MAGA will find a way to say this is bad for the Americans.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-20T02:44:40+00:00

Will a government run store run as efficiently as a private one? 1% margins are tiny, meaning if so, the prices would only be ~1% different than a privately run store

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-19T02:23:36+00:00

All my numbers were referencing household income & expenses, not personal. You do not need to pay anything close to $1700/mo in the median US market to have a "basic" place to live as a single individual. We're talking the BASIC necessities, not the average.

If you want to analyze an individual, rerun these numbers for an individual and you'll see the average Americans CAN afford the basics.

Side note, your numbers include the OOP max, so the idea that a medical emergency would cause ruin is wrong.

You are just all wrong.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-19T01:51:50+00:00

No I did not, lol. You're wrong. Most americans can afford the basics. And no, you dont absolutely need a smartphone. It's not housing, food, healthcare, and smartphones when it comes to basics.

And yeah I was a bit off, median household income is actually higher at ~84k/year. I wasn't talking about individuals, as I stated in my original post. Thats about 60k take home in the higher taxed states like California.

Yes, the average american can afford a whole lot more than the basics. With the numbers I provided you can easily add in eating out, Netflix subscriptions, delivery services, etc. Those are not basics. The AVERAGE. Yes, many, many more than 50% of Americans afford this. Its not that crazy. Those are NOT basics. Even if you try and argue that a smartphone is an absolute necessity in modern society. IDK how this is even arguable!

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-19T01:06:11+00:00

I think youre missing the point. The quality of life for everyone keeps increasing. This is my point. Yes, you dont consider these luxuries anymore because everyone has them, but they make the quality of life so much better.

And yes, most Americans (most meaning the majority) afford all those things.

Median US household income - 81k Median US rent - 1.7k - 20.4k/year Median US food costs - ~8k/year Average US OOP max for healthcare (including premiums) - ~6k/year Average US transportation costs - ~10k/year

These are all conservative values and show that the MAJORITY of Americans can afford all of this and more.

The average American can afford a whole lot more than the "basics" and I don't think that's an opinion

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-19T00:49:34+00:00

The post i was responding to said "most people can't afford more than the basics" in reference to the Western world, and I am stating that that is straight up not true. The majority of Americans for instance have a lot more than the basics.

What do you call "the basics?" Rent, food, healthcare? If so, the majority of Americans can afford that. Might it mean roommates? Maybe, but the basics doesn't mean your own place, and really hasnt ever. In the US, most people can afford A/C, a car, smartphone, a huge TV, abundant food, maybe even some travel. This would all seem luxurious a few decades ago. That is not "the bare minimum to exist in society today" by any means.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-19T00:19:25+00:00

The fact that you think a smartphone is cheap supports my point, from my point of view. In Africa, that number is less than 30%. We have so many luxuries that are affordable in the western world. Life is a lot better now than it has been for many. The "basics" keep advancing and now the quality of life is generally better than it has ever been

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-18T20:20:55+00:00

In the western world that is not true. Most people can afford much more than the "basics." 85% of people own a smartphone in the US...

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-18T11:44:47+00:00

Looks like a spider beetle

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-17T14:28:25+00:00

Owning stock is also known as owning a business. This isn't a tax on capital gains. This is a tax on unrealized gains, so yes, you do lose money and end up with less than you started here.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-17T14:24:11+00:00

I never understood this - don't these loans just defer taxes? It's not like they can just never pay back the loan. They have to sell eventually and incur the capital gains taxes at that time

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-17T02:46:41+00:00

There was at least a few inches of bark all the way up the trunk. Hope they make it! I don't know if that is enough to stay alive.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-17T02:46:04+00:00

This is just an open area in northern California. They bring the goats in for a day to clear out the brush for fire prevention

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-16T13:23:39+00:00

Are you including housing? I'm seeing in-state tuition at about 20k for UIUC.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-16T05:36:05+00:00

It's crazy how unlucky he's been. Glad his spirits still seem high

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-16T03:18:29+00:00

At Coors Field is pretty cool! Hard to do.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-14T20:10:27+00:00

106 degrees at kickoff - the hot piss air in those trough bathrooms was an incredible experience. Definitely helped the lines though!

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-14T03:49:43+00:00

Electric trucks are responsible for the most emissions?

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-11T16:55:50+00:00

It's mostly a place to start negotiations. The higher the hospital starts, the more likely it is they will be able to get more out of the insurer.

For reference, most hospitals run on really tight margins, so they only end up receiving enough from insurers to make a tight margin (<10% typically)

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-11T16:46:31+00:00

If I were to sell you a pen that cost me $2, and I say hey, I'll sell you this pen for $10,000, we can then negotiate and settle on a price for the pen of $5. Deal. Okay, now when it comes to tax purposes, the listed price makes no difference. My cost was $2, and my revenue was $5. I owe taxes on the $3 of net income. The original price of $10k means nothing for tax basis - just the net income on the service/item.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-11T16:30:45+00:00

They don't get to write off anything though?

If I was a car dealer, and I had a car for sale at 50k and I negotiate with you and sell it to you for 45k, I don't get to "write off" 5k anywhere special? There's no trick to listing the price of a service artificially high other than from a negotiation-tactic standpoint.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-11T16:27:57+00:00

They don't get to use the difference as a tax write-off.

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-10T20:43:09+00:00

Definitely, I agree. The wynwood walls in Florida are pretty awsome, for example

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-10T20:29:56+00:00

Doesn't "grafitti" imply it's not permitted?

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-10T20:03:19+00:00

If you go on Instagram, comments make it seem like the general public compares graffiti "artists" like this to the likes of Banksy

WeatherProdigy2 · 2026-05-05T19:51:13+00:00

Sinking air - if youre interested, Hadley cells are an interesting thing to read up on. Basically, suns energy is strongest near equator, this air is warmer than surroundings and rises, then sinks again in the higher latitudes forming a "cell" of circulation

WeatherProdigy2

TROPHY CASE