Farmers losing crops to circlers

Here is the Jellyfish crop circle that appeared yesterday in some Shire that, along with the Dragonfly, is causing some to suggest PETA is involved.

Local farmers, however, are starting to voice as the economic situation of ruined crops becomes a reality:

People who create crop circles are being urged to consider how their actions affect farmers' livelihoods.
The patterns started to appear again in Kent and Sussex with the onset of summer and now cereal farmers are urging the pranksters to stop.
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said damage is made worse by so called crop circle tourists who trample on crops making them impossible to harvest.
The NFU believes the circles are man-made and not created supernaturally.
Creating crop circles is akin to trampling over someone's back garden - it is unfair and irresponsible
NFU spokesman
David Taylor, a farmer in Falmer, near Brighton, said: "The problems it causes are first of all the damage caused by the crop circle itself which is something we have to put up with.
"But then the problem experienced after that is the public get to hear about it and they walk across the crop to look at it and trample the crop down within the circle and that causes greater economic damage than the circle itself."
An NFU spokesman said: "Creating crop circles is akin to trampling over someone's back garden - it is unfair and irresponsible.
"Crop circlers seem to forget they are damaging someone's property and there is a financial implication.
"The crops, which have been carefully nurtured, cannot be harvested easily when they have been knocked flat.
"But people who walk in the crop circle trample the crops down further and then they really do become impossible to harvest."

What, it's not aliens doing this?

Postal Inflation

As you tape those additional two pennies to your envelopes today, keep these tidbits in mind:

If it the Postal Service were a private sector company, it would rank 26th on the 2008 Fortune 500 list, just behind UnitedHealth Group and just ahead of Kroger and Boeing.

With the Postal Service losing money ($2.8 billion in fiscal 2008), Postmaster General John Potter has felt some heat for the $857,459 he earned in salary and benefits last year. (His income would buy almost 43 million 2-cent stamps.)

The Postal Service is an independent federal agency and covers its expenses not with tax money but with the sale of stamps, postage and postal services.

Bad times ahead for the Enquirer

What, my favorite mag going bankrupt? Layoffs have been announced by the CEO, David Pecker, of AMI, the publisher of the National Enquirer. With a circulation of over a million (weekly), you would think it could stay afloat. But then again, I haven't bought one in years and why...cause I read them while I wait in line at the grocery store...haven't they ever thought about plastic wrap? And why pay such outlandish sums of cash for stories...MAKE THEM UP!!! The people that read this crap (me) will believe anything, anyway. Maybe Pecker needs to start using his head...

12 Days of Christmas Prices

The cost of the 12 days of Christmas is up some 10.9% from $78,100 in 2007 to $86,609 in 2008. The above candy cane graph shows costs from 1984. Details below:

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. checks jewelry stores, dance companies, pet stores and other sources to compile the list. While it is done humorously, PNC said its index mirrors actual economic trends.
For instance, gasoline costs topped $4 this summer, driving up shipping costs for many goods. So a pear tree that cost $150 last year will cost $200 this year. (The partridge is up $5 to $20.)
Luxury items are also up, as reflected by the price of the seven swans-a-swimming, which are up 33 percent to $5,600.
But the faltering economy has also brought down the cost of some items.
The three French hens (down $15 to $30) and six geese-a-laying (down $120 to $240) reflect declines in food prices.
The eight maids-a-milking will cost 12 percent more, $52.40 from about $47 last year, thanks to their second annual minimum wage increase.
The 10 lords-a-leaping, 11 pipers piping and 12 drummers drumming are all up about 3 percent, reflecting the general average wage increase.

Car Czar thoughts

So much talk about a Car Czar. There's a movement afloat...I tend to agree with it. See what you think:

We need someone with the balls to strong-arm Detroit into shape. We need someone with zero tolerance for corruption. We need someone with a keen eye for errors and cover-ups. We need someone with imperturbable tenacity.

We need Ross Perot.

Who better to be Detroit’s Car Czar than a ruthless, effective control freak like Perot? He knows how to run a business, he knows how to whistle-blow, and he has a keen eye for whipping people into shape. Not to mention that he is the “Father of Fiscal Charts.” If the government is serious about not giving the Big Three more than the $15 billion it has already promised, it’s time to call the Perot hotline.

New Corporate Logos

Have you seen these new corporate logos? The recessionized versions. More at this site: http://www.businesspundit.com/after-the-crisis-a-parody-of-15-corporate-logos/

Financial Advice

Psychic Boom

While the financial crisis has seen downturns throughout the economy, one sector has been flourishing: online psychics. Internet prognosticators say that their business is booming as worried Americans turn to them for fiscal forecasts. More on the story at Wired.

As a matter of fact, I think I'll get out the Tarot cards right now...

Not Just Another Graph

No, this is not a Poll Graph for McCain's campaign since Super Tuesday.

It is average Iowa Gas Prices since Super Tuesday.

Today I saw my first sign for:

$1.99 unleaded

The bad thing is that it is not so much a sign of cheaper gas in the future as it is a sign of a poor global economy.

Fill er Up!

from www.gasbuddy.com