In the fourth century BCE, the Greek philosopher Plato, denizen of Athens, wrote about the value of Beauty (it was capital B back then) to civic life. The idea was that people’s day-to-day welfare benefitted from the presence of beautiful things: architecture, gardens, music, poetry and communal events: theater performances and even sports competitions – the Greeks invented the Olympics, after all. Beauty was at the core of a good life for individuals, but by and large also benefitted the … [Read more...] about Go Ahead. Make My Place.
The Attack of the 100 Foot Numbers
Citizen Alert! It is Safe to Say that many readers of this column will Not Escape the Effects of this Terror! Guided by a Master Plan for Complete Domination! It Haunts the Earth in a Terrifying revelation of Things to Come! Big Data! It walks Among Us and it Must Be Stopped! It’s true. With apologies to the trailer for Planet 9 From Outer Space, Big Data has become rather a nuisance. It’s the latest tech, science, and business buzzword that is simply an intimidating way … [Read more...] about The Attack of the 100 Foot Numbers
Health Tips for the Economy
“Recessions can hurt, but austerity kills.” That’s the message of authors David Stuckler and Sanjay Basu in The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills. Contrary to what many economists have claimed in the past, battling recession by cutting back does more harm than good, especially in terms of human health and lives. Drawing on both historical and contemporary data, they compare different nations’ responses to recession – in particular, the most recent one – to show that the strict austerity … [Read more...] about Health Tips for the Economy
From the Annals of Gee, Nobody Has Ever Done This Before
Imagine it’s a long time ago. The distant past. Like 1993. Back then, all you had to do to market your products to the masses was create a Facebook page, upload to Tumblr, tweet several thousand of your buddies, and… PSYCH! There was no such thing as social media then! #noway! So, how did businesses back in the ancient day ever manage to communicate to their customers? If only they had known what social media strategist Mack Collier knows – how to think like a rock star. Check it out. … [Read more...] about From the Annals of Gee, Nobody Has Ever Done This Before
Praise for the Amateur
What is the difference between an amateur and a pro? A book, according to Jack Hitt, author of “Bunch of Amateurs: A Search for the American Character.” All the bumbling amateur stuff you did on the way to doing something really great (inventing electricity or discovering a new comet) is transformed, in the book version, to become “the memoir that explains how it was all inevitable anyway” glossing over “all the bumbling amateur striving.” That isn’t to say that there’s anything wrong with … [Read more...] about Praise for the Amateur
A Separate Piece of Chocolate
In a war between Cadbury and Hershey’s, I’d fight for both sides – if they paid in chocolate, that is. In my imaginary war, the worst that could happen would be death by chocolate. But if things went well, we could look forward to a chocolate treat-y instead. The real chocolate wars involving Cadbury, Hershey’s, Nestlé and Mars were never so sweet. Waged over the course of a century and a half, they pitted chocolatiers from England, Switzerland and the United States, not just for market … [Read more...] about A Separate Piece of Chocolate
Did Someone Say Encore?
If you’re reading this, the foretold apocalypse didn’t happen and it’s back to the daily grind. Remember those New Year’s resolutions you thought you didn’t have to make this year? Well, get out the pencil and paper and start writing. Life goes on and you aren’t getting any younger. Here’s a thought to get you started: Why retire when you can renew yourself? The optimistic question is posed by Marci Alboher in “The Encore Career Handbook.” Encore careers are those you have later in life … [Read more...] about Did Someone Say Encore?
Benefits of Resilience
Resiliency is not a widespread watchword for the 21st century, perhaps because many businesses and people are still in denial about the new normal. But, it ought to be. According to Andrew Zolli, author of “Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back,” adapting to new normals (plural!) is something we need to get used to. The world is a dynamic system (and always has been). To succeed as an individual, a business or nation means improving “your ability to resist being pushed from your preferred” state of … [Read more...] about Benefits of Resilience
What Euro Crisis?
The couple on the patio of Palmenhaus, a popular café in the Burggarten in Vienna, is clearly enjoying the unseasonal September sun. They are young, happy, and pregnant. “The baby is due in November,” the wife said to an American reporter at the next table. The husband and wife (they declined to give their names) spoke about life in Austria during the current financial crisis that, according to some observers, has hit Europe hard. “The euro crisis is not evident here,” the husband said. “We’re … [Read more...] about What Euro Crisis?
Hey Pard’ner
Here in the Wild West (we still think that way, don’t we), doing for ourselves has a long tradition. In the early days of the American republic, we couldn’t always rely on Washington, D.C. to lend a helping hand. Not because we didn’t want the help. It was just a heck of a long way between there and here (a modern train still takes more than 40 hours to cross the county). The isolation of many towns and cities (then and now) meant we had to work together. It’s one reason charitable, non-profit … [Read more...] about Hey Pard’ner
