So, what do you think about the Muller report? I think it completely exonerates the president! No, wait. I think it shows he’s absolutely guilty and should be impeached! No, wait…
Actually, I think the whole thing goes to show how people can spin political theater any way they want to, depending on their political proclivities. I don’t really have any political proclivities – at least not when it comes to party politics. I haven’t been following the whole saga, so, I don’t know much about Russiagate at all.
But you know what I do know about? Hockey! And it’s Stanley Cup playoff season!
It’s time for Fun on Friday and I have to be honest — I’m not feeling very fun.
Why?
Because the tax man cometh! And no matter how you slice it, taxation is not a fun subject. It’s no wonder “death” and “taxes” are often mentioned in the same breath.
But April 15 is lurking right around the corner and that means it’s almost tax day.
I’ve written about gold-covered food here in my Fun on Friday column from time to time. People cover all kinds of foods with gold — including traditional blue-collar fare such as beer and chicken wings. I’ve even told you where you can get coffee with real gold mixed into it.
Well, this week I’m going to up my game. How about an entire meal covered in gold? And how about if we call it “art.”
I used to hate it when my parents would tell me how much easier I had it than they did. But as I rip through middle age and rapidly approach “old,” I am becoming much more sympathetic to my parents’ point of view. Not that my parents really had it harder than me… But kids these days? Yeah, they have it way easier than I ever did.
I mean, yeah, my dad may have had to walk two miles to school in the snow — uphill both ways — while I got to ride with mom. But hell, kids these days don’t even have to get up to change the channel on the TV.
OK. I’m going to set up a scenario for you.
You’re in Hawaii. Yay! Right? Anyway, as you enjoy touring around the tropical paradise, you stop at a local gas station to fuel up the rental. As you’re pumping the gas, a guy saunters up covered in bling. He’s got gold chains, gold bracelets and several gold rings. Then comes the sob story. He’s down and out. He lost his wallet. He needs cash. But he’s willing to part with his expensive gold for a bargain basement price.
What do you do?
The Oscars are golden.
Literally.
And in keeping with the spirit, Zoe Kravitz made sure her wardrobe matched the occasion. In fact, her wardrobe far outshined good ol’ Oscar.
Right after the last Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting, Peter Schiff said the “Powell Pause” won’t be enough to save the stock market and head off a recession. He said ultimately, the central bank would have to cut interest rates and launch another round of quantitative easing.
Well, it seems the mainstream is starting to catch up with Peter’s thinking. Yesterday, Bloomberg ran an article asserting that “instead of pausing, the central bank may need to start cutting interest rates to avoid a recession.”
When I was a kid, I thought people in elected offices were among the brightest and best. Then I grew up, started interacting with politicians and realized they are no smarter than anybody else. And in fact, a lot of them are downright dumb.
Well, I’ve got an Oklahoma lawmaker for you that fits neatly into the downright dumb category.
All of a sudden, former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen sounds a little bit like Peter Schiff.
During an interview on CNBC, Yellen conceded that the next Fed move could be an interest rate cut.
Of course, it’s possible. If global growth really weakens and that spills over to the United States where financial conditions tighten more and we do see a weakening in the US economy, it’s certainly possible that the next move is a cut.”
After Jerome Powell indicated that the Federal Reserve tightening cycle was on pause during last week’s FOMC meeting, Peter Schiff said, “The monetary drug pushers at the Federal Reserve gave the addicts on Wall Street exactly the fix that they had been craving.”
Peter often compares the markets to drug addicts. They are addicted to the easy money the central bank provides. Reuters used that same imagery to describe America’s business community in the wake of the “loose money era,” saying it left a “trail of US corporate debt junkies.
