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...