Been in Sears lately? If you say yes, I’m sorry, and if you say no, you’ve missed nothing more than a viewing of a sad carcass. Here’s Ayn Rand-Loving CEO Destroys His Empire, written by Lynn Parramore for Salon last December. The Ayn Rand lover is Eddie Lampert, and he was certainly working in a tough environment for retail, but his actions are shameful and disheartening. (For an uplifting story about Sears, read Julius Rosenwald: The Man Who Built Sears, Roebuck and Advanced the Cause of Black Education in the American South by Peter Ascoli. It’s the story of one of the Sears founders, and about the schools he built in the still-segregated South.)

I heard Harry Shearer on the radio the other day, talking about how Richard Nixon doesn’t look so bad right now. The Daily Beast offers up Harry Shearer on Being Nixon … from October 21, as Nixon’s the One debuts on YouTube, and for context I’m also linking to The Untapped Secrets of the Nixon Tapes by Evan Thomas, The Atlantic, 7/29/14.

From the Stanford Social Innovation Review on November 6, Sal Giambanco has written Investing in People Pays Big Dividends. Mr. Giambanco works for the Omidyar Network, on a very sophisticated headhunter/training project for organizations supported by his employer. Interesting project, probably scalable, and the lessons are meaningful for anyone who employs people. If anyone thinks organizations are not about their employees, they know very little!

OK, I’m getting personal here:  does anyone have a standing desk? I’m looking at the UpLift 900 Sit-Stand Ergonomic Desk Base from The Human Solution, with my wood and granite tops. Knowledgeable people, please share.

Many people are aware of my affinity for cocktails. Making them well matters, and if you make them, you want to read How to Make Cocktails at Home: The Serious Eats Guide to Essential Cocktail Techniques, written by Michael Dietsch for Serious Eats on September 23. And for food—no, the cocktail is not part of any food group (although cocktails are comprised of empty carbohydrates, or so my doctor tells me)—here’s Andrew Knowlton, The Foodist at Bon Appétit, with Building the Perfect Sandwich Is All about Architecture from this past summer. Great pics and tips!

I’ve got a bit more this week. First, I saw The North Face:  Your Land at trivia Monday night. Immediate reaction? Maybe I could stand an hour or two outdoors, which is a big deal for me. (I believe there are nine versions of the commercial.)

Second, and finally, here’s the unabridged November 8 Car Talk tribute to Tom Magliozzi, along with the link to www.cartalk.com for more about one of the funniest people who ever lived.