Lest you focus solely on more serious financial issues, such as whether the market's rally will continue, whether Akamai (NASDAQ:AKAM) or Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) is a better buy, or which dreadful stocks you need to avoid, here's a brief recap of some of the more unusual financial news out there:
- If you're worried that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has supported policies that will weaken the dollar, the fact that his wallet apparently has no U.S. dollars in it won't give you any comfort. That's what Congress discovered when he opened it up to show them a worthless bill from Zimbabwe. He did, apparently, have some European currency, along with a few credit cards. Perhaps Visa (NYSE:V) and MasterCard (NYSE:MA) should try and tap him as a charge-card spokesperson.
- Who's to blame for our nation's economic slump? In its quarterly report, AIG (NYSE:AIG) blamed journalists, citing "intense scrutiny" and "strong criticism" that have "adversely affected AIG by damaging AIG's business, reputation and brand among current and potential customers." As footnote-follower Michelle Leder pointed out, it's a big enough concern that the company has included it among its risk factors.
- If Yum! Brands' (NYSE:YUM) Taco Bell unit is looking for a new spokesman, they might contact Jermaine Cooper -- once he gets out of jail. He led police on a 16-minute chase through two counties in Indiana, hitting 90 miles per hour at some points, before ending the chase at a Taco Bell because he really wanted a burrito before going to jail.
- Employers: Worried about lost productivity due to workers surfing the web? Here's a less-known danger to worry about: Neglected office fridges. In San Jose, an office fridge had gotten so foul inside that when someone tried to clean it, the smell made many people ill and sent seven people to the hospital. (It turns out it had been unplugged, and a HazMat team was dispatched to the site.) So let's keep those refrigerators clean, folks!
Enough silliness, though. We at the Fool aim "to educate, amuse, and enrich." I invite you to read any other article in Fooldom for at least a little education and perhaps some enrichment, as well. Maybe start with which stocks to buy in this market.
