Shortly before the iPad tablet went on sale last year, Steven P. Jobs showed off Apple's latest creation to a small group of journalists. One asked what consumer and market research Apple had done to guide the development of the new product. “None,” Mr. Jobs replied. “It isn’t the consumers’ job to know what [...]
The only way to get rich from a self-help book is to write one. --Christopher Buckley Quoted in: NYT 16Jan11: "The Spirit Of the Mensch" (book review of "Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing")
#Dunbarsnumber - the idea that a person can only have a limited number of close relationships, probably around 150. [O]ur minds are not designed to allow us to have more than a very limited number of people in our social world. The emotional and psychological investments that a close relationship requires are considerable, and [...]
Help with Your Food Garden “… James Lucal in Seattle … not only brings home the local produce, he got a local to grow it for him directly outside his home. And yet he spent almost nothing for this luxury, and lifted not so much as a trowel to make it happen. Welcome to ‘urban [...]
a low-income urban, suburban or rural area where there are limited vendors of fresh produce but often numerous fast-food outlets For cities, one particular problem is "food deserts" – low-income areas where the prevalent food options are chips and soda at corner stores instead of leafy green vegetables at supermarkets. See article at: CSM 14Feb11 - The rise of the [...]
The Great Good Place, a book by the urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg, talks about the social and psychological importance of what he calls "third places." He designates home as "first place" and work as "second place". He describes "third place" as somewhere neutral, convenient, comfortable and welcoming. It’s where regulars gather and where conversation [...]
foods from plant varieties and animal breeds that have grown in popularity after a long, limited market presence Roxbury Russet has a nutty flavor. Strawberry Chenango smells like roses. Cornish Gilliflower is reminiscent of clove. Farmers and chefs treat them like fine wine, but these are apples— 'heritage" or "heirloom" varieties that [...]
homes financed by mortgage loans on which no payments are being made but have yet to be listed in a foreclosure sale. [R]eal estate agents and mortgage brokers wary of optimism are focusing on a new term that has entered the housing lexicon: ghost inventory. Banks appear to be sitting on thousands of homes [...]