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Crazy week. Mrs. Groovy signed us up for fostering rescue animals and we received our first client on Tuesday. I don’t know exactly what mix Mitzi is, but she’s a pip. She’s currently in heat and discharging an unnerving amount of blood. She also has a skin issue that requires bathing and medication. And did I mention she’s not exactly house-trained yet? Yep, Mitzi is a mess, but she’s very adorable and very loving, and we’re glad we can help her while she waits for adoption and a more secure future.
Needless to say, caring for Mitzi has proved to be very time-consuming, and I just haven’t had the time to sit down and craft one of my beautifully written posts. But rather than post nothing this week, I decided to post some of the random thoughts that have been swirling through my head lately. I think it will be fun. Let’s see.
Random Thoughts of Mr. Groovy
We go to jobs to produce things that someone else wants produced. We then drive home and pick up food that someone else prepared. Finally, once the takeout containers and wrappers have been dutifully chucked in the trash, we park our butts on furniture that someone else made and consume news and entertainment that someone else created. Is it any wonder so many of us are nuts? Human beings weren’t built to be so overwhelmingly passive.
Most people can’t build wealth and simultaneously be on the cutting-edge of fashion, technology, and status-signaling. Their paychecks just aren’t big enough to serve two masters. But rather than go for wealth, most people go for cutting-edge. The pain of looking poor is sadly more painful than the pain of being poor.
Sugar leads to obesity which leads to diabetes. Thankfully, most of our elites now discourage sugar consumption—which is great. But check this out. Promiscuity leads to irresponsible procreation which leads to poverty. Yet for some reason, most of our elites are active promoters of promiscuity. Why?
One of the primary purposes of culture is to guide the ordinary citizen. Culture, in turn, can be a blessing or a curse. It’s a blessing if it guides the ordinary citizen to make decisions that are painful in the short term but beneficial in the long term. And it’s a curse if it guides the ordinary citizen to make decisions that are pleasurable in the short term but ruinous in the long term. Now a question: is our current culture a blessing or a curse? I think it’s a curse, and here are three examples of how our culture leads the ordinary citizen astray: by telling the ordinary citizen that the government exists to give him or her money, by telling the ordinary citizen that college is for everybody, and by telling the ordinary citizen that consumerism is the key to happiness.
If the news you’re watching does nothing but validate your worldview, you’re not a good consumer of news. Your side doesn’t have a monopoly on virtue and wisdom.
An investor isn’t a loser until he or she sells a stock for a loss. Prior to the stock sale, he or she was just an investor with paper losses. Likewise, a person isn’t a loser until he or she starts blaming others. Prior to the blame-shifting, he or she was just a person with troubles.
We don’t have an income inequality problem. We have a self-sabotage problem. Too many Americans are working against themselves.
Here are three ways to become a problem-solver: Don’t be a lazy shit—you can’t fix problems with your butt festooned to a sofa or a bar stool. Don’t use ignorance as a crutch—ignorance surely complicates matters but it doesn’t totally preclude the possibility of success. And don’t fear frustration—it’s an integral part of the problem-solving process.
And here are five reasons I’m rooting for Tesla and an EV revolution: EVs have less moving parts to fail and put you at the mercy of a mechanic. No more oil changes. Less noise. Home “refueling” on most occasions. And no exhaust fumes or smells.
For nearly 20 years now, I greet Mrs. Groovy every morning with a kiss. I then hug her and lift her off the ground. Now, I’m not prepared to say that this ritual is the key to our fabulous marriage. But it sure as hell helps.
Final Thoughts
Okay, groovy freedomist, that’s all I got. What say you? Were my random thoughts on the passing scene a good read? Or were they an utter waste of time? Let me know what you think when you get a chance. Peace.
Definitely not a waste of time! I actually enjoyed your random thoughts. Good job on fostering Mitzi and I hope you know how happy Mitzi is that she is being taken care of. I myself rescued three dogs and i am not stopping there. It makes me happy to help them out. And oh! I won’t be a lazy shit anymore. (I’ll try)
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Haha. random thoughts or not. Reading your blog is always a refreshment 🙂
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So glad to hear that you guys are doing pet fostering!!!! We’re selfish in that we know we couldn’t give the pets back, so we keep adopting, LOL. Madelyn is picking up her third unwanted ball python snake next week! Add that to our previously unwanted dog, and several cats, and we’re doing our part, LOL. SO glad you bless Mrs. G in that way every day. It is indeed a great help in creating a happy marriage. As for the EV revolution, I’m fine with it as long as the means to make the batteries become humane to human labor and the movement lets me continue to drive my gas powered truck. 🙂
You’re a saint, Laurie! And never considered Maddie a python person. That’s awesome. I have even more respect for her now. And I couldn’t agree with you more about the EV revolution. EVs will one day satisfy the driving needs of most people in most situations. But they won’t be the answer to everyone’s driving needs, and those people who need the power and convenience of gas should be able to drive ICE vehicles. You’re the best, Laurie. Thanks for stopping by.
Nothing you write is a waste of time, Mr. G. Thanks for the brain food this morning.
And Mitzi!! Good for you for helping a dog in need. Perhaps your visit with our CoCo created a soft spot in your soul? 🙂
Absolutely! I loved holding Coco! Mitzi’s not a puppy but she loves cuddling and burrowing her head in the crook of my arm.
I have a new perspective and even more respect for what you and Jackie do.
Mrs Groovy recently posted…Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene
Thank you, Fritz. And I agree with Mr. Groovy’s enlarged respect for you and Jackie. Rescuing or fostering dogs ain’t easy. There’s a lot of work. And those who do it to the extent that you and Jackie do are truly wonderful people. Peace, my friend.
Agree, Agree, Agree! But, I worry about EV, while I look forward to all the benefits you described. Why do I worry? One, power needs to be created to charge those cars and most of our power is created with Natural Gas and Coal. Two, I believe EV batteries are going to be our toxic waste of tomorrow.
There is no free lunch, and every action has a reaction. At 52, I will not be around to see the full impact of the EV revolution but I am excited to see what the next 20ish years have to offer.
Troy:
I think you are spot on with your concerns regarding EV power. The bigger short term concern I have with them is in regards to infrastructure – it’s my understanding that taxes on gasoline / diesel provide the majority of our highway / infrastructure funding. EV’s are not paying a share of the costs of the highways they are driving on, and as the number of gallons sold decreases, so does funding for already way behind infrastructure repairs and improvements. The solution can’t be a return to a dependence on fossil fuels, so we’ve got to figure out a new way to pay for roads without taxing the public to death, and I don’t have a good answer for how – my tax bill is already high enough!
Agreed. I think the owners of electric cars need to be taxed on the miles their electric cars travel each year. This can be calculated by recording the odometer reading at inspection or registration time. The state would then have a yearly odometer reading and be able to apply the appropriate per-mile “gas tax” on behalf of the state and the feds. If the “gas tax” was five cents per mile, someone who drove his or her Tesla for 10,000 miles during the year would pay a tax of $500. I think something like this would work. We got to try something once ICE cars start disappearing in large numbers. Great comment. Cheers.
“There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.”
Thomas Sowell
Nice! It’s always a good day when I’m reminded of Mr. Sowell’s formidable wisdom.
Excellent point, Troy. And you’re absolutely right. If electric cars are mainstreamed, our power grid’s going to find itself under tremendous strain. And solar and wind aren’t going to address that strain. The only way that strain can be addressed in a non-carbon manner is nuclear. But I don’t think our country has the stomach for more nuclear. It’s gonna be interesting, my friend. Great comment.
Mr. G, you always make my morning coffee better.
There is no Santa Claus (not even the gov’t). It’s up to you (the individual). You gotta figure it out, and fix it.
Thank you, Planedoc. I really appreciate your kind words.