sam tingleff: January 2004 Archives

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January 31, 2004

Cheap chat

Chatting with the parents tonight over Yahoo! with the webcams. They have technical difficulties all the time but it seems to work great here. Video/voice quality sucks but the price is right.

Now we have to get Meagan a webcam so we can argue face-to-face.

Yahoo! messenger

Posted by sam at 07:06 PM | Comments (2)

January 30, 2004

Evolution

Ga. Official Wants to Replace 'Evolution': "The state's school superintendent has proposed striking the word evolution from Georgia's science curriculum and replacing it with the phrase "biological changes over time."

Remind me to never move to Georgia. Thanks. Oh yeah, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma are on the list too cause they've already taken out all references to evolution in the school curriculum. Watch for long-term harm to their economies.

Posted by sam at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)

Another week on The Apprentice

The task this week was to run Planet Hollywood in Times Square for one night.

Troy showed pure genius tonight. Selling autographs of Kwame Jackson (who's he? nobody) was an inspiration. "I'm Kwame Jackson, from Charlotte, North Carolina." That's marketing.

The men showed a real lack of understanding, while the women caught on pretty quickly that revenue and margins in the restaurant business come from alcoholic drinks. The women won again!

And if this isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is: The Donald scolded the women for relying too much on sex appeal.

Bowie was eliminated for poor performance running merchandise. Maybe that was justified but Nick was a real downer and hardly contributed at all. I'm glad Kwame is still around, I like his chances right now.

Reshuffling of the teams next week! Finally.

Posted by sam at 12:16 AM | Comments (0)

January 29, 2004

Toy story

Pixar Ends Disney Talks, Seeks New Partner. They've been negotiating for 10 months. Huge loss for both sides.

Disney still has the rights to produce a Toy Story 3, which of course will suck without Pixar, diluting both brands.

Posted by sam at 10:36 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2004

Not that there's anything wrong with that

Assemblyman Leyland Yee of San Francisco introduced a resolution "to put the principles of Feng Shui into the California Building Standards Code." [from SAP Ventures]

I'm speechless.

Posted by sam at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

My namesake is fired

If this doesn't give you nightmares I don't know what will. We saw him on Leno the other night and he actually seems like a pretty reasonable guy.

Posted by sam at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)

Cola Wars

I used my paper due tomorrow on the Cola Wars as an excuse for watching the Pepsi superbowl commercial with Britney, Pink and Beyonce. ~~Available here~~ Sorry, rapid Pepsi lawyers seem to have shut down that link. Breean thinks Britney should be embarrased to sing with those two, cause she's got no talent.

Posted by sam at 11:09 AM | Comments (6)

Would an MBA help?

Building a New Career Is a Snap: Competition at Legoland California for three "master builder" jobs with Lego.

Posted by sam at 10:53 AM | Comments (2)

January 27, 2004

Bad luck

My schedule this semester is exactly opposite all the other basketball players at Johnson. When they want to play (Tues, Thurs mornings), I have class; when I want to play (Wed, Fri mornings) everybody else seems to have class. D'oh!

Believe me, if it was possible at all we would have coordinated things somehow. But as a first-year in an immersion I have little choice in my schedule.

Posted by sam at 11:57 PM | Comments (4)

Hooked on sugar

Overweight America is Hooked on Sugar (thanks mom):

The U.S. secretary of health actually claims, in the face of a mountain of scientific evidence to the contrary, that it's fine to get 25% of one's calories from refined sugar!

The real reason for the administration's preposterous position is that the powerful U.S. sugar industry is one of its biggest financial backers, and a major power in the key electoral state of Florida. The sugar industry is also one of Washington's most successful lobby groups and a huge contributor to congressmen and senators of both parties.

The result: the federal government subsidizes U.S. sugar producers to the tune of $1.4 billion US annually. Import restrictions protect them from foreign competition and keep domestic sugar prices three or four times higher than world prices. Sugar remains the nation's most heavily subsidized crop at almost $500 per acre per annum.

Posted by sam at 05:03 PM | Comments (2)

January 26, 2004

BW on The Apprentice

This week's Business Week provides three real-world lessons from The Apprentice: "So, B-schoolers, close the books, sit back, and tune in. The show features some hard lessons you aren't likely to learn in those case studies on leadership:" I can assure you that this is not part of our curriculum. That's why I'm watching.

Reality # 1: When push comes to shove, watch your back and look out for good old # 1.

Reality # 2: "There's no such thing as bad publicity."

Reality # 3: "Sex really does sell. (In case anyone forgot.)"

Posted by sam at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)

Strange classification

Why does my school's career department think that the software industry is part of manufacturing?

Manufacturing?

Posted by sam at 01:17 PM | Comments (0)

Sam's second b-school lesson

Never try a bus route for the first time on the first day of class.

Posted by sam at 11:08 AM | Comments (3)

January 25, 2004

Big Fish

We saw Big Fish at a matinee today on Penni's recommendation. It's a great story about fathers and the fish stories they tend to tell. The stories here are outlandish fairy tales but are always charming.

Naturally this movie made me think of my own dad. Why is it that dads like telling tales so much?

Posted by sam at 08:19 PM | Comments (3)

January 22, 2004

Road trip

We're driving an hour tomorrow with Breean's cousin and her husband to visit the closest Krispy Kreme, in Syracuse. Woo-hoo! And to go to the mall.

Hopefully some snowboarding this weekend at Greek Peak. Trying to enjoy my last bit of freedom before school starts next week.

Posted by sam at 10:04 PM | Comments (4)

B-school interview

I had my first b-school job interview today. It wasn't all that different from interviews I've had in the past. I expected some complex financial puzzles or to be asked about the effect of political unrest in Albania on the six month spot rate. But no, just the same old b.s half hour behavioral interview.

About 20 minutes of their questions, then me asking questions I already know the answers to just to demonstrate my knowledge of the company. Supposedly this is the game.

I wish I interviewed better. I've been in the workforce since 2000 and I still don't feel at all confident interviewing. I know I'm not normally the most articulate person in the world but when interviewing I feel like a bumbling idiot.

Posted by sam at 04:49 PM | Comments (9)

Senate shenanigans

Senate panel's GOP staff pried on Democrats: "Republican staff members of the US Senate Judiciary Commitee infiltrated opposition computer files for a year, monitoring secret strategy memos and periodically passing on copies to the media, Senate officials told The Globe."

Posted by sam at 01:35 PM | Comments (0)

January 21, 2004

The Apprentice (again)

This week both teams started with almost the same strategy. The guys chose Sam as their team leader to either win or get rid of him. The women chose Omarosa hoping to lose and get rid of her. Well, that's what my girl Amy wanted to do. The women chose Jessie as their leader.

The challenge this week was negotiation - to get the lowest price on a list of items including a gold bar and 5 lbs of squid.

The guys lost for the third time in a row and Trump said he may never hire a man again. Sam was the obvious choice to go. I felt for the guy.

Posted by sam at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)

Reading Dean

Reading Deanforamerica.com: "It would appear that a thoughtful voter could easily write off Howard Dean as a non-entity after spending 30 minutes at his Web site." It's hard not to agree.

Posted by sam at 12:13 AM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2004

Alzheier's prevention

Study: High Doses of Vitamins Ward Off Alzheimer's:

High daily doses of vitamins E and C taken together reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease among elderly people, a study said on Monday. Taken in supplement form, and not in a lower-dose multivitamin, the vitamins' anti-oxidant properties appear to offset the buildup of so-called free radicals that are believed to damage cells and lead to the debilitating brain disease.

Posted by sam at 10:12 AM | Comments (2)

January 19, 2004

More on The Apprentice

Deep Green Cystals looks at The Apprentice and asks if there's anything to be learned by watching The Donald's decision-making process. Sam is not going to last long.

Posted by sam at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)

Turning into my mom

We saw The Cooler tonight for the $5 movie at Fall Creek. I'm getting really tired of violent movies.

I'm starting to believe all the crazy postmodern theories about violent media; that it desensitizes us to violence, that it creates a culture of fear... What I know is that every time I leave the theater depressed. But what's the alternative? Crappy teen movies or happy happy joy joy romantic comedies?

Either we're watching too many movies or I'm turning into my mom.

Posted by sam at 10:27 PM | Comments (5)

January 18, 2004

Wal-Mart news returns

Workers Assail Night Lock-Ins by Wal-Mart:

For more than 15 years, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, has locked in overnight employees at some of its Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. It is a policy that many employees say has created disconcerting situations, such as when a worker in Indiana suffered a heart attack, when hurricanes hit in Florida and when workers' wives have gone into labor.
...
One night, shortly after closing time, Mr. Ellsworth had an asthma attack. "My inhaler hardly helped," he said. "I couldn't breathe. I felt I was going to pass out. I got fuzzy vision. I told the assistant manager I really needed to go to the hospital. He pretty much got in my face and told me not to leave or I'd get fired. I was having trouble standing. When I finally told him I was going to call a lawyer, he finally let me out."

This is a company with a totally broken corporate culture and no respect for employees. I wonder how high in the executive suite this kind of attitude reaches.

Posted by sam at 11:57 AM | Comments (6)

January 16, 2004

MoveOn.org ads will not air

It seems CBS dissapproves of the content and will not air the MoveOn.org anti-Bush ads during the super bowl.

Oh well, MoveOn is getting some great publicity out of this.

Posted by sam at 11:29 AM | Comments (2)

Don't try this at home

How to mince a hamburger [from 0xDECAFBAD]

Posted by sam at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

Apprentice update

He fired Jason? For one bad decision, after everybody in the room agreed that all the men hate Sam? Jason's real mistake was to rat out Nick after the strong defense he (Nick) gave for Jason's leadership, but The Donald didn't fire him for that. Trump wants to keep Sam around just for the drama.

So far the women have made the men look like idiots. Hopefully when the men are down to about four people they'll start making better decisions and reacting a little faster.

I stand by my pick (Amy). She performed like a champ this week. I'm predicting Omarosa to go next week. She's fighting with everybody.

Posted by sam at 12:07 AM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2004

More wasted money

Now Bush wants to spend $1.5 billion on an "initiative to promote marriage." (?) Supposedly, "the money would go to provide training for couples to develop interpersonal skills that sustain 'healthy marriages.'"

Sounds like a sneaky way to spend government $$ on his campaign.

Posted by sam at 11:33 AM | Comments (2)

January 14, 2004

Bush's space program

Bush says USA to return to the moon by 2015, capitalizing on pretty pictures from Mars in an election year. Leaves future generations to foot the bill. At least Congress is asking questions about the cash.

As I see it the space program serves two goals. The first is to act as an employment program for highly skilled aerospace engineers. The second is to instill national pride and indicate strength to 'competitive' nations. An interplanetary spitting contest, you might call it.

But doesn't the national debt do the same thing, except for the employment program? A huge and growing debt signals a lack of economic strength to 'competitors' and partners alike. A national debt of $23,919.62 per person is embarrasing to the country and has negative psychological repurcussions for investors.

But there are no 'competitive' nations left, only partners (those who participate in the international economy and buy our debt) and rogue nations or isolated economies.

And as for all those aerospace engineers, personally I'd love to see a cheap, three-hour transatlantic flight. Talk about breathing life into the economy. Why aren't they working on that?

Posted by sam at 08:11 PM | Comments (4)

Finally, some permaculture news

I know you've all been waiting for this... thanks Mom, for all the info!

Could Mad Cow Disease Already be Killing Thousands of Americans Every Year?
ConservationEconomy.net - The Pattern Map: "visual guide to the sustainability patterns that provide a framework for developing a Conservation Economy."
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: weblog on "Models, Tools, and Ideas for Building a Better Future."

Now I've gotta change the name of this site...

Posted by sam at 06:46 PM | Comments (0)

Curb Your Enthusiasm

In The New Yorker this week: Angry Middle-Aged Man: "Is Larry David funnier than everyone else, or just more annoying?" I'd say both.

Posted by sam at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2004

MoveOn.org

The MoveOn.org Bush in 30 Seconds winners are worth watching. The quality is near professional level (especially of the overall winner) and creativity is beyond anything the usual suspects would put out. See the finalists as well.

Posted by sam at 02:19 PM | Comments (2)

January 12, 2004

More winter troubles

As Breean says we had to wash dishes in the bathtub yesterday. Tonight we have no running water. Anywhere. In the entire house.

When we left tonight for a movie there was limited water pressure in the bathroom but no hot water. The landlord said that he would check it out tonight and see us tomorrow. What happened?

Posted by sam at 10:16 PM | Comments (2)

21 Grams

We saw 21 Grams for the $5 Monday movie at Fall Creek Theater today. This is a movie in the genre best described by:

People (men, mostly) screw up
Bad things happen
Some mildly redeeming event occurs

If you like that sort of thing (I don't) and you like being extremely depressed (I don't) you might like this movie (I didn't). Otherwise, run away as fast as you can.

Posted by sam at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)

Back by popular demand

~~The site seems to be down now. Sorry!~~ Woo-hoo! It's back up.

Posted by sam at 11:58 AM | Comments (1)

January 10, 2004

Choosing sides on The Apprentice

Breean's rooting for Troy and I'm hoping Amy wins. Nothing beats a "ruthless business woman with a Southern sense of charm." Check out her quote:

Who do you admire most (personally and/or professionally)? Donald Trump, of course. And right behind him is my role model, Martha Stewart...You gotta love a woman who knows when to buy, when to sell and when to bake.

Posted by sam at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)

January 09, 2004

More independent music

Magnatune: "We are not evil." Buy albums for as little as $5 each, with 50% of the purchase price going to the artist.

Posted by sam at 03:50 PM | Comments (4)

Gladwell on SUVs

This week in the New Yorker Malcolm Gladwell writes about SUVs. The full article seems not to be available online but there's an interview available with the gist of his argument: "You mention that people are more concerned with feeling safe than with being safe, and that this results in the popularity of limited-feedback, poorly performing vehicles like S.U.V.s."

Earlier I pointed to an economic analysis of SUVs that claims they are a rational self-defense purchase. Gladwell says that SUVs are in fact not more safe for the driver, but provide the illusion of safety to our "reptilian" brains.

Posted by sam at 02:50 PM | Comments (2)

The dishes are piling up and for once it's not my fault

Apparently the woman downstairs is out of town and left her heat on too low. The pipe to our kitchen sink is frozen, so neither cold nor hot water will come out.

Breean heard on the radio this morning that the high today will be 0 °. So much for our jog.

Posted by sam at 11:58 AM | Comments (2)

The Apprentice

We caught the first half hour of The Apprentice tonight. Breean thinks it'll be a big topic of discussion at school and wanted me to watch just to keep up.

The first task was totally unfair. Who's going to sell more lemonade on the streets of New York - eight average looking men or eight... better-looking women, one of whom has acted in the past?

We missed the end though. Who was eliminated tonight?

I'll keep an eye on the show, I thought it was more interesting than most of the other psuedo-reality shows on right now.

Posted by sam at 12:24 AM | Comments (4)

January 06, 2004

On google

I can't be the only one dissapointed that Google will go through Morgan and Goldman for their IPO. Why not OpenIPO?

From an investment standpoint I'm not as excited as everybody else seems to be. Competition in the search space is always 'almost there', and going public will seriously challenge the Google code of conduct (long term, everything the company stands for). This is the internet ppl, nothing stays on top for long.

Update: bubblegeneration seems to agree on both counts.

Posted by sam at 12:31 AM | Comments (2)

January 05, 2004

TiVo marketing

How to Ignore Your Best Customers, the TiVo Way [from scripting news]:

Instead of capitalizing on its tens of thousands of customer evangelists to move the product into the mainstream, TiVo’s word-of-mouth strategy focuses on celebrity endorsements and television show product placement. The problem: celebrity endorsements—even if they are unpaid in TiVo’s case—are obscured by Hollywood’s culture of fakery and PR puffery.

In a marketing class discussion earlier this year it was generally said that TiVo's marketing problem is that the feature set is too difficult to explain to a mass audience (is it a VCR? what is it?). This points to a different problem - that TiVo relies on an outdated model of celebrity endorsements though these carry absolutely no weight with the core market.

Posted by sam at 09:01 PM | Comments (0)

January 04, 2004

Too bad Christmas is over

I so want the Catapult Watch, "the only watch that's also a weapon- it shoots BBs, dried peas, popcorn kernels, lentils and more up to 8 feet accross the room!" How cool is that? [from doc]

Posted by sam at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)

Another snow pic

Two days ago it was 59°. But as soon as my parents leave (bye guys, it was great having you!) we have another storm. It looks beautiful right now but I'm worried my parents got the wrong impression about Ithaca.

So here's proof that winter in upstate New York is not all long walks in the sun.

Another storm