Here’s the deal. If Kamala had won, the C-word people would be 100% blaming it on her. If inflation had cooled, the C-word people would have been praising Trump and giving him 100% of the credit. But since Kamala didn’t win and inflation is up, it’s all Biden’s fault according to the C-words.

And truth be told, under NORMAL circumstances, it would be too early to place much blame on the new president. But that’s the thing, these aren’t normal circumstances and a lot of blame does fall on Trump.

For one, he literally promised that he’d tackle inflation on day one. Now, any reasonable person knew that was a lie, but when a leader makes that kind of statement and fails to deliver, the blame falls on that leader.

But mostly, we knew the circus was coming to town, so reasonable people took steps in preparation for the chaos. These numbers are a reflection that the circus delivered. Even if things ultimate end up getting better, chaos and instability are not good for the average American, and this is a reflection of that.

Hunger Games reject villain, IMHO

Why not make it an even 100 billion is what I would ask if I were uninformed, which I am, so it’s what I’m asking.

JD VANCE has now entered the chat.

I live in a solidly conservative area and I heard a surprising but also encouraging conversation this morning at the doctor’s office.

When I walked in, there were a handful of folks in the waiting area and they were talking supportively of JD Vance, so presumably conservative voters. It was off putting for me and I was immediately a bit irritated that I can’t even go to the doctor without having to listen to this bullshit.

But as the conversation continued, they actually started talking about how super wealthy people worth hundreds of millions aren’t paying their fair share of taxes, how they’re ruining towns and making middle class people pay for it, and things like that. Specifically they were talking about some of the environmental damage done to waterways by rich people (they mentioned someone specific but it wasn’t a name I am familiar with and I don’t recall what it was) and how the clean-up is being paid for by middle class tax payers.

So, while we might all disagree substantially on a lot of topics, I think a disdain for super wealthy / elites not paying their fair share is some common ground to build on.

I’ll put an offender on blast: Max.

A couple of months ago I subscribed to the highest tier, ad-free plan. Around a week into it, we started getting ads for different kinds of sports shows, interrupting the shows and movies at random spots just like traditional ads on television.

First thing first: Back in the days when we rode our Dimetrodons to school both ways uphill in fallen volcanic ash, we called it Cinemax and HBO was separate. And neither one of them had ads show up in the middle of their content because they were premium channels.

Second thing second: When I contacted customer service about it, they actually had the audacity to tell me that those aren’t ads, they are previews for other content offered in their service.

So to me, whether it is a bug in their system or the definition of ad has changed in the ensuing millennia since I first learned its meaning, the fact that there are even ads in premium media services like these is a prime example of enshittification to me.