SecondJon @SecondJon@qoto.org

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C.S. Lewis ( on government response to #COVID and other crises?)

Thanks for the welcome, #@freemo Here's my #introduction .

I'm...
• a dad of a handful of kiddos, married, living in Colorado.
• a Christian in the Anglican tradition, and suppose I'm an unaffiliated conservatarian.
• a reader, working through the great novels as well as easier/fun books and nonfiction.
• a card and board game player and am happily teaching more to my kids as they get older.
• short on free time. I enjoy a philosophical pipe as I read and/or reflect, and occasionally get my guitar or bow/arrows out to learn new skills.
• a software developer... and have been for a very long time, now in the world of APIs and cloud development (CRM/SFDC).

Had a brief discussion today with the kids about the import of the recognition in the Declaration of Independence that certain rights are endowed on all people by our creator, not the government. A world changing idea codified in the founding document of the USA that's worth celebrating regardless of who currently sits in any elected seat.

Signs was better.
Masters of the Universe was better.
Sheep Detectives was better.

Disclosure Day starts off well, then weakens before ending with a face plant.

94% of jobs are going to only one gender. Systemic sexism or something else?

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/10/men-fall-behind-as-women-get-most-new-jobs/

#Colorado's cost of living crisis feels entirely caused by the leftist government. My mortgage escrow is jumping $400 per month. Why? Higher taxes AND the cost of insurance is jumping because new regulations are increasing the cost of building in the state.

By the time I finish paying off my mortgage, my monthly cost may be the same as it was year 1, but just for taxes and insurance.

"PNC Bank to lay off 777 from Lakewood facility" - The FirstBank HQ.

#Firstbank is no longer the "#Colorado bank for you."

Policy changes, surcharges, proactively closing customers accounts by taking all their funds in new fees meant it wasn't the bank for you.

I closed all of my accounts there, which had been open for decades.

Ends up that was all to make the books longer better for the merger.

Now that the merger is done, they're laying off nearly eight hundred Colorado staff.

They're not a bank for you. They're not a bank for Colorado.

Despite initial projections of meager growth, #Colorado lost 11,700 jobs in 2025—the first decline since 2010, outside of pandemic losses—according to revised state data released last week.

Since 2000, Colorado had only reported job losses during recessionary periods: the early-2000s dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis, and at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Though Colorado’s job growth of minus 0.4% fell below the U.S. average of about 0.1%, 27 other states lost jobs in 2025, and nine lost more than Colorado.

Nationally, the slowdown has been linked to factors like federal government downsizing, tech industry contraction, and high tariffs. A Broomfield economist suggests unsustainable state spending may have contributed to Colorado’s downturn.

https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/09/colorado-lost-jobs-and-saw-its-labor-force-decline-last-year/