RETAIL SALES SLIDE IN SEPTEMBER. AND BASED UPON SALES TAX RECEIPTS, CALIFORNIA IS IN A RECESSION.

From an article today on Yahoo entitled “Retailers Report Sluggish September Sales As Hot Weather, Economic Worries Curb Spending”:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Several of the nation's largest retailers cut their earnings forecasts Thursday after lingering summer weather and an uncertain economy kept consumers from shopping last month and left the big merchants with disappointing sales.

As the store owners reported September sales figures Thursday, the biggest losers were apparel sellers including Limited Brands Inc. and Gap Inc. Target Corp., J.C. Penney Co., Limited Brands Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. were among those lowering their earnings outlooks.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. posted a modest sales gain that was slightly below analysts' expectations, but raised its third-quarter profit outlook because of cost-cutting.

"Sales are coming in soft, as expected," said Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics LLC, a research company in Swampscott, Mass. "It was a perfect storm, a combination of abnormally warm weather, high food and energy prices, a continued sluggish housing marketing and tight credit."

DO YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EARLY, BEFORE WE HAVE TO DROP PRICES!

Perkins added that if sales don't pick up, stores will be forced to slash prices to get rid of inventory and make room for holiday merchandise that will start to flow into stores this month. Weak sales are already contributing to the lowered earnings projections.

BAH, HUMBUG. NO, SERIOUSLY. BAH, HUMBUG.

A post on the housing and finance site “Calculated Risk” contains a graph showing that September 2007 (and the prior fiscal year) sales and use tax revenues were down 7% from the prior year. In September of 2006 total receipts were $2,201,717,000. In September 2007, that figure slipped to $2,038,416,000.

Still big numbers. Who said government could drown in a bathtub? California takes in enough money to have its own Navy.

These figures by themselves do not confirm that California is in a recession, because the measure of a recession is actual shrinkage in the gross domestic product (for California). But these receipts are a good proxy for economic activity and bear watching.

AIN’T THINGS BEEN GOOD IN THE DESERT OF THE REAL!

End of the Line for the Ducati 999

Press Release Issued By Ducati SBK Press (October 7, 2007)

Magny-Cours (France), Sunday 7th October: The final round of the 2007 World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours also marked the end of the line for one of the most successful racing machines ever built by the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.

Since it made its triumphant debut in the opening round of the 2003 championship at Valencia with a 1-2 finish for Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus, the 999 has won three of the last five Riders' titles, with Neil Hodgson (2003), James Toseland (2004) and Troy Bayliss (2006).

In that period Ducati also won three WSBK Manufacturers' titles in the same years, although in 2003 and 2004 points for this particular title were also earned by the venerable 998, with wins on five occasions for Toseland, Shane Byrne and Pierfrancesco Chili.

The 999 won a total of 63 WSBK races in its history, in the hands of eight different riders - Troy Bayliss (19), Neil Hodgson (13), Régis Laconi (10), Ruben Xaus (8), Noriyuki Haga (6), James Toseland (4), Lorenzo Lanzi (2) and Garry McCoy (1).

Factory Ducati 999 machines have appeared in the colours of two different sponsors - Fila in 2003 and 2004 and Xerox from 2005 to 2007.

Ducati Corse Superbike Technical Director Ernesto Marinelli has been responsible for the development and evolution of the 999 since it was introduced.

"It brings a tear to my eye!" commented Ernesto. "For sure the 999 is a bike that has given us a lot of satisfaction since 2003, when it came to us, until this year. Even in its last year, it is still proving to be competitive. On the engine level, there has been only one intermediate horsepower 'step' between the 2004 and 2005 seasons, when power output went up from 189 HP to 194HP, after which the engine did not undergo any more development. The other fundamental change came with the electronics, again between 2004 and 2005, with the switch from the Marelli MF5 to the Marvel4 with all the electronic updates."

With the change in regulations for 2008, next year the Ducati Xerox Team will take part in the World Superbike Championship with the new 1098 F08.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The 999 is a visually stunning motorcycle. However, its look was controversial in the eyes of some ducatisti. The 999 was replaced by the 1098. The 1098 has about a hundred ccs more displacement and Ducati, through manufacturing improvements and some cost-cutting measures, is able to sell the 1098 for about $3, 000 less than the 999.

THe Author owns a yellow 999 and has no intention of replacing it with the 1098.

THE 999 OWNS ALL ROADS IN THE DESERT OF THE REAL!