Hunger Games

Hey Friends,

This week, thoughts are now more expensive, unless you enjoy the volume discounts provided by The Lorem Ipsum. As of this week, the penny is no longer in production.

Also, the government is no longer just letting the people eat cake. They have also restored the program that ensures the poorest people still can. More on that in a minute, but first, we have a breaking story.

Man Spotted Mowing Lawn.

Several neighbors in a suburban housing addition have reported what appears to be a "dad-like" figure using a lawnmower.

A figure appearing to be a middle-aged man wearing ill-fitting athleisure clothing was spotted mowing a lawn. The man, who appeared to have an unseemly waistline, was said to be mowing a lawn in a midwestern neighborhood, according to several witnesses in the area. Neighbors are outraged to find the man, who appears to have a fiber deficiency and lower back pain, cutting grass.

"I just looked over, and there he was, cutting away," said one neighbor who was taken aback by the sight. "He had to be six feet tall if he was a foot," she continued.

The man who was cutting grass may have intended to chop fallen leaves, according to one HOA board member who commented on the condition that they were granted immunity because they were not authorized to talk about HOA business. It is not clear if it is normal to encounter someone with a dad bod on a riding mower this time of year. According to neighbors, the alleged man appears to sit in a slouched position and appears to grab his lower back and wince in pain every few minutes. Another witness said he was holding a Coors Light, a brand of light beer known to be popular amongst middle-aged suburban men.

Experts say that even as temperatures drop, grass continues to grow, at least for a few more weeks in the fall. Still, neighbors were surprised. Media from all over descended on the neighborhood in an attempt to capture video, in case the man also takes out the trash or inflates the air in a vehicle tire.

This is a developing story. The Lorem Ipsum will keep you posted as we learn more about this shocking series of events.

In Other Less Shocking News

To cover, some other far less shocking news, this week, Democrats released some Epstein emails, which appear to suggest that Donald Trump was associated with Jeffrey Epstein and spent time with at least one underage victim.

After Democrats released key emails, a trove of additional emails were released by Republicans, which lead to me re-learning that I need to read email chains from top to bottom, including this one which makes just as much sense in reverse as it does in it's natural form.

The story comes on the heels of the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, surpassing the previous record, also set by Trump. The shutdown, from the Democratic standpoint, was over the issue of healthcare subsidies, which the Republicans have admitted is an area that needs to be addressed. Yet, they've never proposed a viable plan, except one that would reduce access to healthcare, especially for those most vulnerable.

During the shutdown, Trump used hunger as political leverage, as he withheld SNAP benefits, despite his available options to maintain the program. When states stepped in to support low-income families, the administration ordered states to undo the payments until a judge blocked it. The hunger games were put to an end this week, after enough Democrats joined Republicans to vote to pass a clean resolution, ending the shutdown.

Now that the shutdown has come to a close, Republicans, who still have a supermajority, have the opportunity to either help the Americans or take advantage of them. We can only guess, based on history, what this administration will do.

On Truthache

This week, on Truthache, we talked about whether poverty is a choice or a trap.

We open by discussing what people care about listening to, in hopes of figuring out how to make a good podcast. After getting nowhere, we discuss social class and how to move from the poverty class to a more thriving middle class or better.

Does it take determination, or is that not enough for some people?

That's it for this week.

Remember: The Lorem Ipsum brings you the breaking news, even if we have to break it ourselves. Share with a friend, if you know what's good for them.

Have a great weekend!