The Way We Live Now: spelunking the cavernous divide between rich and poor. It's so spacious in there! There's room for everybody! Between Carl Icahn and female CEOs and the poors...trickle down, trickle down, trickle down, evermore!

Barnes & Noble's mustachioed chairman Leonard Riggio defeated Ron Burkle's vigorous battle to wrangle control of the failing bookseller's board. Riggio will now return to supervising the company's descent into nothingness. [WSJ. Pic: AP]

The Way We Live Now: just like everyone else. Feeling that pain. But so is everyone! It makes it a little easier to tolerate. Bank failing? Wages falling? Rent overdue? Been bodily purchased by a shady Russian? Join the club!

The Way We Live Now: winning big! One of us, at least. For the vast majority it's bad timing and scoffing and worrying and generally just behaving like life is unbearable. But for one lucky gambler: foolish bets pay!

The Way We Live Now: spreading the wealth around. Around to the richest Americans. They pay most of the taxes, you know? It's only fair. Besides, with the work ethic Mexicans have, they'll be rich soon, too! Haha. Ha.

Starbucks is raising prices on "larger and more labor-intensive drinks." Regular coffee drinkers: momentary vindication!

Is there any more news of shocking corruption today out of Bell, California, America's most corrupt town? But of course! Today: the police chief was even more corrupt than previously known. As was the city manager, a thief!

The Way We Live Now: on a budget. Which is an improvement! During the recession we lived without any budget, spending only the pebbles we gathered in our imaginary, empty "store." No mas! Show me to the corporate bond aisle!

Bell, California: little town, big problems. Eight city officials were arrested there yesterday, including city council members, the city manager, and the mayor, whose door was battered down by the police. The worst part? It wasn't a surprise.

The New York Times Co. says it will post a loss in the third quarter. Print ad revenue's slowing, growth of online ad revenue's slowing, and there's no paywall (yet). More alarming: NYT stars are leaving—for the internet!

The Way We Live Now: laying back, soaking in that recovered feeling. You feel it? Feels like a golden skeleton rubbing your nipples down with Ben-Gay. Like a flash crash and ice heist at the same time. But without upside.

One British online gambling firm, Sportingbet, has reached a $33 million settlement with the U.S. government. Another, Betfair, is preparing to float its stock on the London Stock Exchange. So get gambling! If you're a Brit, or an investment banker.

The Way We Live Now: dangerously close to the dark side. The American worker is a timid bird, quick to skitter about based upon the slightest change in economics forecast. Will you ever work again? As a brick thief, yes!

We all know by now that a college degree is not really worth getting. Or is it? There are enough arguments on both sides of this issue to make everyone mad. Come, explore—it's cheaper than a college class!

Model-wrangling billionaire Ron Burkle scored a victory this morning in his battle to grab control of Barnes & Noble, when an advisory service recommended that shareholders vote for Burkle's slate of directors. What's B&N chairman Leonard Riggio (pictured) doing wrong?

The Way We Live Now: riding the roller coaster. Playing the blame game. On the comeback trail. On the rebound. Entrepreneurially. And all sorts of other cliches that add up to one big goat on the roof, economically speaking.

It's clear now that the only way journalists are allowed to write profiles of eccentric socialite billionaire hedge fund wife Lisa Falcone is to tell her they plan to detail her "entrepreneurial" and "philanthropic" activities. Not her insanity.

The Way We Live Now: spacing out. Fly your pie in the sky if you so choose, sheeple—meanwhile, China grabs the money, Spain grabs the zombies, and the government grabs your home. But enjoy your space trip, sure.

Heavily leveraged (read: bankrupt) Real Housewife of New Jersey Teresa Guidice did an interview with In Touch Weekly and they have "unearthed" pictures of her and husband Joe from 1984. How much do you think the tabloid had to pay?

The Way We Live Now: spreading fitfully. Moving warily. Gazing wistfully. Charging droopily. It would be an overstatement to say that good times are here; nevertheless, we can safely say that bad times are... somewhere. Here? That wouldn't be good.