August 27, 2009
Environmentalist Sarah Gilbert of Portland, Oregon rides around her bike-friendly town on a custom built bike that holds her and her three sons. She even sports a bumper sticker touting “one less minivan”. But her joyride stopped short when Burgerville would not allow her to use their drive-through. She found this surprising because the restaurant is known to be eco-friendly and Portland sports nearly 10 times more bike commuters than the national average. She immediately went home and sent a tweet to her 3,000 followers and posted to her blog. Jeff Harvey, CEO of the burger chain, would like Sarah’s input on a bike-friendly alternative.
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August 26, 2009
Finding gold in a bank vault probably would not surprise you very much. But what if that gold was 85-pound round wheels of cheese instead of metal bars? That would be the case if you were in the Credito Emiliano’s bank in Milan, Italy. Since just after World War II, the Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Consortium, has been banking their cheese during the aging process as collateral for loans. While this has been a key factor through the decades, it becomes even more vital in down economies because it ensures that credit is available. The vault holds up to 400,000 wheels and when full is valued around $186 million.
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August 24, 2009
The government program dubbed “Cash For Clunkers” will end today at 8pm ET – and not a minute too soon if you ask one florist in central Illinois. The Flower Corner in Clinton, IL, has been receiving up to 150 calls a day from people who are inquiring about trading in their cars. Are you confused? So was the flower shop. It turns out that GM was publicizing a toll-free phone number for the trade-in program that was nearly identical to that of the flower shop. GM’s number was an 877 toll free number and although that prefix has been around for quite a while, in many people’s minds, toll free still means 800. And you guessed it, the flower shop’s number was 800 and then identical to the number GM publicized. This has been more than just a minor inconvenience. Customers could not get through to place orders and employees are so busy answering the phone that productivity has dropped. Perhaps worst of all is that the flower shop must pay for every call that comes in on their toll free number!
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August 18, 2009
Nebraska governor Dave Heineman recently announced a new government department called Office of Violence Prevention. It will be headed by former Senator Mike Friend. Friend left his senate position 18 months early to take on this new responsibility which he began on Monday, August 17. This new office is part of an anti-gang initiative passed by the most recent session of the state Legislature.
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August 16, 2009
Advertisers seek ways to capture the public’s attention for their product. For several fast food companies, past ad campaigns have pushed the envelope and been called racy. In today’s challenging economy, fast food sales are expected to drop 1%, a significant amount in the $189 billion industry. USA Today reports that franchise owners are pushing back at the risqué ads asking they be toned down for fear of losing additional customers. McDonald’s remains first of all fast food restaurants in terms of world-sales. At the close of 2008 the company reported 3.2% in growth.
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August 13, 2009
Detroit, Michigan is known for many troubles but perhaps the one you hear least about is its obesity rate which is one of the highest in the country. A severe population drop over the past 50 years has caused neighborhood population to be sparse and unable to sustain major grocers. As a result, many city residents buy food at liquor stores and convenience marts that carry no fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact the ratio of liquor to grocery stores is an astounding 26 to1. To the rescue is an ice-cream-like delivery truck called Peaches and Greens. Five days a week it drives through the city selling affordable fresh food grown in community garden by volunteers. Diets high in calories and sugar can lead to diabetes and other illnesses. Perhaps through this innovative program, Detroit will have some positive news to promote!
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August 3, 2009
Earlier this year, it was announced that the U.S. Federal Government would attempt to stimulate automobile sales by offering cash back for trading in qualified vehicles. One billion dollars was set aside for the rebates which ranged from $3,500 to $4,500. The program was slated to begin on July 1, 2009 and run through November. Various factors caused it to be delayed to late July and it was an immediate success. So much so, that after only one week there was no money left to reimburse participating dealerships. The program was suspended and at the time of this writing, Congress is debating adding an additional two billion dollars to extend the offer. The “Cash for Clunkers” program is the second popular rebate program in 2009. In February, Congress delayed the switch to digital television by three months after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced it ran out of funds for the converter box rebate program.
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August 1, 2009
In challenging economic times, it becomes necessary to find ways to cut expenses. Luckily there are a variety of sources that will assist you in identifying and cutting costs. Recently, MSNBC printed tips from Prevention Magazine that show you how to feed a family for under $100 per week. Their suggestions included; planning all your meals in advance, marinating cheaper/tougher meat to make it tender, buy the brands that are on sale, and visiting http://www.couponmom.com/. For more details and tips, click here.
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July 28, 2009
Scott Janke, Town Manager for Fort Meyers Beach, Florida, was fired last week after news that his wife, Anabela Mota, is an adult film star. Town Council members approved the firing claiming they wanted to avoid negative attention if word got out. Their plan backfired as the town has now been flooded with media inquiries and the story has swept the nation, even appearing in Alaskan news articles. Howard Simon, president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida commented, “This might go down as one of the top 10 poor judgments by public officials in Florida history.”
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July 11, 2009
In an article entitled U.S. Debt Shrinking at Glacial Pace, USA Today reports that despite the deep recession, consumers have not made great strides in reducing household debt. This figure almost doubled from 2000 to 2008 peaking at $13.9 trillion. According to the Federal Reserve, household debt has dropped in 2009, to $13.8 trillion. This reduction is noteworthy as it marks the first time since World War II that Americans have reduced their debt. In addition, the savings rate increased dramatically to 6.9%, previously a negative number before the financial crisis.
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