calypsopub

There's a show I wanted to watch (Bosch Legacy) and Amazon only offers it through Freevee with multiple unskippable 60-second ads. No way to pay for ad-free. Toxic. I will be cancelling my Prime subscription.

I've never sailed the high seas before. Is content like this available?

Right? Just charge me $5 for delivery and pay your drivers a decent wage.

I don't understand why the government can't at least offer everyone the opportunity to refinance at zero interest so they can get those private debts paid off.

For me it was getting sober and specifically the serenity prayer. I have a terrible temper. Like break things and punch people temper. It's always embarrassing to lose control like that. Well, saying that prayer reminds me that there are things I can control and things I can't. Serenity is understanding the difference and accepting your powerlessness over things like the past, other people's thoughts and actions, and even your own flaws. I am so calm now, I just have a "not my circus, not my monkeys" attitude most of the time. Occasionally, something starts to push my buttons and I have to walk away if possible, but that's rare.

Also, make sure you're getting enough sleep and try cutting out caffeine. Anything that causes more cortisol production is going to stress you.

I hear that. Having children and pets is also better when you're home.

Not okay with any of it.

I guess you never let you kid out of sight, like at school or daycare?

One of my husband's ancestors was shipped across Texas by train as a child.

My kid flew alone every summer to go stay with his grandparents for two weeks, starting at age 8. The amount of security precautions that legitimate airlines use to prevent this sort of thing means this is the first incident you've ever heard of.

First, I've had a lot of evil landlords, so I understand the animosity. However, as a landlord who owns two houses that I rent to my friends, let me risk getting downvoted to hell to explain the value that I add, and the reason why both friends prefer this arrangement despite my offering to sell them the properties they live in.

You say the effort is the same, but it's not true. Here are some of the things I do that take either the physical or mental load of home ownership off my tenants:

• escrow and pay property taxes on time
• shop around for the best insurance and make sure the property is covered with not only homeowner's insurance but also flood insurance
• perform various regular maintenance tasks like pesticide application, HVAC checkups twice a year, inspection and repair of any damage reported to me
• perform emergency repairs or call in workers when things break, being available during the day when the contractors come - or replace broken appliances, etc.
• shop around and pay for utilities
• landscaping and lawn maintenance

My best friend is one of my tenants. She has severe ADHD and lost a home once before due to her inability to save money for the inevitable repairs and unexpected expenses, plus not staying on top of needed maintenance and repairs. This arrangement where I take care of all the details and she just pays monthly rent is a win-win. My other tenant is my handyman who literally begged me to rent a townhome that I was planning to sell. He didn't want to buy it because his credit isn't that great and he wasn't planning on being there more than about five years. I charge both of them a really fair rate that just covers my expenses.

So yes, at the end of the day, they own nothing. But they are not getting nothing for their money. They're getting comfortable, well maintained shelter and peace of mind.

Why bother? Those of us who believe it have no leverage to do anything about it. Those with the power to do something about it would rather fiddle as Rome burns.

It makes me glad I only had one kid and he's not planning to procreate.