But with cost control, a strong balance sheet and loads of stock buybacks, Gap has made itself an attractive investment.

FORBES: Is Gap A Good Fit For Your Portfolio?

"We are off to a strong start in 2013, thanks to our ability to grow revenue in a slow growth economy, control expenses and maintain a strong balance sheet, " CEO Kenneth I.

WSJ: American Express' 1Q profit up as spending rises

"We have flexibility in our balance sheet, in our spending (control) and in our investments, " said Pfizer Chief Executive JeffKindlerJeff Kindler during the company's conference call.

FORBES

Hansen thinks these sorts of changes would take several centuries, but he said we would have to deal with a "holy mess...as ice sheet disintegration unfolded out of our control".

CNN: Carbon dioxide levels already a danger

The tip sheet borrows from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's information on H1N1.

CNN: University of Kansas students isolated by the flu

But when the bank started running out of money, and he couldn't offload assets from his real estate portfolio, he concedes that the bank's balance sheet began to burgeon, and he had lost control.

BBC: Who and what bust Halifax Bank of Scotland?

Although Mrs Fastow filed false tax statements and created and administered an off-balance-sheet special-purpose entity that Enron used to hide its control of some Californian wind farms, some reports have claimed she was an innocent who fell under the malevolent influence of her husband.

ECONOMIST: Some sympathy for the criminals?

New features on the Daily Edition include intuitive content zoom, adjustable contrast and brightness control, as well as automatic multiple page creation to make documents designed for a standard sheet of paper easier to read.

ENGADGET: Sony Reader Daily Edition (PRS-950SC) now shipping for $299

That might dilute the stakes which are held by some of the magnates who control these businesses, but would be a fair price to pay to resuscitate the balance-sheet of a vital industry.

ECONOMIST: Infrastructure in India