The Hidden Effects of Global Warming and Other Musings of a Temporary Insomniac

Posted by Jeff Lipshaw

The first thing I noticed running through my RSS feeds this morning was that Aretha Franklin canceled her gig at what I used to know as Pine Knob (now the DTE Energy Verizon Comcast United Delta Music Pavilion or some such) outside Detroit because it was too hot.

Our family feels quite close to the Queen of Soul.  She lived in Bloomfield Hills about a mile from us.  We never saw her.  But my wife's name is Alene Franklin, and for a long time she was in the phone book as "A. Franklin" so we got several calls a week looking for Aretha.

And as long as I am on a completely random and off-topic roll, unlike Sheryl Crow (whose damn song has been rolling through my head for three days now), we now have digital.  We have finally taken up residence in Cambridge, and the cable guys were out yesterday.   What's more, in honor of our arriving, the state of Massachusetts declared yesterday and today "sales tax free" (this is no joke), so I joined the throng at Costco and did what I have always wanted to do - roll in, grab a couple LCD televisions, and take 'em through the checkout line. 

I was watching some old classics on Comcast "On Demand" free movies last night, and noticed something that I had missed before at the beginning of Steve McQueen version of "The Thomas Crown Affair," which should be a lesson to all M&A lawyers counseling their clients.  Right at the beginning, as he's putting the heist into motion, Thomas is selling a "Tommy Crown property" to some buyers who are just so thrilled to get it.  As he's walking out the room, Thomas says, arrogantly, "you overpaid."  And all M&A professionals know that the best insurance against lawsuits is a happy profitable buyer.