A big stock market rally evaporates as the central bank cites continuing stress in financial markets. Markets may open weaker because some investors want more attention paid to inflation. The Dow and S&P 500 have their first monthly gains since October.
Original post by Charley Blaine and Elizabeth Strott and software by Elliott Back
The world’s biggest publicly traded company appears on an MSN Money list of stocks poised for gains. Here are StockScouter’s top picks.
Original post by MSN Money staff and software by Elliott Back
We won’t get into the merits — or lack thereof — of some candidates’ proposals for a summer-long federal gas-tax holiday. But did you know that the gasoline taxes collected by many states per gallon is a lot more than the amount that goes to the feds?
How much is your state collecting for each gallon of gas — now at a record-high average price of nearly $3.62 a gallon — that you’re pumping into your tank? You can find out from Kay Bell at Don’t Mess with Taxes, our favorite source for important tax information and news, as well as the tax troubles of Wesley Snipes, Britney Spears and other celebrities.
The federal tax is 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents for diesel.
Bell writes: “On average, states collected another 18.2 per each gallon of gas. Then the add-ons begin, such as sales tax, gross receipts tax, [...]
Original post by Karen Datko and software by Elliott Back
In a post called “WWFD? (What would Frodo do?),” Arduous of Arduous Journey tells a most amazing story. She lives in car-crazed Los Angeles, and she walks. (We’ll get back to Frodo in a minute.)
She acknowledges how strange this is. “In LA, if the only parking spot is three blocks away, it means you should probably just valet,” she says about routine behavior.
In fact, she’s hoofing it about 70 minutes a day. “The rest of my commute (via subway and bus) takes about half an hour each way, just five minutes longer than my drive would be,” she adds.
What are the benefits? She looks and feels great, and has a tan that wasn’t sprayed on. She doesn’t drive to an $80-a-month gym to walk on a device “that seems more suited to hamsters than humans,” she writes. She smells the jasmine in the morning air.
What’s this have to [...]
Original post by Karen Datko and software by Elliott Back
This post comes from Lisa Wade McCormick at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com.
Consumers who buy professional hair-care products at major retailers — or at grocery stores and drugstores — are not getting the bargains they may think they are.
They’re also fueling a grey-market industry that deals in counterfeit, stolen or outdated merchandise.
That’s the warning issued by hair-care giants like Paul Mitchell, Redken and Matrix, which are trying to crack down on an industrywide problem known as diversion.
This problem is not only costly to the image of hair-care makers, but consumers also pay a hefty price.
“The consumer is getting ripped off because not only are they paying more for the products, those products did not come from us, they are not guaranteed, and they could be old, stolen, counterfeit or tampered with,” said Vikki Bresnahan, director of product- distribution control for Paul Mitchell. “It’s definitely a buyer-beware situation.”
To illustrate how this scheme affects [...]
Original post by Karen Datko and software by Elliott Back
Garmin’s days as a high-flying stock are over. Shares are down 11% today, hitting a two-year low after the company reported weak first-quarter profit and sales numbers. The quarter wasn’t bad — profit rose nearly 6% and sales were up 35% — but analysts were simply expecting more. Garmin shares have dropped 66% in the last six months.
Garmin put on a happy face with the earnings, noting that “the global economic slowdown has impacted companies across the board.” Executives also said that the first quarter is usually the slowest in terms of sales. But CFO Kevin Rauckman acknowledged that economic conditions are bringing some risk to future growth. Garmin has said it expects $4.5 billion in revenue this year, which one analyst said now “looks like quite a reach at this stage.”
The company’s biggest problem right now is margins. The average price for a Garmin device dropped [...]
Original post by Kim Peterson and software by Elliott Back
If your electric bill were going to rise by 447%, what would you do? Probably what they’re doing up in Juneau, Alaska, which just lost its source of cheap hydroelectric power.
Residents bought out the town’s stock of compact fluorescents and clothespins. They’re cooking on backyard grills and eating by candlelight. Stores shut off neon signs and unplugged vending machines. Families are limiting television and computer use. Not only are people falling all over themselves to conserve electricity, at least one man tripped over his dog in a dimly lit room. Luckily neither he nor the pooch were seriously injured.
Alaska’s capital city went dark when mid-April avalanches took down the transmission lines from a hydroelectric dam. Repairs will take up to three months. For now the region’s electric utility is providing backup power with diesel generators, which isn’t cheap given that oil prices are above $113.60 a barrel as [...]
Original post by Donna Freedman and software by Elliott Back
Despite an economy that has most Americans worried, a survey for MSN Money and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling finds that few have the resources or the basic financial skills to cope.
Original post by MSN Money staff and software by Elliott Back
Here are today’s hot deals from partner blog dealnews.com:
The Coen Brothers Movie Collection on DVD for $19.49. With $2.98 for shipping, that’s $6 off our March mention and the lowest total price we could find by $2. (Spend $25 or more to qualify for free shipping.)
Jos. A. Bank men’s Executive three-button poplin suit for $97. Add $11.95 for shipping, or get it free on orders of $175 or more. Even with shipping, that’s $102 off and the lowest total price we could find.
Downloadable version of Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 for PC for $59.95 for students. (A hard copy is available for an additional charge.) That’s $300 off the lowest price we could find elsewhere and easily the best deal we’ve seen for this software.
Stanley FatMax Xtreme Fubar functional utility bar for $30.27. With free shipping, that’s the lowest total price we could find by $8.
Sceptre 42-inch wide-screen LCD HDTV with [...]
Original post by Karen Datko and software by Elliott Back
WordCamps are my favorite events to go to because there’s something about the core WordPress community that attracts smart folks with good philosophies that are fun to hang out with. In this post I’ve collated the upcoming WordCamps we know about, including the one in San Francisco. Hopefully there will be one nearby so you can meet other WordPressers in your area.
WordCamp San Francisco will be August 16 at the Mission Bay Conference Center.
WordCamp Paris will be on May 3rd. Here’s their official site.
WordCamp Italy in Milan will be May 10th. (And I believe I’ll be there.)
WordCamp Birmingham UK will be July 19-20.
WordCamp Toronto will be October 4th.
There are people in the planning stages in Australia, Philippines, Beijing, Utah, Hawaii, UK, NYC, and possibly others, so if you live in one of those areas and would like to help set up a WordCamp in your area Google around or connect with bloggers in your area.
You can always find out more at WordCamp Central.
