WASHINGTON – The United States Patent and Trademark Office and the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum are presenting a special exhibit featuring material from Michael Jackson’s patent and trademark applications. The exhibit is free and runs through Labor Day.Mr. Jackson is the co-inventor of a “system for allowingMORE HERE

  Have a drink here. Watch out for tiki gods. BrandlandUSA.com is the website of business and travel writer and editor Garland Pollard. Contact him about freelance writing and editing; his personal website is at GarlandPollard.comMORE HERE

PALM SPRINGS – Any person who owns a silly little motel by the side of the road ought to look at Hope Springs Motel Resort in Palm Springs, California. It’s an utterly nondescript motel that has turned into a Travel & Leisure favorite. The recipe? A hip approach, minimalist designMORE HERE

LONDON – It’s like 1925, a Merchant and Ivory movie. On September 10, October 29, and November 14, Orient-Express will be offering “The Dinner” on The British Pullman train departing from Victoria Station in London. The cars are original, and enable travelers to take an Orient-Express train journey that’s shortMORE HERE

The Invicta board game Master Mind swept the 1970s; part of the charm of the British-made game was the box. The Invicta game had an Asian woman and a “distinguished” man sitting below her. Many a college thesis could be written on the implications of this came. Questions include: WasMORE HERE

How place names represent brands Anyone who names things for a living will tell you a name is simultaneously the most important and least important signifier of a brand. It’s the most important because it’s the most succinct verbal expression of everything the brand stands for. It’s the least importantMORE HERE