Until recently, the Calgary Flames were not considered a playoff contender. Shortly after Christmas, General Manager Darryl Sutter was relieved of duty and replaced by Jay Feaster. Suddenly, things began to change. The team is on an incredible winning streak and everyone, from the administrative offices on down, comments about what a different atmosphere exists… Read more »

Ken Mikalauskas spent 15 years working in the corporate world and never felt satisfied. He wanted more control. His first move was to leave the big city and then he eventually struck out on his own. He realized that being in business for himself was not without risks, but that he had to face those… Read more »

When former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak shut down internet access in the country, most thought it was just an attempt to control what was being reported about the situation. What we may just now be realizing is the important role that social media played in the protests and the eventual toppling of the president. Different… Read more »

When SafeAuto opened its Woodsfield call center in rural southeastern Ohio, it was a boon and a position working for the company was the envy of Monroe County. While the company is still seen a positive force, many that work(ed) there are disillusioned because of changes in compensation that cut some employees’ checks in half… Read more »

After a near collapse of the United States automobile industry and record bailouts by the U.S. Government, automakers are offering huge bonus payments to their UAW employees. Workers believe the move is justified because they made equally large concessions to help their employers get through tough times. The payments are being made in advance of… Read more »

In his recent State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama frequently mentioned the importance of innovation for the United States economy. One of the reasons that North America continues to dominate the global economy is that conditions are right for innovation to flourish. Creativity is the basis for innovation. Scientists have been studying creativity… Read more »

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been up sharply in recent weeks. That all changed when protests turned to rioting in Egypt. At the same time, oil prices increased dramatically. Lenders to Middle Eastern countries are seeing the cost of protecting their investment going up precipitously. Some analysts contend that Egypt is just an excuse… Read more »

Chinese cotton farmers are holding on to their harvest from the past season waiting for prices to climb. Estimates suggest the amount of cotton being held off the market may be close to two million metric tons representing nine percent of the world supply. This hoarding coupled with a lack of production reporting throughout Asia… Read more »

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the Chicago area for four days. His stops included a very formal dinner with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Walter Payton Prep School, and suburban Woodridge (a town even native son Barack Obama has not visited). Big deals were made – the Chinese agreeing to purchase Midwestern soybeans for $1.8 billion…. Read more »

Google is a business run by committee. At least it was. Now Larry Page replaces Eric Schmidt. The triumvirate of Page, Schmidt, and innovator Sergey Brin sometimes held the company back because they could not agree. Page has the opportunity to move Google forward if by no other means than offering a more comfortable (and… Read more »