Is art necessary, and at what cost?

Connecticut Opera closes down, citing bad economy

Orchestras, ballets and opera companies across the country are facing huge deficits. The Los Angeles Opera is laying off 17 people, cutting salaries and will stage fewer performances this year. The Miami City Ballet is …

Kindness will help economy, homeless woman's rescuer says

Kindness will help economy, homeless woman's rescuer says

"You don't have to be a politician to put forth a stimulus package," Chene Thompson said during a joint interview with Hughes Thursday on CNN's "American Morning." "This is our own little mini-stimulus package …

Penny pinching and proud of it

Something for nothing

Even President Obama showed that you don't have to spend a lot of money to look good. During his inauguration, commentators talked about the fact that the first family wore clothes from J.Crew, a mid-market retailer. "They looked very good but …

Recession Forces Women's Shelter To Turn People Away

Recession Forces Women's Shelter To Turn People Away

From July 2008 to December 2008, the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh turned away 360 women and children -- 125 percent increase -- while clients increased 19 percent.

The shelter's executive director …

Obama must let the economy shrink

Obama must let the economy shrink

For too long, economists have fallen in love with their mathematical models of certainty and have ignored how poorly these models reflect the real world. Both Bush's economic advisers, who wanted to emphasize trickle-down tax cuts to …

Confucius Says, 'Be Frugal,' But the Global Slump Says, 'Spend'

Confucius Says, 'Be Frugal,' But the Global Slump Says, 'Spend'

My mom, a 63-year-old retired textile factory worker, is one of 1.3 billion Chinese whose lives are more or less defined by a traditional Chinese culture in which saving and frugality are rooted as …

Clawson, Mich. Celebrates, Practices Acts of Kindness

Clawson, Mich. celebrates, practices acts of kindness

Free haircuts for kids, hearing tests for seniors, clothing drives and letter-writing stations to send notes to those serving in the military are among the offerings. More than 35 downtown businesses are offering …

Are Religious Conservatives More Generous Than Secular Liberals?

Are religious conservatives more generous than secular liberals?

"It's original," said a Syracuse professor who worked closely with Brooks and spoke on the condition of anonymity to feel free to present alternative views. "But ... there are some who believe it is fair …

The Kindness Of Strangers

The kindness of strangers

Imagine inviting strangers with whom you share no friends or even acquaintances to open your front door and take possession of all of this, for one whole week. If, as Adam Phillips and Barbara -Taylor argue in their new book On Kindness , most …

California is broke?

http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/02/news/economy/california_budget_crisis/in...

California, the world's eighth largest economy, is running short of cash. The Golden State is facing a $40 billion budget gap and has started delaying $3.5 billion in payments to taxpayers, …

Video: Meet The Economic Advisor Who Repeatedly Predicted the Recession

Peter Schiff hasn't been right about everything, but he's definitely been the most prescient economic analyst where the recession is concerned. This video would be sheer entertainment (watch how stupid he makes all the other economic analysts look in retrospect) if it …

Nobel Prize Winner's Recession Solution? $5 Trillion Govt. Bailout

Nobel Prize Winner's Recession Solution? $5 Trillion Govt. Bailout

A stimulus plan of that size is probably not needed, but Krugman said he believes the $775 billion proposal from President-elect Barack Obama isn't big enough.

"We're not in a depression. But we are in …

Vote For Twoshirts.org at KillerStartups.com!

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My Thoughts On The Obama Speech Today

Depending on how the next few years unfold, Obama's speech today on the U.S. economic crisis could turn out to be just another blip on the political radar or one of the most important Presidential speeches in recent history. (In case you missed it, here's the …

Are We Living In The Last Days Of The Empire?

Frugal Is Cool in Cash-Strapped U.S.

"There is a sense of mourning and confusion and a real feeling of living in the last days of empire," Tobar said.

Author Hectar Tobar is describing his perception of the widespread American sentiment of fear, a mood that is striking …

10 Commandments For Frugal Living

10 Commandments For Frugal Living:

One of the biggest misconceptions about being frugal is that those who are frugal only purchase things that are cheap or the very lowest price. The truth is that those who are frugal always try to buy the best value taking into account …

Holiday Kindness May Have Cost Woman Her Job

Holiday Kindness May Have Cost Woman Her Job

They escorted me to my car as a criminal. It felt if you do something good for anyone, that you are going to be punished.

Am I missing something here?

KPBS Features Twoshirts.org In Article On The Changing Face Of Consumerism

KPBS Features Twoshirts.org In Article On The Changing Face Of Consumerism:

Twoshirts.org allows users to post items that they have and are willing to give away or items that they need. Jason Coker, the site's creator, says the site is about individuals sharing their …

Just Send the Next Bailout Check to Me

Just Send the Next Bailout Check to Me:

Note to the Obama administration: If the economy doesn't respond, it does not mean that the decision to bail out our family was wrong. It simply means the amount was too small. But we patriotically pledge not to request additional …

It's Official: Pigs Are Flying

Piggy banks fly off shelves in freshly frugal U.S.

"We definitely noticed a trend with the piggy banks," said Erin Mara at Homebody, a design store in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. "People were very upfront about the need to save...the pig is very …