70 Words

Baskets of Money

06/06/2012

While Chris Bosh is the 3rd best player on the Miami Heat, without him they can’t win a championship. When he plays, the Boston Celtics can’t double-team Dwayne Wade freeing him to be aggressive. With Bosh out Wade is vastly…

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Be Like Us

06/05/2012

The core euro problem is the dramatic differences in economic performance of the 17 member countries. Germany’s a star, the PIIGS aren’t. By sharing the euro devaluation is not possible. Moreover, the Germans won’t tolerate inflation, and labor mobility is…

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Supersized Stupidity

06/04/2012

While capping the size of sugary beverages sold at NYC theaters, restaurants and sports facilities is noble, it’s so easily bypassed, “I’ll have three 16-oz sodas and three straws” it’s worthless. Since peaking in ’98, consumption of carbonated sugary drinks…

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Big Mac Attack

06/01/2012

The Friday File: The Economist, using only the price of a Big Mac, created “the Big Mac Index” to measure the costs of living in each country. Knowing this, Argentina’s Prime Minister pushed McDonalds to keep the price of Big…

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Jobs Make the President

05/31/2012

If current economic conditions persist, Obama will win with 50.2% of the vote according to a widely followed economic forecasting model. The key will be job growth numbers from now through August. Midyear growth was strong in ’72, ’84, 96…

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Insane Spain

05/30/2012

The Spanish banking system is crumbling. While 10-year Treasuries yield 1.62%, Spain’s 10—year bonds yield 6.61%, near the all-time of 6.78% set 11/25/11. If yields stay this high, Spain will need a bail-out. Problem is, as the world’s 13th largest…

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Hooked on Stimulus

05/29/2012

On 6/30/12 the weak economic recovery we’re experiencing will be three years old. Yet, absent microscopic interest rates and huge budget deficits there would be no recovery. Simply put, we’re hooked on cheap money and big spending and aren’t yet…

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Penniless Canadians

05/25/2012

The Friday File: Earlier this month Canada minted its last penny. The move will save taxpayers $11 million/year and financial institutions about $20 million/year in transportation and storage costs. In parliamentary hearings, no one opposed the idea. Canada follows Australia,…

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Known Unknowns

05/24/2012

If Greece leaves the Euro, the collateral damage to the rest of the Eurozone will result in a drop in US exports to Europe, damage to European banks resulting in reduced lending, and possibly bank runs in Spain and Italy.…

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Down is Up

05/23/2012

The cost of down is up from $12/lb in ’09 to almost $30/lb today, while duck down has risen from $10/lb to $19/lb over the same period. Diet and urbanization are primarily why. As the Chinese become wealthier city-dwellers, fewer…

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