Someone is making money - hand over fist and it is not me. Anyone following Wall Street's reactions to the European debt crisis would have to be deaf, blind and uber ignorant not to see the too-obvious signs of manipulation - yes, I'll call it what I think it is - insider trading. You cannot tell me that when our market bends downward, say 6%, that someone (or ones) is not buying low in response to a down European day and when our market rebounds with, say, a 6% uptick, they are not selling high in response to a "hint" that it will be an upbeat European financial day.
There are people in this world that should not be allowed to have pets. I drive a state highway on an almost daily basis that has a major portion of it under construction. It has been hard enough to watch the needless destruction and decimation of so many healthy, mature trees, all in the name of progress (?), but now, for two days in a row, a country home on this highway has two beautiful dogs that are being allowed to roam free, and, both days the black and yellow Labs have been within inches of the roadway, seemingly oblivious to the danger flying past them. I do hope and pray that I do not see one or both of those beautiful animals lying along the roadway.
A letter-to-the-editor in today's newspaper got my attention. Three years ago the family of a deceased woman overpaid taxes on her estate to the tune of $163,000.00. That is no small chunk of change. To date, the state has refused to repay the woman's estate, instead telling the family that it may be another year before restitution occurs. And, oh-by-the-way, due to a 1983 statute, interest will not be paid on the overpayment. This, combined with news from the municipality where I live that they can make all the rules they want regarding changing my street from private to village ownership, including insisting that 100% of all the owners sign off regarding this matter.........but you can bet your sweet bippy that if the city wanted our property they would cite the rule of eminent domain and the 100% "rule" would be cast aside.
Yeah, I am feeling Grinch-like today. I drove past a church that had a sign out front that said, "Where do you find your joy?" I think I'd better sit in my thinking chair, ponder the question, and not get up until I have some answers!
This, too, shall pass.
Ancora impassaro
