What I think

 at the end of another year. We are racing towards something, but what, no one knows. I don't think last year was all that bad and can only hope the new year will be better.

 So prices are continuing to go up. Big business is still making lame excuses. The bottom line is greed but now I think it is more evil. The president is saying prices should be going down and since big business suffers from TDS they are continuing to raise prices. Problem is, it is everywhere. You can't just go somewhere else. You have to buy food.  Note to stores;  giving a 20 cent discount on a product that you have already raised the price by 50% on is not a sale.

 We have been into 4 stores that have said they have no pennies. I have seen signs saying exact change or no pennies, one had cash payers being told they had no pennies, and one could not make exact change and we had to eat the 4 cents. Now I know most people don't pay with cash but probably enough that stores are going to make some money by not making exact change. Also, I have not seen stores changing pricing from. 99 to an even dollar. But there are pennies they were last minted in Nov this year. So there is no excuse for stores not to have them or for them not changing their pricing. Just another way for big business to scam consumers.

 Apparently Portland has decided that the Christmas tree that is placed every year in 'Portland's Living Room' will now be referred to as the tree. That is more inclusive. Which just means they are going to alienate a large portion of the population in favor of people who do not care, who trash the city or shouldn't be here at all. It was a tree before someone cut it down and dragged it to one of the ugliest city I have every seen and now it is a symbol of all that is wrong with that city.