[Open Brackets] http://www.openbrackets.com/article/629/le-business has a thoughtful piece about linguistic imperialism: English-speaking companies that force workers (in France) to learn English. I sometimes have the reverse desire. Although the place where I work is in Italy, with lots of native...

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There's lots I can't write about recently; too bitter and twisted, too work oriented, too plain dull. So rather than dump my crap, I share some of the non-crap that's at least given me pause, and, indeed, elicited a wry smile if not an outright guffaw.

Obituaries are the new pornography, that's fo...

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Escaped from the meeting rooms for lunch, which has been declining ever so gradually from day 1. So four of us ended up at the Bamerette diner, part of the Hotel Bamer, just up the road. Neat-o! Very fifties, with a dude in the corner -- shades, slim tie, guitar -- who was just passing time. We ate...

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In Mexico City, after a considerable scare. Somewhere over Atlanta, en route from Paris, the plane dropped like a stone. People screamed. It was far and away the worst turbulence I have ever experienced. And one of the stewies, in a brave attempt at reassurance, said that in seven years flying this...

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fimoculous directed me to Malcolm Gladwell's excellent story about ketchup. Well, it isn't just about ketchup. It's about ketchup, and mustard, and, most importantly, consumer preferences and measuring them. Along the way, Gladwell quotes Andrew Smith quoting Elizabeth Rozin:

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