Chewin in the Chung

Scattershot dongxi:
PJ's birthday party was Wednesday night at... well, PJ's. There was a barbeque. Let us all be perfectly clear that it is NEVER appropriate to pour water on your coals just because they are flaming up. Pouring water on the coals is an abomination before John, and he shall not countenance it. I am still not clear on what John wants you to do when your barbeque flames up. He told me, but the Fosters was cold, and good, and enough. So I don't really remember.

John and I also talked about the U.S. National Debt, with both of us throwing out facts and figures that neither of us could be particularly sure of at the time. I know I was wrong on one big thing: The debt is not 7% of GDP, the deficit is (around) 7% of GDP. Thanks Steve. Turns out the National Debt is 62% of the GDP, which sound pretty awful. But then look on up the chart, and you can see Japan with a debt that is 154% of their GDP, which makes the U.S. look not so bad. But look down the chart, and see that Mexico is only at 23%. So the U.S. looks like they need to cut up the credit cards for a little while.

Oh, and happy Guy Fawkes Day, whatever the hell that is.