Bill Gates Gets a "Zestimate"
AP
Bill Gates
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Bill Gates confessed to searching for the estimated value of his 50,000-square-foot mansion on Zillow.com. Gates generally likes the online real estate site, which launched with the help of some former Microsoft execs. But he says Zillow's "algorithms for figuring out prices don't scale very well to the low end or the very high end."
Which is another way of saying (for mere mortals) that he thinks the site's estimates are wrong at the fringes. And just what is the "Zestimate" for Gates' gated estate? $135 million. CHEAP! According to the paper, Gates said, "If you bid that number on my house, I won't sell it to you."
Here's a link to the "Zestimate" posted by the paper.
Galactic Ad Wars
Rep. Ken Calvert of California is proposing NASA sell "space advertising" to raise as much as $100 million a year to fund programs that reward innovations in space technologies. "This Shuttle launch brought to you by Lucky Charms/Colt 45/Kotex."
Favorite Small Business Ever!
So I'm driving around my hometown in Southern California, and everywhere I go, I run into the same beautiful truck emblazoned with an advertisement for "The Super Scooper Dog Waste Pick-up Service."
OKAY, ARE THERE PEOPLE REALLY OUT THERE PAYING SOMEONE TO DO THIS?
Apparently, because the truck looks new.
On the back of the truck reads the Web address www.superscooper.net. I logged on and checked out the price list. The lowest-priced service is once a week for one to two dogs, costing $40 a month. The highest-priced is five times a week for five to six dogs for $225 a month!
Okay, let's be honest. The guy who owns five to six dogs is usually the scary guy in the neighborhood who doesn't have $225 to spend on food and clothing, let alone pay someone to clean up after his dogs. In fact, he doesn't think his dogs are even creating a mess!
But again, this small businessman's truck looks new! So business must be booming. You've gotta appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit. This is what makes America great! A guy can go out and start a business picking up dog doo, and it pays enough to feed his family.
Sigh.
Well.
Last night, I found myself behind the "Super Scooper" truck again, this time with my kids. We noticed the license plate frame, "Logan's dad," placed right under all the ads promoting the need to rid your yard of dog poop. My daughter turned to me and said, "I bet Logan wants to kill himself."
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