Etc...

Give it to me in plain English

Brian Fugere's company admits it's partly responsible for the psychobabble that often passes for business communications today. So it is trying to make amends. The solution: Bullfighter, new software from Deloitte Consulting that sifts through corporate-speak, which sometimes can be a tip-off that a company has something to hide. The program, which can be downloaded free from www.dc.com/bullfighter, was developed, Fugere said, because Deloitte is fed up with "repurposeable, value-added knowledge capital and robust, leveragable mindshare."

In Stillwater, Okla., earlier this month, an applicant was in the midst of a job interview at a construction company when police showed up and arrested him. No, he hadn't become violent with his prospective employer. But it turns out he'd also been there the day before, and, finding no one around, helped himself to $1,100 worth of property - unaware that a surveillance camera was recording his every move.

While noting that it's increasingly tough to be tax-averse at a time of record budget deficits, Bloomberg Wealth Manager magazine nonetheless names Wyoming the most "wealth friendly" state in the US. Wyoming hiked its cigarette levy this year, but otherwise hasn't had a major tax increase in almost a decade. For its annual survey, the magazine compared the state taxes of four hypothetical families of varied incomes, assets, and household costs. Rhode Island rated last. The top 10 tax-averse states:

1. Wyoming
2. Alabama
3. Nevada
4. Tennessee
5. Louisiana
6. Washington
7. Colorado
8. Alaska
9. Delaware
10. Arizona - Associated Press