A Disturbance In The Force

The first of my age cohort, the Baby Boomers, turn 80 this year, 2026.  Born between 1946 and 1964 all 76.4 million of us are kicking-off the new year with our growing dominance of consumer spending.  Why is this important anyway?  The US economy is primarily service-driven; not manufacturing.  Consequently, consumer spending accounts for roughly 68-70% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means that consumer spending is the largest component of the U.S. economy, and a major driver of economic growth.  More old people and fewer young ones are reshaping jobs and spending in all kinds of ways.  There's nothing nefarious about any of this; it's pure demographics. For instance, nearly all of January's job growth came from the healthcare and social assistance sectors with healthcare employment as the largest contributor to labor market growth in 2025.  

For any of you reading this who happen to be a dues-paying boomer ask yourself what of any of the following applies to you and your own situation. 

Exhibit 1 - The collective wealth of the baby boomers - estimated at over $78 trillion - is fundamentally reordering the global economy.  Retired and no longer accumulating assets boomers are spending discretionary funds while prioritizing quality of life over material accumulation.  Consider this: While younger generations may be tightening their belts due to inflation; boomers are the principal drivers behind a $544 billion travel market in 2026.  

Exhibit 2 - Boomers are more proactive with regard to medical care and lifestyle choices.  Whether it is preventative medicine, diet, exercise, active recreation and smartwatches boomers are investing in their future.  While some may choose to downsize, many are investing in their current homes and choosing to age in place.  This includes high-end appliances, landscaping, home improvements and upgrades in accessibility and other services to simplify daily life. 

Exhibit 3 - Value-based frugality.  Despite their wealth, it took a lifetime of saving, sacrificing and investing for boomers to get to where they are.  Consequently, they remain incredibly value-conscious.  Boomers demonstrate consistent brand loyalty and are more likely to drive their vehicles for longer periods than most Americans. They'll invest in home improvements if they believe it will add value to a future sale.  They're also less likely to spend on themselves and more likely to spend on their family members. 

To be clear, everyone's personal situation is different.  Moreover, as a cancer survivor I am smart enough to understand that anyone's number can be up at any time. Consequently, one day at a time.  Nevertheless, there's no escaping the fact that boomers are growing as a share of the overall aging population.  This demographic, referred to as the pig moving thru the python, along with their financial muscle is going to influence all sorta new business startups and marketing trends.  It's a good time to be alive.

Sound like anybody you know?

Ice Drinking

 

 Sturgeon season thru the ice opened on Valentines Day. 

The season is scheduled to last 16 days, closing on March 1, 2026, or earlier if the predetermined harvest caps are reached.  

Great weather Sunday to catch some rays and maybe spear a really big fish….

 

Crime Plunges

Marking the largest single-year drop on record and possibly the lowest murder rate since 1900, murders in major US urban centers  plummeted by over 20% last year.

Crimes in nearly all categories fell with 36% fewer robberies, 29% fewer carjackings and 25% fewer homicides compared to 2019.  

27 out of 35 cities surveyed saw declines in homicides chalking-up a year over year 20% decline nationwide compared to 2024.   At -60% Baltimore was witness to the largest drop while Los Angeles saw a 39% drop. 

According to the Council on Criminal Justice, burglaries fell by 45% and larceny by 20% compared to 2019. Despite remaining higher than 2019 levels, motor vehicle thefts fell by 27% last year compared to 2024.

The extent to which President Trump's policies are responsible is the subject of considerable debate between the administration and independent researchers.

The White House and Department of Justice (DOJ) cite several factors including the deployment of federal resources and army national guard personnel to major cities - specifically targeting Democrat-led Blue Cities characterized as war zones.  Surging ICE operations which targeted and removed thousands of criminal aliens from US streets.  And lastly encouraging stricter federal prosecutions and promoting a positive image of law enforcement to boost morale among rank and file police and recruitment.

In contrast, criminologists and organizations such as the Council on Criminal Justice and the Vera Institute argue that the 2025 drop is a continuation of a "virtuous cycle" that began in 2023.   Significant is as the social, economic, and psychological stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic receded, crime rates naturally began to revert to pre-2020 levels.  Experts credit the 2021 American Rescue Plan and the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which funded community violence intervention programs that reached peak effectiveness in 2024–2025.  Finally, policy changes typically take more than a few months to manifest in national statistics. Critics argue that Trump's 2025 cuts to DOJ grants for community safety may actually risk reversing these gains in 2026.  

On one hand factors contributing to this statistical avalanche include technology advances leading to precision policing and a reduction in court backlogs.  On the other hand, community-based programs implementing violence interrupters and even a generational shift in the data suggesting Gen Z committing fewer violent crimes are responsible.  

While the Trump administration's aggressive enforcement coincided with the record-breaking drop, the decline was already well underway by 2024. Most analysts believe the 2025 figures are too complex to parse and I'm disinterested in burning valuable bandwidth on someone's confirmation bias, selective cherry-picking or group-think.

Either way you slice it, crime in many cities has been falling since former President Biden's final two years in office.  The decline witnessed last year is a sharp reversal of the outlier pandemic-era surge that commenced during Trump's first term.   

For most of the last year I've been witness to more than enough reality television drama recently punctuated by the slaying of a couple of my countrymen; a singularly Trumpian Kent State moment. These deaths have had a profound impact upon my psyche; mostly a consequence of a small handful of acquaintances reveling and basking in the reflected glory of the slaying of Americans - for all the world to see on social media.  Absorb that readers; and allow it to register.  I don't care if it is Renee Good , Alex Pretti or Charlie Kirk; don't behave like a bloodthirsty damn ghoul.  Rejoicing in the gunning-down of other Americans reflects poorly.  

Drama-aside, there hasn't been much if any permanent progress on anything that will improve your and my prosperity and general lot in life. The budget and deficit have exploded to record levels and tariffs have increased the cost of living on all Americans. Nevertheless, this news from the crime blotter might just be evidence of our immediate world becoming a safer place.  Considering most everyone around here leave their keys in their vehicles I'm gonna embrace the drop.  Time will tell if it is lasting.  I'm a patient sort.....

The Feast

This evening’s dinner is brought to you courtesy of a half breast (all four pounds) of my spring turkey kill. We split a big yam and served it up with homemade dressing and gravy overall. 

 

Better Living Through Bacon

From the bottom, up 

Toast

Mayo

Locally-sourced smoked bacon

Garden tomato

Lettuce 

Mayo 

Toast 

Frilly toothpicks too 

Heaven...... 

 

New Eyes

You're probably wondering why this guy is  smiling.

It's because after wearing vision-correcting eyeglasses since the fifth grade he's driving his Mustang while wearing a pair of uncorrected sunglasses that set him back a $1.50. 

Since I retired my annual visit to the eye doc has included monitoring the progression of cataracts that have conspired to degrade my vision.  Cataracts are a clouding of the natural lens of the eye, leading to blurred vision, glare, and eventual vision loss. This spring's routine visit resulted in sufficient advancement of the condition to do something about it.

I finally got my chance to get my eyes fixed.  Two visits, one week apart, to the Eye Clinic in Green Bay.   

Cataract surgery removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a clear artificial intraocular lens (IOL).  And for me it opened up a world where everything is clearer, brighter and more colorful.  I didn't know what I was missing.

This is an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia with sedation (you’re awake but relaxed).  Most commonly it is performed with phacoemulsification (ultrasound to break up the lens), followed by IOL insertion.  Truthfully, the prep and recovery took up most of the time.  The procedure itself took all of ten minutes and required no eye drops in the follow-up care. 

By all outward appearances things were busy at the clinic.  Inquiring of the surgical staff I learned that there were four operating rooms and two surgeons performing, respectively, approximately 20 procedures each day of my visits.

Cataract surgery is the most commonly-performed procedure on the planet with over 3.7 million surgeries performed annually in the United States.  Over 20 million are performed globally each year and the number continues to rise due to aging populations.

Over 98% of surgeries result in improved vision and complications are rare and usually treatable. 95% of patients achieve 20/40 vision or better (good enough to drive without corrective lenses) and many achieve 20/20 with or without glasses depending on lens choice.

Best of all the procedure is covered by Medicare and my supplemental insurance policy.  Between you and me this is good government policy; trust me, you don't want millions of vision-impaired baby boomers on the road. 

At the present time both my eyes have been corrected to 20/20 vision so I went to the Dollar Store and splurged less than ten bucks for four pair of +1.75 reading glasses and a couple of plain sunglasses - one for each automobile.   My doc sez that I need to allow a month (give or take) before a final correction in vision can be confirmed. 

We are blessed to live in a Golden Age of replacement parts.

Friday Music

Last weekend we spent an evening out with the Garza brothers for another fine performance at the Door Community Auditorium at Gibraltar High School.  

It's difficult indeed to pigeonhole this group into a specific  music genre.  If I had to describe it their style is a high energy fusion of Rock & roll, Texas blues and swing, funky soul, country and Tejano.  Stylistically, you might catch a whiff of Santana or the Bo Deans.  Our performance included an extended bluesy-funky cover of the Spencer Davis Group's I'm a Man.  Good stuff. 

Anyway, if you live here on the Peninsula or plan to visit you might want to check into tickets for a specific performance or two of the seasonal lineup offered by the Door Community Auditorium.

Live video was not allowed for this performance  but there is always YouTube to come to the rescue.

Los Lonely Boys......   

Gentlemen - Start Your Grills

It's been grilling season for a spell already; nevertheless, there is this.

Backyard venison - rare to medium rare.

Spargel from the kitchen garden, anointed with EVO -  grilled.

Baked tater with butter, sour cream and chopped chives from the kitchen garden.

Cracked pepper and sea salt over all.

Pretty good chow if you can get it….. 

 

Bachelor Life

Doggo and I are roughing it for a couple of day while Jill is away. 

This evening we enjoyed porch peanuts and a frosty import.

Fresh sautéed mushrooms.

Steak and baked potato - including snipped chives from the kitchen garden.

And a beautiful peninsula sunset for for desert....

 

 

Pretty good chow if you can get it......

Winner Winner....

Chicken Dinner.....

I happen to believe that the bone-in, skin-on, chicken thigh is a thoroughly underrated menu item.   Excellent dollar value too.

Season only with fresh-cracked pepper and sea salt. 

Start skin-side down in a cold skillet. Cook 40-50 minutes on medium or until browned. Flip and cook 15 minutes more or until 160F.

Set aside on a plate to rest and make pan gravy from all of the deliciousness in the skillet. 

Serve with some mashed baby reds and fresh frozen whole kernel sweet corn.

Elegant chow in a simple way.  

Perfect when you’re snowed-in…..

The Perfect Saturday

 

Overnight and continued snow have brought countless birds to the feeders this morning. Consequently, my trusty side kick and I made the rounds of replenishing the feeders in the yard around the house.

Followed by a romp in the new-fallen snow. 

 

 

Ruby lit her Rocket Mode and tore-up a pile of yardage in a flagrant expenditure of puppy energy. Doggo sure luvs herself some winter.

 

Refilled the wood box last. 

 

I have a vision of a book by the fire and a sleepy dog.  This is what a winter Saturday should be…

Stirring the Pot

Wok, not pot.

Shrimp stir fry this evening.

One more reason America has been Great for about as long as I can remember.

mise en place

 Raising a toast to the Calphalon wok,

An embarrassment of vegetables,

And a Big Ass gas flame on the new GE Profile cook top!

Polar Vortex

 

Perfectly tropical -9F this morning.

Thankful for the sunshine streaming thru the windows as this passive solar does make a difference.

Schlafender Hund

The Red Rocket is spent....

Rib Fest

Lake, cousins, food, adult beverages, yuks. 

Another annual Rib Fest has come and gone; and thinking about it I hate to admit that I've sorta lost track of how many there have been.

No dogs this year, but there was plenty of terrific food (including ribs) and wake-boarding, jet-skiing, swimming, cruising, adult beverages, hot-tubbing, family stories, yuks and family.

 

As a consequence of the the family's growing numbers three years-ago we ditched the supper club Friday fish fry and I assumed responsibility for the experience to be held at home.

There were two kinds of fries, beer-battered onion rings, homemade coleslaw, tartar sauce, deli rye and of course, fresh water yellow perch.  Almost five dozen fillets all-told.  Once the oil is up to temperature everything comes-together in about 30 minutes (give or take).  Brandy Old-Fashioneds were involved too.

Yummy chow if you can get it.

Saturday featured more aquatic events, fishing from the pier, hanging out on the patio, More food  and the pièce de résistance:  food on a stick, ribs, sides and desserts.  

 Ohhh man. 

Our parents were the first generation to host summer gatherings like this.  Us cousins are the second generation to continue the tradition.  And it now includes the third and fourth generations.  And, by the way, we've raised the bar and amped-up our game.

Family.  
Channeling Robert Earl Keen - The road goes on forever and the party never ends.... 

 

Wildflower Walk

From our walk yesterday there was this.

A good day to be a dog.....

Feels Like Spring Lately

Nevertheless, the astronomical first day of spring here in the northern hemisphere is tomorrow; with the arrival of the spring equinox.

That said, we've scored some spectacularly warm days lately that are mindful of summer weather.  Just the other day I popped-open the windows on the west side of the house so I could watch the news with a glass of Merlot and listen to the finches feeding just the other side of the screen.

There has also been several porch beer days in the 70F sunshine.

And the first patio burger; loaded with Poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Hetero-cyclic amines and advanced glycation end products.  All of this notwithstanding; real men grill on charcoal.

I have lived to bear witness….

Winter Fun

When I had a day job a significant number of my Wisconsin clients had beat it out of Dodge by this time of year.  If not, immediately following Christmas.  They lived here mostly on lakes and in northern Wisconsin three seasons out of the year and by the time winter rolled-around they had vamoosed for warmer latitudes.

Not this retired guy.

When you have overcast skies, fresh snow and 26 degrees Fahrenheit and can work with your dog in conditions like this who wants to be in Florida or Texas.  For gosh sakes, they have cockroaches as big as your hand, poisonous snakes, fire ants and termites in those places.  Yeech!

Life is good...

 

Deer Camp Thankfulness

As per usual the Thanksgiving Holiday falls during deer camp.  This year it’s just Jill and me as nobody wants to be with us.  Which is just fine.  It’s a relaxing day of televised parade and football and a traditional stuffed turkey roasting in the oven.  We're also baking a giant yam and there is pumpkin pie for dessert.  

I've got a great deal to be thankful-for.  My family, my friends, great community and neighbors, a comfortable retirement, reasonably good health and the great outdoors.  A new pup rounds it all out.    

An additional bit of good news is this:  The American Farm Bureau Federation's 38th annual survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year's classic holiday feast for 10 checks-in at $61.17 or less than $6.20 per person. 

 

This is a 4.5% decrease from last year's record-high average of $64.05, but a Thanksgiving meal is still 25% higher than it was in 2019, highlighting the impact of higher supply costs and inflation have had on food prices since before the pandemic.  Anecdotally, our ten-pound bird was free.  We earn Holiday Bucks from our grocery every December which can be redeemed for a free turkey or ham.

 

In closing the staff here at The Platz extends their best wishes to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.   

Gobble, gobble...

 

Sunset

Some days you can chill-out in a deer stand and not see a single whitetail within range of a well-placed arrow.

It is not missing the rare sunset show that makes-up for what would appear to be a waste of time.

Yesterday there was this....