Bet on It

Dry, On the Rocks, or Straight Up

Lights dim to in Vegas? Dam bad news: A study released recently by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla predicts that within eight years there is a 50-50 chance that water levels in Lake Mead will have receded to the point that it is impossible to generate hydroelectric power. If it proves true not only will the Valley of the Dollars and famous Strip be effected but few realize that the lion’s share of the power generated by Lake Mead turbines goes to Southern California.

The Colorado river which flows into Lake Mead currently operates at a deficit of one million acre-feet of water per year. That amount serves the needs of eight million people. Rather bet on a long shot? The same experts predict a 10 percent chance the lake will dry up within six years and a 50-50 chance the lake will disappear and the Colorado River will become a dry gulch in about a dozen years.

Take my poodle… please: Ever watched those silly dogs prancing around in circles leading their masters and mistresses by the leash? Each year mutts of every uppity description drag their doting owners to the Westminster Kennel Club annual dog show in New York. The canines tolerate their humans and indulge them in allowing for all sorts of grooming, stroking, coaxing, and making absolute asses of themselves (the people, not the dogs) as they prance around the track with their charges.

If you are not steely enough to bet on whether or not Lake Mead will dry up and Las Vegas will return to real desert landscaping in a few years, perhaps a canine wager is your cup of tea. If you happen to meander into the nearest casino sports book – the Wynn for one – you are now able to prognosticate on the odds can be found among those of basketball, hockey, and horse racing winners. Buss your beagle, pick your poodle, sidle up to your shepherd, or cheer for your chow. The televised dog contest was moved from USA to CNBC so as not to conflict with “WWE Monday Night Raw.” Must be quite a spillover between the two audiences.

My mortgage has fallen and it can’t get up: It is no news flash that the real estate market is down and foreclosures are up. Rates are down but repos are up. Feds want to help but aren’t sure how so mortgage holders have gotten step with the frigid weather and have decided to freeze foreclosures for now. Project Lifeline as it is called, will meet with seriously overdue mortgagees and try to work out a plan to help them keep their homes. Three cheers for the companies who have agreed to the plan. They may be a day late and their borrowers a dollar short, but it is a start.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Home is Where the Heart Is” by Elvis.

Dr. Forgot