Morning - eh, Lunch - Coffee Reads

NEWS

The Congressional Budget Office says the American Power Act (Kerry-Lieberman proposal to address climate change) would put a $19 billion dent in the federal deficit over the next 10 years. And yes we must do something about climate change, because it IS real. And dirty air does cause health problems. And yes, this is a bi-partisan issue or should I say a non-political issue.

Banks that have repaid TARP loans from the government report more than a 10% return. That's way better than I'm getting from my bank.  Meanwhile foreclosures continue to loom and the government's loan modification program isn't doing much to help.

Wall Street needs a defender. Give me a break.  Reshma Saujani is running against Carolyn Mahoney to represent Manhattan in Congress. Saujani us "the only candidate who understands how stressful and difficult the past few years have been for some of the wealthiest people in America." As my friend Dave G. was fond of saying: 'look for sympathy in the dictionary - it's between shit and syphilus.'

SOLUTIONS?

From The Nation, a prescription for curing the economy - reduce income inequality (which was also, according to the author, the cause of the economic crisis - and a vision for what America should be -

a country where every neighborhood features safe, well-paved streets, excellent schools, functioning mass transit and a healthy environment....

And from a moderate deficit hawk, a "Jobs Now, Deficits Soon" package, sensible tax reform:

cutting payroll and corporate taxes now -- and offsetting this with phased-in tax hikes on dirty energy and consumption, to take effect only once jobs and growth are back on track.

coupled with spending initiatives

extend unemployment benefits... [and] help states avoid the layoffs and cutbacks that will further dampen consumption.

CURIOUSITIES

My superhero has

• iron-containing structures... to help them sense the Earth's magnetic field independent of their motion and posture, and thus identify their geographical position;
• ability to reproduce via cloning;
• ability to track up to 30 absent members of their family by sniffing out their scent and building a mental map of where they are;
• photographic memory;
• fast adaptation to environment;
• close its mandibles at an incredible speed... allows them to jump enormous heights for their size.

The late great George Carlin (who I had the fortune to meet in person) on euphemisms.