Ahhh, Novembrrrr . . .

Here's a wonderful piece by Verlyn Klinkenborg on November weather.

The Future of Money

There was a piece on NPR this morning about the state of world currencies. It seems that the dollar is showing a few stress fractures. Its demise is not imminent, but the person interviewed speculated on a couple of scenarios that could tip things the wrong way for the greenback. I'm not the one to comment on that - but that doesn't mean that I can't make some things up.

If we need people to have more confidence in the dollar, how about a real redesign? Forget the threads and watermarks and the embedded chips. I think we should put pictures of cats and dogs on the bills. Our Lab Leo has a wonderful, noble face.(Go ahead and click on that photo - you won't be sorry) I could see it on the Five - and our frenetic new adoptee Georgia would make a good one dollar bill. I could go for that. We'd even forgo the royalties on the images.
(Ellen said Leo should be on the Hundred - I say no, I wouldn't get to see him often enough.)

While not exactly the same as inspiring confidence, you might also consider selling the rights to the bigger bills to large corporations. Microsoft on the thou'? Merck on the fifty? BP on the hundred. Start a bidding war - I'll be glad to collect royalties on that idea.

Last but not least - maybe personalized bills are a possibility. Let's make money fun again. Pictures of your grandchildren on your pocketful of shopping money? You can already print your own postage, this might be right around the corner. The decline of our empire might be inevitable - why not have a little fun? Just a thought.

Ron Paul? Ron Paul!

I donated money to the Democrats back in '00 and '04. Maybe I'm a person who loves the underdog - maybe that would explain why this guy appeals to me now.

Right now, all the Democratic hopefuls make me want to run away. They are like so many bad over-flavored cups of coffee.

Early in the year Ron Paul made a couple of appearances on TV - I'm not sure where. He seemed to make sense.

I want to feel inspired by someone (don't we all?) who is willing to take their principles to the big show - who is willing to go through all the thrashing and fighting to get to a place where they might be able to work at fixing this thing.

Obviously, there are a handful of people who are willing to go through the thrashing - but are we inspired by them? Or are we embarrassed by them?

This is the only candidate who I feel like sending money to, and the only one whose sign I wouldn't be embarrassed to have in front of my house.

Oh - and he isn't a lawyer.