NEW YORK (AP) – It was supposed to be our IPO, the people's public offering.

Facebook, the brainchild of a young CEO who sauntered into Wall Street meetings in a hoodie, was going to be bigger than Amazon, bigger than McDonald's, bigger than Coca-Cola. And it was all made possible by our friendships, photos and family ties.

2. Clippers’ Bench Spells Trouble for Grizzlies - Friday, April 19, 2013

The Los Angeles Clippers may or may not prove to be serious Western Conference title contenders. Count TNT analyst Charles Barkley as their No. 1 doubter, having called them “fool’s gold” and compared them to a pretty girl that steals your heart only for you to discover she is “dumb as a box of rocks.”

3. Zero Budget – What a Boon - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Entrepreneurs come alive when all odds are stacked against them. Think of the famous stories. Walt Disney and Frank Lloyd Wright going bankrupt several times until their visions pay off. Edison brokering the GE deal that meant the West would use the type of electricity the wizard of Menlo Park created. Steve Jobs kicked out of Apple, starting Next. The old saying holds true: the darkest hour is just before the dawn.

4. A Very Good Question to Ask - Monday, March 25, 2013

What if you knew the best predictor of future growth for your business? Think about it. If you knew the best predictor, you could look into it, see how you’re doing with regard to it and focus much of your time and energy on it.

5. Rediscovering the Past - Friday, March 15, 2013

High-rise office buildings surround it on two sides and even the multistoried rectory at St. Peter Catholic Church offers a downward view of the Magevney House on Adams Avenue, east of Third Street.

6. BRIDGES to Oz - Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Last week we focused on a new form of mentorship, aimed at talent development and retention, with the University of Memphis and their LEAD program’s Professional Connection Lunches. This week let us discuss an organization that is uniting and inspiring diverse young people to become confident and courageous leaders committed to community transformation: BRIDGES.

7. Women Integral for City’s Best Version - Saturday, February 23, 2013

There is a Memphis where important things get done against long odds and powerful opposition aimed specifically at the very people trying to accomplish these goals that most of us agree are worthy.

8. Study: 1 in 5 Consumers had Error in Credit Report - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – One in five consumers had an error in a credit report issued by a major agency, according to a government study released Monday.

The Federal Trade Commission study also said that 5 percent of the consumers identified errors in their reports that could lead to them paying more for mortgages, auto loans or other financial products.

9. Rix Discovers Everyone’s Perfect Chocolate Flavor - Friday, February 08, 2013

“What does your business taste like?” That’s one of the first questions Chef Phillip Ashley Rix asks when company leaders commission his signature chocolates to represent their brands. It’s an unusual way to start a business conversation, and it usually jolts people into thinking outside the box, he says.

10. Gowen Named Marketing Head at Renshaw Property Management - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Kellyn Gowen has joined Renshaw Property Management as marketing coordinator. In her new role, Gowen manages social media, marketing and communications for the company’s 800 Mid-South rental properties, serves as a liaison for property owners and real estate agents, and spearheads marketing efforts for vacant properties.

11. Dishcrawl Food Tours to Make Memphis Debut - Thursday, January 24, 2013

Many have heard of a pub crawl, but a dish crawl – maybe not so much. 

A dish crawl is a way to explore four restaurants in one night. Similar to a pub crawl, but with food, dish crawls are guided, walkable culinary tours.

12. Is Grizzlies’ Best Behind Them or Yet to Come? - Friday, January 18, 2013

Is the Grizzlies’ potential not-yet-realized or grossly overestimated? That’s the only relevant question in the midst of Rudy Rumors, speculation about coach Lionel Hollins’ long-term future with the team, and the level of commitment new ownership is or isn’t willing to make in the here and now to this particular roster.

13. Get More Out of Your Corporate Retreat - Thursday, December 27, 2012

Have you ever asked yourself why you are taking a corporate retreat? Is it because the company has always had one and it is just an event on autopilot? Is it intended to reinforce the company line? What do you as a leader really get out of it? What does everyone else get out of it? If it is designed to be a “morale builder” and a session to “build consensus” you may be wasting your time and money. There is nothing worse for morale than having a lockdown then hotboxing people who work over 50 hour weeks. These people likely feel that they are getting behind on their work treadmill and worse, they resent the time away from home and family.

14. Christmas Coming Home - Friday, December 21, 2012

CHRISTMAS TIME Every Christmas I tell this story, and in the telling Christmas comes home.

It was my first time to England and overseas, and prime time for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Soho.

15. Discovering New Paths - Wednesday, December 05, 2012

In 2009, Charity Helvie, 35, left a successful career in the investment industry to start a home-based business, MadiBella, a custom clothing boutique featuring her handmade children’s clothes and women’s accessories.

16. New Vibe Connects to Soulsville’s Classic Sound - Monday, October 22, 2012

When the music that helped define Memphis was being made at 926 East McLemore Ave., there wasn’t much thought about giving the music the grand sweeping depth of a symphony orchestra.

17. Cooking Channel Show to Spotlight Main Street - Friday, October 19, 2012

The television food scene has been kind to Memphis this year.

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri recently visited six Memphis-area restaurants for his Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” all of which have opened within the past few years.

18. Amex Paying $112.5 Million in Late-Fee Settlements - Tuesday, October 02, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – American Express Co. is paying $112.5 million in refunds and fines to settle regulators' accusations that it charged unlawful late fees and deceived customers to pressure them to pay off old debts or buy extra credit card services.

19. Discover How Different Paying in Cash Feels - Thursday, September 27, 2012

Ray’s Take Credit cards make shopping so easy. A simple swipe, one signature and you’re done. Then 30 days later the bill comes due and you wonder how you managed to spend all that money.

20. Feds Order Discover to Refund $200 Million to Cardholders - Tuesday, September 25, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Discover Bank will pay millions in fees to settle accusations by regulators that it pressured credit card customers to buy costly add-on services like payment protection and credit monitoring.

21. Business Anthropology Unlocks Opportunities - Friday, September 21, 2012

Many consumer product, retail, and software companies are reinventing themselves and growing market share by better empathizing with the people who use their products or services. Increasingly, other businesses – from B2B companies to doctor clinics – are learning the potent power of empathy.

22. AP IMPACT: Aggressive Start for Consumer Bureau - Thursday, September 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The new federal agency charged with enforcing consumer finance laws is emerging as an ambitious sheriff, taking on companies for deceptive fees and marketing and unmoved by protests that its tactics go too far.

23. Government Turns Heat on Employers Over Job Bias - Friday, August 17, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – It started with allegations of hangman's nooses, graffiti and racist comments targeting a handful of black workers at a trucking company warehouse in Chicago Ridge, Ill.

24. Capital One to Pay $210M Over Marketing Tactics - Thursday, July 19, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration's consumer watchdog agency flexed its enforcement muscles for the first time Wednesday and ordered Capital One Bank to repay millions of credit card customers allegedly tricked into buying costly add-on services.

25. Film Industry Can’t Count on Incentives - Monday, July 16, 2012

The discussion about film and video production incentives has come a long way from the days when incentives meant pile up the cash and push it across the table at the folks from Hollywood.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam was lobbied hard when he was a candidate in 2010 to match what Louisiana was doing in film incentives. And to his credit, he took a hard line saying Tennessee shouldn’t get caught up in what amounted to an arms race for film and television production.

26. Municipal Referendums Hearing Continues - Thursday, July 12, 2012

The hearing in Memphis federal court to determine whether referendums on suburban municipal school districts will go ahead as scheduled looks to be an all-day affair.

The hearing broke for lunch Thursday, July 12, with federal Judge Hardy Mays still to hear from attorneys for the state of Tennessee, the six suburban towns and cities, the Shelby County Election Commission and the city of Memphis and Memphis City Council.

27. Privacy Gaffe Discovered in Internet Address Bids - Monday, June 18, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – The organization in charge of introducing new Internet addresses to rival ".com" briefly suspended access to some of the documents on its website after a privacy gaffe.

28. Thankfully, It’s Only Fiction - Thursday, May 31, 2012

I didn’t like the last novel I read, C.J. Box’s “Three Weeks to Say Goodbye” (2009). If you think you want to read it, then don’t read this column, as it will spoil the experience.

29. Strike up the Band - Monday, May 21, 2012

For anyone who finds themselves in conversation with Mei-Ann Chen about the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, its big plans for the year and major guest performers who’ve been lined up, be prepared to get an earful on a topic about which Chen will evangelize, her smile broad and voice brimming with cheer.

30. JPMorgan Loss Sets Off Call for Heavier Regulation - Monday, May 14, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A surprise $2 billion trading loss by a division of JPMorgan Chase triggered calls Friday for tougher regulation of banks three years after their near-death experience in the financial crisis.

31. UTHSC Prof. Receives $325K For Drug Discovery Instrument - Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Dr. Wei Li, associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), is the principal investigator of a $325,000 grant from the Office of the Director, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health.

32. Attaboy, Jimmy - Friday, May 04, 2012

AND STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING. Last week, Peter Pan was laid to rest. They came from all over Memphis, his Never Never Land and reality for everybody else, to overflow Midtown’s majestic Idlewild Presbyterian Church.

33. Harnessing Strategic Business Growth - Thursday, May 03, 2012

If you’re not growing, you’re dying anonymous. Growth: That Crazy Talk. Call it the entrepreneurial instinct, innovation, business savvy, whatever you want: strategic growth is how business prospers.

34. Creating a Last Impression - Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Ambient marketing, an underutilized form of guerrilla marketing, aims to catch the attention of prospective customers in nontraditional locations while in a place and at a time when they are most open to considering what you’re offering.

35. MAAR to Participate in Open House Weekend - Monday, April 23, 2012

Memphis Area Association of Realtors has teamed up with Realtor associations across the country for the Nationwide Open House Weekend from Saturday, April 28 through Sunday, April 29.

The purpose of the open house weekend is to encourage prospective homebuyers to discover the quality and affordability of homes in the Memphis market. This is the third year for the event and it has proven popular with consumers and Realtors.

36. New District Lines Lead to New Races - Monday, April 09, 2012

“This time I waited to be sure,” Ian Randolph said just before the Thursday, April 5, deadline for candidates to file in the Aug. 2 elections.

37. Is It All About The Money? - Monday, March 26, 2012

Some say money makes the world go around. But in reality, how much does money make the business world go around? And how important is money to the people who make the business world go around?

People like to say, “It’s not what happens to you that matters as much as how you respond to what happens to you.” I think it is a good idea to look at money in a similar way. In other words, money doesn’t matter as much as how you respond to money. You can tell a lot about a person by observing how they respond to compliments, and in similar fashion, money.

38. St. Jude Researchers Aid in Gene Discovery - Thursday, March 15, 2012

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center say they’ve discovered the first gene alteration associated with patient age and neuroblastoma outcome.

39. Learning Balance From Kids - Monday, March 12, 2012

Have you ever seen little kids spin around and around until they get so dizzy they become totally out of balance and fall down? They try to get up a few times and fall down again and again.

When they regain their equilibrium and their ability to stand up, what do they do? They start spinning around and around until they fall down again! Kids laugh and have a great time as they repeatedly spin around, lose their balance and fall. It’s a fun game.

40. Tragedy Rediscovered - Wednesday, March 07, 2012

When the steamboat Sultana exploded and sank north of Memphis on the Mississippi River in April 1865, it went down near the Arkansas side of the river.

Because the river was at a high level and because the river has changed course several times in the intervening 143 years, what’s left of the boat is believed to be beneath a bean field near Marion, Ark.

41. Teens Awaken in Broadway Musical - Monday, March 05, 2012

Love and flowers aren’t the only things that bloom in spring, at least according to an award-winning Broadway musical premiering at Circuit Playhouse in March.

In “Spring Awakening,” teenagers’ natural urges and unanswered questions combine in a rush of rock music to spell out the drama of becoming an adult.

42. Tenn. Supreme Court: Abuse Case Can Proceed - Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Monday, Feb. 27, that allegations of child sexual abuse 40 years ago involving the Catholic Diocese of Memphis can go forward.

The ruling in the case of Norman Redwing vs. The Memphis Catholic Diocese reverses a state appeals court ruling and upholds the original ruling by Circuit Court Judge D’Army Bailey.

43. Tenn. Supreme Court: Abuse Case Can Proceed - Monday, February 27, 2012

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Monday, Feb. 27, that allegations of child sexual abuse 40 years ago involving the Catholic Diocese of Memphis can go forward.

The ruling in the case of Norman Redwing vs. The Memphis Catholic Diocese reverses a state appeals court ruling and upholds the original ruling by Circuit Court Judge D’Army Bailey.

44. Build BRIDGES To Make Difference - Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Last week we spotlighted Samaritan’s Feet, which is providing new shoes and renewed hope to the 300 million people around the world who go without shoes each day. We also thanked the volunteers who recently came out and helped us wash the feet of more than 200 kids here in Memphis, providing them with new socks and shoes as a part of the Samaritan’s Feet National Day of Service.

45. Ghosts Of Christmas Past, Revisited - Friday, December 23, 2011

CHRISTMAS TIME It was my first time to England, first time overseas and prime time for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Soho and the rocking HQ for the whole British invasion.

It was time to discover pubs, and Scottish eggs, bubble & squeak and spotted dick. Time to discover that bitter, served warm, is twice as strong as our brew, that a British pint holds 20 oz. instead of our 16, and that all of that explains why your knees don’t work after three of them.

46. Walmart's Special on Credit Cards has Fine Print - Friday, November 18, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Special financing for the next six months!

Those are the magic words Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is hoping will get customers to spend happily with its branded credit cards this holiday season. But shoppers should check the list of conditions twice before applying for the card or racking up charges.

47. Discover Cardholders Can Use Cash-Back at Amazon - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Discover credit card holders can now use their cash back rewards to shop on Amazon.com.

The companies said Tuesday that cardholders can apply as much or as little of their cash back rewards toward purchases and have any remaining balances charged to their Discover card.

48. Great River Road Trail Launches at Mud Island - Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Tennessee’s Great River Road Trail has been launched.

The eighth of 16 self-guided driving tours in the Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways program, The Great River Road Trail spans 240 miles throughout West Tennessee and is part of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, a 10-state designated route starting in Minnesota and ending at the Gulf of Mexico.

49. Discover Faces FDIC Action on Protection Sales - Friday, September 30, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Discover Financial Services is facing an enforcement action by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. over the way it sold its payment protection, identity theft protection and other products.

50. Memphis-Area Libraries Host Digital Bookmobile - Friday, September 30, 2011

The Digital Bookmobile National Tour will showcase the free eBook and audiobook download services from Memphis-area libraries Monday, Oct. 10, at the Germantown Community Library, 1925 Exeter Road, and Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Burch Library, 501 Poplar View Parkway, in Collierville.

51. Distriplex Farms Warehouse Sells For $3 Million - Thursday, September 29, 2011

JSR Properties has bought two properties in Holmes/Mineral Wells Planned Development from Illinois-based DFS Services LLC for $3 million. One parcel contains a warehouse at 5305 Distriplex Farms Drive; the second is adjacent vacant land.

52. Legislation Could Further Expand Facebook Sharing - Thursday, September 29, 2011

Legislation is awaiting a vote in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee – of which U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, is a member – that would enable even more sharing of consumer information on Facebook.

53. Differentiating Sameness - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

If you used my home as the central point on a map and drew a circle with a four-mile radius, you would discover three identical fast-food restaurants within the circle. They are identical in terms of their franchise name; they are identical in appearance and identical in terms of their product offerings.

54. Businesses in the Midst Of Leadership Crisis - Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The news bombards us every day with stories about major corporations failing, government spending spinning out of control, and political and corporate leaders marching off to jail.

This leadership vacuum doesn’t only exist at high levels of government and industry. Poor leadership exists in small and mid-size businesses as well, although it’s not brought to the attention of the general public as often.

55. Credit Card Defaults, Late Payments Slide - Friday, September 16, 2011

Credit card issuers had a somewhat bumpy summer, but most of the top banks are reporting that their customers continued to make payments on time.

Default rates are down at three of the four companies reporting their August results. Only Capital One Financial Corp. says it saw an uptick in the rate it wrote off balances as uncollectible.

56. Hometown Exploration - Thursday, September 08, 2011

Cruise by Sun Studio any day of the week and you’ll see tourists from every corner of the globe taking photographs of its famous brown brick façade and queuing up for a ticket to the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll.

57. Discover Buying $2.5B in Student Loans From Citi - Friday, September 02, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Discover Financial Services on Thursday said it is buying another $2.5 billion in private student loans from Citigroup.

The deal, disclosed in a regulatory filing, comes nine months after Discover bought Citi's private student loan business, The Student Loan Corp., and a portfolio of loans and other assets totaling $4.2 billion.

58. Credit Card Late Payments Hit 17-Year Low in Q2 - Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Credit card users are so focused on keeping their accounts in good standing that they’ve driven the rate of late payments down to its lowest level in 17 years.

The national credit card delinquency rate, or rate of payments 90 days or more past due, fell to 0.60 percent in the second quarter, down from 0.92 percent a year ago. That’s the lowest rate since 1994, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion.

59. Best Times to Host Senior Expo - Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Best Times, a monthly news magazine for active, mature Mid-Southerners, will host a Senior Expo and Health Fair on Wednesday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Oak Court Mall, 4465 Poplar Ave.

60. Borders' Seeks Approval to Liquidate - Tuesday, July 19, 2011

There will be no storybook ending for Borders. The 40-year old book seller could start liquidating its 399 remaining stores as early as Friday.

The chain, which helped pioneer the big-box bookseller concept, is seeking court approval to liquidate its stores after it failed to receive any bids that would keep it in business. The move adds Borders to the list of retailers that failed to adapt to changing consumers' shopping habits and survive the recession, including Circuit City Stores Inc., Mervyn's and Linens 'N Things.

61. Thompson Dunavant Official Earns Special Certification - Tuesday, June 28, 2011

William Spilman, payment card industry (PCI) compliance practice leader with Thompson Dunavant PLC, has earned a specialized certification.

Spilman recently completed the education security training requirements necessary to perform a PCI compliance audit and consulting related to the protection of credit card data. He’s also received the Quality Service Assessor (QSA) designation.

62. Higher Card Use, Better Payments Lift Discover Q2 - Friday, June 24, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Discover Financial Services on Thursday said its profit more than tripled in its fiscal second quarter as it added new customers, while existing customers used their cards more and got better about making payments on time.

63. Clinic Gives Travelers ‘Passport’ for Safe Trips - Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Nurse practitioner Tonya Parson’s mother returned home last year from a Mexican getaway carrying an unwanted souvenir – a parasite that had taken up residence in her liver.

64. Discovered: Charming Chardonnay - Monday, June 06, 2011

One of the services I like to provide for readers of Memphis Grapevine is news of the availability of wines that may be a vintage or two behind the current release but that are drinking beautifully now. Wholesalers have wines like these all over their warehouses; somehow these wines didn’t sell or too much got ordered, they were neglected or forgotten, who knows. Whatever the reason, today I get to offer one such wine to you.

65. MAAR to Participate in Realtor Open House - Wednesday, June 01, 2011

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors has teamed up with Realtor associations across the country for the Nationwide Open House Weekend Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5.

The purpose of the open house weekend is to encourage prospective homebuyers to discover the quality and affordability of homes in the Memphis market. This is the second annual National Open House Weekend.

66. Try to Minimize Distractions - Monday, May 30, 2011

Based on a study by Microsoft and the University of Illinois it takes, on average, about 16 minutes for a worker interrupted by an email to get back to what he or she was doing. I find this statistic absolutely astounding!

67. Getting Back to Normal - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

When Mud Island River Park reopens to the public Tuesday, May 24, there might not be any water in the park’s scale model of the Mississippi River.

“When that is cleaned out everything in there is going to be gone,” said Trey Giuntini, general manager of the park. “All the water will be gone. It will be pressure washed and we will have chlorinated water coming through there. We may not open Tuesday with the riverwalk model actually being turned on. That’s not because of an unsafe factor because of the water. But the river stage needs to get low enough to where we feel it’s safe to drain the model for cleaning.”

68. Beware The X Factors - Monday, May 16, 2011

You are going along somewhat according to plan, some obstacles being overcome, and there is a chance of making a bit of profit this year. On track. Yeah. Then – are you kidding me?!

For example, if you are the fortunate owner of a Tunica casino, you are not feeling so fortunate because Mother Flood decided to close you for a month, costing you and your employees a bunch. For the same reason, you hopefully do not own a business on the river because it and your bottom line may soon be underwater. Not a thing you can do either. Now that is the ultimate “X” factor. Any act of nature qualifies. Ask a business owner in Japan about a tsunami and its effects on business.

69. Special Coverage: Mid-South Flooding - Friday, May 06, 2011

DeWitt Spain Airport Inundated With Water

General DeWitt Spain Airport was inundated with flood waters early Thursday morning. Reports said around midnight, part of a berm washed out as well as part of North Second Street, which had already been closed because of rising water. A broken water main contributed to the high water.

70. Are Your Friends Making You Broke? - Thursday, May 05, 2011

Ray’s Take: There are many parallels between maintaining a healthy weight and maintaining healthy personal finances. They both often involve making sacrifices, doing things you might not prefer at the time and not doing some things you want to do.

71. Morris to Discuss Spiritual Connection to Health - Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Church Health Center founder Dr. Scott Morris will appear on WKNO-TV Wednesday to discuss his book, “Health Care You Can Live With: Discover Wholeness in Body and Spirit.”

72. Calling All Girl Scouts - Monday, April 25, 2011

Last week, we spotlighted the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, which is providing homeless families with free, temporary housing and the means to re-establish their independence. This week, let us discuss a local organization preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary and widely known for building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place: Girl Scouts Heart of the South.

73. Myers Tire Finds ‘Ideal’ Spot in Miss. - Friday, April 01, 2011

Airways Distribution Center at 8474 Marketplace Drive in Southaven is nearly at capacity with a new lease.

74. Avoiding Brain Whiplash - Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Interesting stuff: One of the original inspirations for the Toyota Production System was a supermarket. According to Toyota, engineer Taiichi Ohno visited a U.S. supermarket and was impressed with how they delivered their goods in a “simple, efficient and timely manner.” Ohno took a look sideways and saw a whole new business model.

75. Dysfunctional Perfectionism - Monday, March 07, 2011

Perfectionism is yet another form of dysfunctional behavior often disguised as a positive personality attribute.

Before the majority of the perfectionists reading this tune me out, let me clarify my position on this:

76. Luncheon to Address Union of Biosciences, Small Business - Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Members of the city’s growing bioscience community will come together Thursday for a luncheon hosted by the Memphis Bioworks Business Association, a group dedicated to promoting and advancing the bioscience business community in the Memphis region through programs, events and strategic communications.

77. A Habit Forming Idea - Tuesday, February 01, 2011

It’s that time of year. If you are like most people, it’s the time when most New Year’s resolutions have totally faded into oblivion. All the new habits you planned to form have fallen by the wayside.

78. Credit Card Problems Ebbed in December - Thursday, January 20, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — Fewer credit card accounts slipped into default in December than in any other month of 2010, and signs point to further improvement ahead.

All six of the biggest card issuers Tuesday posted their lowest rates for charge-offs, or accounts written off as uncollectible. Citibank, which has had some of the highest charge-off rates over the past two years, posted the biggest decline. It wrote off 8.34 percent of its card balances in December, down from 9.4 percent in November and well below the high of 11.55 percent posted in March.

79. Fill Your ‘Knowledge Well’ - Thursday, January 13, 2011

How do some people get so much more done in so much less time than others? It’s often because they have a profound understanding of what they are doing.

Take any job and think about how much better and quicker you could do it if you totally understood what needs to be done and how to do it. In spite of this obvious fact, many people go right on trying to do their job with a superficial knowledge of how to do it. For some reason, they stop far short of mastery. This idea applies to every person and every job that exists on this planet. Here’s an example of how this works:

80. Book Outlines Morris’ Ideals for Health, Well-Being - Friday, January 07, 2011

Back when Dr. Scott Morris, CEO of the Church Health Center, was a fourth-year medical student on a summer research project in Zimbabwe, he met with a nyanga, or witch doctor, to better understand the relationship between faith and healing.

81. Cybercrime Keeps Businesses Attuned to IT Security - Wednesday, January 05, 2011

With recent personal information heists receiving national attention, many local business owners are on high alert when it comes to cybercrime.

As Internet crime is evolving every day, so too must the security measures used in order to keep merchants and consumers safe.

82. Last Year’s Momentum Must Continue in 2011 - Monday, January 03, 2011

Plenty happened in 2010 by chance. But more of the events covered in these pages seemed to have at least started as conscious efforts to make things better.

Efforts at economic development took a big step forward with the word that Electrolux will close its Montreal-area plant and build a facility at Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park, creating 1,200 manufacturing locally starting in the summer of 2012.

83. Ghost of Christmas Past - Thursday, December 23, 2010

Christmas time. It was my first time to England, first time overseas, and prime time for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Soho and the rocking HQ for the whole British invasion.

It was time to discover pubs, and Scottish eggs, bubble & squeak and spotted dick. Time to discover that bitter, served warm, is twice as strong as our brew, that a British pint holds 20 oz. instead of our 16, and that all of that explains why your knees don’t work after three of them.

84. Global Distriplex Warehouse Sells for $1.8M in Foreclosure - Monday, December 13, 2010

Renasant Bank has bought a 58,953-square-foot warehouse at 5375 Mineral Wells Road from Global Distriplex for $1.8 million at a foreclosure sale. The Dec. 8 sale occurred because Global Distriplex defaulted on a $2.6 million loan through Renasant.

85. 'Walking Tall' Trail to Open Dec. 1 - Friday, November 26, 2010

A new travel trail along rural highways connects the life of legendary McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser with Elvis Presley and the Civil War battle at Shiloh.

Tennessee tourism officials will formally open the “Walking Tall Trail” Dec.1, with two events.

86. Commission Considers IT Consolidation, New Position - Monday, November 22, 2010

Shelby County commissioners take up the issue of consolidation once again at Monday’s meeting of the body.

It’s not consolidation of city and county governments, though. Voters dealt with that on the Nov. 2 ballot.

87. RxBio, ED Labs Use Federal Funds for Drug Development - Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Sister companies RxBio Inc. and ED Laboratories have been awarded federal funding to support their bioscience research, which includes the development of drugs to protect against the effects of typically lethal radiation following unintended exposure, as in the case of a nuclear attack.

88. Credit Card Writedowns Continue Decline in October - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – The ability of credit card holders to pay off debt has shown sustained improvement this year and on Monday the top U.S. credit card issuers said that trend continued in October.

89. Give Back Through Corporate Promotions - Monday, November 15, 2010

Last week we discussed ways to weave giving back into your gift giving for the holidays. Today, let us examine how you and your company can create an exclusive marketing promotion that gives back and creates a win-win.

90. Workplace Solutions Require Negotiation - Wednesday, October 20, 2010

When I went to college I pursued a liberal arts degree, a course of study that did little to prepare me for the business world. Yeah, I could critique a piece of art, talk about Lewis and Clark, and understand a little French, but no one ever broached the subject of how to negotiate a business deal or cooperate in the give and take of project management. And then I went to work in the real world.

91. Despite Foreclosure Halt, Mortgage Crisis Not Over - Wednesday, October 13, 2010

MIAMI (AP) – For most Americans at risk of losing their homes, the brutal business of foreclosure goes on.

Bank of America halted foreclosures across the country to address paperwork problems, but three other banks did so only in 23 states. Other banks holding millions of mortgages have not suspended any foreclosures.

92. Citi Selling $1.6B Consumer Finance Assets to GE - Thursday, October 07, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – Citigroup is selling $1.6 billion in retail sales finance assets to GE Capital as the bank continues to restructure its business to focus on core consumer banking operations.

93. Happi-Nappi Finds Niche in ‘Nap Bag’ Business - Monday, September 27, 2010

Peggy Schoggen recognized the quality of Happi-Nappi products after she began washing her grandchildren’s school nap bags on weekends.

94. Memphis Discount Store Features Prepaid Card - Friday, September 24, 2010

A leading prepaid card provider has recently announced the launch of a $3 reloadable credit card, available at Fred’s Hometown Discount Stores across the Southeast and Midwest United States.

95. Independent Film Circuit Arrives at Buckman - Monday, September 20, 2010

As director of the Buckman Performing & Fine Arts Center at St. Mary’s School, Cindi Younker has become well versed in music, dance, theater and visual arts, but she’s preparing to add a new discipline to the list with the center’s double debut in film.

96. Citigroup Shedding Student Loan Business - Monday, September 20, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) — Citigroup says it is selling its student loan business and about $32 billion in related assets to Discover Financial Services and the student lender Sallie Mae.

The big banking company has been looking for a buyer for its 80 percent stake in the Student Loan Corp. for some time as it refocuses it operations. Citi was one of the hardest hit banks by the recession and credit crisis.

97. Gov't Says Banks Should Share Fannie, Freddie Costs - Thursday, September 16, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation's largest banks have an obligation to pay some of the cost for bailing out mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because they sold them bad mortgages, a government regulator said Wednesday.

98. ‘No’: A Blessing Disguised as Rejection - Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Nothing shortens the sales cycle more dramatically than getting to the right person right off the bat.

In this third in a three-part series on shortening the sales cycle, we’ll examine why so many sales reps, and even CEOs and senior managers involved in selling, spend so much time courting lower level players and the resulting impact on the sales cycle.

99. Regions Economist Issues Dour Warning - Monday, August 30, 2010

Regions Bank chief economist Bob Allsbrook brought a somber yet pragmatic message to a few recent meetings in Memphis with audiences that included Morgan Keegan executives and a private group of assorted business leaders.

100. Agent Launches New Realty Board - Thursday, August 26, 2010

Five months after clashing with the Memphis Area Association of Realtors, real estate agent Larry Mayall has formed an independent realty organization.

Mayall, of First National Realty Inc., earlier this month launched the Mid-South Real Estate Board, which he touted as a trade association for real estate professionals who don’t want to become members of the National Association of Realtors.