9 things I have read this week
Winter sport season continues to be chaotic as we head into the second month of ski instructor and skating rink jobs for The Eldest and snowboarding lessons and Roller Derby for The Youngest. Add in our PWHL season tickets (and the fact that I am watching ALL the games of this inaugural season!) and we are happily busy. I have no idea why but in November I always say to the family, “we will consider X thing when we are less busy in the new year,” forgetting that we are usually slammed until The Eldest’s birthday in March. Note to self: we are never less busy in the new year.
I drove for the first time in 7 months after the horrific broken foot in June followed by two surgeries. I will admit that most of that has been laziness (and not having many places to go) combined with the snow/ice not being a great time to head out and about when you have a motor neuron disease. But it is, in fact, just like riding a bicycle (“yeah, if the bicycle weighed ton and could drive at high speeds,” The Youngest smugly pointed out. I laughed) and I look forward to getting out more. At any rate, upwards and onwards with the links:
Yes, the people who are on the lower end of income are suffering. No one is trying to say otherwise. But it’s disingenuous to claim that everything is horrible when, in fact, things are pretty good for the majority of people. I think it’s du rigeur to complain about generational divides – and algorithms certainly love it – but while there are definitely challenges, not everything is bleak. Young people are doing better financially than you think.
I know I sound like an old man who is screaming at the clouds but I remain convinced that “little treat” culture is not getting people to look at the big picture & it looks like it’s definitely helping corporations with their earnings. Little luxuries are driving consumer spending.
Having watched my friends go through caring for loved ones in the past couple of years, one thing has become abundantly clear: in the LTC environment, if you do not have someone advocating for you and checking up on you regularly, you will fall through the cracks. It absolutely terrifies me and I worry about the future – and money won’t save you, a person who cares for your wellbeing, will. Shrinking family sizes may change our experiences with aging.
“Kevin Kelly once made the point that if you want to know what lower-income groups will aspire to spend their money on in the future, look at what higher-income groups do today. European vacations were once the exclusive playground of the rich. Then they trickled down. Same with college, investing in the stock market, two-car households, lawns, walk-in closets, and six-burner stoves – what was once a luxury of the rich became standards of the masses.” A few thoughts on spending money.
“I am glad I’m getting to see the papers I mentioned at the beginning. They are shocking, but Truth is good. If they are true, I want to know. For example, if it’s true that there are IQ differences in races, then we should know, because our democracy and capitalism are not designed for that. They’re designed for a world where anybody can do anything if they only try hard enough…Apparently, TikTok is limited to 40 minutes a day in China and is focused on educational and patriotic content, while the West receives all the most addictive content without limits.” A very divisive article with some good questions: Who owns the megaphone?.
Following up to last week’s link post is this article on how to divest yourself from the feelings of others, “it’s a fool’s errand to make your sense of feeling OK dependent on knowing that everyone around you is feeling OK. Taken at face value, the information that someone is upset because you’re not doing what they wanted you to do is just that: a report on the state of their emotional weather.” Allow people their problems.
I always enjoy the things that Karsten writes because unlike some people (*cough* me) he really tackles the numbers. Here is one of two posts on whether or not bonds beat stocks (next one is out next week). But I think the mindblowing thing I learned was how Canada is the only country that historically topped the US for the safety of the 4% rule. I am sorry, WHAT? I suspect this has to do with the fact we have oligarchies that many Canadians are forced to interact with daily. I am open to all other theories, though! 🤔
“[T]hat said, something striking happened once the pandemic eased. For the first time in a decade, cash payments rose—admittedly only by 7 per cent, but bucking the longer-term trend. Why? UK Finance cites anecdotal evidence that, in a cost-of-living crisis and with inflation for a while into double figures, people were finding it easier to manage their money by paying in cash.” The end of money?
When Mr. Tucker wanted to move to the country and farm when we were newly married, a family member said to us, “yeah, well that’s just a dream, it’s not reality!” I was really upset about it and was relaying a story to a friend, sad about the lack of support. This friend turned to me and said, “yeah. That is the whole point of dreaming! To wish for something different and try and make it happen!” Naturally, we chose a different path but that friend’s comment stuck with me: it’s ok to dream! It doesn’t mean dreams can’t change. It’s ok to give up on your dreams.
Stay warm out there, kids!