I know you’re probably sick of seeing endless election ads.
I know you’re probably sick of politics, in general. Believe me, I am too. There’s nothing I would love more than to see the non-stop news coverage surrounding this election finally end. But that only happens if we all do our part and vote.
There’s a lot I can say about the current state of politics. I think I’ve made plenty of my positions clear over the years, so I won’t re-hash them. I’m sure there’s a lot I can say about the stakes in this election. Every year, it seems, we’re faced with the most important election of our lifetime. It may sound generic, but it’s true.
Every election in a democracy matters.
Every election in every year matters.
Today is every American’s chance to make their voice heard and make their vote matter. Do it!
There will be plenty of time to digest the politics later once all the votes are counter. For now, just get out there and vote!
I’m a simple man. If I like something, I try not to overthink it. So long as it’s not actively damaging to my mind or body, I’ll enjoy it on my own accord and not pay much mind to whatever politics or popular attitudes are aligned with it.
Trust me, if you make it through middle school and high school being open about your love of Pokémon and superhero comics, you can be relatively confident in the thickness of your skin.
But when it comes to something as innocuous as pumpkin spice, it feels like the internet and meme culture have given it a less-than-flattering reputation. It tends to happen whenever the calendar turns to September. That’s when you notice that all things pumpkin spice showing up in grocery stores, along with Halloween decor. It just went along with the changing seasons, becoming this thing we in the United States associate with fall.
And it’s true that some companies go overboard, trying to incorporate pumpkin spice into damn near everything. But that’s nothing new for profit-seeking companies. It’s not their fault that we keep consuming pumpkin spice, nor is it their fault that it tastes so delicious. Rest assure, they wouldn’t keep overhyping it every fall if it didn’t help their profits in a non-insignificant way.
That still doesn’t stop some people from bemoaning pumpkin spice as this inherently insufferable seasonal phenomenon, associating it with annoying yuppie stereotypes who make ordering lattes at a coffee shop akin to arguing their Masters Thesis. That’s not to say those people don’t exist. I’ve met those people. They can be annoying. But I’ll gladly endure standing in line with them over those who just exist to complain about everything and everyone during every season.
I suppose it also helps that I, personally, love pumpkin spice as a flavor. I’m also a big fan of pumpkin spice lattes, in particular. Whenever I’m feeling restless or lethargic in the morning, I’ll treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte and immediately feel a little better. I often do the same if the previous night was rough and I didn’t get much sleep.
It’s not a political statement or a surrender to the trends dictated by our cultural and corporate overloords.
It just fucking tastes good. Can we just leave it at that?
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get myself a pumpkin spice latte and I’m going to enjoy it.
As stated in Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1, of the U.S. Code, Election Day shall occur on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. That means on November 5, 2024, it is the civic duty and responsibility of eligible adult citizens of the United States of America to cast their vote for their next slate of representatives.
I know most well-informed Americans are already aware of this.
But no matter how angry or irate we are about the current state of the discourse, it’s critical that we vote. It is one of the most tangible measures of influence that we, the ordinary citizens of this Country, can have on the direction of this country. It’s how we, as a nation and as a collective, make our voices heard. We may not always agree with those in power or how they conduct themselves in guiding matters of law or policy, but our votes are what enables their efforts.
As I write this, Election Day is still weeks away. For some people, they haven’t planned that far ahead. They haven’t even figured out what costume they’ll wear for Halloween or what they’ll have for dinner three days from now. For those who have a regular job or work multiple jobs, just making the time to vote might be daunting.
But that’s all the more reason to start planning now. If you’ve just stumbled across this website or somehow clicked here on accident, consider this an impassioned plea.
Be proactive!
Make plans now!
Make a concerted effort to vote!
If you’re not sure what the procedure is, use whatever resource you can to register or obtain a necessary ID. One of the best resources that I’ve found, which helped me a great deal when I moved to my current home, is Vote.org. It’s a simple, straightforward web resource that can be accessed on most any device connected to the internet. And it’ll give you the information you need to register to vote.
Again, it varies from state to state. Some states have more paperwork and legal loopholes than others. And some are a lot less scrupulous than others when it comes to ensuring eligible citizens can vote. Regardless of their stated reasons for doing so (which is almost always political and self-serving), I encourage everyone within these states to do what they must to navigate these obstacles, even if they seem absurd.
Some of those absurdities might take more time than others. Even for those that don’t, voting might still be challenging, simply because if work schedules and personal/family obligations. If your state allows early voting, then this is the perfect time to look into it. If you simply need to make accommodations at work or with family, this is the perfect time to plan for that, as well.
Whatever you have to do, go ahead and do it. The sooner you do it, the less stressful it’ll be. And, most importantly, your country will be better in the long run.
Today is Labor Day. For many, it marks the true end of summer. Pools will start closing. Beaches will close with them. And the simple joy of wearing shorts and flip-flops whenever you need to go outside soon won’t be viable.
We know fall and winter are coming.
We know the days are going to start getting shorter and the weather will get less pleasant.
But that’s all the more reason to make this day count. Labor Day certainly has a real history to it that’s worth learning. However you ultimately choose to spend it is up to you. This is our day to cap off the summer and enjoy the warmth of a long summer day before the season changes once more.
I know a lot has been going on this past week with American politics. In the past, I usually make my sentiments known whenever a major event occurs. As an American and someone who genuinely takes pride in his country, I am affected by these events. I want to see the country I love thrive and prosper for all the right reasons. And when something terrible happens, I don’t hide how I feel about it.
But this past week, I had to restrain myself. I won’t go into detail because I don’t care to attract certain reactionary elements of American politics.
However, there is one particular event I’d like to highlight. This past weekend, President Joe Biden announced that he is dropping out of the 2024 election and will not seek a second term. But in that same announcement, he also voiced his support for nominating Vice President Kamala Harris.
Now, there’s a lot I could say about President Biden and the job he’s done since coming into office. There’s a lot I could say about Kamala Harris, as well. Both have their share of strengths and weaknesses as politicians and public servants. I’m certainly not qualified to delve into them.
For many of my fellow Americans, this is a day of celebration that’s likely to include cookouts, fireworks, cold drinks, and any number of patriotic displays. Whether it takes the form of a parade, waving American flags, or just wearing something red, white, and blue, this is the time to celebrate the best our country has to offer. As an American, I intend to do my part.
I’ve got a six-pack of beer.
I’ve got a pack of hot dogs.
I’ve got burger patties, buns, and enough ketchup to last for the rest of the summer.
And not far from where I live, there’s a fireworks display that I can usually see from the roof of my home. I am as prepared as any citizen can be to celebrate America. And I intend to do so.
Now, I understand it has become difficult for many Americans to celebrate when news, politics, and social ills seem populate our media feeds at every waking hour. I freely admit that the constant barrage of soul-crushing, heartbreaking, and utterly infuriating stories has affected me. I’ll even freely admit it has weakened my once robust faith in humanity.
The fact that 2024 is an Election Year is also not lost upon me, but I’d rather not dwell on that today.
I freely admit America has its flaws, as a nation and as a society. You don’t have to look too far back in history to find those flaws. You also don’t have to look hard to find major flaws today. But that’s okay. Every nation and every society that has ever existed has had flaws. That’s because human beings, as a whole, are very flawed. But that’s all the more reason to strive to be better versions of ourselves.
As Americans, we can certainly do better on many fronts. But for today, let’s just set the politics and social issues aside. Let’s table our many problems for a brief moment to just acknowledge how far we’ve come. America, for all its flaws and missteps, is a wonderful nation full of amazing people.
That’s worth celebrating.
That’s worth cherishing.
That’s worth sharing good food, cold drinks, and some fireworks on a hot summer day.
There will be plenty of time to confront the many issues facing this country and its role in the world. For now, let’s celebrate!
When it comes to being rich, there are only two types.
The first type is more traditional and common, relatively speaking. That type of rich largely covers people who can afford to live in nice houses within nice neighborhoods in well-maintained communities while not drowning in debt, be it from credit cards and student loans. These aren’t the kind of rich people who live in mansions and have butlers. These are just people who have comfortable, affluent lifestyles.
I don’t have a problem with rich people like this. I even know some of them. They’re generally decent people. And while some did inherit part of their wealth, they still had to work to some extent in order to maintain it. If they didn’t, then they wouldn’t remain rich for very long.
Then, there’s the second type of rich people. These people are rich in ways that most of us, including the first type of rich people I just mentioned, cannot begin to fathom. These are people with access to billions of dollars of wealth. I know people love to throw terms like millions and billions around interchangeably, but I don’t think those people realize just how much more a billion is than a million.
To illustrate, consider the following anecdote.
If you made approximately $50,000 a year, it would take you about 18 years in order to make $1 million. That’s a timeframe we can wrap our heads around. Most people work longer than 18 years in their adult lives.
But working at that same rate, it would take over 18,000 years to make $1 billion. That’s nearly three times longer than the history of human civilization. That is not a trivial difference.
And that difference is worth highlighting because only the second type of rich people can afford obscene displays of wealth like yachts. I also think it’s entirely appropriate to label these types of displays as obscene. Because yachts are not just boats.
They might as well be floating private islands that rich people use as extensions of their gawdy lifestyle. It’s not enough they can afford armies of butlers, nurses, nannys, personal chefs, and servants. They have to take that shit with them across the ocean. Just imagine feeling like you need that kind of pampering and luxury to begin with, let alone take it with you on an oversized boat.
It’s just one of the many reasons why I’ve come to believe that there’s no such thing as a “good” billionaire. But if you’re a billionaire who happens to own a yacht, then I’m just going to assume you’re an insufferable asshole until proven otherwise. Thus far, I haven’t been able to find reliable proof in that regard.
But all too often, I come across proof in the opposite direction that further affirms that these types of rich people really are assholes. The latest bit of proof comes courtesy of a misguided fireworks display organized by the crew of a superyacht that had been chartered by a group of rich people who don’t mind dropping $320,000 a week.
What’s the difference between a yacht and a superyacht? I don’t claim to know, but it’s safe to assume you have to be a special kind of greedy, self-centered asshole to think a regular yacht isn’t obscene enough.
But according to the Daily Beast, this particular superyacht tried to do a firework show off the Greek island of Hydra. While it might have looked pretty initially, it didn’t end well because it caused a massive forest fire on the island. Thankfully, no one was hurt in this fire, as far as we know. Even so, this is the kind of display that only the obscenely wealthy can pull off.
It’s not enough for people like this to live on a floating resort where they’re treated like royalty. They need a personal fireworks show to be entertained, even if it puts part of the natural world at risk. Even if you grand them the benefit of the doubt that this was entirely an accident and the people involved feel bad about it, remember this one detail.
These people won’t be the least bit inconvenienced.
It doesn’t matter that the mayor of the island is seeking compensation. Chances are he’ll run into an army overpaid lawyers who will either pay for this incident to go away or just plain intimidate the people on this island into submission. For most of the people paying these lawyers, the most they’ll have to do is make a phone call, sign some papers, and maybe even wire some money.
If anyone else mistakenly caused a forest fire that devastated an entire island, there would be consequences. This wouldn’t be something we could just ignore or bully our way out of. Then again, this isn’t something most of us are in a position to even do. We don’t own or use any yachts, let alone a superyacht.
We don’t know the names of the people who were on this superyacht when the fire erupted. Chances are we’ll never know, thanks to those aforementioned lawyers. But whoever they are, they’re still prime examples of why billionaires in general are assholes.
It’s the middle of summer. That means that, relative to where you live in the northern hemisphere, it’s going to get hot. In some places, it’s going to get very hot. I’ve been to Las Vegas in the middle of June. There are certain kinds of hot that are much less bearable than others.
But enduring heat in the summer is nothing new. Most people who live in any temperate climate zone probably understands that. However, with every intense heat wave, and the death that comes with it, there are usually some larger discussions about climate change. Most of those discussions tend to get lost in the politics of climate deniers and anti-science grifters, but it’s still a discussion worth having.
I may not be old enough to remember what summers were in the early 20th century, but I’ve been living on this planet long enough to know that the climate in my area has been changing. I’ve actually lived around the same area for all my life, except for a few years when I went to college. And in that time, I’ve certainly noticed a general warming trend.
When I was a kid, the hottest year for a long time was in 1997. I know that’s not the hottest year on record, but it certainly felt like the hottest year to that point in my life. I couldn’t give you the hard data, but I remember a lengthy stretch during that summer in which every day seemed to be 100 degrees. I also remember vividly how the water at the pool and beach felt as warm as bath water, at times. There was none of that initial chill you got when you jumped in. I enjoyed that to some extent, but I didn’t enjoy the extra sunburn that often came with it.
During that same summer, there was very little rain. I can only remember a few days in which we had a couple of thunderstorms. But aside from that, most days were brutally hot under a blazing sun. Just going outside for a brief period was too much. Even as a kid who wanted to go outside to play baseball, it was just too much.
For years after the summer of 1997, I don’t recall experiencing anything that hot. Sure, there were a few heat waves here and there. I even remember having to deal with one in a college dorm without air conditioning. Believe me, I would not wish that on anyone. But eventually, summers got to a point where they all seem to feel equally hot in the same way 1997 felt.
After around 2010, which was years after I’d graduated college, summers with the kind of heat I once thought was so abnormal just felt normal. I came to expect weeks on end of temperatures that exceed 100 degrees. I came to expect long dry spells, followed by round after round of heavy thunderstorms. When I eventually got my own place, I actually spent nearly $7,000 getting a new HVAC unit to deal with these summers.
And therein lies the issue with hot summers, climate change, and how we navigate it. For a lot of people, it happens so gradually that we just come to see it as normal. Never mind the fact that the devastating effects of climate change are documented, measurable, and indisputable. Never mind the fact that the number of people actually dying of heat-related illness is increasing. It’s not that more people are denying climate change. We’re just accepting it.
But is that tenable?
Is that sustainable?
Is that even a just and moral thing to do on a planet we share with over seven billion people?
I would argue that this is something we’re just choosing not to think about, regardless of whether or not we accept the science of climate change. Right now, the path of least resistance is to just adapt as best we can and accept the death, suffering, and environmental destruction that comes with it. It’s basically the Rick Sanchez approach of “The answer is don’t think about it!”
The biggest problem with that approach is that, beyond all the suffering and death, it assumes we’ll always be able to adapt. It assumes that there’s not a point in which the planet becomes so hot that certain places become unlivable, which would displace millions of people and create a refugee crisis the likes of which we’ve never seen before. It also assumes that we’re able to pay the cost, in terms of money and lives, of entire coastlines being changed due to rising sea levels.
Those are all some very lofty assumptions, which I would argue we should not make blindly.
Now, I don’t claim to know the proper course of action here. Climate change is such a big, complex phenomena that no one group of people and no one nation can do something to address it fully. We live on a shared planet. So, anything that involved addressing its issues has to be a shared effort. Whether or not we’re capable of doing so remains to be seen.
But if the climate changes to a point where failing to do so just costs too much, then we might not have a choice.
For many, it marks the official start of the summer. The pools are open, the beaches are crowded, and flip-flops are the shoes of choice. And that’s all well and good. I love warm weather, sunny beaches, and long days as much as the next American.
But Memorial Day has always had a more serious, and sometimes solemn connotation.
It’s a day in which we take a moment to honor those who have served their country in the armed forces. That is definitely a service worth honoring. America, as a country, would not exist without men and women willing to take up the call. What they do for this nation and what they sacrifice cannot be overstated.
In my own family, I’ve had multiple individuals serve. Going back to my grandfathers who fought in World War II to other close relatives who saw combat in Vietnam, it helps give perspective to what it means to be an American. You can say anything you want about how divided we are politically. You can say even more about the state of our culture, our conflicts, and the many things that make us unique.
There’s a time and a place to have those kinds of debates. But today is not one of them.
Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, I urge everyone to use today to take a step back to honor those who sacrifice and serve for the United States of America. If you can, participate in a parade or activity to honor veterans. If you can’t, consider denoting to a veterans charity.
But whatever you do, keep those who have served this country in your heart. They’ve already sacrificed plenty. Today, on Memorial Day, let’s return the favor.
I believe people have the right to work, buy, sell, and do business as they see fit. There certainly need to be rules. No social, economic, or political system can function without rules that are fair and well-enforced. That’s not a political statement. That’s just cold, hard realism.
In that same mold, I am not in favor of unmitigated capitalism in the mold that most libertarians and conservatives envision. I do not believe corporations, businesses, and industries should be given excessive leeway when it comes to dealing with fraud, failure, or environmental destruction. There needs to be some level of regulation to curtail the excesses of the market.
In my youth, I used to be a lot more libertarian in my views on how much or how little capitalism should be regulated. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of just how dangerous unfettered capitalism can be. You need only deal with Comcast’s customer service for any length of time to be convinced of that.
Now, I’m at an age where I feel like I’ve reached a new crossroads with respect to my view of capitalism. I won’t say I’ve completely lost faith in it or the idea. But I’ve seen way too many instances of big corporations doing objectively evil things to not be critical. And when they get in bed with political institutions, that evil only compounds.
Seriously, there are companies and state governments colluding to roll back child labor laws. This is not a joke. These companies want to make children work for them because it’ll result in greater profits.
This brings me to billionaires. They are the most celebrated figures in all of capitalism. They’re regularly ranked and whenever someone else becomes the world’s richest person, it generally makes the news. Like many others, I often celebrated their achievements too. I used to think that making a billion dollars, let alone over $100 billion, took a special kind of drive.
I admit I was wrong about that.
Now, I don’t think that billionaires, as a class, should even exist.
That may sound like a radical position. It’s often a talking point that comes up among those on the extreme left of the political spectrum. And those who espouse anything close to it are often ridiculed as being anti-business, anti-American, or outright communists.
Those criticisms are bullshit, by the way. They’re also just a distraction to avoid the distressing implication about billionaries.
To understand, just take a moment to appreciate how much more a billion dollars is than a million dollars. I know those three extra zeros might not mean much to most people. But in simple mathematical terms, the gap is vast. In case you need something visual, here’s a quick image to help illustrate the concept.
Again, it’s not a trivial difference.
But if you need another way to conceptualize just how big a billion dollars is, consider the following.
One million seconds is about 11 days. Most of us can grasp that length of time.
One billion seconds is 31.5 years. That’s a third of an average person’s lifetime.
I hope that helps belabor the point because with that now in mind, ask yourself one critical question.
Is it humanly possible for anyone to work hard or long enough to justify having a billion dollars?
In the past, I might have considered that a dumb question. But now, I would answer that question with an emphatic no. I don’t care how smart, skilled, capable, or dedicated anyone is. The idea that someone even could work hard enough to earn a billion dollars just doesn’t work.
Again, look at the visuals above. The difference between a million and a billion is extreme.
It also helps to think back to the hardest, most laborious job you ever worked. Whether it was working in fast food, construction, or retail, just think about how hard that job was and how much it paid you. Now, consider how hard your boss worked and how much they got paid. Did the extent of their work actually reflect their salary?
In some cases, it might. But in most, I doubt it. Apply that to how much more billionaires make compared to even senior managers at a company and the disparity becomes even more absurd. If that doesn’t convince you, then maybe this video highlighting a speech by Jesse “The Body” Venture will.
Beyond just the work, take a moment to think about what it would take to spend that kind of money. How many houses could you buy that you could reasonably live in? How many yachts or ships could you buy and actually use in any meaningful extent? How much fancy jewelry could you buy and actually wear?
I’m sure there are those who think they could spend a billion dollars with ease. I doubt those same people truly understand how much more a billion dollars is compared to a million. And even if they could, it would take real, considerable effort to spend that kind of money in a single lifetime.
There’s also the argument that billionaires donate a lot of money to charity and that effort is worth their massive wealth. I used to think there was value in that too. But I’ve also come to see that endeavor as little more than virtue signaling laced with tax avoidance.
And finally, there’s the idea that billionaires are somehow special and they have a unique set of skills that somehow warrants them having that kind of wealth. That’s partially true, but not in a good way. If you just look at how most billionaires made their money, you’d notice that a lot of them either involve inheriting wealth that they didn’t do a damn thing to earn or being exceedingly ruthless in exploiting the labor of others and/or avoiding taxes.
On top of that, those with that level of wealth can literally afford to manipulate the system, legally and illegally, to ensure that their wealth and status is preserved. Whether it’s through tax loopholes or lobbying for laws that benefit them (and only them), billionaires can basically shape the world as they see fit, even if it hurts people, the environment, and everything in between.
Even if you’re in favor of capitalism, it’s hard to deny the corrupting factors that just a few billionaires could have. No system can work when it’s so top-heavy that just three people have more wealth than the bottom half combined. You can still have a functional, vibrant capitalist system that encourages entrepreneurs and wealth creation. You can also have a system that allows for billionaires. But you cannot have both.
As an alternative, I propose this.
Once you make a dollar over $999,999,999, that money gets taxed at 100 percent. And every year, the government sends you a nice trophy that says “Congratulations! You won Capitalism!”
If that much money and the trophy is still not enough for you, then you’re not just greedy. You’re an asshole and you can’t be trusted with millions of dollars, let alone a billion dollars.
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