"How am I doing" -- Ed Koch when he still had a mind. -- Today's "good news"

O.K. -- "Some Assembly Required" gives us a good snapshot of what's going on -- follow link to original - read it all.
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Here's The Plan: International experts say the best way to use less gasoline is to turn off the engine. Likewise they are again urging Greece to shrink its “public sector” even further (that's bankerspeak for cutting jobs, cutting wages, cutting pensions, cutting social support programs), to raise taxes and sell off the family farm. The austerity previously imposed has driven Greece's debt upwards of 200% of GDP and now they're told to cut even more. In olden times, the barbers recommend bloodletting.

Baloney: The GOP leadership's mini $3.7 billion version of disaster relief funding was voted down by a coalition of Tea Partiers who don't want any spending on silly things like rebuilding the infrastructure, and Democrats who didn't want to off-set the expenditure by killing government support for the development of fuel-efficient vehicles. The government's main disaster relief program could run out of money early next week for victims of Hurricane Irene. FEMA has already held up thousands of longer-term rebuilding projects like repairs to roads, sewer systems, bridges , and parks.

Worthy: Before you can get food stamps in Michigan, you have to divest yourself of all your money and most of your property. You get to hold $5,000 in assets such as a beat-up old car, but your retirement funds (!) will not be confiscated. The rule about groveling and wearing sackcloth and ashes was dropped.

Sadly: The unraveling of the Eurozone that is now underway should not come as a shock. All the hocus pocus around Greece was just pantomime - Greece was never going to be bailed out and will eventually default. A lot of European banks will flail about for a bit and be rescued by their respective Central Banks, which will be bailed out by the the German taxpayers, backed by the US Fed. And neither the Lone Ranger nor the Chinese will come to the last minute rescue. This isn't a movie.

Hush Money: After watching democracy and revolt sweep through Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, spread to Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain, and threaten Saudi Arabia itself, the oil dictatorships of OPEC are bribing their citizens in hopes of clinging to power a bit longer. Saudi Arabia is doling out $43 billion, Kuwait is feeding everybody free for a year, Algerians got a 34% pay raise, and the UAE is offering uninterrupted free electricity.

Sales, Sailing: According to the NAR, existing homes sales rose 7.7% m/m and were 18.6% above a year ago. But 31% of these sales were cash transactions for 'distressed' properties. Despite the increase in sales, prices for existing houses declined 1.7% m/n and were down 5.1% y/y.

Essay Question: Polls show that 36% of South Carolina Republicans believe President Obama not born in U.S. Usual prize for best explanation as to why these people are allowed to reproduce vote.