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January 31, 2003
Happy New Year!
My homeboy Marc at SAP tells me that next year is the 'Year of Sheep' in the Chinese calendar. Here's the Chinese character for sheep. Does it look like a sheep? |
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Posted by sam at 05:00 PM
Babies' Mental Delay Tied to
Babies' Mental Delay Tied to Moms' Vegan Diet
The breast-fed infants of two mothers who did not eat any animal products, including milk and eggs, developed brain abnormalities as a result of a vitamin-B12 deficiency, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
The next round of globalization is sending upscale jobs offshore. They include basic research, chip design, engineering--even financial analysis.
Posted by sam at 04:07 PM
January 30, 2003
I just discovered that my
I just discovered that my hero Dave Barry has a web site and a weblog in addition to his online columns.
Posted by sam at 05:57 PM
Nepal starts negotiations with rebels
Nepal starts negotiations with rebels
Tampa Bay tapping bay as new source of drinking water:
The nation's first sea water desalination plant built to serve as a primary source of drinking water is expected to begin providing water by the end of the month to Tampa, St. Petersburg, New Port Richey and surrounding cities.
Posted by sam at 04:30 PM
Health Care Forum with Adam
Health Care Forum with Adam Gopnik and Malcolm Gladwell - comparison of U.S. and Canada health care systems.
When All Grades Are Above Average - Duke professor admits to grade inflation.
The Naked Chef's Wicked Act - Jamie Oliver confounds all expectations.
Posted by sam at 03:51 PM
SAP defies software gloom with
SAP defies software gloom with 2002 profit. I'm not surprised that we beat our operating margin target. But sales actually grew 1% over 2001.
SAP has benefited from the market slump by taking business from smaller rivals that have fallen out of favour in the current climate but also boosted its market share against key U.S. rivals, such as Oracle Corp and PeopleSoft.
For the first time ever, SAP passed Siebel Systems in the key customer relationship management (CRM) segment in the fourth quarter and consolidated its lead in the supply chain management segment over rival i2 Technologies.
Posted by sam at 12:43 PM
January 28, 2003
The SB is never a good game anyway
Are Costco and Kirkwood related? Costco's brand is Kirkland, and the label looks a lot like the lift tickets at Kirkwood. And you can buy Kirkwood tickets for a discount at Costco.
So yeah, I went boarding this weekend at Kirkwood with Breean and Chris. The snow could have been better but the crowds were sparse. Breean had a great first day on a snowboard. Chris had fun [video, 2.5M] also.
Posted by sam at 02:08 AM
January 23, 2003
Big Macs Can Make You
Big Macs Can Make You Fat? No Kidding, a Judge Rules What I find interesting here is that "McDonald's praised the ruling," essentially admitting that food from MickeyD's contains "high levels of such potentially harmful ingredients".
Posted by sam at 02:15 PM
Master Key Copying Revealed: A
A security researcher has revealed a little-known vulnerability in many locks that lets a person create a copy of the master key for an entire building by starting with any key from that building.
Everything on Salon seems to be premium content all of the sudden. I just want to read about Alias.
Posted by sam at 12:17 PM
January 22, 2003
New design
What do you think?
Posted by sam at 02:18 PM
January 21, 2003
I'd protest the end of bananas
Yes - in 10 years we may have no bananas
I just put up a few photos from Saturday's peace rally in SF.
Posted by sam at 01:02 PM
January 17, 2003
Where's the video?
Looking for this story from NPR this morning I discovered the Chronicle's Bondage File. Perhaps not what you think, the Bondage File "scours the globe for weird news." Today alone you'll read:
Anyway, more on the penguins:
Within two hours, the three males and three females from Ohio -- smaller and more docile than their mean and hefty San Francisco counterparts -- had convinced the 46 to jump in the pool with them. Now they swim most of the day and stagger out only at dusk.
Posted by sam at 12:49 PM
Grandma sends word that she
Grandma sends word that she went out and bought an eMac iMac and a new HP printer. We'll have her blogging in no time.
Posted by sam at 02:19 AM
January 15, 2003
Not Building Green Is Called
Not Building Green Is Called a Matter of Economics
Specialists say green construction is limited because "a compelling case demonstrating the economic rewards has not been made." I never would have guessed it, but buildings are responsible for 36% of the country's energy consumption (vs. 27% for transportation).
Posted by sam at 01:57 PM
January 14, 2003
Some free advice: don't ever
Some free advice: don't ever apply to b-school. It takes too much time, costs too much money and involves way too much introspection.
Posted by sam at 11:53 PM
I'm finishing up my Cornell
I'm finishing up my Cornell application. Having trouble with this question: Write a letter to the admissions committee, dated at the end of your first year of your MBA program. The letter describes the person you have become during that year.
My problem is describing my future self as somehow improved from my current self, without making my current self sound like a total loser (whatever the truth may be). And reading the student profiles in school brochures is just about the most depressing thing I've ever done.
Before being named CEO of Intel in 1995, Craig Barrett worked in Nigeria for five years saving small puppies from the Ebola virus. As an dual major in Electrical Engineering and Chemistry at Harvard he maintained a 4.0 GPA while fulfilling his duties as student president. After graduation he hopes to solve world hunger, cure cancer and make his second $10 billion.
Posted by sam at 11:53 PM
So long United
According to the BBC, Luftansa will begin offering in-flight internet access on January 15th. It's free for three months and will begin on the Frankfurt-Dulles route. What about SF-Frankfurt?
Posted by sam at 04:45 PM
January 13, 2003
I like the Tao of toner
> > In Japan, they have replaced the impersonal and unhelpful
> > Microsoft Error messages with Haiku messages.
read more
Posted by sam at 02:12 PM
Female or Shemale: can you
Female or Shemale: can you tell? I scored 15 of 16. Not bad, eh?
Posted by sam at 01:49 AM
Would You Really Follow a
Would You Really Follow a Manager into Battle?
So here's the irony: Every economic proposal we're hearing is to increase capital! Like any age, we're focused on the problem that we started with, not the one in front of us. Our economic problem is obvious: we don't know how to inspire and deploy the energy and skill of our work force, so instead, we're trying to put more money into the hands of the wealthy so they'll invest it in enterprises which will be better equipped to do more of what already isn't working.
I don't know about the pitch for Xpertweb at the end, but this is good stuff.
Posted by sam at 01:43 AM
January 11, 2003
One ring to rule them
Virginia Woolf: "Stuck in this town I have no wish to be in, living this life I have no wish to live."
Me: "Stuck in this theater, watching this movie I have no wish to watch."
For a while I just put up my head and looked at the ceiling. It was a lot more interesting than The Hours. But if you like watching depressed middle-aged women complain about the unbearableness of it all, then by all means go see this movie. Otherwise, go see Adaptation (cool).
On a scale of one to two, where one sucks and two is cool, this movie sucks.
Posted by sam at 11:36 PM
January 10, 2003
SAP Rises, Takes Rivals Up,
SAP Rises, Takes Rivals Up, on License Sales. Nobody thought we could reach operating margins of 21%. But 25% by 2005?! I hadn't heard that number before. And I hope I never have to hear it again!
Posted by sam at 01:40 PM
January 09, 2003
Did you purchase "prerecorded Music
Did you purchase "prerecorded Music Products from a retail store" between January 1st 1995 and December 22, 2000? I thought so. You may be owed $5-20.
Posted by sam at 07:27 PM
January 08, 2003
Reservations at Chez Panisse for
Reservations at Chez Panisse for February 8th. No cafe this time, we're going all the way. Will let you know how it is.
Posted by sam at 04:56 PM
Bush's economic plan [NYTimes]. Aren't
Bush's economic plan [NYTimes]. Aren't Republicans supposed to care about the deficit?
Fortune.com: 100 Best Companies to Work For
#29: SC Johnson & Son. The Cornell b-school is named after the same S.C. Johnson. #34 Silicon Graphics and #77 Sun Microsystems? How great can they be when everyone is getting laid off?
Posted by sam at 01:06 PM
January 06, 2003
49ers 39, Giants 38
Posted by sam at 02:06 AM
January 05, 2003
Because people keep sending me this stuff
Butter is Back - and Other Ideas That Will Change Your Diet in 2003
The old advice obviously isn't working. Fat isn't the only culprit. Filling up on pasta and bread isn't a solution. Giving everyone the same diet isn't the answer.
The Case for Drinking: "A drink or two a day of wine, beer or liquor is, experts say, often the single best nonprescription way to prevent heart attacks - better than a low-fat diet or weight loss, better even than vigorous exercise."
Posted by sam at 03:03 PM