7gen Bloc

On the one-year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, President Obama summoned corporate America "to a new era of responsibility." Considering that 2009 marked new low points in the decline of business behavior ...

From speakers throughout the city, four or five times a day, loud enough to reach through the sealed windows of our 38th floor hotel room, calls to prayer beckon millions of the city's residents. Thousands of stores shutter almost simultaneously. On the hard floors of shopping malls, on the rough cement of side streets, in mosques where I am not allowed to venture, they pray. ...

As we disembarked in Riyadh we were greet by a group of young men dressed in white robes with red and white headscarves. They ushered us past the long security lines and into a waiting car. We were driven directly to our hotel. It was late at night and I had to wait until the next day to begin to explore the city. ...

I've arrived in Amman, Jordan in transit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Out the window, the late afternoon sun paints the ground a sandy brown. Though there are houses scattered among the hillsides, there is no sign of any greenery to be found. There are no back yard swimming pools or playing fields. Few people here look like me, though my wife, a Persian Jew, at least fits into the visual landscape. ...

I recently wrote a piece about the pace of political change in the country. The full text is available on Care2.com. I invite you to read it then come back here and discuss it with me. ...

Gretchen Morgenson, the brilliant business writer at the New York Times, continues to dissect the greed and misbehavior that led to the economic collapse. In another exceptional story, "Banks Bundled Bad Debt, Bet Against It and Won," she tells the story of one of the ways that investment firm Goldman Sachs effectively screws its own clients. ...

We may think we vote on the first Tuesday in November, but in reality we vote every time we open our wallets and buy something. That's the idea behind a new initiative called Big Green Purse, and it's one we should all get behind. ...

On Monday, December 14th, Arthur Gray passed away. Arthur was a member of the board of directors of Seventh Generation since 1991. Arthur was a humble man, never one to boast or focus on his own accomplishments. Arthur was a man of principle, a man of conviction, compassion, and courage. Arthur was a man of great faith and fortitude. ...

There's been plenty said about Wall Street's incredible collapse and the byzantine practices and illusionary (some would say delusionary) financial products that almost brought down our economy. But not enough has been said about the pervasive mindset that caused all the trouble in the first place. ...

The Harvard Business Review turned their attention to "green" business in their September 2009 issue. "Why Green Is Growing (When Not Much Else Is)," they ask....