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 “The main dangers in this life are the people

who want to change everything — or nothing.”

 Nancy Astor

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“There is no sin punished more implacably by nature

than the sin of resistance to change.”

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Black Friday, Properly Understood

We’ve just endured another Black Friday; that day after Thanksgiving when shoppers risk life and limb for big discounts. But are these discounts real? What’s the real story behind Black Friday? Check out this one page article and see if you agree that everything you know about Black Friday is wrong.

7 Epic Failures from an Icon of Success

Americans celebrate the cult of the successful individual. Certainly one of these must be Thomas Edison, who created wonders that are still with us in one form or another. However, Edison was no stranger to failure. This is not just the thousands of attempts to create a working light bulb, but also inventions that were either ahead of their time or a necessary, but not commercially viable, predecessor to a more successful invention. Take a few minutes a for two page article which explores those 7 Epic Failures Brought to You by the Genius Mind of Thomas Edison. It may help you look at your company’s next great failure differently.

13 Must Know Google Hacks

We use Google everyday…. but do you use it well? Check out this quick list of 13 Must Know Google Hacks that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your Google Searches  (the one on finding your pending airline flight alone is worth the time to read this brief article). As a bonus; if you missed the TED talk earlier in the year on ten time saving techniques for PCs and other devices  click here.

Econ Recon:  QE- It Doesn’t Matter and It’s Not Effective

Financial market and economy watchers are fixated on Quantitative Easing (QE), the Fed’s Long Term program of bond buying to hold down long term rates. Economist Brian Wesbury says QE is not that big of a deal in terms of its impact on the economy. Vistage Staff Economist and ITR Economics President Alan Beaulieu thinks the Fed is taking too much credit for the recovery; that economic growth is happening in spite of the government; not because of it. As Alan comments: “There are really good people at the Fed, please don’t get me wrong, but the really hard lifting when it comes to economic growth and job creation occurs in private industry, often despite the best efforts of Washington.” In a blog post from last year, I made similar observations about how government can best impact wealth and job generation.