2020

Another year is ending, this one also concluding a decade.  It would be a good time for a retrospective piece on the past ten years, but lots of other entities are doing that.  I'll just stick to my usual review of the things I wanted to have happen this year, and consider some things I would like to see happen in 2020.  We'll again start with the prior year's list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.
IMPEACHMENT HAPPENED.  I CARRIED THIS OVER FORM THE PRIOR YEAR, WHICH TURNED OUR TO BE VERY PRESCIENT.

The electric vehicle becoming America's fastest growing (by percentage) seller.
THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE U.K. BUT NOT IN THE U.S.

Alabama and Clemson and New England to have poor football seasons.
THEY WEREN'T POOR, BUT ALABAMA AND NEW ENGLAND AT LEAST HAD DOWN YEARS.

Some major medical breakthrough, perhaps a vaccine to eliminate a dread disease.
NO.

Consistent, moderate summer rain in central Iowa.
YES.

A priest actually arrested and charged and jailed for past sexual abuse.
THIS DID HAPPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA.  IT WAS TOO PREDICTABLE, AND NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

More cities allowing app-based scooter rentals.
WHILE MORE CITIES DID ADOPT THEM, OTHER CITIES STARTED TO RESTRICT THEM.

Another scandal that ruins another Fox (News) TV personality.
NOT REALLY, ALTHOUGH THE PRIOR SCANDALS AND CURRENT PROPAGANDA AT FOX DID CAUSE SHEP SMITH TO LEAVE.

U.S. restaurants that allow payment by app, OR that bring the credit card reader to your table.THIS STILL HASN'T RECEIVED WIDESPREAD U.S. ADOPTION, WHICH IS SORT OF INFURIATING.

Me traveling to one of the five continental states in which I've never set foot.I WAS ABLE TO CROSS OFF NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA FROM MY LIST.  DOWN TO IDAHO, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, AND NORTH DAKOTA.  (IT WAS ACTUALLY SIX.).

Now, for 2020 I'd like to see these things happen:

Me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I've never set foot.

A new president-elect and a corresponding surviving, independent, democratic republic.

More chances to make a hole-in-one (which means more time to play golf).

Widespread acceptance of plant-based meats on restaurant menus.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 16 consecutive playoff game losses.

Consolidation in the video streaming service industry.

A Summer Olympics without scandal.

Greater federal regulation of Facebook, and less people using it to show me pictures of their food.

A new artist who brings back the sound of classic rock.

That I never order from a bar that tells me it has no Crown Royal Apple.

Correlation Is Not Causation

A few years have passed since I’ve blogged about investing.  I used to post more about it when I worked at a firm where I put myself in charge of writing a quarterly investment newsletter of sorts; then I’d basically copy and paste what I’d already written.

One of the themes of that prior investment writing I did was how there was little, if any, correlation between how the markets perform over long periods and virtually any other specific individual thing.  Investing history and statistics prove that if X happens, it does not impact the future of Y.

The best current example of this investing correlation mistake is people who want to correlate the political parties with stock market performance.  The fact is, there has never been a correlation between those two things.  [Note to those Republicans who still believe those things are related, you actually want a Democrat in office, because the stock market went up more during three democratic presidential terms than for any republican presidency.]

Another very broad example of this investing correlation fallacy involves technical trading, which is buying or selling based on nothing more than the grid lines on a chart. For some, these simple securities price charts signal a breakout up or down, ergo an investing opportunity.  It's amazing how many otherwise smart people believe in this type of technical 'strategy' when it has nothing to do with the underlying company.  It's stupid.

This all makes me think, what other things do people want to positively or negatively correlate that have no real correlation?  There are so many, but here are a few that annoy me:

* Scholastic grades and intelligence.

* Hours spent at the office and work.

* Owning a Fitbit (or other electronic health tracking device) and weight loss.

A New Decade Of Thanklessness

Thanksgiving 2019 means the start of a second decade for my annual list of things for which I'm not thankful.  It's almost sad how easy it is to compile a new list every year -- it's becoming a literary version of me telling kids to get the hell off of my lawn.  Anyway, here it is, in random order:

Ticketmaster charges.

Using social media to make well-wishes to people who aren't on social media.

The Baby Shark song.

White Claw (beverages).

Pro basketball (NBA) load management.

Old-school British period shows.

Vaping and vapers.

Anyone promoting a multi-level marketing program.

Corrupt family dynasties.

Annuities and financial products by any other name.

Martinis without blue cheese stuffed olives.

Cold-weather golf.

Spicy chicken sandwiches.

The phrase, "OK, Boomer."

Carolina In My Mind

Took a trip recently to an area of the U.S. where I'd never been, the Carolinas.  Some observations:

• North Carolina is a little bit like Iowa.  The eastern part of the state is more populous, with lots of medical institutions and places of higher education, while the western half is mostly rural, where most of the pork production is happening. In my opinion, Vermont is the only other state more similar to Iowa, because the similar climate and (lack of) cultural diversity.  South Carolina met the stereotype of the Deep South.  People had thicker accents, and seemed to play up their so-called southern charm in their fashion and behavior.

• Before this trip, I had only heard of the Biltmore estate in passing.  Turns out to be quite a tourist attraction in Asheville, NC, and one worth the visit.  It's mind-boggling to think that nearly 150 years ago, George Vanderbilt was so wealthy and big-thinking to spend many years to plan and purchase thousands of acres of land, and build a small part of it into a self-sustaining estate, including a 180,000 square foot mansion.  It's essentially a European-style kingdom / castle, slightly more modernized for the times.  (The estate also provided the biggest surprise of the trip -- the site of a family of black bears randomly crossing the road.)

• Visited a plantation near Charleston, NC, one that's still 'working' in the sense it still produces crops.  It's main revenue these days, however, is generated by hosting events like weddings and concerts.  Some small brick structures stood in a row not far from the main house -- the former slaves' quarters.  This plantation had a couple of storytellers on hand, one a local slave ancestor, to provide a history of life there in the 1800s.  It bothered me that day, and for the rest of the trip, to think of the incredibly inhumane treatment of the slaves, not to mention the racism that still exists in around the country.

• Along with the old / historic city of Charleston, the main notable locales visited were Myrtle Beach, SC, and Hilton Head, SC.  Myrtle Beach was a huge, commercialized area with lots of beaches and golf courses for the younger rank-and-file demographic.  Hilton Head was a huge, privatized area with lots of golf courses and beaches for the older wealthy demographic.  I admit it, I liked the Hilton Head vibe a lot more, but it seemed like there was an enormous, uncomfortable economic gap between the retirees / vacationers and the service industry folks who lived and worked there full-time.

(Just 5 more states left to visit: Michigan, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Alaska.)

Best Song Lyrics (Part XXI)

Last week, a list of Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 greatest singers from 2008 resurfaced in the Twitterverse.  Like most things on Twitter, people were complaining about it – the inclusions, omissions, and placing of names on the list.

Buried there at #37, probably a lot higher than he deserved, was Neil Young.  I never thought he was a great singer, and I’m not sure why Rolling Stone magazine thought that, but he was and is a great and prolific songwriter, going back to the early days with the groups Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.

It’s his solo stuff that most will remember, although it isn’t easy to remember everything given his nearly 50-year long solo career.   Always pushing a message of social justice and change, one of his biggest hits was a song released in the late 1980’s, when he was already (incorrectly) considered to be in the late stages of his career…..

Called Rockin’ In The Free World, it was about a U.S. president whose policies he didn’t agree with at the time,  Imagine what he thinks about the current president, given today’s low standards.

There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin' their feet
People sleepin' in their shoes
But there's a warnin' sign
On the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin'
We'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan,
But I am to them
So I try to forget it,
Any way I can

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.

I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away,
And she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life,
And what she's done to it
There's one more kid
That will never go to school
Never get to fall in love,
Never get to be cool

(Chorus)

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand
We got department stores
And toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes
For the ozone layer
Got a man of the people,
Says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn,
Got roads to drive

(Chorus)

The Stadium Experience

I've been an avid competitive sports enthusiast since I was a child, both as a fan and a participant.  My participant days are long gone (with the possible exception of golf), but I still follow sports closely, primarily major college and professional team sports.

An offshoot of this interest is an interest in the stadiums in which these teams play.  There was a time when I could name the stadium called home by every single professional team, and most major college teams.  I wouldn't be able to do that anymore, mostly because teams now sell stadium naming rights that change regularly.  But I'm still quite good at being able to see a stadium on TV and be able to name the home team.

I recently attended a Minnesota Vikings football day game at the relatively new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  (I even got to be on the field the day prior for a charity event.)  Such a neat stadium environment, with a translucent roof and enormous 'doors' that open at on end -- effectively being indoors but having the sun shine in and feeling fresh air.

This made me think about a 'bucket list' of other famous and/or unique sports venues in which I want to attend a game.  I've already checked a few of these off of my list, but here are my top ten for now in alphabetical order:

Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS 
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles
Fenway Park in Boston 
Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN
Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA (done)
Soldier Field in Chicago (done) 
U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (done)
Wrigley Field in Chicago (done)

Outside of the U.S., I'd also add Wembley Stadium in London. Unfortunately, there are also some great old stadiums that have been replaced with new ones I'm not as interested in seeing.  Otherwise, I'd have included old Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY, and old Chicago Stadium in Chicago.

While my 'event' sports bucket list would of course include things like the Super Bowl, World Series, and The Masters, this stadium list would be fun to accomplish, too.

August And Everything After

August has always been a month of mixed feelings for me.

As a youngster, it was always important to me as my birth month.  If fact, I always considered my mid-month birthday as the pinnacle summertime event of my childhood.  Unfortunately, because of its close proximity to the start of a new school year, the immediate aftermath was a huge letdown.  It was like coming off of a sugar high.

As an adult, August is still an important milestone month, because now my wedding anniversary is also included as part of it.  But while the school year has no direct impact on me now, it’s still a negative mental marker of the summer ending, with the daylight hours getting shorter, and the temperature getting colder.

This year, my August attitude has been the same as usual.  There have been many highs in the first half of the month to go along with the birthday / anniversary attention, including family gatherings for weddings, and the always-important Iowa State Fair.  (Not just attending the fair, but once again competing and judging.)

But now here we are at month’s end, with the Labor Day holiday at hand, and the melancholy feeling is taking over.   The more leisurely summer days and evenings are ending, and everything you told yourself you’d wait to do until the Fall is now staring you smack in the face.

One good thing about getting older is, I can at least enjoy the usually beautiful September / October weather.  That wasn’t the case in my younger years, when the hours of helping work on the farm were even longer.  It wasn’t the case in my young adult years, either, because those months typically brought with them a vast array of kids’ school and sports activities.

Farewell, August.  I look forward to seeing you again next year – at least your first 20 or so days.

RAGBRAI - 2019 Support Vehicle Driver Edition

Last week was the 47th annual bike ride across Iowa, better know as RAGBRAI.  In a rare occurrence, last year I didn't partake in any aspect of the ride.  Did I come out of retirement for the third time to cycle on RAGBRAI this year?

Sort of.

For the first time ever, I drove a support vehicle for others instead of riding the route myself.  While others have done the same for me countless times, this was my first chance to be there with supplies and encouragement for others as they rode a day of the route.

It was a whole different way of seeing the ride / riders.  Here are just a few observations:

* If you're sitting somewhere along the route as it goes by, get ready to wave and talk a lot.  I thought I'd be able to listen to some podcasts, or maybe read a little bit as the riders passed.  However, most of the riders are waving or honking a horn at you as they say hello.  This was true even though I was stationed at the top of a hill, where you'd think out-of-breath riders wouldn't want to say anything.  They were relentless in their desire to exchange pleasantries, and many were happy to stop and talk a while, especially if you asked them about their unique dress, or where they were from.

* Not to overstate it, because most riders were in good shape, but there were a lot more riders than I'd ever noticed before who were obese.  Frankly, they should not have been riding.  I say this with all due respect to them for their attempt, but people have heart attacks every year on the ride, and it's easy to see why.   Maybe I didn't notice them in past years because I was always passing them?

* So many specialized bikes!  Not just tandems, but things like side-by-side cycles, elliptical bikes, and many adapted cycles for disabled riders.  It was a much greater number than I ever realized.  This actually was a reason for the funniest line I heard on the ride, from a rider who was with another person using a hand-powered bike.  At the top of a hill, he said to the clearly paraplegic rider, "Are your legs tired?"

* Getting the the meeting / destination town early, then staying there for a couple of hours, gives one a better idea of how large RAGBRAI is.  The populations swell by thousands in just a short time, the lines for food and beverages grow, and finding shade very quickly comes at a premium.  This is where looking at maps beforehand is so important, to find an optimal meeting spot for those riding.

While it isn't something I'd be interested in doing every year, driving a support vehicle does give one a way to experience the 'party' side of the ride without having to experience the physical aspect.  Plus since I was wearing my cycling clothes, no one knew any different!

Fitbit(e) Me Again

The warm weather and longer daylight of summertime encourages people to increase their level of physical activity.  It might be something big, like long range running / cycling / swimming, or something simple like gardening, or walking the dog.  (Alas, many people don't walk their dogs much in colder weather, and yes, that makes them terrible pet owners.)

Regardless, this is a net good thing for those people's health, and to a lesser extent, a society that may not have to bear a cost to care for more unhealthy people.  Unfortunately, some of those who fall into the 'simple' category also fall into a net bad category.  Specifically, the category of people who feel it's necessary to brag to others about their new, extraordinarily minor activity.

This is the scourge of the Fitbit, a fitness tracking device introduced several years ago.  I blogged about it in 2015, and it's only been made worse (meaning even more ubiquitous) by the very popular Apple Watch.  Here is the key paragraph:

Hey Fitbit users:  The rest of us are happy that a consumer product has made you more fitness-aware.  We just don’t want to hear about it every damn time you’re around us.  You might want to assume that some of us are doing a lot more than you are to stay fit, we simply aren’t publicizing it.  Also, I would caution Fitbit users to remember the importance of diet in overall health – but please, you don’t have to tell the rest of us your daily fresh vegetable or yogurt intake, either.

Bragging about a slow walk or slow bike ride only incriminates the bragger.  Those who wear fitness tracking devices should not confuse activity with cardiovascular-improving, weight-loss inducing exercise.  Movement is good, but movement without elevating your heart rate, or burning substantial calories, is a big health nothing-burger.

I suggest that before these folks brag about their activity, they think about whether their audience cares, or whether anyone is seeing any actual results.  If the answer is no, don't brag about it.

The Artful Codger

In the past ten or so years, I've been a regular attendee at what would be considered 'artistic' community events.  Specifically, these events include attending traveling Broadway shows in Des Moines, and the annual Des Moines city arts festival.

Prior to the past decade, my interest in the fine arts was mostly limited to excessively complimenting my kids on their mandatory elementary school art projects.  If you go back far enough, you might also include watching MTV -- you know, back when it was still a music video channel and not whatever it's trying to be today.

These days, however, I've become at least a little bit more interested.  I've seen dozens of live stage performances, mostly Broadway musicals, and I'd say at least half of them were quite entertaining.  I'm more drawn to the contemporary, adapted musicals than to the old-school classics, which are almost entirely singing and dancing.  I even watched some of the Tony Awards on TV this year -- yikes.

As for the Des Moines Arts Festival, it's a way to be open-minded about people who do creative things, be it painting, photography, sculpture, or music.  Every year, I run across something that I think would be a cool conversation piece, or something with vibrant colors that must stimulate the right side of my brain.  Also every year, I wonder about how these poor artists are able to charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for something will zero utility value, which is why I'm only a viewer and not a customer.

No one would say that I've become an aficionado of the fine arts.  Far from it.  I can't think of anything I'd rather do less with my leisure time than go to a ballet, or listen to a symphony orchestra.  Plus, I do think too much public money is channeled to the arts, when it could be better served to help human suffering.  (Those able to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on show tickets or artwork can surely fund the arts privately.)

That said, I can also say I’ve matured enough to appreciate artistic talent and output.

Dear Graduating Class of 2019

It's time to give some more life advice to the early-twenty-somethings out there with brand new college diplomas.....

To the graduates of 2019:

It's probably difficult for you to go a day without seeing a news story about the crushing amount of college debt that most of you now have.  I can think of two exceptions to this: Some of you were lucky enough to have had your college paid for you by a parent or other family member or scholarship, while some others simply never read the news.

For many of you -- not all, but many -- there's a good chance that the main reason for this debt is you.  You probably could have studied harder in high school, creating a better chance for scholarships.  You probably could have studied harder in college, and completed it sooner.

Try not to ponder why you have this debt.  Your generation isn't about to blame yourselves for your own (in)actions anyway.  Better to focus on how to eliminate it.  I'm here to help.

1)  Get a job and start making money.  Any job.  No waiting for the job you want.  Listen to my (stolen) old saying:  If you wait to take the job you love, you'll never work a day in your life, because you are never getting that job.

2)  Work hard, and keep working hard.  Find a way to be indispensable, and you'll be fine.

3)  Stop spending money you don't have.  This may be a hard habit to break, because it's essentially what you've been doing throughout college to create the debt you have.  The living-on-credit monster doesn't need to be fed, it needs to be starved.

4)  Don't worry about saving for retirement now.  There are financial advisors out there who will try to convince you that saving now means you won't have to save as much later, which is true.  But it's also stupid, because eliminating high-interest debt is more important, and gives you more bang for the buck.  Also, let this be your first lesson that advisors mostly only care about giving advice that makes money for themselves.

5)  Repeat.

That's it!  You'll have your college debt paid off in no time, and have learned good life-long habits.  Of course, one alternative to all of this is to move back in with your parents.  Don't do it.

Berky Meeting Nuggets 2019

Yet another Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting is in the books.  This year I didn't feel like waking up early enough to get there before the doors opened at 7am, so I didn't get there until around 8am.  The downside to this was an upper deck seat for the 8:30am company movie and morning session, and no time to look at the exhibition hall beforehand.  The upside was more sleep, there were still plenty of complementary breakfast danishes and beverages at my super-secret place behind the stage, and I got a great seat for the afternoon session anyway.

This year's observations:

There was only one side-question about CEO succession.  I guess everyone has become bored with that.  However, Warren Buffett went out of his way this year to have a couple of questions each answered by the Vice-Chairs, Ajit Jain and Greg Abel.  One of these guys will be the next CEO.  I've heard Abel answer energy questions before, but it was unusual to hear Jain speak on insurance issues.

Charlie Munger was as engaged and funny as ever with his comments, at least until later in the afternoon when he nodded off.  (That was not unprecedented, I've seen it before.)  I thought the best exchange of the day happened when a questioner identified himself as a 27-year-old from San Francisco who fancied the idea of starting his own investment fund.  Buffett took him quite seriously, to my surprise, talking about how he was young when he started his investment partnership.  But Charlie didn't bite -- he instead told a joke, which was classic Munger, and maybe the highlight of my day:

"Let me tell you a story that I tell young lawyers who frequently come to me and say, 'How can I quit practicing law and become a billionaire instead?'  So I say well, it reminds me of a story they tell about Mozart.  A young man came to him, and he said, 'I want to compose symphonies.  I want to talk to you about that.'  And Mozart said, 'How old are you?'  And the man said, 'Twenty-two.'  And Mozart said, 'You're too young to do symphonies.'  And the guy says, 'But you were writing symphonies when you were ten years old!'  Mozart says, 'Yes, but I wasn't running around asking other people how to do it.

It used to be the meeting questions were dominated by Europeans who traveled to Omaha, but now they are dominated by Asians, more specifically, Chinese-Asians.  There's even a room at the arena complex that has a Mandarin-language translator.  Not sure how this came to be, but Munger especially keeps tabs on China, and has encouraged Berky to invest more there.

This was the first year I can recall that the Omaha World-Herald newspaper wasn't distributed free to those entering the meeting.  It was most noticeable before the meeting in that the paper sections couldn't be used by those trying to save seats.  In that regard, it was kind of nice, and anyone wanting to read the paper can get use their smartphone anyway.

Post #400

This is my 400th blog entry since I started it almost 10 years ago(!)  (I'll have to throw a party in July when the actual 10th anniversary arrives.)  I'm going to do what I've done in past 'century' posts, which is to review some of what I wrote about since my 300th entry.  The time gap between the 300th and 400th is going to expose how I don't write as much as I used to -- it's taken me twice as long as the prior 100.

I wrote about several recurring annual topics, including the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting (soon to be post #410), my advice to graduating seniors, RAGBRAI musings, and things for which I'm not thankful. 

I wrote about how smart people have many advantages in the world, but are disadvantaged by a lack of numbers, and so many stupid people holding them back.

I wrote about new cities and regions of the country I visited, including attending the Rose Bowl.

I wrote about how great social media technology and platforms could be, if not for the all of the people who use social media for evil and not for good.

I wrote more about our country's slow, inexorable march toward decriminalization and legalization of marijuana, which can't come soon enough.

I wrote a few more times about financial issues, and starting my own firm.

I wrote a handful of times about great songs and songwriters, a dying breed with the exception of a few hip-hop and country artists, to which I rarely listen.

Nearly 100 entries apart, I wrote about my observations at the funerals of my father and mother.

I wrote about how religion separates people (and in many cases, harms people) at least as much as it brings people together.

I wrote about the dysfunction and hatred of this decade's politics and politicians, which is in many ways related to the last item.

I wrote about how today's baby boomer parents are ruining not only their kids' lives, but society in general, with their awful parenting.

I wrote a few items of self-reflection, on what happened in the past, and what I might do differently if I knew then what I know now.

400 posts.....bring on the next 100!

Too Many Goodbyes

I've had one of the longest, if not the longest, time gaps since my last blog entry.  The main reason is, the past month has been consumed by my mother's failing health, death, and burial.  She was 90 years old, long enough that she survived not only her spouse, but every other sibling and and in-law of her generation.

More on her life later. When my dad passed away not quite four years ago, I made some observations about the overall funeral experience.  All of those observations held true again with my mom's passing, but now I have more to add:

Unlike for my dad, I had a chance to preview my mom's obituary and suggest changes.  While I did provide my two cents worth, we should have been more focused on adding a sentence that any memorials be made to one or more designated charities.  I'm not sure why that wasn't done, but anyone who's ever had to later help sort out the flowers and wind chimes and cash (for Catholic mass intentions) should know it's needed.  There are better ways for others to help leave a legacy.

I have new respect for the embalming skills of funeral home staff.  Toward the end of her life, a variety of afflictions had turned my mom's body into a hand-clenched, hunched-over state.  But in the casket, she appeared straight and calm.  Having said that, the better way to go about a burial is still cremains, eliminating the unnecessary and ridiculous cost of caskets and vaults.

The burial service at the cemetery was unique, at least for me.  This time we were not asked if we wanted to stay to watch the casket / vault lowered into the ground.  I didn't need to see it, but I'd never seen it done before, and I paid attention to how it was accomplished.  My main takeaway was that there was a lot of pressure on the funeral directors, because there were a lot of things to move around, and so much could have gone wrong with a lot of mourners watching.

There were too many 'goodbye' moments for me before, during, and after the funeral.  I said goodbye to my mom before she died (on more than one occasion) when she was facing imminent death.  Then our family said goodbye to my mom's body before the service when the casket was closed, then again during the service at the final blessing, and then again at the end of the service when the casket was lowered.  Then later, we had to start saying goodbye to relatives and friends who had attended.  These final salutations all come at a small emotional cost.  I would have preferred not to say goodbye that many times in such a short period, especially to the dead.

As with my father's death, I've been very contemplative about my mom's life, and how she spent it.  I certainly don't want to dwell on the past couple of years, which she basically spent losing motor function, and dying inch by inch in a nursing home.  And I kind of hate that most of my memories of her relate to taking care of her spouse's and children's domestic needs, even in retirement.

In the end, though, her family's happiness was her happiness.  So I've concentrated on that, and the fact that she no longer needs to be concerned about others' welfare, or by the limitations of her own body.  I'm going to miss Mom, but I will always carry a piece of her and Dad with me.

The View From My Back Window

A few years ago, I made a blog entry about the neighbors across my back yard, whom I often observe from my deck during the summer.  At that time, I noted some issues they each had with family members who just didn't want to move out.

Now that I'm working from home, I have a chance to observe these neighbors more frequently -- not by choice, but by virtue of simply looking out my window a few times a day.  My update on them is, so much has changed, yet so much remains the same.

My elderly widowed neighbor to the east is rarely seen outside anymore, but there's more activity there than ever.  Her disabled son is no longer around, and neither is her prodigal granddaughter and boyfriend, but they've been replaced by others.  Now her recently separated or divorced adult grandson lives there, and from time-to-time, he's joined by his kids and girlfriend.  You'd think this living arrangement would have the grandson taking care of their house and yard, but this would only be true if you defined 'taking care of'' as letting the property look like an unkempt trailer park.

My neighbors to the northeast haven't changed the number of occupants (unless you count the dog dying), but therein lies the problem.  Their adult, mostly unemployed, high-school dropout daughter still lives there.  In the past year, in addition to the usual shouting matches, there have been multiple visits by police, fire, and rescue units.  Her dad has admitted these are attributable to the daughter's addictive lifestyle, but he and his wife won't kick her out, because, well, they're bad at parenting.  Their house and yard were TP'd this week, which I thought was only a high school thing, but at least it's better than hearing gunshots.

Like I said, much has changed, yet much remains the same, and none of it is good for my property value.

A Taxing Occupation

It’s tax time, meaning more work for me both personally and professionally.  This year more than ever, I find myself talking to – and about -- tax preparers.

Tax preparers are a little bit like financial advisors, in that some are better than others, and credentials matter.   If you need help doing taxes, you probably get what you pay for.

Alternatively, though, most tax preparers are alike in one major way.  That is, they are concerned with minimizing their clients’ taxes in the current year.  Seems like a good idea for everyone, right?

The thing is, not everyone should be worried about minimizing taxes now; they ought to be worried about minimizing taxes later.  While always subject to change, it’s a fact that the current tax law expires in 2026.  Without changes, this means tax rates will go back to the higher 2017 brackets.

In this environment, tools like a Roth IRA can be of great use, where you pay taxes now in return for not paying taxes later.  Unfortunately, when tax preparers do suggest an IRA, it’s almost always a traditional IRA, since they want the immediate tax deduction.

Part of this is that some tax preparers are compensated in part by the amount of refund they generate.  Gosh, imagine that, doing something that’s better for them than for the client.

This is why many people would be better served by a credentialed, fiduciary, financial / tax planner instead of the run-of the-mill tax preparer. 

The Catholic Reformation

Looking back on the label-tags on this blog site, I'm surprised to see that 'religion' is one of the most used.  I didn't recall writing much about the topic, I suppose because it's been a few years since I've made more than a passing reference to it, and frankly, I haven't been a big fan of religion for a while.

That streak gets broken today, in order to write about the sexual abuse scandals that are (still) engulfing the Catholic Church.  We've known for many years now that some of the clergy have used their positions to abuse children.  It's widespread enough that I had to reflect on whether I, a product of Catholic schooling and a former mass server, may have been abused.  (I decided No.)

We've known for a lesser time, however, that despite promises to the contrary, the church has done virtually nothing to stop the perpetrators, nor to keep it from happening further.  And now we're finding out that nuns have also been part of the abused, and part of the abusers.

Of course, this is outrageous.  As I write this, the church hierarchy is meeting in Rome at the pope's request, trying to figure out how to stop the cover-ups, and somehow move forward.  No one knows what's going to happen, if anything, but it seems one thing that must happen isn't even on the table -- publicly identifying and prosecuting those known to have committed abuse in the past.

Of course, this is even MORE outrageous.  The old men who collectively run the Catholic Church, including the pope, continue to close ranks to protect their own.  They somehow seem to think this is a winning strategy, as they have for the past decade or two.  They continue to fiddle while Rome burns, semi-literally.

This inaction is immoral at the least, and criminal at the most.  Speaking for myself (but probably parroting others), Catholics aren't going to come back to the church unless the abusers and their protectors are arrested, placed in handcuffs, prosecuted, and jailed if proven guilty.

In the meantime, since the church is a benevolent (or maybe malevolent?) dictatorship and the leaders can't be voted out, I believe there's only one thing true Catholics can do to effect change:  Reduce or cut off the money supply.  In other words, limit alms giving to non-monetary or specified local needs.

The fact is, in today's modernized world, institutions fail without funding. Therefore, to remain viable, such institutions are motivated to reform.

Make no mistake, stopping the flow of money to dioceses and the Vatican will reform them, and fast.

Unfortunately for the needy, doing this will create collateral damage, no doubt.  But at this point, does anyone what to argue it's better to serve a vulnerable population with unchecked, potential pedophiles than it is to simply reduce services?

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  The Catholic Church needs swift and permanent reform, and it's going to take more prosecution and/or less money for it to happen.

Small Pets And Large People

I'm not a frequent flyer, but over the past few years I've flown enough on passenger jets that I feel qualified to complain.  Not about the airlines, but on other airline passengers.

There are two main, aggravating issues:

Why are small, non-service animals allowed on planes?  When did this even become a thing?  It's crazy that pets should occupy any space on a commercial airliner, even inside a carry-on case. Non-service pets shouldn't be allowed in the airport, much less on an actual plane with other passengers.

If you have a pet, and have to travel, then do what responsible pet owners do -- kennel it or leave it at home with someone else to watch it.  If animals could talk, they'd agree with me and say they don't want fly anyway.

But even worse than pets are.....how should I say this.....obese people.  There are few things worse on a plane than sitting next to someone so fat their body encroaches on your own seating area.  You pay for your own space, but end up only getting part of it, while the weight-challenged person gets their own space plus some of yours.

Apparently, airlines do have obesity policies wherein large passengers are supposed to buy tickets for two seats.  This is a rarely enforced subjective rule, however, because I've never been on a plane when this happened, yet there's never been a plane I've been on that didn't have obese passengers.

Sorry, pets.  Sorry, obese people.  Commercial jets aren't for you, without restrictions.

A Good Use Of Twitter (Redux)

Not quite three years ago, I blogged about using Twitter to share jokes, and listed a few of them.  I consider this one of the best uses for Twitter, at least as good as passing along information, and far better than the bullying, narcissistic activity for which most use it (including a certain president).

I follow several comedians / writers on Twitter, and I love to read short, smart jokes.  It works a bit better now that Twitter now allows 280 characters in stead of 140.  It's also fun to see professionals burn intellectually and ethically-challenged ideas and individuals (including a certain president).

The other day I came across a Twitter account that has archived their favorite jokes from what they considered the best Twitter jokers.  I had a great time laughing out loud to some of them, so similar to what I did in 2016, here are more of my favorites:

There's no I in anxiety. Wait. Yes, there is. Oh my god oh my god oh my god

The best part about being a walrus is probably never having to buy a staple remover.

Do you even know what condescending means?

I'll have a rum and coke

Is pepsi ok?

Whatever

*hands you a pepsi and a coke*

Wait what do you mean Jesus loves me? Did he say something to you? OMG I'm freaking out right now tell me his exact words.

Choose a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life, because you'll never get that job.