Fast Food Luxury?

 I noticed a poll done....where 80-percent of Americans now consider a stop at a fast-food place (like BK, McDonalds, Wendys).....as being a 'LUXURY'.

I sat and pondered over this. 

As a kid....around age 7....McDonalds finally came to my local town (20,000 residents), and it was a big deal if the family were stopping there.

About four years into the era....the 'big-deal' dropped like a rock, and we in some way....were stopping there at least once a month.

In the first five years of my Air Force period.....I probably used a fast-food opportunity (to include the base bowling alley)....around six times a week.

I peaked at some point....where I preferred a real sit-down restaurant experience by the late 1990s.

Ever since Covid?  Well...I might stop once a week at a fast-food shop.

Here's the thing....there were tons of these operations built and they were geared where society was using them more than once or twice a week.  If you say they are luxury....then you might as well start tearing half of them down.

Something weird is starting up, and it just begs questions....how will the landscape look in twelve months?  What else will be a luxury (ice cream, a Pepsi, sitting in a movie theater)?  Are we sitting in a 1929-like era? 

Condo Chatter

 Over the past four months, I've probably spent 40 hours reviewing the condo crisis in Florida.

To put this in prospective....ever since the collapse of that one condo....Florida politicians have been on some crusade to ensure nothing else occurs.

Well...this led to mandates where inspections are noted officially, and repairs are now mandated.

So the associations (HOAs) are in some proactive situation.

Basically, you may have bought the condo for $250,000 in 2018, with a $600 monthly fee, and insurance was 'reasonable'.

Now?  The monthly fee might be getting close to $1,200, and your insurance is probably double to triple (yearly).  Then the other issue....if their bucket of funds isn't adequate for the repairs....they will send you a notice that you have four months to come up with $40,000 (maybe even $80,000)....to pay for the 'fix'.

In simple terms....you can't afford the place, and the value is sinking.  Adding to this....your monthly fee might be near $1,200 shortly....with your pension budget is a spiral.

So you want to escape.

The monthly fee? Well....it's scaring off potential buyers.  The $40,000 check to cover repairs?  That will scare off more people.  The doubling/tripling of the insurance cost?  That will scare more folks off.  The fact that there are double to triple the units on the market?  Yeah.

I would imagine 10 to 20 percent of folks don't have the extra money laying around for the fix, and they are asking the banks to help out, but loaning money to a 70-year old guy makes little sense.  Even I wouldn't be that stupid to loan money in that situation.  

So I will make this prediction....the HOA folks are going to court to 'grab' properties who don't pay the fix-costs.  

Then the HOA will discover from the dozen condos on the property.....that they can't market/sell them.  So they will go to the remaining owners, and let them know.....another check for an extra $20,000 or more....has to be procured from the remaining folks.  Then a second wave of unhappy folks arrives to make a bigger mess.

It wouldn't shock me by the end of 2025....if 100,000 Florida residents have to escape....leaving the state because of bankruptcy, and unable to find new housing other than moving in with the kids or some relative.  

Five Humble Thoughts

 1.  With all this free gift-money that President Biden gave out for student loan debt....just odd....none of the money seems to have changed or improved the economy.  Wonder why?

2.  This Pete Buttigieg guy....should just go home...sell used cars, and talk himself up for President or VP.

3.  At some point in the next year, I expect some college kid to drag his college into court and sue for damages, or lack of educational 'training'.  It's going to shock a few folks....if the kid wins.

4.  Just a gut-feeling....but I suspect in 2025....the Washington Post newspaper will collapse.

5.  I can't really think of a reason to stop at McDonalds and pay $20 for a menu dinner.

What I See By 2030?

 My predictions to occur by 2030 list (I tend to do one of these every 3 months now):

1.  One out of six Americans will openly tote/carry a firearm with them.....whenever leaving the house.  In states like Tennessee and Georgia....it'll be normal to walk into a grocery and see a majority of customers with a weapon.

2.  About 10,000 college instructors will be unemployed because of a downsizing in the college 'profession',  and unable to find stable work.  All due to the feds getting out of the college loan 'business'.

3.  Tesla cars will no longer be manufactured.  

4.  At least 100,000 California residents will have disconnected themselves from the grid because they can't afford the cost.  Some will have a gas generator which they run for an hour each day....to cool the freezer/refrigerator.  The state will openly discuss the idea of charging disconnected residents some kind of $150 a month fee.  

5.  Three-some marriages will be approved in California.

6.  Being obese will be approved as a handicap and will get you early retirement by age 45 under Social Security rules.  Life insurance companies will enter the spiral and readily agree to refuse to provide life insurance to  anyone weighing over 200 pounds.

7.  'Greater-Idaho' will be a reality, with half of Oregon having joined up with Idaho.  At least twelve counties of Washington state (eastern side) will openly discuss after this....joining 'Greater-Idaho' as well.

8.  All US military installations in Europe will have been erased/removed.

9.  Pizza Hut will not exist by 2030.

10.  At least half of all lesbians in the US will openly vow that they are not participants or players in LGTBQ-plus events.  An attempt by 2030 will go with the idea of removing 'L' from LGTBQ-plus.  

My Gut Feeling Over Student Loan Cancellation?

 I see five problems:

1.  If you were stupid enough to go to a out-of-state school, borrow $125,000 to pay for the deal....you deserve to pay entirely out of your pocket for the stupidity.

2.  I think if you measured up the people who are getting cancellation deals by the administration....probably 95-percent are white and working in jobs that pay less than $40,000 a year.  For blacks, Asians and Hispanics....I would guess they are marginally getting the free deal.

3.  All of this....within three years....will lead to the federal government getting out of the loan business, and creating a  massive collapse of the college system without kids having the money to afford the stupidity.

4.  Even if you gifted $15,000 of free money to a stupid kid with a $90,000 loan....if you sit and ponder over the finance side.....the kid is still in deep debt  problems.

5.   The people you really piss-off?  Some gal or guy who borrowed $80,000 back in 2006, and finally paid off his/her loan in 2021....with them looking at the $120k they paid on the stupid loan and how they got screwed over.  There's probably over half-a-million of these people who think about the subject almost daily now.

Selling Jamie Dimon As A Replacement For Joe Biden?

 Speculation has started up....since Jamie Dimon (CEO of J P Morgan Chase Bank) gave notice that he intends to leave 'soon' (not actually saying what soon means).

Dimon running as the replacement guy for Biden at the Democratic Convention?  Well....it's a rumor for the most part.

I sat and pondered over this....coming to seven conclusions:

1.  On talking economics/commerce...Dimon is the 'equal' of Trump, and can convey things in the business front.

2.  Having ever run for any office?  NO.  That is a fairly big slam against the guy.

3.  Keeping most all of the Obama support team in the White House?  That likely is a selling point, but I'm not sure the public favors this idea.  Yes, it is odd that Biden's team is like 75-percent Obama-people presently.

4.  Dimon selling well to blacks or Hispanics, or migrants?  No....I just can't see that idea coming up.

5.  Keeping all of Joe's positions?  Yeah, probably so.

6. Not stumbling around, or telling goofy stories, or having cocaine packets end up in the White  House?  Yeah....that might be a major plus.  All of the corruption stuff, and Hunter stories end?  Yeah, another plus.

7. VP Harris likely NOT to be on his list?  Yeah....I think he'd go and get Senator Corey Booker of NJ to be his VP.   AOC on the list?  Shockingly....yeah....she might be considered as well.

I'm not saying he's a great choice....just that if you threw him into the group of Michelle Obama and Governor Newsom.....Dimon looks five-star.  

The fact Dimon might be leaning halfway to being a conservative wearing fake liberal clothing?  Yeah, that issue will be dragged up a good bit.   

State Story

 I noticed this in the AM today....state of Alberta, Canada....fed up on Canadian 'control'.....will have a vote in late June....to exit Canada and apply for US status, as a state.

BS?

Well....20 years ago, I would have laughed over this and said more than 90-percent of people would vote 'NO'.  Today....I might guess the vote will  be near 50-50. If it were to to go 60-40?  Yeah, that probably would scare the crap out of the Canadian government.  

Alberta being the odd state of Canada?  That falls into play and some would  suggest that 75-percent of locals in the state are Texas-like in mentality.

Size of Alberta?  It's pretty much the size of Texas, with a population of 4.8-million people.

Most of it rural?  Once you reach past Edmonton (middle of the region).....these are all towns and villages of just a 1,000 or less in people.

Would the US even consider such an application (say it was 75-percent saying yes to exit)?  I have my doubts.  It'd mean creating two more Senate seats, and probably two House seats.

But I would say one odd thing....if they vote to exit (in the 60-percent range) and this would go ahead....within five years....I could see another province or two....repeating the vote  as well.  Maybe within 30 years.....Canada as a nation....would not exist. 

As for what drives this currently?  Inflation, housing cost, and continuing regulation-thrills.  You see a lot of people from Canada talking about the cost of living and no ability to afford housing.