Food for thought: “Marxism isn’t an ideology at all – it’s a tactic”

| March 12, 2024

Political ideology has always interesting me. I was aware of different philosophies early on since an intellectual best friend from high school was way to the left  and interested in Socialism and Marxism.   Charlie Matthews (Kamikaze) seemed like a leftover from the 1960s and even back in the 1970s and 80s supported the Marxist […]

Pondering the Presidential Election on November 5th, 2024

| March 5, 2024

The presidential election for 2024 is nowhere close to being certain (7 months away), but it is looking more and more like a repeat of 2020: President Joe Biden (81) and Donald Trump (77) … an election for the “aged.” 😉  Outkick.com host and WWE wrestler, Tyrus made an interesting analogy last week comparing the […]

More college loan debt forgiveness by POTUS Biden

| February 28, 2024

Court ‘Didn’t Stop Me’ – “ The President ignores the law again as he forgives more student debt. The total is now $138 billion and counting.” WSJOpinion February 23, 2024 article link He’s not really cancelling anything because he’s transferring the debt from the borrowers it benefited to the taxpayers who will finance it with […]

Inflation is still an issue for those living paycheck to paycheck

| February 16, 2024

Although those reading MyDesultoryBlog.com more than once or twice are probably tired of me mentioning inflation … it is still an issue even as costs and prices are “rising” slower than previous. We all have policies,  political figures and economic idealogy in mind when pointing our fingers … but I’ll leave that to voters come […]

Audiobook: “The Hundred Year Marathon” by Michael Pillsbury

| February 7, 2024

Started a “new to me” audiobook by Michael Pillsbury titled “The Hundred Year Marathon: China’s Secret Strategy To Replace America As The Global Superpower.” His experience and expertise on China is pretty much unmatched so what he shares offers an intense look at understanding the Chinese longterm philosophy and strategy. The possibility … or perhaps […]

Books: The Anti-Capitalism Mentality by Ludwig von Mises

| January 30, 2024

As usual, I’m currently reading several different books — different genres for different moods. The one highlighted today is because I don’t really like taking my eReader to the beach. We’ve generally just been going just to walk so haven’t been sitting long enough to read anyway … I don’t want it to be a […]

Taxes? 💰 Go (Historical) Figure!

| January 28, 2024

An email newsletter from the Tax Foundation offered up a few interesting tax oriented tidbits. Lady Godiva As the story goes, Lady Godiva famously rode a horse through Coventry, Warwickshire . . . in the nude. But why did this 11th-century noblewoman choose to do such a thing? Taxes. Lady Godiva pleaded with her husband, […]

The U.S. is nearly a deadbeat nation and few politicians care

| January 23, 2024

It’s called the third rail of politics, and in those areas of spending where politicians with the best of intentions dare to talk, nothing gets done. Only a few have suggested finding a solution to our ballooning debt and yearly deficits … or two of the primary drivers: Social Security and Medicare. These programs continue […]

My favorite Babylon Bee Parody Video For 2023

| December 31, 2023

After commenting back in 2022 on a favorite Babylon Bee parody video (added from YouTube below the break), this 2023 year year end New Year’s Eve favorite is another California oriented music video. Both parody clips highlight memorable songs as well as destructive policies from progressive Democrats governing a once idyllic state. It does seems […]

Thoughtful conservatives are divided and struggling to understand each other ahead of the 2024 election

| November 28, 2023

Perhaps there are a few Republicans in your circles struggling with selecting a GOP Presidential Candidate for 2024? Sometimes, if I listen really carefully, I can hear in my head the fragments of a dialogue between two voices capturing the ambivalence thoughtful conservatives feel about their current political choices. Yes, I’m hearing voices so you […]

Books: Starting “The Next Hundred Years’ War” by Eran Nitzan

| October 7, 2023

This past week I started a book titled “The Next Hundred Years’ War” — it grabbed my attention from the ‘Preface’ and captured my attention to the point I could not comfortably put it down. Eran Nitzan, served as Israel’s economic attaché in Washington DC, and began his book with the back and forth conversation […]

How is the U.S. National Debt looking 13 years later?

| September 30, 2023

Thirteen years ago I blogged on the US National Debt spiraling out of control (the US National Debt was $13.5 Trillion in September of 2013) … who knew we wouldn’t even remotely take this exponentially increasing monstrosity seriously? Now we’re $33 TRILLION in debt, running huge deficits, and adding to the national debt even faster […]

How political has science and climate change become? #video

| August 16, 2023

Deep down … I think most people know that there is something corrupt when it comes to climate science, grant money and politics. Still we are hesitate to question anything because “who am I to question these complicated issues?” It has always bothered me that so many things become an immediate, high priority “crisis” when […]

Communism/Socialism or a Representative Democracy?

| July 23, 2023

Communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. Communism is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to […]

Are there economic similarities between post World War II and rebounding from the pandemic shutdown?

| July 15, 2023

My financial and investment musings have been few and far between lately, but while reading Barron’s Magazine article this past week, it reminded me that we investors often can look to history for insight.  If you don’t want to read it, try listening to it — Audio ElevenLabs.   ElevenLabs AI reading this content – […]

Books: “Decades of Decadence” by Marco Rubio (2023)

| June 14, 2023

I needed another book to read like a hole in my head as the idiom goes, but since the newly released book by Marco Rubio called “Decades of Decadence” hit the bookstore today, I figured that I would “get on the list” at my local library. Lo and behold it was available on Hoopla as an […]

How much do you know about the Federal Reserve?

| June 8, 2023

If the answer is “not enough” … check out this short YouTube video explainer.

Books: Reading Yeonmi Park’s “While Time Remains”

| May 28, 2023

The “hold” for the ebook by Yeonmi Park titled “While Time Remains” became available this past weekend and even though I haven’t finished the last book I started; I guess I’m going to “start” another anyway (it is a “forever problem” — start a book, but never finish it).  From all the interviews of her […]

Is the Debt Ceiling debate really our biggest problem?

| May 27, 2023

Once again, politicians are taking our US SPENDING and BORROWING problem right to the wire. Everyone knows that eventually politicians will just raise the debt ceiling and borrow more. The Republicans want spending cuts and the Democrats want a “clean increase” so as to be able to pay promised liabilities (previous spending) and we all […]

Books: “The Courage to Be Free” (2023) – Ron DeSantis

| May 10, 2023

My library borrowing and Kindle game caught up with me this week as the book I borrowed, “Metathreats,”  (and was in the middle of reading) expired … but because I have been keeping my Kindle in “Airplane Mode,” I continued reading. Generally I can’t finish a book without renewing so will often put my Kindle […]

Lecture: “Woke is Maoism with American characteristics”

| May 6, 2023

When it comes to sharing political and socioeconomic philosophy, it is like tiptoeing through a minefield. No matter what books, lectures, video or definitions one uses when discussing political ideologies, almost all sources will come under suspicion of bias … or in this case … Cultural Marxist Conspiracy Theory. I do read a bit on […]

How Does Your State Rank on Individual Income Taxes?

| May 3, 2023

Taxes are often on my mind … especially when reminded by an email update from the Tax Foundation. This week was both a depressing one (Ohio #41) and an interesting one due to the number of states and cities trying hard to reduce the burden of bloated government on their residents. I would nice if […]

Books: “MegaThreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, And How to Survive Them” by Nouriel Roubini

| April 29, 2023

This past month while semi-vacationing in Florida (condo window installation), I started reading an excellent new book by well-known economist Nouriel Roubini called “MegaThreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, And How to Survive Them” (October 18, 2022). The book follows a trend for me and what I’ve been reading when it comes to […]

A bit of news people news: Tucker Carlson is no longer at FoxNews

| April 25, 2023

Although it is not unusual for news organizations to let very popular news opinion personality go … with FoxNews I can recall Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly … most regular viewers were probably shocked to see Tucker Carlson let go on Monday (April 24, 2023). It was interesting to hear Glenn Beck comment on it […]

Will American soon be without their gas stoves?

| January 11, 2023

According to a NYPost article, millions of Americans may soon be entering “not stove season.” The Biden administration is considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves — citing the harmful pollutants released by the appliances, according to a report. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is mulling the action after recent studies showed emissions from the […]

A crazy week post midterm election and for the stock market

| November 12, 2022

Well … the hopeful political “red wave” did not happen (at least from a conservative perspective). If we are to be generous, it could be viewed as a “small ripple” … but the results of the election as of this post are not fully counted even yet. Does that seem odd in our evolved and […]

Lunar eclipse, Beaver Moon but NO Blood Red Wave election

| November 9, 2022

Skywatching and politics have little in common, unless one is stretching for a to put the two together in a morning after a November midterm election blog post. In the early Tuesday morning  hours, before the election polls opened, the Blood “Red” Moon was being photographed and viewed by skywatchers — often referred to at […]

Election 2022: Tuesday November 8th is FREE America Day

| November 7, 2022

If there is one thing palpable in America, it is that Americans are worried about their country and our future. Ever since the COVID19 pandemic began and particularly since President Biden took office in 2020 … hard working, freedom-loving citizens in our country have watched their liberty and prosperity eroded. There is both concern and […]

Inflation and the 2023 tax year Federal tax bracket

| October 23, 2022

The Federal tax brackets are adjusted each year by the IRS based on inflation numbers in an attempt to stop “bracket creep.” This prices have soared as in September 2022 consumer prices were up 8.2% compared to 2021. It is likely most Americans have not seen that kind of wage increase which means their buying […]

Do state/city/local taxes impact interstate migration?

| October 18, 2022

As a former GOP VP hopeful would say, “You betcha.” In catching up on my Tax Foundation reading, one of their recent emails highlighted what internationally we have seen in off and onshoring is that businesses go to where they are treated best. It most often has to do with a companies lowest cost of […]

Midterm elections could not be more important this year

| October 16, 2022

It’s simple: between the Federal Reserve spewing out more than $4 trillion in cheap money over the past year, and Congress signing off on “relief” packages totaling an unprecedented $3 trillion, there is too much money chasing too few goods. .. Inflation will only get hotter if Biden and congressional Democrats press ahead with even […]

A look back at the financial markets for today’s #TBT post

| September 15, 2022

As we face another recession (some believe we are already in one – see February 2022 part 1 and part 2), I couldn’t help but notice a post from about this time of the year in 2008 (see chart at left) when we faced a previous self-inflicted recession (banking crisis). The 2007-2008 Financial Crisis was the […]

Stock market pain was felt on Wall Street – 9/13/2022

| September 13, 2022

If you believe the number 13 makes for an unlucky day, you’ll probably point to that as an omen … but the deep, nearly 1300 points, drop in the Dow came as investors and economists were expecting an easing pace of inflation … not continued high inflation.  The CPI report indicated a 8.3% rate compared […]

Motorheads are slowly showing interest in EVs #automotive

| August 20, 2022

My social participation in automotive groups and forums that were common for me decades ago (CinciTDI, TDIClub, etc) have shifted to social media friends on Facebook groups (not so much anymore) and Twitter (daily). Those contacts include a bunch of automotive journalist as well as people just interested in cars and trucks. The conversations has […]

Look what else is pouring across our open borders …

| August 11, 2022

As the Biden Admin ignores illegals pouring across our southern borders, cartels are taking advantage of distracted border patrol and ICE “processing” agents to flood the United States with drugs … including some that look like candy.

What’s this political football call the “Inflation Reduction Act?”

| August 7, 2022

While discussing the “will it” or “won’t it” Inflation Reduction Act being pushed by Democratic leadership in Washington DC as a way to replace the failed 2021 Build Back Better spending plan by President Biden last week, I figured digging into the details might prove better than spewing left or right talking points. The bill […]

Art: “There is a different Winslow Homer for every age”

| July 6, 2022

Winslow Homer’s 1899 painting “The Gulf Stream” (“reworked in 1906’) is a much-celebrated work of art for a variety of reasons, but appeals to me due to the ocean scene and dismasted sailboat, as do his other Atlantic scene paintings. This one has seen renewed interest likely because of our current “turbulent times” … politically. […]

Books: “The Dying Citizen” by Victor Davis Hanson

| July 3, 2022

With a little travel and vacation time coming up, I went into my “want to read” list and downloaded “The Dying Citizen” from the local library to my Kindle. The 2021 book is a longer read (433 pages) from Victor Davis Hanson, a professor and military historian seen regularly on Fox News and Fox Business. […]

Automotive freedom: The politics of fossil fuel factors in

| July 2, 2022

In one of my social media automotive threads, I saw this comparison graphic and it triggered my thinking … both from a “freedom to choose” and “work need” perspective vs a “forced to comply” based on ever-changing environmental concerns or fiscal reasons … usually by politicians (regulation, taxes, dis-incentives or incentives). People are likely to […]

The Federal Aid Highway Act was sign into law by President Eisenhower in 1956 (Interstate Highway System)

| June 29, 2022

It has been 66 years since President Eisenhower signed the act that created the Interstate Highway System into law on June 29th, 1956. An amazing political ($$$) and engineering feat. Eisenhower and the House Democrats agreed to finance the system through the Highway Trust Fund, which itself would be funded by a gasoline tax. In […]

U.S. Supreme Court ruling changes abortion in America

| June 26, 2022

Friday’s Supreme Court decision has us all pondering where our country is heading? We’ve had 65 million legal abortions since 1973 and now after 50 years of “abortion being a protected right” since the Rowe v. Wade ruling, we breaking new ground. As some have said, “science and sonograms have enlightened most people on the issue […]

Books: “Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America” by Douglas Brinkley

| June 14, 2022

Although I once enjoyed reading biographical and history oriented books by Douglas Brinkley, as well as enjoyed interviews with him on TV, I’ve recently noticed a bit more political partisanship in his commentary and his appearances. To be fair, I wanted to give his writings another shot and try to remain open-minded. The book “Rightful […]

Inflation hits a new FOUR-Decade High, with food and energy increases hurting those who can least afford it

| June 11, 2022

CPI up 8.6% driven by a 35% jump in energy prices and 12% increase in groceries This is what a “sea of red” looks like for investors and stock market traders … and I can only imagine the “red” those living on a fixed income or families struggling to make ends meet must be seeing? […]

Buttercups photo and reflecting on another school shooting

| May 28, 2022

We are enjoying my late mother-in-law’s transplanted Buttercups (Ranunculus) that we brought home from the Jamestown, NY farmhouse (winter pics). Initially, Brenda’s sister Chris asked me to bring her some home for her since I was the one driving back and forth to western New York to clean out, take care of the property and […]

The Pain at the Pump is even worse when it comes to diesel #TBT

| May 26, 2022

I have put off buying diesel fuel for the Kubota mower and John Deere 330 as long as possible … but inevitably the reserve of 25 gallons stored in fuel jugs gets used up. It looks as if it is time to pay $$$ the inflated prices on fossil fuels — elections have consequences (pre-Russia invasion […]

Stocks, bonds, crypto all down. What to do, what to do?

| May 13, 2022

FoxBusiness/WSJ graphic For the good or bad, whenever I’m away from my daily routine, it seems like the financial markets lose stability and investors go into crisis mode? The past couple of weeks, those invested in stocks, bonds and crypto know that it has been painful; there have been very few refuges from the sharp […]

Books: “The House of Yan” by Lan Yan and personal tidbits

| May 5, 2022

Although I don’t know all that much more than what I read about China, the culture and history intrigues me. After moving to Sidney, Ohio in high school, I felt like a fish out of water since most kids grew up in town and had gone to school with each other their entire life. When […]

Big news: Twitter accepted buyout offer from Elon Musk

| April 26, 2022

The financial markets have been following the Federal Reserves messaging regarding tightening their easy money policies and has been selling off the last few days. The more aggressive, but late stance to slow inflation is one needed piece of the puzzle … although also heights concerns over slow growth or even a recession. That news […]

Dealing with rising prices and the Fed hitting the brakes

| April 23, 2022

As the Fed finally starts to deal with inflation, the market took note this month and seems to be selling off across the board. The expectation is that the economy will slow and as they say in the investing world, “don’t fight the Fed.” There isn’t a silver bullet that can keep businesses booming, paychecks […]

YouGov poll: Which media organizations do you trust?

| April 14, 2022

Remembering when we had better leadership in WashingtonDC

| April 13, 2022

It is hard to stand by and watch the wasteful spending, bloating of government and divisive polices streaming from our Federal government in Washington DC this past year. Unfortunately there seems to be no stopping the progressive Democrats in Congress who push their leftist agenda, followed by a constant stream of poor decisions from President […]

Inflation, rising food and fuel prices could trigger a recession

| March 12, 2022

Nobody wants to really hear or see anymore written about inflation. We’ve all seen it with our own two eyes and our wallets have felt it since the Biden administration took office. No more though than the last couple of weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine as the  West’s political miscalculations and head-in-the-tar-sands polices have made […]

Books: “The Digital Silk Road” by Jonathan E. Hillman

| March 10, 2022

It looks as if the next book on my reading list will be Jonathan E. Hillman’s “The Digital Silk Road: China’s Quest to Wire the World and Win the Future.” It was release last October (2021) and after reading a review (and WSJ recommendation), I decided to download the digital e-book. I’m not an expert […]

Inflation Hot? (Part 2): Inverted Yield Curve and Recession

| February 12, 2022

Although this is really not a smooth continuation from yesterday’s “Inflation Hot” post, the financial and economic theme remains the same … so it will be considered “part 2.” The post left off with trying to stop inflation in the 1980s and forcing a recession, actually “back to back recessions.” We can all hope that […]

Inflation Hot? Stop it with a recession or two. (Part 1)

| February 11, 2022

It is pretty obvious to most consumers that even with years of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates low, printing money and Congress spending, inflation remained in check at under 2%. Unfortunately after the last round of easy money policies during the pandemic, business shutdowns and government giving away money, this is no longer true. […]

How long can the U.S. keep bailing before the ship sinks?

| January 25, 2022

So … how’s the economy doing in 2022? Well, if you measure it based on the stock market or maybe finding a job (if you want to work) … then the façade looks ok. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find out that your paycheck doesn’t go that far … IF you can find what […]

Music Monday: Men at Work – “Down Under” from 1981

| January 17, 2022

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Quote filler: François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire

| January 15, 2022

The post this morning was of the “friends and family” variety … and is not viewable unless you’re logged in. So for those visiting My Desultory Blog this Saturday afternoon, here’s a François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, politically oriented quote as an afternoon blog filler and to encourage registering. “To learn who rules over […]

A storm is coming and few running our country seem to care

| January 8, 2022

It feels like we are obliviously sailing on the Titanic and ignoring a financial storm on the horizon. We know that there is a debt iceberg ahead and yet have convinced ourselves that the United States is unsinkable … and so … continue our TRILLION dollar money printing and our unsustainable spending ways. Congress spends […]

The stock market begins the trading year 2022 with a roar

| January 3, 2022

Even with all the negativity around Covid19 and the rapidly spreading, but somewhat more tolerated, Omicron variant … investors chose to shrug off what looks to slow down the economic re-openings around the world. The saying I keep hearing is that “I’m done with it.” My view for the strong stock market start on the […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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