Lifestyle topics
Every culture has its old wives’ tales that are unsupported by science. American parents tell their children not to swim after eating, even though there’s no real evidence that this is dangerous. In South Korea, many older people fear that if you sleep with an electric fan in the room, you may never wake up. …
To the Financial Times: Sir, Sebastian Mallaby’s spirited defence of capitalism (“Shortsighted complaints about short-term capitalism”, August 6) highlights one of the main difficulties facing the global economy: how to recapture the dynamism of markets without being at their mercy. The issue of under-regulation is perhaps best seen in the financial markets, where, contrary to …
Continue reading ‘Vested interests are on trial, not capitalism’ »
George Washington University in Washington, D.C. has recently announced that it will no longer require applicants to take the SAT or ACT as entrance exams. The university has concluded that reliance on these tests was excluding some high-achieving students who simply don’t test well, and low-income, minority students who don’t bother to apply because their …
My wife and I were recently having an outdoor lunch in Brighton (on the south coast of England). The man at the next table got up for a minute or two to get a drink, leaving his lunch on the table. By the time he returned the seagulls had demolished said lunch. Believe it or …
A proposal by President Obama would make 5 million more Americans eligible for overtime pay. At the moment those earning $36,660 or under are paid overtime, but the administration wants to increase that to $50,440. Advocates of this change say it’s long overdue. They say workers are often misclassified as “managers” to avoid paying overtime. …
Continue reading ‘New American overtime rules – will they work?’ »
