The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing single-family homes and condominiums dropped by 1.2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million units.

The median price of a home sold last month declined to $207,800, a drop of 5.1 percent from a year ago, the biggest year-over-year price decline on record.

Bear Stearns Cos., the nation's fifth-largest investment bank and one of the hardest hit by bad loans, announced it will cut 4 percent of its staff in further fallout from the summer's mortgage debacle.

Locally, Nevada continues to lead the the nation in home foreclosure rate

Amid all this is it surprising that the New York-based Conference Board said this week that its Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 87.3, marking a four-month slide and continuing down almost 8 points from the revised 95.2 in October?

And the job picture in Clark County is...
Hot Jobs from LasVegasNow:
Front Desk Clerk (Palms Place)
Bell Person (Palms Place)
Beverage Manager (Palms Place)
Bartender (Palms Place)
Food Server (Palms Place)
Retail Manager (Palms Place)
Retail Clerk (Palms Place)
Housekeeping Manager (Palms Place)
Condo Housekeeper (Palms Place)

If these are the top jobs in Las Vegas and Clark County then there is no need for colleges in Nevada and we can eliminate the Nevada System of Higher education, formerly the University and Community College System of Nevada before the name change in 2004,--hmmm...when something is failing, like CCSN (Community College of Southern Nevada), a name change seems to be the answer--completely as part of Governor Gibbons's budget cuts.

Plus, if these are the top picks, what is left at the bottom? ...cigarette butt picker-upper and crazed, obsessive, alien news reporter--oh wait, one has already been filled.
Are UFOs Coming to Nevada? by George Knapp
Cattle Mutilations by George Knapp