Cold

It's freaking cold here. Not North Dakota cold, to be sure. But cold all the same. I'll be glad to fly to California tomorrow afternoon and leave this sorry, frozen mess behind.

Got a lot done today. Feels good.

I have a very short definition of what constitutes an adult. To be an adult requires two behaviors, one a positive act, one a negative act. On the positive side, being an adult means one has to engage in sacrifices. One does not always get one's way. One does not always get what one wants. One has to give up things. One has to do things one does not want to do. That is reality. On the negative side, one has to not complain. Complaining is a sign that one does not realize the appropriateness of sacrifice, hardship, declining health, the finiteness of life.

I do not mean to state that I engage in either behavior to the degree that I aspire. But I am better than most, and worse than some.

Some notes: The economy is in a controlled free-fall. Why? There is a tipping point. When productivity cannot be relied upon for aggressive growth, when oil prices [which drive so many other metrics] rise at aggressive levels, when thousands and thousands of jobs get shipped overseas, the economy cannot always backfill quickly enough to shore up these factors. And that is what has happened. Keeping money cheap will do two things: (a) it will prohibit investment in the dollar [but it will make trading with the US more attractive], and (b) it will create inflation to the extent that it increases the availability of credit, and thus dollars chasing goods. So, inflation is inevitable, and I for one would welcome inflation for 2 - 3 years. Why? It served to make our parents' house payment a non-factor in their income, which -- more than any other factor -- fueled the recovery of the 1980s. More discretionary income was created. People were able to spend more [once inflation slowed.] We'll see what happens this time.

Additionally: Heath Ledger died today at 28. The talented actor was found dead, presumptively of an overdose. He starred in "I'm Not There", the fantastic movie about Bob Dylan. Sad news.

Also ... Blogger is now publishing in Arabic, Persian and ... Hebrew? Coincidence? I think not. Can one say "fomenting controversy?"

Right Said Fred Thompson dropped out of the presidential race today. Didn't he just announce? I think he proved all the pundits right who said that he didn't have the work ethic to do the job [of running for President? or being President? Where are those pundits? I need answers.] So, Mike Huckabee, Christmas came late for you ... maybe one state too late [He surely would have won South Carolina had Thompson not split the Christian Kook vote. I mean ... the evangelical vote. Sorry, God!]

Supposing that Heath did off himself [which is already being disputed by his family], what does one make of the fact that Australia has, for its national song, a little ditty about a vagabond drowning himself rather than surrender his ill-gotten catch to the authorities? One could do better ...