The Old In and Out
This is my take on the In’s and Out’s from 2021 to 2022. Enjoy.
First, you’re probably wondering, how does he know these things? I’m going to reveal my secret right now. I learned how to do this from all of the other In/Out columns – I just made them up. You can, and should, ignore most of my predictions, but here’s a few things that might interest you. Among other things, muscle cars are probably not going to come back; and I guess I’ll never have a 1967 Shelby Cobra 427.
As for groups being out, I still remember back in the late 70s when Native Americans were the “in group” with popular books like Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee and Hanta Yo. Everybody talked about their problems but the whole thing ran out of steam when people found out about the tax-free casinos.
We have both new and old, underserved communities. For new USC’s, we have exciting new concerns for the good people of Bethesda, MD. They have a history of protesting (sitting with their hands up as though they are being arrested on a pleasant day in June) from their wealthy enclave (median family income in Bethesda is $164,142). One underserved community will be found right next door to Bethesda. John Wright of Potomac recently (Jan 1, 2022) complained on the Neighborhood App that their grandchildren were being priced out of Potomac homes (median price, just over $1 million). He lamented that he would probably have to fly to see them one day.
Then there are underserved Black and Hispanic communities as reported by the Washington Post on Dec. 9, 2021. We have known for some years that some communities are food deserts because of the lack of access to healthful foods. Now the WaPo has identified that some of the same communities are “charging deserts”- with a complete absence of electric vehicle chargers. Imagine spending $50,000 on an electric car only to find you have to drive to an upscale neighborhood to charge it.
Other ins and outs include gluten, which is found mostly in wheat. Gluten is a protein that, unless you have celiac disease (about 1 of every 100 people) or are allergic to wheat, is not only not going to harm you. It may actually be good for you. Whole grain consumption is associated with improved health and gluten may also be a prebiotic. Sugar, on the other hand, is linked to high blood pressure, weight gain, inflammation, stroke, and diabetes.
As COVID becomes pretty much like a hangover, 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes and 1 in 3 have prediabetes. Diabetes can cause heart disease, heart attacks, heart failures and stroke, not to mention leg or foot infections leading to amputation. Diabetes is definitely in.
Jeffrey Epstein is out because he is, well, dead. But Jeffrey’s old clients are still around and who isn’t salivating at the thought that Ghislaine Maxwell will rat them out to prevent being sentenced to a jillion years in prison? So they are definitely “in.”
As far as the Washington Team Football (WTF), people will eventually get sick of staying in on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and watching those losers. Instead, they will go outside and do things like play golf, go for a walk, or play flag football.
Will the government ever stop paying people not to go to work? Maybe. If they do, those people will find that they need money if they want to eat, live somewhere, you know, those sorts of things.
Looks like a great year shaping up, at least in my head. Happy New Year everyone.