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Benjamín Labatut's novel ''The Maniac'' examines the dawn of the nuclear age and the brilliant, sometimes troubled minds behind it. THE MANIAC, by Benjamín Labatut In an 1897 letter to [...]

Backup Plan In response to the question from Hank and Cindy Kratzer regarding a spare tire for their upcoming trip to Alaska in a Class A motorhome, we returned last [...]

Pro Stock Trucks rely primarily on their brake systems and use the parachutes only when necessary. The only time the trucks deploy parachutes are when strong crosswinds become a factor during shutdown or if there is some other malady incurred after crossing the finish line at high speed. Reasons for not deploying chutes include saving wear and tear on the driver and reducing the shock to the chassis that occurs during inflation. Advances in drag racing brake system technology has led to composite brake pads which gain substantial weight savings and good wearability in comparison to conventional brake systems.

- Kristopher Contreras Miami, FL THE COUNT I read the entire October 2021 new-cars issue while waiting in line at the county treasurer's office to pick up personalized plates for my car. Sure, there have been times when I've "slacked off" and had a car that did the work for me, as is the case now in the name of matrimonial peace and happiness, but I'll take a DIY version of any car out there. Since BMW long ago made the transition from "the Ultimate Driving Machine" to the ultimate money machine, it shouldn't be long before a credit-card slot becomes standard for functions such as sunroof and windshield wipers (in Torrance, we don't need wipers much anyway). In those days in Poland, there were essentially three cars to choose from: the small Fiat 126p, the big Fiat 125p, and the sporty-looking Polonez, which the ballers got. [Extracted from the article]

There's an early David Lynch film called The Amputee (1974). Two films, in fact: he made it twice, with the same script, same shots, same everything. Explaining the duplication years [...]

It is rare that a contemporary political state of affairs perfectly corresponds with a classical literary one -- when the contours of the two align so entirely that not only [...]

One of the most satisfying and heart-warming experiences of my life has played out over the last 32 years and continues today. It goes back to my Marriott days and [...]

GRAVITY'S RAINBOW By Thomas Pynchon Read by George Guidall Penguin Audio ''Gravity's Rainbow,'' Thomas Pynchon's gargantuan parable of rocketry, sex and a whole bunch of other stuff, turned 41 this [...]

THE PALE KING An Unfinished Novel By David Foster Wallace 548 pp. Little, Brown & Company. $27.99. FATE, TIME, AND LANGUAGE An Essay on Free Will By David Foster Wallace [...]

HOW TO SELL By Clancy Martin 296 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $24 There's a scene in ''How to Sell,'' Clancy Martin's novel about sly, double-dealing jewelers and their scams, [...]

At one time, many hotel operators assumed their restaurants were mainly a convenience for guests registered at their hotels. The majority of people who lived and worked in a local [...]

At a hotel staff meeting recently, someone asked me about my policy on attrition. Several people tried to describe the policy and it was obvious that no one was clear [...]

Because it's something we face every day, price resistance is one of my favorite subjects. This month, I'll explain an approach that has proven successful in many sales situations. How [...]

The objection that comes up most often in selling situations is price. It's almost as if the customer believes price should be questioned even in cases when the price is [...]

What percentage of hotel sales people, when told by a prospect that the rate is too high, lower it immediately or say they will check with their directors of sales [...]

My message this month is short and simple: If you're a hospitality sales and/or marketing specialist of any kind, or a general manager who is ultimately responsible for revenue, you [...]

During seminars I conduct for salespeople and directors of sales, I often hear the comment, 'I wish our GM could be here to hear this.' Here's a checklist of questions [...]

Hotel sales people seem to be intimidated when group prospects want rates quoted before they can inquire about preferred dates, number of rooms, who the people are, purpose of the [...]

Years ago, I worked in a hotel sales department where the only report on our effectiveness came at staff meetings when the general manager would occasionally say, 'We're a little [...]

I've made many recommendations to that hotel's manager and owner hotel to improve business, but they seldom do anything I suggest. It's very frustrating.' Over the years I have heard [...]

In 'Polyscopic Video,' 9 micro 3-CCD Panasonic cameras are linked to capture that demanding 162-degree field of view--out in the field. Here's how. The Newseum--the celebrated new interactive museum dedicated [...]

A few months ago I was honored to help induct a great sales person, mentor and friend into the HSMAI Hall of Fame. It is the highest honor bestowed by [...]

On my first day in sales at the Waldorf=Astoria, I was shocked when the director of sales told me that within six months I could book the same number of [...]

There are some tasks that a general manager can accomplish to move the sales and marketing effort forward in the most productive manner. Here are 12 key tasks GMs can [...]

The addition of third-party endorsements to your written and verbal presentations can make them more powerful than ever before. Add them to your repertoire and you'll notice an immediate improvement [...]

I want to give hotel salespeople a little pat on the back, because I think they need it. Why? Quite often, my observation is that sales managers don't feel their [...]

As part of the training our firm offers, we do mystery shopping to help our clients' employees improve their skills in handling incoming inquiry calls. Here are six of the [...]

Many sales people who are normally confident when selling are uncomfortable when closing the sale. Actually, closing is one of the easiest steps of the call if you approach it [...]

There's a direct correlation between your hotel's reputation in the community and your overall financial success. Just as it does with individuals, the public wants to do business with those [...]

'Sorry to interrupt, but ...' 'Could I talk to you for a second?' 'I know you're busy, but ...' 'Could you spare a couple of minutes?' These are typical signals [...]

Effective questioning is among the more critical aspects of selling. But I often find that sales managers have little or no training in this area. While hundreds of points could [...]

Everyone would like to get the meaningful, positive, free exposure of publicity. The problem is, many hotels do not know how to get started. First, be aware of the fact [...]

JIM GERSON -- President The Gerson Cos. TOM MCCARTHY -- Managing director, jewelry division AAi.FosterGrant Inc. Q. With so many drug stores broadening their merchandise mix, is jewelry making inroads [...]

'It's another call for you from the office,' my wife, Mary, announced for the fifth time that day, a typical vacation day for me. After observing this happen over and [...]

When we think about the various 'publics' included under the public relations umbrella, we seldom forget guest/customer relations, community relations, press relations and employee relations. But we often forget another [...]

There are two selling techniques relating to the comparison of your product versus the competition that you should use in virtually every sales presentation: * Emphasize your strengths where you [...]

When teaching the so-called questioning step of the sales call, I ask seminar attendees if they've ever worked on files turned over to them by previous sales people. I then [...]

Every time I get a chance, I talk about the greatest problem in hotel sales: the sad fact that salespeople aren't selling proactively as much as they should if hotels [...]

MANY BABY BOOMERS REMEMBER the Pete Seeger song that became an anthem of the 1960s peace movement, 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone.' Unless insurance executives take steps today to [...]

summary * Analytic modeling can streamline the bill review process. * Incorporating more data into the model increases the statistical confidence level of predictive accuracy. * Processes need to change [...]

Around 5.5% of the NEXTEL Cup's race are road course races, and adding a third one will increase that percentage to a little over 8%. Road course racing entails more action than the traditional oval racing, as it requires drivers to process more information in a shorter time. The benefits of road course races for NASCAR are discussed.