Three things I’ve noted and I just heard a new one the other day.

1. We were flying internationally when the first officer announced (on all legs of the journey) that filming and photography were no longer allowed unless you get express consent from those around you. I didn’t inquire but it sounded very welcomely draconian. It sounded like even personal photos in seat rows were off-limits. I don’t think they meant this—I think it was more aimed at influencers walking down the aisle to their plane seat and taking up time and space filming. I noticed a certain influencer on her last flight filmed the ceiling of the airplane as she was walking but couldn’t really film her face walking down the aisle. She probably broke the rules but couldn’t overdo it. Too many people are inadvertently filmed and airlines dont want to be liable.

2. Adjacently related. Trevi fountain (Italy) is now charging. I really hope they impose a time limit too. When we were there, the first row was filled with influencers who were trying to block off space and flank each other to video tape. I didn’t budge even though they’d tried to elbow us so they’d have clean shots.

3. À major fitness chain revamped their rules in October after they got complaints of various influencers videoing in locker rooms and on the gym floor (and unwitting patrons showing up in their posted workouts). They had rules before this because of influencers violating decency, but they made them stricter. There’s even an IG guy that chronicles à gym that has been lax.

What I hope will be passed next is that stores will begin to disallow filming unless permission is secured. Costco, i am looking at you. Thankfully, I don’t live in a place heavily saturated with influencers, but I’d be annoyed in the aisles of Costco. One influencer always àcts like ppl give her shade for being in Costco with multiple kids. Nah, the shade is from you filming your kids melting down, etc. And i am sure we don’t see all the retakes.

I am also wanting it to stop at major monuments.

TLDR- the very real comparison and similitude are very uncomfortable and that’s why they seek to tuck themselves into the drowning community that is populated, at some level, by people who look and spend like them. I don’t know if they have thought about this, but the shame of having more in common with people she’d never deign to associate with (urban and rural poors with addictions) is why they are hell bent on reframing this narrative. But the story has more in common with the former.

It’s clear that they wish to distance themselves from the reality of this harsh truth. I hail from a large city. I am not saying that T was abused or neglected in the classical sense.

However, this case brings to mind the many, many instances I’ve heard about where the mom or dad leaves to go get a fix or runs to the store to get cigarettes or liquor. While gone, even when it’s less time than draft king was gone, something terrible happens that results in death. House fire, someone breaks in, etc. I’ve heard these stories for years. They aren’t super common, but they exist. They are charged lickety-split, the UlTiMaTe SuFfErInG be damned.

This isn’t aimed at any demographic or race. This story penetrates all sectors.

Logistically, and from a purely objective and comparative standpoint, the circumstances of T’s death are much more reminiscent to the former (the caretaker leaving to satisfy addiction) than they are to the child who slipped away or the parents who turned their backs for 2 min.

This truth and comparison is very uncomfortable and that’s why they seek to tuck themselves in to the drowning community that is populated, at some level, by people who look and spend like them. I don’t know if they have thought about this, but the shame of having more in common with people she’d never deign to associate with (urban and rural poor with addictions) is why they are hell bent on reframing this narrative.

A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that comes at such a great cost that it is almost the same as losing.

What has been notable about this tragedy so far is that there haven’t been any substantial leaks, and I feel it’s because many people, even those in “the know” by proximity (wives/husbands/associates/friends) have not spoken out or leaked info because we sanctify grieving mothers and that image of her has been rammed down our throats. If you speak up about the other facets of who she is—which is arguably an exploitative mother, etc., you are shamed into silence.

All that to say, is this why no one has spoken out about the details she’s carefully secreted? We know many people know details on this.

I feel with this latest podcast PR stunt, her objective was achieved. She got more followers, accolades, empathy, blah, blah, blah. It also served as a giant, indirect mea culpable for the asinine way she’s been acting,

But maybe what this cunning team did not anticipate is that this weird and dishonest by performance would anger the people who have info into speaking out.

Today, there’s been a number of seemingly credible people finally speaking up about many of the details and filling in the lacunae. Was the podcast and its disingenuous tone the reason?

Usually I don’t involve myself in exposes like this because it’s par for the course (lying and covering up-people do it all the time).

But the grifting off of à child’s image is just too much. I think ppl are tired of her.

Today, it’s been alleged that he was high, that people know the firefighters on the scene who are disgusted (she never thanked them), and that draft king was active on his namesake the entire time. None of this has been proven, but much checks out.

There was a thread on here about colleges NOT to apply to if you are upper-middle class. I think it’s helpful, and while it seems to be common knowledge that the bigger the endowment, the more likely you are to get help, that sort of arrangement clusters around the T20 and it’s anyone’s guess where admission will be offered.

I am not asking for “free”. I am hoping to stay under 50k out of pocket, i.e., I do not want to apply to the NYUs of the world, have my kid get excited, and find out he can’t go because it’s 125 a year OOP. That would require us to change our lifestyle, and at that point, a state school would seem to be a smarter investment. I am not greedy; I have put two through college without debt, and Im sure it can be done again.

TLDR: where to apply in the T30 as a member of the barbell class (the one weight being the rich who can afford 100k a year and the other being people who are full-aid).

I’ll go first. University of Chicago seems to help with tuition up to 250k. I heard that the grade deflation is not as bad as it was. My kid is already in a high intensity program. We don’t want more of that. Well, I don’t. He’s also looking towards pre-med.

I guess I should clarify that the kid is a junior and he will have a decently strong app (numbers/grades fit in the bands for some of the good schools, but it’s far from a given, obviously)