The Company Men

All of a half dozen people turned out to see The Company Men the other night at the local theater. The film has been hammered by critics and hasn’t yet grossed $4 million. However, the film, with a production budget of $15 million, and plenty of star power with Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones, has a story that is much better than the critics appreciate.

Feeling Down? Outsource!

Whenever I’m feeling blue about domestic politics – there is plenty about which to despair – something great happens that reminds me of the long-term case for optimism, which is all about the astonishing expansion of the division of labor globally and in ways that weren’t even possible just a few years ago.

Bookstores Close, Nonbook Retailers Pick Up the Slack

While big-box bookseller Border has filed BK and announced it’s closing 200 of its superstores in the US, more nonbook retailers are selling books. Stores peddling apparel, food and most anything are starting to offer books. Grocery stores and Wal-Mart have been selling books for a while and now “Coldwater Creek, Lowe’s, Bass Pro Shops and even Cracker Barrel are adding new books,” the New York Times reports.