A Starting Over at 60 Blog
Raise your hand if you’re tired. C’mon, don’t be shy. Are you sick and tired? Angry and fatigued? Disgusted and exhausted? Bone weary and worried? I’m all of them. Here are a few things on my list.
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. Remember the old days when they actually tasted good? One bite and peanut butter flavor exploded on the taste buds. The delicate chocolate oozed from the slightest touch of warm fingers. Not anymore. They now taste like cellophane— flat and chemical. You could leave it in a 100-degree car for days and they would not melt, remaining intact like a hockey puck. The taste difference is more than nostalgia. The company “modified” its recipe to cheaper and more “shelf stable” (I.e. artificial) ingredients. Brad Reese, grandson of the inventor, has complained bitterly about the difference. Hershey responded that no changes have been made to the recipe. And yet, they announced last spring that they will return to using real peanut butter and chocolate. Gasp! I guess the vegetable-shortening and chocolate flavor didn’t taste like a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup after all.
2. Jeff Bezos. After spending $50 mil on his wedding to former Lauren Sanchez now robot, Botoxed Barbie Bezos, Jeff wants us to lay off. “Stop vilifying rich people,” he has cried, while sitting aboard his $500 million yacht complete with helipad and a dancing robot, by which I mean his wife. The man spent more on his wedding than charity. He has a reputation for being a ruthless manager, telling employees work is more important than family, or something like that. Apparently he pays enough taxes too. Bezos pays .98% in taxes compared to the 8.1% of an American family of four earning $75,000. This isn’t apples to apples, however. Bezos hasn’t reported taxes in actual earnings since 2018, when he paid around 23% leaving him with approximately $775 million, barely enough to cover his bills. Alas.
3. While we’re on narcissists… Elon Musk. This election-rigging, child-support-dodging sycophant sits atop one of the most over-hyped bubbles in history. He too earns little, having to borrow against his stock holdings to survive. Thank goodness this loan isn’t considered income or he’d be destitute. Without the need to fight for his own survival, he has plenty of time to imagine living on mars with AI bots managing his needs— ewwww! At least they can’t get pregnant, yet. Musk does want to repopulate America in his likeness.
4. Farmers. If I hear one more Trump-voting farmer complaining about the prez’s betrayal, I’ll choke on my organic kale salad ( really yummy with cranberries, butternut squash and maple salad dressing). I guess Trump didn’t keep his promises for America-first growth and rejuvenation. Instead, he tariffed our farmers out of jobs. We used to be the biggest exporter of soybeans to China. No more. Many other crops have gone elsewhere too. This is what happens when tariffs are put in place— other countries go around us to establish new markets. Meanwhile, our farmers can’t afford the tariff-driven cost increases and go out of business.
5. Crunchy Maha Moms. My niece works in the NICU, caring for micro-preemies and sick babies. Maha moms now refuse vitamin K shots for their preemies. This prevents dangerous internal bleeding. Several babies have died because of it. It’s god’s will, alas.
These same crunchies, with the anti-vax fervor of a goat in heat, have now caused the largest measles outbreak in 35 years. Occurrence rates and deaths are greater in Southern states. I guess losing a child to a preventable disease that destroys the immune system rather than build it up is worth the misinformation. Bless their hearts.
Seriously, the death of any child is horrible. The death of a child who could have lived by receiving one simple shot— this is negligence.
6. Zombies. Strike that. I meant Mitch McConnell and other geezers still in Congress, no matter the party. As an anti-ageism advocate, I support people working if they want to and can. This, however, doesn’t mean propping a skeleton decoration in a chair and calling it productivity. Congresspeople on life support should not continue working.
7. Diapers. Of the adult kind. Incontinence is real. Just ask any post child-bearing or aging woman. When a prez needs a love-note leaving diaper attaché at all times because he poops himself continually— his eye-watering stench has been well documented— is a whole other matter. If he had a medical condition, I may have sympathy. But read the Epstein files— remember these documents?— and you’ll find plenty of reasons for his problem. At the recent Republican convention, grown men wore diapers and no pants to show solidarity. Is this a scene from Idiocracy or a cult documentary? It’s hard to tell.
8. Religion. Believe in any god or goddess you want, but don’t expect me to follow your viewpoint. Moreover, please acknowledge that your individualized beliefs aren’t universal and, therefore, shouldn’t stand as a basis for government policy. Thank you very much.
And, if a church makes so much money that it can buy enormous business complexes and huge swaths of land, it’s a big business, not a mission doing good works for the poor. They need to pay taxes. And keep their ideas to themselves.
9. Tech bros and billionaires. Great wealth, as I’ve written about before, and supported with many studies, creates assholes. Most Americans are clueless about how much $100 million, $500 million and $1 billion are, nevermind the inconceivable $1 trillion. No human needs this much money, especially when we have social problems that can be eradicated with their support. They did not earn the money on their own. I’m astonished when poor people and the middle class argue this point. Tell that to the Amazon driver who earns minimum wage and pees in a bottle to make all required stops in a 14-hour day. Meanwhile, Musk, Bezos and the like play with their expensive toys and plan to overthrow democracy as we know it. Such useful humanitarian work, eh? With great wealth comes great responsibility. The original word from the Sword of Damocles was “power” rather than wealth. Since wealth creates power, it’s one and the same. Wealth should lead to greater responsibility and more humanitarian efforts. After all, this is expected of those who earn far less. Why should the uber rich get a pass?
Want to learn more, watch this video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdEbRTskzz_/?stkn=MTlubmM1eG5mbDV4OQ==
10. Unlivable wages. Expanding on this point, pay people a living wage. Most Walmart employees are on food stamps. Amazon employees sleep in cars. Is it really so hard for a CEO to earn a few million dollars less? In a recent Congressional hearing on rising costs and livable wages, JP Morgan Chase CEO Dimon, who makes $31 million a year, had no guidance for a bank teller making net $27,000-ish with one child living in California. Each month, she was almost $1,000 behind in expenses— that is, if she had a car requiring insurance and upkeep and also needed before and after school care for her young child. Look for the interview. You’ll be shocked with Dimon’s “I don’t know” answers. I have an idea! Maybe Dimon and the c-suite can earn a few million less and pay their bottom-line workers more. Don’t tell me companies can’t afford it: profits are higher than ever. It’s common sense, people!
11. Social media run amok. I dare you. Give me one benefit of social medial other than a cache for pictures, recipes and interesting articles. Social media has become a misinformation machine. I find myself less interested in it as time passes. I use it for business and then move on. Want to connect, give me a call. We need human connection again.
12. Healthcare. My healthcare premiums went up 300% when Congress refused to continue subsidies for the ACA plans. Did I get better insurance? No. Did more of my care get covered? No. While Congress gets free healthcare from our tax dollars, for-profit healthcare companies raise premiums, limit coverage and reject claims. No health insurance company should be for profit, but they are thanks to Reagan. Now, profit motive drives decision-making rather than the patient’s need or doctor’s recommendation. They are also self-dealing monopolies, controlling drug prices, distribution, and coverage. All checks and balances are gone. This was all supposed to make health care less expensive. The opposite has occurred, with prices rising each year, especially in Red states like Texas. More people no longer have healthcare, and prices continue to rise. This is what happens when profits come before people.
13. Blue state taxes. Blue states are overwhelmingly supporting the needs of red states, which have historically low taxes. New Jersey alone contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the Federal government for redistribution to the schools, civil services and other needs of Red states. Blue states need to stop. It’s time for red states to pick up their own burden.
14. Bailing out industry over people. Our government continually infuses corporations with money— sending hundreds of millions to Space X, for example. And yet, we cannot feed starving children or provide schools with support for IEP programs. Where is our moral compass? I can tell you where: in the belly of big business.
15. Parasites. By this, I mean not only the dead worm in RFK’s brain but also his anti-medicine, anti-education approach to science, choosing rumor over peer-reviewed studies. Couple this with his “make America healthy again” deregulation of water quality, food inspection and lack of transparency over food-borne illnesses and diseases and we have a country of people sicker than ever. I’m waiting for LBSB— Let’s Bring Science Back.
16. Reading levels. I just wrote a book that requires a 12th grade reading level. This means most Americans can’t read it. American literacy rates are the lowest in decades. Fifty-four percent of American adults read below a sixth-grade reading level. This is terrifying. The primary causes? Increasing poverty, especially intergenerational poverty— but wait, isn’t America better than ever; educational disparities, meaning the more money people have, the better the education they receive; and a significant decline in recreational reading due to technology. How great that we have technology to read for us so we can become illiterate with nothing to do.
17. AI. I support AI when it is used to enhance human capabilities and productivity. This is not what’s happening in the U.S. Companies are racing to eliminate jobs in favor of AI automation. In a the next few years, most humans may have no jobs and nothing to do. What will this do? Look at the effects of manufacturing and outsourcing. Entire towns and communities died leading to extreme poverty, drug abuse and mental health crises. Don’t believe Ted Cruz when he says we have to do this before China. In addition to the European Union, China has put controls in place to prevent humans from loosing jobs to AI. China is more innovative and protective than we are. Only America refuses to put controls on AI so that humans, their jobs and day-to-day purposes remain,
18. Old white men. Guys- you still have more jobs, more management-level jobs, and more C-suite and CEO positions than any other demographic. You also earn more too. Look at the facts, please.
19. Young white men, known as Incels. Refer to number 18 for facts. Also, please note that you’re getting into colleges at lower rates because your performance is lower. This is what’s happening with the end of DEI. Without quotas which held spaces for you, universities are using merit alone. Guess who has more merit? Women and minorities. They are outperforming white men academically on standardized tests and college admissions. Facts, bro. Finally, perhaps women don’t want to date you because your viewpoints are vile. Why would a woman date a man who refuses to bathe his own stinky parts for fear of being gay and who thinks she shouldn’t go to school, shouldn’t vote and only have babies?
20. Political inaction. If ever there was a time to get involved politically, it’s now. Don’t tell me your vote doesn’t count. It does. The MAGAs want you not to vote so they can keep their authoritarian, oligarchy in place. Remain inactive, and you, my friend, have handed our nation to fascists. The End.
What’s on your list? please share.
I would love to hear from you, even if, especially if, you disagree. Perhaps we can bring back the American tradition of debate. Please like and share this blog with others. Subscribe to receive it by email and go directly to the Walk the Moon website (www.walk-the-moon.com) to peruse the full collection of articles and updates. You can email me from the Walk the Moon website as well.