Get Off My Lawn! - The Mad Ramblings of a Gen X-er

Federal Funding Freeze, Drone Honesty & Un-Captain America?

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Ever wondered why the cost of a hammer in the 1980s could make headlines? Join us for an eye-opening conversation as we explore the tangled web of federal spending and fiscal responsibility, inspired by the recent federal funding freeze initiated by Donald Trump. With insights from Senator Mike Long and Dennis Gunn, we unpack the complexities of taxpayer dollar allocation and past overspending debacles. From foreign aid to DEI initiatives and environmental programs, we scrutinize the areas at risk due to this financial standoff. We also examine the stark contrast between national spending habits and how individuals manage their finances, all while a Biden-appointed judge steps in to pause this contentious freeze.

Why did President Trump bring up New Jersey drones, and what does it reveal about government transparency? Our chat takes a dive into political controversies, conspiracy theories, and the mystique surrounding weather balloons, drawing some irreverent parallels to frustrations during the Trump era. We touch upon the challenges public figures face and discuss the Costco labor strike, where 18,000 employees are standing firm on DEI initiatives. This chapter humorously highlights the skepticism surrounding political figures, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the tension between corporate goals and worker rights.

Cultural representation takes center stage as we tackle the evolving landscape of pop culture. From a modern Captain America to a Latina Snow White, we discuss the crucial balance between staying true to historical narratives and embracing the diverse world we live in today. Looking into the challenges and opportunities of reimagining classic stories, we reflect on the rapid shifts in media landscapes and the imperative of authenticity. Join us for a thought-provoking exploration filled with humor, critical insights, and a deep dive into the intersections of government, politics, labor, and culture.

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Speaker 1:

What you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to.

Speaker 2:

it is now dumber for having listened to it. You don't know what that ought is, mr Trash, I'd show you. But I'm too old, I'm too tired, I'm too fucking blind. If I were the man I was five years ago, I'd take a flamethrower to this place. Do you understand the words that are coming out of?

Speaker 3:

my mouth. You want answers. I think I'm entitled. You want answers. I want the truth. You can't handle the truth. I'm not sure how many times we can say this, but the truth shall always be at your very attention. This is Senator Mike Long.

Speaker 3:

I want to talk about the federal funding freeze. I'm not sure how many times we can say this, but the truth shall always be shared. This is Dennis Gunn, with my long-term and I'm with Jim Exor. We want to talk about the federal funding freeze. Freeze tag, you're it, but of course, the judge has already stopped that. We want to talk about the new press secretary a little bit. We want to talk about going faster than any other country in this world and we want to talk about the. Oh, I'm sorry, everyone just wants to cheer me because they think I'm awesome. We want to talk about the ghost lights.

Speaker 3:

So today, donald Trump and I love it because people call it his latest radical step just a few weeks into office, or just a week into office Trump came out and said that he wants to take a look at federal spending. He wants to take a look at where the money is going, that the taxpayers are dumping into this vis-a-vis their taxes where all the cash is going. You know it's a question that I think we should have asked a long time ago. You know, you heard about the 80s when they did a little bit of a budget thing and they found out that we were paying like $180 for hammers. You know a hammer that you could have probably gotten for $2. Back in the 1980s we were paying like $180.

Speaker 3:

So when people call this a radical step, they're like well, basically what he was saying is he's going to freeze at this moment and it's a temporary freeze Trillions of dollars in federal grants, loans and other aid. Now, the memo probably wasn't. I mean, like I said, we don't know the full extent of the memo, but the memo itself probably was not as clear as it needs to be, which is why it was already stopped or put on a temporary hold right now by a Biden-appointed judge. I know that's shocking. I know that's crazy. The White House press secretary came out and said that no payments were going to be affected. So that means Social Security, medicare, medicaid all that stuff was not going to be affected. So that means social security, medicare, medicaid all that stuff was not going to be affected at all. It's just these other programs that they're looking at to see, exactly, like I said, where the money's going to. And this is something of the fact that we're paying almost over $3 trillion in financial assistance and things like grants and loans and other things in 2024, which was approved by Congress. So Trump just wants to put a pause on this and take a look about exactly what the hell's going on here. What are we spending this cash on? And, like I said, it explicitly states Social Security and merit arcade benefits used by retirees were excluded from the pause. This, to me, is an indication that they're going to go after some DEI stuff. One of the areas that they're looking at, and some of the areas that were going to be impacted, was going to be financial assistance for foreign aid, non-governmental organizations, dei, woke gender ideology and the Green New Deal. Now that seems like something you should take a look at. You know, we just found out and we had to stop paying for condoms in Gaza, and I really love that, because I'm not sure the Muslim men that are raping women are using condoms. That really wasn't a joke and it's not a funny joke, but it's truth.

Speaker 3:

The Sierra Club has come out and said of course, which isn't that wonderful environmental organization said the freeze could jeopardize funding from everything from disaster relief to home heating subsidies, to safe drinking water programs and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Wow, well, you know, it's one of those things that you take a look at this and you take a look at it from from a 40 foot level. From a 40 foot level if you're looking at it like such as your own expenses. Would you just willy nilly, just send people money and not look at it and say, well, you know, there's a lot of things that we're not seeing here and a lot of things that we're missing, but I'm going to not only pay my electric bill, I'm also going to pay my water bill, I'm going to pay all these other bills that I have no idea what I'm paying. No, that would not make good fiscal sense. I always find it funny that as Americans, we always want to look at good fiscal sense for ourselves because you want to put money into a 401k, you want to work hard, you want to retire at a decent age. But when it comes to our own government spending, we just kind of sit there and say, well, you know what, if we need money, we'll just print money. And then we wonder repeatedly why we continuously get into this trouble, why we continuously have to sit there and say, okay, we don't have money for this or we don't have money for that.

Speaker 3:

Now a federal judge has already paused Trump's temporary grant and loan freeze. I always love it, because you know what it's a Biden appointed judge in the District of Columbia. I know that's shocking. Now the freeze was supposed to start, I believe today at 5 pm on Tuesday. But there's this emergency injunction and the judge says I do think there is a specter of irreparable harm. How do you know? Of course this is a non-profit group. That is because it's always a non-profit group that will come out and say you know, of course this is a nonprofit group. That is, uh, cause it's always a nonprofit group that'll come out and say you know what? This is going to be bad? And of course they. You know, I know you're going to be shocked by this, but there are a group that believes in DEI and the LBGQ, four, seven to the 19th power community. I know, I know, I know it's shocking, but you take a look at it again and you sit there and say how do you know this is going to cause irreparable harm? Because we haven't gotten a breakdown exactly and it's a pause. Why are we sending all this millions and trillions and billions of dollars to other countries to fund their government programs? Why are we paying for these programs in this country now that I'm not going to say are illegal but are now been deemed to no longer be necessary? I don't get it and it just makes me laugh that we have to sit here and we have to deal with this, and we have to deal with this whole situation because of the fact that Trump came in with a mandate. Trump came in with an idea and literally, like I said, a mandate from the American people saying this, saying that we are tired of spending our hard-earned money and our hard-earned cash on everyone else but ourselves.

Speaker 3:

We always talk about the fact that you know, everyone I always love everyone should pay their fair share. I always love that. Well, the only problem is more than half of this country doesn't pay taxes or doesn't pay anything in taxes, and I believe I can't remember the exact number off the top of my head, but I believe like something crazy, like 50 something percent of the wealth or 50% of the taxes is paid by like 600 people in the United States and the rest is made up by the middle class. But we talk about paying your fair share. Well, paying your fair share should mean, yes, that you may, you know, may not, may not make as much as the other guy. And we're no longer here about equity because of the fact that we are now back in the situation where, you know, in America. You have to have that American dream where you work for yourself and you and you pick yourself up by your you know the old cowboy's impression. You pick yourself up by your bootstraps. You know what you got to put on. Are you a big?

Speaker 2:

man, I'm talking to you what. You wake up in the morning and you say I put on my big boy pants. Look, I'm wearing a belt. I got big boy pants on.

Speaker 3:

It's time to put the big boy pants back on, and that's what it is. It's time to pull yours. It's time to work for the American dream instead of having it handed to you. And I think that's you know, and that drives so many things. That drives, you know, that drives a small business, that drives innovation. And I love it right now because we have now had the return of supersonic travel. We are now ready.

Speaker 3:

But another milestone was achieved today, on January 28th. Well, we had our first supersonic flight. Boom, the American company that's been building the world's fastest airliner, broke the sound barrier for the first time with a test in the Mojave desert. It was the, it was the XB one. I believe the first one that broke the sound barrier was the X one, and the XB one demonstrated aircraft supersonic flight for the first time, and independently developed jet has broken that sound barrier. Now the XV-1 has completed 12 successful test flights since it took to the air. I guess that was back in, I guess going back to March of 2024. And it was Chuck Yeager and the X-1, that's right who broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947. See that we are spearheading innovation.

Speaker 3:

But the problem is you can't spearhead innovation if you're not willing to take risks, and I think that's one of the things that we don't look at anymore. We don't take any, the American people, we don't take risks anymore, or we haven't for the last four or five years, because we have been into a hyperbolic nanny state and and it it takes Trump to finally come in and say, hey, listen, you know we, we have these, we have these problems, we have these issues, but we are still all together. You know we're basically we're all together, we're Americans. I want to, you know what? I want to play some of the press conference today because of the fact I think it's great because they they they spoke about more drones and the drone issues, and I don't know if it costs more issues than anything else, but let's, let's, like we always like, do, let's listen in a little bit.

Speaker 4:

An update on the New Jersey drones. After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational.

Speaker 3:

I love the fact when you break into various other reasons, because I was, I was going to be nefarious. There's something else going on there. They're testing other things. They're testing stuff that you just don't even want to talk about. But you kind of knew, the government knew something about this by their laissez-faire attitude and, by the way, they just kind of didn't address the situation. But let's continue to listen in.

Speaker 4:

In private individuals that enjoy flying Jones. In time, it got worse. Due to curiosity. This was not the enemy. A statement from the President of the United States. To start this briefing with some news.

Speaker 3:

You gotta love the news, you know, and, like I said, you cause. I mean, does that, is that dissuading anyone? Or or is that now giving the conspiracy theorists even more? You know, even more, even more ammunition? Let me see, let me see, do we have another? Let me see, let's see. Let's see here, do we? Let's see if we have anything else here. Hold on, let me, let me hold on one second. Let's see here. Let's see if we have anything else here, hold on.

Speaker 4:

Let me hold on one second. Let's get into a little bit more of the dronism. And before I turn to questions, I do have news directly from the president of the United States that was just shared with me in the Oval Office from President Trump directly, an update on the New Jersey drones.

Speaker 3:

Oh wait, we already got it. Let's see if we can skip. I hit the wrong button here. We're going to move ahead a little further.

Speaker 4:

Flying Jones. In time it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy. A statement from the President of the United States to start this briefing.

Speaker 3:

That, of course, was a statement from the United States. They are not the enemy, it was the FFA and they all just lied. They all just lied. It's you know, and it's amazing. It's kind of like the weather balloon or the alleged Chinese weather balloon, because we knew it wasn't a Chinese weather balloon, because, for some unknown reason, that weather balloon, which just follow the patterns of the weather, which was being able to be remote, controlled by some distant, unknown location, just seemed to always find and hover over military installations. I mean, does that make me crazy? Are you crazy? Yeah, I'm crazy. What made you think?

Speaker 3:

I was saying I, I, I mean you take a look at that and you're like, okay, well, somehow this drone is just kind of I mean drone, somehow these balloons are just knowing to go over you know the missile silos or places that have extensive amounts of, uh, you know, sensitive data and equipment that happens to be part of the U? S military, so I just always knew to go there. Oh, you know you just. You know you just, we went through four years of hell and let's just be honest about that. We went through four years of hell because of the fact that we were treated like children, we were lied to, we were told that, you know, we weren't smart enough or we didn't have the capabilities of handling. You know this situation that has arisen in reference to the drones or the weather balloon or just anything in general, that we didn't have the mental capacity to do that, didn't have the mental capacity to do that, and now it's like we're being treated like adults and I laugh because I'm not sure if people are capable, or a certain segment of the population is capable, of handling this. Because you have to worry. I mean, you look at this, you see what's going on and you worry to yourself. Hey, listen, do you have the mental capacity or do some of these people have the mental capacity to have the understanding because of the fact that you were treated like a child for so long and now Donald Trump is coming in and asking you to be an adult? That's what. That's what I don't get. You're like you want all right kiddies. It's time to get out of the kiddie pool.

Speaker 3:

I'm just chuckling because I'm reading the uh, I'm reading part of the CIA report, um, and the CIA report on on COVID, on the origins of COVID and I. It just kind of makes me laugh because it's like, um, yeah, it was a lab, it was a Wuhan lab leak, and now there's an FBI, there's an FBI report coming out saying the same thing. But once again, you know, when Donald Trump sat there and called it the Chinese virus, everyone was like, well, you can't call it that. That's just silly, that's racist to say it's a Chinese virus, even though it came from China, china, oh.

Speaker 3:

But again, as adults, we are pumping, we are getting this information finally pumped out to us and we are able to see, and we're able to get it because you know what, we're smart enough to handle the truth. I know people like, uh, a Xander Acosta Cortez can't handle the truth because I I mean we're we're going to have to talk about her in a little bit, because some of the stuff that she's just saying is it's just, it's just a lunacy wrapped in a nutty rapper. And it's, it's just. I don't, I you know what. I just don't know anymore.

Speaker 3:

I am glad that we are reached that crescendo, that we are able now to talk about each other as adults. I love it because Costco's Costco's is doubling down on their DEI initiatives. Every other company is kind of backing away from it, but now Costco is facing a strike as 18,000 employees are set to walk off the job. I love it. When we had the Amazon strike, the Amazon strike during Christmas was funny as shit, because everyone was like well, I'm not going to get my packages on time, little Billy's not going to get his GI Joe at the Kung Fu Grip. No, everyone got everything they needed. We did not reach.

Speaker 1:

A professional opinion that now is the time to panic.

Speaker 3:

There was no panic. Why? Because of the fact that the people that were actually striking on Amazon weren't Amazon employees, they were third-party contractors. But the Teamsters made it sound like that all these Amazon workers were just walking off. No, they weren't, they were just third-party contractors walking off. No, they weren't, they were just. They were just third party. They were just third party contractors that just have you know that that were striking. Okay, when you don't really work for Amazon and you hit the picket line and it does, it doesn't really affect it. And Amazon was great. Amazon was just like listen, you know, we we just reroute some of this shit to different distribution centers. We're all, we're fine, we're all, we're all good here.

Speaker 3:

But now Costco's is saying that it's time to give their 18,000 members the wage and benefits that they deserve that they've been demanding for months, says the teamers. Teamsters, yeah, now. The 18,000 people represent a small portion of the 219,000 US-based workers. Teamsters are going after them. Costco's, that is claiming that they didn't share in their record profits of $7.4 billion. They're not sharing it with the workers. They're saying that they're engaging in illegal and reckless behavior oh, no, including kicking union members out of stores, preventing employees from wearing union buttons and changing the locks on the union bulletin boards. They changed the locks on the union bulletin boards. They changed the locks on the union bulletin board. What are they going to do? They couldn't just tape the memo on the board Because the lock was changed. Now the talks broke down back in January Because Costco refused, you know, to reach an agreement, or to reach what they refer to as a card check agreement. Now, a card check is a process which would make it easier for workers to join the union by eliminating secret ballots. 85% of Costco unionized employees voted to authorize a strike. Costco unionized employees voted to authorize a strike. The strike is going to affect 50 stores from the United States, all in the United States, in New York, new Jersey, virginia and Washington.

Speaker 3:

Now listen, I'm all for fair wages, but a lot of these jobs that people are striking over are, you know, not all of them, but a good portion of them are entry-level positions. Now, I understand the fact that you need a living wage, but I remember when. I remember when minimum wage was like three bucks and an entry-level position is just that. It's a position that you start your career at. You don't continuously stay at that position for your entire life. No, what you do is wait, wait, wait. This is going to get tricky here. You get that job, you get that role and then you progress. You don't just continuously stay at the same level.

Speaker 3:

Now, some of these places start you out like anywhere between 19 to 20 bucks an hour. Well, you know, and a lot of times you can get overtime and everything else. But, like you know, but if you, if you figure it out this way, even if you start at, if, even if it's, let's say, it's your first job and you're starting at 19 bucks, let's just say you're starting at 19 bucks Now are you working 40 hours a week, you're still making almost $28,000. Now, of course, that is not. You know that in this, in this, no man, I'm making $20,000. How much are you making here? Wait a minute, what did I say? I said 19,. Let's go. 1940 equals that times 52. So, I'm sorry, you're making almost 40,000. You're making 3,000. You make it 3,000, $39,520.

Speaker 3:

If you're making $19 an hour, so you're making almost 40 grand in an entry-level position. I remember when entry-level positions you paid like $12,000. Yes, I'm that old, but again, it's an entry-level position that you do not stay at for your entire professional career. You progress, you move forward and a lot of these places are looking at this and they're looking at and they're saying I want more. So I need to pay someone sixty thousand dollars a year to stock toilet paper. There is a lunacy in that. That just drives your brain crazy. There is a lunacy, there is a craziness. There is a fact that if you sit there and look at this and say you know what I mean, when do we stop and when do we continue to look at people and say you know what I mean, when do we stop and when do we continue to look at people and say you know what? I can't pay someone $60,000 to sit there and put toilet paper on a shelf.

Speaker 3:

I'm going to tell you this, people. I'm going to tell you this I have nothing against unions. If you want to join a union, you want to give a percentage of your salary did union. I have no problem with that. But unions are not always in the best interest. I'm not saying all unions, but the Teamsters have been. The Teamsters were run by Jimmy Hoffa. They're not to a point where they are always at the best interest of the employee. Sometimes they're going a little. You know they go a little sideways because it's about making money and the long run, for I know, wait for it the union. Sometimes you have to pause and say is this literally what I want? Is this literally what I need? Tell me what you want, what you really really want. I know what I want.

Speaker 2:

Boom. God damn, jimmy, that's some serious gourmet shit. Me and Vincent would have been satisfied with some freeze-dried Taster's Choice, right, and he brings this serious gourmet shit on us.

Speaker 3:

As I'm sitting here, I'm drinking my gourmet stuff, I'm drinking my Black Rifle coffee, because sometimes you just need that. Oh there, there is just so many things going on fast and furious. And I'm not talking Vin Diesel, I look, I look at the border. You know, I also have I also got a bone to pick that the guy that played Chris Evans, the guy that plays captain America, decided he wasn't coming back to the franchise. So so they basically I mean, I don't want to, I don't want to spoil it in case anyone hasn't seen all the movies, but I don't want to spoil what happened to captain America.

Speaker 3:

But captain America is no longer captain America. Captain America is now his buddy, Sam, and and I laugh, because Captain America was basically genetically engineered, so he basically had superpowers. Steve Rogers basically had superpowers, rogers basically had superpowers. So now he's being taken over by Sam Wilson, which, of course, he's known as the Falcon, who is the friend of Captain. He was a friend of Captain America. Now Captain America is a symbol of American exceptionalism, especially going back to World War II. So now that he's donning the shield of Captain America, he did an interview. The gentleman who plays Captain, who's going to play the new Captain America did an interview and let's, let's just, let's just you know, let's, let's just, let's just listen to this for a second Hold on Captain America Black.

Speaker 1:

What kind of opportunity and, if you want, what kind of challenge was that?

Speaker 2:

for you. It was huge, but for many different reasons I feel like it's just as important for black kids to see a black Captain America as white kids to see a black Captain America. Growing up, one of my favorite superheroes was Green you. So it wasn't about race, it wasn't about you know anything.

Speaker 3:

It was just about him being a good guy you know what, I love it, though back in his day, you know you, you could go green. I'm assuming it's the hulk, maybe she hulk, uh, but you can what you call you, you could. Just, you know, it's not about race, but now.

Speaker 2:

It's about race, but now it's about race and trying to do the right thing and I think with. I think imagery is important. You know, my son is 15 years old and his world is so different than mine. When I went to school, my school was 99% black and now his school is like 50 percent 40 percent white. So when he has a soccer game or an event, you have Latino kids, you have white kids, you have Asian kids all playing together.

Speaker 3:

So I think it's very important for kids, Because before he became Captain America that never happened.

Speaker 2:

It's of all races to look, to be able to watch something and have someone to look up to, no matter what they look like. You can see that that package comes with a good human being, as opposed to what they've been perceived as by everyone else.

Speaker 3:

The DEI wokeness is never going to go away, is it? The DEI wokeness is never going to go away, is it? I mean, you think about it, you listen to it and, like I said, captain America, steve Rogers, this was from the 1940s, this was World War II and I love it because he also goes on to say I don't think the term America should be the one of those representations. Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don't think the term America should be one of those representations. It's about a man who keeps his word, with honor, dignity, integrity, someone who is trustworthy and dependable. No, captain America is literally about America. Go back to the origins of Captain America. No, Captain America is literally about America. Go back to the origins of Captain America. No, captain America is Captain America. He is the one selling the war bonds, he is the one punching out Hitler. That is the origin of the story.

Speaker 3:

But now we've just gone an entirely different direction. We've gone to lunacy at its finest, because that's just mainstream media and Hollywood, hollywood, Hollywood, it's, it's, it's just. I'm waiting for the Snow White movie to come out, because that should be a train wreck. I mean, that should just that, that should, that should just that, should just be insanity, because of the fact that you know, I believe it was an Austrian, austrian or German, I can't remember which one. Snow White was the story, but they talk about how her skin is as white as snow, which is why she's Snow White. But we're going to drop in a Latina as Snow White, and I have no problem with that because I really don't care about Snow White, it doesn't really affect me. But I always think, always harken back to think, if there was a predominantly, if there was a role that was. You know, it's like Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman, let's do a movie about the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman, but let's make Harriet Tubman Chinese Boy that escalated quickly.

Speaker 1:

I mean that really got out of hand fast.

Speaker 3:

Oh, we always get out of hand fast here and, as always, the truth shall set you free. This is Tim. This is got to find law in the bad rooms of a Gen Xer and I'm out of here, thank you.