Professor Elam

Sunday March 14 2010

Despite the Administration attempts to spin us into a believed recovery, set your spectacles to green while in the City of Oz, the mood continues to deteriorate. A deteriorating mood makes a bear market. One aspect is that behavior which would be tolerated in a bull market, is not tolerated in a bear, and so, former celebrities find themselves in real trouble, we have no lack of examples. 

Kobe Bryant was caught in a relationship with a woman not his wife but survived, the markets were headed up at the time. However in this past two years

New York has lost two Governors, first Spitzer and now Patterson who will not be running for re election. 

New York Congressman Masa is not running for re election, intern problems. 

 New York Congressman Charlie Rangell, former head of Ways and Means tax writing committee, resigned that position, or took a 'leave of absence' seems he owes some taxes.

New Yorker Tim Geithner is still the subject of calls for resignation, this head of the Treasury /  IRS did not pay his taxes and is apparently neck deep in Lehman et al. 

Tiger Woods will apparently play in the Masters but will likely never regain his former well regarded status as a 'Family Man' no matter how well he plays golf. 

John Edwards, well, is apparently divorcing his wife to live with the new paramour, but wants a political comeback. 

Terry Sanford unlike other recent wives, wasted no time divorcing Carolina Gov Mark 'hiking the Appalachian Trail' Sanford

And, in  a reflection of the decline of the Empire itself, notice we have not heard much on Charles and Camilla lately?  Well that paragon of journalism excellence, the Globe Magazine. as Tommy Lee Jones noted in Men in  Black, they get it right first, reports that Charles and Camilla are getting, yes, divorced. Elsewhere I read that the financial band aids of Britain will soon be tested, Jim Rogers says to avoid all financial things British.  The declining fortunes of the Prince of Wales reflect the decline of his Empire. Charles will be passed over for his son Wiliam to assume the throne, or what is left of it by the time he gets there. Remember the recent movie about the Queen with Helen Mirren? Tough keeping the Royals well, royal these days. 

It is not on the free side so I cannot link but Peggy Noonan has a good review of a book on the mental state of candidates in her column this weekend, Road to the Nut House, you have to be crazy to run for President….