Of course unfortunate situations can occur. It happens all the time.

You don't neglect to plan because an unfortunate situation might happen.

Seriously dude - your saying that I criticize some poor guy because his wife died is just an example of your need to dehumanize me with arguments with me in your head. You always win those arguments. Is there some deep seated need in your headspace to make me a cruel monster, happy to blame some guy for his unfortunate experience.

So while you do so love to put words in my mouth, if you've followed my posts, I'm very clear that "shit happens" Nothing in life is a sure thing. The best laid plans are not 100 percent, not ever.

Individuals can decide if they want to skip planning because something bad might happen that gets in the way. I saw that mindset in relatives and others I knew in my youth. It always seemed like a victim narrative to me. I just decided I wanted to do things differently. It appears to have worked. I meet people with that mindset in adult life. It really doesn't work out that well for them.

And it has nothing to do with family tragedy. Interesting that you went there though.

I had to chuckle at that. You choose the word foolish. I've been accused of being a perfectionist, obsessive compulsive, and asshole. I'll wear the names. But foolish? A new one. I'm not certain that anyone can plan for everything, I'm not even sure where I said that - "planning for everything" - if you could point it out, I'd appreciate it. I'm a science type who won't ever claim 100 percent for anything.

We live in a funny world, where at present, being a perfectionist is a personality flaw. Where "sweating the details" is bad. Where running a checklist is a character flaw - people who think that way don't want to see the process for taking off in a 747 or an A380.

Out of curiosity - since I'm foolish in your estimation, who would you prefer to be in charge of keeping you safe and sound. A fool such as myself, or a person who doesn't plan well and might not plan for contingencies?

I agree. There is something clearly and undeniably wrong when a person, clearly losing an election, like Trump in 2016, yet winning the election. There are much better ways than gerrymandering to achieve representation. Proportional, population based districting, not party based.

Why would I care what another random posts. Anyhow, I am only a Cassandra. If you want to believe that the USA has gone fascist, then why aren't you leaving like the Jewish people dit when Old Adolph was allowing them early on? I don't care.

Just double down, reject any input that doesn't come from an echo chamber. It's worked out for you so well lately.

All a matter of planning. To answer your question first, of course they aren't staying there for the heck of it. They don't have much choice.

As for why that is, people don't plan well. A lot of people don't even think about retirement until they are in their mid. 50's. Then they find themselves with 25 years left in a 30 year mortgage because they refinanced it several times. happened to my sister in law and others I know.

Then they panic. Often pushing their retirement will into risky options. A friend was totally into tech stocks. He used to come down bragging about the millions his stocks were worth. Somewhere between 3-4 million. Then the 2000 dot-com bubble burst. He was wiped out. Another co-worker got wiped out in both the 2000 Dotcom burst and the subprime loan bubble burst. circa 2006-7. Sad part is he was fairly highly placed, but didn't have much more than social security when he retired.

Another time, a co worker's daughter married a grifter who was running a Ponzi scheme, this guy was obvious a scam artist to me, but several people pulled out their entire retirement accounts including paying the penalties if there were any, and subsequently lost every cent.

I begged and pleaded, but the big problem was... greed Greed is how grifters always find marks. Promises of inane things like 50 percent return in a few weeks snags the mark.

Crazy thing was I was in an academic environment, and many of these folk were pretty darn intelligent. Their greed overruled their intelligence.

Next up, SO and I were in a vacation spot, and managed to get roped into a timeshare pitch. We asked for numbers, and the sales pitch guy became a little concerned when she whipped out her calculator and ran the numbers. She showed me the results, and it was essentially carrying a mortgage until I was in my 70's, but we would get 1 week per year. for a 30 years mortgage. I laughed and said no thanks, 2000 a month for thirty years, not even considering the maintenance fees? Guy still wouldn't give up until she went concerned woman mode "We're trying to leave now - are we locked in this room to detain us? We did get out of there, but a lot of people have been roped into timeshares. There's a whole industry that buys them up, then resells them to the next mark.

Point is, greed and lack of financial discipline really harms a lot of people.

Finally, I'm astute enough to know that I am not completely immune either. But between SO and I we've kept our cute butts out of trouble.

One thing you missed is that I made good financial decisions early on - you seem to think they were somehow sacrifices. I was playing the long game. Most people play the short game. Short game looks superior until you have to retire on social security.

Finally, it you fully believe you can't plan for retirement to live well - you are 100 percent correct.

Here is a bit of an issue. If a person isn't even sure of what they are, there is some confusion involved. perhaps a bit of therapy might help.

A real question - after gender affirming care, Chloe Cole, whose transitioning included puberty blockers, injections to try to make her skeletal structure more like a males, and who had her breasts lopped off at 15, and nipples place "in a more masculine position" she became suicidal, where before she got gender affirming care, she was not suicidal. She was confused. Her surgery on her chest has never healed correctly either.

She detransitioned, but of course some of the parts were no longer there. And she's suffering permanent health problems now that were caused by her "gender affirming care". If she had succeeded, would that have been a trans suicide?

Do you even care?

Who cares about those CIS white males. When they are gone, it's less people who are responsible for all problems . Think I'm exaggerating? DDG Surplus white males. Here's a link you'll enjoy https://wentworthreport.com/20... My favorite line at the beginning:

"Who lies at the intersection of guns, right-wing fanaticism, pandemic and climate change denialism? Who ensures that racism continues to course through the lifeblood of the country? Who stands in the way of gender equality? Who supports foreign wars and the military-industrial complex? Who is getting hit hard by the erosion of the manufacturing base in the heartland?"

Well you know exactly where ya stand, eh? I support people doing whatever they wish to their bodies as long as they are adults. If you want to amputate your penis and take hormones and dress like the opposite sex - have at it, as a person who can not only consent to sex, but to losing their sexual organs.

Finally, here's Chloe testifying before Congress - Should she just stop impeding progress and shut the hell up? I mean she's just collateral damage, and does not count at all, amirite? Sorry, I'm empathetic towards her, and can go full sarcastic mode. There's more than her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... https://www.youtube.com/watch?... But you can search too,

Another person in the way of the righteous alterations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Sacrilege! Using a study that reports what trans people believe after 15 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... How dare she?

There can and is real gender dysphoria. But perhaps there are other ways to deal with it instead of going all Doctor Mengele on children. I'm sure you disagree. I suspect that 50 years from now, we will look at the mutilation of children in the same way we look at the Tuskegee experiment, injecting people with plutonium, and Doctor Mengele and the surgical outrages he performed.

So let's look at this like adults. Teenagers can and do have sexual identity issues do they not?. A small number have what is called gender dysphoria. Agreed?

The criticalquestion is whether this dysphoria is permanent or not. Injecting chemicals and amputation of body parts is pretty extreme for children who might decide a few years later that it was a "phase. The 15 year study appears to indicate that many change their minds.

Which is why I support doing as you wish with your body, but you need to be at least the age of majority. And hey, if you simply like dressing as the opposite sex, have at it. At least you still have your genitalia and in women, your secondary sexual characteristics like your breasts.

But no, not making consent decisions about your sexuality before you can even give consent to actual sex, maybe therapy and not having the public schools seemingly push to convince children to transition. Sorry, if that makes me evil, than I'm evil.

Final question, what would your outlook be if (assuming you are a male) and had your penis amputated before you were even an adult, and taken hormones to enlarge your breasts, then 10 years later, decided you no longer wanted that. Kinda SOL, eh?

While this started out as a male suicide issue, negated by making Trans suicide more important, Here we are.

I'm concerned by all people who delete themselves out of depression or hopelessness.

The exception that I do support is people who might have learned they are suffering from an incurable disease like ALS or Huntingdon's. That's a horrifying way to go, and not a mental health issue.

Wanna play the numbers game? Democrats support people who. openly say all off white men are the problem. https://www.bostonherald.com/2... https://www.resilience.org/sto... https://yaledailynews.com/blog...

An official screed from Democrats https://www.seattletimes.com/o.... Oh, and they are looking forward to old white men's deaths https://www.npr.org/sections/c...

I can come up with more, but to even have results that deal with the question shows they what I speak is true.

So you might think that the Democrats are a race denying, inclusive of all people no matter their age or sex. Don't piss on my foot and tell me it's raining.

You can deny it all you want, but if you hate people based on the color of their skin and their origin - you are racist.

You can deny it all you want, but if you hate people based on their genitalia, you are sexist.

You can deny it all you want, but if you hate people because of their age, you are ageist.

It is bigotry, and it is only deniable by the deluded, and slaves to political dogma that tries to claim inclusivity while being actual bigots who are extremely prejudiced. The very foundation of identity politics.

Just like you are. Congratulations - you have met the enemy and it is you. How does it feel to be racist, sexist and ageist? You'll probably never admit it, kinda like a Republican thing.

Here's the thing my racist friend. Donald Trump is undeniably racist and sexist. You can tell by what he says and does. Explain how that makes every older white penis wielder the same as Trump? Are their racists in the Republican Party? Oh hell yeah. Denying that is foolish.

But my profound apologies, and most sorry to burst your bubble, but the Democrats are chock full of them as well, And they include young people, women, and different "races". It's just the other side of the coin, and cruelty trying to replace cruelty.

The first step towards curing the problem is admitting that you have one. If you want to be the party of inclusion, maybe include everyone, not just spread more hate.

I didn't get hit by a meteorite, killed by a car or suffer a fatal disease - I know that was a matter of luck. Nothing in life is a sure bet.

But there is a saying - "Luck favors the prepared". I was planning my career even when I was in High school. I'm an inveterate planner.

I planned where I wanted to work, and eventually got there a few years after school. I took advantage of every retirement account opportunity. Ended up with three accounts outside of regular savings.

How to do this? Financial discipline. Paying off credit cards every month instead of those low low payments for the rest of your life. Some folks I know were paying off wedding expenses years after they were divorced. That of course is just a beginning. Paid off my house as quickly as possible. Protip, the standard 30 year mortgage is a real bitch. Simplified Example:

100,00 mortgage with no down payment (for simplicity)

5% interest.

30 year Mortgage

Total loan payback $193,255.78

15 year mortgage same parameters

Total loan payback $142,342.85

We paid back my mortgage in around 12 years

Total payback $133,184.22.

some $ 60,000 difference.

I invested the difference in my case. Anyhow, it's just an example. If you are comfortable paying twice what you were thinking you paid, have at it.

I played the long game which is apparently stupid to some people. It took a while to build up, but there ya go.

So yes, life happens, and I could have been wiped out or killed prematurely, despite my planning. I could even die tomorrow, and lessen my enjoyment of my ill gotten riches.

But consider this - not planning and just letting life happen randomly to a person will definitely not set a person up for personal wealth in retirement unless they win the lottery or something like that. Although many lottery winners go broke a few years later.

Anyhow, my inveterate planning pisses some people off bigly. And if telling people that there is a different way pisses them off, they might do a little introspection. That's okay too, as if you think what I did was luck, like winning the lottery, yeah, go right ahead. Not really my problem.

How on earth my autocorrect turned "Touchstone" into "Touchwood" I dunno.

You know, if these loving caring people were really concerned about suicide, they's address the fact that males commit suicide 88 percent of the time. In the US that's 11 per day.

But the people who are so concerned about trans people ending themselves, don't care about CIS men offing themselves - I think they think it is a good thing.

Did you ever wonder if the people who demand biological men in women's sports are just the grown up kids who were afraid of Gym class? Maybe they just hate sports and want to destroy women's sports?

In my Ice hockey experience, I could dominate even at my age. I still skate fast, and no one wants to be body checked by me. Let the women have their sports - it is a very good thing for growing women. I'll post that link again. https://womenssportspolicy.org...

And I suppose it is okay with the poster that actual real women are quitting because of men in their sports. I don't like Cheeto all that much, but considering he is ending the female oppression by men in sports (whoda thunk that he stood up for women?) that's a win for women.

In the end, it isn't transphobia. It's just understanding that males and females are not physically identical. That's biology. It's just understanding that sports are a really good thing for women.

https://womenssportspolicy.org.... Now I pretty much expect that you will deny their statistics.

Won't you?

Perhaps the path forward is to eliminate gender based sports, and have men and women and trans all compete in one each sport. That would be completely fair, one;y the strongest and best would play on the teams that are left. Don't you agree that would be the only fair option? zero discrimination, and unquestionably completely fair. I am being facetious.

As a former hockey coach and CEO of a youth hockey corporation, I witnessed how this works. In competitive youth hockey, there are different levels, based on age. Mites, Squirts, PeeWees, Bantam and Midget. Those are the main groups through grade school and high school. Mites and Squirts, the girls actually dominate. They are faster and stronger than the boys. Then at the PeWee level, puberty is kicking in for the males. A few girls can keep up, but it is getting to be a small group. And then there is Bantam level. The contest is over. The boys have put on a lot of weight and muscle mass. They are more assertive than the girls, faster and seriously stronger.

And I don't know if you have ever participated, but males have a "beast mode" by that time. Only a few women do.

That's the setup. We had a young lady who wanted to play on our midget team. This is basically adults. I tried to see if we could at least have her play on the bantam team, but the rules were the rules - I wasn't allowed. So since she really wanted to play, and we had room on the roster, we let her. I could not discriminate.

She was slower, shorter, and it was brutal. Her parents commiserated with me, but the poor girl was really wanting to play. I give her props and respect for heart and attitude, but I lost sleep worrying. She ended up a mass of bruises, and how she didn't get a concussion is a tribute to her helmet. One of the problems with Youth ice hockey is you can't easily tell the gender. The opposing team couldn't tell gender, so they hit her as hard as anyone else, and our boys had to learn to suppress their "protection mode". Despite the narrative, they respected her and liked her.

Finally, we set her up with some of her friends on a woman's team she played on, and she decided to play with them. A great sigh of relief from her parents and coaches. Even the lads missed her. She did very well on her woman's team.

So there is what you get when the genders are switched the other way.

Final point is that sports are a wonderful thing for women. Promoting fitness, team work, competition, and cooperation, learning to lose as well as win. By having actual men competing on their teams, setting records not reachable by genetic females, is nothing but feminists imposing male tyranny in their demand that there is no biological difference between men and women. Progressives working very hard to do non-progressive things.

Like it or not, it is not possible to legislate gender identicalness. And the feminist demand is not very popular with mothers and their families, who seem to believe there is a difference between males and females.

Blessed are those who can get curbstomped, yet blame people trying to steer them in a better direction. Logic not involved.

Cassandras like me really piss them off.

So how do you deal with the very words you wrote:

"To pretend to offer them something, you mean. That's the problem, a yuuuge percentage of those young guys are exactly as stupid and bereft of morality as the Democrats think they are."

So in your estimation, the Democrats understand that young men are exactly as stupid and immoral as they think that they are.

You wrote that. And you squirm when I ask you what your solution is. If you are a Democrat, or Democrat leaning, how are you smart if you have no ideas?

Teddy Roosevelt noted that "Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining."

So now, what to be done with as you put it immoral and stupid males?

And therein lies the difference between you and I.

I want to have at least equal Democrats and preferably a majority in office. I very much prefer anyone but Trump. That's why I voted Harris Walz even if they made me cringe

I look at the results of the last general election, and see a fairly strong shift away from what I believe is needed to win elections. The demographic difference between the 2020 and 2024 elections is significant.

I troubleshoot, and come up with some mistakes the Democrat party made. This is not stuff I made up. This is coming from the statistics and interviews. We all know them, if people have read my posts, and became triggered by them.

I point them out, and come to a conclusion that many people who had voted for Trump did not like him, but considered it a smaller problem.

Yet some people are so strong in their party line opinions, that anything other than continuing them is party treason. You attack the messenger.

And there were others like Hispanic males who went for Trump, the biggest reason given is that "The Democrats no longer represent my values." Are these hispanic males also stupid and immoral?

Consider that your condescension is another issue many took with the 2024 election. The Democrats spent a lot of time talking about how smart they are, and how stupid everyone else is. Double down homie. Your soundbite politics can trump my proposing a solution - and the solution isn't to somehow become MAGA, it's to try to appeal to a broad range of voters, and move back to the center, and lose some of the nuttiness their ivory tower overlords demand.

Crap, there goes my new career path!