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Enchanting Road Trip25 Apr 2011

New Mexcio - The Land of Enchantment Last week I went on a delightful road trip to New Mexico. I had loads of fun taking photos and playing with both ...

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Welcoming Spring

Springtime in Texas is glorious. Opening my windows while listening to the birds sing brightens my spirit. I can feel new life ...0 comments
Identifying, Measuring, and Taking Action on the Risks of China

Risk. Everyone in China is exposed to it. Some recognize it, and act on it, better than others This was the topic of several ...0 comments

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Making things and the future of the U.S. economy, A Reading List

23 Apr 2011

I have been very absorbed in what (finally) seems to be an accelerating conversation in the media about the future of the U.S. economy. The catalyst is the budget story in Congress but even more, the fact that the recovery doesn’t feel that strong. And the fundamentals are still pretty scary.U.S. policy and business practice have not focused on the role of manufacturing in our economy. I think there is a lot here we need to understand. Here’s my recent reading list on this subject:
Book Review – The New Capitalist Manifesto

19 Apr 2011

I’m a big fan of Umair Haque’s blog (and have always gotten a kick out of the fact that the blog is on the Harvard Business Review site—they aren’t usually this radical…)Anyway, I had been dying to read his new book The New Capitalist Manifesto. There were some great ideas here…Like his explanation of the societal cost of things like burgers (a $3 burger includes $10 in health and environmental costs) and $10 of subsidies of water, land and jobs) and oil (hidden costs add $4/gallon the price).
Competition vs. Collaboration – A warning for us all

23 Mar 2011

I heard this interview of Diane Ravitch on NPR in the car the other day about why she went from being an advocate in the Bush administration of No Child Left Behind to being a strong critic. Her logic:"There should not be an education marketplace, there should not be competition," Ravitch says. "Schools operate fundamentally — or should operate — like families. The fundamental principle by which education proceeds is collaboration. Teachers are supposed to share what works; schools are supposed to get together and talk about what's for them. They're not supposed to hide their trade secrets and have a survival of the fittest competition with the school down the block."This is a great reminder for us about strategic thinking in so many spheres. The power of knowledge in the intangible capital economy
Smart Power at Africom and Boeing, A key business model for the intangible capital economy

22 Mar 2011

Today’s New York Times explains the role of the U.S. military in this week’s multilateral efforts to create a no-fly zone over Libya. The effort is led by a group called Africom that is:the military’s first “smart power” command. It has no assigned troops and no headquarters in Africa itself, and one of its two top deputies is a seasoned American diplomat…. is intended largely to train and assist the armed forces of 53 African nations and to work with the State Department and other American agencies to strengthen social, political and economic programs in the region, including improving H.I.V. awareness in African militaries and removing land mines.This is the creation of a knowledge-based strategy for the U.S. military, leveraging its deep expertise