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 | MOUNT PLEASANT â€" In ancient times, Scandinavians would attach an evergreen tree to a ridgepole to signify completion of the top piece on a building. The "topping-out" tradition also was meant to ward off evil spirits and appease the gods to assure good fortune for the occupants. | ||
 | Financial crisis may leave golf industry in rough patch It’s hard not to wonder how a new ultra-expensive golf resort involving Tiger Woods fits into the game's new economic landscape. The project was announced came as the Dow Jones Industrial Average staged a historic free fall and the presidential candidates debated whether the nation is on the brink of another Great Depression â€" not great timing if the investors were hoping for quick impulse purchases. Is the boom set to end for defense contractors?A new administration may be forced to cut back on defense spending as the nation strains under a global economic crisis and as presidential contenders talk about the eventuality of bringing troops home. Major weapons systems are likely to face new scrutiny. But one expert thinks the credit crisis could work to the industry’s advantage if policymakers are looking for ways to jump-start the economy. Debt-relief firms attract consumer complaintsAs the economy weakens, more cash-strapped consumers are paying big money for services from debt-settlement companies that purport to help them settle their debts for a fraction of what they owe. Some people are regretting those decisions. Housing starts fall; experts say recession hereWASHINGTON â€" The nation is on track to build fewer homes this year than at any time since the end of World War II, adding to the woes of an economy that analysts said Friday has almost certainly entered a recession.  | ||
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