“In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.”
—Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist, born September 9, 1828
Asian Markets
Second trip of the week to the asian markets in Hadley and Amherst. We found that the Gohyang Korean Grocery had gochujang (red pepper paste) back in stock. Considering its importance in Korean cooking, I was surprised that they could possibly run out. Distribution problems, presumably
It took three tries to find the dried silverfish (no, not those insects in your attic) and Szechwan preserved vegetables I was looking for, but I found them at Mom’s House in Amherst. It’s pretty interesting what the different stores do and do not carry. To an outsider to the cultures whose foods they stock, it can look like they have a random collection of everything. Markets are funny that way. Visit Trans World Market, International Food Market, and Ecuador Andino Store also.
Four Five thriving businesses serving people from all over the world signals that diversity is on the rise in Western Massachusetts. We welcome new neighbors from around the world for their contributions to the local economy and the richness they add to our shared regional culture.
Events Today
Visit the InCommN Business Event Calendar for the week. Don’t miss the kick off of the InCommN-Click Workspace Tuesday Workshop series tomorrow!
Please let us know about business events in Western Massachusetts that we haven’t learned about yet. We work hard to have the most comprehensive calendar we possibly can. Contact Daniel Lieberman
Read
Sharp Decline in US Fertility Rate Ends
Exactly what declining populations and the consequent aging of societies will mean is one of the key questions that will be answered in the next couple of decades, along with the impact of automation, and the results of global climate change. In this instance, the US will have a little more time to adapt than its peers in the developed world, whose populations are already at or near the tipping point.
“…The fertility rate is the total number of babies born per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Last year it stood at 63, down slightly from 2011. At the current rate, women could expect 1.9 babies on average over their lifetimes, down from a high of 3.8 in 1957, said Brady E. Hamilton, a demographer and an author of the report.
“The United States has a higher fertility rate than many other developed countries, bolstered by Hispanic immigrants, who are more likely than whites to be in their childbearing years. When rates are lower, as they are in countries like Germany and Japan, youth populations shrink, which can lead over time to a reduction in the size of the labor force and diminished tax bases.
“’There’s a widespread perception that a moderately growing population is advantageous for economic growth and for a growing society,’” said Hans-Peter Kohler, a professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania….”
Fertility Rate Stabilizes as the Economy Grows
Visiting the Future: Chicago, 1893
The period between 1860–1914 saw the invention or widespread adoption of most of the decisive technologies of the twentieth century (still going strong, many of them): electric lighting and power, internal combustion engines, cinema, sound recording, the telephone—the list goes on. The World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 would have been a great opportunity to see the future. Have a look.
Where the Future Came From: A Trip Through the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair
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Video: There are 5,247 Cheeseburgers You Can Get In New York City
Charmingly geeky talk about the power and pleasure of data science.
“…I love two things: I love data and I love cheeseburgers and I started thinking about how data could help me find the best cheeseburgers…before they were gone….The first moral is that the data is out there, and whatever frivolous and ridiculous thing you’re obsessed about you can find something that will let you look at it in a new and exciting way…”
In Search of the Optimal…Cheeseburger
The Last Word
Tolstoy also said: “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.”