News money 2008-08-17 Andanh.com

The waiting game Sunday August 17, 2008
WESTBORO - In an office park straddling Route 9 and Interstate 495 stands an empty four-story building.

The Backup Files Sunday August 17, 2008
The downtown Worcester campus of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences seems to be spreading faster than the Asian longhorned beetle.

Film depicts inventor's battle with auto industry Sunday August 17, 2008
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - For two decades, Robert Kearns waged an obsessive crusade against the auto industry, which he accused of stealing his invention. It destroyed his marriage, brought on a mental breakdown and may have cost him millions.

Airlines look for alternative fuel Sunday August 17, 2008
PHOENIX - With the price of oil still above $100 a barrel, everything from wood chips to chicken fat is being scrutinized as an alternative to traditional fuel. But when it comes to airplanes, finding the right mix poses a special challenge.

Gold plummets amid strong dollar, oil decline Sunday August 17, 2008
NEW YORK - Gold, which scorched into the record books earlier this year, has suddenly gone cold.

foolish trivia Sunday August 17, 2008
I'm the largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company in the United States and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Based in Indianapolis, my CEO was named by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in the world. My members number more than 35 million and my employees more than 40,000. My stock has fallen some 40 percent this year, but its five-year average return tops the market. At the Fool's CAPS stock-rating service (http://caps.fool.com), 207

Learn what's driving Chesapeake's growth Sunday August 17, 2008
Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) has declared itself the largest natural gas producer in the United States.

Roses by other names ... Sunday August 17, 2008
Trying to read and understand financial statements can be confounding, but it will be much less so once you realize that many items go by different names on different companies' reports. For example, you might have learned to look for "revenue" on an income statement, but the income statement you're looking at calls revenue "sales." Even income statements themselves go by different names. Argh!

Bad funds, good funds Sunday August 17, 2008
Years ago, a man at the bank convinced me that I could do better with money in mutual funds than in CDs. He recommended a fund that turned out to be rated in the bottom 15 percent of all large-company growth funds. Now I know why my investment is worth only half of what I originally invested. The fund even bought Enron and continued buying after regulators had sounded alarms. - JANICE W., VIA E-MAIL

Up or down - but from where? Sunday August 17, 2008
Q When a stock is reported as being up or down some amount, from what price is it up or down? - K.M., HUNTSVILLE, ALA.

Share your video, but make it short Sunday August 17, 2008
Q I keep getting error messages when I try to put a video file up on Flickr. What might be the problem?

You're breaking up Sunday August 17, 2008
Telephone and cable companies have done a stellar job of eliminating slow or dropped Internet connections.

Ethanol industry improving product, PR Sunday August 17, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. - Ethanol producers on Wednesday railed against what they described as a smear campaign by opponents who have branded the industry responsible for rising food prices.

The art of artwork pricing Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

For artists, there's more to setting price than calculating labor, materials, overhead and profit margin.

Sand sculptors dig fake blood and food coloring Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

Giant lobsters, birthday cakes and Michael Phelps took over the sand of Mayflower Beach yesterday.

Craftsman style works in Woods Hole Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

Catalog home retains original 1920s extras.

Look who's here! Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

Each week, the Times meets a visitor or summer worker; this week, we get to know Beth Whalley, 21, from Carlisle.

Renters snagged by foreclosures Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

WASHINGTON — James Austin was stunned when a real estate agent showed up to snap photos of the house he was renting last year and casually informed him the place was in foreclosure.

Fisher to make hybrid buses Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

DETROIT — Some of the descendants of the family that founded Fisher Body Co are returning to their roots with Fisher Coachworks LLC, a company formed earlier this year to become a manufacturer of electric-drive buses.

Leaving sellers at a loss Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

As sagging values continued to plague the Cape Cod real estate market in the second quarter of 2008, more than 22 percent of the region's sellers took a loss on their home, according to numbers released last week by real estate data company Zillow.

Time off - go on, take it! Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

In our household, this has not been a particularly restful or restorative summer. Not so far anyway.

Taking aim at TV-Internet disconnect Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00 EST

Two new products make the connection -- but one has limited programming and the other can only be used on Sony televisions.

Fishy second-home loans hit Dorchester Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:10:21 -0400
Greetings from Dorchester, the nation's new vacation hotspot. More than a dozen condos, many in abandoned or distressed buildings, have sold at sky-high prices to...

Pricing products tough in bad times Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:06:06 -0400
Times are tough. Small businesses are being hit with increases in everything from gas to health insurance to milk. You cut back where you can, work longer hours, call...

Do your funds have fortitude to win Olympic decathlon? Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:28:16 -0400
It's easy to be inspired by the Summer Olympics' authentic moments of brilliance and heartbreaking disappointments, the lifelong expectations met, exceeded or missed. ...

Motor Mouth: Subaru Forester grows a larger following Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:30:00 EDT
When Subaru redesigned its Forester wagon for 2009, it transformed the fearless, spunky hauler from purely practical to assertively stylish. That's a big change for a model that once looked as if appearance was the last value its creators considered. As if, after so carefully crafting the vehicle's go-anywhere, all-wheel-drive power system, and its plucky, through-the-muck platform, engineers covered the workings with any old body that fit.

Auto Scanner: Technicians needed in today's economy Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:29:00 EDT
Q: Just a general question about learning more about careers as a trained auto service technician. I've been reading for years about the major automakers trying to address a continuous shortage of trained technicians. Are there Web sites I can visit to learn more about how one would approach this?

Auto Scene: Regan Ford spotlights new Flex crossover wagon Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:29:00 EDT
Ford Motor Co. sent representatives to Regan Ford in Haverhill Aug. 7 to help officially launch the car maker's new Flex crossover utility vehicle. The technical and marketing experts from Ford conducted training sessions for Regan personnel during business hours. Later, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the Flex team welcomed Regan customers and guests to a public launch party for the vehicle.

Cheap ride: Gas prices have more people using golf carts to get around Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:28:00 EDT
With two GEO Trackers, a Lexus and a pickup truck, retired coal miner Bob Woll has many ways to zip around his southern Illinois town to visit friends, the fairgrounds or the frozen custard stand. These days, he prefers his electric golf cart.

Highway crashes kill more than 41,000 in 2007 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:18:00 EDT
WASHINGTON — Traffic deaths in the United States declined last year, reaching the lowest level in more than a decade, the government reported Thursday.
Some 41,059 people were killed in highway crashes, down by more than 1,600 from 2006. It was the fewest number of highway deaths in a year since 1994, when 40,716 people were killed.

Take the Gas Saving 101 quiz Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:18:00 EDT
BETHESDA, Md. — If your son or daughter is driving back to college in the next few weeks, now's the time to test their knowledge about how to get the best gas mileage while away from home. The Car Care Council's short Gas Saving 101 Quiz is a reminder to students, as well as all motorists, that the number of miles per gallon a car gets is directly related to driving behavior and vehicle maintenance.

Little value seen in mileage boosting gadgets Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:18:00 EDT
Every time there's a spike in gas prices, consumers want to know: Do mileage boosters work?
"No," says Dale Kemery, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection. "The EPA has tested over 100 of these gadgets, and they don't work. You are better off buying yourself a tire gauge."

Your Briefcase Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:10:00 EDT
ANDOVER — Helium Inc. in Andover has added three industry veterans to its team.
Peter Newton, who most recently served as Monster.com's senior vice president and GM of Monster's media alliances, has been named Helium's vice president of business development. Joining the Helium board of directors is former president of Monster Steven Pogorzelski, and joining the Helium board of advisors is former executive vice president of The Boston Globe Alfred S. Larkin Jr.

Sales Moves: It's election time, and your customers are voting Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:01:00 EDT
I wish I had a dollar for every salesperson who bragged to me about how great their relationships are with their customers, and then lost a sale because they weren't the lowest price or lowest bid.
I would be a multimillionaire.

BizNorth Planner Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:00:00 EDT
EDITOR'S NOTE: The BizNorth Planner is a calendar of business-related workshops, seminars, fairs and other events. To be included, send a brief notice with basic information about the event and whom to contact. The service is free, but it is not an advertisement. We reserve the right to edit the copy so it complies with our newspaper's guidelines. Send news by mail to BizNorth, 100 Turnpike St., North Andover, MA 01845; by fax, 978-687-6045.

Dave Says: Crisis looming; trailer purchase a bad idea Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:00:00 EDT
I lost my job a few months ago. My wife works, but she doesn't make much money, and we also have three kids. I'm still trying to keep up my credit card payments, but next month I know I'll be late and they'll start adding fees. In all, I have about $60,000 in debt, and that includes payments on a $20,000 car. I don't know how to handle the situation anymore.

Chinese Dir