The Surprising State of the Airline Industry

As a result of the ongoing disaster of the BP Gulf oil spill, many people are taking a harder look at transportation. Cars aren't the only things that use petroleum products, of course. About four gallons of jet fuel are processed from each barrel of oil. The good news is, a number of airlines are experimenting with biofuels and boosting airplane efficiency. To help get a sense of the scope of the airline industry, check out this new infographic.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Moody's Recovery Status Map

via www.economy.com

Moody's Economy.com closely tracks economic conditions in the major economies of the world and summarizes the results on this interactive map. Analysts follow a wide range of indicators to ascertain a country's position in the business cycle. Specifically, we focus on gauges of employment, industrial production and retail sales--high-frequency indicators that capture the breadth of economic activity. Countries where the indicators are dropping are labeled In Recession. Those where declines have slowed are said to be Moderating. Countries where the indicators have begun rising again are Recovering. Economies that have advanced past their previous growth peaks are labeled Expanding.

Straight Talk on Outsourcing

Although outsourcing is not a new business concept, the Internet has made it a much more common practice. Since there are so many misconceptions about outsourcing, it is helpful to look at the big picture to get a clear understanding of how and why it makes sense for many businesses to outsource. Here are the facts and some straight talk on the business of outsourcing.