23 February 2011

Retirement And Other Bits-

I started to apologize, then realized there was no sense in that.
I work nights. I had a busy night.
Seven in the morning is my evening. Like my Dad before me I come home, watch some news on TV, have a bite to eat, catch up on the mail and watch a little more TV, then hit the sack to get some rest so I can be prepared for whatever unfolds the next day.

It's just that the "designated time" happens to be about 12-hours from what my Father used to experience.
So I hope you'll not be surprised to hear one of the things I do
(which my Father ABSOLUTELY never did) when I get home is have a glass of wine.
Or two.
Or three.

My shift is over. I'm off for 7 days. Tomorrow we board a Southwest Airlines 737 for California to visit with our son. (Disneyland on Sunday!)
I came home this morning and had bacon and eggs, country fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and a glass of wine. This wine is in a glass jug, so it's being exposed to air. If I don't drink it quickly it'll get bad. We're gonna be gone for a week...
Can't be wasting this wine! So please, consider the following in light of the fact I'm "saving the wine" from becoming vinegar...

I drank enough wine this morning that the "return" key on this computer is really gettin' a workout!

First thought for this post-
Egypt and Bozama's performance...
What was he supposed to do?
I'll agree he miss-stepped on some of his comments.
But his best bet was to keep his mouth shut and watch things unfold.
And for the most part, that's what he did.
Good for him, good for us.

Libya-
What's he supposed to do?
There is talk that we should establish a "no fire zone" to keep Libyan Air Force jets from firing on Libyan civilians.
Isn't that what the U.N. is supposed to be doing? (HA! Does the U.N serve any meaningful purpose in today's world? Why does it continue to exist?)
What we need to do is stay completely out of this tussle until the dust has settled.
There is unrest all over the MidEast and our best hope is that it truly ends up being a fight for those "Yearning to breathe free".
Our next to best hope is that that part of the world continues down the normal path and continues with their internecine strife. The absolute worst thing that could happen to us here is that the "Muslim Brotherhood" unites all these diverse factions together in a unified force against Western values.
It's my hope that computers and the internet have exposed those societies to the fact they are about 100 years behind the rest of the world in technology and freedoms, and they'll also realize the way to catch up is not to unite behind someone who will put all women in burkhas.
God, please hear my prayer.
Democracy for our Muslim brothers
AND SISTERS now!

Last thought for the day from this wine-fuzzied brain...
I canceled and withdrew funds last month from a money-market account I have had for over 20 years because it was literally paying NO INTEREST.
Checking to see what is available outside the stock market today, I find about the best you can do in the way of "guaranteed return" is 1.25%.
So let's do a hypothetical here:
Let's say you have invested much of your life to the point you have denied yourself immediate gratification knowing there would be a "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow.
Let's also say your goal was to have $1,000,000 in investments so you could be comfortable retiring, but when you get that amount invested you suddenly find yourself receiving 1.25% return on that MILLION dollar stash.
Stupid you...
What sort of party can you have on $12,500/yr.?
That's what that million dollar nest-egg is gonna net you annually...
Twelve thousand, five hundred dollars!!

Is this the retirement you imagined? Of course not.
Why didn't you buy that damned bass boat when you wanted it?!!

We live in interesting times.
The question is... will it get worse?

3 comments:

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Immediate answer: yes.

I know that I'm screwed because public employees and their pensions are under fire and scrutiny and, of course, I'm a cop and not far from retirement. I would have retired this year had it not been possible that my wife might be laid off from her job. And no, I didn't just "take my money and run." I've worked for 35+ years. When I first started at one department in the 70s as a cop, I made $5.97 an hour and got shot at for that money. I've paid my dues in many ways on many levels.

That said, I still can't put my finger on what's transpiring in the ME. I know it's dangerous and I believe it's going to impact the production and delivery of petroleum. And THAT will impact the US because we have done everything possible to NOT be energy independent. We haven't been building or drilling or tapping or refining or thinking of the future need for electricity, water, gas. The Religious Left have done EVERYTHING they could in order to STOP EVERY means of acquiring energy for this nation.

So, when the power goes out, when, first, gas costs $10 a gallon and then you can't get it at all -- thank a Leftist.

Democracy in the ME? Not possible. Islam doesn't recognize democratic principles or freedom. People are delusional if they think a wave of "democracy" just HAS to follow these demonstrations and riots. Un, no. It doesn't. It just creates a vacuum for OTHER despots.

BZ

Old NFO said...

I think it will... This administration has NO qualifications in foreign policy, and cannot/will not take a strong stand for either side. Re the $$, lucky you got it out before you had to PAY them to keep it for ya.

the golden horse said...

BZ I hear what you are saying.
Please look up Jerry Coffee under Coffe Break and see what he has to say on the MB. I thought my eyes were open before, but he really lays it out. I believe it is titled Muslin Brotherhood's Foothold.
As you most likely know he was a pilot and a POW for several years. He writes a column over here that I enjoy reading. Of course, this being amajor Dem state, he catches a lot of flack.