Ken

The economy has been on everyone’s mind. Housing reports, taxes, jobs, unemployment, stocks, bonds, credit, and so on. Our state and city governments are running budget deficits and having to make cuts. On the personal level, many of us are tightening our belts and trying to make wise choices in difficult times.I’m not going to profess to be an economist, though some of it is common sense: spend less than you make and avoid going into debt. Other than that, my next best tip would be to buy low and sell high.No, I’m not an economist -- I am a pastor. As such, I’m intrigued by one of economic’s most basic principles: the law of supply and demand. Simply put, the law of supply and demand states that when demand exceeds supply, prices go up. When supply exceeds demand, prices go down.In the Christian “economy”, the law of supply and…

“Hi! I’m Billy Mays here for ...”If you watch any television at all, you’ve surely seen an infomercial featuring Billy Mays, the dark-bearded, loud-talking pitchman for products like Orange Glo, OxiClean, Mighty Putty, Weed Auger, and now health insurance. Every commercial begins with Billy Mays bursting on the screen, introducing himself, and then delivering a high-octane pitch for the next 60 seconds or 60 minutes.Billy Mays got his start selling the Washmatik on the Atlantic Boardwalk in New Jersey. He travelled the county and state fair circuits selling food choppers (maybe the Salsa Master!) and other items. His big break came when he met the founder of Orange Glo and became their principle sales man. From there the Billy Mays infomercial franchise was born.I found it more than a bit ironic that an infomercial pitchman can become a household name. Maybe it’s a sign of the times. Maybe it’s a…