The Economist offers an interactive set of maps and graphs to view debt by nation.
Category Archives: Business and Economy
Graphing flight delays by airport and airline
The Infrastructurist displays a great graphic that summarizes flight delays at major US airports. A quick interpretation: be prepared to be behind when traveling to New York, San Francisco, and Philadelphia or when flying on Northwest, JetBlue, AirTran, and American.
The odd world of the NBA
With the greatest free agent class in history set free on July 1, the grading of the winners and losers in the NBA draft among various media outlets is interesting. The draft, as it is in all sports, is about potential and youth.
Two teams that are consistently showing up as winners: the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. These teams did little in the draft. In fact, their goal in recent months has been to get rid of players, rather than add them. Both teams have been very successful in limiting their rosters so they have more free agent money to spend. They were not interested in the youth and potential – and this is seen as a good thing.
Of course it is a good thing if LeBron James or Dwayne Wade or the other big names sign with their teams. A reminder: these roster moves are all for free agent possibilities. One wonders what might happen if a team got their roster down to 3-5 players and then no big name free agents wanted to come. What kind of roster could one have by season’s start in November? Chicago and Miami are not in danger of this…but it would be a horrible, horrible letdown.
Update 11:25 AM 6/25/10: Yahoo Sports is reporting that notorious fixer Worldwide Wes is telling people Lebron and Chris Bosh are headed to Chicago:
To listen to World Wide Wes, LeBron will never look back on Cleveland. “He’s up out of there,” is the way he tells it to people, but LeBron’s Akron crew has to tsk-tsk such public talk because they all live in Northeast Ohio, and maybe always will. “We’re going to Chicago,” William Wesley tells people, “and Chris Bosh is coming, too.”
Combining stop and yield signs
A venture capitalist is seeking a new road sign: a combination of the stop and yield signs. His reasoning: there are times when no one else is at the intersection and a driver should not have to completely stop. These combination signs would save much time and money and would function best when a minor road intersects a major road. Read about it here (and also get a lesson in when stop and yield signs were developed in America).
Sign here, and here, and here…
You probably don’t thoroughly read contracts you are asked to sign (or click through). But lest you think that lawyers read through things they are asked to sign in everyday life, Above the Law is reporting that even the legendary Judge Richard Posner [bio] didn’t read his home equity loan contract, much to the amusement of the audience at the panel where he made his confession.
I suppose Posner should be grateful that his bank didn’t take his soul as part of the deal? (Don’t laugh–it happened to 7,500 customers of a British computer game retailer earlier this year.)
As amusing as such stories may be from a news perspective, they clearly raise troubling questions about the sacrosanct role of contracts within our society.
Starbucks to expand far beyond coffee
Starbucks, one of the best symbols of globalization through the spread of its stores and its use of the international coffee commodity chain, is looking to branch out. At about a dozen stores around the world, Starbucks has been testing the sale of wine, beer, and more food. These stores have been informally named “Olive Way.”
This comes in face of competition from retailers like McDonald’s and also in the interest of expanding Starbuck’s reach to customers beyond 11 AM.
From foreclosed homes to islands for sale
From this Guardian UK article discussing Greece’s efforts to lease or sell island property to help fill its national coffers, I clicked through to this website: Private Islands Online. Even with a weak economy, why not pick up a 12.5 acre island in the Florida Keys for $17 million? Or how about a 3 acre island in the St. Joseph River in Michigan, just an hour or so from Chicago?
And for those who are a little worried about their budgets, don’t worry: there are some beautiful islands for rent.
From minivan to “Man Van”
Perhaps the Toyota Sienna is not the only minivan men love (at least according to its commercials). According to the Wall Street Journal, Chrysler will be rolling out a “man van” version of the Grand Caravan in the coming months. The slightly different styling and interior will cater to men:
“A man van won’t generate huge sales, but it’s one of those vehicles that gets people talking and heads turning,” said one dealer. “We need that now. I mean if it gets one guy to give the minivan a second look, its worth it.”…
Chrysler’s man van may help overcome the stigma surrounding the minivan in the eyes of many men. With its focus on cup holders, sliding doors and a ho-hum driving experience, the minivan has an image as a boxy vehicle of convenience, driven by mothers to get the kids to soccer practice or pick up groceries.
The article seems to suggest this is more of a marketing ploy of anything else; the company is unlikely to sell a larger number of these to men but it could get people talking. And isn’t that most of the battle these days with products?
How to succeed in business without really trying
Forget the 1961 Broadway play. According to the July/August 2010 issue of the Atlantic, all you have to do is be white and be willing to go to China.
Oh, and to check your ethical qualms at the door.
“It’s like they took my essence, bottled it, and poured it all over the car.”
This line comes from one of the Toyota Sienna commercials featuring a family that truly does see itself reflected in their minivan. A number of the advertisements are quite humorous – but this single line would sum up the advertising pitch for many consumer products: “this product reflects your truest and best self.”
Enjoy.
Legally Sociable 