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Quote of the Week

That reminds me of a puzzle!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Strange Businesses!

"To the Dogs" by Laura Stampler
TIME magazine
April 14, 2014



New businesses are being created that cater to the pet lover.  Many are modeled after other businesses that provide services to humans, such as the taxi service Uber.  One example is Swifto, an app that lets New York City residents book dog walkers and track the location of their dog while it is being walked.  People who use the service can get text messages that let them know when the walk starts and ends, and even receive "real-time poop alerts". 

Friday, May 2, 2014

Personal Finance is Fun!

Hello, everyone!
It sure has been an interesting week.
There is so much to learn about the world of Personal Finance!

Over Spring Break, we began to complete Everfi modules that educated us about this subject.  That was only the beginning, however!



Friday, April 11, 2014

Economic Indicators and the Business Cycle!

This is my second reflective post!  I hope it proves to be a good review of the week.

This week in Economics, we learned about Economic Indicators and the Business Cycle (see title of post).  Economic indicators give economists an idea of the well-being of an economy, and the business cycle shows the different stages economies go through and repeat over time.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Elasticity of Supply in the Tobacco Industry!

"A hazy future for tobacco"  (There were two sub-articles under this heading.)
"E-cigarettes grow popular, forcing farmers, firms to adjust" by Jay Price
The Daily Press
April 1, 2014


The tobacco industry is changing in a major way.  The profits of traditional cigarette companies have fallen at the advent of the e-cigarette.  Now, traditional cigarette companies are scrambling to keep up with the competition.  Many are choosing to to sell e-cigarettes of their own.  The company Lorillard purchased the e-cigarette company Blu for almost $135 million in 2012.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Suppliers Supplying Supply!

Hello all!  This is my first reflective blog post, so I hope you find it enjoyable and informative.  This week in Economics class, we learned about supply.  Supply is the willingness and ability of producers to offer their products for sale.  Supply can be illustrated as either a chart (schedule) or a curve.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Beef: High Demand, Low Supply

"Beef prices soar with drought" by Joe Taschler
The Daily Press
March 11, 2014


Recent droughts have decreased the national supply of beef, driving prices up.  In fact, the supply is the smallest it's been since 1951.  The average retail price for beef is now $5.04, the highest price in recorded history.  Usually, calves graze on grass, but drought requires farmers to find another food source.  According to Kevin Kester, "'Hay prices are just going through the roof.'"  Cattle producers have had to sell a lot of cattle.  This should have made meat prices lower, but the demand for beef and protein sources has gone up dramatically with the growth of the middle class around the world.  There is now a high demand for and a low supply of beef, so prices are very high.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Should the Minimum Wage be Raised?

"Wage Warrior" by Eliza Gray/Washington
TIME magazine
March 10, 2014


In recent weeks, the debate over the proposed raising of the federal minimum wage has grown more and more heated.  Proponents of an increased wage say that it would help to lift as many as 900,000 families out of poverty, but others argue that in doing so 500,000 jobs would be lost.  One of the most important protesters is Richard Berman (sometimes called Dr. Evil by his critics).  Even people (like David Card) who say the minimum wage would have little to no effect on employment think that raising the minimum wage is not the most effective way to combat poverty.