Many people would no more think of entering journalism than the sewage business - which at least does us all some good.

Barack Obama's life was so much simpler in 2009. Back then, he had refined the cold act of blaming others for the bad economy into an art form. Deficits? Blame Bush's tax cuts. Spending? Blame the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. No business investment? Blame Wall Street.

The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions.

Detainee policy in this war is hard, it's complicated, but we must get it right. We would be better off as a nation if we could close Gitmo safely and start a new prison that he could use that the world would see as a better way to doing business.

It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises-but only performance is reality.