Things about management and business on a smaller scale, and economics on a larger one.
The future Marketing division of Sirius Cybernetics corporation or proof that one industry has just too much money? Yet again, the pharmaceutical industry puts us horny computer nerds to shame.
(A major difference is you can ignore my advice on what computer to buy, but You can’t be so cavalier with your doctor’s prescription.)
In related news… Scrubs Season 2 is out on DVD. As Dru would say, “So good.”
As I mentioned earlier the Op-Ed articles which are behind TimeSelect paid-for subscriptions. I noticed that they have nearly completely fallen out of the Time’s “Most e-mailed” newsfeed. Before it seemed that over half the Op-Eds would be on this feed.
I wonder if the impact of these columnists will diminish?
I read on PhotographyBlog that Nikon posted record profits from February to September 2005. The D70’s sequel the D70s and the surprising D50.
I know this sounds like cheerleading, but remember that half of my decision to purchase a D70 was based on which companies would be around after the expected fallout from the impending dSLR smackdown.
Comparisons of how the Bush Administration is the the worst part of Nixon’s Watergate are like a bad hooker—cheap and easy.
The “paper of record†has an interesting article about the RNC front-organization, Progress for America. Basically, this group is heavily funded to rubber stamp anything that comes out of the White House—promoting John Robert’s nomination within 7 minutes, Harriet Meiers within 11 minutes, and having Sam Alito’s promotion ready before it was even announced. It’s very easy when half of your “grass roots†funds come from the same top 15 multimillion dollar donors as the President, your board consists of former Bush campaign aides, and your employees are part of the revolving door of Republican lobbyists. They have a term for that stuff in the tech world.
It’s called Astroturfing (as in “fake grassrootsâ€).
I know I implied I would not link TimesSelect, but this gem from Paul Krugman deserves special mention.
This article is a great introspective on limitations of our ability to judge character (“thin-slicing” in Blink-speak). It makes a great case on how our judgement of character can easily be manipulated by a personal impression created under the right frame. If you aren’t interested in politics, you should read that article for the implications it has on business relationships and interviews and stop reading this one.
Here is what I want to talk about:
Let’s be frank: the Bush administration has made brilliant use of journalistic careerism. Those who wrote puff pieces about Mr. Bush and those around him have been rewarded with career-boosting access. Those who raised questions about his character found themselves under personal attack from the administration’s proxies. (Yes, I’m speaking in part from experience.)
That is an amazing quote.
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I had almost forgotten that Microsoft was supposed to launch their iTunes Music Store killer this year, perhaps even their own player (but more likely to be co-launched with some hungry electronics conglomerate). What ever happened to that?
Now we know.
Reuters reports that Microsoft has stopped licensing talks with the big 4 music labels.
The most informative note in the article was this one:
According to several people briefed on the matter, the labels separately were seeking royalty payments of $6 to $8 per user, per month. People close to the labels say that is in line with what existing subscription-music services pay, the Journal reported.
I sent Caitlin this article and she said:
“Microsoft and Verizon—I sense evil…No more toys for you I guess.”
Hehe, she’s right.
It makes sense that with business internet and insta-companies that people would looking to have instant original logos (and on the cheap).
That’s why it is so fascinating when BoingBoing pointed out a fascinating site that catalogs stolen logo designs by one such online logo design services.
Wow! talk about blatant. My favorite has to be the Ernst & Youngrip off, for so many reasons that I can’t begin to name it. It actually has me scratching my head wondering how a company like this is allowed to stay in business. If anything is cause for a lynching by a bunch of pencil-wielding design geeks, this has got to be it.
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Dell is about to introduce the long-awaited (I’m sure) DJ Ditty (purchase).
An eyesore and an eight month turnaround to copy a device consisting of generic components. Is this what “player-hater”, Robert Enderle, meant when he said, “Historically staid companies like Gateway, HP, Acer, and even Dell are much more aggressive on design today, often surpassing Apple, which was preeminent in this area in the 90s.” Enderle singing a dirge for Apple: Seventh time’s the charm Rob!
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Paul Krugman writes about cronyism rampant in this administration. For me, the problem isn’t that cronyism is occurring (every administration is guilty of being partisan in their appointments), but that the appointments are unqualified and incompetent. I find it hard to believe that either side can’t find partisans that are competent.
This seems a natural continuation of the steady establishment of the Right Wing dominance on American’s politics. What little states identity and power there was left after the Democratic control from the Great Depression to 1968 has become eviscerated as the Right Wing has moved control from grass roots to the national level. The Republicans have done a great job burning their bridges in their march to Washington.
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