Yesterday I enjoyed one of the many wonders of the web 2.0. It all started with me putting $50 on Argentina to win at odds 1.55 on PartyBets and ended with me and 2 neighbors watching live the Copa America semi-final between Argentina and Mexico.

It was a highly intensive affair, with Argentina playing some of the best football I have ever seen. Mexico wasn't a walkover, having secured their place in the semi-final with a 6-0 win over Paraguay, but against them stood the best international squad in the world. Consider that Diego Milito the 2nd most scoring player in the Spanish La Liga this season couldn't make the starting 11 as he is competing with Tevez and Messi (and Crespo, who is slightly injured) for the two striker positions.

The passes where crisp, the goals beautiful and Messi wasn't even the best player on the pitch, that honor going to the Wizard Riquelme who plays like the late-career Michael Laudrup. The game ended 3-0 to Argentina.

For a while now I have been Beta-testing Joost, but found that it doesn't run that good on my computer. For last nights broadcast we used TVUNetworks.com, which doesn’t require you to register, just download the client and everything works fine. I highly recommend it, if for nothing else then to watch the GolTV broadcast of Sundays final Argentina vs. Brazil. I have already put down $100 on Argentina to win at odds 1.95:)

Praying for rain
Gov. Bob Riley wants Alabamians to pray for rain.

Riley has issued a proclamation declaring June 30 through July 7 as "Days of Prayer for Rain" in Alabama. He is asking for houses of worship and individuals to pray.

"Throughout our history, Alabamians have turned in prayer to God to humbly ask for His blessings and to hold us steady during times of difficulty. This drought is without question a time of great difficulty for our farmers and for communities across the state," said Riley in a press release issued today.

Boligmarkedet er i overhængende risiko for at bryde sammen.

Og alligevel lader ejendomsmæglere, banker og realkreditinstitutter som om, at markedet er sundt og stærkt. Denne meget skarpe kritik bliver fremsat i en kronik i Berlingske Tidende af to fremtrædende kendere af boligmarkedet, juraprofessor Lennart Lynge Andersen og lektor i finansiering Finn Østrup, begge fra Handelshøjskolen i København.

»dybt uetisk markedsføring«
De to peger på, at boligmarkedet er ude af balance: Hvis markedet skulle være i balance, det vil sige, at priserne hverken er på vej op eller ned, så skulle folk, som bor i ejerbolig i dag, have råd til at købe deres bolig.
»Her støder vi imidlertid på et problem, for vi kender ingen i vores bekendtskabskreds, der ville have råd til at købe deres eget hus eller lejlighed, hvis de stod over for igen at skulle købe boligen«, skriver Lennart Lynge Andersen og Finn Østrup.
De anklager ejendomsmæglere og långivere for »dybt uetisk markedsføring«, når de altid kun taler om lavere prisvækst og muligheder for gevinst, aldrig om den store risiko for voldsomme prisfald.

link: Politiken.dk