Author: DOuG pRATt

HIPPA Drone

Trump’s doctor says his MRI results are “perfectly normal”

https://www.axios.com/2025/12/01/trump-mri-results-health-white-house-doctor

An MRI isn’t done routinely, for no particular reason. They must have been looking for something, but Trump is entitled to HIPPA-mandated medical privacy, as we all are. The way his hand was bruised recently, he’s undoubtedly taking Eliquis.

Whatever is wrong with Trump medically, his condition is obviously worsening. For all of his insults about “Sleepy Joe,” he’s following the same aging trendline as Biden.

I’m going to boldly predict that Trump won’t be able to serve out his term. Perhaps even from the 25th Amendment being invoked, as impossible as that sounds at this moment. Not that I think J.D. would be any improvement in the top spot.

Money Wages, Real Wages

Let us assume, for the moment, that labour is not prepared to work for a lower money-wage and that a reduction in the existing level of money-wages would lead, through strikes or otherwise, to a withdrawal from the labour market of labour which is now employed.

– THE GENERAL THEORY OF EMPLOYMENT, INTEREST AND MONEY, John Maynard Keynes

I picked that brief passage because it’s a relatively easy one to digest from Keynes, who had a rather inscrutable style of writing. What we now call “affordability” was described by Keynes as the difference between money-wages and real-wages; i.e., take-home pay and its buying power.

Yesterday, at a restaurant I met an employee of my former, longtime employer. He works at the restaurant on weekends as a second job. A young, married dad with a college degree, his full-time technology job doesn’t pay enough for him to make ends meet.

I was underpaid there myself for a long time, but eventually the company made good on its promises. I hope it does for him as well, so he can keep his family in Massachusetts.

https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2025-11-25/massachusetts-is-losing-its-competitive-edge-says-local-think-tank