Odds & Events

  • (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 water pressure would drop a little, then go back up when the pump kicked in.…

  • 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 at home and make it a family trip. The kids would miss a week of…

  • 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 the miscommunication and decided to give PPH the heat pump job to make it right.…

  • 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 fix minor issues myself. But every technician told me the same thing: boilers have a…

  • 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. Which means it’s also one of the less interesting blog posts. But there are still…

  • 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 showed empathy has become transactional – Melissa Hortman gets “I don’t know who she was,”…

  • 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 “firehose of falsehood,” and it’s a propaganda technique pioneered by authoritarian regimes. Specifically, Vladimir Putin’s…

  • 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 another. Both claim to represent working people while serving corporate donors. But the question isn’t…

  • 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 to do this right. Spoiler alert: We sort of did. Maybe. I’m still not entirely…

  • 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. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me. I don’t need…

  • 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 great, right? Fresh blood, new ideas, less corruption! But then I thought: With how things…

  • 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 us more. About 70% of Americans think the country is heading in the wrong direction.…

  • 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 spin. I looked for examples across the political spectrum. I stuck to things that actually…

  • 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 how we did exactly that. The Window Budget Reality By the time we got to…

  • 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 they can hire and how they can operate. Governments dictating what teachers can teach and…

  • 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 unaware of it. You think your political beliefs accurately reflect reality, but they’re actually being…

  • 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 Triangle Tube boiler. It’s actually very nice to have warm floors in the winter. Walking…

  • 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 too sensitive. Students say professors refuse to update outdated views. Comedians say they can’t make…

  • 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 time I spent $600 to give my dog an anxiety disorder. Hobbes is our bernedoodle…

  • 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, had apprenticed to learn plumbing and HVAC. But because of all the equations for sizing…

  • 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 spent searching for evidence of fraud that would explain Donald Trump’s loss. What did they…

  • 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, let me rephrase: this is where we got more things right than wrong, which for…

  • 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 fossil fuels was increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, this would cause global warming, and the…

  • 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. Criminals are pouring across the border. Or alternatively, we’re told that opposing illegal immigration is…

  • 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 would really be tested. We had a choice: our realtor’s brother was a professional builder…

  • 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 wall-to-wall coverage of supposed liberal bias. Social media influencers urged followers to stop donating. Corporate…

  • 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 perceptions. We will eventually turn it toxic, as we put all of the various cultural…

  • 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 families have hunting traditions going back generations. In rural areas where police response times can…

  • 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 was where we’d make some decisions that would haunt us for years. Jennifer had specific…

  • 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 last email… Hope your pillow is always warm on both sides. Who ties your shoes…

  • 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 take precedence. Those beliefs are legitimate and deserve respect, even when we disagree. But regardless…

  • 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 to go. The lab test for your certificate of occupancy checks for bacteria and major…

  • 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 viral post. The outrage is real. The threat feels immediate. But the machinery creating and…

  • 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 infrastructure. When you’re building off the municipal grid, you need two things before you can…

  • 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) Note: I should have written this review 14 years ago. Maybe I could have saved…

  • 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 at. Americans have become increasingly polarized by design. When you’re pissed off, it’s hard to see…

  • 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 in 2029 to “save NYC” from what he’s calling “Zohran the moron.” And I’m sitting…

  • 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 at the time, set it at the back edge of a small hay field. This…

  • 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 an existing house, probably because land doesn’t have a leaky roof that sellers are trying…

  • 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 get worse outcomes? Why can’t people afford housing even though we have more vacant homes…

  • 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 overseas. Every system is rigged against workers. Now here’s the question: How do workers fight…

  • 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, they stopped their climate research program and started funding climate denial instead. Not because the…

  • 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 competition and profit motive create efficiency.” This has been repeated so many times, by so…

  • 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 like smart people. I like people who understand quantum physics even though there’s absolutely no…

  • 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 in economic servitude (Part 8) • Employer-based insurance making you afraid to leave your job…

  • 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 to do something no other government agency, and no private company in America, has ever…

  • 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 the resource it is today. There was no YouTube showing you every possible mistake you…

  • 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 around. You can’t choose. You can’t leave. You take what they give you or go…

  • 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 neighbors’ arguments and learn to sleep through sirens like they’re lullabies. We were ready for…

  • 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” need their freedom and their profits, and if we just get out of their way,…

  • 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 with his office staff. He offered to pay anyone $1 million if their tax rate…

  • 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 offer letter promised a pension: after 30 years of service, she’d receive 60% of her…

  • 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 to slog through if you aren’t an IT person and only update certain things occasionally.…

  • 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 accountability: the biggest, most profitable con in American history. Kenneth Copeland has a net worth…

  • 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 the final prophet and the Quran is God’s literal word. Jews say the Messiah hasn’t…

  • 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 wonder there are always conflicts in those parts of the world—they’re still organized around tribal…

  • 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 as designed—just not for us. But here’s the good news: this isn’t how the system…

  • 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 flows up. And here’s what should be obvious by now: both parties perpetuate every single…

  • 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, South Korea, Japan, and Ukraine combined. And here’s what makes this the perfect example of…

  • 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 bail.” These are real proposals that some activists made, and they’re bad ideas. But opponents…

  • 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 one, individually, is extractive enough to keep most of us trapped. But here’s what makes…

  • 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% of single parent income) Kid turns 18: Need college to get good job → Graduate with…

  • 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 income 2024: Home costs 7.6x annual income Since 1960: Median home price increased 121% (inflation-adjusted) Since 1960: Median household income increased 29% (inflation-adjusted) Translation: Homes have gotten…

  • 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 too lazy to figure out a coherent design plan? The logic seems to be: Design…

  • 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 handwritten thank-you note. Except for the toilets. Those had to be modern low-flush versions, because…

  • 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. The Current System Costs American Business $1+ Trillion Annually Let’s start with a simple truth…

  • 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 It. Over the past five posts, we’ve shown: Now let’s talk solutions. Not vague “we…

  • 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 access was tied to your job. You work at your current employer, you can shop…

  • 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 pay $12,555 per person for healthcare (#1 in the world) but rank 36th in life…

  • “Make America Great Again” sounds obvious. So why is it so hard to define?

    “Make America Great Again” is one of those phrases that feels like a statement of common sense. Who doesn’t want the country to be “great”? But MAGA isn’t just a campaign line. It’s a whole movement. People get labeled “MAGA” (or “MAGA enough”). There are hats, shirts, flags, slogans, and a strong sense of in-group…

  • Broken By Design Part 3: Follow the Money: How the System is Rigged Against 90% of Us.

    This is Part 3 in a series. Part 1 showed where America ranks among developed nations (spoiler: badly). Part 2 explained how language is weaponized to keep you from noticing. Now let’s follow the money and see exactly who’s picking your pocket while you argue about Dr. Seuss. Now That You Can See Through The Language Game… Remember in…

  • Broken By Design Part 2: The Words That Stop You From Thinking: How Language is Weaponized to Keep Us Fighting Each Other Instead of Those in Power

    This is Part 2 in a series. Part 1 showed where America actually ranks. Now, before we follow the money, we need to talk about why you’ve been trained to stop listening the moment certain words appear. How I Realized We Needed This Post I was working on the next piece in this series – the…

  • Broken By Design Part 0: What’s Going On Here? (@ eventhatsodd)

    We’ve gotten a little off track from what we normally write about here—our travel adventures, home projects where mistakes are inevitably made, and our odd obsessions. So I figured I should explain what happened. I’ve been concerned about the direction and polarization of this country for some time. I consider myself open-minded and not on…

  • Broken By Design Part 1: USA! USA! USA!

    We’re #1!Are we though?Where Does America Actually Rank? The Complete Scoreboard America is the greatest country in the world. We hear it constantly. Politicians say it. We chant it at sporting events. We believe it. But what if we actually kept score? What if we ranked ourselves against other developed nations on the things that…

  • Who/What Actually is a Patriot?

    Spoiler: It’s probably not who you think—or at least not for the reasons you think In contemporary American politics, “patriot” has become perhaps the most weaponized word in our vocabulary. Politicians invoke it to rally supporters. Activists claim it to legitimize their causes. Critics wield it to question opponents’ loyalty. Everyone wants to be one,…

  • Is the US Heading Toward Fascism? A Data-Driven Comparison to 1933 Germany

    Some people say yes and some people say that’s ridiculous—opinions are pretty much split by political affiliation. So I wanted to do a test. I figured I would ask a large language model to provide a factual comparison based purely on news reporting from major outlets like BBC, CNN, NPR, ProPublica, NBC News, and The…

  • The Quest for the Perfect Work/Chore/Casual Pants (Or: Why Can’t Someone Just Make What I Want?)

    So here’s what I’m looking for: 100% cotton blue/grey chinos that can handle actual work. Not asking for much, right? Wrong. What I like to wear and find the most practical are 100% cotton chinos in blue/grey. Banana Republic and Gap have a good grey color that’s close to what I want. The BR pants…

  • The Quest for the Perfect Hoodie (Spoiler: It’s Harder Than You Think)

    Look, I know what you’re thinking. “It’s just a hoodie. How complicated can this be?” Well, friend, let me tell you about my very specific requirements and the surprisingly difficult journey they’ve taken me on. Here’s what I need: heavy weight and 100% cotton. That’s it. Two things. But apparently, in the year 2025, finding…

  • The Versatile Waterproof Sneaker Every Sports Parent Needs

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