The Other Welfare Queens

From the cute financial writers at "Motley Fool"  (We Make Losing Amusing):

"After stimulus-hungry investors were disappointed by this week's Federal Reserve and ECB announcements, they'll turn to today's nonfarm payroll report in hopes it will fuel action from the U.S. central bank. In particular, they'll be hoping payroll additions fall well below the 100,000 person consensus estimate."

(Related quotations, courtesy of Mr. Orwell: "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. " And the ever-popular "2 + 2 = 5.")

Simply stated, and not too drastically oversimplified,  the sleek-groomed MBA set  is praying for higher unemployment to force Ben to run the national money mimeograph a little faster.

I think we need to lay off the literal welfare mothers for a while. They're pikers compared to the spawn of graduate schools of business.

MSNBC tells the truth, sort of

Mika has been absent. So has Joe. They're probably in London advising Her Majesty and the Lord Mayor on event security and offering helpful hints on foreign and economic policy. But I don't know for sure.

Meanwhile, "Morning Joe" continues with the JV. Which led to something that had me nodding in approval a half-hour ago. Some of the early rising chatterers almost agreed that it doesn't make a whole Hell of a lot of difference* which statist we send to the White House in November. Because. like, we have a "structural problem" due to too few people working and too many scrambling for free tit. (No kidding? Well I will be damned. Why didn't I think of that?)

Then Chuck Schumer came on and ruined it by explaining that it's all the Tea Party's fault for retiring Richard Lugar.

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*Usual weasel-out about Supreme Court appointments and the importance of down-ticket  races.

Joshua for president

Now here's a feel-good story for you. Joshua Smith is nine. He heard his hometown, Detroit, was broke. So he set up a lemonade and popcorn stand in front of his modest home. He dedicates the proceeds to the city, to pay down its debt.

I will not be cynical about Joshua. Good kid. Willing to work. Heart in the right place. Plus, undoubtedly, other virtues once associated with the idea of being American.

However, I'm a little concerned about the city he is trying to help. Detroit is, of course, ruled by grasping politicians who control a regulatory Stasi even Honecker would have been proud of. Unt dey haf ways. That's why Detroit is broke.

Who can doubt that  someone with a badge is checking on this lad? Street vending license? Health department license? Zoning approval? Local EPA-like organization hazmat clearances? City, county, state, and federal tax ID number? Sales tax permit?  Compliance with EOE dictates?  Timely filed reports to OSHA?

Young men like Josh both irritate and frighten the Hacks of City Hall (and Congress etc.).

For one thing, they  cringe at yet another shot of publicity calling attention to the results of their stupid and venal ways.  Worse yet, they detest a demonstration that a nine-year-old boy knows more about the problems and their solutions than they do.

Of course there's one large structural problem with Joshua's plan. When he turns his profits over to the city he is, by definition, handing money to the politicians. They will piss it away. Or steal it.

MIserycom update

The technician appears and seems to operate at a higher level than his colleagues. After years of frequent outages, treated by Mediacom  with new F conncectors, different modems,  head shaking,  incantations,  and, I would bet, more than a little percussive maintenance, this man discovered a faulty linear amplifier serving the neighborhood.

Bless all the competent men and women everywhere.

EDIT: This post is withdrawn as of three days after being written.