Our failure to plan

We no longer have the discipline and intelligence to plan, and that is our biggest problem, according to James K. Galbraith, who wrote a piece called “Plan” in Harper’s Magazine. Our system is not capitalism.  Our economy has a large public sector, which at its best was competently concerned with…

Continue ReadingOur failure to plan

People are like Donuts

People are like donuts--topologically, that is.   My daughters and I explored this strange statement with a clay figure modeled around a pen (and then I pulled the pen out).   What is topology? Topology (Greek topos, "place," and logos, "study") is the branch of mathematics that studies the properties of a…

Continue ReadingPeople are like Donuts

What’s in a name?

I noticed this company name today while in Illinois.  If I were an oil company, I don't know if I would keep this name if oil prices remained high.   Or is it just me? This name reminded me of the names of a couple of businesses that caught my eye…

Continue ReadingWhat’s in a name?