A Times story cites a report that one in three people admit to napping on a typical day. “Admit.” As if napping is a bad thing.
It’s the retail equivalent of jumping the shark: Stores such as Sears, Kmart, and Toys “R” Us are already trying to merry up their sales with Christmas displays, online Christmas specials, and “Christmas in July” sales.
The recession has lasted longer than any in history—certainly long enough for the unemployed millions to realize that their old jobs are gone for good, and that it may be time to make some dramatic career shifts.
People will pay for quality. Even during an economic crisis. Even when the people involved are self-described cheapskates.
Candy manufacturer Mars is hosting a “Real Chocolate Relief Act.” When you register at its site, you can print out a coupon for a free candy bar every Friday through the end of the summer (max four coupons per household). More details here.
You might think that a financial crisis and a dreary, prolonged economic downturn might be a total bummer. People wouldn’t find much of anything funny, and they wouldn’t exactly be in the mood for other kinds of fun, either. Actually, it appears the opposite is true: In tough times, people seek out releases more than [...]
The minimum wage just went up, from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour. Many observers say that the timing of the wage hike—in the thick of the longest recession on record—is unfortunate if not counterproductive. But now a coalition of religious and community leaders is pushing for another minimum wage boost—to $10 an hour by 2010.
My very amateurish work as a statistician turned out to be pretty on the money, if I do say so. A few weeks ago, at the Major League Baseball All-Star Break, I took a look at which teams paid proportionally the least—and the most—for their wins. Seeing as cheapskates are always concerned with value and [...]
United Airlines is hosting a “Taste of First Class Sale” on several routes within the U.S. Fares for seats in first class start at $199 each way, and must be purchased by July 31. More details here.
Studies are showing that most—but not all–Americans should be following U.S. Secretary of Energy Steve Chu’s recommendation that people paint their roofs white. On hot days, it’s 20 percent or more cheaper to air-condition a house with a white roof rather than a traditional charcoal-colored asphalt roof. It’s another simple solution for saving money.
What beer will they drink? That’s been the big question around the meeting of President Obama, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Cambridge police officer James Crowley to discuss race relations in the aftermath of Gates’ arrest.
