Green Taxi

This is really a statistical study for the Freakonomics boys, but this CNN article today points out the crime that is resulting as people move out of a foreclosed house in Cleveland.  Basically, looters waste no time in going in and steeling appliances, doors, moldings, even piping and wiring. 

“In the inner city, it takes about 72 hours for a house to be looted after it is vacant.”

It’s come to the point where people are putting up signs on their houses as they are being evicted, as if they are pizza delivery boys carrying less than $20 cash:

“No copper, No wiring, PVC.”

We can only hope this is a result of specifics in Cleveland or inner city crime.  If this spreads into a nationwide problem, we may be in for even more than a crushing recession.

I was really trying to get up there for the geodomain conference, but could not fit it into my schedule.  While the names listed in the auction were not exactly of utmost interest to me, it would have been the main target of my trip.  I am glad, now, that I did not go.  According to Ahmed from Domain Name News, it was a poor showing.  This is not the only bad review I have seen of the domain and conference, but it is the most conclusive and clear.

These are two great articles, both from Bloomberg yesterday, that give a very clear explanation about what is going on in the subprime and housing world, how that is affecting the finance world, and how the markets are and will react to currency changes at a macro-economic level.  

The first, “Too early to tell who will survive”, explains how writedowns from banks will continue until housing prices bottom out, which could still be another year or two.  In “Dollar Will Weather Whines, Jeers, and Jokes“, John M. Berry explains how the US Dollar will not get crushed without a massive worldwide recesssion and how the dollar is central to worldwide financial transactions.

I want an Amazon Kindle for Christmas.  I have no idea how great it is, but it will either be the next iPod or a huge flop.  Considering how much I read (especially online), I cannot imagine I will not at least be able to put it to the full test.  Steven Levitt thinks it could be amazing.  Yet Seth Godin takes offense they would not put his blog on there.  Make up your own mind.  See their video demonstration here.  What do you think?