Tandem Parking Spots Sell for $560,000

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Bidding began at $42,000. It shot up to six figures within seconds. When the auction ended 15 minutes later, the lucky winner agreed to pay $560,000 — nearly double the $313,000 median sales price of a single-family home in Massachusetts.

“This is just amazing,” said Ken Tutunjian of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, declaring the price a new parking space high. “God bless America.”

via Tandem parking spots sell for $560,000 – Business – The Boston Globe.

Presented without further comment because you really don’t want to know what I think of this!

The Economy In Pictures and Rock and Roll

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Guest Post: The Economy In Pictures | Zero Hedge.

How Rock ‘N’ Roll Can Explain The U.S. Economy : It’s All Politics : NPR.

Saturday morning, a little exercise, a lot of coffee, time to catch up on the news.  Then it dawned on me: I haven’t posted any Scary Charts in a while.  Click the first link above and feast your eyes.  Then read the article on NPR to remind yourself…

It’s only rock and roll but I like it.

 

Apnea: ‘Sleeping Gun’ in Sudden Death?

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After adjustment for other risk factors, each 10% decrease in the lowest nocturnal oxygen saturation among adults undergoing a first-time polysomnogram for suspected sleep-disordered breathing was associated with a 14% greater risk of sudden cardiac death or resuscitated cardiac arrest (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.27), according to Virend Somers, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues.

Sleep factors associated with a significantly greater likelihood of remaining free from sudden cardiac death or resuscitated cardiac arrest included an apnea-hypopnea index of less than 20 events per hour (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.14-2.24), a mean nocturnal oxygen saturation of 93% or higher (HR 2.93, 95% CI 1.98-4.33), and a lowest nocturnal oxygen saturation of 78% or higher (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.28-2.56), the researchers reported online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

via Apnea: ‘Sleeping Gun’ in Sudden Death

Yes.  CPAP compliance matters.

Truly Great Companies Add More Than They Extract – The Energy Project

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A company’s greatness is grounded in doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and the least harm. It is neither first nor foremost about maximizing short-term return for shareholders. Rather, it is about investing in and valuing all stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers, the community and the planet – in order to generate the greatest value over the longest term for all parties, including the shareholders.

via Truly Great Companies Add More Than They Extract – The Energy Project.

MetLife Cuts 2,500 Advisers – Businessweek

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MetLife has about 5,000 advisers who sell insurance and investment products, down from 7,500 in February of 2012, Eric Steigerwalt, head of MetLife’s U.S. retail business, said at a May 21 investor day presentation. The New York-based firm lowered the number of agencies to about 60, from 85, he said.

“We’re not financing advisers who, frankly, were never going to make it in this business,” Steigerwalt said. “Our productivity is way up and we’re saving a lot of money.”

via MetLife Cuts 2,500 Advisers Seen Lacking Chance of Success – Businessweek.