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Unscrambling Organic Eggs: Will Whole Foods Lose Wild Oats?

While I agree Wild Oats wasn't needed in the market, I don't agree that TJ's really competes head to head with WFMI. Don't get me wrong, I love TJ's, but I doubt anyone makes it their only grocery store. TJ's business model is that everything, even produce, has to be a SKU, not by weight, which means no butcher or fishmonger, their produce is pre-packaged and can't be as good as at most other stores, and they can't offer bulk staples or spices. Also WFMI is at least moving in the direction of stocking more local produce and meats, TJ can't do this for unclear reasons related to the same standardization that gives rise to the SKU's policy. Finally, hardly anything at TJ's costs anywhere near what it does at WFMI, with possible exception of high-end cheese and wine.

The David Lereah Saga: Now Even More Pathetic

I think it's fine. Obviously he managed to live at a silly level of extravagance for years without much mental exertion. Many people would probably love to know how to do this. If he can sell them a newsletter, bully for him.

There was a time when I would have said that he should have given the interview to USA Today or something, not WSJ. But lately I'm thinking WSJ is as good a way to reach that target market as anything.

From TARP to ARRP

Matey, leave off the "Plan" part and add "Reinvigoration," so we can just call it ARRR!

Why Consultants and Researchers Should Replace Sell-Side Analysts

Given six months, the recommendations of these "consultants" wouldn't be any better than those of the sell-side analysts. The issues that make sell-side research not more useful than it is are structural and would still afflict whoever was doing the research. It's not as though these "consultants" are drawn from a completely different pool of smart/educated types, either.

'Good to Great' Stocks: Where Are They Now?

I can't say whether or not he is a dope about the put strategy. But he is SPOT ON about that dumb book. The most ironic thing in it is the "Stockdale Syndrome," where like Stockdale in the POW camp, those who face bad situations realistically survive. Great concept but AFAIK universally non-implemented by every organization I know that was big on this book.

Infrastructure Spending Spree Risks More Bridges to Nowhere

AFAIK there is, in fact, a lot of planning, but it happens at the local and state level, not the federal level. Which is how it should be.

People who are moaning about "pork" would do well to ask themselves how we got an interstate highway system.

For $15 Million, Gazprom Media Is Now the Proud Owner of Russia's YouTube

Since Gazprom is such an 8 bazillion pound gorilla, and so politically well connected, why did it take them a whole year to purchase a $15 million company?

Financial Meltdown: The Conventional Wisdom

I was a comp lit major in undergrad and read a lot of Derrida in the original during the heyday of deconstructionism (the school of which Derrida was a doyen -- related to but not identical to postmodernism).

This is without doubt the silliest, most poorly thought out attempt to apply his theories I have ever seen, including everything my friends and I wrote in undergrad. Yikes!

Mythical Creatures: Unicorns and Libor

Mr. Mairs, I'd be interested to know the methodology, if it's not what Erik Salzman posted. Is it posted somewhere, maybe on BBA web site?

Which Candidate Will Get to Spend the $700 Billion?

Well-written, and certainly food for thought.

A quibble: I'm not convinced, Mr. Hutchinson, that a person of your evident intelligence and thoughtfulness really thinks that what is meant by "deregulation" is so "mysterious." You seem to understand "re-regulating everything" just fine by the end of your piece!

Maybe what's needed is not so much going back to the old regulatory framework pre-1999 as a new framework that will be flexible enough for today's markets but make it tough for bad actors to get away with gaming the system, or for compensation structures to reward actions that bring short-term personal reward out of proportion to the long-term risks, such as happened with mortgage securitization.

The Debate: McCain's Insane Mortgage Proposal

Let's try to remember that no one is suggesting anything as simplistic as raising taxes across the board, or cutting them across the board. Obama wants to cut taxes on everyone making under $200K and raise them on everyone above $250K, broadly speaking. Since current tax policies have disproportionately benefited the top 2% of Americans by income, something like this shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

After last night's performance I don't think it matters what McCain wants to do.

Why the Bailout Cannot Solve a Thing: Nobody Is Blaming the Right Culprit

Oh please. I have just about had it with people blaming the financial crisis on too many black people getting mortgages. I know I can't stop you from doing it, so I will just vent -- AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! At least our international readers will see that not all Americans are ignorant in this way.

The Biden-Palin Panderfest

Why does anyone care what memorized, regurgitated, disconnected talking points Palin came up with? It's obvious she has pretty much no understanding of economics or the financial crisis. And today the McCain camp is running around trying to explain away the fact that she said they agree with the proposed bankruptcy workout provisions, when in actuality McCain opposes them. She made this silly mistake because she has no understanding of what she is talking about,

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Billgls, you are confused. Not only is Franklin Raines not connected to the Obama campaign (this has been debunked for days if not weeks), but McCain's campaign manager was on Fannie's payroll just to provide access to McCain. The only reason anyone connected Raines to Obama is because they are both African-American.

From Newsweek:

Never mind the fact that Raines never actually advised Obama on anything. The real problem here is that McCain's campaign is swarming with 26 advisers or fundraisers who have lobbied for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac--including nearly a dozen who lobby right now. As the Washington Monthly's Steve Benen wrote last week, "one of McCain's top policy advisers, Charlie Black, was lobbyist for Freddie Mac for 10 years, while his campaign manager, Rick Davis, lobbied to help Fannie and Freddie steer clear of additional federal regulations [and earned $2 million in the process]... Tom Loeffler, who serves McCain's campaign co-chairman, also lobbied for Fannie Mae. Aquiles Suarez, a McCain economic adviser, was a Fannie Mae executive. Dan Crippen, a McCain adviser who helped craft the campaign's health-care policy, lobbied for Fannie Mae (and Merrill Lynch). Arthur B. Culvahouse, who helped lead McCain's VP search committee, also lobbied for Fannie Mae." According to former Fannie Mae executive William Maloni, "photographs of Sen. McCain's staff... loo[k] to me like the team of lobbyists who used to report to me." Without these ties--which are far more extensive than Obama's--McCain would have every right to say that associating with officials from troubled financial institutions is a sign of bad judgment. Again, it's not like Obama's hands are spotless. But with them, McCain offers Obama an otherwise unavailable opportunity to remind voters that McCain's own judgment--at least by McCain's own standards--is worse. So much for "no seat... at the table."

www.blog.newsweek.com/...

Predictions on Imclone's Suitors

Jeez. Is it not possible to disagree with Derek without calling him "incompetent" as well? What are your credentials?