We live in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world.
During that time, it threatened to become an also-ran in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of social media.
But in the what-have-you-done-lately world of college football, perhaps no team has done more recently than Oklahoma.
Woods, 37, has won more majors than Mickelson, but in the what-have-you-done-for-us-lately world of sports, Mickelson holds the edge, winning two of his five titles while Woods has been stuck on 14. Mickelson and Woods are not close except in the world rankings.
In the what-have-you-done-lately world of college football, Oklahoma will not only need to beat Oklahoma State, but may also need to rack up "style points" in the eyes of some voters to remain ahead of Texas in the USA Today coaches poll and the Harris poll, which account for two-thirds of a team's B.C.S. average.
Maybe that will satisfy investors in the oil and gas industry, but, apparently, in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of consumer products and brand management, you might as well attempt to interest your teen in a summer of Faulkner rather than Facebook.
The gesture has been seen everywhere lately: the World Series was rife with it, as are the worlds of hip-hop and hockey; Tiger Woods bumps with his caddy; Eddie Vedder does it with his bassist; Charlize Theron double fist-bumped on her latest "Saturday Night Live" appearance; and Oliver Stone threw one into "Any Given Sunday".
Economic growth was revised down from July estimates (by 0.3 and 0.2 percentage points, respectively) thanks to a weaker outlook for emerging markets, lately the world's main growth engine.
Asians are frugal, Europeans are gloomy, so if Americans do not keep spending as fast as they have been lately, the world economy is in trouble.That view will be tested over the next couple of years as Americans adjust to the end of their housing bonanza.
But hey, in case your entire C-suite hasn't looked up lately, the world has changed.
But lately the world seems to be less inclined to cooperate on anything, especially since the United States has backed off from its historic role as world leader.
