@AIDRIVR I'm a model 3 owner with HW3, with serious FOMO on HW4, I'm having a hard time justifying a NVP with the uncertain future and your last line is the truth bomb the execs need to hear. Heck I was talking to a guy yesterday who bought an ev but not a Tesla due to its rep. Not Good.
Imagine a bird raised in a perfect aviary // food, comfort, endless simulated sky.
It flies anywhere it wants, never seeing the walls.
Now make the walls invisible and adaptive.
Is it still free…
// If your choices can be anticipated… are they entirely yours?
@drgeisme I respect the hustle working 60 hours and tackling that kind of debt isn’t easy. My point isn’t that it was effortless back then. It’s that for a lot of people today, even with the same hustle, the margins feel thinner and the safety net smaller. That’s what I’m talking about.
#SOTU2026 This fucker got the gulls to say Americans are richer, well, ma'am, I ain't richer and I'm working twice as hard, 60 hrs per week and I still feel like I'm making Min. Wage. So, FUCK YOU!
@kcc01268 It’s always taken effort, sure. But pretending nothing’s changed ignores reality wages haven’t kept up with housing like they did for previous generations. You don’t really get that until you see it firsthand, I wish you could, to understand.
@kcc01268 The math works on paper if you assume ideal conditions , high income, low debt, no dependents. Most people aren’t in that position, I see it, everyday. Budgeting helps, but tight margins and unexpected expenses are reality for many people.
@11Rainybows@CoolCutter21 Yeah, it was blunt. I’m frustrated. Working 60 hours and still feeling squeezed will do that. The point wasn’t partisan blame, it's the disconnect between messaging and reality.
#SOTU2026 Personal success stories aren’t economic proof. “I’m doing fine” doesn’t mean the system works for everyone. Affordability, growth, and real value matter at the bigger scale.
@drgeisme @kcc01268 And again, that still doesn’t answer what I asked. If someone’s making $60–80K a year today, how are they realistically affording a $300K house with current rates, insurance, and taxes?
@McDowellConserv If working 60 hrs a week and still feeling stretched means I lack skills, that says more about the economy than it does about me. And honestly, this “it’s always your fault” mindset gets old until someone on their own side screws up, then suddenly it’s everyone else’s problem.
@11Rainybows@CoolCutter21 I’m not blaming one president. I’m calling out the messaging. Saying everyone’s thriving doesn’t match what many of us are living.
@11Rainybows We can be near 2% and still have an affordability problem. The 9% spike permanently raised the price level. And further damaged wage growth. Slower inflation doesn’t undo that, it just stops it from getting worse as fast.
@ShemiraMonet@ShelThor Tariffs have affected us hard, yes. But the inflation spike happened globally, including in places without U.S. tariff policy. That suggests bigger systemic forces were at play too.
@11Rainybows@CoolCutter21 The rate dropping from 9% to 2–3% is good. But that doesn’t reverse the 20%+ cumulative price increases over the past few years. That’s the disconnect.
#SOTU2026 ...Why is the democratic response filled with hand clappers... Please stop. That isn't helping... (face palm) We're so fucked. I don't know what's worse, a self centered asshole or a party still disconnected it has to resort to hand clappers...
@jdawg1431 Sadly, Costco is too far, and plus for just a single person a lot of stuff I buy from wholesales end up going in the trash, which was why I stopped going to BJ's.
@kcc01268 I get that prices won’t go back to 2005. My point is affordability. $300k isn’t “low” if you’re making $50–70k. Who and How can anyone afford that if that's what you make?
@jdawg1431 I’m glad it’s improving where you’re at. Around me, gas hasn't, and food is still expensive, even Aldi's where i've had to turn to still gets up there and insurance keeps climbing. That’s where it still feels rough. (And Aldi's meats suck!)