All New York City needs to rise to the economic level of Yap is a new manhole cover policy. Drill a hole in the center.
It a tough way to make a living, but enterprising thieves have been stealing the 300-pound covers lately -- here in the years of our Obama recovery from the Bush et (most definitely) al. financial debacle. The chunk of Con Ed cast iron is worth about 30 bucks at the scrap yard.
It probably isn't a good idea to consider a long-term investment in Manhole Heist, Inc. When Ben Bernanke gets wind of this new store of value, he'll probably seize control and figure out a way to create manhole covers by the trillions. They'll depreciate, and pretty soon it will take a wheel barrow load of them to buy a pair of socks.
May 14, 2012
May 11, 2012
And while I'm feeling pastoral...
Welcome to the blog roll, Jake.
He's another of the folks willing to dirty his hands up a bit in order to put some prime rib on our citifed tables.
He's another of the folks willing to dirty his hands up a bit in order to put some prime rib on our citifed tables.
Kill the government
Good idea, but it's like trying to stomp a hog snake with your sneakers. Derned thing just keeps on squiggling. Ask any of the 44 souls who populate Mount Sterling, Iowa, down along the Missouri border.
Mount Sterling is an official city with an ambition to be an official nonentity. Even the city council agrees it has nothing much to offer and has voted itself and its town into oblivion except as a "populated place" to the cartographers. They can live with that level of recognition and organization. Couldn't we all?
Not so fast says Higher Authority. The vote was 2-0. The third council person was absent . Never mind her presence would have made no difference. Everyone down there wants to disband.
The confusion comes from a decision some years ago -- no one seems sure just when and no one much gives a damn -- to pare the council from five to three. The official red tape got tangled, so maybe two members didn't really constitute a legal quorum. Now the lawyers and state bureaucrats are involved, and Mount Sterling remains alive as a taxing, law-enforcing, zoning-law capable bureaucracy with authority to borrow money it couldn't possibly repay. Sort of like the government that lives in Washington.
If it's that hard for 44 good folks to behead their government, we libertarian/ancap fanciers may have a longer row to hoe than we thought. Just have to keep on stompin' I guess.
Mount Sterling is an official city with an ambition to be an official nonentity. Even the city council agrees it has nothing much to offer and has voted itself and its town into oblivion except as a "populated place" to the cartographers. They can live with that level of recognition and organization. Couldn't we all?
Not so fast says Higher Authority. The vote was 2-0. The third council person was absent . Never mind her presence would have made no difference. Everyone down there wants to disband.
The confusion comes from a decision some years ago -- no one seems sure just when and no one much gives a damn -- to pare the council from five to three. The official red tape got tangled, so maybe two members didn't really constitute a legal quorum. Now the lawyers and state bureaucrats are involved, and Mount Sterling remains alive as a taxing, law-enforcing, zoning-law capable bureaucracy with authority to borrow money it couldn't possibly repay. Sort of like the government that lives in Washington.
If it's that hard for 44 good folks to behead their government, we libertarian/ancap fanciers may have a longer row to hoe than we thought. Just have to keep on stompin' I guess.
Shooting Vietnam
Horst Faas won a Pulitzer for combat shots in Vietnam. Later an RPG wound confined him to the AP bureau in Saigon where he added a second legend to name, as a trainer, teacher, editor.
He was also famous in our profession for handing out Nikon Fs like candy, one to virtually every would-be war free lancer who stumbled into his Saigon office. The camera came with unlimited Tri-X and one instruction: Come back with good pictures.
Personally, Mr. Faas carried a Leica.
He died yesterday at 79. RIP to a consummate professional.
He was also famous in our profession for handing out Nikon Fs like candy, one to virtually every would-be war free lancer who stumbled into his Saigon office. The camera came with unlimited Tri-X and one instruction: Come back with good pictures.
Personally, Mr. Faas carried a Leica.
He died yesterday at 79. RIP to a consummate professional.
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