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Tick Tock … What’s The Point of This Clock?

June 6, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

Tick Tock … What’s The Point of This Clock?

When I was in art school, there was a clock — just a generic one you could hang on the wall. It was low enough that anyone could reach it. I didn’t discover the time was off until I stayed after class to work on an assignment. Then, I headed to my next class. Only I heard the sound of the clock tower ringing while en route. The clock in my last class was five to ten minutes slow. How could this be? The time was then fixed on the clock the next day, and I assumed the problem was over. But, lo and behold, the clock ended up five to ten minutes slow again. The professor suggested that the clock might be winding down. I pointed out that clocks that are winding down don’t keep a consistent time. My theory was that someone was setting the clock backward intentionally, so that they would have extra time to arrive to class without being counted as late. Who cared how it affected the rest of us?

A girl in my class challenged me with the, “Why do you care so much?” argument. She was offended apparently by my desire for rules and structure — as so many people are. I pointed out to her that she had a class right after this one in which she told me had a strict tardiness policy. So, really, it affected her far more than me. But she was more offended by my attitude than by the actions of the person getting her into trouble. Because ironically our release time from class was being determined by the time on this clock that everyone now knew was faulty. The professor also didn’t seem to be bothered by the faulty clock. Once the onetime reset was done, nothing further was attempted to fix the problem. And yet, he still insisted on having us be in class “on time,” or we’d be counted as absent. He also continued to release us from class “on time” — all based on the faulty clock.

What I learned from this experience is that some people really hate rules and standards applied to themselves. And they are more invested in shutting down people who have standards than in their own best interests. Yet, those same people don’t mind insisting that other people be made to live under their rules and standards.

Eventually, I just relied on my watch. I could afford to be released late. If people who couldn’t afford to be released late would rather see my quest for consistency and standards fail than fix the problem, so be it. But really, what is the point of a clock with the wrong time?

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It’s Booming! Part 4: Those Pesky Prices!

June 3, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

It’s Booming! Part 4: Those Pesky Prices!

The article, “Inflation is slowing. Here’s why prices still aren’t going down” by Charlotte Morabito, is about inflation and seeks to answer why prices aren’t going down. The author makes the following points: “Historical data suggests a key factor in bringing down prices is a slowdown in consumer spending. Despite nearly half of Americans reporting they’re in a worse financial situation than five years ago, they’re still spending. Retail sales were up 2.1% year over year in the first quarter of 2024 and consumer spending jumped in February and March.” (Morabito, 2024)
The article explains the difference between disinflation and deflation. Disinflation is when the rate of inflation growth is slowing down. Deflation is when the prices go down. “There’s an important difference between inflation increasing more slowly — a phenomenon called disinflation — and inflation reversing itself, which would lead to prices coming down. Economists call the latter deflation, which is typically associated with a shrinking economy and potential recessions.” (Morabito, 2024) So, the prices going downward is actually a bad thing? Good to know.

Apparently, they have a new term for those who have a problem with the higher prices: “money illusion.” ‘“This cycle is a concept called money illusion,” said Sabrina Romanoff, a clinical psychologist. “People with money illusion … don’t take into account the level of inflation in an economy,” she said. “So they wrongly believe that a dollar today is worth the same amount that it was the year prior.” ’ (Morabito, 2024)

Yes, it seems those of us who actually expected an improvement in their personal circumstances are suffering from some sort of mental syndrome. It reminds me of the term money dysmorphia in the Dickler article, which describes how some people don’t see how great they have it since they are too busy comparing themselves to others.

Now we are mentally questionable because we expected the higher interest rates to drive prices down.

Also of note in the article is the following: “Wage-increase data may also seem inconsistent with consumer experience. Wages have been rising since January 2022, but the pace of the increase has been slowing down and, on average, it is just keeping up with rising prices. An analysis from Bankrate estimates the gap between inflation and wages won’t fully close until the fourth quarter of 2024.” Once again we’re supposed to believe that it’s the rate of increase that matters, not the cumulative inflation increase in comparison to the current wage.

The fact is the article reinforces the theory that domestic demand is responsible for the inflation. Both the article and the prevailing theory coming from the woke media seem to ignore global demand, such as from China, for our resources; cuts in supply for things like food, energy, and housing; as well as the printing of money coupled with excessive spending by the federal government. Unless these issues are addressed, how can the inflation be resolved? Instead, the article’s author is content blaming the consumer for continuing to spend. What are they supposed to do, not eat? Not pay their rent? 

Their utilities? Where does this attitude we’re buying luxury (unnecessary) items come from? And what are we supposed to do, hope that people tap out of their credit and can’t pay their bills, so they’ll stop spending money? The implication from the article seems to be that that’s the only way we’ll see a reduction in prices. And one might conclude it’s the only way they’ll lower the interest rates on credit cards as well.

(Dickler, 2024)

Dickler, J. (2024, March 13). “Nearly half of young adults have ‘money dysmorphia,’ survey finds. Here are the symptoms.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/13/nearly-half-of-young-adults-have-money-dysmorphia-survey-finds.html

(Morabito, 2024)

Morabito, C. (2024, May 12). “Inflation is slowing. Here’s why prices still aren’t going down.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/12/inflation-is-slowing-heres-why-prices-still-arent-going-down.html

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Hosea 9 Bible chapter

June 3, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

Hosea 9

Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon [Or, in] every cornfloor.

The floor and the winepress [Or, wine fat] shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto Him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?

For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore He will remember their iniquity, He will visit their sins.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

Give them, O LORD: what wilt Thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of Mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.

My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations (Hosea 9: 1-17).

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Inflation Caused by Government Spending, Supply Cuts, and Importation of Labor

May 30, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

In the past, the general understanding of inflation was that the demand for a good or service exceeded the supply. The implication was that any increase in the supply of money was in the hands of the consumer. In this case, the money is in the hands of the government and whatever special interests and agendas it decides to fund. There is no generalized proportional increase in wages for the workers, despite what the media says.

Instead, they are bringing in cheap foreign labor to undercut already proportionately low wages. This is to prevent a wage-price spiral — where the corporations would be forced to pay higher labor costs to compensate for the increased cost of living. They say preventing a wage-price spiral is good for everyone, but in reality it’s mostly good for the corporations. Bringing in foreign labor doesn’t just freeze wages, it can also reduce them. It also manages to drive up demand, putting pressure on price inflation. The corporations are also using taxpayer dollars to subsidize the foreign labor workforce — pay for their housing, food, healthcare, education. The taxpayer is paying the social costs of these workers while the corporations are just reaping the benefits of the cheap labor. This is a fascist system.

Meanwhile, in economics ideal price is determined by a bell curve. At the center of the curve is a price sweet spot. Free market systems are interested in that sweet spot since it allows companies to maximize profit. It shows the intersection where demand plus price can yield the maximum profit. Increasing the price has a tendency to decrease demand while decreasing the price has the tendency to increase demand in most things. Any price above or below that ideal price will decrease the profit. But in the fascist ideologically based system, supply is being artificially cut in areas such as housing, food, and energy, so that corporate profits can be somewhat maintained — though not at the level they were at under the free market system.

This keeps demand artificially high in comparison to the supply. That way they can keep prices and profit high while providing less. In other words, people can’t live without food, even if they can’t pay for it. And the few who can pay will pay whatever they have to in order to be able to eat. By targeting inelastic goods — essential items — for supply cuts they can force people to pay more for the item and thereby partially compensate for the reduction in quantity sold.

There is no intention to supply the world’s population with what they need to survive.

That way they can starve out the general population of necessary resources while still reaping some profit in the bargain — a compromise between greed and ideological fervor — and well in keeping with depopulation goals.

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You Don’t Have the Right to Refuse to Have a Relationship with Certain People

May 27, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

One of the things I’ve noticed lately is that about the only people you can’t deny having a relationship with are psychopaths. If they want you or want what you have, that’s it apparently. And really, it’s counterintuitive but it seems as though the worse a person treats you, the more you’re obligated to relate to them. Part of it is people’s warped idea of the concept of forgiveness — which in this case is more like masochism. You can forgive people from afar. You don’t have to have or start a relationship with them. Not only are there a lot of unrepentant people in the world who have no intention of changing their behavior, who continue to feel entitled to having their will at other people’s expense and are all too willing to use violence or the threat of violence in order to have their way, there’s also the loss of trust and post-traumatic stress to consider. Sometimes the damage to a relationship is far too great to recover from.

But the sympathy rarely goes to the victim of abuse. The perpetrator is allowed to be angry. But as the victim, if you’re angry you’re the problem. You’re a worse person than the perpetrator because you won’t forgive — which really has been redefined by our society to be the same as reconcile. And if you have to be angry as a self-defense mechanism, people take for granted that you have other feelings, too. You are hurt; you are grieving; you possibly loved this person. You’re afraid.

But in a way it makes sense. Psychopaths and malignant narcissists would rather just be themselves without having to put on a show. They want to treat people however they please without those people running away from them. And what better way to get someone to keep taking their abuse than to convince them that they don’t have the right to reject them?

In the end, you’re not supposed to focus on how your abuser treats you but rather how they feel. And how they feel is apparently a justification for whatever they do.

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Hosea 8 Bible chapter

May 27, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

Hosea 8

Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law.

Israel shall cry unto Me, My God, we know Thee.

Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

They have set up kings, but not by Me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.

Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; Mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk [Or, standing corn]: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

I have written to him the great things of My law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of Mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will He remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof (Hosea 8: 1-14).

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Why Woke People Will Never Be Satisfied

May 22, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

Why Woke People Will Never Be Satisfied

On the soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful, there is a character named Hope. She was reared with the adults around her buying into her fantasy life, largely shielding her from the disappointments of reality. Then, she grew up and, lo and behold, the greater reality didn’t match what she wanted it to be. Early on, she managed to find a man who was willing to playact that her reality was real. His reward seemed to be the childlike enthusiasm she would display when her admirers, including him, would present her with the façade they had created for her. Only Hope isn’t a child anymore. She also isn’t delusional. She is aware of reality; she just doesn’t accept it. She might act enthusiastic from time to time in order to manipulate those around her into letting her have her way — often at their own expense — but fundamentally, she is a bitter, angry person who will never be satisfied with the reality that actually exists. The reality she wants is one where her will triumphs over everyone else’s — where her thoughts and feelings matter more than anyone else’s do and everyone appreciates her the way she thinks she should be appreciated.

The similarity between the Hope character’s worldview and the woke worldview is that they want to and feel entitled to force compliance to their will on the rest of the world. They also want to and feel entitled to change reality to suit themselves.

The woke seem to believe that if they can get all people to buy in to their greatness then they’ll be happy. But people who expect total approval are rarely ever happy. And who can control every living person and what they really think? And even if they could silence those who don’t see their greatness, their efforts will fail because the woke themselves are not delusional. Fundamentally, they are narcissistic, not delusional. And a peculiarity of narcissism is that while narcissists believe they are great, they are aware that this greatness isn’t reflected in reality. And at the end of the day, that’s what the woke want — to change reality. And yet, scarily, the woke seem to think if they can get 100% compliance to their version of reality — even if they have to kill to do it, then they can alter reality. But they can’t. The only Being who has the power to alter reality with a word is God. And reality will always be whatever God says it is.

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The War Against Talent

May 12, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

The War Against Talent

5/12/24

If talent wasn’t the deciding factor why someone won a competition or became successful in the world, we at least believed that it was. Now it’s almost a disadvantage to be talented, for talent comes from God. Satan can’t give anyone talent. What he can do is temporarily offer prosperity and reward to people who serve him. He can also have it declared that you have talent and have earned your way to the top. But really the reward is based on ideological servitude to Satan, not on talent. It’s interesting to note how invested people have become in this newfound pecking order. If one’s rise to success can be traced back to God, then anger and possibly even violence ensues. It’s also interesting to note that some unfortunate celebrities have given Satan undeserved credit for their ability, and one has to wonder if this isn’t so they won’t be blocked from reaping the rewards from their God-given talent. For the narrative has to be that allegiance to Satan and/or the increasingly woke world system is the way to achieve success in this world. And people who have no talent, or even one’s who do and lie about the source of it, have to give credit for their achievements to Satan or at least to the world system. So, you see, the people who are in the position to make winners and losers in the world can’t allow the talented to win if it means giving credit to God. Now even talented people have to choose between moral integrity and success. If it was ever true that you can succeed in this world merely on talent, it no longer is.

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Hosea 7 Bible chapter

May 12, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

Hosea 7

When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.

And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before My face.

They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine [Or, with heat through wine]; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

For they have made ready [Or, applied] their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto Me.

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek Him for all this.

Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

When they shall go, I will spread My net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.

Woe unto them! for they have fled from Me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against Me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against Me.

And they have not cried unto Me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against Me.

Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against Me.

They return, but not to the Most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt (Hosea 7: 1-16).

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Miss Kitty Syndrome

May 8, 2024 by jenniferalicechandler

Miss Kitty Syndrome

I call it Miss Kitty Syndrome. Miss Kitty is a character on Gunsmoke. On the radio show version it was strongly implied that she was a prostitute. For most of the TV series, they attempted to obscure that fact. Instead, she served drinks in scantily clad outfits and earned a lot of money from male patrons both those passing through town as well as locals. She had lots of possessions: designer clothes, carriages. Eventually, she seemed to run the place — whatever that place was. I remember her complaining that the local women didn’t like her and judged her. I mean, can she really blame them? Their husbands were spending most of their paychecks on Miss Kitty and her wares — whatever those were. Meanwhile, while they were dressed in tatters living hand to mouth, Miss Kitty was dressed to the nines floating around in her carriage. But Miss Kitty didn’t want to be judged, and if she had her way everyone would like her, and she would still have her opulent lifestyle. But is that really realistic?

If what she did wasn’t frowned upon or probably illegal, wouldn’t she have a lot more competition? The fact is most people have an external locus of control, meaning they are more driven by punishment/reward than by conscience. So, if you remove the consequences from Miss Kitty’s occupation so she can feel better about herself, then more women are liable to think that parting men from their hard-earned money is a great way to make a buck for themselves. Then suddenly, Miss Kitty’s niche is flooded with competition, and what she can earn goes drastically down. No more fancy dresses and carriages for her.

It’s the same dilemma that people are finding in this world now. They are attempting to get rid of the social sanctions and laws surrounding so-called vice crimes such as prostitution, drugs, and theft. People who purvey in such things can theoretically be seen with less of a critical eye, or at least the criticism won’t be as openly expressed. And they are less likely to see any jail time. But once again, legalizing crime tends to increase the number of people engaging in it. And in reality, in a practical sense, there are only so many johns with money to spend nowadays and people with possessions left worth stealing. And since those are the two major ways drug addicts can finance their drug habits, then the drug dealers will eventually not be getting paid either. So, while it may make the Miss Kittys of the world feel good about themselves not to be judged by the people they’ve trespassed against, the reality is society can only handle a certain proportion of the population being Miss Kitty. It simply can’t handle it if the majority turns to vice for fast money rather than earning slower money in a more constructive way.

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