Crazy lawyers

Gloria Allred basks in her victory

Not the plaintiff, a lawyer who sued a couple of ex-lovers who posted mean things about him on the internet, and not the judge, who ruled in favor of the defendants on ordinary legal principles (like, no discernible damages), but that permanent wacko and media darling, Gloria Allred. Here’s how she interprets her clients’ victory:

The gals’ lawyer, feminist firebrand Gloria Allred, called the decision an “important, precedent-setting opinion in the evolving body of law concerning the Internet.”

Allard said Manhattan federal Judge Harold Baer Jr. “has advanced women’s rights by making it clear that women have the right to express their opinions about former lovers…without fear that they will be dragged into court.”

“Given the fact that legislatures and courts do not protect women against liars and cheaters, women helping women by warning them may be the only means by which women can protect themselves,” Allred said.

Allard, whose husband granted her permission to change her name from “Bloom”  to “All Red”, is a disgrace to the legal profession and has been certified  insane (by me). No wonder the media loves her.

I thought Texans had real money

Can't even earn the odd buck snowplowing here, either

(A reader sent this to me a couple of days ago but I got distracted)

Mary Kay’s Dallas mansion is for sale, asking just $3.3 million. And doubtless destined to sell for even less. 11,000 sq. feet, acre of land, pool, yaddyada – $3 million barely buys a Cos Cob bungalow here, and it probably won’t be pink.

Well we know whose not Business Insider’s smartest writer

Headline from today’s BI:

Think Your BI’s Smartest Reader? Enter Our Caption Contest To Prove It

Laura Stampler | 31 minutes ago | 24 |

(And yes, I do know how to spell the contraction of who is – I’m kidding but I don’t think Ms. Stampler is)

I’ve long thought that the solution was to pave it

 

Bye bye, Newport!

Biden announces upcoming trip to “Road Island”.

Liar, liar, cars on fire

Problem? What problem?

BMW recalls Mini-Coopers because of fire hazard. 89,000 in the U.S., 235,535 world-wide.

BMW is still investigating whether the cause of the problem is related or just coincidental, Mini spokeswoman Nathalie Bauters said. Germany’s BMW AG owns and operates all three [BMW, Rolls Royce and Mini Cooper] car brands.

There have been 81 cases of water pump failure in Mini Coopers globally so far, Bauters said, including four engine compartment fires. No accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of this issue.

When questioned by Greenwich Time, this same spokesman admitted to 12 fires and, of course, at least one garage totally destroyed.

Mini Cooper is aware of a defect related to an electrical pump malfunction, Bauters said.

“The issue occurs when the engine is switched off,” she said.

Mini Cooper is aware of at least 12 complaints involving engine compartment fires, she said. The company has alerted its dealers and is in the process of sending out information to customers, she said.

And just when does BMW plan on notifying its customers? Merely alerting your dealers of the problem and instructing them to fix those vehicles that have burned up and been towed in hardly strikes me as customer service worthy of its name – or the name of BMW. Word has it, by the way, that BMW was none too responsive to the Lavery’s complaint, made while their garage was still smoldering, that the car had a problem. A call from the office of a rather prominent Greenwich citizen immediately corrected that attention problem. If you don’t have friends in high places but do own a Mini-Cooper, I suggest that you buy a fire extinguisher and up your insurance.

Speaking of hooey …

[From InstaPundit]

YOU WOULD, WOULDN’T YOU?  “You’d think with her husband’s reelection on the line, Michelle Obama would not go on another vacation.  She must really need to get out of the White House. It looks awful for the campaign, which attempts to radiate concern for the economically downtrodden, to have her romping on another luxurious vacation. Aspen, for skiing, after Christmas in Hawaii, and — a while back — summer on Martha’s Vineyard. These selections couldn’t be more precisely chosen to inspire envy. You’d think they’d rein her in… or at least moderate the optics. What’s going on? Are they super-confident of victory in November? Counting on our short memories? Or is getting Michelle away from the White House a big priority?”

And reader AJ sends along these pictures of the First Lady, skiing on bunny slopes that the tipped-angled photograph makes look steep. The lady is, sort of, performing a stem turn at best – guess she didn’t do much skiing at Princeton.

Both photos supplied by the Obummer White House: Batman and Robin “climbing” a wall; Michelle traversing the “expert” slope.

"Hurry, Robin, we've got to save Michelle!"

What a collection of phooey

I don’t want to insult their owners, but the inventory of houses priced between $2.3 and $2.75 million yields slim pickings, at least for clients I’m looking for. Too far north – way, way north, or built in a swamp, or dated (and claiming something was “renovated in 2009” doesn’t fool a buyer if all you’ve done is replace the furnace’s air filter – come on) or all three at once. Considering how many buyers there are in this price range, I’m disappointed.

But if nothing better comes on, look for this slice of the market to sit idle this year.

UPDATE: someone in this office points out that the $4-$6 million houses are all overpriced by at least a million. No argument from me.

Was it something I said?

I wasn’t invited to the “private, invitation only showing” for agents at 78 Zaccheus Mead Lane last week so let’s make a special point of reviewing it anyway, shall we? Asking $13 million, its 2006 purchase price, on five acres, (which sold for $2.2 million in 2003 – is it time to discount land to match the decline in the accompanying structure’s value?) and as formally designed and decorated as any stuffed-shirt could want. I suppose it will find a buyer, although looking at the aerial photo, much of those five acres appear to be wooded swamp land, bringing to mind our original Siwanoy Indians’ habitat, what with stinging mosquitos and all; the buyer for this house will probably spend his time inside entertaining so that shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Take a look at the second photo here and tell me: is that Long Island Sound outside the window, Photoshopped in? I don’t need to get inside this house to know that the chances of even glimpsing Long Island Sound from this street in the hollow are, ah, not good.

While Obummer’s “green jobs program” flops, Alberta goes recruiting

But it's not ready for you

But Alberta’s looking in Ireland for workers, not here.

Located right in the middle of Canada, Saskatchewan is the country’s fastest  growing province. It currently boasts record high employment and above-average earnings.  The province, including its two major cities Saskatoon and Regina, has just 1.2  per cent of its population receiving unemployment benefits.

Over the next five years, between 75,000 and 90,000 skilled workers will be  needed to plug the labour shortage. Recruitment will mainly be in areas of  advanced technology,  construction, mineral exploration, agriculture and petroleum.

Permanent residency for Irish workers is being fast-tracked by the  Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Programme.

Beanie propeller makers needn’t apply. There goes that job training program.