Cash Flow Problems

I serve as a collection agent for employee benefits trust funds.  What that means is that I am trusted with millions upon millions of dollars.  None of it is mine, and I was once asked about how I felt handling the volumes of money that I do.  I guess I don't even think about it, because after doing this for so many years the money I handle is just a number.  I also realize a worker is trusting me to make sure he gets his pension contributions in, on time, and credited to his account. 

It's month-end and it's also the busiest time of year for my industry.  What I have noticed this month is that there are several employers who have not made their benefit contributions on behalf of their employees.  This number is waaaaaaaay up from months past.  Sure, sometimes the payroll person in charge of submitting the contributions gets sick, they get new computer software, employee turnover, etc.  That's not the situation I'm worried about.  What I am worried about this month as I'm closing it out is that there are several employers owing money who usually never do.  *Huge* red flag.  Something has shifted in the last month where cash is an issue for businesses.  If they are not making employee benefit contributions in a timely manner the business is suffering  BIG TIME. 

Something is up with the economy, and it's not good.  We can go from feast to famine quickly. 

Be Careful of the One Party Government System

California is notoriously democratic.  Just like everything else in the universe, balance is required for long-term sustainability.  Call it the yin and yang, if you will.  We all think that our line of thinking is the superior way of operating.  Truth is, we need opposing viewpoints, beliefs and policies to keep things in balance and in check.  No party is completely right nor wrong. 

It's dangerous to get too entrenched into a political party.  Any government system that is over-represented in a single party should be your worst nightmare.  There's nothing to balance it out and it's doomed to collapse under its own weight.

Here's something else to ponder.  Young idealists tend to be very socialist.  After life has handed them their *ss on a platter their viewpoints change over time and they become more conservative.  Just look at political parties and their age base.   

Don't dismiss people who have rotated around the sun several times.  They have witnessed and experienced a lot more than somebody who has not really lived life yet but want to think they have all the answers.  If we cave to the thinking of youngsters we will be letting teenage-like thinking rule.  Dangerous.  The parents reigning the teenagers in are necessary, but of course, are seen as evil, mean, and out to ruin everything when in fact they are not. 

Think about that when voting.  I dare you. 

Word Games With Food

Ah yes, restaurants are constantly thinking of ways to make us believe we are eating something unique and special.  Food is an art, so artsy-fartsy foods and their descriptions are forever morphing so we all think we are so refined and sophisticated.

Let me give some examples.  Humble mayonnaise is now called "aioli."  Meat and cheese platters are now "charcuterie boards."  "Market inspired soup" is yesterday's leftovers thrown in a pot with broth.  "Pomme puree" is mashed potatoes.  Liverwurst is "rolliche." Pizza is now "artisan flat bread." Gravy is now "au jus" or "reduction sauce" depending on what you're ordering. 

You get the meaning.  I could go on and on.

Oh, one more thing to add to my name blog from the other day.  How do you get Chuck from Charles?

Stay cool, y'all.  It's hotter than Hades. 

Joe Biden = Hillary

I don't know why the Dems are so up in arms about Russia trying to influence our election process.  What is even more insidious are the Dems trying to influence our OWN election process.  The last election cycle saw Hillary trying to squash the popularity of Bernie Sanders, which was against the will of people. 

Bottom Line:  Hillary thought she was owed the presidency.  Nobody likes Hillary, except Hillary. 

Now, we are getting the media trying to push Biden down our throats like they tried with Hillary.  The press is making excuses for Biden's mess ups and trying to convince us to like him.  This will backfire.  Biden is nothing more than a bought and sold, scripted, robotic politician. There is nothing genuine about him except his dumb mouth.   Biden is Hillary 2020. 

Sonoma County Aristocracy

It exists, folks.  The Sonoma County Aristocracy.  You will know when/if you're ever accepted into it.  There is no formal coronation.  There are no invitations.  There's no news paper article announcing it.  It just IS.

Sure, you may have plenty of money; but, if you are a transplant from somewhere else (cough, cough southern California or New York) entrance into the 'club' is superficial at best.  You may be welcomed with warm smiles at parties and fund raising events thinking you can buy your way in, but you will never be one of them.  

Where you grew up is one of the most determining factors of belonging to the club.  Also, if you have relatives in the area is also a determining factor.  Where did you go to grade school?  Where does your grandma live?  If it's Sonoma County, your stock is rising.  Do you have cousins in the area?  Where do you play golf?  Hint:  The most expensive course is not where they all hang out.

Seriously, there is this web of society where the aristocracy is all connected.  There is a circle of names where they all tend to know each other.  They do business with each other.  It's all about keeping the money local and with the local families.

I have to give the 'club' credit for supporting local businesses and families.  If Sonoma County does not look after its own, nobody else will. 

FLUSH THE TOILET!!!!!!!!

I have a communal bathroom in my office building.  There is somebody who DOES NOT FLUSH THE TOILET.  It grosses me out.  She puts the lid down, but does not flush.

WHO DOES THAT?????  EVEN AT HOME!!!!!!!  GROSS!!!!

What, did she just forget that she just used the toilet and then forgot to flush?  It's not rocket science, people.  Flushing the toilet after use is just plain common courtesy - especially in a communal bathroom.  If you want to stare at your own body waste at home, knock yourself out.  Others don't want to have any reminder of what you did on the toilet.  At one point there was a note on the bathroom stall door that read, "FLUSH THE TOILET.  YOU'RE NOT AT HOME."

See?  I'm not the only one grossed out by this.  Sadly, the note did not do any good.  We have a non-flusher in the house and I'm going to figure out who it is and leave dog poo in front of their door.  If I have to look at theirs, they can look at mine.  

Now....onto another entirely different rant.

Names.  Here's a question that I have been pondering for sometime.

How do we get Peg or Peggy from Margaret?
How do we get Bill or Billy from William?
How do we get Betsy from Elizabeth?
How do we get Dick from Richard?

You get my drift.  I had to distract myself from the non-flusher. 

Sonoma County Septic Systems

Yes, when your crap impacts others it's your responsibility to deal with it.  Literally.  There's controversy in the western part of Sonoma County about old septic systems polluting the Russian River.  Landowners will have to do their fair share of septic upkeep.

Now the landowners are whining about it.

Clue to the clueless:  When you purchase property YOU are responsible for clearing trees and brush, painting your house, mowing your lawn, keeping your fences maintained, AND dealing with your septic system. 

If you're too dumb to figure in those expenses when purchasing the property, you should have never purchased it.  Don't come whining to me saying you need a bailout to keep up YOUR property.  I don't need any of your sh**.  Literally. 

Trump Hat: Make America Great Again

Sometimes words are just not necessary.  I can't make this stuff up, people.

Gilroy Garlic Festival

I've hung onto this for a week.  The little 6 year-old boy who was shot and killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival was the son of an industry partner.  Imagine this.  Father wakes up on a Sunday to take his kid to a family-oriented event.  Some whack job kills not only his kid, but others as well. 

Now, within a week, there have been two other shootings at public places where innocent people are just doing their thing.  What is driving all this violence? 

I can't help but notice that all three shooters were young, white males. 

.....anybody else notice????

White males are feeling isolated and threatened.  Lashing out is the response.  White males are blamed for everything that's wrong in the world.  It's the only group where racism, sexism, and discrimination is allowed and even encouraged. I'm in no way condoning the shootings, but the problem runs much deeper than the surface gun control. 

I FEEL SORRY FOR MEN.  Society has shamed them for having a penis.  They have no healthy outlets nor support.  We have shamed them for all of their natural urges and have given absolutely no direction on how to express their urges in a constructive manner.  All of that shame and anger doesn't go away.  It builds pressure over time and eventually explodes. 

Delete, Delete, Delete, Delete

Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete

....That's all I do.....all day long....hit delete...I had no idea that would be in my job description.

I so miss the days when there was an actual effort to communicate and it took effort.

Sadly, there may be a nugget of useful information buried in the thousands of emails blasted at us daily.  Finding nuggets of useful information is the modern day version of panning for gold.   Most of it is sludge and mud and an it ends up being an utter waste of time. 

Published Again

I do more than spew stupid word vomit on this blog.  I do write some things I think of are substance, and the universe agrees.  I'm happy to say that I have been published four times this year on a national, well-known forum.  My passion has always been 'pointing out the obvious to the world at large.' 

Well, all that and I'm sitting here in my jammies drinking coffee and doing laundry completely anonymous to the world....and I like it that way.

On another note, I'm heading to Minnesota to see my family and friends.  The family dynamics are complicated to say the least.  My gorgeous niece, who got knocked up by a convicted child molester who did two years of time, keeps trying to tell the rest of the family what a great guy he is.   Of course, we're not buying it.  Even serial killers have their charming moments.  The bigger question is WHY would such a lovely, beautiful, smart young lady CHOOSE somebody like that?  I can't delve into deep psychoanalysis here, but I have my suspicions.  Aside from shaking her and asking WTF are you doing, which I have done via writing, there's nothing I can do and it's frustrating to the core.  Why did not her internal warning sirens engage when she learned the truth about this guy? 

I'm feeling it in the pit of my stomach that something is going to happen between now and the holidays where something is going to be exposed and my niece is going to have to swallow her pride defending "what a great guy he is" and leave him.  The rest of the family will silently be cheering.  I have to be careful in my interactions with my niece.  When we want to guide others (some call it butting in) we deny them to do the work they need to do to learn and grow from the experience.  We deny them the soul-growth that needs to happen during this lifetime.  We just need to butt out and let things play out......even as the acid in our stomachs is making us sick. 

The Crash is Coming

Notice anything lately?  Despite what the experts are saying about our economy, houses are sitting on the market these days.  There are signs that say 'price reduced.'  A couple years ago anything that was slightly above a dilapidated dog house sold for at least $500,000.  Still, seeing the reduced price sign is of little comfort to those who earn $25 an hour.  And guess what.  There are a lot of people who earn $25 per hour.  It's still out of reach.

While the ebbs and flows of the real estate market and economy are complex, my over-simplified sense is that we are in the beginning stages of a recession.  

We are back where we were in 2008.  It's all cyclical.