The Bankruptcies to Come

 I've watched cities, both big and small, spend beyond their means for decades. Most are suffering from their foolishness, and the results terrible. Infrastructure fails, crime increases, taxes increase, the inept hire their inept families in created positions, and the schools are high dollar failed efforts to teach children that have horribly ignorant parents. 

Can they go bankrupt? Sure, and I doubt the final results are contemplated by those affected. Funds are allocated by a judge, and the creditors with the most money involved can vote for a plan that substantially reduces the amount owed, but allows some recovery of their lost revenue. Bond holders, that loaned money, when there was not enough available to pay for the rainbow bubbly, have a large amount of money involved, and will get their money. Those that supply city basic necessities also will receive their money. Pensioners? They may find they're last in line, since their payment has always only been a promise on an underfunded account. 

Regardless of the smoke and mirrors involved, bankruptcies are Federal litigation, and citizens of cities involved may find they're just collateral damage, since they are ultimately responsible for their city officials. Their ignorance becomes their sentence, and the financial punishment is severe. 

What Always Happens Next

 Some Cubans - and there are many - are protesting the treatment from their government. Their Communist leaders, who live a life of luxury on their backs, can't allow the protest, so they will use terror, murder, torture, and long confinement to punish those that dare to not allow them to forever keep their slaves. It always happens, and the world will watch in silence. The world watched in silence as the same people were starved, denied medical care, and subjugated to tyranny.

Cleaning the Coils

 About a month ago, when we had some really hot days, I noticed my AC was running more than it should. That concerned me, so I took a look at my condenser unit outside. The coils needed cleaning, so I did, and was rewarded with a more efficient unit, and the knowledge I did something that would extend the life of my air conditioner. 

The evaporator coils inside needed some cleaning, but what surprised me was the amount of pollen the filters didn't catch, and had adhered to the coils. Some of the spray cleaner available from the box stores handled the cleaning. With how accessible the coils are, I only had to spray on the cleaner, turn the AC back on, and allow the cleaner to perform its magic on its own. As the coils condensated, the cleaner, and grime, were rinsed into the drain pan. 

 Since then, I've cleaned both of my sister-in-law's units, which probably will help on their electric bills. The coils were surprisingly dirty, and over time, would have shortened the life of their units, which should last decades, if properly maintained. 

So, why am I writing this post? It's to make people aware of how a one hour job can lead to years of more use for an air conditioner. I never knew this, until my years of neglect on a unit lead to an early demise, and an expensive replacement. The task is simple, and the good cleansers are available at any HVAC wholesale store. Even if you pay a technician, the cost is a small percentage of the price of a new AC system.

TV Stuff

I can, and will, be up at different times of the night. The regular shows end, and the television hucksters abound. They smile, expound the wonderfulness of their products, and hope you will share their enthusiasm. Some of the wares are crap.

There's an airless painter that will paint a wall in hours. How do I know this? By watching the  commercial. I'm sure many won't recognize how abysmally slow the painter is, unless they've picked up a brush during their life. When you take in account the weight of the machine, someone that doesn't want to spend a decade painting their house will go buy a roller frame, some rollers, and a pan. 

Another fine product is a small circular saw that can cut up to 1/2 inch material....if you have the rest of your life to cut. Not only is it slow, it's terribly expensive for how little it can do. I'm sure there are a few thousand of these things sitting on a shelf, or sitting on a table at a yard sale. Anyone that want's to get something accomplished would have abandoned what is basically a toy a long time ago. 

My favorite is the air brush for putting on makeup. The results are spectacular, but I wonder how long the results would last in our 70% humidity. I can imagine the embarrassment when the powder starts running, and the user is out on a date.

Exercise machines make me scratch my head. They're expensive, and usually end up cluttering a room. Everyone I know that has one stopped using the machine after only a short period of time. Many can be found at garage sales, and and observation of the seller tells me that weren't really that serious about getting into shape.

There are other things: special cooking devices, air fryers, pasta machines....the list goes on. All have free shipping, if you're one of the first fifty people to make a purchase. Considering how this part of the deal is always available, I wonder if they'll ever sell their first fifty. Operators are waiting for your call...and probably bored.

Class Action

Trump is lead representative in class action suits against some tech giants. The reaction is across the board, including those clamoring to become part of the suits, and those discounting the suits as a waste of time. It's interesting, but may be a tremendous lesson in civics. 

Discovery will take time, but considering the years of censorship, Trump has a treasure trove of evidence that shows the censorship, which is legal by constitutional standards, unless the censorship can directly be shown as collusion between government officials and the tech giants. Then there's not only civil penalties, there are criminal penalties for using the color of law, or public position, to deny constitutional rights. The discovery might be more than enlightening, and if the evidence is indefensible, the smoke and mirrors of the defendants will only be more support of the suits. 

Trump has an advantage, since he filed suit in Florida, which isn't a bastion of liberal judges like in Washington D.C., and New York. Not only are the judges more conservative, the jurors are too. The path of appeals is also to his advantage. The Fifth Circuit is the federal appeals court, and it's far from liberal. with the path to the Supreme Court to his advantage, and compelling evidence to support his suits, the tech giants might find the civil penalties are more than severe. 

When you add the fact the tech giants are totally dependent on those that use their services, a large amount of people stopping to use their services will add to the financial burden of defending what could become a destructive law suit. That, and if the suit is lost, those that supported them over the years might find a financial bonus. 

This will be interesting to watch. From my perspective, the effort to silence Trump over the years proved an effort to prevent information from being available for a thoughtful vote. That's not healthy for a good society, and those involved with the subterfuge should be exposed, and punished.