Save the rich or tax them?

Two updates from yesterday:

1. It appears it was closer to 600,000 orders for Trump phone.

2. Senate Leader Thune killed the Federal Gas Tax Relief because it would destroy the highway trust fund. Worth noting, the last increase in this tax was 1993. Then Leader Bob Dole opposed it. 

Sandy with me in Amsterdam as we were enjoying Profiteroles as we were meeting our bestie Beth.

Mohammed, Travis, me, and Ann at Snoopy Rock in Fujairah.

Mini Coe reunion: Thomas Valley, Travis Krug, Sandy Busgen Burke, Kelly Fitzgerald, Steve Kranz at an impromptu Coe Reunion in Minneapolis.

Luqman and me before go carting in Al Ain.

Luqman and Adnan with me before I flew back to Iowa to caucus for Mayor Pete in 2020.

Before Trump departed to China he said he didn't need help from Xi on Iran. Fortunately for Trump it is help he is going to get but Xi will certainly extract a huge price for it.

More Airlines suspending flights to Dubai. Why? risk they can't land and much higher costs because of the longer route.

Musk's trial is ending with a whimper but it's ramifications are huge: 

Lessons:

Everything you ask AI is discoverable.

(The Satya Nadella clause)

Musk is every bit as ego-centric and maniacal as we thought.

Being upset about missing a good investment is a really dumb reason to sue.

SpaceX size.

Visual Capitalist does great graphics.

CPI confirmed the news we had last week: Inflation has begun to rise and is now outpacing wage gains. So the feeling you are falling behind is now backed up by data.

Wealth of top 1% vs. 20-80% (Middle class). 

Mandami property tax DOA. The rise for the middle class was never going to happen... but it's unfortunate the tax on the second houses over $5 million did not go through. A 10% tax on these houses serves two purposes: It raises badly needed revenue. And, for those who do sell, it frees up housing stock.

Poker lesson

Strike Force Five on Stephen Colbert. Here is the extended interview.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the UAE on it's own attacked Iran took out an oil refinery on Lavan Island.

Trump phone: 500,000 pre-orders. No phone and no sign of a phone.

Trump's delusional post on Mother's Day.

Bad news for Trump, not awesome news for Democrats.

Gas Tax holiday.is stupid. Less than half of it goes to consumers. 

Iran holds the Strait... and Straights are a 1 in 255 hand in 5 card stud. It is 1 in 25 in Texas Hold 'em... in other words, it's a pretty good hand.

Joyce's diary

May 10 1987

She notes it is Carol Markley's birthday and the temps for the day were 88 high, 63 low,

Steve went to work 12-5. Merlon worked in the patio this morning and cleaned up the bushes and trees. He went to Vinton to get seeds while I cut spinach from the garden. I got two white garbage bags full!! (side note from Steve here: Mom hated spinach) Marty and Carol came on a motorcycle with a xxxxxx. Mim gave me white xxxxxx and Steve a pool bar - cute, Kat called and said pictures of Jon on the way. Merlon got everything planted today & then he started to water. It is so dry. 

I fixed steak, spinach, and french fries for supper. Steve worked on his invitations to the kids. Mim didn't get home until 9:15 tonight. Aaron OK, no chicken pox. 

 

Sunday Funnies

I thought I was the only one unable to access my bank account because I live abroad. Apparently Pope Leo has the same problem.

Not my sense of humor but Mark Hamill gets a pass from  me.\

Market manipulation? Umm, yes. Bet the temp at CDG and make money!

Given the price of gas, Kitt is now a Chevy Vega.

How it started....

How it's going....

Tim Cook loves me.

Trust me Bro

Happy birthday David Attenborough!

 

Happy retirement Eric Rodgers! My mentor despised you and a good deceased former athlete of yours thought you were outrageously overrated. 

Andrew almost attacked? Like the woman he's with here? Her name is Virginia Gruifree. She committed suicide thanks to the treatment she received from this POS while Ghislane Maxwell looked on... like she is here.

Eric, Rachel, and me in Iowa.

Eric at Paddy O'Rourkes in Cedar Rapids.

Ka$h Patel Bourbon... no ethical problems there...

Three members of the National Championship Ohio State Football Team have spoken out because the U is desperately trying to sweep this under the rug.

Who is worried?

Sorry #GymJimJordan....

HBO made the entire documentary available on Youtube.

No shit Sherlock.

No Shit Sherlock... Trump's TACO's no longer work.

How best to avoid Iowa's #1 rated cancer award? Create you're own filtration.

My parents gardened more than anyone you've ever met. Fortunately, they never participated in Naked Gardening day.

Best gay guy to follow on X is Tim Miller.

Cujo's great day was interrupted by me being fearful this Sudanese boy would drop his younger brother while trying to manage Cujo's leash. No children were harmed in the making of this picture. Cujo, however, stepped on something so bad I had to carry him for the ten minute walk home. His recovery is going well.

This is the shit he lives for. 

Sadly, Itrust Iran more than my own government now.

By the time you know it's too late

Here if the vlog version of this post:

What does it take to block someone?

I unfriended and blocked Randy at the start of the war. Why am I still seeing anything from him?

Vape flavors! Those who vape push their drug of choice more than anyone.

JD Vance comes to Iowa to audition for 2028. I love the Iowa response.

Wow! A rich family proud to pay taxes?

A year ago Lukas asked what stock I thought was undervalued. I said unquestionably Google. Since then stock up 158%

We often don't know something bad happened until it already happened. By definition a recession is called after that fact. In 2008 NBER didn't declare a recession until December 2008.

In Chuck We Trust?

To see the vlog version of this post: 

 

On May 4 the UAE was attacked by Iran for the first time in weeks. 

Oil refinery in Fujairah was hit.

This is a stunning pic of the oil refinery burning as an Emirates plane departs from DXB. 

The Project Freedom plan of the US is to have ships hug the coast of the Oman. The problem? This water is too shallow for giant container ships. (I've gone snorkel diving in here. I can't imagine giant ships trying to navigate this.)

Happy birthday to my former Teaching Assistant Omar Mabrouk. Omar is an Econ grad from UAEU and the first to be part of Omicron Delta Epsilon Econ honor society.

Speaking of economists...

I learned from the Smartless podcast today that Colin Jost was an Econ major at Harvard. As much as I love him on SNL, I can't imagine anyone seeing this kid and predicting he'd someday become a legendary cast member... and dear god, marrying Scarlett Johansen? Dude married UP!

In Presidential Succession the first to take over is the Vice President, followed by the Speaker of the House. Third in line is the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. As Trump was attacked at the White House Correspondent's dinner the designated survivor was Chuck Grassley. 

This has blown up on social media. Outrage that the 92 year old could be President. I don't get the outrage. I've never voted Chuck and I never will but I respect him. I'd rather have him as President than the guys ahead of him.

******

And finally... Happy Cinco Demayo. I have no tequila in my apartment so I hope you have a Margarita in my honor.