Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Kass: The Smart Guys Continue to Lose | Page 1 of 2 | Investing | Financial Articles & Investments News | TheStreet.com
Kass: The Smart Guys Continue to Lose | Page 1 of 2 | Investing | Financial Articles & Investments News | TheStreet.com: "-- Doug Kass (Jan. 7, 2008)
Back in January, I wrote that smart guys were losing their shirts, a sign for us mere mortals that the going was getting tough this year and next.
Below are some examples that I cited 10 months ago of large investment boners made by some smartypants, even before the credit market disaster spilled over and doomed equities (with updates in parentheses):"
Back in January, I wrote that smart guys were losing their shirts, a sign for us mere mortals that the going was getting tough this year and next.
Below are some examples that I cited 10 months ago of large investment boners made by some smartypants, even before the credit market disaster spilled over and doomed equities (with updates in parentheses):"
SouthCoastToday.com: Personal care attendants get new contract
SouthCoastToday.com: Personal care attendants get new contract: "It's the first raise the MassHealth-funded PCAs have gotten since 2005.
The union estimated there are close to 2,500 PCAs in the SouthCoast region.
They perform a wide range of tasks for disabled or MassHealth-eligible clients, such as helping people shower and get from wheelchairs to beds.
They also help with tasks such as shopping, cleaning and food preparation."
The union estimated there are close to 2,500 PCAs in the SouthCoast region.
They perform a wide range of tasks for disabled or MassHealth-eligible clients, such as helping people shower and get from wheelchairs to beds.
They also help with tasks such as shopping, cleaning and food preparation."
10 Things Online Retailers Won't Tell You at SmartMoney.com
10 Things Online Retailers Won't Tell You at SmartMoney.com: "4. 'You can return anything...for a price.'
As convenient as online shopping is for consumers, you can't exactly try out or try on what you're buying. Which means a lot of returns — a fact many e-tailers seem to ignore. Sending back opened electronics, for example, can often mean paying additional shipping and restocking fees, which can run anywhere from 5 to 15 percent of the purchase price— no small amount if we're talking about a $4,000 flat-screen TV. Repeat returners can even get banned in some cases — Amazon will cancel your account if it sees what it considers an excessive amount of returns for your account. (The company says the decision to close customer accounts is never taken lightly and can be appealed.)
Happily, some e-tailers offer easy, postage-paid returns. For instance, you can buy three pairs of the same shoe in various sizes from Zappos.com and send back the two that don't fit free of charge. But despite their popularity with consumers, a survey by Forrester Research suggests that postage-paid returns aren't being embraced by retailers across the board; only 31 percent of those surveyed currently offer it. 'There's a fear it could be really expensive,' says Mulpuru."
As convenient as online shopping is for consumers, you can't exactly try out or try on what you're buying. Which means a lot of returns — a fact many e-tailers seem to ignore. Sending back opened electronics, for example, can often mean paying additional shipping and restocking fees, which can run anywhere from 5 to 15 percent of the purchase price— no small amount if we're talking about a $4,000 flat-screen TV. Repeat returners can even get banned in some cases — Amazon will cancel your account if it sees what it considers an excessive amount of returns for your account. (The company says the decision to close customer accounts is never taken lightly and can be appealed.)
Happily, some e-tailers offer easy, postage-paid returns. For instance, you can buy three pairs of the same shoe in various sizes from Zappos.com and send back the two that don't fit free of charge. But despite their popularity with consumers, a survey by Forrester Research suggests that postage-paid returns aren't being embraced by retailers across the board; only 31 percent of those surveyed currently offer it. 'There's a fear it could be really expensive,' says Mulpuru."
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Online Sites Are Waging Preholiday Price Wars - NYTimes.com
Online Sites Are Waging Preholiday Price Wars - NYTimes.com:
"E-commerce giants like Amazon.com, which offers free shipping on orders over $25 and eliminates even that minimum for customers who pay a flat annual fee, can easily absorb shipping costs. But small online vendors struggle. Powell’s Books, a bookstore in Portland, Ore. with a site that competes for customers with Amazon.com, offers free shipping on orders over $50."
As Household Budgets Shrink, Associated Content Puts Money in 80,000 Pockets - MarketWatch
As Household Budgets Shrink, Associated Content Puts Money in 80,000 Pockets - MarketWatch
: "An online content network and publishing site that enables everyday people to earn money by sharing their personal perspectives and expertise on any subject, AssociatedContent.com received an all-time high of 8.2 million unique visitors in October per Comscore. As more people look to supplement their incomes by publishing through Associated Content's platform, October's record page-view total translated directly into increased earnings for everyone published on the site."Friday, November 21, 2008
As its customers are squeezed, Akamai gets ready for slowdown - The Boston Globe
As its customers are squeezed, Akamai gets ready for slowdown - The Boston Globe: "Despite the 110 layoffs it announced on Wednesday by Akamai Technologies Inc. of Cambridge, the company insists it hasn't fallen on hard times -- yet. But many of Akamai's customers are being hammered by the recession, and chief executive Paul Sagan wants to cut costs early to prepare for any slowdown in the company's growth rate."
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
FOXNews.com - Stone Age Temple May Be Birthplace of Civilization - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News
FOXNews.com - Stone Age Temple May Be Birthplace of Civilization - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News:
"It's more than twice as old as the Pyramids, or even the written word. When it was built, saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths still roamed, and the Ice Age had just ended.
The elaborate temple at Gobelki Tepe in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, is staggeringly ancient: 11,500 years old, from a time just before humans learned to farm grains and domesticate animals."
The Icahn Report™
The Icahn Report™
For more on executive responsibility and Corporate Governance check out Carl Icahn's blog 'The Icahn Report'. Mr Icahn also has a group, called 'United Shareholders of America', to promote his views on those topics. Membership is free.
Senator rips auto industry at bailout hearing - Nov. 18, 2008
Senator rips auto industry at bailout hearing - Nov. 18, 2008: "General Motors boss Rick Wagoner said his company was attempting to transform itself. He ticked off a long list of innovations - from developing nine hybrid models for next year to rapid development of the Chevy Volt, a car that runs on just electricity.
'We felt we were well on the road to turning around the North American business,' said Wagoner. 'Since then, the industry and the economy has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. It threatens the turnaround and GM's financial survival.'"
'We felt we were well on the road to turning around the North American business,' said Wagoner. 'Since then, the industry and the economy has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. It threatens the turnaround and GM's financial survival.'"
Dump the rotten monarchy of Wagoner, Mulally and Nardelli, cut lobbying efforts by 75%, stop saying "Oh, we didn't see the world economic crisis coming and we would have been fine except for that." It's not believable. Do all this and more and maybe you can have the $25 billion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)