http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ en-us eblom@pressherald.com 2008-11-04T12:30:51-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/035223.html The phrase remains a punch line to hundreds of jokes told by traditional Maine storytellers: "You can't get there from here." The expression is no joke, though, for anybody trying to run a business that needs to move people or... 35223@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Transportation 2008-11-04T12:30:51-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/035010.html Families and businesses take their best shot, when making financial decisions. They assess where things are, where they are likely to go and then act. Lately, a tornado of economic conditions has everyone from Maine homeowners to lobstermen trying to... 35010@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Personal finance 2008-10-30T12:23:56-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/034282.html Few of us spend much time thinking about the plumbing in our homes, much less the plumbing of the world's financial system. But people around the world have focused on just that during these last three weeks, as policy makers... 34282@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Economic growth 2008-10-15T14:11:35-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/033393.html Today we learn that a GE Healthcare subsidiary will close its Sanford plant, throwing 225 people out of work by the end of 2009. The Portland Press Herald has a reporter and photographer on the scene, working on a story.... 33393@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Workers 2008-09-24T13:46:54-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/032805.html At uncertain times like these, you see a lot of articles describing the so-called "hot jobs," which offer the best opportunities for employment and job security in the coming years. Some occupations on these lists are predictable. Earlier this week,... 32805@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Workers 2008-09-11T16:58:30-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/032612.html My lawnmower is getting a little long in the tooth, and it often takes a lot of yanking on the chord to get it started these days. It makes me wonder, often, whether it'll ever catch. Policy makers must be... 32612@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Economic growth 2008-09-08T13:31:06-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/032243.html I've always thought that an AFL-CIO slogan, "the people who brought you the weekend," is about as good a line as can be imagined. It's tight, concise and carries a big message, a reminder that as tough as work can... 32243@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Workers 2008-08-29T16:30:58-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/032138.html Economic development officials and business leaders often make sweeping statements about how to grow commerce in Maine. They'll say things like "high-technology is the future of our economy" or "small business is the economic engine that generates jobs" or "we've... 32138@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Economic growth 2008-08-27T15:39:22-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/031920.html This week, Maine's Gambling Control Board threw up its hands and withdrew its two-year-old, non-binding resolution that there be an intermission on the introduction of new casino-style gambling operations. The white flag came out because the group recognized that those... 31920@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Tourism 2008-08-22T14:56:22-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/031772.html Defense- and Homeland Security-related spending came back into the news this week, as Maine companies jockeyed to capture a piece of the billions spent each year on safeguarding the nation. Early Monday, Adm. Jay Cohen, the U.S. Department of Homeland... 31772@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ manufacturing 2008-08-19T18:06:03-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/031699.html Good financial news seems hard to come by sometimes. Everybody is always sending you the latest piece of downbeat information, so that you will publish something that furthers their effort to gain new government funding, bashes their political opponent or... 31699@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Personal finance 2008-08-18T13:45:42-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/031499.html Just when you thought you could catch your breath, fuel prices demonstrated today that they still have plenty of teeth. Gasoline prices have been dropping fast in recent weeks, as anybody who drives a car is aware. The cost of... 31499@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Energy 2008-08-13T13:19:43-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/030780.html When you are talking about the nation's foreclosure crisis, you can't really talk about whether the glass is half full or half empty. The glass has tipped over on the table, and the only question is how much milk will... 30780@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ 2008-07-25T17:47:44-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/030660.html Wrestlers and black belts in judo know how important leverage is to winning a match. Even physically weaker or smaller contestants can prevail, if they get the angles and the momentum working in their favor. The same is true... 30660@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Personal finance 2008-07-23T14:50:36-05:00 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/030564.html On its face, the letters-to-the-editor feature makes no sense. Every day, newspapers invite people to complain about the company's effort, so that the news organization can print and distribute those grievances to customers. It's kind of like McDonald's running notes... 30564@http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blogs/blom/ Marketing 2008-07-21T14:58:46-05:00