p.s. — A Hundred and Frist!

I served with citizens of Canada, the Phillippines, and one was from an African nation that I can’t remember right now (I think it was Senegal–been 20 years now, so my memory isn’t what it used to be). They all joined to get citizenship.

Nono, the 97 is the model designation for the Sonett, introduced in 1966. It’s the ‘Saab 97.’

This kind of nomenclature causes amazing Abbott-and-Costello routines when I try to order parts for my 99 Turbo, which is a car built in the year 1978, whose model is ‘99,’ badged only with the word, ‘turbo.’

But column and dash ignitions were standard until the 99, introduced in ‘69.

Turning? I thought that was you, Mick.

The estate is a fun, funky oddball of a car, but the coupe is a classic. Fuel injection was introduced in 1970, thus the 1800e— the wagon introduced in the next year is the 1800es. Admittedly, the ‘70 is less classic than the carburated or, better yet, cowhorn-bumpered models, but there you go.

And yes, I know Saab recently dallied with a column ignition housing, but come on, am I wrong about the Saab enthusiasts? Didn’t exactly greet the change with open arms, now did they?

And no, I don’t think anyone (outside the NRO corral) is seriously suggesting Markos has completed his mountaintop mind-control ray. He does, however, seem to have made a rather ham-fisted attempt at spin control via back channels. And this is what I find odd about the man— for someone who has worked as a political consultant, he seems from time to time to be astoundingly oblivious as to what sort of response his statements or methods are likely to generate.

I mean, do you think it’s more likely that his Townhouse email was leaked to TNR by a supar-secrat right-wing mole, or by a lefty who thought Moulitsas seemed to be overreaching, or perhaps just a bit too full himself, when he requested silence on a matter which, while embarrassing, had little if anything to do with current poliblogotics before Kos tried to put a moratorium on it?

Oh Christ, hold everything.

Cars plus an ever more mulish contrariness…

…am I turning into Mickey Fucking Kaus?

Aha! That’s where you err, Volvo enthusiast — because the 97 Sonett was introduced much later than ‘52. and had the ignition housing on the column!

Seriously, if we’re talking about any direct control by Markos Moulitsas over the blogosphere-as-a-whole, I never heard a word about such a thing until TNR started raising this bizarre hue and cry. Most independent bloggers rarely even link to Daily Kos, and vice versa. It’s like two separate worlds that overlap in a few contingent areas.

So wait, was the p1800e the coupe or the wagonback?

A quick googling later, turns out that many of the Blackwater USA “contractors” are actually former Chilean special-ops guys. (Another corporate mercenary outfit, Triple Canopy, recruits Salvadoran police and military.) In other words, it looks similar because those guys are Pinochet’s old death-squad types.

I’d like to now request that, prior to eating shit and dying, Gary suck on this and like it: most of your precious mercenary tribesman… aren’t.

My deepest and most humble apologies.

I am, of course, one of those Volvo guys. It was quite a coup when I found a way to get my hands on all-red replacement taillight lenses for my ‘70 p1800e, instead of the now federally mandated red-and-yellow.

A coup, I tell you.

The thing is, though, that finding a message on that politics list from Kos urging silence on Armstrong’s stock touting is like… (warning: analogy abuse ahead) is like finding a message on a Saab list urging people not to say anything about a report that ten kilos of dope were found concealed in the front fenders of a ‘52 97B. Sure, you’d be able to guess that the list members were all fans of floor-mounted ingnition housing, but with a weird “mum’s da woid” message in there like that, you’d sort of wonder if there weren’t a few other mobster types on the list as well, and maybe a little crimes-chat mixed in with the usual gearhead gibber-jabber.

As a 20 year vetern of the Navy I can definitely say that you do not have to be a United States Citizen to join the American Armed Forces. I have served along side citizens from England, Australia and the Philipines. Now, you’re not going to get a top secret clearance or hold a sensitive job but yes you can serve the U.S.

What’s the word or phrase I want here? It isn’t oxymoron exactly. Hmmm. Specious logic? Failure to think through to the end of the sentence?

Now, it’s the Volvo guys you really have to watch for. Those dudes are no good.

That’s a mind numbing way of putting it. (Seriously you said Saab and mailing list. Hey Presto! My brain turned off)

That there is a email list of Democratic bloggers, activists, and whoknowswhats is about the least surprising thing about this. Seriously. When Tacitus started name dropping Townhouse over here over the Online integrity thing, my first reaction was “Duh..” And you know what? Duh. Bloggers communicate outside of their blogs. Again. Duh.

I

There are like eleven hundred zillion mailing lists on the Internet. For instance, for about ten years, I’ve been on a list for people with ’70s and ’80s Saabs.

There’s also a list for people with really old Saabs from the ’50s and ’60s. And from pure osmosis, without being on that list, I can pretty much know who’s on it and what they talk about. Like the Jack Ashcroft conversions to the Ford-built V4 that came in the post-stroker Saab 96 and the Sonett III. Or the problems with the Triumph engine fitted to the early Saab 99. Et cetera. It’s BORING if you’re not into that sort of thing. I could bore people ALL DAY with that stuff.

(For instance, did you know that the 96 was made with a fiber or plastic timing gear? That sucker often needs to be replaced by an aftermarket metal gear. Strokers are reputed to have engine-block problems, but the real issue is oil starvation from owners not adding oil to the fuel tank. Tom Donney is a legendary and ancient Saab dealer. Belgian-made 99s rust faster than those made in Trollhatten or Malmo.)

Right. So this item comes out in the New Republic saying the equivalent of, “The VSAAB mailing list for old Saab enthusiasts is controlling the entire Swedish-car-enthusiast community through corruption and strong-arm tactics.” And it’s like, That’s ridiculous. What is this guy, on crack? If that were happening, we’d certainly hear of it before that guy did.

Or insert suitable equivalent.

Now, it’s the Volvo guys you really have to watch for. Those dudes are no good.

Hold on.. Maybe I was thinking of “penis in a lobster pot”……
Yeah, that’s the one!