For Some Companies in China, One Is the Loveliest Number

In a previous post, "One Is the Loneliest Number", I wrote about the isolation epidemic that is growing around the world and becoming a major health issue. Well in an article this week on the web site OZY, Ben Halder takes a look at how companies in China and other Asian countries are popping up … Continue reading For Some Companies in China, One Is the Loveliest Number

I Hope My Blog Isn’t the Dog’s Breakfast

I was half-watching the Golf Channel today when I heard the one of the announcers, who had a delightful British accent, refer to one of the player's performance as the dog's breakfast. I'd never heard that phrase before, and I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or an insult. I decided to look it … Continue reading I Hope My Blog Isn’t the Dog’s Breakfast

For Want of a Textbook…

Many of you may have heard of the proverb, "For Want of a Nail": For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the message was lost. For want of a message … Continue reading For Want of a Textbook…

Here’s a Workplace Where Being a Little Weird Is Celebrated

Zappos, the hugely successful online shoe retailer that is now part of Amazon, seems like a fun place to work, thanks to its set of strong corporate values and the positive, fun-loving attitude of Tony Hsieh, its CEO. Here are the 10 core values that Zappos employees live by: Deliver WOW Through Service Embrace and … Continue reading Here’s a Workplace Where Being a Little Weird Is Celebrated

Thank You to Those We Honor on Labor Day

Labor Day in the U.S. is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. Canada's Labour Day is also celebrated on the first Monday of September. More than 80 countries celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1, and several countries have chosen … Continue reading Thank You to Those We Honor on Labor Day

I May Be an Omadhaun, But at Least I’m Not a Cynic

In the play Lady Windemere's Fan, Oscar Wilde had Lord Darlington quip that a cynic was 'a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.' Well as it turns out, not only do I not know the value of anything, I don't know the price of anything either. We are in the midst of getting … Continue reading I May Be an Omadhaun, But at Least I’m Not a Cynic

Fun Facts and Figures

My first foray into blogging was with a site named The WSJ Blogger, which I started in August, 2012. The purpose of the site, as evidenced by its tagline, was to provide daily highlights from The Wall Street Journal along with other great articles and videos, all designed to inform, educate, and entertain. I kept that blog … Continue reading Fun Facts and Figures

Strange Coincidences

John Steele Gordon wrote a fascinating article in today's Wall Street Journal that looked at coincidences, extremely unlikely things that happen more often than we perhaps realize. Here are some of the examples Gordon shared: Sen. John McCain died Aug. 25 of a brain tumor, a glioblastoma. Sen. Ted Kennedy died of the same disease, … Continue reading Strange Coincidences

Thinking Outside the (Batter’s) Box

Baseball is a game steeped in tradition; changes to the game are rare, although there have been some over the years. It used to take eight balls to walk someone, then six balls, then four. Walks were called hits and then they weren't. Pitchers had to throw underhand (which is why we still call them … Continue reading Thinking Outside the (Batter’s) Box

Is This What It Takes to Be a Billionaire?

Elon Musk is worth $20 billion. He turned 47 on June 28, and he said he spent the full 24 hours of his birthday at work. “All night — no friends, nothing,” he said in an interview with the New York Times. Two days later, he was scheduled to be the best man at his brother's … Continue reading Is This What It Takes to Be a Billionaire?