Frank Capra's perennial Christmas movie "It's a Wonderful Life" is remembered mainly for celebrating civic and familial virtues. George Bailey sacrifices his dreams for those of others, but in the end receives the greatest rewards of all.

But George was also a good industrial economist. Reluctant inheritor of dad's Bedford...

Losing your job is dreadful, no matter what the reason. In this journalist's mind, it's better than health issues, divorce, and death - but that's it.

The new holiday movie "Four Christmases" reminded me of how we can get trapped with family during the holidays. Under normal...

(Washington) Internationally known philanthropist Santa Claus made a surprise appearance before Congress today to request a massive loan to keep his workshop open, asserting that, without an immediate infusion of cash, "This may be the year without a Christmas."

Mr. Claus, age unknown, offered...

There's been a lot of talk in the media these days that the next shoe to drop in the credit crisis/financial meltdown will be commercial real estate. Two weeks ago there were a couple of moderately-sized defaults on mortgage loans (hotel and retail projects) that were packaged in commercial mortgage...

There has been much discussion about the creation of a Chief Technology Officer. I believe this is a very appropriate and necessary initiative that can make a stronger and better America. However, the CTO needs a framework to tackle how technology can achieve its potential. This should comprise five elements:

After thirteen months of a historic stock market plunge (yes, the worst since the Great Depression), occasionally interrupted by the usual sucker's rallies (of which last week's move may be the latest or may be the start of a recovery), the stock market is, finally, back to a rough approximation...

Like our president-elect who proclaimed himself as much, America is a mutt; indeed is comprised of mutts. It's a mélange of diverse elements, a piece from this culture and a sliver from that heritage. Instead of just the rhetorical flourish delivered by a smarmy pol at a patriotic pep rally...

In December 1862, President Abraham Lincoln wrote in his second annual message to Congress:

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so must we think anew,...

A friend and fellow entrepreneur, Paige Rolfe of Wardrobewire.com, recently spent time in the Amazon with one of oldest tribes in the world. When I asked her about life there, she described a scene that reminded me a little of life here: The women collaborate when it comes to...

Now that the federal government is committed to spending or guaranteeing as much as $7.8 trillion to salvage the financial system, it's worth it for non-economists to better understand how got into this mess -- and how to get out of it. President-elect Obama has picked a

Today, Randall Stross takes apart Tesla Motors' request for a $400m government loan in an illogical, factually incorrect editorial that screams of a "Kill The Affluent!" ethos that spreads every time the market crashes. Putting aside the issue of bailouts--which many...

Even though I knew our world was bloated and out of control. Even though I groaned every day when I saw the stock market rising into the stratosphere, and even though I wrote a book about marketing that pointed to the inevitable out come of our reckless spending; I never...

By Al Norman

"Outta My Way, I'm shopping at Wal-Mart."

That actual bumper-sticker sums up the attitude of the only thing worse than Wal-Mart in our culture: Wal-Mart shoppers.

The killing of a Wal-Mart worker this week during an early morning crush of customers at the retailer's Valley Stream, Long...

Protectionism literally means protecting ourselves.

The term is mostly used in the context of economics, where protectionism refers to policies or doctrines which "protect" businesses and "living wages" within a country by restricting or regulating trade between foreign nations.

The idea of protectionism is that when a competing country...

How anxious are the Detroit Three carmakers to make sales?

My wife and I were at the Los Angeles Auto Show last night, "Black Friday," at the Los Angeles Convention Center. At the hustling and bustling Ford display, several Ford employees approached us with an almost unheard-of offer: If we...

Ten years ago this week Japan stunned the world with what was then an unprecedented $195 billion stimulus package. Its citizens were implored to spend the nation out of its ditch. Just in time for Thanksgiving, Japan had discovered the virtue of gluttony! I would invite my new Japanese in-laws...