The Leopards Eating Faces and Unlubed Dildo of Consequences Thread

[kevwun 15745]

7 minutes ago, G650 said:

The problem as I have always seen it, is that these sorts of consequences are usually so slow and insidious for the population writ large that no one notices until it's way too late.

And Republicans will just blame the Democrats and a lot of people will accept it.

[softlynow 1811]

13 minutes ago, kevwun said:

I have a problem with it because those folk make our economy run and have for decades.  Trump's going to break our economy in ways people can't even imagine.

You will not believe the economic catastrophe. The best economic catastrophe. A big, long, beautiful economic catastrophe. People are saying its the finest and best economic catastrophe ever.

[Goredho 17387]

16 minutes ago, kevwun said:

And Republicans will just blame the Democrats and a lot of people will accept it.

The unfortunate consequence of losing someone's faith is that you no longer get the benefit of the doubt.  It takes a lot to regain it.

[Aqua Buddha 14579]

14 minutes ago, Goredho said:

The unfortunate consequence of losing someone's faith is that you no longer get the benefit of the doubt.  It takes a lot to regain it.

People also want to be lied to.

[Gap03 3297]

33 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Trump breaking the economy may very well happen.  It has yet to happen.  What is an undeniable fact is that too few people give a shit about the hypotheticals for them to carry any weight.  People will need to see and feel pain in their lives for these messages to resonate in their mind.  Here's to it being not as bad as feared around here.

Naw.  It has to be fucking excruciating and absolutely undeniable that the Republicans were responsible for them to feel any meaningful blowback.  See the pandemic.  At this point, I'm of the view that is has to be every bit as bad as feared for us to get out of this spiral.

[RDCanecutter 26369]

2 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

@G650 Do you guys have a plan of action regarding Construction?

I heard they're switching to giant Lego blocks. Let kids do all the work.

[Texaus 375]

I’ve pretty well checked myself out of the news cycle and all of the bullshit since the election. These dumbasses are going to get what they asked for. I gotta tell ya though, I am not looking forward to family conversations during the holidays and especially the hunting lease . How do yall plan to approach this?

[Firemans4Horn 18019]

5 minutes ago, Texaus said:

I’ve pretty well checked myself out of the news cycle and all of the bullshit since the election. These dumbasses are going to get what they asked for. I gotta tell ya though, I am not looking forward to family conversations during the holidays and especially the hunting lease . How do yall plan to approach this?

Offer to host the event with a caveat of “absolutely no politics”. If they can’t abide by the rule they can celebrate at home by themselves. 

[RDCanecutter 26369]

6 minutes ago, Texaus said:

How do yall plan to approach this?

Preparation. If you do even one psychotically violent thing in your youth, you can live the rest of your life being that easy-going friendly guy that nobody fucks with.

[workswithseed 2060]

9 minutes ago, Texaus said:

I’ve pretty well checked myself out of the news cycle and all of the bullshit since the election. These dumbasses are going to get what they asked for. I gotta tell ya though, I am not looking forward to family conversations during the holidays and especially the hunting lease . How do yall plan to approach this?

Did you always get political, and annoying? Then don't change. You were always quiet but made passive comments? Don't change, but if you weren't any of those? Don't change.

If they invite you to those things, they still like ya. 

 

[David Dennison 18813]

59 minutes ago, kevwun said:

And Republicans will just blame the Democrats and a lot of people will accept it.

But a lot of people won't, and those people swing elections.

[SubliminalHorn 6767]

1 hour ago, speed817 said:

I should consider getting my driveway re-done now huh?

We’ve decided to splurge on some bigger purchases. A new TV for example anticipating it will be much more expensive this time next year 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21838]

33 minutes ago, Texaus said:

I am not looking forward to family conversations during the holidays and especially the hunting lease . How do yall plan to approach this?

During our Thanksgiving at the ranch, I plan on talking to nobody but my daughter, my 94 year old mother who thinks the first Bush is still president, and Sebastian my dog. Sebastian and I will probably spend most of our time on the pier at the lake reading, surfing Surly and chasing critters.

[mchookem 16301]

31 minutes ago, Texaus said:

I’ve pretty well checked myself out of the news cycle and all of the bullshit since the election. These dumbasses are going to get what they asked for. I gotta tell ya though, I am not looking forward to family conversations during the holidays and especially the hunting lease . How do yall plan to approach this?

our family is tiny and my dad is completely outnumbered by my niece, my sister, my mate, and myself. he loves nothing more than his family, plus he's not actually a hateful, rage-fueled asshole like the morons that showed up here the last two weeks. so he has been treading very lightly. if he showed his ass like we've seen here he knows his final years would be very sad and lonely. i don't expect politics to even come up...if it does it will be bc my niece is borderline panicking and barely holding it together and just can't help herself. the passion of youth and all that.

[Nivek 16910]

So using the Quinn excuse for Audrey only showing tits and then him getting outed.

Huh?

[NorthLoop 14174]

57 minutes ago, Gap03 said:

Naw.  It has to be fucking excruciating and absolutely undeniable that the Republicans were responsible for them to feel any meaningful blowback.  See the pandemic.  At this point, I'm of the view that is has to be every bit as bad as feared for us to get out of this spiral.

So we all need a bunch of "I did this" stickers with Trump instead of Biden and plaster them everywhere just like those idiots did the last 4 years. 

[BrickHorn 18205]

26 minutes ago, Texaus said:

I am not looking forward to family conversations during the holidays and especially the hunting lease . How do yall plan to approach this?

I have no interest in talking to Nazis. If you voted R in this election, you’re out. I’m fortunate that everyone in my close circle is educated and reasonable, and thus made the correct choice. But a bunch of aunts, uncles, and cousins are morons. And you know what? Fuck them. 

[Aqua Buddha 14579]

28 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

A few weeks ago, saw a random Reddit post from someone who had been homeless, and finally was in their first apartment.  They showed the food and cooking supplies they had bought, and were lamenting that they spent so much on that, they only had $18 to last the rest of the month.  And, based on what she had spent, she could really only eat one meal a day anyway.

Some actually kind-hearted folks responded, breaking down the food purchase choices made.  There were a LOT of "convenience" items on her counter -- things like pre-shredded hashbrowns, pre-cooked chicken fajita slices, etc.  It was clear that she really didn't have any idea how to cook or put meals together.  Folks broke down for her things like "you spend $3 on a 1 lb bag of shredded hash browns that you'll get three servings out of.  For $2.50, you could have bought a 5 lb sack of whole potatoes that you can bake, mash, roast, etc.  You bought pre-cooked chicken, 12 oz for $6.  You could have bought 3 lbs of chicken leg quarters for less than that.  Roast them, and you have 5 meals."

Poverty itself is a poverty trap.  One thing goes wrong and you get a $50 late charge, then you can't afford groceries next week.  And you spend too much on groceries because NOBODY ever taught you how to actually cook and use whole, simple ingredients.  It struck me at the beginning of the pandemic, when certain things were hard to find....I went into a Dollar General that was near my barber shop.  I was able to get TP, in a 4-pack.  I was able to get a single container of bleach wipes.  First, because panicking suburban women with money weren't swarming the store and buying 4,000 rolls of TP at a time.  But also because the kind of people who shop at Dollar General do NOT buy "in bulk," because they can't afford to buy in bulk.  They have $75 a week to spend on groceries and necessities.  So, they buy their TP 4 rolls at a time.  Which ultimately costs MORE.  It's the old Terry Pratchett "boots" theory of socioeconomics:

To bring it back to this topic, so many of the people who suffer on the economic margins don't realize that the very people they just voted for are those who most support the most predatory economic model possible.  MORE fines, MORE late charges, MORE "free market" to fuck over and extract every possible penny from the poor, because while they don't have MUCH money, a little money from 100 million people added together is a lot of fucking money.

And yes, the Democratic party's failure to face that phenomenon head-on in recent decades has made them a less attractive alternative.  People picked the Leopards Who Will Eat Their Face as opposed to the Leopards of Indifference.  It's dumb as hell.....but the Leopards of Indifference are not without blame.

To your point about food, I know food prices very well and these people kvetching the last few years about spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars per month for 2-3 people just don't know what they're doing.  A rotisserie chicken is $5 and that can be 2-3 meals with sides depending on how many people we're talking about.  Spaghetti is another one.  

I'm sympathetic to the poor these last few years.  Also, it's hard for them to have time to cook sometimes.  They can have erratic schedules.

Overall, though, this is just people bitching.  I saw a theory called the "$16 Cheeseburger."  Basically, everyone's individual situation is fine but paying $16 for a fast food cheeseburger grinds their ass.  That's understandable.  

[Pato del Muerto 52458]

2 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

To your point about food, I know food prices very well …A rotisserie chicken is $5

At Costco/Sam’s a rotisserie chicken is $5. At a grocery store, a smaller bird is like $10 now. 

[Firemans4Horn 18019]

2 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

At Costco/Sam’s a rotisserie chicken is $5. At a grocery store, a smaller bird is like $10 now. 

they are $6 at Wal Mart. And $7 at Kroger. 

[Horn Dog 9779]

[G650 14203]

4 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

they are $6 at Wal Mart. And $7 at Kroger. 

In what is sure to be a wildly popular opinion, I've said for, oh I don't know, 20 years now, food needs to be considerably more expensive than it is.

[Horn Dog 9779]

[aggie08 21478]

MTG being jealous that she wasn't invited to any of those sex parties tracks.

[Evil Bill Obrien 3236]

51 minutes ago, SubliminalHorn said:

We’ve decided to splurge on some bigger purchases. A new TV for example anticipating it will be much more expensive this time next year 

Wasn't going to get a new phone and even tho I'm reasonably sure Tim Apple gonna get a carve out of the worst of the tariffs decided to go ahead and treat myself just in case I'm wrong. Finally getting rid of all my fucking lightning cables well worth it...

[Goofyboy 3260]

Wasn't going to get a new phone and even tho I'm reasonably sure Tim Apple gonna get a carve out of the worst of the tariffs decided to go ahead and treat myself just in case I'm wrong. Finally getting rid of all my fucking lightning cables well worth it...

We bought a new fridge. Ours was going on 12 years, so it was about time.

[Bookman 4637]

2 hours ago, speed817 said:

I should consider getting my driveway re-done now huh?

I’m getting some work done that I was going to put off.

[Evil Bill Obrien 3236]

27 minutes ago, NorthLoop said:

So we all need a bunch of "I did this" stickers with Trump instead of Biden and plaster them everywhere just like those idiots did the last 4 years. 

Already found some on etsy and locked and loaded, can't wait to whip them out starting January 21st

[Cairn Horn88 8256]

5 hours ago, Captainant said:

At the grocery store, it's surprising how expensive some processed goods are. A 12 pack of Cokes went from $4-5 to $8-9 , for reasons that defy explanation aside from gouging. Fresh food items (outside of the store, not the aisles) have gone up a little, but not nearly as much as packaged processed foods

No…it’s gouging….cause they can….if others are raising prices, you do it, whether necessary or not….if you do it while others raise prices, people won’t say anything.

[Aqua Buddha 14579]

24 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

At Costco/Sam’s a rotisserie chicken is $5. At a grocery store, a smaller bird is like $10 now. 

Then go to Costco or Sam's.  It's the #1 item for both of them.  They're also bigger and fatter.

17 minutes ago, Horn Dog said:

Tim Scott even went so far as to marry.....a woman.

[RDCanecutter 26369]

22 minutes ago, Horn Dog said:

If this is the direction of MTG's evolution, I wish her a long congressional career.

[Chad Fuck 17631]

Something tells me the things she has posted are about as real as Jewish Space Lasers.

[bolverk 29619]

41 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

At Costco/Sam’s a rotisserie chicken is $5. At a grocery store, a smaller bird is like $10 now. 

Curbside price right now at my local HEB.

[David Dennison 18813]

5 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Curbside price right now at my local HEB.

$4.97 in-store at mine. WOOT WOOT!

Edited 5 hours ago by David Dennison

[InkaUtexas 25804]

1 hour ago, Nivek said:

Huh?

Quinn thread.

[bolverk 29619]

5 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

$4.97 in-store at mine. WOOT WOOT!

I'M BEING ROBBED!!!

[David Dennison 18813]

Just now, bolverk said:

I'M BEING ROBBED!!!

[Brisketexan 104906]

3 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Curbside price right now at my local HEB.

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

[Schulz2.0 28937]

3 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

[mchookem 16301]

i literally have almost no recollection of ever eating out as a child in Houston. i think we went to Pizza Inn for buffet on occasion, but other than that i cannot picture any memory of eating at a restaurant with my family. and we sure as shit never had fast food. weird. 

[Incredulity 11609]

Disagree a bit with the consensus that its only fast food that's pinching Americans.  I mean using the most popular/common loss leader in retail(rotisserie chicken) as proof positive of food costs not being so bad is pretty fucking dumb.  All raw meat(beef, chicken, pork) is still absurdly high priced vs. 4 years ago.

[bolverk 29619]

6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

Ain't that the truth.

Both of my parents grew up pretty damned poor. My dad, whose father was murdered about a month before he was born in 1937, was raised by a school teacher/single mom. My mom was born in 1941 to poor dirt farmers (her dad also drove trucks for Santa Fe RR) and didn't have running water or electricity until they built the "new place" on the farm in the late 50s around the time she graduated from high school.

Even though we weren't poor when I was growing up, these were very frugal people who eventually retired quite comfortably on teachers' pensions. Hell, my mom kept a cabinet full of old, plastic Country Crock containers rather than going out and buying that fancy Tupperware shit.

I'm not nearly that extreme in my frugality, but I could easily and happily live on refried beans, government cheese, and HEB tortillas for daaaaays...before going to fucking McDonald's. I also fully understand even that isn't terribly frugal in comparison to some.

[Horn Dog 9779]

10 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

So much truth.  I grew up what I considered middle class in Houston.  That meant one used beat up sedan (never buy new!), one 19” TV,  sharing a bedroom with my brother and bathroom with 3 other siblings, vacation was a drive to Galveston,  and maybe maybe Wendy’s or mall Chickfila once a month…and that was absolutely a treat.  My “rich” friend had a pool and his father drove a BMW which was absolutely insane to us.  Nowdays “middle class” means something completely different.

[softlynow 1811]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

Agree with all of this, but you're speaking to middle class culture and culture is a force that policy usually cannot redirect.

Policy-wise, we're here because round after round of GOP tax cuts directed primarily at the wealthy fueled dramatic asset price increases that, of course, are the real pocket-book problem for the folks who just voted for the chaos agent.

[Brisketexan 104906]

7 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

Disagree a bit with the consensus that its only fast food that's pinching Americans.  I mean using the most popular/common loss leader in retail(rotisserie chicken) as proof positive of food costs not being so bad is pretty fucking dumb.  All raw meat(beef, chicken, pork) is still absurdly high priced vs. 4 years ago.

Sure, it's not "only fast food."  That's just a benchmark.  It's the availability of (higher profit margin) branded and convenience foods, as just one example.

My pantry growing up had a box or two of cheap store brand cereal.  There were no convenience foods, really.  And yes, while meat costs are higher now than they were pre-pandemic, let's look at a highly available, relatively cheap meat, chicken.  Per the Fed, a whole chicken was around $1.50 a pound for a good while pre-pandemic.  Now, it's closer to $2.00 per pound.  Percentage-wise, that's a big increase over 4 years or so.  But it still boils down to a 5 lb chicken costing 7.50 then, and $10.00 now.  That's an extra $2.50.  Which is not inconsequential, but recall...that's a whole chicken, with fancy breast meat and all that.  You can get a 10 lb bag of dark meat chicken quarters, right now, at Wal mart for 67 cents a pound (10 lb bag for $6.70).  That works out to about $1 per quarter chicken.  And if you cook that and spread it out in a rice or pasta dish, your protein cost per meal is even less.

I can outfit a family pantry and fridge for what is still pretty cheap.  I may not be buying as NICE products as I was before (generic cereal now -- fruit circles for the win!), less white meat chicken, less beef....and I 100% get that people see and feel that, and it makes a difference.  Just like it was a big deal for me back in my struggle days to eat a steak, it's a similar big deal to no longer be able to afford steak (or at least not very often).

But in our petulance and emotional desire to lash out because now we can't afford a Friday night steak dinner.....we want to "burn the whole fucking thing down," we miss the fact that "the whole fucking thing" is STILL the thing that would let me fill my grocery basket with pretty damned good food, especially compared to what my parents could afford 50 years ago.  The answer to "I can't afford steak" isn't "so let's destroy the system that allows me to buy chicken as a substitute."

[Firemans4Horn 18019]

31 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Seeing that reminded me of another aspect of the story I saw on Reddit of the gal who spent all her money on food and cookware and stuff in her first apartment.  That aspect being the COOKWARE.  She bought a brand new pot and pan set, brand new cookies sheets, etc., which set her back like $50-60.  And clearly you need cookware.  But the critiques were "why buy that new?  Goodwill is your friend." And that's damned true.  If I had to, I could outfit my kitchen with the essentials (pots and pans, baking sheet) for probably under $10-15.  And that reminded me of something I remember from back when we did garage sales: whatever kitchen equipment I had for sale, a hispanic family (typically not even speaking english) would swoop in and clean me out of all that stuff for a couple of bucks.

So what occurred to me was how recent hispanic immigrants knew how to be poor.  They immediately knew to hit thrift stores, garage sales, etc.  They would outfit a kitchen and clothe their family in the basics for a few bucks.  That is because they often came from a place/culture where REAL poverty was ubiquitous.  Compare that to Americans who - while MANY are poor - we maybe don't "know how to be poor" as well as folks from elsewhere.  Our years of postwar prosperity have beaten that out of us (compare that to the perspective your depression-era grandparents had, where they didn't throw anything else, were thrifty to an annoying fault, etc.).

Just an observation, which does tie into our "dissatisfaction with the status quo" that leads to people voting for the leopards.  We are PISSED because a fast food combo meal is $12.  But recall how most of us on this board....rarely got fast food growing up.  It was a treat.  Our parents were products of thrifty parents, and it showed.  The idea of "I'm deprived and money is too tight" is a very different idea in 2024 America than it is in much of the world, or even America of 50 years ago.  And it warps our fucking thinking.  We aren't getting enough golden eggs, so we resort to killing the goose.

I’m far from a Dave Ramsey acolyte but I appreciate how he beats these “New Poors” over the head about how idiotic they are with their car debt. If you are poor you do not buy a new car on credit (with shitty credit) and you do not continuously trade it in. You also don’t get your family of 5 new IPhones every year or two. Run all that shit into the ground. 
 

 

[Incredulity 11609]

I am broadly convinced that at least 80% of the population will immediately spend every nickel they have and are advanced in credit.  50% of those people are because they are catastrophically stupid and the other 50% don't have a choice(poor).

 

in other words, 60% of the time it works every time.

Edited 4 hours ago by Incredulity

[Pato del Muerto 52458]

59 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Curbside price right now at my local HEB.

My cheapest grocery option

but I’m at costco once a week for gas or food so I do get my $5 ckn 

[Horn Dogg 3841]

1 hour ago, RDCanecutter said:

If this is the direction of MTG's evolution, I wish her a long congressional career.

This crazy GOP infighting offers a glimmer of hope for keeping Trump from getting all his crazy shit done.

[bolverk 29619]

12 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

My cheapest grocery option

but I’m at costco once a week for gas or food so I do get my $5 ckn 

Oh, yeah, that's right. You moved up to the Pacific Northwest. That checks out.