HARDminute Factoid #72, Top Ten Disappearing Car Features

The HARDminute # 72
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

TOP TEN THINGS
BECOMING EXTINCT IN AUTOS

Last week, I showed ten things about to become extinct in America. This week, thanks to YAHOO! Autos, we see ten things that are disappearing in cars. You thought some of these were already gone? Well, maybe not, but they are going, going, soon-to-be-gone.

Disappearing Automotive Features

You probably remember them — maybe fondly, maybe not. The eight-track player. Manual windows. Locks you actually had to lift. As cars get more technically advanced, many of the features we once knew are heading to the dustbin of history.

After reviewing Cars.com's vast data banks and scouring through automaker press kits, we've come up with a list of once-common features now on the way out.

No. 1: Crank windows
These can still be found in entry-level vehicles, but as soon as you step up from the least-expensive vehicle in an automaker's lineup, they disappear. Holding a button to raise a window is easier — and probably safer — when you're pulling away from a tollbooth or drive-through window.

No. 2: Cassette-tape decks
Yes, you can still find them. Many European carmakers still insist on them, and some people have stuff on tape they can't transfer to a CD for whatever reason. But, really, the car world today is one of CDs and MP3s — and that sounds just fine to us.

No. 3: Keys/locks/any mechanical means of getting into your car
We're a nation of fobs these days. Press the button, unlock the driver's door. Press it again, unlock all the doors. If you're really high-end, you don't even know what a key is because of your fob that talks to the car and unlocks the door as you approach. A start button rids you of the trouble of putting a key in the ignition and turning it.

No. 4: Lap-only seat belts for the center rear seat
This one is a marked improvement as far as safety is concerned. Most cars now provide the person sitting in the most uncomfortable seat in the car the same three-point belt the other passengers enjoy. Sure, you could find a car that still offers a lap-only seat belt back there, but why would you want to?

No. 5: Cars priced less than $13,000
Yes, everything is getting more expensive; that's just how the world works. If you want all the latest safety features and amenities, it's going to cost you. Go shopping and it may appear many automakers offer cars less than $13,000, but it's usually just one stripped-down model.

No. 6: 85-mph speedometers
They say optimism is a virtue, and it shows in the car world. Even econoboxes that could probably only shimmy their way to 100 mph with the help of a hill, a tailwind and a brave driver have speedometers that go to 120. (Sigh.) Just as some drivers should not be allowed to drive, some cars should not be allowed anywhere over the posted speed limit ... in a school zone. Rectangular speedometers that span the entire instrument cluster have also gone away, but you never know; they might still return one day.

No. 7: Motorized antennas
These are so rare you might have to ask your parents about them. In many higher-end cars of the 1970s and '80s, a motor would extend the car's antenna to better receive radio broadcasts, then retract it later. That meant drivers didn't have to either manually extend the antenna or just leave it up. Hmm. This from the generation that walked to school, worked three jobs and taught themselves to read on the back of a shovel. Manually extending an antenna must be tougher than it sounds.

No. 8: Three-speed automatic transmissions
Three on the tree means nothing to kids now, and it's not because carmakers have moved the gearshift from the steering column. Three-speed transmissions are at least one speed too slow for nearly all of today's cars. If the current trend toward five- and six-speed transmissions continues, we'll soon be saying the same thing about four-speed models.

No. 9: True compact pickup trucks
Not only are things getting more expensive, they're getting bigger as well. Just as houses are McMansions and drivers are increasingly — ahem — husky, the small pickup of ages past is expanding to what could legitimately be called midsize.

No. 10: Six-passenger, rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame cars
This used to be the way all cars were made: You built a frame, attached the engine and transmission, slapped on the body and off you went. There was a front bench to carry Mom, Dad and one child, and a rear bench for Grandma, Grandpa and the other child. No more. Only the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car meet all these criteria now. Front bench seats in particular are going the way of the dodo; Buick joins Ford and Lincoln as one of few automakers to put them in their cars. Larger SUVs and trucks are the best bet these days if you really want a front bench.

Honorable mention
These didn't make the list because they're either taking a long time to die off or we just don't miss them:
• Trunk releases in the glove box
• Full-size spare tires
• Floor-mounted headlight dimmer switches
• Completely manual mirrors

Source YAHOO! Autos.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!

HARD

10 THINGS ABOUT TO BECOME EXTINCT IN AMERICA

Thanks to Randy Hlubik, at RHA Landscape Architects in Riverside CA, for passing these on. The original article can be found at http://www.schargel.com/2009/03/27/25-things-about-to-become-extinct/. It lists 25 things about to become extinct. I have edited and grouped TEN.

These will likely be similar in Canada, but I’d love to hear colleagues’ feedback from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Russia and China as to how they reflect your view of things.

ENTERTAINMENT

1. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys
Bowling Balls, US claims there are still 60 million Americans who bowl at least once a year, but many are not bowling in stand-alone bowling alleys. Today most new bowling alleys are part of facilities for all types or recreation including laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, video game arcades, climbing walls and glow miniature golf. Bowling lanes also have been added to many non-traditional venues such as adult communities, hotels andresorts, and gambling casinos.

2. Movie Rental Stores
While Netflix is looking up at the moment, Blockbuster keeps closing store locations by the hundreds. It still has about 6,000 left across the world, but those keep dwindling and the stock is down considerably since 2008, especially since the company gave up a quest of Circuit City. Movie Gallery, which owned the Hollywood Video brand, closed up shop. Countless small video chains and mom-and-pop stores have given up the ghost already.

“SOCIAL NETWORKING ‘98”

3. Hand-Written Letters
In 2006, the Radicati Group estimated that, worldwide, 183 billion e-mails were sent each day. Two million each second. By November of 2007, an estimated 3.3 billion Earthlings owned cell phones, and 80% of the world’s population had access to cell phone coverage. In 2004, half-a-trillion text messages were sent, and the number has no doubt increased exponentially since then. So where amongst this gorge of gabble is there room for the elegant, polite hand-written letter?

And, partially as a result:

U.S. Post Office
They are pricing themselves out of existence. With e-mail, and online services they are a relic of the past. Packages are also sent faster and cheaper with UPS.

TECHNOLOGY / EQUIPMENT

4. Phone Landlines
According to a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, at the end of 2007, nearly one in six homes was ell-only and, of those homes that had landlines, one in eightonly received calls on their cells.

And partially as a result:

Answering Machines
The increasing disappearance of answering machines is directly tied to the decline of landlines. According to USA Today, the number of homes that only use cell phones jumped 159% between 2004 and 2007. It has been particularly bad in New York; since 2000, landline usage has dropped 55%. It’s logical that as cell phones rise, many of them replacing traditional landlines, that there will be fewer answering machines.

5. Cameras That Use Film
It doesn’t require a statistician to prove the rapid disappearance of the film camera in America. Just look to companies like Nikon, the professional’s choice for quality camera equipment. In 2006, it announced that it would stop making film cameras, pointing tothe shrinking market — only 3% of its sales in 2005, compared to 75% of sales from digital cameras and equipment.

HEALTH

6. Mumps & Measles
Despite what’s been in the news lately, the measles and mumps actually, truly are disappearing from the United States. In 1964, 212,000 cases of mumps were reported in the U.S. By 1983, this figure had dropped to 3,000, thanks to a vigorous vaccinationprogram. Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine, approximately half a million cases of measles were reported in the U.S. annually, resulting in 450 deaths. In 2005, only 66 cases were recorded.

AGRICULTURE

7. Honey Bees
Perhaps nothing on our list of disappearing America is so dire; plummeting so enormously; and so necessary to the survival of our food supply as the honey bee. Very scary. ‘Colony Collapse Disorder,’ or CCD, has spread throughout the U.S. and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50% to 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers — and along with it, their livelihood.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

8. News Magazines and TV News
While the TV evening newscasts haven’t gone anywhere over the last several decades, their audiences have. In 1984, in a story about the diminishing returns of the evening news, the New York Times reported that all three network evening-news programs combined had only 40.9 million viewers. Fast forward to 2008, and what they have today is half that.

MISCELLANEOUS

9. The Family Farm
Since the 1930s, the number of family farms has been declining rapidly. According to the USDA, 5.3 million farms dotted the nation in 1950, but this number had declined to 2.1 million by the 2003 farm census (data from the 2007 census hasn’t yet been published).Ninety-one percent of the U.S. FARMS are small Family Farms.

10. Personal Checks
According to an American Bankers Assoc. report, a net 23% of consumers plan to decrease their use of checks over the next two years, while a net 14% plan to increase their use of PIN debit. Bill payment remains the last stronghold of paper-basedpayments — for the time being. Checks continue to be the most commonly used bill payment method, with 71% of consumers paying at least one recurring bill per month by writing a check. However, a bill-by-bill basis, checks account for only 49% of consumers’ recurring bill payments (down from 72% in 2001 and 60% in 2003).

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #70 US Exports

The HARDminute # 70
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN Fastest-Growing
U.S. Exports to Other Countries

Not only was American fuel oil among the highest volume exports from the U.S. in 2008, this heaviest form of commercial oil processed from crude led America’s top growing exports in 2008. Four of the other fastest-growing U.S. exports that year were also from the energy sector.


1. Fuel oil … US$34.9 billion, up 124.1% from 2007
2. Metallurgical grade coal … $5.8 billion, up 97.8%
3. Chemical fertilizers … $10.8 billion, up 71%
4. Other coal and fuels … $2.8 billion, up 66.6%
5. Non-farm tractors and parts … $3.4 billion, up 62.2%
6. Rice … $2.3 billion, up 57.1%
7. Oilseeds and food oils … $3.2 billion, up 56.8%
8. Natural gas liquids … $3.3 billion, up 54.7%
9. Natural gas … $4.9 billion, up 54.6%
10. Unmanufactured goods from agricultural industry … $3.3 billion, up 53.8%.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid #69 Formula One Winners

The HARDminute # 69
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Top 10 Most Wins
By a Formula One Racing Career

1. Michael Schumacher, Germany – 91 wins
2. Alain Prost, France – 51 wins
3. Ayrton Senna, Brazil – 41 wins
4. Nigel Mansell, UK – 31 wins
5. Jackie Stewart, UK – 27 wins
6 = Jim Clark, UK – 25 wins
6 = Niki Lauda, Austria – 25 wins
8. Juan-Manuel Fangio, Argentina – 24 wins
9. Nelson Piquet, Brazil – 23 wins
10. Damon Hill, UK – 22 wins

If you want to scroll back through the blog posts, looking for a specific Top Ten, I have posted a list of blogs through year-end 2009. Look for the post of Jan 2, 2010.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

Schedule of Posts to Date

HARDminute Factoids
To December 31, 2009

These are shown in the order of posting.
To find a specific HARDminute factoid, or another post, scroll back in reverse order.

1. Brand values
2. Company values
3. Best selling books
4. Number of movie screens
5. TV channels
6. Number of Universities
7. Dangerous mountains
8. Most expensive office space
9. Most expensive retail space
10. Most number of skyscrapers
11. Tallest statues
12. Tallest structures
13. Largest bankruptcies
14. Oil reserves
15. Oil import and exports
16. Expensive cars to operate
17. Economical cars to operate
18. Wheat production
19. Longest reigning monarchs
20. Coffee drinking nations
21. Longest rivers
22. Social networks
23. City populations
24. Number of airports
25. Boeing 767
26. Manly Cities
27. Hot recording artists
28. ZIP codes & fastest growing sales prices
29. Prisoners
30. USA geog facts
31. OUTSIDE US geog facts
32. Suspension Bridges
33. Misery
34. Social Networking
35. Stephen Wright musings
36. Arizona in July
37. Best High Schools
38. Most Polluted air
39. Blank
40. Popular US cities
41. Longest Road Tunnels
42. Canadian Tidbits
43. Birth Rates
44. Expensive parking
45. Happy countries
46. Expensive car crashes
46.5 USPS facilities.
47. Literate Cities in US
48. Doctors / population
49. Nurses / population
50. Largest religions
51. Christian population;
51.5 Giving blood
52. Spoken languages
53. Muslim population
54. Ice Cream
55. Electricity
56. Newspapers
57. Coal reserves
58. Bananas
59. Beer
60. Canadian / American Olympic temperature conversion chart
Extra Christmas Eve: A Seasonal Visit from St. Dude
61. Failing with dignity
62. Top Retailers
Extra New Words for 2009
63. Top selling drugs
64. Celeb’s earnings
65. Boxing Champs
66. Largest Casinos
67. Sports Stadiums
68. US Exports

HARDminute Factoid #68 US Exports

The HARDminute # 68
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Top Ten US Exports
to Other Countries

Five of the top 10 American exports shipped around the world in 2008 were capital goods (aircraft, semiconductors, vehicle parts, industrial machinery and telecommunications equipment). Among the 5 other leading U.S. exports, 3 were industrial supplies (fuel oil, organic chemicals and plastics) while 2 were consumer goods (passenger cars and medicinal preparations).

1. Civilian aircraft … US$74 billion, up 1.3% from 2007 (5.7% of total US exports)
2. Semiconductors … $50.6 billion, up 0.3% (3.9%)
3. Passenger cars … $49.6 billion, up 13.3% (3.9%)
4. Medicinal, dental and pharmaceutical preparations … $40.4 billion, up 15% (3.1%)
5. Other vehicle parts and accessories … $39.9 billion, down 10.1% (3.1%)
6. Other industrial machinery … $38.1 billion, down 0.6% (3%)
7. Fuel oil … $34.9 billion, up 124.1% (2.7%)
8. Organic chemicals … $33.4 billion, up 5.5% (2.6%)
9. Telecommunications equipment … $32.9 billion, up 4.6% (2.6%)
10. Plastic materials … $31.6 billion, up 8.7% (2.5%).

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute Factoid #67 Sports Stadiums

The HARDminute # 67
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Top Ten
Biggest Sports Stadiums
In The World

#1 - Rungnado May Day Stadium (150,000 capacity)
The monumental Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea was built in 1989 and seats a staggering 150,000 people. Resembling a blossom flower, it has 16 arches arranged in a ring. In 1995, an incredible 190,000 people crammed in for a professional wrestling event. It is not the only large stadium in Pyongyang - the Kim-Il Sung Stadium, with a capacity of 70,000, also resides there.

#2 - Salt Lake Stadium (120,000)
Salt Lake Stadium (officially known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Stadium of the Indian Youth) is located in Salt Lake City, a district of Kolkata in India. Built in 1984, the stadium boasts a capacity of 120,000 over a 3-tier construction and is mainly used for football and athletics events.

#3 - Estadio Azteca (114,465)
The Azteca Stadium, located in Mexico City, comes in third on our list of the biggest stadiums in the world with an official capacity of 114,465 people. Used mostly for football matches, it is the home of the Mexico national team and Mexican club team America. It is the only stadium ever to host two World Cup final matches, in 1970 and 1986.

#4 - Michigan Stadium (107,501)
Nicknamed "The Big House", this is the American Football stadium of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Built in 1927, it had an original capacity of 72,000 which has gradually increased over the years through various expansions, maintaining its position as the largest American Football stadium. A very popular stadium, it has incredibly not had a sub-100,000 attendance since 1975.

#5 - Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Smaller than Michigan Stadium by just 219 seats, Beaver Stadium is the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions and is located at the Pennsylvania State University. Assembled in its current location in 1960 with a capacity of just 46,284, Beaver Stadium went through numerous expansions until its most recent expansion in 2001 which brought it to its current capacity of 107,282.

#6 - Jornalista Mario Filho (103,045)
More commonly known as the "Estadio do Maracana", the Jornalista Mario Filho stadium is a soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is difficult to pinpoint the stadium's exact capacity (it seats about 90,000 but also had an official attendance of 199,500 for the 1950 World Cup Final) but recent figures suggest they work to a safe capacity of 103,045. Owned by the State Government, it is mostly used by the biggest football clubs in Rio de Janeiro including Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense.

#7 - Ohio Stadium (102,329)
With numerous nicknames (The House Harley Built, The Horseshoe, or simply The 'Shoe), Ohio Stadium is the home of the Buckeyes American Football team at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Originally built in 1922 (having undergone numerous renovations over the years since then) the stadium officially holds 102,329, regularly achieving attendances of over 100,000 at Buckeye games. It also often hosts music concerts, when the stadium can seat up to 110,000.

#8 - Neyland Stadium (102,037)
Another American football stadium, the Neyland Stadium serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team in Knoxville, Tennessee. While its current capacity stands at just over 102,000, the stadium did in fact hold 104,079 until a 2006 renovation when executive seating was installed. Over the years Neyland Stadium has been used to host large conventions and numerous NFL exhibition games.

#9 - National Stadium Bukit Jalil (100,200)
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium lies 20km south of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the National Sports Complex. Built for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, construction work began in 1992 and was completed 3 months ahead of schedule. The stadium is now the home of the Malaysian football team and hosts a variety of sporting and non-sporting events, most notably the AFC Asian Cup 2007.

#10 - Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,000)
There are numerous sports stadiums around the world that hold 100,000 (Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia; Azadi Stadium, Iran; Jawaharlal Stadium, India) but we have decided to highlight Melbourne Cricket Ground, due to its great history. The oldest of the stadiums on our list, it was built in 1853 with the first game of cricket played on 30 September 1854. Until the 1970s, up to 130,000 people could be crammed into the stadium - however renovations and safety regulations have since restricted the capacity to its current 100,000.

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I welcome your feedback!
HARD

The HARDminute Factoid # 66
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

The TOP TEN
Largest Casinos in the World

I found this fascinating. Not one of the largest casinos is in Nevada. One is in China, two in Canada, and three are in California.

1.) The Venetian Macao (China) – 546,000 square feet
This is the second-largest building in the world and claims to be big enough to hold 90 Boeing 747 jumbo jets. The casino features 6,000 gaming machines and 870 table games, but is just a small part of the property, which is also home to 18 restaurants and a hotel with 3,000 rooms.

2.) Casino de Montréal (Montreal, Canada) – 526,488 square feet
The Casino de Montréal is open 24/7, 356 days a year and has a client capacity of approximately 4,000 people. It features more than 3,200 slot machines, 115 gaming tables, a keno lounge, a Royal Ascot electronic horse racing track and a high-limits gaming area and lounge.

3.) San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino (Highland, Calif.) – 480,000 square feet
Bingo was the main attraction here when the San Manuel opened in 1986 and the casino has stayed true to its roots as it features a 2,500-seat Bingo Hall that has 15 games every night as well as matinee games with low buy-ins. There are also 2,000 slots, gaming tables and a smoke-free poker room with tableside food and beverage service.

4.) Island Resort & Casino (Harris, Mich.) – 408,520 square feet
There's a full variety of table games as well as live poker and keno. Also on the gaming floor you will find close to 1,500 slot machines, including video, reel, wide-area progressives, dual screen bonus games and in-house progressives. The Bingo Hall is open seven days a week and there are weekly and monthly poker and slot tournaments as well as a monthly themed Blackjack Party Pit tournament.

5.) Foxwoods Resort Casino (Mashantucket, Conn.) – 344,000 square feet
With more than 380 table games to choose from and 7,200 slot machines, it's easy to see why more than 40,000 guests visit Foxwoods on a daily basis. There's also a state-of-the-art World Poker Tour poker room that boasts 114 tables and attracts players from around the world as well as the Ultimate Race Book, where you can bet on everything from thoroughbreds and harness to greyhounds and jai-alai. Oh, and don't forget to visit the 3,200-seat High Stakes Bingo Hall.

6.) Viejas Casino (San Diego, Calif.) – 327,000 square feet
If you can't find something to pique your interest here, you simply don't have a gambler's bone in your body. Not only are there 2,500 slots, 10 different table games and a 20-table poker room that hosts daily tournaments, but there is also a bingo pavilion with smoking and non-smoking areas and electronic touch pads. And for horse racing enthusiasts there's an off-track betting area with a dozen 50-inch flat screen televisions and 45 personal monitors. In addition, the private Turf Club offers table service for food and beverages, 10 personal booths, eight four-person tables and five big screen TVs.

7.) Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel (Morton, Minn.) – 325,000 square feet
Jackpot Junction has two floors and is big on video slot machines, offering more than 1,300 to choose from with a range of penny to $25. In addition to the dizzying amount of slots and table games there is also a live poker room. There are also regular and matinee sessions of Bingo and the new Highstakes Lounge located on the second floor features slot machines and blackjack.

8.) Casino du Lac-Leamy (Gatineau, Canada) – 319,105 square feet
The Casino du Lac-Leamy promotes the fact that it has "an exhilarating atmosphere" thanks to almost 2,000 slot machines and 60 gaming tables. There's also a Royal Ascot electronic horse racing track and a high-limits gaming area and lounge.

9.) Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino (Lakeside, Calif.) – 310,000 sf
This San Diego-area casino prides itself on offering "the best Blackjack rules in the country" with single- and double-deck games and high table limits (up to $10,000 and more). There are also $25 video poker games and $500 slots.

T-10.) Mohegan Sun Casino (Uncasville, Conn.); -- 300,000 square feet
T-10.) Odawa Casino Resort (Petoskey, Michigan) – 300,000 square feet

Mohegan Sun poses a challenge to Foxwoods as the premier casino in the northeast thanks to more than 6,000 slot machines, a race book and a full range of table games.

As for the Odawa, it features 1,500 slot machines – including the newest options like Hot Shot Progressive, Playboy and Deal or No Deal - and 36 different table games as well as a full tournament schedule in its new poker room.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute Factoid # 65 Boxers

The HARDminute # 65
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN MOST RECENT
UNDISPUTED
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT
BOXING CHAMPS

1. Mike Tyson: Aug 1987 - May 1989
2. Leon Spinks: Feb 1978 - March 1978
3. Muhammad Ali: Oct 1974 - Feb 1978
4. George Foreman: Jan 1973 - Oct 1974
5. Joe Frazier: Feb 1970 - Jan 1973
6. Muhammad Ali: Feb 1967 - April 1967
7. Cassius Clay: Feb 1964 - June 1964
8. Sonny Liston: Sept 1962 - Feb 1964
9. Floyd Patterson: June 1960 - Sept 1962
10. Ingemar Johansson: Jun 1959 - June 1960

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
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HARD

HARDminute Factoid #64 Celeb Earnings

The HARDminute # 64
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
The TOP TEN
HIGHEST-EARNING
CELEBRITIES of 2008

1. JK Rowling – $300,000,000
2. Oprah Winfrey – $275,000,000
3. 50 Cent – $150,000,000
4. Jerry Bruckheimer – $145,000,000
5. Steven Spielberg – $130,000,000
6. Tyler Perry – $125,000,000
7. Tiger Woods – $115,000,000
8. Jerry Seinfeld – $85,000,000
9. Jay-Z – $82,000,000
10. Beyonce Knowles – $80,000,000


Source: Forbes Magazine, The Celebrity 100 2008
As of Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

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HARD

HARDminute Factoid 63 Drugs

The HARDminute # 63
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
The TOP TEN
BEST-SELLING DRUGS


No. / Marketing Name / Pharmaceutical Company / Treatment for / Annual Sales

1 / Lipitor / Pfizer / High Cholesterol / $12.9B
2 / Plavix / Bristol-Meyers Squibb / Sanofi-Aventis / Heart Disease / $5.9B
3 / Nexium / Astra-Zeneca / Heartburn / $5.7B
4 / Seretide / Advair / GlaxoSmithKline / Asthma / $5.6B
5 / Zocor / Merck / High Cholesterol / $5.3B
6 / Norvasc / Pfizer / Hi Blood Pressure / $5.0B
7 / Zyprexa / Eli Lily / Schizophrenia / $4.7B
8 / Risperdal / Johnson & Johnson / Schizophrenia / $4.0B
9 / Prevacid / Abbott Labs & Takeda Pharmaceutical / Heartburn / $4.0B
10 / Effexor / Wyeth / Depression / $3.8B

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

New Words for 2009

We recently learned that the 2009 Word of the Year comes from the world of social media / new media. “Unfriend” is an embarrassing condition that can e bestowed via Facebook.

In other news, the following are 15 combination words that have come into my own lexicon during 2009. Perhaps you can understand why.


BRAYdar…unerring ability to spot a jackass in any crowd.
Canucklehead…Any Canadian surfers on Northern Vancouver Island…brrr.
Crisis of continence…condition that keeps Depends in business.
Electile dysfunction…condition related to career politicians.
Frog-ulent representation…false assertion that everything French is better.
Gecco di Bupa…insurance company specializing in family-style Italian restaurants.
Loan Mortification…the dead end of expecting good legal result from using non-lawyers.
Mensa rea…guilty mind of an evil genius.
Mickeypedia…an online info page about Disneyland.
Philippeanut…a petite girl from Manila.
Spine Flu…political practice of blaming others for anything going wrong.
Standing OyVayTion…the ultimate Jewish tribute following an excellent speech.
Truce in Lending...successful result when avoiding loan mortification (q.v. above).
VegEgalitarian…trying to prevent anyone eating meat.
Wrathlete…foul-mouthed, ill-tempered, professional tennis player.

Do you have other new words or combinations?

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 62 Top Ten Retailers

The HARDminute # 62
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
The TOP TEN
RETAILERS in the WORLD


No. / Retailer / Base / Type / Sales U.S. $MM / Region / % of sales in foreign country
1 / Wal-Mart Stores, lnc. / USA / Discount Store / 163,532 / N.America / Global / 13.90%
2 / Carrefour Group / FRA / Hypermarkets / 52,196.1 / Europe / Global / 37.70%
3 / The Kroger Co / USA / Supermarkets / 45,352 / N.America / Single Country / 0.00%
4 / MetroAG / GER / Diversified / 44,163.37 / Europe / Global / 40.00%
5 / The Home Depot, lnc / USA / Hardlines / 38,434 / N.America-Global / 3.70%
6 / Albertson's, lnc / USA / Supermarkets / 37,478 / N.America / Single Country / 0.00%
7 / ITM Entreprises SA / FRA / Supermarkets / 36,762.45 / Europe / Regional / 36.00%
8 / Sears, Roebuck and Co / USA / Dept Store / 36,728. / N.America / Regional / 10.60%
9 / Kmart Corporation / USA / Discount Store / 35,925 / N.America / Single Country / 0.00%
10 / Target Corporation / USA / Discount Store / 33,702 / N.America / Single Country /0.00%


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HARD