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One word: lighting
Rudy Provoost, the CEO of Philips Lighting, was here Friday. There’d been a big, goofy photo of him, lightbulb in hand, in Friday’s NYT business section (the photo does not appear to be online, although the story it accompanied is) so I figured the Curious Capitalist ought to have its own version.
Provoost is holding an LED lightbulb …
More Economic Indicators: Animal Abandonment, Backyard Gardens, Cancelled EZ Pass
How do you know the economy isn’t doing so hot? Your waitress is really hot, for one thing. Also, there’s a decline in the production of boxes meant to hold cereal, toothpaste, or beer. People are planting gardens to cut down on their food bills. Animal shelters are overwhelmed with pets dropped off by folks whose homes are in foreclosure.
So Banks Really Want to Help Customers? Here’s What They Should Do
Last week, Bank of America and Chase announced some supposedly customer-friendly changes to the way they assessed debit card overdraft fees. The changes did not impress anyone.
The Toilet Paper Wars
This is a sensitive issue. Quite literally. Americans prefer soft—really soft—toilet paper. That kind of toilet paper uses very little recycled paper, and so it has been targeted as wasteful by environmentalists. Trees are being felled unnecessarily for the sake of your precious behind, they charge. Are consumers going to buy greener …
It’s a Deal: Tons of Books for Under $2 at Alibris
The Bargain Books section of Alibris features dozens of new and used books being sold at big discounts. Many are available for $1.99.
Outlet Malls Are for Suckers
A pair of jeans marked down from $75 to $60 might seem like a deal. But what if the jeans are really worth $30? Then you’re a sucker who just paid twice as much as you should have.
Gearing Up for College Applications? Fees Are Being Waived if You Apply Online
At $50 or more a pop, college application fees can quickly add up, especially if you’re covering your bases by applying to lots of “safety” and “reach” schools.
G20 > G8 > UN
Sometime today, the G20 will be declared to have supplanted the G8 as the “permanent council for international economic cooperation.” Yay, G20! Having international economic confabs that didn’t include Brazil or India or China no longer made any sense. Then again, having a UN Security Council where France and the UK have veto power and …
Ten Odd Economic Indicators: Hot Waitresses, Men’s Underwear, Blacked-Out Football Games, and More
It’s hard for the lay person to wrap one’s brain around the rise or fall of GDP, new residential sales, money supply, and other traditional economic indicators. What do those numbers really mean? Well, here are some other indicators that do as advertised, truly indicating in simple terms how people are living, what they’re doing to keep …
New column: Bond bust ahead
I’ve got a new column online and in the issue of TIME with the cover story on Detroit. It’s about bonds.
Misunderstanding the FDIC
Bloomberg’s Jonathan Weil has an uncharacteristically boneheaded column about the FDIC’s money troubles. He begins:
The FDIC’s insurance fund is going broke, and Sheila Bair is wondering aloud about how to replenish it. This means one thing for taxpayers: Watch your wallets.
I learned about the column from FT Alphaville, which notes …