Author: Even that’s Odd

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

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    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…

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  • 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.…

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  • Broken By Design Part 16: In Our Greed We Trust

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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  • The Gable Epidemic: A Plea to Modern Home Designers

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    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…

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  • Tub Resurfacing: Many Mistakes Were Made.

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    “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…

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

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    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…

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  • 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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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  • Who/What Actually is a Patriot?

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    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,…

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  • 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…

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

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    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…

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

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    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…

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  • The Versatile Waterproof Sneaker Every Sports Parent Needs

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    If you’re like me, you have very reasonable requirements for footwear: keep my feet dry when it’s below 60°F, survive the muddy gauntlet of youth sports sidelines, and maybe—just maybe—let me do something vaguely athletic while my kids are warming up. Is that too much to ask? Apparently, yes. Yes it is. The Waterproof Sneaker…

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  • The “Finished” Drain Board: A Concrete Countertop Reality Check

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    Let me start with the truth: I finally “finished” my concrete countertop drain board refurbish, and it’s blotchy as hell. But here’s the thing—the shape is perfect. It looks exactly like a drain board should look. It’s just that after all the layers, all the different materials, and all my well-intentioned repair attempts, it’s ended…

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  • Tesla Finally Fixed the Auto Headlight Issue, Sort of…

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    Tesla Finally Fixed the Auto Headlight Issue, Sort of… In which I discover that even smart cars can have stupid issues – both with their drivers and their own dashboard. The Mysterious Case of the Missing Green Light Somewhere around March (I think), I noticed something odd with my Tesla’s high beam indicator. The blue…

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  • The Great Concrete Drain Board Debacle: A DIY Odyssey

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    When a simple countertop repair turns into a three-week saga involving four molds, toe-damaging weights, and enough failed attempts to question your life choices. The Origin Story: DIY Concrete Counters Circa 2010 Back in 2010, when YouTube had DIY videos but nothing like today’s endless stream of concrete countertop influencers, my wife and I decided…

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  • Every Job I’ve Ever Had (Or At Least the Ones That Paid Me)

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    Looking back at the jobs I’ve held, it’s less like a career path and more like a very weird, slightly embarrassing scavenger hunt. I’ve mowed lawns, stacked hay, flipped burgers, wrestled decks into submission, and even played an extra on a Greek island. Somewhere in there, I got a finance degree, which mostly came in…

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  • What’s Old is New: My Dad Was Basically Elon Musk (Just 40 Years Too Early)

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    The Original Energy Crisis Dad You know how every family has that relative who hoards plastic bags “just in case”? Well, my dad was the energy crisis version of that guy. The 1970s oil shortage hit him like a religious awakening, except instead of finding Jesus, he found electricity. And boy, did he commit to the bit.…

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  • What’s the Future of EVs/ICE? Why Aren’t We Talking About Onboard Generators?

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    Is this just me, or does going entirely EV seem short-sighted? (coming from an EV owner) And I’m not talking about the usual ICE vs. EV debate here. I’d say “can’t we all just get along,” but with the complexity of internal combustion engines and everything that comes with that complexity, ICE just feels very…

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  • My C and D Pillar Design Rules: Why Car Pillars Can Drive Me Crazy

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    This post started with my long, odd obsession (for an American, anyway) with station wagons. Why they got such a bad rap in the US, I’m not really sure. I don’t think they were ever considered cool, even before National Lampoon’s Family Vacation sealed their fate as the ultimate uncool family hauler. The Europeans figured…

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  • Cinnamon Roll

    A Scandinavian Family Adventure

    A Scandinavian Adventure: When Grandparents Choose Sweden and Norway Delivers Magic When we asked Nonna and Grandpa Charles where they wanted to go for their big trip, we secretly hoped they’d pick somewhere warm. The kids had been lobbying hard for Italy or Japan, but Charles’s Swedish heritage won out – Sweden it was, with…

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  • Stutterhein Stockholm Lightweight Zip

    Does the Perfect Raincoat Exist?

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    Welcome to another installment of “things most people probably don’t overthink but I absolutely do.” Today’s obsession: staying dry when it’s raining out. Some of my most miserable times have been when I’ve gotten soaked and been extremely cold. The two combined are the worst for me—part of why I really dislike cold water swimming.…

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  • Is There a Perfect Light Duty Leather Work Boot?

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    I have some different needs for work boots than people who are outside all the time. My requirements have shifted over the years as my lifestyle and living situation changed – and let me tell you, finding the perfect boot is like searching for the Holy Grail, except with more blisters and buyer’s remorse. The…

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  • Red Wing Boots: My Go-To Brand (With Some Constructive Criticism)

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    Let me be clear upfront: I’m a Red Wing fan. But like any long relationship with a brand, it’s complicated. I’ve been through multiple pairs of Red Wings over the years, and while they’ve never let me down completely, they haven’t quite given me everything I need either. Consider this my honest assessment with a…

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  • Tesla Confusion: An Honest Review

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    I’m a little confused by the over-exuberant Tesla love and all the raves about the technology. I. just. don’t. get. it. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve had my 2023 7-seat Long Range Model Y for about seven months now, and there are definitely some good things about it. Some are even great! But my list of…

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  • Muck Chore Boot

    The Great Chore Boot Hunt: Finding Footwear That Actually Works

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    Let’s talk about chore boots – those unsung heroes of real life. You know, the boots that get you through morning chicken feeding, midnight dog emergencies, and that delightful moment when you realize the basement is flooding. Again. If you live somewhere that actually has winter (sorry, Florida), regular rubber boots just won’t cut it.…

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  • The Perfect Chore Coat: A Personal Journey

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          The search for the perfect chore coat has taken me far and wide, all stemming from my love affair with my first Carhartt C01 Chore Coat purchased at Dave’s on 6th Avenue in NYC back in the mid-90s when I first moved to the city. Love at Second Sight I wasn’t immediately…

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  • Wildlife 1, Mobile Connector 0: Something decided my charging cable was a snack

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    Just discovered this lovely surprise today – something decided my mobile connector cable looked like a tasty treat. Woke up to find it chewed through with the wires exposed. Not sure if it was a squirrel, rat, rabbit, or some other critter with a taste for expensive EV accessories. Anyone else had wildlife go after…

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  • 2023 Tesla Model Y: What I’ve Added So Far (a.k.a. The Tesla Tax)

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      After bringing home my Tesla Model Y 7-seater, I quickly realized something every Tesla owner discovers: this is just the beginning of your spending journey. Unlike traditional vehicles that come fully equipped, Teslas seem to require a slew of aftermarket accessories to reach their full potential. Here’s my experience with the “Tesla tax” –…

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  • NYC

    NYC Family Staycation

    A real parent’s guide to surviving New York City with tweens (and actually having fun) A Tale of Tiny Hotel Rooms, Subway Meltdowns, and Why Your Kids Will Remember the Pizza Forever The Setup: When “Staycation” Means Taking the Train to Chaos With our 11 and 12-year-olds on spring break and a big Scandinavia trip…

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  • Did Tesla’s “Fixes” Break My Lights?

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    Tesla’s latest update supposedly fixed the automatic light adjustment… except now mine seems completely broken? The release notes claimed this was fixed?  It wouldn’t be so frustrating if they put actual physical controls in the vehicle for when something breaks, but everything is engineered with the assumption things will “just work” – which happens few…

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  • Tesla Model Y LR 7-Seat: The Four-Month Reality Check

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    Tesla Model Y LR 7-Seat: The Four-Month Reality Check After four months and about 6,000 miles with my first EV—a used 2023 7-seat Model Y Long Range with acceleration boost—I’m ready to share my unfiltered thoughts. Surprisingly, despite the cons I’m about to list, I’d probably still make the same decision today—though not without some…

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  • Model Y Wagon

    How We Came To Purchase A Tesla Model Y LR 7-Seater

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    The Search Begins I had a 2019 Honda Ridgeline which I really liked, but we decided we needed something with a 3rd row so we could transport occasional extra kids or take one vehicle when going out with the grandparents. With two boys (12 and 11), we started looking at hybrid models as our first…

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  • Protect Your Tesla with Elongplant Stickers: A Humorous Defense Strategy

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    In recent months, Tesla owners across the country have reported an unfortunate trend: vehicles being vandalized seemingly based on opinions about the company’s controversial CEO. These incidents have left many Tesla drivers looking for ways to protect their investments while maintaining their sense of humor. The Tesla Owner’s Dilemma Let’s be honest—most Tesla owners didn’t…

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  • Screen Time

    The Great Tween Phone Battle: A Parent’s Journey Through Screen Time Hell

    Or: How I Became a Digital Detective in the War Against YouTube. Let’s be honest—peer pressure around getting phones for kids, tweens, and teens is absolutely intense. If your child already struggles to fit in, not having a device can make them feel even worse. But here’s the cruel irony: giving them a device might…

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  • The Great Washer Swap: Electrolux vs. Our Old LG

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    The Hunt for a Second-Floor-Friendly Washer Look, I’ll be honest—I had Electrolux earmarked as our next washer practically since we bought our LG back in 2010. Why? Because our LG, while generally reliable, shook our entire house like we were experiencing a minor earthquake whenever it hit the spin cycle. When you’ve got laundry on…

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  • The Dryer Saga: My Electrolux Gas Dryer vs. Physics, Common Sense, and My Old LG

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    When You’re Forced Into A Matching Set Let’s talk about being backed into an appliance corner. With limited laundry room space, we needed to stack our washer and dryer. And because stacking kits apparently cannot be universal (heaven forbid!), we were forced to get an Electrolux dryer to match our new washer. Enter the Electrolux…

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  • Montreal with Kids: A Long Weekend Adventure That Felt Like Europe (With All the Real-Life Plot Twists)

    November 4-7, 2023 | Kids ages 10 and 9 Sometimes you want to feel like you’ve traveled to Europe without actually crossing an ocean. Enter Montreal – our perfect solution for a long weekend that would give us that “foreign land” experience while keeping the drive time reasonable (well, mostly reasonable) from the Hudson Valley.…

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  • Jungle to Beach: Our Spring Break Family Adventure in Belize

    After three years of chilly spring break destinations (Ireland, Iceland, and Germany), we decided it was time for some sunshine and warmth! Our family of four, including our 10 and 11-year-old boys, set off for a week-long adventure in beautiful Belize. Here’s our experience splitting time between the lush jungle and pristine beaches of this…

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  • A Family Learning to Snowboard. What Could Go Wrong?

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    I spent a good part of my teenage and college winters going skiing and had always wanted to share that with our kids. But here’s the thing: skiing (or snowboarding) is now REALLY expensive. Rentals, helmets, tickets, clothing—it adds up to more than $1,000 for a family of four. All for an outing that our…

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  • 6 Days in Iceland with Kids: A Family Adventure

    October 2-9, 2022 After the COVID lockdown lifted, we decided it was time for a real adventure. With Play Airlines now flying out of our regional airport, Iceland felt like the perfect destination for our family of four (kids aged 10 and 8). Since Jennifer didn’t feel like planning another elaborate trip and I admittedly…

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  • Café GE Refrigerator: The Good, The Bad, and The “Did Anyone Actually Test This Thing?”

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    When Your Kitchen Aid Gives Up the Ghost There comes a time in every appliance’s life when it decides it’s had enough of keeping your food cold and calls it quits. Such was the fate of our Kitchen Aid refrigerator, which prompted our foray into the brave new world of refrigerator shopping. Having survived the…

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  • A Memorial Journey Through Germany: Adventure, Mishaps, and Memories

    Originally planned for spring break 2022, postponed by COVID, transformed into a memorial trip for my mother – our family’s unforgettable adventure through Germany with kids (11 & 10) and grandparents (70s). The Journey That Almost Wasn’t Our German adventure had more plot twists than a soap opera. First planned for spring 2022 to visit…

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  • DC with Kids: A Winter Break Adventure (Ages 7 & 9)

    December 2021 – When pandemic fatigue meets family wanderlust Between Christmas and New Year’s 2021, we decided to escape the Hudson Valley winter doldrums and take our boys (ages 9 and 7) on their first real DC adventure. Because nothing says “relaxing holiday break” like navigating the nation’s capital with two energetic kids, right? The…

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  • Better Late Than Never: 2019 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition Review

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    When I purchased my Ridgeline in 2019, Honda sent me a few surveys. Since I did a pretty detailed job on the first one, they ended up sending me a second, more comprehensive survey. I think I gave them a thorough review, but it was in their format, so I never had a copy. I…

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  • Follow Me Tandem: The Ultimate Family Cycling Solution

    Beyond great Woom kids’ bikes, the best thing I purchased for riding with young children was the Follow Me Tandem Bike trailer. This has to be the best bike accessory ever invented for family cycling! The genius of the @FollowMeTandem system is that your child can ride solo until they get tired, and then you…

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  • Woom Bikes: The Ultimate Kids Bike Brand

    When I was looking to get our kids bikes to get them started riding, I did a lot of research. I found that training wheels were a bad idea and that a balance bike was the way to start them off. After a balance bike, the most important thing was weight and the ergonomics that…

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  • Our Williamsburg Adventure: A Family Trip with Two Elementary Schoolers

    April 14-19, 2019 | Kids: Ages 6 and 7 The Great Musket Obsession (And Other Colonial Williamsburg Truths) Let me start with the most important piece of advice I can give you about Colonial Williamsburg with kids: Every single child will be running around with toy muskets. I’m talking about a full-blown colonial arms race in miniature.…

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  • Ireland with Kids and Family: A Comedy of Errors and Emerald Isle Magic

    Ireland Travel Adventure: March 22-31, 2018 Disclaimer: I’m writing about this trip 7+ years after the fact, so I may not be remembering things exactly as they happened. But hey, that’s what makes family stories better, right? Time has a way of turning disasters into comedy gold. The Cast of Characters When Norwegian Air started…

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  • Tulum with Toddlers: A Family Adventure in Learning

    January 2017 – Ages 5 and 4 Sometimes the best family vacations are the ones that teach you the most about your kids (and yourself). Our January 2017 trip to Tulum, Mexico was exactly that kind of adventure – equal parts paradise and parenting reality check, with a healthy dose of “what were we thinking?”…

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