Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for January 09, 2014

Capitalism 101.

You could have so much more than stuff

The richer you are financially, the more responsibility you have and the more you have to pay. For example, my sister doesn’t have to pay car insurance because she catches the bus. She doesn’t have to worry about people robbing her or wonder who her true friends are either. But she’s very generous with what she has.

It’s a Question of Balance my Moody friend…

The road to heavy consumer debt.

She’s bordering on envy, but at least recognizes hard work a path to get ahead. It’s not fair to judge people you only see when they are vacationing, you don’t know how hard they worked or what they sacrificed to save up for some fun time. Without them, she has no business.

It’s not my “American Way”, been working 50+ hours a week for 39 years, relaxing vacations are a rare splurge. I work harder on most vacations than I (or most folks) do at their job. I like that she understands the power of incentive, it’s what makes the entire system work. I think Gene was pining for his slacker days, like the ones that Arlo referred to a couple days ago. You know “…that kid that lived with us for 18 years.”

They have stuff because they don’t have happiness.

Gene looks like a young guy getting his mom’s lecture about what it’s like to grow up.

I worked to achieve and get a better station in life. I was fortunate to be at that level (above substanance level). The “trickle down” theorists want to keep us down so most can’t achieve the next level.

I am very disappointed. Not with the strip because it shows reality. It isn’t fair that some work very hard all their lives and haven’t much to show for it, while others are born with a silver spoon. I understand that. But I am disappointed in those that become political and blame the president for something that has been around for decades. Everyone has the right… The “entitlement” to pursue happiness and be paid a living wage.

Uh oh…

Is this marriage headed for the rocks?

maybe the girl (what’s her name?) is regretting she didn’t marry a rich guy assuming the couple are married. she should find a wealthy young dude and get knocked up by him. doesn’t her family like own some property in the resort area? be nice to know the backstory of who these “new” characters are.

Jack Dawson haz somethin’ for ya…

Well, because:. the real estate and beach fronts have all been purchased and are not for sale. if they are for sale, they’re out of your price range. one does not acquire wealth through hard work anymore. you have to find people who are willing to work hard for you and you reap the benefits, or, you have to have machines work for you and you reap the benefits, or, you have to have sufficient capital to reap benefits of investments

That’s today’s American Dream. Good luck.

I live in a tourist town on the Lake Michigan coast. I know what she’s talking about, but all the tourists aren’t snobs. Actually most are very nice people with a few snobs thrown in. We get people from Chicago, South Bend and Kalamazoo. If it weren’t for them the town would dry up and blow away, as all the factories have closed decades ago.

whine,whine,whine,its the governments fault!its the capitals fault!its the liberals fault!its all these illegal aliens fault!its GODS fault!IF you want to know who’s fault that your life sucks isthen look in the mirror.what ever happened to PULLING YOURSELF UP BY YOUR OWN BOOT STRAPS!i have been on this earth for 58 years,and have been unemployed more times than i can count!did i cry about it-NO i went out and found another job,and some times two full time jobs to make ends meet!thi was once a nation of movers and shakers and the eny of the world.now we are a nation of whiners,cryers,complainers,and blamers!THE END.

Let’s hope she don’t knock off a liquor store for some quick cash.

Gene definitely gets his looks from Janis’s side of the family.

Now all we need is why Arlo is neglecting the boat he wanted for years.

As for the Minimum Wage thread: The value of any thing, every thing including labor depends on how rare it is. If you want more than a Minimum Wage you need through education or experience or just plain smarts to offer something someone is willing to pay more than minimum wage for.

I don’t begrudge Bill Gates or Steve Jobs their billions, they put on my desk and in my pocket for less than $1,000 a computer that is more powerful and useful than the computer my university paid a few million for in 1972.

I agree. In my lifetime of experience, wealthy people expect more for less, frequently do not pay their bills because the justice system is for the wealthy, have an outstanding sense of superiority, and believe they are self-made. The modern term for this is apparently “affluenza”.

The Koch Brothers got their money the old-fashioned way – they inherited it.

That is the current way of the world. Pull everyone down to the same level so their are no more third world countries. By making us lower our standards, e.g. paylevel, hours worked ect to that of developing nations and raising their level a little so we do not have to go as low as say the people working in india or china factories, then they can bring manufacturing obs back here but not till they break us enought to work for almost nothing. As it is now families are living together as they do in other countries because housing and food is too expensive. What will we give up next to appease the ones who decied?

“If I am content with but little, then enough is as good as a feast”— Emerson

must keep up with the Joneses rich snobs

Let’s remember, “All pigs are created equal. Some are more equal than others.”

Rudy says “they should get a cat”…

I had a pretty good teaching career, but knowing what I know now, I think I would have rather been a librarian……

You really should try to find a way to get paid to do what you love to do….That’s the secret of life……

We’re all responsible for the paths we choose. Envy of the rich and wanting to be won’t make you rich.

She lives at the beach, she has a job, her clothes look fine, she is married to a man who loves her and she has a healthy daughter. Not very grateful is she? Many people would be thrilled to have what she does.

(Shhhh, don’t let ‘em know nobody’s keeping them down but themselves, lest they find out they can stand. More fun to not try and then blame THEM — whichever THEM they’re blaming lately — for failure to be up.)

Stagnant education with a stagnant job and yet jobs abound for the skilled, skills training is available and many major universities make their classes online freely to all who actually want to learn.