Did you ever publish your Wheaton/Crocs story from JoCo a few years ago? I missed it (I did catch Wil's) and I thought you'd said you'd put it on your blog but couldn't ever find it.

That's John dancing on stage at the final song of the final concert at the end of a previous cruise.

I just finished this set earlier today. I love the little Mario level hidden inside the case. Such a nice touch.

There's a degree of truth to the complaints - if the labor pool is larger then you are a less significant part of it and need to work harder to be at the top of it. The problem is focusing on the process of winnowing out mediocrity rather than doing something to address your mediocrity.

I really wish you would have said "Prada knock-off" for extra effect.

They will often show up on Craigslist or equivalent from the liquidation companies. If you aren't picky on exact color and model and are willing to keep your eyes open for a couple weeks there can be some great deals.

I got my wife a massage chair for Christmas that actually rubs your back and feet - it was a splurge at a fraction of that cost. I was agonizing over the $10K+ models which I felt I could afford but could not justify. I'm glad there's a part of my brain that is checking me on this stuff.

People *do* often move to find more affordable housing but there's a lot more to consider than the cost of the house. Hence, people are paying $80K for the used Toyotas of housing.

People also establish family, professional, and social relationships where they live. Older people may need to live near younger family for assistance. The cost of moving may be prohibitive even if it would be the best long-term option.

That's the non-fungibility of land element. Property in one location is not equivalent to property elsewhere. There are places I can live essentially for free where employment opportunities are so poor that I couldn't afford the food or utilities I'd need to survive in my free house.

Right, it's not an apples to apples comparison. The market for housing has a number of natural and artificial constraints such as zoning laws and land fungibility that make it difficult produce new units, well beyond cost of materials and labor. It's not a free market.

The kicker is that if only used Toyotas existed, they would also be $80K+ and I'd still have to pay that if I needed a car to get to work.

Housing is supply constrained and generally non-discretionary, resulting in people often paying more than is prudent. I don't own a new Porche because used Toyotas exist but if only new Porches existed I'd be driving an $80k+ car to work since not having a car is an even worse option for me.

No one making $140k can afford a single family home in Seattle. Maybe a photo of a new mid-range crossover SUV.