ATLANTA – On a weekend trip to this, the city where we honeymooned four decades ago, Susan and I find ourselves in a place touting the “best burgers in Atlanta.” On its menu is the “Fat Elvis,” a half-pound of meat “slathered with a King-sized helpin’ of smooth peanut butter, bacon and fried bananas.” Neither of us opts in for this.

2. Icahn, Southeastern Challenge Dell Takeover Plan - Monday, May 13, 2013

One of the biggest critics of Michael Dell's plan to take the company he founded private has launched a fresh challenge to that $24.4 billion bid and says the slumping PC maker needs new leadership.

3. Record Profit Signals Healthier Fannie Mae - Friday, May 10, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fannie Mae said something Thursday that would have been unthinkable a few years ago: It earned a record $58.7 billion profit in the January-March quarter.

And it made clear it's on the cusp of repaying taxpayers for one of the most expensive bailouts of a single company in the financial crisis.

4. Internet Sales Tax Bill Faces Tough Sell in House - Wednesday, May 08, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Traditional retailers and cash-strapped states face a tough sell in the House as they lobby Congress to limit tax-free shopping on the Internet.

The Senate voted 69 to 27 Monday to pass a bill that empowers states to collect sales taxes from Internet purchases. Under the bill, states could require out-of-state retailers to collect sales taxes when they sell products over the Internet, in catalogs, and through radio and TV ads. The sales taxes would be sent to the states where a shopper lives.

5. Senate Bill Lets States Tax Internet Purchases - Tuesday, May 07, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Attention online shoppers: The days of tax-free shopping on the Internet may soon end for many of you.

The Senate is scheduled to vote Monday on a bill that would empower states to collect sales taxes for purchases made over the Internet. The measure is expected to pass because it has already survived three procedural votes. But it faces opposition in the House, where some Republicans regard it as a tax increase. A broad coalition of retailers is lobbying in favor of it.

6. Events - Saturday, May 04, 2013

In-Synk and The Daily News will host a Leadership Lunch & Learn about Nate Silver’s book “The Signal and The Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail – But Some Don’t” Friday, May 3, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Triumph Bank board room, 5699 Poplar Ave. Cost is $20. Register at lnlsignalnoise-rss.eventbrite.com.

7. One End to the Other - Friday, May 03, 2013

GET IT TOGETHER. Cooper is on fire. From the cougars in the zoo to the cougars in Alchemy, the viewing is best at feeding time. From the lions at the zoo to the lyonnaise salad at 1912, this is a stretch to strut in.

8. Medical Metrics - Thursday, May 02, 2013

A provision of the Affordable Care Act that ties patient satisfaction to reimbursement has been a boon for medical device maker Christie Medical Holdings Inc.

9. Nobody Wins the Low Price War - Wednesday, May 01, 2013

We get asked about pricing all of the time. Usually, the inquisitor is looking for a simple answer but the topic is vastly complex due to the many variables involved.

Pricing is a key element of market strategy and a powerful lever in your arsenal. It is intrinsically tied to your position in the market and is only as effective as your strategy as a whole.

10. Dickerson Learns Unintentional Consequences - Thursday, April 25, 2013

As a freshman lawmaker, state Sen. Steven Dickerson, R-Nashville, said he spent his first legislative session “pretty-tightly circumscribed.”

11. Steady Groove - Tuesday, April 23, 2013

This year’s Record Store Day, an international celebration held the third Saturday in April, brought casual music fans along with diehards and vinyl evangelists into music shops around the country, including Goner Records and Shangri-La Records in Memphis.

12. Events - Saturday, April 20, 2013

Ballet Memphis will present “Wizard of Oz” Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, at The Orpheum Theatre, 203 S. Main St. Visit balletmemphis.org for tickets.

13. Events - Friday, April 19, 2013

The Circuit Playhouse will present “Time Stands Still” Friday, April 19, through May 12 at Circuit, 51 S. Cooper St. Visit playhouseonthesquare.org for times and tickets.

14. Signs of Life - Saturday, April 13, 2013

Home sales activity picked up in the first quarter of this year across the Mid-South, and brokers believe the market recovery is gaining traction.

Shelby County home sales rose 6 percent during the first quarter, with 3,382 sales from January to March compared to 3,179 during the first quarter of 2012, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com.

15. Editorial: City Must Say ‘No’ to Ballpark Burden - Saturday, April 13, 2013

How many ways should there be to interpret the concept that it is a bad idea for the city of Memphis to buy AutoZone Park, no matter how layered the transaction might be?

The layers and the complexity involved are precisely the reason the city should put an end to this idea once and for all.

16. In Need of Relief - Saturday, April 13, 2013

Perhaps it is only too appropriate that baseball is played without a clock. For securing the future of the Memphis Redbirds may require extra innings, not to mention extra effort.

The ballpark was on the leading edge of revitalizing Downtown when it opened in 2000 at Third and Union. This, of course, was “B.G.” in Memphis – Before the Grizzlies. Also, before FedExForum. The city was ready for something big and bold – something that showed Memphis could overachieve, not underachieve.

17. Vance Albitz: A True Web Gem - Friday, April 05, 2013

Occasionally, the brilliance of an idea is captured in its name. So it is with “Gloves 4 Troops,” the brainchild of Memphis Redbirds infielder Vance Albitz.

Back in November, Albitz read about a deployed solider who said the one thing he really wished he had from back home was a baseball and a glove. Normalcy – always the goal for soldiers in harm’s way – was a game of catch. Albitz understood because as far back as he can remember, holidays at home in Torrance, Calif., meant him, his older brother and father playing catch and having a little informal BP.

18. Haslam Rejects Medicaid Expansion - Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Tennessee will not accept an expansion of Medicaid funding under the Affordable Care Act, Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday, March 27, to a joint session of the state’s General Assembly.

But Haslam also told legislators he is pursuing a “third option” between acceptance and rejection of the funding that would use the federal funding to allow uninsured Tennesseans eligible for TennCare, the state’s version of Medicaid, to buy private health insurance.

19. Beale District Future Mapped Out in Report - Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Whatever comes next for the Beale Street entertainment district, the city of Memphis isn’t likely to turn over the three blocks of real estate for several decades to a developer and the nonprofit middleman, Beale Street Development Corp.

20. Dell Board Will Deal With Icahn, Blackstone - Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Michael Dell may have to hike the price he's willing to pay if he wants to take the computer company he founded private, thanks to competition from two new acquisition offers.

A special committee of independent Dell Inc. directors said Monday that it will negotiate with buyout specialist Blackstone Group and activist investor Carl Icahn over bids that rival an offer of more than $24 billion from CEO and Chairman Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners.

21. Boyle Celebrates 80 Years, Sponsors Art Exhibit - Monday, March 18, 2013

Boyle Investment Co. turns 80 this year, and has partnered with the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art to celebrate.

22. Don’t Dwell on Market Downturn - Thursday, March 07, 2013

Ray’s Take In my 30 years of investment management, I’ve found there is always someone predicting another market downturn. Eventually they’ll be right. After all, historically, there’s been a bear market about every three years. Should you be concerned? Not overly, unless your decisions make a market downturn even more painful.

23. Automakers Report Growing US Sales in February - Monday, March 04, 2013

DETROIT (AP) – Americans want new cars and trucks, and they're not going to let higher gas prices or political dysfunction in Washington stand in their way.

General Motors, Toyota, Ford and most other automakers posted at least modest sales gains for February. Industry analysts estimate last month's sales rose about 7 percent from a year earlier as pent-up demand and cheap financing kept the U.S. auto sales recovery powering along.

24. US Pending Home Sales Rise to Highest Since 2010 - Thursday, February 28, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – A measure of the number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes rose in January from December to the highest level in more than 2 ½ years. The increase suggests sales of previously occupied homes will continue rising in the coming months.

25. Business Executives Discuss Grizzlies' Impact - Thursday, February 28, 2013

For years, FedEx Corp. has brought in 50 of the nation’s leading MBA students to try and recruit them to Memphis.

26. Grizzlies Owners Tout ‘Sustained Success’ - Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Every year, FedEx Corp. brings in 50 of the nation’s leading MBA students to try and recruit them to Memphis.

After a three-day weekend of briefing those young professionals on the company and civic culture, an exit survey is conducted with those who didn’t choose FedEx. The No. 1 reason for why they opted out of Memphis? The lack of professional sports teams.

27. Barnes & Noble Chair Wants to Buy Retail Business - Tuesday, February 26, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – The last remaining national bookstore chain is being taken off the shelf and dusted off for sale.

Founder Barnes & Noble's founder Leonard Riggio disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday that he wants to acquire the company's stores and website, but not the business that makes the Nook e-reader or the company's college bookstores. No price was disclosed.

28. Office Depot Agrees to Buy OfficeMax in Stock Deal - Thursday, February 21, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Office Depot and OfficeMax are being collated.

The retailers said Wednesday they have agreed to combine in an all-stock deal worth about $1.2 billion that would transform the office-supply retail sector by helping the No. 2 and No. 3 chains compete against industry behemoth Staples.

29. Seminar: Uncertainty Pervades Real Estate - Monday, February 18, 2013

2013 will be a big year on many real estate fronts – foreclosures, property taxes and property values.

That was the message industry professionals heard Thursday, Feb. 14, at real estate information company Chandler Reports’ 2012 year-end “Master Your Market” seminar at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis.

30. New Chassis Pool Co-Op Launches in Memphis - Friday, February 15, 2013

The trucker-formed North American Chassis Pool Cooperative – the first of its kind – is launching its pilot program in Memphis this year.

The announcement follows the U.S. Surface Transportation Board recently approving the cooperative’s chassis pooling agreement, which will allow it to acquire and share chassis for intermodal freight transportation.

31. Lighting the Spark - Saturday, February 09, 2013

Somewhere, there’s an entrepreneur scribbling an idea on little more than the back of a napkin. Someone else has all the pieces of a new company in place, and now they’re ready to dial for dollars. Entrepreneurs are a talented bunch, but that talent doesn’t always include a knack for management or finance – skill sets that plenty of experts in Memphis stand ready to help explain.

32. Events - Friday, February 08, 2013

Helen Brett Enterprises will host the Small Business Revenue Generator Bootcamp Friday, Feb. 8, from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. during the Memphis Gift & Jewelry Show at Memphis Cook Convention Center, 255 N. Main St. The event will teach retailers best practices regarding sales and profit generation. Visit bootcamp.helenbrett.com.

33. US Sues Standard & Poor's Over Pre-Crisis Mortgage Ratings - Wednesday, February 06, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. government says Standard & Poor's knowingly inflated its ratings on risky mortgage investments that helped trigger the 2008 financial crisis.

The credit rating agency gave high marks to mortgage-backed securities because it wanted to earn more business from the banks that issued the investments, the Justice Department alleges in charges filed in federal court in Los Angeles .

34. Detroit, Toyota See Big US Sales Gains in January - Monday, February 04, 2013

DETROIT (AP) – American consumers ignored tax increases and trudged through winter weather to buy new cars and trucks at an unusually strong pace last month.

"(January) was like a sprinter out of the starting blocks," said Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation Inc., the country's largest auto dealership chain.

35. US Challenges Deal to Merge Budweiser and Corona - Friday, February 01, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Thursday to stop Anheuser-Busch InBev's proposed $20.1 billion purchase of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, which would unite the ownership of popular beers like Budweiser and Corona.

36. US Home Prices Accelerate in November - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. home prices accelerated in November compared with a year ago, pushed higher by rising sales and a tighter supply of available homes.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 5.5 percent in November compared with the same month a year ago. That's the largest year-over-year gain in six years.

37. Super Bowl Ad Preview - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The victory of the Ravens or the 49ers won’t be all people are talking about after the Super Bowl. After all, there are the commercials, and considering 110 million viewers are anticipated for this year’s football matchup, it’s no wonder advertisers pony up big bucks. Thirty-second spots went for $3.8 million to $4 million this year – an all-time record, up from $3.5 million in 2012.

38. US New-Home Sales Fell in December, Sales for Year Up - Monday, January 28, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Sales of new U.S. homes cooled off in December compared with November but for the entire year were the best since 2009.

The Commerce Department said Friday that new-home sales fell 7.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 369,000. That's down from November's rate of 398,000, which was the fastest in 2 ½ years.

39. Swimming in Memory - Friday, January 25, 2013

THE POOL’S CLOSED. My first date was Ann Wiggs. I took her to a dance in the cafeteria at White Station at the beginning of the seventh grade. She was tall and all elbows and angles. I was short and dumpy and all nervous. We didn’t so much dance as run into each other to music. I was 11. She was 12.

40. Lawmakers to Resume Education Focus in New Session - Tuesday, January 08, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – Legislation that would allow parents to decide the fate of a struggling school is among several education-related proposals lawmakers are likely to discuss during the 108th Tennessee General Assembly that convenes Tuesday.

41. U.S. Employers Add 155,000 Jobs in December - Monday, January 07, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs in December, a steady gain that shows hiring held up during the tense negotiations to resolve the fiscal cliff.

The solid job growth wasn’t enough to reduce the unemployment rate, which remained 7.8 percent last month, the Labor Department said Friday. The rate for November was revised up from an initially reported 7.7 percent.

42. US Pending Home Sales Rise to Highest Since April 2010 - Wednesday, January 02, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – A measure of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes increased last month to its highest level in two and a half years, the latest sign of improvement in the once-battered housing market.

43. No Deal in Sight as Deadline for Fiscal Deal Nears - Friday, December 28, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A last-gasp effort Thursday to avoid automatic tax increases and spending cuts got off on the same convulsive, partisan tone that marked congressional attempts to resolve the impasse before lawmakers left Washington to go home for Christmas.

44. Bass Berry Law Firm Honored for Recent Deals - Thursday, December 27, 2012

The law firm of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC has won the mergers and acquisitions “deal of the year” award in the $50 million to $100 million category from M&A Advisors.

The deal for which Bass Berry won the award was announced earlier this year. It involved Luminex Corp. – a health care and life sciences research company – acquiring privately held GenturaDx, a molecular diagnostics company focused on making nucleic acid testing affordable and practical for any lab.

45. Tight Credit is Your Friend - Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Ray’s Take Credit is tighter than it used to be. Loans are harder to come by. That’s good news as far as I’m concerned. Many people are still longing for those “glory days” when credit was easy for anything we wanted. Well, they didn’t end well for most people.

46. US Home Sales Surge to Three-Year High - Saturday, December 22, 2012

U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped to their highest level in three years last month, bolstered by steady job gains and record-low mortgage rates. The report was the latest sign of a sustained recovery in the housing market.

47. US Home Sales Surge to Three-Year High - Friday, December 21, 2012

U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped to their highest level in three years last month, bolstered by steady job gains and record-low mortgage rates.

The report was the latest sign of a sustained recovery in the U.S. housing market.

48. US Homebuilder Confidence at Highest Level Since 2006 - Wednesday, December 19, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Confidence among U.S. homebuilders inched up this month, to the highest level in more than six and a half years, as builders reported the best market for newly built homes since the housing boom.

49. Dozens Sue Pharmacy, But Compensation Uncertain - Friday, December 14, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Dennis O'Brien rubs his head as he details ailments triggered by the fungal meningitis he developed after a series of steroid shots in his neck: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, exhaustion and trouble with his speech and attention.

50. Starbucks to Open 1,500 More Cafes in the US - Thursday, December 06, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Another Starbucks may soon pop up around the corner, with the world's biggest coffee company planning to add at least 1,500 cafes in the U.S. over the next five years.

The plan, which would boost the number of Starbucks cafes in the country by about 13 percent, was announced at the company's investor day in New York Wednesday. Taking into account Canada and South America, the company plans to add a total of 3,000 new cafes in its broader Americas region.

51. US Consumer Confidence at Highest Since 2008 - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. consumer confidence rose this month to its highest level in almost five years, helped by a better outlook for hiring over the next six months.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 73.7 in November from 73.1 in October. Both are the best readings since February 2008.

52. ConAgra Gobbles Up Store Brands With Ralcorp Deal - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – ConAgra Foods is set to become the nation's biggest maker of store brand foods, with its $5 billion purchase of Ralcorp expanding its stake in the fast-growing market for cereals, crackers and other packaged foods sold under private labels.

53. Phoenix Home Entertainment in Running for Award - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Memphis-based Phoenix Unequaled Home Entertainment is up for a prominent industry award, one that’s part of the Consumer Electronics Association’s Mark of Excellence System Integrator Awards program.

54. Retail Therapy - Monday, November 26, 2012

The retail business has been described in recent times as Darwinian in nature to those in the industry, meaning formats come and go as competition intensifies each year.

That concept is apparent in retail chains having trouble finding the best real estate for new locations as antiquated strip centers retain high vacancies. Or in the resurgence of upscale retailers, while dollar stores are simultaneously expanding at a rapid clip.

55. Best Buy Reports Third-Quarter Loss - Wednesday, November 21, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Struggling Best Buy Co. reported another dismal quarter on Tuesday, recording a third quarter loss and continued sales slump just as the crucial holiday season revs up.

56. Holiday Shopping Essential: Black Friday Apps - Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Retailers expecting a tepid holiday shopping season are pulling out all the stops to attract customers to their stores this year – including embracing the enemy.

Big-box stores have come to terms with "showrooming" – when shoppers come into stores armed with smartphone apps designed to identify cheaper deals online – and devised new plans to offset its impact.

57. Sunscreen and Then Some - Thursday, November 15, 2012

“Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.” Thus wrote Mary Schmich in her Chicago Tribune column, June 1, 1997.

58. Arm Your Sales Team for Sophisticated Selling with Buyer Personas - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

To deliver a stellar performance, great actors engage in an extensive process to get inside the head of their characters – understanding their persona. Similarly, imagine if your sales force were armed with such a deep understanding of their buyers. Not only would it improve their ability to connect with prospects in a more meaningful way; it would also allow them to tailor their pitch to ensure it moves prospects to buy.

59. Shelby County Mortgages Up in October - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Federal Reserve has signaled its intent to buy mortgage-backed securities for much of the near future to try and goose the economy, which means mortgage rates are liable to keep skating along the bottom, as they are now.

60. ‘Let’s Do This’ - Monday, November 12, 2012

There was just something about FedExForum. Something about touring the more than 800,000-square-foot arena for the first time that made him think it’s “just awesome, being inside here.”

61. Bulls-Eye - Tuesday, October 30, 2012

It seemed an unlikely place to form a clay target shooting team.

Funding would be an issue. Transportation to and from the practice range could be tricky.

And the biggest hurdle for bringing the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program (TNSCTP) to Manassas High School in Memphis was the fact that those who were being recruited to participate had no familiarity whatsoever with the sport.

62. Schmitt’s Career Fueled By Outside-the-Box Thinking - Monday, October 29, 2012

Jill Schmitt used to envision herself searching for relics of ancient world cultures but instead found her niche helping businesses find new digs.

63. Brinkley Plaza Sells to Olymbec for $7.2 Million - Monday, October 29, 2012

Downtown’s Brinkley Plaza has sold for $7.2 million to a Canadian real estate investment firm.

Montreal-based Olymbec USA LLC, an entity of Olymbec Corporate Group, acquired the 219,557-square-foot tower at 80 Monroe Ave., its ground lease and the adjacent 300-space covered parking garage.

64. Brinkley Plaza Sells to Olymbec for $7.2M - Friday, October 26, 2012

Downtown’s Brinkley Plaza has sold for $7.2 million to a Canadian real estate investment firm.

Montreal-based Olymbec USA LLC, an entity of Olymbec Corporate Group, acquired the 219,557-square-foot tower at 80 Monroe Ave., its ground lease and the adjacent 300-space covered parking garage.

65. Weak Business Spending Drags on US Growth - Friday, October 26, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Companies are holding off on purchases of computers, industrial equipment and other long-lasting manufactured goods, a trend that's slowing the U.S. economy.

A fourth straight month of lackluster corporate spending led many economists on Thursday to trim their forecasts for growth in the July-September quarter. The government will issue its first estimate of third-quarter growth Friday, the last snapshot of the overall economic activity before the presidential election.

66. Fed Likely to Send Wait-and-See Signal at Meeting - Wednesday, October 24, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Six weeks ago, the Federal Reserve unveiled its latest plan to invigorate the U.S. economy. This week, the Fed will likely send a simple message:

Give that plan time to work.

67. Hardeman County RV Park on Auction Block - Monday, October 22, 2012

A 211-acre RV resort in Hardeman County will soon hit the auction block.

Bill Caller, principal auctioneer with Crye-Leike Commercial Auction Services, will host an auction for Big Buck Resort off U.S. 64 in Hornsby, Tenn., Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. The minimum bid is $500,000 – and the property was appraised last year for $2 million.

68. Are You Better Off? - Monday, October 08, 2012

Many people are currently asking the question, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” More often than not, the people asking this question have some sort of political agenda in mind.

69. Woman-Owned Engineering Firm Finds Right Design for Success - Monday, October 08, 2012

Entrepreneurship was never in Nisha Powers’ plans.

Armed with a degree in civil engineering, Powers moved to Memphis in 1997 and followed a traditional post-college path: She sought and landed a job at one of the state’s top firms in her field. But after eight years in one small office, she was ready to explore new territory.

70. Daunting Vision - Tuesday, October 02, 2012

To say the team behind the redevelopment of the nearly 20-year-vacant Sears, Roebuck & Co. Retail and Catalog distribution facility in Midtown’s Crosstown neighborhood has their work cut out for them would be an understatement at best.

71. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem - Monday, October 01, 2012

Maybe you’re a startup founder who wants to rub shoulders with your peers, pitch investors in the hope of landing venture capital and talk to a lawyer about drawing up paperwork.

Maybe you’re a veteran researcher who’s got a side project that looks like it could turn into something big. Or maybe you’ve got little more than an idea on the back of a napkin.

72. Economic Engine Must Keep Running Smoothly - Monday, October 01, 2012

Are business owners and innovators made or born? Probably both.

An “ecosystem” of nonprofits, laboratories and networking groups detailed in this week’s cover story is valuable.

They offer a chance for those who want to try to get some kind of feel for the pressures involved. Nothing can simulate the experience of taking your business plan out there, backed with everything you have and trying to make it work without a net. But these groups can quickly sort out those who have the wrong idea about what it will be like from those who will get up after they have been knocked down and know more from the experience on the next try.

73. Analysts Expect Auto Sales to Stay Strong in September - Tuesday, September 25, 2012

DETROIT (AP) – Whether it's out of necessity or desire, Americans continued to buy cars and trucks at a strong pace in September, according to industry analysts.

Data from dealerships across the nation show that new vehicle sales should hit an annual rate of 14.5 million vehicles for the month, continuing a rebound that began in June, according to J.D. Power and Associates and LMC Automotive.

74. Gas Prices, Cars Push US Retail Sales Up - Monday, September 17, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. retail sales rose in August from July because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. They were more cautious elsewhere, suggesting the weak economy has made many selective about spending.

75. The Heart Beats - Friday, September 14, 2012

THE HEART BEATS. AGAIN. A lifetime ago, screwdrivers with lifetime guarantees came from an art moderne castle, and screwdrivers with orange juice came from the only other Friday’s outside of Manhattan.

76. Apollo Thrives by Making Business All About Clients - Monday, September 03, 2012

It’s been a long and winding road for Apollo Distributing LLC president Todd Farris, who’s seen the family business struggle, survive and now thrive.

77. Apollo Thrives by Making Business All About Clients - Monday, September 03, 2012

It’s been a long and winding road for Apollo Distributing LLC president Todd Farris, who’s seen the family business struggle, survive and now thrive.

78. Events - Thursday, August 30, 2012

Memphis Breakfast Rotary Club will meet Thursday, Aug. 30, at 7 a.m. at The Racquet Club of Memphis, 5111 Sanderlin Ave. Steve Ehrhart, AutoZone Liberty Bowl executive director, will speak. Contact Mark Edwards at medwards@bankofbartlett.com.

79. The Least Loved Day is Also the Market's Worst - Monday, August 20, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – It's not just in your head. Mondays really are the worst.

Monday is the only day the stock market is more likely to fall than to rise. The Dow Jones industrial average has been down 10 of the past 11 Mondays. And the two worst days in market history are both known as Black Monday.

80. Major Retailers to Launch Mobile App for Payments - Thursday, August 16, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – A bevy of big-name retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Best-Buy Co. and Target Corp., are teaming up to create a company that will give customers another way to make purchases: with their cellphones.

81. Roots of Success - Thursday, August 09, 2012

The story of Holiday Inn could serve as a homegrown business case study of what makes a brand resonate with customers – and what qualities are needed for that brand to endure over time.

This month’s 60th anniversary of the opening of the first Holiday Inn is an obvious opportunity to celebrate the roots of the iconic hotel chain. And on the same day hotel representatives and representatives of its parent company re-created the first ribbon cutting at a Holiday Inn near Wolfchase Galleria mall, Kemmons Wilson Jr., one of the children of Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, reflected on the secrets to the chain’s success.

82. US Consumers More Confident in the Economy in July - Wednesday, August 01, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Americans breathed a bit easier about the economy in July, as a better outlook on short-term hiring and lower gas prices offset lingering worries about poor income growth.

83. The State of Green - Monday, July 30, 2012

There are many shades of green.

And the use of the term “green” to describe public policies, business practices and other decisions designed to improve or sustain natural surroundings and our connection with them touches on so many other considerations.

84. McDonald's Showing Signs of Tear From Economy - Tuesday, July 24, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Not even McDonald's Corp. has an iron stomach when it comes to the global economic downturn.

85. Where Do Retirement Dollars Go Further? - Thursday, July 12, 2012

Ray’s Take There are many things to consider when selecting a place to spend your retirement years, or as I prefer to call them, your financial independence years. Not the least is selecting a place where your financial resources have the best odds of achieving your goals. State policies on property, income, sales, and estate taxes have a large bearing on this. However, the right combination for each retiree is different.

86. Rip Off the Band-Aid - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Odds are, your company will eventually face a PR crisis – regardless of its size. PR crises can simply be accidental, such as an employee on your team neglecting to shred an important document that mistakenly fell into someone’s hands. Or you could face the more serious negligent action: an employee sold confidential customer information to a third party, for example.

87. Talking Tennessee - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey are among the Tennesseans in recent days who’ve participated in a “Twitter battle” ginned up by the cable business network CNBC as part of the network’s annual study of the country’s top states for business.

88. Weak Hiring Shows Economy Still Hurting - Monday, July 09, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A third straight month of weak hiring shows the U.S. economy is still struggling three years after the recession officially ended.

U.S. employers added just 80,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent, the Labor Department said Friday.

89. First Horizon Likely to Post Negative Q2 - Monday, July 09, 2012

The Memphis-based parent company of First Tennessee Bank is likely to break a string of profitable quarters when the company makes its second-quarter earnings presentation in a few weeks.

90. Are You Bowling Or Making Music At Work? - Monday, July 02, 2012

There is a story about a family with a problem child. The situation eventually became so troublesome that the parents decided to take the child to a therapist. After a brief interview, the therapist suggested a few sessions with the entire family. The parents responded by saying, “Why do we all need to attend? He’s the one with the problem!”

91. High Court Ruling Benefits Most Health Care Firms - Friday, June 29, 2012

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – The Supreme Court's decision Thursday to uphold President Barack Obama's historic overhaul is expected to be a boon to most of the health care industry by making coverage more affordable for millions of uninsured Americans.

92. Deutsche Bank Analyst Boosts AutoZone to "Buy" - Wednesday, June 27, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – A Deutsche Bank analyst on Tuesday raised his rating for AutoZone Inc. to "Buy" from Hold," saying that the auto parts retailer will soon get a boost from slowing new car sales and falling gas prices.

93. Big-Box Vacancies Prove Hard To Fill - Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The closing of big-box stores in recent years belonging to the likes of Borders Group Inc., Circuit City Inc. and others has left suburban shopping centers around the country with lots of space to fill.

94. Saving the Haven - Monday, June 25, 2012

With lush vegetation and a smattering of homes on large lots, Northaven is reminiscent of neighboring Shelby Forest.

But the community that sits north of Memphis and south of Millington also contains plenty of homes on smaller lots with the traditional layout of a 1970s-era suburban neighborhood. Northaven isn’t Shelby Forest. It isn’t Memphis, either. The unincorporated Shelby County neighborhood is where rural and suburban meet – and the combination hasn’t aged well.

95. School Board Votes Not To Renew Cash's Contract - Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The countywide school board voted Tuesday, June 19, not to renew the contract of Memphis City Schools superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash past August 2013 when it is scheduled to run out.

The 14-8 vote came during two back-to-back school board meetings covering five hours in which the board also agreed to talk more about a process for selecting the superintendent of the consolidated school system to come at a meeting next week.

96. Referrals Can Help Improve Close Ratios - Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Sales is a tough job. Having the courage and drive to pick up that phone every day and face potential rejection requires a thick skin and level of dedication unmatched by most.

Consider that the average close ratio is about 10 percent for most salespeople. Those are tough odds.

97. Best Buy Profit Falls 26 Pct. in First Quarter - Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Best Buy Co. said Tuesday that its fiscal first-quarter profit dropped 26 percent on restructuring charges as the struggling electronics retailer began implementing a turnaround plan.

98. Previously Owned Home Sales Up - Wednesday, May 23, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans bought more previously owned homes in April, a hopeful sign that the weak housing market is gradually improving.

The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, May 22, that home sales rose 3.4 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million.

99. Jury’s Out On Facebook Advertising - Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Business owners and marketers around the globe are clamoring to assess the viability of Facebook advertising. After all, Facebook has amassed over 900 million active users in eight short years, making it easy to see what all of the fuss is about.

100. Calif. Firm Finds Niche With ‘Premium Properties’ - Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Investment firms nationwide are snatching up single-family real estate-owned (REO) properties, renovating and renting them, and then selling them to other investors.

This “house flipping” is seen as especially opportunistic in Memphis, where median asking prices are dwarfed by national averages and vacancies are widespread.