Update about blogCa

I-40 picked up the old Rte. 66 somewhere along the way, maybe Little Rock, maybe Oklahoma City. But it is the 100th anniversary of Rte 66 so I enjoyed thinking about my parents driving on part Of it in. St. Louis at least. Here we continued from Santa Rosita to Gallup NM, then left both highways to go north to CO.
Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Ice in Florida and capitalism

My blog friends in Florida said the recent cold spell was a shocker. I include the following photo from Tampa which is across the bay from St. Petersburg, where my son, Marty, now lives. A grandson lives in Riverview, on the Tampa side of the bay.

https://www.comfortspringstation.com/2025/11/13/fla-november-record-breaking-lows-northern-lights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fla-november-record-breaking-lows-northern-lights

Bayshore Dr Tampa Nov 11, 2025





Marty and Barb's new home, St. Petersburg FL (Google Earth photo 2022)

-----------
And more interesting information...perhaps. At least it's not political (or is it?)

Warren Buffett gives more than other billionaires, born August 30, 1930
CNN says this Nov. 10:
New York — 

Warren Buffett, in his annual message as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway to shareholders – a tradition dating back to 1965 – said that he will be “going quiet” after he steps down at the end of this year. But the 95-year-old is not going away just yet.

Buffett will no longer write the message atop the company’s annual report, but he will continue to deliver an annual Thanksgiving message, and he will “step up” his philanthropy, giving away the $149 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock he continues to hold.

“The Oracle of Omaha” has become an investing icon, a billionaire who has cultivated a folksy image, particularly through his letters to shareholders. Although his market moves are closely followed by investors around the world, Buffett has also worked to present himself as a cheerleader for America and ordinary Americans – and for capitalism.

-----------

Do either of these topics have anything in common? I read about homeless people coping with the recent cold snap. Perhaps, the economic disparity which I wrote about earlier, should be considered more!

—————-

Robert Reich posted this Nov  14,

Last week, two things happened that may shed some light on where American capitalism is heading.

First, Tesla’s board caved in to Elon Musk’s demand that he get a pay package of $1 trillion (if he meets various goals).

Musk’s trillion-dollar pay package is so grotesque as to make a mockery of the most ardent free-market capitalists. Although his board is stuffed with cronies and relatives, he still had to hold it hostage to get his trillion — threatening that if he didn’t, his attention would wander elsewhere. Other Tesla shareholders got shafted.

Second, the voters of New York City — the capital of world capitalism — elected as their mayor a Democratic Socialist who thinks billionaires shouldn’t exist.

New York’s oligarchs spent more than $55 million trying to defeat Mamdani and get Andrew Cuomo elected instead. With Cuomo winning just under 855,000 votes, that came to about $65 per vote. Total spending for Mamdani was about $16 million. With Mamdani winning more than 1 million votes, that came to about $15 per vote.

One can’t draw vast conclusions from all this, but Musk’s bizarre pay package and Mamdani’s unlikely win together suggest that the unique form of harsh capitalism now practiced in America may be coming to an end.

No other advanced capitalist nation subjects its working families to as much fear and uncertainty over jobs, wages, health, and retirement as does America. None tolerates nearly the same inequalities of income and wealth (although some are moving in our direction). Musk’s pay and Mamdani’s victory are exhibits A and B.

Harsh American capitalism has become unsustainable, politically and economically.

The bottom 80 percent, whose paychecks haven’t kept up with inflation, have grown increasingly angry. That anger has infused both political parties with fierce antiestablishment populism and fostered deep distrust in all political institutions.

In 2016, much of the voting public went with Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump — two outsiders who at the time were neither Democrat nor Republican but who told voters what they already suspected: that the system was rigged against them. Both candidates promised fundamental change.

Unfortunately for America and the world, the corporate and Wall Street wing of the Democratic Party put an end to Sanders’s candidacy — leaving Trump to talk about the rigged market and convince voters he was on their side. In reality, he was and has remained on the side of the billionaires.

Antiestablishment populism continues to be the most powerful political force in America, within both parties.

Last Tuesday, Democratic populists prevailed. Even the so-called “moderate” Democrats who won the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey targeted utilities, AI data centers that demand huge amounts of electricity, big corporations that collude to keep rents high, and pharmaceutical middlemen that have been driving up drug prices — all populist targets.

When so much of the nation’s income and wealth moves to the top, the rest of the public doesn’t have enough purchasing power to keep the economy going.

The richest 10 percent now account for half of all spending in the United States (up from a third three decades ago). And much of that spending is based on their stock market holdings, whose value has been soaring.

But it’s a house of cards. The stock market is now dependent on a handful of highly speculative stocks — centering on AI, big tech, and crypto — that could burst at any time, bringing down both the stock market and the confidence of many who are now keeping the economy going.

Trump’s unpredictable tariffs and his tax breaks and tax loopholes for the rich have added to the fragility — causing employers to hold back from making major investments due to uncertainty, and forcing consumers to struggle with rising prices for food, energy, clothing, and other necessities.

What does this all mean?

Musk’s success in getting a trillion-dollar pay package, coupled with the failure of corporate and Wall Street titans to prevent Mamdani from becoming the next mayor of the capital of global capitalism, don’t signal a sudden end to America’s system of harsh capitalism.

Rather, the two events are signposts to where that system is likely heading — not toward a socialist revolution but to a softer form of capitalism, more in line with advanced capitalism elsewhere around the world.

In the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt saved capitalism from its excesses. His social insurance, public investments, and high taxes on the wealthy paved the way for the largest middle class the world had ever seen, in the first three decades after World War II.

But America got off that road in the 1980s and has been veering farther away from it since then. In opposite ways, both Musk and Mamdani pose the same question: Are we ready to get back on?

--------------------------

And in other news...at least on FB since I've kind of skipped local and national news lately. Oh, Disney and YouTubeTV came to a contract agreement by Saturday, and so I'll get my local Asheville/Black Mountain NC news again!

But I wanted to give the Starbucks' employees who are striking a boost...even though apparently the employees in our local shops aren't.



I had received an order of Starbucks products (free) the day before the strike began. My friend who likes to drive through and pick up a latte said the ones she frequents aren't picketing at all.

----------

Open Yesterday's Pages - about the beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway




Tuesday, March 5, 2024

And there go "race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity or sexual orientation"

 Another Facebook friend just posted how the conservatives in Florida are changing education...and she's not supporting it one bit. She changed her financial support towards the University of Florida as a result of this action:

University of Florida eliminates all DEI positions

"The University of Florida has terminated all positions associated with diversity, equity and inclusion at the school in compliance with new state regulations, according to a university memo released on Friday." 

said Anna Betts on March 2, 2024.

As another alumni of that institution, I'm also worried. It's one thing to ban books in school libraries. But this effects many minority people who are being educated, as well as the study programs about diversity, equity and inclusion.

The University of Florida’s terminations included closing the office of the chief diversity officer and halting all D.E.I. contracts with outside vendors, according to the announcement on Friday. Thirteen full-time positions were eliminated, along with administrative appointments for 15 faculty members, a spokeswoman for the university said in an email.

The university is just the latest school in the state to eliminate D.E.I. programs. Both the University of North Florida and Florida International University have already removed or started to phase out such programs..."


"Universities across the country have vastly expanded diversity programs in recent decades amid concerns over underrepresentation on campus. Supporters of D.E.I. have said that the initiatives are a good way to foster inclusion and that they help students from all backgrounds succeed on campus.

But more recently, D.E.I. efforts have become the center of a culture war and part of a fight by conservatives against “wokeism.” Critics say that the programs are discriminatory to those who may be left out in an effort to boost representation of other groups and that they aim to advance left-wing ideas about gender and race.

Under Florida’s regulation, state universities are barred from using government funds to “advocate” D.E.I. initiatives, which is defined as “any program, campus activity or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity or sexual orientation, and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.”

On Friday, the University of Florida said that it would reallocate the approximately $5 million in funds previously reported for D.E.I. expenses into a faculty recruitment fund...."

"The university added that the terminated employees will receive 12 weeks’ worth of pay. It encouraged them to apply for different positions within the school, saying they would receive “expedited consideration.”

 


Friday, January 3, 2020

Last day in Brandon FL

Saying goodbye to my grands, Will and Cayenne.  She's going back to college, he's continuing work in Temple Terrace. My other grandson, Michael, is busy working or playing computer games.

My favorite Florida sky view!

Neighbors got into decorating!

Another neighbor also decorated their yard.

We joined a bunch of other folks parking near a movie theatre.

We had already purchased our tickets...to Star Wars! I noted that the previews didn't include Little Women...what's going on? Many mothers and sisters of all the SW guys might have wanted to go to it, (like me.) I liked the movie, but came home pretty confused. Will have to watch it again sometime to straighten out who is on who's side.

I love this little Roman guy!

Here comes my son, Marty after parking the car!

We could smell the delightful popcorn, and walked right by it, saving our money!

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Happy New Year from Florida to South Carolina

I was awake after all...around midnight last night. But nobody to say happy new year to, nor to kiss, so I was asleep by the time I heard some fire works outside somewhere. And that was fine with me until the sun came up. Oh how beautiful! And I heard birds!

Moving backwards through my vacation...we shall see how this works.  I spent Mon. night at a motel in Hardeeville SC. Last post I arrived home.  Here I was still traveling on I-95 at the junction of I-16.


 For a change I did click a shot of the Savanah River through the passengers' window.

And propping the phone on the steering wheel didn't quite work to capture the "Welcome to South Carolina" sign.
That's the South Carolina flag below the stars and stripes.

 Earlier on Monday Dec 30, 2019, I came into Georgia (on I-95)

After leaving Florida of course!

 US 301 is a great alternate route diagonally across FL, but does have speed traps in some places.



An interesting church (while at a stop light) in Bushnell, FL.


Sunday, April 28, 2019

The week in Florida and getting back!

Drive to Tampa...beat the rain storm. (Thursday a week ago)
Hang out with children and grandchildren, getting ready for big event in family.
Go walking in nature. (last Friday)
 Go out to eat a lot.
 Have a dinner with lots of people I'm related to. (last Saturday, last Sunday)
 Have a wedding for my son...and a party to remember! (last Monday) (Just look at some of my previous posts!)
Throw everything back into suitcase. (last Tuesday)
Drive home, stopping for the night in a room that was designated "smoking and pets."  It was all that was available at my second stop at a motel for a room for the night. (last Tuesday and Wednesday)


 Campus of Eckerd College, St. Petersburg.

Part of the Hanging Out activities was a beach trip on Sunday.
Part was to see the new Art Building at my youngest son's college, Eckerd in St. Petersburg.
And a big part was to get in touch with family members.

Dog of my ex-daughter-in-law, Cinnamon...the little guy kept trying to get in my lap, though I kept pushing him down.  He's cute otherwise.

Tai and Will playing some kind of video game... A padded cell these days is a comfortable game room.  They played on the big screen on the other wall.

 Here Cayenne holds their other dog, who was pretty shy.


Their mom, Cinnamon, gave us a nice dinner outside on the patio since the weather was pretty cool. It was great to see her if only briefly.

A major part of my trip was about 1500 miles of driving.  I have such respect for my cousin Cynthia Rogers, who drives a big rig for Walmart all over Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. She really loves to drive!

I will too, in a few days. For now, my sit-upon is really worn out, and my feet are swollen from disuse.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

A bit of a lean to it...

From the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center: (This was a Facebook posting on Oct. 17, 2018.)
Do you know where the Shuman Inn pictured in this 1930's era postcard was located? A Star Route is a postal delivery route served by a private contractor. In 1845, new legislation allowed for mail to be carried by contractors with "celerity, certainty, and security." According to the Smithsonian's Postal Museum, rather than write those three words in their ledger over and over, postal clerks abbreviated it with three asterisks (***) and these contracted routes became known more commonly as Star Routes. Black Mountain's Star Route was served by Mrs. Annie Mae Daugherty Fortune for many years. Mrs. Fortune was a lifelong resident of Black Mountain, lived on Montreat Road, and died at the age of 49 in 1970, the same year Star Routes were renamed Highway Contract Routes.

How timely, to see a historic inn (and I don't know where it really was) with a couple of leaning looking wings to it.  They might not have been leaning really, but still were perched on the side of a mountain.  US 70 used to go over part of Lookout Mountain toward Old Fort, NC.  It now has been swallowed up (mostly) by I-40 going through the same mountain pass.  We call it Old Fort pass, but they call it Swannanoa pass I think.  It just depends upon the direction you're heading!


These pictures are in reverse order (don't ask) of my trip home to the mountains from Florida in 2012
.
I love seeing those blue distant heights after driving through Georgia and South Carolina...they say "home" to me.

This was probably Georgia, or north Florida.


Maybe crossing into Georgia


Florida has frequent rain showers...people used to slow down or stop if they couldn't see the road.  Not so much any more.

I did pull over for a while,, and loved seeing the midst through the trees to the side of the road.

It was near a place selling peaches, so may have been Georgia.

Not on the interstate, but one of the state highways of FL, in Waldo.  There's a big flea market on weekends there.
And someplace along that route going north from Tampa toward North Carolina (obviously still in Florida, look at the palms) I tilted the camera, and thus produced this slightly tilted looking church.  This is my tie-in of the trip home to the Sepia Saturday meme for this week...as shown HERE.  (More below)


I saw a rain shower about to descend.

But it didn't catch up to me until later!

The Sepia Saturday's connection which invites us to share - based on this photo.

Our Sepia Saturday theme image this week is all over the place. Well, to be quite honest, it is falling down. So if you have any old photographs in your collection that are falling down or leaning over, this is the prompt for you. Just post your post on or around Saturday 20th October 2018 and leave a link on the list below. Whilst you are waiting for the washing to dry - or for the building to fall down - take a look at what awaits you around the crooked bend.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Don't look if you hate other's vacation pics

Frequent flier miles from a dear relation, an invitation to visit re-offered a year later after a non-visit due to illness and delays last Thanksgiving, and great weather this year brought me many smiles.

That didn't mean that everyone had fair weather, because I did hear of at least one friend who's visitor didn't make it from New York for Thanksgiving.  But at least the rain in the southeast only gave our plane some qualities of a roller coaster for a while.

As anyone knows who has flown from one airport to another where you switch planes, it's a lot of the HurryUp and Wait game.



Made all my connections with minutes to spare, literally about 5 minutes on one time, but I was determined to pee before boarding so I wouldn't have to...you know.  TMI as the kids say these days.

Now where are those vacation pictures I've warned you about?

First days...


Since driving around in a big city means looking at a lot of sky, at least in FL, or just the traffic (PUL-EEZE), I was happy to see beautiful clouds showing that the cold front had already arrived (with me!)  No, I wasn't the person driving, so I got to take photos!


Next day I got to go for a walk while my son went to work.


Between palm trees and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore. (Though you know I came from North Carolina...but we don't have those trees in the mountains either)