What Caught My Eye Today - Presidential Election, Potpourri

Presidential Election - Fred's Note: 50 days left to the election. Here's how the polls might play out if the election were held today.  Sort of a mixed bag depending on your political leanings. Democrats look pretty good to retain the White House for another 4 years. Republicans can take some solace in the fact that they may win a majority in the Senate and retain a majority in the House, albeit by a smaller margin.  Isn't that nice? Political gridlock for everyone.



Potpourri - It's been a while since our last compilation of newsworthy odds and ends. Let's remedy that shall we?

• Banks - The world's oldest bank, Monte dei Pashi founded in 1472 in Siena, Italy, has survived the Borgias, pestilence, and too may wars to count, but now finds itself on the brink of insolvency due to ill-advised expansion in 2007 and Italian government debt. Its $30 billion in Italian government bonds has resulted in $2 billion in losses over the first 6 months of 2012. Evidently, the Italians have not embraced the notion of "too old to fail".
• Skyscrapers - A Chinese company plans to build the world's tallest skyscraper in just thre months in China's central Hunan province. The build says the tower will be 2,749 feet tall (33 feet taller than Dubai's Burj Khalifa) and be made of prefabricated block that connect like Lego bricks. A classical case of "mine is bigger than yours" syndrome. Seriously though, who in their right mind thinks building a half mile tall structure in 3 months is a good idea?
• Homeownership - The U.S. rate of homeownership is 62.1%, the lowest level since 1965. In 2005, the rate topped 68%. This doesn't take into account homeowners in foreclosure or loan delinquency, which suggests a further decline awaits. Remember, when homeownership was viewed as a "sure thing" investment vehicle? Me neither.
• Speed Limits - The Texas Transportation Commision approved an 85 mile per hour speed limit for a stretch of road near Austin, topping the previous national record of 80 mph for highways in souther Utah and western Texas. At some point, you have to wonder, why even bother with a speed limit. Of course, in my case, it doesn't really matter. The only way my bucket of bolts is going to hit 85 is if I drive off the side of a cliff.
• Metaphysical Services - eBay has bans the sale of "metaphysical services," such as magical potions and lottery number predictions, saying that eBay wants to be "a trusted marketplace where buyers have a consistently great experience." Potions, prophecies and spells were "not meeting that standard." Damn muggles. They have to poo-poo everything, don't they?
• Lap Dancing - A strip club in New York is trying to reduce its tax bill by claiming that lap dancing is an art form equivalent to ballet. The state solicitor general countered that "if the women kept their clothes on, no one would be coming to the bar for the dance performances. Duh. I can go see traditional ballet anywhere. But ballet at a nudie bar??? You just don't see that everyday do you...unless of course you subscribe to HBO.