A long-standing trade dispute between the U.S. and the EU, if not resolved soon, will soon lead to higher tariffs on imported goods from Europe, according to the WSJ. The levies, as they often do, fall hardest on the most vulnerable and delicious of victims.
Perhaps no group is as worried as fans of Roquefort, the only item on which the duty rate is slated to rise to 300%. (The rest are bracketed to rise to 100%.)
Cowgirl Creamery of Point Reyes Station, Calif., has ordered 30 extra wheels of Roquefort, said co-founder Sue Conley. The company began carrying more domestic cheeses last year, when the euro gained strength against the dollar, and Ms. Conley has several domestic alternatives to Roquefort in mind.
I don't know if I even like Roquefort that much, and I guess switching to domestic products is sort of the whole idea of a tariff, but a 300% tax on cheese just seems unfair. What did cheese ever do to us (minor intestinal disruptions notwithstanding)? I personally am rushing out the door right now to stock up on my beloved English cheddar and Italian mozzarella, before the goatied foody hoardes beat me to it.
31 March 2009
New Fave Trend: Gossipy WSJ Articles
Ever since the credit crisis began, the gossip factor of the WSJ articles chronicling it has been rising steadily. From the inner workings of Vikram Pandit's twisted mind to Timothy Geithner's private pain, the WSJ is there to dramatize every moment. Just one example of many: today's article about the automotive restructuring, Detroit's Fate Sealed in West Wing.
In this riveting piece, master storytellers Monica Landley and Neal E. Boudette take us from the hallowed halls of Washington to a dingy Northwest terminal in Detroit. Opening in a "windowless, ornate room", the tale is pure suspense from beginning to end. A selection from later in the piece:
Late in the afternoon, the two executives hurried to the airport and boarded a Northwest flight bound for Detroit. It was a far cry from the days when they flew the corporate jets GM operated out of its own small terminal at the Detroit airport.
They settled into the last row in first class, Mr. Henderson taking the window and Mr. Wagoner the aisle. As the Airbus 319 lifted off, Mr. Henderson occupied himself with the day's newspaper, Mr. Wagoner with reports. The two men said little to each other throughout the one-hour-and-36-minute flight.
Oooooh. You can really feel the tension. And the line harkening back to the days of corporate jets and private terminals? Sentimental gold. I can hardly wait for the next installment!
In this riveting piece, master storytellers Monica Landley and Neal E. Boudette take us from the hallowed halls of Washington to a dingy Northwest terminal in Detroit. Opening in a "windowless, ornate room", the tale is pure suspense from beginning to end. A selection from later in the piece:
Late in the afternoon, the two executives hurried to the airport and boarded a Northwest flight bound for Detroit. It was a far cry from the days when they flew the corporate jets GM operated out of its own small terminal at the Detroit airport.
They settled into the last row in first class, Mr. Henderson taking the window and Mr. Wagoner the aisle. As the Airbus 319 lifted off, Mr. Henderson occupied himself with the day's newspaper, Mr. Wagoner with reports. The two men said little to each other throughout the one-hour-and-36-minute flight.
Oooooh. You can really feel the tension. And the line harkening back to the days of corporate jets and private terminals? Sentimental gold. I can hardly wait for the next installment!
25 March 2009
Mark your calendars, start your engines
April 2, 2009 is fast approaching. "Why should I care?" you ask naiively. For that is the day that TopShop FINALLY opens in NYC, of course!
New York - Topshop USA
I remember when I first heard that TopShop was coming to NYC. It was Summer 2006 and the announcement filled me with cheap chic visions and vintage fashion dreams. But month after month I waited.. and waited.. and I honestly began to doubt that TopShop would ever come. But, lo! The day is upon us! The hour is nigh! TopShop, ho!
New York - Topshop USA
I remember when I first heard that TopShop was coming to NYC. It was Summer 2006 and the announcement filled me with cheap chic visions and vintage fashion dreams. But month after month I waited.. and waited.. and I honestly began to doubt that TopShop would ever come. But, lo! The day is upon us! The hour is nigh! TopShop, ho!
12 March 2009
When did Twitter get so cool?
It seems like all of a sudden everyone is Twittering. Politicians, celebrities, journalists--you name it. Even old people like John McCain have jumped on the bandwagon. But there is one Twitterer who is clearly out-Tweeting his rivals. That man's name is Diddy:
[In] the past couple weeks Diddy has:
• Tweeted live during a tantric sex session (on the exact same day he reportedly hosted a Rihanna–Chris Brown reunion in his home).
• Taken a bubble bath while holding an Oscar.
• Enjoyed a ride in a stolen car with Jonah Hill and Hype Williams.
• Had a Twitter party to honor the memory of the Notorious B.I.G. on the twelve-year anniversary of his murder.
• Joined Jay Electronica in a 48-hour spiritual fast during which he could drink only natural juices.
This guy Twitters like non-stop. He has at least one tweet almost every hour (does he Twitter in his sleep?) and he's logged seven tweets in the past hour alone (mostly responses to fans). He's even got a Twitter alias--PTwitty. What is going ON????
[In] the past couple weeks Diddy has:
• Tweeted live during a tantric sex session (on the exact same day he reportedly hosted a Rihanna–Chris Brown reunion in his home).
• Taken a bubble bath while holding an Oscar.
• Enjoyed a ride in a stolen car with Jonah Hill and Hype Williams.
• Had a Twitter party to honor the memory of the Notorious B.I.G. on the twelve-year anniversary of his murder.
• Joined Jay Electronica in a 48-hour spiritual fast during which he could drink only natural juices.
This guy Twitters like non-stop. He has at least one tweet almost every hour (does he Twitter in his sleep?) and he's logged seven tweets in the past hour alone (mostly responses to fans). He's even got a Twitter alias--PTwitty. What is going ON????
Bristol Palin ends sham engagement
Shocker! Bristol Palin and "fiance" Levi Johnston have ended their "real, totally not-just-for-TV" relationship for good. People has it on good authority:
The split happened "a few weeks ago," according to a source close to the couple, but it's unclear what precipitated it. "It was a mutual thing," adds the source.
Typically I would be skeptical of information coming from a "source" close to the family, but since these people are pretty trashy it doesn't really surprise me that their good friends would be willing to discuss intimate details of their life with a tabloid. Also, who didn't see this breakup coming a mile away? Come on. And further: Alaska sucks. The end.
The split happened "a few weeks ago," according to a source close to the couple, but it's unclear what precipitated it. "It was a mutual thing," adds the source.
Typically I would be skeptical of information coming from a "source" close to the family, but since these people are pretty trashy it doesn't really surprise me that their good friends would be willing to discuss intimate details of their life with a tabloid. Also, who didn't see this breakup coming a mile away? Come on. And further: Alaska sucks. The end.
10 March 2009
Now, wait just a minute...
Imagine my surprise when I opened today's NYTimes Business section and discovered this headline: Stocks Rise on Upbeat Memo From Citigroup. "There must be some mistake," I thought. But no:
[Citi] turned a profit in the first two months of the year, and...its quarterly performance to date, before taxes and special items, was the best since the third quarter of 2007.
At about 2 p.m., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 292 points, or nearly 4.5 percent, while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index rose 5.2 percent — the biggest gains for the two market indices since late January.
Um.. what? How could this be? Just this morning I read not one but two scathing WSJ articles about how Citi is going down the shitter and that even Ken "lost $1.79 billion in the fourth quarter but hey we were profitable for the full year right?" Lewis is dissing on the ailing bank. Understandably, I'm more than a little suspicious about this upbeat news. After all, "special items" have been known to include everything from volcano insurance to crippling subprime losses. And despite the fact that Citi's stock "surged 23 percent in midmorning trading," 23% of $1 isn't much to brag about. So, Vikram, you've earned the pats on the back I'm sure you'll receive from many in your organization, but I wouldn't hold my breath for that bonus.
[Citi] turned a profit in the first two months of the year, and...its quarterly performance to date, before taxes and special items, was the best since the third quarter of 2007.
At about 2 p.m., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 292 points, or nearly 4.5 percent, while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index rose 5.2 percent — the biggest gains for the two market indices since late January.
Um.. what? How could this be? Just this morning I read not one but two scathing WSJ articles about how Citi is going down the shitter and that even Ken "lost $1.79 billion in the fourth quarter but hey we were profitable for the full year right?" Lewis is dissing on the ailing bank. Understandably, I'm more than a little suspicious about this upbeat news. After all, "special items" have been known to include everything from volcano insurance to crippling subprime losses. And despite the fact that Citi's stock "surged 23 percent in midmorning trading," 23% of $1 isn't much to brag about. So, Vikram, you've earned the pats on the back I'm sure you'll receive from many in your organization, but I wouldn't hold my breath for that bonus.
03 March 2009
OMG pink dolphin!
Spotted: a PINK dolphin! For realz!! Check this guy out:
Only three letters are appropriate here: O, M, and G. I mean, look at it--that isn't a pale shade of sorta, kinda pink; it is BRIGHT, flamingo, TOTALLY pink. Plus, it was found in a lake in Louisiana, which is bizarre in itself. Maybe he or she is donning the wild color in a late celebration of Mardi Gras, or maybe it simply wants to cheer us up during a bad recession. Whatever the reason, I stick by my original statement: OMG pink dolphin!
Only three letters are appropriate here: O, M, and G. I mean, look at it--that isn't a pale shade of sorta, kinda pink; it is BRIGHT, flamingo, TOTALLY pink. Plus, it was found in a lake in Louisiana, which is bizarre in itself. Maybe he or she is donning the wild color in a late celebration of Mardi Gras, or maybe it simply wants to cheer us up during a bad recession. Whatever the reason, I stick by my original statement: OMG pink dolphin!
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