Today the United States enters day nine of a partial government shutdown, minutes are released from last month's FOMC meeting and President Obama nominates Janet Yellen to be the next the chairman of the US central bank. This triad of events were the major factors that led the US stock market to trading higher and the US dollar getting stronger.

The incoming fire from Washington to the rest of us trying to get along has gotten so out of hand that more and more people are turning away from the crisis to watch, say, the saga of the 9-year-old stowaway to Vegas on a Delta flight.

"Life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone..." 

          John Mellancamp, "Jack And Diane"

The casual observer might think that the people running Washington would be better suited to be actors in a soap opera. The worms keep turning the same ground over and over.