A disturbing trend where some of my clients' parents are forcing them to go to college under threat of disownership, pulling support, and other forms of punishment that are nothing short of abuse...and a sure fire way to make sure you never get visited in the nursing home.
(language warning)
Remember, both Worthless and Bachelor Pad Economics are available on Amazon.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
"Lloyd and Joe" for President
Here's a foreign concept.
The Republican party goes on a recruiting campaign to hire NORMAL AMERICANS to run for president instead of their blue blood, brother-and-son-of-a-president, billionaire elitists.
How much you want to bet the Democrats steal this idea because they're smarter than the Republicans?
The Republican party goes on a recruiting campaign to hire NORMAL AMERICANS to run for president instead of their blue blood, brother-and-son-of-a-president, billionaire elitists.
How much you want to bet the Democrats steal this idea because they're smarter than the Republicans?
Sunday, December 28, 2014
What the Beer and Radio Industries Portend to Talk Radio
While driving the crotch rocket from Buffalo, Wyoming to Phoenix, Arizona and back, I decided to go down one side of the Rockies and up the other on the return trip. However, it was without fail that as I would enter a small Colorado town the gas station attendant or hotel concierge would inform me, immediately, about the new "brew pub" that had just opened and how I had to check it out. Not being a fan of beer, I usually eschewed these pubs, but the sheer number of them compelled me to think about them from an economics standpoint, especially whilst navigating the various mountain passes and switchbacks.
My original thought was stained by my previous experience in banking where desperate middle aged men would mortgage their house, close out their 401k, and then approach us for more money to finance their mid-life-crisis bar. And so I thought this was just the latest incarnation where a new generation of dude-bros would start a brew pub and within a year file for bankruptcy.
It didn't happen.
Matter of fact, quite the opposite has happened. Not only have thousands of micro-brew pubs opened up, but they make better, higher quality beer than the swill being mass-produced by Busch, Budweiser, Miller, etc. Add to that fact they usually attach a bar to their brewing operations and an element of community and "walking to the neighborhood pub" ensues, and paying the extra $1 for a pint of special brew makes it impossible for the large producers to compete.
However, it is not only the beer industry that this "specialization" is happening. Enter in our beloved internet. Specifically radio.
It is no secret that I have a general disdain for the radio industry. It is a cutthroat industry I "fell into," but was naive about. Ergo, thinking it may had been my calling, I made changes in my life and career to pursue it, only to have the format of my station change to (my favorite) "sports talk radio" 5 months into my gig.
However, like publishing or the music industry, the radio industry and the elitists that controlled it are getting spanked, primarily through podcasts. Radio stations are EXPENSIVE things to maintain. Not only do you have radio towers and insane electric bills, but you have sales staff, HR, lawyers, producers, secretaries, etc. And the free market being what it is, owners are driven to streamline their operations, cutting expenses as much as possible. This resulted in a phenomenon similar to "Big Beer" - a mass produced product that is sold nationally. However, instead of a can of "Bud Light" or "Budweiser," radio stations nationally syndicated Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Dennis Prager, and Michael Medved.
Unfortunately, for both radio stations and listeners, this meant (like beer) talk radio hosts had to play to the largest common denominator. This meant bland, not-to-risque, polite talk shows. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it did take away the Mischke's, Savages, and other eccentric talk show hosts that had smaller, but much loyal followings.
However, some ironic and incredible timing occurred. While radio stations were laying off local talent in the drive for leveraging national syndication, the cost of bandwidth and storage on the internet was plummeting. And it was no longer text or nudie pics of your girlfriend that could be sent over teh interwebz, but audio and video. Early adapters capitalized on this. Chris Krok (a fellow radio show host who enjoyed an equally brief radio career in Minneapolis) I remember getting canceled in 2006. He said he was going to work on some "Blogtalk" project, of which I more or less dismissed, borderline scoffed. However, a couple years later, the feasibility and (thus) threat podcasts presented to talk radio became apparent. And it's the exact same threats that specialized brews present to "big beer."
Today, I rarely listen to Rush Limbaugh, and maybe tune into Garage Logic. Four years ago I would easily spend 3 hours a day listening, now, not more than 5 minutes. The reason is that I can download podcasts, listen to them at ANYTIME, AND (this is the real threat)
LISTEN TO A SHOW THAT IS VERY SPECIALIZED IN MY INTERESTS.
Yes, Sean Hannity, I got it - "Republicans Good. Democrats Bad!"
But have you ever done a deep analysis on Tribalism and its intellectual ramifications like Stefan Molyneux?
Yes, Joe Soucheray, I got it. What is the mystery? Who are the mysterians?
But the mystery was solved nearly 6 years ago by a vlogger/podcaster.
And yes, Michael Medved, got it. "Losertarians." Ho ho ho. That's funny.
You'll forgive me while I listen to women explore and pioneer a completely different and new world called the Manosphere. Slightly more intellectual stimulation.
The truth is that talk radio was already dying without the internet. And I mean that literally - the hosts are old and are going to be looking at death in the face in 20 years. Rush Limbaugh is over 60, Dennis Prager in his 50's, and Joe Soucheray is pushing 80 (just kidding). But who is being groomed to replace them?
The answer is nobody.
Which is fine. Like most industries in America today, the youth have found it easier to go their own way, using the internet to pursue success, instead of asking for permission through their aged and obsoleted bosses. And while there may not be another manufactured "block buster star" like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, there will be hundreds of much smaller, but infinitely more interesting and specialized "micro-talk-show-celebrities." And thank god, because micro-brewed beer is an infinitely better product than Miller.
This post was inspired by Tom Leykis who is hands down THE Podcast Pioneer. Please consider visiting his show.
My original thought was stained by my previous experience in banking where desperate middle aged men would mortgage their house, close out their 401k, and then approach us for more money to finance their mid-life-crisis bar. And so I thought this was just the latest incarnation where a new generation of dude-bros would start a brew pub and within a year file for bankruptcy.
It didn't happen.
Matter of fact, quite the opposite has happened. Not only have thousands of micro-brew pubs opened up, but they make better, higher quality beer than the swill being mass-produced by Busch, Budweiser, Miller, etc. Add to that fact they usually attach a bar to their brewing operations and an element of community and "walking to the neighborhood pub" ensues, and paying the extra $1 for a pint of special brew makes it impossible for the large producers to compete.
However, it is not only the beer industry that this "specialization" is happening. Enter in our beloved internet. Specifically radio.
It is no secret that I have a general disdain for the radio industry. It is a cutthroat industry I "fell into," but was naive about. Ergo, thinking it may had been my calling, I made changes in my life and career to pursue it, only to have the format of my station change to (my favorite) "sports talk radio" 5 months into my gig.
However, like publishing or the music industry, the radio industry and the elitists that controlled it are getting spanked, primarily through podcasts. Radio stations are EXPENSIVE things to maintain. Not only do you have radio towers and insane electric bills, but you have sales staff, HR, lawyers, producers, secretaries, etc. And the free market being what it is, owners are driven to streamline their operations, cutting expenses as much as possible. This resulted in a phenomenon similar to "Big Beer" - a mass produced product that is sold nationally. However, instead of a can of "Bud Light" or "Budweiser," radio stations nationally syndicated Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Dennis Prager, and Michael Medved.
Unfortunately, for both radio stations and listeners, this meant (like beer) talk radio hosts had to play to the largest common denominator. This meant bland, not-to-risque, polite talk shows. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it did take away the Mischke's, Savages, and other eccentric talk show hosts that had smaller, but much loyal followings.
However, some ironic and incredible timing occurred. While radio stations were laying off local talent in the drive for leveraging national syndication, the cost of bandwidth and storage on the internet was plummeting. And it was no longer text or nudie pics of your girlfriend that could be sent over teh interwebz, but audio and video. Early adapters capitalized on this. Chris Krok (a fellow radio show host who enjoyed an equally brief radio career in Minneapolis) I remember getting canceled in 2006. He said he was going to work on some "Blogtalk" project, of which I more or less dismissed, borderline scoffed. However, a couple years later, the feasibility and (thus) threat podcasts presented to talk radio became apparent. And it's the exact same threats that specialized brews present to "big beer."
Today, I rarely listen to Rush Limbaugh, and maybe tune into Garage Logic. Four years ago I would easily spend 3 hours a day listening, now, not more than 5 minutes. The reason is that I can download podcasts, listen to them at ANYTIME, AND (this is the real threat)
LISTEN TO A SHOW THAT IS VERY SPECIALIZED IN MY INTERESTS.
Yes, Sean Hannity, I got it - "Republicans Good. Democrats Bad!"
But have you ever done a deep analysis on Tribalism and its intellectual ramifications like Stefan Molyneux?
Yes, Joe Soucheray, I got it. What is the mystery? Who are the mysterians?
But the mystery was solved nearly 6 years ago by a vlogger/podcaster.
And yes, Michael Medved, got it. "Losertarians." Ho ho ho. That's funny.
You'll forgive me while I listen to women explore and pioneer a completely different and new world called the Manosphere. Slightly more intellectual stimulation.
The truth is that talk radio was already dying without the internet. And I mean that literally - the hosts are old and are going to be looking at death in the face in 20 years. Rush Limbaugh is over 60, Dennis Prager in his 50's, and Joe Soucheray is pushing 80 (just kidding). But who is being groomed to replace them?
The answer is nobody.
Which is fine. Like most industries in America today, the youth have found it easier to go their own way, using the internet to pursue success, instead of asking for permission through their aged and obsoleted bosses. And while there may not be another manufactured "block buster star" like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, there will be hundreds of much smaller, but infinitely more interesting and specialized "micro-talk-show-celebrities." And thank god, because micro-brewed beer is an infinitely better product than Miller.
This post was inspired by Tom Leykis who is hands down THE Podcast Pioneer. Please consider visiting his show.
Friday, December 26, 2014
This Week in Stupid
There is no future in this country. Just a lot of really, really, REALLY, dumb kids.
Before You Become a Doctor
I received a video request from a doctor through Asshole Consulting. However, it was soon apparent he was the one doing me the favor in sharing his experiences and what EXACTLY was required when it came to becoming a doctor. It was a much more arduous and expensive process than I originally thought, and it just makes one want to reconsider becoming a doctor (especially with Obamacare). Anyway, thought this would be of benefit to any of my readers that are contemplating going to med school.
Economics of becoming a doctor and the situations where it's actually worth
it:
I'll start with an overview of the time and money required to become a
physician to provide context for the economics discussion. Then I'll focus
more on the costs.
PreMed:
-4-year bachelors degree is required to APPLY to almost all medical
schools. Medical schools don't care what that degree is in as long as the
following prerequisites are met: 1 year biology + lab, 1 year general
chemistry + lab, 1 year organic chemistry + lab, 1 year physics + lab.
Some medical schools also require 1 year of calculus, 1 semester of a
writing/literature class, and additional humanities. This depends on the
particular medical school. High school AP credits can substitute for
certain prerequisites, although some Medical schools will require advanced
science classes from those applicants who got AP credit for basic
sciences. Let me reiterate that medical schools don't care what the actual
degree is as long as the prerequisites are met and up to 1/3 of medical
students have a Bachelor's in Bullshit.
-During their college years, students must take MCAT (em-cat) test which is
a standardized test. MCAT:med school :: SAT:college. When I took it, it
cost $300+ to register.
-GPA and test scores aren't enough. Having significant community service
and lab research experience are also required. Over 20% of medical
students have Master's Degrees and PhD's to supplement their application.
Applying to Med school:
Medical school classes start in August-September and the application
process begins in July the YEAR BEFORE and entails the following:
-Primary application: performed online through a national company known as
AMCAS. When I applied it cost a few hundred $$ to register and covered a
dozen applications, additional applications cost more $$ per application.
-Supplemental application: SOME (not all) medical schools will require
applicants to fill out a second application (if they like your primary
application) and I've been charged $30-$80 for secondary applications
depending on the school.
**My application process ended up costing me $1000-1500
-Interview: if schools like your application(s) then they invite you to an
interview. It is up to the applicant to cough up the $$$ to travel out to
the school. Since interviews start before 9AM, most applicants have to
arrive the nite before and pay for their own hotels (some schools can help
applicants get a discount at nearby hotels). I have heard of extremely
"competitive" (affirmative action-enhanced) candidates who get flown out to
interviews and have their lodgings covered (a friend of a friend who is
Inuit, grew up in an Alaskan village, and happened to have REALLY GOOD
scores).
-Overall one can expect to shell out $5-10 for the interview process alone.
Med School:
-Another 4 years and there's no way to cut it short by taking extra
classes. 1.5-2 years of classroom learning (depending on the school) where
basically everyone has the same classes and runs on the same schedule.
This is followed by 2-2.5 years of clinical training where everyone rotates
through a certain "core" of specialties (general surgery, general medicine,
general pediatrics, psych, ob-gyn, ER, etc). There's some slack here since
students will get 3-4 months to do extra rotations in their desired
specialty that they want to pursue post-graduation.
-When I was a med student (2006-2010) Private Med schools cost an average
35-50/year for tuition. When adding room & board, meals, health insurance
(required), transportation (go to different hospitals for clinical
training), books & computer the total ends up being $45-60 per year. Costs
for medical school have been increasing on a yearly basis so I don't know
the current costs.
-During this time some medical students get dual degrees: MD-PhD's,
MD-MBA's, MD-MPH (masters public health), MD-JD's. These are required for
people who want to go into medical research, administration, get involved
in healthcare policy/law, etc. This adds 1-2 years to time & tuition.
-During medical schools students must take their Licencing Exams which are
administered by a national organization. A total of 3 exams are required
to obtain a medical licence. Only 2 of those exams can be taken by medical
students. These exams cost $500-$1000 to register for.
Internship/Residency:
-The MD degree is actually worthless since we can't work as a physician.
Another 3-7 years of post-graduation supervised training (with progressive
responsibility).
-The interview process for residency is similar to med school. I spent
$5K-6K on my most recent interview process (I switched specialties from
surgery to radiology). Also in the past 5 years medical schools have
increase class sized to cope with the medical demands of an aging
population in the US however the residency programs (which are funded by
medicare) have not increased their positions accordingly and in 2011 the
number of residency applicants exceeded the number of positions available.
BTW, foreign medical grads and people who pursue a DO medical degree
(rather than MD) get lower preference for residency programs).
-After completing 1 year of residency one may register for the 3rd
licencing exam (another $500 for me) and get a full medical license which
will allow one to perform VERY BASIC medical services unsupervised.
However insurance companies won't reimburse more "advanced" services (any
kind of procedure/surgery, making "advanced" diagnoses) without completion
of residency.
Work hours range from 40/wk (psychiatry, peds, family medicine) up to 80/wk
(general surgery, neuro/brain surgery, orthopedics). Most residency
programs 55-60 hrs per week although the particular hours depend on
seniority (1st years/interns stay in the hospital the longest) as well as
whether the resident is assigned to hospital duties vs clinic/outpatient
duties (clinic has shorter hours). Also certain programs are more
malignant and brutal in terms of work-hours (any program in New York
city). FYI, prior to 2003 there were no work hour restrictions and
residents could be kept in the hospital up to 120 hours (my father is also
a physician and used to work 90-100 hours/wk during residency). BTW, any
hours worked from home (made possible by electronic medical records) are
not necessarily counted toward the work week. Let me also add that
depending on the program and specialty, residency programs can legally
require a resident to routinely work up to 28 consecutive hours (and longer
in exceptional cases where a rare disease/procedure is taking place).
-Residency's saving grace is that residents are PAID a stipend ranging from
$42K-$65K per year, depending on the program & specialty & seniority. Mind
you the stipend often matches the cost of living in the area where the
program is located (there are a few exceptions). Additionally the hospital
will provide temporary sleeping quarters for the residents who are working
shifts longer than 16 hrs (we can't live there though, we do have to pay
for our own apartments). Surgical-based residencies last longer (5-7
years) than medical-based residencies (3-4, rarely 5 years).
Fellowship:
-Residency only covers limited fields. Many fields (intensive care,
transplant surgery, hand surgery, cardiology, many more) require a resident
to complete an additional 1-3 years of training (pay $55-70K/yr) before
they can actually start working.
Work:
-We still have a free market. Salaries can range anywhere from $100K-$1
mil depending on whether one joins a private group vs an academic center.
It also depends on whether one takes a job and becomes an employee vs
starting one's own business. Some practices will employ young physicians
and give them the option of working their way into becoming a business
partner. For physicians who open their own clinic (i.e. don't join a
pre-existing group), startup costs can range from $80K to over $1 mil
depending on the scope (seeing patients, doing scans, doing minor
procedures, etc).
The minimal age to become an MD is 27 years (unless skipping grades in high
school), assuming the following: 6-year joint undergrad-Med program (RARE),
get into med school on 1st try, get ideal residency and don't switch
careers later, don't do fellowship. In reality the most people will be
31-32 before hey become a doc (4 yr undergrad, 4 yr med school, 4 yr
residency, 1-2 yr fellowship because the market is horrible for
generalists). For a neurosurgeon, don't expect to be out of training until
34-35 years. THEN you can start paying off debts (which can exceed $300K
as I outline below). This will usually take 2-3 years assuming a truly
minimalist lifestyle.
That doesn't address people with multiple degrees or who take multiple
attempts to get into med school or who have other jobs before changing
their mind and becoming doctors.
Economics:
-College: You have covered the costs of college as well as private vs state
schools extensively so I won't bore you with details. That being said a
few medical schools who are affiliated with colleges offer joint programs
where students can perform their college prerequisites and go straight to
medical school without needing to complete the full 4-year degree or go
through the interview process (that's one thing Europe does right). Tulane
University (where I graduated med school) started such a program. These
schools are the exception though.
Lesson 1: Do college prerequisites at a state school. Only go to a private
school if a joint-program is offered.
-Medical Schools: When I was a student private schools can cost
$45K-$55K/yr when all was said and done. Even public schools will average
$20K-40K/yr when including ALL expenses. The Carribean medical schools cost
even more (I've heard some are up to $70K/yr). Scholarships are rare during
med schools since doctors "earn so much and can pay back their loans".
The first $34K of my loans qualified for Federal Subsidies, i.e. they don't
accumulate interest until the start of residency. Anything beyond that
amount accumulates interest from day 1, even though payments don't have to
be made until the start of residency. I used a total of $190K of loans for
med school. By the time I graduated the interest had grown my debt to
$210K. My loans accumulate interest at a rate of 6.7% per year although
I've seen figures range from 5% to 9% depending on the particular lender.
I had a total of $45K scholarships and grants during med school BTW. For
people who don't have any scholarship/grant and/or people who pursue dual
degrees can end up with medical school debts exceeding $300K, not including
undergrad costs. Even people in public schools aren't immune (one of my
buddies who graduated from Louisiana State ended up with $150K).
Some scholarships do exist. The National Health Service Corps provides
full scholarships to students who pursue a career in primary care (i.e.
lower reimbursements) and commit 3-4 years in a designated under-served
area (rural vs inner city vs reservation) where reimbursements will be
lower than in a well-off area. Failure to comply results in financial
penalties (you pay your loans at a MUCH higher interest rate). The
military is also another option where everything is paid for but a time
commitment is also required and the salary is lower than it would be in the
private sector.
The clinical rotations during the 3rd and 4th years of medical schools can
require 40-80 hrs per week in addition to reading assignments. The
studying during the 1st and 2nd years of med schools is time consuming so a
meaningful job that can make a dent in the costs is pretty unlikely.
Lesson 2: Try to attend a state medical school. Private med schools should
be a second choice unless one is offered significant grant/scholarship.
Foreign (i.e. Carribean) and DO schools are a last resort and in many cases
aren't even a good alternative since there is open (sometimes justified)
discrimination by residency programs. If considering the military or
National Health Service corps to pay off loans then realize that the
reimbursement during the "pay back" phase will likely be significantly
lower than if one bites the bullet, takes the loan, and ends up in a
high-reimbursement field and working in a well-off area).
Residency pays $45K (small towns in the south) - $65K (New York) per year.
Subtract the cost of living a minimalist lifestyle and that still leaves at
most $35K per year. Remember the interest rates of the med school loans
range from $5K/yr (assuming 5% loan and $100K debt) over $25K/yr (assuming
9% interest and $300K debt). My interest rates were $12K-15K per year at
the outset (they're lower now because I've paid off ~$65K in debt in the 4
years I've been in residency with the help of family). Some residents
simply choose to "live a little" and defer payments on their loans until
post-residency by citing "financial hardship". This included people who
want to marry and start a family (because they're in their late 20's and
sometimes early 30's). The loans still accumulate interest during this
time and those residents will have yearly interest rates exceeding $20K and
their total debt (med and undergrad combined) can exceed $400K.
BTW, most residency programs will not allow residents to take "moonlighting
jobs" (working in a nurse or physician assistant capacity in Podunk Urgent
care/ER center for extra $$) and some of the Surgery-based residency
programs won't leave enough time for residents to moonlight regardless.
Lesson 3: Don't expect to pay back loans during residency (or fellowship)
unless you had significant financial assistance/scholarships during medical
schools. However certain residencies (family medicine, pediatrics,
psychiatry, pathology, and a few others with "easy hours") will allow
residents to take on additional jobs to significant extra $$ on the side.
I know a few who added up to $10K-15K/year working nursing/PA shifts
because their residency only required 45-55 hrs per week. Docs who have
minimized their education costs can except to make significant dents in
their loans during residency but they are RARE exceptions.
Lesson 4: Keep an open mind initially but develop a clear picture of what
field of training to pursue and include lifestyle and reimbursement in that
decision. I switched fields entirely from surgery to radiology (x-rays,
mri's, etc) because I started med school wanting to be a surgeon and also
didn't research the residency program where I ended up (malignant shit hole
of a hospital, might've stayed in surgery if I had taken a residency spot
at a better hospital). Over 1/5 residents will end up switching programs
(surgery-based programs have the highest attrition rate). The 1st year of
residency is very similar regardless of specialty, however as residency
progresses the knowledge becomes specialized. Therefore switching fields
means that most people only get "partial credit" for their previous
residency and essentially have to repeat years and have a longer training
period.
I have concluded that it is only FINANCIALLY (I don't address "personal
satisfaction" worth being a physician if the following criteria are met:
1. Do undergrad at a public school or MAYBE at a private school that offers
joint enrollment.
2. Get into med school on 1st try.
3. Don't get master's degree or PhD unless you plan to start out in another
job and you only pursued medicine because you had "calling" to be a doctor
later on. One of my colleagues worked as an engineer but became inspired
to be a doctor after he was hospitalized following a car-wreck, so these
things do happen.
4. Don't go to a private med school unless you plan for military career or
do primary care in an underserved area, have other significant
scholarships, have rich family helping with school costs, or have saved
money from a previous careerr.
4. Don't pursue an MD-JD, MD-MPH, MD-PhD, MD-MBA.
5. Don't pursue a Surgery-based specialty unless you've met the above
criteria and have minimized your undergrad/med school costs.
6. Don't pursue any specialty unless you do you damn homework so you don't
have to switch residencies (I addressed the shortage of residencies
earlier) or unless you've met the above criteria to minimize education
costs.
7. Forget about starting a family before the age of 30 unless you meet the
above criteria (which is incompatible with peak biological years for
reproduction).
8. If you enjoy a truly minimalist lifestyle (Aaron, you're ability to take
vacations is too extravagant for the degree of minimalism I refer to) then
the above information is irrelevant.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Cappy's Adventures - Savannah
Finally made it to Savannah, which is a town that has largely escaped my escapades because of it's remote geographic location relative to the entirety of the US. I was kind of let down, not as many rows of plantation mansions with willow trees as I had thought.
Tonight's Hotel Bedside Table
Forgot to do this the last couple of times:
Anyway, merry Christmas all!
Anyway, merry Christmas all!
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Christmas Listening
Remember while you're on your travels to load up on podcasts should you end up driving through a state like Wisconsin, or worse, Iowa!
The 405 Media
Sooper Mexican
Tom Leykis
Uncie Bern Bern
Sandman
Honey Badger Radio
Free Domain Radio
Follow The Money
Kerry Lutz
Matt Forney
The Black Brigade
I'm 50/50 on doing a Christmas podcast. May or may not be up tomorrow. Regardless everyone have a good Christmas!
The 405 Media
Sooper Mexican
Tom Leykis
Uncie Bern Bern
Sandman
Honey Badger Radio
Free Domain Radio
Follow The Money
Kerry Lutz
Matt Forney
The Black Brigade
I'm 50/50 on doing a Christmas podcast. May or may not be up tomorrow. Regardless everyone have a good Christmas!
This Is Why You Don't Hire Women With Liberal Arts Degrees
Especially "journalism."
Scratch that, "Child Psychology."
OK, scratch that. "International Relations."
Scratch that, "Child Psychology."
OK, scratch that. "International Relations."
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Bad Blacks Hurting Good Blacks
This is the reason hard working, honest, legitimate and honorable blacks must suffer the "Black Tax."
It is also a reason black men should consider joining the Republican or Libertarian parties so as to (not just join for moral and philosophical reasons) send a clear signal to potential employers you're not a worthless, whiny human being, prone to lawsuits, ineptitude, entitlement, and problems.
It is also a reason black men should consider joining the Republican or Libertarian parties so as to (not just join for moral and philosophical reasons) send a clear signal to potential employers you're not a worthless, whiny human being, prone to lawsuits, ineptitude, entitlement, and problems.
Monday, December 22, 2014
The Eulogy of a SJW
A life of avoiding work and accomplishment, placing value on traits you were born with and did nothing to earn, while playing the victim card all the way to your grave, ultimately wasting your life.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
The Clarey Podcast Episode #76
William Shatner is god
The Captain rides a mechanical bull and breaks the record
Cappy also discovers the American South East is much larger than he first thought
Kids puke!
Partying in Atlanta with some readers
The eulogy of a Social Justice Warrior
ISIS meets US troops, not Iraqis, and hilarity ensues!
AND MORE!!!
In THIS EPISODE of The Clarey Podcast!
The Captain rides a mechanical bull and breaks the record
Cappy also discovers the American South East is much larger than he first thought
Kids puke!
Partying in Atlanta with some readers
The eulogy of a Social Justice Warrior
ISIS meets US troops, not Iraqis, and hilarity ensues!
AND MORE!!!
In THIS EPISODE of The Clarey Podcast!
Saturday, December 20, 2014
A Brilliant Podcast
I'm not joking when I say this, but this episode from Matt Forney was arguably the best single podcast I've listened to. It covers everything from SJW's to Batman vs. Joker philosophy to Chris Bechtloff making his Dennis Millerish observations and parallels. It's 2.5 hours, which I am fine with because it is like being at a bar with some great conversationalists.
3 more days of vacation and posts will resume as normal.
3 more days of vacation and posts will resume as normal.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
El Sooper Mexican Podcast
Howdy All,
Many of you know my frustrations with "teh interwebz" community when it comes to the lack of business focus and orientation on profit. You have scores of people with a great product (be it a podcast, a blog, a youtube channel, etc.), but they never capitalize on it. Me being of an entrepreneurial mind knows the potential of teh interwebz, especially when it comes to the blogging community and so, when I approach an online media personality with the offer of MONEY, it enrages me that they never get back to me.
Not because they don't want my sponsorship.
Not because they don't like money.
But because they lack hustle or just plain fail to appreciate the earnings potential their online presence has.
Enter in Sooper Mexican.
Sooper Mexican (henceforth "Soop") has a hell of an online media empire going on. Web site, podcast, you name it.
And it only took 4 weeks of hounding and brow-beating to get him to finally run ads for Cappy.
And while I am joking, sadly, I'm not. Most podcasters of significant note, just plain don't have the business acumen like Tom Leykis to get back to you the next day, let alone the next month like El Soop.
Still, Soop got back to me and I wanted to introduce his podcast to all of you. I am a regular listener and believe that if you like my rough-around-the-edges podcast you will also like his. It is definitely an above-average podcast that will replace your talk-radio listening and MSM consumption.
Plus he has a loud-mouth guy from Wall Street or something on, not to mention some Texan hick from a trailer.
Regardless, great podcast, something to download...that's if he'd up his bandwidth and not get cut off by his provider because he underestimates his popularity.
Atlanta tomorrow, St. Petersburg the day after, normal operations by the end of the week.
Many of you know my frustrations with "teh interwebz" community when it comes to the lack of business focus and orientation on profit. You have scores of people with a great product (be it a podcast, a blog, a youtube channel, etc.), but they never capitalize on it. Me being of an entrepreneurial mind knows the potential of teh interwebz, especially when it comes to the blogging community and so, when I approach an online media personality with the offer of MONEY, it enrages me that they never get back to me.
Not because they don't want my sponsorship.
Not because they don't like money.
But because they lack hustle or just plain fail to appreciate the earnings potential their online presence has.
Enter in Sooper Mexican.
Sooper Mexican (henceforth "Soop") has a hell of an online media empire going on. Web site, podcast, you name it.
And it only took 4 weeks of hounding and brow-beating to get him to finally run ads for Cappy.
And while I am joking, sadly, I'm not. Most podcasters of significant note, just plain don't have the business acumen like Tom Leykis to get back to you the next day, let alone the next month like El Soop.
Still, Soop got back to me and I wanted to introduce his podcast to all of you. I am a regular listener and believe that if you like my rough-around-the-edges podcast you will also like his. It is definitely an above-average podcast that will replace your talk-radio listening and MSM consumption.
Plus he has a loud-mouth guy from Wall Street or something on, not to mention some Texan hick from a trailer.
Regardless, great podcast, something to download...that's if he'd up his bandwidth and not get cut off by his provider because he underestimates his popularity.
Atlanta tomorrow, St. Petersburg the day after, normal operations by the end of the week.
Rescuing the Millennials
To be blunt there is no such thing as the "Great American South East." It's nice, but it lacks mountains, a sin city, and is too heavily populated to give you any sense of adventure or risk. Thus, unlike my "Great American South West" adventures entailing mountains, deserts, rattlesnakes and gambling, this has largely been a road trip with all the comforts of 24-7 Waffle Houses and Wal-Marts.
However, I did manage to drop in an visit Kerry Lutz in his schwank bachelor pad down in Florida and did a short interview that started out as a an inquiry into Asshole Consulting, but morphed into a pretty decent discussion about the Millennials, what's plaguing them, false self-esteem, and how this is a lack of fathers in families.
Raleigh and Atlanta are the next stops, let the ole Captain know if you're around.
However, I did manage to drop in an visit Kerry Lutz in his schwank bachelor pad down in Florida and did a short interview that started out as a an inquiry into Asshole Consulting, but morphed into a pretty decent discussion about the Millennials, what's plaguing them, false self-esteem, and how this is a lack of fathers in families.
Raleigh and Atlanta are the next stops, let the ole Captain know if you're around.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
SJWing to Rationalize Your Worthless Degree
not to mention your worthless self.
Actually, I take that back. SJW's aren't worthless human beings. They're parasitic. I keep forgetting that they always need other people's money to survive.
Just aiming for 100% accuracy here folks!
Actually, I take that back. SJW's aren't worthless human beings. They're parasitic. I keep forgetting that they always need other people's money to survive.
Just aiming for 100% accuracy here folks!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
The Hero's Journey
The Black Brigade makes a heck of a philosophical podcast drawing parallels between the book "A Hero of a Thousand Faces" and consuming the red pill.
And yes, I am on vacation. And yes, it is difficult to blog from the field...especially while driving. Posts will resume at a normal level in a week.
And yes, I am on vacation. And yes, it is difficult to blog from the field...especially while driving. Posts will resume at a normal level in a week.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Monday Trudge
Hey parents? You know your SJW kid you raised who is a pan-sexual? Well grandchildren were overrated anyway.
1 in 5? No, try like .03 in 5. Uncie Bern Bern does some math. (but the maths are tough!)
"Micro-aggression Reporting Service" - I wonder if the kids who set it up realize just how nazi-esque, and thus, hypocritical they've become.
And finally, remember to get Christmas shopping in before it's too late.
1 in 5? No, try like .03 in 5. Uncie Bern Bern does some math. (but the maths are tough!)
"Micro-aggression Reporting Service" - I wonder if the kids who set it up realize just how nazi-esque, and thus, hypocritical they've become.
And finally, remember to get Christmas shopping in before it's too late.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Anita Sarkeesian Plagiarizes the Captain
I have largely avoided mentioning Anita Sarkeesian because:
1. She's an attention whore and any attention is good attention in her eyes and
2. There's more than enough people exposing this fraud.
About the only thing that irks me is how she gets $160,000 (or whatever it was) for what is nothing more than politically-correct whining and real people with real talent go unfunded.
But this crosses the line - plagiarism:
I do not take kindly to having my literary works being used, plagiarized and then taken out of context.
For the record I have never contacted or e-mailed Anita. I really do have better things to do with my life. I merely wrote this piece which she obviously then co-opted and used to make it seem as if I have sent her hate mail.
The only thing I will say about Anita Sarkeesian and all the media attention surrounding her is simply this:
The real story about Anita Sarkeesian has nothing to do with any of her "work." It has everything to do with how the media, the gaming industry, video game developers, and other institutions are so dumb and blinded about this evil person that they give her the attention, funding, and platform they do.
And that really is all that has to be said (and will ultimately be the legacy of) Anita Sarkeesian.
1. She's an attention whore and any attention is good attention in her eyes and
2. There's more than enough people exposing this fraud.
About the only thing that irks me is how she gets $160,000 (or whatever it was) for what is nothing more than politically-correct whining and real people with real talent go unfunded.
But this crosses the line - plagiarism:
I do not take kindly to having my literary works being used, plagiarized and then taken out of context.
For the record I have never contacted or e-mailed Anita. I really do have better things to do with my life. I merely wrote this piece which she obviously then co-opted and used to make it seem as if I have sent her hate mail.
The only thing I will say about Anita Sarkeesian and all the media attention surrounding her is simply this:
The real story about Anita Sarkeesian has nothing to do with any of her "work." It has everything to do with how the media, the gaming industry, video game developers, and other institutions are so dumb and blinded about this evil person that they give her the attention, funding, and platform they do.
And that really is all that has to be said (and will ultimately be the legacy of) Anita Sarkeesian.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Dear Mozilla, FOAD
The gall of these nazi, anti-free speech assholes who dared to fire an employee for making a political donation, now go begging for money. I literally would rather donate to the nazi party before donating to these fuckers.
Good too see they're having financial troubles at least.
Good too see they're having financial troubles at least.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Episode #75 of The Clarey Podcast
Cappy discovers a great time saving device - Chinese delivery
The cold wants to kill you
What your parents really meant when they accused you of being "crabby"
Commenting in the Manosphere is NOT a life to envy
James Bond is now more sexist than ever
The Shelby GT Mustang Super Snake Charity
Hot women want positive attention. Feminists will take ANY attention.
What's going to happen when today's pathetic, victim-whoring college students get into the working world?
AND MORE
in THIS EPISODE of The Clarey Podcast!
The cold wants to kill you
What your parents really meant when they accused you of being "crabby"
Commenting in the Manosphere is NOT a life to envy
James Bond is now more sexist than ever
The Shelby GT Mustang Super Snake Charity
Hot women want positive attention. Feminists will take ANY attention.
What's going to happen when today's pathetic, victim-whoring college students get into the working world?
AND MORE
in THIS EPISODE of The Clarey Podcast!
Today's Horribly Offensive, but 100% True Joke
Female rape claims are becoming an awful lot like female orgasms - fake.
Ba dum bum!
Anyway, on a serious note, the mental acrobatics these scum go through is criminal.
Girls "don't know" that going to the cops is an option? They're not "guided" by the college to report rape to the police?
No, how about Occam's Razor? They majority of these claims are fake and that's why girls don't report it to the police.
This fake rape culture bullshit IS bullshit and is a sick and psychotic (and desperate) power grab on the part of hate filled feminists and socialists to beget money from the government, maintain victim status, all at the expense of falsely accused men. It amazes me how there is NOT ONE WORD written about the panic, pain, and agony men falsely accused of rape go through. And never mind the air of fear that college men must be living under now should they dare ask a girl out.
It's gross, it's disgusting, and we're going to continue to point it out until the masses realize just what an evil is festering in academia and the government.
Ba dum bum!
Anyway, on a serious note, the mental acrobatics these scum go through is criminal.
Girls "don't know" that going to the cops is an option? They're not "guided" by the college to report rape to the police?
No, how about Occam's Razor? They majority of these claims are fake and that's why girls don't report it to the police.
This fake rape culture bullshit IS bullshit and is a sick and psychotic (and desperate) power grab on the part of hate filled feminists and socialists to beget money from the government, maintain victim status, all at the expense of falsely accused men. It amazes me how there is NOT ONE WORD written about the panic, pain, and agony men falsely accused of rape go through. And never mind the air of fear that college men must be living under now should they dare ask a girl out.
It's gross, it's disgusting, and we're going to continue to point it out until the masses realize just what an evil is festering in academia and the government.
Iforgetday Linkage
Iforgetday is a problem that has been increasing ever since I entered self employment. And not just self employment, but where I have nothing even remotely approaching a schedule to adhere to and only know if it's a weekday or a weekend if my girlfriend is in the bed when I wake up.
Thus I've come up with "Iforgetday." Unlike "Tuesday" or "Friday" it's always, "Iforgetday" in Cappyland. And seriously, right now, I have no idea what day it is. Therefore, today's linkage will be "Iforgetday" linkage. Enjoy!
A white guy who write about white privilege and racism for the SLPC is suspected of being murdered by two black men.
Stupid people want to be thought of as smart. This is why leftists pursue worthless and advanced worthless degrees. This is also why, when arguing with these same leftists, they never agree to take an IQ test. They need to hide behind their piece of paper that says they are smart.
I didn't even know there was a debate about how Amazon/self publishing is or is not going to bring better books into the market. All Amazon did was make it a free market. I've yet to hear that bringing about a worse result.
The Bakken Bubble.
Thus I've come up with "Iforgetday." Unlike "Tuesday" or "Friday" it's always, "Iforgetday" in Cappyland. And seriously, right now, I have no idea what day it is. Therefore, today's linkage will be "Iforgetday" linkage. Enjoy!
A white guy who write about white privilege and racism for the SLPC is suspected of being murdered by two black men.
Stupid people want to be thought of as smart. This is why leftists pursue worthless and advanced worthless degrees. This is also why, when arguing with these same leftists, they never agree to take an IQ test. They need to hide behind their piece of paper that says they are smart.
I didn't even know there was a debate about how Amazon/self publishing is or is not going to bring better books into the market. All Amazon did was make it a free market. I've yet to hear that bringing about a worse result.
The Bakken Bubble.
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Europe's Standards of Living Are Overstated...Especially for American Bachelors
I had meant to write more economics pieces during and post my European trip. Then Asshole Consulting took off, I had to winterize my house in anticipation of the Minnesota winter, and now it's the holiday season. It wasn't through anything but sheer luck I have a glimpse of time at this moment and I fully intend on using it to write about my most important observation about Europe - that it's standards of living are overstated, and especially so for bachelors.
Admittedly, I did not travel all of Europe. I visited Switzerland, Italy and a bit of France. But in sampling those three countries (not to mention practically scouring all of Switzerland and Italy) I can say with reasonable confidence in at least those three countries standards of living are overstated. Of course in the Eastern European Empire of Roosh things may be different, and northern Europe I left untouched, but I believe even the regional differences aside there are some European wide structural differences that not only puts it at a disadvantage compared to the US, but costs its people a lower standard of living.
The first and most painfully obvious reason was the cost of food. I know food does not account for anywhere near a significant percentage of GDP, but since it stimulates one of the five senses and is kind of a "necessity," I was shocked how expensive the food was.
In Switzerland a Big Mac (just the burger, not the meal) on average cost $12. If it cost cheaper somewhere else, I was unaware of it, but I was HONORED to pay "only" $8.50 for a Burger King Big Whopper. Even that was a "deal" because twice I paid over $120 for dinner for four. Admittedly once was in Montreaux (and expensive resort town on Lake Geneva), but it was certainly overpriced.
Second, and related, was the quality of food.
I don't know what idiotic 16 year old suburbanite American girl came up with the lie to make her trip to Europe more exotic than it was, but the food absolutely sucks. The two times I paid $120+ for dinner the food was on par with gas station food, and not even good gas station food. Mac and Cheese, a panini sandwich so toasted you'd lose a filling, and with a stingy thin slice of "prosciutto" (which I believe is Italian for "one atom-thick slick of pork"). And I think my girlfriend had the leaf sandwhich with three-eye-droplets of Diet Coke. If you factor in the quality and quantity of food, Europe probably costs quadruple what it does in the US.
Third, gas.
Yes, I know gas is more expensive in Europe. Yes, I am also aware "well, but tuition and health care are free there!" That does me no good. Unless you're old or in college, these offsetting social programs don't benefit the majority of people who have to endure it. But it is not the mere nominal costs of gas that lowers the standards of living as much as it is when you combine it with the fact 1960's highways were built on the towns' 500AD European infrastructure. So not only do you get to pay more in gas, you get to use more as you meander through indirect highways and clogged city streets that were designed for cattle.
Fourth, housing.
Unless new construction, the vast majority of housing in Europe is inferior to the US. This is not an insult to the European peoples or their carpenters as much as it is a result of the majority of their housing being before the US even existed. A "nice house" is jammed right next to others with roof spines sagging and shared yards. Every castle I saw looked like a home-owner's fixit nightmare. And the prices are so high you never own your home as much as just pay the interest on the mortgage. Simply because the US is/was less densely populated and the majority of its housing stock built with updated technologies, the quality of housing (and thus your living/dwelling experience) is much nicer.
Finally, the hotels.
I was very much looking forward to finding a quiet, hidden Italian village where I promised myself and girlfriend we would "sit and do nothing." I just wanted to find a nice hotel next to the ocean and get drunk on vino.
Never happened.
Not just because to drive from one town to another in Italy will make you so stressed out and weary you can't enjoy a wine, but because the hotels are really not that nice and neither is the wine. We stayed at great, high end hotels in Stresa, Bellagio, and Florence and NONE OF THEM beat something as average as the Crowne Plaza in Billings, Montana. Again, some of this has to do with the outdated technologies these "premier" hotels were built with, but the furniture and fixings are literally no better than a Hotel 8. In short, even their most luxurious hotel in Bellagio (on Lake Como) comes nowhere near the quality and caliber of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
There were many other things, but the point is whether it's something basic as food or luxurious as a hotel on Lake Como, the costs are twice that of the US for goods and services that are a fraction of the quality and quantity.
However, shocking and appalling as the costs and economic lower standards of living were, there was one thing that was even more cumbersome and "standards-of-life-dropping."
The culture.
Not that Europe is "uncultured." It certainly is, and in many regards, more so than the US. But the European culture is absolutely antithetical to the freedom-loving, American bachelor.
Understand that the American bachelor is arguably the freest person in the entire world. We can get up when we want. Do what we want. Eat when we want. Go when we want. And go wherever we want. This isn't to say that in Europe there are Nazi guards at the borders checking your papers, preventing you from enjoying these freedoms, there isn't. But it is to say the European culture is not conducive to providing the support structure for this level of freedom.
And it's maddening.
Most obvious is that you do not have the "Freedom to Eat Whenever You Want."
Why?
Because every freaking store closes down at siesta for 1-2 hours and then permanently for the day around 7PM. Yes, there probably is one or two places on the continent that might be open till 10PM, but I didn't see them. The problem this presents, however, to the American bachelor is that he no longer has the luxury of not worrying about when to eat. After three days without a host the PRIMARY determinant of where we went, what time we left, and what town we'd get a hotel in, was not determined by our traveling desires, but at what time we could get food, specifically diner.
You may be laughing, but consider the drop in standard of living this presents to a bachelor. Time and freedom are the only things that matter. And if you can get food 24-7, a vital and key necessity is taken care of, allowing you to travel wherever, whenever you want. However, without 24-7 access to food, you are no longer entitled to 100% of your free time. Some of it, now needs to be dedicated and thus restricted based on the operating hours of food providers.
Closely related to this culture of "close when grandpa goes to bed," is the highway system. Bachelors like to travel, especially American ones. And key to this travel is the US interstate system COMBINED WITH gas stations that are not just open, but serving food and other staples of life (toiletries, oil, aspirin, etc.) 24-7. But without this amazing infrastructure, the concept of taking a midnight road trip on a whim across the country/continent just isn't possible in Europe. There were times that (despite a much higher density population than Wyoming) I was more worried about running out of gas in Europe than in Wyoming. Not that there weren't gas stations, but they weren't open.
This meant we had to travel knowing full when and where we'd get gas if we were traveling at night. It also meant buying food before hitting their "highway" system, but having to wait till it was open...but not too late or we'd hit "siesta." This may sound "whinny" and "complainy," and it is. But it is still a dramatic drop in the freedom-go-now-don't-worry standard American bachelors are accustomed to.
Finally, there are no Wal-Marts, Perkins, or any other large 24-7 facilities where you can buy other wares or food.
I remember traveling across the American southwest many years ago and pulling into Alamogordo, New Mexico, where in BRILLIANT and ILLUMINATED glory was a Wal-Mart open and operational at 3AM. Not only could I buy the food and camping equipment I needed, but
a bottle of Jack Daniels
an X-Box
ammo
guns
and everything else that can be found in a Wal-Mart.
Not only does Europe suffer a dramatically lower standard of living because they have no such thing, but the bachelor particularly so. The bachelor is not only forced to buy from the same overpriced local village "family stores" families are, but they also have to abide by these companies' restrictive hours of operation.
In short, if you go to Europe as an American bachelor prepare for a culture shock. And not just "oh they wear different clothes or their toilets are funny," or $12 Big Macs. But for what is going to be a dramatic decrease in your freedom of mobility and the convenience you've grown accustomed to here in the US. Yes, the US has it's issues, and certainly Europe has it's benefits (somewhere I'm sure), but you will come back infinitely more appreciate of the US, its infrastructure, how it operates 24-7 for its people, and the freedom that allows you to, at the drop of a hat, just get in your car and go.
Admittedly, I did not travel all of Europe. I visited Switzerland, Italy and a bit of France. But in sampling those three countries (not to mention practically scouring all of Switzerland and Italy) I can say with reasonable confidence in at least those three countries standards of living are overstated. Of course in the Eastern European Empire of Roosh things may be different, and northern Europe I left untouched, but I believe even the regional differences aside there are some European wide structural differences that not only puts it at a disadvantage compared to the US, but costs its people a lower standard of living.
The first and most painfully obvious reason was the cost of food. I know food does not account for anywhere near a significant percentage of GDP, but since it stimulates one of the five senses and is kind of a "necessity," I was shocked how expensive the food was.
In Switzerland a Big Mac (just the burger, not the meal) on average cost $12. If it cost cheaper somewhere else, I was unaware of it, but I was HONORED to pay "only" $8.50 for a Burger King Big Whopper. Even that was a "deal" because twice I paid over $120 for dinner for four. Admittedly once was in Montreaux (and expensive resort town on Lake Geneva), but it was certainly overpriced.
Second, and related, was the quality of food.
I don't know what idiotic 16 year old suburbanite American girl came up with the lie to make her trip to Europe more exotic than it was, but the food absolutely sucks. The two times I paid $120+ for dinner the food was on par with gas station food, and not even good gas station food. Mac and Cheese, a panini sandwich so toasted you'd lose a filling, and with a stingy thin slice of "prosciutto" (which I believe is Italian for "one atom-thick slick of pork"). And I think my girlfriend had the leaf sandwhich with three-eye-droplets of Diet Coke. If you factor in the quality and quantity of food, Europe probably costs quadruple what it does in the US.
Third, gas.
Yes, I know gas is more expensive in Europe. Yes, I am also aware "well, but tuition and health care are free there!" That does me no good. Unless you're old or in college, these offsetting social programs don't benefit the majority of people who have to endure it. But it is not the mere nominal costs of gas that lowers the standards of living as much as it is when you combine it with the fact 1960's highways were built on the towns' 500AD European infrastructure. So not only do you get to pay more in gas, you get to use more as you meander through indirect highways and clogged city streets that were designed for cattle.
Fourth, housing.
Unless new construction, the vast majority of housing in Europe is inferior to the US. This is not an insult to the European peoples or their carpenters as much as it is a result of the majority of their housing being before the US even existed. A "nice house" is jammed right next to others with roof spines sagging and shared yards. Every castle I saw looked like a home-owner's fixit nightmare. And the prices are so high you never own your home as much as just pay the interest on the mortgage. Simply because the US is/was less densely populated and the majority of its housing stock built with updated technologies, the quality of housing (and thus your living/dwelling experience) is much nicer.
Finally, the hotels.
I was very much looking forward to finding a quiet, hidden Italian village where I promised myself and girlfriend we would "sit and do nothing." I just wanted to find a nice hotel next to the ocean and get drunk on vino.
Never happened.
Not just because to drive from one town to another in Italy will make you so stressed out and weary you can't enjoy a wine, but because the hotels are really not that nice and neither is the wine. We stayed at great, high end hotels in Stresa, Bellagio, and Florence and NONE OF THEM beat something as average as the Crowne Plaza in Billings, Montana. Again, some of this has to do with the outdated technologies these "premier" hotels were built with, but the furniture and fixings are literally no better than a Hotel 8. In short, even their most luxurious hotel in Bellagio (on Lake Como) comes nowhere near the quality and caliber of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
There were many other things, but the point is whether it's something basic as food or luxurious as a hotel on Lake Como, the costs are twice that of the US for goods and services that are a fraction of the quality and quantity.
However, shocking and appalling as the costs and economic lower standards of living were, there was one thing that was even more cumbersome and "standards-of-life-dropping."
The culture.
Not that Europe is "uncultured." It certainly is, and in many regards, more so than the US. But the European culture is absolutely antithetical to the freedom-loving, American bachelor.
Understand that the American bachelor is arguably the freest person in the entire world. We can get up when we want. Do what we want. Eat when we want. Go when we want. And go wherever we want. This isn't to say that in Europe there are Nazi guards at the borders checking your papers, preventing you from enjoying these freedoms, there isn't. But it is to say the European culture is not conducive to providing the support structure for this level of freedom.
And it's maddening.
Most obvious is that you do not have the "Freedom to Eat Whenever You Want."
Why?
Because every freaking store closes down at siesta for 1-2 hours and then permanently for the day around 7PM. Yes, there probably is one or two places on the continent that might be open till 10PM, but I didn't see them. The problem this presents, however, to the American bachelor is that he no longer has the luxury of not worrying about when to eat. After three days without a host the PRIMARY determinant of where we went, what time we left, and what town we'd get a hotel in, was not determined by our traveling desires, but at what time we could get food, specifically diner.
You may be laughing, but consider the drop in standard of living this presents to a bachelor. Time and freedom are the only things that matter. And if you can get food 24-7, a vital and key necessity is taken care of, allowing you to travel wherever, whenever you want. However, without 24-7 access to food, you are no longer entitled to 100% of your free time. Some of it, now needs to be dedicated and thus restricted based on the operating hours of food providers.
Closely related to this culture of "close when grandpa goes to bed," is the highway system. Bachelors like to travel, especially American ones. And key to this travel is the US interstate system COMBINED WITH gas stations that are not just open, but serving food and other staples of life (toiletries, oil, aspirin, etc.) 24-7. But without this amazing infrastructure, the concept of taking a midnight road trip on a whim across the country/continent just isn't possible in Europe. There were times that (despite a much higher density population than Wyoming) I was more worried about running out of gas in Europe than in Wyoming. Not that there weren't gas stations, but they weren't open.
This meant we had to travel knowing full when and where we'd get gas if we were traveling at night. It also meant buying food before hitting their "highway" system, but having to wait till it was open...but not too late or we'd hit "siesta." This may sound "whinny" and "complainy," and it is. But it is still a dramatic drop in the freedom-go-now-don't-worry standard American bachelors are accustomed to.
Finally, there are no Wal-Marts, Perkins, or any other large 24-7 facilities where you can buy other wares or food.
I remember traveling across the American southwest many years ago and pulling into Alamogordo, New Mexico, where in BRILLIANT and ILLUMINATED glory was a Wal-Mart open and operational at 3AM. Not only could I buy the food and camping equipment I needed, but
a bottle of Jack Daniels
an X-Box
ammo
guns
and everything else that can be found in a Wal-Mart.
Not only does Europe suffer a dramatically lower standard of living because they have no such thing, but the bachelor particularly so. The bachelor is not only forced to buy from the same overpriced local village "family stores" families are, but they also have to abide by these companies' restrictive hours of operation.
In short, if you go to Europe as an American bachelor prepare for a culture shock. And not just "oh they wear different clothes or their toilets are funny," or $12 Big Macs. But for what is going to be a dramatic decrease in your freedom of mobility and the convenience you've grown accustomed to here in the US. Yes, the US has it's issues, and certainly Europe has it's benefits (somewhere I'm sure), but you will come back infinitely more appreciate of the US, its infrastructure, how it operates 24-7 for its people, and the freedom that allows you to, at the drop of a hat, just get in your car and go.
Monday, December 08, 2014
"The Girl Who Cried Rape"
I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting mighty tired of getting accused of rape. Felt this rant was necessary (use the link in case the video doesn't embed below)
Yes, language warning:
Yes, language warning:
Sponsored Linkage
Ed is writing a future history book about a 2nd civil war in the US.
A spherical Earth is insulting to this particular Muslim, and thus the movie Gravity must be banned.
A spherical Earth is insulting to this particular Muslim, and thus the movie Gravity must be banned.
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Capitalism is Reality
From my latest piece at ROK:
Ergo, capitalism is not some kind of fanciful political theory concocted by a delusional, pontificating trust-fund baby elitist (that would be Karl Marx). It’s merely the economic manifestation of human nature.
Ergo, capitalism is not some kind of fanciful political theory concocted by a delusional, pontificating trust-fund baby elitist (that would be Karl Marx). It’s merely the economic manifestation of human nature.
Saturday, December 06, 2014
HR is BS
I'm drunk, beligerent and indifferent in this video, but it's the best ripping apart of the HR industry there ever was.
And yes, a language warning
And yes, a language warning
Friday, December 05, 2014
Thursday, December 04, 2014
How Keynes Destroyed the Bakken
I wanted to believe that it was only going to be the banking industry that was destroyed by the "Dudebro Frat Boy Jocks from the 1970's." Middle aged men who couldn't do math and were too lazy to become engineers, so instead got their MBA's and relied on lying "sales" as a way to enrich themselves. Slowly, but surely, they rose through the ranks so by the time 2005 rolled around they were thoroughly ensconced in positions of power in the only industry that would promote such idiotic scum - banking. Sure enough, their greed and idiocy caught up with them, the banking industry imploded, but not without the taxpayers bailing them out. Today they merely work at the bank down the street, thankfully relegated to the banking industry and not pouring out into and corrupting other sectors of the economy.
Or so I thought.
Enter the Bakken oil field.
With gas prices high investment into alternative means of pumping oil were produced. One such technique was fracking and as luck would have it practically the entire middle part of the North American continent had oil reserves that were conducive to this technique. An oil boom occurred resulting in quite literally the only silver lining to Obama's economy. Hundreds of thousands of jobs were created, there was a cap put on the price of oil, not to mention it turned out the US now had a such supply of oil that it no longer needed to rely on or answer to OPEC.
Now, not that I was thinking we'd become the next Norway where their entire population is effectively millionaires due to their oil reserves, but I did think this oil boom would be more permanent. At least not certainly a bust. For while Dotcom and the Housing Bubbles were caused (primarily) by idiot investment bankers and banks, this was an oil boom. Started by much smarter and saner engineers, scientists and geologists. This was a STEM industry, not a cock-sucking, ass-kissing "dudebro" east coast cronyismfest.
Add two more ingredients.
Engineer naivety about economics and Keynes.
Engineers, god bless 'em, are not economists. I've known this because during most of college the engineering majors wish they could study more finance and economics and the finance majors wish they would have studied engineering. Even after college many engineers go back to get their MBA's with a concentration on accounting or finance. But at their core they're still engineers. They're on the rigs, in the design room, or out exploring. They're not reading up on OPEC or EIA reports about the glut of oil hitting the market. And it wasn't OPEC that's been driving prices down as much as it was themselves.
Once I saw there was trouble in Bakken Land, I prayed, PRAYED,
"Please don't let them have a ton of debt on their books
Please don't let them have a ton of debt on their books
Please don't let them have a ton of debt on their books."
Annnnnnd they have a ton of debt on their books.
Once again, Keynesianism and the ignorance of how central-bank-induced artificially lower interest rates result in companies and governments loading up on debt, has now caused a credit bubble in the Bakken oil field. And while some companies maintain a nice margin of equity on their balance sheets, many do not. And with the price of oil going down, it doesn't matter how low of an interest rate they have on their newly acquired debt, they are going to shut down and file for bankruptcy.
The lesson to pull from this is you don't need lazy, middle aged MBA, Dudebro Salesmen to destroy an industry. You just need a central bank, ZIRP monetary policy, and a dash of economic naivety on the part of industry leaders and ANY industry will be inflated and then destroyed. Alas who knew Keynesians would be the ultimate economic "Dudebro Douches?"
Or so I thought.
Enter the Bakken oil field.
With gas prices high investment into alternative means of pumping oil were produced. One such technique was fracking and as luck would have it practically the entire middle part of the North American continent had oil reserves that were conducive to this technique. An oil boom occurred resulting in quite literally the only silver lining to Obama's economy. Hundreds of thousands of jobs were created, there was a cap put on the price of oil, not to mention it turned out the US now had a such supply of oil that it no longer needed to rely on or answer to OPEC.
Now, not that I was thinking we'd become the next Norway where their entire population is effectively millionaires due to their oil reserves, but I did think this oil boom would be more permanent. At least not certainly a bust. For while Dotcom and the Housing Bubbles were caused (primarily) by idiot investment bankers and banks, this was an oil boom. Started by much smarter and saner engineers, scientists and geologists. This was a STEM industry, not a cock-sucking, ass-kissing "dudebro" east coast cronyismfest.
Add two more ingredients.
Engineer naivety about economics and Keynes.
Engineers, god bless 'em, are not economists. I've known this because during most of college the engineering majors wish they could study more finance and economics and the finance majors wish they would have studied engineering. Even after college many engineers go back to get their MBA's with a concentration on accounting or finance. But at their core they're still engineers. They're on the rigs, in the design room, or out exploring. They're not reading up on OPEC or EIA reports about the glut of oil hitting the market. And it wasn't OPEC that's been driving prices down as much as it was themselves.
Once I saw there was trouble in Bakken Land, I prayed, PRAYED,
"Please don't let them have a ton of debt on their books
Please don't let them have a ton of debt on their books
Please don't let them have a ton of debt on their books."
Annnnnnd they have a ton of debt on their books.
Once again, Keynesianism and the ignorance of how central-bank-induced artificially lower interest rates result in companies and governments loading up on debt, has now caused a credit bubble in the Bakken oil field. And while some companies maintain a nice margin of equity on their balance sheets, many do not. And with the price of oil going down, it doesn't matter how low of an interest rate they have on their newly acquired debt, they are going to shut down and file for bankruptcy.
The lesson to pull from this is you don't need lazy, middle aged MBA, Dudebro Salesmen to destroy an industry. You just need a central bank, ZIRP monetary policy, and a dash of economic naivety on the part of industry leaders and ANY industry will be inflated and then destroyed. Alas who knew Keynesians would be the ultimate economic "Dudebro Douches?"
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
The Real Meaning of "It's a Wonderful Life"
I'm actually quite impressed. DT and the Man made me think about not just the true meaning of "It's a Wonderful Life" but advanced my understanding and appreciation of life. (first segment, so you don't have to wait long)
Wednesday Constitutional
Jesus is my boyfriend and you can't compare to him! ht
Tee hee! I want to STEM too! But I don't like the maths! Tee hee! Let's just add an "A!"
Men in STEM made this possible. Feminists, welfare recipients, liberals and humanities majors did not.
Tee hee! I want to STEM too! But I don't like the maths! Tee hee! Let's just add an "A!"
Men in STEM made this possible. Feminists, welfare recipients, liberals and humanities majors did not.
Glorious Karl Suffers a Heart Attack
Glorious Karl of "Glorious Hat" fame recently suffered a heart attack.
He is "alright" but if you wanted to help Karl I know that he was stressed with the entrepreneurial endeavor he took by selling "Glorious Hat." He's trying to get rid of his inventory so consider purchasing Glorious Hat as a way to help out a vet, a conservative, and a true American this Christmas season.
He is "alright" but if you wanted to help Karl I know that he was stressed with the entrepreneurial endeavor he took by selling "Glorious Hat." He's trying to get rid of his inventory so consider purchasing Glorious Hat as a way to help out a vet, a conservative, and a true American this Christmas season.
Tuesday, December 02, 2014
It's Not About Race, It's About Mentally Unstable People
This more or less wiped away any remnant thoughts I had there was an element of race with Ferguson. It really is just mentally impaired people using color to excuse feral behavior, theft, and destruction.
How Cold is a Survivalist's Friend
There's one thing the Minneapolis police department rely upon to keep their budget in line - winter.
For when winter hits, crime goes down because, well...cold.
Much easier and enjoyable to steal a car or go shoot up a hood during July than it is during January so all the criminals, thugs and parasites stay in because it's too cold to commit crime.
Thankfully, however, this is very telling of the criminal and thug mindset in that it belies something about their true nature - laziness.
Of course criminals and parasites are lazy by their nature. They don't want to work, but still want to enjoy higher standards of living so...theft. But you add the cold in and they don't even have the work ethic to steal.
Thus why this is very heartening.
To support yourself, let alone be a survivalist, takes work and effort. Things criminals and thugs don't have. But if the vermin of Minneapolis can't even work up the effort to steal and rob during the cold, imagine just how disincentived they'll be to survive or leave the city if the shit were to hit the fan. Do you think they're even capable of knowing how to keep water liquified for livestock? Or how to insulate shelter? Let alone how to build shelter? They're so dependent on government subsidy or victims for their crimes I doubt any of the criminals have ever thought about what to do if the heat were to go out or how to survive for more than 2 days in a below-zero post SHTF scenario.
Therefore, while many of you may be thinking about heading south to where it's warmer and nicer, perhaps consider Montana, Idaho, or just rural Minnesota when it comes to surviving a SHTF scenario. Old Man Winter will have your back at least half the year and may have the good graces to kill off the parasitic class for you, allowing you to enjoy the decline.
For when winter hits, crime goes down because, well...cold.
Much easier and enjoyable to steal a car or go shoot up a hood during July than it is during January so all the criminals, thugs and parasites stay in because it's too cold to commit crime.
Thankfully, however, this is very telling of the criminal and thug mindset in that it belies something about their true nature - laziness.
Of course criminals and parasites are lazy by their nature. They don't want to work, but still want to enjoy higher standards of living so...theft. But you add the cold in and they don't even have the work ethic to steal.
Thus why this is very heartening.
To support yourself, let alone be a survivalist, takes work and effort. Things criminals and thugs don't have. But if the vermin of Minneapolis can't even work up the effort to steal and rob during the cold, imagine just how disincentived they'll be to survive or leave the city if the shit were to hit the fan. Do you think they're even capable of knowing how to keep water liquified for livestock? Or how to insulate shelter? Let alone how to build shelter? They're so dependent on government subsidy or victims for their crimes I doubt any of the criminals have ever thought about what to do if the heat were to go out or how to survive for more than 2 days in a below-zero post SHTF scenario.
Therefore, while many of you may be thinking about heading south to where it's warmer and nicer, perhaps consider Montana, Idaho, or just rural Minnesota when it comes to surviving a SHTF scenario. Old Man Winter will have your back at least half the year and may have the good graces to kill off the parasitic class for you, allowing you to enjoy the decline.
Monday Lazy Man's Day Linkage
This is how a culture collapses.
A feminist pines for men to pay for her date...and JB takes her down.
Tickity tock, ladies. Tickity, freaking, tock.
Do not rebuild Ferguson.
New podcast treasure trove - The 405 Gang
And new blogroll addition - Night Sky Radio!
Yes, the picture does describe it all.
A feminist pines for men to pay for her date...and JB takes her down.
Tickity tock, ladies. Tickity, freaking, tock.
Do not rebuild Ferguson.
New podcast treasure trove - The 405 Gang
And new blogroll addition - Night Sky Radio!
Yes, the picture does describe it all.
Monday, December 01, 2014
What Every Husband and Boyfriend Wants for Christmas
And it's FREE! Just trying to help you ladies out:
New Sponsor - British Beers
Howdy All,
New sponsor - "Always a Favorite"
It's an online beer seller who specializes in and sells only British beers.
For those of you who like the occasional sip now and then and are even getting into home brewing, consider purchasing some British beer especially as a gift to yourself (or others) for Christmas.
You can find them here!
New sponsor - "Always a Favorite"
It's an online beer seller who specializes in and sells only British beers.
For those of you who like the occasional sip now and then and are even getting into home brewing, consider purchasing some British beer especially as a gift to yourself (or others) for Christmas.
You can find them here!
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