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I’ve Had It…….

Is it just me or are a lot of things going down the chute at the same time? I am a pretty optimistic person but our world or at least our small part of it seems to have taken a nasty turn. Spending two weeks in a different hemisphere only seems to amplify certain thresholds we should never have crossed. 

As denizens of the US do we have a responsibility to set a tone for the rest of the world? If you thought the behavior of the fans at the Ryder Cup was not beyond the pale or if you thought it was cool to drop F bombs and throw beer at the opponent’s wives, then we are on different wavelengths. There are basic tenets of decency, empathy, morality that I am trying to live my life by. Not always succeeding by any means but it is part of my game plan.How about you?

This all comes from the top whether it is government, business, military, professions, religion or education. We all have our part. It is so easy to blame one or the other but don’t we all have a hand in each one? If we vote clowns in aren’t we complicit? Corporations are constantly  paying exorbitant sums to make things go away without admitting guilt. Universities aren’t areas of discussion but lockstep acceptance to get a good grade. Religion? Do I even have to go there?

We all want to see gang members and criminals who have repeatedly come across our borders with abandon, kicked out once and for all. I just want to ask if this is what you voted for? Masked ICE enforcers answerable to no one. They don’t care if they are criminals or not, they just have to make quota. A man or woman could have standing in the community after being here for decades. Shouldn’t they at least have a hearing? There kids who were brought here at the age of one or two. Do you really want to toss them all out?

12 short years ago there was the “Gang of Eight in the congress who drafted legislation to undertake immigration reform in all quadrants from legalization, to border security to dealing with DACAS. Was it perfect? No, but it was a blueprint to be worked on. It passed the Senate and never even made it to the floor of the House for debate because of John Boehner. Of the eight notably there was John Mc Cain, Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham. No word since. 

I cannot stand the Donald getting up and spouting off statistics that are nowhere close to the truth. People shrug their shoulders and say he is just being Trump. His berating and name calling of opponents are beyond childish. His threats of retribution for even a TV ad smack of a very insecure man. He cuts off discussion. He ascribes to the ready, shoot and aim form of warfare. He contradicts himself and backs off his pronouncements the next day. He rambles and constantly seeks adulation. Is this any way to run a railroad?

Wait! Do you think I have gone to the dark side?  No way! I am still firmly entrenched in the middle. Do I agree with Trumps objectives? Many of them. Do I like his style, demeanor, vacillation and gilded lifestyle? Not a prayer. Do I in any way see salvation in Chuck Schumer and Co? Not one iota. Gerrymandering is cheating the system no matter how you look at it. Taking a three or four week recess in Congress in the middle of a shutdown is unconscionable and criminal. The lack of backbone both locally and, nationally and worldwide is obscene.  I hope you catch my drift.  

Two articles blew me away this week. The first was about the FIG. That is Figueroa Street in LA. For FIFTY blocks it is the most notorious prostitution area in the US. Girls as young as twelve are being trafficked. The younger the more money people pay.One did her work with a colostomy bag attached. Why not put the National Guard to work here? How can this even exist in a modern and supposedly educated city? LA has been beset by cutbacks to police. Have we totally lost it as we label this a victimless crime?

Another was about Sudanese refugees in Chad. It seems US AID grants helped these people go to school and get on their feet in a business. The cost per student was $205. That’s it and they are on their way. Yet the machete of Rubio and Co removed all that with the surgical precision of a chain saw. Both of these articles just leaped out at me as a whole new brand of thinking. Don’t get involved. Let someone else figure it out. I am a very busy person and have to worry about my family. The US of A  is your family!

By now you think I am a bleeding heart liberal. I am not but I do have a crazy thing called empathy in my heart. I was not raised this way. I can’t look the other way. Absent in all of this is that no one seems to be fighting back. No one is standing up to the Bully in Chief. We cannot parse sound thinking from screaming and yelling at each other. Faith in our institutions of all sorts is at new lows. Some say we are numb. Some say this is new thinking vs old thinking. I am saying we have got to get off the couches of all classes. 

Please don’t take this as a whiner adding to the load. Take it as someone who is pissed off that in all our wealth and abundance we cannot figure out a way to share that. I wish it would start at the top. Doesn’t look that way. I guess we minions have to start from the middle. I really have had it! How about you?

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids;

Poverty in America is defined by a family of four making less that $30,000 per year. They spend about 40% on housing alone. Is it their fault? Maybe. Are there cheaters? Of course. But are they all bad? Good question.

Elon Musk wants to get paid $1 trillion. That is around $19 billion per week or almost $2.5 billion per day. The Mets pay Juan Soto $765 mill over 15 years or $62 mill per year. Tom Brady gets $37 mill over ten years to comment on NFL games. Are they worth it? Fired LSU football coach is going to be paid $53 million to do nothing. 

In a recent interview with 60 Minutes, Trump came up with supposedly 18 misstatements. Subject to debate. However when AI looked at 20 questions posed to him over a period of time, they found serious errors or exaggerations in 16 of them. They used 5 different AI programs to avoid bias. They all came up the same.

The House is in recess and has been so for several weeks. The next session is scheduled on November 7, 2025. Don’t worry. They are all getting paid on time. 

US aid to foreign countries was $100 billion in 2023. 40% of that was military aid. Of the $100 bill, $71 billion was actually spent. Top recipients were Ukraine,$17 bill, Israel,$3.3 bill, Jordan $1.7 bill,

Egypt $1.5 bill and Ethiopia $1.5 bill. 

I don’t want the Trumpster to fail. I just want hime to grow up and act like and adult. Pretty simple, huh?

GPS….

I am writing this from beautiful Machu  Picchu,Peru. It is part of the latest Magical Mystery Tour that TTG and the lovely Kathy are participating in. It is truly among the most thought provoking and beautiful things we have come to. I hope I get it right. 

We started in Quito,Ecuador which was our doorway to the Galapagos. Driving from the airport at night was a tad depressing. One conjures up a vision of beautiful colonial architecture  of which there was plenty. But we also saw the poverty in a beautiful country that caused one to think. That while we were ensconced in a five star hotel Iin the old town of Quito. 

The next morning revealed a square filled with hundreds of people ranging from hawkers to families looking for a deal or at least sweets of some sort.

Stalls filled every side street with everything from hardware supplies to 20 pounds sacks of animal crackers. Go figure. There were several churches that were chock a block with altars and gold beyond belief. The country like Peru is overwhelming Catholic on and in both places people  practice their religion. 

We are soon on our way to Galapagos. Ironically the airport code is GPS. We approach the islands after a two hour plane ride. The similarities from the air to the Hawaiian islands are striking. Sans Waikiki and endless hotels and condos. Various modes from buses to launches  to Zodiacs get us to our home for the next four days, the Isabela II. We are diverse group of 28 from various colleges and universities. The largest group was from Hollins College with a current enrollment of 1200, all women. 

We trekked across several islands over the next four days.

We snorkeled and just sat and pondered. We got up close and personal with seals, seal lions and birds of every description. Even some moms of sea lion and chicks let us get a few feet away. We followed Darwin but we also discovered remoteness both physically and spiritually. Watching Mother Nature at work creating families and colonies. Things like maternity and a lack of ant real predatory action almost showed life as it should be or maybe ought to be to be. We have a lot to learn.

We had  several presentations of the islands, sometimes over a scotch. Meals were an occasion to mix it up and listen to a bunch of different points of view.No put downs but just expressions. Some opened up and some remained reclusive but as the days passed people did a stupid thing. The opened up and of course yours truly was in the middle asking questions and trying to engender ease. It actually worked. 

Most striking were our guides. They worked one month on and one month off. They spoke with pride and love of their home. Their far off gaze at the beauty of their environment was contagious. It engendered a serenity not often found. There are about 35,000 people who live on two or three main islands. Tourism is big business and growing. I really hope we don’t screw this up.  

I could go on about all sorts of flora and fauna. Especially blue footed boobies but I could never do it all justice.

We will just rely on memory as foggy as it gets sometimes. Hopscotching from GPS to Guayaquil  to Quito to Lima where we said good bye to most. Literally! The hardy few were seeking more adventure in the Andes. 

The Lima airport is only four months old and the amount of passengers was startling. There we were introduced to the best amenity by far. In Peru,senior citizens. have preference by law. Whether it is a line for customs or a table in a restaurant, we go to the front. 

We landed in Cuzco, the capital of the ancient Incan empire. 

On the road after spending the night at a hotel that was a former convent, we started to climb, and climb and climb by coach and train. Along the way we encountered Work In Progress. The countryside is inundated with homes that are half done. It might have a first floor but the second was open air or just some jutting rebar. Why? They cannot afford to go any further. Day laborers or free lancers have no credit history. They try to accumulate whatever surplus they can and that goes to putting a kitchen, a toilet or even a window or two. 

Poverty in both Ecuador and Peru is pervasive. Most of their economy is based on tourism. COVID was not an inconvenience but a stab in the heart. That being said, one it not uncomfortable with the poor as much as much more cognizant. We have so much. 

Arriving at Machu Picchu is like waiting to open a present. After  seeing a bend in a walking trail you come upon a sight that is beyond belief. This was a sacred place to live in and be part of. The sophistication and utility of the construction is mind blowing. The scope is from temples to store houses for food  situated precariously on sheer mountain cliffs. 

We lived in the middle of the the Rockies for many years. Not even close. From Cuzco to Macchu Picchu is about seventy miles. I could not even imagine doing this on foot although there is a trail that hardy hikers do take. Soaring and sheer mountain faces almost guard the entrances or at least serve as warning. 

I could rhapsodize for pages but I don’t want to bore you with my amateur slide shows. Suffice to say this has been not so much life changing but more refreshing thoughts and ideas that get lost in my vapid life. You think about how  this all came to be be. You are hit in the face with needy and hardship. You understand how simple and satisfying life can be. You wonder about how far afield one can get. Most of all is we do not have the monopoly on smarts. People without instruments and earth movers created majesty with their own hands and heads. Life in the islands is the the same as it has been for millennia. We are still only a dot in the history of our world. That’s a good thought to leave on. 

As always 

Ted The Great

Factoids:

The Incan Empire numbered around 10 million in 1500. It was defeated and destroyed by the Conqistadors who numbered around 500. All for gold and silver in the name of saving souls for Christ. At least that’s their story and they are sticking with it. 

There are over 9,000 different species on GPS. Around 1500 are endemic. Some only exist on one island and not any others. Giant tortoises can grow to almost 1,000 pounds and do not need to  eat or drink for almost 6 months. Great food source for sailing ships on long voyages. 

Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos while on a worldwide voyage on the HMS beagle. It was 1535 and he was 26 studying for the priesthood. He only spent 5 weeks exploring the islands. He would research and contemplate for almost twenty years before publish the “Origins of Species” 

Machu Picchu was built in the middle of the 1400’s. It took around thirty years. It was abandoned in 1535 and no one really knows why? Several sites were left unfinished.  

Poverty in South America is around 27%.This is people living under $6.85 per day. Extreme poverty which is 10%, is defined by people making $3.65 per day. The worst countries are Mexico,Brazil and Venezuela. The continent  has substantial natural resources. Political instability and corruption make any sort of foreign investment difficult at best.  Thing are getting better but very, very slowly. 

I Hate You….

I have spent the last few days researching a topic that has intrigued me and alas at times consumed me. Ironically, my title is supposed to be attractive and catch your interest. We love anger and retribution. If I had said, I lLove You, that would probable merit a meh and you would move on. I hope you stay. 

Defined,hate is “a profoundly intense and enduring dislike for someone or something. It is not anger, resentment, or disgust. Those are emotions in a way. It is deep seated and hard to get rid of. It is in your gut from an experience or maybe a familial or cultural upbringing. Those SOB’s have been that way since who knows when. It attacks the core nature of another person, a group of people  or an institution. 

It comes from fear, hurt or insecurity that leads to hopelessness. Our political climate is a good example. We have the ins and the outs. The outs feel helpless and fear for their future. The ins want to put it to us. We have this feeling of disgust which over time becomes deep seated. To even contemplate discovery and compromise is totally out of the question. I would have to admit that perchance some of my ideas don’t make sense. Ha! Even worse I would have to look at you as a human being and not an abstract object. 

A lot is due to pure ignorance. We have been fed a line of reasoning and leave it at that. There was an instance where someone was homophobic. He or she decided to spend a month with a bunch of gays. At the end of the thirty days there was a new appreciation for what it is like to be homosexual. Wow, there were some pretty nice people. We actually had areas of common interest. It probably took a lot of guts and openness on both sides. The more you know the tougher it is to hate.

I know this sounds like a cop out but I have to mention social media from two points of view. We are bombarded with story lines all day long. As I previously stated this is all predetermined by algorithms. You think a certain way and you will get articles that reinforce your thoughts good or bad. They make money by riling you up not calming you down. Your feeling of camaraderie gets more intense. See, there are a lot of people out there that think the way I do. And the beat goes on. 

Secondly, the internet is anonymous. I can say anything I want and never be called to task. I feel so lonely and frustrated, I want to lash out. Inequities quadruple. It’s not my fault. They are against me. Better yet I have kindred spirits who will back me up. They have been screwed too. I am not alone. I think I will put out a manifesto. Tell them what I really think. And then the unthinkable. I am going to buy a gun and a boatload of ammo. I will show them who is boss. I will be famous. It is not as far out as it sounds and that is very scary.

As infants we do not know hate. We know love and even anger or frustration, but not hate. Our families have a huge impact. Biases and prejudices are passed down. Blacks,Jews,Arabs,Commies. They are all alike. There is not a decent one among them. Besides they are a threat to me. With Hispanics and Blacks we will no longer be a majority. There will be more women than men. Don’t they know the woman needs to have her place in the world and stay there. 

What really becomes sad is if you want to think a different way. Family and social pressures are  potent forces. Say you want to go to a different church or even church at all. The silence and the looks are intimidating. We don’t think that way and neither can you. Say you want to invite a Republican or Democrat to dinner. Even worse, marry one. Come on, you know it is true. We want to be gracious but that often is replaced by being gratuitous. Man, this is going to take a lot of work. 

Where do we start? For me it starts right here. I am not holier than thou. My Irish heritage has ruled me with a quick bolt to anger and prejudices have abounded. So I have to admit I am prone to getting pissed off and yes I hate certain people and ways of doing things. I can give you a zillion reasons why I am right and you are wrong. Yet the kinder, gentler TTG really does want to come out. 

I wear a bracelet that was given to me by one of Kathy’s buddies. Last January she asked me for my word of the year. It was EMPATHY and that’s where it lies on my wrist. I had just lost a good friend. I thought about my work in hospice and how I try to reach out to everyone. White,black,female or male with all sorts of ethnicities. Then as I thought further I realized what a fraud I am. For my four hours a week I was a nice guy but man could I be a jerk at other times. 

Hate is a learned experience. It is possible to unlearn it. Try to see where the other person is coming from. Try to figure out what is triggering their hate for you. Watch FOX to MSNBC and just listen. See if there is anything you can latch onto and grasp. I am trying but man do I have a long way to go.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Hatred negatively impacts the nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system. Extreme emotions trigger the release of stress hormones in the brain. Over time, these stress hormones lead to increased inflammation throughout the body, resulting in significant health consequences. 

It is easy to hate today. Israelis-Palestinians. Illegals-citizens. right-Left. America vs Europe in the Ryder Cup. Haves-have nots. Brian Kelly at LSU. Old thinking vs new thinking. Oops! Some of the are mine. 

Through the miracle of neuroplasticity we can change the way we think. It is almost like working out and it takes a lot of work and discipline. Or you can be a couch potato and just say,Screw It!

Rhetoric is a strong tool. It can incite and it can calm. We value celebrities. I wish they would speak out more. 

Road To The Sun…

We are on tour. For the longest time we have wanted to see where our grandkids go to school. Seeking out environs in Colorado, Montana and Bellingham,Washington we have hit the road. No planes but ribbons of highway. Scenic to say the least and riveting in so many ways. 

We began in Rado where one goes from small to extra large. Colorado College in the Springs has a student body of 2,000. A compact campus and a different way of learning. You study one subject at a time for three and half weeks full bore. Then five days off and rinse and repeat with a new subject. Anders is just starting. I can’t wait to see how this turns out.

Next up is CU(University of Colorado) in Boulder.

This is home to 38,000 students and of course Coach Prime. The campus rambles for blocks and all the time you have a view of the magnificent Flatirons. I asked my very social granddaughter how many of the 38k she knew? We walked into a restaurant on Pearl Street and among the staff were three of her friends. Divide and conquer. 

Heading North we went through Wyoming. The vastness of miles and miles of rangeland are strangely beguiling.

It is our first look at a gigantic state with only 590,000 inhabitants. We stopped at a McDonalds in who knows where and there were six old hands in jeans and baseball caps. Drinking coffee and trading thoughts. You become jealous not bored with the sheer simplicity. 

We spent the first night in Jackson Hole which runs the gamut for well heeled to worker bees. Swells to ski bums. The Tetons are dramatic in their youth. It seems the sheer peaks were formed later than most of the Rockies. Simply put they have not been ground down yet. Give them another million years or so. The next morning we stop for an everything bagel with BEC in a local coffee shop. . Huh? Bacon,egg and cheese. I am learning. 

We then climb to around 8,550 feet above Florida at the Teton Pass. Spacious views but holy crap we have to drive down the backside. Ten degree grades! For the initiated that is seriously steep. You note the steady stream of traffic going the other way into Jackson. As in every ski town there is no way ordinary folk can live nearby. This was a gorgeous autumn day. Can you imagine navigating all this during  a blinding snowstorm in a month or two hence? At the bottom, Voila we are in Idaho ! Go figure. 

A hop skip and a jump and we are in Montana making our way towards Bozeman and home to my grandson and Montana State University. The state’s  population of just over 1.2 million, is sprinkled with cities of  25-30,000 people….and a lot of cows and wheat. The 17,000 students aka Bobcats, are a mix of on and off campus housing. This is where it gets interesting. 

Aiden is studying Civil Engineering. After my BA from Georgetown this is nuts. We toured the campus and wound up in engineering central. There are classrooms, labs and we pass by a cache of students working on a very complex formula. There is a room called Make Space where these dudes and dudettes can just come in and dream stuff up. Electrical, mechanical, you name it. Does anybody have any fun?

There is an area outside of town called Big Sky. And it is big!

The base of the mountain is about 6,000ft. The summits is 11,100. That is a lot of vertical drop for skiing. Steep and deep. There is also some serious money here. One wonders where they come from? What did or do they do. 

A very private aside as part of Big Sky is the Yellowstone Club. It costs over $400,000  and upwards of $40-70k for yearly dues. to join but you have to be a homeowner. That can cost you about $4mill for a one bedroom condo to $5-15 mill for a house. The club is estimated to have between 50 and 80 billionaire members The club’s 900 homeowners are worth more than a combined $290 billion.It is very impressive a ski area but all of this seems strangely out of place. 

We are now in Whitefish, Montana after driving through Glacier National Park. The sheer magnitude of the soaring heights and incredible sheer rock faces makes this more than awesome to a former Coloradan.

From a road that is around 6,000 feet, the highest point is Mt Cleveland at over 10,000 feet. That is almost a mile higher. The highest building in the world is 2100 feet. This is serious. 

I could go one and on about the vast expanses and towering heights but just being here is beyond chill. People are friendly but not overwhelming. We haven’t looked at the news in four or five days. In all this driving we have encountered just two BMW’s and one Audi. The state vehicle has to be a Subaru or pickup truck. If you are a local your vehicle has a patina of mud and grit. Probably several years worth. 

I will go back to the fact that if were any other country we would probably be four or five separate ones. Our divisions are natural. I can see why these are red states. They want the government to leave them alone. I am pretty sure they don’t care who the Trumpster hires or fires. Woke isn’t even on heir radar.Yet at the same time there is an allegiance to each other and to their country. They don’t take a fancy to threats or even scandals. Live and let live. They are doing just fine. 

This all leads to MAGA in a way. After many miles, America is already great. Whether you are lunatic left or right can’t you understand all we have? This process of blowing everything up after every 2 or four years gets tiresome. Waste and corruption seems to me to be evident on both sides of the ledger. Maybe all the crazies should just take a ride with me…on the Road to The Sun.

As always

Ted the Great 

Factoids :

Road to the Sun is a 50 mile long pathway through Glacier National Park. “Journey to the Sun” is a documentary film about the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Look it up and be amazed

In Dubois,Wyoming there is a National Museum of Military Vehicles. It is about 30 miles from Jackson but could be on the planet Mars.

A billionaire has collected over 500 military vehicles(and a few boats )and has assembled them in a 160,000 sf exhibition hall. He and his family have spent over $100 million to collect all these pieces and build the museum in less that four years. Now that’s a guy we should have in government. Go to :https://nmmv.org

Our trip will end in Bellingham Washington to  visit  our last stop and grandson at Western Washington University where he is studying Kinesiology. We will have covered over 1800 miles. 

Wyoming 587,618 residents

Colorado 5.9 million

Idaho 2.02 million

Montana 1.137 million 

Washington 7.95 million 

Total around 16 million 

California 39 million

Texas. 31 million

Florida 23 million

Justice….

“Justice, at its core, is the concept of fairness and impartiality in the treatment of individuals, often involving the application of moral principles, laws, or rules to ensure that people receive what they deserve.” Humbly, I will try to grind through in a few hundred words what people have tried for millennia to figure out. Pick out a few words like fairness, impartiality, moral principles and what people deserve. Tell me if we all agree. 

I am not on a personal Kamikaze mission. This whole idea of fairness splashes through dozens of news items these days. Ukraine, Bam! Weather, Socko! Trump, Gaza, Equality, DOGE, Reparations. Yikes, I could go on for days. If you don’t at least consider the concept, shame on you. 

Ideally, the rules should be the same for everyone. You play by them and you get ahead. You break them, you get punished. It is that simple. I guess you might call that a pure democracy but I think that is leaving a bit to be desired right now. 

The current discussions on Ukraine offer a glimpse of the obvious. Russia began the invasion of Ukraine in 2014 in the Crimean Peninsula. Putin, always the villain, invaded with soldiers showing no insignia or identification. Obama was at the helm and basically looked the other way. The full-scale invasion was in 2022 with Biden presiding. Putin had been professing for months that they were on training exercises while massing a huge force on the border. He is such an upstanding citizen of the world, who wouldn’t believe him ?

The Trumpster says Ukraine started it. If your jaw hasn’t dropped enough, he also says, as of press time, that Putin should get land he hasn’t even come close to capturing. By anyone’s count, the Ukrainians are suffering a pretty serious injustice on a number of fronts. Morally, geopolitically, legally, and yet they have to come, hat in hand to get assistance. This just ain’t fair or is it?

The whole law thing gets me going. Does everyone get a fair shake? Let’s say you live in a blue-collar neighborhood and your son or daughter goes out one night and gets picked up for drunk driving or vandalism, or doing drugs. Chances are, they are going to get tried and convicted in short order. Hop over to the gated side of the tracks. Either you get some hotshot lawyer to get them off, or even better, you know somebody who knows somebody, and the whole thing goes away. I forgot. That is why we haves and have nots.  

There was an article last week about a couple who bought a piece of property a couple of years back near the Bourne Bridge crossing the Cape Cod Canal. They both worked and built a house they were proud of and looked to enjoy in retirement. The only problem was that the state is going to take over the property by eminent domain and tear it down to make room for a new bridge. Legally, the state has the right to do so. Morally, shouldn’t something be done to help these people? Nobody told them, even though the realtors and townsfolk knew beforehand. 

I often wonder if there can be any justice in capitalism? The economic theory would hold that people with money want to create a capital endeavor or service. They might even pool with other monied people. They build this fantastic business that makes them even wealthier. They now have stockholders who want to see a return. We have to squeeze every last dime out, which means we have to go with a smaller employee base, boost productivity, pay them as little as possible and maybe even cut a few corners. Let’s not say whether this is right or wrong, but is it just, in the truest sense of the word? 

I have thought about the education thing. We need an education to get ahead. It cost money to go to school. There is a lot of aid but even given that, there are a lot who can’t do it without signing up for debt for a major part of their lives. The rich don’t really have those problems. Is it really an equal playing field? 

Okay, I am not espousing revolution or even playing with your minds any more than I do mine. But it really becomes a quandary. I would like to see a fair world where people get what they deserve as human beings. But just what do they deserve? We can’t all be the same financially. There have to be rewards for the daring and the ambitious, or else you have a stagnant world. What are the boundaries for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Great question. 

Life is neither fair nor unfair. Just or unjust. It is a very subjective reflection by each one of us. What is considered good or bad in your part of the world might not be so in another. There are cultures and norms that are substantially far apart. Is there any underlying tenet that we can live by?  

Do unto others is a great precept. Really concentrate on it for a minute. Am I going to blow someone’s head off if I am pretty sure they are coming back and do it to me or my loved ones? Am I going to steal from you, try to seduce your wife, or cheat you in a business deal when I know it will come around and hit me in the same way? It is neither religious nor pompous. It is simply recognizing that we are all the same. I know that won’t happen, but it isn’t something to strive for, rather than winner take all or to the victor belongs the spoils? 

Our current path does not seem to be going down this road. A lot of us are just out for ourselves. Might work for a while. Long term, you will probably get screwed just like the rest of us. On this, life doesn’t feel like playing favorites.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Justice can be distributive,legal, procedural, social, and corrective to name a few. Yikes, this is complex. 

The financial crisis of 2008 saw tens of thousands lose their homes in loan default. Not one banker or mortgage broker went to jail. 

Our current illegal immigration crisis is replete with injustice. For years, we left the gate open and looked the other way.. The farmer used them to pick crops and till his fields. Then we cut off the supply. Now those crops are unpicked only to rot. Who gets sent back? Kids were brought here at 2 and 3 years old. Are they at fault? At the same time people have been waiting on line to get in for years.  What’s fair? 

During WWII 120,000 American citizens who were of Japanese descent were relocated and sent to relocation centers that were really internment camps. 

Sometimes there is no black and white in justice. That was not a play on words. Circumstances or mores really come to bear. Justice is not always perfect. People can get burned one way or the other.  

It’s What We Do…

I am struck by all the discussion around assisted suicide. There is a New York State law that pushes the boundaries a little further down the road. People can argue both sides without any input from yours truly, but maybe I have a unique perspective. 

As most of you know, I work as a volunteer for Treasure Coast Hospice. I have been doing that here in Flalaland and in Colorado prior to moving here. That is coming close to just shy of twenty years.

My primary job is simple. I interact with patients and their families in our Inpatient Unit (IPU). They come there when their symptoms can’t be treated at home. I truly see them at the end of the journey. 

I have probably been with a person at the time of their death dozens of times. I have watched the last breath be taken. It has never been a bad sight. It is actually quite beautiful and serene. There is finally closure for him or her and the family as well. 

Too many years ago, I wanted to be at the birth of our firstborn. That didn’t happen much back then, so the doctor wanted to meet me so he could feel comfortable that I wouldn’t go to my knees. As we chatted, he said no matter how many times he delivered a child, it was always a thrill to see a baby come to life. He said,there are four of us in the room and then there are five. I have thought the same as a person has passed and I think there were five of us in the room and now there are four. The circle of life. 

Hospice is not a building or an institution; it is a philosophy. You are diagnosed by a doctor that you have six months or less to live. You begin a journey with very tell-tale steps. We have been there thousands of times. We can see the pratfalls and pitfalls ahead. We hold your hand and guide you. We do not dictate but let the family be very much a part of the process. We neither retard nor hasten death. Compassion is our middle name. 

Right now, we have over 625 patients in our care. We do so with over 400 employees and 250 volunteers of all sorts. We are a non-profit organization. Our goal is to break even. Ironically, 75% of the hospices in the US are owned by private equity. You know, the guys who like to show big returns to their investors. They are in businesses of every type. Sorry, when people dying becomes a profit center for whomever it really pisses me off. But I digress.

When we get a patient in the IPU, it is after a long slog. They have been through a myriad of doctors and treatments. Coming from a hospital or rehab center they are deemed to be beyond hope. The caregivers have been doing their thing for months if not years in many cases. Chemo, radiation, therapy sessions, surgery, you name it. They and the patient are exhausted mentally and physically. 

As a volunteer, we ask the care nurse four simple questions about the patients. How old are they, what do they have, are they verbal, and do they have family? We then knock on the door, I say I am volunteer Ted, and with the scant bio, try to gain their trust in a matter of moments. I first tell them this is our home and you are our guests and we will do anything we can for you. It is a relief that technicians and staff are not running in and poking them. There is a quietude that is not eerie but comforting. We do good by holding hands,giving hugs and letting them know we have their back.  Good stuff.

We also provide care in facilities such as nursing homes and at home, where most of our patients want to die. Our volunteers have a different goal, which is more long-term. They get to know people on a totally different basis. Same love and empathy. Different providers. 

After death we provide grief support to anyone, even if your loved one was not in hospice. We do the same for the community we live in as a service during a catastrophic event or mass shooting. We recieve no compensation and are funded by grants and donations. 

Why am I telling you all of this? Assisted suicide is cited to put people out of their misery with one pill. I can’t argue the ethics for or against. I guess I want you to know two things. I am not a fan of messing with life in any way from birth to death. We are in an era where we want to give birth to blonde-haired, blue-eyed geniuses, and we are developing technologies that can do so. There is a randomness to life that is part of its beauty. To AI and quant our lives away seems terribly boring and predictable. There is a form and rhythm to nature that has existed for millions of years. We are so arrogant to think we know better.

Secondly, if you or a loved one is faced with impending death, I hope you realize there is another way. Too many times you wait till the last minute. We do not want to take hope from anyone, but when I see someone beaten up by therapies, I do wonder if it is all worth it. Especially as we all get on in years. I guess I could ask myself, what am I trying to accomplish, and more importantly, why? You can call hospice for an evaluation or to answer questions. In all these years I have not met a single person who has not said that they either wish they had done it sooner or that more people knew about us. 

Life is precious, right to the end. We get it. It is what we do.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Hospice provides palliative care for individuals with life-limiting illnesses, focusing on comfort and symptom management rather than curative treatment. It is a covered benefit under Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans. 

It is a proven fact that a patient in hospice can achieve a higher quality of life, knowing that so many things are being cared for. 

Doctors are egotistical, and we want them that way. Unfortunately, it is beyond difficult for them to have the conversation about hospice. Ironically, they tell a patient there is nothing more that can be done. Of course, there is; they can call hospice. 

You can leave hospice if you feel your condition is improving or you just don’t want to be part of it anymore.  There are no contracts or locked doors. 

The clinicians and staff I have been involved with over the years are some of the most incredible loving and caring people I have ever met. Hospices always need volunteers of all sorts. I have had more than a few who say they could never do it, and now are a part of our family. 

Ridiculous To The Sublime. …

If you describe something as going from the sublime to the ridiculous, you mean that it involves a change from something very good or serious to something silly or unimportant. Kind of describes our world today. It is not new. Thomas Paine used it in the Age of Reason: “One step above sublime is the ridiculous.”

Another way to put it is sublime is a feeling of awe,euphoria, out of an out-of-this-world type of thing. You see an incredible sunset along the shore. You listen to music that just lights you up. You see a child or old man and you feel all sorts of emotion from joy to sorrow.

Ridiculous is more of a puzzlement, disbelief, absurdity that no matter how hard you try, you cannot make sense of. People say stupid things in the middle of a poignant moment. In the vernacular, it is more like WTF?

I read a column in the New York Times this AM. It had to do with the lack of desire for the milenials to have children. It could be money,one’s career, age but this seemed to gravitate towards their upbringing. Yikes!

It seems that all their anxiety, depression or crappy attitude towards life was a result of their potty training or the lack of attention from their parents. It could also be a mean sibling. I had an older brother whom I swore was one of the original Al-Qaeda cohorts from his brand of torture. Probably didn’t feel all that great, but is this a reason not to have children?

I quiz my kids as to whether we were too strict or harsh in grounding them or giving them curfews. They laugh and say they probably deserved it. Can you not look at your kids or grandkids and feel an immense pride in who they are and what they have accomplished? Could you in any way say you wish you had not brought them into the world?

Our world is bipolar. We constantly try to be perfect at this or that. There is always one more peak to climb. Part of this is a desire for achievement and recognition. Part of it is just sick. If you think you are the first to try to make sense out of your surroundings, think again. Plato, Socrates, Kant, and Camus have been down this road without much success. And yet we keep trying. 

The sublime to me is when I just kick back and look around me. This is not the disease of old age or too much time. It is just plain and simple reverie. Forget about how big your house is or how cool your car is. Look at a piece of furniture and figure out how many pieces there are and where they came from. How many different people from all over the globe had a part in making it? Sorry, the Donald is going to change all that last part. Absurd? Maybe. 

I do try to make sense of all this. I look for the common denominator. What is going to tie this all together? The fact of the matter is, this calliope plays a different kind of tune for all of us. You and I see different shades of green. Different colors of red. We all want to fit in and be part of something. We seek fame and fortune and compare ourselves to others. Yet the biggest part of belonging is that we are all incredibly different. 

I love reaching out to people. Some respond and some don’t. I like to recognize them. If I am in Publix, I look at their ID and call them by name. I like to hear about them. I am probably the anti-Christ of the Progressive insurance commercial, where the guy is trying to teach people not to be like their parents. My father taught me to say hello to everyone to make sure I never thought I was better than someone else. Ridiculous? I hope not.

The sublime is seeing someone smile back. I cringe every time His Hairness speaks. He is trashing some person, institution, or belief, whether it is a head of state or a member of the court. He likes to make fun of them. Put them on the defensive. Sure, his cost-cutting makes sense, but does his lying and ill will have to be accepted also? Maybe that is his sublime? Who knows?

People of all shapes and sizes are fraught with anxiety today. Believe me, if you really think about it, there are reasons aplenty. By the same token, there is so much good. Think of the world as a physical place. It really hasn’t changed for millennia. It is how we view it and react to it that shapes our psyches and way of life. It’s the old, half empty,half full deal but it really is true. There is so much out there 

I am not a psychologist by any stretch. I do try to find what works. I am at my best when I am myself, warts and all. Yes, I piss some people off. But I do cause some others to laugh or smile. Just like you, I am just another schmuck trying to make my way in the world. What a wonderful world that is. Just thinking about that is my sublime, no matter how ridiculous that may appear to you. 

As always,

Ted The Great

Factoids;

Ridiculous could be a form of alternate reality. 9/11 was a hoax. We did not land onthe moon. It was all done on a sound stage.  January 6 was just a bunch of unruly tourists. You really didn’t commit a crime so I am going to pardon you. Murder, theft, tax evasion are just figments of one’s imagination. Really?

.The sublime can be seen as a psychological state involving feelings of awe, wonder, and even a sense of one’s own insignificance in the face of something greater. 

Sublime can be experiencing a hurricane, a starry night, or a volcano. It provokes a feeling of awe. It could be just the waves crashing on shore or a sunrise. All very cool in their own right. 

The word “sublime” originates from the Latin word “sublīmis,” meaning “lofty,” “elevated,” or “raised up.”

The word “ridiculous” originates from the Latin word “ridiculus,” meaning “laughable” or “that which excites laughter”. 

Seize The Narrative….

A narrative is simply an account of a series of events. To almost everything in life, there is a way of looking at an occurrence or occurrences and developing a feeling pro or con. You adopt the theorem or you fight it. There are a bunch of variables. 

If you look at your personal belief system over time, you have watched the movie or read the book many times over. These viewings could range from family to world affairs to morality or even something as simple as what floats your boat.  You come to a conclusion that is yours and yours alone.  

Religion or morality is a great example. You have somehow developed a theory that starts off with some sort of belief and it is related or taught to you by parents or some sort of organization. They are telling you a story that has been passed down to them over years and centuries. Depending on their gravitas and authenticity, you accept it as gospel(no play on words). 

Maybe somewhere down the line, someone else enters the picture with an alternate set of rules. It could be the same story but just told by a different author, looking at things through a different prism. Hmm… Now what do I do? You feel unease, because you are petrified of giving up on what you have known for all those years. Yet something deep down says they may be right. Aha. This is the critical moment. It is when you really start to think for yourself. 

To me, it is like a kid in a candy store. Dark allies and rabbit holes get me going, if nothing more than just feeling alive. It is probably because I have been out on a limb so many times that I am used to it. The counter to that is, I am so stupid that I don’t realize how perilous this is. Tragic flaw. 

If I am going to listen, I have to be wary of the author. Do they really know what they are talking about and are they being straight with me? Do they have their facts straight or are they playing fast and loose. Are they thoughtful and eloquent or are they bombastic with little regard for the truth? Do hyperbole and vagueness pervade their delivery or perhaps it is just an intended deceit? 

Sorry to be so unforgiving, but today’s discourse leaves me wanting. I have found myself casting a wary eye in all sorts of arenas. Google or Bing, deliver answers to my search. They are creating a narrative but sadly, it is skewed. Over numerous inquiries, they have figured me out.  That’s great because I haven’t figured me out. But I digress. I only hear one side, be it left or right. That is all I see. Are they telling me the truth? Sorta,maybe, kinda. But most of us will never know. 

I love to listen to pundits expound on this or that. I also like to listen to cold, hard facts and develop my own conclusions. Unfortunately, the lines have become blurred beyond distinction. People watch the news and will take it once again as gospel truth. It had to be right because I watched it on FOX, CNN or MSNBC. And they all play to their fan base and sing to the choir. 

So what, you say? Just ask Francis. The now-gone Pope was a treasure to some and a curse to others. During his papacy, the reformers were jubilant and the conservatives despondent. But he had the upper hand. Infalible or not, he was doing the driving for a billion plus Catholics. There were murmurs of discontent but for the most part, the faithful got behind him. 

Where am I going with all of this? Think about all the narratives of your own world. Who are you listening to? A variety of people or the same old hacks. Is their agenda in sync with yours or one you are not terribly comfortable with? Are you overcome with the blare or are you able to discern what you are comfortable with and able to defend?

Most of all is the sheer number of inputs to our psyche. Each one tells a story. Interestingly, the core elements of a narrative include: plot, characters, setting, theme, conflict, and point of view. They meld but each part is distinct and subject to scrutiny. How far we go is probably a combination of how important it is and how hard do we want to work? 

Right now, there is a section of our society that feels lost. They have no coherent story, and even worse, they have no lead singer. On the other side, there is one faction that is dominating the airwaves. I am not saying one is right or wrong, but I would like to hear an alternative thought process. I feel that when one or the other dominates, the message can be flawed. No discussion. No original thought. Boring to a degree and at the same time scary. What do you think? What’s your narrative?

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

A narrative starts with a fact. JFK was shot in Dallas on November 22,1963. You can only imagine the plot line or lines that ensue. People can twist and turn and play with facts. 

Controlling the narrative refers to what is being told, by whom, and what outlets one employs. Totalitarian governments don’t let anything get out without careful review and squash any contrary opinions. 

Spin doctors” refer to individuals, often public relations advisors or media consultants, who develop or manipulate messages to influence public opinion or portray a situation in a favorable light. Politics and corporate image creation are fertile fields that are there for the taking. 

Life can be broken down into several key narrative threads: the journey of self-discovery, relationships with others, and the pursuit of purpose and meaning. These narratives weave together to create a unique and evolving story for each individual…..This was from AI. Not bad

Lost In Space….

The latest says there might be life on another planet. Elon wants to go to Mars. He is also trying to get as many women pregnant as possible so he can further his super race. We have shitcanned most of our most valued friends in a search for equity in the marketplace. Threats have replaced gentle cajoling and diplomacy. Into this morass, I humbly try to figure out what is happening. 

I happened upon a comment on Facebook that mentioned Joe Biden. I was truly shocked by the number of comments as well as their vitriol. You don’t have to like the guy but Geez Louise doesn’t anyone get tired of piling on? Ditto the “Comments” section in articles in the WSJ and NYT. Does it just make you feel better?

As part of this, I have been researching conspiracy theories. Believers consider their fortune or ills to be part of some grand scheme. Someone is out to get them for better or worse. This actually is a result of trying to make sense of some cataclysmic event. It could be 9/11, Covid or maybe an election that didn’t go your way. 

In an article from Live Science there is stated: ”To achieve popularity and longevity, a conspiracy theory requires some unique ingredients coming together. The event or overarching issue needs to be significant, the conspirators need to be realistic (i.e., a tightly formed group), and the ground needs to be fertile.”

Planes flying into buildings are not normal. The fact that skyscrapers topple within a few hours is unfathomable. Throw in a little xenophobia about Middle Eastern people, and presto you have a conspiracy. The internet has become the equal opportunity employer for all whack jobs. America’s distaste for government and institutions is the final ingredient to bring things to a steady boil. 

We all have a little bit of paranoia built into us. The golf gods screwed me on that putt. I coulda been a contender if things had gone a little differently. The world is against me. I did not fail. It is the rest of you. But when does it go off the rails? When does it become a part of our psyche. We lack the ability to look ourselves in the eye and say this is BS. 

I try to look at things from several angles. The biggest problem I have today is defining what is real and what is not. FOX, CNN and MSNBC are not going to give you the full story, no matter how plausible they may seem. We all struggle to figure things out when things are amok. How far we go is another story. I am not saying this is easy or I am even successful in my wanderings. Many of you might think I am confusing. You are right, I am.  And that’s why there are no easy answers. 

This whole tariff thing is nuts to me in some ways but not others. We can’t just blanket the world. If you buy a diamond in the US from Botswana there is a large tariff. Why? Because we have a big trade deficit there. How the hell are Botswanians going to buy stuff produced in the US? They make a few bucks a day. TTG, you don’t understand, they have been ripping us off for decades. But wait,we don’t make diamonds here!

Ok, I am cherry picking and there are large discrepancies throughout the world economy. I understand completely balance of payments especially with China on just about everything and Europe on a lot of things. But can anyone give me a concise plan? Better yet can I have any faith in what they are doing? I am thoroughly confused. Where can I get a coherent story?

This is a not a total diatribe about the Trumpster and friends. We have halted illegal immigration for the most part. We have called attention to a bunch of festering boils that really need to be pricked. Who knew we were giving so much aid to universities, but do we cancel cancer research at Brigham Women’s because they are a part of Harvard? We have a highly efficient supply chain that operates between the US, Canada and Mexico. Let’s blow it up because of lumber and avocados. 

Go back to the elements of conspiracy. An issue,an organization and fertile ground. The issue is simple. The world has gotten a whole lot better for the few and for the lower rungs it is unbearable.

The middle is treading water. Food,housing and medicine are pricing out large numbers. Our perceived indifference to immigration grates on people. A lot of our fellow Amercians want to divorce from any responsibilty for the rest of tthe world. The issue is populism and isolationism. 

The organization is formidable. Project 2025 is the blueprint though disavowed by His Hairness. It speaks to control every lever of government and browbeat people into submission. If you do not swear complete allegiance, you are outta here. Habeas corpus and the law are irrelevant. We will figure some way out of this. Our legislature is absent save an imprimatur or two or a hearing that goes nowhere. If I see Chuck Schumer one more time with his cheaters hanging from a neck cord and reading from script, I am going to throw up. There is no one to speak out. 

Lastly, the ground is fertile. No matter what is said, it is fake news. Shut off all avenues of opposition. The universities are in disarray. Use inflated numbers and vague pronouncements.

No one cares. Science and innovation are suspect and money eaters. Let the good times roll. 

Is this the makings of a real conspiracy? That is heavy duty and I am not taking that step but I am worried. Is it something we will look back on and say how the hell did we let this happen. There are lofty goals and great outcomes that could happen. There are also disasters around the bend. Can we really sit back and wait to see how it plays out? Dunno, but it is giving me great pause.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all. 

Factoids:

Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law. Hmmm!

Good examples of such states today are: China,Russia, Hungary under Viktor Orban, and Turkey under Tayyip Erdoğan. 

Current Conspiracy Theories:

JFK Assasination.. will be analyzed after new material has been released. 

9/11 was an inside job with explosive devices already placed in the Twin Towers. 

NASA faked the moon landings.

Airplane contrails are believed to be “Chemtrails” carrying all sorts of bad things to poison us. 

The idea that the U.S. government (or perhaps the entire world government) is run by reptilian humanoids. This actually could be true Ha!

Heavy Rolls….

In the Navy, the announcement would come over the 1 MC (Main Circuit), to “Stand by for heavy rolls”. This was not dissing the boys in the galley but rough weather topside. Whether in the North Atlantic or the Gulf of Siam, this usually meant high winds and pretty heavy seas. Luckily, I was never seasick. Right about now, I may have that record tested. 

Chaos,maelstrom,pandemonium,madness and havoc might describe our state of affairs right now. Both here in the US of A and the world at large. Rather than wringing my hands, I can’t say I was not expecting this. Just not quite the speed and force of this 25 foot wave. 

We had lost our way long before the Donald. Out-of-control debt. Throwing money at education, disease, entitlements and space dreams,like as John McCain used to say, “drunken sailors”. Drunken sailors? Not a chance.  Old people of Congress and even Presidents long past their prime. Constant adding to the payroll without any thought of trimming previous extravagances. Obesity in words and actions. We needed a crash diet. 

I would like to think there was another way. Ok, boys and girls of the Beltway we need to shape up. Let’s have a committee draw up a list of priorities. Then we can look at each individual problem to be solved and have input from at least 20-30 jurisdictions that might be affected. Then we will send that to committee and then if the leader of either houses deems it to be of importance, it will be brought  to the floor for a vote. Oh yeah,the prez can then veto all this fine effort because his cousin in Dubuque, Iowa will be put out of work. 

Then to accomplish all of this we need a new group to oversee, get office space and have their own set of hoops to go through. Wait. We will now have protests, sit ins, and unions will go on strike. Left and right media will bring everything to a rapid boil and Voila we are back to the drawing board. Silly? How about our vain efforts to shut down useless military installations or obsolete weapons systems. Don’t forget snail darters and National Parks that have been proclaimed with no money to administer them. Insane? You bet it is. 

Globally, we have been the world’s policeman. We fought in Afghanistan and Iraq to the tune of $8 trillion. That is about 25% of the tab we as a nation have to pay sometime. Worse was the fact the world made hay while we were nation building. We have been getting screwed but not tariff-wise as His Hairness would tell you. We have been the doting parent to a fairly spoiled group of nations that are more than welcoming of our largesse but have no interest in helping share the load…for the most part.  Go gett’em, Uncle Sam. We are all behind you !

In another vein, let’s look at this dirty little secret called immigration. Papa Joe was asleep or accommodative to all sorts with very little control. The crazy part is we need immigrants, but from a garden hose, not a fire hose. There is this little thing called E Verify which is pretty efficient. An employer just has to put the name in and it comes back instantly whether this dude or dudette is legal. It has been around for thirty years! 

Why not use it? Well, there are a couple of problems. First is if I run everybody through the system then I will wind up with a few to no workers. Secondly I might have to pay them a going wage to work in the fields or meat packing plants.They could only work so many hours. Then I can’t be competitive. Ok then let’s just ship them to those left leaning cities. Effective but costly. Estimates are that Denver with 42,000 illegals could be spending  $250-300 million on illegals when everything is totalled. Immigration has been begging for reform since 1988.

There are multiple conclusions to all of this.The first and foremost is, I am not a Trumper but you do have to look hard at all of this. Both the Executive and Legislative branches have been complicit for at least the last 30 years. Republicans and Democrats alike.Bureaucracies have ballooned. The last time the budget was balanced was in 2001. And we keep raising the debt limit. 

 American business has bilked the system. The WSJ has recently cited various health insurance companies for overbilling and phantom billing. Wall Street has gotten wealthy from carried interest. There are loopholes galore that exist because the advantageous and vague wording is lost in a gigantic omnibus bill. 

And we, the American people have sat idly by. We keep reelecting bums who serve our own interests. You know if everyone paid their taxes we would not need an IRS. We slip and slide while saying,”well everyone else is doing it”.  We believe and encourage outright lies. We attribute everything to fake news or semantics. We look the other way. There is an excuse for everything. 

I don’t like the Orange Man’s take no prisoners philosphy. But do you honestly think anything will get done without shock therapy? The system is broken but we have not trained nor encouraged mechanics. We have had it so easy and now the bill is coming due. On the open seas, you know the front will pass and can make your way to calmer seas. It is right there on the radar or satellite. Right now, both of ours are broken. 

The “Righting Moment” of a ship is the tendency to return to an upright position as the vessel rolls. If you go beyond that the ship capsizes. Let’s hope we don’t go past ours. Sadly,for now there are heavy rolls ahead. Hang on tight.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

The “carried interest loophole” refers to favorable tax treatment for certain compensation received by private equity, venture capital and hedge-fund managers. They pay long term rates rather than short term. That cost us around $2billion a year. We wouldn’t venture have to fire anyone. Beleive it or not the guardian angel who won’t let any changes happen? None other than Chuck Shumer. 

United Healthcare takes a perfectly healthy person and codes them for exotic diseases and receives extra compensation from Medicare. At the same time they refuse authorizations for sick people who should be paid.  Just business!

The nation’s millionaires and billionaires are evading more than $150 billion a year in taxes, according to the head of the Internal Revenue Service. Let’s just say they are off by 23% We just fired a whole bunch of IRS agents. “Psst Elon.Over here”