Two classic staples for Friday night, or any night really, are getting makeovers. Among the newest options for consumers are beer that doesn’t taste like beer, frozen pizza that doesn’t taste like cardboard, and gas stations that …
Hold That Password: The New Reality of Evaluating Job Applicants
The news that some employers have asked for direct access to the Facebook accounts — including user names and passwords — of people applying for jobs at their firms has set off a firestorm of controversy. The reports have …
More Americans ‘Flunk’ Themselves in Personal Finance
Financial advisers have a saying: When the stock market is going up, everyone looks like a genius. These days, folks aren’t feeling so smart—and not just about their investments, but about many aspects of their personal finances.
Survey: Social Media Evidence Soaring in Court Cases
Every week the media seems to offer a new account of some dumb crook who is off to the slammer because he posted about his caper on Facebook. It turns out this phenomenon may be even more widespread than we think.
Panic! Wine Prices Due to Rise
California grape prices, which increased significantly last year, are expected to keep rising as a grape shortage looms. This could translate into higher prices for grape juice, raisins, and, well, grapes just to eat. But who …
Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea?
Every few weeks now a petition pops up in my Facebook newsfeed urging the government to forgive all student debt. The comment from the person posting the petition usually goes something like this, “Guessing this will never …
America Loves to Watch Its Too-Big-To-Fail CEOs Squirm
If there’s one thing this cantankerous nation can seem to agree on these days, it’s our hatred of too-big-to-fail banks and their well-compensated, if less-than-fearless, leaders. Likewise, the American media is rarely …
A Week of Free National Parks Admission Starts Saturday, April 21
Starting this Saturday, and stretching all the way through the following weekend, entrance fees are being waived at all national parks that usually charge for admission.
Practice Being a Leader
Leadership is not an innate trait that you’re born with. It can be learned. The key is to practice before you have the official title. Start by focusing on the choices you make now, such as who to put on your team or what vendor to use for your project. Recognize that you likely don’t know everything. Making decisions based on …
Fuel Flip-Flop: Now Gas Prices Are Supposed to Be on the Decline?
It’s been a wacky year thus far for gas prices. The cost per gallon usually retreats in the slow-demand month of February, but this year, prices rose. Not because of a sudden increase in demand, mind you, but for a host of other …
New Releases Now: The Case for Closing the “Theatrical Window”
Coming off a 2011 that saw North American box office revenue decline nearly 4% and movie ticket sales fall to their lowest levels in nearly 16 years, noted media-business analyst Richard Greenfield called for Hollywood’s major …