This is partly because in 1997 the new Labour government made metering voluntary: a policy that was bound to fail, because the only people likely to volunteer to have a meter installed are those who think they consume less than average and will receive lower bills.

ECONOMIST: Private passions

Brand new cash funds government policy because the Fed can buy the newly-issued debt (indeed, they own the largest share of government debt).

FORBES: Nobody Understands Debt--Including Paul Krugman

Now the reason Morgan Stanley has been taking a keen interest in all of this is because of the noises coming out of the Financial Policy Committee - the new macro regulatory arm of the Bank of England currently working in an informal capacity but soon to have statutory powers - that the capital banks hold against mortgages is too low.

BBC: Are banks taking dangerous mortgage risks?

"Because the macroeconomic situation is still bad, we are expecting there might be some new policy coming out, " said Linus Yip, strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong.

NPR: Asia Stocks Up On US Company Earnings, Home Sales

Because meddling in the elections of democratic allies is not good policy, I hope our new president prudently waits to make a post- election date to reassert our special relationship with whomever the British choose as their prime minister.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Safire makes the case for a missile defense for allies and US

In his testimony, Rusco acknowledges that the new policy, if it were legal, would help protect the government from lawsuits because it calls for an interim storage facility.

FORBES: New U.S. Nuclear Waste Policy May Be Illegal: GAO

Dennis Culhane, a professor of social policy at the University of Pennsylvania, said New York is "relatively anomalous" because of a court-mandated right to shelter.

WSJ: Homeless Blame Game

Maybe we want to sell a car because we want to purchase a new one or already have and want it out of the driveway and off the insurance policy.

FORBES: Seller beware: don't give away the store when selling