Inflation is (modestly) 8.6%. The Fed will raise interest rates (if we're lucky) to 1%. The traditional equation says that interest rates should be 12% to stall inflation.

The problem is that nobody knows how many banks and lenders with CDO's and derivatives are teetering on failure. A sharp rise in interest rates would collapse the global economy – worse than in 2008. So, banks might pay 1% for loans. What are you paying? 6-8% for secured loans (house, car) and 18% for unsecured credit?

If you think the system is stacked against you, it is.

A Google engineer has claimed that one of Google's AI language models is sentient.

Google has responded that LaMDA is merely a computer algorithm that makes people think it is sentient - which is exactly what a sentient computer program would say!

American Airlines offers a $41 early-boarding fee.

But, you already have a seat assignment. Maybe you can ensure that you get to stow your carry-on forward of your seat (instead of behind you) - but many of AA's planes have upgraded overhead compartments that allow vertical stowage of roll-aboards, which is more than adequate for carry-on luggage on a full flight.

So, really, one is paying American Airlines for the privilege of standing in-line on an unconditioned jetway instead of a somewhat-conditioned terminal.

Caveat emptor.

“For the first time, this generation is going to go into a store and not be able to get what they want. And we have a very entitled generation that has never had to sacrifice.” – Blackrock President Rob Capito

I wonder what sacrifices a man who makes $22,000,000 a year and is worth $275M has made?

Joe said Thursday if Russia uses WMD, the U.S. will respond.

Ukrainian civilians immediately started a “Nuke the Ukraine!” campaign in Russia.

(The ones who haven't already been killed by Weapons of Onesy-Twosy Destruction, anyway)

Joe tried to be Obama at the Business Roundtable on Monday: "Now is the time when things are shifting and there's going to be a new world order out there, and we've got to lead it. We've got to unite the rest of the free world in doing it."

He added "and we are going to start by calling Vladimir Putin a big, fat meany!"

According to the billionaire-owned Bloomberg outlet, people should swap meat for lentils and let their pets die.

Is this dystopia yet?

Given how much money the U.S. is making selling arms to Europe, I have to wonder if we really don't want this war to happen.

In early 2020, Tom Brady signed with Tampa to draw headlines away from the advertised pandemic.

Now, with WWIII looming, Tom Brady has once again sacrificed himself to draw headlines by unretiring in Tampa.

McDonald's has closed 850 locations in Russia.

No word yet whether NATO will enforce the No-Fry zone.

The U.S. is so scared of going to war with Russia, Biden personally put the kibosh on Poland sending fighter jets to Ukraine.

Another reason Putin has already won.

(Not that we should go to war (or could win a war) but cowering before the Commies is so undignifying.)

List of occasions when imposing economic sanctions had the desired effect:

Every day we are shown pictures of destroyed armored vehicles and told these are evidence of Ukraine's successful thwarting of Putin's invasion.

But, Russia and Ukraine use the same vehicles, so how do we know which is which?

While Ukrainians die in the streets, NPR is going to help us cope with the bad news.

This is precisely why Putin has gotten away with it.

No, Putin is not crazy or unstable. The establishment wants you to believe that, because then the Ukraine invasion becomes the unpredictable gesticulating of a crazy person and it is nobody’s fault.

The alternative is that this is the well-designed, long-planned act of a person who chose the precisely correct moment to conquer a developed country knowing that the rest of the world would stand around hurtling protestations and name-calling, completely incapable of mounting a meaningful military resistance.

This only ends when Putin does.

To save time, France has surrendered.

Russia's primary export is natural gas. The "scary" economic sanctions being levied against Russia don't include natural gas exports.

Is this because 2/3 of Europe's gas comes from Russia and Putin is pulling this in dead of winter?

Yes, Ukraine has natural resources - especially those coveted by electric vehicle manufacturers.

Does it really matter if we buy those resources from the corrupt Ukrainian government vs. the corrupt Russian government?