Stephen Schork, a former New York commodities trader who lives in Villanova, is attracting a lot of attention with his three-year-old newsletter that analyzes the wild changes in oil prices. Only about 100 people have agreed to pay the upwards of $10,500 that he charges for a one-year subscription. He shows up regularly in newspapers and on national television as reporters seek help in making sense of this crucial and volatile commodity market. This exposure during the year when crude oil prices nearly doubled has produced "a ton of people on trial subscriptions," he said. Schork, 41, caught a wave when the collapse of Enron and other factors came together to drastically change the oil markets. In addition to supply-and-demand and what OPEC is thinking, people with oil-centered lives now "have to worry about what some 28-year-old hedge fund manager in Manhattan, with billions of dollars of other people's money, will do next," Schork said over coffee at the MilkBoy Cafe in Ardmore.

Grain shoots higher on USDA reports

Washington, D.C. Commodity prices shot higher today after the government reported that demand for grain is staying strong and last years corn harvest was smaller than previously thought.

The U.S. Agriculture Departments final crop report for 2007 put corn production at 13.1 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the November estimate.

Meanwhile, the government raised its estimate of how much of the corn crop will be used for livestock feed by 300 million bushels. That was the big surprise, the shocker, Don Roose, president of U.S. Commodities Inc.

The report suggests livestock farms are not reducing production despite the soaring cost of feed, he said.

Oil price strikes record $US90

CRUDE oil prices struck a record $US90 a barrel in after-hours trading in New York overnight, amid increased tensions between Turkey's government and Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

Oil prices have pushed higher this week amid geopolitical angst related to the Turkey-Iraq border and a weakening dollar, which makes dollar-priced commodities such as oil cheaper for buyers with stronger currencies and therefore lifts crude demand.

Smalltown keeping the pace: label nights and The Thing

Special label nights at two important festivals, and an exciting new box release, prove that Smalltown Supersound/ Superjazz is at the forefront of independent music as ever before.

Few labels embody the spirit of independent music in a way comparable to Smalltown Supersound: zeitgeisty (in the positive sense) unrestricted, and, most of all, artistically truthful music is brought forth at a frequency that is baffling. Especially if one has a look at the number of releases last year and not least their international reception.

But it is not simply in terms of releases that Smalltown show their zeal; the new fashion of "label nights" is something at which Smalltown excel, and small wonder if one takes a look at the label's catalogue of artists: the names under the Smalltown umbrella are consistently subject to international buzz and connoisseur admiration.

Traders left to search for signs of capitulation

World markets are running out of superlatives. Tuesday saw the biggest cut by the Federal Reserve to its target Fed Funds rate in 26 years, and the biggest emergency cut it had ever made between scheduled meetings.

Financed by the Bank of Ma and Pa

It is almost impossible for anyone under 40 today to get get enough money for a down payment on a house unless they make a six-figure salary - and how many do? Remember, these are the people who are going to be looking after baby boomers in their old age. If they can't afford to make a decent living, have a place of their own and manageable debt, they might not support the elderly. Posted 12/02/08 at 10:18 AM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment .

FRIDAY MORNING SOYBEAN UPDATE

Soybeans continued their gains on Thursday closing 18 ? cents higher in the January contract. In spite of a breakdown in wheat soybeans are up 11 ? cents for the week while wheat has lost 53 ? cents. The rally occurred in spite of disappointing weekly export sales and a slightly negative monthly Census crush traders say. Also bearish was an improvement in planting conditions in Brazil and improved harvest conditions in the US Midwest. Volume was heavy especially in Soybeans. CBOT reports 152,079 Soybeans, 36,819 Soybean oil and 45,822 Soybean Meal traded Thursday. Funds were active buying an estimated 7,000 Soybeans, 4,000 Meal and 4,000 Oil.

Today?s early opening calls are higher based upon surging crude oil, gold and further declines in the US dollar. Overnight markets in the bean complex are all higher beans up 7 ?, oil up .52 and meal up .10.

Former officer sentenced for shooting wife

His father was self-employed at a fish market before dying of cancer in 1971, according to court records.

Cogdell's attorney, Geoffrey Hulse, was not immediately available for comment this morning.

Tech merger possibilities buoy stocks; energy heats up

Stocks edged higher Monday, as investors overlooked fresh worries in financial stocks and focused on merger prospects among technology companies.

Energy stocks were big winners, as oil prices moved higher in futures trading.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 57.88 points, to 12,240.01. International Business Machines and Boeing were the biggest contributors to the gain among the 30 Dow industrials.