Good News Day!

For the first day in quite some time, I won't be reporting that the housing sector is stinking up the joint! In fact, there was a 5.3% increase in pending home sales for June! That number is still off by 12% from the previous year but we'll take small victories on the trail to recovery. More good news coming to us via Wallyworld. When they pulled their new store sales (stores opened for 1 year) out of the overall picture, they show a 3% increase for July. This is largely believed to be a result of consumers spending their government stimulus checks. Out of curiosity, how would one know that? I can't imagine consumers are cashing their checks at Wallyworld. I suppose you could associate the timing of the check delivery and the increase in sales but I think that's a stretch. Just my opinion.

One more bit of good news to report. Nestle, SA is showing a 6.1% increase in profit growth. They own such brands as Nescafe, Perrier and Jenny Craig. The company reports it grew in all areas except bottled water. Hey, when consumers run out of money tap water will do! I'd like to throw in my two cents and add that the Jenny Craig brand grew in areas other than profit. Seems Ms. Kirstie Alley has gone up about 6.1% in size as well! They have since fired her as their spokeswoman. Guess it's back to wearing tent coats and watching Cheers re-runs for her! Here's the deal (for those who now think me to be mean)...don't parade yourself around on TV and tell me that $350 worth of pre-packaged crap can change my life and then a year later you are back on the Ho Ho's! It's ok to be fat. Except that you love to eat. I do.

On a less controversial topic, go to the pump and fill up now. Light, sweet crude is rearing it's ugly head at $120 a barrel. It's not $140, but we all know that these oil giants use any excuse to pass higher prices on to the consumer. Perhaps instead of stimulus checks the government should have sent gas vouchers! Also reporting not so pretty numbers...unemployment. We are at the highest level of unemployment since March of 02. That's a six year high for the numbers challenged. I think Jenny Craig is hiring. Sorry. I'll stop.

Hollywood save me from the madness. Seems our little friend Morgan Freeman has been hiding a little secret. He and his wife of 24 years are calling it quits! I never understand this sort of thing. If you've put up with each other for 24 long years what could possibly break the back of this marriage?! Even if he cheated...he's almost 100, who cares! By the time he pays out he'll wish he had stayed the course. Lil' Kim had a birthday party and somebody ended up dead! Fresh outta jail, that girl cannot stay out of trouble! Police are not sure how the woman died but blunt force trauma is suspected. In case you haven't noticed (bcs I certainly have), blunt force trauma is the method of choice in most murders. Not that anyone needs that information but it's fact. In sad news, Brett Favre has been traded to the Jets. In better news, he's still hot and we'll watch him no matter where he plays!

I realize that I am quite feisty today. I apologize in advance. I will admit that I have eaten exactly 1.5 donuts thus causing overstimulation. I hope you have a great day!