gas guzzler

Car shoppers caught up in the frenzy of the "cash-for-clunkers" program will have more time and 2 billion more reasons to trade in their old gas guzzlers.

clunker n [C] AmE informal
an old car or other machine that does not work well

If you say that a car is a gas guzzler you mean that it uses a lot of fuel and is not cheap to run. (AM INFORMAL)

with (one's) tongue in (one's) `cheek not intending to be taken seriously; with irony or humour
A tongue-in-cheek remark or attitude is not serious, although it may seem to be.
this comment was tongue in cheek

back tax

(CNN) -- American financier Robert Allen Stanford and his wife, Susan, owe back taxes, penalties and interest of at least $226.5 million, the IRS said in court documents filed in Dallas, Texas.
back tax---欠稅

The bank was facing a run on its deposits before regulators stepped in. 擠兌


So I am glad the globe will keep spinning on the roof and there will still be a P-I in Seattle even if it will be online only.
這家報社繼續運轉

spin【SITUATION/INFORMATION】 [T]
to describe a situation or information in a way that is intended to influence the way people think about it - used especially about what politicians or business people do
Supporters attempted to spin the bill's defeat to their advantage.
如果當名詞使用的話，可以用 put a spin(以前的筆記有)

When Economy Sours, Tootsie Rolls Soothe Souls

紐約時報今天這篇文章蠻有意思的。
經濟不景氣的時候，很多人都轉向糖果，疏解他們的苦悶。
The recession seems to have a sweet tooth. As unemployment has risen and 401(k)’s have shrunk, Americans, particularly adults, have been consuming growing volumes of candy, say candy makers, store owners and industry experts.

Theories vary on exactly why. For many, sugar lifts spirits dragged low by the languishing economy. For others, candy also provides a nostalgic reminder of better times. And not insignificantly, it is relatively cheap.

“People may indulge themselves a little bit more when times are tough,” “These are low-cost items that people can afford pretty easily.”
Many of her customers tell her that even though they are living on less, they’re setting aside cash for candy.
Candy companies are relatively recession-proof,
Candy has become her affordable escape.“Apples and oatmeal only go so far,” she wrote later in an e-mail message. “It’s so tempting to pick up an 88-cent pack of Skittles as a little pick-me-up. So I won’t feel so deprived.”

repo man

最近常在新聞中聽到這個名詞，google 一下
原來這是一部1984年的電影。
repo man 就是 repossession agent
informal someone whose job is to repossess (=take away) cars that have not been paid for
就是當你付不出車子的貸款，有人會強行把你的車拖走，這個人就叫做 repo man

small-time crook/gangster etc
a criminal who is not involved in large or serious crimes

hot wire - start (a car engine) without a key by bypassing the ignition interlock;
"The woman who lost the car keys had to hot-wire her van"

be left holding the bag

Obama今天又講話了。

"But just as outrageous is the culture that these bonuses are a symptom of, that [has] existed for far too long; a situation where excess greed, excess compensation, excess risk-taking have all made us vulnerable and left us holding the bag."
但是讓我們很憤怒的是這種獎金文化已經存在太久了----------太貪婪、過多的報酬、太投機，是一種徵狀-----讓我們容易受傷，又要讓我們來收拾善後。

be left holding the bag AmE
to be left as the only person responsible for dealing with a difficult situation, especially something someone else started
He was left holding the financial bag when his musical partner joined another band.

怎麼老是由我來收拾善後，該換人吧!

Tent city

Tent city becomes home in tough times
這個tent city出現在美國西雅圖。
就像日本一樣，這些人失去了工作、房子。
只好自己在停車場搭tent來住。
Residents call it Nickelsville. The name takes a page from the infamous "Hooverville" shantytowns of the Great Depression that were named for a president many thought did not care about their economic hardships.
居民稱這個tent city為Nickelsville。
這個名字是模仿經濟大蕭條時代惡名遠播的Hooverville。
因為大家普遍認為Hoover總統不關心人民福祉。
註1：Nickel是西雅圖市長的名字。

Hoo·ver·ville 就是現在的Tent city
A crudely built camp put up usually on the edge of a town to house the dispossessed and destitute during the depression of the 1930s.

Tent city
an area set up with tents, esp. as to house homeless or displaced persons.
take a leaf out of someone's book and take a page from someone's book
to behave or to do something in a way that someone else would.
take a leaf out of somebody's book to copy something that someone else does because it will bring you advantages

rake over the coals

AIG 的新聞還真多，沒辦法太"燙"了。
The CEO for insurance giant AIG is set to be raked over the coals in Washington on Wednesday.
Observers say the verbal flogging Liddy is expected to receive will ring somewhat hollow.

必備片語

rake over the past/old coals
to keep talking about something that happened in the past that people would prefer you not to mention
ring hollow
if something that someone says rings hollow, you do not feel that it is true or sincere
這句讓我想到另一句
butter wouldn't melt in sb's mouth
used to say that someone seems to be very kind and sincere but is not really

the cat's meow

AIG has politicians over a barrel, Trump says

標題的意思是------AIG完全操弄了政客
今天CNN Larry King訪問Trump
其中他們談到Madoff, Trump也說了他對Madoff的看法。

Trump: The man is a total disaster. You know, I was in Palm Beach many times when I got to meet Mr. Madoff, and everybody thought he was like the cat's meow. It was very interesting. So many people invested with this guy.

這個人真是一個災難。你知道的，我過去待在Palm Beach幾次，有一次我遇到Madoff，大家都說他是最棒的。真的很有趣，這麼多人都投資在他身上。

I'd say, "Who do you invest your money with?" They'd say Madoff and they'd stick their chest out like they went to the Wharton School, right? They'd just stick their chest, "I'm with Madoff."

我說，你們都怎麼投資你們的錢呢?他們會說"Madoff"，他們就是挺起胸膛就好像他們讀最好的學校。他們會挺起胸膛驕傲的說，我是跟著Madoff。

King: How did he get away with it, Donald?
為什麼沒有人發現呢?(指沒有真正拿錢去投資這件事)

Trump: Well, the economy kept him going. Because people were stupid enough or foolish enough to just keep pouring money into his accounts. So, as other people wanted their money, he would take the new money coming in. It was the ultimate Ponzi. They'll probably change the name of Ponzi to Madoff. It was really the ultimate scheme.
嗯，市場的經濟推著他前進。因為大家不是太笨就是太愚，一直把錢匯到他的戶頭。所以，前面的人就拿到了他們的利息，其實就是後來的人的錢。這真是Ponzi的終極大法。我想，大家可能會把Ponzi改名改成Madoff吧。這真是最終極的計畫。

嗯，跟我的看法一樣，這些人就是太笨了，財迷心竅，才會中計。
他說這是終極Ponzi，總有一天會改成Madoff。
很好笑吧!!

have someone over a barrel totally control someone

tax bracket

今天在CNN讀到有關稅務的問題，裡面有談到
tax bracket
到底是什麼意思呢?

Under the four-year tax plan, New Brunswick will have two tax brackets by 2012. People earning less than $37,893 will be taxed at a rate of nine per cent and those earning more will be subject to an income tax rate of 12 per cent by the end of the four years.

a particular range of income levels on which the same rate of tax is paid
If you earn more money, it may put you in a higher tax bracket.

就是繳稅分級制

401(k)

這篇報導來自CNN
Cafe owner thrives with no-pricing policy
臺灣行得通嗎?? NEVER!!!


Roberts: Yes, so, does anybody try to game the system? You know, they'll get a big meal that would be worth $10, $12 and then give you 50 cents for it?
Lippert: Well, you know, they have to look me in the eye and say that that's what they think is fair. And, you know, that's a big incentive. When someone's at the counter and you say, you get to pay what you think is fair, very few people are going to take advantage of that situation.

Roberts: Now, we should point out to people, too, you're not the typical cafe owner. You' re an engineer by trade. You went to school at MIT. You took all of your 401(k) savings out to buy this cafe. It looked like business might be going under. But since you adopted this no-price menu, how's business been?

401(k) Also called salary reduction plan.
A retirement investment plan that allows an employee to put a percentage of earned wages into a tax-deferred investment account selected by the employer.
game the system
to use rules or laws to get what you want in an unfair but legal way