A case in point, I recently test drove the 2008 Hummer H2 through busy downtown streets and found it to be much smaller on the road and more maneuverable than I expected. From the outside it looks enormous, but drive the H2 and you might be surprised how “small” it really is.

At the far end of the spectrum, the small but larger-than-life Mazda2 won the World Car of the Year award during a ceremony held this morning at the 2008 NYIAS. It was chosen from a list of 39 original entries from across the globe. The Mazda2 was also voted onto the short-list of top three design finalists, together with the Audi R8 and Volvo C30.

Though not available in North America at this time, it may not be long before the mighty Mazda2 is spotted parked next to a Hummer H2 at the local grocery store. We can only hope!

The focus of Day Two at the 2008 NYIAS was on the future of automobiles. Mitsubishi Motors chose to take us on a journey of their past accomplishments as a way to set the table for what they have planned for the present and into the near future.

Working with GS Yuasa Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Motor Cars established a joint venture company, “Lithium Energy Japan” to manufacture high-capacity, high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The company projects the rear-midship mounted commuter will quick charge in as little as 30 minutes. Someday soon, the i MiEV may be coming to an outlet near you.

As one of the fastest-growing carmakers on the planet, the Chinese automotive industry has taken an unusual approach to staging international auto shows. Like Geneva and Detroit, it has a major exhibition every year, but like the biennial events in places like Frankfurt, Paris and Tokyo, China alternates its big one between Shanghai and Beijing. This year it's Beijing's turn.

The show is a chance for not only the local makers to strut their stuff, but for other global players on hand to show both production and concept cars for both China and international markets.

The most talked about concept at Beijing is the Geely Tiger, which is also known as the Geely GT. This 2-door show car was shown without the Geely badge, leading to some speculation that the automaker has an eye to creating an upscale brand similar to Lexus or Infiniti and that the Tiger would be its flagship model. In any event, this V-6-powered 2+2 is evidence that the Chinese are catching up quickly to the rest of the world and may be a formidable player even in luxury segments.

Relying heavily on its Shanghai design studio, General Motors developed the Buick Invicta show car, which not only hints at what a future LaCrosse midsize sedan might look like, but it also underscores the importance of the Chinese market. Buick actually sells more cars there than it does in the United States. The Invicta brings back an old Buick name from the 1950s and puts it on the flanks of an ultramodern 5-passenger sedan.

Crossovers are the hottest segment in the industry today, and the Audi Q5 made its world debut at Beijing, which shows the universal appeal of these types of vehicles. While the Q5 shares some styling cues with the larger Q7, it has a healthy dollop of station wagon styling, thanks to its thinner pillars and large glass area. The Q5 is intended as a replacement for the Allroad Quattro in Audi's lineup.

Audi wasn't alone with a world debut of a production model. Its Stuttgart-based rival introduced the Mercedes-Benz GLK. This answer to the Q5 in the compact crossover segment has a more truck-oriented design theme. It is boxier, with sharp edges and offers V-6 power in both 2- and all-wheel-drive versions.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) is a multifaceted concern with ties to GM. It also owns the tooling to the Rover 75, which it continues to build today as the Roewe 750. But like Geely, SAIC hopes to expand beyond the Chinese mainland. The new Roewe 550 is a handsome, midsize family sedan that may be the answer to those hopes. Built on a new platform, the 550 is powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, which provides good performance and fuel economy.

TOKYO - Posing for a snapshot with a glittery championship belt in a packed theater, Seigi Nishiyama was among some 600 fans who can't get enough of World Wrestling Entertainment.

"The stories are so much more detailed compared to Japanese wrestling — it's like watching a movie," the 34-year-old food manufacturing employee said Sunday.

WWE is famous in the United State for its brand of professional wrestling, a kind of simulated sport and performance art that combines brute force with elaborate soap-opera story lines and larger-than-life characters with names like the Undertaker and Rey Mysterio.

WWE's big push to market itself in Japan is nowhere clearer than at gatherings like Sunday's SummerSlam Festival, a raucous party that charges fans a $30 admission fee to watch recorded WWE pay-per-view events on giant video screens.

The videos can also be watched at home, but going to events gives fans things they can't find in their living rooms — such as guest wrestlers flown in from the U.S., booths selling WWE T-shirts and key chains as well as plenty of camaraderie in this niche but seriously dedicated crowd.

WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., racks up annual global pay-per-view sales of $100 million. It won't disclose regional breakdowns, but it sees Japan as one of its most important overseas markets.

The latest push is spearheaded by the WWE's Japan office, which opened this year and is its only overseas office devoted to a single nation. The office hopes to woo Japanese newcomers, including teens and families, not just its usual 20-40 year-old fan base.

It remains to be seen whether WWE can follow the path of such American imports as Hollywood movies, hip-hop music and Disneyland.

Japan has its own brand of professional wrestling that is less outrightly fictional than WWE. The WWE is open about how no real fighting is involved. But Japanese wrestling is historically inspired by its American counterpart and boasts its own heroes and themes.

WWE's only Japanese superstar is 40-year-old Shoichi Funaki, who goes by the ring name Funaki. He acknowledges that Japanese are just starting to enjoy WWE, with all its boisterous exchanges and flamboyance, complete with heckling.

"Japanese fans are changing," he told The Associated Press. "The key is to give them more opportunities to watch WWE. If they see it, they'll get it."

Funaki said working with the WWE requires him to sell his created character to fans as a full-fledged entertainer, not just an athlete, as well as more obvious challenges such as mastering English and staying in top shape.

WWE's weekly TV shows — called Raw, SmackDown and ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) — feature ongoing story lines.

"Even if you've never watched it before, you can jump in and start watching because it's good versus evil," said Ed Wells, vice president and general manager of WWE Japan. "We always refer to ourselves as sports entertainment. We created that genre in the U.S. and it's something that we are now, as of this year, taking really worldwide."

A Japanese jeweler is selling a 13-piece tableware set made entirely of pure gold for $1 million.

The set by Ginza Tanaka includes goblets, plates, chopsticks and cutlery, each engraved with a dragon, which symbolizes eternal youth and health.

The items are available as single purchases, with spoons priced at 650,000 yen each and soup bowls going for 32 million yen

It is also an ancient Chinese tradition that those who eat from gold tableware will have eternal youth and life.

The company said the tableware was aimed to appeal to Chinese customers. China's increasing ranks of newly rich are buoying the luxury market despite the global economic slowdown.

“Recently, there have been a lot of Chinese customers. When they visit our store, we try to appeal to them by showing we can also design Chinese-style tableware,” said Naoto Mizuki, general manager of the store's marketing department.

“I'm sure that this would be a nice gift for older people so that their whole family can enjoy dinner together.”

The company also hopes that the set will be used as gifts for the elderly to mark Respect-for-the-Aged Day on Sept. 15, a spokesman said.

Ginza Tanaka has offered in the past a range of goods made from gold, ranging from a gold bathtub to a gold bathing suit.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tainted infant formula from China may be on sale at ethnic groceries in this country, even though it is not approved for importation, federal officials warned on Thursday.However, the Food and Drug Administration stressed that the domestic supply of infant formula is safe.

FDA officials are urging U.S. consumers to avoid all infant formula from China, after several brands sold in that country came under suspicion of being contaminated with melamine, a chemical used in plastics. Officials said there have been reports from China of babies developing kidney stones as a result. There have been no reports of illnesses in the U.S.

"We're concerned that there may be some infant formula that may have gotten into the United States illegally and may be on the ethnic market," said Janice Oliver, deputy director of the FDA's food safety program. "No infant formula from China should be entering the United States, but in the past we have found it on at least one occasion."

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Young black gay men, black women and white gay men in their 30s and 40s are much more likely to be newly infected with HIV than other groups in the United States, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The analysis -- based on figures showing that the HIV infection rate for 2006 is much worse than previously thought -- looks at the number of new HIV infections and who gets them. The study appears in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

It shows 53 percent of the estimated 56,000 cases of new HIV infection in 2006 were among gay and bisexual men, and 46 percent of the infections occurred among blacks. Within the gay and bisexual group, young black men (13 to 29 years old ) were roughly twice as likely to get infected as young white and young Hispanic men. And among women, black women were almost 15 times more likely to get HIV than white women and almost four times more likely than Hispanic women.

Have you ever thought about can become a rich man like Nouveau Riche? I think I may help you with that, you can read about people who became rich, their life stories will inspire you and it will make it easier for you to know about what are the special thing with your ideas, remember to be rich like Nouveau Riche, there are many issues that you have to consider to make sure that you in the right way, one of these issues is to believe in your self.

Read this about Al-Walid bin Talal : Al-Walid began his business career in 1979 upon graduation from Menlo College. Funded by a $30,000 loan from his father and a $300,000 mortgage on his house, he initially brokered deals with foreign firms wishing to do business in Saudi Arabia.[citations needed] This was followed by land deals in the 1980s, along with major investments in the Saudi banking industry, which proved to be undervalued at the time.[citation needed] The Prince's activities as an investor came to prominence when he bought a substantial tranche of shares in Citicorp in the 1990s when that firm was in difficulties. With an initial investment of $550 million to bail out Citibank caused by underperforming American real estate loans and Latin American businesses, his holdings in Citigroup now comprise half of his wealth worth US$10 billion. He has also made large investments in AOL, Apple Inc., Worldcom, Motorola, News Corporation Ltd and other technology and media companies.

I am sure one day you will be like Nouveau Riche if you believe in your self. have a nice day

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Tiger Woods is already the world's top-ranked golfer and highest paid athlete. And if all goes according to plan, he'll soon be sporting his biggest trophy yet: a luxury golf course hewn from the sands of the Arabian desert.

The ambitious project, touted as the first course in the world designed by the 2008 U.S. Open champion, remains a work in progress on the outskirts of this Middle Eastern boomtown — much like the rapidly growing city itself.

But the project's chief said Monday that the first phase of the development, which among other unlikely features promises 5 million square feet of locally grown grass and more than 30,000 full-grown imported trees, is on target for completion sometime in the last three months of 2009.

This report outlines a sensible business approach to analyzing and adapting to the physical risks of climate change. It focuses on a critical first step in assessing these climate impacts: understanding the potential risks to business and the importance of taking action to mitigate those risks. Not all businesses need to take action now; this paper develops a qualitative screening process to assess whether a business is likely to be vulnerable to the physical risks associated with climate change, and whether a more detailed risk assessment is warranted.

The U.S. trade deficit widened much more than expected in July as average oil prices jumped to a record $124.66 per barrel and the volume of crude oil imports grew to the highest in four years.

The monthly trade gap swelled to $62.2 billion US, the largest since March 2007, from an upwardly revised estimate of $58.84 billion in June. Wall Street analysts had forecast the deficit to expand to $58.0 billion from the original June tally of $56.8 billion.
    
As crude oil prices surged in July, the volume of oil imports jumped 15 percent to 342 million barrels, the highest since June 2004 even though prices were almost double the average of last July.
   
Total petroleum imports hit a record $51.4 billion, helping lift overall imports of goods and services 3.9 percent to a record $230.3 billion.
   
Imports of autos and consumer goods declined slightly in July and two other categories — food, feeds and beverages and capital goods — rose only slightly in a sign that the weak U.S. economy is crimping demand for foreign goods.
   
Reflecting the larger role oil is playing in the trade deficit, the non-petroleum deficit shrank to its lowest level since October 2002, while the petroleum deficit hit a record $43.4 billion.
   
Exports of U.S. goods and services increased 3.3 percent to a record $168.1 billion, with industrial supplies and materials, capital goods, autos and auto parts, and consumer goods all setting individual records.
   
In line with the higher oil prices, the U.S. trade deficit with Saudi Arabia and other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries was a record $24.2 billion.
  
The trade gap with China widened 16.1 percent to $24.9 billion and remained slightly ahead of last year's record pace.

At a time when few Bank CEOs are talking, BMO's Bill Downe is.  Hear about his strategy for making BMO stand out from the pack, the credit crunch, risk management and more. BNN interviews Bill Downe, president & CEO of Bank of Montreal

There must be something going on at Time magazine. In roughly a two-month time span they ran two articles about how businesses can thrive by paying more attention to employees. While this doesn't sound like rocket science, I suppose in a business world seemingly driven solely by the needs of shareholders, it's a refreshing shift in thought and (hopefully) practice.

Northwestern University released the first study on "employee engagement" back in 2004. The report, "The Impact of Employee Attitudes on Market Response and Financial Performance," showed a link between employees who have no customer contact and increased customer satisfaction, and then further connected customer satisfaction with higher sales and profits.

These results caught most people by surprise. It was a given that while employees who interacted with customers and clients could directly impact a company's bottom line, few thought that all employees' attitudes could have a similar effect. A more recent study from Gallup Consulting, released this year, echoes these findings. Gallup's research showed that engaged employees are "more profitable" and "more customer-focused." They are also less likely to quit.

In a few short years, employee engagement has emerged as a hot industry for the big-name management consulting companies that have zeroed in on improving employee engagement in the nation's top corporations. But there's a lot that owners of small and mid-sized businesses can learn from the research.

First, more of the obvious. A look at several employee engagement studies shows essentially the same results:

1. Employee satisfaction leads to employee engagement.
2. Companies with engaged employees show improved financial performance.
3. Employee attitudes and behaviors directly influence customer actions.

A 2008 report from BlessingWhite, a management consulting firm, found that only 29 percent of North American workers are fully engaged while 19 percent are actually disengaged, which leaves most workers in limbo. Other surveys report even gloomier results. DDI, a consulting firm specializing in workforce and HR issues, says only 19 percent of employees are fully engaged, while the Corporate Executive Board found only 11 percent of workers were "true believers."

Logic and experience tell us that it costs our businesses less to retain current staff rather than constantly recruiting and training new workers. The BlessingWhite study reported that 85 percent of engaged employees plan to stay with their present employers. If your business can come close to this percentage, it will obviously positively impact your bottom line. The founders of Whole Foods Markets and the Container Store both recently told Time magazine that they started their companies with the idea of pleasing customers, but as their businesses grew and prospered, they shifted their priorities to their employees. Workers at these to companies receive higher salaries and better benefits compared to workers at most other U.S. retailers.

I know times are tough and it's not likely you're in a position to give your staff raises or increase their benefits. But the good news, according to the BlessingWhite report, is that it's not necessarily the key to more engaged employees. It's no surprise that the motivations for staying at a job differ between engaged and disengaged employees, but I found these motives interesting. According to the study, engaged employees stay at their jobs for what they can give (they like what they do), while disengaged workers stay for what they can get (job security).

You may think you have the upper hand right now. It's hard to find work in recessionary times, so your employees might stick around just for the sake of having a job. But that doesn't mean they're working to their maximum level of productivity; in fact, it's likely just the opposite. And their lackluster attitudes will likely reflect on your business's financial performance. More important, when the economic pendulum swings back (and we all know it will) and workers have more jobs to choose from, you're going to find yourself without a trained and knowledgeable staff.

It may seem counterintuitive, but instead of asking more and giving less to your staff, you can get a lot by giving a little. It won't necessarily cost you much. Employees want to enjoy what they do. They want to know they're making a difference by helping make your company successful, and they want to be valued and respected for those contributions. Try saying "thank you." It sounds so simplistic, but most bosses simply don't bother. It won't cost you anything, but acknowledging your staff's contributions can pay off, both in the short and the long term.

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Singapore and South Korea advised their citizens Tuesday against traveling to Thailand, raising concerns that the ongoing political crisis could damage the country's crucial tourist economy.

The advisories follow Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's decision to impose a state of emergency overnight after clashes between pro and anti-government protesters left one person dead and dozens injured.

Singapore and South Korea issued advisories urging their citizens to postpone nonessential travel to the country. Australia and New Zealand, on the other hand, advised their citizens to "exercise a high degree of caution" if traveling to the country.

"Travelers should exercise a high degree of vigilance at this time because of the political unrest," Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said on its Web site. "Further violence cannot be ruled out."

Tourism revenues make up 6.5 percent of Thailand's GDP -- so a blow to the reputation of the country that promotes itself as the "Land of Smiles" could have a ripple effect through the rest of the economy.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Standard & Poor's said late Friday it may downgrade the ratings of American International Group Inc. because of significant declines in the insurer's share price and an increase in credit spreads on the company's debt. S&P has an AA-/A-1+ rating on AIG. "We believe that AIG has sufficient capital and liquidity to meet its policy obligations and potential collateral requirements, which are significantly greater than the expected cash losses on the mortgage-related assets," said Rodney Clark, an S&P credit analyst, in a statement. "However, additional market value losses will place some strain on the company's resources."

CNN-- "Shh ... shh get back," the man with the walkie-talkie said. "We're filming."

We had stumbled onto the set of a "Survivor"-like television show. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First let me tell you how we stumbled onto the Pearl Islands in Panama, and then I'll tell you how we came upon the Orange Tribe on the island of Mogo Mogo.

Every year, my husband and I take my niece on a summer vacation. This year, we decided to go to Panama. Besides the canal, Panama has a lot to offer: There are mountains, beaches, colonial cities and rain forests. After we found a $158 round trip flight from Miami, Florida, the decision was made. My only fear was the weather; it was rainy season in Central America.

After weeks of research, I was torn. We had enough time to visit one set of islands, and there were two island chains that I was having a hard time choosing between. The San Blas Islands are off the northeast coast of Panama in the Caribbean. They're also known as Kuna Yala and are home to the Kuna Indians. It would be a chance to see the Kunas up close, living as they have for centuries in grass huts along the water's edge.

The other option was the Pearl Islands. The Archipiélago de las Perlas, less well-known than the San Blas, is off the southern Pacific coast of Panama. After an agonizing week of self-debate, I decided that our summer vacation would include a trip to the Pearl Islands. The flight was only 20 minutes from Panama City, but more importantly, I was told it didn't rain as much on the Pacific side.

The sales pitch to my niece: "We are going to where the 2003 edition of 'Survivor' and 'Survivor: All-Stars' were filmed." I was referring to the popular American reality TV show, and I didn't realize that dozens of other countries had their own versions. I admit my destination choice was not as educational as a few days with the Kuna Indians, but I thought it would be better than being rained in with a bored teenager.

CNN-- "Shh ... shh get back," the man with the walkie-talkie said. "We're filming."

We had stumbled onto the set of a "Survivor"-like television show. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First let me tell you how we stumbled onto the Pearl Islands in Panama, and then I'll tell you how we came upon the Orange Tribe on the island of Mogo Mogo.

Every year, my husband and I take my niece on a summer vacation. This year, we decided to go to Panama. Besides the canal, Panama has a lot to offer: There are mountains, beaches, colonial cities and rain forests. After we found a $158 round trip flight from Miami, Florida, the decision was made. My only fear was the weather; it was rainy season in Central America.

After weeks of research, I was torn. We had enough time to visit one set of islands, and there were two island chains that I was having a hard time choosing between. The San Blas Islands are off the northeast coast of Panama in the Caribbean. They're also known as Kuna Yala and are home to the Kuna Indians. It would be a chance to see the Kunas up close, living as they have for centuries in grass huts along the water's edge.

The other option was  the Pearl Islands. The Archipiélago de las Perlas, less well-known than the San Blas, is off the southern Pacific coast of Panama. After an agonizing week of self-debate, I decided that our summer vacation would include a trip to the Pearl Islands. The flight was only 20 minutes from Panama City, but more importantly, I was told it didn't rain as much on the Pacific side.

The sales pitch to my niece: "We are going to where the 2003 edition of 'Survivor' and 'Survivor: All-Stars' were filmed." I was referring to the popular American reality TV show, and I didn't realize that dozens of other countries had their own versions. I admit my destination choice was not as educational as a few days with the Kuna Indians, but I thought it would be better than being rained in with a bored teenager.

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks on Friday were mixed after a two-day winning streak, as an unexpected drop in retail sales and high anxiety over the fate of investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. weighed on investors' sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 11.72 points, or 0.1%, to end at 11,421.99, leaving the blue-chip index up 1.9% on the week. The S&P 500 climbed 2.65 points, or 2.7%, to 1,251.70, up 0.8% from last Friday's close. The Nasdaq Composite rose 3.05 points, or 0.1%, to end at 2,261.27, leaving the technology-laden index 0.2% ahead for the week.

After two weeks facing down Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Lehman Brothers, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke may look forward to dealing with mundane matters such as inflation and a slowing economy. He gets his chance in the upcoming week when the Federal Open Market Committee meets Tuesday, its penultimate meeting before Election Day.

The data Bernanke and company will look at when they convene are daunting, exacerbated by confusing and somewhat contradictory numbers in the last week. Friday was a perfect illustration, with reports showing consumers saying they are confident, but not acting that way. Retail sales fell sharply as consumer confidence rebounded. The retail-sales numbers are probably a better reflection of the economy, on the heels of last Monday’s report that consumer borrowing growth has slowed.

While the University of Michigan survey was upbeat--the sharpest month-to-month gain since January 2004--at 73.1, the index was well below levels during the 1990-91 and 2001 recessions. And, because the survey is done by telephone, it misses people who do not have landlines, generally people under 40 who are more likely to have a higher unemployment rate, more likely to earn less than $15,000 a year and less likely to earn more than $75,000--in other words, more likely to be pessimistic.

The weak retail sales numbers suggest a concern for the overall economy because retail sales are about 40% of consumer spending, which is about 70% of the entire economy. For the first two months of the third quarter--July and August--retail sales are down a cumulative 0.8%.

It is that concern that will carry into the FOMC meeting--but there are others, some less publicized. According to a survey, 53% of Americans over 60 said today's economic conditions are worse than those they have experienced in the past, even though unemployment and inflation rates have been higher within the last 30 years. That’s significant from a population that has lived through 11 recessions--at least six of which occurred during their adulthood (since 1969). 

The survey from the MetLife Mature Market Institute reported an overwhelming majority of this group is feeling the pinch in today's current economy and it has affected the way they spend their money--but not their plans for retirement.

Data from the most recent employment report showed an increasing number of individuals aged 55 or over are continuing to work (some of that increase may be due to people turning 55 from one month to the next). The number of people aged 55-plus who are working has increased in 10 of the last 12 months, and represents about 17.4% of the working population, up from 16.9% one year earlier and 16.4% one year before that.

The other concern for the FOMC Tuesday will be inflation: though the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a decline wholesale prices led a by drop in energy costs, BLS data also showed a nagging, steady climb in core wholesale prices. That means the FOMC will continue to have to balance its two mandates: price stability and maximum sustainable economic growth (usually denominated by the unemployment rate). The simple measure of the two is the “misery index” created by economist Arthur Okun who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers in 1968-69. The index is the sum of unemployment and inflation rates. The index is 11.4, its highest level since March 2004.

Just before the announcement of the FOMC’s decision Tuesday, BLS will report consumer price index inflation for August. Beyond perhaps affecting the FOMC decision, the BLS report will be the second report for the third quarter, the quarter which determines the coast of living increase for Social Security recipients. Total CPI, tracking the wholesale price index, is expected to have fallen in August while core CPI, excluding food and energy probably increased--possibly beyond the “comfort zone” for the FOMC.

Data later in the week are likely to reconfirm the extended housing slowdown with a continued downturn in single-family housing permits and starts. Any increase in total permits and starts will be driven by multi-family activity which only underscores concerns about the single family market.

The Federal Reserve Thursday issues its quarterly “Flow of Funds” report, one of the more comprehensive sets of data. Of note will be movement in household net worth which has fallen for two straight quarters.

Mark Lieberman is the senior economist for the Fox Business Network. Prior to joining FOX, he served as first vice president and manager of economic analysis and research at Washington Mutual in New York. Before that, he served as senior vice president at Dime Savings Bank of New York (which was later acquired by Washington Mutual), where he specialized in credit and risk management. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the New York Association for Business Economics. He has a degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. handily topped Bay Street estimates with profit of $11 million US, but its shares are still in a slump. Rick Wolfe, president, of PostStone Corp. tells BNN while the high-end yoga retailer is a small company with a big brand its stock isn't for the faint of heart.

SAN FRANCISCO -- As Hurricane Ike closed in on the Texas coast Friday, officials warned it could be a potentially catastrophic storm and flood 100,000 homes, Reuters reported on its Web site Friday. "Our nation is facing what is by any means a potentially catastrophic hurricane," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. Ike is currently a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of near 105 miles per hour. However, by the time it reaches the Texas coast, it could reach Category 3, according to an advisory from the National Weather Service