Cool and clear, damp, and maybe a chance of rain… so mostly just Houston.\u00a0 It was another great day at the BOL following the rain.\u00a0\u00a0 A bit on the humid side, rapidly warming in the sun, but nice.<\/p>\n
Met with the tree cutting guy.\u00a0 Got a bid for the needed work.\u00a0\u00a0 Need to find time in the coming weeks to execute… not cheap, but seems reasonable for a crew of 7 and the work done.<\/p>\n
Got a couple more small tasks knocked off the list.\u00a0 Things like “change 2 of the outlet covers on the dock, to keep from electrocuting someone…”\u00a0\u00a0 Not high priority, but needed doing.\u00a0\u00a0 Poisoned some more fire ants.\u00a0\u00a0 Planted most of the blueberry and dewberry bushes.<\/p>\n
When I used the hose to water in the bushes, I decided that I will have to add mechanical fasteners to the hose bibs, foam isn’t enough by itself.\u00a0 I really don’t understand how they are meant to be fastened, the holes that look like screw holes are too small for any real hardware.\u00a0 I’ll have to do some googling.\u00a0 Details.\u00a0\u00a0 They’ll kill you.<\/p>\n
Today I’ve got pickups, groceries, one drop off, and getting some dinner cooked.\u00a0\u00a0 I’ll be frying up the fillets my fishing buddy gave me.\u00a0\u00a0 Should make some other fried food to go with them.\u00a0\u00a0 Hope they’re delicious…<\/p>\n
Got the annual bill from XM radio.\u00a0 We have three subs, one for each vehicle.\u00a0\u00a0 The bill was over $1000.\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah it’s less than a dollar a day for each vehicle, and we both listen to XM by preference, but times are tight and getting tighter.\u00a0\u00a0 Wife called to cancel or downgrade plans… and they offered 70% off for a year, if she switched packages.\u00a0\u00a0 Ok.\u00a0 There was still a big savings and we still don’t have to listen to commercial radio.\u00a0 Win win, for now.<\/p>\n
I mention it because of the belt tightening aspect.\u00a0\u00a0 We’ve got some big expenditures coming, so we are looking to save what we can where we can.\u00a0 I work pretty hard at it in fact.\u00a0 We’ve been coasting on things like subscription services though.\u00a0\u00a0 I bet a lot of people have, and I bet a lot of them will be cutting back soon if they haven’t already.<\/p>\n
Jerry Pournelle always said storytellers would do ok in bad times, so “entertainment” will continue to get money.\u00a0\u00a0 I’d bet that (smart people) will be looking at the value they’re getting and reduce spending.\u00a0\u00a0 I get pretty good value out of a used book, it costs far less than $1\/hour of use.\u00a0\u00a0 Some people get good value from a streaming service, watching more than enough shows to get under $1\/hour.\u00a0 Full price video games give outstanding value per hour, if you start with a used copy the cost is even lower.<\/p>\n
Used DVDs are double that $1\/hour, and movies and dinner out are WAY more.\u00a0\u00a0 Concert tickets, travel, and “experiences” are about to become the province of the well off.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shopping as entertainment (“retail therapy”) is going to run up the credit card debt, or run up the return rate, but is likely to be cut back dramatically.\u00a0\u00a0 Doordash and similar services are convenient, but at some point even the innumerate will see that $15 on top of a fast food order isn’t doable.<\/p>\n
Personal services, and “pampering” are almost sure to be cut back.\u00a0 Fewer haircuts, massages, spa days.\u00a0 Longer between nails and then less expensive procedures when you do get out…\u00a0 except a certain parasite class that already overdoes these things on the tax payer’s dime.\u00a0\u00a0 When the tax revenues drop, even social programs should be cut.\u00a0 Don’t know if they will, because of the rioting that would ensue, but I’d expect cuts in all the programs, even if they are just passive cuts, by not keeping up with inflation.<\/p>\n
The result of all those spending cuts is job losses, which lead to more cuts, which lead to more jobs lost.\u00a0 And then suddenly you are in a Depression with high unemployment.\u00a0 Add the social unrest and the political upsets coming, and the malaise and hopelessness of unemployment, to the sudden appearance of obvious foreigners (as the lily pads covering the pond double seemingly overnight) and you’ve got a dangerous toxic mess.<\/p>\n
I can’t be sure what’s coming, but for this summer, I’ll quote Ralph Wiggum from The Simpson’s – “It tastes like burning<\/em>…”<\/p>\n Stack it up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n nick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cool and clear, damp, and maybe a chance of rain… so mostly just Houston.\u00a0 It was another great day at the BOL following the rain.\u00a0\u00a0 A bit on the humid side, rapidly warming in the sun, but nice.<\/p>\n Met with the tree cutting guy.\u00a0 Got a bid for the needed work.\u00a0\u00a0 Need to find time in the coming weeks to execute… not cheap, but seems reasonable for a crew of 7 and the work done.<\/p>\n