Inflation? Let's talk about the inflation of home values. According to Puget Sound Business Journal, the median price of a house in Seattle "rose by over $80,000 between 2019 and 2021, to $848,100." But the "median household income during the same period rose by only $8,300, to $110,781." And yet this kind of data makes little to no impression on most American voters. This would not at all be the case if, say, the price of gas rose from $2 to $20 in just two years. If this happened, then political heads would roll all over the place. How to make sense of this blatant incoherence? Indeed, voters are more likely to focus on criminalizing homelessness and crime than do one bloody meaningful thing about what plays an important role in homelessness and crime, unchecked house price inflation. The answer is, of course, this: The materialization of the former is permitted by politics, whereas the other is not. American democracy has made a fantasy of price controls.

An SPD sting operation that happened only four days after the day of giving, Christmas. This is how it went down:

During the operation, detectives and officers worked with store loss prevention teams to identify prolific shoplifters [at three different stores]. Officers watched multiple suspects gather items like clothing, makeup, food, and liquor, and then walk out of the store with no attempt to pay. Police then arrested the shoplifters and recovered the stolen merchandise to be returned to the store.    

First and above all, I want you to keep this in mind as you look at the recovered items: No one was arrested for the massive collapse of Washington Mutual (WaMu) in 2008. A collapse that was clearly the result of rampant fraud with subprime loans. That said, the SPD image offers us a glimpse into what the poor ("prolific shoplifters") are stealing from dying downtown businesses. It's mostly food and stuff that have an obvious use value to the poor and a low or zero value on the streets. I also feel sad about the person who stole those pens. No one on the mean streets is going to buy motherfucking pens. We use, if you have forgotten, pens to write, to put our thoughts on paper. 

Our mayor is patting himself on the back, according to KOMO: "[Bruce Harrell] believes the city is on a 'good trajectory' following his first year in office." What he sees in the mirror as he is fitting his tie in the morning is exactly the man behind "progress in reducing crime, and homelessness." And he did this without structurally changing capitalism, a system that abundantly rewards people who already have money.

Two men from Puyallup were charged for the "attacks of four Pierce County power substations that left thousands in the dark on Christmas." The men are Matthew Greenwood and Jeremy Crahan. The reason for the attacks? KIRO: "According to court documents, the attacks on the substations were attempts to cover up a burglary at a local business, where Crahan drilled out a lock and Greenwood stole from a cash register." This reasoning sounds fishy as fishy shit can be. You feeling me? 

This was bound to happen: The absence of a midterm red wave has the GOP in a state of confusion. Kevin McCarthy "failed to win the speakership on the three separate votes." The GOP's majority is too slim to protect its establishment from its ever-growing dark forest of fascists. 

The fascist wing of the GOP is apparently worried that the leader of the GOP establishment might get support from Dems. And that's what the exchange between Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Matt Gaetz was about. He wanted to know if Dems would throw a lifesaver to McCarthy. Ocasio-Cortez said: "Not a chance."

Meanwhile, former president of Brazil, the Tropical Trump and election denier Jair Bolsonaro, was recently seen eating at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Orlando, FL. The very picture of a fallen finger-licking fascist.  

 Also, Bolsonaro is said to be staying at a house, owned by UFC fighter José Aldo, that has a Minion-themed bedroom. But, why isn't he staying at Mar-a-Lago? Why isn't he asking someone to pass the ketchup at the table of the real and North American Trump? 

By the way, Brazilian American George Santos was not sworn in today, as he expected, as he so much wanted, despite lying his way to the top of American politics. The chances of the Talented Mr. Santos, as he is now often called, being reelected are not only zero, but there is also zero chance he will survive even a year in office. The picture I want to see in the near future is of Santos and Bolsonaro in a Florida Kentucky Fried Chicken.  

Let's end PM with this solid tune by the old man Swamp Dogg, "Lonely":