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09 May 2010 20:29

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World: Greece gets the first part of that massive aid package of theirs

  • $38.6B
    will get loaned to Greece over the next three years by the IMF
  • $7B
    hits the country’s coffers as of right now; the rest comes later
  • $141B
    was offered to the country in an aid package accepted last week source
  • » Will this improve the country’s dismal state? It’ll improve the global market most likely but won’t ease tensions among its citizens. The extremely unpopular austerity measures were a condition of the aid package they got from the IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission. So they’re not going away, kids.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 May 2010 21:45

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Biz: Stock market: All the gains this year, gone, and then some

  • 7.4% the Dow’s decline from its peak this year
  • 8.7% the S&P 500’s decline from its April peak
  • 10.5% the Nasdaq’s decline; it’s in a correction source
  • » Today’s action: It wasn’t much better than yesterday, honestly. The market bounced back and forth all morning before staying firmly in the down column. The Dow lost 140 points today, or 1.3 percent of its value. Sucks to own stocks, doesn’t it? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

06 May 2010 11:11

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World: Greece willing to “walk it alone” on drastic austerity plans

  • We will press ahead, even if we have to walk alone, without the backing of other parties.
  • Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou • On the country’s plan to completely reboot its economy, despite large protests and heavy criticism from its citizens. If they can’t get help from its fellow European countries, they’ll do it anyway. In other news, PEOPLE DIED in these protests. Oh, and many are concerned that they will not have enough money to survive. Unfortunately, Greece is in a rock-hard place situation due to all of that debt, so widespread public concern may not be enough to shake the leadership. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

26 Apr 2010 23:05

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Biz: Craigslist’s “Adult Services” controversial, makes lots of money

  • $122
    million     expected revenues for the no-frills classified site in 2010 alone; at least 70 percent of that is pure profit (and mostly from employment ads)
  • $39
    million     in revenue will come from
    the controversial for-pay “Adult Services” section, made in the wake of the Craigslist Killer source
  • » Printing their own money: The site has a small staff for what it is, but despite that, it’s a total gold mine. For every employee Craigslist has (around 30), the company makes $4 million in revenue and at least $2.9 million in profit, a level so high you simply won’t find it anywhere else in the industry. We wish we made $3 million in profits per employee.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Apr 2010 11:31

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Biz: Home sales, once looking weak, made a huge March jump

  • 27% increase in new home sales in March
  • four number of months of declines prior to the leap
  • 1963 the last time home sales rose this much source
  • » But why? Credit a tax break that’s about to expire and weather that sucked less than it did in February (when home sales hit a record low). The strange part? The tax break had been in effect each of the four months prior, when home sales weren’t so hot.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Apr 2010 20:13

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Tech: Microsoft’s great quarter not amazing; Wall Street whines loudly

  • +6% Microsoft’s boost in sales this quarter, a new record for the company
  • +35% Microsoft’s rise in income this quarter, great but not eye-popping
  • -4.5% fall in share prices after the news; where’s the love, guys? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2010 21:05

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U.S.: New $100 dollar bill: What the #(*# is this stupid #(&@?

  • Dear U.S. treasury: Maybe you should consider switching to debit cards for large denominations like these. Because, uh, this 3D crap is just getting really stupid and over the top. We’re also convinced Ben Franklin would find this treatment pretty demeaning, too. This isn’t money. This is an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, in legal tender form. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink
 

21 Apr 2010 10:16

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Biz: Chrysler: Big losses, bright spots since exiting bankruptcy

  • $4
    billion     the amount Chrysler has lost
    since exiting bankruptcy; they’ve turned a corner though
  • $143
    million     the company’s operating profit
    this quarter, due to all the cuts
    they’ve made source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Apr 2010 10:24

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World: Iceland to Europe: We swear, we don’t mean to cause drama

  • It seems we’re getting pretty good at exporting our disasters. I think people might get funny ideas about Iceland. … We’re not to blame for an eruption.
  • Icelandic political commentator Egill Helgason • Regarding the country nicked by multiple crises in the last couple of years – crises that have hit Europe as hard as the tiny island. The country, however, has reason to feel a bit of relief about the volcano. Despite its continent-grounding air drama, the country itself isn’t affected by it too much. Flights are even getting out of the capital, no problem. Maybe we should hate Iceland. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Apr 2010 10:09

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Biz: Financial crisis-gobsmacked Citi actually has a solid quarter

  • $4.4
    billion     the size of Citi’s profit this quarter, their best period since 2007
  • $100
    billion     the amount the company has lost during the financial crisis
  • 7.7
    billion     the number of shares the government owns due to bailouts source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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