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26 Aug 2010 10:18

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Biz: New jobless claims not as awful as last week, still pretty awful

  • -31,000 the decrease in new jobless claims this week, which is minor, but positive, economic news
  • +3,250 the increase in jobless claims over a four-week period, which means we’re at a nine-month high source
  • » Protip on jobless claims numbers: They’re volatile and change from week to week, meaning the number that really matters is the more stable monthly figure.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Aug 2010 10:24

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Biz: New home sales are straight-up in the crapper, too, guys

  • 12% the decline in new home sales in July, which is craptastic and as bad as yesterday’s number
  • 276,000 the annual rate in units – the lowest level since the data series started way back in 1963 source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Aug 2010 10:18

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Biz: Existing home sales, meet crapper: Sales hit lowest level in 15 years

  • 27.2% decline in existing home sales in July source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

04 Aug 2010 09:55

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Biz: AOL has another big loss, caused by a “goodwill charge” this time

  • $1.06
    billion     the size of AOL’s quarterly loss, caused partly by declining advertising and partly due to a “goodwill charge”
  • $1.4
    billion     the size of that “goodwill charge,” partly due to selling Bebo for pennies on the dollar source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Jul 2010 08:49

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Biz: BP’s quarterly losses huge – hey, just like the oil spill!

  • $17.2 billion the size of BP’s quarterly loss, their first since the oil spill
  • $32.2 billion the size of the pretax charge they took due to the oil spill source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jul 2010 11:02

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Biz: Crappy housing numbers remain pretty crappy, guys

  • 5% decline in housing starts in June, an 8-month low source
  • » Silver lining: On the plus side, there was a very modest 2.1 percent increase in new permits, an early indicator of how the housing market is going. After the rough month or two the housing market has faced, at least that’s something.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jul 2010 11:00

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Biz: Previously-owned home sales follow new home sales to the crapper

  • 23% rise in pending home sales between January and April
  • 30% decline in pending home sales IN MAY ALONE source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Jun 2010 09:49

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Biz: Oil spill: BP’s stock hits another new oil-drenched low

  • $100
    billion     the amount BP, as a company, has lost since the oil spill began
  • 14
    years     the amount of time since their stock was at this low a level source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Jun 2010 10:58

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Politics: Obama officially disliked more than he’s liked (in Facebook & life)

  • 48% disapprove of Obama’s job performance
  • 45% approve of how the avant-garde artist is doing his job
  • 7% were covered in oil and couldn’t respond source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Jun 2010 09:19

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Culture: Conan should take solace in Leno’s tanking in the ratings war

  • 1.1 Conan’s rating during his fifteenth week of the “Tonight Show”; he was beating Letterman at this point
  • 0.9 Leno’s rating during HIS fifteenth week of the “Tonight Show”; he’s currently tied with Letterman source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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