Farewell then International Herald Tribune

Perhaps the change I noticed most in Paris was the quiet disappearance of the International Herald Tribune, replaced by an international version of the New York Times.

Originally launched in 1887, the steadfastly old-fashioned Paris-based IHT had always for me been part of the city, a Gallic flavour added to its equally démodé parents in New York and Washington.

The paper had accompanied me happily through five decades of international travel.

Music and success

How often we read an article which propounds an appealing notion, apparently with supporting evidence. A recent one is Joanne Lipman’s piece in the New York Times, “Is music the key to success?” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/opinion/sunday/is-music-the-key-to-success.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=2&  

In it the author ties together training in music with outstanding achievement in some other field. She opens: “Condoleezza Rice trained to be a concert pianist. Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, was a professional clarinet and saxophone player…”

The project certainly enabled her to have interesting chats with several of the great and good. And, as I say, it’s a notion one would like to believe in. Better focus and discipline, new ways of thinking and communicating, improved listening and problem-solving, able to push beyond what currently exists, making multiple connections in multiple spheres, an enriched life, collaboration, creativity, the capacity to reconcile conflicting ideas… What’s not to like?

Problem is: Lipman could just as easily have found a cohort of trained musicians who were unsuccessful in other walks of life. Or, indeed, another cohort of high achievers who had no training in music whatsoever.

Brown’s Job

Advertisements are not generally heart-warming. This one is that and highly original too.

It was written in 1920 by FR Feland of BBDO for the agency’s own house magazine, and it was later placed as a full page in the New York Times. Feland was not a copywriter, but treasurer of the agency. For me, its style is reminiscent of Raymond Chandler in more tender mood. Chandler’s work was to come a few years later.

Although not PC by today’s standards, it says more about the employer’s attitude to colleagues than any amount of the usual HR strategies can.

Do give it a read-through. Click on the image to enlarge it.