SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:51 P.M. ET: 

REAL ESTATE NEWS – From Reuters:  "NEW YORK/SYDNEY (Reuters) - For the first time, the Chinese have become the biggest foreign buyers of apartments in Manhattan, real estate brokers estimate, taking the mantle from the Russians - whose activity has dropped off since the unrest in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia by the United States.  Wealthy Chinese are pouring money into real estate in New York and some other major cities around the world, including London and Sydney, as they seek safe havens for their cash and also establish a base for their children to get an education in the West."
The whole character of New York has changed in the last 25 years.  The once imaginative and creative city has turned into one big cash cow.  The dreamers are being driven out.  All that counts is how many bills you can stuff into a suitcase.  Lots of glitter, little substance.

ANYONE LISTENING? – From Reuters:  "DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners, particularly Americans, who could then be exchanged for jailed jihadists including a blind Egyptian cleric convicted in 1995 of conspiring to attack the United Nations and other New York landmarks."  Remember, our fearless president has said that the war on terror is over.  Pay no attention to these threats.  Probably mistranslations.

MAINE POLL – From The Hill:  "Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the clear winner in the Maine Republican Party's straw poll on Sunday.  The tea party senator, representing the libertarian wing of the party, came away with 176 of the 690 votes cast in Bangor, Maine, according to multiple reports. That was good enough to beat out his colleague Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who came in second place with 98, as well as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who received 70, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who pulled in 60 votes.
Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, a potential sleeper candidate for the GOP in 2016, pulled in 62 votes. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) got 57, and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice each got fewer than 50 votes."  When the winner only gets 176 of 690 votes, I say the poll is meaningless.  These polls are really just for fun.  If there's any news, it's that Scott Walker came in so high – third place.  We've said that he's the sleeper candidate, and he appears to be awakening.

April 27, 2014