Calculator Envy

There was a time when the financial calculator was an essential business tool. No self respecting finance person was without one, particularly if you studied finance in college at any level. Even accounting majors had to get one for their Finance 101 course. Over the years I noticed something about financial calculators- there are two types of financial calculator types. Prior to around 1990, most people learned how to use an HP 12C model. The HP 12C is immediately identifiable by its “landscape style” orientation and gold/brass colored screen area.

A Moment Of Silence

Having close connections to Wall St, I may share my own personal experiences of 911 on the blog someday, but for now TLRB will suspend activity today in rememberence of tenth 911 anniversary.

The Statistical Abstract

HELP SAVE IT!

Short and important, in my opinion. From the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-kill-americas-databook/2011/08/21/gIQAGJwBVJ_story.html?hpid=z5

Some Thoughts on the US Postal Service

Just a few quick thoughts on the troubles at USPS. I suspect you’ll hear a lot more about this in the next few days/weeks provided that Europe doesn’t fall apart first. If Europe does have an acute issue, the USPS will be reported about on page 37, not the first page of any media.

As everyone knows, email is killing the Postal Service. Not just email, but electronic bill delivery and electronic banking. Google Ads have supplanted an awful lot of direct mail aka “junk mail”. There is no evil here, just “progress”. Times are a-changin’. Regular mail is slowly going the way of the buggy whip. The volume of mail delivered (measured in pieces of mail) is down some 16% in just two years, revenue is down 11% and headcount down 12%.