Baltimore: If today’s action from the markets is any indication of what investors think about Uncle Sam and his Washington minions, the upcoming mid-term election is going to get interesting.

Nothing talks in Washington any louder than money.

By Andrew Snyder, TodaysFinancialNews.com

Baltimore — (TFN): Well, look at that. There are consequences for our actions. Even in this day and age when it is virtually illegal to step on your neighbor’s toes or wish the corner beggar a Merry Christmas, we are still held responsible for our wrongdoings.

Just ask Balloon Boy’s old man. The trickster just got sentenced to ninety days in jail, with two thirds of the time allocated to a work release program. But even better than his time defending himself from shivs and bathroom sneak attacks is the four-year time span in which it is illegal for him to profit from his eye-popping stunt.

By Andrew Snyder, TodaysFinancialNews.com

Baltimore — (TFN): Sometimes you just know it is going to be a rough couple of days. As you read this, my soft-hearted, pregnant wife is recovering from a fairly significant surgery. That alone is enough to raise the blood pressure.

But at the same time my better half is asking for a stronger morphine drip, the weatherman is calling for a foot of snow. And worse yet, the phone is ringing off the hook with long-time friends wanting to take advantage of perfect waterfowl hunting conditions.

By Andrew Snyder, TodaysFinancialNews.com

Baltimore — (TFN): I spent most of my weekend in the attic of my century-old house. I wasn’t hiding from a hormonal, pregnant wife. She’s been fairly tame lately. And it wasn’t to escape a surprise in-law attack.

By Andrew Snyder, TodaysFinancialNews.com

Baltimore — (TFN): We all have a friend like him. For me it’s a guy named Greg. He has some great ideas and his entrepreneurial spirit runs deep, but for some reason, his plans never seem to make it to fruition. Somewhere from the drawing board to the production line, he runs into a debilitating snag.

Most of the time, it’s money.

Baltimore — (TFN): Do you think Rupert Murdoch and his multi-billion-dollar buggy whip factory is getting nervous? Unless the prince of print media single-handedly transforms an industry, his empire will come crashing down.

This story goes well beyond Murdoch’s decision to start charging for his company’s online news content.

Baltimore — (TFN): With a sick, pregnant wife, it is tough to get a good night’s sleep. Between the coughing, the sneezing, the nose blowing and the five-times-a-night bathroom visits, there’s not a lot of time for rapid eye movement.

That’s okay. It gives me plenty of time to stare at the ceiling and think.

Last night, on the heels of Obama’s speech, I had a lot on my mind. While talking about the military struggles in Afghanistan, the 11-month president looked very “Bushish.” Whether you find that a good quality or not, is up to you.