DANDELIONS

Anybody out there like dandelions? They are really a delicious additions to a salad; bright, crunchy and slightly bitter. My grandmother loved dandelions. My neighbor seems to love dandelions...well, actually, she and her husband are, I suspect, the founders of the green movement and her lawn is covered with dandelions, which in the fullness of time produce that wonderful white thingy that every kid in the world blows off and spreads the seeds to every lawn within a hundred miles, which if not treated, are destroyed.

I was spraying the progeny of her last year's crop this morning when she advanced onto my property and told me I was destroying the planet. I asked her if the Weed be Gone might destroy her if--accidentally of course--I managed to spray her. She left in fear and anger. I fear I may have to build a fence. They make good neighbors or so I read someplace. Anyway, if you like dandelions, come on over. You can graze the neighbor's front lawn.

The scene today reminded me of The Leader and his Congressional caucus on financial regulatory caucus of yesterday. Two sides, of entirely different persuasion, each speaking nonsense to the other. In the case of the Repubs they were afraid to get roiled (memo to Mitch: by showing up you jerk you guaranteed it). In the case of The Leader because he hasn't the slightest idea of the substance of the subject and as usual, simply showed up to make political points which from time to time he does very well--except when he gets the crap kicked out of him by some guy named Ryan at which point he falls back onto his, "Let me be a petulant punk because I am the President" roll--which is becoming more and more the case. I have simply lost interest in commenting on this disgraceful exhibition any longer. I think I'm just going to wait and see what this Congress comes up with and comment on the final product except for this observation: if there are people who wish to game the system, they will game the system. Chris the Crook will not prevent it; indeed, look at his personal record. Imagine, he and Barney in the forefront of the protection of the American people. You couldn't make this stuff up. As for the "loyal opposition:" Ha! Over the past three generations, we have weened morality out of our society; this is the failure of the system. As for regulation, some guy named Mo had a pretty good set of rules a way back when. Maybe we should take a look at those one more time.

Looking across the pond, Greece and Portugal did very well in the Bond markets earlier in the week with a blow-out auction of 2 and 10 year stuff on behalf of the latter. The terms for the Greeks via the EU are becoming clearer and the IMF will be involved which, as suggested, was probably the way it was going to be all-along. The pressure appears to be off for a while but the political situation all across Europe is still quite fragile and any upset there could roil the markets once again. It was messy, but all-inall, I think the Euros did a pretty good job of holding things together...for now. The German by- elections will be important and within a month we have the general election in the UK which, while not what it used to be in the Grand Scheme of Things (sorry Mr. Bull), still must be watched. It's the politics not the finances which will be driving Europe in the coming months and then when June comes around nobody will care about anything other than the World Cup. Ah peace and quite until August and then we have pennant races and the start of football. Things are looking up.

Once again, thanks for all of you who helped with Google. It is greatly appreciated.