It Depends on Your Level of Interest

David Wessel provides a sane counterpoint to Trump’s idiotic name-calling of Jay Powell. Donald is perpetually stuck in “you’re fired!” mode.

Two additional points I think Wessel should have made are these:

  • The government’s cost of borrowing is a function of the bond market more than it is the federal funds rate. The connection becomes more acute if investors lose confidence in the Federal Reserve, which will be the result if Trump has his way. This will force Treasury bond rates higher to entice investors. So it will cost the government more, not less, to borrow money.
  • The cost of the Fed’s building renovations isn’t paid with taxes, the money comes from the Fed’s own investments.

Two From the Failing NYTimes

The New York Times, which apparently isn’t failing, has a couple of guest essays from smart, thoughtful Massachusetts people. They reinforce how pointless all of the fabricated culture war nonsense is, when there are real problems to confront and manage. I’m using my Times subscription to share these without the paywall getting in the way.

It’s already been a couple of years since I read Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder, about homelessness in Boston.

Today, Kidder writes about food banks and the limits of what they can do under Trump II.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/opinion/america-safety-net.html?unlocked_article_code=1.WU8.lwph.6Jnq91N4LnYs&smid=url-share

Republican leaders who dislike Harvard and MIT know-it-alls will ignore this piece about China’s economy at their own peril.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/opinion/china-shock-economy-manufacturing.html?unlocked_article_code=1.WU8.MUwY.h8BkD6JUR5cm&smid=url-share

A Mighty Marvel Mish-Mash

Yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the unique and very worthwhile Museum of Printing in Haverhill, MA.

https://www.museumofprinting.org/

I went there not knowing that a couple of years ago the museum hosted a comic book event. The computer voice in this brief video mispronounces Haverhill. The “have” should sound like “cave,” and the second “h” is mostly silent.

The museum’s library has a nice selection of comic book related items, including the gigantic volume “The Stan Lee Story” that was published by Tashen shortly after Stan’s death in 2018.

This is the original art for that cover, owned by some fortunate and presumably well-heeled person.

Cover to Fantastic Four #59, 1966, by Kirby/Sinnott

A member of the Comic Book Historians group on Facebook posted this excellent article about the production of the 1966 Marvel Super-Heroes cartoons. It was published in the short-lived “The World of Comic Art.”



Station Wagon Schedule

Will you hear my request from the back of the station wagon in the Playtone Records parking lot? Tune in to TuneIn to find out!

  • Tuesday: 1 PM, 5 PM, 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 1 AM, 5 AM, 9 AM, 4 PM, 11 PM
  • Thursday: 6 AM, 11 AM, 8 PM
  • Friday: 3 AM, 9 AM, 5 PM
  • Saturday: 12 AM, 7 AM, 2 PM, 9 PM
  • Sunday: 5 AM, 10 AM, 6 PM

Update: They played my request! It’s the last song before Tom says goodbye and introduces the closing requested song.