Work + Genius = Formula For Today’s Wealth & Progress

Labor Day in the U.S. was yesterday…when we honor the sweat and toil of our productive work force. But given that we are now living in the “information age,” in which knowledge and education are very necessary and important keys to success, maybe it’s also time we acknowledge and honor the genius of man.

For it’s the power of man’s mind to reason, invent, and create that has enabled the incredible progress and burgeoning wealth that we enjoy today.


Caribbean Tourism Is Dropping As Competition Heats Up

Overnight stays in the Caribbean is declining, last year down 2.3%, to 18.4 million, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization. The tourism industry is critical to the Caribbean, making up 16% of its overall economic activity, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. (On smaller islands such as St. Lucia, tourism can account for as much as 50% of the economy.)

The fallout in travel to the Caribbean reflects growing competition from other areas around the world, including Asia and Central America, which are building beachfront resorts at a furious pace, posing a long-term competitive threat to the region.

The Bush administration has temporarily eased passport requirements for Americans traveling to the Caribbean. Travel accommodations to the Caribbean are available within the barter industry.


Mortgage Bankers Fault “Flippers” For Default Rise

Mortgages on properties that aren’t occupied by the owner – mostly investment homes – account for between 21% and 32% of the defaults on prime-quality home loans in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada.

The four states were among the favorites of speculators during the housing boom. When the market was hot, many speculators bought homes hoping to flip them for a quick profit. Now that home prices have shown a turndown, that strategy is backfiring…with many investors simply walking away from their mortgages.

Economists at Goldman Sachs predict that home prices nationwide will fall an average of 7% both this year and next. (The forecast is based on the S&P/Case-Shiller national home-price index, considered the best such gauge by some housing economists.)


Private Currency Introduced In Hawaii

Bernard Von Nothaus, who launched the Liberty Dollar in the U.S. (1988) is behind a new currency being introduced in Hawaii. Called the Hawaii “Dala,” it will be backed by silver and each “Dala” is stamped with its face value and the amount of silver backing it.


To read the rest of this issue of The Tuesday Barter Report see:TUESDAY

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 3:25 pm and is filed under Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.