So many of these quotes made my blood boil. Men can't be pregnant. If you're old enough to go to college, you're old enough to understand taking on debt. Bribery for votes is disgusting. Fauci wouldn't recognize the truth if it bit him in the butt. And on and on... you can quote me on these!
I live in Nashville; we moved here because both daughters were here. A nearby city, Franklin, made headlines when it held a table-top exercise teaching financial literacy. Those old enough to go to college are the progeny of people who have high credit card debt and actually believe in the "free lunch."
> If you're old enough to go to college, you're old enough to understand taking on debt.
Absolutely but for how long should they be punished for their bad decisions? And isn't the lender also at fault?
I'm not saying cancelling some of the debt on the taxpayers dime is a just solution. I'd say they can declare bankruptcy, turn in their degree for a refund of at least part of the tuition.
If you chose a major you can get a job in that has enough salary to pay back the loan you signed that little pesky promissory note, I don’t have a problem. But when your major is women’s studies, philosophy or even a music performance major (disclosure: I have two music degrees, but at least in a area I can work in) then I would fault the schools, if they want to keep the money train rolling in.
I know of a family that let their son go off to a private university 4 states away. No scholarships, grants or the brat even working to cover personal expenses. Mom was furious when the college fund ran out. Well, moron, when you allow your son to go to a $70,000/yr school to study “film” then that is YOUR fault.
If you fall for a scam you should share in the blame at least too some degree, otherwise you're not going to learn. But that doesn't absolve the scammer. One major problem I have with big government regulating every era of life is that the law is now seen as a replacement for ethics and morals. "If it's legal and even encouraged by the government it must be ethical"! You can't outsource ethics to legislators and bureaucrats who are often not particularly ethical or moral people. Same with the attitude that anything that's profitable most be good. It's appalling to see how much of Western economies is based on legal fraud.
Even if someone is a stupid moron and immature to boot, it's still repugnant to prey on that.
Small price to pay, they are safe and effective and the fumes will also dull your brain enough to believe their horseshit - which you can't even smell. That's why Taylor Lorenz always wears a mask.
The article on UCLA's medical school is frightening. I cannot get my head around the Idea that the BIPOC community needs served by like individuals, no matter their competency. Underserved communities need more physicians.
In some communist countries most university spots went to people who's parents are "workers" or "farmers" in an attempt to break up the class system. It seems that now "race" is subbed in for class, has the advantage that even in a free society you can't change your race (Justin Trudeau's favorite hobby and spray-tans notwithstanding).
Some days I wonder if it was necessary, many of the soldiers were ready to die so to really break their will to fight you had to go after the civilians, to really destroy the thing they're fighting for instead of the soldiers. Especially if you care about the lives of your own soldiers.
While I only watched her show once (when Dave Smith was on) I get the impression that she gets waaaaay too much air-time (including social media) for what little she actually knows about anything.
"His Pregnancy Came as a Shock".....I couldn't read to the end of the Time Magazine piece (because of the nausea) but as far as I got with it, the word 'abortion' kept springing to mind.... but I'm not entirely sure exactly what I wanted aborted.
I was joking (although I was serious about not reading the Time article), the movie is a comedy about a man getting pregnant through the miracle of a new pharmaceutical. The premise is of course preposterous. When reading the first part of the headline I immediately had Arnolds "It's not a Tumor!" line in my head.
I got about half way through...but I kept having to look away while I re-charged my faith in humanity. I think you'd find many of my essays 'up your street' but I can't promise too many laughs!
Honestly, you don't need to read that shit, so good on you for stopping half way. It feels like a lot of our reality has devolved into a daytime talk-show or some other form of trash TV that used to be considered a guilty pleasure for unsophisticated people. Somehow we pretend that it's all normal, just like most of the food is junk these days so is most of the "information".
Just read the LAT story on restaurant owners feeling forced to stay open to lose money since better than losing even more money (thank you for linking archived version, so not paywalled). These people need to learn about "corporations" and that you form a corporation to own the businesses. If they go under, they just file for corporate BR to discharge the leases. This is not something new.
I get the feeling a lot of people who start restaurants don't see it as a business, they think they can just open a good restaurant and the business part will sort itself. Some commercial landlords prey on that sort of thing, people who struck it rich (or are credit-worthy) who open a restaurant without knowing the economics, paying a ton of rent and then fold, rinse repeat. Sure the property is empty for a few months every couple of years but then the next idiot shows up. Of course Covid put quite the dent in that business model.
I'm sure you are right. There is only so-much demand for boutique expresso-latte-gluten free-pastry shops.
The lease part is tricky. The landlord may demand a personal guarantee for when the corporation eventually goes belly up. And the person opening the restaurant will not want to lose their location too soon after opening.
Running a business is always difficult, especially if it's a small business where the owners have to live on the profits. The CEO of McDonalds gets his salary whether the restaurants are packed or not and he can probably get his phone call returned from someone who matters. In a small business you're fighting against the big guys, competition from large corporations and the government. It's like entering an ass-kicking contest with one leg and a giant ass. Giving a shit about your customers is also a handicap, and while many politicians say they care about small business they usually write the laws for the big corporations.
One would hope at least the landlord has some skin in the game.
The 2018 tax law did do something big for small business, at least for reasonably profitable ones with the QBI deduction for SCorps and partnerships. Essentially reduces the fed tax on small business profits to same as reduced Corp rate. Absent a full republican sweep (unlikely) it will not be renewed when expires at enf of 2025, sine small business owners tend to vote republican.
If you have a reasonably profitable business and no unproductive debt that's probably the highest measure of freedom you can achieve in today's society, you're mostly beholden to your customers and you know how to please them. That amount of freedom obviously scares the people who are in love with big government, they need to be needed. No wonder it's made so difficult.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or brown or white or whatever the hell color you are, it doesn’t matter. We are all Americans and we’re gonna pull together as Americans."
He could have only sad that, and I would agree. But, he specially mentioned black, brown and while before the catch-all, leaving a noticeable absence of orange.
So many of these quotes made my blood boil. Men can't be pregnant. If you're old enough to go to college, you're old enough to understand taking on debt. Bribery for votes is disgusting. Fauci wouldn't recognize the truth if it bit him in the butt. And on and on... you can quote me on these!
I live in Nashville; we moved here because both daughters were here. A nearby city, Franklin, made headlines when it held a table-top exercise teaching financial literacy. Those old enough to go to college are the progeny of people who have high credit card debt and actually believe in the "free lunch."
> If you're old enough to go to college, you're old enough to understand taking on debt.
Absolutely but for how long should they be punished for their bad decisions? And isn't the lender also at fault?
I'm not saying cancelling some of the debt on the taxpayers dime is a just solution. I'd say they can declare bankruptcy, turn in their degree for a refund of at least part of the tuition.
If you chose a major you can get a job in that has enough salary to pay back the loan you signed that little pesky promissory note, I don’t have a problem. But when your major is women’s studies, philosophy or even a music performance major (disclosure: I have two music degrees, but at least in a area I can work in) then I would fault the schools, if they want to keep the money train rolling in.
I know of a family that let their son go off to a private university 4 states away. No scholarships, grants or the brat even working to cover personal expenses. Mom was furious when the college fund ran out. Well, moron, when you allow your son to go to a $70,000/yr school to study “film” then that is YOUR fault.
If you fall for a scam you should share in the blame at least too some degree, otherwise you're not going to learn. But that doesn't absolve the scammer. One major problem I have with big government regulating every era of life is that the law is now seen as a replacement for ethics and morals. "If it's legal and even encouraged by the government it must be ethical"! You can't outsource ethics to legislators and bureaucrats who are often not particularly ethical or moral people. Same with the attitude that anything that's profitable most be good. It's appalling to see how much of Western economies is based on legal fraud.
Even if someone is a stupid moron and immature to boot, it's still repugnant to prey on that.
Wow! I made #4 on the readers' picks on Biden's loan giveaway article! I'm usually the lone wolf in the NYT comments section.
I would click the link, but is paywalled, and also risks a computer virus
Never mind the computer virus, the NYT mind virus is the one you should look out for
Good point. I suppose I could wear a full-body condom before clicking the NYT, but those things are hard to breath in, and fog up my glasses.
Small price to pay, they are safe and effective and the fumes will also dull your brain enough to believe their horseshit - which you can't even smell. That's why Taylor Lorenz always wears a mask.
"hat's why Taylor Lorenz always wears a mask."
I thought it was because she looks better in one? Well, live and learn
Jasmine Crockett thought her response to MTG was a flex showing how smart she is? Um, ok.
That whole thing was stupid and incredibly tacky for our congress.... but a flex of her mental prowess? I think not.
The article on UCLA's medical school is frightening. I cannot get my head around the Idea that the BIPOC community needs served by like individuals, no matter their competency. Underserved communities need more physicians.
In some communist countries most university spots went to people who's parents are "workers" or "farmers" in an attempt to break up the class system. It seems that now "race" is subbed in for class, has the advantage that even in a free society you can't change your race (Justin Trudeau's favorite hobby and spray-tans notwithstanding).
Candace Owens has become a Catholic as a publicity stunt for her brand. That comment shows it.
nagasaki was the secondary target that day. Trivia fact - my Dad was 60 miles away on a bombing mission.
My father was out on a ship because most people don’t know we were contemplating a D-Day style invasion because Japan wouldn’t surrender.
Some days I wonder if it was necessary, many of the soldiers were ready to die so to really break their will to fight you had to go after the civilians, to really destroy the thing they're fighting for instead of the soldiers. Especially if you care about the lives of your own soldiers.
While I only watched her show once (when Dave Smith was on) I get the impression that she gets waaaaay too much air-time (including social media) for what little she actually knows about anything.
"His Pregnancy Came as a Shock".....I couldn't read to the end of the Time Magazine piece (because of the nausea) but as far as I got with it, the word 'abortion' kept springing to mind.... but I'm not entirely sure exactly what I wanted aborted.
I haven't read the article, is it about a reboot of the old Schwarzenegger film "Junior"?
The link to it is at the top of Brad's Quotes.
I was joking (although I was serious about not reading the Time article), the movie is a comedy about a man getting pregnant through the miracle of a new pharmaceutical. The premise is of course preposterous. When reading the first part of the headline I immediately had Arnolds "It's not a Tumor!" line in my head.
I got about half way through...but I kept having to look away while I re-charged my faith in humanity. I think you'd find many of my essays 'up your street' but I can't promise too many laughs!
Honestly, you don't need to read that shit, so good on you for stopping half way. It feels like a lot of our reality has devolved into a daytime talk-show or some other form of trash TV that used to be considered a guilty pleasure for unsophisticated people. Somehow we pretend that it's all normal, just like most of the food is junk these days so is most of the "information".
Just read the LAT story on restaurant owners feeling forced to stay open to lose money since better than losing even more money (thank you for linking archived version, so not paywalled). These people need to learn about "corporations" and that you form a corporation to own the businesses. If they go under, they just file for corporate BR to discharge the leases. This is not something new.
I get the feeling a lot of people who start restaurants don't see it as a business, they think they can just open a good restaurant and the business part will sort itself. Some commercial landlords prey on that sort of thing, people who struck it rich (or are credit-worthy) who open a restaurant without knowing the economics, paying a ton of rent and then fold, rinse repeat. Sure the property is empty for a few months every couple of years but then the next idiot shows up. Of course Covid put quite the dent in that business model.
I'm sure you are right. There is only so-much demand for boutique expresso-latte-gluten free-pastry shops.
The lease part is tricky. The landlord may demand a personal guarantee for when the corporation eventually goes belly up. And the person opening the restaurant will not want to lose their location too soon after opening.
Running a business is always difficult, especially if it's a small business where the owners have to live on the profits. The CEO of McDonalds gets his salary whether the restaurants are packed or not and he can probably get his phone call returned from someone who matters. In a small business you're fighting against the big guys, competition from large corporations and the government. It's like entering an ass-kicking contest with one leg and a giant ass. Giving a shit about your customers is also a handicap, and while many politicians say they care about small business they usually write the laws for the big corporations.
One would hope at least the landlord has some skin in the game.
The 2018 tax law did do something big for small business, at least for reasonably profitable ones with the QBI deduction for SCorps and partnerships. Essentially reduces the fed tax on small business profits to same as reduced Corp rate. Absent a full republican sweep (unlikely) it will not be renewed when expires at enf of 2025, sine small business owners tend to vote republican.
If you have a reasonably profitable business and no unproductive debt that's probably the highest measure of freedom you can achieve in today's society, you're mostly beholden to your customers and you know how to please them. That amount of freedom obviously scares the people who are in love with big government, they need to be needed. No wonder it's made so difficult.
Bad form to reply to my own comment, but, yes, I realize a tax break on profits does not help non or barely profitable businesses
"Sadly, elements of our society are driven by a cacophony of falsehoods...." Wow, I guess he means?
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or brown or white or whatever the hell color you are, it doesn’t matter. We are all Americans and we’re gonna pull together as Americans."
He left out "orange".
"or whatever the hell color you are"
He could have only sad that, and I would agree. But, he specially mentioned black, brown and while before the catch-all, leaving a noticeable absence of orange.
Good point. Probably because his huge gold mirror, the BEST mirror, wasn't immediately available.