Five Things I Now Believe

 1.  The ongoing level of economic illiteracy....with regular folks and politicians....simply makes matters worse.  In some cases....it's like they never advanced past the 3rd grade.

2.  Some day....the gov't will attempt to tax imaginary/invisible digital game pieces/ponies/swords.

3.  The most important button on a remote control.....is 'MUTE'.

4. Somewhere in the statistical world.....there is a 'number' for 'idiots', and once you discover it.....you will always approach a building or work-place....with the attitude that 1-percent, or 3-percent, or 5-percent of people there....are idiots.  It will forever change you.

5.  Something designed to be a failure....can never be made into a success....no matter how much money or time  you put into it.

Vote Story

 California this week.....some gal...who had worked as a signature collector for ballot initiatives....got dragged into court.

She'd been in the 'job-field'....for at least a decade.

Deal time?  Well....yeah....she basically pleaded guilty to paying homeless people in Los Angeles’ Skid Row....$2 to $3....to register to vote.

Sentencing?  Yet to occur....based on the charge....max is five years in prison.  My guess....depending on how many were paid....it could go pretty light (three months in jail is my guess).

Where her cash 'purse' came from?  Unknown, and it does not appear that they will be asking about that.

Did any of the new registered voters actually vote?  Another unknown.

So each guy/gal....got enough to pay for a McDonald's sausage biscuit and coffee (if you had a discount coupon)?  Yeah.

Jobs Chatter

 I asked Grok (AI) to list the top ten states for new employment in 2026:

Texas (energy, tech, manufacturing, and population-driven demand).

Nevada (tourism, logistics, and business expansion).  

Florida (population influx, tourism, finance).

North Carolina (banking/finance, tech/biotech, and manufacturing).  

Arizona  (semiconductors, tech, aerospace, and migration from higher-cost states).  

Vermont (High ranking in overall employment strength and steady job gains).  

Oklahoma (Energy sector strength and business-friendly environment).  

Idaho (Tech, manufacturing, and population growth driving gains).  

Michigan  (Auto industry recovery, manufacturing, and diversification supporting job additions).  

Virginia (Government contracting, tech, and professional services in the D.C. metro area).

Grok also listed the three bottom states (W-Virginia,  Maine, and New Hampshire).

I'll make three observations:

First,  it used to take three to five years to see a downward/upward job trend....I'd go and suggest we've reached a stage where it's 12 to 18 months to see a trend.

Second, states with a upward trend....means they are collecting income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes. These are states with tax revenue flowing (not stagnant).  

Third, fifteen years ago....I remember the odd Obama quote.....it went along the lines of 'those-jobs-are-gone....you-just-to-accept-that'.