Bizzy’s AM Coffee Biz-Econ-Life Links (081706)
Free Links:
- Cut through all the detail in this AP article about the housing market, and concentrate on this quote, which originated here:
“States with moderately priced areas that have experienced healthy job creation are seeing sales gains,” said David Lereah, chief economist for the (National Association of) Realtors. “The economic backdrop remains favorable for the housing market, which is helping home sales level out.”
That is, the market, as would be expected, is working off some of the feverish excess of the past few years.
- The French and German economies both had a good second quarter — France came in at 1.1% (4.5% annualized), and Germany’s at 0.9%; (3.6% annualized). Heartfelt congratulations. I hope against hope that policymakers figure out that fitful attempts at deregulation and lowering taxes have been the causes of the improvements, and go after both with more vigor. Update: The Eurozone did very well almost across the board, with its best quarter (0.9%; 3.6% annualized) in six years.
- Only in a one-party state like New Jersey could a state’s Attorney General hang on to her office for 7 weeks after an event like this (mentioned previously here at the post’s third item). I thought incorrectly that she would skate, but now I know why she didn’t. She did resign Tuesday, and it turns out that you have to wonder how she ever got into office (bold is mine):
New Jersey’s attorney general resigned Tuesday after a special prosecutor concluded she violated state ethics laws by intervening in a traffic stop involving her boyfriend.
….. Farber’s live-in boyfriend, lawyer Hamlet Goore, was pulled over by police in Fairview for a traffic violation in May, and Farber showed up at the scene in her state car. Goore’s van was found to be improperly registered and his license appeared to be suspended, but he was allowed to drive home.
In recent weeks, Farber denied doing anything to influence the police. But a special prosecutor appointed by the governor said in a report issued Tuesday that Farber violated state ethics laws by “approving actions which allowed Mr. Goore to drive his vehicle home.”
“The attorney general knowingly acted to secure a benefit for Mr. Goore that was violative of the motor vehicle laws and obviously not available to the general public,” Richard J. Williams wrote in his report.
….. Motor vehicle records show that Farber, 61, has had at least 12 speeding tickets, four bench warrants issued for her arrest and three license suspensions.
- Major League Baseball (MLB) lost in court when it tried to claim that it owns its players’ statistics, and that fantasy-leagues couldn’t post them (noted at the third item at this link a week ago). Now Techdirt reports that they want to keep the fantasy leagues from using team logos. Zheesh — The link reasonably asks whether getting a few bucks in licensing fees is worth risking the wrath of the game’s most loyal fans.
- The Unabomber’s possessions will be sold in an Internet auction –
Among the items on auction will be thousands of pages of writings by Kaczynski, a former math professor who withdrew from society and developed radical anti-technology beliefs. The San Francisco Chronicle said Kaczynski’s journal was some 22,000 pages long and detailed his anti-social feelings.
Other personal items, which were seized in a 1996 raid of Kaczynski’s cabin, on the block will be hand tools, shovels, saw blades, knives, bows and arrows, axes, clothing, typewriters and a briefcase containing his degrees from the University of Michigan.
Burrell also ordered some 200 books — with titles ranging from “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” to “Axiomatization of the Theory of Relativity” — to be sold.
Considering its popularity, and the author’s recent foray into moviemaking (with extensive media coverage), isn’t it “odd” that this particular book, which Thomas Sowell noted from press reports in 2000 that the Unabomber had in his possession, wasn’t mentioned?
