Hey,I remember those days. Not one day did I ever think of buying stock in any company. Instead I spent my one dollar a week allowance on a slurpy, a handful of penny a piece red licorice, a Jolly Rancher Fire Stick and a couple packs of football or basketball cards.Had my mom not sold my whole collection to a card store for 50 bucks I could of sold my OJ Simpson card for who knows how much and still have Oscar Robertson, Gayle Sayers and Lew Alcindor. Damn, I would be rich right now! I only rented for a few months after high school till I lost my job at the Drive-Inn. I camped out, not on a sidewalk, but on rivers till I could afford an Airstream for $1200 with a propane fridge and later a 5 inch 12v TV. That burned down in 96 when at -30 my propane froze and I brought my Coleman Stove out, but I forgot about the tall flames they put out when you refuel it and my cabinets caught on fire. I ran out heading to a neighbor for water but by the time I got back It had burned down to the floor. There was 30 oz's of nuggets in there! I found them! The Copenhagen cans had melted onto them but I had my 8,000 bucks plus a still good flatbed trailer of which the tires are still pumped up and good to this day. It was a good life up until I found how the fake world really works from my old 5th grade football coach's website.
"Anonymous" isn't completely wrong, but he tries to make whole cloth out of a few threads. Behaviors can certainly contribute to a life of poverty, but they are far from the only determinant. And I would agree that money alone can not fix the problem, but would qualify that by adding "beyond a certain point."
A couple who are our best friends had a very limited income for their entire working lives. They are East Asian immigrants who know how to make a little go a long way. They managed to get by fairly comfortably by working hard, making good choices and living within their means, finally able to retire owning two houses outright into the bargain. Many low-wage earners live with the prospect of working until they die, or at least until their bodies will no longer support a working life.
On the flip side, a good friend in my former industry whose career, income, and home setup paralleled my own would not have been able to retire at all were it not for Social Security. We both made very good money, but some of his lifestyle factors were different from mine. In my own case, things worked out much better, and my own retirement is certainly adequate to meet our needs and then some.
This kind of thing must lead you to the conclusion that luck is a big factor in where you end up. How big a factor is anyone's guess. The anti-free-will crowd would probably say it is the ONLY factor, but even a believer in free will must acknowledge that luck figures in to some degree. I can think back to the many times in my own life when a situation I found myself in could have gone seriously sideways in a way that could have changed my life--but it didn't. And so, despite my apparent "success," I feel fortunate and grateful rather than exultant.
Another thing I've realized is that many people are not only disinclined to think about this stuff (and the system is trying to train us NOT to think, a headwind for sure), but the demands of mere daily living just creates too much "noise" in their heads to make such thought possible.
I agree "... luck is a big factor in where you end up." If not for luck, I would be living in poverty.
"... but the demands of mere daily living ..." A friend of one of my relatives told me one of her friends recently died (in her 60s or 70s). I asked what happened that she died, and my relative replied "... just the stress of living ..."
Freaking hilarious Linh. I'm of the perpetually broke, drug addled, possibly hopeless variety and still find some room for contemplation, a book or two and as much hope as I can self generate.
This made me think of a one hundred dollar a month, roach infested apartment that I shared with a buddy In the late nineties. Stoned out of our gourds on pot and acid, downing a case of Rolling Rock as we watched David Hasselhoff explore his wild side on Baywatch Nights. We weren't complaining, not at all.
Wow JPB, after reading Linh's piece this morning I've been reminiscing about your classmate and some of the corny, borderline supernatural scenarios which he encountered on Baywatch Nights. It was like X-files for the super stupid, which we were.
The commenter didn't mention the 10 trillion dollars the Fed created to keep the big banks from insolvency and the US stock market up. Most people don't read what Catherine Austin Fitts has to say to know that the elites have stolen 21 trillion from the US government. Stolen through fake accounting . Stashed away offshore. Even Rumsfeld admitted the day before 9/11 that 2.3 trillion was unaccounted for by the Pentagon. Even in the 50's there would be these rolling recessions that those in the 'big party' would have advance notice of but many up and coming types would be caught short and not be able to pay business loans. My father who had spent 22 years in the military but as an enlisted man would be one of the last hired, first fired. There were parts of years where I was hungry and had to wear the same shirt to school most days. Those days it was easier to be poor but not homeless. Being a successful small businessman means predicting what people want and sensing what the economy is going to do. Except for the Mafia and the CIA bringing in the drugs to the black neighborhoods drugs were not a problem til the 60s. That said, it worked out for my parents financially as they bought a house in the 60s in a suburban county. With both of them working they could afford to send us kids to college. These days it's debt slavery for most college attendees whose parents aren't in the upper middle professional class. Emotionally it was not so good between my parents or for me. Sex, drugs, and rock'n roll appeared to be a good alternative to supporting the war machine that the US is. "They" killed the reformers in the 60s and got away with it. Each decade since "they" have usurped more power. Some of "them" the European old money. Some of "them" the Anglos. Some of "them" the jews.
He bought a camera for $6 that was $189 60 years ago. Why did the price go down so much? Part is that it is used of course but standard goods like flour or tomato soup have gone down in quality and up in price due to inflation. Why would a $189 camera go in the opposite direction of most everything else? It's called technological advancement. You wouldn't know it walking around, but it is much easier today to create wealth than it was in 1963. This is a window into what has actually been stolen from us. The increasingly easier life has been stolen by evil zionist banks who print money and charge us interest for access to it. Everything should be cheaper today than it was in 1963. A starter home should be $1300 not $13,000 and certainly not $450,000. The difference is all the fruits of progress ending up in the hands of an evil elite. That boomer is responsible for leaving his grandchildren ashes after inheriting a lush garden.
my dad was a bona fide math genius too - but he didn't despise those who couldn't math, he pitied them because they could not experience that which gave him sublime pleasure and satisfaction - he dreamed of a system of education that offered the necessary intellectual tools to all who desired it - and started with us, his children
i'm one of those chimpanzees as that homeless math genius (former CIA!) you interviewed described us regular people - obviously, we must all die, as we don't deserve to live according to his ilk
how it enrages them to see us laughing, enjoying pleasures, even each other
Some things are caused by circumstances, some things are personality failures. He criticizes gambling, but stocks are a gamble too, they can go up or down, and should not be recommended as a get rich quick scheme. But truth is, through hard work or savings, maybe you can lift yourself from lower middle-class to upper middle-class, but don't tell me that the rich get rich by just working. "Money doesn't come from work, it comes from more money". Billionaires come all from the same families, most fortunes are inherited, and they enjoy a lot of government benefits too.
Just the other day, Amazon closed my KDP account where I published a few books to get only something like 30-50 dollars a month. They gave no warning or explanation, they just said I violated some term, but didn't say which one. And according to those terms, they are not even going to pay the royalties they still owe for books sold during this period.
So, basically, the richest man in the world just stole from me 50 bucks.
Thank you for the suggestion. If you see an elderly white man with thick glasses humping the Statue of Liberty. in Upper New York harbor (they don't call it "upper" for nothing) you'll know it is me.
I know, I know. Your thinking: "Man, dude. You are one sick perv." NO! I'm just an Ameri-can loser with idiots driving their loud cars outside my window all day
The system has always been corrupt and rigged and people's choices do make a difference. We live in a culture that loves consumption and debt. People mortgage their futures for consumerist tat and fancy holidays. Then wonder why they stay broke. Someone could have bought Coke stock rather than a fancy camera. They could avoid the car loan, they could stop ordering fast food delivery. There are a lot of habits that guarantee that you will remain a debt slave.
I love neither consumption nor debt. And I barely was paid a paltry salary to pay the monthly rent on a crappy apartment let alone buy Coke stock. I find it sophomoric and disingenuous to blame individuals for a corrupt, rigged system.
The fact that the system is corrupt does not alter the absolute fact that a great many people are utterly feckless. Someone did buy that camera. Someone made that choice. And when I go to the shops, I see people, without much in the way of means, making similiar choices, using credit cards to buy consumerist shit and then blaming everyone but themselves for their financial travails.
The popular bands at your HS were ones I liked. The ones that got people ostracized I didn't like at the time but now have embraced. Music politics- who's cool and who isn't - is so important to the young and useless. People stick w/ those initial bands like they hold on to their hairdos. Feelings solidify then ossify. Best to love them all as much as you can stand.
Hey,I remember those days. Not one day did I ever think of buying stock in any company. Instead I spent my one dollar a week allowance on a slurpy, a handful of penny a piece red licorice, a Jolly Rancher Fire Stick and a couple packs of football or basketball cards.Had my mom not sold my whole collection to a card store for 50 bucks I could of sold my OJ Simpson card for who knows how much and still have Oscar Robertson, Gayle Sayers and Lew Alcindor. Damn, I would be rich right now! I only rented for a few months after high school till I lost my job at the Drive-Inn. I camped out, not on a sidewalk, but on rivers till I could afford an Airstream for $1200 with a propane fridge and later a 5 inch 12v TV. That burned down in 96 when at -30 my propane froze and I brought my Coleman Stove out, but I forgot about the tall flames they put out when you refuel it and my cabinets caught on fire. I ran out heading to a neighbor for water but by the time I got back It had burned down to the floor. There was 30 oz's of nuggets in there! I found them! The Copenhagen cans had melted onto them but I had my 8,000 bucks plus a still good flatbed trailer of which the tires are still pumped up and good to this day. It was a good life up until I found how the fake world really works from my old 5th grade football coach's website.
"Anonymous" isn't completely wrong, but he tries to make whole cloth out of a few threads. Behaviors can certainly contribute to a life of poverty, but they are far from the only determinant. And I would agree that money alone can not fix the problem, but would qualify that by adding "beyond a certain point."
A couple who are our best friends had a very limited income for their entire working lives. They are East Asian immigrants who know how to make a little go a long way. They managed to get by fairly comfortably by working hard, making good choices and living within their means, finally able to retire owning two houses outright into the bargain. Many low-wage earners live with the prospect of working until they die, or at least until their bodies will no longer support a working life.
On the flip side, a good friend in my former industry whose career, income, and home setup paralleled my own would not have been able to retire at all were it not for Social Security. We both made very good money, but some of his lifestyle factors were different from mine. In my own case, things worked out much better, and my own retirement is certainly adequate to meet our needs and then some.
This kind of thing must lead you to the conclusion that luck is a big factor in where you end up. How big a factor is anyone's guess. The anti-free-will crowd would probably say it is the ONLY factor, but even a believer in free will must acknowledge that luck figures in to some degree. I can think back to the many times in my own life when a situation I found myself in could have gone seriously sideways in a way that could have changed my life--but it didn't. And so, despite my apparent "success," I feel fortunate and grateful rather than exultant.
Another thing I've realized is that many people are not only disinclined to think about this stuff (and the system is trying to train us NOT to think, a headwind for sure), but the demands of mere daily living just creates too much "noise" in their heads to make such thought possible.
I agree "... luck is a big factor in where you end up." If not for luck, I would be living in poverty.
"... but the demands of mere daily living ..." A friend of one of my relatives told me one of her friends recently died (in her 60s or 70s). I asked what happened that she died, and my relative replied "... just the stress of living ..."
This comment of mine should have written that it was the friend who replied. A mixed up comment will occur when it is written without double checking.
Freaking hilarious Linh. I'm of the perpetually broke, drug addled, possibly hopeless variety and still find some room for contemplation, a book or two and as much hope as I can self generate.
This made me think of a one hundred dollar a month, roach infested apartment that I shared with a buddy In the late nineties. Stoned out of our gourds on pot and acid, downing a case of Rolling Rock as we watched David Hasselhoff explore his wild side on Baywatch Nights. We weren't complaining, not at all.
Believe it or not, David Hasselhoff was in my high school graduating class! I remember that he was in the Drama Club.
Wow JPB, after reading Linh's piece this morning I've been reminiscing about your classmate and some of the corny, borderline supernatural scenarios which he encountered on Baywatch Nights. It was like X-files for the super stupid, which we were.
Don't forget Knight Rider!
Oh no, been thinking about Kit, the talking car as well. I can hear the theme song in my head. Way cooler than Alexa!
I'll believe it if you'll believe I was the female lifeguard on Baywatch in the tight, red bathing suit. Hairy chest notwithstanding.
The commenter didn't mention the 10 trillion dollars the Fed created to keep the big banks from insolvency and the US stock market up. Most people don't read what Catherine Austin Fitts has to say to know that the elites have stolen 21 trillion from the US government. Stolen through fake accounting . Stashed away offshore. Even Rumsfeld admitted the day before 9/11 that 2.3 trillion was unaccounted for by the Pentagon. Even in the 50's there would be these rolling recessions that those in the 'big party' would have advance notice of but many up and coming types would be caught short and not be able to pay business loans. My father who had spent 22 years in the military but as an enlisted man would be one of the last hired, first fired. There were parts of years where I was hungry and had to wear the same shirt to school most days. Those days it was easier to be poor but not homeless. Being a successful small businessman means predicting what people want and sensing what the economy is going to do. Except for the Mafia and the CIA bringing in the drugs to the black neighborhoods drugs were not a problem til the 60s. That said, it worked out for my parents financially as they bought a house in the 60s in a suburban county. With both of them working they could afford to send us kids to college. These days it's debt slavery for most college attendees whose parents aren't in the upper middle professional class. Emotionally it was not so good between my parents or for me. Sex, drugs, and rock'n roll appeared to be a good alternative to supporting the war machine that the US is. "They" killed the reformers in the 60s and got away with it. Each decade since "they" have usurped more power. Some of "them" the European old money. Some of "them" the Anglos. Some of "them" the jews.
He bought a camera for $6 that was $189 60 years ago. Why did the price go down so much? Part is that it is used of course but standard goods like flour or tomato soup have gone down in quality and up in price due to inflation. Why would a $189 camera go in the opposite direction of most everything else? It's called technological advancement. You wouldn't know it walking around, but it is much easier today to create wealth than it was in 1963. This is a window into what has actually been stolen from us. The increasingly easier life has been stolen by evil zionist banks who print money and charge us interest for access to it. Everything should be cheaper today than it was in 1963. A starter home should be $1300 not $13,000 and certainly not $450,000. The difference is all the fruits of progress ending up in the hands of an evil elite. That boomer is responsible for leaving his grandchildren ashes after inheriting a lush garden.
my dad was a bona fide math genius too - but he didn't despise those who couldn't math, he pitied them because they could not experience that which gave him sublime pleasure and satisfaction - he dreamed of a system of education that offered the necessary intellectual tools to all who desired it - and started with us, his children
i'm one of those chimpanzees as that homeless math genius (former CIA!) you interviewed described us regular people - obviously, we must all die, as we don't deserve to live according to his ilk
how it enrages them to see us laughing, enjoying pleasures, even each other
Who was the math genius that Linh interviewed? I must have missed that!
Here you go, Miss Bean:
https://linhdinh.substack.com/p/genius-homeless-man-who-has-worked
Looks like you're back, Sylvia. I've missed you.
Ah, the man on the moon myth!
Neil Armstrong " And that's one, uh, small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
Stanley Kubrick " CUT! "
Some things are caused by circumstances, some things are personality failures. He criticizes gambling, but stocks are a gamble too, they can go up or down, and should not be recommended as a get rich quick scheme. But truth is, through hard work or savings, maybe you can lift yourself from lower middle-class to upper middle-class, but don't tell me that the rich get rich by just working. "Money doesn't come from work, it comes from more money". Billionaires come all from the same families, most fortunes are inherited, and they enjoy a lot of government benefits too.
Just the other day, Amazon closed my KDP account where I published a few books to get only something like 30-50 dollars a month. They gave no warning or explanation, they just said I violated some term, but didn't say which one. And according to those terms, they are not even going to pay the royalties they still owe for books sold during this period.
So, basically, the richest man in the world just stole from me 50 bucks.
Thank you for the suggestion. If you see an elderly white man with thick glasses humping the Statue of Liberty. in Upper New York harbor (they don't call it "upper" for nothing) you'll know it is me.
I know, I know. Your thinking: "Man, dude. You are one sick perv." NO! I'm just an Ameri-can loser with idiots driving their loud cars outside my window all day
The system has always been corrupt and rigged and people's choices do make a difference. We live in a culture that loves consumption and debt. People mortgage their futures for consumerist tat and fancy holidays. Then wonder why they stay broke. Someone could have bought Coke stock rather than a fancy camera. They could avoid the car loan, they could stop ordering fast food delivery. There are a lot of habits that guarantee that you will remain a debt slave.
I love neither consumption nor debt. And I barely was paid a paltry salary to pay the monthly rent on a crappy apartment let alone buy Coke stock. I find it sophomoric and disingenuous to blame individuals for a corrupt, rigged system.
The fact that the system is corrupt does not alter the absolute fact that a great many people are utterly feckless. Someone did buy that camera. Someone made that choice. And when I go to the shops, I see people, without much in the way of means, making similiar choices, using credit cards to buy consumerist shit and then blaming everyone but themselves for their financial travails.
The popular bands at your HS were ones I liked. The ones that got people ostracized I didn't like at the time but now have embraced. Music politics- who's cool and who isn't - is so important to the young and useless. People stick w/ those initial bands like they hold on to their hairdos. Feelings solidify then ossify. Best to love them all as much as you can stand.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐