I have been sick with bronchitis, which has screwed up my day job work schedule and affected posting here. But I got some prescription drugs from the doctor today and expect recovery in a few days. I take an eclectic approach today.
Bad Laundry Day
With all the griping about scratched iPod nanos (mine is fine because I take care of it), this harrowing tale from the washing machine is disturbing but refreshing. Plot spoiler: The washed iPod nano recovered, and looks like with nary a scratch. [Editor’s Note: Original sourced site is gone. Link changed Oct. 19, 2014.]
“One More Thing”
Apple is making some mysterious announcement on October 12. The company dispatched e-mail invites with “One More Thing” in front of a movie curtain. Just two weeks ago, I asked if a for-fee music video service might be in the works. Some kind of online video service wouldn’t shock me.
Except: Steve Jobs’ classic “just one more thing” usually applies to hardware, and I’m skeptical Apple could keep any kind of video service quiet. The (presumed) music label leaks ahead of the iTunes Music Store launch led to mainstream press stories weeks beforehand.
The Bubble Pops
Today’s New York Times offers more evidence that the housing bubble is deflating. I blogged about the housing bubble in August, a year after deciding against buying a home. Assuming this isn’t a temporary situation, the real concern should be the larger economic impact. Certain events are aligned for a real economic wallop going into 2006, an election year, I should emphasize.
I do expect that if the housing bubble is deflating, Hurricane Katrina will be shown to have been an important catalyst. Otherwise, I would have expected harrowing lending and buying practices to keep the U.S. housing bubble going into early 2006.