Actually, In Some Ways This is Not Frightening

Inflation, that is.

Because, I've lived it before. It was the extended event of my early adult life. I graduated in 1969 (No jokes, please. I had 4 years of laughter and applause in high school, every time they announced our class. It took me until junior year to realize why.)

In the first few months after graduation, jobs were so plentiful, that HR people would 'claim' candidates right after they exited the elevators. I had a friend show up for a job as a secretary She was asked whether she could type or take dictation. When she replied, "No", the net question was, "Well, do you think you could do the job anyway?"

Her confident "Of course I can!" was certainly a factor in getting the job, but it was also the fact that the company was desperate to fill the position.

Very soon after, the job market dropped sharply. My first job search had been short and successful, but subsequent ones were lengthy and expensive.

Today's grads have no clue. They, like me, expected to find work. In today's job market, they have one of the best opportunities they may ever have. For marginal candidates (those with weak credentials/lack of training or education/spotty job records, criminal records/substance abuse issues), their best bet may be to grab a job - anything - perform well, and hunker down.

The future will likely NOT be as favorable.

If you have a house, stay there. Refi at a lower rate, if possible. The only exception to that rule is if you live in a large city or near one. But, be careful about relocating to the boonies. Distance work may not continue to be available for that much longer. You wouldn't want to get stuck in an area with few local jobs, AND a mortgage. If you decide to do it anyway, have a backup source of income/skills that could bridge the gap.

If you are planning to sell, do so, before rising interest rates cut out many of your potential buyers. You might want to be careful about buying a home that's at the top of your price range. With an unpredictable economy, having a little wiggle room is a good idea.

As always, prep - food, water, tools, cash money, and ways of bringing in income (Some have skills, like trapping, fishing, or hunting. Or, have some knowledge and the means to make barterable items - alcohol, pot, firewood, dried food.)

Inflation is the enemy of civilization.

Sick Doggie!

I had a scare last night. Our new doggie (Chino, inherited from my daughter), 13 years old, stopped pooping, and was sluggish and moving slowly. Last night, after taking him out, he peed twice, then headed back to the house, without continuing our walk.

Once inside, he moved with his back arched like a bridge, very slowly, back to our bed. I tried to coax him to sit next to me, but he just stayed on the fuzzy blanket, with his head down. He didn't eat any of the food in his bowl.

I was very concerned. I talked to my husband, and we weighed the benefits of trying to find a 24 hour vet. We decided to keep an eye on him, and call the vet in the morning.

He was moving better in the morning. I decided to open a can of soft food, and skip the dry food mix. He scarfed it up, then went back to bed.

About an hour later, I shook his leash, and said, "Want a walk?" He trotted into the kitchen, and we headed out.

Once out, he kept pausing to eat some grass. He didn't seem to want a long walk, just relieved himself (and, FINALLY, after two days, did a #2). When we returned, he went back to bed, and is alert, but lying down.

I'm vastly relieved. I hate to imagine how tough it would have been to have to tell my daughter that her baby had gone to doggie heaven.

The Third Rail of Higher Education Discussions

Student Loans.

I understand the passion with which people hold the idea that young people need to 'Follow their Dreams'. Every school in the country is FILLED with posters to that effect. The stories that are told on various 'Days' and assemblies are, likewise, a testament to the paradigm.

But, do students NEED to dedicate their lives to Art, Music, Social Work, Politics, Communications, and NGOs that purport to keep the world from crushing the 'underprivileged'?

I think not.

Now, volunteers - in the early days, mostly of the female variety - did, in fact, make major differences to their communities. Oh, sure, those activities often doubled as a social status indicator - Junior League, garden clubs, League of Women Voters, museum docents, to name a few of the type - but, they also changed a new country, providing various important social and cultural services, without adding to the tax burden on the state.

They did this without having the educational credentials. They were generally not college-educated - some had been home-schooled, others given basically a finishing school type of curriculum. Few were in any way qualified for a paid position. But, due to the fact that they didn't charge for their efforts, they managed to provide some pretty impressive services at a low cost.

Were some of them working at tasks that were the equivalent of a worker in an unskilled job? Absolutely. But, keep in mind, that a certain number of them were, in fact, people with no marketable skills. Most did their work as a public service, and, probably, a way to socialize with other women, while exuding an air of 'selflessness'. Some enjoyed the gossip, the exclusivity of the organizations, and the chance to get out of the house in a more meaningful way than social visits.

For some, it gave them a way to engage in conversation around the dinner table, something to talk about when asked about their lives (beyond children, church, and spouse).

Many people don't remember it, but The Feminine Mystique argued for women to be able to use their unpaid volunteer work as a criteria for employment experience, should they decide to return to paid work after their children were grown. Betty Friedan did NOT envision that the average woman would be working full-time, or even in regular part-time hours.

But, primarily, those jobs - in educational SUPPORT in schools, in the various art SUPPORT activities, in running charity efforts - were NOT intended to be paid jobs, nor needing a special expertise other than on-the-job training.

Now, the person administering the money might need special training. Those who provide skilled services (firefighters, teachers, medical/nursing personnel) do need the training/education for their jobs.

But, not the volunteer.

MOST of the growth in NGOs is due to the fact that so many of those formerly volunteer jobs are now paid and institutionalized. Those are the jobs that are requiring degrees - even advanced degrees - just to put a foot in the door.

Those are the jobs that are so sought after, that they can pay their employees a pittance - even classify the jobs as 'intern positions' and pay NOTHING for the work. Those are the jobs that today's students are told are REALLY valuable, more important that those 'grubby' jobs in business or science.

So, what's the answer?

Any student funding - whether public or private - has to be tied to employability. By that, I mean, that after a short time of being the 'new kid' at the office, that job should be able to provide a decent salary - sufficient income to allow that graduate to pay back their loans.

How does that affect non-public student tuition assistance?

Any money that has to be paid back should be sufficiently offset by the average earning capacity in that job. If they cannot realistically pay it back within 10 years or so, they don't qualify for the loan. And, for rich parents, make them co-sign a loan that is NOT guaranteed or interest-subsidized.

Any aid has to be looked at in terms of what the student will need to complete that degree (or, if one of the many degrees that require graduate or professional education, that amount of assistance is also calculated in) So, no more giving the first couple of years of assistance to a student, then forcing them onto the pricey loan market, should they want to complete their degree (a common ploy for financial aid offices).

How would this happen?

Easiest way I can think of is to find out what that kid is aiming for, look at the projections for future employment and multiple the expected earnings for the first 10 years, and set a limit, based on that, on what that kid can get from financial aid - both tuition and housing. 

That limitation also applies to the rich kids. Their parents will have to raid their investments, or set up a college fund. They will no longer be able to borrow money from public sources to save themselves some interest on those loans.

And, common tactic, if they BUY a condo for their kid to live in while in school, that contribution is counted towards the limitation.

If a student wants to change majors, or otherwise add to the time in school, that limit holds. They could re-set that limit at any time, by dropping out for a few semesters, living at home, and putting all cash into repayment, thereby reducing or eliminating that factor.

I would expect that would do a lot to get kids to focus their future goals in a more realistic manner.

I'm all for people tackling socially important jobs. Both my husband and myself (and our youngest daughter) were science teachers (focusing on PHYSICAL science, the sub-category with the most openings). My eldest daughter is a special ed teacher, a field that is desperate for teachers in just about every market in the country.

Nurses are also in high demand, as are many health science tech positions. Ironically, nurses often have more money than doctors, as their training is shorter, and generally less expensive. So, many people may want to forego the status of the title "Dr." for the better financial position of the other health care jobs.

It means that science or math would-be teachers would qualify for more financial aid. It means that HARD business ed majors - finance, economics, accounting, and the like - would get more money than 'Business Communications' or Marketing.

If a university wants more students in some not-very-well-paid departments, they better be prepared to fork over some cash from their endowments. Non-tuition costs will need to be reigned in, as well. No more fancy fitness centers, conference centers, diversity programs. Or, for that matter, many of the administrative positions. Gotta keep the costs down.

Why We Should NOT Break Up the USA

I know, I know. I'm also a huge fan of the Kelly Turnbull books.

BUT, there are good reasons NOT to split apart, and Steve Sailer addresses them.

The Left have managed to populate a wide swath of the most defensible territory - coasts, the coastal hills/mountains, and the Great Lakes borders. The Red states are:

• Plains - a LOT of them. And, Poland and Ukraine are excellent examples of why that terrain is NOT good for keeping your country from being steamrolled by an aggressor. All the Blues would have to do is to use Canada as a waypoint to mass their weapons, send them over the sparsely populated border, and split the USA in half. Think Canada wouldn't do it? Canada leans considerably Left of the USA, even with Biden in charge.
• South - in some cases, considerably south of the Great Lakes (containing ONE-FIFTH of the WORLD'S FRESH WATER). All they would have to do to bring the Red to their knees is to shut off the access to water.
• The Ohio River does feed into the Mississippi, and it's in Red-leaning areas. But, from the rivers flowing into the Ohio, and all along the way to the New Orleans delta region, it's an easy target for the Blues to jam it up and keep us from using it for shipping, irrigation, and drinking water. Read your Civil War history about the campaign to control the Mississippi to see how easy it is to disrupt the Mississippi's commerce. Remember, they don't have to take it over to stop the shipments.
• Swamp-lands abound in the Gulf and southern East Coast. They are vulnerable to hurricanes, which takes their people out of any action. TX gets hurricanes, tornados, and flooding - in GOOD years. The Blues would be sending guns to the border, between TX and Mexico, which would tie up a lot of fighters in that location.

Now, there are defensible Red places:

• Appalachia - and, that place is filled with hostiles, many of them quite adept with guns.
• The Rockies - all along the West Coast, the Blueness stops not very far inland. Well before you hit the mountains, your people are Crimson.
• The Smokies, the Allegheny mountains, the Sierra Nevadas. Lesser ranges - the Adirondacks, the Cascades, and the Ozarks.

In just about every country I can think of, the Hill/Mountain people are the ones that rebel against central governments. They are generally left alone as much as possible. When the national government does try to control the hillbillies, it often isn't a pretty sight - the Taliban are, in fact, the Hill People of Afghanistan. And, we all know how well that went.

It's not that it is all impossible, but it would be long and filled with death. A better solution is to starve the central government of money, and fortify the state/local governments by empowering them to resist federal encroachment of their rights.

Not as soul-stirring, not as quickly definitive, but something within our power to do, and a way to keep the USA intact.

The 'Magic" Words That Throw a Spotlight on Complete B$

Any variation on these words, that indicate a source is anonymous.

If someone in government believes a story to be true, but is NOT willing to put his/her name on it, it's self-serving B$.

Perhaps there should be a rule that ALL stories that do not cite a source directly need to be printed in bright RED ink (or the web equivalent of ink). I think you would find that MOST stories with a political slant are scarlet.

Drip, Drip, Drip - the Truth Continues to Trickle Out

It's been slow - VERY slow. The Official Media and the Leftist Powers have be working together to keep the facts about the 2020 election from becoming widely known.

They continue to throw up half-truths and complete lies, and, I hate to say it, the average person is simply not savvy enough to see through their Official Story about the Cleanest, Most Honest Election, Evah!

Say It Loud, Say It Proud - Lia Thomas is a MAN

And, MEN have NO business being in FEMALE athletic competitions. Follow the link to read a more cogent explanation of why this is a non-starter.

It's Unfair.

It's Demoralizing to Actual Women.

It will destroy Women's Sports.

And, it is a devastating form of Sexual Harassment.

What HB 1557 Really Is

It basically says that schools cannot inject inappropriate content about sex and gender to children too young to understand.

Not "Don't Say Gay!"

It just leaves the decision about when to have that conversation to the parents.

Not the school.

There are few children who will not become exposed to information - true or false - in the course of growing up. There are VERY FEW CHILDREN who are so sheltered from the world that they don't hear about it in the normal course of life.

At that point, when they have questions, it is the PARENTS' job to tell them, in a age-appropriate way.

Not by bringing in often truly scary-looking drag queens to read to them. There are parents who are OK with that (and I really DO have to wonder at their sanity), and that is THEIR choice. Any parent who feels that a child is deprived without hearing their kit lit from a bad Dolly Parton imitation can arrange it.

And, the above person is NOT the scariest one of the bunch. In Drag Queen comparisons, that person looks relatively normal.

Now, Disney Corp. has injected itself into the fight against parents determining how their kids are raised. Disney is solidly on the side of The Woke and Aware.

From the same Ace of Spades post linked above:

Chadwick Moore makes a devastating point: the Groomer Corporation Disney's business partner the Chinese Communist Party literally has a straight-up No Gays Allowed rule.

They've imposed a "No Sissy Men" rule for TV, movies, the internet, advertising, everything.

China forbids depicting effeminate-looking -- "gay" looking -- men anywhere.

But the Groomer Corporation Disney says nothing about China's obviously anti-gay censorship policies.

Further information about the Disney Corporation, and their Woke agenda, which also targets People of Pallor for special attention, at City Journal.

A Possible Solution

The swimmers on Lia Thomas's team have complained about "her" strutting around the locker room, with the Long & Danglies hanging out for all to see - and, in a semi-aroused state, at that.

Naturally, the university has jumped in to protect the vulnerable cis-women.

I kid, I kid.

The university has come squarely down on the side of the former MALE swimmer, declaring that HER nude display of "FEMALE" cock & balls is NOT a problem.

So. The females on the team need to talk to the guys, and ask that they declare themselves female for practice sessions, and use the Female locker room.

The females can use the empty Male room.

Let Lia see how comfortable she is, surrounded by FEMALE cock.

Fighting the Visceral Response

We all have it - I'm sure the emotional response is located deep back in the primitive brain. I fall prey to it - we all do, on occasion.

The stories coming out of the Russia-Ukraine war fed into our desire to see the 'Little Guy' shove back against 'The Bully'.

Fight that response. Distrust ALL that you hear from the Old Media.

That's why Sarah A. Hoyt's post is one that needs to be shared - widely - and our responses need to be tempered by the FACT that we are being manipulated emotionally by the Entitled Elite.

Why would Putin risk putting his economy in freefall?

Because he stands to clear out a LOT of the moneyed oligarchy that form opposition to him. If he causes them to crash, he can pick up the pieces.

Don't forget - the actual RESOURCES and manufacturing infrastructure remain, after all the owners are cleaned out. And, they may have little alternative than to try to save some small part of their wealth in a fire sale.

Guess who the buyer would be? Putin and his allies who are going for the whole pot.

THAT'S why Putin is so cautious about allowing ANYONE to get close to him physically. He knows that his enemies, whom he is deliberately bankrupting, would gladly take him out.

He's not paranoid - he is realistic.

Some Thoughts on Power

Some observations:

• No, Might DOESN'T Make Right, but it CAN overpower it, if the Might is unevenly distributed.
• Oppressive governments always work to make Might unevenly distributed. Governments of the People work to put Might in the hands of the People. That's the idea behind the 2nd Amendment, which makes all other rights possible.
• War is no longer always on the side of the biggest and best-armed battalions. This link to a TikTok video shows that Information is the New Power. It's Guerrilla Warfare for the 21st Century.
• When it comes to basic common sense, Trump still has the ability to put it into words. Being able to define what is YOURS with a border is the essential factor that permits you to claim YOURS.
• Leftists talk a good game about Claiming the Power, but what they generally mean is, "Those OTHER people with stuff should have it taken from them". They never mean that the principle will affect their lives. They still expect Power, Position, and Privilege for themselves.
• Putin has tried the "Make it SO!" approach to World Domination. He put people in the position of not daring to give him their honest assessment of field readiness. And, he seems to not have learned from the brutal lessons in Afghanistan - a defensive guerrilla war will often outlast the aggressor - assuming basic guns and low-level arms are widely available. Today's Russian soldiers are the children of those who experienced their country's betrayal in that region before. They may fold under pressure. Please read the story at the link - it is both heartbreaking and infuriating.
• Small things can change history - this effort to keep Republicans from office is abusing the Constitution's 14th Amendment for political purposes. The so-called insurrection was not; a legitimate and lawful protest that was hijacked by government-directed plants should not suffer from those unlawful acts. Make a note of the above link, and share it widely on social media and hard copy (Right-click on the page, and Save to PDF. Make copies, and put them around the public places you hang out in - libraries, grocery stores, coffee shops, employee lunch tables, public restrooms).
• Now, this is a promising turn of events, and may reduce the UN's toadying to Russia. Nice use of legalism to get your objective.

[Update] - just saw this assessment from Rubio, and have to question it. Rubio is in the stinkin' paws of the Deep State, and has little background on distinguishing truth from blatant lies, when it comes to judging the "Intelligence Community".