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How Americans turned flying into a cesspool​

On my last trip back from Mexico City in 2020, a passenger pulled what is now known in some circles as “a Kennedy”.

Sitting in the first row of first class on a US airline was an American man, dressed in a button down, slacks and loafers, who took his seat by the window and immediately proceeded to remove his shoes. Then he reclined, shoving his spectacularly dirty toes onto the wall in front of him.

An air hostess kindly asked him to put his seat up until we were in the air. He sat up … before reclining again several minutes later when she looked away.

More:

 
^^^
Everything is broken. Planes coming apart...fellow passengers, idiots and pigs and loons.

Been on the Interstate, lately? Thanks to Woke state DMVs, issuing CDLs to "migrants" named Insert Name Here...truck drivers, the Left's favorite New Truckers, are running cars off the road. And/or diddling with their StupePhones, and crashing into cars at posted speeds. Florida and Iowa and California. Dashcam videos are out there.

Other drivers are spaced out...due to brain-swelling due to 99-Percent-Effective, or due to drugs, I don't know. The reality is THEY ARE DRIVING LIKE, ACTING LIKE, MORONS. And morons frequently come to a moron's end. And often take others with them. Like your family, your car.

Hey, how about Amtrash. I used to ride it, when in uniform - back then (no longer) tickets for active-duty were 50-percent reduced. I preferred it...easier to get drunk unnoticed on a train than on a plane. Cleanliness was hit-and-miss in Coach; I only took a sleeper once. It was pretty-mean accommodation, but it was clean.

That was then. This is thirty years later. A retired couple posted a video of an Amtrak trip they took, including a full roomette sleeper (with private bath) and it was absolutely horrible. No one had dumped the waste tank, and it was full. So toilets didn't work and someone piddled in their commode before they were placed in it. It of course was unwashed, stank of stale urine, and they had to go two cars up to public restrooms. Older members here know what a nuisance that is for older gents, nights.

The bedding was dingy and they suspected, not freshly washed. They didn't discuss it, but I KNOW - from having interviewed with Amtrash - their WHOLE MANAGEMENT up and down, is mine-ore-itty. They'll hire an Ethopian - FROM Ethopia - before a white male. I was passed over three times, with a near-perfect work record, in favor of some thug off the streets of Compton, fired from Union Pacific. Showed up for the interview in Air Jordans and a tank tee shirt, trousers at half-mast.

So, the coach "cleaners" are, of course, the Left's favorite pigmentation. Most of the passengers are either European visitors or retired yuckky white-bread types.

So there's no interest in keeping things clean or punishing cleaners who don't do their jobs. To say NOTHING of Amsmash "engineers" who somehow keep on making goofs - moar often than the more-whitely engineers on the host railroads, BNSF or UP or the Eastern lines.

Bottom line is, I wouldn't spend the money to travel on Amtrak, either.

Greyhound? That was NEVER pleasant. I don't know what the Jab policy was of the hound-dog lines, but I don't want my bus driver to Died Suddenly at 75 mph. Even so...you want to be seated next to some Instant Democrat jabbering what his jabber is, with his bedbugs and body lice? Go Greyhound.

My answer is, STAY HOME. Until we're past this hellacious Fourth Turning. Traveling is no longer fun. Going elsewhere, is no longer fun. You're likely to be killed or set on fire, nearly anywhere, now.

If you have to go, I'd take my car - and stick to secondary roads. Take camping gear. Pretend it's 1935.
 
Casey Jones said:
fellow passengers, idiots and pigs and loons.
Click to expand...

Casey Jones said:
And/or diddling with their StupePhones, and crashing into cars at posted speeds
Click to expand...

Casey Jones said:
The reality is THEY ARE DRIVING LIKE, ACTING LIKE, MORONS.
Click to expand...

Casey Jones said:
Hey, how about Amtrash
Click to expand...

Casey Jones said:
Older members here know what a nuisance that is for older gents, nights.
Click to expand...

Casey Jones said:
Instant Democrat jabbering what his jabber is, with his bedbugs and body lice?
Click to expand...

Good stuff, made me smile and laugh. Write your book. 🍺
 
nickndfl said:
Those hotel kiosks are all over Florida. They are at all the haji hotels and the customer service sucks.
Click to expand...
Tourism is dead.

It didn't exist 150 years ago - there wasn't the economic base to support it. It didn't exist 90 years ago, during the Federal-Reserve Depression. What there was of a nascent new industry, pleasure-travel, died off. The travel that was, was of the tin-can-tourist type. Of the 'bos'-hopping-freight type.

Now, as we come to the dark side of this money-printing party...this sort of lifestyle is collapsing. This is just its flailing struggle to continue. That won't last - just as there isn't money to pay cashiers decent wages, there won't be money to maintain this incredibly-complex communications network. Or, access to it will suddenly explode in cost. Like electricity rates in areas with AI data-centers.
 
Casey Jones said:
^^^
Everything is broken. Planes coming apart...fellow passengers, idiots and pigs and loons.

Been on the Interstate, lately? Thanks to Woke state DMVs, issuing CDLs to "migrants" named Insert Name Here...truck drivers, the Left's favorite New Truckers, are running cars off the road. And/or diddling with their StupePhones, and crashing into cars at posted speeds. Florida and Iowa and California. Dashcam videos are out there.

Other drivers are spaced out...due to brain-swelling due to 99-Percent-Effective, or due to drugs, I don't know. The reality is THEY ARE DRIVING LIKE, ACTING LIKE, MORONS. And morons frequently come to a moron's end. And often take others with them. Like your family, your car.

Hey, how about Amtrash. I used to ride it, when in uniform - back then (no longer) tickets for active-duty were 50-percent reduced. I preferred it...easier to get drunk unnoticed on a train than on a plane. Cleanliness was hit-and-miss in Coach; I only took a sleeper once. It was pretty-mean accommodation, but it was clean.

That was then. This is thirty years later. A retired couple posted a video of an Amtrak trip they took, including a full roomette sleeper (with private bath) and it was absolutely horrible. No one had dumped the waste tank, and it was full. So toilets didn't work and someone piddled in their commode before they were placed in it. It of course was unwashed, stank of stale urine, and they had to go two cars up to public restrooms. Older members here know what a nuisance that is for older gents, nights.

The bedding was dingy and they suspected, not freshly washed. They didn't discuss it, but I KNOW - from having interviewed with Amtrash - their WHOLE MANAGEMENT up and down, is mine-ore-itty. They'll hire an Ethopian - FROM Ethopia - before a white male. I was passed over three times, with a near-perfect work record, in favor of some thug off the streets of Compton, fired from Union Pacific. Showed up for the interview in Air Jordans and a tank tee shirt, trousers at half-mast.

So, the coach "cleaners" are, of course, the Left's favorite pigmentation. Most of the passengers are either European visitors or retired yuckky white-bread types.

So there's no interest in keeping things clean or punishing cleaners who don't do their jobs. To say NOTHING of Amsmash "engineers" who somehow keep on making goofs - moar often than the more-whitely engineers on the host railroads, BNSF or UP or the Eastern lines.

Bottom line is, I wouldn't spend the money to travel on Amtrak, either.

Greyhound? That was NEVER pleasant. I don't know what the Jab policy was of the hound-dog lines, but I don't want my bus driver to Died Suddenly at 75 mph. Even so...you want to be seated next to some Instant Democrat jabbering what his jabber is, with his bedbugs and body lice? Go Greyhound.

My answer is, STAY HOME. Until we're past this hellacious Fourth Turning. Traveling is no longer fun. Going elsewhere, is no longer fun. You're likely to be killed or set on fire, nearly anywhere, now.

If you have to go, I'd take my car - and stick to secondary roads. Take camping gear. Pretend it's 1935.
Click to expand...


Wife and I let our passports and Global Entry cards expire. Air travel was no longer enjoyable after 9-11, but the scamdemic really put a lid on it. We're done flying. For good. We've traveled and had our fun. All one has to do is look around at the unwashed masses to see that our society is circling the drain. The small, rural town we live near isn't bad yet, but it is quite conservative, and the shit-kicker Sherrif's deputies aren't about to let the minorities act up. Nearly everyone carries concealed, including some little old ladies who would really surprise you.

When we decide we can no longer take care of this place, we will sell it and buy a house in town in the small village I grew up in. It's tiny, quaint and time seems to have passed it by and forgotten it. It's 98% White which means that crime is virtually unheard of. Good trout streams abound. There is no fast food. Population seems to remain steady at 1,500 with an average age of 57.

ligonier1.jpg
 
ritholtz.com

10 Datapoints for Thanksgiving - The Big Picture

It’s that time of year again when families gather to feast on bountiful harvests and to give thanks for all of our blessings. This year, skip the “Vibes” and instead focus on market data. Don’t lose sight of nuances and shades of grey; they don’t make for great memes, but they do lead to a…Read More
ritholtz.com ritholtz.com
 

REVEALED: Mark Levin's Stepson Is Causing HUGE Problems At The State Dept.​

Nov 27, 2025
David Milstein, top adviser to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, has outsized control over the State Department, seemingly on behalf of Israel . Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss on The Young Turks. Do you agree with TYT's take? Tell us what you think in the comments below.


19:14
 
Nothing to see, can listen in one tab, play around the forum in a different tab.

Stop Leaving Your Money to People Who Hate You: Doug Casey and Johann Kurtz​

Nov 28, 2025 Doug Casey's Take
Johann Kurtz on 'Leaving a Legacy': Vital Insights into Multigenerational Wealth and Family Dynasties
Join us for an enlightening conversation with Johann Kurtz, author of 'Leaving a Legacy: Inheritance, Charity, and Thousand-Year Families.' Johann discusses the thought-provoking questions that spurred the creation of his book, focusing on the moral, philosophical, and practical reasons for preserving family wealth across generations. He delves into the societal impacts of disinheriting children, the importance of instilling values and responsibility in wealthy heirs, and the pivotal role of family legacies. Learn how ancient traditions, stewardship, and family identity can shape the future of dynastic wealth. Don't miss this episode for a deep dive into preserving family heritage and creating lasting impact.
Chapters / time stamp can be found below the vid on youtube.


1:14:21
 
^^^ It can easily make sense. They cut a deal. First, what is the value in keeping a former politician in prison for 45 years? Secondly, what is the value that he can provide by cooperating? If the second outweighs the first, it makes perfect sense at the political level.
 
Rolling Stone opinion piece, take it fwiw and dyodd.

Blood in the Streets Is Not a Partisan Problem​

On a Friday afternoon in October, I got off the Metro at Waterfront Station in Washington, D.C. As in many of the subway stations in the nation's capital, one typically exits via a long escalator, and as I rose toward the daylight, a National Guard squad was waiting at the top. A sergeant signaled to me urgently.

"Sir, there's an active shooter in the area," the young man said, his languid Appalachian drawl only partly concealing his agitation. Pointing to a Safeway nearby, he said, "We advise you to shelter in place at that store until local law enforcement gives us the all-clear."

After more than two decades of working in war zones, first as a Marine and then as a journalist, I'm not accustomed to running away from the sound of the guns. I asked the Guardsman how many shots he'd heard, and from which direction. He had not heard anything himself, he said; they had received a report of a shooting over the radio. So in what neighborhood, generally, was the shooting? The sergeant didn't have any further details.

More:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/b...partisan-problem/ar-AA1RojqK?ocid=socialshare
 

About 20,000 Philadelphians don’t have work retirement plans. This bill would ask voters to create a city-run plan​

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia City Council committee advanced a bill that would ask voters to create a city-run retirement plan for workers who don’t already have one through their employer.

Employers are not required to offer retirement plans, and many small businesses simply can’t afford to. And, while workers could explore options on their own, many simply don’t have the bandwidth. As a result, more than one-quarter of Philadelphia’s workforce is entirely reliant on social security, a pathway to poverty for many.

More:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/ret...-a-city-run-plan/ar-AA1RoGJ5?ocid=socialshare
 
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