In this Politico Magazine article, Nick Hanauer shares his perspective on the current unsustainable US economic situation and his (very viable) solution for it. He says without his solution there will be a revolution and those with the pitchforks will be gunning for the plutocrats. How would you describe the state of America's middle class? What does the current state mean for the survival of small/mid-size businesses? Photo credit: Robbie McClaran/Redux Pictures

Mr. Ma's (the founder of China's Alibaba) story is a textbook example to the benefits and strategic prowess involved in being an industry disruptor. Change requires thoughts and actions that are different than the status quo. From the article, "...Alibaba is China’s largest online retailer, with merchandise volumes that lag only Walmart, worldwide. The e-commerce giant is also moving forward with plans for a stock sale that is expected to rival Facebook’s $16 billion offering two years ago. If successful, the deal would help vault Alibaba and Mr. Ma, who owns 8.9 percent of the company, to the highest ranks of technology industry titans." Get the full story here.

Remember the old saying, "If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail"? This interesting article about making sure you have a backup plan uses the U.S. Navy SEALs as a great example of how to strategically think about contingencies.

PR and marketing gurus learned the benefits of using Twitter for advertising products, goods, and services (both directly and via users - usually celebrities - with large followings) from the very beginning. Now it seems the mainstream has caught on. 

No matter your politics, the Affordable Healthcare Act is a reality. This animated video offers a clear and simple explanation of exactly how it works.

This very interesting article on Inc.com starts with, "To become a fearless leader, you need to examine and overcome whatever is holding you back." To paraphrase FDR, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Is fear a construct that lives completely in our minds and through our perception or is it real? How does this apply to leadership and how we run our businesses?

Now that the total number of U.S.-based airline companies is going down from five to four, how will the change affect your travel habits? Leave a comment.

Is the economy showing continued signs of an upswing? Or is this part of the annual cycle of back-to-school spending, carry over from traditional summer holiday spending, or something more sustainable? This article Yahoo News explores several indicators and hypothesis, but what do you think? Leave a comment.