Merry?? Christmas

John Whitehead attempts to express his apprehension on the occasion of the arrival of the Christmas Season, in his own enviable style. I hope he gets to Pilgrim’s Progress. My own intrinsic need for a Christmas tree might alter the Opportunity Cost Equation, as I have not put One up the last Two years; of course, my sister and brother-in-law altered my economic decisions by buying me a small, artificial tree–no change? Now I got to put the damned thing up! The Twelve Days of Christmas is also up over 3%–higher via the Internet, this saying something about the Core Inflation issue. Retail information says Sales down, but Customers up on Black Friday, only proving that damned fools will get up at 4 am to go Shopping; I won’t even do it after a decent lunch.

Here is another Grinch Stole Christmas, no matter which Side you are on the Question; I stealing the Grinch from Newmark’s Door. I once made the remark that the level of Taxes did not matter, once people became hungry, they would Work despite the Taxes on the practice–now, I am not so sure! Honest Business personnel become Thieves in the Night, when it comes to paying Taxes. Tax evasion is the leading crime in this Country by total volume of Commissions, the most common forms being self-payment in Cash, and filing of exorbitant Expenses; these two forms rapidly being challenged by No Filings at all. I could tell you the Tale of four Businesses being run by One Taxpayer, but Reporting only one Business, except no one likes a Tattletale on Christmas Eve.

Here is the Grinch who wants to have Christmas, placing much of the blame for the Credit Crunch on Greenspan; well, really not so much, as David Warsh tries to spread the blame with the traditional ‘Well, he was with me!’. The one thing which no one mentions about the ‘new-fangled Securities instruments’ is that they were designed to hide the degree of Risk involved, to aid in their Sale and dispersal of that Risk. The Designers actually did too great a Job, no one can put Humpty Dumpty back together again. All I Want for Christmas, Is my Two Front Teeth, preferably in Gold at the current Market value. lgl