Rumor has it the Microsoft Surface Tablet will launch at the end of October for $199. That means every unit sold would be a loss for Microsoft; they'd hope to make up the difference in sales of other things (apps, etc.). The same is done with Xbox and games, and I believe often with printers and ink (I think Kodak was trying to go the other way and failed - to charge more for the printer and less for the ink, which over the long run would be cheaper for consumers... but we're stupid).

Two headlines on Yahoo: 1) "U.S. economic growth slows to 1.5" (FYI, the US is still 3 times larger than China and 1.5x even after adjusting for buying power), and 2) "Facebook revenue growth skids, shares plunge" (They earned even more than last year but that's not good enough. Sell! Sell! Sell!).

Do people understand that you can't always grow by the same percentage forever?

Tired of being told you can't do something, even though that something isn't even that complicated? I take a look at this attitude in today's job market.

News regarding country debt has an impact on the stock market. Here's some good stuff to know including info on the Debt-to-GDP ratio.

Here's a link to a "Main Street" article that was featured on Yahoo! If you get rid of the dollar bill and only offer coins, the government would begin saving $500 million+ every year, starting in a few years. Do it. I know Americans want dollar bills, but it's getting less and less important to actually carry cash at all. It's time to save money.

Here's Obama's proposed 2011 Federal Budget in square form.

NY Times had an interactive thingy this weekend that you could tweak to see if you could balance the budget.

Here's an article that was featured on Yahoo! about naming companies. I've picked on random garbled letters before so I thought I should provide the link.

Read this story in the New York Times and you might also see the sappy movie potential. Down on their luck people getting kicked out of their homes (not houses, their HOMES!), and a down on his luck lawyer who used to work for the big bad mortgage banks. He salvages his own down on his luck life and takes on the bad guy banks, putting a nationwide stop to foreclosures. Redemption.

Or so the sappy movie goes.

Here's a quote from a USnews.com retirement advice article featured on Yahoo:

"A 55-year-old earning $80,000 a year could accumulate $444,610 by age 65 if he or she tucked away 27.5 percent of pay each year, according to recent T. Rowe Price calculations. The estimate assumes a 3 percent annual raise, a 3 percent employer 401(k) match, and 8 percent compounded annual returns."

What's the average salary of 55-year-olds? What's the average salary of 55-year-olds seeking to save for retirement? Maybe then you can get to that $80k salary number.

3% employer 401k match - this is probably high compared to what most people get. And most probably don't receive a match at all. (Granted, the article probably isn't meant for self-employed carpenters, but it just sounds so pretentious.)

8% annual returns?! Really? What planet are you on? What year is it for you? How on earth is that an honest or reasonable assumption to make?