Develops Charm and Charisma

First of all, I was so proud of Stephen. He was able to talk about the Emmys this past weekend without getting emotional. He even showed off his Emmys, although they are from previous years and not as special as a new one. But still, good for him for being a good sport about it.

In a segment some would call "It's math," Stephen showed graphs and statistics which were just great. Pie charts are my favorite, especially this time of year. Republicans have been talking about class warfare lately - you know, how the poor are ganging up on the rich and making life so difficult for the rich. I imagine that also means some of the rich will have to do without maids to change the bedding, just like the poor have to do without beds. But anyway, Stephen showed us the telling numbers.

In 1995, the effective tax rate for millionaires was at 30.4%. In 2009 it was 22.4%.

In 1995, unemployment rate was 5.6% and in 2009, when the taxes for the rich were lower, unemployment went up to 9.3%.

So, taxes high and unemployment low. But taxes low and unemployment high. Okay, now I have to figure out how keeping taxes low for millionaires will help the unemployed. It was a puzzler for Stephen too, so I might not be able to figure it out.

Michele Bachmann was featured in a very short video clip where she suggested that everyone pay income tax, even if they are very poor. She suggested a dollar. A Dollar? She's joking, right? Because a person who paid a dollar in income tax would probably cost at least $10 to keep track of. So that idea would cost the government money rather than bringing in any money. What is in the water she drinks?

Jeffrey Kluger was the guest tonight. His book, "The Sibling Effect - What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us." It's about brothers and sisters. Stephen knows a lot about that subject as he is the youngest of 11 children. We found out that often the youngest, in order to compete in the family, develops Charm and Charisma.

"This is a very good book!" exclaimed Stephen. (Did I mention he was the youngest? Oh, yeah, I did.)