Latest news with #ThomasEdison
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Major US Kitchen Appliance Brand That's Owned By A Chinese Company
Do you know who owns the companies behind the appliances in your kitchen? These days, it's tougher than ever to know for sure, even if you're familiar with the brand name stamped on your range, fridge, or dishwasher. In the tumultuous world of corporate mergers and acquisitions, even seemingly all-American brands can end up with overseas ownership. An excellent example of this is General Electric (GE), which has been owned by Chinese interests for nearly a decade. The purchase took place in 2016, when Qingdao Haier put together the $5.4 billion deal behind it. If the Haier name sounds familiar, that's because the company also sells appliances under its own brand, though experts and home cooks alike say the brand might be the most unreliable one yet. At the time, the announcement of the deal specifically noted GE Appliances would continue to be based in the U.S., maintaining its Louisville, Kentucky, headquarters. Nine years later, the division is still headquartered there, proving that not everything has to change when new owners take over. Read more: How To Cook Perfect Steak 13 Different Ways There's no doubt GE Appliances' overseas ownership is somewhat unexpected and surprising for many people. After all, the brand has been part of American homes since the 1890s, when it came into being through the merger of several companies owned by iconic American inventor Thomas Edison and others. GE has produced a wide variety of items over that time, including a number of kitchen appliances such as electric can openers and carving knives that kids today may have never even seen. Founded in 1984, Haier is far younger. However, the company has grown, accumulating more than $55 billion in annual revenue through ownership of appliance brands such as Casarte, Leader, Fisher & Paykel, and many more worldwide. Still, the GE deal was the largest acquisition of an overseas electronics business in China's history. Regardless of who owns GE Appliances or where they're based, those looking to upgrade their kitchen should shop with caution. The company has just a 1.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, with GE fridges earning only 1.1 out of 5 on ConsumerAffairs. Even though kitchen trends come and go, it's vital to make the best decisions about your appliances. In this case, that includes understanding the full picture of who owns GE Appliances, regardless of the company's American roots. Read the original article on Mashed.
IOL News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
South Africa's fatal flaw in ignoring lessons from the past
Shacks erected on the central line just outside Langa train station. The 'throwing out of the baby with the bathwater' extended to the homelands and self-governing states. Good infrastructure that had been built inexplicably became white elephants. Image: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) 'Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless.' — Thomas Edison ONE of my favourite Japanese proverbs states: 'If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.' I hope everyone has had enough tea to see clearly where the democratic government may have gone wrong since taking power in 1994, and not to react with unnecessary emotion to the views this piece advances. If a nation decides to change principles when what is truly needed is to tweak its techne, it will have succeeded in nothing more than throwing out the baby with the bathwater. We must embrace what we have learned from experience and tradition, as much of it comes at a dear price. We should also value what we discover in research, for it is incredibly valuable and accurate. However, we must be mindful not to discard wisdom along with data. There is tremendous wisdom in what used to be called common sense. One of the most important pieces of advice comes from the technological advances of the 1800s. Back then, homes typically had a small porch or enclosure off the kitchen to house the bathtub. On Saturday night, the matron of the household would heat water on the kitchen stove and fill the tub. The head of the household would take the first bath, followed by the matron, the oldest son, and so on, until the baby was bathed in what was often cool sewage. After the baby was bathed, someone had to throw out the bathwater, giving rise to the saying, 'don't throw out the baby with the bathwater'. Arthur C Clarke, the science-fiction writer of 2001: A Space Odyssey, said we stand now at the turning point between two eras. The democratically elected South African government must have confronted several scenarios regarding what to retain and what to discard. The democratic government's policy changes risked building on weaknesses while disregarding the strengths of past work, resulting in the baby disappearing along with the bathwater. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ In his book Black Economic Empowerment: 20 Years Later, Phinda Madi argues that the new government needs to distinguish between the valuable baby and the — at times — dirty bathwater. It seems the democratic government started on the wrong foot. The proliferation of general advice and the lack of simple, practical, area-specific information were major concerns, leading to slapdash performance. When someone breaks a leg, it is normally put in a cast; it is not cut off. In 1994, politicians wanted to chop off the legs instead of mending them. In our euphoric fit for 'anything but black' when we took power from the apartheid regime, we committed egregious errors. We were intent on discarding anything associated with apartheid, even some of its remarkably well-crafted policies on governance and administration. We did this without a proven record of administering a country. As the saying goes, we threw out the baby with the bathwater. On complex issues like governance and administration, especially if a political party has never governed, uncertainty, ignorance, and indeterminacy are always present. Serious reflection should have been exercised before discarding both the apartheid baby and bathwater. The 'throwing out of the baby with the bathwater' extended to the homelands and self-governing states. Good infrastructure that had been built inexplicably became white elephants. Bophuthatswana was the 'Dubai' of the time, with excellent infrastructure, as was Transkei. Today, these areas are shadows of their former greatness. In KwaZulu-Natal, once a mecca of education, the misguided mentality led to several colleges becoming white elephants, with some now used as hostels. My view is that regarding some credible apartheid-era policies and principles, especially on governance and administration, all that was needed was to dust off and possibly tweak and sanitise those policies. In short, the 'baby' should have been retained, while only the dirty apartheid bathwater should have been discarded. We continue to throw the baby out with the bathwater when our universities fail to invite former president Thabo Mbeki to give lectures on governance and administration. This is done in the United States with great success. Former US presidents, depending on their health, criss-cross the country giving lectures at different universities. It is important to remember that being president does not mean one should not express personal views on national interest matters. Although the line between the private and public is often blurred for public figures, it is necessary to keep this in mind, especially in this age of the unscrupulous press and paparazzi. As South Africans, we must reorient our expectations of what a president ought to be. There seems to be a perception that politicians and intellectuals make strange bedfellows, creating an unwarranted dichotomy between public life and a life of the mind. We continued to throw the baby out with the bathwater by failing to tap into the vast experience of Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi on governance and administration, as well as the workforce that was the backbone of the KwaZulu government. The counsel of Buthelezi on Zulu history and traditional leadership was disregarded. The democratic government threw out the baby with the bathwater when it overlooked many positives of the erstwhile KwaZulu Government. The democratic government and our universities lacked the foresight to invite figures like Buthelezi and Inkosi Lucas Mangope to share their knowledge and practical experience on governance matters. We also threw the baby out with the bathwater when we disregarded the expertise of seasoned public servants from the homelands and self-governing states. Some became redundant and chose early retirement. The blind approach of discarding expertise gained during the apartheid government has had a debilitating effect on our country, particularly from an infrastructural standpoint. The expertise of the apartheid-era workforce should not have been disregarded or thrown out with the bathwater; instead, it should have been built upon. In some instances, when the democratic government was formed, the 'baby' should have been kept while discarding the water with caution. The irony is that the phenomenon of throwing the baby out with the bathwater continues unabated in various forms, especially in the public service. * Dr Vusi Shongwe works in the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture in KwaZulu-Natal and writes in his personal capacity. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
The Guardian
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis review
What makes a genius? Pushed to define it, we might say it's a combination of extraordinary talent and drive, often accompanied by a dash of eccentricity or madness. Ultimately, the designation is conferred by hype; it's essentially an offshoot of celebrity, which is why, as journalist Helen Lewis notes in her new book. 'A genius needs a story as well as achievements'. Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso all made pioneering breakthroughs in their respective fields while living unconventional lives that later became the stuff of legend. Lewis wants us to look at these figures in a more clear-eyed way, and see them as the selfish characters they often were. The lustre of genius, she observes, can provide cover for a multitude of sins: 'alcoholism, family abandonment, unfaithfulness, abuse, weirdness, failure to take responsibility'. Since others invariably have to pick up the slack, this amounts to a form of exploitation. Reflecting on Leo Tolstoy's treatment of his wife, Sophia Tolstaya, over the course of their 48-year marriage, Lewis concludes that the Russian novelist 'was a genius, and a parasite'. The concept of genius presupposes a hierarchy of innate talent, and this comes with baggage, because the science of intelligence testing belongs to the same intellectual tradition that brought us eugenics and so-called scientific racism. Lewis introduces us to some of its notable thinkers, beginning with the Victorian anthropologist Francis Galton, whose 1869 book Hereditary Genius proposed that 'greatness' ran in families, and including several of his 20th-century disciples, such as the British social psychologist Hans Eysenck and the US physicist William Shockley. Surveying the lives and works of these men, we notice certain recurring themes: iffy research, a tendency to overlook the importance of structural and material factors in determining success, and an enthusiasm for racial hierarchies. 'Something about the subject of intelligence has a warping effect on its most furious proponents,' writes Lewis, though it's probably the other way round – the subject seems to attract people who are neurotically fixated with dominance. For such individuals, the idea of genius functions as a self-validating affectation; it 'makes a fetish of contrarianism, and flatters the 'free thinker' or 'heterodox intellectual' into moving from scepticism to conspiracism'. For his admirers among today's online right, Elon Musk's gaucheness is only further proof of his smarts. The book's central message is that we should refrain from putting people on pedestals just because they happen to be talented. This is sensible, and Lewis's suggestion that we should apply the term 'genius' to specific works, rather than individual people, is persuasive. But the idea that large swathes of the reading public urgently need to be disabused of 'the genius myth' is questionable. In one of several sweeping assertions written in the first-person plural, Lewis declares: 'We love to contemplate lone rebels, indulge tortured artists and downplay the contributions of those around the genius to paint a more satisfying portrait of superhuman achievement.' Do we? There is an irritating circularity about such pronouncements, whereby the author projects on to the reader the very cliches that underlie her own analysis. The Genius Myth is one of those popular nonfiction books in which an author sells you the disease in order to sell you the cure. As is customary in this genre, it comes with its own bespoke jargon: Lewis has coined a term – 'the deficit model of genius' – to denote the prevalence of certain handicaps or character flaws among extremely talented scientists and artists. A banal truism is thus passed off as sociological insight. Lewis strives for the easy, conversational style of a Ted Talk, but her attempt at a pally register comes off stilted and ingratiating. The prose is remarkably heavy on italicisation, which lends a rather laboured feel to the exposition – at times, Lewis sounds as if she is trying to convince herself, quite as much as the reader, that something worthwhile is being imparted. A striking feature of this book is its tone of ambient philistinism, which comes through in a number of revealing asides. Reading Lewis's kooky capsule summary of James Joyce's contribution to English literature ('what-if novels, but harder to read'), her high-handed dismissal of 'self-conscious precocity and ambition' in film, and her unnecessarily conspiratorial admission that she found Peter Jackson's Beatles documentary, Get Back, 'quite boring', one can't help wondering if her misgivings about genius might be a bridge for certain personal hangups about rarefied art, and the people who make it. Lewis chides Eysenck for his 'airy, assured judgments', but she's not above emitting some wind of her own. Her contention that Picasso's womanising provided 'an aspirational ideal to lower-status men trapped in bourgeois domesticity and wage slavery', and that Donald Trump is therefore his 'analogue', is little more than a therapeutic rant. And Lewis surely overstates her point when she says that Picasso is 'revered' not in spite of his personal shortcomings, but literally 'because of them'. Again, her own viewpoint is projected outwards: since it's simply inconceivable that people could care that much about the artworks, anyone who admires Picasso must admire him primarily as a shagger, not a painter. Those credulous Musk fanboys notwithstanding, belief in innate genius – and the special prerogatives afforded to those thought to possess it – is probably less pronounced today than at any point since the 60s. We are increasingly familiar with the stories of brilliant artists who are, or were, terrible human beings, thanks to a slew of articles over recent years, as well as books such as Claire Dederer's Monsters. With The Genius Myth, Lewis clambers on to a bandwagon that was already starting to creak when, in 2023, the Brooklyn Museum in New York hosted a widely panned exhibition dedicated to interrogating Picasso's misogyny. At some point, it will grind to a halt. The Genius Myth: The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters and Rule-Breakers is published by Jonathan Cape (£22). To support the Guardian order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
Business Wire
11-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Balsam Brands Named Official Brand Licensing Partner for GE Holiday Lighting Starting 2026
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Balsam Brands, parent company of Balsam Hill, a leader in premium artificial Christmas trees and holiday décor, is proud to announce that it has been awarded the distinction of serving as the official global brand licensing partner for GE holiday lighting, beginning with holiday 2026. This strategic partnership highlights Balsam Brands' continued commitment to providing high-quality, innovative products to its customers for the holiday season. 'We are excited to be a GE license partner – an established and trusted name in the lighting industry,' said Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Brands Founded in 2006 by entrepreneur Mac Harman, Balsam Brands is a privately held U.S.-based global company and omni-channel retailer known for leading the way in designing highly realistic, true-to-nature pre-lit Christmas trees and seasonal décor. The company's driving mission is to help people create joy together, all year round. A New Era of Holiday Lighting The partnership between Balsam Brands and GE Lighting, a Savant company, will leverage each company's respective expertise to bring the acclaimed GE holiday lighting products to new generations of customers. From Thomas Edison's first incandescent bulb to today's smart lighting solutions, the GE portfolio of lighting products has always stood at the forefront of innovation. The partnership aims to enhance the holiday experience with advanced lighting solutions that combine GE's century-long history as a leader in the lighting industry and Balsam Brands' renowned craftsmanship and dedication to its customers. 'Balsam Brands shares our commitment to superior quality and lighting innovation and we're looking forward to partnering with them to continue the GE legacy in the holiday space,' said Bob Madonna, CEO of GE Lighting, a Savant company. 'We're already working together as fellow licensees to push the boundaries of creativity so we can bring a spectacular refreshed GE holiday portfolio to consumers in 2026.' 'We are excited to be a GE license partner – an established and trusted name in the lighting industry,' said Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Brands. 'Growing up in Cleveland, where GE Lighting is headquartered, I've always known the brand as one of the city's most iconic industries. For me, this partnership feels like a full-circle moment. It allows Balsam Brands to broaden our holiday product range and offer even greater value and assortment to our customers. We're excited to deliver a world-class lighting experience that truly embodies the spirit of the season for years to come.' New and existing customers will see an expanded range of GE-branded holiday lighting products, but with Balsam Brands handling the design, production, and distribution. The brand plans to make available premium offerings to retailers, including but not limited to Lowe's, Michaels, Costco, and Amazon, with the potential to have exclusive product lines or early releases to select retailers. What This Means for Consumers Starting in holiday 2026, consumers will be able to purchase an expanded range of holiday lighting products under the GE brand, designed and distributed by Balsam Brands. This collaboration will provide customers with a variety of energy-efficient, durable, and beautifully crafted holiday lighting options that will enhance the way people celebrate the holidays. About Balsam Brands The flagship brand of US-headquartered Balsam Brands is Balsam Hill. Balsam Hill ( was founded in 2006, by Mac Harman, with the goal of creating the most realistic, highest-quality artificial Christmas trees for customers and businesses around the world. With a focus on quality and craftsmanship, our trees add the perfect finishing touch for families and communities to celebrate holiday joy together. After 18 years of growth, Balsam Hill's product offering has expanded to include ornaments, holiday greenery, and seasonal décor, with owned and operated websites in the US, UK, Australia, Germany, France, and Canada. About the GE brand With an unparalleled heritage of innovation and quality, the GE brand is among the most valuable, respected and trusted in the world. From Thomas Edison's first incandescent commercial light bulb to the latest jet engine brimming with internet-connected sensors and 3D-printed parts, for more than 130 years the GE brand has been associated with pioneering technologies across multiple industries that have spurred world-transforming changes and improved the lives of billions.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA) on Andvari's Substack by Douglas OTT. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on MSA. MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA)'s share was trading at $165.11 as of 6th June. MSA's trailing P/E was 22.77 according to Yahoo Finance. A worker in full safety gear is operating an excavator in a mining operation. MSA Safety exemplifies the 'picks-and-shovels' investment theme—providing essential tools and equipment rather than chasing the volatile end markets they serve. Founded in response to the deadly coal mining accidents of the early 20th century, MSA began by collaborating with Thomas Edison to develop the electric hard hat, a breakthrough in mine safety that led to a 75% reduction in explosions over the following decades. Since then, the company has expanded its portfolio to include a wide array of life-saving products such as gas detection systems, firefighter helmets, breathing apparatuses, and fall protection gear—many of which are market leaders, highly engineered, and mandated by regulation. This combination gives MSA strong pricing power without alienating customers, as its equipment forms a small part of total costs but plays a critical role in risk mitigation. Recently, MSA has evolved into a more software-centric business, with nearly half its engineers now focused on software development. This shift has embedded MSA more deeply into clients' daily operations, offering real-time data and predictive analytics that improve safety and decision-making without increasing manufacturing costs. Complementing this organic evolution is a disciplined M&A strategy that has added valuable assets like Bacharach and BTQ, enhancing MSA's positioning in adjacent safety markets. Despite serving cyclical industries like oil, gas, and mining, MSA's consistent focus on non-discretionary, mission-critical products has generated robust financial performance and an extraordinary 100x return since 1988. With durable competitive advantages and a growing software moat, MSA remains a compelling long-term compounder in industrial safety. Previously, we highlighted a on the standout stock Copart (CPRT) by the same author. Despite record Q3 results, the stock dipped on slight margin pressure, by 6%, but its long-term compounding story based on its fortress balance sheet, Berkshire-like capital discipline, and dominant position in salvage vehicle auctions remains intact. The thesis on MSA Safety (MSA) offers a similar case for steady, disciplined growth, though through a more product-embedded, software-driven path MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA) is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 25 hedge fund portfolios held MSA at the end of the first quarter which was 28 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of MSA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
