Matt Metzgar

Rubber Sidewalks

Here's a great idea someone came up with: rubber sidewalks.  It looks like a number of cities, including Washington DC, have begun installing rubber sidewalks.

There appears to several reasons for this.  First, tree roots can damage normal concrete sidewalks, but apparently rubber sidewalks do not constrict tree roots.  Second, rubber sidewalks are made from recycled tires so they are friendly to our environment.

The third reason is what interested me: rubber sidewalks cause less pounding on the body than concrete sidewalks.  Concrete sidewalks are one of the hardest surfaces to walk on; when I walk, I usually walk on the asphalt road when I can.  I would love to see rubber sidewalks spread and make it easier for people to exercise.

Starch II

I've been thinking about the starch issue a lot and think I've come up with a solution.  In the latest Paleo Diet newsletter from Loren Cordain, he mentions that even though potatoes have a high glycemic index they are a superior carbohydrate source compared to grains.  Hence, this week I've had a little bit of potatoes with dinner, and it seems to be working out fine.

Super-Dentists

It was time to go to the dentist, so I did some research to find a good one here in Vegas.  I lucked out and found a very good one (here's their site).  The dentist was a younger woman, and the staff did a great job.  I usually try to get younger dentists and doctors, as their training is more recent.

I made up my mind a few years ago to really research dentists and go to the top ones.  This was after going to a few hacks who should have retired decades ago.  My first super-dentist was in Cleveland (here is his site), where I was introduced to drill-less fillings (air abrasion).  I got a number of cavities filled with no novocaine and no discomfort.

I am happy to have found another super-dentist here in Vegas.  One tip I did receive from my visit concerned mouthwash.  Most mouthwash, like Listerine, has alcohol in it.  My super-dentist told me that this can dry your gums out over time.  Crest has come out with a new alcohol-free mouthwash, called Crest Pro Health.  I bought some - it tastes fine so I will give it a try.

Leanness and LDL Cholesterol

A new study shows natural methods are effective at lowering LDL cholesterol.  The study shows that leanness is a key in keeping LDL cholesterol low, but that the combination of leanness and regular exercise is the best.  Exercise also boosted the good HDL cholesterol in the men studied.

Vegas Housing Begins to Tank

As I predicted long ago, the Vegas housing bubble is starting to collapse.  The local newspaper reports on the frightening statistics here. 

Particularly gratifying to me is listening to Larry Murphy eat his words.  Murphy tracks local real estate and used to send out these neon-yellow emails saying how there was no housing bubble in Vegas, how prices will continue to rise, etc.  Now he admits that he "underestimated the slowdown." 

Again, the problem here is education.  Housing has gone through cycles and bubbles for over a hundred years in the US.  Here's a good site that shows how local real estate markets act through various cycles.

Housing bubbles can either burst or deflate.  The last housing bubble in California in the 90s was more of a slow leak.  However, the current housing bubble in California and here in Vegas has a greater chance of bursting this time around.  The main reason is the use of the new riskier mortgage loans, like the many ARMs that have been taken out over the last couple of years. 

I'll go out on a limb here and make a prediction: the median home price in Vegas now is around $290k.  I bet that next year in August the price will be down about 5%, or to roughly $275k.  And I don't think that will be the end of the decline either, but perhaps only the beginning.

California Compromise

Arnold Schwarzenegger is well on his way to re-election this fall, but it hasn't come without a price.  Schwarzenegger had to make a number of compromises with the Democratic legislature, including raising the minimum wage.

The minimum wage issue continues to puzzle me.  Economists have shown over and over that it's bad for business, bad for workers.  In a nutshell, it leads to more unemployment among unskilled workers and higher prices for consumers.  You can't just artificially raise a person's wage and have no economic consequences.

Arnold was forced to compromise this year after his ambitious ballot proposals were defeated last November.  Schwarzenegger put a number of economically sound policies on the ballot (such as busting up the monopolistic teacher and labor unions) and voters rejected them.  Now Californians receive a feel-good miniumum wage increase which will only hurt the economy.

The real problem here is education, specifically economic education.  Most people have no idea how an economy operates.  And policies like minimum wage make sense on the surface: it gives workers more money.  For a voter with limited attention and education on the subject, it seems like an easy way to help low-income workers.  Too bad this "easy" fix will be a drain on the California economy for years to come.

So Long Andre

It was sad to see Andre Agassi close the curtain on a great career yesterday at the US Open.  He won two tough matches last week, but ran out of steam in his third-round match.

Agassi has certainly matured over the years, and has really put his heart into the game.  Andre is also from right here in Las Vegas, and has started a charter school for disadvantaged children.  Given his generous spirit, I am sure Andre will continue to be a positive impact on the Las Vegas community.

Real Parks

I think Las Vegas may have some of the worst parks in the country.  In fact, even calling these areas "parks" is a sham.  A piece of grass bordered by a five-lane road is not a park.  Maybe it's something bureaucrats can claim is a park, but it doesn't change the reality of things.

Real parks have certain necessary characteristics.  The first is a large amount of space per person.  If a "park" is only the size of a football field (as is the one near me) than that requirement is shot if there are any other people around.

The second characteristic for a park is its quietness.  This doesn't mean there isn't noise from people, but it is free from urban noises: cars, car stereos, etc.  Yet if a park is on a main road, this requirement will not be met either.

I was fortunate to grow up in an area that has a premier park, Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia.  In comparison, the parks I've come across in Las Vegas are a joke.  I feel sorry for the young people out here who have been deprived of real parks and their many psychological benefits.