Phantom Students?

 Yesterday....I was reading a piece.....they now believe....around 34-percent of applicants to California's Community College system....were 'phantom-students'....mean they were faked-up....registered in the system (for 2024).

This an effort to 'scam' millions of dollars in state and federal financial aid? Well....it's not explained too well by anyone.

A number of California residents commented after this came out....over the past decade, they'd all seen improvements in theaters, sports facilities, and libraries (massive construction projects).  The odds of the scam going on for an entire decade?  Well....it makes you wonder.

What I find odd?  Well....UC acceptance rates for California community college transfer students (potentially, phantom-students as well) to UCLA, Berkeley and other UC campuses in 2024 and 2025....soared.  The 'bump'?  28-to-41 percent UP.  

So you can imagine yourself.....junior instructor for such-and-such community college....22 students on your list, and average showing up for class....12 of them.  So you reference this to the 'staff', and they tell you to accept this.  Or maybe you have a at-home class....with homework done by chat-AI....with one guy covering five fake students.

An investigation?  Well....normally....no.  But if fed-money fed into this....yeah, there will be an investigation, and some 'Oswald' will be the fall-guy.

The real blame here?  I hate to suggest it....but you can find people exiting California even a decade ago.....so the population shift has occurred, and the community college system should have shrunk by 10-to-20 percent....but they could not bear to admit this.  

How I Think Five Things Will Turn Out

 1.  Tariffs and China.

It'll reach a stage where nothing is moving from China (ship-wise) by early May.  Then talk will start up....that tens of thousands of Chinese are exiting the country.

By mid-May....a lot of production is going to move to India, Mexico, Vietnam and Argentina. Their actions to zeroize tariffs?  It'll pay off.

China by mid-July is crippled in the massive sense.  

2.  Governor Newsom of California? 

I just have this feeling....he ends up in a status of 'failed-cult-leader'.  

3.  California and it's future?

I think within a decade.....all gas refineries in the state of California will shut down, and a state gas-crisis will occur....with people unable to purchase fuel on a steady basis.

4.  California and homelessness.

The day will come when fed-money dissolves, and the state goes through a year-long period of massive decay (even worse than what you see today), and the Nat'l Guard is directed to pick up folks and deliver them to secure compounds.

5.  Visiting college kids in the US (non-American) on being deported out without a degree.

The 'kids' will return to their country....feel drawn to riot and demonstrate like they did in the US, and find that their own country has no sympathy for their behavior.

Modern-Day Version Of Our Town?

 I am a fan of the TV series 'Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage'.  Along about the 10th episode....I came to realize....it's an attempt to run a modern-day 'Our Town' play (by Thornton Wilder).

A bit of humor,  human reactions, successful failures, and a taste of drama.

Five Ways I've Changed

 1.  I don't take anyone that feels the need to announce their pronouns seriously....on any given level whatsoever.  Doesn't matter if they manicure nails, dig ditches, or sing gospel.

2.  I tend to believe almost a quarter of Americans are useless in any occupation or job.

3. If the federal government 'fake-jobs' routine never returns....there's probably two  million people who seem destined to brew coffee for people.

4. In my mind....a $4,800 Louis Vuitton bag....in reality....is probably a really nice Sears $99 bag.

5. I've reached a point where I think half of what is portrayed on the news....is propaganda at best.   

Salary Chatter

 I tried to make sense out of this Minnesota story this AM.

The state food-bank CEO...stepping down....when the legislature came to realize that they were paying this person $721,000 PER YEAR.

Up until that point....on paper, the highest paid state worker....was Ahmed Shabeer, a psychiatrist at the Anoka Regional Treatment Center.....making $581,000 a year.

From my home-state of Alabama....the highest-paid state worker is David G. Bronner, the CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA).  His pay (2023) was $834,000.  Course, he's paid to make sure the state retirement system is profitable and not about to collapse.

Just shaking my head.....you basically need Elon's DOGE crew multiplied by fifty and sent out across the various states.

Humble Observations

 1.  This talk of the US spiraling into a recession now?

Well....there are key factors existing in 2023....which suggest the US was in a recession then, and more so in 2024. Grok quote: "Some observers point to early 2023 concerns—like a prolonged yield curve inversion (a historical predictor of recessions) or the banking stresses following the collapse of three U.S. banks—as potential recession signals. However, these did not translate into broader economic contraction. GDP growth defied expectations of a downturn (many economists had predicted a recession with 0.2% growth), and the banking issues were contained without triggering systemic decline".

2.  Does the tariff-war and recession alleviate the bank-worry-collapse?

Well....NO.  The banks are still holding failed commercial  property loans,  and unsellable commercial buildings (malls, hotels, restaurants, etc).

3. NY Prosecutor Leticia James?  Seems to be fair amount of proof of mortgage fraud, income tax fraud, campaign finance fraud, and state disclosure law fraud.  I'd say a 50-50 possibility that she's charged up by early 2026.  

4.  China seems ready to ban the import of US films in China as retaliation against US tariff action.  Black-market opening?   I'd suggest more than 100,000 Chinese will be engaged in such behavior.

5.  US and Iran having face-to-face talks on Saturday.  In terms of economic crippling.....Iran is in a pretty deep pit currently.

6.  FBI has now released the writings of the Nashville trans shooter....held for 3 years.  Audrey Hale wrote a lot of blunt BS over her leftist hatred of whites & America.  

This will beg a lot of questions....what was she doing the whole previous decade, and who she was hanging out with.  This decline in mental health?  Plainly hidden from family and doctors.  This plan to kill  people?  Probably five years in the making.

Added note....in 2011....after a couple of years of treatment starting at age 6....at Vanderbilt....she had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, social phobia, dysthymia, major depressive disorder, and autism spectrum disorder.  Full blown by the time she was a teenager.  In simple terms....she should have been in a highly controlled compound.....by probably age 12.

My Stupid-People Syndrome

 Somewhere around age 13....I  came to note that there are simply stupid people existing in the world, and even if you spent time to change the situation....half the time, it didn't matter (the person wanted to retain their stupidity).

This  increased around age 18....going off to the Air Force, and at least once a week....I'd encounter a new stupid person.  My patience was often tested....like Daniel in the pit of lions.

Somewhere around age 55....my patience rapidly drained with stupid people.  I usually require 30 second to note the status of a person, and if the problem can't be rectified in 30 second.....I turn and leave.

The challenge of watching CNN?  Well....I often identify this spiral and simply hit mute.  It's like they go out of their way to find stupid people....put them in a Wal-Mart-suit or $99 Sears dress....trying to convince me that they only have 'mild-stupidity' or 'stupidity-that-comes-and-goes'.

It'll surprise me on occasion....they start off saying they have a degree from Yale, or some science degree from MIT, or maybe a PhD from Hocus-Pocus-University.  Then you come to realize about 3 minutes into their talk.....it's mostly BS, with a fact or two.....selling you something that relates some magic-bean-product, or invisible-jacket.

I do acknowledge.....we need stupid-people....mostly to remind us how corrupted the world is....and that we should pay attention to what is said or suggested.  But it just seems like there are a lot of them.