The Art of Running A Business

I came across a great article at The New York Times site.
It's one of the better pieces for the would-be entrepreneur.
There are a lot of crap-articles when it comes to business how-to; articles with more fluff than substance.
It was nice to find a good one.

In my experience as a business owner, the article's 10 reasons small businesses fail are spot-on.

1. Not enough demand for the product
2. Owners that can't get out of their own way
3. Out-of-control growth
4. Poor accounting
5. Lack of cash cushion
6. Operational mediocrity
7. Operational inefficiencies
8. Dysfunctional Management
9. Lack of a succession plan
10. A declining market

Read the whole article TOP 10 REASONS BUSINESSES FAIL to get an explanation for each of these pitfalls.


Cheers!

Censorship - Mark Twain

There was a recent report in Publishers Weekly regarding adjustments being made to the Mark Twain classic Huckleberry Finn.
It seems offensive words will now be omitted or replaced in order to make the book more acceptable to today's young and/or sensitive readers.  

Some folks were in an uproar.
Frankly, I'm not bothered by it.
The book was written 125 years ago.
I accept that some social views have changed.

I have read and love most of Twain's work including Huck Finn.
It's because I love his work so much that I encourage this "censorship".

People who found the original version of Huckleberry Finn offensive can now enjoy this alternative version.
And they in-turn will hopefully encourage others to do the same.
Anything that gets us to read more of the classics gets my thumbs-up.

Now, if ALL Huck Finn books were going to be published without the original text, then I would be furious.
The fact that, in addition to the publishing of books containing the original wording, there will also be tamer versions for younger or more sensitive readers is fine.

If you haven't read Huckleberry Finn, I encourage you to do so...and if you're old enough to buy the book without asking an adult's permission, I suggest you read the book in it's original untamed form. 

                                              

Milk and Coffee

My favorite kind of photographs are those that show us the everyday world in ways we do not or can not see.
The routine nature of things can be so extraordinary.

Many of us put cream or milk in our tea and coffee.
But, I can assure you -- you've never seen it quite like this.

The photographs below are by Irene Muller.
Using only her hand/eye coordination to photograph the splash caused by dropping milk into a coffee cup she was able to capture these wonderful images.

Her full galleries with many of her fantastic photographs can be found HERE.

Cheers!

Back to school

Most parents can't wait for their kids to go back to school after the holidays.

I've never understood.

My kids just went back today after their 2 week December Holiday...and I miss them terribly already.

Guess I'm just not like most parents.......

Photo by em_deboer22

Racetrack Memory Project

Our grandchildren will hold amazing power in the palm of their hands.
Ever consider the massive amounts of data mobile devices will be able to hold in a few decades and the speed at which a user will be able to access them?


Here's a bit of tech-info that will help stir your imagination -- ExtremeTech

Photo by Tjook

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

 

Artwork by zoehall

The Family Bond

The wind may scatter a family

And forces push them in different directions

But they always come back together.