Day 74

This flu has finally gotten the best of me, so I'm spreading my germs over my own laptop rather than my computer at work. My fellow staff--including me--are a little testy about people coming to work sick, so for most of the week I've been retracing my steps with clorox wipes on the water cooler handle, the buttons on the microwave, and the door handle to the office's main entrance. Today, however, the only other people who could be exposed to my flu are my butler, cook, and housekeeping team. Oh, and my fund manager who came to give me updates on the millions I've earned today, and to tell me how he's found a loophole that will make me exempt from the CA increase in tax withholdings. In my defense, I've had hand sanitizer dispensers installed in all two of the rooms in my apartment so each member of my household staff can be responsible for his or her own health. Priorities, you know.

I heard on the radio this morning that the University of California Small Farmer's Program will be closing its doors at the end of December. This program is an example of the many things the university system does for the state, its businesses, and citizens. Apparently, it is largely responsible for things like California's rich supply of organic salad greens and heirloom tomatoes, and provides scientific agricultural advice and assistance to California's small business farmers. Farmers interviewed for the report have attributed their success to the program, and fear for their businesses upon its demise. A university spokesperson said that while the office/department is closing, it's faculty experts are not losing their jobs, and that the university is still committed to the program. This sounds like a chapter for a future Freakonomics volume that will explain how the Mexican takeover of the former state of California can be attributed to cuts in the University of California system that led to the collapse of the small, organic farmer. Store my number in your rolodex for interviews when that day comes, because I'm calling it now.