Signs of Life in Art Market?

After hearing about the Warhol that sold for over $40 million on the radio, I headed over to ArtForum to get more of the auction drama. The Sotheby’s folks must be thrilled after their banner night. The U.S. art market

We Americans Love the Idea of Marriage

What we say and what we do – often they do not sync up. I was reading a couple of articles by Sandra Tsing Loh in the Atlantic, following up on the thread of how she was crucified earlier this

Happy Four Oh!

RIP Eating Healthy

“Eating healthy has been one of the big casualties of this economic downturn,” says Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at NPD Group and author of the research firm’s annual “Eating Patterns in America” report. “Last year, consumers cut back on

Alimony and Spouse Support Payments

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal looked into the changing landscape of spousal-support expectations in the US. The law and implementation of it varies widely from state to state, but there are some good overall numbers that I thought

Even Barbie is a Frugalista Now

The times they are a-changing folks. Take a look in the doll aisle for proof. Call it the anti-Bratz movement. The Moxie Girlz, along with four Liv dolls and the Barbie Fashionistas, introduced in August, are more funky than flashy,

Gleaning Making a Comeback?

Gleaning – harvesting leftover crops for the poor – is an idea as old as the Bible. Leviticus urges farmers to leave the corners of their fields unharvested, providing food for the poor and strangers. The practice was common in

Coach Holds Its Own

Coach continues to be the envy of many retailers on the block, despite the challenging recession environment. It’s another one of those workhorse case studies that I pull out for study in many business scenarios. The two areas I often

Teens’ Perception of Normal

About half of teenagers’ social media posts refer to drinking, sex, or violence, according to Megan Moreno, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That discovery, which was reported earlier this year, left Moreno wondering if all

Piglet Flu

With several of my Facebook friends’ statuses (stati?) announcing their current stage of illness, I thought I’d look at some swine flu numbers, specifically on preparedness plans. And magically, the Wall Street Journal obliged me today! How many “swine flu”