Greenspeak
For someone whose every word on the economy is scrutinized by the markets, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan seems to say the same thing a lot.
Take a Dec. 6 speech in Florida: “The economic recovery, which seemed to be gathering momentum and spark during the summer, more recently has shown signs of faltering.”
A more succinct version came in House testimony on Dec. 18: “The upturn in business activity that began earlier this year clearly has faltered .”
Then there was this oh-so-slightly revised Jan. 10 version in Senate testimony: “The upturn in economic activity that began last year clearly has faltered.”
Greenspan invoked another favorite word, disappointing , in several recent speeches. In March 3 congressional testimony he said “the economy clearly has been disappointing.” In February testimony, it was “the disappointments we’ve experienced,” while last month in a speech it was “to be sure, our recent economic performance has been disappointing.”
Hypnotic Role
Few industries seem to be as neurotic as the movie business, so it’s no wonder that a “Hypnotherapist to the Entertainment Industry” has appeared.
Turns out he’s Ken Delo, who for 13 years was a singer on Lawrence Welk’s television show (which he proudly points out is still seen in reruns). Working out of his Mid-Wilshire home, Delo says his experience with the Welk show gave him insight into special show business anxieties.
He says there’s a limit on what he can treat, noting that he refers serious problems such as depression to doctors. Says Delo: “When in doubt, farm it out.”
Expensive Fun
For taxpayers who may feel like losers in the savings and loan mess comes a game called “Resolution?”in which players try to win by recapturing billions from high-flying S&Ls.;
The game, published by Resolution Concepts of Itasca, Ill., includes red “Crisis” cards. The players lose $10 billion each time they draw cards that mention S&L; controversies such as liberal deposit insurance rules and government-
sanctioned accounting gimmicks.
Also included are blue “Resolution” cards. They can send players to prison for such developments as being accused of taking a bribe or having a key informant turn out to be a convicted drug dealer.
Briefly . . .
Bet you didn’t know: The National Notary Assn. says California ranks 49th among states in the number of notaries per 1,000 people with a mere 5.4 . . . The “Norway and Southern California Trends and Opportunities” newsletter says a three-headed toothbrush is a best seller in Norway and is now being exported to other countries . . . Dubious honor: A Colorado real estate data company says Los Angeles for the first time has cracked the top 25 metropolitan areas in foreclosed real estate as measured in per-capita dollars.
