Stranger Things

DON'T TAKE ME THE WRONG WAY, I LOVE A THRIFT STORE AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY. I mean, half my wardrobe is honestly from a thrift store, and it is not because I can't afford to buy new clothes—part of my personal wealth can be closely attributed to my not buying new stuff.

There are times, though, when I walk into a thrift store, that I am left scratching my head a bit. The thought comes to mind as I peruse the racks and shelves, ""Why would anyone donate this?" And then, even if someone did donate this, what moron decided to actually put it onto the shelf and not into the dumpster where it probably rightfully belongs.

OR, maybe I am missing something altogether. Maybe someone out there may actually buy the thing on the shelf you truly believe is fit for nothing but the landfill.

Like this doll, for example. I mean, not only is its face crushed, but it is missing half of its hair which has of course filled the bag, and made this thing into some creepy, hairy monster. I do recall that old show by Ray Bradbury where he would look around the room and think, "What shall I write about today?" Perhaps old Ray would have bought this doll, brought her into his studio, and decided to find a story to write about it.

Either way, I thought it was a funny find, and definitely fits within the category of "random thoughts," which is part of the description of this here blog.

Who the hell thought this was a keeper? Moreover, who in the hell would actually buy it?

Quick Shout: Aluminum Prices Are Down, Not Up

Despite the Aluminum Tariffs, Aluminum prices are DOWN 4%. People are surprised, I’m not! Lots of money coming into U.S. coffers and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 6, 2018

IT MAY WELL BE A SHORT TERM EVENT. IT MAY EVEN BE AN ANOMALY. REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS, THE FACT IS THAT ALUMINUM PRICES ARE DOWN, NOT UP, SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP IMPOSED A 10% TARIFF ON IMPORTED ALUMINUM.

And POTUS is right to tout this, and to point that out, as he indeed did in a recent tweet.

I said a while back, after so much hoopla surrounding the president's decision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs that he knows what he is doing, and that when you get right down to the brass tacks of the matter...

Tariffs are not what this is all about. (If You Think Steel Tariffs Are About Steel Tariffs...You Are Missing the Point)

It is being reported that aluminum prices are down 4% since Trump announced he would impose the tariffs. I also said that you shouldn't be surprised that not everyone gets what these tariffs actually wish to achieve...

And beware anyone selling anything made out of steel or aluminum will gouge you with no foundation whatsoever for what they are doing—that they will do this based solely on the IDEA that all tariffs are bad, and that the only logical conclusion can be that tariffs will drive prices higher.

And yes, there is historical data to suggest that that could well be the case if what Trump wished to achieve was only to impose a tariff.

And as I said, that's not what his intention was at all. In the most basic of terms what I said was that Trump's intent was to level the playing field, force bad players to play fair, and more importantly to open a dialogue.

Like I said before, any prices on the end product are simply false increases. Reactionary increases. And pure gouging. The president has this, and I think it will be clear on all fronts when all is said and done that the market will stabalize, jobs will be left intact, and all of this chatter that we're creating a trade war and sinking our own ship will prove to be...

A pack of jibberish.