SANDY

For those of you outside of the U.S. our East Coast is presently being battered by probably the largest storm ever seen called Sandy; a once-in-a-lifetime storm that has already shut the stock market for two days and unless we  get lucky, I suspect longer.  In my youth I rode out a few hurricanes on Long Island.  It's no fun put there is primal beauty and magnificence associated with the experience that is really indescribable.  But this one...I would have no part of this one.  The aftermath is likely to linger, affecting not only commerce but perhaps the election as well.  Anyway, there is nothing going on on this side today...except for the endless storm.

Not so on the other side and most of it revolves around Greece, some good, some bad and some downright funny.

As it's citizentry riot in the street, a journalist has published a list of some 2000 government employees with Swiss bank accounts.  Well, talk about riots!  The army was called out to arrest the poor bugger with the events surrounding the capture of this vile criminal described in real time via Twitter.  I can just imagine the reaction among the Burghers of Berlin when they got this news. especially since concurrent with this protection of Greek society came the news that the Troika had just demanded that the public sector (read, Taxpayers) take a haircut in the next go-around over Greek debt.  The last syllable was barely spoken before a "NEIN!" was shouted from the upper window of the finance ministry in Berlin.  The fact that the Troika is right and this is certainly the only chance that Greece has to really get out of this mess--other than exiting of course--is to reduce their stock of debt as years of experience over the last century has taught.  But there are these elections you see a year from now and any talk like this is verboten until then.  Now no one is quite sure how we are going to get that far because even with new money the Greeks go bust sometime around March and this bundle which will approved and which will get them through November will, for sure, be the last.  And so the conversation continues, each party as if in a separate room and as such unheard by the others, but the conversations continue and I guess everyone believes that is a good thing.

And speaking of airs of unreality, the true situation that exists surrounding both Spanish debt and politics remains undefinable.  I guess there is serious talk of a dissolution of the Republic which I simply cannot believe could happen but there it is in print across Europe.  Whether a real possibility or not the call for aid by the Spanish from Euroland has become even more in question over the internal politics and now by the comments today of Draghi in support of a far more united Europe, one with not only coordinated banking regulation but one in which the Budget Boys in Brussels would control national budgets.  Angie's mob would love that but Sr. Lejoy gave a quick no to the suggestion and while there was silence on the British front; everyone knows that if put forward, an immediate Red Card would come out not only for the idea but for Euroland as well...not that some would care, mind you.  Frankie, who is in serious, deep, do-do in record time by the way for a new President almost choked at the suggestion but kept silent.  How does one say "irrelevant" in French?  Something like sans relevance?  Something good may come out of this after all.

And so went today as we on this side continue to listen to Creedence Clearwater.  Going to take another tack tomorrow and talk about the Argies and the Courts.  I promise a fun one.