VOL. 36 | NO. 38 | Friday, September 21, 2012
REAL ESTATE
August 2012 residential real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
REALTY CHECK
The German language includes the word “schadenfreude,” which is the act of deriving joy from the misfortunes of others. Schadenfreude has reached the Nashville community in epidemic proportions, especially as it pertains to residential real estate transactions.
TERRY McCORMICK
When the Tennessee Titans made the decision a month ago to start the season with Jake Locker at quarterback, it was clear that there would be some bumps in the road. Two weeks in, no one could have anticipated this many potholes.
NEWSMAKERS
Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC, Tennessee’s largest regional accounting and business consulting firm, has named Thomas Lewis as partner in charge of Security and Risk Services, one of LBMC’s fastest growing service lines.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
More and more lately, your office feels like an eighth-grade boys’ locker room.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Successfully managing a sales team takes a special touch, because great salespeople are wired differently than most. Their defining qualities – fearlessness and dogged determination – are what make them both stellar at closing business and, at times, a handful to manage.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
US Fed = Yes
ECB = Yes
US Government = Maybe
China = Unknown
Last week’s announcement of “unlimited” easing from the U.S. Fed combined with the “unlimited” easing announcement by the European Central Bank extended the global rally in everything but Treasuries.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
Every day, most of us sit and routinely use computers that are somehow connected to virtually every part of the planet we inhabit. Recently we have viewed events occurring as far away as Mars. And we do all this wirelessly. I suspect most of us do not question it, or even find it all that unusual, that we receive signals over long distances without any connecting wires. In view of this, maybe you won’t find it so unusual that signals also pass between and among human beings interacting with each other.
I SWEAR
Transitioning now, from the past four weeks of courtroom pleadings and testimony, to actual letters. Received by me. From 5th and 6th grade students who attended programs I presented in their schools or actual sessions at the courthouse.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
It’s been a while since I’ve featured a cooking quiz, so I think today is a good time to have one.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Health care company HCA is relocating the headquarters of two of its business units to midtown Nashville in a move that could bring as many as 2,000 jobs to one of the largest commercial office developments in the city's history.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A judge in Nashville has held Tennessee's voter identification statute constitutional.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The state attorney general's office is mailing claims forms to about 37,000 Tennesseans who may be eligible to receive a portion of a national mortgage foreclosure settlement.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rallied Thursday on Wall Street and appeared headed for their first gain of the week after Spain announced severe budget cuts intended to convince the world that it can meet deficit-reduction targets.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil is up more than $2 per barrel after three straight days of declines as weekly unemployment claims in the United States fell to their lowest level in two months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Thursday called the new Windows 8 operating system scheduled for release next month "a very exciting new product" and "a very big deal" for the world's largest software maker.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell again to new record lows. The decline suggests the Federal Reserve's stimulus efforts may be having an impact on mortgage rates.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at an even more sluggish pace in the April-June quarter than previously believed as farm production in the Midwest was reduced by a severe drought.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy previously occupied homes fell in August from a two-year high in July.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits plunged 26,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 359,000, a hopeful sign for the job market. It's the lowest level of weekly applications in nine weeks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Demand for long-lasting manufactured goods plunged in August because of a huge drop in volatile commercial aircraft orders. But in a hopeful sign, orders that reflect business investment plans rose.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Mattress company Tempur-Pedic is buying rival Sealy for about $228.6 million in cash.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With college enrollment growing, student debt has stretched to a record number of U.S. households — nearly 1 in 5 — with the biggest burdens falling on the young and poor.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard University's endowment shrunk slightly during the last fiscal year to $30.7 billion, but the Ivy League school remains the wealthiest in the nation.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Barbara Boxer of California say five major rental car companies have agreed to stop leasing and selling vehicles under safety recalls.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson are among the first performers announced for this year's Country Music Association Awards.
NASHVILLE (AP) - George Strait is getting ready to park his tour bus.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit to block Standard Parking Corp.'s acquisition of Central Parking Corp.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - Two Hot Springs hospitals have signed a merger agreement that would put them both under Capella Healthcare.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gaylord Entertainment Company shareholders have approved a plan to reorganize as a real estate investment trust and turn over management of its four resort properties to Marriot International Inc.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sales of new homes in the United States dipped slightly in August from July but the median price of homes sold during the month rose by a record amount.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A survey of U.S. chief executives shows a sharp drop in the number of large companies that plan to add jobs or hire more workers.
A mixed report about the housing market and unrest in Europe on Wednesday extended the longest losing streak for the Standard & Poor's 500 index since mid-July. Other risky assets, like European stocks and oil, fell more sharply.
Not so fast. That's the message for drivers hoping a recent drop in oil prices will soon show up at the gas station.
NEW YORK (AP) — MySpace, the once-mighty social network-turned entertainment site, is trying to stage yet another comeback with the help of Justin Timberlake.
NEW YORK (AP) — Barnes & Noble is rolling out two new versions of its Nook tablet with sleek new hardware and a sharper high-definition screen. The bookseller's move heightens the already intense tablet wars heading into the holiday season.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — For the past year, as the presidential election unfolded, President Barack Obama confronted a dizzying swell of economic news — hiring up, hiring down, a euro crisis abroad, seesawing gasoline prices at the pump, foreclosures dragging down home values.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The presidential election is Nov. 6, but it could take days to figure out the winner if the vote is close. New voting laws are likely to increase the number of people who have to cast provisional ballots in key states.
WASHINGTON (AP) — They may not like it, but they don't see it going away. About 7 in 10 Americans think President Barack Obama's health care law will go fully into effect with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
MIDSTATE
LEBANON (AP) - The publisher of The Lebanon Democrat (http://bit.ly/QhZNol) says the newspaper is changing its print publication schedule to five days a week.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — House Democrats are speaking out against a decision by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's administration to withhold $3.4 million in state funding from Nashville because of a dispute over a charter school application.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Three major airlines have announced additional flights to the Nashville International Airport with new routes to Boston, Cleveland and Los Angeles.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Willie Nelson has proven to be one of America's most prolific songwriters. Turns out he's no slouch when it comes to memoirs, either: He has a new one due in November.
AUTO INDUSTRY
HAWTHORNE, Calif. (AP) — Tesla Motors Inc. unveiled a solar-powered charging station on Monday that it said will make refueling electric vehicles on long trips about as fast as stopping for gas and a bathroom break in a conventional car.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans' confidence in the economy jumped this month to the highest level since February, bolstered by a brighter outlook for overall business conditions and hiring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Home prices kept rising in July across the United States, buoyed by greater sales and fewer foreclosures.
NEW YORK (AP) — A quiet day on Wall Street turned into the worst sell-off in three months after a Federal Reserve official said he doubted the bank's effort to boost economic growth would work.
The price of oil fell to its lowest point in nearly two months Tuesday as persistent worries about the global economy overshadowed encouraging reports about U.S. consumer confidence and housing prices.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A government report says airline passengers can expect fewer carriers to choose from, fewer flights to smaller cities and more baggage and other fees as the industry continues to grapple with high fuel prices and a weak economy.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Research In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins says the company's BlackBerry phone is poised to regain its stature as a trailblazing device even as many investors fret about its potential demise.
NEW YORK (AP) — Barnes & Noble Inc. says it will launch a video service this fall that lets users buy and watch movies and TV shows on their mobile devices and televisions.
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (AP) — Staples is speeding up the closure of about 15 of its U.S. stores and plans to close 45 stores and some delivery businesses in Europe.
BEIJING (AP) — A factory in China owned by the manufacturer of Apple's iPhones resumed production Tuesday after a brawl by workers highlighted tensions that labor groups say were worsened by the pressure of a new iPhone launch.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seniors enrolled in seven of the 10 most popular Medicare prescription drug plans will be hit with double-digit premium hikes next year if they don't shop for a better deal, says a private firm that analyzes the highly competitive market.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt University will offer a selection of free online classes beginning in the spring.
AUTO INDUSTRY
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. is boosting its green vehicle lineup, with plans for 21 new hybrids in the next three years, a new electric car later this year and a fuel cell vehicle by 2015 in response to growing demand for fuel efficient and environmentally friendly driving.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
U.S. stocks meandered sideways Monday as fears about Europe overshadowed recent excitement about central banks' efforts to boost the market.
Worries about weaker economic growth dragged down oil prices Monday.
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook Inc.'s stock took a hit Monday after an article in the financial magazine Barron's said it is "still too pricey" despite a sharp decline since its initial public offering.
CHICAGO (AP) — Truly free checking accounts are becoming rarer as banks add more fees to boost their profits.
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times has completed its $300 million sale of The About Group to Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Discover Bank will pay millions in fees to settle accusations by regulators that it pressured credit card customers to buy costly add-on services like payment protection and credit monitoring.
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple Inc. said Monday that it sold more than 5 million units of the iPhone 5 in the three days since its launch, fewer than analysts had expected.
NEW YORK (AP) — The best way to reduce the federal deficit is through a combination of higher taxes and spending cuts, according to a group of economists.
DENVER (AP) — The Village Voice is being sold, along with all of its affiliated free arts weekly newspapers, but the deal excludes the online classified site Backpage.com, whose listings have drawn fire for promoting the illegal sex trade.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — After a five-year break, Big & Rich are putting the funny back in country music — with the help of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Kiwanis Club member from Tennessee has been selected to be honored at the White House as a "Champion of Change."
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Nashville woman who won a lawsuit against the Davidson County Sheriff's Office for being shackled by deputies during labor should be awarded $1.1 million and also be allowed to pursue a visa reserved for crime victims, a federal judge ruled Thursday.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam has selected three people to serve on a special state Supreme Court panel to hear a lawsuit concerning the state's system for selecting appeals court judges.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's unemployment rate rose slightly in August to 8.5 percent, the fourth consecutive month there has been an increase.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Members of the Tennessee Bar Association heard an earful from Tennesseans upset over the state law that they say allows unscrupulous people to take advantage of vulnerable adults.
NEW YORK (AP) — Fidelity National Financial Inc., a Florida-based title insurer which also has a stake in restaurant brands including Bakers Square and O'Charley's, said Thursday that it acquired majority control of J. Alexander's Corp.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks traded higher Friday, with investors latching on to a few mildly hopeful signs about the economy.
Gas prices are finally falling, but motorists shouldn't expect the numbers at the pump to drop quickly this fall.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates rose in more than half of U.S. states last month, the latest evidence that hiring remains tepid across the country.
In a now familiar global ritual, Apple fans jammed shops across the globe to pick up the tech juggernaut's latest iPhone.
DALLAS (AP) — With American Airlines canceling dozens of flights every day, passengers with fall travel plans are confronting an inconvenient question: Should they avoid the nation's third-largest carrier because labor strife might cause delays and cancelations?
WASHINGTON (AP) — A trio of reports Thursday offered a reminder that the U.S. economy is struggling to grow and add jobs.
REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft is releasing an update to its Internet Explorer browser to fix a security problem that could expose personal computers to hacking attacks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' wealth dipped about 0.5 percent in the April-June quarter as a drop in stock prices more than offset a gain in home values.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is phasing out the sale of Amazon.com's Kindle Fire tablet and Kindle e-readers, the second major retailer to stop offering the items in six months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Add a pair of blue jeans to the grocery list.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Taiwanese company was fined $500 million Thursday and its former president and executive vice president were each sentenced to three years in prison for their leading roles in a global LCD screen price-fixing conspiracy.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 474,000 Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn cars to fix a transmission problem that can cause the cars to roll away unexpectedly.
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian autoworkers have reached contract deals with two of the Big Three and now are focusing in on the third — Chrysler.
DETROIT (AP) — The assembly line is running again at a Chrysler factory in Detroit, one day after an employee fatally stabbed his co-worker in view of their colleagues.
NATIONAL POLITICS
EDITOR'S NOTE _ One in a weekday series examining issues at stake in the election and their impact on people.