PODCAST: Heat vs. Thunder and the limits of duct tape
The head of the European Central bank today indicated that central bankers stand ready to act in concert to make sure the financial system gets the cash it needs if the outcome of the Greek election causes turmoil. Britain today already put about $150 billion at the ready for the UK. The vote in Greece this weekend could shape the pace of the world economy for months to come. At stake is the level of austerity Greeks have to live with and whether or not the country exits the euro.
Industrial production continues to fall here in the United States, The Fed said this morning that output at factories, mines and utilities fell 0.1 percent last month – the second drop in three months. Hong Kong’s stock exchange says it’s offering to buy the London Metal Exchange for $2.2 billion. One more number: 110 years — that’s Texas tycoon Allen Stanford’s sentence for running a $7 billion ponzi scheme.
To the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Weather Channel called the matchup a meteorologist’s dream. But the network points out that in fact, the team names don’t make sense for their respective cities. Turns out Miami has more thunderstorms every year than Oklahoma City. And Oklahoma City has had more days of 100 plus degree heat than Miami.
The many uses of duct tape. For those into arts-and-crafts there’s the duct tape wallet. As a personal care product, I find duct tape, given a good yank, makes short work of five o’clock shadow. But there are limits to duct tape. In Montana, the Livingston Enterprise is reporting a Canadian truck driver tried to use duct tape to stop his fuel tank from leaking and then went to sleep. It didn’t work, with the environmental impact being a 300 gallon puddle of diesel at a truck stop.
Coca-Cola is trying to get one step closer to buying the whole world a coke. This morning the company announced plans to re-enter Burma for the first time in more than 60 years. After decades of isolation and military rule, Burma — also known as Myanmar — has recently been opening up to the global economy and democracy. Roberto Herrera-Lim, Director of Eurasia group’s Asian practice, spoke with us about what the announcement means for Burma in our mid-day extra.
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