Things that totally suck
Back when I posted Fugly Houses (follow the link for the full flavor) wherein an entire subdivision in Britishland was ordered to be demolished because of “foundation issues”, I said this about the demolished houses:
“However, I will not offer odds that the rebuilt houses will look any different from their predecessors.”
And sadly, my prophecy has proved to be correct:
Ugh. They look like the cell blocks in a Level 3 penitentiary.
Well, isn’t this special:
The cost of buying a Mega Millions jackpot dream will soon more than double, but lottery officials said they’re confident players won’t mind paying more after changes that will lead to larger prizes and more frequent winners. Lottery officials announced Monday that it will cost $5 to play Mega Millions, beginning in April, up from the current $2 per ticket.
Mega Millions will introduce changes at a time when fewer people are buying tickets and jackpots need to reach ever-higher figures before sporadic players notice and opt to buy a ticket or two. Whereas a $500 million jackpot once prompted lines out convenience store doors, top prizes of $1 billion now often draw more of a ho-hum response.
Yeah, that’s right: in the face of declining sales, boost revenue by increasing the price. Fucking morons. Ask Detroit how that’s worked out for them.
And even more special:
“Spending 5 bucks to become a millionaire or billionaire, that’s pretty good,” said Joshua Johnston, director of the Washington Lottery and lead director of the group that oversees Mega Millions. The price increase will be one of many changes to Mega Millions that officials said will result in improved jackpot odds, more frequent giant prizes and even larger payouts.
Sure; odds go from 2 trillion-1 to 1 trillion-1. We lottery players may be suckers, but not that much.
And:
“You pay 5 bucks for your Starbucks,” Johnston noted.
But at the end of that transaction you get a cup of coffee in your hand, as opposed to a largely-worthless piece of paper.
I have this to say to MegaMillions:
…and thanks for nothing, assholes.
And thankee, sorta, to Reader Mike L. for the link.
…which most other people seem to have done:
Feel free to add your list of “never used or bought”, in Comments.
Here’s a little more news from California, this time over a ballot measure that will install rent control.
The only honest assertion that proponents of a rent control initiative make in their campaign ads is the fact that rent is too high in California. But rent control will make things even worse. As it is, most developers will not do business in California. Why try to build a subdivision in Silicon Valley, where the permits may take 10-20 years to get approved, when they can go to Texas and get plans approved in 10-20 weeks? Why build anything in a state where at any moment another environmentalist organization can file a lawsuit that will take millions of dollars and several years to resolve?
I have a clear and simple philosophy in terms of anything to do with the Golden Shower State and its doings: California’s example in the “laboratory of the states” is where we learn precisely what not to do — i.e. when California does some thing or other, the best policy is to do the polar opposite.
Rent control is just the latest in a long, long line of stupid policies from the Left.
And yes, we all know (or should) that rent control eventually causes a shortage of housing — we’ve already seen that on Planet Manhattan — but hey; if California wants to compound their stupidity (e.g. as in the above, of making new home builds almost impossible) with still further stupidity (rent control of existing homes), why should the rest of the states with a cumulative IQ above room temperature not just sit back, point and giggle when the whole state blows up?
Sorry, I just had a vision of California blowing up cataclysmically. So please forgive me while I go off to that warm, wonderful place created by the prospect.
Well, isn’t that special:
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted on Wednesday that “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.” One reason for that is that under Biden-Harris, FEMA spent $650 million this fiscal year providing services and housing to illegal aliens. And $364 million the year before that.
If you thought the Federal Emergency Management Agency was just in the business of providing relief to Americans of all creeds and colors when disaster strikes, let’s just say that the Biden-Harris administration has broadened the agency’s portfolio to include non-emergency aid to folks who aren’t even supposed to be here.
And:
Imagine blowing your family’s rainy day money on a down payment for a car you can’t properly afford. You tell yourself you’ll put the money back before the next rainy day crisis comes along. But before you do, a hailstorm takes out your roof.
That’s how the government spends your money because when the hailstorm hits and there’s not enough money for the insurance deductible, they aren’t the ones who have to suffer.
In any other circumstances, there’d be some kind of consequence (e.g. hanging) for mis-allocation of government funds that end up endangering the lives of citizens, but these are the times we live in.
Read the linked article to get the full flavor of the bastardy.
From the fools who bet on EVs as being the Next Big Thing: Volkswagen and Mercedes.
Yeah… screw you and your little Duracell cars, screw you for buying into the Big Manufactured Panic stemming from the Global Warming Climate Cooling Change© hucksters, and screw you for trying to force us into buying your shitty fad products by cutting back production of regular internal combustion-engined cars and trucks.
And while we’re on high-level fools in Big Auto, ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Stellantis. This is what you get, and deservedly so when you let finance people run an engineering business. Let me count the ways:
Stellantis has broken each and every one of those oh-so basic rules, and the people who will pay the price are their employees, who are going to be laid off as their workplaces end up being shuttered. Now, of course, they’re scrambling… in the face of being sued by shareholders.
Sadly, the people who have made all these disastrous business decisions will be fine thanks to generous severance packages and bonuses. (Tavares’s compensation last year was worth $40 million, for example.)
instead of facing the proper consequences of public flogging followed by hanging.