The Seeds we Sow

While this blog often shies away from political comment (well most of the time anyway), with everyone and their mother jumping on the immigration bashing band wagon, I just can't help myself.

One of the things our politicians have a hard time with is the law of unintended consequences. Every few years, and usually during an election cycle, our politicians decide that the minimum wage needs another boost. This is a great warm and fuzzy designed to curry favor with the electorate ... never mind that when it all shakes out, our free market system will level the playing field and in a few years and all the 'feel good' wears off.

OK ... now fast forward. ... Some industries compete in the world market(for example we now get much of our fruit and vegetables from Mexico). In order to compete, or to meet the demands and expectations of the American consumer, many industries must either automate or find a workforce willing to work harder and at competitive wages ... Note: not necessarily below minimum wage.

Years ago, my own children would sometimes pick strawberries during the summer for extra money. Since they were paid by the number of flats they picked, their earnings were predicated on how hard they were willing to work ... They had to work really hard to make any money. .... as soon as they were old enough, McDonald and Taco Bell became the employer of choice. Soon the growers in our area could no longer count on Youth Movement to get their crops in.

Migrant seasonal workers (most undocumented) quickly and happily took up the slack.

With the Government artificially managing the price of labor, The Law of Unintended Consequences took over and created vacuum that Mexican laborers were only too happy to fill.

So there you have it ... we now have 10 - 15 million immigrant workers in America because politicians like to feel good

..... Boomer


The Boomer By-line

Sidewalk Art to an Uber Level

A bit self serving since this is an article on my other Blog .... but it's worth a look



McCoy USA: Must See Sidewalk Art

From Sea to Shining Sea

This is me at Huegonot State Park ... see article below

As a result of some unfortunate health issues, I was forced to retire almost five years ago (at a very young age, I might add). About retirement, I often hear people say something like this: "Boy, I won't ever retire, I can't see myself sitting in a rocking chair wasting my life away. No sir, I'm going to work until I die!" To those folks I say ... ARE YOU NUTS?

Now I have to admit that it took my system about a year to get used to not working ... You know, waking up at 5:30 AM, always thinking that I had a meeting to go to, that kind of stuff. But once I convinced my internal clock that it was perfecting OK to sleep in to 8:00 or even 9:00 everything fell into place. Now I don't have to worry about being anyplace at a certain time or calling someone at specific time .... Hey, I'm retired. Well, that's not exactly true, I'm pretty certain that my doctors wouldn't be too exited about my newly acquired sense of freedom when I miss my doctors appointment with ... Hey, I'm retired. But all in all, this retirement thing is pretty good. And for all of you who insist on working until you're 80, good on ya! It just means more shuffleboard courts for me.

So this brings me to the real subject of today's little talk. What is that we do with our time? Well, since we have six married children spread all across this fine land, my wife and I travel a fair amount. While traveling, we like to visit local places of interest. When we do, I'll report on them. Now we're not rich or anything like that, so the places we visit are cheap, but interesting.

My first offering is one of the finest unknown beaches on the East coast of Florida. Just north of Jacksonville on Highway A1A, on the north side of the St Johns River is the Huegonot Memorial State Park. This beach is long with white sandy beaches and you can drive right to the water and park on the sand. But the best part of this park is the cove which is reserved for families. The beach is actually a peninsula that curves around forming a large lagoon with calm warm waters ... just right for moms with little children ... no big waves here. If you're looking for surf, just drive to the other side of the peninsula ... and voila!

On the down side, bathrooms are far and few between. Basically, there is only one location .. at the snack shop as you drive in. So plan ahead.

OK ... That's my report ... So, to those who ask "how do you like being retired?", I respond, "well, how do you like Saturday's?"

The Changing Landscape of Being "Old"

I read an editorial a few weeks ago by a gen-xer who complained about baby boomers sucking the air out of every decade in which they find themselves. (Now as any good blogger knows, here is where I reference the article ... but I've forgotten where I read it ... oh well). Anyway, the upshot of her essay was that after having defined what it meant to be a teenager back in the 60's, and after defining the pop culture and business world of the 70's, 80's and 90's, it was time for us to get off the stage and let the next generation define something. Unfortunately, we're not through. We still get to define what it is to be geezers.

Back in the day, the stereotypical old-person wore clothes that were at least 20 years out of fashion and sat around in rocking chairs or at the local cafe talking about the good old days. Boomers don't really care about the good old days (ok, we're still fond of our music), we're too busy being involved in today's world. And it looks like we'll be involved until we all die out in forty years or so. ... Too bad for the other generations.

Hershel Chicowitz puts it quite nicely in this piece found in the Baby Boomers Headquarters.
Read it, you'll get a chuckle.

A Boy's Life

Karin and I spent a long weekend at Indian Rocks Beach along the Gulf Coast in Florida. While we sat in beach chairs watching the sun go down, a boy and his father were playing catch with a football. The evening was long and the boy seemed to be completely free of any cares ... it was a joyous, long, beautiful evening.

I wonder if we will ever capture those kinds of days again.