The Frankish Reich

Him: homes are too expensive! Lots of people can't afford to buy a house. Me: yeah, but the people selling a house are making a mint. Him: hah! Home prices are down 4%, so what mint? You have a point. "Generational wealth" - I'm friends with a member of my state legislature. She represents a mostly Hispanic district - not new immigrants, but the Spanish heritage folks who've lived in the southwest for generations. Some "progressive" (they even call themselves Democratic socialists) members of the legislature are trying to propose limits on scrape-offs, home additions, etc to halt gentrification of these areas. My friend tells me her constituents hate that idea. Many times they bought their houses 35 years ago for $70,000. They're now worth a million. They want to be able to sell and pocket that "generational wealth!"

Got that AP story? The quote cut it off: "... but voters still feel" like they're not doing well, or as well as they think they have a right to be doing. It's that word again: feel. I don't deny "feelings" are important in politics. Example: 1992 "Town Hall" Presidential debate. Bush 41 (a very fine President and a great American) vs. smarmy Bill Clinton. I think Ross Perot was there too, but I'm not sure. Voter asks incoherent question to the candidates: "How has the deficit affected you personally." (I think she meant to say "inflation" not "deficit." Bush 41 tries to be nice and say something about the deficit. Deficits making it impossible to take on other challenges, blah, blah, blah, government-ese babble ... Clinton steps up to the mic: "I feel your pain." Total b.s. about feelings. About how the deficit has impacted him personally? My point (and you can tell what I thought of Bush vs Clinton in that year): it used to be that Republicans were the numbers guys, the technocrats, the analysts, the think-like-a-manager types. They would mock appeals to "feelings." Mitt Romney was the last gasp of that type of Republican. The new ones are all about damn-your-data I don't feel wealthy enough and I have a right to be doing better."

One man's pricey housing market is another man's generational wealth accumulation.

I apologize. It appears I have hurt your feelings.

We know you love you some Trump. Other than those tremendous 4 years, what other President do you admire? I mean, he was all about Making America Great Again, so that presupposes some earlier golden age. Is it the 4.1% inflation rate at the end of Reagan's second term? Is it the 4.1% inflation rate just before the 2008 election when Obama won? Because then surely you'll love today's 3.24% rate!

I know that's how you feel. But you are objectively wrong. Again.

What do you call a Democrat who is planning to vote for Trump? A new-style Republican. Feelings. Whoa, whoa, whoa, feelings ...

The latest chapter in the ongoing story: post-Trump Republicans are now all about feelings, Democrats are now all about data.

Hmm, now that Alex Jones is back on Twitter, where do all our Trumpies stand on the repeal of section 230? They've been very quiet ever since the Musk buyout....

Inappropriate. I feel dirty because I laughed.

There is no "state interest" here in preserving potential life, since there is no potential life. It is almost a perfect test case for the post-Roe world. Texas will basically be forced to argue that there is a state interest in making a woman have a miscarriage/deliver a stillborn baby/deliver a baby that will die almost immediately after delivery.

It appears that everyone has moved on from Dylan Mulvaney. Except, of course, for one very trans curious poster here.

Dear ChatGPT, Thank you for the tips!

Amazing how quickly the balance of power changes. 2022: the great young QBs are in the AFC. AFC is entering a new era of dominance. 2023: never mind.

Broncos within one game of the Chiefs in the AFC West!

Holy crap! It didn't play to script.

Calling it now: defensive hold on the Bills. Or PI. Or roughing the passer.

Exactly what I thought. Would I decline it? Yes.

They left us enough time this time!! Thank you Travis.

So that when we inevitably settle for a FG, and then KC scores a TD, we'll have just enough clock left for one final hail Mary.

Herbert out for the Chargers. It's Easton Stick (who? what?) for the win.

Actually NYT playoff machine says ... go Bengals! Improves our chances of making the playoffs from 20% to 24%. (But I'm guessing the Colts will blow it in future weeks, so that may change my perspective)

C'mon, play for the tie!

And unfortunately he's off to a nice start today too. Or maybe I want the Bengals to win? I can't remember anymore.

It is Flacco. But imagine if Flacco had taken over for Rodgers in Game 1 for the Jets. He's not good, but he's not Zach Wilson or whoever else bad. You really can do worse than signing a QB off the street.