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News Roundup

Bad News

Brought to you by the makers of:

And in other sickening news:


...to make sure their investment is still bearing fruit, no doubt.


...the perfect response would have ChatGPT write the libel brief.


...keyword:  South Africa.  Also:


...because Australia, of course.


...man deserves an Oscar, not to mention danger pay.


...git ‘er done, guys.


...just another “hold our beer” moment.


…


...ordinary ol’ crabs not good enough.


...and about time.  Also:  whack that fucking Soros prosecutor while you’re about it.


...oh, be my guest inside that link.

In the INSIGNIFICA:
       

And in the Paige Three Department:

Yeah, I know, I know:  some Spanish guy won the tournament.  Damn furriners come to our country, win our golf tournaments, steal our blond Murkin wimmens…

Well done, amigo.  On all counts.

And so much for the news.

Cutting The Cord

Diplomacy, Gummint

…of the Belt and Road initiative.  A simple Q&A:

Should the United States continue to fund China’s aggressive military buildup?
— No.

Should the United States make every effort to move U.S.-based manufacturing out of China?
— Yes.

Should the United States make every effort to encourage alternatives to Chinese manufacturing?
— Yes.

Will the United States government actually do any of this stuff?
–Of course not.

Should the United States government be hanged en masse for endangering the welfare of the nation?
–Of course they should.

Here’s the background to all the above.

Makes Sense

Old Fartism

Why does this resonate with me, even though I’m retired?

‘Self-employment provides a way for older workers to use their skills and experience in a flexible and autonomous way whilst also generating income and maintaining their sense of purpose.

‘Technological advancements means setting up a business in your 50s or 60s has never been easier and armed with rich life experience and a valuable business network behind them, the appeal of building something of their own or pursuing a passion project can be a powerful draw.

‘There is a more sinister side to the rise in self-employment amongst this age group too. 

‘Shut out of the mainstream workforce due to a lack of flexible working opportunities and rampant age discrimination in the workplace means many older workers have no choice but to set up on their own.

‘Stuck between a rock and a hard place with a rising cost of living and the state pension age soon to be extended to 67, self-employment can feel like the only option for many who have been denied access to traditional employment.’

I’ll be happy to be proved wrong, but the way older workers have been treated by corporations since the 1980s…

 

Through Fresh Eyes

The Worst

So Beloved Granddaughter has left us (along with her lovely parents) and gone back to Seffrica sob sob.

While Over Here, of course, we showed them around and tried to see the country from their perspective.

While they truly enjoyed themselves — I mean, Buc-ees, who could hate that? — there were some blots on the landscape, and here are the three most egregious:

1 – Waffle House Sucks

It used to be the place where America had breakfast on the road, and where we could be assured of an inexpensive meal drawn from a dizzying choice of meals.  Now?  I won’t be going back.  A cut-down, tiny menu (fallout from Covid, by the way), no longer inexpensive, and to be honest, the food was terrible even by WH’s standards.  (More on this later.)

2 – Sports Merchandise Is A Fucking Ripoff

We got to babysit Beloved Granddaughter while her parents went to watch a Dallas Mavericks game, which they enjoyed immensely — although bewildered by the spectacle.  The next morning, I went to Academy to buy them some Mavs stuff for souvies.  Did I?  Like hell I did.  $30 for a cheap (made in Third World Country #7) t-shirt?  $50 for a ditto sweatshirt, $25 for a cap?  WHO ARE THEY KIDDING?

3 – Light Beer Is Not Only Piss, It’s Also A Rip-Off

Son-in-law tried three different light beers (Bud Light, Miller Lite and Michelob Ultra), and declared them all to be shit beyond words.  (I could have told him that, but he wanted to “try the American experience” — his words —  even though I warned him against it.)  The nadir of all this came at the Mavs game, where he paid $10 for a cup of the aforesaid Michelob Ultra.  His description of American “light” beer cannot be repeated here, lest it offend my Readers’ sensitive feelings, and he is the politest, most Christian young man I’ve ever met.

Bonus:  Even Cheap Food Is Overpriced

Breakfast at IHOP:  $90 for four, excluding tip.  $12 for a stack of pancakes?  What the hell has happened to us?

Quite apart from poverty issues, it’ll be a LONG time before New Wife and I eat out again.  The prices aren’t just high, they’re a fucking insult.

Monday Funnies

Funny Stuff

So, to clear our heads, a little off-beat mirth:

Menage à trois — a French term, after all:

And in the same vein:

And while we’re in that territory, so to speak, some offerings from Frederic Leighton:

The last is not by Frederic Leighton.  But run off to work, anyway.