Part of a Solution for Violent People with Mental Illnesses

I'm not generally a proponent of forcing people to take drugs. However, in the case of people who act violently (or, SERIOUSLY antisocially - throwing feces, screaming at strangers, exposing themselves or defecating in public, for example), I'm willing to compromise.

This suggestion is worthy of further exploration. Treat mental illness medications like you do drug tests - mandatory compliance if that person wants to be released from confinement and remain out of there.

Astroturf in Action

Namely, the DeSantis campaign to win the GOP nomination.

90% of the "News" and "Grassroots Excitement" is Astroturfed. Actual crowds that are motivated by organic excitement are rare - a substantial part of the Trump appeal is that voters believe the crowds are authentic. Whether all of them are (or are not, I have no evidence either way), they certainly seem to be honest supporters.

DeSantis is a PR person's Wet Dream. He is young, with a presentable wife and family, projects an earnest and honest persona, and has not had any of his failings hit the news. Do I think there is likely scandal in his past?

Of course! No human is perfect, and I suspect that he has committed the average number of either dumba$$ actions or shady sins. It's to be expected - as is the response by the news media to any suggestion of a problem, which is to sweep it under the rug.

For now. That's what October is for, silly! To bring out all of the dirt/rumor/outright lies/bought-and-paid-for media whores, and dump it all on the 6 pm News, complete with the talking heads spewing the planned and focus-group tested talking points.

For me, my plan is to vote Trump. He may be a scoundrel personally, but his ACTIONS when in office were solidly on the side of anti-Leftism. That's it, for me.

Is It Time to Use the Tools We Have Been Handed?

Like Congressional subpoena of Presidential tax records? The admission of Hunter Biden that the laptop was, indeed, his, gives us a reason. And the case against President Trump, that resulted in turning over tax records, is what lawyers call precedent.

Trust the Science! Or, maybe ask a few inconvenient questions about that "Science".

This should concern all of us who write, whether or not we are being paid for our work, or not. This blatant at TECHNICALLY Non-Censorship, as it is being undertaken by politically-linked groups, using the power of government to "nudge" non-governmental actors to deplatform, blacklist, and defund those opposing them (and, COMPLETELY COINCIDENTALLY, the party in power).

Check out other articles from The Federalist. They have some very well-written, and well-reasoned, commentary on our cultural and political life.

And, when the newly-Not-Leftist Congress does their investigative work, they need to make a point of releasing it to Non-Leftist sites, and reminding Americans just where they can find that Not-Leftist-Biased site.

The War Against the Left is NOT over; it's barely begun the fight. It will take YEARS to dislodge the Left from their tentacled government/NGO/Institutional nests.

But, short-term, one of the best ways to get them on the road is to cut off funding:

• Reduction of Government. Eliminate at least 10% of every agency, bureaucracy, and department. Start with Staff Functions (Line Functions are those that bring in money or are directly related to the mission of the organization's core function, Staff Functions are Operating Expenses, and COST the organization money, without bringing any in). Yes, this WILL hit women's jobs more severely - there are more women than men in staff jobs, more men than women in line jobs.
• IRS Over-reach.
• Have the head of the agency (once you've replaced the current holder of the job with someone Not-Left) put an immediate halt to Leftist NGOs claiming tax-exempt status. Take it back for as many years as they can, and put immediate tax liens on their bank accounts, material holdings, such as real estate, and all sources of income.
• Send out a directive that all NGOs doing "pass-along" with money - in essence, using tax-exempt cash to fund projects/organizations that don't qualify for tax-exempt status - will be audited. Subpoena their communications - mail, phone records, and texts. BEFORE doing so, archive their social history, and use it as additional evidence that they were colluding to evade taxes/help other organizations do so.
• Restraint of Trade - the case is pretty clear for some groups. Fine to have business competitors, okay to try to take their business from them, NOT acceptable to collude with others to drive them out of business. The abuses by NGOs should have the IRS re-examining whether they fit into the Tax-Exempt classification, and - for some - removing their status for good.

Society from the POV of Biologists

Surprisingly, Glenn Reynolds, a lawyer, had this essay - one that I strongly suggest you read.

The upper levels of American society used to get regular infusions of diversity, simply from the marriages of their offspring. The smart-but-poor young man who catches the attention of the owner of a business, due to his excellent work at the plant. The recent immigrants. Children of tradesmen who were sent to college.

The healthy and good-looking young girl, whose virtuous refusals of less-decent suggestions leads to a proposal. The woman who cares for the family members of the man - his parents, minor children, or disabled relatives - her tender attention to her patients/charges catches his attention, and leads to marriage.

This lead to increased fitness among offspring - what is called hybrid vigor. It widened the gene pool, and kept the culture of the leading classes from stultifying.

This seldom happens today. The upper classes generally mingle only with others at their SES level. Newer Americans (Mideast, Asian, Indian) mostly marry within their ancestral heritage groups (family pressure to do so is huge). After a while, the disconnect from average Americans becomes a chasm.

I'm the product of one of these cultural mixes. Mother was Irish/English Catholic, daughter of a man in the skilled trades, and homeowners in a stable neighborhood. Father was younger son from a widowed Appalachian family of strong Evangelical convictions, who quit school by 14 and ran with bootleggers until impending arrests led him to beat feet for Cleveland and stay with his older married sister. After meeting and marrying my mother, her family helped him attend college, eventually get training in technology, and retire as a junior engineer.

All of us attended college (I'm the only one with a 4 year degree - the 2 surviving sibs have Associate's level degrees), and worked for a living. It had been a point of pride for my father NOT to accept government charity, even if entitled. He had seen some of his relatives had sunk into that dependency position, which is difficult to escape. It's easier to Fall Down, than to Stay Upright.

Today's upper classes would often rather stay single than to marry someone of a lower class. With so many women being graduates of 4-year schools (or beyond) compared to men, the educational attainment imbalance makes spinsterhood the likely scenario for many. They may have children, but will not marry.

Raising children by yourself is a difficult job in ANY time. Prior generations had missing parents due to divorce (not that common at that time), death, and desertion - you might call them the 3 D's. Step-parenting isn't easy, either - particularly when one or more of the children is a teen/tween. At that age, they often drive their OWN parents nuts. Most people don't want to hear the phrase "You're not my Dad/Mom!" - even if true - whenever some disciplinary brakes on behavior are applied.

We aren't the only species that finds single parenthood hard. In many species, death or other loss of a pair-partner puts survival of the offspring in serious jeopardy. The prolonged dependency period of humans makes a two-parent household a virtual necessity.

Bi-Partisanship I Can Get Behind

THIS example of working together to get some answers from EPA.

Hope they do the same for some grilling of Buttigieg about the piss-poor response from DOT.

The Ephemeral Nature of Wealth

Much of modern wealth is heavily leveraged:

• People seldom own their homes outright - they are PERMITTED to live there, providing they pay a set amount monthly. They can deduct some small part of that (the interest) off their owed taxes. But, make no mistake about it - you, generally, do NOT own your residence. And, should you be the rare person who actually is able to pay off the loan in full, the government will force you to pay money every year - it's called real estate taxes - for that 'privilege'.
• Governments LOVE real estate appreciation - that is a mechanism that allows them to raise the taxes owed, without having to go back to the voters for permission to do so. Eventually, many 'homeowners' are forced to sell, due to the inability to continuing paying inflated taxes on fixed incomes. All the better! That way, the scoundrels in government can tell their lies without any citizen having the memory of previous statements to challenge those 'not-truths'.
• Modern schools are expensive - often poorly designed and built (necessitating expensive repairs in the future), with lengthy time periods to pay off the bonds used to finance them, and sitting essentially empty for 2-3 months of the year. I know few districts that have fully-paid-for schools; most taxpayers will be paying through their taxes forever - or, at least, until they move to another district/state.
• Investments - seldom do people just put their money into a business or land. Instead, they are encouraged to 'invest' in bonds (Essentially, a loan to a business, which USED to be a safe investment. In the last couple of decades, courts have sided with the businesses). Those that invest in stocks have NO claim on their money. Much of US retirement investments are heavily leveraged. Most pensioners would be entitled to little if the investments on which their income depends go sour.
• Same with bank investments. Thanks to the "Miracle of the Federal Reserve", money that is put into an account with a bank is multiplied, really, quite like the Loaves and Fishes. It's worth something, because the Federal Reserve SAYS it is worth something.
• Wealth in the form of possessions:
• Furniture, electronics, clothing - Markup is heavy, and depreciation is almost immediate. Unlike the UBF (Ugly Brown Furniture), modern furniture is NOT built to last - something that can be said for most other consumer items. The loan (should those items be bought on credit) will last longer than the things purchased.
• Vacation homes - waste of money, unless fully paid for (and, not in the middle of a swamp). If you want to buy a home in the hills/backwoods, with access to fresh water, fuel, and food, and are willing to set up power production for all else, OK. That would be a decent investment. But, it better be far from level land, which might otherwise - due to the value it has for developers -  be bought and make that home unlivable, at least as a bare-bones homestead. While you're at it, buy a BIG piece of land around your cabin.
• Cars - Please! Very few people actually BUY a car today. Most lease one. And, new or used is a trade-off. If you're handy, a used car is a good investment. If you're not, a new car makes some sense, as long as you keep it for 8-10 years, at least - and, while you're at it, make friends with some good mechanics.

The so-called Rich are as likely as most (some are MORE likely) to be very highly leveraged. That accounts for all the guys that are completely broke only a few years after hitting it big.

And, even Joe Biden may be cash-poor.

What helps you keep what you make/have?

Live simply. You don't have to live at the level of the Amish, just plan to leave yourself a comfortable cushion between what you make and what you spend. When considering purchasing something, first check to see if you might find it at a resale shop. For those on Facebook, the Marketplace is a great source for inexpensive household items, often with little wear.

Talk to your kids about careers - they may make out better going to trade school than to college. And, for many careers, consider a step down - nurse or other health professional, rather than doctor; paraprofessional rather than lawyer. In terms of actual take-home pay, they may end up with more money, and less stress.

In business, it's better to gain some experience before spending all the money for college and an MBA. If you think you might want to own your own business, try commission sales - ALL businesses start with sales. And, operating off a commission income will tell you whether a variable income works for you. 

Marry smart. Find someone who shares your values, and give them attention. Women (And, men, too) who are neglected or lonely are prey to infidelity. It's not generally the sex, it's the attention.

Budget. You don't have to be obsessive about it, just have a good handle on the money going in and out, and take your time thinking about it before you sign any contracts to pay on credit. Periodically, go over your expenditures, looking for those "sneaky" expenses - money going out for something you no longer need, money accumulating in a poor investment, indulgences you no longer even notice - I re-captured HUNDREDS of dollars in the first year after I retired by checking the automatic/regular purchases.

Put on Your Big Girl/Guy Panties and DEAL!

I understand people hate to leave their jobs by firing/layoffs. I understand that it leaves a big lump in their throat, wondering how they will pay their bills, if they will ever have another job paying as well, and feeling like a failure.

Get Over It.

And, learn what a REAL job is.