In an effort to broaden my writing skills, I’ve looked into typical college application essay questions.  This is from a top 50 MBA program.  The topics are much more general than normal Weakonomics topics, but no less important.  If you don’t like the essays, I won’t continue with the series.  Just let me know in [...]

I’m very good about giving advice at work. People like me because I don’t let annoying details ruin my day. But everyone must have an enemy it seems, and I am not immune. This week my patience failed me as a colleague referred to my comments as “condescending”. Generally speaking, I am very condescending, but [...]

The Earned Assets Resource Network is a non-profit designed to help low-income families get some savings.  Though based in San-Francisco, various comments on other blogs indicate similar non-profits exist around the country. The program is not for the wasteful.  In fact I don’t think any readers on this sight would be able to qualify.  The [...]

No, I’m not talking about our corporate overlords, I’m talking about the actual clothes.  It started when I was a lad.  My parents made me wear a sport coat and tie to church.  This made me hate going to church because I had to wear an uncomfortable coat and tie.  Eventually they laxed on the [...]

When big news strikes my world, I often take the time to write an extensive review.  This is both to make sure I understand what happened and to put it in plain English.  An example would be: “AIG must raise $40 billion in new capital or face the liquidity troubles plaguing the financial markets.”  Instead [...]

This was first written last week, before the crazyness that happened on Monday.  Updates about everything else will come later in the week. What Happened? On Sunday, September 9, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson pulled out his figurative “bazooka” and fired it down the street to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (henceforth referred to as “the [...]

GM has one of the largest advertising budgets on the planet.  When your cars are crappier than the competition in quality, appearance, reliability, and brand image, there is only one thing left for them to do to sell cars.  Push the MPGs.  While the news I’m about to share with you generally received a warm [...]

This was a Weakonomics week for the ages. First we hear about Fannie and Freddie basically being nationalized. A post is coming next week Then the middle of the weak Lehmen Brothers goes up in flames. The week ended with Ike hitting Texas, with the media claiming damage at first at $100 billion. This morning [...]