Submitted by The Capital Spectator
It comes as no surprise, but it’s bracing just the same.
U.S. retail sales slipped last month, falling 0.1% from June’s level, based on a seasonally adjusted calculation, the government reports. Meanwhile, for the 12 months through July, retail sales rose a modest 2.7%. The casual observer may think that the numbers […]

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Submitted by CARPE DIEM
A new Reason.tv video examines the financial and environmental costs of ethanol
Politicians are going crazy for ethanol, touting it as a cure-all that will reduce both pollution and our dependence on foreign oil. But a new Reason.tv video shows ethanol subsidies are costing taxpayers a massive $8 billion this year and that […]

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Submitted by A Dash of Insight
One of the most common mistakes among Wall Street participants — experts included — is 0ver-reaction to a change in direction.  This occurs when there is news that shows direction, and direction alone.
Interpreting data requires three different pieces of information:

The prior level — how much of the information was already […]

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Submitted by CARPE DIEM
Outside a handful of majors — engineering and some of the sciences — a bachelor’s degree tells an employer nothing except that the applicant has a certain amount of intellectual ability and perseverance. Even a degree in a vocational major like business administration can mean anything from a solid base of knowledge […]

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Submitted by CARPE DIEM
The BLS released its quarterly Business Employment Dynamics study today for the fourth quarter of 2007, reporting that the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 7.65 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.333 million, for a net job […]

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