Spiegel describes an unusual attempt at government job creatio: A Berlin politician has come under fire for suggesting that poor people should be encouraged to catch rats by offering them €1 per dead rodent. There’s something Dickensian about the notion, but it has been proposed by a Berlin politician who is now being criticized for […]
This is a blog post by Drea Knufken. Bernard Madoff pulled a shocker last week by revealing that his exclusive investment securities firm was actually the biggest Ponzi scheme in the history of mankind. As the impact of Madoff’s decades-long crime reverberates around the world, it invokes memories of past Ponzi masters, who laid the […]
Like this man from Bangladesh: Office skills don’t come in terribly handy in those parts, do they?
Walmart committed to cutting energy usage and reducing waste last year, but the retail giant has a long way to go before it can be called “green.” Taking dubiously-produced whale meat off the shelves would be another step in the right direction (from the New York Whale and Dolphin Action League): Did you know retail […]
The Great Detroit Bailout of 2008 is nearing status as a done deal. Reuters covers the possible outcomes quite well. Coyote Blog and CFR have good reasons the bailout shouldn’t happen in the first place. I’m not going to focus on the many reasons giving a drowned man a lifesaver is pointless, because there’s something […]
Now that I work for myself, I’m dependent on my husband’s company for the Christmas party. And this year, it almost got canceled. Luckily it’s still on, but as part of the cutbacks – no drink tickets! If you’re in the same boat, don’t despair. A cocktail or two can go a long way toward […]
Having trouble keeping track of the zillions of layoffs hitting the economy every day? So are we. Luckily, the ten resourceful sites below–many recently created–will give you up-to-the-minute headlines, rumors, and tweets about the grave state of the employed world: 1. It Died: Editor Glenn Fleishman describes this new hit as “keeping track of hosted […]
The 2008 crash is probably the most serious economic crisis we have faced after the Great Depression. Stock markets from around the world fell as much as 20% in a single week, dozens of banks either failed or were rescued by government and private instutitions, and companies started laying off employees as a consequence of […]
First it was American Express’ Centurion, a rare and mysterious card that the super-wealthy considered to be the ultimate status symbol. Its ridiculous perks—a credit limit high enough to buy a small island, and a reputation strong enough to get holders into the most elite of establishments–are outweighed by equally ridiculous requirements, namely, invite-only applications […]
The other night while I was preparing dinner, a man with a heavy Indian accent called me. ‘Mike Johnson’ wanted to know if I needed satellite dish service. Most people I know have become accustomed to making calls to or receiving calls from offshore call centers. We even joke about it. But while the way […]
The economic climate this year is causing many companies to say Bah Humbug to the annual holiday party (or Winter Celebration or whatever you call it in your region). According to executive search firm Battalia Winston Amrop, only 81% of businesses will be throwing a party this year. This is the lowest percentage of companies […]
Spiegel reports that world economic woes have taken the wind out of green energy’s sails: Plunging oil prices have made renewable energy sources relatively less cost-effective, while thinner profit margins have prompted big industrial users of power to tighten their budgets for sustainable energy programs — cutting into sales by green energy suppliers. At the […]
