» Posted by Martin Weil on October 24, 2005

If you ignore the stuff that's getting more expensive, there's no inflation.

Daniel Gross writing in Sunday's NY Times responding to the mainstream economist view that "it's only food and energy" whose prices are rising.

» Posted by Martin Weil on October 18, 2005

According to data released this week by the College Board, private university tuition rose another 5.9% in 2005, continuing the trend of prices increases exceeding the rate of inflation. Public university tuition increases "slowed" to 7.1% in 2005 from from their 10.5% pace in 2004.

» Posted by Martin Weil on October 15, 2005

press "zero."

Except that this does not usually work anymore.

Intuit offers a list of codes which let you break through the annoying phone-mail systems of the customer service lines at several dozen major companies. These include banks, telephone, cable and internet providers, computer makers, retail stores and many more.

» Posted by Martin Weil on October 11, 2005

When you combine ignorance with leverage you get some pretty interesting results.

Warren Buffett, quoted in the Financial Times (subscription required), on the increasing risks in the financial system from the explosive growth of derivatives in the credit markets.