The Buzz on biz

Published 12:01 am Saturday, April 16, 2011

What happens in Vegas, goes on a stamp: The new first-class postage stamp features the Statue of Liberty. Except that it’s not the Statue of Liberty, but the replica in Las Vegas, which has minor differences from the original.

The U.

S. Postal Service says the stamps can still be used for mail, but they can also be traded for chips at the casinos.

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They do get an employee discount on meatballs: Initial excitement in Danville, Va., over the arrival of an Ikea furniture factory has soured as employees have complained about racial discrimination, mandatory overtime and the elimination of promised raises.

Worst of all, the employees said, was the requirement that they legally change their names to add umlauts.

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Chew on these numbers: The U.S. Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose a half-percent last month. But if food and gas are removed, core inflation is nearly flat.

That’s good news, if you can remove food and gas from your family budget.

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Smart Forwho? The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive car is out, but the numbers aren’t exactly stellar: It seats two; its top speed is 62 mph; its range is 63 miles; it takes 12 hours to fully charge; and it leases for $2,500 down and $599 a month.

The only number in its favor: $4 for a gallon of gas.

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