No Inflation
But my local beer and burgers place (OK, it's more than that) has raised prices on the menu for the second time this year and are cutting back on some things. My local coffee place has not changed prices much, but is now charging for wireless internet, which used to be free. One of the owner/managers explained that the cost of everything is going up and they're trying to hold the line on price increases by charging for some of the "extras."

Auto Parts Stores Still a Joke
I still can't get a windshield wiper blade to fit a current model Honda Accord from any of these jokers. But yesterday I had to drive around to three different stores just to get the various items I needed to clean and wax my car. And nobody stocks that basic great stuff -- cheesecloth -- anymore. I got it at a supermarket. In fact, I got most of the stuff (other than the Meguilar's wax) at a supermarket. I really don't know what the future is for these guys.

So Now Delta is Going Bankrupt Too?
Big surprise. I never finished penning the promised commentary on my recent experience with (among others) them. All I can say is good riddance. Time to let them fail and let the chips fall where they may. Eventually a world will emerge with much less capacity, where not everybody can afford a trip to New York for the weekend, and where airlines can be profitable. For those who thought ultra-cheap airfares were a birthright, I'm sorry.

Boing!
The above is clearly a negative for Boeing, no matter what justification the analysts pull out of their asses to justify continued expansion of the civilian fleet.

Cat Conundrum
Whatever allergic reaction I had presumed to be related to the arrival of BTCat II was either a temporary thing or a pure coincidence. Now, it's time for the long road towards reconcilliation and maybe even friendship between felines. Things seem to be calming down, but still at least one cat fight per day.

Off To Ojai
I'll be joining the Minyans in the Mountains, starting tomorrow and may have some comments coming out of that sure-to-be fantastic conference.

Overstuck
I've had some words over at Jeff Matthews' blog about Overstock.com (NasdaqNM:OSTK). I find these long/short battles to be fascinating and as I told one "fan" of mine by email yesterday, it seems that both sides are so adamant in the correctness of their position that they're willing to ignore huge amounts of public information. I continue to watch this fantastic theater from the sidelines, partly out of sheer boredom, partly because it kills me to sit by while people make allegations and assertions about issues for which there are solid facts available in the public domain. And for the record, I think the CEO is a looney, but wouldn't touch the stock either way.