Poem of the day

Auld Lang Syne
by Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

         Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

         Chorus

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
Sin’ auld lang syne.

         Chorus

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin’ auld lang syne.

         Chorus

And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

         Chorus

Do Trump’s actions matter for the stock market or the larger economy?

Paul Krugman in the New York Times: “The truth is that most of the time, presidential actions don’t matter much for the economy; short-term economic management is mainly up to the Fed. But when bad things happen, we do need the White House to step up. In 2008 and 2009, it mattered a lot that officials of both the outgoing Bush administration and the incoming Obama administration responded competently and intelligently to the financial crisis.

“Unfortunately, there’s no reason to expect a comparable degree of competence if something goes wrong again.”

Game of the week

Poem of the day

The Sergeant’s Weddin’
by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

’E was warned agin ’er—
   That’s what made ’im look;
She was warned agin ’im—
⁠   That is why she took.
’Wouldn’t ’ear no reason,
⁠   ’Went an’ done it blind;
We know all about ’em,
⁠   They’ve got all to find!

Cheer for the Sergeant’s weddin’—
⁠   Give ’em one cheer more!
Grey gun-’orses in the lando,
⁠   An’ a rogue is married to,
etc.

What’s the use o’ tellin’
⁠   ’Arf the lot she’s been?
’E’s a bloomin’ robber.
⁠   An’ ’e keeps canteen.
’Ow did ’e get ’is buggy?
⁠   Gawd, you needn’t ask!
’Made ’is forty gallon
⁠   Out of every cask!

Watch ’im, with ’is ’air cut,
⁠   Count us filin’ by—
Won’t the Colonel praise ’is
⁠   Pop—u—lar—i—ty!
We ’ave scores to settle—
⁠   Scores for more than beer;
She’s the girl to pay ’em—
⁠   That is why we’re ’ere!

See the chaplain thinkin’?
⁠   See the women smile?
Twig the married winkin’
⁠   As they take the aisle?
Keep your side-arms quiet,
⁠   Dressin’ by the Band.
Ho! You ’oly beggars,
   Cough be’ind your ’and!

Now it’s done an’ over,
⁠   ’Ear the organ squeak,
’Voice that breathed o’er Eden’
⁠   Ain’t she got the cheek!
White an’ laylock ribbons,
⁠   Think yourself so fine!
I’d pray Gawd to take yer
⁠   ’Fore I made yer mine!

Escort to the kerridge,
⁠   Wish ’im luck, the brute!
Chuck the slippers after—
⁠   (Pity ’taint a boot!)
Bowin’ like a lady,
⁠   Blushin’ like a lad—
’Oo would say to see ’em
⁠   Both is rotten bad?

Cheer for the Sergeant’s weddin’—
   Give ’em one cheer more!
Grey gun-’orses in the lando,
   An’ a rogue is married to,
etc.

Republicans Killed Much Of Obamacare Without Repealing It

From FiveThirtyEight: “We don’t really know exactly how a program written and designed like Obamacare originally was would truly work — and we probably never will find out. The Republicans have blocked, slowed or impeded so much of the law that what’s left in its place is something like Obamacare Lite or Obamacare Version 0.75. Republicans will probably keep trying to destroy the current system — and Democrats now want something new and improved.”

The varieties of economists

According to Paul Krugman’s latest column: “What you need to know when talking about economics and politics is that there are three kinds of economist in modern America: liberal professional economists, conservative professional economists and professional conservative economists.”

I think there’s an even simpler formation than Krugman’s. There are two kinds of economists: scientists and theologians. The former try to understand the market, the latter’s job is to praise the market.

The schadenfreude is strong

“The NRA did not respond to a request for more detail about its financial distress, but its most recent financial disclosure also shows it overspent by nearly $46 million in 2016.”

And yet it blames (and is suing) the state of New York for its difficulties (as if they’re weren’t 49 other states, and Russia, where it could obtain banking and insurance services).

A new legal filing by the powerful gun group against the state of New York paints a grim picture