The '16' Chatter

 I watched a podcast interview this week with former VP Kamala Harris. The chief thing I got out of this 15-to-20 min piece (yeah, it was a waste of my time)....she believes that the voting age should be lowered to 16.....mostly because Gen Z suffers from “climate anxiety.”

Afterwards, I paused over this.

Here in Europe....most all of the liberal or left-of-center parties....want the age shifted down to 16 as well. The general population of Europe....don't feel that happy about the idea.

With the Harris suggestion....I was thinking if you'd lower the booze-age, smokes-age, marrying-age, entry-into-the-Army-age....then it's a fine idea.  But I'm pretty sure Harris isn't keen on those ideas.

Did Harris seemed boozed-up or tranquilized?  Well....yeah, I did notice that about 3 minutes into the talk. 

Reflecting upon the election....I generally put Harris into the category of least-qualified candidate....maybe for the past 100 years.  Course, if you had opened up the situation and allowed Governor Newsom to run.....I'm not sure if he would be much better.

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.