Considered the grandest of all World’s Fairs, the 1904 St. Louis Exposition celebrated America’s progress over the previous century. It marked the public debut of early automobiles and processed sugar in packaged foods, establishing American fast food culture. And that greatly contributed to making a wider world in the century to come.
Hippocrates understood heft. New Years Eve is nearly the midpoint between the two days when Americans eat the most – Thanksgiving and Super Bowl. Hippocrates understood what generally generates girth. It’s worth recalling, as the Bible says essentially the same thing.
T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house, a creature was stirring… but it wasn’t a mouse. It was Lucifer. It’s surprising so few Christians recognize him in the Christmas story – especially since the thrust of his work has never changed.
Contrasts clarify. In November, journalist Jon Meacham’s biography of Thomas Jefferson hit the market. Many will buy it as a Christmas gift. But if you want a richer understanding of Jefferson, consider a contrasting picture presented in another book, Crossed Lives – Crossed Purposes. It might be a better last-minute Christmas gift.
In 1956 Dr. Amar Bose set out to purchase a set of stereo speakers. A professor at M.I.T., he was looking to reproduce the realism of a live performance. The speakers he bought didn’t do it. A few years later, Bose rolled out his new Bose Speakers. They were the product of a roundtable process…
Albert Einstein said things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Simon Sinek has a simple idea. Great individuals and organizations start with why. He’s right. But is his image, his metaphor, a bit too simple?
In the mid-1990s, USA Today’s readership was declining. It rebounded when the company became ambidextrous. Today, readership is declining. USA Today’s ups and downs raises a few questions. Why are ambidextrous organizations so rare in Western cultures? And why does right-handed planning generally prevail in the West?
Thanksgiving is a good opportunity to silence the silent artillery. In January of 1838, Abraham Lincoln addressed the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois. His subject was the perpetuation of our political institutions. Recalling America’s founding, Lincoln feared “the scenes of the revolution” had faded. The “silent artillery of time” had done its job. There…
“Fiscal cliff” is the wrong metaphor. There are good metaphors and bad metaphors. “Fiscal cliff” isn’t a good one. It doesn’t capture reality. For instance, it doesn’t depict how Congress has, to date, tried to cut the national debt. The better metaphor might be flipping the bird.
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?” In the annals of political campaigns, Ronald Reagan’s question is considered brilliant. Americans have heard variations of it ever since from candidates in both parties. It works because it’s very American. But that’s exactly why it’s the wrong kind of question.