Negotiating for Health Care Reform

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

By the narrowest of margins, the U.S. Senate voted to bring President Obama’s health care reform bill to the floor for debate. The 60-39 vote ensures there will be no filibuster, but does not guarantee that the bill will pass. Key Democrats that voted to move the bill forward express serious reservations about the way… Read more »

Disabled and Motivated

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

Toledo-based Lott Industries employs developmentally-disabled workers to perform light assembly work. Most of their contracts are with the automotive industry. Lott workers excel, allowing employees to earn good incomes to support themselves and, sometimes, other family members. In fact, Lott was awarded the prestigious Q1 status (highest quality rating) by Ford. While the slumping economy… Read more »

Football is a Team Sport

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

The 2009 National Football League season is more than halfway completed. The Washington Redskins won their third game by defeating the Denver Broncos 27-17. The team has not had many reasons to celebrate and their coach, former NFL player Jim Zorn has been criticized and rumored to be on his way out. Yet for this… Read more »

Angels Are Precious

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

The new limited-release film “Precious” owes its existence to an unusual pair. Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness are no strangers to business success, but not in the film industry. Their unlikely partnership with film producer Lee Daniels is rocking movie-making status quo and providing capital for a script that had been shunned by Hollywood. QUESTIONS:… Read more »

A Penny Saved

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

In the face of one of the toughest economic recessions in recent memory, many companies are increasing the amount of cash reserves they maintain. Even with claims that the economy is improving, companies continue to stockpile cash and increase these reserves. Stockpiling seems to be highest in the technology sector, but giants like Alcoa and… Read more »

Disney Tradition Revived

Posted by & filed under Management.

Disney’s newest animated film release, “The Princess and the Frog,” is a return to its roots of hand-animated films. Despite the success of Pixar computer-generated films vis-à-vis recent Disney hand-animated versions, Pixar co-founder John Lasseter believes “Princess” will work. Lasseter believes box office success is due more to plot and characters than animation techniques. The… Read more »

Pink Martini

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

Pink Martini is a musical group that is hard to define. They are part classical, part jazz, and, by the group’s admission, part Latin. One thing is certain, they do have a loyal international following. When asked about the composition of two of their latest songs, an interesting creative-collaborative process is described. QUESTIONS: Why is… Read more »

Government Motors

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

In one of the more celebrated government bailouts, General Motors received $58 billion in taxpayer money to stay in business. The auto maker still filed for bankruptcy protection and emerged from that process with the federal government holding a 60 percent stake in the company. Now members of Congress are seizing the opportunity by putting… Read more »