And Now in Financial Muse...

There is a factoid floating on Facebook today that says it's costing the Russians $51 billion to host the Olympics and it only costs $2.5 billion to go to Mars.

Either way, that is a lot of money.  And both those things are really cool, I'm just not sure either project is getting the full bang for their buck here. The Russians have already been dealing with bad publicity and they will be left with a bunch of buildings and sports venues that will very likely sit idle till the next Revolution.  And going to Mars is exciting, but what can you do when you get there?  Other than Starbucks and McDonalds, I doubt if there's a lot going on up there.  Who wants to spend a week staring at a giant face?   

 To tell you the truth, my mind always boggles when it comes to money.  You all know  the Sad Saga of Bad Steve, so I won't bore you with it again. But when I finally realized I was never going to get any of the money back that I had "loaned" him, I was not as upset about losing the money as I was in realizing that he had never really cared for me, just my wallet.  It takes a lot longer for my heart to heal than it does my bank account.

I lead a very simple life and I like it plenty swell.  I have no dreams of owning a big house or retiring to to Sochi or Mars. Living paycheck to paycheck works just fine for me.    My biggest expenses are cat food, beer, and going to see my kids a few times a year.  And I wouldn't trade my kids, cats or beer for all the Mars Rovers in the world.  (Granted, there are probably only 3 or 4 Mars Rovers in the world, but you get my point.)

I suspect this sentiment is a common one in people "of a certain age" and explains the feeling I often get of being completely removed from society.  I just don't understand the expensive, greedy, power-driven, mean shit that people/corporations/governments/political parties/ religious organizations do and rather than try to comprehend it, I just want to sit on my sofa  and pet my cats.  (And, no, I don't mean that euphemistically.)

But that being said, it is breathtaking to hear the vast amounts of money people are willing to put forth for something.  And can you imagine what it will cost it when Mars hosts the Olympics?? Let the games begin!