Ugh, Syria

I hate to say that there is an area of agreement between myself and the alt-right. I really don't want the U.S. getting tangled up in more Middle East shenanigans. It seems to me we have had our fill of that rot, ad nauseum. A trillion-plus down the road, and what do we have to show for it? I would rather stay the Hell out of the Middle East. If that means finding alternatives for fossil fuels, so be it. If that means developing fossil fuel production in the New World and elsewhere, so be it. I think that the countries in the Middle East are a mess, and we are not going to be able to make them any better.

Let's say we did overthrow Assad. Would the next guy be better? I doubt it. There is always going to be problems over in that neck of the woods, and it is unlikely that those people are going to love us. The best we can hope for is they forget us, after we stay out of their hair for about a hundred years, if our leaders learn wisdom, which I hope they do.

Prime Minister Theresa May is O.K.

How come the U.S. can't have Theresa May as President? She is well-spoken. Instead we get saddled with that ignoramus, Trump, the "businessman" who can't pitch deals, can't turn a profit, can't manage, can't lead, and does not understand the economy. One thing he can do is bankruptcy, and that's probably what we are looking at not too far down the road.

Low Expectations

The way to never be disappointed is to never expect much out of other people. That way, they can never let you down, because you're already there.

401(k)

We had a lunch-n-learn conference out at work explaining all the wonderful advantages of letting a bank nursemaid us through our 401(k) mutual fund investments.

No thank you, Mr. Bank, you charge 1% for the dubious privilege of your pedestrian expertise, consisting of what is the difference between a stock and a bond, and your mutual fund selection is full of funds with expense ratios through the roof, an astronomical 1 - 2%. I will stick with my IRA and the only good mutual fund family, VANGUARD, thank you not at all, except for the free lunch, which was basically junk food, by the way, just like your entire product offering. What, are you trying to give us a heart attack with the food?

Some doofus raised his hand asking what the expense ratios were. The saleslady replied they were what the bank pays the mutual funds, which was a bald-faced lie, because the customer pays the mutual funds out of his principal. Nothing but lies in this meeting. They were telling us 401(k) was the only tax shelter, ignoring IRAs altogether, because they don't make money from that. After the meeting, I considered calling up Johnny to let him know the real scoop. I know my way around investing. But then I remembered back when I first started at the company. One day, when I was green on the job, Johnny sneered at me because I carried a heavy toolbox to fix a little problem that required just a single cable. Well, hey, you know what, expense ratios are Johnny's toolbox. The expense ratio's on him. That's his heavy toolbox he's lugging around, looking like a fool. Me, I'm with Vanguard. Let him pay that 1-2% for the next ten years.

Maybe I'm All Wrong

Perhaps I am impudent, but I dissent from Tyson and Duquette. I know, they are learned occultists with ump-ixty years of experience compared to my rather limited background, but I just don't like the numerological, Hebrew-centric approach. My blood rebels against Hebrew letters. I feel there is a better way, aside from cramming textbooks and following precise formulae based upon ancient culture that lacks relevance in today's world. If indeed, as Tyson and DuQuette appear to concur, magic is all in your head, then there are no rules, and they are self-confessed charlatans. Their books retain value, because they offer experience and guidance, but I think the solitary practitioner may, if he so chooses, forge his own way. The masters have already granted permission and left the door open, so I see no reason not to open it.

And I see no reason to add a "k" to the word "magic." Shakespeare didn't, so why should we?

Trump Would Rather Be Bombing A-rabs

Trump would rather be bombing A-rabs than paying for any medical care for the poor. Billions more for bombs, on top of and above the billions we already spend, but "Let 'em die!" seems to be the Republican motto when it comes to low-income citizens. Now, instead of Obamacare, the poor will discover that Trump-Doesn't-Care. I saw this one coming a mile away. What's interesting is that a lot of people that voted for Trump will be losing their health insurance. Contrary to Reason, I think Trump supporters will be O.K. with suffering and dying due to Trump, because he is a white man, and better yet of their own tribe. All they want is a white man of proper pedigree to call the shots, even if they and all their loved ones suffer and die. They will vote Republican in the next election as well, and this time they want to lose Social Security and everything else and hopefully get a world war out of the bargain. I recognize that Thanatos is a profound human need; people crave death, suffering, and resent those that want to forestall the inevitable. "Gxx-Damn Liberals" is what we are, communists, traitors, what-have-you. Thanatos indeed is the overriding impulse in some people. Human history is outlined by wars for a reason. Humans procreate and at the same time, find ways that they and all their kin might be annihilated; so the circle achieves completion. Reason ain't in it, only spiritual mumbo-jumbo that is hard to fathom.

As for Trump's increase of defense spending, although that sounds good in principle--we all want to be safe--the ugly truth about defense spending is that a huge amount goes to waste, up in smoke due to pure negligence, corruption, schmoozing, parties, kickbacks, gifts, you name it. Generals retire to become salesmen for the very firms they used to purchase from. In any case, this is the real reason that Trump wants to increase defense spending--to enrich his cronies the easy way. They don't have to work hard or think at all. They just collect checks from the government. Welfare for the rich.