have to pay more for coverage under Medigap, but the AARP—which supposedly represents them—will make more money.”

[From “ObamaCare Endorsements: What The Bribe Was” by Dick Morris in theHill.com, November 6, 2009.]  

Isn’t it great how our elected officials function behind closed doors as tools for business interests? And how clever businesses like AARP tout their non-profit status to milk trusting elderly “members,” then use the money to buy profitable special treatment from these same elected officials? One hand washes the other, as they say. 

But what about Medicare Advantage, itself? According to ObamaCare advocates, Med Adv is an inefficient program that unfairly profits insurance companies.

Not so, according to a study out of John Hopkins University:

> Hospital readmission rate for Medicare Advantage plans was 27 percent lower than the national average for traditional Medicare.

> Med Adv plans had preventable emergency room visit rate that was 86 percent lower than the traditional Medicare.

> On preventable inpatient admissions, Med Adv plans were 87 percent lower than traditional Medicare. Sounds like all Medicare should be Medicare Advantage!

I have little faith in The Government doing anything well, especially at a lower cost. Witness the low availability of swine flu immunizations. Now that ObamaCare will eliminate one of the few programs that actually works—Medicare Advantage—I have even less faith in The Government.  

For the John Hopkins study, go to This Article 

Live Free or Die

Years ago I was surprised to get admitted to a college in the New Hampshire wilderness. Once there, I noticed every license plate said “Live Free or Die.” So I asked the janitor what it meant.

“It’s our state motto, by Jesus,” he said in his craggy lingo. “A’yup, we don’t like being told what to do.”

For four years every passing car reminded me to “Live Free or Die.” Naturally, I became a Libertarian. My personal tenets

• All taxes are theft.

• If you don’t believe in abortion, don’t have one.

• If you don’t believe in gay marriage, don’t date people you meet in the restroom.

• And, all taxes are theft.

We humans are complex creatures. We adore free stuff, but are hard-wired to pursue self-reliance. These two tendencies might be called Liberal and Conservative.

With cable news and a Far Left Administration in Washington, our differences are more pronounced than in the 60s. The following anonymous thoughts reveal why:

If a conservative doesn’t like guns,he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn’t like guns, then no one should have one.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn’t eat meat. If a liberal is, he wants to ban all meat products for everyone.

If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy. A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly enjoy his life. If a liberal is homosexual, he loudly demands legislated respect.

If a black man or Hispanic is conservative, he sees himself as independently successful. His liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church. A liberal wants any mention of God or religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that his neighbors pay for his own and his entire extended family.

The Nefarious Agenda

The ObamaCare cat is out of the bag. Most folks get it. Our Nice Young Man president wants to expand government power. Period. Reform of health care or health insurance or whatever is just an excuse.

Current “health excuse” proposals are too complicated. We must require simplicity so everyone can understand what is being done to us. Even Congress People. This needs to happen far ahead of any voting in Washington.

We need simplicity of both content and process.

Content simplicity. What are the exact issues to be fixed?

1. Pre-existing conditions. These are code words for real consumer problems with insurance companies. They include inability to get affordable coverage and cancellation if you get something bad. But this is easily fixed. Simply allow the sale of “guaranteed insurability” riders. I have such riders on my term life insurance and my long-term care insurance. What could be simpler?

2. Equal medical care. What does this really mean?  Must healthy young people pay in?  If they are working, they are already paying into Medicare. Millions of people are eligible for public programs—example, Medicaid—but have not signed up.  We don’t need to change anything for them, do we?  If people are here illegally, do we want to pay for them, too?

Illegals are an interesting case. They may exceed 10 million. As written, current bills would indeed cover them. Ironically, these same bills would gut Medicare Advantage plans, which help mostly low-income seniors. How many? 10 million are on Medicare Advantage. So will we screw Grandma to take care of people who should not be here? Yep, that’s the deal.

3. Lower cost. Mandates, electronic medical records and a government-owned insurance company are major ideas. Mandates always drive up costs and reduce benefits. Medical record systems only tinker at the margin. So-called “public option” would eventually result in a government-only behemoth. If you like going to the DMV, you will love a massive National Health System.

The best way to lower cost would be elimination of the Medical Malpractice Industry. Here is a great job for the government.

Malpractice claims would be handled by certified medical arbitration. Awards would be limited and standardized. No more trial lawyers. Providers could lose their licenses for really bad problems. This would keep them on their toes. I think Kaiser Permanente already does this.

Process simplicity.

A. Agree on the content before doing anything.

B. Examine current pilot projects. Massachusetts is mandating coverage. How is that going? Are the costs working out? What should be different?

C. Slowly test new pilot projects. Measure the results and improve the project as necessary. Over time we can see what works and what does not. Then we shall be ready to tell Congress what health care improvements we want.

The all-or-nothing approach of ObamaCare exposes his nefarious agenda: much Bigger Government at any cost. This is a legacy we can do without.

Save Medicare Advantage Today

Please contact your Senators and Congressperson today to save Medicare Advantage. Here is why:

An older couple I know lives independently nearby. They have little savings, no pension, just Social Security.

When it came time for me to sign up for Medicare, I asked them for advice. “Medicare Advantage” was their quick answer. “Wouldn’t have anything else.” After comparison-shopping, I did the same.

Of the four and a half million Californians on Medicare, 34% are in a Medicare Advantage plan. 50% of this group have annual incomes under $20,000. Loss of these plans would be a terrible burden. I believe it would be life shortening for this older couple.

MedAdv plans are better and cheaper for several reasons. As HMOs they better coordinate—and therefore control—services than regular Medicare. Participants cannot simply get any treatment they want. (1)

MedAdv plans include aggressive preventive programs to keep participants healthy, further lowering costs. MedAdv receives more government funding because of this and because they process the paperwork for the government.

Unfortunately for all of us, the White House and the Congress plan to reduce or eliminate Medicare Advantage. This is shortsighted and harmful.

A Liberal relative likes to remind me how lucky I am that a Democrat—President Lyndon Johnson—signed the original Medicare bill. Of course, I am, and I planned my retirement with this in mind. But didn't I pay into this for 40 years?

Using my official Social Security Statement, I added up all the Medicare taxes I paid in and included 5% per year earnings.  The total was an astounding $142,636.00.

Worse yet, 10,000,000 current Medicare Advantage participants are about to suffer at the hands of politicians:

• Medicare Advantage is to be scrapped. Various bureaucratic techniques are to be implemented that control medical services. Of course, Medicare Advantage already does that. (2)
• Medicare benefits will be “means tested.” Those who saved for retirement are about to be punished. While contrary to Medicare regulation, this is too rich a source of “hidden taxation’ for the government to pass up. (3)

• QALY or “quality-adjusted life years” will be used to direct medical care away from Seniors and to younger people. The effects will be huge. (4)  

• Government Care would use QALY to “reduce access to care, pressure the elderly to end their lives prematurely, and doom baby boomers to painful later years.”  Funding to establish this has already been signed into law in the February stimulus bill. QALY formulae approve or deny medical care based on the cost of a treatment divided by the number of years that the patient is likely to benefit. In Britain, the formula leads to denying treatments for older patients who have fewer years to benefit from care than younger patients. (5)

Strangely, President Obama keeps saying “If you like your current plan, you can keep it.”

OK, Mr. President, how about it? Can we keep our Medicare Advantage? After all, I paid $142,636.00 for it.

References

(1) http://www.medicarechoices.org/medicare-information

(2) “Health Care Reform and You,” Main Editorial, NY Times, Sunday, July 26, 2009. Week in Review p. 9.  At the end of this long piece, the editors describe a negative effect for older Americans: Congress is likely to do away with Medicare Advantage plans to save some money. Yet a few sentences later it says “Obama insisted that benefits won’t be reduced, they’ll simply be delivered in more efficient ways, like better coordination of care, elimination of duplicate tests and reliance on treatments known to work.” Medicare Advantage is already doing that. The end of the editorial states “The AARP, the main lobby for older Americans, has praised the emerging bills and thrown its weight behind the cause.”

I have sold software to AARP.  It is an insurance company that pretends to be a lobbying organization! And no wonder they are “throwing their weight behind” new health bill. AARP does NOT offer a Medicare Advantage plan. 

(3) http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2009/03/09/obama-hides-medicare-means-testing-in-plain-sight--in-his-big-budget.html

(4) “Why We Must Ration Health Care,” NY Times Magazine, July 29, 2009

(5) “GovernmentCare’s Assault on Seniors” Wall St. Journal, July 30, 2009 <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204619004574320421050552730.html>

Is Obama a Racist?

Can a man of black and white heritage be a racist? Especially the President of the United States?  What is a racist, anyway?

By one definition, a racist (a) assigns negative stereotypical behavior to (b) a particular group as a whole, then (c) acts as if the group always behaves that way. Examples:

“Scotsmen are cheap. Everybody knows that.”
“Jews are greedy. That is well known.”
“We’ll all agree that African Americans are lazy.”

On July 22nd Obama did that to doctors and police officers. Specifically, he said that a Cambridge police officer answering a break-in call “acted stupidly,” because “I think we know, separate and apart from this incident, is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. And that’s just a fact.”  This is racial profiling.  
 
Less well reported was Obama’s slander that pediatricians cheat the system by telling themselves “I make a lot more money if I take this kid’s tonsils out” when not needed.
 
I just attended an outstanding seminar on Story Structure by Robert McKee. A key point was that True Character is revealed by one’s actions under pressure.  
 
Obama is certainly under pressure as his legislative agenda fails. This may be the character defining moment in Obama’s story. The irony is that both his comments were nonsense.
 
Racial profiling refers to police stopping citizens for no reason other than their apparent race. It did not apply to the Cambridge instance as the officer was responding to a 911 call.

Pediatricians, in the other example, do not perform tonsillectomies. They only refer the procedures to surgeons. Both of these examples are literally without sense; i.e., nonsense.
 
Someone who engages in nonsense is either ignorant or a fool. Since Obama was once a Harvard-educated law professor, one doubts he is ignorant.

So is Obama a racist?  No, he is just an inexperienced person who—under pressure—exposes his true nature as a foolish blamer. And who inexplicably happens to be the President.
 
Let us hope that in the future both voters and the candidates alike will heed The Master: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves,...” [Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene ii.]

Of course, as far as white cops and all pediatricians are concerned, Obama harbors racist-like prejudice.

Those Roly-Poly Bears

A long time acquaintance--let us call him “Deter”-- is a bear guy. He recently told me “I totally disagree with you about Global Warming, so we can just agree to disagree.”

Deter, Deter, what about those roly-poly bears? We can’t disagree about them.

Cinema scientist Al Gore tells us Global Warming is a “truth” like light or gravity. Such Laws of Nature simply exist; they cannot be disagreed with. Warming must be tamed to save the delicate polar bears.

Yet more and more scientists are rejecting the idea that humans cause Global Warming. Peer-reviewed articles are showing no connection between human activity and natural climate fluctuations, either up or down.
Global Warming is turning out to be a pseudo-science, like Astrology or Creationism. Anyone is free to believe in such stuff; many people do. No problem.

But a great problem occurs when false science is funded with tax money. The new bizarre carbon tax plan will cost all of us every year, forever. It will damage our fragile economy. There will be no benefit. This is a scam.  
Few of us have the training to understand Global Warming. So we simply parrot the party line. And our hearts go out to those cute, stranded polar bears.  Don’t they remind you of that lovable Teddy Snowcrop?

For the carbon tax plan to protect these cuddly little fellows, the four statements below all must be true:
a. Manmade carbon emissions are causing global warming, and
b. Such warming will drown the bears, and
c. Global carbon reduction will “correct” global warming, and
d. Taxing carbon in the US will reduce atmospheric carbon worldwide.
Based on my education and training, I conclude that this is impossible.

[Reality check: there over ten times more wild polar bears now than 50 years ago. Considering that they eat people, this may not be a good thing.]

Global Warming is not science, but a non-rational belief system. This is the definition of a religion. Warmists, such as Deter and Mr. Gore are free to practice this religion.  But our government cannot.

Funding non-rational belief movements violates the First Amendment, which begins “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”

So concludes the worship of white bear monsters.

Health and Medical Insurance

Are you confused by the current healthcare debate? We keep hearing that 47 million are uninsured and need help. Is this large number correct? And what help, exactly, do they need? Let’s explore these issues.

Question 1. How many people in the US have no health insurance? This was hard to discover, partly because people go without insurance for varying periods.

In 2008 the U.S. Government measured this. [References below] That is, who was uninsured at the time of the interview, who was uninsured for more than a year at the time of the interview, and who was uninsured for more than two years at the time of the interview. Results:

43.3 million people reported being uninsured at the time of the survey.  The average uninsurance period was 5.6 months.  Of these, 31.1 million reported being uninsured for more than a year. Only 4.75 million were uninsured for more than two years.

So why are people uninsured?
18 million of the uninsured earn more than $50,000 a year. They could afford insurance but chose not to.
14 million of the uninsured are eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP but have not enrolled.
9.7 million of the uninsured are not citizens of the United States. Most are here illegally.
1.6 million  (balance) appear to be in need of medical insurance help.

Question 2: What help do the Uninsured need?

In a TV interview on June 18, 2009, heart surgeon and retired Senator Bill Frist explained that health insurance is not health. It is only a component.  He stated that overall health was dependent on:
Behavior   40%
Genetics 30%
Social class 15%
Health Services 15%
Health insurance only helps access to health services. Thus, it only affects 15% of overall health.

Conclusions/ Suggestions:
1.  Current debate is erroneous and overstates the problem. It should reflect the honest statistics shown above.
2.  Those who can afford insurance need to be educate to buy some.
3.  Those who are eligible for programs but have not signed up need to be educated to sign up.
4. Those who are not citizens need to make their own provisions for health insurance or leave.
5. Those between jobs should be instantly enrolled in Medicaid until they find work.
6.  “Hard core” uninsured—for more than say 12 months—should be enrolled in Medicaid and be given job training.
7. Everyone needs education on maintaining health-promoting behavior.

Politicians are currently debating how to make our current health insurance system cheaper, better and faster. Unfortunately, this does nothing for The Uninsured. My suggestions use existing programs to provided solutions tailored to the specific needs of each uninsured person. Problem solved.

References:
Martinez et al., “Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January-September 2008” Centers for Disease Control, Dept. of Health and Human Services

DeNavas-Wall et al., “Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007” U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Dr. Wm. Frist Interview, Thursday June 18, 2009

<http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1158449057&play=1>

Solutions for California’s Budget Failure

On May 19th, California voters issued their mandate to control public spending.  We want no new taxes and a balanced budget. Here are some ideas to help Sacramento get the job done.

1. Mirror other state budgets. Texas, for example, spends MUCH less per citizen than we do. Lower our spending to match Texas.

2. Immediately cease all Federally mandated programs that are not funded by Washington. When the Feds complain, fight this in court.

3. Demand Federal reimbursement for services to illegal alien residents. I believe the net cost to California is more than $6 Billion annually.  This is for criminal justice. education, healthcare and other services for people who are here in violation of Federal law. Carefully audit this demand as it may be much higher. California bears this burden due to Federal dereliction of its duty to control our international borders.  If the Federal government is not forthcoming on this demand, it must be sued. The reimbursement amount needs to be paid EVERY YEAR until this problem is resolved.  And we should be paid for past years, also.

Note that California may have as many illegal alien residents as the other 49 states combined.  We are being unfairly burdened with this problem.

4. Roll back state employee headcount to the level before Gov. Schwarzenegger took office. During his tenure the State payroll grew by thousands while total legal residents declined.

5.  Adjust compensation for those remaining state employees to match other states, such as Texas. Many are highly overpaid. For example, it recently was revealed that  EMTs in Moraga, California were making over $200,000 a year!

6. Reduce teacher employment by increasing classroom size. Couple this with enforced codes of student conduct to make these larger classes easier to manage.

7. Cease programs such as global warming abatement and state attempts at healthcare reform. These need to be argued at the Federal level. Involvement at the State level is a luxury and a waste of scarce resources.

8. Mothball the high-speed train. All future work on this project is to be paid for with private funds.

9. Lease offshore petroleum extraction. This will bring in an extra Billion or so every year.

A number of other structural changes are necessary to repair California.

10. Institute a massive marketing effort to bring back business to California.  Streamline permitting and regulation.  Eliminate as many fees as possible.  Eliminate ALL fees that are simply taxes. Eliminate corporate income tax. We must become the absolutely easiest State in the Union in which to do business.

11. Adopt a maximum annual public expenditure per each legal resident. This amount is to be no more than the average amount of the other 49 states. Sacramento can levy income taxes only up to this amount.

12. Change the California Constitution so all programs are sunsetted after five years. Nothing can be allowed to go on forever.

13. Outlaw State raids on County and local tax revenues.

14. Modify the California initiative process so that each new referendum or proposition is funded by cutting a previously implemented program.  Zero new taxes would be allowed. Issuing bonds to fund programs would no longer be allowed.

15. Much of our problem is caused by career politicians indirectly paying off supporters with public funds through pet programs. Stop this with strict, short term limits.

16. Since the legislature will then have many more new members, institute mandatory financial training before these newly elected officials are allowed to take their seats in Sacramento. This financial training would include balancing a budget, how the economy works and an in-depth knowledge of all of the above principles. Returning legislators would be required to pass this course, also.

17. Prop 1F needs to go a step further. The primary job of the California legislature is construct the budget. If a balanced budget is not submitted on time for the Governor’s approval, all legislators would be permanently dismissed with no further pay. The budget would then be constructed and implemented solely by the Governor.

State employees at all levels may chaff at these solutions. Nevertheless, they are necessary to move us back to the true meaning of “public service”.

Chuck Carroll
California Resident

Cars We Loved

Those of us who went to high school in the late 50s coveted Detroit’s best offerings. Check out these cars, then see a few recollections that follow.

Cars We Loved - click here

57 Chev 
Bill Ashurst had a two-door sedan version. It was mfg’d as a salesman’s car so it had no back seat, only a flat floor covered with rubber matting.  We always teased Bill that he and his date could get back there and roll around. Instead, Bill rolled the car.

Bill also pranged his first car, a 49 Ford sedan. He was driving with Pat Ritz, out selling for George The Eggman. Somehow, Bill lost it in the hills of Danville, crossed the line, slammed into a hillside, and then popped back on the road. His door flew open, ejecting Bill into the ditch, where he scampered along on all fours at 30 mph. Pat careened across the seat, grabbed the wheel on his way by and took over the driving! Bill suffered multiple cuts and discomfort.

Bill also delivered for George The Eggman in a Divco milk truck. One drove this thing standing up, so the braking was via a big lever on the left.  As Bill pulled the lever down he also would push the steering wheel up with his other hand. Braking in the milk truck included an unintended left turn.

This was not Bill’s fault. I tried it and did the same thing.  And you haven’t lived until you have shifted a worn out milk truck while driving standing up.

57 Chev - Part 2
I was the delivery boy for Maguire’s Pharmacy in 1958/59. Bob Nye passed the job to me. Many fun vehicles, including a pair of matching 57 Chev two doors, each with the straight 6 and 3 speed manual.  I would drag race other guys in these while I was out delivering.

60 Plymouth Fury
Carolyn Kellaway had one of these. Had the push button tranny on the dash. Wallowed like a motorboat, dangerously grabby brakes and the steering wheel felt connected to nothing. No wonder Chrysler is finally going broke.

Carolyn and I once went on a double date in this car. Dick Telford went with her and I dated the daughter of first baseman Ferris Roy Fain. Michelle Fain was an American classic and ahead of her time. Built like the proverbial brick out building, she loved to prance around her neighborhood in a bikini with man’s shirt thrown over her shoulders. This was the late 50s and nobody had ever seen a bikini. I recall she wore a knit dress on our date and that was about it. The rest is a blur…

And oh yes: Deep bow to Carolyn for the 39 Buick project.

59 Impala
My dad bought 61 version of this car for my bro’s to drive. Sears had just started selling Michelin tires so we put those on it. The monster could corner.

58 Edsel Citation Convertible
Another drug store delivery boy memory. This is the exact model I drove as often as I could. Top down, Raybans, the sun creating scalp cancer thru my crew cut.

It had the shift buttons in the center of the steering wheel and a bathroom scale speedometer. One night out on Wiget I redlined it in 1st gear all the way to 69 mph. Then the engine blew up. Oh no!  I’m dead!! But I had only floated the valves, which quickly returned to service. That was a learning experience.

56 Chev 210
My folks had a station wagon of this model and color. I had read in The Reader's Digest that many jet fighter pilots had taught themselves to drive before high school by just taking out the family car. Hey, I could be a pilot. So I took off one night in the 8th Grade.  Did fine until that tree jumped out in front of me. $500.00 damages and killed the tree. But I drove home!

58 Chev Brookwood
Bought one of these station wagons very used at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland in 1965. Then drove it back to Calif. It was quite zippy. In one 3-hour stretch in Nevada I covered over 280 miles.

58 De Soto
Company car of Dick Telford’s dad.  I recall this thing had a 345 hemi with a 4 barrel carb. Back then one never honked, we simply “burned out”. Driving thru the WC Shopping Center Dick spotted some girls and floored it. Unfortunately, at that moment I was gulping a Hokie’s shake, which blasted into both my ears. 

Strange that Dick showed off for the girls. RIP, my friend.

59 Mercury
My Dad owned one a few years later than this. A freeze plug rotted out while I was driving Grandma and my wife Nannette in it in the Berkeley Hills. Pop drove it home, then fixed it himself. This is detailed in my family memoir, The Boy Mechanic.

1956 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville
My Dad owned this exact model. I think I used it one Christmas to deliver parcels for the post office and my  Brother Dick later used it to deliver newspapers to CC Times paperboys. This thing had a trunk.

1960 Imperial Crown Convertible
A senior year girl friend Debbie Dean’s mom had something similar: a white Chrysler 300F Convertible. This monster had a 413 ci V8 putting out 380 hp.  It was hard to jockey around on fire roads during after dark events. So I would have Debbie go on ahead with a flashlight to avoid going over a cliff. Not good in a convertible.

We really enjoyed her mom loaning us the car as Debbie was taller than I. When we went out in my 40 Ford coupe, we occasionally had to open both doors for “clearance”. (Those of you with hyper-memory will recall that my 40 was rodded up by Barry Bertanni. Debbie kept company with Barry at that time. She really liked that 40 Ford.)

1959 Ford Thunderbird
This was my car when I met my wife Nannette! After my 63 Rambler suffered a timing gear failure, I traded it broken to a friend who worked in a service station. He had just fixed up the tranny on a hardtop version of this same Thunderbird and gave it to me for $225 plus the Rambler.  (Don’t laugh at the Rambler. It came with a Chevy 348 V8 with a 4-barrel carb. Very fast although it looked dorky.)

1960 Dodge Dart Pioneer
This was not a good car. Way too big for its little 6 cyl engine. Rich Railton had a 61 or so Dodge Polara when I came back from college. 413 ci V8. It was what the CHP used. One night we were testing its aerial capabilities in the Walnut Knolls. We found that 70 mph over a hill on Blackwood Drive gave us a some air. It’s a bird, it’s a plane!

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
I wish I had experience with this car, but I do not. I recall it came with some aluminum body parts, like my current little Lincoln LS. In fact my Lincoln has a solid aluminum V6 engine, block and heads both. And the engine is DOHC. I wonder if any of the owners actually know that?

52 Chev Styleline
My maternal grandfather was a Ford dealer before the Depression. After being royally screwed by Ford, he drove Chevies for the rest of his life. He had a 1950 version of this car. Whenever he drove, he chain smoked cigars down to their stubs, then finished them off in a corncob pipe.

On the weekends he parked on a sloping lane, which ran into Main Street. I discovered that depressing the clutch let the car roll forward until I pulled up my foot. So I put my younger brother Dick on the roof and Little Jimmy next to me on the front seat. We were having the greatest ride in little 2-foot segments when the adults spotted us. They were so scared we didn’t even get whipped. I was eight years old.

1954 Mercury Sun Valley
Strange to see this boring car here, but my Brother Jim had the two-door version. He and his pal Bruce would line it up heading south on the RR tracks where they crossed Walker near the WC Safeway. Then they would idle along in Low at 4 or 5 mph down the tracks, sitting on the roof, drinking beer and waving at the horsey girls in Danville. Ah the good old days…