Monthly snapshot

https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/eb2rrb9ofh/econTabReport.pdf

The invention of birthday and desserts

“Of all the days of the year, one’s own birthday is held in the most honor. On this day they [Persians] claim the right to serve a larger feast than on any other day. The more fortunate among them serve the meat of oxen, horses, camels, and donkeys roasted whole in ovens, while the poor serve the meat of small animals such as sheep and goats. They eat few main dishes but consume many desserts, and the latter are not served as one course, but at intervals throughout the meal."

--- Herodotus, Histories.

Thank you Persians!

A tragedy and a farce

Trump's decision to give Erdogan green light to invade the Kurds' enclave in Syria is both tragic and hilarious. Even the WSJ Editorial Board seems to be perplexed by Covfefe's business logic:

[the Kurds] lost 11,000 soldiers fighting against ISIS. America armed the Kurds in that fight, and they trusted the U.S. when they were asked to dismantle defensive positions near the Turkish border as part of the buffer-zone negotiations with Ankara.
...
Mr. Trump compounded the injury with insult when he tweeted Monday morning that the “Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so.” For Mr. Trump, foreign policy is always a transaction, never a matter of principle.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-friends-like-the-u-s-11570488438

What did they expect when they cheered the election of a fraudster real estate salesman to run a global superpower?