This week, the European Commission (EU) ordered Apple, Inc., to pay the Irish government $14.6 billion in back taxes it claimed the company owed. Interestingly, the Irish weren’t asking for the money, quite the opposite. They…
Thought Leadership
About a decade ago, I made an evening presentation to a surprisingly large crowd in Guin, Alabama, about the potential economic impact Interstate 22 would have on Marion County. It was one the easiest talks I have…
Gambling is a word with a lot with a lot of connotations, but only one real meaning: taking some measure of risk in order to achieve some sort of return. You can define risk and return…
I have watched the Olympics with some regularity over the last two weeks, and will be sorry when they are over this weekend. It has been a nice break from what passes as prime time entertainment…
I am on the board of directors of an organization that promotes adult literacy in the Birmingham area. We are blessed to have an energetic executive director and a wonderful staff. However, it is unfortunate we…
Obviously, I haven’t gotten out a newsletter in a few weeks. I was physically out of the office on two of those Fridays, and last week? After getting about halfway through with Common Cents, I decided…
The other night, I broke a bottle of soy sauce unloading the groceries. No, this wasn’t me being a clumsy old man. I had removed another item from the same bag, and it simply tipped over…
The cover of The Economist for the first week of November 1997 is one of my all time favorites. Here it is, and a quick note to the good folks at the magazine: I am not…
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Employment Situation report for June 2016. It was pretty good, as the economy apparently created 287K net new jobs last month. That number is even better…
I suppose it would be appropriate to write about what I learned from the fallout due to last week’s referendum on the European Union in Britain, the Brexit. Here goes: British political leaders resign when things don’t…