Fast food is not only recession-proof, it’s recession-enabled. From an AP news story last year, during the heart of the downturn: Recession helps boost McDonald’s sales McDonald’s Corp. said Monday its same-store sales rose 7.1 percent in January, as cash-strapped consumers lined up for the fast-food company’s burgers and breakfast items. Total sales in January [...]

From UN Dispatch, a site providing “commentary and coverage on the UN and UN-related issues.” The Somali Pirates’ Business Model by Mark Leon Goldberg Last week, a group of investigators dispatched by the Security Council to Somalia released an exhaustive, 100 plus page report on arms trafficking, aid diversion, and other criminal activities in Somalia… [...]

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“These painful phone calls involve my trying to explain why I cannot pay a bill on time or in full or both. The person on the other end of the phone falls into one of two categories Either they’ve been in my shoes or they cannot possibly imagine being in my shoes.” Here’s a very [...]

University of Michigan economist and American Enterprise Institute visiting scholar Mark J. Perry writes on his blog “Carpe Diem” that things really aren’t so bad. Median priced existing single-family home in the Midwest (January 2010): $127,200 Monthly payment with 20% down payment and 5.1% mortgage: $553 Qualifying annual income required to buy a $127,200 home: [...]

Happy April Fools! Created at The Newspaper Clipping Image Generator.

Respect for money — physical currency, that is — just isn’t what it used to be. For examples, check here, here, and here. And now this Flickr set called Refacing Government Tender. Click here to see the full set of over a hundred photos.

Focus, a business research company, has created a big chart of what it says are the best jobs in America. These were selected based on ratings from 35,000 workers. The top 50 were ranked based on current employment; long-term growth, pay and security; projected openings; and quality of life factors. A preview: Best job overall [...]