Everything is expensive, especially here in greater Boston. But is the state so unaffordable that 1 out of 3 Massachusetts residents wish they could leave?
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/leaving-massachusetts-poll-cost-of-living/
Maybe there’s some money sitting idly in a forgotten account.
https://www.findmassmoney.gov/
Here’s a suggestion from today’s Jumble.
The Mass State Lottery has a new Millionaire for Life game.
Along with a gazillion other people, I recently received this message from Netflix.
Hi Douglas,
We recently announced that Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO. This unites our leading entertainment service with Warner Bros.’ iconic stories, bringing some of the world’s most beloved franchises like Harry Potter, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Casablanca, Game of Thrones and the DC Universe together with Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Game, Bridgerton and KPop Demon Hunters.
What’s changing?
Nothing is changing today. Both streaming services will continue to operate separately. We have more steps to complete before the deal is closed, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. You’ll hear from us when we have more to share. In the meantime, we hope you’ll continue to enjoy watching as much as you want, whenever you want – all on your current membership plan.
We know you might have questions. Check out our Help Center for more information or contact us at any time.
Thank you for choosing Netflix. We’re committed to bringing you more great TV shows, movies, games and live programming.
The Netflix team
Netflix didn’t pay Pope Trump the indulgence money he requires, so of course he is favoring a hostile bid for Warner. Once already this year, CBS/Paramount paid a cash tribute to the King to get his approval for a merger. To ensure he gets his cut from them again, his son-in-law is backing Paramount.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/08/trump-netflix-wbd-paramount.html
There are good reasons why Netflix shouldn’t acquire Warner. Failure to participate in a thoroughly corrupt president’s shakedown isn’t one of them.
Donny’s repeating his first term economic mistakes. His tariff taxes have done nothing to reduce China’s trade surplus. He’s hurting farmers and making direct payments of tariff money to keep them afloat.
China’s Trade Surplus Climbs Past $1 Trillion for First Time
President Trump’s tariffs weren’t enough to hold back the global export flood by China, which pushed past last year’s record in just 11 months.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/business/china-trade-surplus.htmlTrump Insists Tariffs Will Buoy the Economy. For Now, He’s on Damage Control.
The president rolled out a $12 billion bailout for farmers as he makes the case that his policy is working — or will soon.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/us/politics/trump-trade-affordability.html
What does economics journalist David Wessel at the Brookings Institute think the Fed is going to do?
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.
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.
Coordinating the Human-AI economy through scientific methodologies and data-driven analysis.
