Birds are singing, the sun is shining, and life is beautiful again. On the surface, the vital signs of our economy are improving with every economic report. In some areas, like unemployment, the rate

How much economic impact do large-scale sporting events -- like this week's World Series -- have on the host cities? Well, that depends on whom you ask. Sports leagues will say that the influx of fre

At the risk of restating a sentiment voiced by almost everyone who's seen it, Pixar's (DIS) WALL-E is one of the purest, most heartfelt love stories to grace the silver screen in ages. But it's also

I’ve come up with a new economic barometer to gauge the strength of the economy: the Osborne Rule. Like former Fed official John Taylor of the eponymous Taylor Rule or William Phillips of the P

Crude Oil in Focus Crude oil is up a second consecutive day, helped in part by a weaker dollar. Arab nations, along with China, Russia, Japan, and France, were reported to be secretly discussing a mo

China Pumps Gold News of China’s gold reserves increasing 76% since 2003 sent the yellow metal to a 3-week high. According to Bloomberg, the country now holds 1054 metric tons, making it t

For the better part of this decade, as many Americans realized their dream of buying a house -- often with little money down -- and the real estate boom cooked to a boiling point, one thing

Unions, like democracy, work perfectly on paper. But both suffer a disconnect between concept and execution. Unions first sprung up in 18th-century Europe when women and children joined armies of poo

Obama: Good For Gas?According to Bloomberg, Oklahoma oilman Aubrey McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy (CHK), believes his company and other natural gas producers will thrive because of Barack Obama&

The Securities and Exchange Commission may require some US companies to switch to international accounting rules by 2014. The SEC says the change will make American companies more competitive in the