Friday, December 19, 2025

What's Wrong With "Finger Math?"

 The grocery store ad says, "We've seen you doing finger math, but no more of that!" The camera cuts to a shopper looking oh so relieved.

What does that line mean? Is there supposed to be something bad about doing math with your fingers? Why do we need to prevent people from doing it? And how does a grocery store block people from calculating with their fingers?

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Moderate? Centrist? or Vulnerable?

 Some news outlets (for example, ABC News) are describing the Republican Representatives who joined in forcing a floor vote of ACA subsidy issues as "moderate."

The Wall Street Journal describes them as "centrist."

I'm leaning more towards the way Heather Cox Richardson describes them, as "vulnerable." That word encompasses the idea that the vote isn't out of convictions, but rather fear of being voted out of office come November.

One of them happens to be the person representing my gerrymandered district - Mike Lawler.