A criminal information has been filed, charging Christopher Kennedy with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced.

According to the information, eBay, Inc. Maintains an advertising and promotion program, known as the eBay Partner Network (EPN), through which Web sites that display eBay advertisements are reimbursed for referrals. Under the EPN, eBay pays a referral fee to a Web site when an advertisement directs a Web user to the eBay Web site.

When that user accesses the eBay Web site, a text string of code (cookie) is deposited on the user’s computer. This cookie contains information identifying the referring Web site (EPN ID) and is used to track if and when the user returns to the eBay Web site.

A subsequent visit to the eBay Web site results in payment of a referral fee when the user engages in a revenue action, which occurs when the user utilizes eBay’s auction service. If multiple cookies are present on the user’s computer, which may occur if the user has clicked on several different advertisements before engaging in a revenue action, the most recently deposited cookie (and its corresponding affiliate Web site) is credited for any revenue action.

It is alleged in the information that Kennedy, a resident of Las Vegas, Nev., created a “cookie stuffing” program, known as “saucekit.” Cookie-stuffing is the act of depositing a cookie containing an affiliate Web site’s ID onto an individual’s computer without that individual having clicked on an advertisement or link.

“A cookie (also tracking cookie, browser cookie, and HTTP cookie) is a small piece of text stored on a user’s computer by a web browser. A cookie consists of one or more name-value pairs containing bits of information.

The cookie is sent as an HTTP header by a web server to a web browser and then sent back unchanged by the browser each time it accesses that server. A cookie can be used for authentication, session tracking (state maintenance), storing site preferences, shopping cart contents, the identifier for a server-based session, or anything else that can be accomplished through storing textual data.” [1]

As text, cookies are not executable. Because they are not executed, they cannot replicate themselves and are not viruses. Due to the browser mechanism to set and read cookies, they can be used as spyware. Anti-spyware products may warn users about some cookies because cookies can be used to track people or violate privacy concerns.

Cookie-stuffing occurs when an individual visits an affiliate Web site or Web page, such as an eBay auction page, and, without clicking on an advertisement or link (and in some cases, without ever seeing an advertisement), a cookie containing the affiliate Web site’s EPN ID is placed onto the individual’s computer. The cookie remains on that individual’s computer for a period of time and, if that individual engages in a revenue action, eBay credits the affiliate.

As a result, eBay pays referral fees to an affiliate, even though the individual who visited the affiliate Web site or Web page had not been referred to eBay by that Web site or Web page. In this way, eBay pays its affiliates fees to which they are not entitled. It is also alleged that Kennedy sold the saucekit program through his Web site, www.saucekit.com, from January 2009 to November 2009.

The maximum statutory penalty for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation 18 U.S.C. § 371 is five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Hanley Chew is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lauri Gomez. The charges are the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.

Please Note: An information contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Mr.

“The Mass Save Great Appliance Exchange is the latest example of the Commonwealth’s use of federal Recovery dollars to lower household energy costs, cut energy waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “I am delighted that launching this program will be part of our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.”

Earth Day is a day to promote awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. It is on 22 April. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. The first Earth Day was in 1970. Earth Day is spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

The United Nations celebrates Earth Day each year on the March equinox, which is often 20 March. This is a tradition which was founded by peace activist John McConnell in 1969. The United Nations first celebrated Earth Day on the March equinox in 1971. This was also the first time ever that the United Nations celebrated Earth Day. The Earth Day on the March equinox was also in 1970. Earth Day is similar to World Environment Day.[1]

“Through the assistance and support of federal stimulus funds, we encourage our residents to use this state rebate program as a resource to help them cut costs and save money for their household needs while also promoting energy efficiency and protecting the environment,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allocated $6.2 million to Massachusetts to administer an Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program designed to spur significant household energy savings by taking high energy consuming home appliances out of commission and replacing them with qualified ENERGY STAR models.

“Swapping electricity-guzzling refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers and dishwashers for super-efficient new ones will cut energy use across the state, saving consumers money on monthly utility bills for years to come, while protecting our environment through lower energy use,” said Secretary Bowles.

EEA’s Department of Energy Resources (DOER) estimates that 27,000 inefficient appliances will be taken out of service as a result of the program, meaning Massachusetts residents will use 2.6 million fewer kilowatt hours of electricity annually – the annual equivalent of eliminating 4.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide and enough energy to power 340 households for one year. This program is being administered by the DOER in partnership with retailers, utilities and energy efficiency service providers.

“This program is a benefit to both consumers and the environment,” said Barbara Anthony, the Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. “Buying a big household appliance is a big financial decision for families, especially during our economic recovery. This program provides a great incentive for consumers to make that purchase, and do it in a positive way for the environment.”

Initial instructions for taking part in the Massachusetts program – dubbed the “Mass Save Great Appliance Exchange” – are now posted at www.masssave.com/gax. By visiting the site, consumers can obtain an overview of the rebate process. In coming weeks, the site will include a list of refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer and freezer models that will be eligible for the rebate in April. The program will continue as long as rebate supplies last, on a “first come, first served” basis.

To ensure that the process is managed fairly, consumers will be required to make an advance reservation via www.masssave.com/gax. Eligible consumers will also be required to turn in their inefficient appliances. Returned appliances must be working when exchanged for more efficient models, and, once returned, will be taken out of service. Only Massachusetts residents will be eligible for these rebates.

A final, searchable list of eligible appliance models and other details of the Mass Save Great Appliance Exchange, including rebate amounts for each appliance type and how to participate, will be posted on www.masssave.com/gax on March 22.

“These rebates are the proverbial offer you can’t refuse. They’re incentives that will help consumers across Massachusetts save money, make their homes energy efficient, and protect our environment. This is exactly the kind of investment we intended when we passed the Recovery Act and the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day is the perfect time to start such an initiative,” said Senator John Kerry.

“Massachusetts families continue to be squeezed by rising medical, education and energy costs. This rebate program puts federal Recovery Act funds to use assisting households in purchasing efficient every-day appliances that will reduce energy costs for families while also reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources and protecting our environment. I applaud the Commonwealth’s kick-off of this program on Earth Day,” said Congressman John F. Tierney.

“This federal recovery-funded program comes on the heels of our recent announcement of unprecedented energy efficiency investments under the Green Communities Act that make Massachusetts the national leader in commitment to energy efficiency and will result in $6 billion in savings to ratepayers over the next three years,” DOER Commissioner Phil Giudice said. “Taken together, all of these efforts move us closer to meeting Governor Patrick’s nation-leading goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save on energy costs and build our clean energy economy.”

Investment in energy efficiency is a critical component of Governor Patrick’s Massachusetts Recovery Plan, which combines state, federal and, where possible, private efforts to provide immediate and long-term relief and position the Commonwealth for recovery in the following ways:

Deliver immediate relief by investing in the road, bridge and rail projects that put people to work today and providing safety net services that sustain people who are especially vulnerable during an economic crisis;

Build a better tomorrow through education and infrastructure investments that strengthen our economic competitiveness, prepare workers for the jobs of the future, and support clean energy, broadband, and technology projects that cut costs while growing the economy; and Reform state government by eliminating the pension and ethics loopholes that discredit the work of government and revitalize the transportation networks that have suffered from decades of neglect and inaction.

Photo by David Paul Ohmer. All Rights Reserved.

Governor Deval Patrick today announced that the Commonwealth’s bond ratings have been affirmed by the three major rating agencies, all of whom cited the Governor’s responsible and proactive stewardship of the Commonwealth’s finances during the current economic downturn as a leading credit strength.

Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s all affirmed the Commonwealth’s credit ratings at AA, Aa2, and AA, respectively, with a stable outlook.
“It is welcome news today that the ratings agencies have again affirmed our AA bond rating,” said Governor Patrick.

“The Fitch Group (technically, Fitch, Inc.) is a financial corporation whose divisions include Fitch Solutions, an advisory firm offering products and services to the financial industry, established in January 2008 partly following the criticism on Rating Agencies; Algorithmics Inc., the risk management software vendor and research firm; and Fitch Ratings, Ltd.

Fitch Ratings is an international credit rating agency dual-headquartered in New York City and London. It was one of the three Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSRO) designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 1975, together with Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.

The firm was founded by John Knowles Fitch on December 24, 1913 in New York City as the Fitch Publishing Company. It merged with London-based IBCA Limited in December 1997, and is majority-owned by Fimalac (From the French Wikipedia: Fimalac), a French holding company. In 2000 Fitch acquired both Chicago-based Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. (April) and Thomson Financial BankWatch (December).

Fitch is the smallest of the “big three” NRSROs, covering a more limited share of the market than S&P and Moody’s, though it has grown with acquisitions and frequently positions itself as a “tie-breaker” when the other two agencies have ratings similar, but not equal, in scale.”[1]

“Maintaining this rating allows us to make critical investments in our schools, roads and bridges, and housing while saving taxpayers money. We will continue to manage state finances in a fiscally responsible way, as we have throughout these challenging times, in order to maintain our rating and our ability to make much-needed investments.”

“The re-affirmation of the Commonwealth’s AA bond rating cites our administration’s active and responsible management of the state’s finances during very challenging fiscal times,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. “This rating also demonstrates that our administration has been a good fiscal steward of the taxpayers’ money as we continue to support critical investments in our Commonwealth’s future.”

Moody’s cites as the first credit strength of the Commonwealth, “Effective management during economic downturns, with a willingness and ability to promptly identify and close gaps through use of both new revenues and spending reductions.”

A number of states have seen their credit rating downgraded over the last two years, as the global recession impacts state revenue collections and leaders are forced to respond. Moody’s has downgraded states, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio and Rhode Island, with an additional 6 states placed on negative watch. Over the same period, Fitch has downgraded California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Rhode Island, and placed an additional four states on negative outlook. At the same time, Massachusetts has maintained its positive bond rating with a stable outlook, thanks to the successful budget management of the Governor and the Legislature.

“The key is that the Governor and the Legislature have worked together to address this unprecedented fiscal downturn in a prudent way,” said Senate Ways and Means Chairman Senator Steven Panagiotakos. “And because of that, the rating agencies have confidence in our ability to properly handle this economic crisis into the future.”

“Just as a good credit score is important to families across Massachusetts who might be seeking a mortgage, a strong bond rating allows the state to borrow and finance at reduced rates,” said Charles Murphy, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. “Today’s news confirms that the decisions we have made over the past year, while difficult, have been in the best interests of the Commonwealth.”

In affirming the Commonwealth’s bond rating, Fitch acknowledges the Governor’s “record of prudent financial management” and says its “key rating driver” is the Governor’s “continued timely action to ensure budget balance and maintenance of an adequate budgeted reserve position to protect against further downside risk.”

Standard & Poor’s explains that its stable outlook for the Commonwealth reflects the Administration’s “proactive approach to managing budget volatility throughout this recession. Revenue adjustments have been frequent and gap-closing actions have been swift, successfully restoring balance. While diminished, the budget stabilization fund retains a balance that will continue to provide flexibility to manage the current fluid revenue environment.”

Working collaboratively with the Legislature, the Governor has solved budget shortfalls totaling billions of dollars since the recession began.

“The rating affirmations are a testament to the Governor’s continued responsible fiscal management of state finances, particularly during these unprecedented challenging times,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez. “While other states have been downgraded or have been placed on negative watch, Massachusetts continues to earn approval for its management. This means we can continue to make critical investments at a lower cost to taxpayers, creating new jobs and securing our economic future.”

Each of the three agencies note that while the state budget during the economic downturn has relied in part on Rainy Day Funds, we have maintained a healthy balance. Moody’s notes that in Massachusetts, “a larger portion of those reserves are still available compared to other large states at this rating level. While the reserve is significantly depleted from a peak of $2.3 billion at the close of fiscal 2007, it is still sizeable enough to provide a cushion against future revenue shortfalls and unforeseen spending needs.”

The Commonwealth has upheld an ‘AA’ bond rating on its General Obligation Bonds throughout the unprecedented global economic downturn. Rating agencies conduct independent assessments of the Commonwealth’s creditworthiness based on relevant risk factors. The Commonwealth’s ratings are based on its ability to repay fully the principal and interest of its short-term or long-term debt obligations, on a timely basis.

For General Obligation bonds, ratings are based primarily on four main factors: the economy, the issuer’s financial position, the issuer’s current and future debt burden, and financial management.

Today, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation hosted a press conference to discuss the top five scams that confronted consumers in 2009. Along with information from our office, the Better Business Bureau, Attorney General’s Office and Federal Trade Commission shared their top five lists this morning. This was part of our effort to inform and educate the public during National Consumer Protection Week.

Barbara Anthony, Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation said, “Topping our list of consumer issues is Home Improvement Contracting. While our office only took over regulation of contractors last July, we have already received enough complaints to make it our most prevalent consumer issue.

The next two categories of complaints on our list were regarding auto insurance and health insurance; complaints usually came in the form of issues with claims and general questions about benefits. In addition, we received enough calls from consumers regarding Lemon Law and foreclosure assistance issues in 2009 to make them number four and five on our list.

Lemon laws are American state laws that provide a remedy for purchasers of cars that repeatedly fail to meet standards of quality and performance. These cars are called lemons. The federal lemon law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) protects citizens of all states. State lemon laws vary by state and may not necessarily cover used or leased cars. The rights afforded to consumers by lemon laws may exceed the warranties expressed in purchase contracts. Lemon law is the common nickname for these laws, but each state has different names for the laws and acts.

In California, lemon laws cover anything mechanical, as do the federal lemon laws. The federal lemon law also provides that the warranter may be obligated to pay the prevailing party’s attorney fees in a successful lemon law suit, as do most state lemon laws.
Also from the television series How i Met Your Mother The “Lemon Law” is a rule when on a first date the couple has five minutes to decide if they want to commit to a whole night, or leave the date.[1]

The sometimes destructive results of scams hit home today when speakers who were directly affected by some of our top complaints spoke at the press conference. Raymond DiCiaccio (photo right, with a check from the Guaranty Fund), a consumer from Attleboro, spoke about his experience when he hired a contractor who left fully paid without finishing the job. After going through the Office of Consumer Affairs, Mr. DiCiaccio received $10,000 from our Guaranty Fund, helping him recover some of the money he would have lost.”

According to a reported CBS POLL asking:
“What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?”

America answered:

Economy/Jobs 52%
Health care 13%
Budget deficit/National debt 4%
War/Iraq/Afghanistan 3%
Big government/Bureaucracy 3%
Defense/Military 2%
Other 19%
Unsure 4%

Another consumer, Patricia Gordon, also spoke today about her experience with our fourth most prevalent issue, Lemon Law complaints. Ms. Gordon, after months of back-and-forth with her auto dealer, won in arbitration through our office and was eligible to receive a refund on her newly purchased used car that clearly turned out to be a “lemon.”

While our partner’s top complaints extended to issues with identity theft, new-automobile dealers, and time share resellers, there was certainly one common theme: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Our goal this morning was to educate consumers in Massachusetts and with the help of our partners who shared tips and the consumers that told their stories, I hope that throughout the state, consumers will be more aware of the issues they face daily and the vast amount of resources at their disposal.

There is a connection between fiat currencies and trade deficits, and many cynics have argued that the US dollar’s status as global reserve currency allowed Americans to consume more than they produced for decades. However, this “deficit without tears” argument is sometimes overstated. To gain a deeper understanding of both monetary theory and international trade, it’s useful to probe the issue more carefully.

Does Fiat Money Cause Trade Deficits?

In his book, The Creature from Jekyll Island, G. Edward Griffin is rightfully suspicious of the American trade deficit and the US dollar’s special role in the world since World War II. He explains,

When the dollar was separated entirely from gold in 1971, it ceased being the official IMF world currency and finally had to compete with other currencies.… From that point forward, its value increasingly became discounted. Nevertheless, it was still the preferred medium of exchange. Also, the U.S. was one of the safest places in the world to invest one’s money. But, to do so, one first had to convert his native currency into dollars. These facts gave the U.S. dollar greater value on international markets than it otherwise would have merited. So, in spite of the fact that the Federal Reserve was creating huge amounts of money during this time, the demand for it by foreigners was seemingly limitless. The result is that America has continued to finance its trade deficit with fiat money — counterfeit, if you will — a feat which no other nation in the world could hope to accomplish.

“The term fiat money is used to mean:

any money declared by a government to be legal tender.

state-issued money which is neither legally convertible to any other thing, nor fixed in value in terms of any objective standard.

The term derives from the Latin fiat, meaning “let it be done”. Where fiat money is used as currency, the term fiat currency is used. Today, most national currencies are fiat currencies, including the US dollar, the euro, and all other reserve currencies.[1]”

“Griffin then explains the benefits to Americans from this arrangement. After all, it’s not too shabby to import cars, clothes, and fancy electronics in exchange for green pieces of paper. Yet all is not bliss:

There is a dark side to the exchange, however. As long as the dollar remains in high esteem as a trade currency, America can continue to spend more than it earns. But when the day arrives — as it certainly must — when the dollar tumbles and foreigners no longer want it, the free ride will be over. When that happens, hundreds of billions of dollars that are now resting in foreign countries will quickly come back to our shores as people everywhere in the world attempt to convert them into yet more real estate, factories, and tangible products.… As this flood of dollars bids up prices, we will finally experience the [price] inflation that should have been caused in years past. (p. 94, emphasis in original)
So far, I am largely in agreement with Griffin. But then he oversteps, or at least appears to, when he concludes,

The chickens will come home to roost. But, when they do, it will not be because of the trade deficit. It will be because we were able to finance the trade deficit with fiat money created by the Federal Reserve. If it were not for that, the trade deficit could not have happened. (p. 94, emphasis in original)

It’s not clear whether Griffin thinks the trade deficit would have been literally zero if the United States had used gold as money throughout the 20th century, or (more likely) if Griffin merely means that in practice the trade deficit would have been much smaller.

Regardless of Griffin’s particular stance, there are definitely some members of the sound-money community who believe that trade deficits would literally be impossible if all countries were on a gold standard. That’s incorrect, as I’ll argue in the next section. After that, I will reconcile my own demonstration with Griffin’s quite valid linking of the fiat US dollar with unsustainable American trade deficits.

Gold Doesn’t Prevent Trade Deficits

One quick way to see a puzzle in Griffin’s analysis above is that the reasons for the appeal of the US dollar would only be enhanced by a return to gold. Griffin says that foreigners still esteemed the dollar over other currencies, and that the US was the safest place to invest money. If the Treasury or Fed credibly announced that henceforth the dollar would once again be redeemable for a fixed weight of gold, surely investors would flock to it even more so. It would be much safer to buy a government or even corporate bond issued in the United States knowing that the gold standard would restrain further dollar creation.

When economists compute the trade balance (or more accurately the current account), they don’t include the sale of financial assets. So if foreign investors want to spend more (once we convert to a common denominator) on American assets than US investors want to spend on foreign assets, the trade balance is negative. The capital-account surplus is counterbalanced by a current-account deficit.

For example, suppose Americans buy $9.5 trillion in stocks, bonds, and other financial assets from outside the United States, while non-Americans acquire ownership of $10 trillion worth of stocks, bonds, and other financial assets from within the United States. This means the foreigners have on net gained $500 billion of American wealth. Surely the foreigners need to do something in return, and indeed they do: they send Americans $500 billion worth of cars, TVs, iPods, etc.

Tying the dollar to gold, or, better yet, abolishing the government’s involvement in money and banking completely, would make the United States an even stronger magnet for foreign investment. It’s possible that the absolute size of the trade deficit would fall (as we will explain in the next section), but it wouldn’t disappear.

In fact, if the US government not only returned the dollar to gold, but also eliminated the IRS and slashed its budget, it’s possible that the US trade deficit would mushroom. This would make perfect sense, as capital from around the world would flow to the new haven where its (after-tax) returns would be much higher.

In this scenario, aliens in space would see tractors, computers, factory parts, bulldozers, and crude oil flowing from all corners of the earth to the United States. If those aliens understood trade accounting, they would compute this massive net inflow of goods as an unprecedented trade deficit. But of course that is exactly what should happen if the United States (or any country) adopted free-market reforms and thereby became a much more hospitable arena for economic activity.

Why Griffin Is Basically Correct

Even though a few of Griffin’s sentences might lead one to draw faulty conclusions, nonetheless Griffin’s analysis is basically correct. All we really did in the above section was show that a large trade deficit can be consistent with a healthy, productive economy. That’s far different from saying a trade deficit is proof of a solid arrangement.

Specifically, the problem occurs because foreigners can invest in “American assets” to fuel either production or consumption. It’s true, if the US government enacted the reforms discussed above, then foreigners would invest heavily in American industry. Corporations would float new bonds and issue new stock, and with the influx of funds they could rapidly expand their operations. In terms of physical goods, we would see heavy equipment and raw materials flowing from other countries into the United States, and these inflows of capital goods would constitute a large part of the rising trade deficit.

Unfortunately, there is another possibility. If the Federal Reserve creates hundreds of billions in new dollars out of thin air, and the foreign “investors” are other central banks that gobble up the dollars because their own rules treat them as reserves, then this increase in the foreign demand for “American assets” is of a much-different character.

In particular, the low US interest rates that accompany such a gusher of new dollars will encourage domestic consumption and will discourage foreigners in the private sector from investing in the United States. The rest of the world will acquire American assets all right, but they will be more heavily tilted toward debt (rather than equity in growing companies). The physical goods flowing into the United States will be consumer goods such as TVs and iPods.

Griffin is perfectly correct that this type of mushrooming trade deficit is indeed unsustainable. Unlike the importation of tractors and crude oil, the influx of consumer electronics doesn’t allow the US economy to produce more in the future.

The increase in foreign claims on US income streams therefore isn’t a constant or shrinking portion of the growing American pie, but rather is a growing portion of a constant pie. It can be sustainable for the absolute dollar amount of US corporations’ outstanding bonds to increase over time, so long as earnings and profits increase proportionately. But it is not sustainable if households and the government experience a rising debt-to-income level.

Conclusion

There is a definite connection between fiat currencies and trade deficits. Critics of the Federal Reserve are right to blame it for distorting trade flows and setting the US economy up for an inflationary crash. However, a trade deficit per se is not a sign of a bad economy. Indeed the trade deficit might blossom if the US ever returned to the gold standard, though it would be due to a productive net inflow of producer goods.

Story Contributed in part by Economist Robert P. Murphy.

“In the United States alone, consumers spent about US $110 billion on fast food in 2000 (which increased from US$6 billion in 1970). The National Restaurant Association forecasted that fast food restaurants in the U.S. would reach US$142 billion in sales in 2006, a 5% increase over 2005. In comparison, the full-service restaurant segment of the food industry is expected to generate $173 billion in sales. Fast food has been losing market share to fast casual dining restaurants, which offer more robust and expensive cuisines.”

Economist Jeffrey Tucker is reporting that, “McDonald’s (NASDAQ:MCD) reported sales increases of 4.8 last month. Most of the increases are overseas but it is no surprise that its domestic sales are solid as can be.

Their new coffees, which now include frozen drinks, are a close competitor to Starbucks, and in buying them you don’t have to endure a lecture about how you are doing your part to save the planet.

For breakfast, you can get a traditional biscuit or croissant with sausage or move into the new line that includes a fruit parfait for a buck (how is this possible?) or an apple-walnut salad. This stuff is amazing.

And I would compare their Angus burger next to any hamburger in a fancy restaurant that costs twice as much.

This is a company that knows how to market, how to adapt, how to change. And in my town, the McDonald’s is the happiest place around. They offer wi-fi and smiling employees who are quick with a quip and a smile. The place is full of energy and life and is teeming with the sense of progress.

Meanwhile, Burger King’s sales slipped 8.2% in January and February. Corporate headquarters blames bad weather. They ought to be looking more carefully at their menu. They are only now catching up to the wonderful Angus Burger with a new offering called a steakburger or something like that. But even now, they lack the coffees and fruity breakfast choices.

Still, there is something to admire about both companies. They are responsive to the consumer, and the employees at both places must deal with the most demanding consumers you can imagine. If only one thing goes wrong, they are going to hear about it. People demand more ketchup than they will use, fill up their drinks eight times, and start yelling if the meal they ordered doesn’t appear in 10 seconds.

To be sure, there is a strange way in which Burger King is the benefactor of McDonalds and visa versa. The existence of competition inspires emulation (good!) and the striving for excellence (good!) and an overall increase in the demand for the product they both offer. So, yes, they are competitors but they are also cooperators in a great industry.

It always amazes me how demanding Americans can be toward private enterprise. Everything must be 100% correct or the customer flips out. But put these same people in line at the post office or the customs line at the airport and they become complacent slaves doing everything they are told. They don’t even complain about it.

It’s as if our expectations are different and we are okay with that. We expect the government to be slow, rude, abusive, unreasonable, and unresponsive and we adapt ourselves to that and figure that this is what is necessary for security or the general welfare or whatever. We let them have our money and our lives and call it a day.

But when we enter private businesses, we have the opposite way about us. Everything must go our way. We suffer no fools. We demand to speak to the management right now! and so on. Yes, it is bizarre, but it is part of the socialization we endure in our mixed economic system. We live double lives – one for the real economy and one for the phony economy.

One nice step would be to at least allow the same level of competition in public services that we have in private services. Where is the McDonalds vs. the Burger King when it comes to the Customs Bureau or the Courthouse? It would not be a real market but at least it would interject some life into this static world of the public sector.

And yet, it remains as Mises said: there is no real competition without prices and private property. All the rest is just playing market. The burger companies are struggling every day to get ahead. It is a glorious thing to see, and a model for the way the entire world ought to work.”

Photo by Muffet. All Rights Reserved.

Everyone is talking about Josh Beckett’s recent performance. According to the Redsox Monster, “We’d like to take this moment to reintroduce you to Josh Beckett, resident curmudgeon on the Boston Red Sox.

Billed as a guy who’d prefer to take a sharp line drive through the wickets, he doesn’t smile. Ever. Nope, not this guy. He only slings fastballs and rotten tomatoes, the latter of which occur primarily during Dustin Pedroia karaoke performances. Seriously. You can look it up.”

BoSox Injection wrote, “With the incredible performance by Josh Beckett on Monday, I began to think about the history of Red Sox no-hitters. In the projected starting rotation to begin the 2010 season, 2 of the 5 pitchers have accomplished the feat in a Sox uniform, both while in their mid-20’s. Since 2000 there have only been 14 complete game no-hitters and 4 of those have been thrown by Red Sox pitchers.In that same span of time, only 2 other teams have had multiple no-hitters thrown, the Florida Marlins (2) and the Chicago White Sox (2).

Complete game no-hitters are one of the rarer feats in the game of baseball. It takes perfect command of all pitches, at least one spectacular defensive play, some luck, and pitch efficiency. Most pitchers would be happy to have one of those qualities on any given night, but Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester were able to deliver the complete package. The impressive string of no-hitters is a new phenomenon in Boston during the 21st century, after many years without this level of success.

Hideo Nomo’s complete game no-hitter on April 4th, 2001 was the first no-hitter for the Red Sox organization since 1965 when Dave Morehead no-hit the Cleveland Indians. On 84 different occasions during the 36-year drought, a major league pitcher threw a no-hitter. Those numbers point out how difficult and rare the accomplishment is and how impressive the Red Sox staff has been in the 21st century to have been witness to 29% of all the no-hitters thrown in the MLB.

In my mind, the most telling stat is that 2 of the 4 Red Sox complete game no-hitters since 2000 were thrown by 22 year-old Clay Buchholz and 24 year-old Jon Lester. It speaks volumes for the Red Sox scouting system and minor league development program that 2 extremely young pitchers can emerge on the major league scene and have the ability to immediately have a huge impact on the game. If you factor in former Red Sox farm-hand, Anibal Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter with the Marlins the year after being traded from the Sox at age 22, it is impossible to ignore the unrivaled success of the Red Sox system.

One of the many people behind the scenes helping to make the organization’s player development program a success is Ben Cherington. Many may remember his name from his brief stint as the co-GM of the Red Sox (with Jed Hoyer) when Theo Epstein stepped down. Ben has been with the Sox organization since he was hired by everyone’s favorite GM, Dan Duquette in 1997 and has played a crucial role in improving and growing the player development program for the Red Sox. His vision and commitment guided the program to new, unthinkable heights.

After Cherington was promoted to VP of Player Personnel in 2006, Mike Hazen came over from the Indians organization to fill Cherington’s role as the Director of Player Development and has continued to improve the already high standard of excellence. The Red Sox minor league system is always stocked with talent, as are many other organizations, but very few are able to continually produce the type of young talent that is ready to succeed at the major league level when called upon.

Of the 39 players on the current Red Sox active roster, 14 (36%) were drafted by the Red Sox over the past 10 years. Of those 14 players, 8 or 9 will most likely start the year with the Sox, with the potential for 1 or 2 more to make an appearance at some point during the season, or at least after September 1st when rosters expand. These players have developed the skills in the minor league system to not only be able to contribute at the major league level, but also to succeed in the big leagues.

The number of complete game no-hitters a team has thrown is not the most scientific or accurate way to determine whether the team will be successful or not, but it certainly shows a strong commitment to excellence beginning with scouting and continuing through to the majors. The Red Sox staff has done a stellar job in all facets of the player development and consequently has made the entire organization stronger, from A-ball onward. After years of success, there is no end in sight, thanks to the hard work of the Red Sox staff.”

Photo by Yogma. All Rights Reserved.

Michael Finley has had a great career landing positions with some of the best in the league. In San Antonio he adapted well to a secondary role as Manu Ginóbili’s backup, developing and emphasizing his outside shooting. The Spurs were knocked out of the 2006 NBA Playoffs by his former team one year after he made the switch.

During the series, Finley was punched below the belt by former teammate Jason Terry during Game 5, which earned Terry a suspension for the next game of the series.

In the fifth and final game of San Antonio’s first-round series against Denver in 2007, Finley set the Spurs’ record for three-point field goals in a playoff game, making eight of nine attempts. He eclipsed the previous record of seven set by teammate Bruce Bowen in 2003.

Finley won an NBA championship in 2007 with the San Antonio Spurs in his 12th NBA season. He was given the “game ball” by his teammates, and specifically mentioned in post-game interviews by Robert Horry and Tim Duncan. Out of the original trio from the Dallas Mavericks, he became the first to achieve a title, surpassing the 2006–07 NBA MVP Nowitzki and previous two-time MVP Nash.

At Finley’s request, the Spurs bought out the final year of his contract and waived him on March 1, 2010, freeing him to sign with another team.

According to Hardwood Houdini, “Earlier this week the San Antonio Spurs released veteran swingman Michael Finley. It is now three days later and he is now about to join the team that many compare with the Spurs, the Boston Celtics. Yesterday on WEEI Celtics GM Danny Ainge mentioned that he was interested in pursuing Finley. Today he pursued him and now, according to multiple sources, Finley is headed to Boston.

Via Chris Forsberg (ESPN Boston):

The Celtics agreed to a deal Thursday with free agent swingman Michael Finley, bringing the 15-year veteran to Boston in a move aimed at bolstering the team’s roster for the stretch run.

“It’s official now,” Finley told ESPN.com on Thursday afternoon after verbally committing to Boston. “I’m soon to be a Celtic.”

You heard the man, it is official. It seems as though Finley is excited to join this storied franchise and hopefully he can be a much needed positive presence in the locker room. Finley is in his 15th season in the league and holds a 15.9 points per game average. It is clear that Finley is on the down-slope of his career (3.7 ppg this season) but the Celtics hope he can add some insurance to the already deep bench.

As for what I think, I’m stuck wondering what his role on this team is going to be. In all reality his minutes are going to be very limited behind Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Marquis Daniels, and Tony Allen. The only thing that I can come up with is that he is going to be a nice addition to the locker room and insurance in the case of (dare I say it)… injuries.”

Source: Hardwood Houdini

For more great Celtic stories please visit Hardwood Houdini.

The compositions won’t be breaking any boundaries or blowing any minds, but they do achieve that pleasing catchiness that makes it easy to nod the head and wait for the enjoyable payoffs. Coons’ vocals and strums are accompanied by guitar, bass, and drums that create a young rock vibe, bringing rhythms and solos that lift the tunes from pure bedroom sap.

Coons also brings a playful feel to his work through ever-grinning photos and a generally silly tone on his website and press materials. He’s admitting his youth, but this behooves him with its insistence on casual enjoyment and relaxed abandonment to pop. His cover of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” nicely sets the tone, in that the song itself is inarguably pleasing; listeners are then ready for the presentation of his singing style and general boy-and-his-guitar-ness.

Tracks like “Legs” and “Boxing the Cold” bring guitar pop if that genre ever existed, and it’s soon clear that Coons can write himself a melody. In the end, he comes off as a good pop guarantee — he does soft but not too sappy, rockin’ but not too loud. He’ll make your head bop shamelessly unless the cheese factor makes you puke first. -Review by Knocks From the Underground.

“Jer hit the ground running in 2009, with an impressive batch of new songs earning him comparisons to a younger John Mayer, or an older Nick Jonas (the talented Jonas Brother) and everything else in between. Jer and his live performances are better than virtually all singer songwriters for several reasons:

He does not shop at Urban Outfitters trying to buy trendy things in an attempt to look ten years younger, because if he did look ten years younger, he would look like a ten year old

His backing band is better than the tapes Milli Vanilli used

He won most musical in his high school year book

And boy, can this kid write a pop song.

Armed with drop dead catchy melodies, boyish good looks and a charm equal to or greater than Paris Hilton, Jer is poised for national recognition during the coming year. In the meantime, look for Jer Coons on a crowded street near you. His debut LP “Speak” drops September 29th and you can hear his song “Legs” playing in all Hollister stores.”