Taxation Without Explanation

Ability

On a 2,700-mile motorcycle trip from Tennessee to Quebec City, a simple lobster roll in Maine turned into an unexpected lesson on “ability” and attitude. I start with Karl Marx, the Parable of the Talents, and Ayn Rand, but the real punchline comes from a friend’s off-hand comment over a 95-dollar lunch. This D-minus Diary looks at how our abilities, and the abilities of others, shape not just what we can do, but how we see the life we’re already living. If you’ve ever complained about the price of something you chose, or wondered why some people can do what you can’t, this one’s for you. New episode of D-minus Diaries is up now—give it a listen, tap the heart, share it with a friend, and remember to be happy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com [https://dminusdiaries.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Fork in the Road

At every fork in the road, the real price tag is usually hidden. In this week’s D‑Minus Diaries, I look at tractors, condos, kids, and dogs—and the costs we don’t see until it’s too late. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com [https://dminusdiaries.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Enshittification

In this episode, we explore Cory Doctorow's "enshittification", which is what happens when a company gets you hooked, then makes the product worse, adds fees, and calls it innovation. From TVs to GPS to printers to smartphones, the pattern is always the same: pay more, own less. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com [https://dminusdiaries.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Thirteen Minus 250 Years

Thirteen Minus 250 Years: The Good, the Bad, and the Possibilities Which president did General George Washington actually report to? In this D‑Minus Diaries episode, I walk the road from the Continental Congress to Washington’s presidency, from Kings Mountain and Yorktown to the Treaty of Paris, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Then I connect that history to today: what government was supposed to do, what it was never meant to control, and how debt, contracts, and comfort are slowly training us to outsource our own freedom. As America marks 250 years, I ask a simple question: if it took about thirteen years to go from king to president, how many years of trading responsibility for promises would it take to drift back toward being ruled? Let’s explore the price of freedom at the beginning, and what we are paying now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com [https://dminusdiaries.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Who Gets Remembered

A Memorial Day reflection on who our wars really claim: service members, civil servants, contractors, and the families who live with the knock at the door. A day off is a gift of their sacrifice. This piece explores the cost and the people we too easily forget. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com [https://dminusdiaries.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]