Dec. 16 - 1 800 Granny 8 and top headlines

I don't know if you hear the cheerily disturbing radio ad for "1 800 Granny 8" in your market, but the trusting "Granny" voice tells me "If ho ho ho means spend spend spend and you are spending more than you have, call Granny. I can get you $50,000 for $238 per month and no payments till April." Good grief; isn't this how our problems started in the first place? My real grandmother could have given "Granny 8" her comeuppance, no doubt. "Granny 8" never had to scratch out a life in the farmland north of Russell, Kansas; there was no 800 number to bail people out back then.

Another radio ad now playing features the "bailout" car loan, somehow using as a prop the dire credit crisis in America as a reason to come on in: "Bad credit - NO PROBLEM. Unemployed - NO PROBLEM. Just push or pull in your trade and you can get our $7,000 bailout loan."

Really, is it any wonder Americans have walked down the primrose path of debt with such perilous speed? No lessons have been learned so far.

Here are some headlines for Dec. 16:

Aldi to expand operations in the U.S. From DataMonitor
Aldi will open 25 stores in the Dallas Forth Worth area by spring of 2010. Currently the German chain operates in 29 states with 1,000 stores, is also constructing a $40 million, 500, square food distribution center in Denton to support stores in Texas and Oklahoma, the story says. Company spokeswoman Martha Swaney says company is doubling rate of expansion and calls 2008 a "very significant" year for growth.

Fruits, veggies cut breast cancer relapse rates

South China cold chain: A USDA FAS report


Employers look to Obama to deliver on immigration promise From Sacbee: Unemployment may hurt chance for federal immigration reform, not withstanding expectations of employers.

New York governor promises obesity tax Deficit to be slimmed by taxing sugar sodas

No match rule still on hold

Failure of GM, Chrysler would push economy into abyss 2.5 million would lose jobs if GM went under

U.S. anti-kidnap expert kidnapped in Mexico Hundreds have been kidnapped this year as cartels try to exert power; over 5,000 dead in drug related violence this year

U.S. factories slash output Worst quarter since 1980 reported

Commercial foreclosures increase in Dallas area