Pickle Time

The lowly pickle has long been an amusing condiment--the object of late-night craving by pregnant women, the subject of jokes derived from its shape, and, next to onions, the item most often requested to be left off the sandwich. But the zeitgeist is signaling that it just may be the pickle's time.

Pickle Juice Drinkers Are Coming Out of the Closet

PJ-lover Katie Cerniglia (WSJ photo)

People who privately partake of pickle juice are finding it easier to go public, thanks to endurance sports. Athletes have discovered its electrolyte-replenishing qualities...Devotees say they like pickles but like the juice even more because it satisfies a salt craving they can’t quite explain. Some gulp with pickles still in the jar, irking nondrinkers.

Pickle-Ball is Popular Among the Medicare Set

Pickle-ball (NPR image)

Pickle-ball is traditionally played on a badminton-sized court with special Pickle-ball paddles, made of wood or high-tech aerospace materials. The ball used is similar to a wiffle ball, but slightly smaller. The lower net and wiffle ball allow the game to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities

According to the USA Pickleball Association, more than 100,000 people play the sport on at least 5,000 courts nationwide, and membership in the organization increased more than sixfold from 2006 to 2010.

Though it’s played by people of many ages, it’s especially popular among the elderly. An Orlando, Fla., retirement community opened with more than 100 pickleball courts, anticipating the demand.

Pickle Depreciation Rules
As hundreds of $billions of aircraft, ships, and other transportation equipment are financed each year, understanding the "Pickle" tax-depreciation rules for cross-border leases (e.g., U.S. owner leases an airplane to a Chinese carrier) is of paramount importance.

Ignoring all things "pickle" may come back to bite you.