15 Year or 180 Month Car Loans

 Apparently, the gov't will review the idea.

I paused here....wondering what car could possibly last that long. 

My wife's Audi TT....might. 

Anything American made?  No.

Once we got to the level of $75k for a new car....the system was broke.

The $30 Dinner Date Is Long Gone

 I watched a video tape....black gal who had been invited out (1st date) for coffee.  She declined....telling the guy a $5 coffee date won't work.  He responds....a real dinner date is now up around $100 and he's wanting more assurance that she's worth a 2nd date. She said NO.

I paused over this.   

To be honest....a first date  today....at a decent place....would run a minimum of $75. 

Going to Five Guys for a burger?  It probably won't work.   Pizza shop for $30? Nope.  Ribs shop for $40?  Nope.

Just a cocktail 'stop'?  Well....you can figure one drink each....near $25. 

Here's the outcome of this generation....with 20 to 40 year old gals.....guys will start to demand more of a assurance....to reach date number one....meaning that $5  coffee date might be your only avenue to date number two.

Working-Poor?

 I read a piece yesterday.....teacher in Philadelphia saying she has a degree, has a a mortgage, has a car payment and is on SNAP Food Stamps (never saying the amount but would guess $400 minimum).

So she used the term 'working-poor'. 

As I grew up in rural Alabama in the 1970s...you usually associated this  'class' of pay-scale to the guys who worked at the local lumber-mill, the gas-station attendants, school-bus-drivers, and such.

I progressed in high school to the Air Force, and for five years....felt like I was working-poor.....then reached some level where the pay scale corrected itself.

The problem in looking  at this teacher....there's probably half-a-million teachers in the same category....trying to live in a highly urbanized area (like Baltimore, NY City, Philly, Atlanta, Chicago, and so on). 

There's a problem brewing....but I doubt that we really want to discuss it.

James Carville Commentary

 I noted this AM....a suggestion put forth by the Democratic strategist...probably aimed for 2028:  bringing the Supreme Court to 13 (instead of the nine presently), getting both DC and Puerto Rico arranged for statehood (adding four Senators), 

I pondered over this. 

I'm of the mind we  should reset the Supreme Court entirely....mandating 50 Justices (one from each state), and a lucky-pick situation for each hearing....selecting nine folks to hear a case (at random).   At the same time, I'd  limit the term to one single term of seven years....then forced retirement.

As for the statehood thing....I'm already open to allow in Alberta and Saskatchewan....as they exit Canada.    I guess I'm open for five or six other provinces as well.  

I'm pretty open for Guam to enter.

I could see the logic of Puerto Rico....although each time this has come up to a vote....folks there just wanted the status of  'no-change'.

Approaching the current Senate and saying it might have to find room to allow 20 more Senators in the hall?  Some of the old guys would freak out.

Five Things

 1.  This 'deal' being worked....where some financial 'help' will occur, and a vote in late December will occur to keep Obama-Care still alive?  Odds of passing?  I give it a 25-percent chance....meaning this will be heavily discussed and falls apart.

2.  The odds of a 2026 (end-of-year) repeat with a 2nd shutdown? I'm betting  it occurs, and goes even LONGER. 

3.   We end up with Medicare-for-all?  Yeah, we ought to start preparing ourselves for this eventual situation.

4. I watched a video this AM....McDonalds manager having taken fentanyl on the shift....totally out....customers coming  behind the counter to steal food.

What bothers me....if you have any contamination of McDonalds food....it's just not worth the problems to eat out,  if you worry about contamination.

5.  If I were a illegal....with crapped-up paperwork prepared by President Biden....I might be looking at the exit door at this point.

This 50-Year Mortgage Idea

 Apparently, President Trump suggested up the idea of a 50-year loan....going from the present 30-year loan.

It is the craziest idea I've heard in 2025.

But....it seems that people have accepted the idea of going from a 48-month car-loan.....up  to 96 months (8 years).  Plus folks are stupid enough to attend college on loans....getting stuck at age 21  with $100,000 of  debt.

It also seems crazy that you have hundreds of thousands of Americans charging hundreds per month on groceries....making debt payments over a year of $2k very easily.

How To Handle The Situation If Given Stupid Advice

 Just some general advice...if you have a problem, and some folks are giving you pretty stupid advice (which you quickly realize):

1.  Politely thank the person for their input.  Steer the conversation toward a more productive direction or your preferred approach. 

2.  Gently probe the reasoning behind their stupid advice to expose flaws or redirect focus without dismissing them outright. 

3.  Confidently state your intended course of action, framing it as a personal choice. Example: Remain respectful.

4.  If the advice is unsolicited or irrelevant, simply nod while being stoic....smile, and change the subject or disengage.

5.  Use light humor to diffuse the situation without engaging deeply. I'd refer to this method as the Hee-Haw solution.