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August 30, 2002
Maybe we can send them all to Malaysia
Poll shows free speech support down
49% of Americans think that the First Amendment goes too far. "Almost half also said the media has been too aggressive in asking the government questions about the war on terrorism."
It gets worse.
four in 10 favored restrictions on the academic freedom of professors to criticize government military policy during war. Twenty-two percent strongly supported such restrictions.
Posted by sam at 10:58 PM
I started planning my East
I started planning my East coast trip last night. I never realized just how small all those New England states are! California could squash them like little bugs.
It's exciting. My first U.S. trip east of the Houston airport.
Posted by sam at 08:50 PM
When the Cellphone Is the
When the Cellphone Is the Home Phone
The only surprise here is that only 3% of the country uses a cell as their primary phone. Most of my friends - and I'll guess most college graduates after my generation - have both a cell and a land line. But the cell phone is primary.
Posted by sam at 07:09 PM
Another cheap shot
True or False: According to USA Today, 82 percent of 401 high-ranking corporate executives admit to being less than honest on the golf course.
Answer: "True." (And the other 18 percent were probably lying to the person taking the poll.) [test your CEO knowledge]
Posted by sam at 01:47 AM
Review this
How many large companies these days do not have a 360° review process? I've been complaining about that at work and I'd like to know if we're alone.
We rolled out a new procedure this year without any mechanism for managerial review. I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!
Posted by sam at 12:29 AM
August 29, 2002
Thanks Dad
Posted by sam at 08:09 PM
Looking for a job in Belgium?
Recruiters are starting to contact me again. It's only once or twice per month now, and never for a job in Silicon Valley. But it's a start.
Posted by sam at 08:01 PM
August 28, 2002
Should I book the hotel now?
New York, San Francisco Advance in 2012 Olympic Bidding
How cool would it be to have the Olympics in SF? I wonder where everybody would park?
Posted by sam at 03:23 AM
August 23, 2002
What if we did this in the U.S.?
I learned something cool in German class yesterday. If I offend any Germans out there, I'm sorry. This all comes from my teacher Katja.
Like most languages German has different personal pronouns for formal and informal interaction. In Germany, though, you might know someone for 20 years and continue to speak wi th the formal you ('Sie').
The only way that two adults might begin speaking to each other in the informal is after an explicit agreement. There's even a traditional ceremony for this type of agreement.
It's called a Bruderschaft trinken. Both people will hold a shot of Schnapps (or similar liquor), link arms and drink. After this they will begin to speak with each other using the informal 'du'.
If there's anything we can conclude from this, this is it: the more rigid and formal a culture is, the more people are going to drink.
Posted by sam at 11:38 PM
August 22, 2002
Trees start fires and fires kill monkeys
Bush, Citing Fires, Will Seek to Ease Laws on Logging
Posted by sam at 07:11 PM
Thanks for all the tips Wired!
Hacking Las Vegas: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE MIT BLACKJACK TEAM'S CONQUEST OF THE CASINOS
Terminal C is buzzing and chaotic, an over-air-conditioned hive of college students escaping Boston for a long weekend. I am dressed like everyone else: baggy jeans, baseball hat, scuffed sneakers. But in my mind, I have as much chance of blending in as a radioactive circus clown.
There's enough money hidden under my clothes to buy a two-bedroom condo. And to top it off, there's $100,000 worth of yellow plastic casino chips jammed into the backpack slung over my right shoulder.
I read this in the magazine a few weeks ago. Great story! Probably the most exciting thing you'll ever read that contains the phrase "straight-A engineering major at MIT."
Posted by sam at 03:03 AM
August 21, 2002
Every programmer's mortal enemy
Did you know that PowerPoint has a Communicating Bad News template? You can almost visualize an entire company lifecycle in PowerPoint templates. |
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From Business Plan to Marketing Plan, then Company Handbook to Employee Orientation. Motivating a Team will lead to Product and Services Overview. If you're lucky you'll make it to Selling a Product or Service. Soon enough, though, you'll hold a Company Meeting and be Managing Organizational Change. Of course Communicating Bad News is not the end. You'll still have to do a Project Post-Mortem. Now I understand why Edward Tufte dislikes it so much. |
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Posted by sam at 08:13 PM
August 17, 2002
Not again...
Posted by sam at 11:40 PM
Hitting their "target"! Sorry... my bad
Time for another recession stock pick of the day...
I read in the Mercury this morning that Target beat expectations. 38 cents per share ($344 million) in the second quarter, up from 30 cents last year. Have you seen those Todd Oldham commercials? He signed a deal with Target to design home furnishings for "Gen Y'ers, who like things bright and bold". The ads seem more directed at parents than anyone else, but maybe that's just me.
Market enjoys second straight weekly gains
The chart watchers want us to believe July was the bottom. But what's going to drive corporate profits up?
Posted by sam at 05:14 AM
August 16, 2002
Screw the RIAA
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Any recommendations for a portable mp3 player? I need something I can run with so CDs are out. Compact flash storage would be nice, 'cause I have a ton of those for my camera. And I don't want to spend more than 100 bones. This one seems pretty good. |
Posted by sam at 03:10 AM
August 14, 2002
At least he likes In-N-Out
The Salon review of Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser is good enough to deserve another mention.
Did you know...
- that every month more than 90% of American children eat at McDonald's.
- that the average American eats three hamburgers and four orders of french fries every week.
- that one out of every eight workers has at some point been employed by McDonald's. [I don't believe this]
The reviewer wishes that Schlosser "had tried to appeal more to the stomach than to the brain," by presenting alternatives to bad fast food. Maybe he's right. But what are those alternatives? "Let them eat In N Out Double Doubles" can't be the only answer.
Posted by sam at 11:10 PM
Making me hungry
The Secret Behind a Burger Cult.
In-N-Out, founded on the West Coast in 1948, is that rarest of chain restaurants: one with a cult following. Exalted both by hamburger fans and those who normally shun fast food, it has built its reputation on the rock of two beliefs: fast food should be made from scratch, and the whims of the customer should be entertained.
What's the secret? The burgers and fries are better than anywhere else and the shakes are made from real ice cream. Even the Fast Food Nation guy likes it.
After experiencing In-N-Out in Southern California I won't go near Mickey D's or BK any more.
Posted by sam at 10:54 PM
More monkey business
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The Options Limited, Bush Turns to Imagery "Truth through repetitive lying" is the term that comes to mind. Isn't it great having the first MBA president? Just like embattled CEOs everywhere these days, Bush needs marketing to increase revenue and public opinion. |
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Posted by sam at 08:22 PM
August 12, 2002
Memories of DIA
I got bored on the flight from Denver to Dallas, so I wrote about the last time I flew through Denver.
Writing felt very strange, almost like I had to use a foreign language. I'm definitely out of practice.
Posted by sam at 11:39 PM
August 07, 2002
Nice weather
Long day today. I had a meeting at eight this morning and I'm flying to Dallas through Denver this afternoon. I've got some time Friday afternoon in Dallas. What is there to do with a few hours? |
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Posted by sam at 08:54 PM
August 06, 2002
Some revolution
There's a story in the Times today about a 'revolution' at AOL:
A study showed that when the number of pop-up ads was cut in half for a group of members, their satisfaction improved notably. That led not only to a cutback in the number of pop-ups across the service, but was, according to Mr. Leonsis, the catalyst for a revolution within AOL.What do you think happened when I tried to read the story? Some annoying ad popped up.
The Times has this amazing, unique position as the newspaper of record. But just like AOL they risk losing their status online with ads that everybody hates.
Posted by sam at 03:45 AM
Maybe cell phones make you smarter
From the NY Times: Sunlight, a Cancer Protector in the Guise of a Villain?
I tell ya', the Times is going to be the death of me one way or another.
Posted by sam at 03:29 AM
August 03, 2002
Wish I could go back
The third set (out of four) of Costa Rica photos is up.
Posted by sam at 10:16 PM
Don't cry for me Argentina
HBS Working Knowledge: Globalization Good for Whom?
Many of the countries that have opened themselves up to trade and capital flows with abandon have been rewarded with financial crises and disappointing performance.
Latin America, the region that adopted the globalization agenda with the greatest enthusiasm in the 1990s, has suffered rising inequality, enormous volatility, and economic growth rates significantly below those of the post-World War II decades.
Posted by sam at 01:54 AM
August 01, 2002
I need another vacation
More Costa Rica photos.
Posted by sam at 09:52 AM