Doctor’s Orders For The Global Economy

Next time I see him, my doctor is going to tell me to eat better, exercise more and get plenty of rest. Just what he told me the last time I saw him and the time before that. It’s good advice, and I don’t ignore it, exactly. But I don’t really follow through the way he wants me to, or the way I know I should. Life seems to get …

Copyright Holders Get Googled

The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers have agreed to settle their class-action lawsuit against Google on behalf of copyright owners whose rights Google allegedly violated. Run-of-the-mill stuff for the American legal system, except for one detail: This settlement would not just correct past copyright violations; it would give Google the right to continue violating copyrights. I happen to own one of those copyrights, and I am not …

Western Leaders Stand Together, Alone

The leaders of the United States, France and Britain wanted to show strength and resolve Friday as they denounced Iran’s belated disclosure that it is building a second nuclear fuel enrichment facility. Instead, they showed just how isolated the Western industrial democracies have become. There were 20 prominent heads of state in Pittsburgh that morning, gathered for the G-20 economic summit. President Obama, France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister …

Business As Usual In The Showrooms

Chrysler has announced that it is getting back into the new-car leasing business this month after a one-year hiatus. General Motors restarted its leasing program in July. After a year of oddball deals that included two-for-one offers and Cash for Clunkers, American drivers now have more ways to pay more than they ought to pay for transportation. Many shoppers like to lease cars because leases offer the lowest monthly payment …

Warning: Your College Experience May Depend On Stock Market Results

A School System’s Secret Recipe

If k is divisible by 2, 3, and 15, which of the following is also divisible by these numbers? (a) k + 5 (b) k + 15 (c) k + 20 (d) k + 30 (e) k + 45 The above is a sample SAT question (answer at the end of this post). You can view a new real SAT question everyday at the College Board Web site, or, for …

Delta Farce Takes Brazil

You can’t get much English-language television when you stay at a hotel 100 miles outside S√£o Paulo, Brazil, but you can get a good Internet connection. These days, that’s all you need. When I visited Brazilian clients with my colleague Shomari Hearn, we relaxed after work by watching an on-demand movie directly from the cable box at my Florida home. I have a Slingbox, which makes the cable service accessible …

Ten Better Ways To Choose A Senator

Rescue Dairy Farmers: Outlaw Milk

Reach Out And Tax Someone

This is a link to Amazon.com. If you want, you can click on it and buy things. According to the state of New York, I am now well on my way to becoming an agent of Amazon who is actively soliciting the New York market. New York wants to use me to put Seattle-based Amazon within reach of its tax collectors. A state cannot require a company to collect sales …