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Oh, my god, yes! So many of my peer group took really hard looks at their finances and what was possible and either made the decision not to have kids (which is really sad when they wanted them!) or had fewer kids than they really wanted (which is also really sad, because, again -- desire).

I feel like I need an end point here, so I'm just going to point out that Sherri S. Tepper kind of anticipated Musk and a whole lot of his ilk in a truly spooky way.

Having kids changes all of that -- unless you're super wealthy and decided to outsource all their care and handling to a fleet of hired professionals like you're some cross between the Regency landed elite and a misogynistic villain from a Sherri S. Tepper novel. (or, you know, Musk)

Because to them, those people broke "the rules," and are being rewarded for it. Yeah, it's sure nice to sleep late on the weekends, go out to a movie on a whim, decide to push dinner back an hour because you're not hungry yet, spend a nice time puttering around, or decide to build a dog spa.

It's the people who were utterly tepid about having kids, and found themselves pressured and maneuvered into doing it, and then deeply resent those children that they have (because, again -- kids are very hard and come with huge opportunity costs) who get enraged at those who opt out.

If someone would rather baby and love their dogs, and build them spa setups in the backyard.... I mean, why exactly is that something to be upset about? People who get irate over other people not having kids strikes me as not only deeply weird, but also says quite a lot about them.

Yes, exactly. We are in a place and time when the reason to have children is because you desire to have children, and I think that's exactly as it should be. If you don't fully want a child -- do not have one. Kids are hard, and without the mitigating impacts of love, it would be awful.

Recline unto others as you would have them recline unto you.

Thus began the Great Schism Of Gate 34A.

I want him to face the ultimate narcissist's nightmare -- people ignoring him.

Your subconscious, incapable of subtle hints.

The Wooorst! Meme SceneALT: The Wooorst! Meme Scenestatic.klipy.com

I appreciate that a photo of the honorable doctor was included, so that I don't confuse him with that OTHER Dr. Milford Watkins, who is but a scurrilous knave.

Yes.

A paper towel? IN THIS ECONOMY?????

Listen, Kevin, not all of us are made of washcloths. I'm glad that YOU have soooo many extraneous squares of ring-spun cotton that you can just toss them willy-nilly at the randomly bleeding protagonists who appear upon your doorstep, but some of us bought matching sets of towels, damnit.

It feels like he has a very obvious clue to start with in this mystery.

Oh my god, that was my reaction as well! Why was the art direction, "undercover KGB spy standing in the corner of the Oval Office"?

That poor woman built an entire tower of primary-source examples outside of his window, and he has the nerve to make that, "but what could she possibly mean!" expression.

Starting with the fact that the director of the photo shoot clearly instructed everyone to give their best "CIA asset who is actually a double-agent for the KGB" energy.

I'm sorry, but that magazine cover absolutely needs to be the subject of several thesis, because there is just so much to unpack.