Things seem to be going to hell in a handbasket.....

[Grand Torino]

Just an observation of things the past few days. Let me start by saying I've lived here over 30 years through extreme cold, miserable heat, drought conditions and tornados.

Never have I ever experienced rolling blackouts, water shortages as I have these past couple of days. Never. Yes it's been stupid cold but I've been here before. Seems everything has been geared up to welcome our new influx of folks except our grid system, water supply and other neat things to have,

We are broke as a nation and state so I'm not optimist anything will be fixed or built to alleviate this anytime soon. Seems like we could have been a bit wiser on what we spent our money on...

Go woke go broke. Just sayin'.

[RED333]

As a country we are in a sad state of things. With illegals, .gov running us broke and .gov spying around every corner, we are in trouble. As far as the state of TN, well things are not as bad but need to be run better than this. I just do not understand how the power grid could be that far behind as it is, wait, FJB killed oil and coal! Now .gov pushing EVs like it is and we can not keep up the power as is.

Edited December 26, 2022 by RED333
Because I can

[eRay]

I think just about everyone knows this country is headed to a bad place. Most people are just trying to ignore it. They think it will all go away if we just don't look at it.

[Links2k]

My apologies for the long post.
 

I think things are going just as they were designed. I don’t blame immigrants for still flocking to this country and I don’t blame the president for oil companies not using the already approved and available leases for oil. 
 

I see a country that only functions if it has an angry, divided and mostly poor working class. Neglected infrastructure, stagnant wages and an undereducated populace contribute to the success of this model. 
 

Don’t take this the wrong way, but this country has never been great. Compared to most countries, America is exceptional, but never great.
 

I say America has never been great based upon the fact that every generation of Americans has had to deal with its own set of difficulties and no generation has existed without circumstances that one could look at and not say “this is the end of us.”

Most people in this country proclaim themselves to be Christians, but the negativity combined with the doom and gloom from most people doesn’t bare witness to that claim. I’m a believer, and based upon my experiences, the good, the bad, everything happens for a reason and when it’s supposed to. 
 

This is our season. We can accept what is and move forward positively reflecting the behavior of the savior or we can wallow in negativity and what is will still occur.
 

Based upon inflation, that’s my $2.69.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Links2k

[Grayfox54]

Government, regardless of what level from City to federal, is focused on headlines and the "popular" program of the day. Mostly liberal give away stuff. All in an effort to look good. 

Infrastructure has far too long been ignored and only gotten the meager left overs of an already wasted budget. Now its coming around to bite us on the ass.  It won't be racism, climate change or any other perceived problem that does us in. Our nation will collapse under the weight of its own disregard for fundamental infrastructure. I fear it may already be too late to stop it. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Grayfox54

[10-Ring]

I don't remember exactly what year, but it was within a couple of years of 2000, a state income tax was on the ballots.  Most everyone who's opinion that I respected was dead against it, as was I.  20 years later I hate that it didn't happen.  We were opposed to an additional tax, for the obvious reasons, but what we didn't realize at the time was not having that tax would bring so many businesses here that don't pay a living wage, along with refugees who hated where they lived and a state without an income tax was an important part of their criteria.  Now I live amongst a sea of warehouses where farms used to be, in a house that I paid 3 times more for than it would have been worth 15 years ago so I can sit in traffic anytime I need anything.  Tennessee ain't what it used to be. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by 10-Ring

[Guest]

14 hours ago, 10-Ring said:

...Tennessee ain't what it used to be. 

I sure miss the quaint little Sevierville that I grew up in, but I'll say that nowhere in America is what it used to be.  We are (I believe) ringside spectators to the decline of a nation, more likely a civilization, perhaps the entire species. Unlike some others, I do not believe that this is simply the normal sine wave of times in our generation, I believe we are on the precipice...

[Whisper]

There's a lot of problems in our nation and state, but lack of adequate taxation isn't on the list.

I know it's popular in some circles to moan and wail about how everything is going to hell, but for anyone who is willing to consider an alternative view, I recommend "The Better Angels of Our Nature," by Steven Pinker.

Happy New Year,

Whisper

 

 

[Defender]

21 hours ago, 10-Ring said:

I don't remember exactly what year, but it was within a couple of years of 2000, a state income tax was on the ballots.  Most everyone who's opinion that I respected was dead against it, as was I.  20 years later I hate that it didn't happen.  We were opposed to an additional tax, for the obvious reasons, but what we didn't realize at the time was not having that tax would bring so many businesses here that don't pay a living wage, along with refugees who hated where they lived and a state without an income tax was an important part of their criteria.  Now I live amongst a sea of warehouses where farms used to be, in a house that I paid 3 times more for than it would have been worth 15 years ago so I can sit in traffic anytime I need anything.  Tennessee ain't what it used to be. 

I see your point.  Our state government spends a great deal of time and resources recruiting and helping fund bringing businesses to Tennessee.  That will be the end of Tennessees greatness imo.  If you watch Yellowstone, you may remember John Duttons speech where he said, “I’m the opposite of progress. I’m the wall it bash’s against, and I won’t be the one that breaks!’  This is what we need.  Wish our governor was like that.  Progress isn’t always a good thing.  I think new business might bring more revenue, and we need new revenue to expand infrastructure to support new businesses and the employees they bring here, but it’s never enough to actually increase it enough, and takes a huge toll on the environment and animal life.  While if we were to stop now, we’d not get back to the old Tennessee, we’d at least stop destroying it.    

Edited December 27, 2022 by Defender

[Zulu Cowboy]

Well, there's certainly a lot of interesting things happening in the world, and in America right now. Our nation faces some difficult days ahead. But if I had to prioritize things, I would have to say that the assault on our freedom of speech; as it's being exposed in the #TwitterFiles has to be the most dire. I don't know how closely you guys have been following this, but things are busting loose right now. They're finding evidence of direct government censorship, over topics like influence peddling by Hunter Biden, the truth about Covid, and the dangers of the mRNA vaccine. The Biden administration has been implicated in having hundreds, perhaps thousands of accounts shut down; and of having legitimate posts being removed, of healthcare professionals who were simply trying to warn people about the vaccine. Simply disagreeing with Biden's policies, was enough to get your social media account taken down. It's a huge deal, when hundreds of federal agents are taken off of criminal investigations, and tasked with being the thought police for the Biden crime family. It's a huge deal when ordinary Americans are deprived of their freedom of speech, simply because of their political affiliation. The MSM is calling it a nothing-burger. The truth is, these are actual federal crimes that were being committed by the Biden administration, and agents of our own government. The American people deserve answers. The Twitter Files is a good place to start...

#Twitterfiles Part 1 - https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1598822959866683394

#Twitterfiles Part 2 - https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1601007575633305600

#Twitterfiles Part 3 - https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1601352083617505281

#Twitterfiles Part 4 - https://twitter.com/ShellenbergerMD/status/1601720455005511680

#Twitterfiles Part 5 - https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1602364197194432515

#Twitterfiles Part 6 - https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1603857534737072128

#Twitterfiles Supplement - https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1604613292491538432

#Twitterfiles Part 7 - https://twitter.com/ShellenbergerMD/status/1604871630613753856

#Twitterfiles Part 8 - https://twitter.com/lhfang/status/1605292454261182464

#Twitterfiles - TWITTER AND "OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES" - https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1606701397109796866

#Twitterfiles - TWITTER FILES: HOW TWITTER RIGGED THE COVID DEBATE - https://twitter.com/davidzweig/status/1607378386338340867

Edited December 27, 2022 by Zulu Cowboy
added context

[FUJIMO]

IBTL 

[deerslayer]

18 hours ago, Grand Torino said:

Just an observation of things the past few days. Let me start by saying I've lived here over 30 years through extreme cold, miserable heat, drought conditions and tornados.

Never have I ever experienced rolling blackouts, water shortages as I have these past couple of days. Never. Yes it's been stupid cold but I've been here before. Seems everything has been geared up to welcome our new influx of folks except our grid system, water supply and other neat things to have,

We are broke as a nation and state so I'm not optimist anything will be fixed or built to alleviate this anytime soon. Seems like we could have been a bit wiser on what we spent our money on...

Go woke go broke. Just sayin'.

It’s our own fault because it’s easier to accept it and go back to watching football.  My favorite movie line is from Terminator 2 “No fate but what we make.”  I despise cliches like “everything happens for a reason” and “it wasn’t meant to be.”  They imply that we are helpless and have no control of our lives.  Not many are willing to take a stand based on principle or vote with their wallet.  People bitch about wokeness, then turn around and post on Instagram or Facebook and order everything on Amazon because it’s convenient and support the very people enabling wokeness.  People are more concerned about NFL playoffs than they are about what their kids are being taught in school.  We reap what we sow.  

Edited December 27, 2022 by deerslayer

[bersaguy]

Every time I hear someone say Nashville on the Grow I cringe!!  Did we need a new Soccer field? Do the Titans need a new 2 billion dollar Stadium?  Did the Nashville Sounds need a new Base Ball Park?  That is money that could be spent on the infrastructure that would benefit everyone and not just sport nuts!!! All these sports teams had places to play their games and people could attend to watch!  I have said it before and I will say it again. The money people won't be happy until the entire country has asphalt or concrete and no place for Farmers to grow food that people need to live!!! 

[deerslayer]

11 minutes ago, bersaguy said:

Every time I hear someone say Nashville on the Grow I cringe!!  Did we need a new Soccer field? Do the Titans need a new 2 billion dollar Stadium?  Did the Nashville Sounds need a new Base Ball Park?  That is money that could be spent on the infrastructure that would benefit everyone and not just sport nuts!!! All these sports teams had places to play their games and people could attend to watch!  I have said it before and I will say it again. The money people won't be happy until the entire country has asphalt or concrete and no place for Farmers to grow food that people need to live!!! 

I’ve never understood the whole “we have to grow the city” mentality.  Higher housing costs, more congestion, and longer drives to work have never struck me as progress.  

[Grayfox54]

11 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

I’ve never understood the whole “we have to grow the city” mentality

Its not about growth. Its about money. Aside from the taxes generated by new workers and business, there's also all the bribes, graft and corruption that goes with it. Money makes the world go round. The problem is that Average Joe ain't part of that world. All we get out of it is the shaft. 

[JohnSutton1980]

I like almost ALL of the responses. I, in my soul feel we are still fighting the fight against rich people. Sort of. The rich will steer people to the smaller less important issues of race, civil rights, or immigration. It’s just a shell. The biggest issue is a capitalist system that favors only the rich. How have we accepted, over the past 50 years, almost 160% rise in the basic cost of living with a stagnant 61% average wage increase? That is a recipe for growing poverty. 
I believe every man and woman has the right to make a living wage. Not all of us agree on this. THAT IS THE PROBLEM!! If we did agree then it would be. Instead most of the wealth is funneled to the top. Why in the hell do we have millionaires when people are living on the street. Families not just the normal junkies. Veterans not just prostitutes. I am not sure if I am a socialist or not. I lean  mostly conservative but the way we treat our veterans is despicable. The way we have 1 person worth over 200 billion dollars while there are our hero’s living on the streets is despicable.
I strongly believe in freedom and the pursuit of liberty. Why are we sending more than 100 billion dollars to Ukraine, when we have families living in their cars? WTF is going on?

We are only as strong as our weakest link.  Currently and for the past 30 years, our weakest link is the way we treat our hero’s and how the rich get richer and poverty grows like an epidemic. We are all too worried about ourselves barely getting by to worry about our kids kids future. 
 

My only post of this nature.  Stop worrying about the little stuff, it’s the big stuff that will be our downfall.

[deerslayer]

23 minutes ago, JohnSutton1980 said:

we have 1 person worth over 200 billion dollars while there are our hero’s living on the streets is despicable.

How much does this person have the right to make?

[deerslayer]

1 hour ago, Grayfox54 said:

Its not about growth. Its about money. Aside from the taxes generated by new workers and business, there's also all the bribes, graft and corruption that goes with it. Money makes the world go round. The problem is that Average Joe ain't part of that world. All we get out of it is the shaft. 

I suppose that could be one explanation and that may be the scenario more often than we realize, but I don’t believe that to always be the case and that government by default is evil.  I’m no flag waving fan of government, but without it we have anarchy and anarchy will bring us a new government run by people who don’t talk like us and find our ideas about freedom quite peculiar.  So government is a necessity and we need to make it work.  

[Grayfox54]

12 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

So government is a necessity and we need to make it work.  

The problem is that our government is bought and paid for by people who don't give a #### about you, me or this country. 

[deerslayer]

Just now, Grayfox54 said:

The problem is that our government is bought and paid for by people who don't give a #### about you, me or this country. 

Again, I’m not convinced that is true 100% of the time.  Damn, here I go becoming an idealist.  

[Grayfox54]

I admire your faith there Bubba. Unfortunately, I do not share it. 

[JohnSutton1980]

40 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

How much does this person have the right to make?

Whatever his/or conscious will allow. BUT perhaps I see more of an US as Americans than the ME Americans. If your stupid rich and are surrounded by desperate people and communities then you are the target and won’t last very long even in memory, instead of becoming someone who lifts others and make your environment better for everyone in it. 
Like I said, perhaps I’m a conservative socialist. Hell I don’t know. I hate we have become a country of the haves and have nots. I know it’s been the same throughout history. I figured with the invention of a god like Jesus then it would create more shame around excess. 

[deerslayer]

12 minutes ago, JohnSutton1980 said:

Whatever his/or conscious will allow. BUT perhaps I see more of an US as Americans than the ME Americans. If your stupid rich and are surrounded by desperate people and communities then you are the target and won’t last very long even in memory, instead of becoming someone who lifts others and make your environment better for everyone in it. 
Like I said, perhaps I’m a conservative socialist. Hell I don’t know. I hate we have become a country of the haves and have nots. I know it’s been the same throughout history. I figured with the invention of a god like Jesus then it would create more shame around excess. 

Most people would be better off if they quit worrying about what others have, quit waiting around to be lifted up, be thankful for what they do have, and instead of plotting and praying for the downfall of someone better off than they are, maybe study the path that person took and what makes them tick and possibly learn how to be more successful themselves.  What a novel concept.  

Edited December 27, 2022 by deerslayer

[btq96r]

The weather was really bad for two, maybe three days.  And by really bad, I mean so far out of variance with norms that it taxed the system too much.  Is the grid really supposed to be configured to handle 2 bad days out of 365?

It's reasonable to talk about what's being done to handle each new subdivision or factory and warehouse going up.  But I don't think we're in a death spiral with infrastructure.  It was just a statistically unlikely few days.

[deerslayer]

12 minutes ago, btq96r said:

The weather was really bad for two, maybe three days.  And by really bad, I mean so far out of variance with norms that it taxed the system too much.  Is the grid really supposed to be configured to handle 2 bad days out of 365?

It's reasonable to talk about what's being done to handle each new subdivision or factory and warehouse going up.  But I don't think we're in a death spiral with infrastructure.  It was just a statistically unlikely few days.

Makes sense.  Around here, a lot of people are blaming MLGW for the water problem.  I’m no water engineer, but an unprecedented number of pipe ruptures (on private commercial property) apparently led to an overall decrease in water pressure, which contributed to more freezing.  Single digit temps will do that.  What is odd is that that we had two or three days of single digit temps last February when it snowed, but I don’t recall as many ruptured lines.  Could be the timing - businesses were closed for the holiday weekend and ruptures weren’t detected as quickly as they normally would.  I spent Xmas playing with ruptured lines at work, but that was due to some recent idiot procedure changes and some ill-advised budget cutting.  It was avoidable, but some would blame the government. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by deerslayer