Mortgage rates to drop again?

So says this guy.

Wouldn’t this be fun

NASA: solar storms could disrupt electricity for years. In fact, NASA has warned of this for the past several years but I guess they thought it prudent to warn us again – could come between now and 2013. What are we doing about it? What can we do about it? Probably nothing. Get a three-year supply of candles.

Carbon footprint

Michelle Obama flies to visit her brother in government jet and an eleven car caravan escorts her to his home. I wonder if she was joined by Barbara Streisand?

The real “Charlotte Gray” dies at 98

Missed both the book and the movie, a lapse I intend to remedy, but this Aussie resistance fighter in France had quite a life.

Don’t try this at home or the supermarket

Man stuffs pistol in his waistband while shopping with girlfriend, shoots himself in his wing wang. Is there a Darwin Award for removing your would-be children  from the gene pool?

I haven’t abandoned real estate, real estate has abandoned me!

It’s August – nothing much going on. The broker open house list today was less than a page long and had nothing of interest, we’re not seeing contracts (which may have more to do with the chaos on Wall Street than the time of year) and few notable sales. 38 Hidden Brook in Riverside is reported as sold for $2.050, a good price for an excellent street, a large (0.67?) lot and a so-so, but in good condition, house.

Otherwise, that’s all I have to report.

Baseball bat sales up 5000% at Amazon UK

When you disarm your public, this is what you get. There’s another story, which I’m too lazy to find right now, that encourages London residents to stand outside their houses armed with pots and pans.

Must be a real estate agent

Man panhandles for rich wife on the Upper East Side. I’d try it here in Greenwich but he’s been doing it since 2001 without success, so I’m not encouraged.

Oops! Turns out the traders are just as unimpressed as I am.

(2:55) Dow down 120 points and falling fast. But what rabbit did these guys expect  to be pulled out of the hat? Obama couldn’t be reached on the golf course for comment but no doubt has his speech writers busy crafting something as reassuring as the one they gave him to read yesterday.

The Fed has spoken – it will keep giving free money to banks until mid – 2013

I suppose that will make large banks happy, but how will it possibly help the economy when the banks won’t lend their government loot?  I’m no economist, but it seems to me that easing capital requirements for local banks or somehow encouraging them to resume lending would be more useful than improving Goldman Sach’s profits. But then, Goldman runs the Fed, not me.

Gov. Christie rails against opponents of a Muslim judicial candidate

And good for him. I  missed this story last week but a Bloomberg columnist (with a Jewish surname, just by the way) gives a great review. I’ve been guilty of a few rants now and then but my goodness, trying to stop a judicial appointment merely because the candidate is a Muslim? That’s not our country, and never should be. I do like this governor.

Mark Cuban: Wall Street doesn’t know what business it’s in

Written a year ago, reposted today by Business Insider.  Makes sense to me.

Some sales

Sold new for $6.450 million in 2004, asked $8.495 in 2008 and sold just now for $5.690. That’s fairly low for such a nice house and location.      On the other hand, this Birdsong house sold for $1.190, which is a surprise in the other direction.

17 Birdsong