Bizzy’s AM Coffee Biz-Econ-Life Links (080306)

Free Links:

• The monthly announced layoffs report came in with its lowest number (37,176) in six years, and the total for all of 2006 may come in under 1 million for the first time since 2000. But Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm that compiles the report, added a “yeah, but,” saying that it anticipates heavier job cuts by year-end. At the supposedly objective Globe and Mail out of Canada, the headline was “Holidaying bosses mean jobs are safe . . . for now.” Zheesh.

• “Surprise” #1 — Relatively liberal Maine has a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) on the November ballot that restricts state government spending increases to inflation plus population growth. “Surprise” #2 — polling indicates that it’s currently winning by a 54%-25% margin (HT Americans for Prosperity).

• The acronym for initial public offering (IPO) has a “new” meaning this year — Investor Pain Overload. This is not “news” to those who have followed IPOs for decades. Though it’s fun thinking that a particular IPO might be the next Apple or Google, the fact is that most of them have underperformed the markets in their first few years.

• Invisible News — The Compensation Resources annual survey of college graduate job placements shows that “in 2006, the average base salary is 10% higher than it was in 2005.”

• Invisibility News (seriously) — “…. scientists are making advances in metamaterials — artificial materials with unusual properties that could be used to make invisibility devices.” I suggest that the scientists consult certain spouses who are sure that they have already accomplished this feat, given how little the other spouse is paying attention to them.

• Headline I Thought I’d Never See — “Thirsty Germans drink Beck’s brewery dry”

• Call me “old school,” but this just doesn’t seem right –
  

  Monopoly board game players can now pay for properties with debit cards. Game makers Parker have phased out the standard multi-coloured cash in a new version. Players will instead use a Visa mock debit card to keep track of how much they win or lose. It is inserted into an electronic machine where the banker taps in cardholders’ earnings and payments.

  Next up: Players learn how to hack into the banker’s machine.