Category Archives: Other

Economy, Education, Other

About Half of millennials meet definition of “Super Savers”

Leave a comment

Principal defines these Super Savers as people saving either 90% of the maximum in their retirement plan — such as a 401(k)–or at least 15% of their income. According to Principal’s survey of nearly 1,500 individuals, Super Savers account for 49% of Generation X and 43% of millennials.

Source: Opinion: These ‘Super Savers’ don’t have to think about retirement — how to become more like them – MarketWatch

This is contrary to the meme that younger generations are spending all their money on traveling the world.

Of course, some may be saving large amounts to travel in future years, and perhaps they are not saving for retirement.

Then again, there is a view that many college educated, well paid workers are over saving for retirement. I now agree with that view.

I grew up the child of parents that grew up during The Great Depression. I was taught – literally hammered in to me – to save as much as possible, always, and to avoid or postpone spending on fun things. I had my first job at age 10 and was directed to save at least 50% for college (in fact, I paid 100% of my own college tuition and my two Masters degrees without loans).

The good news is I over saved for retirement and so can be comfortable in retirement.

The bad news? I never did a lot of things my peer groups did, and which would be much easier to do when younger. Over saving is a real issue and it can have unexpected consequences – such as it might negatively impact one’s career.

Continue reading About Half of millennials meet definition of “Super Savers” →
Business, Emerging Technology, Healthcare, Other

What ever happened to “clip on” sunglasses for prescription eye wear?

Leave a comment

I am fortunate to have good eyesight. However, I do have a distance vision set of eye glasses; I am told I have a very minimal correction and I am not required to wear glasses while driving.

When my eyes are tired, or when driving at night, I prefer to wear the prescription eye glasses, and find them helpful during many activities. Today I was hiking without wearing glasses, for example, but when driving for hours, it is easier on my eyes to wear the prescription glasses.

On a recent trip, the “clip on” dark shades I have been using, broke. I thought it would be easy to find a replacement at a drug store, grocery store or even an eye glass store.

Nope.

I visited 9 stores! Not one had clip on shades for prescription glasses!

Continue reading What ever happened to “clip on” sunglasses for prescription eye wear? →
Aviation, Business, Climate, Economy, Education, Environment, Media, Other, Transportation

“Flight shaming”: Global travel should be banned.

Saving the planet requires that we stop gaping and gawking at travel blogs and vacation selfies. Instead, everyone who cares about the environment should shame those who clamber onto an airplane every chance they get.

This is what counts as discourse from an “intellectual”. Let’s take mask shaming to a new level – and scream at anyone who posts a vacation photo online! And yell at those who view travel items on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.

In addition to “Flight shaming” there is also “overtourism” where some popular destinations now have more tourists than some desire. I wrote about that topic previously – proposed solutions are to limit the number of visitors to those who pay more (the elite?). They want fewer tourists each of whom spends more money. One way may to be set minimum stay duration (e.g. 5-7 days). Some destinations have added tourist taxes and new requirements such as health insurance bought from an in-country health insurer (not your usual travel insurance).

Continue reading “Flight shaming”: Global travel should be banned. →
Other

I edit old posts

Making this a “sticky” post at the top.

From time to time, I edit old posts, typically to:

  1. Reduce wordiness and improve readability. This happens a lot. If I have not changed the original meaning then I do not mention the editing.
  2. When I make corrections, I typically add a note that I’ve updated the post and explain why.
  3. Like everyone during the pandemic, there have been days I am frustrated and sometimes angry. I have frequently gone back and softened the tone of such posts, later.
  4. I generally do not make predictions of the future. We have seen numerous forecasts about the pandemic that have been wrong, often spectacularly wrong. So why bother to make predictions? If I have implied something about the future (not often), and it turned out wrong, I have tried to go back and acknowledge that the original post was wrong.
  5. Approximately 60% of the posts I write are never made public. I often make private posts to help me keep track of and log stories of this pandemic. I sometimes write posts but lack time to fully investigate or edit the material and thus, it does not go public.
  6. I frequently make private posts as place holders – for example, when “experts” make predictions about the future, I mark them for future follow up. These posts are not public until sufficient time has passed in order to check on the experts’ predictions.
Business, Other

‘HOAs are basically neighborhood tyranny systems’

True: ‘HOAs are basically neighborhood tyranny systems’ — why people are blasting homeowner’s associations on Twitter – MarketWatch

I have only had one home that fell within an HOA. The HOA had, however, ceased to exist about the time we moved in, due to the HOA self destructing after filing suit against two of the homeowners – and losing.

Continue reading ‘HOAs are basically neighborhood tyranny systems’ →
Business, Other, Public Health/Coronavirus

We are shutting down again: Event cancellations

Just some of the event cancellations seen online:

  • New Orleans Jazz Festival (October)
  • New Orleans Bourbon Festival (late August)
  • Tom Petty Music Festival (Florida, October)
  • Full Moon River Festival (late October, has announced it may be canceled)
  • Octoberfest (Charleston, North Carolina, early October)
  • New York International Auto Show (End of August)
  • Little Italy Festival (Chicago, late August, said there is too much uncertainty to continue efforts to put it on)
  • Labor Day Parade, St Louis (canceled)
  • Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam (Florida, early Sep)
  • Mississippi Book Festival, held at the Capitol (late August) – canceled because authors backed out due to Covid.
  • Summerfest (Milwaukee, early Sep, proof of vaccination required)
  • Hawaii Oceanfest (end of August)
  • PAX Australia 2021 canceled (huge gaming convention Oct 8-10th)
  • Australia International Airshow (November) has been canceled. Also known as the Avalon Airshow.
  • Some County Fairs canceling; some mandating face masks outdoors. Masks may be removed only when eating (outdoors).
  • Clark County Fair, Washington. Scheduled August 6-15 – was canceled
  • DragonCon (Atlanta) mandatory face masks, no viewers at the outdoor on street cosplay parade, reduced number of attendees permitted, no Saturday only ticket sales (event pass holders only on Saturday).
  • Rose City Comic Con (mid-September) announced mandatory face masks and social distancing inside the convention center. I suspect there will be public pressure to cancel the event. (Similarly, FanX in Salt Lake City is just one week later).
  • Nevada County Fair (CA, this week) asking – not yet mandating – everyone wear masks at all times and everyone will be handed a free mask upon entry.
  • Austin (TX) Pride Festival, to have been held this coming weekend, was canceled by order of the city.
  • BravoCon (New York, mid October) has canceled
  • Top Con Pop Expo (Kansas, late Sept) canceled, possibly permanently
  • Griot Con (Sep 25, Maryland) canceled
  • Realms Con (Oct, Texas) canceled, their web site has been deleted
  • Regarding the “Cons” and other indoor events – many attendees are expressing concerns over spending hours, indoors, with hundreds or thousands of people and are starting to cancel their attendance. Some event guests/performers are also canceling.This is what may cause many more cons to cancel (most have not yet postponed or canceled)
  • “And on Thursday, AEG Presents Rocky Mountains — which dominates the regional market — said in a press statement that ticket-holders for all shows will now be required to provide proof of full vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours of the show. But only until Oct. 1 — after that point, AEG will only admit concert-goers who are fully vaccinated.“

Numerous  concerts in Aug and Sep; including “brand name” rock and country music have canceled. Limp Bizkit, Stevie Nicks (has canceled rest of 2021 tour), Lynyrd Skynyrd

Numerous (literally dozens in Google news search) local festivals and events all over the country, as well as many business conventions/conferences.

Looks like the rest of summer and the fall of 2021 is canceled again.

I will soon be canceling our booked trips for the fall. There is a risk the event could be canceled on short notice, too late to make travel changes or get a refund.

Public health has done a bang up job with their illusion that they had any control over the virus.

Crime/Corruption, Other

Wow – what a heart tugging story – well worth reading

Cranbrook, BC is one of my favorite small towns. And after this, it still is 🙂

But then, as he looked at the young woman who had taken his dog, he says he recognized an old version of himself in her eyes.

“She was very evidently hooked on drugs,” he said. “I gave her a hug and she said, ‘Why would you hug a piece of s**t like me?’”

Morton told her: “I was addicted to drugs for years. I know what you’re on. I know what you’re doing. I completely forgive you.”

Instead of giving her the reward money, for fear she would spend it on drugs, Morton asked whether he could pay for her to go to rehab.

She said yes and the pair hugged, crying together.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson Sgt. Chris Manseau confirmed the story to CNN.

Source: When a woman stole his dog, this man didn’t press charges. Instead, he’s paying for her drug rehab – KTVZ

And it gets better but you have to read to the end to learn of the other person who he and friends also helped.

I’m still smiling 🙂

Other

Cutting back

Over a week ago, I stopped logging my state’s Covid-19 data and doing my own analysis. The state discontinued releasing data on weekends and holidays. Kind of felt like they’ve decided its over.

I began thinking of making fewer posts here and have cut down in the past week.

This blog was intended as a diary of the inconsistencies and contradictions I was seeing over the past 18 months. I’ve accomplished that goal – to record the insanity.

I have tagged some hidden posts for future follow up to see how past forecasts turned out – and might post those when they go live (these are marked for follow up out to 2022). Otherwise, I am thinking of cutting way back unless something really significant occurs.

Other, Policy/Government, Public Health/Coronavirus

What were they thinking?

What an idiot:

“They were hoping, the federal government was hoping, they could sucker 90 percent of the population into getting vaccinated,” Berenson said at CPAC, eliciting uproarious applause from the conservative audience.

Source: Fauci Deplores ‘Horrifying’ Moment at CPAC When Crowd Applauded Anti-Vaccine Speech

Their brains are dysfunctional.

I admit I am a brain injured idiot with no relevant experience here; I make observations and ask stupid questions. But … what’s their excuse for such absurd comments and crowd reaction?

Related – I do not know many people with confirmed Covid-19 cases – just a handful. However one, who is younger than me, spent 3 days on a ventilator and about 10 days in the hospital. I have said repeatedly, Covid-19 is a real disease – my criticisms are about inconsistent, contradictory, illogical and frequently incoherent public health responses and messaging to the point that public health no longer has credibility. But Covid itself is real. Vaccines are real and do work very well.

Automation, Business, Emerging Technology, Other, Policy/Government, Software/Tech, Transportation

Executive Order on “right to repair” may have broader “ripple” effects

US President Joe Biden will soon sign an executive order that will give farmers the right to repair their own tractors, said Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary in a press briefing on Tuesday. This is a shot in the arm for the activists who have been seeking legal protection for individuals engaging in repairs at local stores instead of having to send them back to manufacturers every time.

Source: biden executive order to allow self tractor repairs