The Offer Never Made

This should be clipped out and posted on every desk:

Cultural Offering on the offer never made. An excerpt:

• The book never written will never be printed.
• The plans left unfinished will never become an enterprise.
• The idea never stated will never rally supporters.

Godin on Focus

A must read: Seth Godin on the Law of the Little Shovel.

Quote of the Day

If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, screaming and tripping and begging for mercy, then yes, Mister Brave Man, I guess I am a coward.

- Jack Handey

The Sexy Mannequin

Employment attorney John Phillips on the case of an attractive figure who just stands around, brings in business, and offends the local zoning commission.

An earlier news story has a photo of the focus of the controversy.

Cary Grant wouldn't wear Crocs

Idea Anaconda notes an endangered article of the modern hipster's wardrobe: Crocs.

Self-Sabotage Tips

My post on 7 effective ways to sabotage yourself is up at U.S. News & World Report.

German Translation

In the days when Bismarck was the greatest man in Europe, an American visitor to Berlin, anxious to hear the Chancellor speak, procured two tickets to the visitors' gallery of the Reichstag and hired an interpreter to accompany her there. They were fortunate enough to arrive just before Bismarck intervened in a debate on a matter of social legislation, and the American pressed close to her interpreter's side so as to miss nothing of the translation. But although Bismarck spoke with considerable force and at some length, the interpreter's lips remained closed, and he was unresponsive to his employer's nudges. Unable to contain herself, she finally blurted, "What is he saying?" "Patience, madam," the interpreter answered. "I am waiting for the verb!"

- Gordon A. Craig, The Germans

Quote of the Day

I started out with nothing. I still have most of it.

- Michael Davis

"Workplace with suntan lotion"

After a venture-capital presentation at a Hamptons home three years ago, guests were moved poolside for cocktails. Several people donned bathing suits. “After that, I felt I knew them very well,” says Jonscott Turco, an attendee who watched the swimmers frolic from the safety of his business suit.

Mr. Turco sometimes sees those people in Manhattan these days. Their names often escape him, but other details are indelible. “No matter how dapper they look in Midtown, I think, ‘He was the Speedo,’ ” says Mr. Turco. Same with the people he has dubbed “White Bikini,” “Leopard Bikini” and “Board Shorts.”

Read the rest of Christina Binkley on surviving the corporate outing.

Top Hospitals

A ranking of top hospitals from U.S. News & World Report.

If it employs the same methodology as the ranking for law schools, I'm sure there's room for debate.