A Trillion Here, A Trillion There …

Is that real money or not? Yesterday the value of the dollar dropped in comparison with the Euro and the Yen. More money is being printed in America to try to encourage the banks to loan it to home and auto buyers, but the banks are reluctant to release the cash when unemployment continues to mount.

According to Washington Post writer Lori Montgomery, the Obama team plans to stimulate the economy with $850 billion in a variety of programs. That's on top of the $700 billion the bush administration has dumped into the banks and Wall Street. You can just see the next Madoffs rubbing their palms together in the wings.

In the meantime, Minnesota still doesn't know who its next senator will be and may not be able to seat one by January 6, when the next session starts. Senators are, as you know, the representatives of property. Each state has two senators, so Wyoming (Dick Cheney's home state) has the same number of senators, the same government voice, as California. Wyoming's population is less than 600,000 while California's population is well over 36 million. That's fair and balanced, don't you think?

So, have you bought your new flat-panel TV yet? Sales are expected to fall off next year. Flat panels were about the only things that sold during Black Friday. I guess when you've bought one you don't need to rush right out and buy another one. The down side for consumers is that reduced sales will translate into a flattening of prices instead of the usual continued drop that occurs in technology hardware. In other words, if you're waiting for the prices to fall dramatically, they probably won't.