There is talk that this country could be the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. It’s clean burning, domestically produced, abundant and offers a concrete exit plan away from this nation’s foreign energy dependence. Yet, from Texas to New York Americans appear to be willing to take up arms against any additional gas drilling.

As we enter the second quarter, this first week is a taste of things to come. After months of enjoying a straight-up stock market, we are getting back to the new normal, so strap on your seat belts.

Recently, worries have surfaced over the sustainability of economic growth in this country. Over the last several months the data has been pretty good. Now the numbers indicate the economy is faltering—again.

 The release of the Federal Reserve’s FOMC meeting notes on Tuesday was responsible for the initial sell-off in the markets this week. Then a Spanish bond auction on Wednesday was received poorly by bond investors. That spooked the U.S. stock market for a second day in a row. Things have snowballed from there.

“… He’s got jellybeans for Tommy,         Colored eggs for sister Sue, There’s an orchid for your Mommy And an Easter bonnet, too.” Peter Cottontail – by Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins   This year’s early spring could mean a little extra cash in retailer’s Easter baskets. Despite gasoline prices approaching $4.00/gallon, consumers are shopping [...]

The statistics are some of the most accurate in the American medical community. Overall, 35.7 percent of the adult population and 16.9 percent of our children are obese. If you add in those Americans who are merely overweight, then two-thirds of this nation are on the road to higher health costs, a shorter life and [...]

It was a quarter to write home about. All three indexes made substantial gains but the S&P 500 Index had a great quarter and its best start of the year since 1998. Will it continue?

Over 2.2 million of our men and women have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today 7.6% of them are looking for jobs. Hiring them should be a no-brainer for this country’s employers.

Questions concerning China and its economic future kept the market’s exuberance in check this week. Given that China is key to most global growth forecasts, any hint of a slowing of the Chinese economic engine is taken seriously.  This week we received a bit of bad news.

Facial hair is back in a big way among men. That is nothing new, but the time, effort and expense of looking so scruffy might surprise you. Back in the day, you were either clean shaven or grew a beard. During the Hippie Era, it was all long hair and beards, which sent many a [...]