The stock market fumbles of last week were probably healthy. If anything, we could probably use a bit more of a correction. I don't claim to be an expert on the markets (and you should probably run away from anyone who does) but I know we do need a dose of reality now and then.

The other evening, I went to the Atlanta Chapter Meeting of the Procter & Gamble Alumni Association. In about an hour and a half, I realized that most in the room have forgotten more about marketing and sales than I will ever master. I came away with a boatload of new ideas.

With the recent change in the Prime Minister in the United Kingdom and with the newly elected president of France, expect some interesting directional shifts out of Europe in the next year or two. It is hard to tell exactly where they will be going, but I expect the UK will be distancing itself somewhat from the US while France will nudge a bit closer. These moves will have broad implications for all sorts of matters around the world.