Four Humble Observations

 1.  II your life is absolutely dependent upon gov't assistance (like SNAP)....then you don't have much of a life.  

2.  I'm pretty much convinced by mid-2026....Alberta and Saskatchewan (provinces of Canada) will at a minimum  exit Canada and be their own country, or approach the US to enter as states.  British Columbia.....probably are about 12 months behind them.

3.  The Bank of Canada is telling Canadians to prepare to make sacrifices.  What the meaning is?  Whatever you made last year....you can expect inflation to wipe out 10-percent of that for next year.

4.  I learned today that edible underwear is SNAP eligible. Not that I would buy $19.99 underwear to be eaten.  

Three Humble Thoughts

 First....car repossession rates in the US are surging to levels not seen since the 2009 Great Recession.

Driving force?  Record-high auto debt (over $1.66 trillion), soaring vehicle prices (average new car at nearly $50,000), elevated interest rates (averaging 10.16% for loans), and broader economic pressures like inflation and job instability. 

Overall delinquency rates for auto loans have doubled since the pandemic low, reaching 3.52-percent for 30=plus days past due.

So....not only do we have banks in trouble  for commercial building loan issues....but now car repossessions  as well.

Second, this whole Canada-trade-tariff thing.

I watched a Canadian bank official do a talk today....more or less suggesting that the clock is now ticking....living standards are going to lessen very shortly (he didn't say years or months....but I got the impression he's talking about a massive problem within 60 days.

The Prime Minister? Varney?  At best....he's probably got until Christmas to figure some 'deal' (either with Trump, or with China), and show some recovery underway.  If not....I'd say he's finished and  resigns by mid-January.

Anyone's guess who comes next.

Third, all this SNAP-BS....seems likely that grocery stores on Saturday....will be robbed around the clock, and most urbanized regions will see the stores shutdown until Monday....with armed guards then set at all doors.   

Crazy BS....but it's like some ultra modern civil war script.

Explaining The Warner Brothers 'Problem'

 A couple of years ago....W-B felt it could acquire a number of networks, and become a dominant figure.

So they picked up HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, HGTV, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Magnolia Network, TLC, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), Investigation Discovery, NBA TV (full ownership), MLB Network, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, American Heroes Channel, and a number of international networks.

Along the way, they acquired DEBT.  Some networks....like CNN...marginally made it.

Right now....Paramount is heavily trying to buy all of W-B, with W-B fighting them off.   In the background...both Netflix and Comcast are discussing a buy-situation.  Both Apple and some private  investment  groups are at  least talking about a buy deal.

My impression....W-B wants to continue on.....but dumping the losers (mostly CNN and probably a package deal of NBA-TV and the  cartoon  channels going  to someone).

I pondered  upon this.  No one really wants CNN. I asked Grok to assign a value, and  he came back to suggest $4-to-$8 billion.  Paramount's idea was to take CNN and merge it into CBS....probably dumping 50-percent of CNN's manpower. 

I also pondered upon Elon Musk....he'd probably like to buy CNN, and  fire 70-percent of the folks.....remaking it  into XNN 'creature'.

Will all the dust settle shortly?  With debt issues....I don't see W-B dragging this  past January.  

Five Thoughts

 1.  This 'war' down south with Venezuela?

Look, the cartel guys are thinking all this chatter they do....routes,  instructions, packages....is secure.  It's not....the Pentagon is listening in and have the schedule and route.

Trying to say it's a war?  Well....it's been at this level since Reagan's days.  Nothing new.  

Along the Caribbean/Gulf of America and east coast....along about early December....there's going to be a massive shortage of drugs going on, and junkies won't be able to afford their drugs.

2. Amazon letting 30k management jobs exit shortly?

Well...who is hiring  right now?  No one.

3.  If you've been unemployed for 6 months, and get a interview chance.....if the HR guy asks what you've been  doing  for 6 months....you need a pretty decent answer.

4. If you own a bank, and have 10,000 car loans on the books, and 7-percent are likely to fail before the 96th month (8-year loan).....the odds are you will be getting a vehicle landing in your hands.....without adequate value,  and unable to get it sold for what you want back.  Your bank will eventually fail.

5. Another .25 cents off the prime tomorrow.

Relationship With One's Self

 Some Hollywood gal came up and said she was 'self-partnered' recently.....I had to go and read up on this condition.

It refers to being intentionally single and in a some type of fulfilling relationship with oneself, rather than viewing singlehood as a temporary or negative state while waiting for a romantic partner. 

In simple terms....it's self-love and independence....no husband/wife....no BF/GF....no drama....no heartache.  

Emotional completeness without needing a partner.  Course, I am assuming she has a cat or two, or dog or two....to make up for things.

I thought about this for a while, and rationally came to the conclusion....rather than screw up things....with some dimwit who drags you along eight hours per day on some faked-up drama.....you might be better without the partner.

Inspection?

 Over the weekend, I noticed this odd Air Force story.  The top brass announced that they were ordering complete 100-percent immediate inspection of all barracks Air Force-wide.

There were two mandates.

First, if conditions were crap.....discovered in the inspection....they were to remove the 'boys-and-girls' from  the situation...ASAP.

I paused over this...thinking....maybe in the 70s and 80s....there were barracks like this (I was in one in Louisiana). By the late 1990s....I didn't think anyone could complain about conditions.

Second, if any barracks had renovation situations....list them and what'd it take to bring them up.

What drove this?  No one says much....other than new leadership entering the picture in the last six months.

What I find funny.....at least though the 1970s and 1980s....the barracks all had a once-a-week inspection.  Things like they suggest...would have been  noticed and improved.  It just makes me wonder if they halted inspections  over the past decade.

My Five Problems With Trump's Ballroom Stuff

 First, ballrooms mean dancing, and 80-percent of American guys can't dance.

Second, these ballroom dinners mean fancy tuxedos.....which only 2-percent of American guys have.

Third, these ballroom dinners will have a cost-factor per guest of $150 (DC cost for catering)....which gets you a marginal piece of roast beef, some mashed potatoes, and a scoop of ice cream.

Fourth, at every dinner.....at least three US Senators will collapse and have to be hauled-away by ambulance.

Fifth and final, at least 25-percent of the women will attend....will dress up trampy style....with their boobs hanging out. 

Four Humble Thoughts

 1.  The landscape of NY City by November 2026?  They will have had roughly two years of Zohran Mamdani as mayor.  The exit of police....at least 500 will have resigned and moved out of the state. Population decrease in the city...near 400k will have left. The subway fare revenue is 10-percent less....with a lot of grumbling over crime.  Financially, the city will have reached a point where they need fed-funds, and both Trump and Vance refuse to help.

2.  The Trump ball-room business?  Look....for several decades, if the President wanted to hold a ball....they hired up a company to erect a 'fest-tent' and they'd spend near half-a-million to put the temp-tent up, and seven days later...dismantle. Back in the 1920s....they should have taken the steps and put up a ball-room somewhere on the grounds.

3.  I just can't imagine the stupidity of allowing men pretending to be women to compete in women’s sports.  All within a decade....it was like some guy walked around  whacking people in the head with a hammer.

4.  Just my prediction...in about 4 days...with the gov't still shut down and NO welfare supplements going to the EBT crowd....there will be grocery stores hiring up guards to halt shoplifting....with tens of thousands detained/arrested.  Police/deputies will be working over-time to cover the mess.

Pausing Over This NBA Gambling Crisis

 So, to put this in prospective....you have a crew of highly-over-paid NBA coaches/players who frequently like to play poker, where you might lose $40,000 on a evening.  At some point (maybe even going back 25 years)....some real mafia folks (the ones from Italy) figured this out.  So they developed gambling 'clubs'....where the losers helped to bring in more  'losers'....while the games were rigged up. So for 20-odd years....the NBA players have probably been burning up tens of millions a year from the players who didn't grasp the situation.

Adding to the mess....the coaches and players began to rig games....to get money back from the mafia.

I paused over this.....wondering....who else got played or were rigging things?

Football?

Politics?

Musicians?

Entertainment?

Government?

Law Enforcement?

College?

A Chips Problem

 Survey was done....using Americans....with 42-percent of Lay's customer/consumers....saying they didn’t know their chips were made from actual potatoes.  

I paused over this...thinking....same crew would say they weren't sure where pork or  beef products come from.

You could probably ask folks where beer comes from, and they have no idea.

The Venezuelan Surface-To-Air Missile Threat

 I  looked up the missile involved...President Maduro says he has 5,000 Russian-made (SA-24) shoulder-launched missiles to counter the US.

Well....these were made in 2008, and shipped to Venezuela in 2009.

There's a shelf-life on the container....mostly because of the battery on the system.  Ten years is the shelf-life.

So around 2018/2019....it hit the peak. 

Still operational today?  You could open a hundred containers and find some working, but it's hit-and-miss.  Out of 5,000, I would imagine probably 300-to-500 might still launch. Stored in a protected temperature situation? Unknown.  

Possibility that some were sold out of the backdoor?  Maybe.

The Exit Problem

 The Hill (the publication dealing with politics)....says that guys/men/dudes are leaving the Democratic Party.

So I looked up the story.

It's supported by broader polling and registration data showing a significant shift among younger men (18-to-25) and working-class men...leaving the party.

I will NOTE here....it's not sudden....just a continuation seen since 2016.

This is based on identification while registering, and people switching on paperwork.

Hispanic American males?  Yep....they are in the 'boat' as well.

If you asked.....most men feel Democrats emphasize women's and minority issues while sidelining theirs. 

A big deal?  Well....in 2028....there needs to be this evolution going on....where you drop the oddball agenda items, and go back to the way things were in the 1980s/1990s.  Odds of this happening?  Less than 10-percent chance.

Other issue brewing?  Mid-terms will run along the same agenda problem.

I paused over this....pondering....does the top level of the party even realize this problem?  I doubt it.

This DEI stuff still brewing and making a open-door for guys easier to open?  Yes.

So it makes wonder....back twelve to fifteen years ago when the various agendas were written down in stone.....did anyone calculate a shelf-life?

Eight Observations

 1.  Maybe it's just me....but every time that the media does some on-the-street interview with a anti-Trump enthusiast....if asked about their work, they always seem to be a gov't worker, teacher, retiree or med-worker.  You never see someone identify as a farmer, welder, bar-tender, cowboy, engineer, or rocket-scientist. 

2. Again, maybe it's just me....but I get the impression that we need to bring all Americans in for a 1-hour lecture...on what gets you fed-prison time, and how a felony follows you for the remainder  of your life.

3.    It's an odd thing....fed reporting on unemployment.  Before the shut-down...it was reported by BLM....to be 4.3-percent (using August data) for September.  

State by state?  The best state is South Dakota at 1.9-percent, and the worse is California at 5.5-percent (NV follows very closely).

So here's the thing....with all the illegals being picked-up and rapidly disappearing from their regular job....there has to be vacant positions existing and employers who were dealing under the table....NOW forced into hiring.

Yet, day after day (past  2 weeks)....I see the doom-and-gloom crowd  talking of a highly negative period approaching.

4. 29 Oct....Fed meets.  Some expectation of a quarter-point down.  

5.  The more that this NO-KINGS BS continues....the more I see MAGA as their  'path'.  The crew may not be bright enough to grasp this.....but it's just funny how they sell the brand.

6. Someone brought up the 1925 Klan rally in DC....the last time that a massive rally was held in the capital with 99-percent whites. The odd factor?  Well....Klan-members have always typically been Democrat.

7. Something I've wondered about for the past month....why do "lower-income" Americans have car payments?  Growing up in the 1970s....if you looked around....most everyone had 5-10 old cars ('beaters). Somewhere around age 30....they progressed up to newer vehicles.

You look out, and see a lot of folks.....finishing up college, and immediately run off with the first job....to buy strictly a new car (over-priced).

8.  I read this AM....President Trump is considering commuting the sentence of Sean Diddy Combs.  Will be curious if the news media even discusses this.  

NO-KINGS Protest = MAGA Rally?

 I got up this AM....had a cup of coffee, and in the middle of this coffee...thinking over the NO-KINGS weekend protest....it hit me.

If you gaze at the images....flags....signs....chatter, they all sound like Make-America-Great-Again 'players'.  Yes, Republicans.

No, I haven't poured whiskey into the coffee, or smoked a joint, or knocked myself out on the stairway.  

Yeah, it was a MAGA rally...plain and simple.

They may not feel that way....but on a management chart....if you do flow-charts with a yes-or-no path....they identified as MAGA.  

Three Humble Thoughts

 First, from yesterday evening to noon today....I observed around 3 hours of video of 'NO-KINGS' action.  I'd say seven out of ten 'players'....were 60 or older.....which is odd. The non-oldies?  Dressed in Antifa-like garb.  

I should add this....in three interviews....the Q-and-A went south, and the guys/gals seemed drugged-up or boozed-up. I'm not saying cough-syrup-weird....double or triple that level. 

Second, if Trump really wanted to flip the NO-KINGS BS....he could write a 2-line Executive Order that says.....all  kings in America are here by relieved, and 'banished' to Cape Cod.  Naturally, the Democrats would have to react, and probably voice support for all kings.

Third, finally....if you sat down with this funny crowd, and asked them to personally name one 'evil' bad actual king (which you would think Nero, Henry VIII of England, MacBeth, or Joffrey Baratheon of Game of Thrones)....would come up)....I suspect they can't name an actual real or fictional individual who had the title of king. 

All Countries With a King?

I asked Grok to list all kings/emperors:

Andorra: Co-Princes: Emmanuel Macron (President of France) and Joan Enric Vives Sicília (Bishop of Urgell): Constitutional (diarchy)

Bahrain: King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa: Constitutional

Belgium: King Philippe; Constitutional

Bhutan: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck: Constitutional

Brunei: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (styled as king): Absolute

Cambodia:  King Norodom Sihamoni: Constitutional

Denmark: King Frederik X: Constitutional

Japan: Emperor Naruhito: Constitutional

Jordan: King Abdullah II: Constitutional

Kuwait: Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (styled as king): Constitutional

Lesotho: King Letsie III: Constitutional

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II (styled as king): Constitutional

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri (styled as king): Constitutional

Malaysia: Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) Ibrahim Iskandar; Elective Constitutional

Monaco: Prince Albert II (styled as king): Constitutional

Morocco: King Mohammed VI: Constitutional

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander: Constitutional

Norway: King Harald V: Constitutional

Oman: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq (styled as king): Absolute

Qatar: Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (styled as king): Absolute

Saudi Arabia: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud: Absolute

Spain: King Felipe VI: Constitutional

Eswatini: King Mswati III: Absolute (diarchy)

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf: Constitutional

Thailand: King Vajiralongkorn: Constitutional

Tonga: King Tupou VI: Constitutional

United Kingdom: King Charles III: Constitutional

Note: I asked Grok if Jesus was a 'king'....to which I got a 10-line long  'winded' answer....that he was referred to as the 'king-of-the-Jews'.  

Just Odd

Just odd....all these idiots on CNN/MSNBC today....on the no-kings stuff....were the same  folks who were on the defund the police from four years ago.

Drawing Lines Chatter

 I spent about 90 minutes today reviewing the Supreme Court action from yesterday.  It's centered around building House districts....as much as possible for blacks.  The idea by a number of states....stop pretending this is a big deal, and just plain boundary lines.

Yeah, if they (the court) agrees, then various southern states will flip 20 House seats over....to the 'evil' Republicans.

I paused over this...wondering....instead of drawing lines for blacks....why not draw lines for trans-whatever folks, or gays, or lesbians?

I further paused, and wondered....why not draw lines by beer/booze  consumption....to ensure the boozers are represented?

Then I wondered about the dimwits.....shouldn't have a district or two for just low-IQ people  (85 or less)?

Around my 3rd cup of coffee....I wondered about the demon-possessed people....maybe they should have a district.

I finally started to wonder....these 20 Democrat House folks....what will they do with their lives....if not in DC? 

States in Recession?

I asked AI (Grok) what US states are in recession and the primary reason for each state.

1.  Connecticut: Tariff issues and enforcement of immigration (affects manufacturing and related industries). 

2. Delaware: Same reason as Conn.

3.  District of Columbia: fed-layoffs, funding cuts across the city, ongoing  gov't shutdown, high unemployment (6-plus percent), and business decline in general. 

4. Georgia: Over-reliance on manufacturing, agriculture, transportation (including a major port), and distribution, hit hard by tariffs and immigration enforcement.  I should add...a very weakened Atlanta economy due to reduced population inflows and softening housing market. 

5.  Illinois: Large manufacturing sector affected by increased tariffs and slowed immigration. 

6.  Iowa: Agriculture sector spiraling due to the trade war from tariffs. 

7.  Kansas: High exposure to agriculture, impacted by tariffs and immigration-worker problems. 

8.  Maine: Impacts from increased tariffs and slowed immigration affecting industries like manufacturing and agriculture. 

9.  Maryland: Fed layoffs hurt....funding cuts, and the gov't shutdown is damaging the economy.  

10.  Massachusetts:  Impacts from increased tariffs and slowed immigration affecting manufacturing and related sectors. 

11.  Minnesota: state reliance on manufacturing, agriculture, and related industries hit by tariffs and immigration enforcement.  

12.  Mississippi: Agriculture and manufacturing sectors affected by tariffs and immigration enforcement. 

13.  Montana: Mining and agriculture industries impacted by tariffs and immigration enforcement.  

14.  New Hampshire:  Impacts from increased tariffs and immigration enforcement. 

15.  New Jersey: Impacts from increased tariffs and immigration enforcement affecting manufacturing, transportation, and distribution. 

16.  Oregon: Large manufacturing industry hit by increased tariffs. I might also lay into Portland tourism taking a massive hit, with several dozen Portland businesses saying 'enough'...leaving.

17.  Rhode Island: Impacts from increased tariffs and immigration enforcement affecting manufacturing and related sectors. 

18.  South Dakota: High exposure to agriculture, impacted by tariffs. 

19.  Virginia: Hurt by federal layoffs, funding cuts, and government shutdown in nearby D.C. 

20.  Washington: Manufacturing and trade-related sectors affected by tariffs and immigration enforcement.  

21.  West Virginia: Mining and energy sectors hit by policy impacts including tariffs and enforcement of immigration. 

22. Wyoming: Mining and energy industries affected by tariffs and enforcement of immigration. 

So, let me  state the obvious here over four key things.  First, most of these states were banging away from 1990 to present, with illegal labor....showing remarkable profit, while pretending they were legit.  Second, a lot of these states used illegal labor for farm work (chicken-houses, etc), and paid crap wages with no benefits.  Third, California should have been on the list, but avoided it.  Finally, in remote regions (rural areas)....they need to hustle up manpower that doesn't exist, and I doubt that most realize the mess confronting them currently.

Q-and-A

 1.  Has the Trans-BS and non-binary stuff peaked?

This week, I've read through five or six articles...all indicating that at some point in early-to-mid 2024.....peak was achieved, and the numbers are dropping in a significant fashion.

Trend or fad situation?  Yeah....it appears not to be 'cool' or trendy at this point.

I might go and suggest some clinics/hospitals are worried about their positions/profit....if  they end up in one single court-case over assault/murder as 'helping' to  make the situation occur.

2.  Do white Democratic voters stand up and vote for black Democratic candidates?

This came up at the Supreme Court yesterday, with one Justice saying 'no'.  I just sat there and thought....well....if you were voting for someone who seemed half-witted, then 'no'....you probably wouldn't vote for the black candidate. Harris would be an example of that problem.

3.  This NO-KINGs BS?

It's like a bigfoot club.....as long as you believe in bigfoot...it makes sense.  The minute reality hits you, the club is finished.

4.  Trying to make sense out of the America I grew up in....1970s?

Best description is that it evolved into a episode of the Twilight Zone....without commercial breaks.  Around the clock....24 hours a day....Zone-action.

Two Predictions

1.  The vast majority of residents still alive in the Gaza Strip....probably have a reason to exit and go elsewhere....seeing Hamas as a bigger problem than the Israeli gov't.

So I predict....within 12 to 18 months....most (say 75-percent) of the population is gone, and remaining folks see no future.

What happens in Gaza?  Within four years.....it's a tourist destination....like Beirut,  Dubai or Bahrain.  A major airport....hotels, beaches.

Hamas will eventually dissolve away because Iran can't fund their operation (because of the water problems in Tehran).

2.  Pacific Palisades rebuild and utter destruction?

So....the local gov't will make it near impossible to rebuild.  As this happens.....Chinese investors will sweep in and buy property....thinking they can get 'pay-back'.

What'll happen here....without Mexican labor...the Chinese may hold building permits but Trump's crew will make it impossible to get anything done.

Meanwhile....the state, city and county will be missing tens of billions from property taxation....which the Chinese will wake up and realize they can't afford yearly property tax bills...while waiting on workers to build the property.

I predict a county collapse by 2030.

Numbers

 I was reading through statistical BS this weekend.  

In terms of 'holding' mental ill folks....our  peak year was 1955, with 559,000 in a closed-off facility. 

Today?  The number held in a closed-off  facility?  Around 35,000.

I asked Grok (the AI) from state and federal prisons....how many in prison have some element of mental illness?  Answer: 558,000 roughly.  

Q-and-A

 1.  My humble thought on Bitcoin?

Look, there's no logical reason to explain one Bitcoin is worth $120k, or $110k, or even $1.  You can't base value off the stupid coin.

2.  Is there one single California 'leader' that I'd recommend?

No.  It's like some mental hospital were holding 10,000 folks, and released them....then thirty years later....they were all holding mayor or governor jobs.

3.   Letitia James and what happens to her?

Some settlement with the judge....pays a $100k fine....cleans up the paperwork mess (probably requiring $500k), and avoids any jail. Judge will call it a misdemeanor.  

4. The BS with the NO-KINGS event on 18 Oct?

If you really need it....fine.  But I'm wondering....maybe we should start a NO-IDIOTs or NO-DIMWITs or NO-LOW-IQs event as well.

5.  The fact that 40-percent of Gaza Strip residents are married to their cousins?

Yeah, this fact probably shapes about half of the mess going on there.

Portland

 In 1980, I got assigned to the Air Force base in Tacoma, WA (14 months).   So on one of those weekends, I decided to check out Portland, OR (roughly 2.5 hours away).

The best description of Portland in 1980?  It  was a working-class town....built on logging, shipping, and manufacturing.  Almost 400k in population.  It had a unique 'brand'.....rough characters, artists, blue-collar wage-earners. The city was probably on it's third revitalization of the century.

Walking around for eight hours on a Saturday, and five or six on Sunday....I came away with this odd feeling.  The city had lumberjack characters, hippies, intellectuals, and some abundance of something called 'forward-thinking' (I  must have heard or read the expression ten times over the weekend).

About three years after this trip....I noted that someone in Portland had started the expression....'keep Portland weird', and they'd made bumper-stickers for the slogan.

For a number of years after the trip....I had this idea of returning and just settling down there.   The climate....the characters....and job-potential were plus-ups for me.

Portland today?   Over the past 50 years, the city has faced escalating challenges leading to perceptions of "decay".   

It's evident in downtown store-front vacancies, homelessness camps, open drug use, and business exodus. This isn't a straight-line collapse but a story of early successes breeding unintended consequences.  Policy choices by the mayor and city council....created ripples of economic shocks, and social crises.

Somewhere in the 1990s.....job growth stopped, with exodus-migration starting up. 

The city Wal-Mart?  It closed two years ago....mostly over shop-lifting.

The past five years?  Decriminalized small drug possession was staged by city leaders.....redirecting funds to treatment of junkies. Fentanyl became a major problem.

Drug overdose deaths per year?  Count-wise....the suggestion is that it's up to near 700.

It is a epic saga in some ways....a city that had a five-star 'brand', and managed to bring it down to one-star. 

Military Chatter

 I noticed in Air Force news....they are looking at some way to SAVE money, and the topic of frequent transfers/PCS's...came up.

If you talk to any NCO/officer....at the 24th year point....most all will admit that the 10 transfers/assignments....were a pain in the ass. 

So the discussion going on?  They want to find some way to lengthen your time at  bases.  They aren't saying five or six year assignment, but it's pretty much accepted that this idea will be accepted in some way.

After basic, and tech-school....over a 22-year period....I moved eight times (the last move consumed five years).  To be honest....if you asked me....most of the locations were nice enough that I would have stayed five years (the three years in Louisiana were a pain because of cockroaches, and terrible heat/humidity).

The day coming  where you do twenty-two years, and only move three times after boot-camp and tech-training? I might say it's possible.

3I/ATLAS?

 Three observations over the meteor/alien craft story:

1.  If it were a craft (aliens)....the route would have brought it near Earth.....not near Mars and then the sun.   So I believe it's just a big chunk of rock.

2.  The craft story?  I think it only works if it'd been sent to do one single pass through our solar system.   Automated vessel....just to collect data, and  return.

3. If it does NOT emerge from the back-side of the sun...(November) just 'hiding' there? Then all bets are off, and its some alien craft lingering in a hiding position. 

101 Things That People Seem To Be Fragile About

Trump, Conservatives, 

Rejection in romantic relationships

Failure at work or school

Loss of a loved one (death or estrangement)

Financial instability or poverty

Social isolation or loneliness

Public humiliation or embarrassment

Bullying (in-person or online), fat-shaming, 

Job loss or unemployment

Chronic stress from overwork

Divorce or breakup

Physical or emotional abuse

Childhood neglect or trauma

Discrimination based on race, gender, or identity

Body image issues or societal pressure to look a certain way

Academic pressure or failing exams (to the point that you fake-graduated from High School and attending college with no success)

Fear of failure

Social anxiety in group settings

Criticism from peers, family, or authority figures

Betrayal by a friend or partner

Chronic illness or health diagnoses

Caregiving for a sick or elderly loved one

Post-traumatic stress from accidents or violence

Constant exposure to negative news or media

Fear of missing out (FOMO) from social media

Online harassment or cyberbullying

Comparison to others’ success or lifestyle

Lack of purpose or meaning in life

Moving to a new city or country

Cultural displacement or homesickness

Infertility or struggles with family planning

Parenting stress or feelings of inadequacy as a parent

Perfectionism and self-imposed pressure

Addiction (personal or in a loved one)

Legal troubles or lawsuits

Natural disasters or loss of home

Witnessing violence or tragedy

Survivor’s guilt after a traumatic event

Relationship conflicts or arguments

Feeling misunderstood or invalidated

Loss of personal autonomy or control

Workplace toxicity or harassment

Fear of aging or mortality

Unresolved grief or suppressed emotions

Chronic pain or disability

Identity crises or questioning self-worth

Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality

Overwhelming responsibilities or multitasking

Uncertainty about the future

Phobias or irrational fears

Feeling trapped in a situation (e.g., job, relationship)

Public speaking or performance anxiety

Loss of trust in institutions or authority

Political or ideological conflicts

Fear of being judged by others

Struggles with mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression)

Lack of access to mental health resources

Social pressure to conform

Failure to meet personal goals

Rejection from a job or opportunity

Loss of a pet

Family dysfunction or estrangement

Guilt over past mistakes

Feeling overwhelmed by technology or information overload

Lack of work-life balance

Insecurity about physical appearance

Peer pressure in adolescence or adulthood

Fear of abandonment

Coping with a partner’s infidelity

Struggles with sexual orientation or gender identity

Pressure to succeed in competitive environments

Experiencing or witnessing injustice

Loss of a sense of safety or security

Financial debt or bankruptcy

Major life transitions (e.g., marriage, retirement)

Feeling unappreciated or undervalued

Coping with a loved one’s mental illness

Fear of global crises (e.g., climate change, war)

Lack of personal boundaries

Being ghosted or ignored

Struggles with addiction recovery

Feeling powerless in systemic issues

Religious or spiritual crises

Coping with miscarriage or pregnancy loss

Fear of vulnerability or intimacy

Being scapegoated or unfairly blamed

Chronic indecision or fear of making mistakes

Loss of a long-term dream or goal

Feeling disconnected from community

Parental pressure or expectations

Coping with a toxic friendship

Fear of being exposed as a “fraud” (imposter syndrome)

Lack of emotional support

Overexposure to violence in media or entertainment

Coping with a loved one’s incarceration

Feeling trapped by societal norms

Loss of cultural or personal traditions

Struggles with self-discipline or motivation

Fear of change or the unknown

Coping with a terminal illness (self or loved one)

Feeling overwhelmed by existential questions

How Does The California Primary/Actual Elections Work?

Primary election.  ALL candidates for a given office, regardless of party, appear on a single ballot for the primary. 

The top two vote-getters advance to the general election.  So if Democrat #1 and #2 have more votes than Republican #1....those two advance, and the Republican is NOT on the ballot in November.   

Reasoning? The state says this encourages broader voter participation and can lead to same-party matchups in heavily partisan areas like California.

General Election: A head-to-head runoff between the top two primary finishers. The winner is determined by plurality (most votes), with no runoff if no majority is required.

So for Porter (up until this week)....she figured that it'd be enough votes to spread around....where she would get votes...along with the second place Democrat....to edge out the Republican.

After the disaster of a interview....I'd say Porter lost easily lost 40-percent of her support for the primary.  The remaining  Democrats?  They have to now worry.....if they get into a bad interview.....will they destroy their odds.

This whole game built  to only have two Democrats in the November election?  Yeah, it's an odd way to build the system.

The List of Candiates For The Democratic Primary In California, For Governor

I looked at the primary list....for early 2026:

- Ethan Agarwal, tech entrepreneur, an UNKNOWN

- Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–2025) and former Attorney General of California (2017–2021). Fairly well known in the state.

- Carolina Buhler, UCLA student. Total UNKNOWN

3.  Ian Calderon, former majority leader of the California Assembly (2016–2020) from the 57th district (2012–2020).  Mostly UNKNOWN

4.  Stephen Cloobeck, founder of Diamond Resorts.  Mostly UNKNOWN

5.  Zoltan Istvan, founder of the Transhumanist Party, Libertarian candidate for governor in 2018, and Republican candidate for president in 2020.  UNKNOWN

6. Thunder Parley, software engineer.  UNKNOWN

7.  Katie Porter, former U.S. representative from California's 47th congressional district (2019–2025) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024.  Has name-status, KNOWN, but considered a bit flaky.

8.  Raji Rab, pilot and perennial candidate.  Maybe known by 10-percent of the state.

9.  Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction (2019–present).  UNKOWN.

10.  Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles (2005–2013) and candidate for governor in 2018.  Highly known.  

11.  Betty Yee, California Democratic Party vice chair (2021–present) and former California State Controller (2015–2023).  Known, but unlikely to draw more than 2-percent of the votes.

So here is the odd way this is playing out.  There's a 12th player talking about running....current California  Senator....Alex Padilla, U.S. senator (2021–present). 

Porter and Villaraigosa....appear destined to win, and advance.  There's some  feeling that both Porter and Villaraigosa are in trouble, and would lose....in a situation where  the Republican is Steve Hilton.  Becerra instead of Villaraigosa?  That also appears to hurt, instead of helping.

Padilla a wild-card?  Yeah.  He'd basically run to get the Hispanic vote....step down as Senator, and  in some wild way....Newsom might appoint himself into the seat.

All of this theater-stuff.....just to get Newsom in DC?  Yeah....an odd show.

Three Observations

 1.  At the end of 2025....the subsidy 'help' from the federal gov't ends....to cover your cost on your ObamaCare policy....meaning that your January cost will  bump up 10-to-20 percent.

If you review NY Times, and others....in the past week, they've started to talk about the ObamaCare program....mostly as a failure, and that 'something' has to be done before 1 Jan 2026.  In simple terms.....both the House and Senate need to come in...put six weeks of  hard work into it, and collapse ObamaCare....with a replacement concept.

Odds of this?  I give it one-percent chance.

If you think the shut-down crap is a big-deal.....that's only one-star emergency compared to this.

2.  Since the new UK law will go into effect where brothers can marry sisters or cousins....those marriages are considered valid in  the US.  So if 'John' married his aunt or sister.....moves from the UK to the US....the marriage is to  be recognized as valid.

Yeah....it's screwed up.

3.  Almost every instance that I see Kamala Harris these days.....she seems half-drunk.

Four Of My Theories

 1.  How did VP Kam Harris lose?

Well....back in the summer of 2020....as the Convention approached....I think that Jill Biden pushed Joe to select the weakest candidate possible....someone with marginal skills, anxiety issue (panic attacks), and who would never be a threat to removing  Joe from power.  Harris was the solution.

Summer of 2024....as pressure mounted for Joe to step aside....Jill unleashed the 'loser'....giving Harris 100 days to mount a worthless campaign....punishing all of those in the path of Joe.

2.  Why Joe Rogan's podcast matters to most people?

I think most people who watch PBS, CBS, or CNN.....would prefer to have their own list of  questions asked....which mostly agrees to what Joe would ask.  If you view what the CNN dimwit asks.....it's like a 4th grader question.

3.  Did Ilhan Omar marry her brother?

My theory.....she would have married anyone....to plus-up or make happiness with her family.    I didn't say she slept with the brother.....just fake-marry the guy.

4. These 427 counties that Harris won in 2024?

If you go line-by-line....they are all urbanized counties....with a heavy Democratic-base on the city council.

This Jack Smith Epic Saga?

So the basic story laid out of Trump's prosecutor...Jack Smith...Yesterday....6 October 2025, a major political-nuke-blast  erupted when FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino briefed Republican senators on newly uncovered documents from the FBI's "Arctic Frost" investigation. 

This probe, which evolved into Special Counsel Jack Smith's federal case against Donald Trump regarding the 2020 election interference and January 6 Capitol riot, allegedly involved Smith's team subpoenaing and analyzing the private phone records of at least eight Republican senators and one House representative in September 2023. 

The records included call dates, times, originating and receiving locations, and phone numbers.....but not the content of conversations. Sources indicate the surveillance targeted communications potentially related to the certification of the 2020 election results.

Folks targeted: Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Mike Kelly (R-PA).

So, my five observations:

1. The odds of Jack Smith hearings now?    100-percent chance....likely starting by early December....in the Senate.

2.  Did Jack Smith confer with any House/Senate Democrats?  If  yes....their career is likely finished.

3.  The judge who signed off on this?  Whoever it is....they are finished.

4.  So, where did Smith get this idea?  AG?  White House?   

5.  Finally, the damage done....enough to wreck the 2026 mid-terms entirely...giving Republicans an additional  3-to-5 Senate seats, and 15-plus House seats?  

Concluding?  Well...if you had to pick anyone likely to have a heart attack all  of the sudden...it'd be Jack Smith.  

My Doctor Strange-Trump Commentary

 Why is the 13 July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, with 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks firing eight shots from an AR-15-style rifle...grazing Trump's ear....killing one attendee....and injuring two others....in a state of confusion...even a year later?

First.....no real motive...no clear ideology or manifesto; mixed signals suggest a "lone wolf" with eclectic online activity.  It's like Crooks woke up and needed to resolve a problem.

Second....there's systemic lapses by the Secret Service (USSS)....which suggest either massive questions of incompetence vs. intent.  I watched one  guy discuss this....suggesting well over 20 different 'failures'.  As he stated....you could expect 2 or 3....but when you  get to 5 or more....it gets into one-in-ten-thousand odds. At twenty...he figured it was a one-in-ten-million odds that all could happen on the same day....same event.

Third....if you start counting conspiracy theories.  I would suggest it's up around 300 of these now existing.

Fourth.....it's just odd....it was mid-summer of 2025 before a final report occurred, and all we can say....Trump survives an incident that in 10,000 cases....should have resulted in 9,999 deaths. It's like one of those Marvel movies where Doctor Strange has reset the clock 9,999,999 times....to get the one outcome where Trump survives.

Four Things That Changed

 When  I left the 'farm' in 1977....I went off on a adventure (that's really the only way to view life today).  Over the past 20 years, I've come to recognize four evolutions/changes going on, and their effect on society.

First, through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s....no one really openly discussed their politics, their religion, their economic 'woes'  or their 'affairs'.

Somewhere along 2004....I started to notice that trend dissolving. People seemed convinced that if they confessed their politics, religion, financial screw-ups, or sexual hijinks...you'd want to step into their 'circle' (join their club), and there seems to be no positive or plus-up to this.

Second, most all news outlets/social media platforms....seems to have gathered up a agenda around 2010, and serve more to being a propaganda-unit than anything else.

Third, Covid delivered a massive blow to 'trust'.  If you sound like a BS-artist....I'll mute you in a heartbeat.

Fourth and final....you end with a gut-feeling of living around a cult-group.  Yeah, there's this feeling of being around Manson family members, Children of God folks, or Maharishi Mahesh Yogi people.  You'd like to ask them questions....like how they got this brain-washed, but it's better that you sip through your coffee quickly and get back on the road.

If you tried to piece all of this together.....it reminds me of the summer of 1860...leading up to April of 1861....where the Civil War starts.  

Five Humble Thoughts

 1. Some financial analyst went and did the recession numbers for the fifty states....roughly a dozen are in recession 'condition'. Both Mississippi and Georgia were in the group.

Oddly, another analyst did a comparison with the fifty states....out-of-control and in financial chaos over Medicare (mostly providing care to illegals).  With the exception of Mississippi/Georgia.....it's the same recession group.  

I tried to make sense out of this, but it's hard to figure the Medicare fraud/cost-runs, and how they'd screw a state into recession.

2. I'm sorry....I just can't take in any Senator Chuck Schumer chatter anymore....I'm on auto-mute.

3. From yesterday....I read that Don Lemon and Ayanna Pressley did a livestream together on Youtube for Tuesday night.  Middle of this....someone counted viewers....they had a total of 122.  Don keeps looking for some  'reset'.....but  never finds it.

4. Lot of  talk  of 'digital-ID' in the UK....coming.  You'd have this on your smart-phone.

In the last day or two....talk started up....for folks  to get the 1990s...'dumbphones', which only have phone ability and almost NO App ability.  If this was all you had....the digital-ID would be useless.   Oddly, a technology of 30 years ago....would save civilization (at least in their minds).

5.  Finally, just a footnote.....Judge McAfee, the trial judge in the crazy GA electors case brought against President Trump, (with others)....who had ordered up disqualification on Fani Willis, has now ordered that he will dismiss the case on 17 Oct if there has not been a new prosecutor appointed or extension requested.

My guess....someone will ask for a 90-day extension, and try to restart this....in early January. A Fani II?  Just suspecting that they've found a Fani-replacement gal.

My Assessment Of The Shutdown

First, I think roughly 500,000 to 700,000 will ultimately be 'let-go' (permanently).  

Second, I would suggest that within 30 days....the bulk of this group (probably 95-percent) will have a problem in finding new work...especially if staying within the 'circle' of DC.

Those with Masters/PhD's?  Most will find instructor/professor jobs....accepting a 20-to-40-percent pay-cut.

Early 2026....at least 40,000 of these folks will be in dire financial situations....owning houses that can't be sold at market-value, and banks on their butt to pay $3k monthly mortgages.

Finally, I'm of the mindset....that those in the age-group of 50 to 60....probably will never find a replacement-job.

Elon-Flix?

 This morning, I noticed Elon came  up....fairly critical of Netflix, and basically saying publicly....he's quitting Netflix.  I've said this about four times.....waiting 6 months, and coming back once again.

Yeah, I'm blunt too....there's a plus-or-two.....but about every week....they do something stupid, or sign up some documentary piece that's BS.

Should Elon start his own program? I'd like to make four suggestions:

1.  First, Elon should get all the rights to Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, and offer them.

2.  Elon needs to do a deal with Turner.....getting all the rights to  broadcast movies from 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.  As well....go to the UK, France, and Italy....getting the  rights to their old stuff.

3.   Start some series around life in the 1890s.....somewhere out on the prairie....four families....some retired sheriff, and some Bonanza-like stuff.

4.  Review Japanese game-shows, and start some American shows with their gimmicks.

Run, or Retire Time?

 Around 1990, nearing  age 32, I decided to get into 'better' shape.  So I started to jog a good bit....starting at 10 miles a week, and within 3 years....nearing 30-plus miles a  week. I wrapped up my four-year tour in Tucson with about 3,100 miles. 

But in the middle of this....I started to have feet problems.   So eventually, I end up at the base clinic, and they sent me to their new 'sports-doctor'.  The base had this problem brewing....hundreds of folks per year....were having knee, hip, back issues.  They were nearing around a dozen folks a year for knee replacement surgery, or serious shoulder surgery. 

So I go over.  Doc wants  to see my jogging shoes....then asks....mileage per week.  I was buying  cheaper shoes.....$65 range, and running them through 300 miles. Nope was the response....you need to buy x-type....$120 value, and figure at best, you have to retire them by 350-to-400 miles.   

Then we got into this long-term problem that the Air Force was having. There were too many folks pushing the fitness thing to a level that they had not expected.  The doc had some number (official) where 7-percent of the base population would be on limited duty or a physical profile....each year. Around 1980....it would have been 1-to-2 percent.

Then the other issue got brought up....the older NCOs/officers had to now maintain some level of fitness/weight-control....so they were pushing themselves to a pro-sports level...at age 40. The doc figured....on a monthly basis....there were a dozen folks pushing age 45 and had issues in meeting fitness standards or had weight issues.

I watched the Secretary of War speech yesterday....to the generals...basically telling them that they have to meet physical and weight standards.  If you asked me for a best guess....probably 50-percent would have a problem in the physical test area, and near 20-percent would have weight issues.  All of his words....for this group....simply meant that their retirement is probably sixty to ninety days away.

Back around 3 years ago....I watched a piece on Russian generals.  Here in the piece...five or six generals....all obviously approaching mid-50s, and all poor physical shape.

My response? If you went to players of the Detroit Tigers, Oakland A's, or Atlanta Braves....wanting them in top physical condition at age 35...they'd retire.  Even if you lessen the standards every four years for age....I just can't see them avoiding injuries or 'pain' at age 40 or 45.

New era approaching....early retirements.