Murdoch Mysteries

Trump attorney Joe Tacopina quits, and Matt Murdoch gets the nod, based on the argument he used in his courtroom defense of Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Justice is blind, and so is the defendant’s lawyer!

Daredevil #7, page 10, panel 3. Art by Wally Wood.

It looks like the judge’s word balloon was originally going to be in the lower, left corner.

Urban Doom Loop?

Will post-COVID New York City and San Francisco end the 21st century as ghost towns? Or will they be transformed from centers of commerce into mixed-use living space?

I chuckle when the current interest rates are called “too high.” This attitude is the result of banks and businesses being addicted to the free money that followed the Great Recession. My first mortgage, in early 1988, was for 10.125%.

In my opinion the Fed should leave everything as it is. Let the markets adjust to the long-overdue hike in rates and the end of quantitative easing. Once again I point to Frontline’s “Age of Easy Money” from a year ago. Where’s the recession that so many were predicting from the higher interest rates?

Table Stakes

A withdrawal approach based solely on required minimum distributions (RMDs) not only fails to meet retirees’ annual income needs but can also leave money on the table at the end of their lives, the financial services firm found.

https://news.yahoo.com/finance/news/84-retirees-rmd-mistake-130022029.html

Leaving money “on the table” at the end of my life is exactly what I want to do, and I’m setting up a trust to make sure that happens.

Brown Delivers… Eventually

That $25 pair of IEM’s I ordered on Sunday probably made it from China to Amazon faster than it’s getting here from Amazon. The carrier is UPS, and the package has been hopping between UPS and Amazon facilities.

Shipped with UPS.

We’re sorry for the delay. If you have not received your package by January 12, you can come back here the next day for a refund.

Monday, January 8
7:41 PM
Package arrived at an Amazon facility.
Northborough, Massachusetts US
Carrier picked up the package.

Tuesday, January 9
10:17 PM
Package arrived at an Amazon facility.
Northborough, Massachusetts US
8:15 AM
Package being processed at carrier facility.
7:32 AM
Possible delay in delivery.
norwood, US

Wednesday, January 10
6:38 PM
Package left an Amazon facility.
Northborough, Massachusetts US
6:36 PM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
Shrewsbury, MA US
5:00 PM
Package delayed in transit

UPS says:

Estimated delivery
Thursday, January 11 by End of Day
Current Event
On the Way

And speaking of UPS:

https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-workers-comments-170k-ups-driver-deal-anger-admiration-2023-8

Drowning in the Desert

It’s too risky to make even a toe-deep comment in the burning sand of the Israel-Hamas conflict. This is the most useful background I have watched.

For myself, John Oliver has the most meaningful commentary.

Okay, I’m going to make a comment. Netanyahu had a single political platform. Defending Israel, which he failed to do. Hamas took advantage of Netanyahu being focused on “reforming” the court system to weaken its ability to prosecute him for financial corruption. Now he’s overcompensating by claiming he will destroy Hamas, while laying waste to all of Gaza in the process. In doing this, Netanyahu is undermining the future security of Israel, by helping to create the next generation of terrorists. Why is the incompetent, self-dealing Bibi still in office?