Today we kiss yet another month goodbye. We only have three months left in the year. Amazing, right? It feels like we were just ringing in 2016. And there was certainly no shortage of headlines in September. It saw the presidential race heat up, with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump edging ever closer to election day. Unfortunately, we witnessed bombings in New York and New Jersey; thankfully, no one was hurt. Eight people did sustain injuries in a stabbing attack at a Minnesota mall, for which ISIS has claimed responsibility. Other stories included the untimely death of Marlins pitcher José Fernandez, who was killed in a boating accident in Miami; Congress overriding President Obama's veto of a bill that will allow the families of people who died on 9/11 to sue Saudi Arabia; and controversial police shootings in North Carolina and Oklahoma that sparked riots in both states. I'm hoping October will be more tranquil and less dramatic than September was. Something t...

I am firmly convinced that most stores now regard October 1 as the official kick-off date for the holiday season. Yesterday, my wife and I went to Denny's for dinner. I looked at the menu and couldn't help but notice that they've already made available holiday dishes and desserts -- and we haven't even celebrated Halloween yet! I find it jarring to spot wreaths, turkey ornaments, and Christmas lights on display at stores like Walmart and Walgreens so early in the year. Retailers have coupled Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas together -- it's as if they comprise a "holiday quarter" that begins in October and ends in December. I see both pros and cons to this approach. For one, consumers might find it convenient to purchase all their holiday decorations in one shot. What's more, they likely can take advantage of special offers that might otherwise not be available to them if the items were rolled out in separate months. However, this speaks ...

It's hard to believe it's Sunday already -- the first Sunday of October, no less. The week -- not to mention the year -- has flown by! Sunday happens to be the day of the week on which I'm at my laziest. The feeling lasts all the way through Monday afternoon. In fact, I don't feel like I'm in all-out work mode again until Tuesday morning.  There's nothing that puts me in a lazier mood than being all cozy in bed while watching a good flick or reading an absorbing book. Adding closed blinds and the sound of rain compounds the feeling tenfold.  Other than Sunday and Monday, I get bitten by the lazy bug on Friday afternoons, though not as badly. Most people do very little after lunch on Fridays in light of the fact that the weekend is upon them.  Laziness can also set in when I get home from work. It isn't always easy to cook or wash dishes, let alone hit the gym, after you've worked all day.  I try my best to do as little as possible on S...