Adult Americans Between 1989 and 2007 Americans knowledge of current events dropped by 8.3% 93% know Arnold Schwarzenegger while 36% know Vladimir Putin 32% know Sunni and Shia as two branches of Islam 41% know the name Muslims use…
It’s a Small World After All
Americans don’t get out much. That should come as no surprise considering that, according to the U.S. State Department, only 27 percent of Americans hold a valid passport. That means that 73 percent of Americans couldn’t get out to…
The Old Ways
Reentering the grid is a challenging experience when planned and voluntary. When unexpected, arbitrary and not of your own making, it is doubly so. At times, the pragmatic aspects are overwhelming in their breadth, requiring an entire life to be…
Frogs
Our friends often ask us about our perspective on national and international issues due to our travels, experiences and perspectives. This is an excerpt from a recent email exchange on that topic: There continues to be very little insight and…
Expedition Detritus
Much to the chagrin of my long-suffering wife, I’m a bit of a pack rat, as well as a horizontal filer. What that translates into is an office that inevitably evolves into stacks of material covering every horizontal surface. To…
Outside the Fishbowl – 2009/10/06
When you’re inside the United States, it is nearly impossible to realize how insular it is, especially related to information and perspective. Since we’re going to be here for a while, I’m providing a semi-regular injection of outside perspectives and…
3rd World Gear
Setting up a house can often be laborious, if not tedious, but there are some hidden joys. Such as unpacking all the motorcycle stuff that’s been stored in various locations around the U.S.A. for the last few years. While there were…
The Lost Purpose
I recently read Dan Brown’s new thriller novel, The Lost Symbol. I promise not to reveal any plot twists or surprise endings. However, I will say that there was only one plot twist that I found truly surprising, and that…
Propensity to Buy
In marketing, the goal is to create the perception of need. In advertising, marketing’s shock troops, the goal is to create the propensity to buy. I just received this advertisement from CompUSA.com via email. Read that ad copy carefully. Does that ad create…
Why Do You Hate America?
Our friend, Lee Wochner, recently attended a town meeting on health care. It was, by his account, less scrum, and consequently more exchange of information, than other such events held recently around the country. While there, Lee took some photos…