This New England

UNH scientists find that New England gets less snow these days because it has become on average about a half degree warmer.

So, they say, the number of days with snow on the ground in the region has fallen by an average nine days over the past 40 years (which, to be fair, includes such winter marvels as the Blizzard of '78 and last week's great ice storm). A half-degree doesn't seem enough to do that, does it? But then there's 32 degrees and 32.5 degrees...

How many New Englanders are fearful of such warming, as opposed to welcoming it?

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General Electric Co.'s decision to stop issuing projections of what its quarterly earnings will be is fine news for investors.

GE, the huge diversified Connecticut-based company that is really a sort of giant mutual fund, may set a pattern in which corporate executives feel less compelled to goose figures to match absurd, or at least exaggerated, earnings expectations.

Indeed, it would be better for financial-market integrity and the long-term franchise building of public companies if they did away with quarterly reports entirely and just reported annually.

Less opportunity for, among other things, fraud, and more leisurely opportunity for accountants and regulators to go over the books.

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For those hoping that Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun would soon show their revenues rising again, there's bad news. Fitch Ratings (which is occasionally accurate) says the U.S. casino industry may not recover until 2010.

Eastern Connecticut must continue to pray for the health of high-paying Electric Boat. It might surprise some that these desperate times are not driving more people to the tables hoping for a bonanza to bounce them away from their troubles.

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Interesting that there is such outrage about the Illinois governor allegedly trying to sell a Senate seat while ambassorships and other big government jobs are frequently sold to the highest bidder.

 Tags  GE selling ambassadorships snow UNH

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