The Writer's Life 7/24 - Money Matters

Recently, an official said taxes needed to be raised by the billions to fix NYC's subways. An editorial in today's NY Post suggested another method to find the necessary funds - ending tax subsidies for movies and TV. In the first three months of 2017, the state doled out $53.9 million in credits. $20.9 million went to The Tonight Show, $15.4 to The Good Wife, and $13.6 to Law & Order SVU. Let them sink or swim on their own. Here's another suggestion: politicians get a 50% reduction in salary.

Scott Blumstein, a Jersey guy, was the last man standing at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. 7200 participants entered. Oddly, his winning hand was a pair of deuces. He took home $8.1 million and a commemorative diamond bracelet. He has a degree in accounting from Temple University. The funniest fact in the accompanying article in the Post was that he employs a sports psychologist. The runner up took home $4.7 million. Man, it must be fun to make a living gambling. Investors face 50-50 odds. As mediocre as my stock picks have been, I've still earned at least five percent overall. Gamblers face longer odds, much longer in some cases. I've always felt I would come out way ahead betting on the major sports, but I never had the nerve to enter more than football and baseball pools. My nature is too conservative.

After yesterday's win at the British Open (I'm not calling it the pretentious "Open Championship"), Jordan Spieth now has three of the four legs of a career grand slam. After a bizarre bogey save at 13, he was brilliant down the stretch, separating himself from fellow American Matt Kuchar. He took home $1,845,000. Kuchar, 39, won $1,067,000, but I'd bet he'd trade it for a victory in a major. After all, his solid career has earned him a lot of money. He has won 13 events. This was his first runner up in a major. He has now been in the top ten seven times. He should have other chances, but one never knows. His best play may come in non-majors.

I dressed stupidly twice today. When I left the apartment just after 10:30, it was sprinkling. I'd just listened to the forecast, which said the rain would be stopping at lunch time, so I assumed the intensity would diminish rather than intensify. I didn't go back to the apartment for my rain jacket. By the time I reached Stop n Shop's recycling center, I was soaked. Later, when the rain stopped at about 11:30, I went out without a jacket, which was as dumb as not keeping one in the car - just in case. The temperature may have been 70, but the cloud cover and wind made it feel a lot cooler. I tried to jake myself by thinking what a relief it was from last week's heat, but it didn't work. After two hours, I was shivering a bit. Fortunately Jeannette, my dentist's wife. came along and bought Five Cents, the only sale of the session. My thanks. My back was stiff as I walked home, but it's loosened up since. A 67-year-old should know better.

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