What Were Erin's Mistakes

OK class, tell your Professor Cappy Cap what Erin's real mistakes were that led her to financial trouble.  Anyone, anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?

What Could Have Been

So GDP is revised down to 2.2%.

Heh, that's a funny number.  Why is it funny?  Because it's .05% off from the 2.25% average growth rate we've experienced for the past 20 years.  Regular readers are probably already familiar with this statistic in that I've constantly highlighted one of my favorite charts - rolling 20 year average RGDP growth.  In other words, what is the long term average economic growth rate?

Again, the reason why this chart is so interesting AND important is that it shows the decline and decay in America's ability to produce, grow and progress.  We were once growing at 4% per year on average, now we're down to 2.25%.  It also brings a cold, harsh and brutal reality to previous generations who voted themselves in a whole bunch of entitlement goodies in making it quite black and white that the economy is simply not going to be able to produce the wealth necessary to make good on those promises (so sorry BB's.  You're going to have very cheap nursing homes, despite what Jim Morrison and LSD told you).

However, while I was putting together a seminar titled "How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed," this chart got me thinking:


"What would our GDP or "income per capita" be if we had continued to grow at 4%?"

My brain, knowing the power of compounding roughly estimated it to be around $100,000 (click it, see if I was lying) per person per year vs. our $45,000 today.  But I hadn't calculated it out...until now.

Had we continued our traditional, old school, EVIL and OPPRESSIVE 1950's economic growth, our GDP would NOT be the paltry $14 trillion it is today (in 2005 numbers), it would be closer to $26 trillion.















We take the roughly 310 million Americans in the country today and that translates into a real GDP per capita of about $84,500.  However, that figure is in 2005 dollars.  I was surprised to find out based on the CPI how much inflation has occurred since then (despite what the government tells us) and apparently the US dollar has inflated by about 18%.  You adjust for that and what do you get?

$99,832.

Did I say $100,000 as just a guess?

Yes ladies, yes I did.  But then again, what do you expect when you have patented and god-given "Super Awesome Economic Genius (TM)?"

Now I'm not going to go into a long tirade here because, well, I've learned to enjoy the decline.

All I'm going to point out is one simple thing.

All these economic problems we have with debt and social security and economic growth and student loans, etc. etc. - All these problems would be washed away if we had maintained our previous economy growth rate.

But we didn't, did we?

Why?

Well because starting with the baby boomers and passing this philosophy on to successive generations we started ridiculing, mocking, criminalizing and villainizing that things that gave us such a luxurious standard of living - Capitalism, freedom, liberty and all that is America.

You wanted social programs and "The Great Society"

You got it.

You wanted to help out the losers of society?

You got it.

You wanted to reward people for their idiotic mistakes?

You got it.

You wanted to lower standards so to save people's feelings?

You got it.

And let's not forget blaming the evil corporations for all of our problems as well as constantly telling ourselves and our children "money isn't everything."  And hey, let's make up some commie BS about combustion engines contributing to global warming!

Well, you got it.

And what's the result of all this hokey pokey, kumbya, socialist commie bullshit?  A country that is no longer growing or prospering, but is stagnant and on the derivative value of 0, entering into decay (if you don't know the calculus joke, then don't feel bad, you're just the average American liberal arts graduate).

Worse than that is you have a country that is so ignorant, uneducated and (frankly) brainwashed, that the above chart and its simplicity of GROWING ourselves out of our problems is completely lost on you idiots.  Instead, you're so obsessed with stealing other people's wealth for your own, the thought of producing your own freaking wealth, even to the point you'd have more wealth than others, has never entered your mind.  The only sad, pathetic, LOSER of a solution you can come up with is to take other people's money which makes you the epitome of a parasite. 

So while you sit there and protest, and bitch and whine and complain, and vote in politicians who promise to take from other people simply to give it to you, you'll forgive me as I laugh my ass off at all of you.  Because in the end, there is only ONE SOLUTION to this problem.  And that is pursuing PRO GROWTH economic policies and NOT the redistributive bullshit that got us into the problems we have in the first place. 

Enjoy the decline, because I know I will.

(Would somebody tell Zero Hedge?  I think the chart showing potential RGDP per capita is Zero Hedge worthy).

Rehka Basu: Labor Market Realities Should Never Stand in the Way of Some Spoiled Suburbanite Brat's Desire to Never Work for a Living

$185,000 for a degree in Catholic Studies (with an INDIAN emphasis).

Heck, EVEN MPR is starting to realize the worthlessness of worthless degrees!

You can e-mail Ms. Basu here and thank her for the laugh, or perhaps mail her a copy of Worthless

hat tip

"Interview With the Captain"

It's just like "Interview With the Vampire" but:

1.  It's not as gay.
2.  There are no vampires
3.  I'm waaay hotter than Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

Why "Barrrrristas" Will Not Save the World

Effing hilarious.

Oh, it's so fun to make fun of you liberal arts majors.  Especially those of you who still insist you chose the right major and are proud of it.

Save The Last Pint For Me Boys

"Armed and Dangerous" was one of the BEST video games EVER.

Wish there was a sequel.

But Tim the Timtones shall forever be remembered.

Do Not Try

Very important post here for the boys (if you can get past the Chris Rock quote and move onto the article).  It explains the phenomenon where, for the most part, you had to work, slave, beg, plead, etc., to essentially trick a girl into going out with you.  However, there was that occasional girl that made it almost seem like she WANTED to go out with you.  She made it easy.  She presented herself to you, gave you a clear opportunity to ask her out, and not only said "yes" but also showed up for the date. 

The simple answer?  She was physically attracted to you, and the other girls weren't.

When I realized this, that if a girl likes you, she'll let you know, and if they don't, you're merely wasting time (not to mention money on cover charges at clubs), my strategy changed from one of pursuit to one of indifference.  I believe I was about 19 at the time, and good thing I realized this that early on.  From that point on I spent a mere fraction of resources most college boys did and most men do today AND had the same, if not better, results. Boys, do the same.

Captain's Jazz Lounge

Don't know how you can't be in a better mood after this:

Recession Medicine

 HAR!!!

Hat tip.

Effing Idiots

For the love of Christ.

Somebody want to airlift a crate of Worthless to them?

Ladies Night at Cappy's Club

Just so you know, we don't let no average ladies in at the Cappy Cap Club.  We let only the most beeeyooteeeful, INTELLIGENT ladies in.  Our standards are very high.  So boys, you damn well BETTER click on EVERY SINGLE LINK!  Because every one of these ladies deserves your undivided attention!  Beside, lord knows you might learn a thing or two. 

Sometimes I worry that if the Manosphere does its job too well, then we will get men and women to be true to themselves, admit and CELEBRATE (read - hot greasy monkey sex) our differences, and then, sadly, like the veterans of WWII we leave Europe, happy to go home, but kind of sad to lose the comradery.  But then again, it looks like this war is going to last at LEAST another generation.  Lock and load boys.

ADHD, ADD, DHADHDD, Adult DHDD, Autism, OR, is it just "I'm a crappy parent and blame my child's behavior on whatever fad disease the public schools concoct this week."  In my day we had a remedy for that.  It was my father's boot and it was a hell of a lot cheaper than a government social worker paid $250,000/yr and a pension that would make a UAW worker..um..well...work.

Even the black community I think would agree with this one.

"I am pro-Boobies, and have been pro-boobies during my entire political career, senator.  I will CONTINUE to be pro-boobies, and will continue to vote pro-boobies, not because it is a political move, but because I am an honest man, a real man, and a statesman.  Let it be clear I shall not waiver from this platform."


Kids, listen to me.  There is a SCAM for your precious little tuition dollars.  They don't care about you, they care about your money.  Listen up, wise up, and make sure these "elders" that are supposed to be caring for you don't screw you over instead.

Your kindness, support and love does NOT go unnoticed.  All we men ask is you wonderful women that choose to SUPPORT us instead of NAG/BERATE/LECTURE/....oh hell.... I would come up with a million other adjectives, just keep doing it.  You'll be the ones we protect when the sh$t hits the fan.  Not Mzzzz. Hyphen-Ated Named chicky babe with a Masters in Liberalartscrapthatwillgetusnowherewithoutagovernmentsubsidytogiveusmakeworkjobswhilstwelorditoverotherpeopleandclaimwe'reindependentwhenwe'rereallynotandjustrelyingonthetaxpayertopayforourmakeworkjob.

Is there anything hotter than a motorcycle riding, champion dog showing, conservative gun owning babe, that knows her bond ratings?  I think not.

A billion people sent this to me.  She will get credit for it, because she is beeeyoootiful.

IMPORTANT- These are the ladies that were forefront in my mind.  If I excluded you, it was NOT on purpose.  I also DEMAND you e-mail me and let me know if you were left out of the club.  The Captain refuses no pretty ladies of the conservative, libertarian or Manosphere stripe.

They Are Coming for Your IRA and 401k

They did it in Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria and they will do it here.

Unless we get a balanced budget and huge economic growth.....BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!

I have a question, are 401k's and IRA's in the SWPL site?  It sounds very SWPL.

The Captain's Scary Bedtime Story!

I remember as a kid watching Poltergeist and not being able to sleep for about ohhhhhh....7 months.

Scared the living hell out of me.

Since then, about 30 years has passed and I was OK going back to bed without my blue Cookie Monster doll who served as a security blanket.

Until I saw this.

My mom has reliably informed me she threw out my Cookie Monster doll and I am going to have to go to bed on my own and deal with the ungodly nightmares that will no doubt ensue.

Women Still Like Men

despite the best efforts of feminism.

The question is whether women will wake up and realize that feminism took away the best thing that could ever happen to them, and yes, ladies, that would be a good man.

Of course, I'm sure government checks, cats, day care and a MA in "Public Administration" were worth the trade.

I Officially Endorse Welfare

A bit of a philosophical debate I've been having in my little mind for a couple years and that is one of the morality of collecting a government check.

Understand one of the primary reasons I have the energetic, cynical, rage-filled, bombastic personality you've all come to know and love harkens from arguably the darkest days of my life - college.

They were dark because of the sheer amount of work I foisted upon myself, not out of self-discipline, but because if I didn't, I would not have succeeded.  I had no help, parental, government, familial, nor friends, and this resulted in me working full time and going to school full time.  The years of sleep-deprivation, weight loss (I went from 147 to 118) and mental strain took its toll, but it forged a viciously independent person, incapable of empathy as it was very likely what I went through was worse than whoever was complaining about life being tough.  Because of this the single largest thing I prided myself on was my independence.  I didn't need my parents, I didn't need a government hand out.  I graduated, top of my class, 6 months early, with no debt and cash to spare.  Nobody else I knew did that.

However, times have changed and whereas I was very judgmental about people collecting a government check, living off of the government or just not carrying their load, I'm not quite sure about that anymore.  ie-the playing field and the rules have become so warped and so illogical, perhaps my old school beliefs are no longer obsolete, but just outright wrong.

For example, a big complaint in the "manosphere" is how traditional roles between men and women have changed.  A large part of the men (and the women, I might add) lament this change and pine for the good old days of the 1950's to return.  Men in the divorce community are desperate for a traditional woman to love and care for them, just as women howl "where have all the good men gone?"  However, the forces that be are making such a return impossible.  Plus society has been so brainwashed to ignore factual differences between men and women (going so far as to villainize the mentioning of these differences), deprogramming this communist brainwashing is going to take longer than most people have remaining in life expectancy.  Therefore, the healthy or rational choice is not to lament this change, but to accept it as fact (which it is) and change your behavior to take advantage of it.  Ergo, the rise of the "pick up artist."


"OK, you ladies want to be everything and do it all and have grrrrrl power and get divorce on a whim.  You want to eschew traditional marriage and courting.  You want to eschew traditional roles and go on slut walks or be the bread winner and be like guys.  You want to jack up my taxes to effectively have the government replace men?  Fine, we'll adapt.  We'll become Man-Children, we'll never grow up, we'll just play our video games, we won't get married, we'll get vasectomies, we won't trust you, we'll use you, we'll tell you what you want to hear just so we can get what we want."

Is it disagreeable?

My idealistic, idiotic, "white knight," "uber beta," old school, youthful moral self would have said yes.

Is it reality?

My experienced, older and much-wiser self today says "damn right it is."

And guess which one I live in.

Sadly, this same logic has to be applied to today's economic reality as it pertains to self-supportation, independence and relying on the government.

Understand over time, government spending as a percent of GDP has gone from about 5% to 45% today.  This includes state, local and federal spending.  With government spending accounting for such a large percent of the population, it almost is impossible to live 100% of the time without being reliant upon the government at some point in your life.  Additionally, with the private sector, production, wealth, excellence, progress and achievement being punished in the form of regulation, taxation and outright political and social derision, it becomes progressively harder to simply find private-sector employment (let alone a place where you can excel).  So whereas our younger, more idealistic selves would be focusing on the shame of collecting a government check or taking a cushy government job, we do our modern day selves a disservice in ignoring the economic realities more or less forcing you to.

Much as I would like to stand here and say collecting a government check is bad, shameful and wrong, and champion the traditional American way of manly independence, if society is so hell bent on socialism and is stupid enough to put a guy like Barack Obama into office, not to mention equally hell bent on punishing individualism, profit and excellence, then in the end we're the suckers for slaving away anyway, trying to find jobs, merely to pay more in taxes for the slackers. And therefore, disagreeable as it may be to collect a government check, and disagreeable as it may be to "neg" women as a player, unfortunately that is the reality society has placed upon us.

Now, does this mean I fully endorse everybody going on the dole and stopping the fight against socialism?  No, not at all.  However, what I am trying to point out is that during these times of harsh economic conditions it is OK to collect a government check or go on unemployment.  It is OK for those of you truly, psychologically independent people who love freedom and liberty to take from the government coffers.  Of all people that deserve it, it's those of us who loathe and hate collecting a government check.  And therefore you should have no shame in doing so.  Better yet, if you can psychologically reprogram yourself, you might even be able to enjoy a much needed respite from a progressively decaying corporate world.

Really try to enjoy the decline.

(On a related note)

You Youth Paying Attention?

OK, boys and girls.  You paying attention?  What can we learn from this valuable experience about employment relations today in corporate America?

The hell if I will ever become a team player.

How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly, and Totally Screwed Part 8

Part 8 of this series focuses on avoiding Human Resources, progressive credentialism, and other brilliant career advice I give to the little kinder:

Why the Chinese Are Laughing at Us

I'm sure there's taxpayer money funding this idiocy.

hat tip

MSM Finally Catches Up

Oh, you mean, men account for half the population?  I thought we'd just ignore them and focus our efforts on women for 50 years.  Oh, wait, you mean there's a backlash?  Wow, how interesting.  Maybe we should write about it.

Congrats to Dalrock!

Disposable Income - True Measure of the Recession

If you believe that "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is why you're on this planet (which I do), then you'll see why the chart below is representing your feelings of this economy probably better than any other chart has.  Disposable income has taken its largest hit/decline since the data has been recorded.  Even WORSE than the Volcker Recession, which is why (though in terms of GDP this recession is not quite as bad as the 1979-1983 recession) this one feels worse:

But then again, the founding fathers didn't want you to have fun. They wanted you to pay taxes, bloated health insurance premiums, and food, clothing and shelter for economic deadbeats and their children.  So you should be happy that chart shows the worst decline in disposable income since the data has been recorded.  Money is bad, which is why everybody is altruistic in wanting to take yours from you.

I Am The Peter Schiff for Gen Y?

I am also 33 years old.  Damn, I am WAAAY better than I thought I was:
I too also feel shame for not speaking latin. Watch the whole thing, some freaking hilarious commentary

He Didn't Do 7 Tours in Vietnam for You to Major in Shit

I won't go into detail (because he never gave me any), but my step-dad, who kicked my and my siblings asses into reality, didn't fight communists scumbags in a jungle in Vietnam and other unnamed SE Asian countries for you to get your freaking craptasic liberal arts degree in "women's studies."

He went there in the vain hopes of providing and protecting your pampered asses a genuine shot at the American dream.

So you can appreciate it when he looks at today's "kids" majoring in "shit" face an underemployment rate of 50% and laughs his freaking ass off.

Don't like it that he's mocking you?  Tough, because he didn't take a shrapnel hit, suffer dysentery, become a POW, and earn more medals than he will tell me he's earned  (because he's a sneaky bastard and won't show me his files) just so you spoiled suburbanite brats could bitch and whine at the local pompous OWS club.  He suffered more than most people did because he cared about an ideal and this country.

I'm drunk now and I ain't got much left to say.  Because, well, tell me if you have a better guy than my step dad.

How Boring Teachers Destroy Education

This is a very long piece, but of the many lessons to pull from it, one of the primary ones is that boring teachers should not be allowed to teach.

However, this is what happens when your primary source of labor for teachers are idiotic 23 year olds that managed to get a state certification to teach.  NOT those professionals who have been in the field for 25 years who:

1.  KNOW what they're talking about.
2.  Have a PASSION for what they do and can therefore convey that passion into interest for the little kinder.
3.  Are at the forefront of the discipline and can therefore teach it accurately.
4.  CAN MAKE IT PRACTICAL to the little kinder.

I didn't realize it till later, but when I was a student the reason I was a "bad" student was because school was SOOOOO BORING!  Not because school "is" boring, but because most teachers cannot make their subjects interesting or relevant to the young child.

Then again, education has never been about the chillllldreeeeeennnnn.

Oh, yeah, buy my book!

A Nice Honor

RooshV of Manosphere fame did a review of "Worthless" over yonder.  Kind of humbled actually I would be put up there with "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich."

Remember, if you bought Worthless from Amazon to write a review.  They don't hurt book sales and allow the Captain to continue "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Rumpleminze."

In Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend.  Postings will be sparse.

"Any Education is Good Education"

Heh.

School Is Prison for Intelligent Kids

Schools exist first and foremost to employ people (read teacher union members)

Schools exist second to employ support staff (the billions of other "social workers" "counselors" "assistant reserve vice principle" needed to support said teachers)

Schools exist third to act as effective day care operations for children, the parents of which had and completely underestimated how much it would take to raise a kid and just decided to make the taxpayer pay for baby sitting.

Schools exist lastly to educate those precious little pawns...errr...chilllllldreeeeen.

And so, it is nice to know that somebody came up with the exact same observation I did as a 2nd grader:

Schools are functionally similar to concentration camps for children. The relationship between students and teachers is therefore equivalent to that between concentration camp inmates and their guards and overseers.

A B-17 Over the Ruhr Would Catch Less Flak

than this poor woman. Note it is a WOMAN, not a guy. And it's not me, so don't be firing any flak over here. If you can't handle satire because society has brought you up in a bubble that you have such thin skin coupled with a hyper-victim mentality then go watch The View and they won't pop your precious little bubble. Otherwise if your up for some humor, as well as thought provoking observations, read on.

What Did I Tell You About Horses!?

Evil!!!  Pure evil and the SOLE cause of all of our economic problems!!!

How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed Part 7

Poetic Justice for Book Publishers

The book publishing industry, if you're unaware, is largely centered in New York. It may at one time had desired to seek out the best authors, provide the best books, and even have a nobler aim of contributing to the literary works of humanity, but now if you look at the profiles and bios of most of the people working in the publishing industry it's a bunch of spoiled brat suburb kids with connections, all with degrees in "Creative Writing" and "Philosophy." Like many other institutions in America is has decayed into a nepotistic, cronyistic, rent-seeking shell of its former self. And like all corrupted institutions it no longer serves its purpose.

It is useless.

So it is with a hearty laugh when I see a traditional publisher pout and stamp its feet when technology obsoletes their industry, allowing writers and readers to come to their own terms and prices, cutting out the publishers altogether. I'm specifically talking about Amazon.

Between Amazon's selling platform and it's self-publishing arm Createspace, the entire traditional publishing house industry just received a death sentence. Oh, it may be delayed or postponed, but those two little companies, combined with a dash of internet WILL wipe out the likes of Penguin, Simon and Schuster, Random House and all of their other "New York Publishing Echo Chamber" cousins. What's makes this better, though, is not that it's the technology that is solely to blame, but the arrogance, nepotism and elitism of the book publishing industry.

Like many people before, I had my first book shot down many times. So many times that I was more or less forced to self-publish because the point in time the housing market would crash was rapidly approaching and to avoid becoming a "Me Too" book, I had to get it out there to prove I knew it was going to happen before it did. It was an important lesson in that I realized I spent more time trying to find a publisher (or an agent, HA!) than I did writing the damn book. Adding insult to injury, my book was published in 2008. JUST 6 MONTHS AGO I RECEIVED A REJECTION LETTER FROM ONE OF THOSE PRECIOUS NY PUBLISHING HOUSES! In short, it wasn't that I was getting shot down that irked me (everybody gets shot down). It was realizing this was like applying to Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan. Didn't matter how good you were, you weren't from the right stock of family. You weren't from New York, you weren't "in the biz." And they were SO far from professional they would still send a rejection letter 4 years later after the book was inevitably published.

Why deal with these guys? The industry is dysfunctional.

And that is the whole point right there.

Understand if you are looking to publish, the single worst thing you can do is approach a traditional publisher. You will:

1. Waste more time on finding a publisher willing to accept your book than the time you spent writing it.

2. YOu will not get as favorable terms with them (about 5% commission) as you will online (35%-50% depending on how you structure it).

3. I can only imagine what the editorial process is and what kind of elitist snobs you'd have to deal with on the East Coast.

4. and with the demise of Border's Books (soon to be followed by Barnes and Noble!), you will face a dwindling market.

There's NO reason to go with a traditional publisher. If anything, write your own books and one may "pick you up," but I'd say in 20 years time, you won't even want to be picked up by one of them. If you are that popular and on their radar screen, you probably already have a decent following and therefore market to sell your book to.

But what is particularly precious about watching the publishing industry go down the toilet is the attitude within the industry. It's like watching an aging socialite who was used to being the center of attention being upstaged by a younger hotter socialite. Nobody is interested in her anymore, she's outdated and obsolete. But worse for the aged socialite, everybody remembers what an arrogant, condescending snob she used to be, and therefore have a personal interest in seeing her suffer.

But, like the aging socialite, what I particularly love about the publishing industry's attitude is how they're so arrogant, they're delusional. Borderline entitled. Randall White, EDC's CEO has a quote that says it all:

"Amazon is squeezing everyone out of business,” said Randall White, EDC’s chief executive. “I don’t like that. They’re a predator. We’re better off without them.”

No Randy, WE (the people who buy books) are better off without YOU. Amazon is merely a technological advance that, like the car wiping out horses, is wiping out you and the rest of your pompous, obsoleted asses. You bitching and whining about a technological advance lowering prices for everybody in the WORLD, thereby increasing their standards of living, just shows you'd rather stop general progress and advancement in the ENTIRE economy so you can keep your precious little job. ie- you're more important than everybody else in the world.

The article goes on to further prove the entitlement mentality (and it should be no shocker this comes from a New York Times writer):

*critics say* When traditional publishers, booksellers and wholesalers are destroyed, these opponents say, Amazon will be left with a monopoly that will be detrimental to the larger health of the culture.

Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this right.

Lower priced books

combined with

MORE books because people can now self-publish

results in something

detrimental to the larger health of the culture????

I mean, latte-sipping, self-absorbed, east coasters under the employ of their dad's publishing house might be delusional enough to fall for this, but NOBODY ELSE WILL! Yes, I can't wait for another drama-book about some 30 something female professional living in New York. We don't have enough of those, right? Who wants to read about, say, the education bubble, or a comic book, or the witty satire of Sinfest. No, please write "Eat Pray Love 2." And NEVER publish any of those other guys!

Additionally, by default, you're suggesting the rest of the country is supposed to just give up on a cheaper and MUCH WIDER selection of books all so you guys can keep your jobs? No doubt you all hate Wal-Mart too for their everyday low prices that has done more to eliminate poverty and improve people's standards of living? What evil entities Amazon and Wal-Mart are!

Well, pout, scream and stamp your little feet. Throw a tantrum or a hissy-fit. Do whatever it is your natural reaction tells you to do, in the end it won't matter. Publishers are going bye bye. If you were nice, professional and not elitists, you may have been able to extend the life of the industry by a couple decades, but now, people are cheering for the death of your industry.

Enjoy the decline! (and I can't mean that enough ;)

Graffiti, Men Going Galt and More!

On this episode of Cappy Cap Linkage!

Hipsters plagiarizing graffiti.

In addition to guns, bullets, and a crate of Rumpleminze (not to be drunken, drank? whatever the correct verb is), I also purchased about $500 in stamps. Looks like it's not a bad idea.

Help Dr. Helen come up with ways men have "gone Galt." Off hand I think of motorcycles, vasectomies, never marrying, outsourcing to foreign women, hanging out with friends, drinking, playing X-Box, watching sports, working less, minimalizing their expenses, minimalizing their assets, and just becoming players with no intention to commit.

You know how I like to go fossil hunting. You also know my dad was a pastor. Funny how he never talks to me about my fossil collection, where they came from and why I find inordinate amounts of ammonites (sea creatures from long ago) in high elevations. So large and so many that they couldn't have all grown in 40 days and 40 nights. Still, I wonder why we never talk about fossils.

We don't need no stiiiiiinking fathers!

A lengthy, thorough and thoughtful post on infidelity in the church. Thankfully that's not a problem because Jesus will forgive you, and btw, turn the other cheek. Joking aside, a serious post. I just have to get my PK jabs in there.

I just called it "changing the topic," but leftists do it when they're about to lose the argument.

How Gen Y Is Completely, Hopelessly, and Totally Screwed Part 6

John Marston of Red Dead Redemption fame has some commentary at the end of this presentation.

Yeah, DC Sucks Too

I rip on California and Detroit a lot, but don't forget DC where carrying gun SHELL CASINGS (not bullets, the casings) is illegal if they don't match the caliber of your gun.

Contrast to Wyoming where the state tendered legislation BANNING ANY CITY from making laws that restrict gun rights UNDER PENALTIES OR REMOVAL FROM OFFICE.

Watering My Plant With Diet Red Bull

This is "Moose." It's a plant I received from a friend before I left Minnesota. He's grown a lot and I think that is in part because of my experimental watering habits. I figured he's a bachelor like me and therefore would like to drink the things I do.

Rumpleminze of course is out of the question, but he has responded quite well to old coffee. Figured I'd see if Moose likes Red Bull.

Working for Baby Boomer Bosses

AKA "How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed" Part 5.

There are, however, some important observations about how the private sector and corporate America has become so impaired due to the people under it's employ that NOTHING can get done, and certainly, there's no hope it will "save" the country. Instead of productivity, we worry about "corporate social responsibility." Instead of efficiency and profit, we worry about the customer's feelings. And dare any of you young go getters come up with an idea or innovation that may make/save millions, you will be disciplined.

Enjoy the decline!

Another Reason Not to Move to Sweden

Mercy, they have a "Department of Culture."

What is sick and wrong is how everybody is smiling.

Oh well:

Njut av nedgången!

The Cat Did Not Approve

That's the worst endorsement I've ever received from a feline!

Obama Is Doing This On Purpose

I learned about 3 years ago that arguing with people who are ignorant or misinformed is pointless, especially if they have a zealot like faith in their ideology. You're not going to get through to them because their belief comes FIRST, reality, fact and truth comes second, if not are to be ignored altogether.

So it's instances like this where I ask the left,

"Do you REALLY believe this is going to work better than allowing the Keystone Pipeline through?"

It forces them to take an untenable position to further defend their leader and their ideology to the point they look like complete idiots.

I now await the left's rationale/excuse/reasoning that is going to be nowhere near Realityville.

No, seriously, I am. I'm breaking out my lawn chair, going to get some popcorn and will be entertained to see how you socialist zealots lie-to-yourselves out of this one. Please, go ahead, I await your nonsensical drivel.

The Captain's Jazz Lounge

From a reader! A relative of his is in the band. I'm not a big fan of Salsa music because of its repetitive nature, but this is certainly some of the better latin music I've heard:

$170,000 for a Bachelors in Photography

Whew! Dodged a HAYOOOOOOGE bullet there!

My favorite is how the liberal arts major will typically marry an engineer, spend the majority of the money, and have the gall to claim they're an "independent" person.

Perhaps he could have bought her "Worthless" as an engagement gift? Would have saved a lot of troubles and the romance.

Argentinian Default v 2.0

Argentina defaulted on its debts back in 1999.

A socialist government came to power.

They nationalized private pensions.

Everybody in the west fawns over their impressive economic growth

Until....

it looks like they're going to default again DESPITE nationalizing foreign interests.

I'm still trying to figure out how Argentina not only got access to the capital markets after it stiffed its creditors 13 years ago, but how private western companies thought it would be a good idea to invest there.

Oh well, everybody enjoy that decline!

I Burned the Fish

The diet I must follow along with my workout routine recommends healthy meats such as fish and poultry. I bought a pan to cook these meats and learned that I get easily distracted by things and so it is usually when the fish is burning that I remembered I was in the middle of cooking.

It is because of my genetic predisposition to be a bad cook that I envy bachelors like this.

It also behooves the question:

Is cooking one of those skills that is akin to dancing that attracts the ladies? I would say no, in that there is no attention-begetting qualities for the women if the guy is a good cook. Just the utility that comes with eating great food. Dancing, however, does beget attention, however, there is no real consumptive utility.

On a related note! I want the moon one!

Dang, I love it with courting and economics collide.

From Our Brazilian Man in the Field

I forgot about this one a while ago. Sent in a by a reader. It's from (reddit) I believe - comments in regards to Worthless. Today's word is "delusional." The comments can also be called "priceless."



I guess, perhaps I was misled about the open-mindedness of the youngest generation when I spoke to those college kids in Dallas.

Why Young Boys Have Trouble Dating Girls

Because, if you're like me when I was that age, you overestimated them and their intelligence.

I think this earns a Double Palm Face Plant Award:

How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed Part 4

Replete with post-seminar commentary from Jennifer Aniston!

Ooo...This One is PAINFUL

Oh don't worry dear. Once government funds start to run low and the Chinese won't lend us money anymore, all those social programs and cushy-make-work public sector jobs will go away. You won't be "out-earning" men for much longer. The rest of it is also equally painful, but laughably enjoyable when a feminist even admits she drank the kool-aid.

Ah, I Miss In Living Color

The early 90's. Those were the good ol' days.

I Failed at Tornado Chasing

Epic failure, came nowhere NEAR the bleeping storms. But I think I know why the storms and tornadoes therein were so far to the east:

Reason #4,297 Not to Date a Feminist

Holy mercy. Look at the female-centric view of dating on this one. Forget rape, but look at how deluded and psychotic she is about how you (meaning, men) should consider her feelings about when you go in for an unwelcomed first kiss at the end of the date.

I can see a nervous Poindexter getting the gall to go in for that first kiss, only to get a lecture about how uncomfortable that made the little princess. Reminds me how I got yelled at after I took a girl to see "The Great Raid" because she was a pacifist and I should have known that!

ht

How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly, and Totally Screwed Part 3

Hope and change kids! Hope and change!

Yes, What He Said

A thoughtful post that most people are thinking, but he was kind enough to take the time out of his life to articulate.

How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed Part 2

Just so all of you know, I just got back from Dallas about 20 minutes ago. But, VERY PROMISING storms are a-brewin' in the plains states, so it is very likely I will be leaving early tomorrow morn and chasing after some tornadoes. (who said being a childless bachelor didn't have it's advantages?)

This is part two of the series, but there are about 6-7 more parts to be published, though they will not all be published at once, just when I get the time.

Regardless, tell your friends, family and any Gen Y'ers you know about this presentation because it will help them...almost as much as the book!

Foxnews T&A

Ug. (sorry, link fixed)

Ayn Rand is rolling in her grave. But I suppose conservative men who watch Foxnews between the ages of 46 and impotent are happy.

For those of you unfamiliar with the background on this story.

How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed Part 1

Today's Word is "Turgid"

A little support from Academia!

The Correlation Between Ugly and Stupid

Because of course Italy and Spain don't have larger problems to deal with.

And wow, what are the chances the person who offered this idiocy is an ugly feminist!?



OMG! 100% Who would have guessed!?

And you feminists REALLY want to be taken seriously? KA-ripes.

Shoot the Messenger

Something tells me this guy is going to get a bigger "I told you so" award than I did.

But then again, never let the truth or reality get in the way of politicians', bankers', leftists' and otherwise criminal scumbags' dreams.

Captain's Jazz Lounge

Most Kick Ass Coin EVER!!!!

Glows in the dark AND HAS A DINOSAUR????

We used to be able to do that in America.

I will handsomely pay one of my Canuckistan friends recompense for one of your fine, superior coins. It would very much make my day!

Now With 100% More Awesome!

More on the Akira bike.

"You'll Die ALL ALONE!"

Oh, you'll die alone alright. Divorce and "finding yourself" will make sure of that.

Oh, and those kids you had but brought up in day care, presumably because you wanted kids but didn't want to be bothered by raising them.

Yeah, they're not going to visit you in the nursing home.

Hey, you crazy kids enjoy that decline!

Extend and Pretend

"Behind the Housing Crash" was written 5 years ago and published in 2008. It would have been written earlier had I not wasted away nearly 6 months pursuing publishing houses to consider my book.

Funny that 5 years later the book should have a resurgence as many banks DESPITE SUFFERING THE HOUSING CRASH have now foolishly pursued what is called "Extend and Pretend."

In short, the bank lends to a loser who is also a financial deadbeat. Naturally, the borrower has financial troubles, BUT the banker who made the loan doesn't want a bad mark on his/her track record and therefore perpetually extends the loan (and at progressively favorable terms) and then pretends it will somehow be paid off in the future.

I've seen this at enough banks to know there's enough volume of this "kicking the can down the road" that not only are there going to be severe consequences, but inevitably they will have to do what I told them to do years ago;

"Repossess NOW, take a hit on the collateral, get this crap off your books even at a loss, quit pissing away your time baby sitting these losers and problem loans, and then refocus your efforts on more profitable and less-time consuming borrowers which will recompense your losses."

Of course, having Super Awesome Economic Genius (TM) does not outrank the fact I have no gray hair. And therefore the strategy of "extend and pretend" is implemented anyway.

What's funny though is that collateral has a tendency to decay over time, especially when people abandon the property or just decide to split and leave town. Additionally, I have this uncanny ability to be right when it comes to economics. The result:

Banks, bankers and credit unions. Time to prepare for a dose of "I told you so."

And no, reality won't let you extend and pretend this time.

Enjoy the decline!

"Female CalvinBall"

A funny satirical piece that every 20 something man should read.

Akira Motorcycle

I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

"Worst Economy in 50 Years!"

Remember in 2002 when the media and John Kerry were all over GW for the economy being the "worst in 50 years?"

I learned to let such lies go on account these socialist politicians know they're lying, they're just trying to convince the lemmings otherwise. Unfortunatley I think BBB is still giving hyphernated named people credit for having intellectual honesty which might explain the increase in blood pressure.

I Used to Want to Attend the London School of Economics

And then I saw this.

YOu know what would be ironic. Is if I started a whole new study out of cloth (which seems academians do every week). We'd call it "Worthless Degrees Studies." It would be the study itself of worthless degrees and every middle and upper middle class SWPL could get their masters in it.

Boo Freaking Hoo

Oh the irony. Forget the movies, I'm just pulling out my lawn chair and watching this train wreck in slo-mo.

Remember, June Cleaver is the enemy.

"How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed"

Howdy Cappy Cappites,

You're beloved Captain will be presenting his seminar "How Gen Y is Completely, Hopelessly and Totally Screwed" at Stephen (not Steve) F Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX this evening at 6PM.

The seminar will be held at 6 pm in Regents Suite B of the Student Center.

Tell friends, family, enemies and people you're generally indifferent about in the area so they may benefit from my Super Awesome Economic Genius (TM).

Cigars for Breakfast in Texas

My Mom said that when I grew up and paid my own rent and bought my own food I could do whatever I wanted.

And now I am:

Dow Jones 8,000

Another 4,500 or so and it should be FAIRLY valued.

Not a steal.

Not a bargain.

FAIRLY valued.

Medallion Man Salsa Dancing

Salsa dancing, unlike say Swing or Ballroom has not yet degraded to the desperate levels of singles-meet-ups or where they're invaded by middle-aged Christians singles groups. However, one of the few and minor complaints I have of the scene is the overkill on fashion my Latin brothers deem necessary to wear to "puff out their chest" or "show their feathers" sort of way to attract the ladies. I'm being serious, the only place I've seen medallions are at salsa/latin joints. But whilst searching for a place to dance in Dallas, I think these guys take the cake:



I think mimicking say a Cesear Romero or Anthony Quinn would suffice:


Regardless, I fear my snake skin boots will not suffice down here. Now I have to go find a medallion shop (5:36 mark, you MUST listen to it, Fernando Martinez would require it).

Post post - From Joan of Argh!!!! I would take the florescent lighted boots.

You Know Socialism Sucks When...

immigrant labor starts to leave your country.

Oh, wait!

Trenton Oldfield

Just read and you'll find out he's a spoiled little upper-class brat crusader.

If you took me and multiplied it by a negative 1, you'd end up with this loser.

He even has that face he knows what he's doing. Ug.

Waste Your Weekend

With Cappy Cap Linkage!

Video games or girls. A thoughtful analysis of a man's ROI.

Another PERFECT example of why capitalism will always be the best economic system. Of course socialists will complain this will put millions of sushi chefs out of business, ignoring the fact it will make sushi infinitely cheaper, thereby increasing standards of living of all people.

You mean Solyndra DIDN'T lower the unemployment rate?

The Most "Bad Ass" religions. I know if I would have enjoyed Sunday school a lot more if religion was more like this. hat tip

You can hire these fine upstanding graduates from Yale University (I think that's where Clarissa teachers). On related notes, Clarissa (who should be ignored because she only grew up under Soviet Russia) hits a triple and a in the park home run.

Texas Shucks Howdy!

Greetings Cappy Cappites!

Got my itinerary and I'll be in Dallas Sunday through Tuesday.

Nacogdoches from Tuesday to Wednesday

And then Abiline Wednesday through Thursday.

Weekend still up in the air, but if any of you are in town, shoot the ole Captain an e-mail.

No specifics on the speaking schedule though yet, will post as I get the info.

On a related note, things are looking up for some tornado chasing!

Captain's Jazz Lounge

Bachelorhood Part 1

Bar a great and inconceivably statistically impossible-to-exist woman, a man's greatest years will be his bachelorhood years.

Art of Man starts out with a series we should all enjoy.

Rumpleminze and Flintstones Vitamins

I'm a bit upset.

And the reason I'm a bit upset is that for the past 19 years I have been living under a falsehood. A falsehood that has cost me greatly. A falsehood that has cost me economic utility. A falsehood that has LOWERED MY STANDARD OF LIVING FOR THE PAST 19 YEARS!

What is that falsehood, you ask?

That Flintstones vitamins cost more than regular vitamins because the makers of Flintstones vitamins know they can charge a premium for their vitamins because of the "Flintstones" branding.

So I go to Wal-Mart to restock on protein powder. Naturally I'm in the medicine/pharmacy section of Wal-Mart, and as people are wont to do they realize there are other things they need. I ran out of lycopene, I also needed more calcium pills, and then was kicking around this thing called "Liveraid" because as you know the Captain likes his Rumpie.

Sure enough, my eye looks at the Flintstones vitamins.

"Ho ho ho! Foolish advertisers. I know you're jacking up the price of those Flintstones vitamins just because it's the Flintstones."

But then I looked at the price.

For a 75 tablet bottle of Flintstones vitamins it was $5.98 at Wal-Mart.

For (my current vitamin) "Centrum Alpha Male Bad Boy Salsa Dancing Economist" (Centrum specializes their vitamins, you know) it was $9.98 for a 100 tablet bottle.

That means the Flintstones vitamins are only 7.97 per tablet,

While the "Centrum Alpha Male Bad Boy Salsa Dancing Economist" vitamins are 9.98 CENTS PER TABLET!

Why have I been not only overpaying for vitamins, but being denied the fun and pleasure of eating Flintstones vitamins!!!!

So you know what I did!



Damn right!

I bought a bottle and I ain't going back to bad boy alpha male Centrum! I'm a Flintstones Man now! I'm going to relive the 1980's and eat the Flintstones vitamins like they were candy! And, if you ever played this game with your siblings when you were younger, I'm going to re-institute the childhood game, "Who Can Eat the Most Vitamins and Have the Yellowist Pee Game" again.

I'm really enjoy the decline now baby!

The Captain Is Coming to Texas!

Good news everyone!

Your beloved Captain is heading to Texas for a book tour/seminar tour. CFACT will be highlighting my book and bringing me to various campuses throughout the state to help the little collegiate kinder choose the right degree and (frankly) realize just how screwed they really are.

I have yet to receive an itinerary about which specific schools, but the tour will last from April 9th to the 13th. I will post the details once I have them. I know we have some readers, lieutenants, men in the field, and a variety of economists in Texas, so please show up, it's always nice to meet you guys...and there may or may not be some flowage of RUMPIE!

Hope to see some of you there!

Cpt.

Yuri Bezmenov and Crusaderism

RooshV Bought Me a Bottle of Rumpie

RooshV, some of you may or may not know him, is part of the pick up sect of the Manosphere (language warning before you go to his site, complaints will be ignored if you are offended as you've been warned and you do have the freedom of choice). Book sales picked up when he read and reviewed my book on his forum. Sales jumped enough to buy me a LARGE bottle of Rumpleminze. So in addition to Glenn Reynold's AR 15, I now have a bottle of Rumpie to keep me warm at night (yes, I sleep with the scoped AR 15).

I'd like to tip my hat in mentioning Roosh is also an author with a series of books on game. Again, a warning they are crass, controversial, written for men and have raised the ire of feminists, but they are crass, controversial and written for MEN (though women would also benefit from his authorship). Visit Roosh if you have the time.

The Ends Justify the Means

Socialists are usually either ignorant or evil. This is more of the evil variety.

hat tip

Historical GDP Per Capita

The primary measure of success in a country is its GDP per capita, or more specifically REAL GDP per capita. Many socialists like to frown upon this measure because in debasing the production of wealth they can more easily confiscate it, meanwhile fooling you into thinking "low carbon emissions" or scoring high on the "human development index" is somehow a better measure of standards of living.

It's been a while an in preparation for my week-long book tour/seminar I decided to update my charts with more recent data.



The chart shows what we already know, the US has not been advancing and has more or less been stagnant since 2006. 6 years later we're still not at our previous peak, lending credence to claims the US is suffering a "lost decade" much the same as Japan did (still is).

However, remember your lovable, charming, dashing and Cary-Grantish Captain is gifted with "Super-Awesome Economic Genius (TM)" and his little eye spied something that most people's wouldn't. So trained is my eye looking at charts for the past 20 years, I can almost visually detect integrals and derivatives in charts. This piqued my interest and so I calculated the 10 year trailing average growth rate of RGDP. In other words, what has been the long term growth rate in RGDP per capita, i.e.-our standards of living?

And BLAMO! (old batman style)



Look at that. It hasn't been as bad since the end of WWII (remember the data trails 10 years). And we don't even have the scaling down of a war to blame. Heck, we even got a Keynesian's dream come true in terms of the stimulus we just blew through, and we STILL are suffering the worst recorded collapse in standards of living (bar war time).

Well, hope and change kiddies. Hope and change.

Enjoy the decline!

St. Leykis' Third Letter to the Ditzonians

Skip through up to the 29:55 mark. Then take down notes, specifically "how intelligent" some people really are AND where they get their preferred source for news.

WSJ Now Says Business Majors Worthless

What did I tell you about majoring in "business?"

Oh, that's right, I told you NOT TO DO IT.

The degree is worthless because every backwards-hat-wearing jock that dislikes math goes into it, and every cheerleader who dislikes math goes into the substudies of HR and "Marketing." The market itself is flooded with them and with corporations cutting out middle and lower management to the bone, all you'll be left with is a bone and a large tuition bill.

But don't believe me, believe the WSJ.

Today's Word is "Fungible"

If we won't take that icky yucky gross Canadian oil, China sure as hell will.

Also, from our Canadian brothers and sisters.

Once There Was a Very Hot Economist...

who predicted things would get very bad.

Everybody mocked him, and some gray haired fools filed complaints with the HR department about him not being a team player.

But, in the end, things went to pot, and the Very Hot Economist (who was quite charming too by the way and sought after by many chicks) got to mock and ridicule the idiots who now had to live in the bed they made.

The Very Hot Economist (who was also quite the accomplished ballroom dancer) went on his merry way, working the minimal amount of work to support his hobbies. He saved nothing, fully banking on a crash of the US economic system, for which he was equally ridiculed and laughed at until it finally happened and his investments in silver, bullets, guns and Rumpie proved the Great Warren Buffett wrong as hordes of starving self-entitled youth ransacked his humble abode in Omaha.

The End

I'm Not Late, I Just Didn't Show

I've avoided the Trayvon case because it's being hammered to death and covered thoroughly on both sides there's nothing really for me to add to it. However, I have not seen anything delve deeply into it enough to expose the sad exploitation of the kid's death and tie it to the ultimate or ulterior political motives behind that exploitation. Until now.

Strap in and pour yourself a martini. It's a bit long and deep and will be the only coverage I provide to the Trayvon Tragedy.

Divorce is Good for You

"There's no more passion, but now I need to go back to becoming more passionate with life and clothes and everything."

What do you say to that? Oh, wait, that's right. "For the Patron's Saint Name of Frick."

Tired Tuckered Rationalization Hamster

What was bad is now good!

What was ugly is now attractive!

What was false is now truth!

The wheels are about to fall off of this uber-rationalization hamster.

Another Reason Not to Invest in Seattle

I never had any skin in the "public breastfeeding" debate, but when it came up one time at a bar with some friends, two female friends, BOTH conservative, were ADAMANT that they have the right to breast feed in public for everyone to see.

I said I wasn't "offended" as much as I found it gross and was repulsed by it.

This threw them into a tizzy.

I spent the remainder of the debate telling them it didn't matter how they felt, it wasn't going to change the fact I was viscerally repulsed by it and instinctively found it gross. But this distinction fell on deaf ears. Failing to listen and letting their emotions run rampant I was yelled at, lectured, called names. I tried multiple times to get emotion out of it and to make the distinction that I, as well as the majority of men, didn't have a choice in finding it gross, it was our natural reaction. I tried to convey to them that they could pass as many laws as they wanted, it still wouldn't change people's natural reaction to it. Of course I failed.

But there was something of an observation I had that was very interesting. One of the girls has been desperately trying to get her boyfriend to commit to her long term and propose. He was sitting right there next to her while she was going on about how they have a right to breastfeed in public and how dare men oppress them and their children and blah blah blah. And while she was going on you could see him shaking his head, looking at me as if to say,
"This girl just doesn't get it. She thinks I'm going to marry HER with this attitude and insanity? I'm bad or evil for being grossed out by public breastfeeding. Look at how she doesn't even factor in whether or not I approve. Look how she is incapable of thinking of other people. Good lord, and she wants to have kids! If we ever did have kids, I'd be thrown under the bus in half a second. The hell if I'm EVER going to pop the question to her!"

Which more or less was the nub of the point.

Lay down as many laws as you want, it isn't going to change people's natural reaction. Yell and scream and berate people all you want, it's not going to change their automated responses. What's ultimately bothering you isn't that there's not enough laws protecting rights or what have you, it's that you are angry that people find something you do disgusting and you (foolishly) think enacting laws will somehow FORCE people to not find it disgusting.

If that's the case, then make it illegal for men to find fat women unattractive. Or women to find short men unattractive. You can make all the laws in the world you want, and you can breastfeed in front of my face just for a power trip or out of spite (which I think is behind a lot of this anyway), you're still inconsiderate, you're still selfish, and I still find it disgusting.

So pass all the laws you want. Make employers flee the state. Selfishly force inconvenience and discomfort upon the public. And berate people for finding things disgusting. You'll simply drive people away from you because you're advertising quite loudly to the world:
"I'm the only one that matters and I value myself more than anybody else."

Because no matter what the official "law" says, society still holds you to a set of unspoken laws (people called these things "manners" or "decency" back in the olden days), and those aren't going away. Choose to obey or disregard them, you'll still be judged.

Post post - A duly noted distinction arising from the comments. I am talking about what would be considered "flagrant" breastfeeding. Not the "discrete" breastfeeding wherein the mother covers her baby with a towel, which I (and I would believe most other people) are fine with. I'm talking where I'm eating and I see a woman's breast at the dinner table.

No Fun

I was born into a poor family. However, I had the added benefit of a dad as a pastor, so this meant we "had to" go to a parochial school. And in sending me and my siblings to a parochial school, this had the following skewed consequences or results:

1. We spent even more money we didn't have on tuition for a private school
2. Which resulted in less disposable income for toys and other such fun things
3. Which resulted in me and my siblings being brainwashed into thinking "KFC" was for rich people and just about blew our tops when our Grandpa would show up with a bucket of it
4. Pepsi was also for rich people
5. We thought our step-dad was rich when we found out he had a color TV and a house with TWO STORIES!
6. In going to a private school, we were constantly reminded of how poor we were as all the kids there hailed from reasonably successful families and
7. They had the coolest toys and got to do the coolest stuff (like go to national parks for vacation or FLY somewhere - I didn't fly anywhere until I was 21 and on my own dime).

Naturally, these experiences and observations formed some of my economic theories as well as formed my goals in life - namely, I HATED being poor and swore I would have fun.

To this day you can see that come to fruition. Though not rich, I opt for leisure and do whatever I can to maximize my fun. I do the fossil hunting, the mountain climbing, the motorcycle riding, the video gaming and the Rumpleminzing. I have no kids so I can maximize my disposable income on me as well as spend all my time on me and my friends.

However, as I've aged and seen my generation go from the subsidy of better-off parents to having to duke it out in the real world, the tides are turning and now I am having a lot more fun than my average Gen X counterpart. This is not a "ha ha, I've finally had my revenge" sort of thing, just an observation and truthful fact. I'm not rubbing it in peoples faces, but when you have kids and get married and get divorced, yeah, not as fun as it was back in 1989 with the daddy-bought VW convertible Cabriolet is it?

Regardless, this observation and my obsession with having fun and living life made me wonder if people in general are indeed having more fun. In theory technology and the economy should advance over time to provide us more leisure time and money, making it so we can all have more fun. And so to measure this I came up with the "Fun Index."

This index basically takes all the personal consumption expenditures from the NIPA accounts that can be deemed "fun" or "recreational" and divides it by total personal consumption expenditures. The result?



Oddly, not a whole heck of a lot of fun. On average we spend about 15% of our income on "fun." And it has remained relatively stable over time. It also shoots my theory to pot that this number should be generally increasing (though I knew it wouldn't in that I knew government has been growing exponentially over this time, crowding out "fun" as we pay for other people's mistakes).

The good news though is that spending money on "fun" isn't necessarily the best way to measure how much "fun" the country is having. Leisure is certainly a way to have fun, but there is no spending or labor associated with leisure so it won't show up in the "Fun Index.: You could make a compelling argument to somehow incorporate the declining labor force participation rate and include that in the "fun," but it would have to be those who decided to Go Galt and not the hopey changey college kids forced out of the labor force by socialism.

Regardless, do what the Captain does by pursuing "fun:"

Enjoy the decline!

I Was Wondering Where the Traffic Was Coming From

New Lieutenant to add to the Capposphere:

BooksBikesBoomsticks

Can't beat a chick with guns...well, I take that back. I have a reader that I know will say:

"Two chicks with guns."

Which is true.

Regardless, you will read. You will visit. You will conform.

Fan Mail

From a reader.



You can send your fan mail, or hate mail, or "generally indifferent" mail to CAPTcapitalism #at# yahoo %dot% com.

No Sociology Majors in China

Cripes.

We used to be able to do that.

Now we can talk about our feelings and the oppressed classes of our country.

The Council of "Mancea"

The Council of Nicea, if you were paying attention in Sunday school, was essentially a convention for all the different Christian religious leaders long ago to consolidate and agree upon the basic tenets and principles of Christianity. At the time there were many strains and variants of Christianity and because they didn't have the internet then, there was no way to easily standardize or crystalize the precise definition of the Christian religion. At the Council of Nicea the various religious leaders, among other things, determined what books were to be included in the bible and is why you recite the "Nicene Creed" (mindlessly of course, not knowing why you're reciting it every time you go to church as did I).

However, I've been kicking around an idea about the "manosphere" and after conversing with a fellow manosphere member, I decided it was high time to put it into action.

Gentlemen of the Manosphere, it is time for "The Council of Mancea."

Understand this is NOT going to be an actual council where self-proclaimed "leaders" of the manosphere congregate and lay down the law to others in a dictatorial way. I don't believe in that, plus the manosphere (or any internet "sphere") is largely open-source and should never have any rules placed upon it by arbitrarily decided "leaders."

But, what it IS going to be (or I hope it will be) is what I and many others believe to be the single largest benefit the Manosphere has brought to society and that is wisdom for boys and young men (and consequently girls and young women too).

However, as it stands right now, the Manosphere, much like Christianity is fracture, scattered and not consolidated. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for a young man or young boy about to be fed to the meat grinder of courtship, dating, marriage and divorce, there is no single, initial place for him to go and start his education and preparation. Yes he can internet search and come up with thousands of articles across scores of blogs, but it would take a while for him to get the basic principles and tenets of being a man down, not to mention understand the jargon and context by which much of this advice is given.

The final product I've come up with is much like that of The Patron Saint of Grerp, except for boys:

A single web site for young men and boys that provides the wisdom and guidance to avoid the brainwashing and mistakes of previous generations so that they may not only navigate the brutal waters of courtship, dating and marriage, but have better lives than we did.

I originally wanted to call it "The Council of Mancea," but frankly, since our target is young boys, most of them I doubt would get the pun. To make it more marketable, not to mention more accurate, I created a blog:

Internetdad.

Nothing is there yet, but I hope it will become a depot or "library" that houses the basic lessons, rules, instructions and wisdom for young boys to access and use because they either have no father or they have a father that is not a real man.

The blog should be pretty static (an idea U of Man I must credit) in that it should be much like the bible or any other religious document - not open to constant change and edit. It should also be pretty simple in that I envision its primary readers to be 13-18 year old boys (the age at which I recall LOATHING reading and much preferring video games). But it also must be succinct and precise, delivering the core tenets and cumulative wisdom of the Manosphere in an efficient manner.

Naturally some sort of Council of Mancea must convene to figure out what to put in Internetdad. And so I ask you, members of the Manosphere, male and female, to make any suggestions and volunteer if you have an interest. I shall come up with another post outlining what I generally think should be put in there, but again, I am just one man with one mind and one perspective.

CAPTcapitalism "at" yahoo "doooot" com

The Captain's Great Dust Devil Adventure!

Howdy Cappy Cappites! Another exciting adventure that hopefully will be a prelude to my tornado chasing efforts I have scheduled for next week in Texas (while I will coincidentally be on a book tour as well).

This was taken about 30 miles north of Denver this past weekend. Temps got up to 84 degrees and it was warm enough to create "dust devils." Some big, some small, and some quite craptastic.

Now I know, I know, those of you in the south probably see these everyday, but in the moist, vegetative and rain soaked upper midwest, the soil is not dry or light enough to result in ANY dust devils, so to me they are really rare and really cool to see.

Here is a video of the ones I caught on tape:



Here is my all time favorite dust devil video:

Now With 100% More Awesome

Correct.

Bachelors in Freaking Viking Studies

Cripes.

You know fellas, you guys in the UK can also order my book in that it seems the Brits are about as hell-bent on majoring in worthless subjects as are Americans.

Any British or European readers out there that can recommend a newspaper or a radio show to send a copy to across the Atlantic?

Pulling a "Lester Burnham" for About-To-Be-Divorced Men

OK, this is getting

1. Sad
2. Too common

that I unfortunately have to address this.

I have received several comments and e-mails recently from married men who are not just unhappy, but essentially on the brink of divorce. They are miserable, the tone of their posts/e-mails is defeated, and they live in fear. They are so defeated they don't even ask what to do, they merely resign themselves to defeat and say, "I'm so screwed."

Enter in a personal anti-hero of mine, Lester Burnham.

Lester Burnham is a character from "American Beauty." It is a movie every man should watch and learn what early alpha game looked like circa 2000. Lester is a defeated man whose wife hates him, his daughter hates him, his boss abuses him and nobody respects. Lester essentially cracks, alpha-males up and the movie then continues on its original intent of showing what kind of backlash society would unleash on a man who "didn't know his place" and dared to refuse to be the subservient battery the rest of society lives off of.

In the end you not only cheer for Lester, but his wife inevitably falls for him once again, his daughter starts to respect him, and young chicks start to find him physically attractive. More importantly, Lester starts to become happy again.

Without going into a long and sordid psycho-analysis of the movie because I am tired and I need to go to bed, the short moral of the story is the PRECISE EXACT SAME moral that the real-world defeated, on-the-cusp-of-divorce men who write me MUST learn today.

Women (and society) respect real, powerful, and self-respecting men. Not the sad, accommodating, understanding sensitive 90's, patsy sap of a man you are.

I can't much blame you because society has "told" you to be a sensitive, caring, reliable guy. I was once that guy and pretty much every man I know was once that guy too. However, look where that got you.

Ergo, since you have nothing left to lose, you might as well pull a George Castanza and do the OPPOSITE of what you think you should do. What's the worst case? She divorces you? She's going to take the kids and get alimony and child support?

Guess what pal, that's already going to happen unless you change.

So it's time for you to Lester Burnham-up. What does that mean?

Well, sadly, you have to now grow a spine to do what your natural, visceral guy feeling tells you to do. And these things are VERY taboo for today's society.

For example nagging.

If your wife (who is going to divorce you anyway) comes in and starts lecturing you about some petty or trivial matter or another, put your hand up, walk to the kitchen, grab a beer and say, "Shut up and take care of it yourself." Proceed to sit down on the couch and turn on the TV.

The natural reaction she will have is shock (as most women reading this now do have). However, it is not shock about what you said, as much as it will be that you actually stood up for yourself as well as a fake indignation you dared to tell a female to "shut up." Any intellectually honest woman who does actually care about her husband will admit that nagging is a PURPOSEFUL and FABRICATED tactic to test you and (if you fail) gain control over you. It sounds counter-intuitive, and I TRUTHFULLY don't like telling ANY woman to "shut up," AND you will hear HOWLS AND SCREAMS for daring to tell her to "shut up," but (since you have nothing to lose anyway) you only stand to gain, which (in a psychology even I don't fully understand yet) you are statistically likely to do because you didn't pansy out and say tepidly "yessss dear."

You manned up. You held your ground. You had self-respect. You told her no. She may huff and puff, but deep down inside, she liked that.

In short, be a freaking man because (despite what they say) women like MEN. Do not accommodate. Stop trying to please. Set the tone. Lay down the law. Open up a can of Steve McQueen and become a man.

For the most part, women deep down inside respect that and are physically attracted to that. You need to be a man, no matter how childish or totalitarian they may be. Because if you're not, they're going to go looking for a guy that is. This is why you won't see your wife cheating on you with "Poindexter from the IT Department," but "Biff, in the in and out of work construction worker with a criminal record who rides a motorcycle and dates three other gals."

I could go longer, but frankly, just watch the movie. And I genuinely do hope you don't get divorced.