NYE 2025

I'm sitting here listening to a variety of music on my stereo waiting for 2024 to show itself out as 2025 comes knocking at our door.  Latest to tweak of stereo was changing the speaker wire to the same gauge and the same length and wiring it to the the 1974 pioneer receiver.  Made a difference as now both channels are the same volume without tilting the balance setting to the left.

The best stereo is one that allows the ear to grab on to an instrument and follow that sound all the way through the piece.  I believe the word for it in technical terms is isolation.  And one thing the Pioneer does better than any set up I've had in the last 6 years is isolation.  I can pick an instrument and follow it through and listen to how that instrument interacts with everything around it in while listening.  It is delightful!  No better way to bring in the new year.

A 50 year old receiver with 20 year old speakers.  The speakers were bought extremely used.  The tweeter is dented on one of them and the grill is barely hanging on by 2 pegs and is cracked.  I think one of the speakers was dropped or pushed over under previous ownership.  Any any rate - these speakers are amazing.  Kinda like Willie Nelson's guitar that's been to hell and back.  Same with these speakers.  By all accounts this rig should be considered outdated junk.  But, it's oh so fine. Just a treat that has every reason to sound like garbage but somehow manages to delight.  And if you ask me, that's rad!

-cracy

 Democracy.  Aristocracy.  Mediacracy.  Meritocracy.  Mediocracy.  Bureaucracy  

I find it interesting that the two 'advisors' to the president are proponents of H1B visa.  Ramaswamy and Musk.  Musk is South African.  Ramaswamy, a first generation American born to parents of Indian descent.  They are in favor of importing talent into this country because as Musk says our education system and cultural identity has turned the United States into a culture of mediocrity; no longer a culture of excellence.

Was the United States ever a culture of excellence?  Remember cars built in the 70s and 80s?  American cars were garbage.  Because American being trash ceded an industry to the Germans and the Japanese.  We made electronics.  They got to be too expensive to make here so we off shored to countries that could build a better product for less money and destroyed manufacturing as we know it in our country.

I think the only thing America is good at making might be furniture and military weaponry.  

Get back on track.

American's are no longer driven to be the best but assume we are the best.  American exceptionalism isn't really exceptional anymore.  We're not hungry to dominate anything anymore as a country besides war.  We may have megalomaniac narcissists that want to dominate certain business sectors, but America isn't great at anything.

I think the erosion of excellence, innovation and domination comes from the educational system.  Education is now indoctrination into nonsense.  You can't possibly have a culture of excellence when second rate male athletes become dominant in female sports.  You can't have a proud culture when you can't decide the difference between a man and a woman.  You can't have scientific domination when you deny fundamentals of biology and science.  You can't have exceptional intellectual capacity in a country that promotes students to the next grade without having shown minimal competence in the grade they're currently in.  The education system promotes the unpromotable to the next level making the failures someone else's problem.  And this promotion of failure extends beyond education.

How many failures rise to the level of their own incompetence?  Some promotions are like turds in a punch bowl, floating to the top.  What you end up with is incompetence across the board, top to bottom.  But a bad worker makes a good manager?  Elon Musk has talked about this topic frequently.  He's also talked about educated people being stupid.  Just because you have a degree doesn't mean you're educated, or even smart.  It means you figured out a way to either do the work or do the time to get said degree or work the system to get a degree through brown nosing, networking, cheating or even intimidation.

People from China and India are different than us.  They're ruthless.  Relentless.  They want to dominate.  They want to win.  There is a ton of competition in those countries and the best and brightest rise to the top.  I guess when your country is an over populated shithole, they choice is rise to the top to get out of the situation or maintain the status quo. 

This country has enough sense to seek out talent in other parts of the world.  Why don't we look to fix our own problems?  Why are we also importing unskilled trash from the third world? 

Another problem is the breakdown of the family.  Parents have gotten soft and are more worried about being friends with their children instead of preparing them to be successful adults.  How many kids run the show in their respective families?  How many parents put up with rotten behavior?  How many parents park their kids in front of an iPad?  How many kids browbeat their children's teachers into giving their kids better grades than they've earned.  

Can America become great again?  I don't know.  We're a culture of entitled losers living under the assumption we're better than everyone else and we're not.  Maybe the idea isn't to be great.  The idea is to get rich while screwing over everyone around you.  Listening to the school of hard knocks interviews, listening to Robert Kiosaki, and watching useless videos with Grant Cardone you'd think the objective is to build wealth.  I don't know.

Jimmy Carter

He died and is being remembered kindly, if not fondly. He was a terrible president. Record inflation. Disastrous foreign policy. Should have stuck with being a peanut farmer.

The only thing that rehabilitated his reputation was his work with habitat for humanity. Building houses for poor people.

Kinda like George bush. He was a terrible president. The only thing that's rehabilitated his reputation is his work with veterans and his artistic renderings of veterans in books.

Joe's legacy will be the sewer. He's too old to rehabilitate is reputation. Will be remembered as a corrupt yet well meaning elderly man with a poor memory. Can't raise any money for a library. When he dies, they'll bury him and he'll rot in a box like everyone else.

A peanut farmer will never become president again. Jimmy carter was the last regular guy to pull of such a stunt. Talk about punching above your weight. He did.

Retarded

It bothers me that all forms of the word retard have been cancelled by the all too easily offended woke mob.

Retard and retarded are perfect adjectives to describe people who are slow, stupid and clueless.

Gratuity

 There's a lot of online angst about gratuity in restaurants.  Some expecting a minimum 25%-30% tip from patrons for the service provided by the waitstaff.  I have a policy.  I don't tip at places where I have to wait in line to order, collect my food from a pick up area or throw away the refuse from the meal.  All those people working are doing their basic jobs.

Somehow, the food service industry is trying to convince the public that they food servers work for me and not for the restaurant.  Really?  And some restaurants are voluntelling the customer base of leave a 25-30 percent tip or don't dine here.  Like the server works for me instead of the restaurant.  Is that true?  

If you ask me this is fuzzy logic where the restaurant owner absolves their responsibility to pay a decent wage to the their employees and puts it on the customer.  Is that really how this works now?

Physical

 I squeezed in an annual physical with one of the last appointments available for the 2024 calendar year.  So far nothing surprising to learn.  The doc ordered a battery of blood work with a few add ons at my request - PSA, thyroid and something for lithium toxicity.  After the appointment I went down to the lab.

Some chick with an orange hair and a nose ring called me back.  I was like for fucksake.  Are you kidding me?  Not happy about the situation I sat in the chair - she didn't close the curtain.  I was like really?  She put the tourniquet thing on and selected a vein.  Slid the needle in.  I didn't feel a thing.  It was amazing.  I was like "WOW!"  She goes what?  I told her I didn't feel anything.  I told her she was amazing and her face lit up.  I inquired how long she has been doing this and she said about four years and went to tell me about her 'technique.'  I told her no one has ever done it that way before and said she should teach other people how to do the procedure with the same precision.  She then told me she is a trainer.  I told her that's awesome.  Thank you.  Have a nice day.

During the appointment with the doc, she asked if there were any other issues.  I told her I needed to have an endoscopic procedure to stretch some sphincter along the digestive track.  It's been twice before.  I told her the symptoms and she said okay - I will refer you to the endoscopy dr.  I asked if she knew the doctor that did my colonoscopy.  She said yes.  I said how do I breach the topic of tattoo with the staff?  She looks at me and asks why?  Last time I got a colonoscopy there were like three people in the room - two of then sleeved with ink.  I don't want to see that garbage as it makes me extremely uncomfortable and makes me question their decision making - if they're mistreating their body, what are they going to do to mine.  She kinda looks at me.  Inquired about protocol as I don't care if they have it, I don't want to see it.  And she discussed protocol for appearance here vs where she is from and they are much more relaxed about ink and stuff in this area.  I don't like it.

So when I call for the endoscopic procedure I have to figure out some way to breach this subject while being respectful and not alienating the people who supposedly provide "care" in a way that I don't find very "caring."  Gown up with sleeve.  Every moment is not an opportunity for you to play show and tell with your personal body ink collection.  Can't you collect spoons or something instead of defacing your body?!?!  I don't want to look at your collection while I'm dealing with you professionally.

How would the flying public feel about having tatted up flight attendants or pilots with visible tattoos and facial piercings?  They wouldn't like it.  Yet for some stupid reason "certain" tattoos and facial piercings are allowed for flight attendants and airport workers.  Not for pilots.  How about we all not have facial piercings or tattoos.

Close minded, judgmental bigot.  

Go fuck yourself.

Speaking of which - I don't like the corporate standard hypocrisy when it come to policy enforcement.  Everyone in the operation was told they can't have have any politically charged symbols such as flags, stickers, etc on their swag button on uniform or stickers on your luggage.  Like no Palestinian, Israeli flags with the Star of David or Ukrainian flags.  Yet there is some guy in another department that has a Ukrainian flag as his picture in his teams profile.  He he is a big whig in another department, why is he allowed to have a ukranainian flag and I am unable to have a MAGA on my teams profile.  Double standard bullshit for the message those in power agree with and suppression of the message those in power disagree with.  

Just to push the envelope I decided to put the numbers 45 and 47 on my laptop surrounded by a ring of stars.  I'm not saying anything about Donald trump, maga, conservatism, republicanism, pro-life or the like.  They're two of my favorite numbers and they're lucky to me.  But whenever my boss is present or we are using my laptop to broadcast a meeting I cover the 45/47 with a postit note to keep the whiny ass cry babies from having a meltdown.  

Brian Thompson

Thompson's death is the david vs Goliath of the citizenry vs corporate America. It would be even better if the little guy took down potato head.

With every video

As I watch content with celebrities in them, the only thing that comes to mind is "I HATE YOU." I'm done with media.

Question

I'm beginning to question whether it is okay to pay people to pretend to be someone else for the sake of entertaining us or telling a story. Paying people to lie to us, to entertain us through playing make believe.

Look at all the problems these liars cause to society? Celebrity worship. Having them placed on a pedestal in society that they manufacture for themselves?

Would life be terrible if stories weren't acted out by phonies but read in books?

None of them have given anything of value to society besides a temporary diversion to the pathetic existence that is our reality.

Is this really a legitimate career or just another scam we fall for?

Or…. Are they really nothing more than professional serial liars?

Mini-Vacation

As a family we didn't get a vacation this year due to how expensive everything has gotten.  Living in a Joe Biden economy sucks.  A trump economy probably won't be any better.  We were gonna go on a mini trip  last weekend to DFW to play mini golf at the tiger woods mini golf place and eat at Portillo's.  That didn't quite work out because I through out my back on Thursday and could't walk.

Prior to the back issue I had purchased tickets for the Dallas Winds Christmas concert which was held on Tuesday.  I wasn't too thrilled about the situation and decided to take it easy and see how I felt the morning of the concert....

My oldest and I drove to Dallas on Tuesday morning and played two rounds of mini golf at the tiger woods golf place, ate dinner at portillos and took in the concert on Tuesday evening.  We spent the night and drove back to home base Wednesday.

The concert was a treat.  I think every concert by the Dallas winds is a great concert.  This was different because I bought seats located in the choir terrace behind the band and in front of the pipe organ at the Meyerson.  It was a treat to see Jerry Junkin conduct from the musicians perspective.  The program was filled with holiday favorites and was capped off by a performance of Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music with an added pipe organ part.  It was worth the cost of admission alone to be there for that performance.  I also got to meet the organist, their bass clarinet player and the bass drum player I wrote about after the TMEA performance.  It was a treat to tell her how much I enjoyed her playing of the bass drum and what I thought it brought to the band's overall performance aesthetic.  She was kind enough and probably thought there was something wrong with me for singling her out to tell her how much I enjoyed her bass drum playing abilities.  But heh, different strokes for different folks.

If I am afforded the opportunity to see Dallas winds play at the meyerson again, I will definitely sit in the choral terrace if it's an available option.  The sound is a little different than being in seated in the hall.  But, I think it is more of a musicians perspective.  You sit overlooking the band and hear everything a little differently.  More localized sound instead of an ensemble sound.  A real treat was hearing the euphoniums, tubas and French hors from above.  Same with the timpani.  Watch Jerry conduct was also enjoyable.  His gesturing and conducting is next level.  He takes a lot of physical space with his grandiose gestures and he puts his all into what he does.  A consummate artist of the highest caliber.  

He's probably conducted hundreds of holiday concerts in his day.  I'm sure it's not the most rewarding experience to conduct Christmas Festival and Sleigh Ride for the umpteenth time - but Jerry looked like he was having a good time.  By the end of the concert he looked like he had been put through the wringer - having used a lot of energy for the concert.  

He could have half-assed this one and no one would have minded as it's not exactly demanding literature.  He did right by the music, the audience and the musicians.  It was a great time.

My oldest said band music wasn't his thing but he was glad I had a good time.  He got to see a wonderful concert and it just did't resonate with him the same way it does me.  He got to see the best band in the United States play a concert and politely sat through it... but he didn't enjoy it the same way I did.  

Somehow I don't think playing mini golf and attending the big show alone would have been near as much fun.  Well the concert would have been... at least we got to spend time together.

Rotten

I'm a rotten person. Mean. Selfish. Lacking empathy. Maybe a narcissist. Some people are disposable.

Truth?

Vigilante Justice

It's going to become a thing. I'll say I told you so.

Bang.

FAAFO.

First record

Below is a link to my very first classical record. Beethoven's 6th symphony. My dad picked it up at a grocery store. Part of a series by Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia effort. Here is the work that started my love of Beethoven. 

Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral) - Ludwig van Beethoven, Sir Charles Groves [Vinyl Rip] youtu.be

Enjoy. 

Congress and industry

I was watching a subcommittee hearing about the industry to which I am employed.  It was interesting.  While they did raise some "concerns" about the industry, I am absolutely amazed at how limited the committee member's understanding of the industry and how it works.  The contempt the committee members have towards the industry is palpable.  Shocking, really.  They were inferring practices that they've made up in their head due to their lack of understanding in technology, etc.

If the committee members don't like the way the industry works, regulate it.  Like the good old days when a round trip ticket from Point A to Point B cost 450 dollars in 1979 money.  Now you can fly from Point A to Point B for 29 dollars in todays money.  And you wonder why the industry employs tactics to nickel and dime customers to make money...  A 29 dollar ticket to Point B isn't profitable.  They gotta make the money up somewhere.  Tack on a 15 dollar seat fee and a 50 dollar checked bag fee and a 5 dollar soda and we're at 99 dollars for the same seat to Point B.  Never mind the fact that everything is more expensive.  Airplanes, fuel, labor, infrastructure, taxes all if it costs more.  If that cost can't be passed on to the consumer, how is the airline going to remain in business?  Cut costs.  You can only cut costs so far until there is nothing left to cut.  Fewer people.  Do more with less. But the airlines have found new revenue streams - credit cards, loyalty programs and ancillary fees.  

One of the things our CEO has talked about is monetizing the cabin.

Facebook dummies

Another stupid person. People don't know how to think and expect to crowd source their entire lives. What a bunch of losers.

Free loading off the experience of others is what I find most annoying of the 2020s. I assume it's only going to get worse. Free loading sons of bitches.

Character Flaw

 It is interesting to hear the outcry for the CEO who was recently shot.  It's interesting to me that those who chose to march on J6 are being jailed for not 'respecting our institutions.'  It's also interesting that none of the BLM rioters were really held to account for their actions.  As a matter of fact, people like Kamala Harris wanted people to raise money for bail to liberate the BLM vigilantes.  Here's the deal - and I think where BLM got its traction.  People are tired of having things done to them by institutions or people that are part of institutions that they fundamentally oppose.  And some people just crack when they've been pushed just a little too far over the edge.  

What I see with all these things is class warfare.  The asshole CEO who makes policy that affects someones life or death.  That asshole's company probably has a policy in place that kept a family member from being treated or receiving a benefit they were entitled because it was expensive.  While said asshole CEO makes 10 million dollars.  Fuck him.  Somebody was pissed and managed to take him out.  Unfortunately it is the cost of being in such a position making life or death decisions about situations affecting people's loved ones.  He may very well be a nice guy...  but United Healthcare probably fucked over a loved one of the shooter.  And this asshole CEO has never come face to face with someone United Healthcare has fucked over.  What people seem to forget is there comes a time when things get personal.  And that's when shit goes down.

Same with the people that were looting and rioting - complaining about institutionalized racism or whatever feeling like everyone is trying to put the screws down on them.  They assemble in numbers are start shit that can't be stopped.  Because it's the white mans fault a black person can't afford a 75 inch tv or some shit.  Break the window, steal the tv and burn down the store.  Makes perfect sense to me.

Take the city of Austin.  They've manage to take most of the four lane roads in the neighborhoods within city limits and turned them into 2 lane roads with bike lanes going in each direction.  They don't want people driving.  Yet no one is ever in the bike lanes.  Once again, it's an example of some asshole deciding bike lanes are a priority and fuck over everyone in the area with a car because the policy maker doesn't like cars.  Go fuck yourself.

Or Joe Biden deicing the future of the automobile is electric.  Shove your electric car up your ass.  Never mind all the jobs being lost because it takes fewer people to manufacture and maintain electric cars.  

All these mother fuckers do is complicate life for others because they think they know what's best,  Bullshit..  They're selfish.  And sometimes people retaliate in extreme ways.  

People will only put up with so much bullshit until they crack.

Cognitive Test

My Dad asked me to get him a wreath to hang on the door at his place.  I picked one up and brought it to him.  While I was there his was in the middle of a therapy session with someone.  They were playing some game with tiles and numbers on it.  The therapist tried to get me to play along with them.  My Mom was going to play too.  Nope.  I told my Dad I'd hang the wreath and let them continue their therapy session.  The therapist didn't seem to like my resistance to participating in the number game.  

I wasn't about to put myself in a position to play a game when I have hard enough time remembering things and learning new games.  I don't want to look stupid because I can't remember the rules to the game and have to ask repeatedly to be able to play.

I don't play games anymore at home either.  There's this game called Quirkle where you match tiles with colors and symbols.  I've played it a handful of times and I don't understand it.  I'd rather look anti-social instead of cognitively impaired.

Cognitive testing will be a priority in 2025.  I've been putting it off since 2022.  I've had it scheduled twice and canceled both times.  In a way I don't want to know if something is wrong with me.  How would they treat it?  Another pill?  Nope.  

Elton John

Elton John has spoken out about the legalization of marijuana stating that it is one of the biggest mistakes of all time.

I believe he is 100% right. Nothing good comes from smoking pot. Nothing.

United Health Care CEO Shot

 The CEO for United Health Care was shot in New York this week.  The news immediately starts with "stories" about how big corporations need to protect their CEOs and that it cost something like 250 thousand dollars to provide a body guard for the big boss.  Okay.  Fine.

Why don't they do investigative journalism and try and figure out why someone would want to shoot the CEO of United Health Care - or any other company for that matter?  

Todays stupid question

I'm driving from San Antonio to West Virginia. It's 22 hours. Two nights. Where should I stay?

Pull your head out of your ass and get a map out and look. Jesus fn Christ people are stupid.

Parenting Aging Parents

 There's a group for people like me who are in the sandwich generation.  Taking care of aging parents and taking care of our kids.  We're taking it from both sides.  Any this is a support group for people to vent, share experiences and also a group of resources to navigate the complexities of taking care of aging family members.  Elderly family members.  Old people.  Who are no longer capable of caring for themselves.

Some of the posts in the group a very emotional and occasional cause an emotional response from me.  They're parent unable to use their computer or telephone because of the arthritis in their hands and the macular degeneration in their eyes.  The people with dementia lamenting the loss of their parent they knew and loved their entire lives and being unable to comprehend they are becoming.  Unable to move, unable to speak.  Unable to eat.  Unable to recognize you.  Or the parent that has dementia and still goes out and drives their car... then they get all concerned when they're lost. 

A number of years we were celebrating my youngest's birthday with his cousin at the local Chuck E Cheese type place.  My Father called me and had no idea where he was and couldn't figure out how to get his phone to tell him where to go.  That day was a mess.  It's times like that I realized my parents were on the decline.

I read stories about parents becoming belligerent to their children for no reason other than their mind is shot or they're angry about the limitations in how they are able to live their lives.  Or the jealousy that they child can come and go and drive when the parent no longer has those same freedoms.

As I read some of these cries for understanding, some of my peers fail to understand the aging process and lament the situation all are part of.  Some of these posts are sad, some of them heart wrenching.  And the only way I know how to get through it is to not acknowledge the struggles others face as I deal with the struggles I face.  

The problem with modern medicine is a body can outlast the mind or the mind can outlast the body with modern drugs with little to no care as to the quality of life the elderly person is able to realize.  

What I realize most about reading the entries on the parenting aging parent Facebook page is familial relationships are complicated.  And they're messy.  And there's so much guilt felt by caregivers.  So many family problems where one person in the family is doing all the work to take care of their aging parents.  So much frustration.  So much resentment.  

I don't know.  

Short, bald old or fat

 Which attribute is the biggest curse?  Being old, short, bald or fat? I rank them this way from least worse to boat worse…

Fat, old, short, bald.  

The worst of all is losing your hair and going bald  worse yet is losing your hair and getting to the point of having a ring or halo around your head  hey chrome dome  

Being fat can be changed with diet and exercise.

Being old is a fact of life.  Hopefully I die before my mind is defective and before I am a nuisance and unable to control by bladder or bowels. 

Short - that’s something that makes you unattractive to a woman. Women don’t date short men.  Sorry. That’s the worse of the genetic lottery. 

Judging by the amount of men that start shaving their head once their hair starts thinning, being bald is the kiss of death and men do everything to compensate for it by growing a beard, leaving stubble or taking it down to the skin.  

Do you know why marriage rates are on the decline?  Because people are fat and no one finds fat atttractivr.  It’s ugly. And it’s disgusting. I’m glad I got married before I got fat. I never would get married today because I’m fat and obviously my personality is ugly most of the time. 

SMH

 I do not understand the world we live in. I check in at the doctor and it’s a dude with a beard named Eliah. Eliah is a nonbinary version of Elijah. Non binary.  Bullshit.   Unsure which way this person swings.  I’m guessing originally a woman but I don’t know.  These people are mentally ill. They should seek treatment or be institutionalized.  This is not normal and is beyond the fray of what is acceptable to me in biology. Gender expression is the one thing. Gender dysphoria is another. We are entering an arena that I call gender dystopia and this will lead to gender warfare of normal people against the freaks.  Pull yourself together and tame the demons in your mind. You’re not brave. You’re weak.  Pathetic. And you give in to the darkest corners of your mind. 

I'd like to be that guy

 There was a guy that duck taped a banana to a white wall and called it art.  Another guy spent just north of 6 million dollars for the art piece and ate the banana.  He spent 6 million dollars on a banana and the rights to make the same piece of art just like the one he bought anywhere he wants.  $6,000,000.00.  One of these guys is really smart.  One of them isn't.  Which is which?

More stupidity

Like seriously? People are so dumb. Tell me where to go. I'm stupid. I'm not stupid you're stupid. Maybe we are all stupid. These people can't find their way out of a paper bag. They'd be sitting in it lost - can you tell me how to get out of this bag?

Time to start trolling the internet. People this stupid deserve stupid answers.

Localish? Go to Burt's barbecue on Far West Blvd. it's disgusting.

Stupidity

These are the ignoramus's I'm talking about. They’re too stupid to go into a Costco with their friend or buy something they’ve been give.   Morons like this are incapable of thinking and acting on their own that they have to ask for help. This level of stupidity is appalling. 

DEI

You now what DEI hiring creates?  NWA.  Especially among women.  They are condescending, mean, arrogant and out right nasty.  It's like they know they are in their position because of the color of their skin and not on the content of their character or the merit of their work.  It scares she shit out of them because they know they didn't earn their position and don't deserve to be there.  They were installed to meet a quota.  They do not understand the art of developing relationships.  Instead they bark orders at other people and are not interested in discussion, negotiation or pushback.  Do it my way on my time because I said so.  One of these DEI hires at workplace sent all tenants an email with a response due on December 15.  In tenant meeting DEliela called out everyone who has not responded and highlighted those that have.   The venom in her voice was unmistakable.  Guess what, bitch - it's December 5.  No one owes you shit for another 10 days. I don't know who you are.  I don't work for you.  You didn't send me an email.  You didn't send anyone on my team an email so you can go fuck yourself.  Take your holier than thou attitude and shove it up your ass.  When you don't get my response I'll tell you I never received an email from you.  Prove to me you sent it.  

I'm tired of sitting in meetings where I can only understand every third word coming out of someone's mouth because of their accent.  They can't speak proper English.  Is it my fault I can't understand them or their fault because they don't how to English?   Last I checked good communication is about the message received, not the message sent.  It's different nowadays.

Bias - Yes - I would rather work with someone who I can understand who speaks the same version of English as I do.  Why do we have someone in Shri Lanka doing work for us?  Probably because it's cheaper than having a person of our country doing it.  

Respect is something earned.  Not something you demand.  While your position at times can lead to respect, how you treat others is how they will treat you.  I wonder if I am the only one who felt belittled listening to that woman speak?

There's one thing black people hate more than white people...  each other.

I saw that first hand when I was selling cars when the salesman would constantly roll one over on their own kind.  It was obscene the deals they made for their own - a royal screw job.  I would have rather sold a car to a black man than see another black man take advantage of another black man.  It was messed up and I saw it numerous times in my short career in the business.

The problem with DEI is while the intention is good, it's contrived.  In my role I've hired all kinds of people.  I didn't hire them because of their skin color.  I hired them because they were the best candidate.  We stopped doing that under a Joe Biden administration.  He hired people to check boxes.  A black press secretary - she's a condescending bitch whenever challenged.  A dude pretending to me a woman to be assistant secretary for health endorsing genital mutilation of children in the name of gender affirming care?  A guy that wore women's close and shaved his head and had a mustache working for the EPA.   His administration was full of tranny gender-benders and DEI hires.  Some of them weren't ideal candidates and some of them belong in mental institutions.

Richard Hood

Richard Hood started a sub shop in Austin TX in the late 70s or early 80s.  He had a falling out with his business partner and started his own sub shop in Round Rock in 1989.  It's probably the best rated restaurant on yelp for the city.  The man is a legend in Round Rock and has sponsored many youth sports steams, high school golf teams, tennis teams, the drum line, etc.  Always being generous when a member of the community asked for a sponsor.  The walls are full of pictures.  The tables and seats are crude by today's standards - being built out of 2x4s.  All tables hold four people and they line both sides of the narrow shop.  The place is just like it was in 1989. But people have carved initials into the tops of the tables or pictures.

Hoody's sub shop is a lot like cheers.  You wanna go where everyone knows your name.  And if you've eaten at Hoody's a few times, chances are good the staff will know you by face, if not by name and remember your sandwich order.  

I'm not a regular there - but I know Richard from the days he first opened the business that was called Delaware Sub Shop.  I've known Hoody for 40 plus years.  

I went in to order a sandwich for dinner and Hoody was there.  He looked at me and said, 'my it's been a while since I've seen you.  How have you been?'  I told Hoody it was so good to see him - it was like seeing a dear old friend I haven't seen in a number of years.  I explained I went to Sarasota for just over a year and came back.  We visited about Sarasota a bit and talked about my new role.  All while he multi-tasked making my sandwich.  

Hoody isn't moving quite as fast as he used to.  He's probably 80 years old now.  But he's still in his shop making sandwiches and chatting with the customers.

Hoody's is place you know about as a member of the community.  Where you've lived and built relationships over the long haul.  It's something when you can visit a shop, know the owner and talk like it was just yesterday you saw each other even though it's been years.

Seeing Hoody and visiting was really special because the world doesn't work that way anymore.  Everything has become so transactional or what I call chained out by major corporations.  The neighborhood businesses are fading into oblivion.  But that's not what this is about.

This about being part of the community.  You don't find out about Hoody's asking for the best hoagie in town by asking on the people of round rock Facebook group.  You find out about it by chance or intention of seeking it out.  Not freeloading this information "from the group."  

The intimate relationships you get being a member of the community are special.  You've been through a lot together.  You've seen each other age.  In my case I've brought three generations of my family to Hoody's.  And no matter how much time goes by, you can still walk in, be greeted like family, get a great sandwich and share a part of your life with a fellow community member.  These relationships are built with time.  They're genuine.  They're special.  

It was so great to see a dear friend - even though its been nearly two years since we've seen each other.

That is the beauty of being a member of the community instead of being a freeloader of what the community has to offer.

Same with Jerry's Garage - I love doing business with businesses when the owner answers the phone and I say, "Hey Charlie - It's Kris - how are you doing?"  And we talk about life before getting down to business.  Same with the people who cut my hair.  Like the first haircut after Election Day and you give each other a hug because you're like minded and then you just sit in the chair and Shannon cuts my hair without having to describe "what we're doing today."

These relationships are earned and built with time.  You don't get these using technology.  You get them by relating to people as friends that you happen to do business with.  It's important.  It's beautiful.  And it's getting lost in America.

Student Driver

Please be patient.  Why do non-america adults with new driver licenses feel the need to advertise they're new to driving.  Just keep your mouth shut and drive you goddam car like a normal person.  You're not special.  None of us have any empathy or sympathy for you being an adult who doesn't know how to drive.  All you're doing is advertising to the rest of the work you're a fucking retard making your inability to operate a motor vehicle public knowledge.  You're not important.  You're putting a target on your back for assholes like me to harass you.  

Pardon Me.

Would happen to have any grey poupon? I was going to write a hit piece about Joe pardoning his crack addicted loser of a son for the period of 2014-2024. A far reaching pardon basically covering his money laundering and influence peddling operation that made his entire family wealthy.

If crack pipe Biden was innocent of the crimes he is accused he wouldn't need a pardon. Basically admitting everything is true. The laptop, the ties to foreign governments- Ukraine and China, the tax evasion and fire arm application fiasco. All of it is true.

Joe Biden didn't do anything with that pardon but protect hunter. In the process he has stained his legacy - if not destroyed it. He exposed his true colors being a liar and cheat his entire life. The man has no principles and expects others to follow the rule of law but not himself. Rules for thee and not for me is not only joes mantra, but it is the mantra of most everyone holding a position of power or influence.

If anything this proves our institutions are rotten and need to be burned to the ground.

So Joe - Here's to you a real man of genius. You are a disappointment to the entire country and entire world. Now sit down, shut up and eat your tapioca pudding while watching reruns of the price is right. Joe really is a rotten old man to his core.

My Sound Rig

 Well - I've tried every combination with my rig.  Blending vintage gear, recent gear, different size speakers, with an external amp, without an amp using the receiver for an amplifier.

I think I've found the winning combination for the space I spend the most time.  Are you ready for this?  It's my 1975 Pioneer receiver and my Paradigm Studio 40s - a hybrid between a bookshelf and a tower speaker.  All I can say is what a terrific system.  

For the last week I've been carrying a lot of stress with work.  Tonight I dismantled parts of my set up and wired the speakers directly to the receiver and oh man - it sounds wonderful.  Absolutely wonderful.

I was not expecting this to be the winning combination.  How could a receiver made in the 70s possibly compare to much newer and modern technology? 

There's something cool about vintage gear that the new stuff can't match.  And all I can say is I've fallen in love with my system all over again.  A real joy to listen.

We'll see how long my infatuation with this set up lasts.

Trunk

Trunk in the front is a frunk. That is the stupidest word ever. Frunk. Like seriously - it's some kind of Elon musk word where he gets a boner saying it. Kinda like the way he says Doge. When he gets that stupid smirk on his face like he just got done pounding his pud basking in the afterglow of an orgasm. Doge. Dogetard.

This year

My thoughts over the last 12 months have been a mixed bag.  I've gone from thinking this year was a waste to feeling it was a solid year and I'm back to thinking the last 12 months may very well be an absolute disappointment of epic proportion.  What did I accomplish??  Nothing.  I took a disaster and made it less of a disaster.  BFD.  What successes have I had?  None.  

Why anyone would want this role in this environment is beyond me.  

I look back at the last 12 months and what have I done?  Beat my head against a wall.  Nothing to show for it.  No results.  No track record of success.  Derailed.

How did I fail?  What I set up to fail?  Was I set up to succeed?  What could I have done better?  

I"m tired of not meeting goals.  What could I have done differently to motivate my team?  

We took one airport related delay this month.  ONE.  And our performance is in the toilet. Nobody sees nearly flawless performance from my team.  They see the D0 of 37%..

I quit.  Loser.

Thanks for the opportunity.  I realize I am not cut out for this role.