On corporate charity

A friend sees press reports that Target has promised to give away a billion dollars to support schools. If they can afford to do that, why not just lower their prices or raise their dividend instead?  Why don't competitors like Walmart, K-Mart, Safeway (to the extent that Target sells groceries), etc., undercut Target on prices by NOT spending money on charitable programs?

Spring is here

We are pleased to announce the pre-availability of Old No. 24 maple syrup, vintage 2013.
Unlike conventional products, this is not just single region, not just single varietal, not just single vineyard, but single tree hyper-premium syrup. Pricing has not yet been determined but frankly, if you have to ask, ...

There must be an opportunity here

I was buying airline tickets, and was wondering how expensive it would be to change them.

 CHANGES

            ANY TIME

         CHARGE USD 250.00 FOR REISSUE.

         WAIVED FOR DEATH OF PASSENGER.

Hmmn.

Calling Dick Tracy

This is my wrist, and that item on it is a GSM cell phone. It really works. It even has a camera and a bluetooth adapter so I can use an earpiece and not have to whisper into my shirt cuff.

Frontiers in cuisine

Overheard while having dinner at a Cuban restaurant in Chokoloskee FL.

Chef stomps out, saying "Where's the guy who says he doesn't like my paella"?

Guy, mildly: "I never had paella made with spaghetti before."

A simple way to save Medicare

In the current negotiations on the so-called Fiscal Cliff, one proposed change is to raise the minimum age for Medicare from 65 to 67. This turns out to be a bad idea, because it increases rather than decreases the amount spent on health care, and would be a cruel joke on 65 year old retirees who suddenly found that they had no Medicare and no employer insurance. So let's think outside the box for a minute. Rather than changing the minimum age for Medicare, let's change the maximum age to 85.

How do you say I Shall Return in Japanese?

I was catching up on my Financial Times and read an amazing front page story that says "The Philippines would strongly support a rearmed Japan shorn of its pacifist constitution as a counterweight to the growing military assertiveness of China, according to the Philippine foreign minister."

Bataan, Corregidor, Manila Massacre, never mind, come back, all is forgiven. Wow.

FT Article