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...ever accused Albarn of backing down from a challenge. He has always been ready to struggle to get his own way, starting with the public potshots he exchanged with Oasis in the mid-'90s, during the media-fueled battle - mods vs. rockers redux - for the Britpop crown. "It was definitely cathartic," says Albarn on Blur's rivalry with Oasis. "For us it was more of a diversion than an impetus. It has always seemed a ridiculous coupling." He has a point: where Oasis was lager louts, Blur was college boys. And these days, with the Gallagher brothers still playing...
...York have issued some $18 billion of these bonds to get their mitts on the tobacco loot now rather than wait to collect it in dribs and drabs over the next few decades. The bonds have always offered a higher yield than similarly rated munis--today, about 5.5% vs. 4.1%--because no taxing authority stands behind them, only a handful of private companies that a lot of folks would like to see put out of business. In high-tax states like New York and California, many individuals bought tobacco bonds and are paying dearly for the extra yield...
...those same polls show that Menem, 72, of the Peronist Party, is the surprising front runner in this Sunday's presidential election. Although his numbers are relatively small--18.3% vs. 16.8% for his closest competitor, Santa Cruz Governor Nestor Kirchner, another Peronist--half of those polled say they think Menem will win. As bad as Menem may have been as President, say Argentine pundits, his successors (incredibly, there have been five since the 2001 crash) created an even bigger mess, and jaded Argentines have apparently decided that Menem is as good as their politicians will ever get. Menem...
...normal shape. Similar contacts have been around for decades, but these are the first approved by the FDA for wear during sleep. They are especially attractive to athletes and those who find daytime lenses uncomfortable. A fitting and a pair of lenses may cost more than $1,000, vs. about $300 for standard contacts. Sales since August 2002 have been about $1.5 million and are growing 25% a month, according to Paragon, which is talking to potential distribution partners in Asia and Europe...
...falling dollar--it's down 19% against the euro in the past 12 months--is another driver behind the recent exceptional returns of international-bond funds. These funds on average have returned 16% in the past 12 months, vs. 9% for the average U.S. government--bond fund, according to fund tracker Morningstar. In response, investors have shifted $1.5 billion into international-bond funds this year. Even if the buck stabilizes, the foreign yield advantage makes diversifying this way worthwhile, and funds are the way to do it. The relative attractiveness of any one country's bonds can shift quickly...