Credit Card

Sales of New Homes Fell by 26% in 2007
The housing industry, caught in a maelstrom of sinking demand, rising foreclosures, and bulging inventories, is in its worst slump in decades, a growing body of economic evidence shows.

The Economist: The End Of Cheap Food
Rising food prices are a threat to many; they also present the world with an enormous opportunity

"Tyson Foods Will Raise Prices Substantially"
"We have no other choice but to raise prices substantially," CEO Richard Bond said in a conference call. "We are raising prices because we can't absorb these costs. Despite concerns about the economy, people have to eat, and they will continue to eat protein." Tyson Foods Inc. reported Monday its quarterly profit fell 40% from a year ago

FORTUNE's 25 Most Powerful People in Business
Some are empire builders. Others are hired guns. But if they truly have world-class oomph, they're on Fortune's subjective - yet really quite accurate - list of the most powerful businesspeople in the world.

$3 ATM Fees? Banks Increase the Price of Your Money
Consumers who rely on ATMs for quick cash access may find that getting their money actually costs them more as banks raise their ATM fees. The financial institutions, which already generate $10 billion a year in revenue from what they charge people for accessing their accounts from other banks' ATMs, have increased the fees in response...

The great fiscal stimulus package ... of 1929
Herbert Hoover -- only nine months into his presidency -- assembled leaders from the public and private sectors to create an economic-stimulus package. Among the measures, Time magazine reported at the time, was a promise from Congress to offer bipartisan support for a tax-cut package.

Go to any Best Buy tomorrow and just TRY to buy these DVDS!
Silly Jason. He thought a Best Buy sign reading "2 for $25" meant he could buy two DVDs for $25. He obviously didn't read the part of the sign that requires customers to buy Saw IV.Oh, that's not part of the sign? Then why did the manager of the Best Buy in Beaumont, TX refuse to honor the in-store advertisement? Read Jason's story.

The Super Bowl Economy : Big Bucks For All Involved
The race for Super Bowl profits is on. While the New England Patriots attempt to become the first team in the National Football League to reach a perfect 19-0 record, businesses across the country are banking on this game to be a bigger economic driver than any single sporting event in history.

America's 25 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies
It has been a rough 12 months for the stock market, including technology stocks. The S&P 500 is off 2.1% over the past 12 months (dividends excluded) and the Nasdaq 100 Tech Index is off 8.7%. But you could have done well owning these really hot technology companies.

Walmart Is Still Selling Nazi T-Shirts 62 Weeks Later
Just when you thought all of the Walmart tshirts bearing the exact replica of an infamous Nazi symbol were recalled, or sold to a discount store and burned, a Walmart in Palmdale, California has them on sale for $3.00 a pop.

Top 3 Cheesiest Realtor Business Cards
So my original blog ?Top 10 Worst Realtor Headshots? drew quite a bit of attention. Most readers thought it was funny, but it drew some criticism, as well. The negative attention was so heated that the word ?lawsuit? was thrown around quite a bit (more on that another day.)In order to avoid suit, I had to pull the original post . . .

Why traditional 'print' media is doomed
If you're lucky enough to get published in BusinessWeek, don't link to the article - it's prohibited by their User Agreement and they'll ask you to stop. Most other traditional publications are nearly as bad. And they wonder why their businesses are failing?

The French Fraud King - $7.14 billion fraud by one man
French bank Societe Generale said Thursday it has uncovered a $7.14 billion fraud -- one of history's biggest -- by a single futures trader who fooled investors and overstepped his authority. The trader, who was not named, used his knowledge of the group's security systems to conceal his fraudulent positions, a statement from the bank said.

Recession 2008: How bad it can get
Many economists are predicting a short, shallow recession. But there's also a significant risk of a more serious economic decline.

Zimbabwe Releases $10 Million Bill - Which is Worth USD $4
As the US economy inches ever closer to a recession, it might provide a little perspective to look at what a real economic crisis looks like. Plagued by hyperinflation of over 50,000% a year, Zimbabwe's central bank recently decided to issue $10 million notes.

Taxpayers could get checks under economic stimulus plan
American taxpayers would get checks of several hundred dollars from the government under a plan to stimulate the economy, sources said Thursday.

Best Buy Cashes in on Heath Ledger's Death
Come on best buy you can do better than that? But then again this is a capitalistic nation....

Two Diggs One Cup
An analysis of Digg, the recent change in popularity requirements, and my reaction to it. How do you feel? How long will it take for this to get buried? Should be interesting....

College textbook prices up 186% since 1986; enter revolution
The U.S. Department of Education released a study that states since 1986, textbook prices have risen almost 186 percent, or 6 percent a year. This is four times the amount of inflation. With college bookstores not doing much to fix problems, entrepreneurs and Web 2.0 companies are trying to revolutionize the textbook industry with easy solutions.

Amid Record Losses, Wall Street Awarded Itself $39 Billion
The five largest Wall Street banks doled out a record $39 billion in bonuses last year, after driving hundreds of thousands of families into foreclosure, causing a financial crisis affecting hundreds of millions, and pushing the US and world economies closer to recession, it appears Wall Street is rewarding itself for a job well done.

Stock Markets Plunge Worldwide
Stocks fell sharply worldwide Monday following declines on Wall Street last week amid investor pessimism over the U.S. government's stimulus plan to prevent a recession.

Why the U.S. stock market will crash tomorrow, Jan 22, 2008


Stock Markets Plunge Worldwide
LONDON (AP) -- Stocks fell sharply worldwide Monday following declines on Wall Street last week amid investor pessimism over the U.S. government's stimulus plan to prevent a recession.

Congress ties college funding to RIAA support
The Electronic Frontier Foundation warns us that H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007, is still steaming ahead with its "Campus-based Digital Theft Prevention"

Wal-Mart Axes The New Yorker, The Economist, 1000 Other Mags
Wal-Mart is responsible for 20% of retail magazine sales, and is purging 1,000 titles, also including Forbes, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Better Homes and Gardens and even Log Cabin Living and Boar Hunter.

Inflation - And How It Happens
If you have ever wondered what exactly inflation is, and how it's created, then this informative video, by Edward Griffin, done back in 1969 will explain it to you. "Attempts by governments to manipulate the amount of money in circulation have always been disastrous."

-56,800,209,148,329,600,000,000.00
I guess that stocks not so hot.

The country is bankrupt
In a remarkable paper posted by the Federal Reserve of St. Louis, and authored by a Boston University teacher named Prof Kotlikoff, it is revealed in blunt, powerful language that the era of borrowing and spending without consequence may soon come to a close. The paper, entitled, Is the United States Bankrupt?, may not remain posted for very long..

Bush: Economy needs 'shot in arm'
President Bush proposed an series of short-term tax cuts that he said would provide a shot in the arm for the struggling U.S. economy.

DOW Drops 306
U.S. stocks on Thursday sold off for a third day straight, with the Dow sinking to 10-month lows, after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke about the country's economic trouble and a regional measure of economic activity contracted.

Have any money in a 401(k)? You just lost a huge chunk
Another brutal day on wallstreet ! Stocks extend the '08 selloff after Fed chair says economy needs help pronto. Merrill's loss, weak housing and drop in Philly Fed don't help. More losses to follow. Keep working, citizen

US recession creates "meltdown" in stock markets
European and Asian stock markets report a fall following fears of a US recession.

Coca-Cola Urged to Close an Indian Plant to Save Water
An environmental group says a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the drought-stricken state of Rajasthan is depleting scarce water supplies.

S?C?R?A?B?U?L?O?U?S? S?U?E?D?
Facebook has been asked to remove the Scrabulous game from its website by the makers of Scrabble. Lawyers for toy makers Hasbro and Mattel say Scrabulous infringes their copyright on the board-based word game.

Porn on Blu-ray: Did Sony Sell Out?
There have been reports that Sony relaxed its position on Blu-ray porn. Sony never banned adult content on Blu-ray, but they weren't going out of their way to facilitate it, why would they?

Inflation Up 6.3% In 2007, The Highest Rate In 26 Years
The Labor Department reported that wholesale inflation was up 6.3 percent for all of 2007, reflecting a huge increase for the year in various types of energy costs ranging from gasoline to home heating oil.

So I Quit My Day Job - Holy Cow! I Took the Plunge
I thought you might be interested in hearing about my path to make this dream become realized. It won?t necessarily work for any other human being on this planet. Here are some of the stepping stones along my path to liberation

90% of World Bank Aid Money Consumed By Corruption
Corruption is an endemic problem in bank projects, swallowing unknown but significant chunks from its $30 billion-plus annual portfolio. No less a problem has been the bank staff's ferocious resistance to anything that might stand in the way of its lending ever more money to projects run by the same governments that tolerate this malfeasance.

Mortgage Lenders Do Not Deserve to Be Rescued By Tax-Payers
The U.S. government is working to develop several different programs meant to stave off foreclosures. Although policymakers claim that these programs are for struggling mortgage borrowers, it is obvious that the real goal is to bail out mortgage lenders. The question is: do reckless lenders deserve to be rescued?

Wholesale inflation soars highest amount in 26 years
Ouch: Wholesale inflation shot up in 2007 by the largest amount in 26 years even though falling gasoline costs allowed price pressures to moderate in December. Inflation was up 6.3 percent for all of 2007, reflecting a huge increase for the year in various types of energy costs ranging from gasoline to home heating oil.