Clark owned a 1987 Acura Integra, and he’s glad he sold it awhile ago. That’s because the Acura Integra is the most popular car to steal these days, according to insurance industry reports. Apparently, people like to race them legally and illegally, so Integras are very hot cars to steal and soup up. On the list were the 1999, 1998, 1996, 1997 and 1995 Acura Integra. The second most popular vehicle to steal is the 2002 BMW Roadster and fourth car on the list was the GMC V-2500. The 2002 Audi S4 was also on the list. But the majority of cars are various years of Acura Integras. If you have one and you want to hold onto it, be careful.
Clark recently saw a story in the L.A. Times about a man who was released from prison after 20 years because he was determined to be innocent. He was originally convicted of murder, but through research on an unrelated case the evident cleared him. So, he spent 20 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. But while he was there, he earned a high school diploma and became a voracious reader. One of the topics that interested him was how to build wealth and save for the future. So, when he was given a $1 million settlement for the wrongful conviction, he started investing. He decided that legitimate ATM machines may be a good start. So, he lived a very conservative lifestyle, bought up ATMs and now he’s a multi-millionaire. He moved to Hawaii and has now invested in a number of rental properties there. The only indulgences he has are a plasma screen TV and a nice, luxury car. So, a man who was in prison for 20 years was able to turn his life around and become a very successful, above board businessman. That is a story from which we can all learn.
Shopping in the supermarket has dropped off significantly. When buying groceries in the 90s, most people went to grocery stores. Today, people shop at the warehouse clubs and other alternative super stores likes Wal-Mart has. And, the third player in the game is a surprising one. Dollar Stores are starting to take market share away from supermarkets. As a result, grocery stores are no longer offering sales and “high-low pricing.” It was the way they used to make money, but it’s not working anymore. Stores are going to strictly low or discount pricing. They figured, as the saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. So, don’t be surprised if you see very few or no sales at the supermarket, and more people shopping at non-traditional stores.
Have you heard of “Vista Print?” It’s a business card printing company that allows you to design your own card and buy them for just $5. It’s a terrific deal and it’s been around for years. The hope, of course, is that you’ll buy other services once you get the cards. It’s a lost leader to get you into the system and then satisfy all of your printing needs. Clark can’t believe they’ve stuck to their promise of nearly free cards for all of these years. So, if you need business cards, why not do it for nearly nothing!
Clark has been trying out Coke Zero, a new soft drink from Coke that has no calories. Pepsi has a similar drink called Pepsi One. These drinks are designed for people who wouldn’t normally drink a “diet” soda because they don’t like to admit they do. At the same time they want a carbonated drink with fewer calories. Regular sodas have somewhere between 200 and 400 calories each. So, anti-diet drinkers would like to drink something doesn’t put on the pounds. Parents are also looking for lower calorie drinks for their kids, because more young people are becoming obese these days. They are turning toward milk as the answer. But not just any kind of milk. The milks are flavored so that kids will like them. So, they’re heavy in sweeteners, but they also have calcium. Try to get your kids to drink more water. That is the best thing for them.
Clark talked recently about tow truck drivers who were camping out on private property, waiting for illegally parked cars to tow away. A number of court rulings had also given tow truck drivers free reign to do that. But the U.S. Congress is now reauthorizing states to set up rules that would allow private property owners to decide who can come on their property. Granted, most tow truck drivers are decent people who work within the law. But there is a rogue element out there. Let’s hope that’s history with the new law. In other car news, the state of Virginia allows hybrid car owners to ride in carpool lanes even if there is only one person in the car. California is about to pass a similar law. And the same law that Congress is working on regarding tow truck practices will also make it legal for single hybrid drivers to ride in the HOV lane everywhere in the country. People sitting in regular traffic lanes get furious about it, but it is a great incentive to get people to buy hybrid cars.
