California Lemon Law Overview
I wish every state legislator received a training course in “Regulation Best Practices” that taught them how to balance the equities when contemplating their vote on a given piece of legislation. By...
View ArticleGetting A College Application Fee Waiver
High-school seniors experience one of their first encounters with the “fee economy” during the college application procession. Frequently, the costs of applying to certain schools can require...
View ArticleThe Case Against Former General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt’s Second Jet
This foundational principle bears repeating: Legality is not the same morality. It is perfectly illegal to jaywalk across an intersection during a moment when there is no traffic, but it is not an act...
View ArticleWhen To Believe Promises of Innovation
You can find wisdom in the old mechanic’s saying: “You can have it quick, cheap, or good. Pick two out of three.” A company’s innovation will only result in success—be it a small-business owner opening...
View ArticleWhat Is Going On With Derek Jeter?
Throughout his playing career, Derek Jeter received a public reputation that made him a modern-day Stan Musial—supremely talented, scandal-free, humble, and even wholesome. He became the ideal—athletes...
View ArticleThe Value Of Local Business Dominance
I have a friend that launched his own pizza parlor with his long-term girlfriend. They are the only workers, and get to keep whatever they earn. They have entered an industry of brutal competition that...
View ArticleHow Sam Walton Dealt With Business Critics
Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, had to deal with sharp and painful criticism throughout his life. In his 30s and 40s, he had to make peace with his wife’s profound disappointment after the failure...
View ArticleBeating A Wildly Efficient Stock Market
Since 1950, the number of buildings in the United States that catch on fire has decreased by 92%. This reduction in property loss is the result of fire-resistant building materials, major improvements...
View ArticleThe Three Year-Hump in SEC Football
I reviewed the coaching record of SEC football since the date Nick Saban became the head coach at Alabama. In that time, there have been sixty-three coaches (counting interims) of SEC programs, with...
View ArticleThe Importance of Courage and Perseverance
If I had to choose the most indispensable character trait to possess, it would be a toss-up between courage and perseverance. I say that because if you lack either virtue, you won’t be able to execute...
View ArticleThe Risk of Small Beer Investing
Up until 2005 or so, investing in regional brewers was a stodgy way to build wealth. The investors would get a 2% dividend, 2-3% or so annual sales growth, and 2-3% annual price increases. By investing...
View ArticleWhy Real Estate Listings Still Contain Exaggerations
In 1954, real estate agents acting on behalf of homeowners in California began including flyers attached to the yard signs indicating that their property was for sale. When a home lacked curb appeal,...
View ArticleWhat Could Delay The Rise of Automation
There is a lag of time between when a new technology exists and when it becomes commercially applied. In 1997, Wal-Mart was approached to implement an automatic-cart collector system that relied on...
View ArticleWilliam Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! Book Deal
I agree with the Oxford American panel that declared William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! to be the greatest work in the history of Southern literature. Aside from the brilliance of the story, some of...
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Gaztelugatxe Church: A Permanent, Narrow Mission
Inigo Lopez was a Spanish lord who issued decrees signed by the authority “Gratia Dei”, or loosely, “by the Grace of God” as he sought to elevate his own standing to that of the king, Garcia Sanchez...
View Article$325,000 Profits From Selling Artisan Soap
In 2014, the wife of one of my college friends was looking to develop some type of business launch while she was at home nursing and raising their first child together. She remembered that her...
View ArticleThe Morality of Instant Pay’s Payday App
Instant Financial has launched a new automatic payday application that lets users collect a portion of their bi-weekly paycheck daily if their employer opts into the plan. This application is targeted...
View ArticleMonetizing The Video Game Industry
Peter Drucker once argued that a small business has its greatest opening to compete with a much larger competitor when the competitor is more concerned with monetizing some aspect of the business...
View ArticleThe Way Frankenstein Makes You Feel
There is an old saying: “Years from now, people will not remember specifically what you said to them, but they will remember how you made them feel.” That sentiment is the entire reason why you are...
View ArticleHow Religious Institutions Manipulate Charitable Giving
C.S. Lewis lamented the use of hyperbole and superlatives like “awesome”, “most magnificent”, and “greatest ever” being used in ordinary discourse because it leaves no elevated terms remaining to use...
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