The Scourge of Inflation.

59.1 million of our friends and neighbors are collecting Social Security.

And some 76% of them rely solely on SS payments for their continued livelyhood.

Imagine the surprise of those who've retired on SS in the past few years to wake up one morning and discover their money is now worth 21% less.

Because their elected Congressweenies have enacted laws during that period that have made them poorer.  They've spent more than we've taken in, resulting in rampant inflation.  Up to 9.1% inflation during the Biden Administration.  The very highest rate of inflation since Jimmuh Carter was screwing up 'Murica.  And maybe even worse than that...

I, The Chuckmeister, am a noted near-Egyptologist, a budding cryptozoologist, a certified gunsmith, an Eagle Scout and an actual graduate economist.  Which means I know all about money and banking and inflation and how we got $38 Trillion Dollars in Federal Debt.  Upon which we are now obligated to pay more than $1,050,000,000,000 in annual interest payments.  That's with a "T."  As in $Trillion.

I might add about here that Trump just signed into law our upcoming Federal Defense Budget, which totals $905,000,000,000.  That's with a "B."

Put simply, we're now paying more in interest on our Federal debt than we are on keeping our fighter jets and submarines, and tanks running, along with the 1.7 million soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines fed, clothed and armed.

All that stated, here are some factoids you might wish to inculcate.  The very first job I had paid me $0.75 cents an hour to sweep out a store after school and on weekends.  The average family income when I was a junior in high school was $5,700 a year.  That was in 1960.

The average family income in 1970, just 10 years later, jumped up to $9,700.  How about 1980?  Average annual family income leapt up to $21,400.  Almost quadruple a decade earlier.  Why?  Because the Federal Gubmint spent too much of our money.*  Actually, they had to borrow from others to spend too much of our money.  Contributing to our Federal Debt.  It started waaay back then.  And hasn't stopped since...

In 2020 the Biden Administration borrowed and spent some $6 Trillion Dollars more than our Country took in.  Even though during that period our income tax receipts totaled more than $4.6 $Trillon.  An all-time record.  

This caused the value of our money to drop like a stone.  And resulting in unheard of inflation.  Resulting in the price of our goods and services to skyrocket.  Rendering the buying power of those 59 million retirees, collecting Social Security, to drop by more than 20% over the coming three years.

The first time I visited McDonalds, I purchased two cheeseburgers, two orders of fries and a vanilla shake.  I got $0.13 cents back out of a dollar.

Now?  That same order would set you back more than $15.00.  That's called inflation.  And it's resulted in our retirees now forced to live on less.  Much less. 

Trump is now endevoring to help increase workers' wages in order to counteract inflation.  But retirees can't do that.  Unless they want to get a job as a Wal-Mart greeter, they have to make do with less.  And their Gubmint did that to them.  It stuck in the knife, and then twisted...  

15% of our population has been shat upon.  Maybe the Gubmint doesn't fear their response.  Maybe the Gubmint just doesn't give a damn about our older folks.  And maybe our Gubmint will do it again, just as soon as those who did it before are back in power.

Now that you know how and when this outrage occurred, vote more wisely in the future.  Your grandpa and grandma are counting on it...

*   The simple definition of inflation is too many dollars chasing too few goods and services, resulting in rising prices and decreased buying power.  It's happened before.  It could happen again...

Flying's for the Birds!

There were 44,000 airplanes in the air the day before Thanksgiving.

As opposed to the average of 25,000 on any previous day ending in "y."

And all those airplanes were (are) managed by our antiquated Air Traffic Control system.  With many of it's computers still requiring floppy discs to function.   

So this is how it's supposed to work:  All those airliners are supposedly kept 1,000 verticle and one mile horizontal feet separated.  Supposedly managed by air traffic controllers, which are presently 30% understaffed.    

Aluminum tubes crammed full of pissed off travelers hurtling across the sky at 500 miles per hour.  While barely separated by too-few controllers who are overworked and kept functioning by loads of coffee and who knows what else.

When a car crash occurs there might be one or two killed.  When an airplane crashes there might be 250 killed.  And if you're saying they don't crash all that often, you're uninformed.  There have been more than 50 airliners crash so far this year.  50.  Does this give you confidence?

When I started flying on business several decades ago the planes were all new, they took off half filled, and those flying were all wearing suits and carrying briefcases.  And the stews (what they called themselves) were all 25 and beautiful.  And friendly, if you know what I mean.  

Then the Gubmint got involved.  It decided to deregulate the airlines.  Now?  The planes are all old, they take off with every seat filled, and the stews are all grandmothers.  And the guy on your right weighs 350 pounds and the one on your left has a comfort chicken on his lap.  

We're told that some 93 million of us will be traveling over the Christmas holiday.  With about 6.7% of them traveling by silver tube.  Fighting their way to the airports, fighting their way through the check in process, getting felt up by some 400 pound TSA agent, and then fighting for a seat once they get on the plane.  And then paying extra to bring their baggage, and for their drinks, and for a blanket, and for something to eat.  Treated like cattle.  Worse then cattle!  Like a Greyhound bus in the skies.  And if you've never taken a bus, just take a plane.  It's the same deal.  

Why do we do this to ourselves?  I say if you cannot get there by car, don't go.  If you have to fly to visit grandma, I say move granny into your extra bedroom and save all the time, money and grief.  It takes hours to finally get your size 10 ass into your size 8 seat on Leroy's Airline.  IF you can score that seat.  Odds are you just might find your flight's delayed, or perhaps even canceled.  Too bad, so sad.  They don't care.  You should.

And there's another thing you might consider.  All those overworked airplanes were built by humans.  Union workers who are overworked and, according to them, underpaid.  It's the same deal with cars, except when cars quit working, the result is just an inconvenience.  You pull over to the side of the road and call AAA.  When a plane quits working, it's a fiery crash and bodies are spread everywhere.

I quit flying, even after a million miles in the air, when it stopped being fun.  I decided to no longer subject myself to the awful strain, anxiety, cost and inconvenience.  I decided not to pay to be mistreated.  Expecially when I could fire up old Jessie and drive to my destination at my pace, and on my schedule.  In my comfy bucket seat.  Stopping every hundred miles or so to grab a drink, empty my bladder and stretch my legs.  With nobody, NOBODY telling me what to do and how and when to do it.  I opted for freedom.  FREEDOM!    

You might want to do the same...

       

The Law of Thermodynamics.

"Energy may not be created, nor destroyed."

The Law of Thermodynamics specifies it may, however, be modified, changed or converted.  Such as the chemical energy contained in TNT may be changed materially by lighting its fuse and causing it to explode.    

Or the energy locked up in a lump of coal may be changed by converting it into electricity.  And then converting that electricity into torque in one of Elon's little Teslas.  Get it?

Which brings us to "FAT."

Fat is nothing nore nor less than that extra energy you carry around on your waist.  Which you might convert into jumping jacks.  Or push ups.  Or running from a bear.   

Or pushing the buttons on your remote.  

Buuut, we now learn that a series of drugs called "GLP-1's" created for folks suffering from Type 2 Diabetes, now have a side effect of offering you the opporunity to do away with that extra fat by converting your food into large molecules.  Molecules too large to be absorbed through the lining of your gut.  So that the food you paid too much for will pass straight through to waste.  Causing your waist to shrink.  While causing you severe gastrointestinal discomfort.  And unexpected violent diarrhea.  While at the company Christmas party.

From waist to waste.  Pun intended.

For only the modest retail sum of $1,066 per month for Ozempic, or slightly less for Mounjaro or Zepbound, you can hire this class of drugs to do what eating less and exercizing more could do for you.  

For free.*

In fact, the pounds fall off so fast you could then contend with what's been called "Ozempic feet."  Or "Ozempic butt."  Or "Ozempic ears."  Or even "Ozempic lips and teeth."  Google these terms if you care to learn more about this horror show.

However, since we know you cannot destroy energy, only convert it, I'm wondering what happens to all that fat when you lose it?  We're told that upwards of 15% of the adult population has tried one or more of these drugs.  And about 8% are now on them.  Since we have 266.1 million adults in 'Murica, that means some 20 million of us are now shipping off $Millions to these drug companies in order to lose weight, my question is where does all that weight (energy) go?  Does some poor Chinese farmer gain it?  Does it disappear into the ether?  Does it hide in the bushes waiting to leap onto some unsuspecting jogger as he/she/it passes by?

I think our Congressweenies should conduct a hearing on this problem we didn't even know we had.  Macht schnell.  

What do you think?

*    BTW, the package inserts on these drugs specifies you must eat less and exercize more in order to take full advantage of their benefits.  Eat less and exercize and lose weight.  Or eat less and exercize more for an extra $1,000 a month.  You decide...     

   

The Lost Generation.

We're told that "Gen-Z" and many others in that age range are really upset with 'Murica.

Upset that, despite a degree in Medieval Lesbian Poetry from an expenive college, and a six-figure student loan, the only job they can get requires them to ask, "Would you like fries with that?"  Or earn enough to buy a house, every generation's goal?  A goal that up to recently was attainable.  Expected, even.

Yet members of this group are so pissed at Capitalism, which they blame for thier lot in life, that they're beginning to tinker with socialism.  Or Marxism.  Or communism.  Which promise everything and delivers nothing.  

The only forms of government you vote in, but have to shoot your way out.

I'd like to remind our yout ("What's a yout?") that they are owed nothing.  They'll have to claw their way up just like I did.  And their parents did.  And many generations before them.  This life they lead is a test.  You either pass or you fail.  And frankly, they shouldn't cry about it because nobody gives a sh*t.

I might remind them also that there are 17,987 Starbucks stores in America.  More than 9,000 of them are in Taxifornia.  They are always full and so is their drive thru.  Yet they charge $3.50 to $8.50 for a friggin't cup of coffee.  As compared to the $0.25 it would cost them to make it at home.  

And they order from Uber.  And Doordash.  And other delivery services.  And are williing to pay $36.00 for a cheeseburger and fries.  When you could buy that same meal in the restaurant that made it for $14.00.  Four levels of screw job they impose upon those dumb enough to order.  Too lazy to drive 2 miles and pick it up for themselves.  Or make it at home for less than $5.00.  What a concept!  

Uber used to fight for fares at the local airport until that Gubmint Pandemic Shutdown.  They went from scab cabs to a delivery service and are now a $2 Billion Dollar Company.  

Because Gen-Z is dumber than a stump.

And I might mention my particular bugaboo are those who wear their baseball caps.  Backwards.  They were designed to keep the sun out of one's eyes.  Now they just use their free hand to shade those same eyes.  

A cell phone's in the other hand.

Perhaps if they worked two jobs, like we did, and stop blowing their free cash on frivelous crap, like we did, and start saving every spare $Nickle, like we did, they'll save enough to make the down payment on a starter home.  Like we did.  And join the Millions and Millions of Americans who are part of our wonderful Capitalist System.  The single most successful economic System in the history of the world.  A System that, if they play their cards right, will make them rich.  

But they have to sacrifice.  Is this generation willing to sacrifice?  Work 2 or 3 jobs if the circumstance requires, like we did?  Scratch and claw and reach and risk?  Like we did?  As my brilliant Old Man used to counsel, "Boy, ya' got to do what you have to do to get to where you wanta' be."  

Only time will tell.  

Institutional Knowledge.

Approximately 3.19 Million Americans die each year.

Most of them are old.  As in, over 65.  The majority of these deaths happen to those over 75.  And being 80 or over means they drop like flies.  Like lemmings rushing to the sea, they travel headlong into the abyss.  And there's no way to avoid it.  

None.    

And they take with them all the knowledge and experience they gathered over the span of their lives.  All the pain and joy and happiness and sadness and learning they collected over an entire lifetime.  All the mistakes they made and all the solutions they learned to avoid a repetition of those mistakes.  All the book learning.  And all the experience gained from the school of hard knocks.  In short, all the smarts they gained from just living; and avoid dying.

With exception of the small minority afflicted by various disease states that rob them of their mental faculties, most are "compas mentis."  Meaning as smart or smarter than they were decades earlier.  In fact, they know the answers to nearly every question.  Except knowbody is asking.  They are just put out to pasture and of no further consequence.

Exceppppt, they take with them all the institutional knowledge they gained over that lifetime.  It's lost.  Gone.  And forgotten.  By everyone but them.

No, our society doesn't value age.  Unlike some societies which revere age, like our indigineous populations, we Americans value only youth.  Americans blow huge sums to look young.  Face lifts, and tummy tucks, and butt lifts.  Just look at the Kardashians and you'll know what I mean.  Veneers, and hair plugs, and hours in the gym to try and maintain youthful looks.  No, Fellow Patriots, with certain exceptions, we hire from the Yale faculty lounge far more than we do from those who've strained to keep on living.  And learning.

Although my memory isn't what it used to be, I'd say I'm far smarter than I was decades ago.  And so are most of those my age.  Yes, they know the answers to most any question, it's just that nobody's asking.

I'm not complaining, mind you.  I've worked hard to achieve my decades of knowledge and experience.  Much of which I try share in this unassuming little blog.  And I've worked hard to keep learning and knowing and sharing.  I think it helps keep us mentally sharp.  We shouldn't warehouse our elderly.  We should fete them for managing to avoid becoming a Darwin Award recipient.  And lament the fact that we're wasting the loss of their knowledge and experience.   

I've long believed that this plain of existence is our final exam.  It's just that we have to die to know if we passed.  But until we do, I ask that we love our elders.  And ask them their opinions.  

They have them.  Except nobody's asking...    

 

The Great Escape (Part Deux).

Unless you've been hiding out in a washing machine box behind the local Wal-Mart, you know yesterday was Election Day.

And unless you're fly fishing on Alaska's Denali River, you likely know that the ignorant citizens of New York City elected a certified, unrepentant Muslim.  Or Marxist.  Or communist, take your pick.

And the Mayor-Elect has promised to provide the residents with FREE bus fare, FREE child care, FROZEN rents and heavily-subsidised, City-owned grocery stores, all at ZERO cost!  

Oh yeah, and he'll defund the Police!  And replace them with social workers!  

Why?  Because a 33 year-old, Jew-hating, HAMAS-loving wealthy Muslim, who's never had a real job, is going to force, FORCE their "rich" citizens to pay for it.  By charging all those with an income over $1,000,000 a year an additional 1% (or maybe 2%?) surcharge on their taxes.  On top of the already 2nd highest tax burden in the entire Country.  Bringing their total tax liability to 62.5%  

Gulp!!!

NYC has been our most socialistic City for years.  And most expensive.  80% of its residents vote Democrat.  Why not make it 100%?  If all the taxpayers leave, the only ones left will be those who can't afford to move but demand the Gubmint take care of them.  They're now officially in a Doom Loop.  Spiraling downward into insolvency.  Think Oakland, on steroids.  

(Remember, they've already declared bankruptcy once!).*  

Did you know that only 15,000 NYC families pay more than 80% of all the taxes NYC collects?  And that they're free to load up their Patek Phillipe's and their Rembrants and their Rolls-Royces and move.  MOVE OUT!  To anywhere!  Fast!  Taking their money and moving to greener pastures.

And almost any pasture is greener.

NYC lost over 250,000 wealthy families since 2022 due to the Pandemic and the the City's near felonius extended school closures.  And another Exodus is now slated to occur.  The "rich"** will be leaving in droves.  Fleeing!  A report just in from the largest real estate brokerage in Florida's north claims more than $100,000,000 in newly-closed purchase contracts.  Helping to bring about another Land Rush that started in 2020, but had cooled considerably of late.  From New Yorkers finally fed up enough to leave.  Areas around Charlotte and Nashville and Richmond and Anywhere Texas are being inundated with new money flowing in.  Buying up their inventory at a furious pace.  Forcing up prices by more than 8% so far this year. 

So it is with areas around NYC.  Northern New Jersey and Eastern Connecticutt and all NYC's surburban areas in Staten Island and Brooklyn and Queens are reporting vigorous home sales.  With prices often bid up by hundreds of thousands over asking price, sight unseen.  After all, they're rich; they can afford it.  And they'd rather buy a new (or second) home now, before they discover there's nobody left to sell to later.  

And let's not forget the once-Great State of Taxifornia.  Which now enjoys the reputation of having the highest taxes in the Nation.  Up to 14.4% of a premium over the wealthy's U.S. tax rates.  Which can bring their overall burden to more than 64% of their income.  

CA has already suffered the loss of more than One Million high taxed families who chose to no longer put up with the high taxes, and the highest real estate prices, and the highest gas prices, and high crime rates, and high insurance premiums, and the very highest number of homeless in our Nation.

And did you know that 52% of CA's income taxes come from only 3 Silicon Valley zip codes?  Ever wonder what would happen if they hopped in their G-700's and flew out of town?  Taking their $Billions with them?

Using our tax money, BoyGuv ("Hairgod") Newsom spent $300,000,000 to float a bond issue redrawing the lines on 5 separate Congressional Districts.  In reliably "Red" Districts.  Kicking out 3 long-serving Republican Congressmen in the process.  You should know that prior to this Special Election, the Democrats controlled all the Senate and Assembly seats in 45 out of 52 of our counties?  

Now, with redrawn districts, they'll control 50 out of 52 our counties.

Republicans won 39.5% of CA's vote in 2024.  Yet, we now have only 3 out of 55 of our Congressmen to fight for our Rights.  We're Taxifornia's Uyghurs.  Its serfs.  Like as happens in China, those are the disadvanted minority they milk like dairy cows but deny representation.  With an absolute Supermajority in both the Assembly and the Senate, they can, and do, pass any law, about anything, at any cost, without a single Republican vote needed, or wanted. 

I often thought the very best job would be a Republican seat in our Legislature.  You could stay home, collect your $148,000 a year, and never, ever be missed. 

Oh yeah, I might mention that Republicans got 31% of the popular vote in Massachusetts' election last year, but because MA has been so redistricted, so jerrymandered over the years, they have ZERO Republican Congressional representation.  Zero, zip, nada!  

Now, in our Gubmint's 36th day of a shutdown, brought about by the Democrats refusal to agree to a "clean" Continuing Resolution, it strikes me it might be a good time for those of us who "live" in the Big Blue States to run like bandits to any of America's 27 Freedom-Loving States.  

While we still can.  

*     That's anyone who makes more money than you do... 

**  "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the man behind the tree."  Benjamin Franklin, 1789. 

Two Things You Didn't Know About the Smithsonian.

You've been to the Smithsonian, right?  You know, our very biggest National museum?  If not, you should.  It's worth the trip to Washington, D.C. all by its self.

If so, you no doubt love it.  As I do.  In fact, I've said if there's a purgatory, I want to serve out my sentence at the Smithsonian.  For it would take another lifetime to see it all.  

So I thought I share with you, my Fellow Patriots, a couple of little factoids you might enjoy learning.  So here goes...

     -  How did it get its name?  

There was this guy James Smithson, see?  He was a miner and minerologist in 18th Century England.  He was very successful.  And he loved America and our system of Gubmint.  So much so that he wanted to visit.  Unfortunatly, he died before he could do so.  But he left the sizable fortune of $500,000 to the United States of America to be used however our Congress chose.  

And BTW, $500 Grand was back then was equivalent to about $12,798,000 today!

Anyway, our Fearless Leaders decided to use those funds to create the very best museum in all the Land.  And they surely have.  In fact, it's the largest museum in the Entire World!  And they chose to name it after Smithson, and so we have...ta da!...The Smithsonian.

     -  Where'd all those animals come from?  

You know that gigondo elephant when you enter the "Natural History Museum?"  The one raring up on its hind legs?  It's just about the biggest elephant ever collected.  It's right there in the Rotunda, trunk in the air, tusks flashing, looking pretty damn fearsome.  Well, his name is "Henry."  And he's been there since 1911.  

That's because he was shot in Darkest Africa and dragged back to D.C. by one ex-President Teddy Roosevelt.  He'd just left the Presidency and the Carnegie Mellon Foundation decided to fund his trip to Africa in 1909 and 1910 to collect specimens for the Smithsonian.  And boy did he ever!

He, his son and his Team of more than 100, shot, ya' ready for it?  23,435 animals on this safari.  More than 500 elephants.  More than 2,000 lions and tigers.  More than 1,000 jaguars and leopards.  More than 400 Cape Buffalo.  And impala and kudu and gazelles and monkeys.  In all, Roosevelt collected some of every species known to man.  And found some 300 new ones while on this safari.  In fact, the Smithsonian has more than 590,000 mammals in their warehouses.  Only about 5% of their mammals are on display.  

You might be surprised to learn that it's comprised of 21 buildings, 14 research and education centers and a zoo.  It houses over 150 Million objects and specimens, although most are not displayed.   

So when you next visit the Museum, you can marvel at the fact most of the animals on display have been there for more than 100 years!  Like I said, I've been there 8 times and still haven't seen everything.  And I intend to go back.  

Living or dead...