BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Carol Bartz expected to be named CEO of Yahoo! (YHOO)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/carol-bartz-expected-to-be-named-ceo-of-yahoo-yhoo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/carol-bartz-expected-to-be-named-ceo-of-yahoo-yhoo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/carol-bartz-expected-to-be-named-ceo-of-yahoo-yhoo/#commentsFiled under: ,

Yahoo! They found someone for the gig. Former Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) CEO Carol Bartz has reportedly accepted the top job at Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required.)

Industry watchers have considered Bartz a leading contender for the CEO spot left vacated by co-founder Jerry Yang for a while now. But filling the job proved contentious... and difficult. Seems nobody wanted the task of trying to turn around the troubled company's fortunes. While it enjoys rich content and traffic, this early internet player has also been beset by internal and external troubles for years. Much of its executive and technical talent has left for greener pastures.

Bartz, 60, is a well-regarded tech executive. She presided over Autodesk from 1992 through 2006, during which the company saw robust growth. She served as Chairman, president and CEO of the company, and remains on as its executive chairman.

Bartz has had stints at many tech firms over the course of her career. She was an executive at Sun Microsystems Inc., (NASDAQ: JAVA), Digital Equipment Corp., and 3M (NYSE: MMM). She also sits on a number of boards, including the board of Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), with predecessor Jerry Yang.

Carol Bartz expected to be named CEO of Yahoo! (YHOO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AutodeskCarol BartzCarolBartzJAVAJerry YangJerryYangYahooYHOOTue, 13 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Money winners of 2008: Michael Phelps, the golden boy of Beijing]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/12/money-winners-of-2008-michael-phelps-the-golden-boy-of-beijing/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/12/money-winners-of-2008-michael-phelps-the-golden-boy-of-beijing/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/12/money-winners-of-2008-michael-phelps-the-golden-boy-of-beijing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This post is part of our feature on Money Winners of 2008. See all 20.

It wasn't like Michael Phelps hadn't done well for himself by the time he got into the swimming pool at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was pulling in between $4 and $5 million a year after winning six gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics. And was already a sports marketer's wet dream, so to speak.

But then he went and broke Marc Spitz's 36-year record by winning eight gold medals, and the real race was on: to break out as the first $100 million Olympian.

Or at least that's what his managers and agent were saying. Measuring the precise wealth of sports stars is something of an art. Most of their great wealth comes from corporate endorsement deals, which are often heralded more as approximations than exact hard figures.

Continue reading Money winners of 2008: Michael Phelps, the golden boy of Beijing

Money winners of 2008: Michael Phelps, the golden boy of Beijing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 OlympicsBeijing Olympicsendorsementsgold medalsMarc SpitzMichael PhelpsMichael Phelps FoundationMoney winners 2008No LimitsOlympic medalsOlympicsSpeedoFri, 12 Dec 2008 17:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Let them eat cake: Ex-Countrywide exec takes family on African Vacation ... on Countrywide's jet]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/03/let-them-eat-cake-ex-countrywide-exec-takes-family-on-african-v/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/03/let-them-eat-cake-ex-countrywide-exec-takes-family-on-african-v/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/03/let-them-eat-cake-ex-countrywide-exec-takes-family-on-african-v/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Some things never change.

David Sambol, the out-going president of kaput mortgage giant Countrywide Financial Corp., is taking his family on an African vacation -- on Countrywide's Gulfstream IV.

Yes, the guy in charge of the company that sold hundreds of thousands of suspect mortgages to people who couldn't afford them is leaving on a jet plane, for a nice three-week-long vacation in Africa with his family.

But you know, it's been a stressful year for Mr. Sambol, what with his company nearly collapsing and that stressful fire sale to Bank of America (NYSE: BAC). Not to mention being hauled before Congress to account for his part in helping facilitate the global credit crisis.

Marie Antoinette would have understood completely. "Let them take a vacation," she would have said. "An African safari would be nice. The kids will love it."

Continue reading Let them eat cake: Ex-Countrywide exec takes family on African Vacation ... on Countrywide's jet

Let them eat cake: Ex-Countrywide exec takes family on African Vacation ... on Countrywide's jet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BACBank of AmericaCFCCountrywideDavid SambolExecutive compensationinthenewsSun, 03 Aug 2008 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Companies that vanished: Pets.com -- the sock puppet dies]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/08/companies-that-vanished-pets-com-the-sock-puppet-dies/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/08/companies-that-vanished-pets-com-the-sock-puppet-dies/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/08/companies-that-vanished-pets-com-the-sock-puppet-dies/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This post is part of a series on some of the most memorable companies that have disappeared.

What goes up, must come down. It was a cute ad. Who knew it would turn out to be so prophetic?

Pets.com will go down in history as a textbook example of dot-com flame-out, going from IPO to liquidation in nine short months.

Founded in 1998, the company, which had the bright idea of selling pet food and supplies to the public via the internet, went public in February 2000 and raised $82.5 million.

Continue reading Companies that vanished: Pets.com -- the sock puppet dies

Companies that vanished: Pets.com -- the sock puppet dies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Amazon.comAMZNCompanies that Vanisheddot-comdot.com bombDrugstore.comDSCMe-tailersPets.compets.com sock puppetPetSmart.comPetStore.comSun, 08 Jun 2008 15:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Companies that vanished: eToys.com goes up fast, crashes hard]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/06/companies-that-vanished-etoys-com-goes-up-fast-crashes-hard/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/06/companies-that-vanished-etoys-com-goes-up-fast-crashes-hard/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/06/companies-that-vanished-etoys-com-goes-up-fast-crashes-hard/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This post is part of a series on some of the most memorable companies that have disappeared.

Back in the heady dot-com days of 1999, any parent who didn't want to brave the holiday season parking lots knew what to do: Get online and buy those Christmas presents at eToys.com. Unlike Toys-R-Us, which had recently gone online itself, eToys seemed to know what it was doing. It offered a vast array of toys at reasonable prices, and it got them to you on time as promised.

But by March 2001, you were back to the Toys-R-Us option -- by then allied with Amazon.com, and doing online retailing the right way. In the end, eToys proved no more durable than the Furby -- much sought-after, priced up by speculators and hype, only to ultimately end up in the backyard, broken and ignored.

eToys went up fast and crashed hard, (not unlike a pogo stick), and in many ways it remains a textbook example of the excesses and "irrational exuberance" of the dot-com era.

Continue reading Companies that vanished: eToys.com goes up fast, crashes hard

Companies that vanished: eToys.com goes up fast, crashes hard originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AmazonAMZNCompanies that vanishedD.E. Shawdot.comseToysJNJToys R UsFri, 06 Jun 2008 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Battle of the Brands: The ugly shoe fight: Crocs vs. Uggs!]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/06/battle-of-the-brands-the-ugly-shoe-fight-crocs-vs-uggs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/06/battle-of-the-brands-the-ugly-shoe-fight-crocs-vs-uggs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/06/battle-of-the-brands-the-ugly-shoe-fight-crocs-vs-uggs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

Crocs, those ubiquitous colorful rubber clogs you either love or hate, are perhaps on the road out as a fad. But don't blame the fashion police: blame company shenanigans and a spate of bad PR.

Recent news reports about their safety (Japanese children have reportedly been hurt riding on escalators in their rubber shoes) have only added to the company's woes.

Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) has seen its share price plummet in recent months, reaching an all-time 52-week low after announcing it would adjust its first quarter guidance sharply downward. The company recently shut down its rubber plant in Quebec City due to the slowdown in U.S. retail orders. The guidance adjustment shocked analysts, and the stock began to melt like, well, like rubber. Indeed, this once darling of Wall Street has been brought low from all sides. My colleague Zac Bissonnette follows the company closely, (although I doubt he owns a pair himself) and recently wondered why the company wasn't addressing its safety concerns in its 10K.

Continue reading Battle of the Brands: The ugly shoe fight: Crocs vs. Uggs!

Battle of the Brands: The ugly shoe fight: Crocs vs. Uggs! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Battle of the BrandsCrocsCROXCruggsDECkDeckersUggsTue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Did Coca-Cola (KO) deck out Kris Kringle in corporate red? Ho Ho Ho!]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/20/did-coca-cola-ko-deck-out-kris-kringle-in-corporate-red-ho-ho/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/20/did-coca-cola-ko-deck-out-kris-kringle-in-corporate-red-ho-ho/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/20/did-coca-cola-ko-deck-out-kris-kringle-in-corporate-red-ho-ho/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. But no, The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) did not invent him.

It's hard to argue that Coke's advertising over the years hasn't left a large imprint on the American psyche. It's one of the America's signature brands, after all. The Real Thing. Indeed, it's long been rumored that Coke was behind the jolly red and white suit worn by Santa Claus.

Artist Haddon Sundblom was commissioned to create a large, jovial, pink-cheeked Santa for Coca-Cola ads. He did, and that image of Santa ran in 42 ads on billboards and in magazines from 1931 to
1964, cementing the image of a red-and-white-clad Santa for several generations of Americans.

Continue reading Did Coca-Cola (KO) deck out Kris Kringle in corporate red? Ho Ho Ho!

Did Coca-Cola (KO) deck out Kris Kringle in corporate red? Ho Ho Ho! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Coca-Cola Co.Coca-colaCo.holidashKOKris Kringle in Coke colorsKrisKringleInCokeColorsSanta Claus and CokeSantaClausAndCokeurban mythsUrbanMythsThu, 20 Dec 2007 18:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Money Winners of 2007: For Rachael Ray, success sizzles]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/15/money-winners-of-2007-for-rachel-ray-success-sizzles/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/15/money-winners-of-2007-for-rachel-ray-success-sizzles/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/15/money-winners-of-2007-for-rachel-ray-success-sizzles/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Rachael Ray Rachael Ray went from scraping together the rent as a candy counter girl to a multi-millionaire with her own talk show, cooking show(s), magazine, and books that have sold more than 4 million copies. She's also spawned a lingo all her own. (EVOO for Extra Virgin Olive Oil has entered the popular vernacular). All this in a little under ten years.

How cool is that?

Love her or hate her, Rachael Ray, she of the perky smile and Girl-next-door demeanor, gets major points for translating her love of cooking into a multi-million media empire. People can't seem to get enough of her "regular gal" persona. But her bubbly personality masks some serious business savvy.

Using her mentor Oprah Winfrey as a blueprint, Ray has expanded out of the kitchen this year into many other avenues. Her one-hour daytime talk show, The Rachel Ray Show, is patterned after the perennially popular Oprah Winfrey Show, and was the only syndicated daytime talk show launched in 2007 to be renewed. Her Food Network shows continue to be among the most popular on the channel.

She also cooked up some lucrative endorsement deals with name brands such as Dunkin Donuts and Nabisco -- now owned by Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT). These media venues help feed her magazine (Every Day with Rachel Ray) and cookbook sales.

These are like the cherry on top of the $16 million Ray took home this year, according to Forbes magazine. By some estimates, Ray's net worth is touching $100 million, but that's hard to verify. One thing's for sure, this gal doesn't need to get out of the kitchen; she's proving that she can stand the heat.

Be sure to check out more Money Winners of 2007.

Money Winners of 2007: For Rachael Ray, success sizzles originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dunkin DonutsEVOOFood NetworkKFTKraft FoodsMoney Winners 2007NabiscoOprah WinfreyRachel RayRachel Ray ShowSat, 15 Dec 2007 11:10:00 EST<![CDATA[The mortgage 'bail-out': Big government at its worst]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/06/the-mortgage-bail-out-big-government-at-its-worst/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/06/the-mortgage-bail-out-big-government-at-its-worst/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/06/the-mortgage-bail-out-big-government-at-its-worst/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

George W. Bush today announced his plan to "bail out" homeowners in danger of losing their homes when their low teaser rates increase, as some 2 million are set to do in 2008.

The plan will have the government in cahoots with non-profit groups, but also various lenders and big banks, including Citigroup (NYSE: C) and Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC), both of which are in dire straits due to the subprime debacle. The idea is to "freeze" low-interest rates for certain homeowners to prevent them from going into foreclosure.

I thought the Republican party was about small government and fiscal conservatism. My bad.

Never mind the bureaucratic nightmare of administering this "plan." My question is this: Why bail out people who got mortgages they knew they wouldn't be able to afford when the rates reset? Is the argument that these people didn't *know* their rates would reset in a few years? Is it that they thought the speculative party would go on indefinitely, allowing them to refinance in a few years?

It didn't work out that way. The party was bound to end, and it has. The entire housing market has to correct itself (and the credit market too). People will lose their homes, which they couldn't apparently afford in the first place. And the credit crunch brought on by this orgy of speculation and easy credit will result in a recession of undetermined depth. It's in the cards. That's the way the grown-up world works. The government needs to stand back and let the marketplace correct itself.

Anyone else out there think this government-led bail-out is outrageous?

The mortgage 'bail-out': Big government at its worst originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BailoutBushCCFCCitigroupCountrywide FinancialCountrywideFinancialforeclosureshousinginthenewsmortgageteaser ratesTeaserRatesThu, 06 Dec 2007 16:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Best & Worst of 2007: Celebrities most likely to lose it all]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/02/best-and-worst-of-2007-celebrities-most-likely-to-lose-it-all/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/02/best-and-worst-of-2007-celebrities-most-likely-to-lose-it-all/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/02/best-and-worst-of-2007-celebrities-most-likely-to-lose-it-all/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This post was part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst of 2007. Voting has now closed and readers have chosen Britney Spears as the celebrity most likely to lose everything. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you are pleased with this result.

Celebrities most likely to lose it allI read somewhere that when actress Shirley MacLaine finally got her break in Hollywood, the first thing she bought was a four-unit apartment building. That way, she reasoned, when the gravy train stopped, as she believed could happen, she and her mother would have a place to live, plus units to rent out. That was smart planning. And as it turned out, she needn't have worried.

You don't see a lot of that kind of thinking among the celebrity set today.

Think multi-millionaire celebs can't lose it all? Ask O.J. Simpson about his fortune these days. Here are four celebrities in danger of losing it all, thanks to their ongoing shenanigans and lack of planning for a less sparkly, less-in-demand future.

Continue reading Best & Worst of 2007: Celebrities most likely to lose it all

Best & Worst of 2007: Celebrities most likely to lose it all originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:10:00 EST<![CDATA[The (litigious) lifestyles of the rich and famous]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/11/01/the-litigious-lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/11/01/the-litigious-lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/11/01/the-litigious-lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous/#commentsFiled under:

An old Yiddish saying: God doesn't favor the rich. Look who he gives money to.

Another saying: The rich have heirs, not children.

Both back up the idea that money can't buy you happiness. And if the bitter, generational squabbles of the super-rich are any indication, lots and lots of money makes for a miserable existence indeed.

Pick up any celebrity magazine, any financial glossy, heck, even a history book. The rich and powerful have always fought amongst themselves. History is built on the stuff. The Windsors have been a mess for generations. On this side of the pond, the Astors have always made headlines, and the Vanderbilt's were suing each other and contesting wills 100 years ago. Shelves of books have been written about the Onassis dynasty. The nasty in-fighting of the wealthy continue today: The Pritzgers,The Murdochs, The Redstones.

Little wonder these kinds of stories have provided rich fodder for Hollywood over the years. Who wasn't glued to Dynasty 20 years ago? Now it's Dirty Sexy Money and Cane. Even the foibles of Britney Spears and her ex-husband, battling in court over custody of their two sons and their attendant child support fortune, sells millions of copies of People Magazine every week.

Continue reading The (litigious) lifestyles of the rich and famous

The (litigious) lifestyles of the rich and famous originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>billionaire family feudsBillionaireFamilyFeudsdirty sexy moneyDirtySexyMoneyrich in AmericaRichInAmericaThu, 01 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[International Bad Products Awards: Sleeping pills for kids and other 'winners']]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/30/international-bad-products-awards-sleeping-pills-for-kids-and-o/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/30/international-bad-products-awards-sleeping-pills-for-kids-and-o/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/30/international-bad-products-awards-sleeping-pills-for-kids-and-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Sleeping pills for children, exploding laptops, lead toys. There is a lot of dubious stuff out there. Lots of dangerous, bad-for you, waste-of-money products that are brazenly pitched to you and me, the hapless consumer. Sometimes the products are so bad you almost have to admire the companies with the chutzpah to put them out there. Almost.

Consumer activists had the same idea. But with a twist. Today, leading global consumer rights groups met in Sydney, Australia to hand out awards for the worst products and the companies that make them. The Consumers International World Congress hopes to hold major corporations accountable for their unrepentant and irresponsible hucksterism.

The envelope, please? And the winners of the 2007 International Bad Products Awards are:

Continue reading International Bad Products Awards: Sleeping pills for kids and other 'winners'

International Bad Products Awards: Sleeping pills for kids and other 'winners' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bad products awardsBadProductsAwardsChinaConsumers InternationalConsumersInternationalfeaturedKKOlead toysLeadToysMATTakeda PharmaceuticalsTakedaPharmaceuticalsTue, 30 Oct 2007 20:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Hannah Montana costumes a big 'hit']]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/26/hannah-montana-costumes-a-big-hit/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/26/hannah-montana-costumes-a-big-hit/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/26/hannah-montana-costumes-a-big-hit/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mothers, you wouldn't let your sons grow up to be cowboys, would you? That's how the song goes, anyway.

So why would you let your daughters grow up to be Hannah Montana? Apparently, it's too late for that. Now there's a song that should be on the top of the charts these days.

Given the tween-beat frenzy around the fictional Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) star, it probably should come as no surprise that "Hannah Montana costume" ranks at the top of the ten most searched-for Halloween costumes for the week ended Oct. 20, according to Hitwise.

Continue reading Hannah Montana costumes a big 'hit'

Hannah Montana costumes a big 'hit' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DISHalloween costumesHalloweenCostumesHannah MontanaHannahMontanainthenewsWalt DisneyWaltDisneyFri, 26 Oct 2007 15:53:00 EST<![CDATA[Lies and statistics: Home sales did NOT rise]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/25/lies-and-statistics-home-sales-did-not-rise/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/25/lies-and-statistics-home-sales-did-not-rise/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/25/lies-and-statistics-home-sales-did-not-rise/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Most people attribute this phrase to 19th century British politician and writer Benjamin Disraeli (it was later popularized by our own Mark Twain). But more recently, financial blogger Barry Ritholtz has embraced the motto as his raison d'etre.

Ritholtz writes the popular financial/cultural blog The Big Picture, where, among other things, he loves to take the headline numbers and debunk them. He understands the numbers. By day he's a market strategist and fund manager.

Today he rolls his eyes and examines the latest U.S. Census and Dept. of Housing and Urban Development numbers that show a 4.8% rise in new home sales.

What the mainstream press either overlooks or fails to mention is that pesky little margin of error. For September's numbers, for example, the margin of error renders the data statistically insignificant.

So statistically speaking, there was no rise. Nothing getting better on the housing front.

Damned lies and statistics. Mark Twain would surely be a fan of the Big Picture.

Lies and statistics: Home sales did NOT rise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Barry RitholtzBarryRitholtzhome sales riseHomeSalesRisehousinghousing dataHousingDatamargin of errorMarginOfErrorstatisticsThe Big PictureTheBigPictureU.S. Census BureauU.s.CensusBureauThu, 25 Oct 2007 16:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Oprah has left the building: NBC Universal (GE) buys Oxygen Media]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/09/oprah-has-left-the-building-nbc-universal-ge-buys-oxygen-medi/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/09/oprah-has-left-the-building-nbc-universal-ge-buys-oxygen-medi/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/09/oprah-has-left-the-building-nbc-universal-ge-buys-oxygen-medi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Oh! Oxygen Media logoCall it "Girls Gone Mild." In 2000, Geraldine Laybourne, the former president of the Nickelodeon network for children, and Oprah Winfrey, who needs no introduction, got together to launch a media empire focused on women -- called Oxygen. The idea was to create synergies between TV and the internet. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) founder Paul Allen liked the idea enough he helped back the venture.

But the dreams never matched the reality. The sexiness of the idea -- a woman's media empire! -- never lived up to its potential. And today, NBC, a unit of General Electric (NYSE: GE), announced that it would buy Oxygen Media for $925 million.

Continue reading Oprah has left the building: NBC Universal (GE) buys Oxygen Media

Oprah has left the building: NBC Universal (GE) buys Oxygen Media originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GEGeraldine LaybourneGeraldineLaybourneMSFTNBCOprahOxygen MediaOxygenMediaPaul AllenPaulAllenTue, 09 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fans to Mets: Shape up or live on $50K for the year]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/01/fans-to-mets-shape-up-or-live-on-50k-for-the-year/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/01/fans-to-mets-shape-up-or-live-on-50k-for-the-year/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/01/fans-to-mets-shape-up-or-live-on-50k-for-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I was arguing about sports with my BloggingStocks colleague Barry Summerlin today. He was shook up by the Mets' melt-down over the weekend, and I guess I wasn't taking it seriously enough.

I know many women who follow sports, almost as fanatically as their menfolk. But I am not one of them.

So I say this out of complete disinterest in the sport and utter ignorance of the mechanism that causes player salaries to hurdle into the stratosphere: Tell the team members who threw the game (Tom Glavine?) that next season they get to live on $50K a year LIKE THE FANS DO until they get it together and improve their performance. Hit 'em in the wallet, where it hurts!

I mean, these guys are getting the really big bucks because they're so talented the franchise is guaranteed the big wins? Apparently that thinking didn't work with the Mets.

Continue reading Fans to Mets: Shape up or live on $50K for the year

Fans to Mets: Shape up or live on $50K for the year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business of sportsBusinessOfSportsNew York MetsNewYorkMetsMon, 01 Oct 2007 17:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Housing: If you can't call a bottom, at least use creative language]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/27/housing-if-you-cant-call-a-bottom-at-least-use-creative-langu/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/27/housing-if-you-cant-call-a-bottom-at-least-use-creative-langu/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/27/housing-if-you-cant-call-a-bottom-at-least-use-creative-langu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

DownHow low can you go?

The new home sale numbers came out today, and to no one's surprise, they were uglier than ever. Sales of new single family homes fell by 8.3% last month, according to Commerce Dept. data, the lowest level in seven years.

Year-to-year, new home sales were 21.2% lower than the level in August of 2006, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

Oh dear. So much for bottom calling. The housing sector has dragged on the U.S. economy for six straight quarters now, and shows no signs of getting any lighter.

The WSJ's Economics Blog got the reaction of a handful of economists. The language is grim.

"Hideous" Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics said. "Housing is nowhere near the bottom; neither is its wider impact."

Continue reading Housing: If you can't call a bottom, at least use creative language

Housing: If you can't call a bottom, at least use creative language originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>department of commerceDepartmentOfCommercefeaturedhousingsubprimeThu, 27 Sep 2007 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[I'm too sexy for your beef: Texas just says no to racy Alicia Silverstone ad]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/21/im-too-sexy-for-your-beef-texas-just-says-no-to-racy-alicia-si/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/21/im-too-sexy-for-your-beef-texas-just-says-no-to-racy-alicia-si/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/21/im-too-sexy-for-your-beef-texas-just-says-no-to-racy-alicia-si/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Alicia Silverstone is a nude vegetarian.Things are bigger down in Texas. Especially controversies that blend beef with cheesecake.

Thirty-year-old B-list actress Alicia Silverstone (of Clueless fame) did a commercial for controversial animal rights group PETA recently. In it, the actress, an animal rights activist and recent convert to vegetarianism, climbs out of a pool to seductive music. She offers the camera various come hither-looks as she drips dry, and in an inane voiceover, tells the camera about how her life has changed since she's become a vegetarian.

I suppose the idea is to show us how good she looks, now that she's no longer eating meat. Too bad being a vegetarian hasn't boosted her vocabulary. "It's so amazing!" Is it now? I'm so convinced.

Continue reading I'm too sexy for your beef: Texas just says no to racy Alicia Silverstone ad

I'm too sexy for your beef: Texas just says no to racy Alicia Silverstone ad originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alicia SilverstoneAliciaSilverstoneCMCSAinthenewsPETATexasVegetarianvegetarian commercialVegetarianCommercialFri, 21 Sep 2007 17:50:00 EST<![CDATA[What's under the tree this Christmas season? 'Made in USA' toys]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/19/whats-under-the-tree-this-christmas-season-made-in-usa/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/19/whats-under-the-tree-this-christmas-season-made-in-usa/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/19/whats-under-the-tree-this-christmas-season-made-in-usa/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" ...and toys made in America.

An article in today's Wall Street Journal (subscription still required) describes how domestic toy makers now have a possible leg up on the competition as consumers head into the holiday buying season. The few remaining domestic toy manufacturers are reportedly launching marketing campaigns aimed at showing consumers their all-American, all-safe wares.

Seems "Made in America" is once again a selling point, especially to parents looking to avoid toxic levels of lead paint that have prompted four major toy recalls in recent months. All of the toys recalled have come from China, manufactured for major toy companies such as Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT).

Continue reading What's under the tree this Christmas season? 'Made in USA' toys

What's under the tree this Christmas season? 'Made in USA' toys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Chinafeaturedholiday shopping seasonHolidayShoppingSeasonMATToy companiesToyCompaniestoysWSJWed, 19 Sep 2007 15:36:00 EST<![CDATA[The gridlock report: One more case for telecommuting]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/18/the-gridlock-report-one-more-case-for-telecommuting/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/18/the-gridlock-report-one-more-case-for-telecommuting/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/18/the-gridlock-report-one-more-case-for-telecommuting/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Tell me something I didn't know.

Los Angeles and Orange Counties reign supreme when it comes to the amount of time we residents sit in traffic jams. (We're at or near the tops in housing prices and foreclosures, too, but that's fodder for another post).

My BloggingStocks colleague Tom Barlow weighed in on the Texas Transportation Institute's newly released study just today. But because I often actually sit in this traffic, I couldn't muster his same sense of mirth. Or is that schadenfreude?

Continue reading The gridlock report: One more case for telecommuting

The gridlock report: One more case for telecommuting originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>telecommutingtraffic delaysTrafficDelayswork from homeWorkFromHomeTue, 18 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST