I Just Experienced the Entitled, Morally Superior, Suicidally Anti-White, 20-Something College Student

The Beer:  I am drinking an Arrogant Bastard Ale...because I really need it.

I don't even know where to go here.

My son doesn't particularly care for me.  I get it.  I fully understand why he doesn't and accept the responsibility.

My girlfriend's son, on the other hand, is a different story.  She became pregnant at 25 and the father denied it.  She didn't ask for anything and raised the son on her own.  While they did not have much, he did not want and she gave him everything she could - especially her time.  Ten years later, she married.  Her husband turned out to be emotionally abusive to both her and him.  There was another son who is now 11.  A few years ago, she got out with little, but her brains and a job.  The older son has been able to go to college where he has become an arrogant, entitled, morally superior prick.  Had he been my son, I would have slapped him for being disrespectful and dismissive of his mother.  I don't really care what he thinks of me.  Until he treats his mother with respect, I will not have him in our home.

The Long-Term State of the Economy

The Beer:  Tomorrow, I move much of my beer brewing "stuff" to a place where I can brew.  Yay me.

The Bicycle:  Little has changed.  How do I motivate to ride in the spring?

The VRWC:  Since the 1970s, the United States has seen an increase in the volume of cheap goods made overseas and the and in the number of discounters selling those goods.  Few of the large retailers like Sears, Montgomery Ward, and Woolworths remain.  And while the very high end like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Macy's still exist, the low end, consisting of Target, WalMart and Dollar (insert "General" or "Tree" or "Store" etc. here).  What does this say about the long-term state of the US economy?

Arguably, the economy in the United States has been in a decline since the post WWII heyday.  Good paying industrial jobs have abandoned the US for overseas. The causes of this can be debated as we look at wage pressures, regulatory pressures, inflationary pressures and changes in the workforce.  But the fact is, there are fewer jobs that support the kind of middle-class life I grew up in.  McDonalds is now considered a valid career choice.  Half of the population receives some sort of government assistance (exclusive of social security, military pensions and the like).  Historical data for trending is difficult to find - BLS.gov has easily retrieved data only back to 2008.

So, how does all this get fixed?  First is to limit the size and power of the federal government.  Second is to eliminate the ability of the government to subsidize private activity.  Third is to limit the time the able-bodied may spend on welfare.  The reintroduction of so many into the workforce will be painful and must be managed by private business.  This will increase the pool of money for American-made goods.  Short-term pain for long-term gain.

Merry Christmas

The Beer:  I have a six-pack of Stella and four remaining from a six of Anchor Steam.

The Bicycle:  I have ridden little.  My weight is up, I am weight lifting, swimming at the gym and eating far too much.  Don't care.

The VWRC:  I've just been lectured by a 20-something on White Privilege.  He is welcome to have whatever opinion of me that he wishes.  I really don't care - he's a college kid.  I DO care when he calls his mother "ignorant because she is not enlightened enough to understand "white privilege".

Here is the thing, though.  One cannot say that we can't lump everyone together, then lump all White People together as having White Privilege.  "You don't even know you have it".

Goddam college.

America The Bad

The Beer: The Red Wheat IPA is pretty good. I expect to check the wine in the next few days and bottle in the next week or two.




The Bicycle: I am up and on. Three times last week. Trying to get my legs back under me.




The VWRC: Have you noticed how the Leftists are always focused on "fairness"? They claim to be the arbiter of "fair" and have created all kinds of monsters to force their view of "fair". Whether the EEOC, unions, minimum wage, homosexual marriage, free birth control or "bossy", the "fair" meme keeps showing up. They know that Americans are good people on the whole and want things to be "fair". The average Joe wants to be "fair" to his friends and neighbors and doesn't want to be seen as "unfair". The Leftists know this and play to that weakness.




The Leftists believe the United States is institutionally unfair, both internally and externally. But I want to focus on the "external unfairness" today.




Up until recently, the United States was the richest and most powerful country to ever grace the Earth. Because its people have the Liberty to be successful, they have a willingness to sacrifice to keep that ability to succeed. Whether fighting for a wage or fighting a war, you will find no smarter or fiercer people. A free people are always stronger than slaves. But the Leftists believe that freedom has exploited the rest of the world. That the US has more than a "fair share". The US must be brought down to the level of everyone else. Over the last 60 years, they have systematically dismantled everything that made the US great. Industry, energy, food supply, morals, traditions and institutions are all under attack to undermine that greatness and wealth. We no longer educate our children so that they can become part of the workforce, we give them Obamacare and Obamaphones and let them lie around and collect years of unemployment. The elites enrich themselves at the same time and demand your obedience.




What the elites and leftists do not understand is that they are making Americans cold and hungry with their policies. Nothing brings about revolution like "cold and hungry".

More Non-Political Writing

The beginning of a love story...

SHE SAID:

I drive up and park my car as a wave of unparalleled nervousness and nausea wave over my senses. At the same time, I am excited. It is raining. A warm summer rain. Deep breaths to calm my nerves and gather my composure. Another vain look in the rearview mirror to ensure that my hair and makeup at least start the evening perfect. Keys in purse and I open the door to run into the building. The cold air hits my wet skin as I walk in causing me to shiver. I wipe the raindrops from my face and look up to find he is there. He had seen me enter the restaurant. He is taller than I anticipated with a warmer smile than I could have imagined. His face radiates with an accepting smile. I lean in to say hello, hug him and kiss his cheek. He smells amazing. His hand reaches for my back and guides me to where he was sitting. I feel the span of his hand cover my back. A slight shiver runs up my spine at his touch.



We sit on the barstools facing each other. As I cross my legs, my calf rests against his knee. He asks me about my drive in the rain. I am so distracted by the desire to kiss him, I barely comprehend he is speaking in my native tongue. He asks me what I want to drink and orders it for me. As the drink come, he hands it to me and I put the glass to my lips. He is watching my mouth and casually runs his hand down my leg where it joins his. I make eye contact letting him know that his hands on my body are more than a welcomed gesture. He reaches forward to remove the last of the rain off of my face gently with the back of his hand. He seizes the opportunity to touch more of my face than is necessary to remove the rain. He is attractive and manly, but his touch is gentle to my face.



We talk about jobs, the rain, and the desire for another drink. He asks me if I am hungry. How do I answer that? Food is the last thing on my mind. Ordering will just prolong this anxiousness I have to feel his hands on more of my skin. “Only if you are hungry,” I reply, trying to hold back my urge to just ask him if we can leave. “Not really,” he responds shaking his head and smiling at me. He leans forward as if to tell me something in confidence. I lean towards him. Is he going to kiss me? He whispers in my ear, “I think you are beautiful.” As he starts to retreat, I put my hand on the back of his neck, pulling him back to me. “I want you. When can we leave?” He leans back in his chair with a confident smile but says nothing. I excuse myself to the restroom. I just need to get out of his presence and take a moment to catch my breath, check my makeup, and gather my thoughts. Ok. Let's do this. I open the door and as I step out, he is there. He pushes me against the wall. His kiss is so deep and powerful that I feel my face start to flush. He takes my hand and leads me out of the restaurant to his car. He says nothing. He opens my door, I get in and he shuts the door behind me. As he walks around the car to get in, I feel my stomach fill with butterflies and my body starts to radiate heat. Is it still raining outside? I didn’t even notice.

HE SAID:

I saw her get out of her car in the rain and sensed that I should get up to meet her. She hurried into the restaurant a little wet and shivering almost imperceptibly. She has clearly underestimated her attractiveness. She kissed me on the cheek, leaving me immediately wanting more. As I touch her back to guide her over to the bar, I think, was it too soon? Too familiar to be touching her like that?

The conversation starts with the usual. The weather, but I notice her leg against mine, the touch making it hard for me to concentrate on forming the words. We order drinks and when they come, I can't help but watch as she takes her first sip through exquisite lips. Absently...or maybe not, my hand runs down her leg. Is that a "yes, yes" in her eyes? I reach up to take a touch of rain from her cheek and caress a little more than necessary.

We've been talking too long...is she hungry? No, I'm not. At least not for food. This is killing me. I have to tell her. "I think you are beautiful". I want to say more, like how much I want her, but it could ruin everything. She beats me to it. I am startled as she grabs the back of my neck, says she wants me. She wants to leave NOW! Do I hear that right? Or is it just what I want to hear? As I lean back in my chair, wondering what the look on my face must be, she excuses herself and heads to the ladies room. I throw more than enough on the bar and the bartender thanks me profusely. I can't blow this chance. She steps out of the door seconds after I arrive. It is now or never. I press her against the wall and kiss her the only way I know. I take her hand and we head to my car with no words between us. I open the door and she gets in. My knees are weak as I get in and start the engine, my heart pounding like a jackhammer.

The Data

The Beer:  Beer fridge is up and running with two kegs of Red Wheat IPA inside.

The Bicycle:  Still hanging in the garage.  I should be able to ride after Friday.

The VRWC:  Here is the raw data.  It may be a little tedious, but I am going to cover much of this and give you a little optimism to go with it.

So the Washington Post publishes these maps and charts and tells us what they mean...superficially.  But there is more to most of these than meets the eye.

1. I notice Wisconsin is in the 2nd Quintile for states where people are most "well off", based on Gallup's "Well Being Index".  The well-being index looks at what they consider the 5 essential elements of well-being which you can read about here.  The states in the top quintile are not all that surprising, considering the economic condition and sociological makeup of those states.  The inclusion of Texas in the third quintile, considering the boom going on here now is a little surprise, but there may be other social factors in play.
2. "Income Inequality" is a major political football right now.  Personally, as long as the money is made legally and ethically I really don't care how much money someone makes.  Not my problem.  But it is interesting that the largest inequality in income is in cities run by Democrats and that have been run by Democrats for decades.  San Francisco is the biggest surprise at #2 because it has such an egalitarian reputation and is populated by gays, yuppies, Whites and Asians.  The silver buckle of the Left Coast Belt.  The disparity baffles me.  Certainly high taxes, expensive housing and other costs play into that.
3. With the nearby influence of Washington D.C.s political class, does it surprise anyone that Maryland is one of the three states with the highest number of millionaires per capita?
4. People moving to and from is not terribly surprising, either.  People leave places with no jobs, high taxes for places with many jobs and low taxes.  The boom in fracking has helped several states gain high paying jobs and new citizens (TX, MT, ND, CO).
5. Conservatives outnumber Liberals, but not the combination of Liberals and Moderates.  This is why it is incumbent on Conservatives to embrace the moderates.
6. The article points out (correctly) that while "unemployment" is down, long term unemployment remains historically high nearly everywhere.  It is notable that the states with the highest long-term unemployment tend to be more Liberal/Democrat-controlled.  California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey.  I would like to see trend on this and maybe I can find it else where.
7. It is interesting to note that in Map 12, the Midwest and parts of the West were least affected by the recession.  Texas to North Dakota shows little impact remaining from the recession as does Washington State.  The Liberal East Coast and California still suffer.
8. In Map 17 lives the hope of those of us who are Conservative.  The 2008 advantage of 30 states leaning or strongly Democrat is down to 3.  It is all about the swing states now.
9. Map 23 might be the most interesting map of all.  It shows 116 counties where over half of the uninsured live.  80% of that is made up of three counties with very large Hispanic (and illegal) populations.  What this tells me is that Obamacare was devised for the same reason Amnesty is proposed.  Because who doesn't want 30 million new voters?
10. There appears to be a correllation between pizza joint proximity and brewery density.  Just sayin'.  

4 Women

The Beer: A Red Wheat IPA is kegged and pretty much ready.  Now I have to get my beer fridge up and running.

The Bicycle:  At some point, I will have to start riding again.  It really needs to be soon.

The VRWC:  This is a one-off posting.  An observation of human frailty rather than political opinion.

They had been married nearly 10 years.  He tried to tell her, but she never really seemed to understand.  He was always willing to put her needs first, but it rarely seemed that she cared about his most important needs.  After a time, he began to question if it was him she loved or if she loved the idea of being "married", being a "wife", having a "husband".

Childhood sweethearts, they had been married nearly 40 years.  The cancer not only killed him and emptied their bank accounts, it emptied her heart and soul.  At 58, she was still beautiful.  Rubenesque and red-haired, just beginning to show some gray.  She was aloof, sometimes to the point of cold until she reached her lover's bed.  Then she became a tender and caring partner, attentive and accepting, needing and giving.  But her true lover was in her mind.  It was the memory of him and his touch, his desire, his heart and soul.

At 40, she was widowed 10 years already.  In that time she had also lost a child.  She kept herself occupied by volunteering as well as working and being "mom" to the neighborhood.  She met her lover at the pool table over a couple beers.  He whispered in her ear, "Come home with me."   They were both lonely for human contact and this met their need.  She thought he was "sexy" and he saw a beauty behind the stress and weariness.  They shared each others bed for a time.  When it came time to part, she said, "It's ok."

His abuse sucked the life out of her.  She lost the will to live for a time.  When she finally left him, he continued to torment her.  He allowed the house to go to foreclosure, he destroyed the things she loved.  He tried to turn their son against her.  When she found a lover, he wished him dead.  He hit her. Her lover adored her.  She left her life behind and came to live with her lover.  Her lover told her she was beautiful, she was smart, she was funny.  They were completely open with each other, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Their bed was a playground.  Their lives became instantly entwined.

Of course, this is all a work of fiction.