May 29

Sunny with a bit of a breeze. I haven't seen the weather prediction for today yet. Hope it will be dry.

I think (hope) we are emerging from our technological hell. We spent yesterday trying to cancel one phone one service (and the phones with it) and replacing it (and getting more compatible--with us--phones.) To be fair, the Samsung A15 phones were not bad. We couldn't work with them--at least not in a timely manner. Although I could configure some of the features, I never did figure out how to answer a damned call. Punching the little green button simply didn't work--at least not for me. Mom and I both have our "senior moments" when we look at something and say "what in the hell did I want to do." At least with the new flip phones we just have to open it to answer and can easily navigate to the space for the number we want to call.

I saw an interesting article recently (can't remember where) discussing the problem of inflation and popular perceptions of "inflation." I put that in quotes because there are, at least, three ways to define the term. One is a technical definition economists use that I have to look up every time I have to think about what an economist I read has written. A second is a dictionary definition that describes increasing prices and/or declining purchasing power. The condition may or may not coincide with the technical definition. Third, is a definition that has permeates common conversation which says "Prices are too damned high." When reporters ask the "man (person) on the street" how they are feeling about the economy they usually bring in an economist who will say what the respondent feel isn't real. Or they rely on the dictionary and more statistics which show that prices aren't rising or wages aren't declining so, again, the respondent is feeling something that isn't real. Then they usually don't dig any further. And people don't like being told they are disconnected from reality.

Lyz at Men Yell At Me picked up the points I tried to make above. I remember all too often watching the very optimistic economic stories and commenting that the commentator obviously didn't do the grocery shopping.

Stray thought--I have mentioned before that holidays don't really mean all that much to Mom and me any more. Usually we just forget the holiday--until we want to go to the bank or wonder why we didn't get any mail. Evidently holidays do mean something to Trump. I can't remember a holiday over the last few years when he hasn't celebrated by putting out some kind of self-centered whine about how badly he is being treating and engaging in a spate of juvenile name calling while promising to get revenge if he wins re-election.