Memorial Day Anecdotal Stuff

Why in the world is this birther issue continuing to be beaten to death?

Pow Wow Chow recipes submitted by the great consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren happened to be plagiarized. Now that is important!

Warren had a hilarious moment with FOX 25 last week. The reporter stuck to the “Indian Issue” while Warren did a song and dance - no drums or feathers - trying to avoid a direct answer. She bumbled along just an embarrassment.

Warren is probably more Indian than "The Raven."

I use to enjoy the History Channel until it got loaded down with reality shows. I could care less about staged pawn shop or storage locker encounters.

Deval failed in his attempt at making us healthier with a tax on candy and soda. I’m sure revenue had nothing to do with it.

Edgeway is becoming like The Truman Show.

More landfill (AKA - dump) increases. The results will be noticeable on power lines, gas lines and lightly traveled streets.

Ames Nowell and Franklin State Forest were - note were - two wonderful state parks now a mess. A fraction of the money spent on exorbitant salaries for assorted hacks on the Greenway in Boston could have saved both. Massasoit State Park will soon join the list.

If Obama hates business why did 2011 have the greatest corporate profits in history? Creative accounting? Loopholes? Don’t know.

George Will had a great line - “Harvard believes in diversity except in thought.”

According to a WSJ article the Obama spending binge never happened. Spending increased only a few percent but debt certainly did not. Less revenue and lack of spending cuts equals increased debt.

Mary Lou’s coffee chain is in the crosshairs of the EEOC for their practice of hiring perky young things in pink outfits. This is their business model and I’m sure the EEOC will be as successful at this venture as they were with Hooter’s.

Regarding Marylou's there was no complaint. None. EEOC took the action themselves.

MYA is involved in questionable cause. How many are being manipulated by adults? Reminds me of kids carrying casino signs a few years back. The cause may be an important one regarding smoking but it seems rather selective to tell local businesses what they can and cannot sell. That is where I break ranks and this is from someone who was involved in the very early days of the anti smoking campaign - meaning where product could be used and not sold. Maybe a few of the adults - young and old involved - could concentrate on candy and soda? Maybe even start with themselves? That stuff does pack on the calories.

Showrooming is killing Best Buy and other retailers with slim margins. A customer wanders the store and makes note of the item(s) they are looking for and then go home for an online purchase for a (hopefully) considerable savings.

Greece is a representation of what can happen elsewhere. If it was a "stand alone" situation it would be virtually nothing - a mere blip on the fiscal radar.

There has been a transfer from countries of questionable exposure to those viewed as a safe haven such as Germany. I have not followed that path the last week or so but the major players seem to be the most vulnerable countries - Italy, Spain and Portugal. Take the money and run. No Bedford Falls here, folks.

I have no idea how insular the United States is in this mess? I have read some that have it as a big yawn and others as the cataclysmic fiscal event of all time. Probably somewhere in the middle.

My view is materialistic since within fiscal upheavals is opportunity. Being a crass opportunists it is nice to have some free cash around to take advantage of the situation. I was fortunate in the bank bailouts to take advantage of some bargain basement prices on bank stocks.

In the meantime we have the garden planted just in case.

The Massachusetts Senate deep sixed any significant EBT reform so it is business as usual.