Just Three Odd Things

 First, since the 2024 election....I've seen this continual comment by Democrats in the US....that they want to seek their version of (1) Trump, (2) Joe Rogan, (3) Stephen Miller, (4) Tucker Carlson, (5) Dinesh D’Souza, (6) Greg Gutfeld, and so on.

So far, this search has not found such people. It may be a mythical creature search...like looking for Loch Nessie, a dragon, bigfoot, a banshee, or a Kraken.  Such liberal things...may not exist.

Second, I've spent an hour or two this past month trying to understand why private-equity should go out and buy tens of thousands of homes....to be a private home owner.

Other than thinking homes are at some magnificent LOW point at prices, and that they can control/manipulate loans for private people to buy such property.....there is no rhyme/reason for them to engage in home-buying.

It defies logic....from a point of investing money, and making money.

Third, as this audit goes out against the 55-million visa holders....I started to review the various ways that you might fail.

If you were hired and given a visa for X-company, and you were working a 2nd job (unrelated company)....you could be deported.

If you were engaged in any kind of criminal behavior....you could be deported.

Not informing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of significant changes, such as a change in job duties or employer, can violate visa terms and lead to revocation/deportation.

Dropping below the normal college student  course load....could lead to deportation.

I have this odd feeling....out of the 55-million...I suspect that more than 10-million have a serious problem and this will lead to people working presently....to be deported....meaning x-number of companies are in some spiral because they have empty slots and presently no one to fill the job.   

I also think a portion of the 55-million...are listed as voters, and in some fraudulent way....over the past 20 years....voted.  That alone, will be enough to deport the folks.

Nine Observations

 1.  Bad leaders destroy companies, and organizations....sometimes, without much effort.

2.  This DC-National Guard thing.

Based on appearances, the Guard will be shut-down by end of September....with phase 2 in DC likely to be 300 fed-LE folks continuing evening and weekend patrol for the foreseeable future.

This chatter of Chicago next?  I would imagine the mayor is fretting heavily over this, and the the Guard will be carrying weapons...prepared to fire back.

But here's the funny thing....black folks in DC are watching this and mentally....saying Trump is right...you can stop the killing and crime.  Chicago black folks....will say the same thing.  

3.  This whole John Bolton-thing....is mostly about a guy who had a poor  sense about security and classifications....who wrote a lot of notes on yellow legal pads....never classifying the data as he wrote it.

So if they can establish a hundred of such citations.....of secret or above info....he's easily doing two-plus years of prison time.

4.  55-million visa-holders in the US will be audited.  There are a dozen possible ways that they will be put on a deport-list.  My belief?  At least 10 million will have problems and be forced to plan a quick and hasty exit.

My chief question out of this review?  How many of the 55-million were registered to vote?  I just have this bad feeling....more than 100,000 were voting somewhere.

5.  The most responsibility that I could assign Governor Newsom of California....is shift supervisor of a 7-11 store. Beyond that....he'd have to be supervised by someone.  

6. If you review all of the 1980s...finding the top 100 articles of 'DOOM'....comparing to reality in the years afterward....about 90-percent of the DOOM-crap wasn't really much on the scale of 'doom'.

7.  If you spent $120k to graduate from some college, and are marginally making just over $50k (before taxes)....the degree is probably worthless.

8.  I can stand about 10 seconds of a melt-down on CNN....before I mute it for 10 minutes.  

9.  When I'm presented a situation where I'm told one plus one can only be three...I react by considering the person in front of me....mentally defective. Lately, it seems like one out of eight folks I encounter are this way.

Crackle Barrel Chatter

 Crackle Barrel has been in the news a good bit over the past two weeks.  I'll try to sum up the spiral with four observations:

1.  Late 2023....C-B's board hired a new CEO (Masino).  What you can say....she has 20 years of food brand work, and was qualified for the job.  What she decided was the right business direction (after Covid) was re-branding the operation (currently 600-plus restaurants.  

2.  What few grasped...was from early 2020 to late 2023....they (C-B) were inflicted with Covid-numbers....meaning a weird business spiral.  So one might question the need to re-brand.

3.  Then you come to inflation.  That breakfast platter in 2019 that was $9.99 (without  coffee) went up a buck  or two,  or three).  That dinner plate  in 2019 that was $15.99.....today might be $21.  

4.  Finally, people are pretty tight on money right now.  So back in 2018, you might have eaten out five times a week, between breakfast and dinner....today, you probably eat out just twice a week.  

What'll happen here?  By spring of 2026...I expect the CEO to be let-go, and a new person brought in.....to 'un-brand' the organization, and go back to the old style. 

Three Things

 1.  All this upsurge in AOC, Newsom and Mamdani chatter for the Democratic Party?  

Look...in 8 to 12 states.....it might sell well.  But in 35-plus states....this is not something that Democratic-lite or independents can support.

2.  Just my belief, but some fed-order is coming shortly to render all non-Americans holding a US-CDL (trucker license) as invalid until they prove they can speak/read English.  My humble guess....50,000 licenses at risk, and there's going to be 'hell' for about 6 months until this is resolved.

3.  I sat and watched this AM a video....a passenger who got to the Orlando Airport gate TOO LATE....missing the flight, and she goes nuts.

Child-like?  Yeah....behavior of a 8-year old kid.

Two Things

1.  I  noticed a new word in the English language..... "delulu," 

It comes from the word delusional, or delusional. The Cambridge Dictionary says the term means "believing in things that are not real or true, usually because of one's own choice."

So it's a gal (or guy) who knows something is fake, bogus, or a made-up story.....but likes it so much....that they overlook the lack of reality.

2.  Just odd....all these rallies I've seen the past six months....the anti-Trump rallies. It seems like 50-plus percent of the attendees....are age 60 and above.  

Like a 'old-farts' movement.

Status Chatter

 There's a podcast I watch several times a week....which deals with US economics, finance, real estate and money-issues.  

So this AM...the guy brought up this poll (2,000 people), and how 45-percent of folks now state....for whatever status they 'had'....they can no longer cover the cost of that status.

Meaning?  If this were a couple making $120,000 in combined income, with x-amount of vacation....two new cars (with payments)....and 'comforts', then they've reached a point where something has to go or be dropped.  Maybe it's the premium cable package....maybe instead of the $4k vacation to Aruba gone, you end up in Reno for a weekend....maybe it's one of the new $78k cars has to be sold (with a 8-year old Honda to fill the void).

It means of the 25-odd people that you know from work, from the church, or the neighborhood....there's ten of them in dire straits.

My question....back around 2000 (for the past 25 years)....were they continually on some track of spending excessively?  With each pay-raise....they bumped their status up a notch?

Then I start to wonder....how much of a status-fall has to occur?  Would this start to get on people's nerves?

How The Trump 'Lead' Should Go

 As Trump sits down with Putin....he ought to center on four central topics:

1. What's the current demographics situation of Russia, and this Russia-ethnic area of Ukraine?  It's dismal.  Within the past month...Russia classified all demographics data....you can't talk about it....without facing charges.  

2.  What's the financial situation for Russia currently?  It's crap and like some third-world country.  Banks are pretty close to failure, and most Russias...if given a chance to exit....will leave.

3.  Where is the bold plan of fixing this three Ukrainian states that Russia is all intent on 'taking'?  Crap plan?  Non-existent?  Are you taking an area to convert into some Russian ghetto in five years?

4.  Finally, if you take the three districts....do you (Putin) really think NATO will sit idlily by and not massively bulk-up for the next confrontation?

Putin will sit there and silently agree....there is no advantage to taking the three districts, and that he needs a massive recovery in terms of the economy.

Trump will lay down twenty-odd recovery projects....that the US and  Russia could engage upon.

Maybe by the end....the war just ends....no lines changed on the map.  Maybe.