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According to a new survey of corporate executives, Tennessee is ranked fourth in terms of business environment. This is what Phil had to say:

“This study confirms that our efforts to create a better business climate in Tennessee are being recognized by key decision makers,” Gov. Phil Bredesen said in a statement. “We know one size does not fit all and each company has distinct business needs, and that’s driving continued investment by new companies in Tennessee.”

It's great that VW will be locating its first North American plant in decades right here in Tennessee, but many are asking how much the taxpayers are coughing up for the deal. Of course, state and local officials are mum. It will be great both for the city of Chattanooga and the state of Tennessee; at least 2000 jobs are expected to be created. I just wonder what the long-term benefits are. Do the financial benefits outweigh the financial costs? As a Tennessee taxpayer, I sure hope so. One problem, though, is the location of Chattanooga. The city is a stone's throw from Georgia and Alabama. Where will the workers be living and spending their money? Where will the auto suppliers locate? I wish this would happen within Tennessee, but it might not since Nooga is such a border town. I hope state officials considered this.

The news that 600 Starbucks stores will be closing soon has been met with much shock and awe. How could such a successful company be met with such hard times? Well, it makes total sense. They expanded way too fast; in some cities, a Starbucks is literally on every corner. Is that really necessary? I think the product should bring people in; not the ultimate convenience. When a new Starbucks opens, it often eats into 25-30% of the sales of a nearby Starbucks. That is no way to operate a business. Company executives must have seen this coming for a long time. You can't sustain such growth patterns. This means that the profit margins of stores decrease while you see a great increase in expenses caused by the rapid expansion. It will be good for the company to go back to the basics, cool down a little bit, and stopping eating itself.

Looks like Wal-Mart is changing its corporate image. Some of the changes include a new logo that takes "Wal-Mart" from two words to one and adds a strange burst/star thingy to the end. I guess they are trying to show people that Wal-Mart can be new and modern. Well, the last time Wal-Mart tried to be hip; they were met with sluggish clothing sales. Wal-Mart has seen very few changes to its logo over the years, and this new one seems quite out of place with their rather bland history.

Things are looking up for Wal-Mart now (new logo or not). The economy is tanking quite a bit. That means people want deals, and they know that they can find it at Wal-Mart. Sales have been surging, and the stock is doing much better. Maybe a good investment?

this was sent to us from Judy in Va., and it is a super idea…..and it would make our Farmers wealthy !!

OPEC sells oil for $136.00 a barrel.
OPEC nations buy U.S. grain at $7.00 a bushel.

Solution: Sell grain for $136.00 a bushel.

Can’t buy it? Tough! Eat your oil!
Ought to go well with a nice thick grilled filet of camel

If you haven't used the Pharamacy at Wal-Mart, you might in the near future. Much like it did with groceries about 20 years ago, Wal-Mart is now undergoing an aggressive campaign to expand its pharmacy operations. It has introduced $4 generic drugs, it has been slashing prices on other drugs, and it is now experimenting with low-cost in-store clinics. This makes sense because Wal-Mart's customers are seeking that "one-stop shop" to avoid running all over town getting everything they need. Most of Wal-Mart's customers come from the low-income bracket, and low drug prices will be very attractive to them (but who enjoys paying a fortune for drugs?). The number of retired baby boomers are growing every day, and they definitely need a place to buy drugs cheaply with their fixed income. This is certainly a good move on Wal-Mart's part; I could see it being a pharmacy powerhouse in the near future. This could be good for consumers considering that its extreme efficiency and very low prices might force drug makers and other pharmacies to follow suit. Read more about Wal-Mart's pharmacy plans in this Business Week article.

thanks to komando.com for another fantastic video:
This is unreal.What is coming next and what would you print, if you could?

Think ahead to the near future. You’re shopping on eBay, and see a cool pair of sunglasses. So you buy them. But you don’t enter your shipping information. Instead, you just hit Print. A few minutes later, your printer spits out sunglasses. It’s not a picture. It’s the actual pair of sunglasses.

Your home printer just fabricated your purchase. The process is known as Rapid Prototyping. It’s the ability to print complicated 3D objects. The machines to do this can cost upward of $150,000.

But a group of graduate students built a 3D printer for about $3,500. You can learn more at Fab@Home.org.

Once we thought the battle between Microsoft and Yahoo was over, here comes financier Carl Icahn ready to start a proxy battle to force Yahoo to renegotiate with Microsoft. As you may know, Yahoo turned down Microsoft's bid for the company, which was $33 per share. Microsoft decided to walk away instead of undergoing a nasty hostile takeover. Icahn says that Yahoo's investors lost out when some Yahoo directors "got in the way" of the deal (I think that sentence is funny). This could turn ugly quickly considering that Icahn is determined to make this deal happen, and he is known for getting what he wants. Microsoft, of course, would love to see this deal fall through. Their internet presence has been burdened by the domination of Google; such a deal would bring lots of ad revenue and would beef up their internet territory. I assume they walked away from the deal before as to avoid a costly proxy battle that requires millions of dollars and to avoid the negativity involved with such an undertaking. A combined Yahoo-Microsoft might be good for internet users. Google has had free range for years with little to no competition. A Yahoo-Microsoft deal would create an internet powerhouse more apt to compete with Google. A little more competition is usually a good thing for consumers.

Good news for Eastman Chemical and my semi-hometown of Kingsport. Business is really lifting off for one of there new chemicals that replaces a potentially toxic chemical that's commonly used in Nalgene products and baby bottles.

n-tara interactive has announced that Mary Ellen Miller recently joined the company as Director of Marketing. Miller was most recently Executive Editor at Marquee Publications, LLC and oversaw the re-branding of its flagship publication Marquee to Marquee Mountain South as well as the company’s strategic growth plan, web and blog development and launch of its special Homes issue. Prior to that she served as Director of Marketing for Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP where she created the firm’s branding campaign.

“We are delighted to have Mary Ellen on board with us,” said Thomas Eorgan, Vice President of Marketing for n-tara interactive. “Her breadth of marketing experience will serve us well as n-tara interactive seeks out new ways to connect and engage with our clients and position our company as a leader in interactive marketing and technology solutions.”

Miller has an extensive professional communications background. She was a founding partner and Director of Public Relations for Creative Energy, a former Director of University Advancement at East Tennessee State University and she has worked in corporate communications for NFS, Inc. Miller began her career in television news.

Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from East Tennessee State University. She is a member of the board of directors of the Johnson City Kiwanis Club.