I know that food costs are higher, but lunch today (we both had a sandwich and fries), and the bill was $40.00!

This is life on an island.

No, this is the new reality based on public policy driving up food costs.

Then add the dopey California politicians raising the minimum wage for fast food restaurant workers to $20 or more...

Food costs through the roof!

Politicians try to virtue signal that they are looking out for us common folk… They will raise minimum wage and more of the people they try to help will lose their jobs to touchscreen ordering terminals.

And they want to slap a windfall profit tax on oil companies… Stupid again, oil companies simply adjust their price and we pay for it at the pump. Business always adjust prices based on cost. Business has to turn a profit.

With respect to gas at the pump, higher prices might result in less driving. While there may be painful adjustments for some drivers, the overall result will be less driving and less pollution.

Yes, there will also be an increase in oil fired electricity prices. Again the overall result will be less pollution partly by people reducing electric usage and partly by less polluting sources becoming more price competitive.

I have never in my life had a conversation with anyone who said, “Well, gas prices are up, I guess I’ll stay home more”.

The least polluting source of all is nuclear, so in California, those must be shut down!!

The policymakers’ thinking is always upside down.

Gas prices are high because oil companies own politicians. Anyone who still believes in free market and capitalism has their head buried in the sand. Food costs go up and every company involved in the food industry reports record profits. When asked why prices are high “oh well that’s complicated but it’s because the cost of doing business went up due to the________”. Fill in blank with whatever you want because it’s all nonsense.

The only good thing that came from the pandemic is work from home. At a company of 400 we have 95% of us at home now. Employees now save money on:

Child care
Gas. I have spent roughly $250 to commute to work and back since January 1 2024.
Vehicle costs and maintenance
Work clothes
Lunch/eating out
Risk. No active shooters or gas station robberies at home.

The list goes on. I am sure all these problems will be solved by Captain Cognative Decline or Don Criminaloney.

And pharmaceutical companies, and War Machine manufacturers, and…

Representative government was the Great Idea.  We lost it.

So, more excitement in my life...

I picked up two used and abused outdoor ceiling fans, one run and the other not. Took the non running one apart and fount that the start/run capacitor had pretty much exploded. A $6.00 cap is on the way. And I'll then take it to habitat and donate both.

Next bit of excitement was fixing my very old Amazon Fire HD10. It had locked up and wouldn't "fire" up. Took it apart, and was then able to get it going (don't know why). I suppose I must have rubbed the two sticks the right way.

Such is the life of an OLD retired sorta techie guy.

The thing to do when you see a company raising prices and making a ton of money is buy their stock. Look at Apple stock for example, it has been great with a capital G. Lots of oil companies pay a great dividend, it makes filling up with gas not as painful.

Today we begin a new chapter in our lives.

We finalized the purchase of a house in Pleasant Garden, NC.

Anyone looking to buy a house on Oak Island, NC?

Oak Island: Is that the place where there is buried treasure?

Nah. I dug it up a long time ago. Where you think I got my money? It certainly wasn't from this industry...LOL





Actually. the treasure show is about Oak Island up in Nova Scotia, Canada. And they did find it.

After seconds of thought, I grab the keys to the wife's car, since it gets in the 30's and my truck gets 14 on a good day downhill.

She stays home more....LOL

Yeah, but IT COULD cause a problem, so.....

I have cousins and an aunt in CA- they ALL think Newsom is a moron and most of what's happening there is just failure after failure. They don't live in the places where the BS is happening and that's intentional.

You're complaining about ~$30/month to commute to work?

Newsollini?