Hard Cards – The Honest Greeting Card

Rather than a heartfelt note, it’s always more fun to mark joyous/saddening occasions with a snarky message that cuts the recipient to the core — but how to crush them in a classy way? By taking the E out of your burning greetings, with Hard Cards. read more

Sam Zell – From Real Estate To Newspapers

Before Sam Zell bought the Tribune Company last year, he said he was “skeptical” of using staff reductions to increase profit. He famously told the Los Angeles Times, “I promise you I did not come here to be the captain of the Titanic.”

Since then, however, the newspaper industry’s woes have intensified—and Zell has made numerous staff reductions at Tribune’s newspapers, which in addition to the L.A. Times also include the Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun. The outspoken Zell, who made his fortune investing in real estate, has dubbed the Tribune purchase “the deal from hell.” read more

Diane Keaton on Reusing Historic Buildings Like Plastic Bags

Last week, I drove past the 22-acre vacant lot once known as the Ambassador Hotel. As I looked at the rubble of our lost cause, I pulled over, sat back and gave in to a feeling I can only describe as guilt. I thought about my connection to the once-iconic hotel, about why places like it are so difficult to save, and about what it takes to be a better, more effective advocate for historic buildings. read more