Category Archives: Social Security

The Social Security Entitlement Adventure

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Old Jules | Leave a comment

What with the Congress and prez conducting a war against Social Security now in 2018, I was surprised to find this in my blog posted back during 2012. After reading through it I find my perspective hasn’t changed all that much, but my dependency on SS has. Old Jules

So Far From Heaven

Good morning readers. I’m obliged you came by for a read.

I got an email yesterday from an old acquaintance who’s carrying a serious chip on his shoulder about somebody calling the Social Security pension he lives on an ‘entitlement’. He raged on about how he paid into it fifty years, and his employers matched everything he paid. So, he says, it’s not an entitlement.

Sheeze. I wonder what else a person would call it. He’s entitled to it. What the hell is it but an entitlement?

But I think he’s concerned that because ‘entitlement’ has become a buzzword for something else he doesn’t like. Namely a whole range of government payouts to bank owners, automobile companies, multi-national corporations, all manner of people bleeding the US budget dry with bailouts and payoffs. I think he figures they might quit paying him his pension because they called it an entitlement. Putting him down…

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These youngsters and their ‘March For Our Lives’

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Old Jules | 9 comments

Russian demonstration: Quit feeding the oligarchs! I tend to favor this one over the narrow-focus, more American ones. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=demonstrations&fr=uh3_news_web_gs&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F8%2F83%2FPeaceful_daytime_demonstrations_in_Taksim_park._Events_of_June_3%252C_2013-6.jpg#id=12&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marxist.com%2Fimages%2Fstories%2Frussia%2F00-01c-10-12-11-russian-demonstrations.jpg&action=click

I suppose you have to have buzz words and jingles if you want to turn out the masses for your demonstrations. I’ll confess I’m a bit ambivalent about the anti-assault weapon frenzy and don’t believe for a minute any lives will be saved by taking them out of the hands of civilians. I wouldn’t lift a finger to support an issue I consider a meaningless gesture.

But on the other hand, it’s an inconvenient fact the same folks who rally for the 2nd Amendment and want to wave their assault rifles around also want to rape Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. And these youngsters in the streets waving signs wouldn’t lift a finger to keep them from doing it.

So what a lucky coincidence! The flood that’s going to sweep away assault rifles [I couldn’t care less about] will carry with it the people who want to rob senior citizens of their livelihood, health care, and keep them from having to live under bridges [which the anti-gun youngsters couldn’t care less about].

Just imagine it! 800 places all over the US, thousands of people in the streets inadvertently working to throw the people out of national elected office in 2018 and 2020 who want to destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicade.

March 24, 2018, March of our Lives locations in the US. People inadvertently marching and demonstrating to save Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/22/us/politics/march-for-lives-demonstrations.html

Well friends, I might just have to get me a sign and join them.

If I had to take away every assault rifle in the US to save my SS pension and Medicare, I’d be out there carrying signs pretending to believe that confiscating every assault rifle in existence would stop those school shootings.

Nobody ever demanded the two issues had to ride in the same boat, but once it happened I favor torpedoes to sink the ship and making sure any lifeboats carrying them don’t reach a safe harbor. They haven’t left any room in the equation to call themselves a loyal opposition. They are the enemy who happens to like guns and hate letting old people have a means to live.

What a lucky coincidence the same politicians who pander to gun lovers want to rob seniors of their Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Sooooo you can have my Social Security check when you pry it from my cold dead fingers,

You can have my Social Security check when you pry it from my cold dead fingers, I reckons. Me and my kiddos who want to take your guns away and incidentally protect my livelihood are going to sink your ship.

Old Jules

9 Comments

Posted in 2018, America, Current Issues, Government, Human Behavior, Politics, Senior Citizens, Social Security

Tagged anti-guns, assault rifles, march for our lives, medicare, Social Security

Disturbing insights

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Old Jules | 18 comments

This ignorant cracker entered the US Army in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis [when the Berlin Wall went up]. Given the similarities of patriotic rhetoric between countries he’d as happily taken the orders of an Adolph Hitler as John Kennedy.

Yesterday I was down at the laundromat, which was a bit crowded with the lower-end of the socioeconomic scale of Leavenworth, Kansas. But because of the time of day, most were senior citizens or younger wives with kiddos. Several old Vietnam era vets and a couple of granny-ladies.

When it’s that crowded in the place it forces people to become social instead of just staring at the clothing tumbling in their washers or dryers. And when strangers discuss anything these days it will be sports, television, politics, or Muslims, for the most part. Some of which inevitably leads to confessions of some nasty hatreds and deep biases.

I was a bit shocked when the discussion centered almost entirely on the president and the enthusiasm shared among the ones who were vocal on the subject. These people, senior citizens who obviously rely on Social Security pensions and Medicare, are still devoted and determined to to see this president and the Congress with intentions to destroy their Medicare and Social Security remain in office. Increase their power.

I’ll confess to have been quietly dumbfounded. They sneered at the class of people who are openly critical or have doubts about the prez and the Congress that’s likely to put them out on the streets cold an hungry. And the old vets were noisy about the opposition being expressed in some quarters to a proposed military parade somewhere. Which I couldn’t care less about one way or the other.

But I’ve digressed somewhat. All that got me remembering, wondering just what sort of people we veterans are, on the whole. Obviously we aren’t deep thinkers. And while many spout patriotic rhetoric and indignation, as nearly as I can tell most have remained the ignorant crackers most of us were back when we entered the military 50 years or so ago.

But what’s more disturbing than our lack of growth and acquired wisdom over the decades, is the fact so many of us evidently are using our stupidity as a launchpad for active participation in the political process.

To demolish our own livelihood.

Figure that one out.

Old Jules

18 Comments

Posted in 2018, America, Christians, Education, Government, patriotism, religion, Senior Citizens, Social Security

Tagged ignorance, medicare, patriotism, politics, relligion, Social Security

Worth losing Medicare and Social Security to Make America Great?

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Old Jules | 15 comments

I confess I don’t understand the logic, but around here eavesdropping on conversations between folks of SS pension age, they think losing their SS pension is going to be just ducky.

Not to say they’re mentioning Social Security, or Medicare, or Medicaid. But they’re obviously receiving it, and they’re tickled pea green with the politicians who have every intention of taking away that part of their livelihood.

They love this man in the White House now and considered the State of the Union message ‘inspirational’. Not one dissenting comment I’ve overheard yet.

Well, heck. As a man who relies on Social Security for my only source of income, and on Medicare for a substantial piece of my medications, I’d just like to say, I don’t think America is likely to become great by causing greater hardship for anyone at all in the population. And I’m a bit appalled to see so many people expressing their glee that a bunch of wealthy politicians of both parties are going forward with deliberate plans to do precisely that.

Fact is, if there was ever anything to admire about this country it was the claim that as a people we wanted to make life better for everyone among us.

And in my opinion only human scum would take any joy out of trying to make it worse for any of us.

Old Jules

15 Comments

Posted in 2018, America, Government, Senior Citizens, Social Security

Tagged medicare, pensions, Social Security, SS

Those Christmas stockings

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Old Jules | 2 comments

Hi readers. Thanks for coming by.

I was just reminded when I went outdoors to see if my car would start that the most appreciated Christmas gifts I’ve ever given anyone came in 2017. Neck warmers.

I bought a dozen calf-length tube socks off EBay, and 20 pounds of rice. Filled all those stockings with rice and tied off the ends. These places we’re living tend to be cold partly because we each pay our own electric bills and we’re mostly on severely limited incomes. But the houses are old, too, and just trying to get it ‘warm’ by most measures might well be doomed to failure.

But I’ve digressed.

For Christmas I made a big meatloaf and laid out a spread out in the lobby for a number of the old vets living around here who didn’t have anyone nor anywhere to go. And for each of them, and several others, I made ‘Christmas stockings’. Neck warmers. Put those stockings into the microwave for 3.5 minutes and drape it around your shoulders and it will drive away your fears of the future for an hour or more.

But when I went outdoors, I was going to say before history broke in with all its matter-of-fact was, here came one of those old guys walking toward the office with his Christmas stocking between his Yukon cap and his coat collar.

“Managing to keep that neck from freezing and falling off?” I couldn’t help grinning.

“It ain’t my neck I’m worried about! It’s my brass monkey.”

Gave me a warm red glow without even having to put mine in the microwave.

Thanks for the visit.

Old Jules

2 Comments

Posted in 2018, America, Government, Human Behavior, Leavenworth, Senior Citizens, Social Security, VA campus

Tagged Christmas stockings, Neck warmers, seniors, VA, veterans, vets, warmth, weather

Pension Pioneers – Living the Social Security adventure

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Old Jules | Leave a comment

Some of you might find this brand spanking new Facebook group interesting, amusing, edifying, or boring as hell with no mitigating and no otherwise redeeming qualities.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/416502788479344/

Jack Purcell

The conspiracy theory of mechanical advantage

Posted on July 25, 2013 by mandala56 | 7 comments

Hi readers.

I’m here to breathlessly tell you Paul Revere-like about a matter you might need to be aware of if you’re ever the target of God’s punishment. Physicists, Rosicrucians, Illuminati, unreconstructed NAZIs, Zion Elders and other conspirators will try to convince you mechanical advantage is mere physics. They lie. It’s done to lure you into a false sense of uncertainty.

Mechanical advantage isn’t about moment, arm, fulcrums and all that other crap they try to fill your head with when you’re vulnerably youthful and open to big headedness. Mechanical advantage is about heavy breathing, taking a lot of breaks and not giving yourself a damned coronary.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t rock a 5000 pound RV sitting on the ground with the wheels blocked and the emergency brake on, rock that mama with a long-enough cheater on a lug-bar. You can practically roll the SOB over the blocks.

But also don’t be gullible enough to believe you can’t eventually break the lug nuts crack CRACK CRACK. Eventually far enough so’s you can turn them with a T Bar. No matter what those people with their fancy impact tools thought when they put those tires on.

It ain’t about mechanical advantage, though. It’s about taking a lot of breathers, not getting into any heart-stopping hurries. It’s also about getting them loose enough so’s when that 5000 pounds is poised atop a 2-ton hydraulic jack with a 1-inch diameter knurled coin atop it, you don’t tip it over when you loosen the nuts the rest of the way.

Which is the next step in this conspiracy theory. During that step I recommend the mantra, “Ahtay Malkuth Vegeverah Vegedula Layohhlum!” [Four-two breathing if you can manage it]

Being punished by God can be a growth experience if a person holds his mouth right and he’s careful which God he’s going to allow to do the punishing.

Old Jules

7 Comments

Posted in 2013, Education, Science, Social Security, Spirituality

Searching for The Lost Granfalloons* – Mine

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Old Jules | 10 comments

FAST-GROWING SUNSPOT: Barely visible when the weekend began, sunspot AR1619 has blossomed into a large active region more than three times as wide as Earth. So far the growing sunspot has not produced any significant flares, but the quiet is unlikely to continue if its expansion continues apace. Fast-changing magnetic fields on the sun have a tendency to reconnect and erupt. NOAA forecasters estimate a 20% chance of M-class solar flares during the next 24 hours. http://spaceweather.com/

Good morning readers. Thanks for coming by for a read this morning.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably been watching SS 1619 and wondering what the hell is going on with Old Sol. Likely you’re wondering, as I am, why he persists in blessing us with all those weird smiley faces with Errol Flynn mustaches. Wondering what he’s got up his sleeve.

I have the advantage on most of you because I’ve been messing around with rare earth magnets, glueing them behind cabinet doors in the RV to keep them closed. So rapidly changing magnetic fields are fresh on my mind, along with the wrinkled, crispy fingertips acquired by fastening them in place with super glue.

Which has created a loose granfalloon Old Sol and I both belong to.

But I’m what most people would call a real cool guy, full of compassion and sensitivity for all you who aren’t in a granfalloon with Old Sol right now. So I’m not going to arouse your fears and spoil your Thanksgiving holidays by telling you what he might have up his sleeve.

One of the shortcomings, in fact, with granfalloons is that it might be anything, anyway. Your guess is as good as mine.

But I’ve digressed. My main purpose in posting today is to tell you about some other granfalloons of my past are cropping up hither thither and yon in my sinookas**. For reasons I dassn’t speculate about, a good many of them involve a search I used to do for a lost gold mine. Strangers from hell to breakfast are sending me emails wanting to talk to me about it, hinting around that, though they haven’t been within a thousand miles of that country, they know where it is. Or might be.

Some granfalloons just don’t let go once they get their teeth locked into your leg.

So maybe all this busy, busy, busy*** going on around here right now is about me going out and searching for the Lost Granfalloons – Mine.

Not that I plan to bank any money on it. I’m spang out of money until my SS pension check arrives.

Old Jules

* granfalloon – a false karass; i.e., a group of people who imagine they have a connection that does not really exist. An example is “Hoosiers“; Hoosiers are people from Indiana, and Hoosiers have no true spiritual destiny in common, so they really share little more than a name. Another example is a Cornellian, a student or graduate of Cornell University.

**sinookas – the tendrils of one’s life.

***Busy, busy, busy” – what a Bokononist whispers whenever he thinks about how complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is.

10 Comments

Posted in 2012, Adventure, Astronomy, Human Behavior, New Mexico, NM, Prospecting, Relationships, Science, Senior Citizens, Social Security

Tagged Astronomy, Bokononism, community, culture, granfalloons, Human Behavior, humor, Life, lifestyle, New Mexico, other, personal, philosophy, Relationships, religion, senior citizens, society, sociology

Stick’em Up

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Old Jules | 42 comments

My favorite manip of one of Jeanne’s art pieces

Hi readers.

The email forwards are telling me you fine, upstanding citizens are giving serious thought to electing a vice-king who’s committed to robbing me of the only financial resource I’ve got: my Social Security pension check. Paid in by me longer than most of you’ve been alive, by me and matched by those paying me.

Hokay. For myself, I honestly don’t give much of a damn. I’ve lived long enough and hard enough to be confident I can survive as long as I need to. It ain’t a big deal in that regard.

But I’ve got four cats here depending on me to buy food for them. Cats I value higher than I value the lives of the multitudes of folks who are venal enough, stingy enough, or indifferent enough to tacitly or actively select candidates who don’t give a damn about my cats.

All over this country there are people in similar circumstances, probably placing a higher value on the continuation of their own lives than I do, depending on those SS checks monthly to pay the rent, the mortgage, buy food for themselves. People who paid in, and their employers paid in on the promise there’d be an eventual return when the cows all came home.

Those people grew up in a different time with an entirely different set of values than exist today. They aren’t as accustomed being pushed around and bullied as the folks who’d help rob them might wish.

I don’t know how they’ll react if you rob them. I don’t even know how I’ll personally react. But I will tell you this:

Back me into a corner and take away my livelihood, force me to kill my cats as an alternative to having them starve, and a different man will come out the other end. A man who has not a damned thing to lose other than his life, which there probably ain’t a lot left of anyway.

So do whatever you damned well please, vote in whatever greedy animal you wish to do your robbing chores. But keep in mind there’s a piece of the population out there you’re deliberately and calculatedly choosing to back into corners without gaining a damned thing for yourselves except smug satisfaction.

And the folks you plan on doing it to are tougher than you, smarter than you, potentially one-hell-of-a-lot meaner than you, and almost certainly won’t take kindly to being mugged.

You don’t have the imagination to care, but life has a way of providing what the imagination doesn’t supply.

Old Jules

42 Comments

Posted in 2012, Communication, Government, Human Behavior, Senior Citizens, Social Security, Survival

Tagged animals, country life, culture, economy, elderly, home, Human Behavior, humor, Life, lifestyle, politics, psychology, senior citizens, Social Security, society, sociology, survival

Category Archives: Social Security

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So Far From Heaven

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