Even that's Odd – Collection of Odd Events

Odds & Events

Travel

February 27, 2026

Dress to Impress (Who, Exactly? The Fine People of Portugal Obviously.)

We just got back from Portugal and it was fantastic. Lisbon, Porto, the hills, the pastéis de nata, the Super Bock — loved all of it. I dress for the weather. I dress for the walking.…

Reviews

January 27, 2026

When GPS Dog Fencing Becomes Psychological Warfare: A $600 Lesson in Canine Trauma

PetSafe Guardian GPS Connected Customizable Fence Review – Or: How I Accidentally Taught My Dog to Fear the Outdoors Rating: 2/5 StarsPurchased: September 18, 2023Price: $600Duration of Use: 2-3 months before abandoning in defeat Let me…

Political

March 2, 2026

Passing the Buck: Why We Pay More But Make Less. Part 4: Credit Cards

The Debt Trap Jason is a high school teacher in Arizona. He makes $48,000 a year, which is about what teachers make there. He’s 32, married, has a two-year-old daughter. His wife works part-time as a…

House & Home

February 28, 2026

This New Old House, Part 16: Chim Chimney, Chim Chimney, Chim Chim Cherooh-Noo

Some mistakes cost money. Some cost time. The chimney cost both, repeatedly, for years. If you’ve been following along, you know that this build had its share of “we didn’t know what we didn’t know” moments.…

Rants

March 1, 2026

How MTV Killed the Video Star (And Cable/Network Greed Finished the Job)

I’m not a media analyst. Smarter people than me — like Evan Shapiro, who you should follow on LinkedIn immediately — dissect this industry for a living. But I spent years working inside broadcast television, and…

Auto

February 23, 2026

So Close, Yet So Far: The Telo MT1 and the Small or Mini EV Pickup I’ve Been Waiting For

Let me set the scene. We’ve got a 2016 Audi Allroad that my wife loves — genuinely loves — and it’s somewhere north of 100,000 miles at this point, probably pushing 125k by the time we…

All Posts

March 2, 2026

Passing the Buck: Why We Pay More But Make Less. Part 4: Credit Cards

The Debt Trap Jason is a high school teacher in Arizona. He makes $48,000 a year, which is about what teachers make there. He’s 32, married, has a two-year-old daughter. His wife works part-time as a medical records clerk, bringing…
March 1, 2026

How MTV Killed the Video Star (And Cable/Network Greed Finished the Job)

I’m not a media analyst. Smarter people than me — like Evan Shapiro, who you should follow on LinkedIn immediately — dissect this industry for a living. But I spent years working inside broadcast television, and I’ve been chewing on…
February 28, 2026

This New Old House, Part 16: Chim Chimney, Chim Chimney, Chim Chim Cherooh-Noo

Some mistakes cost money. Some cost time. The chimney cost both, repeatedly, for years. If you’ve been following along, you know that this build had its share of “we didn’t know what we didn’t know” moments. The windows. The spray…
February 27, 2026

Dress to Impress (Who, Exactly? The Fine People of Portugal Obviously.)

We just got back from Portugal and it was fantastic. Lisbon, Porto, the hills, the pastéis de nata, the Super Bock — loved all of it. I dress for the weather. I dress for the walking. I dress to stay…
February 26, 2026

Passing the Buck: Why We Make Less But Pay More. Part 3: Banking Fees

The Poverty Tax Maria works two jobs. Monday through Friday, she’s a home health aide making $15/hour. Weekends, she works retail at Target for $16/hour. Between both jobs, she brings home about $2,400/month after taxes. It’s not much, but she…
February 25, 2026

Passing the Buck: Why We Make Less But Pay More. Part 2: The Baseline Shift

Part 2: The Baseline Shift How “Basic Survival” Got Redefined as Luxury In 1970, Robert worked as a machinist at a manufacturing plant in Ohio. He made $9,400 a year—roughly the median income at the time. His wife, Linda, stayed…
February 24, 2026

This New Old House Part 15: Flooring – Wide Plank Heart Pine Dreams vs. Reality

After painting came flooring. And I had a very specific vision: wide plank flooring with exposed face nails, just like colonial homes from the 1700s. Old growth wood with character. Reclaimed if possible. The authentic historical look. The Connor Homes…
February 23, 2026

So Close, Yet So Far: The Telo MT1 and the Small or Mini EV Pickup I’ve Been Waiting For

Let me set the scene. We’ve got a 2016 Audi Allroad that my wife loves — genuinely loves — and it’s somewhere north of 100,000 miles at this point, probably pushing 125k by the time we actually get around to…
February 22, 2026

Passing the Buck: Why We Make Less But Pay More. Part 1: The Impossible Math

Part 1: The Impossible Math When Median Income Meets Real Costs, America Fails Meet Sarah. She’s 34 years old, works as a registered nurse at a regional hospital, and makes $77,000 a year. That’s well above the median individual income…
February 20, 2026

This New Old House Part 14: Painting – Or: Why I Hope I Never Have to Use a Paint Sprayer Again

After drywall came painting. And by “painting,” I mean painting literally everything in the entire house. Every wall. Every ceiling. Every piece of trim. Every window interior. Every door. All 27-28 of them. Both sides. Jennifer and I decided to…
February 18, 2026

Americans Agree on Almost Everything—We Just Don’t Realize It

I Fact-Checked a Viral Infographic About What Americans Actually Agree On. Here’s What I Found. This infographic popped up on social media (which I know is evil but I use it to promote my ecom site) claiming Americans have overwhelming…
February 13, 2026

(Eventual) Well Tank Replacement: How I May Have Ignored an Obvious Problem for Years

January 9, 2026 The Signs I Missed Looking back, I think the well tank bladder had been broken since at least summer 2024. It might have been failing for a year or two before that. What I was noticing: the…
February 11, 2026

Rainy February Family Visit to Portugal with two kids 13 & 12

February in Portugal: When Life Gives You Rain and Residency Appointments We had to go to Portugal in early February for an AIMA residency appointment (you don’t get to pick the date), so we figured we’d escape the sub-zero temperatures…
February 9, 2026

Central Air to Heat Pump Upgrade: When Guilt Leads to Questionable Decisions

March-April 2025 If you read my previous post about the emergency boiler replacement, you know that Company PPH didn’t exactly shine during that crisis, while Company NCS stepped up and saved Thanksgiving. You also know that I felt guilty about…
February 7, 2026

Emergency Boiler Replacement: When Your Service Company Isn’t There When You Need Them

November 2024 Planning Ahead (That Didn’t Matter) Our Triangle Tube Prestige Solo 110 boiler had been breaking down occasionally, and each service call was costing a minimum of $1,200. I got so frustrated with service companies that I learned to…
February 5, 2026

This New Old House Part 13: Drywall – The Most Boring Post (But There Are Lessons)

After spray foam insulation, plumbing disasters, HVAC complications, and window decisions I’d come to regret for the next fifteen years, we finally got to something relatively straightforward: drywall. Spoiler alert: this was one of the easier parts of the build.…
February 3, 2026

Do Unto Others Part 5: What This Means for Democracy

When Shared Reality Dissolves, Only Power Remains Introduction: The Foundation Is Cracking Democracy rests on three pillars that most Americans take for granted: Over the course of this series, we’ve documented how all three pillars are systematically eroding. Part 1…
February 1, 2026

Do Unto Others Part 4: Flooding the Zone

When Lies Work Better Than Truth After documenting transactional empathy (Part 1), Stage 2 moral reasoning (Part 2), and asymmetric hypocrisy (Part 3), one question remains: How does this actually work in practice? The answer is documented. It’s called the…
January 31, 2026

Do Unto Others Part 3: Both Sides Are Hypocrites

But the Hypocrisy Differs in Depth and Kind After two parts documenting transactional empathy and Stage 2 moral reasoning, a predictable objection arises: “Both sides do it.” This is true. Both parties exhibit hypocrisy. Both say one thing and do…
January 30, 2026

This New Old House Part 12: Insulation and Air Sealing – When Tight Isn’t Right (Or Is It?)

When we decided to build our Connor Homes kit house, we had visions of a super-efficient, modern home wrapped in the latest insulation technology. We’d read all about spray foam insulation, tight building envelopes, and energy efficiency. We were going…
January 30, 2026

Do Unto Others Part 2: “My Own Morality”

When the Only Limit Is Yourself On January 8, 2026, President Trump sat down with The New York Times. Asked about constraints on his power, he gave an answer that deserves examination: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality.…
January 29, 2026

Term Limits: Why This Popular Idea Could Make Things Worse (And Who’s Really Pushing It)

I Used to Think This Was a Great Idea I’ll be honest: I was sympathetic to term limits. Like most Americans, I’m exhausted by career politicians who seem completely out of touch. The frustration is real: So term limits sound…
January 29, 2026

VOTING REFORM: Analyzing Every Voting System We Could Find. Here’s What Might Actually Work to Break the Two-Party Stranglehold.

We’re All Trapped Voting AGAINST Candidates Instead of FOR Anyone When’s the last time you actually wanted to vote for someone? For most of us, voting has become damage control. We’re not voting FOR our candidate—we’re voting AGAINST the one that scares…
January 29, 2026

Do Unto Others Part 1: When Empathy Becomes Transactional

Who Deserves Sympathy? The Politics of Victimhood A Note Before We Begin If this feels like an attack on Trump, I need to address that upfront. I tried to write this like an outside observer would—documenting what happened without partisan…
January 29, 2026

This New Old House Part 11: Windows – The Decision Where More Mistakes Were Made.

If you spend a fortune making your house air-tight with spray foam insulation, and then punch 27-29 holes in it and fill them with cheap windows, you’ve basically defeated the entire purpose of the exercise. This is the story of…
January 29, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 10: The Freedom Fraud: Crime, Corporations, and Schools

When “Freedom” Means Government Control American conservatives claim to champion freedom. Small government. Individual liberty. Free markets. Get government out of our lives. Don’t tread on me. But look at what’s actually happening in Republican-controlled states: Governments telling businesses who…
January 28, 2026

The Argument over ICE and Alex Pretti is bait. Don’t take it.

Before you react to this, before you decide whether you agree or disagree with me, I want you to understand what’s happening to you right now, psychologically. Research shows that the conformist instinct in your brain happens automatically. You’re literally…
January 28, 2026

This New Old House Part 10: HVAC – The Radiant Floor Mistake?

Or: How Warm Floors Can’t Save You From Bad HVAC Decisions Winter 2009-2010 After the plumbing nightmares, it was time for HVAC. We installed radiant floor heating throughout the house—hot water running through tubes in the floors, heated by our…
January 28, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 9: Cancel Culture and “Woke”: Who’s Really Being Silenced?

What the Data Shows About Who Gets Canceled and Why Everyone claims they’re being canceled. Conservatives say they can’t speak freely without facing mob attacks. Progressives say they face consequences for standing up for justice. College professors say students are…
January 27, 2026

When GPS Dog Fencing Becomes Psychological Warfare: A $600 Lesson in Canine Trauma

PetSafe Guardian GPS Connected Customizable Fence Review – Or: How I Accidentally Taught My Dog to Fear the Outdoors Rating: 2/5 StarsPurchased: September 18, 2023Price: $600Duration of Use: 2-3 months before abandoning in defeat Let me tell you about the…
January 27, 2026

This New Old House Part 9: Plumbing – PEX, Paying Twice, and Poisoned Septic Tanks

Or: How I Paid Two People to Do One Job and Discovered Water Lines Don’t Make Sense Winter 2009-2010 After electrical was complete, it was time for plumbing and HVAC. My friend, who had been coordinating most of the work,…
January 27, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 8: Voter Fraud: Solving a Problem?

What the Data Actually Shows About Fraud and Election Integrity After the 2020 election, allegations of widespread voter fraud dominated conservative media and Republican politics. Dozens of lawsuits were filed. Investigations were launched. Audits were conducted. Millions of dollars were…
January 26, 2026

This New Old House Part 8: Electrical – The One Thing We Got Mostly Right

Or: How an Electrical Engineer Wired Our House (and What We Still Got Wrong) Winter 2009-2010 After framing was complete, it was time for electrical. This is where having a friend with an electrical engineering degree really paid off. Actually,…
January 26, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 7: Climate Change: The Profit Model of Denial

What Fossil Fuel Companies Knew—And When They Knew It For eventhatsodd.com – What Is Wrong With Us? In 1977, a senior scientist at Exxon named James Black briefed company executives on carbon dioxide and climate. His message was clear: burning…
January 25, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 6: Immigration: The Wedge That Doesn’t Have to Be

Facts, Myths, and Solutions Beyond the Culture War For eventhatsodd.com – What Is Wrong With Us? No issue in American politics generates more heat and less light than immigration. Every election cycle, we’re told it’s a crisis. Caravans are invading.…
January 24, 2026

This New Old House Part 7: Framing a Kit House (and the Ruts We Left Behind)

Or: How Pre-Fabricated Walls Met Our Clay Field Fall – Winter 2009 With foundation complete and the Connor Homes kit ready to ship, it was time for framing. This is where our decision to act as our own general contractor…
January 24, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 5: Public Media: What’s Actually at Stake

Beyond the Bias Debate, Here’s What NPR and PBS Actually Do In April 2023, a coordinated campaign to defund NPR and PBS reached fever pitch. Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting. Conservative media outlets ran…
January 24, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 4: CRT, DEI, and Trans Rights: Manufactured Crises or Real Concerns?

How Three Issues Became Culture War Flashpoints—And What’s Actually Happening In 2021, Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist, publicly explained his strategy on Twitter: “We have successfully frozen their brand—’critical race theory’—into the public conversation and are steadily driving up negative…
January 23, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 3: Guns: What the Data Shows About Violence and Solutions

Regardless of Where You Stand on the 2nd Amendment, Here’s What Actually Reduces Gun Deaths Gun ownership is deeply woven into American culture. For millions of Americans, guns represent self-reliance, personal protection, and a constitutional right they hold dear. Many…
January 22, 2026

This New Old House Part 6: Foundation, Basement, and Future Regrets

Or: How “We’ll Finish It Later” Became Our Most Persistent Lie Fall 2009 With septic and well in place, it was time to dig a hole and pour concrete. The foundation is literally the base of everything, so naturally this…
January 22, 2026

Oh My Goodness, I really like some of these G-Rated Burns

For those of you that like to argue on social media Ankles.(I had to dig to find what this one means) Thanks for helping. It was like doing it by myself, but harder. Cootie queen, lint licker As per my…
January 22, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 2: Abortion: What Happens After the Laws Change

Regardless of Where You Stand, Here’s What the Data Actually Shows For eventhatsodd.com – What Is Wrong With Us? The abortion debate is deeply personal. People hold strong moral and philosophical beliefs about when life begins and what rights should…
January 21, 2026

This New Old House Part 5: Water Wars – The Filter Saga

Or: How I Became an Accidental Expert in Water Treatment Through Sheer Desperation 2010-2026 So we had a well. It produced water. The lab said the water was safe. We were good to go, right? Reader, we were not good…
January 21, 2026

Divided We Fall Part 1: The Culture War

The Manufactured Outrage Economy Every morning, millions of Americans wake up angry. Not about their own lives necessarily, but about something they saw online, something Tucker Carlson said, something AOC tweeted, or some university policy they read about in a…
January 20, 2026

This New Old House Part 4: Septic Systems and Well Disasters

Or: How We Learned That Clay Soil Is God’s Way of Saying “This Will Be Expensive” Beginning Summer 2009 With our land purchased and our house design finalized, it was time to deal with the unglamorous but absolutely critical underground…
January 20, 2026

Pella Architect Series Windows: The Review I Should Have Posted 14 Years Ago

Why I Will Never Buy Pella Windows Again Product: Pella Architect Series Double-Hung Windows Specification: Double pane, E-glass coating, wood interior, primed Installation: 2009-2010 Review Date: January 2026 (15+ years of use) Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5 stars – and that’s generous)…
January 20, 2026

Let’s Stop Screaming at Each Other: How the Division Machine Keeps Us Fighting While Our Pockets Get Picked

The Name-Calling Trap Libtard. Right-wing nut. Snowflake. MAGA moron. Commie. Fascist. We’ve all heard it. Many of us have said it. And every time we do, someone wins – but it’s not you, and it’s not the person you’re yelling…
January 19, 2026

Mamdani Madness: More of The Same From the System

So Zohran Mamdani was sworn in on January 1st as New York City’s first democratic socialist Muslim mayor, and the outrage machine on both sides has been in full swing. Actor Michael Rapaport has already announced he’s running for mayor…
January 18, 2026

450′ Gravel Driveway: A 15-Year Journey of Expensive Mistakes

Plus an Ariens Sno-Thro 926053 Hydro Pro 28 Review The last few days of snow and clearing the driveway stirred up this memory… We built our new old house back in 2009 and, in what seemed like a great idea…
January 18, 2026

This New Old House Part 3: Land, Surveys, and Driveway Drama

Or: How “Temporary” Became Permanent and 14 Acres Got Divided Three Ways Spring-Summer 2008 With our house design settled, we needed the actual, you know, land to put it on. The Land Hunt Finding land was actually easier than finding…
January 17, 2026

Broken By Design Part 25: The Bottom 90% Agenda – How We Fix This

We started this series with a simple question: What is wrong with us? Why does the richest country in human history rank 44th in life expectancy? Why do we spend twice as much on healthcare as other developed countries but…
January 17, 2026

Broken By Design Part 24B: Rebuilding Worker Power – Why Unions Are the Key to Everything

We’ve spent 24 parts documenting how the bottom 90% are systematically extracted from: Healthcare, housing, education, prisons, military spending, taxes, monopolies, public service sabotage, media manipulation, environmental destruction, gig economy exploitation, financial system predation, and trade deals that ship jobs…
January 17, 2026

Broken By Design Part 24A: The Environmental Extraction – They Profit Today, We All Pay Forever

How Systems Are Rigged Against the Bottom 90% In 1977, Exxon’s own scientists warned executives that burning fossil fuels would cause catastrophic climate change. The company had some of the best climate research in the world. They knew. In 1988,…
January 17, 2026

Broken By Design Part 23: The Efficiency Lie – How Technology Could Make Public Services Better Than Private (And Why They Don’t Want You To Know)

“Government is inefficient.” You’ve heard this your entire life. From politicians, from think tanks, from media, from your uncle at Thanksgiving. “The private sector does it better.” “Government can’t run anything efficiently.” “DMV wait times prove government doesn’t work.” “Only…
January 16, 2026

In Defense of Smart People (And Against Shopping Cart Abandoners)

I’m not the smartest person. Not even close. But I’m also not the dumbest person. I think. Maybe. The jury’s still out, and frankly, I’m not smart enough to serve on that jury. But here’s the thing: I really, really…
January 16, 2026

Broken By Design Part 22: Media Consolidation and Capitulation – Why You Don’t Know Any Of This

We’ve spent 21 parts documenting how the bottom 90% are systematically extracted from: • Healthcare monopolies charging you double what other countries pay (Parts 1-6) • Housing financialization pricing you out of homeownership (Part 7) • Student debt trapping you…
January 15, 2026

Broken By Design Part 21: Coordinated Sabotage—How They Break Public Services Then Blame Government

Let me start with the USPS example as the opening, since it’s the clearest case of deliberate sabotage. In 2006, a Republican Congress and a Republican President did something remarkable. They passed a law requiring the United States Postal Service…
January 15, 2026

This New Old House Part 2: Kit House Dreams – Discovering Connor Homes

Or: How We Learned That “Kit” Just Means All Your Problems Arrive at Once in a Truck Spring 2008 After deciding to build, I went down the research rabbit hole. This was 2008, so the internet existed but wasn’t quite…
January 15, 2026

Broken By Design Part 20: Corporate Socialism

The Monopoly Scam Everyone Hates (But Both Parties Protect) You know what socialism looks like? It’s when the government picks one company to serve your area, eliminates all competition, and you’re forced to pay whatever they charge. You can’t shop…
January 14, 2026

This New Old House Part 1: The Impossible House Hunt

Or: How We Learned That “Fully Renovated” Means “We Painted Over the Problems” Late 2007 – Early 2008 My wife Jennifer and I had been living in NYC apartments for years—the kind where you develop an intimate relationship with your…
January 14, 2026

Broken By Design Part 19: The Corporate Tax Dodge

How Corporations Profit from Our Tax Investment While Avoiding Theirs You’ve heard the story a thousand times: we need to cut corporate taxes to incentivize job creation. Lower the rates, reduce regulations, and watch the jobs flow. The “job creators”…
January 13, 2026

Broken By Design Part 18: The Rigged Tax Code

Taxation Without Representation (For the Bottom 90%) Why Billionaires Pay Less Than Teachers, and How We Let Them Write the Rules In 2007, Warren Buffett—then the second-richest person in the world with a net worth of $52 billion—made a bet…
January 13, 2026

Broken By Design Part 17: The Systemic Theft Of Our Retirement

How Wall Street, Corporations, and Both Political Parties Dismantled Retirement Security for the Bottom 90% Meet Barbara. She worked as an administrative assistant at a manufacturing company for 38 years. In 1985, when she was hired at age 25, her…
January 12, 2026

Big Tech Is Making Everything Harder on Purpose

(And Why I’m Too Stupid to Figure It Out) It has always amazed me how complex Big Tech has become and how poor their UI and UX are, given how much money they make. A simple task can take hours…
January 12, 2026

Broken By Design Part 16: In Our Greed We Trust

When God’s Representatives Want Private Jets In Part 15, we established that religion can’t be questioned without risking damnation. It’s God’s will. Divine authority. Absolute truth. Now let’s talk about what happens when you combine unquestionable authority with zero financial…
January 11, 2026

Broken By Design Part 15: In Whose God Do We Trust?

Religion as the Ultimate Control Mechanism Let’s start with a question that makes people uncomfortable: Which god is the real one? Christians say Jesus Christ is the son of God and the only path to salvation. Muslims say Muhammad is…
January 10, 2026

Broken By Design Part 14: Rooting For The Wrong Team – How Culture Wars Keep Us Fighting While They Rob Us Blind

How Media Ecosystems and Broken Norms Divide Us A number of years ago, watching news coverage of conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East, and various African nations, I remember having a thought that now fills me with embarrassment: No…
January 9, 2026

Broken By Design Part 13: U.S. Politics: Not Functioning As Founders Intended—And How We Can Fix It

Part 13 of the series: How Systems Are Rigged Against the Bottom 90% We’ve established that the political system maintains wealth extraction through bipartisan consensus. Both parties take corporate money. Both parties vote to protect extraction. The system works exactly…
January 8, 2026

Broken By Design Part 12: The US Political System: The Republican and Democrat Consensus You’re Not Supposed to Notice

Part 12 of the series: How Systems Are Rigged Against the Bottom 90% We’ve covered healthcare, housing, education, prisons, and military spending. Billions—trillions—extracted from the bottom 90% and funneled to the top 10%. Different industries. Different mechanisms. Same result: wealth…
January 8, 2026

Broken By Design Part 11: The Military-Industrial Complex: $968 Billion in Wealth Extraction

Part 11 of the series: How Systems Are Rigged Against the Bottom 90% The U.S. military budget for 2024 is $968 billion. That’s more than the next 10 countries combined. More than China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, UK, Germany, France,…
January 8, 2026

Broken By Design Part 10: The Incarceration Industry: How We Built a System That Profits From Failure

Part 10 of the series: How Systems Are Rigged Against the Bottom 90% Before we start, let’s address the elephant in the room: when we talk about criminal justice reform, we are NOT talking about “defunding the police” or “cashless…
January 7, 2026

Broken By Design Part 9: Immobility Nightmare: How Three Failed Systems Killed the American Dream

Part 9 of the series: How Systems Are Rigged Against the Bottom 90% Here’s something we haven’t talked about yet: why these systems work so perfectly together. We’ve covered healthcare. We’ve covered housing. We’ve covered education and childcare. And each…
January 6, 2026

Broken By Design Part 8: The Education and Childcare Cliff: $1.8 Trillion in Debt + The Childcare Crisis That Starts It All

This is Part 8 in our series on systems rigged against the 90%. Part 1: Rankings | Part 2: Language | Part 3: Follow the Money | Parts 4-6: Healthcare | Part 7: Housing The Full Lifecycle of Extraction Have a baby: Need childcare to work → Costs $13,128/year (35%…
January 5, 2026

Broken By Design Part 7: The Housing Trap: How Zoning Laws and Investment Firms Stole the American Dream

This is Part 7 in our series on systems rigged against regular people. Part 1: Rankings | Part 2: Language | Part 3: Follow the Money | Part 4-6: Healthcare Series The Numbers Tell The Story 1980s: Median first-time homebuyer age: 29 2024: Median first-time homebuyer age: 38-40 (depending on survey) 1985: Home cost 3.5x annual…
January 5, 2026

The Gable Epidemic: A Plea to Modern Home Designers

What is going on with all the gables being added to homes over the last 10 years? Seriously, are there tax breaks for the more gables you have that I don’t know about? Or have architects and builders just gotten…
January 3, 2026

Tub Resurfacing: Many Mistakes Were Made.

Mistakes were made. Back in 2009, when we were building our house, we decided we were going to do The Right Thing™: reclaimed bathroom fixtures for two of our three bathrooms. Reuse. Character. History. Surely the planet would send us a…
January 3, 2026

Broken By Design Part 6B: How Universal Healthcare Would Save American Business (And Why Some Fight It Anyway)

This is Part 6B in our series on healthcare reform. Part 6: Healthcare Solutions covered the big picture. Now let’s talk about why universal healthcare is the most pro-business policy we could implement – and why some large corporations oppose it anyway.…
January 3, 2026

Broken By Design Part 6: Healthcare Solutions That Actually Work (And Why We’re Told They Won’t)

This is Part 6 in a series exploring how American systems are rigged against regular people. Part 1: The Rankings | Part 2: Language Manipulation | Part 3: Follow the Money | Part 4: Congressional Healthcare | Part 5: Employer Insurance Trap We’ve Documented The Problem. Now Let’s Fix…
January 3, 2026

Broken By Design Part 5: Employer-Based Health Insurance: Modern Serfdom

This is Part 5 in a series exploring how American systems are rigged against regular people. Part 1: The Rankings | Part 2: Language Manipulation | Part 3: Follow the Money | Part 4: Congressional Healthcare The Most Brilliant Trap Ever Designed Imagine if your grocery store…
January 3, 2026

Broken By Design Part 4: The Healthcare Trap: What Congress Gets vs. What You Get (And Why That Matters)

This is Part 4 in a series exploring how American systems are rigged against regular people. Part 1: The Rankings | Part 2: Language Manipulation | Part 3: Follow the Money Let’s Talk About Congressional Healthcare Remember in Part 3 when we documented that Americans…