In the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Carlay Company in Chicago, Illinois developed a candy coated dietary suppressant called Ayds. It sold the business to Campana Corporation. Campana was then sold to Dow Chemical. In the 1960’s, Dow sold the business to Purex and hired legendary Hollywood stars and other celebrities to endorse the product. In…
DetailsA reader and I are having a discussion about the limits of using laws to legislate morality. I referenced Justice Scalia’s dissent in the Lawrence v. Texas case, where he lamented that we are now at the point that there is no longer any legal basis for the citizenry to legislate moral decisions that don’t…
DetailsI put in and order on Saturday to buy a few more shares of Nestlé SA on Monday for my family’s personal accounts. I spent much of the weekend reading the company’s 125th anniversary biography and studying the original balance sheets and income statements of the firms that went into forming one of the world’s most profitable holding companies.
DetailsI completely forgot that I ordered Nestlé 125 Years 1866-1991 by Jean Heer earlier this month when I mentioned I was looking at the firm for the first time in a while, and then later, buying a few shares for my family’s permanent holdings. When it showed up today, it was like Christmas in July!
DetailsMany decades ago, Oxford Philosophy of Language Professor J.L. Austin and Columbia philosopher Sidney Morgenbesser reportedly had this exchange: “In English,” Professor Austin said, “a double negative forms a positive. However, in some languages, such as Russian, a double negative remains a negative. But there isn’t a single language, not one, in which a double positive can…
DetailsI’m not sure how relevant this question is to the broader audience, but since I wrote a response, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get another mail bag published. Joshua, You read so much and tell us all that reading is the most important thing we should be doing. Seeing the books and your process…
DetailsTonight we decided to try a new recipe for Saag Paneer with homemade Indian cheese. I realized I hadn’t posted any of the dishes we’ve been trying since one of the pineapple upside down cakes I baked earlier this month, so I made a point to stop and go get a camera. Unfortunately, we had…
DetailsI hesitate, strongly, about publishing this response. I’m not sure it is good for me to advocate what I would do in this situation as it might discourage people by making circumstances seem hopeless when hope is what is needed; it might even exacerbate the macroeconomic problem while solving the individual household challenge. Still, it’s the only honest answer I can give because this is what an analysis of the situation leads me to conclude.
DetailsThree years ago, I reviewed Amouage Jubilation XXV for Men, the scent released by the perfume house founded and owned by the Sultan of Oman in the Middle East. It’s a very heavy fragrance that, to this Westerner, seems far more appropriate for winter as it wraps around you like a blanket. It has top…
DetailsA short documentary has been released called Bankrupt by Beanie Babies that details the loss of $100,000 by one family during the 1990s craze. Aaron just sent me the story, with a short note that read something like, “It’s sad because they should have applied to become a wholesale dealer and owned a shop.”
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