From Slate: If you want to be in business for a long time, you should choose an industry that’s going to last. Since Kongo Gumi is in the business of building Buddhist temples, it has managed to sustain operations in Japan since 578 CE. Headquartered in Osaka, the company was founded by a Korean immigrant commissioned to build a temple in Japan by Prince Shotoku. That engineer went on to found his own company, Kongo Gumi, which spent the next several centuries constructing countless temples.In 2006, Kongo Gumi was acquired by construction conglomerate Takamatsu following a downturn in the overall Japanese economy, so there are some doubts about whether it can still truly be considered the oldest continuous business. However, it can still boast a pretty incredible corporate resume — the Takamatsu website ... read more

Most North Americans would shudder at the thought of themselves or others loudly slurping while eating, but in Japan, it’s not only expected, but encouraged. It’s believed that the practice originated as an url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nippon.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fb07501%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C3162a11af5934607449408d9cec29ae4%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637768157493118079%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=ZzYa81Yt2SCZR1a9Gtlzvb%2BN2AuX7o7EiJRmd3pijYQ%3D&reserved=0olfactory experience — slurping soba noodles simply augmented the aromatic flavors when air was taken in through the mouth at the same time. From there, as other dishes such as ramen proliferated, the practice did too. The custom, which is relegated to noodles only, does spark some url=https://na... read more

I mean 2022, of course. I have big plans for 2022. How about you? I no longer make resolutions. But I do have plans. Keep exercising on the Peloton when I cannot get out on the road with my bicycle.Go wine tasting more often.Clean out the garage and donate more stuff to charity.Get my mountain bike tuned up.Replace the canopy on the gazebo covering our bbq.Spend more time with dear friends. Expect a call for lunch!Follow through on all my travel plans... read more

From Economic Intelligence: What goes into an evaluation of whether or not a city is safe? Crime? Personal liberty? Dangerously dirty air? Bad weather brought on by climate change? The Economist Intelligence Unit released its biennial url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsafecities.economist.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FSafe-Cities-Index-2021_eng.pdf&data=04%7C01%7C%7C0332db0abc8c42824eb308d9ca1445b2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637763011074012768%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=xTKIWEOCydOSoQFVmwEqheRfiDDbVzHEggTBU8B10vk%3D&reserved=0Safe Cities Index, which attempts to answer the question. According to the index, the world's most dangerous city is Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar.Fo... read more

The honor of the worst seems to always fall onto Allegiant, Spirit or Frontier. Per Trip Savyy, here are their findings: At the very bottom of the domestic airline rankings are Spirit Airlines (score: 2.5) and Allegiant Air (2.8), both of which are budget carriers. But the third worst U.S. airline is one of the big three: American Airlines. Bounce gave the airline a pretty low score of 4.2; it's still vastly better than Spirit and Allegiant, but far below the top domestic scorer, url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripsavvy.com%2F2020-tripsavvy-editors-choice-awards-delta-air-lines-5079728&data=04%7C01%7C%7Cbc461625402c4471ee8c08d9ba52ecba%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637745687594787157%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=8lG0sj7WAcCBU%2B%2FVaVyL3dzE4Q%2BmfrJV6eXD94... read more