About 95 percent of the time, weather is an unrealistic excuse, ... Less than 5 percent of the time, there's either a very low or no relationship at all between weather and a dramatic decline in sales and profits.

The private equity option is certainly the best of all available options. It gives the company time without the shareholder and profit pressure to reorganize the business.

Starting with the recession in the mid-70's, the worse the economy got the better Wal-Mart sales would be. Now, like everybody else, Wal-Mart is using every excuse in the book to disguise company-specific problems.

When it comes to their eating habits, consumers will continue to choose the proverbial sin over salvation -- or fat and sugar -- over the lack of it.

Food manufacturers will capitalize on fads as long as they're around and its profitable for them. When it's over, it's on to the next thing.

Americans are work-stressed, time-stressed, and they're eating out more. Sugar and fat is tasty and it gives immediate gratification.