Snippets...

Welcome to Snippets, Blawgconomics' semi-regular attempt at covering a lot of topics in a little time. Some would call this lazy; economists prefer the term 'efficient.'

- We will kick off this edition on a slightly sad note with a story out of The Wall St. Journal which describes the pain some families experience after the pain; apparently student loans from private companies aren't forgiven in the event of death. Luckily for the otherwise unfortunate families, there is some legislation on the way which could provide a measure of relief, at least financially.

- The Journal also provides us with a list of ways to beat deflation in its investor section this weekend. If the article is to be believed, there may even be some profit opportunities lurking in this otherwise economically dangerous scenario.

- For the investor who seemingly has everthing...Frontier Markets!!! If the excitement of investing in emerging markets, commodities and futures contracts just isn't doing it for you anymore, the latest and greatest investment trend is exposure to markets 'at the farthest reaches of the investment world.' In a nod at avoiding irrational exuberance, the article helpfully includes the byline 'tread lightly' for over-eager readers.

- On a similar note. The New York Times has a piece this weekend on investing in Indonesia, a strategy with slightly less risk than frontier markets...but still not likely as much safety as say, government bonds. Then again...

- Also in The Times, an interesting piece on how union activism in the US might actually be beneficial to the green movement. Apparently steel workers don't take too kindly to windmills being built overseas...

- Speaking of unions, Messrs. Posner and Becker have some interesting thoughts on how the administration's relationship with the protectors of labor might be impacting economic recovery.

- Despite all of the blustering of investor protection advocates after the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizen's United, it appears that the solution to any problems created by allowing corporations to make almost unlimited contributions to political campaigns can be found in the market. Target is one of the first corporations to learn this lesson, but is far from likely to be the last.

- In a slightly bizarro twist on Stockholm Syndrome (maybe Stolichnaya Syndrome? is it too soon?), one of the 'Russian 12' believes that he is actually who he says he was...Mikhail Vasenkov, aka Juan Lazaro, apparently prefers his pseudonym as well as his pseudostate of Peru, which is where he is trying to go and live a quiet life after recently being part of the biggest spy swap since the Cold War.

- Let's wrap up this edition with a slightly sour story that reminds one of the phrase 'letter and spirit of the law.' Health inspectors in Oregon protected an unwitting public from almost assured illness this week, shutting down an unlicensed lemonade stand at an art fair in Portland. The perp (7 year old Julie Murphy) provided her recipe for those who were saved but who still want to take the risk into their own hands. It can be found reprinted in the article, but I can let you know ahead of time that it is full of questionable substances such as ice and lemonade mix...