Can You Afford A Home In ... Phoenix?

The Schloss-Blog has been reading that it's tough to afford a home in Phoenix. So we did some Schloss-Math. A Generative AI search says: 

• According to Payscale, the average salary in Phoenix in 2023 is $74,145. ZipRecruiter says that the majority of salaries in Phoenix range from $45,709 to $80,743 annually. Gusto says that the median salary is $56,550, with 80% of salaries falling between $26,299 and $130,500.
• As of January 2024, the median listing price for homes in Phoenix, Arizona was $519,500, and the median price per square foot was $302. In January 2024, the median price of homes sold in Phoenix was $450,000.

Affordable in Phoenix? You tell me.

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Kroger and Albertson's are merging, if the federal government lets them.

Seems the state of Colorado says that such a merger would be anti-competitive in today's inflation-stricken market. Colorado seems to want to block a lot of things, huh?

Such a merger would combine the Nos. 2- and 4-largest grocers in the country (Walmart is No. 1). However, they are the first- and second-largest "traditional" grocers. A merger would create a 5,000-store behemoth.

Would it enable them to cut prices or monopolistically raise them? Would there be layoffs to help mitigate against the costs of such a merger? Or would they hire more? Would salaries go up? Or down?

What do you think? 

Me, I think, "Hello, Costco. Hello, Aldi."

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How would you like to have "Meet Cutes NYC" set up shop in your town?

It seems Jeremy Bernstein, Victor Lee and Aaron Feinberg run around the streets of New York approaching couples who appear to be partners (key words, "appear to be") and ask them if they are romantically involved and how they got started.

They tape their impromptu responses and post them all over their social media accounts.

Fun, huh?

I'm waiting for the news story about the couple who smashes them with an umbrella or whatever weapon happens to be handy when the couple is romantically involved - except illicitly. You know, married, just not to each other.

That's when "Meet Cutes NYC" becomes "Beat Cutes NYC."

Fun, huh? Don't worry, they're not franchising.

Yet.

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Wawa, where you can't idle while grazing inside, and Buc-ee's, the pride of Texas, are expanding.

If you like your food "gourmet c-store," Wawa and Buc-ee's are for you.

Wawa is heading out across the American south and Midwest, while Buc-ee's is setting sights west (even Arizona).

McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell are shivering.

A little.

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In Oklahoma, a country and western radio station has changed its mind and will play songs by Beyonce from her new album, songs that are country-and-western oriented.

After facing an outcry of racism charges for not playing said songs, the station, KYKC-FM, changed its mind.

The wrath of the Queen B's fans is not something you want to face.

Beyonce, by the way, is no stranger to country and western -  she did a duet with The Chicks in 2016.

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It's official - the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has approved flag football as a championship sport.

It's about time. These girls are pretty good. 

I had the privilege of covering the Flag Football Class 6A championship game for the Arizona Republic last fall and let me tell you, it was intense, fun and as athletically competitive as any other football game I've covered.

These girls can play. Looking forward to it in Illinois.

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Oh, if you were expecting me to write about the $455 million judgment against Trump in New York, y'know, the one he says is part of the plot to derail him in the election, maybe I'll do so next week - I'm still too busy gleefully snickering about it, wondering which oligarch or emir he'll ask to pay it for him.

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Good night Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you Mrs. Robinson.

More Sunday Night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.