Open Houses: In February, construction was started on just over 31,500 new single family houses, down from 33,000 in January. Happily, multi-family rental unit construction picked up a bit.
Three Card Monte: Of late there has been a significant sell-off of US Treasuries, but the volume level of the stock markets does not suggest that the money went there, nor has there been a rush to gold or oil. Where's the money going? 1) Under several large mattresses? 2) Into select Chinese mattresses??
P-KN4: Russian troops, alleged to be an anti-terror squad of Russian Marines, have arrived in Syria, a move politely characterized as “certain to have serious repercussions.”
On Your Mark: Police no longer don 'riot gear'. Nor do they rely on SWAT teams in full gear. Now it is the “Damascus FX1 FlexForce Modular Hard Shell Full Body Crowd Control System” designed for the "ultimate high-threat level riot control, domestic disturbance, and cell extraction suit." Whatever 'cell extraction' is. Maybe we'll find out when NATO comes to Chicago, where protesters have been denied a parade permit, which only leaves street protests which will give Chicago cops a chance to test the 'full body control systems'.
Happy Motoring! The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the US has reached $4. Again.
Brotherly Love: Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has banned feeding the pigeons in public spaces. And while you're at it, don't feed homeless persons, homeless veterans, disabled homeless veterans or homeless families either.
Experience Needed: The BLS says there are 3.5 million job openings in the US. This is not good, even if - for once - the BLS data is accurate, because with 12.8 million Americans officially looking for work (and over 26 million who actually need a job), the explanation seems to be that those folks have been out of work too long to be granted an interview for one of these jobs, much less hired.
Keen Idea: Keene, New Hampshire was granted $285,000 by DHS to buy an armored personnel carrier so its 5 police officers could take turns riding around tearing up the pavement in the town of 23,000. But the people of Keene said "No, Thank you, that's not who we are."
Cut Here: The Republicans claim that Medicare will bankrupt the country. So their current plan is to eliminate the Board whose job it is to impose limits on Medicare spending for care that has not shown to be effective. But those procedures are profitable to the medical community and thus, to the GOP, are sacrosanct. Especially if paying for them will bankrupt Medicare quicker, which is their goal.
Porn O'Graph: The constant gardener.
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